Closing in on Opening Day

Last night was the first full-dress rehearsal.  Let me tell you, wool suits are hot.  Not hot as in, "you look fabulous," no.  I'm not that lucky.

Then again, maybe I'm not that unlucky.  I don't have any costume changes.  At no point am I required to wear a sweater, and a couple of the cast members are.  Add to that the fact that we're deep into the middle of May and have you noticed, East Tennessee has already hit the high 80s this year?  And it's as humid as it ever was.  So I'm uncomfortable, but it could be worse.

Perhaps the most uncomfortable part is where I'm standing very, very still in the center of the stage for about ten minutes.  I've never been military but I think I have some inkling what the troops are going through, now.  Except without the bullets.

Last night was also tech night, sorting out the sounds and the lights.  It took quite a while.  We, the players, have pretty much nailed down our parts, now the difficulty is getting the show's biggest and most important star - the set - to go through all its cues and interjections properly.  Where the actors are responsible for getting their own parts correct and are a simple one-to-one relationship of person to part, the set and stage is operated by four or more people, all of whom have to dovetail simultaneously.  It's a bit like dancing, except the steps are lightning and the music is thunder and other sound effects.

Opening Night is this Friday, May 13 2011 at 7:00p.  There's a smaller matinee showing for the local middle school, a forgiving audience which I think will help get over the First Live Performance jitters.  But if you're in the area of Norris, Tennessee this weekend and looking for something to do, stop by.  It should be a hoot.