previews and postviews
When Alison first sent me our rehearsal schedule, there were THREE scheduled previews for high school students in Ottawa, including one very shortly after our arrival. Despite her insistence that the kids would be in small groups, be drama students, and would have to write something about "The Fugue Code" for their classes, I never quite lost my dread until, for whatever reason, it was revealed that I would actually be giving ONE preview, at the school where we have been rehearing in Ottawa, only 3 days before our actual opening at Ottawa Fringe. So, I would be fairly ready, making this a fair test.
Yesterday, I gave that preview, and now I think I can perform through anything.
It was hot. Very hot. Hot enough that my glasses fogged when I got into my car afterward. Not only had that never happened to me, but I never knew it could happen. The auditorium was not only not air conditioned, but predated airconditioning. This was our second run with movement of the day. And the students were in Grade Nine.
Now, keep in mind that their teacher (Alison's father) told me afterward that some of these kids had never sat still for an hour before. But considering that they are a drama class, it would seem that many of them have no idea how to experience theatre. Was I like that in Grade Nine? No, but I suppose I had been exposed to theatre from a young age.
Mostly, they were good and quiet but unreadable. Hard to make laugh, or slouched, or seemingly distracted. But I had one constant, loud, and apparently peer-supported heckler.
I would say his main transgression was to say "Be a Man!" a lot. Being, of course, already a man, I was mystified by his comments, until I realised that perhaps in his eyes, the two of my characters who are gay (or possibly bi in the case of Antonius but he never tells me) are not exactly men. Matter of opinion, all sorts of reasons like being raised in traditions like Being A Jerk, but certainly not one to share with me OFF AND ON FOR 40 MINUTES WHILE I WAS PERFORMING? I certainly hope that my adult audiences realise that they are not sitting alone really close to a television screen.
Smaller transgressions (supported by neighbouring peers - there was counterpoint) include it's-dark-and-spooky vocal SFX during the blackout scene, and (actually, this was charming if really weird) CHANTING ALONG with a certain pre-recorded character in the climactic scene.
Alison says Grade Nines are like this. Was I like this?
The next day, apparently, one of the members of the class apologized on behalf of the behaviour of others - probably not his own. Sort of like when I'm in choir and I put up my hand and say something to the conductor like "Could you please clarify whether we should be in fact singing the correct pitches throughout the entire piece, because I, personally, am not sure that we actually are."
Now to take the show in front of so-called grown-ups. They don't heckle, usually, but much of the time they've confused Art and Entertainment right enough. (this show won't help)...
Yesterday, I gave that preview, and now I think I can perform through anything.
It was hot. Very hot. Hot enough that my glasses fogged when I got into my car afterward. Not only had that never happened to me, but I never knew it could happen. The auditorium was not only not air conditioned, but predated airconditioning. This was our second run with movement of the day. And the students were in Grade Nine.
Now, keep in mind that their teacher (Alison's father) told me afterward that some of these kids had never sat still for an hour before. But considering that they are a drama class, it would seem that many of them have no idea how to experience theatre. Was I like that in Grade Nine? No, but I suppose I had been exposed to theatre from a young age.
Mostly, they were good and quiet but unreadable. Hard to make laugh, or slouched, or seemingly distracted. But I had one constant, loud, and apparently peer-supported heckler.
I would say his main transgression was to say "Be a Man!" a lot. Being, of course, already a man, I was mystified by his comments, until I realised that perhaps in his eyes, the two of my characters who are gay (or possibly bi in the case of Antonius but he never tells me) are not exactly men. Matter of opinion, all sorts of reasons like being raised in traditions like Being A Jerk, but certainly not one to share with me OFF AND ON FOR 40 MINUTES WHILE I WAS PERFORMING? I certainly hope that my adult audiences realise that they are not sitting alone really close to a television screen.
Smaller transgressions (supported by neighbouring peers - there was counterpoint) include it's-dark-and-spooky vocal SFX during the blackout scene, and (actually, this was charming if really weird) CHANTING ALONG with a certain pre-recorded character in the climactic scene.
Alison says Grade Nines are like this. Was I like this?
The next day, apparently, one of the members of the class apologized on behalf of the behaviour of others - probably not his own. Sort of like when I'm in choir and I put up my hand and say something to the conductor like "Could you please clarify whether we should be in fact singing the correct pitches throughout the entire piece, because I, personally, am not sure that we actually are."
Now to take the show in front of so-called grown-ups. They don't heckle, usually, but much of the time they've confused Art and Entertainment right enough. (this show won't help)...
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