Another First Read

And so it begins again. We haven't even closed The Beard of Avon and here we are with a whole new cast of characters. Well not completely new Patrick Bussink and I are hanging around because we have not fully exhausted our nostalgia for one another quite yet. Also Gwen Grastorf is stepping onto the stage and from behind the tech booth for this one.

It is because of Rorschach Theatre's new policy of getting me out of bed for rehearsals way to early on Sunday mornings, that we began the first read for Fair Ladies at a Game of Poem cards at 9 a.m yesterday. As is my custom at a first read I began the morning with a small prayer that I have composed for such occasions. It goes like this:

Dear God,

Please allow me to get through this process and not have to resort to any performance enhancing drugs. Please make the cast like me and keep Rahaleh from turning them against me. Please let me remember all those lines, because let's face it I am not as young as I used to be. And forgive me for anything I may do or say that might get the cops involved.

Amen

It was with this prayer on my lips that I entered the space.

This is a very attractive cast. Maybe that is something that seems superficial but I have to say it for marketing purposes. I mean this is the story of star-crossed lovers and people don't want their lovers to be anything less than gorgeous.

How did the read go? Well they aren't only pretty they can act as well. I know I wasn't expecting to laugh as much as I did. The play is well written, with soaring bits of poetry and comic moments to match. There are speeches of innate beauty and the kind of clever word play that make one go "aren't I clever for having picked up on that clever peice of word play."

Once again check here for rehearsal updates and interesting facts about the play and Japanese culture. Also I will try and get the ball rolling on cast interviews as soon as I can.