Dusting Off Act One

It's been exactly a week since we'd run Act One, and I spent a little time during my commute running lines from memory. And I didn't do too well. But I was worried about cramming before I try a no-look rehearsal, so I stayed away from the script when I got home for supper. I also didn't pick up Cormac McCarthy's The Road, to which I am now hooked.

We didn't have the full complement tonight, not even of this act's characters. We still have no private eye, and we're now within a month of opening. This has to be addressed. Doc is convinced we can lasso the lead from Cat; he's worked with this group before, and he can surely tackle this small part. He even has the right 'New Yok' accent for the role. We're missing the handwriting expert, the medical examiner, the father-in-law, the defendant, but the last two have very few lines here. The actors playing the cop and the widow pull double duty to read those parts.

I was feeling icky earlier in the day but a double shot of Dayquil kept me upright and breathing. I nailed the opening arguments the first time and did pretty well all night, but I did carry my script so as not to delay the rehearsal by smacking my head to dislodge the lines. Between runs we chat about lines, and Doc asks how many I have. I haven't counted. I don't wanna know. Doc says he's got 530. My amount has to be comparable, and know I have the burden of knowledge that I have more than 500 lines to get right. I don't need this in my head. The number solidifies the stature of the role, but that also works in my favor. I'm reminded I have the part I wanted. That makes me smile.

Doc and I ratchet up our attorney confrontations, and we're now yelling at each other during the act. It's fun. I like this adversarial energy running underneath the testimony suspense.

Rehearsals
Line Trouble
End of Second Week
'Go and Do Likewise, Gents'
Script Work
J'Accuse
Cramming
Walking and Talking
Readthrough
Marking the Floor

Auditions
First Night
Second Night
Third Night
Fourth Night


Your Sis is working her ass off at school, and something has to change. She's coming home when I am, putting her daily work hours at about 14. That's nuts. She's a hard worker of course, but she needs a new tactic to work smarter. I don't know enough about her material to help, and that frustrates me. All I can do is watch, rub her feet, and feed her ice cream.

Your Mom is mucho worried about Thanksgiving in the same way My Mom was/is. She called Your Sis for a 90-minute stressfest. Can the kids juggle a houseful of folks while taking care of the new baby? Should we stay away? Will we insult them by second-guessing their ability? I say we go if we're invited. But if Your Sis and I are outv -- you know, we might go anyway. I'm not saying we will. I'll tow the company line if Your Sis asks me to, but just because Your Mom stresses out over this doesn't mean we should shun them and the new baby. I'm just writing out loud here. I don't know what we'll do.


Picture of the Day
It's not all easy being Wonder Woman.