Tag Archives: rehearsal

Leading Lame

Posted on April 23, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

Ever since I decided to direct Leading Ladies at Ilion Little Theatre (ILT), I knew I would at some point use the headline “Leading Lame.”  So today is the day.  I have rehearsal tonight and I really, really, really want to make my blog post before I have to leave for it. Luckily, it is Lame Post Friday.

I know, I know, many other days of the week I just type something foolish and go.  I can’t worry about those days right now.  The fact is, I have had a minor headache all day which has since flared into a full-blown sinus event.  It has been a while since I have complained about a headache. Or has it?  I can’t be bothered to go back and check now.

But getting back to All Leading Ladies All The Time, I seem to be spending a great deal of my time these days trying to remember every little thing I have to take care of or make sure gets taken care of.  A few big things, too.  Oh well, it was my dumb idea to direct a play.  I have been blessed with many people helping me out in all kinds of way, so I am grateful for that.  I got taken off overtime at work so have been getting an hour and a half more sleep in the morning.  Score!

Last night’s rehearsal went very well.  My husband, in particular, did a fine job with his scenes.  The other actors all had excellent moments as well.  I think it is telling that as many times as I have seen this play now, my cast can still make me laugh out loud.  For example… I’m not going to give you an example!  Come and see the play!

In case I have not mentioned it before, it is Leading Ladies at Ilion Little Theatre, on Remington Avenue in Ilion, NY.  Performance dates are April 29, 30, May 1, 6, 7 and 8; 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays, admission is $12 for adults, $8 for students. For more information you can visit ILT’s website at www.ilionlittletheatre.org.

 

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Alas, No Naked Actors

Posted on April 22, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

Yesterday before rehearsal for Leading Ladies (remember, that play I mentioned once or twice?), I got a Facebook message that the OD wanted a photograph of the cast.  In costume.  That night.  Yikes!  Oh, for non-local readers, if any, the OD is the Utica Observer-Dispatch, one of the local newspapers.  Of course we have been working on costumes right along, but with a cast of eight, numerous costume changes and two cross-dressing characters, these things take time.

I emailed the cast to give them a heads-up and searched my house for a few things.  One thing I needed was Steven’s three-piece pin-striped suit.  He has worn that suit for roughly 859 plays since the late ’80s (I just made that number up; I really have no idea).  Here is the story of the suit:

Back when we were merely dating, we had gone to the thrift store in Potsdam, NY (we lived up north at the time).  I was looking for men’s blazers, which I love to wear. Steven was just looking.  He found a practically brand new, dark blue, three-piece pin-striped suit that fit perfectly.  When we went to pay for it, the lady said in kind of a hushed tone, “You know, three piece suits are eight dollars.”  I worked at JC Penney at the time, and I knew that suit had cost at least a hundred bucks new.  I was happy to pay eight dollars for it.

Getting back to 2016, I got to Ilion Little Theatre (ILT) early and once again went through the costume room upstairs.  It took me several trips to bring down all the stuff I pulled.  I’m certainly going to get my exercise putting it all away.  As cast members started showing up I got them started trying things on.  One fellow went upstairs in search of a suit.  When he came down with one, I sent him back up with the actor playing his son to find another one (um, another suit, not another son).

We all had great success with our finding and trying, although I could not convince one cast member that the mauve hat does NOT go with the blue dress.  She won’t wear it, because as her director I told her not to, but she is not happy about it.  However, we were able to begin rehearsal not too late with everybody wearing something (although naked rehearsal shots would indeed cause a sensation in the local paper).  The secretary of ILT was there to take the picture to send to the OD.  She got some good action shots and one or two posed pictures.

Alas, this is not a photo blog, so I cannot share them here.  Perhaps one day I will figure out how.  Don’t get your hopes up too high, though:  I probably will not be able to talk the actors into naked rehearsal shots.

 

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What Would Sarah Siddons Do?

Posted on April 15, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

And it’s back to All Leading Ladies All The Time with this week’s Non-Sequitur Thursday post.  I’m calling this a non-sequitur because I am writing a blog post about the play on the night when I do NOT have rehearsal.  I want to take tonight off, sit on my couch, crochet and watch true crime shows.  First I had a few show-related chores.

