So about the time I stopped blogging was when I was opening 4-5 mornings at the coffee shop every week on top of rehearsals almost every night that went to 10/10:30p. Kids, get sleep while you can. You quickly learn naps are amazing. Between costuming, doing shots of espresso, and running the show constantly I did survive and now will conclude my blog for the show.
Rehearsals went really well. I was constantly learning and being pushed by my director and scene partners to play, to relax, to discover. Angie Toomsen was one of the best directors I've ever worked with. People were off book about two weeks before we went up. It was quite a while past the date we were supposed to have lines down. However, not everyone had worked with Shakespeare, so it was a bit more understandable. By the time the show went up, the cast was spot on with lines and characters.
I was in charge of costuming the show, and we had about half of the costumes the week before tech. I found out then that our photographer would be coming to get pictures Sunday night (1st tech night). Even though I was "costume designer", it was very much a collaborative on the parts of both Angie and I with a lot of communication. I could tell she was super busy ad stressed, so I offered to take the credit card with my measurements sheets and scour a couple theatres and second hand shops in Iowa City. Mission success!! There were a lot of pieces that had to be altered, mainly dresses for the women. 1960 had a pretty specific style of dress and length of skirt, so I tried to alter the dresses to fit that time. In the end, there were some influences of the 40's, and my character pushed the envelope with a later 60's style. I felt the show show turned out to be very cohesive, though. Angie and the rest of 4th Room Theatre were all super happy with the outcome. I heard very positive comments every night about the costumes as well.
Tech week was crazy - aren't they always? I was at the theatre every night between 5 and 5:30 to check costumes, help set up lights, get ready, and warm up before the show started at 7p. It was a long one and ran till about 10:15. being an outdoor show, the weather really affected us on nights. If is was muggy, it was hard to bring energy up. We had a couple cooler nights and that first weekend was beautiful. I found that a small cup of coffee before the show was a good idea. Tuesday night of tech, Angie told us to surprise her with something within our character's world. She really wanted to push us to play. So if we upped the stakes, she and Kevin would cook a steak for the winner. maybe not the best tactic ever, but it must have worked. We all came the next day with energy and life in our characters. It was fun seeing and hearing what people were doing.
The run of the show went well. We performed all the shows that first weekend, and all were successful. I felt like we were telling a story, and though it was the same one, it was a little different every night. It had life. Everything was beautiful: setting of the house as a backdrop, costumes, the words spoken. Everyone who came loved the show. We were a little cheated on our second weekend, though we did perform our final show. Thursday was cancelled because of the rain. Friday was cancelled because of an event at the nearby football stadium we had not been told about, even though we had asked multiple times. We wouldn't have been able to compete with the noise of 5000 freshman, the marching band, and fireworks at 9p. It was frustrating, but our show Sat night made up for it. The audience was packed in, and super vibrant and responsive. In the end, an extremely successful run. I could not be prouder or more honored to be a part of this production. Angie's direction, passion, and pushing in combination with a hard-working cast made for a wonderful show.
That being said, some things I learned (by no means a complete list):
1. The combination of theatre and working an almost full-time job is super rough. Especially when you're up till 11:30/midnight and then up at 4:30a to open a coffee shop. Caffeine became my friend this summer (starting to see a worrying trend here...). With that in mind, I feel like I got a taste of the real world. You have to be super passionate about theatre to do this while also having another job so as to make a living. It's not easy. I talked to people last KCACTF, and Foss shared stories as well. But until I actually did a bit of that myself, I didn't realize how draining it is. And yet at the same time, it's amazing. I'm exhausted in every way possible, but I'm doing something I love with a bunch of great people.
2. Taking initiative, working hard, and pulling your own weight make you stand out. Because of what I gave to the show, I've made huge connections with the members of 4th Room. Angie constantly praised the work I put into the show. They all want me to come back next summer and work with them again. And if I don't have an out-of-state internship lined up, I probably will. It was an incredible experience.
3. If doing costumes again, start early. You can't start early enough. Get measurements asap, even if that means catching a cast member on lunch break. Also, make a list of everything you obtain as you get it and where it comes from. The last night of the show I was putting a list of where each costume was supposed to go (whether bought or from a theatre), and was racking my brain trying to remember some of it. So document everything.
4. Keep a rehearsal journal with notes, discoveries, character sketches, fun stuff that happens, anything. It's a good tool to have and also fun to look back on.
5. Have fun. Play. Discover. Create. Know no bounds. Don't let fear or the need of perfection hold you back some possibly achieving something wonderful. Rehearsals are meant to take chances, make mistakes, and get messy.
In conclusion, this summer was amazing. It went by all too fast, but a lot of good things happened. Wouldn't trade it for anything. I will keep the experience and knowledge I gained while working in Much Ado close beside me as I continue along this path I call life.
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