Getting the Act Together

Rehearsal today was not how I imagined it to be a week before our performance. Some scenes are better than others, and most students have their lines memorized. However, when one person doesn’t know their lines or cues, it throws off an entire scene. A team is only as strong as its’ weakest player, and as of now, that person in our group does not have a firm handle on the script. Alex and I ran the most problematic scenes over and over again, and as painful as it was to watch, I think it was even more humiliating to perform. Normally, I give them notes at the end of each scene so they know what to work on, but all I really had to say to them was, “memorize your lines.” Learning a show in a foreign language is no easy task, but they have had months and it is crunch time. It truly is the only issue because they are all phenomenal actors, and I think the disappointment in my voice struck a few cords. I saw them practicing their lines behind the curtain, so hopefully forcing them to relive that nightmare will motivate them to get their acts together before the show.

With the exception of a few minor stressors, I am overall impressed with how the students are utilizing their space on stage. They are experimenting with props and timing, and their characters are shining through every rehearsal. It’s hard to ensure that we rehearse everybody’s scenes, but the younger girls can only make one rehearsal before the show next week. Thus, we’re going to dedicate our time to the older kids who are coming and make their scenes the best they can be.