Last night was our first rehearsal in the actual space we will be using for the reading. Lemme tell ya – I’ve done a lot of such readings over the years, and it’s pretty typical to do such shows on the set of another show. This one, though, takes some sort of prize for the contrast between our show and the one whose set we’ll be using.
First, our show: it’s contemporary, set in this country, about the recording business, mostly taking place in a recording studio. Now, the show whose set we’ll be using: I don’t know the title, but it takes place somewhere in Europe during World War I. The set is an underground battle trench. The walls are all dark, roughly sawn planks and the set includes old dim lanterns and dirt on the floor.
Understand, I’m not complaining here; I think it’s funny as hell. The fact is, our audience will have no problem suspending their disbelief. Once our show starts, they’ll forget what they’re looking at, especially since we’ll mostly be sitting on chairs and reading from music stands. The staging in our reading is quite minimal. Fact is, I’ve been in or seen quite a few shows in this particular theater, and I think this set offers the best sightlines and acoustics I’ve ever seen/heard in this place, so believe me, I’ve got no problem at all with this setup! I’ll be back with a full report after the performance.
