My Three Angels: Tech Run-Through
Madame Parole’s (Teresa Doggett) makes her grand entrance into the Ducotel home as Felix (Larry Dell) looks through his messy books.
Nobody ever said transitioning from a rehearsal space into a performance space would be easy. The run last night went pretty much as expected. Was it a brilliant evening at the theatre? No. Of course not, but that’s part of the process of putting a show back together again after several days of tweaking. The key was that we made progress towards a solid and funny opening night performance.
The “Angels” tend to sweet and sensitive Marie-Louise.
Overall, the technical elements ran smoothly. I have mentioned before that this is an incredibly “prop heavy” kind of show. Silverware, coffee cups, letters, books, notes, Christmas tree ornaments, old suitcases, parasols, and handkerchiefs have turned the Gaslight Theatre’s lobby into something resembling your grandmother’s cluttered attic. Cracker-jack stage manager Amy Paige is given the task of keeping track of the numerous objects and ensuring that they end up in the right place at the right time. Coupled with her other numerous responsibilities, the show depends on her. Luckily, we’re all in good hands. Much of last night’s success was due to Amy’s work backstage and in the booth.
A Ducotel family Christmas.
As far as the pace and shape of the show- it had its ups and downs. Being on the set was wonderful in that the characters were really coming into their own little by little having the opportunity to work within the environment. However, the dimensions of the space being slightly different than what we had gotten used to in the rehearsal space threw a wrench in some of the show intricate blocking forcing me to rethink some things to create smoother traffic patterns and more motivated crosses for some moments.
Uncle Henri’s unexpected arrival to Cayenne complicates the lives of the Ducotels.
Some moments happily worked as I imagined they would in my head and others, as expected, will need further tweaking to get just perfect. Part of the problem is that without having any kind of levels to work with in the rehearsal hall, it was difficult to think through precisely what it would be like to have them. So, in order to take full advantage of Cristie’s wonderful set design, I will have to rework a few things.
Marie-Louise (Emily Baker) explains to Paul (Casey Boland) the future she imagines for them.
With the first tech-through out of the way, tonight will be back to pace, flow, and characterization. I’m so excited to see everyone in costume for the first time tonight! This will be that moment where everything truly begins to take on a life of its own and I can’t wait to see it!
