Rehearsal Journal

Lighting Designer Scott PInkney and the rest of the lighting and electrics crew (Brittany, Mercedes, et al) getting the light plot focused and gelled.

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Yesterday night, we had our last run-through and last note session in the rehearsal space and went over all the details and advice for moving rehearsals to the Common (bugspray and suntan lotion, and how!)

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The truss went up, the trailers were delivered, and the lights were hung from the truss. Here is most of it in photo form.

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Last month, in preparation for The Comedy of Errors, the production team for Commonwealth Shakespeare Company met at Parkman Bandstand and discussed the where’s, how’s, and what’s of this summer’s show.

(click the image to see the full-sized panorama)

In Act 5 of The Comedy of Errors, Shakespeare dumps pretty much the entire cast on the stage all at once. We’ve done that, and added a few ensemble members for good measure.

I would say we’ve done this because the stage we’re using is much larger than the one on which Shakespeare worked, however, a quick jaunt over to Wikipedia reveals that the dimensions of his stage (43′ x 27′) and ours (42′ x 24′) are eerily similar…

So let’s fall back on the fact that our anticipated nightly audience (5000) is significantly larger than his (3000), and we want to maintain the cast-to-crowd ratio he established in the scene.

Two more shots of some of the greyhounds who’ll be taking part in The Comedy of Errors:

Artistic Director Steve Maler meeting Gill (you may have seen this picture in Friday’s Globe):

And Zelda again:

It Begins…, originally uploaded by rpmaxwell.

So much catching up to do, dear readers.

The truss is assembled on the Common. The lights are cabled and ready for focusing. The deck is being put down. The stage is ready to go up on top of that. And in rehearsal today, we ran the show twice.

Work is continuing on the set and lights throughout the weekend. We’ll be running things again tomorrow in rehearsal.

Everything is coming together so fast and so (knock on wood) well.

Can’t wait to get out there under the lights.

Yesterday, Steve Maler took a break from rehearsal to head to the Common and meet some late additions to the cast of The Comedy of Errors: the first three members of a rotating cast of greyhounds who will be a highlight of the dumbshows between Shakespeare’s acts.

So, internet, meet Ben:

Zelda:

And Gill:

All three of these dogs were adopted after they left racetracks in various parts of the world and come to Commonwealth Shakespeare Company thanks to the interest and efforts of Greyhound Friends in Hopkington, MA.

It Takes Two, originally uploaded by rpmaxwell.

Actors Rebecca Whitehurst and Dan Roach work a tango into Act 4.

Just in case you might be getting the impression that this show is all singing and dancing: Here’s a brief reminder that the production going on behind the scenes is just as big as the one that shows up on stage (Though there is significantly less singing and dancing at production meetings…)