And then the Fall - And then it Ended

Mica (Deputy SM), Macrina (Asst. SM), and me (SM) - Closing Night

The run for And then the Fall happened in an instant, and I feel that right as I was getting into the rhythm of the show, it ended!  We sold out nearly every performance, and each show ran smashingly. It boggles my mind how quickly this production has flown. Sometimes, it feels as if First Rehearsal was only last week. I've fallen in love with the cast and production team, and I'm not ready to leave them! (I fall in love with nearly every show I do, but most times I know that I'm going to see and/or work with the people again. This time, I have no idea if and when I'll see most of them.) Moreover, it's difficult to let go of a show after such a short run. The deputy stage manager's calling had finally been perfected and my backstage tracking had been worked down to a science. I felt as if the cadence of the show (from preshow preparation to closing duties) had finally reached its optimum level of efficiency, and then BOOM - it was over and done with.

Tomorrow morning is the "Get-Out" for the show (which is equivalent to a "Load-Out" in the US). My stage management team will be returning all props that we sourced from other theatre companies and completely cleaning the backstage area of the theatre. In a matter of a week, we will have put a show onstage and torn it down. Since this play is not scripted, and it was devised solely by and for the CDT (Collaboratie and Devised Theatre acting) class, it will never be performed again. In a way, it's incredible to think that I've been involved in a production that can never be paralleled.

The Cinema

Fancy a film?

Pick & Mix sweets

When we go out to see a movie in America, we usually say we're "going to the movies" or going to "see a movie". In London, however, they say they're "going to the cinema" or going to "watch a film". In the past couple of weeks, I've gone to "the cinema" twice - I've decided to splurge a bit because I'm only going to be in London a few more weeks! (I saw Argo, which I highly recommend, and Twilight...which I don't recommend at all.) Although going to the movies is nearly the same experience as in America, there are a few differences to look out for and consider when seeing a movie in London:

1. Some of the theatres have "assigned seating", so when you purchase a ticket, you also choose where you're going to sit. 
2. When you purchase popcorn, they ask you "Salty or sweet?". This means that they'll either put salt or sugar on it for you. 
3. To my disappointment, the popcorn is much more plain. Don't expect much butter or salt, and don't expect to put on additional butter or salt yourself - they don't have side tables where you can add extra popcorn condiments. 
4. The BEST part of London theatre is that they have a "Pick & Mix" candy section where you can fill a bag with as much candy as you want, and as many different kinds. (You're charged for the candy based on the weight of the bag, much like a candy shop in the US.) This section is fun for me because I'm able to try all of the signature English candy. 

A British Thanksgiving

HAPPY [belated] THANKSGIVING! I'm so grateful for having all of you in my life, and having your love and support that has made London possible.

Being in London for Thanksgiving was a rather strange feeling, as it was the first Thanksgiving without my family. At the same time though, I wasn't sad - just nostalgic. It's always been tradition to celebrate with my mom's side of the family in the morning and then my dad's side in the evening, so the entire day is full of family and food. I missed not being able to celebrate with my extended family, especially those who I don't see nearly enough (even when I'm in the same country). I also wish I could have seen my two godchildren, Gavin and Olivia, who are growing up MUCH too fast. Since I live in a different city from them, I'm always amazed by how much they grow in between holidays. Finally, I missed the delicious food that my family cooks for Thanksgiving, and all of the conversations that happen around the table. I plan on cooking and baking twice as much over the Christmas holiday to make up for lost time and food :)

Despite the fact that I couldn't spend the day with family and friends back home, I'm still so grateful for my wonderful Thanksgiving in London. I spent the day at rehearsal, which is always enjoyable and rewarding. Many of the cast members wished me a "happy Thanksgiving", even though they weren't really sure what it meant. Several of them asked me to explain Thanksgiving, and were quite jealous when they found out that they don't have a similar holiday revolving around friends and food (and being thankful, of course). After rehearsal, I had a drink with Jenna, who is one of my closest friends from Chicago who also came on the study abroad program for sound design. All in all though, the highlight of my Thanksgiving was making banoffee pie, which is officially one of my new favorite desserts. (I couldn't possibly choose just one favorite dessert, but it's definitely on my list of top twenty!) Banoffee pie is a favorite London dessert that can be found at practically every bakery and super market around town. My friend Alex, who decided that I needed to have a "proper London Thanksgiving", bought all of the ingredients to make a banoffee pie from scratch, including home-made caramel, cream, and crust. The recipe was actually much simpler than I thought it would be, and it was fun to still be able to spend time in the kitchen and bake on Thanksgiving. The pie turned out absolutely mouthwatering, and I'll definitely be making it for all of you over Christmas break!

Happy Black Friday/weekend shopping!

Rehearsal Progress

Part of the cast working on a scene in rehearsal

Life in London seems to become busier and busier every week, but in only the best ways. As with any theatrical production, my work load has progressively increased over the past two weeks as we draw closer and closer to tech. At this point, we have ten rehearsals left until we move into the theatre space, and the actors' characters are already well-developed. Rehearsals are moving along very well, and I'm confident that this production is going to be very strong.

