Heather-Claire Nortey
Friday, October 26, 2007

“When We Come To The End of The Day …”

I remember when I rushed up the stairs of the Great Canadian Theatre Company on my way to the first read-through in the studio. I remember seeing all the unfamiliar faces and wondering what the process of creating a professional show would be like. I remember the feelings of doubt, wonder, amazement, and excitement. It is so important that I remember the various aspects of this experience because looking back I see just how much I have grown.

The rehearsal process, although it seemed like it would last forever at the time, now seems as if it was nothing at all. I have performed in ten shows now and I have two more performances to go. We close Sunday, October the 28^th after the 2pm matinee. I am a little dejected that the experience is coming to an end, but it doesn’t mean that I stop growing and learning about the theatre industry … if anything this is only the beginning.

Tech week went by quickly. The days we were working ten out of twelve hours a day are long gone. Many aspects of the show changed in just one week. Some entrances and exits were altered because of the size of some of the props certain actors had to carry. In terms of costumes, I started out wearing a nun’s habit and then I changed into a mother, and then a vagrant, followed by a photographer. The costume changes were cut down quite a bit … so that made the transitions a little easier. Part of the process is seeing what works and what doesn’t. If someone keeps everyone on stage waiting for them to change, then that costume change in that transition doesn’t work and the show is better off without it or another version of it. Some of the choreography for dance numbers was changed because of the lighting, the formations with the band on stage, and the overall spectacle of a scene. When we rehearsed the song “How to Catch a Man” in the studio, some of the students thought that we just needed to learn a few more dances and we would have learned all the choreography for the show. However, this dance number was just another example of how actors and performers in this day and age must be flexible and able to adapt quickly. There is no use in insisting on executing certain movements the old way, if there is an easier way that will improve the production and add focus to important individuals and themes in a scene. Sometimes, we had to move things around on stage to accommodate the band a little better. We were all so used to performing in the studio without the band, so when the band started to attend rehearsals we were all told to incorporate them into our little world of Salmon Elbow. They are the local musicians who play at all of our town celebrations. All of the changes, the tension, and the stress that were associated with tech week were all for the best. It’s just part of the process of creating a professional musical theatre production.

After previews and run-throughs, we met in the green room for notes and discussions ... all with the aim of improving the show. Opening night came and went. We no longer have note sessions, sometimes our stage manager will tell us to watch out for something, but in general we all have learned from our mistakes and have moved on. Moreover, all the performers know the show pretty well at this point.

During the rehearsal process of the show, I was thrilled with the information the professional actors shared with us students. Well, now that we are in performance mode the advice and discussions have only increased. The green room has become a light-hearted place where I can learn about the Stratford Festival, plays that the other actors have committed to working on in the future, the actors’ past theatre experiences, and a place to discuss acting theories and popular performers of the past and of today. Just last Wednesday, Paul Rainville talked with me about giving back to the theatre community and helping younger actors in the business. We spoke about imagery when creating a role. I also spoke to Sarah McVie and we discussed objectives, tasks, and the process of working on bringing a character to life. I did some actor’s homework (well weeks ago) and I tried to work on the lives of the characters I play in the show. It’s not just about putting on a costume and saying you are a different person. I took some time to analyze the play and just refer various aspects of the show to what I have learned about theatre, acting styles, and character development. Talking with the other actors in the show helped me to refer back to the work and research I had already done and to build on it.

The experience I have gained from this production cannot all be learned from a desk in a lecture hall. I have met people in the industry and I have had so much fun on stage. The Great Canadian Theatre Company used to just be the local theatre where I went to review shows for my classes. Now I see that it is a place for community, friendships, and self-improvement all united by the love of the stage.

-Heather-Claire Nortey

Greg Delmage on The Rehearsin' Business

Well! We've been at this whole rehearsal business for a while now and I've been MIA here on the blog, so I had to do something about it, and comment on the process thus far as we reach the final stretch. I'm not gonna' lie, I was pretty intimidated by the whole business, the first day I walked into the GCTC studio, but really, I found that we students were welcomed quickly. Generally, the rehearsal thing is generally straightforward, but this time it's a question of who it is we are working with. So that brings us to where are now, working in tandem with professional actors who have been more than willing to pass on any knowledge and experience they have gained over their careers, which not only makes us feel like we're truly acting with them, and gives us a taste of what's to come should we continue pursuing a career in theatre or film acting.

As for the process, it always takes to get a feel for the show and a feel for the director, and in this case, a feel for the music. As we come upon tech week I find that the show has really started to groove, in it's plucky, folky way. Last night we had our first rehearsal where we students worked with the band and it was brilliant. In and of itself, with rehearsal piano and John on his banjo, the show already sounded great, but with the accordion, tuba and trumpet, so much more flavour has been added to the show - it gives you a real sense of the piece's style, and how the world of the show flows.

Now tonight we're supposed to be getting into our costumes a bit for the first time, which I'm really looking forward to. Not only because I've copious amounts of costume changes to attend to in a brief period, but more so to continue flavouring the town of Salmon Elbow. We'll see how that goes.