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Community Performance Inc.

September 22, 2008

It's been long days of rehearsals, from 5:00 until 10:00 or so, sometimes longer after a late production meeting, but the rehearsals have been sort of seamless. There's still a lot of work toward memorization, but the cast has really been working at developing their characters at a level I haven't seen in a while. You can see the "actor muscles" that this group has built over the years. They are the oldest of our Community Performance projects. Many of the young adults-- who have grown up in Swamp Gravy-- play lead roles this year. It's hard to believe that Tarah Sloan, Joanna Richardson and Drew Atkinson, as well as Matthew Tully, Preston Messer and Will Murdock are now old enough to be playing roles of young adults who decide to elope.

Preston, one of our teenagers, is also serving as the Assistant director for the show this year. I can't say how impressed we are with him. His notes are consistently good and solid. His staging ideas are clear and creative. He's at every rehearsal and stays until the end. We've been checking his notes, and for the most part, he's ready to start giving some of his actor notes on his own. He'll do more and more of that leading up to the opening. The intent is that after we open, and after Richard and I leave, that Preston will continue to give notes and watch the show to keep it solid through the entire run. He's a very talented person.

People are really invested in the play and working for it. I think it's because we've really incorporated co-production this year. Our script work, our direction, everything within the rehearsal room. And the council is now ready to move co-production out further, not just with the cast, but co-producing with the community for things that really make swamp gravy work here. For instance, we have two shows on Saturday, with a very brief break between shows. The council wants to feed the cast, as we've done for the past two years now. But instead of taking this on solely with the cast or the council, the Swamp Gravy council is going to find some folks good at nurturing and cooking out in the community to provide things like spaghetti dinners. Or, finding people good at doing hair to come in and help us with those intricate '30's hair styles. In this way, we're getting back to the roots of Swamp Gravy, really getting lots of people-- besides all of our great actors-- involved at a high level, doing things they enjoy doing, and doing things that are so vitally needed to make this not only a play, but a family experience. We've really been a happy family group this year. Is this due to co-production? Is it because we've got a strong script? Is it because we've got a strong Swamp Gravy Council? It's hard to pinpoint the reasons why, but I think we're all feeling like it's largely because we have really embraced co-production as a way to work.

   

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