One Day to Go

Over to the Hush House yesterday to watch some of the technical rehearsal and a first run of the play in full costume. This is always a heart-stopping time with actors coming to grips with fast costume changes, the sound, video and lighting cues being fed into the mix, winches lowering lights from the ceiling, and of course the community chorus flexing their acting muscles as a group of ancient Britons. Tony’s replacement, Peter, is all but up to speed and starting to inhabit the roles of Mal and the Commander. I saw some of the video footage for the first time and loved the way it was used. And I watched the tunnel produce some moments of real theatrical magic just as we hoped it would. One particularly telling entrance left me watching the next scene through tears before anyone had said a word. We’ll run the show a few times to get things up to speed. And then it’s time to look out the tux for tonight’s Preview. (Not that I’ve got a tux of course.) It’s going to be a full house. So instead of yesterday’s scant audience of the writer, director and lighting designer, and associated tecchies our cast is going to find itself exposed to the glare of 200 people eager for a story. On today’s showing we won’t be sending them home disappointed.