Please bring extra cardboard boxes that you may have to Sunday's show to be used during strike. What we don't use, you can either take home or I will recycle. Any boxes that are used will NOT be returned.
Tracy
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
Final Week Notes
What a phenomenal weekend! Seven shows down, and all we have to do now is bring home the last three. I think everyone would agree that Sunday's show was our best by far, even though it may not have gotten the laughs that some of our previous shows received.
Pat Cook was very impressed with all of you, and we've heard nothing but positive feedback from our first three weekends.
Here are a couple of quick show notes for this week...
First of all, let's don't add anything new from this point forward. What we have works - let's stick with it. That is especially true for Sunday's finale, where actors can have a tendency to "customize" their final performance. Don't let that happen to you. Audience ten deserves the same show that audiences 1-9 received.
We will do a staged rehearsal Thursday night at 7, but will skip the music, sfx, and costumes. So full blocking and dialogue, but that's it. Should get us out of there by 8:45 if we get started on time.
OUR CAST PHOTO WILL BE TAKEN SATURDAY BEFORE THE SHOW. I know that Richard and Karen have Oklahoma! rehearsal Saturday, but we've been asked to be in full makeup and costume by 7 on Saturday night for our photo. Please let me know ASAP if that will be an issue so I can investigate alternatives.
OUR CAST PARTY WILL BE SUNDAY AFTER STRIKE. The location is still classified, but it is within 10 minutes of the theatre and will be a full catered meal (our treat!). Since HFAC is picking up the tab, the party is for cast and crew ONLY, with the exception that anyone with smaller kids (Richard/Nora and Julie) can bring their kids if it would prevent you from attending otherwise. The location will be given after strike is completed.
STRIKE IS MANDATORY FOR EVERYONE IN THE CAST. If you're not comfortable with a power screwdriver or hand tools, there will still be plenty to do such as removing and sorting props, sorting costumes, cleaning the dressing rooms and such. If everyone participates, we will be finished by 6:30 at the very latest.
Let me know if you have any questions. Otherwise, I'll see everyone Thursday night.
Tracy
Pat Cook was very impressed with all of you, and we've heard nothing but positive feedback from our first three weekends.
Here are a couple of quick show notes for this week...
First of all, let's don't add anything new from this point forward. What we have works - let's stick with it. That is especially true for Sunday's finale, where actors can have a tendency to "customize" their final performance. Don't let that happen to you. Audience ten deserves the same show that audiences 1-9 received.
We will do a staged rehearsal Thursday night at 7, but will skip the music, sfx, and costumes. So full blocking and dialogue, but that's it. Should get us out of there by 8:45 if we get started on time.
OUR CAST PHOTO WILL BE TAKEN SATURDAY BEFORE THE SHOW. I know that Richard and Karen have Oklahoma! rehearsal Saturday, but we've been asked to be in full makeup and costume by 7 on Saturday night for our photo. Please let me know ASAP if that will be an issue so I can investigate alternatives.
OUR CAST PARTY WILL BE SUNDAY AFTER STRIKE. The location is still classified, but it is within 10 minutes of the theatre and will be a full catered meal (our treat!). Since HFAC is picking up the tab, the party is for cast and crew ONLY, with the exception that anyone with smaller kids (Richard/Nora and Julie) can bring their kids if it would prevent you from attending otherwise. The location will be given after strike is completed.
STRIKE IS MANDATORY FOR EVERYONE IN THE CAST. If you're not comfortable with a power screwdriver or hand tools, there will still be plenty to do such as removing and sorting props, sorting costumes, cleaning the dressing rooms and such. If everyone participates, we will be finished by 6:30 at the very latest.
Let me know if you have any questions. Otherwise, I'll see everyone Thursday night.
Tracy
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Second Weekend Notes
Congratulations on what has been a great run through two weekends! We're averaging over 100 per night, and that is no small feat for a non-musical. You should all be very proud of your accomplishement.
A couple of notes for this week...
First, we WILL have a pickup rehearsal this Thursday at 7:00. It will just be a line-through, so you should get out fairly early. Olivia will read for Chelsey. Cheryl will be running the rehearsal since I have a prior committment. If you can't make it by 7:00, please let Cheryl know so she can adjust accordingly.
Make sure you spend time in your scripts this week. I sensed a lot of uncertainty in many of you Friday night, and that tells me that the scripts were likely collecting dust all week. Saturday was so much better, which just reinforces that belief.
AD-LIBS: At this point, the show is familiar enough that some ad-libs are likely to start creeping into the show. For now, the only authorized ad-lib is Richard's line about "Checking on Rafe O'Connor," and he can only use that IF he also keeps in the part about the earthworms. Remember that the author will be here on Sunday, and we owe it to him to deliver the dialogue that he wrote.
