The R&J Report-Episode 1

I realize that I have been pretty lax in my blogging regarding R&J, so this'll be a little something to make up for it.

We're already one week into the rehearsal process, and we've had a whole week of really great read throughs, including one held outside, where Mia attempted to use a tree as her balcony (alas, she didn't have enough light to read her script up there). This week will be a character building week, as Chris and I meet with some of the actors to guide them through thinking about their character so they can make stronger choices in their acting. The week will end with the final read through (full cast), just so we can go over the script one more time and let the cast know what they will be doing once we start blocking next week (yay!). Then of course will come fight choreography and the big masquerade scene, and before you know it--show week!

Now, to turn some attention to the set design side of things, here's Joe's finished set design for the play. This set will be the backdrop for most of the scenes in the show, and will be built in such a way as to be set up and torn down in less than 2 hours, and will fit in the back of a U-haul! (The crazy stuff we do just to take our little show to the ITS festival).

The Best Laid Plans...

I feel like I've done way too much blogging in the last two days, but of course, I'm trying to play catch up from the past month when we didn't have the blog!

Today I’m going to give you an inside look at the stage design!

Original Set Design

Here we find the original set idea for the show, that I turned over to my trusty crew manager/set designer Joe Kress. (Who assures me that he will soon be posting on this very blog to give everyone an inside look at the goings-on in crew world)

The set is wonderfully adaptable to the needs of the show. By moving the main staircase, and adding or removing other pieces, we can change the Ballroom into the Courtyard with the addition of some curtains and a few painted bushes, or into Fred’s bedroom with the addition of some chairs and a table (and later on, a bed with 20 mattresses!)

The ease of the customization is a definite plus for a theatre program such as ours, where we strive to do the biggest show we can with a rather limited budget. At the end of every production, all of the wood or set pieces that can be salvaged for further use are stored in the crew room to await the day when they are called into use again.

Here’s a few pictures of the set becoming a reality. You'll notice some changes, but otherwise, the beginning of a fun and functional set!

The Front of the Main Castle Piece

The Back of the Set, featuring stairs to the top, and a platform for catching falling princesses!

So there you have it, from paper to reality in just a few short weeks. Keep an eye out for updates on the set right here on this very blog!