More SUCCESSIVE APPROXIMATION in the theatre

My fabulous "Peter" cast. It only looks as if they're not focusing.

I don't know if you've ever been part of a theatrical production (aka "being in a play"), but there comes a point in the rehearsal process when you hit a bumpy spot.  Actually, there are several spots like this, but the one we're speaking of today is the one about a week before you have to ABANDON the show to an AUDIENCE.

Let's face it: the whole thing is a mess, everyone's tired, and when are we ever going to finish the set?

Ugh.

There's a dangerous saying in theatre: "Oh, it always comes together." No, no it doesn't.  I have directed some epic disasters in my time, and they didn't come together.  Very much the opposite.  They flew apart like some centrifuge with a loose bolt, and it wasn't pretty.

So last night's runthrough of Act 2 of Peter & the Starcatcher (Newnan Theatre Company, Mar 1–11) was not as smooth as Monday's runthrough of Act 1.  When I say "runthrough," I don't actually mean that we made it through the act.  We had to stop and start and fix things and create things and just generally SUCCESSIVELY APPROXIMATE the thing to hell and back.

That's OK.  The cast is extremely gifted and funny, and by tonight the whole thing will snap together in many small and interesting ways. (And have I mentioned that we have the inimitable Mike Funt as our Black Stache?) All those things we had to stop for tonight will be incorporated smoothly; all the lines they missed will be learned; all the laughs will be nailed, and by the end you, the AUDIENCE, will be in tears.  Trust me on this one.

I will now start emailing the cast my notes from last night just to make sure all this happens.

 We still have to finish that set, though.