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Adieu, sticky dew
Nov. 15th, 2004 12:10 pmThe closing of a run... a bittersweet post every time.
All four shows of the final weekend ran smoothly, including a lighting glitch that was actually cool because of where it fell in the show. I now know that the Chorus is just fine in the pitch dark, thank you very much. :-)
This was my 3rd show with Theatre@First, all within one calendar year. This time last year the company didn’t exist, and I had no inkling that something of such huge impact would soon be a part of my life, and I a part of it. Each show has been special and meaningful in a different way, with elements unique to each project and chemistry that wraps itself around the challenges of each show. I’ve been involved with about 20 community and indie theatre groups in my life, and 8 professional theatre companies. Nothing, absolutely nothing, compares to Theatre@First for its true spirit of community and shared creativity.
Murder In The Cathedral was the first show in which I had marked doubts about my ability to rise as a performer to the role. Aside from my one-woman shows, this was the largest role I’ve ever had to memorize, the difficulty of which was compounded by the fact that 9 other actresses all played the role simultaneously and we depended upon each other to be components of one unified body and voice. As chorus captain, I begged![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
lillibet to cut the role down during the early weeks of the memorization process. I felt certain that we had finally reached the barrier of That Which Can Not Be Done. I’ve learned to know what to expect from Elizabeth, and I wasn’t surprised when she wouldn’t even hear of cutting the role down, not by a single word. That’s Elizabeth. She knows her people are capable of far more than they allow themselves to believe. And in the history of T@F, not one person who completed a show has ever failed her.
Weeks ago I was perusing Lonely Planet Guides at the Globe Bookstore in Harvard Square, when out of casual curiosity took a peek at some antique style maps of European cities. One of the first ones I flipped to was Canterbury, and I knew we’d found the perfect gift for our director. We all signed the back, and I hope she likes it.
My two favorite sections of the Chorus role were the ones we called "Smelt" and "Clear." Smelt felt almost song-like, in the creepiest possible way, and it was my favorite because I got to play a drum through it. I beat out a slow and foreboding rhythm, while the Chorus slunk through the aisles in near darkness, breaking the 4th wall and hissing the text into the startled faces of audience members. Two of them had folk instruments that made eerie frog-like sounds, and the piece had a distinct swampy feel, one that almost smelt of algae and sinister foul waters.
"Clear" was an emotional cannon blast. Hidden from view behind the faux pipe organ, we shouted the explosive text at the very top of our lungs and it echoed to the ceiling like pain shooting through a skull. For this piece, we didn’t have to memorize the text and instead read it off script sheets. This was especially fortunate blocking because having the script sheets eliminated the problem of hesitation, which would have ruined this booming piece entirely. I loved the way the three vocal groups (high, medium, and low pitches) bounced off each other, and I only wish I could have heard it from the house. After every final WASH THEM WASH THEM! I always sat spellbound for several seconds as the explosion of the last syllable smashed through the church and vanished into icy silence. That was vocal power.
We celebrated until early morning at the home ofpheromone and the gentlemanly tcb walked me home. Now we meet on Sunday to discuss future projects. Last night jimmystagger came over and entertained us for two hours just by being his wonderful self.
Bravi to one and all.
All four shows of the final weekend ran smoothly, including a lighting glitch that was actually cool because of where it fell in the show. I now know that the Chorus is just fine in the pitch dark, thank you very much. :-)
This was my 3rd show with Theatre@First, all within one calendar year. This time last year the company didn’t exist, and I had no inkling that something of such huge impact would soon be a part of my life, and I a part of it. Each show has been special and meaningful in a different way, with elements unique to each project and chemistry that wraps itself around the challenges of each show. I’ve been involved with about 20 community and indie theatre groups in my life, and 8 professional theatre companies. Nothing, absolutely nothing, compares to Theatre@First for its true spirit of community and shared creativity.
Murder In The Cathedral was the first show in which I had marked doubts about my ability to rise as a performer to the role. Aside from my one-woman shows, this was the largest role I’ve ever had to memorize, the difficulty of which was compounded by the fact that 9 other actresses all played the role simultaneously and we depended upon each other to be components of one unified body and voice. As chorus captain, I begged
lillibet to cut the role down during the early weeks of the memorization process. I felt certain that we had finally reached the barrier of That Which Can Not Be Done. I’ve learned to know what to expect from Elizabeth, and I wasn’t surprised when she wouldn’t even hear of cutting the role down, not by a single word. That’s Elizabeth. She knows her people are capable of far more than they allow themselves to believe. And in the history of T@F, not one person who completed a show has ever failed her. Weeks ago I was perusing Lonely Planet Guides at the Globe Bookstore in Harvard Square, when out of casual curiosity took a peek at some antique style maps of European cities. One of the first ones I flipped to was Canterbury, and I knew we’d found the perfect gift for our director. We all signed the back, and I hope she likes it.
My two favorite sections of the Chorus role were the ones we called "Smelt" and "Clear." Smelt felt almost song-like, in the creepiest possible way, and it was my favorite because I got to play a drum through it. I beat out a slow and foreboding rhythm, while the Chorus slunk through the aisles in near darkness, breaking the 4th wall and hissing the text into the startled faces of audience members. Two of them had folk instruments that made eerie frog-like sounds, and the piece had a distinct swampy feel, one that almost smelt of algae and sinister foul waters.
"Clear" was an emotional cannon blast. Hidden from view behind the faux pipe organ, we shouted the explosive text at the very top of our lungs and it echoed to the ceiling like pain shooting through a skull. For this piece, we didn’t have to memorize the text and instead read it off script sheets. This was especially fortunate blocking because having the script sheets eliminated the problem of hesitation, which would have ruined this booming piece entirely. I loved the way the three vocal groups (high, medium, and low pitches) bounced off each other, and I only wish I could have heard it from the house. After every final WASH THEM WASH THEM! I always sat spellbound for several seconds as the explosion of the last syllable smashed through the church and vanished into icy silence. That was vocal power.
We celebrated until early morning at the home of
pheromone and the gentlemanly tcb walked me home. Now we meet on Sunday to discuss future projects. Last night jimmystagger came over and entertained us for two hours just by being his wonderful self. Bravi to one and all.