I spent a good chunk of the morning on EPICENE lines. Then, the whole cast assembled to discuss transitions. We've decided that there are some big leaps of scenery within the play and we can help the audience out a bit with music and one bit of "scenic design" a banner with a B that serves as branding for Brighella's Inn. Anytime a scene occurs inside or outside the inn, the B will be flipped over the balcony. Major shifts in space (whether it's the inn or not) are accompanied by some "Italian" music (usually accordion, mandolin, and guitar).
Anyway, since I work at the inn and I'm not in a lot of scenes, I volunteered to flip the sign up and down when needed. This significantly alters my track for the show. I have to be "on call" about every 175 lines or so. I think I'll be setting up "camp" in the stairwell by the musician's balcony for most of the show with my other scripts. Once I get better at tracking the show aurally, I'll be able to know when my cues are coming. I've made a cue cheat sheet, but what I really need to know is a major cue to help out with when I need to be on deck. This will all come in time. But I'm impatient and want to have it all figured out now.
That last paragraph was exciting, wasn't it?
In the afternoon, we ran the dinner scene out of context, and then plugged it into the context of the show. It's a doozy. It's even more of a doozy for Greg (playing Truffaldino). I'm a bit concerned about how funny the scene is right now--not my job, I know. There were some earnest chuckles from troupe members and stage management. (There were also some unintentional crashing dishes backstage...I'm surprised there hasn't been more.) The key is to get it clean and machine-like. The humor can only live with the precision, which is coming along.
As You Like It is stretching my acting muscles with variety in playing multiple characters. Servant is stretching technical skill and agility. Timon will offer me more flex on a mental/dramatic/emotional side (and very tricky verse). And Epicene will try all of these and more. I haven't even thought about Maid's Tragedy, and I am just fine with that--keeps me saner, I believe. That's three plays from now.
Tomorrow, we've got a four-hour block to work more Servant, and then review some As You Like It, because there's a performance in the evening! Rep, rep, rep.
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