An Actor is...Excited!!!

Posted by Billy Christopher Maupin

So...I've been a bit absent in the rehearsal blogging, which I think I knew was going to happen when I started it. It has been CRAZY BUSY!!! The update:

Oh! I learned that a passerrelle is a real term (and spelled correctly here). It's used in nautical structures, as you can read about here. It's also a viaduct in Luxembourg City. The reason I was confused and thought it was a slang term created at the Empire is that during a production years ago, there were some young actors in the show and the music director's name was R. L. The passerrelle goes around the pit where R. L. was playing/conducting. So it was easy to remember as "pass R. L." How cute!

Also, I had a bit of change in my choreography for one of the songs. Read "a bit of a change" as "cut"! Dawn (director/choreographer, pictured to the right) and Cathy (her assistant) were so sweet about it. "We really need to have someone guarding RD (as we refer to the title character) so you're going to do that, while Cathy (who also plays Meredith, the miller's daughter, you know...the one that met Rumpelstiltskin all those years ago) dances your track in "Goody, Goody, Goody". " It was all fine, because I knew the first day we started choreographing the number that it was bound to happen, no matter how hard I tried. I've never tapped (as in dancing) in my life and this number is all about the tap steps. So now I get to follow around RD (played by Gigi, who you will be hearing from on the blog very shortly...which is such a joy, because she is absolutely terrific to work with- and...anyway...I'll save that for when I post her questionnaire).

I missed rehearsal on Tuesday and Wednesday because I was directed a staged reading in the Festival of New American Plays at the Firehouse Theatre Project. The piece I directed actually plays once more tomorrow night at 7:30 and features Tony Foley (recently seen in Theatre IV's production of A Christmas Story as the adult Ralphie), Melissa Johnston-Price, John Moon (who just finished directing the touring production of Buffalo Soldier - which is the only live production ever played at the Pentagon [pictured below to the right]), Jacob Pennington, Steve Freitas (currently rehearsing for the tour of Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad [pictured below to the left]), and Audrey Snyder (seen recently in Stuart Little and the two cabarets for First Fridays at the Empire). Jeanie Rule (Theatre IV's Arts in Education Manager was actually featured in the other play in the festival that showed on Thursday and tonight.

Back to Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter: So I missed two rehearsals, which was really frightening because Wednesday was "off-book" day. When I got back on Thursday that meant no script/score onstage and I made it to almost the end and had to pick it up for my beautiful song as the King's Father, which takes place in silhouette behind a very large picture frame. It's gonna be so cool!!!

We had our first tech run-through tonight, after the designers, techies, director had been there since I think 9 or 10 this morning. They are doing a really smashing job. You have to come check this stuff out. The opening of the show involves this (so cool!) kinetic imaging. That is only the beginning of the incredibly exciting technical elements of the show. But I'm not gonna give away all the surprises! (Not in just one blog anyway!) You really should check it out for yourself. (Especially because it's only a bit over an hour and full-price tickets are only $16! I mean, come on! Bring the kids...or not! It's gonna be a great time either way!)

So...I should wrap up I think! We didn't quite get through all of the show in tech tonight. OH! I have to give major kudos again to Dawn, the designers, and our backstage crew, since they had been there all day! Often directors are notoriously frightening during tech week, which can also be referred to as something else that I won't mention here. But Dawn (et al) were incredibly calm and wonderful! It was great!

Oh! And the playwright came down on Thursday night to watch the runthrough! But I'll save that for another posting.

So get your tickets! It opens Friday night at 7PM! Actually, as a little incentive, we're going to offer a blog discount. $10 tickets for any performance in the first weekend of the run! Just mention the blog! 344-8040 is the number to call! I'm so excited! It's gonna be great!