I made phone calls, I sent emails and Facebook messages.  I could do a few other things but I think I’m done.  I may have mentioned how stressed out I’ve felt lately.  I have so much to do and I am not getting enough sleep.  I am a huge baby about not getting enough sleep.  I’d call it my beauty rest, but some yahoo will make an unkind remark about there not being enough sleep in the world (you know who you are).

However, last night I got a boost in mood thanks to my cast and crew.  We spent the first part of rehearsal trying on and discussing costumes.  My cast is being just wonderful about it.  I didn’t hear any, “I don’t feel my character would wear this” or “I can’t wear anything like that”  or just plain “YUCK!”  They tried stuff on.  It fit or did not.  Other cast members were beyond helpful with suggestions of where we can possibly borrow more pieces, even going so far as to seek out the lenders themselves.   I find that so wonderful.  I’m used to hearing, “Well, you can ask this one or that one,”  often a good suggestion but I am so NOT good at asking people for things in addition  to being quite pressed for time.

When we got down to rehearsing, everybody seemed to have a marvelous time.  I love how the characters are developing, and I am delighted with how the players are reacting to each other.   My favorite part of acting is reacting!

After we got home from rehearsal, I went straight to bed.  It was not until this morning that Steven told me how a couple of cast members were on Facebook  remarking about how much fun they were having.  What a timely reminder for me!  Of course there is a lot of responsibility to being director.  I have a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it in.  Stress is inevitable.  However, why am I doing this?  Because it is FUN!

Whether this was a particularly fun blog post about it, I shall leave my reader to judge.  As for myself, I have a baby afghan to knit and an episode of Snapped to watch.  Tomorrow it’s back to rehearsal, after making my usual Friday Lame Post.  I hope to see you then.

 

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Leading Library

Posted on April 14, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

I interrupt All Leading Ladies All The Time for a brief shout-out to Basloe Library in Herkimer, NY.  I am, of course, a well-known lover of libraries.  I’m only sorry that yesterday’s was only a flying visit.

What happened was this:  I was typing in the rough draft of my latest article for Mohawk Valley Living magazine on my recently acquired laptop.  My habit has been to type in the rough draft, print it out, and edit, usually asking Steven to read it as well.  I really felt I needed editing this time, including lots of rearranging of paragraphs.  Unfortunately, I neglected to purchase a chord to hook my laptop up to my printer.  What to do?

Library to the rescue!  I emailed myself the file, then went to Basloe to get on the computer and print it out.  There was, fortunately, a computer available.  I logged on and went to it.  I had just time to get the article printed and get to rehearsal (oh well, I guess one little mention of Leading Ladies).  The difficulty lay in getting myself to leave the library without looking for a book.  I simply could not resist a short glance at the book sale at least.  I tore myself away before making any purchases.  I hurried to rehearsal, feeling rather pleased with myself.

It was not until this morning that I discovered that I had apparently clicked wrong and only printed out the first page of the article. Alas!  I had to wait till I got home from work and do all my editing on the laptop.  I hope the article turned out all right.

Now I must get to rehearsal again.  Tomorrow we will return to All Leading Ladies All The Time.  I hope you’re having a lovely Wednesday.

 

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Engaged to be Tired

Posted on March 30, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

So yesterday I promised to do my damnedest to finish the post I started. I bet some of you were sitting there shaking your heads in a superior fashion saying, “She won’t do it.  She’ll have a Tired Tuesday post.  You watch.”

Well, technically we’re both right.  I did try my damnedest to finish that post before giving up and starting the Tired Tuesday nonsense you are now reading (ooh, here are a couple of Freudian slips for you:  I started to type “Turd” instead of “Tired,” and “not reading” instead of “now reading”).

We had rehearsal last night for “Engaged to be Murdered,” the murder mystery being presented by Ilion Little Theatre at Morning Star Methodist Church this Saturday, April 3.  Just to give another plug, that’s at 5 p.m., tickets are $20 and include the performance and a roast pork dinner.  Reservations are required by March 31 by calling the church office at 315-894-4093.

