The Oliver Chronicles: Installment Three - First Run Through

Well, yesterday's rehearsal was scheduled to be a "Run-Through of Act One." However, what actually happened couldn't really be described as a "run." In fact, even "walk-through" and "stumble-through" don't seem like the right words to appropriately describe how the rehearsal went.

I guess what you could call it would be a "watching-some-other-person-stumble-through-quick-sand-with-crutches" through.

We started with the opening number: "Food, Glorious Food."
Only about four pages of this song had been blocked.
So, from 3:30-5:00, HDT finished blocking that song.

Then, even though the next song in that scene is "Oliver" (and the famous "Please, sir, may I have some more" exchange) and that hadn't been blocked either, HDT decided to move on to Scene Two: "I Shall Scream."

I don't know if you recall my other post, but this scene was blocked (avec moi) but Dickon was not there, so he did not know the blocking. So, we had to re-block that entire scene as well. And what made it even more special was the fact that most of the cast was watching and they spent a lot of the time whistling and making inappropriate noises (and hand gestures) at Dickon and I (because, after-all, this scene is a very awkward, creepy seduction scene and the blocking involves ass-pinching, face-slapping and me sitting on Dickon's lap for a majority of the song.)

So... that was interesting.

Then, they went on to Scenes Three and Four, in which Troy and Mrs. Sowerberry (two of my BFFs playing The Sowerberrys, the evil undertakers) sing a song called "That's Your Funeral" and Mrs. Sowerberry goes into hysterics and faints into a coffin.

Those scenes had been blocked a while ago, so they went flawlessly.

Oh, and at this point I would like to mention that the little 9-year-old boy who is playing Oliver (Om) is off-book. He has his lines memorized. All of them. He did not use his script once throughout that rehearsal. From now on, HDT is probably never going to let us forget that the first person to memorize their lines was an elementary school student. We will always be struggling to measure up to the 9-year-old.

So, that rehearsal ended with us being just barely half-way through Act One. Now, at this stage in the show, that is expected and acceptable. For now. If we get into hell week and that happens again, head will roll. Literally.

Wish us broken legs! (because unless we improve in about a month and a half, we will have literally broken legs...) But, as I mentioned a while ago, we never fully come together until the last possible second, and at that point the show ends up amazing. But it would be nice for once to be.. you know.... somewhat prepared...? Maybe?