Please remember that we now have Sunday matinees for the remainder of the production run. Call time for Friday and Saturday will remain at 6:30. Call time for Sunday is 1:30. Pat Cook will be conducting a talk back after this Sunday's show; each member of the cast is expected to stay and participate. You will be given a few minutes to get out of costume and remove makeup if you wish before the talk back starts on the Garza stage around 5:30. We should finish the evening by 6:00, but certainly no later than 6:30.
Finally, if you have not made plans to use your two comp tickets for the show, make sure you email Carla at pconover@entouch.net with the dates you'd like to use them. This Friday and Sunday are almost sold out, and I expect the other four shows will sell out as well, so get your requests in now for the best seating options.
Cheryl will see you Thursday, and I'll see you Friday!
Tracy
A couple of notes for this week...
First, we WILL have a pickup rehearsal this Thursday at 7:00. It will just be a line-through, so you should get out fairly early. Olivia will read for Chelsey. Cheryl will be running the rehearsal since I have a prior committment. If you can't make it by 7:00, please let Cheryl know so she can adjust accordingly.
Make sure you spend time in your scripts this week. I sensed a lot of uncertainty in many of you Friday night, and that tells me that the scripts were likely collecting dust all week. Saturday was so much better, which just reinforces that belief.
AD-LIBS: At this point, the show is familiar enough that some ad-libs are likely to start creeping into the show. For now, the only authorized ad-lib is Richard's line about "Checking on Rafe O'Connor," and he can only use that IF he also keeps in the part about the earthworms. Remember that the author will be here on Sunday, and we owe it to him to deliver the dialogue that he wrote.
Please remember that we now have Sunday matinees for the remainder of the production run. Call time for Friday and Saturday will remain at 6:30. Call time for Sunday is 1:30. Pat Cook will be conducting a talk back after this Sunday's show; each member of the cast is expected to stay and participate. You will be given a few minutes to get out of costume and remove makeup if you wish before the talk back starts on the Garza stage around 5:30. We should finish the evening by 6:00, but certainly no later than 6:30.
Finally, if you have not made plans to use your two comp tickets for the show, make sure you email Carla at pconover@entouch.net with the dates you'd like to use them. This Friday and Sunday are almost sold out, and I expect the other four shows will sell out as well, so get your requests in now for the best seating options.
Cheryl will see you Thursday, and I'll see you Friday!
Tracy
Monday, May 30, 2011
Opening Weekend Notes
What a great opening weekend! We had 113 in the house on Friday and 95 on Saturday, and according to Bob, that is probably the best opening weekend in HFAC history for a non-musical. You should all be very proud of your accomplishment.
I think it's a great testament to everyone's hard work when the only thing we really need to focus on is keeping our heads in the script this week to remain familiar with the dialogue.
We'll have a full pickup rehearsal this Thursday night, with Liz as Chelsey since she hasn't had a show yet. No costumes or makeup, but we'll run full lights and sound for timing's sake. Let's try to start as close to 7:00 as possible so we can all get out by 9:30 or so.
In case you hadn't heard, the reviewer from the Houston Press attended Saturday's show. Once he's posted a review, I'll send everyone the link.
Have a great week, and I'll see everyone Thursday night.
Tracy
I think it's a great testament to everyone's hard work when the only thing we really need to focus on is keeping our heads in the script this week to remain familiar with the dialogue.
We'll have a full pickup rehearsal this Thursday night, with Liz as Chelsey since she hasn't had a show yet. No costumes or makeup, but we'll run full lights and sound for timing's sake. Let's try to start as close to 7:00 as possible so we can all get out by 9:30 or so.
In case you hadn't heard, the reviewer from the Houston Press attended Saturday's show. Once he's posted a review, I'll send everyone the link.
Have a great week, and I'll see everyone Thursday night.
Tracy
Friday, May 27, 2011
Tech Week Thursday Notes
When I was first asked to direct this show, I really didn't think I'd be able to make it funny. You can ask Lisa or Cheryl or Bob or Teri (or just about anyone else who knows me well), and they'll tell you that for a long time I dreaded directing this show because it just didn't look like I could add any business that would compliment the humorous dialogue.
Notice that in that last paragraph the word "I" was used five times. And that was my problem. "I" couldn't think of anything to add because "I" forgot that there would be a group of gifted actors who could take the dialogue they read, couple it with my blocking and turn it into something very, very funny. As Lisa has been telling me for almost a year - trust your cast, and you'll be fine. And she was right.
YOU have created a wonderfully entertaining show that I promise people will be talking about for quite some time. It has a great mix of humor, from intellectual to subtle to farce. Often at the same time! Your facial expressions and creative use of the props on stage only add to that humor. The ad-libs I've seen this week just go to prove that we could not have selected a better cast for this show. Your timing and instincts have really come out the past two nights, and I know those will only continue to improve through the run of the show.