Monday through Thursday this week, the cast continued working on their scenes (which include group scenes, monologues, asides, dances, and musical performances). In addition to the progress that the cast is making, I feel that the design team is also making a great amount of headway. The sound designers, lighting designer, and scenic designer are in the rehearsal room nearly every day, and the costume supervisor and design assistant also pop into rehearsals as often as possible to contribute.

Design assistant testing out makeup

I've also become quite a master at sourcing props (which the stage managers are required to do in the UK, but not in the US). At first, props sourcing was just a tedious task that I was completely uninterested in, but it's actually become a little fun, because it's a challenge that I'm not used to. Whenever I find good deals on furniture/props that are within our budget and easily accessible to purchase, I feel like I've made a huge accomplishment!

Overall, I feel that everyone in the team is contributing 100% of their effort to the production, and I'm looking forward to the progress we'll make within the next two weeks.

Devise & Revise

Furniture and Props Galore

Although I've had experience working on new plays with ever-changing scenes and lines, I have never had the opportunity to work on a devised piece before this. It's quite a challenging experience because my team and I do not have a script to refer to, nor do we have any solidified characters or scenes at this point. Since we are still in the "devising" phase of the rehearsal period, the cast and team are still creating possible characters and scenes (and nothing is set in stone). This makes my job much more difficult (yet exciting!) because the props and costumes that the characters require change on a daily basis.

An entire side of our rehearsal room is lined with miscellaneous furniture pieces/props in order to provide inspiration and ideas for the cast. The props range from fake cell phones ("mobiles") to large pieces such as a faux Christmas tree and two full-size shopping carts ("trollies"). While this exploration is exciting, it can also be frustrating at times. Unlike other shows where there is at least some solid idea of the technical needs, my director does not want to make any definite decisions at this point, which makes it much more difficult for the design team to properly budget. In addition, I'm having difficulty budgeting and sourcing props, not only because this is my first time properly sourcing props for a show, but also because I don't want to overspend too soon. Furthermore, rental wait-lists and online orders need to be considered since they take time to acquire, so hopefully by the end of this week, decisions will be made.

Rehearsal logistics aside, today I talked to my cast about the importance of rest and good health. There's some sort of flu-like virus going around Central, which I unfortunately caught yesterday. Luckily, it seems to be only a 24-hour sickness. One cast member and myself left rehearsal yesterday due to this sickness, and five cast members were absent today. 'Tis the season, folks. Germs are spreading and the cold weather is setting in, so it's time to start drinking orange juice and getting the sleep that you deserve!

PS ~ HAPPY ELECTION DAY!

Collaboration at its Finest

Dance Rehearsal

In order to create a successful theatrical production, one must be familiar with this vital word: COLLABORATION.

Unlike many other forms of art such as photography or painting, theatre demands one final product from the minds of multiple artists. In order to create a theatrical production,  a multitude of workers are hired including the designers, cast, director/s, stage managers, marketing team, shop workers, and many others. For this reason, creating a final production that everyone agrees with and can be proud of is nothing less than challenging. The design team often works months ahead of time to create the world of the play, and the cast works separately in the rehearsal room to develop their characters and the core of the play. Often times, the entirety of the team doesn't come together until "Tech Week", which is when all design elements and performance elements finally combine to create a whole.

Sound Designer (Maddie English) working in the room.

In contrast to the typical process of theatre (, explained above in the simplest terms possible), the current production I'm working on requires the utmost amount of collaboration WITHIN the rehearsal room, which is rare for most theatre. Since And then the Fall is a devised piece which does not have a script or even a basic storyline yet, everyone who is a part of the process is present in the rehearsal room daily. While the actors work on exercises and perform experimental scenes, the lighting and sound designers are also working to add technical elements as the scenes occur. The costume/makeup designer constantly stands by taking notes, often running off to grab pieces of wardrobe that may assist the actors, while the scenic and props designers have created a rather chaotic yet beautiful "pile" of miscellaneous props and furniture pieces for the actors to grab at any time. Like the designers, my stage management team and I are also working on the fly, never knowing what the team may require, but always being prepared to assist the development to the best of our ability.

In addition to taking detailed notes, my team has also found creative (and less common) ways of documenting the devising process by taking photos, recording videos, and drawing diagrams/pictures of what occurs within the rehearsal room. My director despises "planning ahead" and creating "schedules", so most days I walk into the rehearsal room not knowing what the day has in store for me. Nevertheless, it's an exciting and challenging process to be a part of, and I've learned to fly by the seat of my pants (or rather "trousers") with grace and professionalism.

Alive & Well

Regent's Park in autumn

Dear all,

I apologize for my lack of updates lately. I just began my first rehearsal for And then the Fall on Monday, October 29th, so my days and evenings have been quite consumed with production work! I plan to update in the next day, touching upon my rehearsal experiences thus far as well as Halloween in London (which is nowhere near as exciting as Halloween in the States!).

I've been watching the news about Hurricane Sandy, and my prayers are with the east coast.