ur first preview in Chicago went great here at Lookingglass. As stated, I’d say it may have been the best I have ever seen the show received.
Some things that I think made it an easy put-in:
1) On Day One, Mark Barton focused with an excellent team. This made us ready to go on day two without delay.
2) On Day Two, Nilaja did a runthru for the stage manager. After working with the excellent Tom Taylor for over a year, it was good for Nilaja to perform this for Sarah Gmitter, who is proving to be excellent. While Nilaja ran through for spacing and cobweb-removal, Mark wrote cues with Nilaja onstage and called cues from the board, where possible.
3) On Day three, Tuesday, we had our ten out of twelve. Mark and I both maintained that if we needed all 10 out of 12, then something must have gone terribly, terribly wrong. We finished our 10 out of 12 with two hours to spare. Sarah the stage manager was excellent, and ran a crisp tech. Sound always takes longer, and there was some delays, as there always is, getting sound up to speed.
4) At the end of day three, the last our of the 10 out of 12, (or 8 out of 12) we ran through the show. The performance was close to how I would want to see the show. A few timing glitches here, some tentativeness here and there on calls, but otherwise, right on the money.
5) On day four, the day of Preview, we had a runthrough at one o’clock, and continued to work on cues without Nilaja afterwards. This lasted till about 3:30-4 pm. So while we worked, Nilaja rested.
What would make our next put in easier? I would say the one additional requirement would be to have the sound designer and board operator present for that first run through on Day 2 with Nilaja. This way, they’d get used to the story before the tech.
The stage manager also advised creating a video of the performance with tech – she felt that really would help her call cues with the right exactness, but I know there are restrictions imposed by the unions.
Friday, October 5
NEA TCG redux
Now it can be told. I am a recipient of the 2007-2009 NEA TCG Career Development Program for Directors. I've known for a while, so sorry to be demur, my faithful readers.
More about this anon...
More about this anon...
Night and Day
What a difference a day makes!
I would say that on Wednesday, Oct. 3, our first preview, I saw the best performance I'd ever seen of NO CHILD... Let me phrase that better: I had never seen the show received as well as it was on that night. Nilaja had the audience in the palm of her hands for 1 hr 7 minutes (and the extra 3 minutes of running time was all laughter and audience response). The character of SHONDRIKA might well have earned herself a spin-off. The audience went wild whenever she spoke. The curtain call, a standing o as always, was like about 175 people being touched at once by some kind of spirit. What a night.
Last night, the show went great. But the audience was ice cold. The stood up for a standing o as well, but were just one of the least responsive houses I've ever witnessed. What can you do? Nilaja's performance was practically identical. Thus, nothing to be done...She'll get em tonight. And Nilaja was fine with the house, anyway.
Today, off to meet with Ed Sobel at Steppenwolf...
I would say that on Wednesday, Oct. 3, our first preview, I saw the best performance I'd ever seen of NO CHILD... Let me phrase that better: I had never seen the show received as well as it was on that night. Nilaja had the audience in the palm of her hands for 1 hr 7 minutes (and the extra 3 minutes of running time was all laughter and audience response). The character of SHONDRIKA might well have earned herself a spin-off. The audience went wild whenever she spoke. The curtain call, a standing o as always, was like about 175 people being touched at once by some kind of spirit. What a night.
Last night, the show went great. But the audience was ice cold. The stood up for a standing o as well, but were just one of the least responsive houses I've ever witnessed. What can you do? Nilaja's performance was practically identical. Thus, nothing to be done...She'll get em tonight. And Nilaja was fine with the house, anyway.
Today, off to meet with Ed Sobel at Steppenwolf...
Monday, October 1
Sunday, September 30
Lookingglass Theatre
The Lookingglass gig has begun: Was picked up yesterday by production artistic director Phil Smith and have been really enjoying the town. I am staying at the City Club? The Club Quarters.
Sterile, corporate business living. I have a minifridge and a microwave. Last night's dinner, a frozen lean cuisine fettucini alfredo. Ouch. That's gotta end now.
Chicago is great.
I am staying across the street from Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot cd cover.
Last night, went to Steppenwolf and watched THE CRUCIBLE of all things. It's great. James Vincent Meredith was a phenomenal John Proctor. Thought Anna D's direction was great - though I have one quibble. When the kids are going all crazy in the "courtroom" scene, the lights and sounds seemed to suggest, that yes, things were going all supernatural. I think that's the wrong point. We should see that it is the kids who have powers over the rest of the town. Somehow, it made it feel that indeed the devil was working his magic. Unless, that was her point. I don't think so.
Walked with Mark Barton to the Navy Pier and that was fun. The weather is decent.
Saw the space. It's great. The major differences: Nilaja will be at eye level with the fourth row and above. It's great. And there will be no back wall, just a bit of a void.
The biggest challenge will be the opening and the ending; getting Nilaja on and off stage. I love the effect of her walking into the fading boom stage left and am hopeful we can create something analogous here. With Barton here, I have no doubt we'll figure it out.
In other news, today is all Phillies, all Mets. And all nerves.
Sterile, corporate business living. I have a minifridge and a microwave. Last night's dinner, a frozen lean cuisine fettucini alfredo. Ouch. That's gotta end now.
Chicago is great.
I am staying across the street from Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot cd cover.
Last night, went to Steppenwolf and watched THE CRUCIBLE of all things. It's great. James Vincent Meredith was a phenomenal John Proctor. Thought Anna D's direction was great - though I have one quibble. When the kids are going all crazy in the "courtroom" scene, the lights and sounds seemed to suggest, that yes, things were going all supernatural. I think that's the wrong point. We should see that it is the kids who have powers over the rest of the town. Somehow, it made it feel that indeed the devil was working his magic. Unless, that was her point. I don't think so.
Walked with Mark Barton to the Navy Pier and that was fun. The weather is decent.
Saw the space. It's great. The major differences: Nilaja will be at eye level with the fourth row and above. It's great. And there will be no back wall, just a bit of a void.
The biggest challenge will be the opening and the ending; getting Nilaja on and off stage. I love the effect of her walking into the fading boom stage left and am hopeful we can create something analogous here. With Barton here, I have no doubt we'll figure it out.
In other news, today is all Phillies, all Mets. And all nerves.
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