WEEK 7
Fair Warning! This is a long one!
Please excuse my tardiness with posting. Between rehearsals, car parking and making memories with my Ox Blood crew I haven't had a lot of free time to write! As I type this I am sitting in rehearsal (in my costume!) keeping one eye on the screen and the other looking at the stage following along. Then my computer died and I didn't finish it for another week! Sorry!
So this post was very hard for me to write (not just time wise), I actually debated about writing what I did because I didn't want to seem that I was bitching or talking badly about people. But I decided to be honest with myself, and my readers (if I have any) and write it anyway. Hey, I might take it down in a minute, or in two days, or a month. But for now, please don't judge me for how I was feeling this week. Just remember this post has no intent of malice, or bitchiness, it is just how I was feeling at the time.
This week was tough for me. I was a bit of an emotional wreck for a couple of days, and we had a crazy schedule, so I am so glad that week 7 is over!
Anyhoo here are the details of Week7:
Monday July 20, 2015
Today we had the Kern Musical Monday performance! The Club girls were excused from rehearsal for the morning because we had to be at the theatre at 9:30am to run through the show (since we had never done a full run through!). We did the two runs and then broke for lunch, AKA grab something fast and get into costume and makeup as fast as you can and be back at the theatre in 30 min!
The show itself went pretty well. The highs were high but the lows were most definitely low. And that was for everyone, not just myself. I messed up on both of my solos. The first was a quick line flub (which was not even that noticeable) and was not a big deal. On my other solo, "Till The Clouds Roll By" I had made it through the entire song perfectly until the very last line. For some reason I took one of the last notes low, when I was supposed to sing high, and I realized my mistake, then I started laughing at myself, realized I was laughing and then quickly took the note high. That all happened in about .2 seconds, so I'm pretty sure I sounded like a demented donkey. Oh well!
Even though the show was far from perfect the audience still loved it. And when I say loved it I mean LOVED it! The average age in the theatre was probably 65 and they were all singing along in their seats. When the show ended a bunch of the audience came up to us to tell us how much they enjoyed themselves and that they loved the show.
We had to run because we had to go to rehearsal, so we quickly ran to the bathroom and change and then booked it to the car. For some reason I was left behind in the theatre and on my out to the car a group of the audience members spotted me and stopped to tell me how the loved the show and they wanted to know all about me, where I am from, how I am liking the Berkshires, what our program is like. They were such kind, supportive people and I wish I could have stayed and chatted with them, but I had to run! On my way to the car I realized that I had my first "Stage Door Experience".
Ever since I was a little kid when my family would go to a Broadway show, we would go to the stage door and meet the actors and chat with them. And I have always thought to myself "How cool would it be to be on the other side of the conversation one day" and I finally had that experience! I'm just sad I had to run from it so soon.
We made it to rehearsal with about 45 min left of it. Rocco did a Linklater vocal warm up with us, and then he worked some of the Limericks that are in the show.
After rehearsal we spent the rest of the day cooking and relaxing.
Tuesday July 21, 2015
We had rehearsal starting at 9:30 am to start blocking. When I got to rehearsal I was so excited because I was told that once we started blocking my character would be incorporated into the show more. But when rehearsal started it became clear that was not the case. I pretty much sat at rehearsal the entire day and did not do anything. But me being me, I tried to stay positive about it and not worry. They only worked part of the show today so perhaps I would be used more tomorrow.
Wednesday July 22, 2015
We had rehearsal scheduled from 10 am-6pm. And it was another day of me just sitting and watching. Don't get me wrong, you still learn so much (if not more) from observing, but it is just so hard for me to just sit and watch. It has been over a year since my last show in college, so I was so excited to get back to rehearsal and work, so it is a bit of a disappointment for me to just sit and watch the entire time. I have been trying to keep a good face because my two roommates, Sophie and Maggie, have principle roles and are loving the experience. And I am so happy for them and so excited for them, but I'm just having a hard time enjoying the experience.
The one good thing about today is that my big from Tri Delta called me, and I got to talk to her for over an hour on the phone. I missed her so much and it was nice having a chat with her!
Thursday July 23, 2015
Today was the day that broke me. I'm not trying to be dramatic, and I do not mean to bitch or complain, but today is the day that it really got to me.
We had a short rehearsal (10am-12pm) and we were working some of the bigger songs of the show. Tony (our stage fighting teacher) has come in to help out while Rocco is out doing rehearsal for a show at another local theatre. Tony came in today to work with both Barbara and Rocco, and he noticed that the apprentices were not doing much in the show. So he has started trying to find more ways to incorporate us into the production. I noticed this during rehearsal and I was really touched by it (because I've been doing everything I can to get myself in the show more).
