The set looks incredible--it amazes me how much happens overnight when no one else is around to see it. Michael Desper, our resident set designer, really outdid himself on this set, if you ask me. Everything has this ethereal, dreamy quality to it, and the light design really emphasizes that.
This was the first tech experience I've had where I could spend the entire rehearsal sitting in the lightbooth, watching the process, and it is thanks to Nina, one of our stagehands, that that could happen. She sat backstage on headset and directed actors via myself and Matt Daniels, the show's director, and did so with much goodwill.
This was definitely one of the most fun tech rehearsals I've ever been part of. Not only did we accomplish things, we also made jokes and talked about things outside of the theatrical world, to give us a small break when one of us would become slightly stir-crazy.
The best part of the evening? By far trying to figure out how to differentiate from "Morrie" and "Mitch" in the visual/audio cues for lights to be called in the SM script. In blocking notes, I'd been writing "Mo" and "Mt" (as though they were scientific elements--which, I suppose, actors are, in a way, in the world of a play) but there wasn't enough room in the opposite margin for that as well as the cue number as well as the moment to anticipate the cue. But problems were solved, glow tape was laid down, revolve problems (yes, the stage revolves!) were solved, and today we go into our first tech/dress with fingers crossed.
I think things will go swimmingly--we've already been doing full runs of the show for nearly two weeks. Stephan and Don are just racing along with this show, and so far it's been a fun ride.
-Erin B
Stage Manager
Sunset Playhouse
