Guest Post – Week 4 – so much to do!

This week’s continuing guest post series from Shanna Sartori and Katelin Dickson as they become first-time Theatrepreneurs in the Big Apple.

            This week began the fourth week or rehearsals. I don’t know where the month of February went! The rehearsals have steadily been getting longer, and more demanding. Loring has been pushing the actors to make these characters ours. With a show as popular as Earnest, it’s very easy to play the characters as they have been played for the past century. We are making these characters our own and that includes making decisions that may not be the most traditional or logical. With this being said, we know we have to stay true to the period so we are finding that balance.

            I have tried to focus the last two weeks on being an actor and let the producing responsibilities take a back seat for a little bit. Loring believes that Cecily is the most complex character in the show. We have been discovering she has many levels. At times she is sweet and kind and other instances she is a complete brat who can be ever so slightly manipulative. This is one of the reasons I love Cecily so much, she is incredibly real. Act II takes place in the garden of her residence. Cecily spends most of her time there, either alone or with her tutor Miss Prism. Because of this she has developed and amazing imagination. I view the garden as Cecily’s own world where she believes anything can happen. Act II is my favorite because suddenly everything Cecily has ever dreamt of and imagined is coming true. As a cast, we love rehearsing this act.

            Act III on the other hand is proving to be more difficult. It’s a scene essentially between two actors and yet every actor is on stage almost throughout the entirety. Nothing and yet everything is happening. It is very difficult, at least for myself, to listen for nearly 20 pages with very little dialogue and still appear alert and interested. Last night we rehearsed this act for almost three hours and we were all exhausted after. It’s funny how tiring just sitting can be.

            Tickets go on sale March 1^st through Brown Paper Bag Tickets. This week we begin our hunt for set and prop pieces. We also have to begin advertising and get our postcards ordered, printed, and distributed. These are things that I will be focusing on over the next week or two. We have come a long way in the past month and still have a lot more to do in the next.