Rehearsal went marvelously.  The actors all brought their costumes and let me tell you, they are fabulous.  Everybody looks awesome!  The performance should be very enjoyable. I’m only sorry I’m not acting in it myself.

Tonight I have another rehearsal for Leading Ladies, ILT’s spring production, which as you may remember I am directing. I’m sure that will go well too. We’ll be missing an actor, but these things happen in community theatre.  We must make the best of them.

In summary, I think I have legitimate reasons to be tired (I didn’t even mention being on overtime at work, but I am).   I suppose it’s no reason not to write a blog post.  Oh wait a minute, I just did.  On to rehearsal!

 

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Musings on a Miserable Meandering Monday

Posted on March 29, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

I started writing a pretty good post while on break at work today.  Now once again I cannot get to my dashboard on WordPress and it is just so frustrating!  I don’t even know where to go to ask them what to do about it.  Additionally, I am stressed and overwhelmed through my own damn fault so there is no point in bitching about it but it has a real dampening effect on my posting abilities.  That is probably a run-on sentence.

Where was I?    In my dining room, on my lap top, watching the clock, because I have to go to a rehearsal for our murder mystery, and trying to get a post done. I thought I was so smart, writing something while I was at work today!  All I would have to do was type it in, hit Publish and go.

If only I had finished it.  Which, truth be known, I should have been able to do right now.  What on earth is wrong with me that I cannot?  Some would say I could do it, I CHOOSE not to.  I suppose it could be true, but sometimes attempting to do something is so mentally painful as to become physically painful and then, well if you want to call it a choice, I call it a sensible choice.

The question now is: is it noticeably less painful to make a foolish post as I am doing than it was to attempt to finish the other post?  I can’t say.  However, it is shorter (the other was running into some length and I wanted to add at least three more paragraphs).  I shall sign off now and promise to do my damnedest to finish that other post for tomorrow.

I wish you all a most un-miserable Monday.

 

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But Is It Post Ironic?

Posted on March 17, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

It is the damnedest thing that one day you can take a daytime cold medicine and it takes the edge off your symptoms and it doesn’t particularly dope you up, then the next day you take the same damn medicine and you are high as a kite for the rest of the day. Only it’s not as much fun as, for example, the drugs all the college kids were doing in the ’70s (to be exact, I was in high school in the ’70s, and I did not do drugs, but I’ve heard).

I wasn’t really as high as a kite. I’m quite sure I was not a danger to myself or others, at least, no more so than I normally am.  I guess “high as a a kite” was a poor characterization, as well as one of those cliches we writers are supposed to avoid like the plague.  I should say “like the proverbial plague.”  I have mentioned in the past that one can transform a cliche into a hip, post-ironic turn of phrase with the addition of the word “proverbial.”   I don’t know if that is true or not, but if you call me on it, I will accuse you of being neither hip nor post-ironic.

As many readers have by now guessed, today is Wuss-out Wednesday.  I spent the morning feeling sorry that I went home early on Friday.  Who knew I was going to feel even worse today?  I suppose I could have guessed it.  I bet some of you did.  As the morning wore on, I did not feel so horribly horrible, so that was all right.  However, I had no wherewithal with which to write a blog post.

Now I am trying to type in something, anything, while I wait for Steven to get home from work.  We have rehearsal again tonight.  I hope my brain returns in sufficient force that I will be able to act like a director (get it?  We’ll be in the theatre for a play rehearsal.  I will ACT like the director, a little play within the play) (or maybe a play on words) (OK, no more cold medicine for me).

 

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I’m a Wuss, But I Have Rehearsal

Posted on October 29, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

I guess it’s time for this blog to switch over to All Lunch Hour All The Time, because all I can think about is the rehearsal I have to head out to soon.

Lunch Hour, for anyone just tuning in, is the current production of Ilion Little Theatre.  I’m stage manager.  I must admit, I’m not a very good stage manager, but the director is very nice about it.  In fact, speaking of not being a very good stage manager, I just remembered I am supposed to be bringing a couple of props to tonight’s rehearsal.  I wonder if I can find them. After I type in this blog post.

