Rehearsals are going very well still...we're balancing hectic schedules, Thesis defenses (BREAK A LEG, Allison!), and--apparently--the plague (my whole family is sick, although since I am too busy to be sick, I am not--despite the cough, sore throat, stuffy nose, and sinus pressure).
I am struck, today, by the ability negotiate a terribly short rehearsal process when one has very talented and very experienced actors. It seems as though, even though we are wildly short on time and availability, we'll certainly make it. There is no way this would be true without the cast I have on this project. It also makes me ashamed that I have not named them here on this blog--so here you go: Hermia: Jill Summerville Danielle (Dan): Allison Brogan Anton: Mark Hale Jr. It is a tremendous honor that Jill entrusted this piece to me for its world premier. I hope that you will come and check it out, if you are able. Here's the info so you can come and see us: Elysium Interrupted by Jill Summerville directed by C. Austin Hill May 14 - May 15 Tix HERE (they will be available very soon)
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We've now begun rehearsals for the world premier of Elysium Interrupted. I am reminded, once again, of how lucky I am to be surrounded by such talented people. I have a wonderful cast who are committed to bringing Jill's work beautifully to life, and by an able and creative designer to help us do just that. I am working on my sound design for the play--heading in a substantially different direction now than I thought I would before our first rehearsal. As a director, I tend to think in terms of music--the peaks and valleys and overall lyricism of the words, the tempos of delivery, the importance of silence, the ability to shape mood and contour emotion--so I very frequently design my own sound, and begin very early in the process. Right at this moment, I am inspired by a number of different musical directions--from Marina and the Diamonds to "folk metal" and "steampunk. We'll see where this goes!
My next project is the world premier of a new play by my wonderful friend Jill Summerville. The play, Elysium Interrupted, is a remarkable piece of theatre that challenges the audience to reconsider how they view disabled actors on stage, and by extension, disabled bodies off-stage. I am so honored to have been asked to direct this play, and so glad to have a chance to work closely with Jill on the project.
We have a very limited amount of time for this project--due to a number of factors. It opens on May 14, just 26 days from today. We will--I hope--have a read-through this week (or what remains of it) and begin rehearsing in earnest next week following the oral portion of Jill's Ph.D. candidacy exams (a stressful process that I endured in November). I'll use this space to write updates about this process as we go. |
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March 2013
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