On the stage at last … at least for a partial run through of Act I. Technical Director James Mayne, Director Harold Jurkiewicz, and Scenic Designer Jennifer Masieloff led the cast through the intricacies of the Act I scene changes. Many of the set pieces are large and require skillful maneuvering to move them around in the tight backstage area. The Egerman rooms move on and off stage several times during the act. The bedroom is stored in the stage right wings. The sitting room is stored on stage left. Parts of the bedroom may be seen in the photo.
There is a brief “play within a play” in Act I. The stage for the “local theatre” is stored off left along with the theatre seats. The movement and unfolding of the theatre also demands careful handling to get the piece on and off stage without colliding with other moving pieces or people, or becoming tangled in the stage curtains.
“Desirée’s Digs” moves on from stage left in front of a half-scrim. Behind the scrim the theatre stage is being changed into the breakfast room of Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm’s home.
The breakfast room moves off and the Egerman rooms come back on again. The pieces move off for a final time to clear the stage for “A Weekend in the Country,” the glorious Act I finale during which we see the Madame Armfeldt’s chateau drop for the first time. You can get an idea of what it looks like in the photo. If you’ve been following the blog, you’ve seen the Maiseloff’s model of the chateau and even seen pieces of it in construction.
Jurkiewicz, Mayne, and Masieloff (sounds like a law firm) also introduced the Egermans and the Malcolms to their touring cars. This gave the actors an opportunity to see how they get in the cars, how they fit in them, and how they get out. I’m predicting the cars, built by the Guild’s Master Carpenter Gordie Mosley, will “stop the show.”
During the second half of the rehearsal, Choreographer Janeen Bodary and Music Director Paul Abbott worked with the cast on the opening and closing waltzes, the “Glamorous Life” number, and “A Weekend in the Country.”
Meanwhile, in the shop and on stage, work continued on additional set pieces for the show. Seeing how it all comes together will be interesting and exciting. Click here for more information and to order tickets online.