Acting Up
Tonight was dress rehearsal night for our gig at the Naper Settlement at the weekend. I now realize that what I really like best is the dressing up part. Acting is really hard work!
The attention to detail that the Settlement put in is awesome. My Sweeney Todd vignette is in an old carriage house. The whole place has been turned into a tavern, save for a special corner for Mr Todd's barber shop.
Perfectionist that I am, I learnt my part and looked forward to meeting the rest of the little cast. It turned out to be a bit littler than I imagined. The rowdy customers turned out to be two high school boys. Naperville high school boys. That means they are very quiet and well behaved. Certainly nothing I was used to when I worked in schools back in England, and certainly not what you want when you're looking for some rowdiness.
"Shut up, yerl getya pies," I yelled at them as they sat in polite silence.
What made things worse that the 'waiter' who was meant to move guests through the scene was home sick with the flu.
"You'll have to take his part as well," said the director.
This completely threw me, so instead of calmly delivering my lines in my best Cockney accent, I was dashing around the tavern like a lunatic, greeting visitors, arguing with customers, collecting meat and making pies.
Even Sweeney himself wasn't there tonight. I'm assured he'll turn up on the night, because if he doesn't I expect I'll have to rush round and slit a few throats myself!
The attention to detail that the Settlement put in is awesome. My Sweeney Todd vignette is in an old carriage house. The whole place has been turned into a tavern, save for a special corner for Mr Todd's barber shop.
Perfectionist that I am, I learnt my part and looked forward to meeting the rest of the little cast. It turned out to be a bit littler than I imagined. The rowdy customers turned out to be two high school boys. Naperville high school boys. That means they are very quiet and well behaved. Certainly nothing I was used to when I worked in schools back in England, and certainly not what you want when you're looking for some rowdiness.
"Shut up, yerl getya pies," I yelled at them as they sat in polite silence.
What made things worse that the 'waiter' who was meant to move guests through the scene was home sick with the flu.
"You'll have to take his part as well," said the director.
This completely threw me, so instead of calmly delivering my lines in my best Cockney accent, I was dashing around the tavern like a lunatic, greeting visitors, arguing with customers, collecting meat and making pies.
Even Sweeney himself wasn't there tonight. I'm assured he'll turn up on the night, because if he doesn't I expect I'll have to rush round and slit a few throats myself!
posted by Hilary at
10:23 PM
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