Rehearsal at the Wilsons

A Tuning the Air Journal

Monday November 16, 2009 – Rehearsal at the Wilsons

We learned very early on that it is never a good idea to discuss how a particular performance went, immediately after that performance. Doing this show requires an openness that makes us very vulnerable, and the potential for misunderstanding and hurt feelings is very high when we try to switch gears too soon. Even casual remarks can have destructive repercussions. It is not an easy “rule” to follow, and none of us is completely successful every week, but we do our best.

So we set aside part of tonight’s rehearsal as the time for the entire company to get together to reflect on the recent performances and the new direction we are working with.

Unfortunately, the Fates were not completely on our side. Two performers had work obligations that kept them from attending, and another one was down with a bout of food poisoning. From the rest of the company, only Christina and Greg were available. So it was not really the “all-in” freewheeling discussion we had hoped for, and we were missing several key points of view.

Nevertheless, it was a very good review, and despite our low numbers it managed to extend to the entire rehearsal, and my guitar remained in its case. I was particularly interested to hear the observations from outside the performance team. Very useful. The result was essentially “no change” for this week’s performance, outside of a handful of minor tweaks.