Three Weeks Out

Here's where we are three weeks before opening:

We saw the first incarnation of the set yesterday, with the silk-striped projection surface, and were able to experiment for the first time with the creation of silhouettes and shadows. Smaller set pieces have been integrated into rehearsal and are working well. I'm particularly fond of the mirror.

Props are being found and made, but Dora Maar is still rehearsing with the wrong kind of camera while the propmaster fabricates a more accurate Rolleiflex twin lens.

We've also tried three or four different travel trunks (used by Dora Maar in several scenes), and none is working the way we want it to, so that's another challenge the propmaster will have to take on next week. Rob continues to add and delete props based on staging decisions and script revisions.

Today, we have another image meeting and on Monday we expect to see how the images will look when projected. Today, we are also recording the pre-show announcement and voiceover for the Guernica scene.

Marketing has begun around town, and a videographer from the Humanities project stopped by rehearsal last night. A talkback has been planned for Oct. 6, with other events in discussion.

Actors ran the show last night, and continue to work out problem areas with Rob. Rehearsals will be closed as of Sunday when we plan to navigate scenes that involve disrobing and nudity. As college students, the actors have not had to contend with this challenge before, and so we're devoting extra time to helping them feel comfortable with this aspect of the play.

Last night after the run, Rob sat around a table with the actors and had them say/read their lines aloud with the pace and reactions that he wants to see during performance.

The actors have to find that same energy when they are on their feet, but in the reading, they sounded brilliant, and I feel the new text is working.

Let me know if you have any questions I can answer about the production process. I'd love to hear from you at lojosimon@gmail.com.