My work is done...

My work is done here.

So, Opening Night has come and gone... An early sellout.  Tonight is also sold out.  XACT's fantastic future Executive Director, Jenni Lintz arranged for a wonderful after show Jambalaya fest for cast and crew, made by her son, Anthony.  So totally amazing!

Performance was a little off for 3 of the principals, but sadly it is not my problem now... They all have to take responsibility for their performances, as my job is done.  I am sure once they get past all the backstage 'distractions' and the 'star' complex, their performances may become more focused and show they have grown as actors and are a step above the 'amateur actor' syndrome they may have been living previously.  Well, let's hope so anyway.

Technically, Andy's lights are fantastic for the VERY limited power and lighting resources that the theatre has.  Sarah Ballenger has handled her cues professionally and is doing a great job (also making on the fly corrections), as is Harry Woosley with sound.  I completely trust these two amazing people.  Kelly Bennington is juggling her onstage commitments with Stage Management beautifully and I would definitely use her as an SM in the future!  Austin Smith, Daniel Wilson and Juliet Howard-Welch are making sure everything is where it needs to be at pre set, as well as putting 'out fires' some other actors cause.

And, the Ensemble and street characters... these people are the glue that work hard to make the principals look good and keep the entire cast ensemble together.  They are so consistent... so ready... so grounded.  I totally trust each and every one of them to get their jobs done, no matter what.  This is the group (crew and street characters) that clean up the 'messes' left by other actors.  Led by Geoff Moss (Pablo and Set Designer), this group of Josh Katawick (Young Collector and Musician), Joe Hochadel (Musician), Diana Hart (Mexican Woman), Brandon Saldivar (Sailor and general good guy), Jennifer Sivers-Shrader (Eunice) and Mike Frazier (Steve)...have made my job much easier than it could have been. 

Though I will continue to post throughout the run and beyond the show closing, now as it is time to let them all go and focus on my next project (Directing A Midsummer Night's Dream for Springfield StageWorks).  This is the hard part, as once the show is in run, everyone tends to forget about the thankless job of the director...  my job is done...


Some of Larry Coressel's (and another one or two of Lisa Bernheim's) photos from final rehearsal run...

I can't help your trembling, if you insist on trembling...

Only one more rehearsal until our preview performance.  It will be a tough final rehearsal as an understudy is covering for a principal tonight, but we will get through it.  The cast is utterly amazing and most have embraced my ideas and visions without any fear at all. 

Last night, we were lucky enough to have my friend, Larry Coressel back in the house to shoot some run photos of the first half.  We also had another talented young photographer, Lisa Bernheim there shooting, so we should have quite an online scrapbook by the end of this run!

I really should be scrambling around, trying to find last minute things, but it all 'seems' to be under control.  Still have a little work to do to get my second line umbrella, but even that task is on target. 

Will be making daily updates through the next few days and into the weekend, so keep an eye out!

Who said the 'M' word...

So, today has been a bit of a rollercoaster...

My fabulous and hard working Assistant Director / Stage Manager was in a car accident today.  Of course, we know very little, but hope she is OK.  She is just one of 18 amazing cast and run crew, whose talents are invaluable to us.  This is the third health related issue that has befallen my cast and crew (lost 2 ensemble members in the last 2 weeks) and we hope it will be the last.  Don't they say things come in threes?  We live in hope.

Tonight was a fairly productive rehearsal, aside from the usual drama of an actor not wanting to hear negative or corrective notes.  Other than that, I am thrilled with many of the scenes.  The intensity is powerful, the tone of some scenes poignant, and the overall show is amazing. 

But, whoever said that M word better keep their darn mouth shut from now on!

Moving on along...

                                       Titus Wolverton as Stanley and Juliet Howard-Welch as Stella
                                                            (Photo by Larry Coressel)

Well, it has been a couple of really busy weeks...

Not only has being in rehearsal for STREETCAR and the childrens show, CINDERELLA VARIATIONS,  kept me overly occupied, but moving from one house to another has kept me horribly unfocused on the blog...  That doesn't mean that the show hasn't been moving right along!

Much has happened since I last posted.  We are currently in our final week of regular work and runs.  We move into tech rehearsals this weekend.  So much development and growth has  occurred.  We have had a bevy of photographers in and out of rehearsals documenting our work.  My photographer, Larry Coressel, will soon be shooting a final dress and has been in to do some rehearsal shots, while X*ACT's photographer, Kathleen from www.shooootphotography.com has also been giving us some great rehearsal shots. 

This is how we looked two weeks ago:

                    Titus Wolverton as Stanley and Juliet Howard-Welch  as Stella                                                          (Photo by Larry Coressel)

Titus Wolverton as Stanley, Mike Frazier as Steve, Daniel Wilson as Mitch and Geoff Moss as Pablo                                                          (Photo by Larry Coressel)

                           Cassandra Engber as Blanche and Juliet Howard-Welch as  Stella                                                        (Photo by Larry Coressel)



And, this is how we looked just last week...(These photos are by Kathleen from www.shooootphotography.com)