Had the first rehearsal for Picasso at the Lapin Agile yesterday. Met the rest of the cast, and they all seem to be great. I have to try to remember to ask at today's rehearsal if they'll mind if I snap a few photos... or maybe I'll let that wait 'til I get to know them better. Perhaps that's best... not to let them know what a shutterbuggin' freak I am just yet.
First part of the day was pretty regular. We did the usual union business, got our scripts, et cetera, then sat down to read the play together for the first time. Afterward, our dinner break consisted of a meet & greet sorta thing for theater staff, donors and board members. That was kinda nice, even though those of you who know me know I tend to freeze up when faced with large groups of strangers.
After dinner, we went into the Haas Theatre and did another readthrough of the play, but this time all of those donors & board members were invited to watch. It was an unusual experience. I've never done anything like that before. It was kinda weird and kinda cool. Today should be even more interesting. The director, Aaron Posner wants to try something he's never done before, and that's to do a run through of the play with scripts in hand just to see where it goes. Yet another thing that I've never done before - but I think it's kinda neat... see what happens "organically."
Last night's rehearsal was unusual in yet another aspect - I can say definitively that it was the first time ever I've had a director break out a case of beer and sit the cast down to discuss the play over drinks right in the rehearsal hall. Everyone, of course, had opinions about what the play is saying, sometimes differing, but Aaron pointed out what I thought was key about the discussion, and that was that was that the best part of it was watching all of the ideas that had been propose bounce around in peoples' heads as they considered them. Very cool.
Well, I've settled into my digs for the interim period while the theater gets its new actor housing ready. They've leased a three bedroom home about 1½ miles from the theater, but it's going to take them a couple weeks to stock it with furniture and that kinda stuff. Eventually, Kate Norris and Youssef Kerkour and I (the out-of-towners) will be rooming together. So, for now, I'm staying with a popular local actress named Grace Gonglewsky who is a friend of Aaron's and has worked at the theater before. Actually, she's worked a great deal around Phildelphia. After we had a chance to get introductions outta the way and know a little bit about each other, Grace decided that I was the "her of Pittsburgh." Like me, she's stayed in her hometown and made a life as an actor here.
All in all, I'm enjoying my first few days in Philadelphia. I'm looking forward to using my free time to explore the city again. It's been over five years since I've been with any regularity during my SmithKline days (now they're GlaxoSmithKline). There's too much to see and not enough time to see it! With a rehearsal schedule of 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. each day, there's not a lot of spare time left over for other stuff - but I'm hoping that will change once the show is up and we're doing the run.
First part of the day was pretty regular. We did the usual union business, got our scripts, et cetera, then sat down to read the play together for the first time. Afterward, our dinner break consisted of a meet & greet sorta thing for theater staff, donors and board members. That was kinda nice, even though those of you who know me know I tend to freeze up when faced with large groups of strangers.
After dinner, we went into the Haas Theatre and did another readthrough of the play, but this time all of those donors & board members were invited to watch. It was an unusual experience. I've never done anything like that before. It was kinda weird and kinda cool. Today should be even more interesting. The director, Aaron Posner wants to try something he's never done before, and that's to do a run through of the play with scripts in hand just to see where it goes. Yet another thing that I've never done before - but I think it's kinda neat... see what happens "organically."
Last night's rehearsal was unusual in yet another aspect - I can say definitively that it was the first time ever I've had a director break out a case of beer and sit the cast down to discuss the play over drinks right in the rehearsal hall. Everyone, of course, had opinions about what the play is saying, sometimes differing, but Aaron pointed out what I thought was key about the discussion, and that was that was that the best part of it was watching all of the ideas that had been propose bounce around in peoples' heads as they considered them. Very cool.
Well, I've settled into my digs for the interim period while the theater gets its new actor housing ready. They've leased a three bedroom home about 1½ miles from the theater, but it's going to take them a couple weeks to stock it with furniture and that kinda stuff. Eventually, Kate Norris and Youssef Kerkour and I (the out-of-towners) will be rooming together. So, for now, I'm staying with a popular local actress named Grace Gonglewsky who is a friend of Aaron's and has worked at the theater before. Actually, she's worked a great deal around Phildelphia. After we had a chance to get introductions outta the way and know a little bit about each other, Grace decided that I was the "her of Pittsburgh." Like me, she's stayed in her hometown and made a life as an actor here.
All in all, I'm enjoying my first few days in Philadelphia. I'm looking forward to using my free time to explore the city again. It's been over five years since I've been with any regularity during my SmithKline days (now they're GlaxoSmithKline). There's too much to see and not enough time to see it! With a rehearsal schedule of 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. each day, there's not a lot of spare time left over for other stuff - but I'm hoping that will change once the show is up and we're doing the run.
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