Today was our first opportunity to work with the orchestra before moving into the theatre. The sitzprobe or “sit and sing” is the first meeting of the cast and orchestra to try and become one entity. One organism that creates a cohesive and exciting show. Today’s rehearsal was a good start. The cast was excited and I think it’s safe to say we had fun. If I am wrong, I do hope someone would correct me on that. At least I had fun. We met over at the Obi Studios in the south side of San Jose. It’s a nice looking place. In some past sitzprobes, or prova all’italiana as the Italians call it, the rooms were kind of cramped and usually get very warm very quickly. I wish we could sing here every time!
About this time in the rehearsal process, the tension begins to build because there’s only a very short amount of time to perfect everything that the staff has given us to work with. The little bit of time that’s left is when I try and refine or tweak or even change some of my goals in the scenes or tactics that I use to try and get what I want. It’s also really when I get the butterflies and the queasy stomach. Then, at night, I lie awake thinking about the show and stressing even if I know that I’ve done a ton of work and am solid on everything.
Then, magically, Opening Night is a breeze. It’s like all the anxiety that I am supposed to feel at that time is what I dealt with weeks before, so now I am good to go. Yay! But first I have to deal with it. And the sitzprobe is usually the point at which the slow tummy grumblings start to happen.
Now with only two weeks left to tighten and perfect this little gem of a show into performance level, all the people involved in the show must begin to put forth their focus. This is when we must utilize the suggestions and guidance that the staff have offered up for us to work with and sculpt and re-sculpt our characters until they are so much a part of us that a part of them lives in us even when we aren’t on stage. We must deliver at each precious rehearsal that’s left so that we know we have this in the bag. It’s okay to have fun, but when it’s time to work, we must be prepared. We simply must.
This sense of urgency permeates the cast usually and things begin to fit into the mold our fearless director, Meg Fischer, has made. So if I were to follow this analogy, I’d say that tonight was when we poured the show into the mold. Now, we have to get it to set. Woo to the Hoo!!!
With only two weeks left, the show is very nearly on the road…
And I suggest you get your tickets NOW!
The Actorvist 