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Community Performance Inc.

December 04, 2007

We ran the machine today. We started the scenes in each of the storefronts, and ran them at 10 minute intervals. The entire scenes should be only 6 minutes long. Many were running right on time. One ran at 10 minutes. Yikes, Maybe more. Drill,drill, drill, is what we do tomorrow and the next day, and if that fails, hide the lines in a prop, I guess. Won't be the first time. We've become experts at helping people hide lines in photo albums, Bibles, buckets, and even ornamental fans. We've got to get them right at 6 minutes. That's the only thing that can gum up the works. We don't want one scene consistently running late, because we leave on a cycle of ten minutes, which gives two minutes to walk to each store, plus a two minute reset breather for the actors. If antoher group piles up in front of another scene, the actors in that scene won't get to reset. We'll get them there. Prompt books and all.

It's always exciting working in a place for the very first ime. This is the first time these actors have experienced COmmunity Performance. Most of them haven't stepped on stage before in their lives, except maybe a church play. Although we do have two actors fro mteh Rialto COmmunity THeater in this play. Most are just folks. I had a talk with the woman at hte Chamber of COmmerce (she's nice enough to let us use the back office to plug in and send email) She said her mother's boyfriend, who she's known for years and years, said he was coming out to try out for hteplay. And she could not believe this of him. She didn't think he'd ever have it in him. I told her that when he auditioned, we were blown away by his talent, he's a natural storyteller. Steve Trowbridge. He got one of the biggest parts in the show. Never been on stage before, either. That's what I really dig about this work. People get to step out of themselves and discver that all of us can be performers if we want to.

I may have mentioned, but I bet I forgot. RIchard and I have now been working together for ten years. Well, Richard, Joe, Brackley and I.

Joe's not married. Never been married. If he was, he never would have made the "compliment" he did this weekend. Richard and I were standing next to each other, and he says,

"I must say, you two are really aging well".

At which point I picked up the nearest thing I could find and flung it at him. That's it. He's out of my will.

Tomorrow we start working on making all of the storefronts pretty. Just a few more days and we open. We've got a cast of about 40. I wanted to write more about them, but I've got to run and hang up some paper chains. Then, lights on our trees. About ten of them. All cedar. Ouch. They sting!!!!!

   

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