Tech Night 1

            Last night was technical rehearsal for Act I. Costumes were added and costume changes were rehearsed.

            Mostly the night was about lights. The designer and crew have been playing with the lights the past few nights, but last night belonged to them. Our Tony winning Broadway designer has brought in a Tony winning lighting designer this year. New lighting equipment has been going up, and down. They’ve removed the front row of seating and are trying out footlights. I’m assured that the flooding problem that used to be prevalent down by the stage has been solved, but…

The lighting is going to be brilliant.

            We started the evening under the heaviest smoke from the fire near Stumpy Point that we have had to deal with so far, thick blankets of peat smoke and a constant rain of drifting ash. Pompeii jokes were made. (Fire update: A couple of days ago the fire was “85% contained” but after some high winds it is now only 65% contained and yesterday jumped the firebreak. The town of Stumpy Point is under a voluntary evacuation. There is real danger to the town.)

We were sent into the dressing rooms to get into costume. (Note to self: boxer shorts don’t do well with wearing tights).

            It was a kick to see the costumes and the company in them. The Indians did not paint except for the leads, but they were in their costumes and wigs.

            We all were pretty excited when we started. The Indians made their entrance and…

            Hold.

            Friends, we started the work through at 8:30 pm. When we were dismissed at 2 am we had reached the top of Plymouth.

           

This is as good a place as any to announce that Prologue has been cut. We rehearsed it a lot, but a couple of days ago a rehearsal was held and ‘Snip!’

 It’s gone. The show starts with Indian Dance. When they are half way through the dance they stop and freeze. The Historian takes place on the Jetty and begins: “In the time of Queen Elizabeth I many…blah blah….incantations and rites before their gods.” The dance resumes and Amadas and Barlowe storm in down the aisles (the lead character in said storming is of course Father Martin, although he doesn’t storm, not in the dress he’s wearing, rather he strides quickly yet piously).

            Along about 10:30 we were blessed in that the wind shifted slightly and the smoke blew away. We had a very light rain for awhile but the remainder of the night was smoke-free.

            After my star turn in Amadas and Barlowe I knew that at the pace we were going it would be a long haul before I made my next entrance in Plymouth so I shed my costume and went to street clothes (wearing my tights under my jeans and my show tee shirt). No smoking in costume! I spent some time at the top of the hill with Robert Midgette discussing years gone by, time traveling. At one point there was a solid 45 minute hold to figure out the engineering of the scene change and Red Soldier costume change going into the Queen’s Garden scene. We finally moved on.

            I wandered the backstage at about midnight. The earlier excitement was gone. There were Colonists sleeping everywhere, on the benches, on the decks and on the stairs. In one clump Allison (Mrs. Manteo), a headlamp attached to her head, was reading aloud to a dozing group.

            By the side of the women’s dressing room, facing the sound, I discovered Lynda Clark, our Queen, still in full costume perched on a bench, her dresser Olivia was attempting to massage Lynda’s neck, which was cramping and seizing up from wearing the heavy crown. The enormous wisk (whisk? I can’t find any reference to that item of apparel) was also still in place, preventing her from leaning back. Lynda is one tough cookie but she was close to tears.

            Now, dealing with, or at least observing, Queens in costume for many years I was stunned that Lynda has been wearing that get up for nearly four hours! I finally decided to have a minor hissy fit which, as those of you who know me are aware, involves raising my voice to an audible level. I had Olivia inquire up the chain about allowing the Queen to remove her crown and wisk. Permission granted, and after backing up and running the Crossover scene one last time, Lynda was allowed to take off the dress as well.

            Also greatly suffering were the female Pavane dancers in their enormous costumes. They were also allowed to shed.

            We were getting close (sort of) to Plymouth, so I went in to get into my next costume, mainly because it was something to do. Then I wandered some more. Most of the company was sleeping now.

            My knees were giving me fits. I have arthritis in both knees and sometimes they pain me a lot, especially late at night. I made my way to the top of the hill and sat in the top row, close to nodding off myself.

            When we reached the top of Plymouth we stopped. Costumes off, a later call time was given for today, and out of there at 2 o’clock.

            We never did reach my second entrance.