Rehearsals are going very well, incidentally. The actors are doing a good job of developing their characters and building relationships with each other.  I like to watch the reactions at some points.  I’ve only worked with one of these actors before, so it’s good to see new faces.  I hope the new people stick around.  For one reason, I’d like them to audition for the show I’m going to direct in the spring.

This is our last week of “real” rehearsals.  Next week is tech and dress, then we open.  Productions dates are Nov. 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, and 15,  at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays, at Ilion Little Theatre, Remington Avenue, Ilion, NY.  For more information, you can visit their website, www.ilionlittletheatre.org.  You can also Like their Facebook page, where updates and rehearsal photos are often posted.

Well, I guess I didn’t say much in this post, but at least I didn’t whine about how I can’t write a post and how tired I am.  Oh, well, I guess I did.  Let’s just call it Wuss-Out Wednesday and hit publish.  Hope to see you all on Non-Sequitur Thursday.

 

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All Roxy But Mostly Tired

Posted on September 9, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Are you ready for All Roxy All The Time?  Because we have three — that’s right, a mere THREE rehearsals before opening night on Friday.  How can I help but obsess?

For anybody just tuning in or for anybody who REALLY doesn’t pay attention when they read (like the way a lot of you listen when I talk) (you know who you are), Roxy is the play being presented by Herkimer County Historical Society at Ilion Little Theatre.  I’m in it, and I have written several blog posts about it.

Actually, I spent a good deal of my time at work today NOT thinking about Roxy.  I was instead thinking about how hot and uncomfortable I was.  Unofficial end of summer, my ass! (I used that as the first sentence of a blog post once; let’s just say I’m quoting myself.)  However, to kvetch about the weather is tiresome.  I am comfortable now and enjoying the sounds of a thunderstorm.

I spent my lunch time going over my lines again.  I pretty much know them, but it is a mistake to become complacent about these things.  My only fear is that the hot weather of the last few days as boiled, steamed and fried my brain to less than its normal level of usefulness (admittedly low).  For example, I’m looking back over this blog post and it reads to me a bit… disjointed.  I feel it is not as entertaining as one would like.

Then again, it is Tired Tuesday.  And since it was doing double duty as Monday (since I was one of the fortunate people who had a three day weekend),  I have even more reason to be tired.  I must hit publish and try to catch a second wind before rehearsal.  Tune in tomorrow, when Mohawk Valley Girl says, “I had hoped NOT to have Wuss-out Wednesday, BUT…”

 

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Maybe I Can Act Like I’m Not Tired

Posted on September 2, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

I can’t, I positively canNOT have a Tired Tuesday post today.  For one reason, I simply cannot be tired.  Oh, physically I certainly can.  I had insomnia last night and worked a 10-hour day today.  I could, in fact, be forgiven for being tired.

However, my day is not over.  I have rehearsal for Roxy in about an hour.  I believe I warned regular readers (oh how I love having regular readers) that this blog may become All Roxy All The Time.  Well, opening night is one week from Friday.  It may be time for that to happen.

Tonight we will run the show.  That is, we will begin at the beginning and go straight through to the end, I hope without stopping.  Well, maybe a pause at intermission for a potty break.  Even Bette Davis took the occasional potty break.  Joan Crawford probably did too, but I doubt she admitted it.  But why am I referencing movie stars?  Shouldn’t I say Sarah Siddons or somebody?  Oh, I am tired.

In other theatre news, auditions were held for Lunch Hour, Ilion Little Theatre Club’s first official production of the 2015-16 season (Roxy is being presented by the Herkimer County Historical Society at Ilion Little Theatre, just to clarify).  Lunch Hour is a romantic comedy about cheating spouses and what the cheatees do about it.  It’s cute.  Not nearly as serious as Roxy, and a MUCH smaller cast.  I’m stage manager.  I wonder if I’ll soon be making blog posts about how I’m so tired but I have rehearsal for Lunch Hour.  Oh dear.

Well, sorry to spend another blog post whining about my ills.  Perhaps I have time to make a cup of instant coffee before rehearsal.  Instant coffee has less caffeine than brewed, so perhaps if I drink that it will revive me for rehearsal but not set me up for another bout of insomnia.  If not, you’ll probably hear about it tomorrow on Wuss-Out Wednesday.  Hope your week is going swell.

 

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