Sunday, January 20, 2008

My Return To MCM&VCo., Week 1

I really wanted to write a daily blog entry (or at least one blog entry per rehearsal) for this "event" or "happening" or "insanity"... however you want to label it. However, I found that was a wonderful pipe dream, and nothing more.

So, instead, I'll try to type an update every Sunday. We'll see how long that lasts.

Rehearsals started last Sunday at noon. I had to skip church, as I can't make it from church to MCM&VCo. by noon. I met the two people I didn't know, and we pretty much dove in with the blocking of the first few scenes.

The best news is how few lines I have. The shows are usually pretty evenly broken up, and having one-sixth or one-seventh of the lines makes for a pretty light line load. This show is less evenly broken up, so my line load is even lighter... but I get to play several goofy characters, which is the sort of thing I enjoy.

While offstage, I'm doing origami, which is not new to me, but new to my MCM&VCo. experience. It makes the time go quickly.

We finished blocking the first three scenes, were told to have them memorized by Wednesday, and I got to go home, because I was not slated to be in the opener of the vaudeville, and that was all that was left to rehearse.

Monday evening, I learned I'm going to be in the opener after all. So, I got to learn it on the fly.

Rehearsals are pretty much as I remember them. Maybe it's too early to say, but I don't think I'll have the frustration level I had the last few shows I did at MCM&VCo. The frustration mainly came from me having a bit too much passion about doing things a certain way. Now, embarrassing to admit thought it may be, I'm in it for the money. So I can go with the things that used to make me insane. Or more insane.

By the end of Thursday's rehearsal, we'd blocked the entire show, and had made a lot of headway with two of the vaudeville numbers.

I've learned a lot of my lines, and I've also learned that some origami projects do not translate well onto paper... I mean as far as the "how to" instructions go.

Oh, and I learned that Saturday rehearsals can still be a killer.

By the time I got home last night (rehearsal was from 10 to 6), I thought my legs were going to stage a rebellion and leave me (and they probably would have, were it not for the whole "having to walk to get away from you" element--oh, and because they can't survive without my circulatory system and so forth).

And bonus: watched Steve Jones perform a number from Pet Pizazz several years ago. I've got to remember to go post a comment about that on Mrs. Jones' blog.

The show opens on the 15th of February, which means I have about 4 more weeks of rehearsal. Everybody wish me a leg-breaking--the theatrical kind, not the actual.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I am looking forward to reading about your experience. It's been a long time sine either me or Mr. Jones stepped foot into MCM&VCo. I hope we can come see your show, but we just started rehearsing for Anne Frank here so we'll have to see how our schedules pan out.

I'm glad Mr. Jones had his clothes on in the video (I'm assuming). There were times at MCM&VCo that he was nearer nakedness than Jeannie preferred.