The one thing that bothers me this theater week: Not all elements have been in play during tech rehearsals, especially when I’ve had to learn a part from scratch.
Enter the fog on dress rehearsal night.
I was told there would be fog.
I was told it would be at my feet.
My vision is already obscured.
So there is nothing like the terror of seeing the fog rise above your head. All I could see was a sea of white, and the Lilac Fairy’s incredibly bright costume.
In my confusion, I drifted a little too far upstage,
Once again, the backdrop came down and I caught it. I was able to finish the scene, but seriously, that can’t happen tonight. Tonight is our first show.
“We’ll get to rehearse this again before the show, right?” said the guest artist playing the prince.
Evidently, not.
I’ve been told the fog won’t be as high when we perform the scene for real.
I’m hoping so, but came up with a plan B in case it’s not.
Well, you know what they say: Bad dress, great show?
Actually, dress rehearsal wasn’t bad other than the not being able to see part and the backdrop coming down.
I thought I did well in my Act I part. My suspenders kept sliding down, which is not a good thing when your nickers are a little loose (not a good thing when you’re wearing women’s white tights that are not nearly opaque). I think I did OK not making it too noticeable adjusting when either slipped.
Fortunately, my tunic comes down long enough to cover the parts that would not need to be seen (not to mention the small coverage of a thong dance belt).
I’d rather not test the theory, Safety pins are going to keep them in their place tonight.
I may not be able to do anything about tech malfunctions, but wardrobe malfunctions I can prevent.
On the positive side, I watched Act II from the audience. It’s the only Act of the three that I’m not in. I’ll have to watch it from the wings the rest of the way,
The dancing, costumes, the lighting, the tech work were outstanding. It really is going to be an amazing show … especially since it was thrown together almost at the last minute because of the wacky winter weather that postponed many of the in-studio rehearsals.
And I found out in the last couple of days that I’m not the only dancer having to learn a part on the fly. There are a couple of others, including our school director (one of my teachers) who were drafted to fill in for others.
I’m confident tonight will go off without a hitch.
loveballet89 