Catch Up

Well.... we have had a busy week this past week. We opened The Bluest Water last Friday to a sold out audience. It was neat to have the opening night excitement kick in for everyone and there was a special energy amongst both cast and crew. We were excited to reveal the changes that had been made to the show and to perform in front of a live audience of people. Some seeing the show for the very first time and others back for a second go around. The lobby was buzzing and we had an excellent show.

There is a storm sequence at the beginning of the show, and as the Stage Manager calling the thing, I am sweating until we get through it. I usually end up standing for the first 15 - 20 minutes of the show, as I get to nervous to sit down. However, when I finally do relax a little, it is neat to watch the cast do their thing throughout the evening. Opening was really great, and it was neat to hear some of the stories that patrons shared with the cast after the show.

In keeping with tradition Geoff brought some lovely bubbly and we toasted to another opening, and a job well done all around. Geoff was really proud of everyone and communicated so, when he gave the toast. I know he and Krista are thankful and in awe at how far the company has come. I enjoy watching the two of them realize that the company is continuing to grow, and expand.

We are continuing to move right along with The Bluest Water, and have several more performances to go. All of the actors in the show are "keeping things fresh" and are continuing to discover various new elements in their character and bring them out. It will be interesting to hear how the cast felt this year has gone compared to last year, and how they will feel at the end end of this run. Everyone is doing such a fantastic job!!

Of course before there is any time to really stop and catch our breath, there are two other shows that are in full swing and they are continuing to develop day by day. My Brother's Knife rehearses during the day, which is nice so that we don't have any overlapping rehearsals between that show and Midsummer Night's Dream.

I have the honor and privilege to be a part of the cast for Midsummer Night. As much as I love Stage Managing and the "production" side of the theatre, I love being on stage too, and it is nice to keep the acting muscles moving every once in a while. After about a week and half of table work, Ryan (Director) was able to move the rehearsals outdoors and start getting the show "up on it's feet". This past Sunday was a marathon for some actors as we had a five hour rehearsal that evening. However it was productive, as half the show was able to be blocked and worked on a bit. I know that Ryan was pleased, and it helps him plan what the next few weeks will look like as we head into tech and then opening night on July 7th.

Enjoy some various shots from some of the recent rehearsals:

Although we can sometimes feel the burn, and we get fatigued here and there, we all love this. We look forward to the opening nights, the run, and the closing nights. It is neat to see all the hard work pay off when the first patrons set foot on campus and come to see our performances. In a world where lately things can look grim, I am glad to say that we can offer a bit of an escape at least for one enchanted evening! We will still have a couple more weeks of all three shows running at the same time, either in performances or in rehearsals. So the casts may see us looking like this:

However in reality, we are having a blast, and hope that you can join us sometime this summer if you have not already, so you too can see what all the buzz is about!!

Until next time,

Cheers!

Maria Hayden

Company Manager