March 23, 2012 - We're drawing near the end of March which means that we are getting close to our opening as well. The weather in Chicago this past week has been beautiful - there's nothing like walking out of the Hancock building at 9:30 at night and having it still be in the 70's.
We've had a good week at rehearsal. The lines are solid and we've been tightening up the blocking and committing everything to muscle memory. What's best is that we have been able to laugh and play. Everyone has brought themselves fully to the rehearsal room. No matter how tired they are or how bad their day was at work, all that is cast aside and for the time we spend together, everyone is committed to the joyful telling of our story. This is truly a wonderful thing and it doesn't always happen in our work in the theater.
Last night presented a new challenge and one I've been dreading since we started: one of the masks broke. Now I get to see whether everything I've discovered about mask making over the past three months is enough to let me repair it or if I will have to create a new one as a replacement. I have it patched up pretty well and drying in my studio at home, but I'll have to wait and see if the repairs are strong enough.
Tomorrow Liz and I are putting the finishing touches on our lighting equipment. Sunday is tech - our one and only day in the actual performance space before we open and next week are all the final details. We're in great shape and I cannot wait for everyone else to see it.
Happy Spring!
Stephen Murray - Director
