Rainy Rehearsal Day

Alright, the work week begins, today is my first day of rehearsal and also the first day with our full working company all in order.  Rain!  Which wouldn't really be a big problem except that.... [here comes a lengthy story]

This past Columbus Day a major structure, the one standing directly next to the current performance space, was burned completely to the ground.  How did it start?  Not sure...electrical? arson? cigarette butts from the bat next door?  No one really knows.  Regardless, it's gone and so is every musical instrument the theater owns (save a grand piano and a crappy rehearsal drumset), music stands, amps, power tools, hand tools, years of set pieces (many of which were reused for shows over and over), dressing rooms, wardrobe space (hair and make up), and years and years of fond memories.  Additionally the performance space had a good amount of damage and we're told that in 5 more minutes of unattended fire, it would also have burned to the ground.  The facility that I speak of was very old and not in great shape but still....tragic!  However, out of disaster has come something great.  The structure has been rebuilt and now will have 7 brand new beautiful dressing rooms, a huge bright new lobby, a gigantic construction and paint shop, tons of storage and a beautiful new back stage space.  Well here's the dilemma....it's still under it's last stages of construction.

Okay so that means that the crew has no covered space to work in because contractors are still working to complete the space, install the plumbing, door fixtures, electrical, furniture, molding, etc.  So it looks like they'll put on their ponchos and hope for the best.  They've been preparing for this however and we're all confident that it'll be just fine.  Our first show will undoubtedly be bit scary however.  I'm fully expecting that they sets will be getting touch up paint and construction, the piano will be getting tuned and the floor of the theater will still be getting mopped as we are just about to open!

As for me, first day of rehearsal with the "Hired Help".  I'm excited, nervous and anxious all at the same time.  The thing that's great is that we all start on the same page.  Not knowing one another (although I do know one of the "Hired Help" from past work with the theater), we are able to have at least a few days of work together where we are all on the same page.  Inevitably, what happens within days, however, is that we (actors and directors alike) will learn each others quirks and idiosyncrasies and that inevitable leads to a summer of adjusting to each other as professionals.  Bring it on!  We theater types are all passionate about what we do and have a flair for the dramatic.  That combination is always an interesting one.

Okay I need to get Crazy P settled (he escaped from my room on Saturday...so I'm changing his pen name to "Houdini").  He'll probably end up sleeping all day because we had a busy day yesterday and he looks a bit pooped.  Then I'm off to work...the fun begins!

With excitement from the Mountains of Musical Madness....

Cheers.
CK