So to work!

by Dexter Bullard, Head of Graduate Acting/Artistic Director, The Theatre School Showcase (Director of URINETOWN)

Well... this Monday night was "Welcome to Urinetown!" – not the place, not the musical, but the rehearsals!

Everything gearing up to this week has had an excited, surreal energy to it.  After three days of amazingly courageous and very impressive auditions by all, the cast was posted overnight. The very next day, I enter a room with 38 people in it...  

I have never experienced so many faces at a first rehearsal – designers, dramaturgs, technicians, advisors, stage managers, assistants, musical director, choreographers, and a fabulous cast of 16.

And I realized how humbling such an experience it is.  I know that over 300 people at Theatre School will work on this show before it has reached its end.  There will be the crew, the backstage staff, the box office staff, the PR people, costume and set construction, props, light techs, sound ops, budget manager, photographer, etc. etc. and countless hours of endless talent put into this show.

And why?  

To offer ourselves the chance to work, collaborate and grow.  To offer our audience the chills, thrills, laughs, and sighs that a great musical phenomenon – which Urinetown certainly is – will bring to the Reskin this April.

So to work!  

The cast has been in and out like a revolving door.  Mark has been teaching the gutsy score with tireless fingers and razor-sharp ears.  Brie and Jason have been showing the steps and drilling the dances next door.  Anna and team have been taking notes and taping floors.  I've been... 

Well, I've been... 

I've been... not really busy at all!!

You see… I know we have to get the sound and the moves down first and foremost.  I have to sit back and let things build, for now.  Singing and dancing are physiologically and memory-wise very tough things to do.  Getting the sound and shapes into the bodies is priority for now.  Precision and security will give us freedom to play in the weeks ahead.

So next week... I'll still be just listening and watching.  

The next week after that - it's all about me!

Spoiler alert: it's sounding and looking fantastic already.