Monthly Archives: March 2017

I like pickles.  (More about that later.) I arrived early to the theater for pre-show prep before tonight’s preview performance of “The Grand Duke.”  I had three specific problems to solve. And I wanted to be there when the actors arrived so I … Continue reading →

I lied. Yesterday I described “The Frenzy” of our dress rehearsal and promised we’d do it all again tonight.  But we didn’t. Not exactly While those thousand independent and overlapping things were certainly happening again, tonight — our final dress … Continue reading →

  I walked into the theater carrying a box of fabrics and costumes, a new prop, and a shoulder bag weighed down with script, score and laptop. Before my eyes had adjusted to the dim light; while I was still … Continue reading →

We’re in! The set crew started bright and early and spent the entire day loading in and installing the platforms, columns, trees, frames, carts and many other pieces that make up our complex and ever-changing set design. The costume and props … Continue reading →

About this time every year I send a note to the cast to prepare them for the week ahead. This year it struck me that some of my advice to performers might be extracted and interpolated as advice to the audience as … Continue reading →

So here’s something to think about as we prepare to move into tech week for “The Grand Duke”….. “Score” is an archaic way of saying “twenty.”  You know, like Lincoln’s famous “four score and seven years ago” — which meant … Continue reading →

Our Preview Performance is one week from tonight. We’re about to graduate from rehearsing in conference rooms and rehearsal halls to performing on the magnificent stage at the Carolina Theatre with costumes, props, make-up, sets, lights, and a full orchestra. … Continue reading →

I love working on scenes  with actors.  I absolutely love it! Last night I wrote about the art of watching. Well, tonight’s rehearsal was about watching, and talking, and taking action. We looked at several scenes — and some songs … Continue reading →

I teach acting on Monday nights, so was late to tonight’s “Grand Duke” rehearsal. We’re in the final week before moving into the theater; which could be a time of chaos and stress.  So it was wonderful to walk into a … Continue reading →

What happens when a group of entertainers decide to perform on the politcal stage? Well….. The hilariously convoluted plot of “The Grand Duke” involves covert conspiracies, rigged elections, secret signs, death-less duels, insider trading, profiteering, legal loopholes, bickering divas, multiple … Continue reading →