When you realize that we lost almost a full week of rehearsals due to cast member conflicts with other shows AND replaced a cast member with barely three weeks of rehearsals left, it is a testament to your hard work and dedication that we've got such a great show.
And I would be remiss if I didn't give great praise to the production team as well. Thanks to Cheryl for keeping me on an even keel this past week; to Julie for such a wonderful job on lights; to Brendis for running sound; to Karen for the great costumes and to Loretta for the fabulous props. But I have to save my biggest praise for Lisa, who not only guided and encouraged me through this process, but who also envisioned and delivered the most amazing set we've ever had for an HFAC production.
I could go on and on, but I think I need to let all of you spend some more time in your scripts (I'll never let that go, will I?). We've got a great show, and now all we have to do is deliver it for the next four weekends.
Have a great Friday, and BREAK A LEG tonight!
Tracy
Notice that in that last paragraph the word "I" was used five times. And that was my problem. "I" couldn't think of anything to add because "I" forgot that there would be a group of gifted actors who could take the dialogue they read, couple it with my blocking and turn it into something very, very funny. As Lisa has been telling me for almost a year - trust your cast, and you'll be fine. And she was right.
YOU have created a wonderfully entertaining show that I promise people will be talking about for quite some time. It has a great mix of humor, from intellectual to subtle to farce. Often at the same time! Your facial expressions and creative use of the props on stage only add to that humor. The ad-libs I've seen this week just go to prove that we could not have selected a better cast for this show. Your timing and instincts have really come out the past two nights, and I know those will only continue to improve through the run of the show.
When you realize that we lost almost a full week of rehearsals due to cast member conflicts with other shows AND replaced a cast member with barely three weeks of rehearsals left, it is a testament to your hard work and dedication that we've got such a great show.
And I would be remiss if I didn't give great praise to the production team as well. Thanks to Cheryl for keeping me on an even keel this past week; to Julie for such a wonderful job on lights; to Brendis for running sound; to Karen for the great costumes and to Loretta for the fabulous props. But I have to save my biggest praise for Lisa, who not only guided and encouraged me through this process, but who also envisioned and delivered the most amazing set we've ever had for an HFAC production.
I could go on and on, but I think I need to let all of you spend some more time in your scripts (I'll never let that go, will I?). We've got a great show, and now all we have to do is deliver it for the next four weekends.
Have a great Friday, and BREAK A LEG tonight!
Tracy
Thursday, May 26, 2011
video
Here's a link to the promo video Bob put together:
http://video214.com/play/mbJdIEtw85DK0eGhA8A4TQ/s/dark
http://video214.com/play/mbJdIEtw85DK0eGhA8A4TQ/s/dark
Tech Week Wednesday Notes
Very good rehearsal last night, especially Act 2. While there will always be things that can be better, I think it's a pretty good sign when we're down to pacing and topping lines and not reblocking entire scenes.
As I mentioned last night, let your confidence show on the stage. All ten of you know the show well enough to cover for each other when someone trips up on a line or misses some blocking. We know that's going to happen occasionally, and the mark of a good show (in my opinion anyway) is when someone covers that spot and nobody is the wiser other than us.
I was also very pleased with the additional little ad-libs I saw from most of you last night. I don't mind those getting dropped in as long as they are more subtle in nature since anything larger may affect the actors around you.
For tonight, let's see if we can quicken the pace on the first scene. If we can shave 2-3 minutes off of that scene, then the entire show is going to have a great pace, which I think will keep the audience on the edge of their seats waiting for the next punch line or gag. Cheryl will be backstage the entire show tonight, so we shouldn't have any prop issues or costume delays.
Don't forget to let Carla know when you want to use your two comp tickets for the show (email pconover@entouch.net), and make sure you remind your friends and families to come see this very funny show.
See you all tonight at 6:30; let's see if we can hit a 7:30 curtain.
Tracy
As I mentioned last night, let your confidence show on the stage. All ten of you know the show well enough to cover for each other when someone trips up on a line or misses some blocking. We know that's going to happen occasionally, and the mark of a good show (in my opinion anyway) is when someone covers that spot and nobody is the wiser other than us.
I was also very pleased with the additional little ad-libs I saw from most of you last night. I don't mind those getting dropped in as long as they are more subtle in nature since anything larger may affect the actors around you.
For tonight, let's see if we can quicken the pace on the first scene. If we can shave 2-3 minutes off of that scene, then the entire show is going to have a great pace, which I think will keep the audience on the edge of their seats waiting for the next punch line or gag. Cheryl will be backstage the entire show tonight, so we shouldn't have any prop issues or costume delays.
Don't forget to let Carla know when you want to use your two comp tickets for the show (email pconover@entouch.net), and make sure you remind your friends and families to come see this very funny show.
See you all tonight at 6:30; let's see if we can hit a 7:30 curtain.
Tracy
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