Rehearsal in the Great Hall

A Tuning the Air Journal

Thursday September 10, 2009 – Rehearsal in the Great Hall

As many as were able arrived 30 minutes early in order to set up the lights in the new configuration so that Meleah could work out her strategy while the performance team also worked out some of their strategy. Joel also set up to see how the room would respond to his electric improvs for the house music. Beautifully, is the answer to that one. While the lights were being set I walked through the house with Mary Beth and filled her in on what Jaxie and I had seen as necessary for preparing the space for performance.

We did not set up the risers, which in retrospect may have been a mistake. But I really wanted to play through the entire repertoire tonight, and was feeling the time constraints. We will not have much opportunity to work in the Great Hall between now and opening night, so we needed as much information as possible. No metronome for this rehearsal – play the music and deal with the sound. We also did a little bit of work with blocking for our entrance, including one new inspiration from Jaxie. It was not, strictly speaking, a dress rehearsal, but it served some of that function: to leave the performers in a state of abject terror.

A couple of experiments with the lighting. Meleah was the hardest working person in the room. Learned a lot about the effect of certain combinations, and the intensity of turning the room into a single color. All red is pretty intense.

Much to do between now and September 24. As usual, if feels impossible. As usual, we’ll do it anyway. Rehearsal at my place Saturday, since Fremont Abbey is otherwise booked. For this one, the metronome will definitely be on.