Les Miserables - Stumble Thru

This past Sunday, we ran the entire show downstairs in the rehearsal room. Overall, I felt that this was a good run through - the actors were prepared, they knew when they were supposed to be onstage and what they were supposed to do and they were respectful of each other in this small room. We only stopped once and the entire ensemble got a feel for the overall show. If you know this production, it is a long show on the clock but it is not necessarily a long show to watch - the music and action never stops. This will be a challenge for our tech crew - keep the scenery moving on and off the stage and not allow the set and costume changes to drag the show. Fortunately, we had many tech people in the room on Sunday to watch the run through and get a feel for the show - our Lighting and Sound Designer, the set crew chair, the dresser chairs, props people, etc. I think that the cast has worked hard to get ready for performances, and we're in good shape for this stage of rehearsals.

After a run through, I usually encourage a brief discussion with comments from the actors. One comments that struck me was the fact that this was the first time some of the actors had seen some of the scenes - in other words, since they were not in that scene, they had not attended those rehearsals and had not watched that scene. So, the cast became the audience that day - watching the show, seeing the story and learning how they fit into the overall picture. All in all, it was a good rehearsal and we are ready to move forward.

Today (Monday), we move our rehearsals upstairs to Davis Theatre I, where the show will be performed. There are going to be some adjustments to the stage, but I also think that the excitement of moving upstairs and working on the stage will add a new level of energy and urgency to the actor's performances. Opening night is less than two weeks away, and there's work to be done to get ready. Stay tuned...