A highlight of rehearsal day 5 was seeing a very good actor, with the help of the director, trying out ways of playing the role of someone who, in the play, is a mediocre actor. As the old tag says, the art is to conceal the art, but when what you’re trying to conceal with your acting is the fact that you can act, it is a real feat.
There were dramatic character studies in several scenes. A woman ground to dust by her husband’s tyrannical rigidity finds some temporary comfort when two other people are driven to fury by the same cause. A lazy employer discovers the drawbacks of letting the staff get the upper hand. A woman pleads tearfully with a lover who wants to abandon her for someone younger, even as he takes notes on the situation for his next piece of writing.
It wasn’t just a day for the actors, though. Our producer presented some new sound effects for comments. A dog which barks at night and a lot of the day needs to be more “yappy, less growly”. A gunshot with a lot of echo sounds surprisingly like a lavatory flushing. A group of friends overheard singing on the beach are unusually good at close harmony. New props included a splendid wheelchair and herbal cigarettes, and wardrobe came up with fine suggestions for more costumes. It’s gradually coming together.
Robert Rowe
There were dramatic character studies in several scenes. A woman ground to dust by her husband’s tyrannical rigidity finds some temporary comfort when two other people are driven to fury by the same cause. A lazy employer discovers the drawbacks of letting the staff get the upper hand. A woman pleads tearfully with a lover who wants to abandon her for someone younger, even as he takes notes on the situation for his next piece of writing.
It wasn’t just a day for the actors, though. Our producer presented some new sound effects for comments. A dog which barks at night and a lot of the day needs to be more “yappy, less growly”. A gunshot with a lot of echo sounds surprisingly like a lavatory flushing. A group of friends overheard singing on the beach are unusually good at close harmony. New props included a splendid wheelchair and herbal cigarettes, and wardrobe came up with fine suggestions for more costumes. It’s gradually coming together.
Robert Rowe
 Gregory A Smith as Boris Trrigorin |  Robert Rowe as Peter & Carmen Rodriguez as Irina |
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