Tar-Tuffe-Tech
Monday, November 19: We’re in the home-stretch! Our tech week began last night as we worked our way through [most of] the opera, with both casts and conductor and performance pianist all together in the same room for the first time!
It’s always exciting (and disorienting) when all the technical elements start coming together. Some of the cast chose to be in costume, since last night was also a chance for Andrea Schewe (who’s not only our wonderful Elmire but is also coordinating the costumes with Denise Young, one of our Dorines) to fit people. We also had the lovely furniture provided by Mike Smith (whose wonderful collection of period pieces has graced the stage of many Elden Street Players productions) adding to the sense of period. Of course we all work hard to create a characterization from the inside out (or whatever other acting terminology you like to use), but it’s a delight to see how putting on the character’s outer trappings can take a performance up to the next level, especially when that character can move around in the appropriate physical environment.
The newest wrinkle added last night was having our conductor, Shawn Burke-Storer and our performance pianist, James Dennis together. As with most new elements, this was both reassuring (it’s a complex score, and being able to rely on cues when needed is a good thing) and unsettling, since Shawn and James were getting used to each other, while still getting used to us.
Last night we had the furniture set up on the stage in the church’s Fellowship Hall, but starting tonight we’ll be in the sanctuary, where the performances will take place. This involves putting up the platforms that create a playing area extending from the altar area of the sanctuary. While this is, of course, yet another new element, at least it also means we’ll be in our home for the remainder of tech week and the run of performances.
I’ve taken off from work this week in order to take care of last-minute details: a few more props are still needed, more emails must be sent to drum up an audience, and last but not least, I need to be well-rested to (a) get over this nasty cold and (b) have time for further study and character work.
Ah the joys of opera on a shoe-string budget!