Remounting a Show in Five Days

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acting, actor's life, Kamloops, The Importance of Being Earnest, theatre, Western Canada Theatre

So it’s already the night before dress rehearsal (with an invited audience, no less), and we only arrived here a week ago.

It is the strangest feeling rehearsing a play that you’ve already performed. Right now, it feels like we’re trying to recreate the show we did in Saskatoon last fall, instead of simply performing the play. Also, without an audience, the space feels oddly empty and hollow.

This whole adventure has really messed with my sleep cycle. I was in show mode for King Lear (up till 2 a.m., sleep until 11a.m.), then I quickly switched gears back into rehearsal mode of working 10 to 6 p.m., and now we’re back into show mode again. All in a week and a half! Needless to say, coffee is my best friend.

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Off to Kamloops

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iPad mini, Kamloops, The Importance of Being Earnest, Western Canada Theatre

I’m off!  Heading to Kamloops today for three weeks to perform The Importance of Being Earnest again.  So excited.

I’m leaving my brick of a laptop at home, and taking my iPad Mini with me, so it’ll be an experiment in blogging for the next few posts.  (Can I gush for a moment about my iPad Mini?  I lurve this little machine.  It can do the most amazing things!  Best part?  I don’t have to pack three books with me to read while I’m gone – they’re all on the iPad – hurrah!)

 

 

You Can Call it a Corset; it’s Really a Torture Device

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corset, costumes, Persephone Theatre, The Importance of Being Earnest, Western Canada Theatre, wigs

Ladies, let us all take a moment, bow our heads in silence, and say a prayer of thanks to whatever god invented the bra.  I am now certain that the corset was surely designed by the devil.  Evil, awful, dreadful thing.

No wonder Victorian ladies were always fainting, I’m telling you, you CANNOT BREATHE in these damn things.

When an actor cannot breathe, an actor cannot speak properly.  Your ribs get very sore because there’s no room for them to expand, but by design and habit, the poor little things just keep trying their darndest to push out against the evil boning of the corset.  You then require very painful sessions with the massage therapist who does her best to restore some movement and suppleness to the diaphragm by jamming her fingers up and under your ribcage.  Ouch.

Okay, I complain, but actually, I’m thrilled with everything about this show, and I’m pretty sure I still have the best job in the world.  Look at how awesome my wig turned out!

We have a great script, a great cast and crew, and a beautiful design.  The best part? We get to do it all over again in January at Western Canada Theatre in Kamloops.  Hurrah for co-productions!