When we got home after rehearsal, I went to my room and just got emotional. I'm normally able to keep it in check, because I really hate crying--especially crying in front of other people, but I could not hold it in. I sobbed my eyes out. I was feeling so miserable and small and I just needed a good cry. My friends came and saw me ( I think I freaked them out a little) but they helped me calm down and comforted me and listened to me babble. They made me tea and laughed when I cried because I got mascara all over my bedding and then proceeded to scrub the stain with stain remover while bawling my eyes out. But after I felt refreshed. The situation is not perfect, but I'm still going to make the best of it, because thats what I do.
Later that afternoon we got to go to a rehearsal for "Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune". We are technically understudying the part of Frankie for our EMC credits. It was a nice change of environment. We got to watch the actors work for two hours and we go to meet Karen Allen (of Indiana Jones fame) who is directing it!
After that we had car parking. Naturally.
Friday July 24, 2015
Today was another full day of rehearsals, and I was determined to make myself available as possible to get more things to do during the show. They cleaned some of the musical numbers and they changed some blocking, but the whole time I was there at the ready, just in case they needed someone to move something or take a prop off stage. I am proud to say that it worked, and I am now doing some silly things like that, but I am trying to make the most of it! I keep reminding myself that in the end, this is still a regional theatre credit on my resume, and that is all that matters.
In the evening we had to do car parking, and then the Ox Blood crew went out for dinner/margaritas because it was National Tequila Day!
Saturday July 25, 2015
Today was long. Very long.
It started off with rehearsal in the morning from 10am-12pm. Then we had to run over to the Stockbridge campus to car park. Then we went home to rest up because we had strike that evening (9:45pm-12am, then return at 8am). Just as I went to take a nap I got a call from the head of our program. She never calls us so I got up and answered. For some reason there was a mix up with the car parking schedule and they were short 3 people and there was no one else in the entire company who could help out. She asked me if we (Maggie, Annika and I) could come in and park. Every fiber of my being wanted to say no, but I knew it was the right thing to do. So the three of us dragged our little booties back to Stockbridge to park the cars for the final showing of "Deathtrap".
When we finished we ran to Lee and had dinner, and then returned at 9:30pm for strike. We were assigned to props and carpentry. So we had to clear the stage of all the props and then help take down the entire set. We finished this around 12:30am, and then they released us to go home and get some sleep (half of the apprentice group had to stay overnight and work electrics).
Sunday July 26, 2015
So we woke up around 6:30 am, packed lunches and left the house by 7:30 so we could get to strike on time. It was pouring rain outside. When we got there we were told that we had to dismantle all of the large wooden flats and put them in the dumpster. Problem was that the wood had been out all night and it was now soaking wet. So we spent about 4 hours tearing apart a giant pile of wood flats and throwing them in the dumpster. We suddenly realized that the dumpster was full, and we still at 1/4 of the pile left to throw away. So Mollie and I climbed into the dumpster and started organizing it to make the rest of the pile fit. I am proud to say that that dumpster was the prettiest dumpster I have ever seen! By the time were were done with it we had the entire pile of wood in it, and we still had half of the dumpster empty. I am now adding dumpster organizer to mu resume. Now that would be a conversation starter.
After we organized the dumpster we had to help organize the shop, put away a bunch of set pieces etc. etc. we finally left around 4pm.
After we all had showered and had a cat-nap, we jumped into the car and drove to Williamstown. Alison Fraser (who was in Deathtrap) was performing with the Skivvies and invited us to see it. What a fun evening! I never thought watching people sing in their undies would be so much fun. They are broadway actors who play instruments and sing in their underwear and invite other Broadway (and sometimes mega superstars) to come sing with them. Alison was one of four guests that night and when she was done performing she came and sat with us and watched the rest of the show with us.
More to come.
XOXO,
Kate
Today is the day!! The Even Stephen's Musical Monday is finally here. And I am a nervous wreck (although I am keeping a calm exterior). I am terrified that I am going to mess it. Worst Pies is a hard song. I wake up, do my hair, run to Starbucks (its that kind of morning). Finally it is time to go to the theatre for the dress rehearsal. The rehearsal goes ok, but I'm still convinced that I'm going to forget the words, or sing the wrong ones at the wrong part. When the rehearsal is over, we run and grab sandwiches before heading home to finish getting dressed. Finally it is time to go to the theatre. I sit in the lobby, a bundle of nerves, just drilling the words of my song over and over and over again in my head. I really do not know why I am so worked up about this song, I never get this way! The show starts, the opening number (Bless the Lord) goes great. I am then sitting there waiting for it to be my turn to sing. I go to drill the words one last time and, oh shit! I forgot the entire first verse! So now I'm sitting there hyperventilating quietly to myself not being able to remember the very first part of my song. Then I suddenly remember, I have my phone with me. So I slyly pull my phone out of its hiding spot and I quickly google the words. I've got them down now. I think I can do this. It is finally my turn, and I nervously walk up to the stage and start the song. 
