...And We're Back!

Wow! Well, it's certainly been a while since I posted last. Whoops! Between midterms, Those Scary Reds, and rehearsals, things have been pretty crazy. However, I just finished my last midterm, Reds is (sadly) closed, and it's time for me to dedicate my time fully to this wonky little one-act!

So, what's going on currently in the world of The Mark?

Props have been pulled...

Lines have been memorized...

And slowly, but very, very steadily, our little play is coming to life...

Is it just me or is there an uncanny resemblance between the above (very blurry, sorry) photo and Michelangelo's "The Creation of Adam"?

Yeah, probably just me.

Regardless, things have been going well. Rehearsals started out a bit slow as a result of one of our very, very talented actors being very, very busy with Dolly West's Kitchen. He did fabulously, and is now able to dedicate more time to The Mark following Dolly West's closing. So rehearsals are now on a more stable, regular schedule and everyone's newfound dedication is already paying off. Like, crazy paying off. 

Maybe it's because up until now my experience with theatre has been almost exclusively on stage, but I've never had the pleasure of truly witnessing an entire ensemble just "click". I mean, I've definitely felt it, but being able to witness the visual transformation of a bunch of bodies moving through their blocking to a bunch of characters actually interacting with each other and their environments is really, really incredible. It just seemed to happen overnight. One day we all got together for rehearsals and the entire cast just had it down. They came up with silly mannerisms. They developed spontaneous physical humor bits that added life to the play as a whole. They made this silly little world which, up until now, has pretty much just floated around in our heads, a seemingly real, tangible reality. And it's so much better than I could have anticipated. 

The crazy thing, however, is that I know this didn't all happen overnight. I've been in my actors' shoes and know what sort of dedication and hard work goes into their character choices and performances. They're working their butts off for us, and it has got to be one of the most humbling experiences I've ever had. Never in my life did I think for a second I'd be fortunate enough to see a play I wrote be staged (then again, I never thought I'd write a play in the first place, so...). I'm so overwhelming glad I've gotten the opportunity to embark on this crazy adventure with these incredible people and that they've been kind enough to enthusiastically take on this story. Their willingness and excitement to take the words from a script and transform them into an engaging little one-act is incredible. I feel beyond fortunate. 

So... What comes next? Well, we've done a lot of good work, but we're no where close to being finished. More run-throughs await, followed by company run-throughs, followed by tech, and not-too-far-off performances (is it just me, or has this term flown by?). It's time to really buckle-down and focus for the next few weeks. Through continual hard work and dedication I know'll we'll be ready though. I'm stoked! As always, thanks for sharing this journey with me. 

Stay Tuned!

Elise