I just took off my visitor pass from Patterson Elementary School and realised it says "raptor" up the top. I had no idea I was a raptor. I'm cooler than I thought.
We had back-to-back shows of Tom & Huck at a school in Houston today. They went pretty well. The version of the original script that we've cobbled together worked ok, and it was fun watching the kids scream when I told Tom Sawyer "I love you" and kissed him on the cheek.
Working with Express is in some ways similar to Tony Bones in Melbourne and in some ways different. At Tony Bones, Tony pretty much ran everything - creatively, administratively, on and off stage. Express has more staff - Tracey the Artistic Director, Pat who is Tracey's boss, Shirley the guest director, Benito the Stage Manager, Sammy the MD, Marshi the costumier and Vincent (aka the alien choreographer), plus a cast of four and Nick & Rita in the office. This means there is much more opportunity for miscommunication, which is frustrating, but it feels more like being a part of a team, which is life-giving. It also means that people tend to have a stronger idea about what their role in the team is and their place in the hierarchy, which to me is a relief. It also makes bump-in and -out much easier on the body! It feels more relaxed at Express, but I'm glad I worked at Tony Bones first so I learned how to snap into hard work mode. This process has been hard. There is this reluctance I feel in the team...I guess because we've pulled this show back from the brink of having no cast and almost being cancelled. We keep giving off subtle signs that it's just too much hard work. E.g., we're unable to start rehearsal on time.
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I wrote the above yesterday and didn't get around to posting it. Got a call from Benito today to say I'm definitely in the Christmas show, starting rehearsals on Monday. Hopefully it will be at least as fun as Tom & Huck, and somewhat easier and more organised!
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