DAY FIFTY - Monday May 14
A very interesting (exhilirating and frustrating) day. For many reasons. I had the morning working with both of our older character guys - Mary's father - the character of Mr. Lloyd - as well as two of the younger character guys - ministers to the Prince. One of our Mary's (Ksenia) showed up - but she wasn't called - or at least wasn't SUPPOSED to be called.
It turned out to be one of my favorite rehearsals - I wish I had taken video - because it felt like home. Really creative performers, working on a very silly scene - offering great ideas and happy to try whatever I asked of them. We made major improvements on the scene and dance (which is one of the few pieces of Unger-ography in the show - I hope Patti likes it!). I left on such a high - so, of course, it was bound to be dashed in the evening!
Last night, when talking over the schedule, I made very clear (I thought) that I wanted to help the Sandors get off book - not that that was a communal job - but we are in crisis mode. So I told the scheduler that I wanted the assistant director, Ivgeny, to drill lines with the three Sandors. I also told Ivgeny that. Or so I thought.
In between rehearsals, I went to get my favorite chicken with vegetables thing across the street - then they had the gala opening of the new (smaller) theatre. A few of the performers from the company did a song or two and then they started the BOLSHOI CONTEST! Every year, they have a competition for singers at this theatre. Imagine "American Idol"... in Peoria... just for operetta. So the scale is microscopic compared with the big glitzy reality TV shows - but it is a way for operetta performers to be seen. For all I know, it may be the biggest operetta performer competition in the world. There were an impressive number of contestants and some of them were terrific. It must also be a way that Kirill can shop for talent - as several of the current company members are past winners of this competition. There were students, performers from other theatres around the country - some from very far away. Although very far means something very different to Russians. Vladivostok is a 5 day train ride to the East. So a day and a half overnight train is nothing to these folks.
The "opening ceremony" (such as it was) had some of the performers from this theatre, the resident dance company and, of course, the GREAT band, Izumrud (Emerald). In the video below, I have left much of their performance intact - because I love them so much. I apologize that most of the people in the contest (fully costumed, in most cases) look like white blobs! It was tough lighting for an iPhone. Also, they were honoring a famous Russian composer and his son was there as one of the judges. He's the guy speaking from the audience.
So, I assumed, at 18:00 (6PM) that the line rehearsal was starting without me. As I had explained - to two different people. I was in my apartment working on a video thing for Patti to show to the dancers. When I was finished with that - at about 18:40, I went upstairs to check on the rehearsals. First I popped my head into the contest to see what was happening there. More operetta singers. To my surprise (and chagrin), I found Ivgeny sitting there enjoying the performance. I asked why he wasn't upstairs running lines - which, of course, he could not understand. He explained to me (I think) that they were done with rehearsal - after only 40 minutes?!?!?!
I went upstairs to give Patti the video thing and found one of our romantic lead couples rehearsing one of their dances. First of all, Mary wasn't even supposed to be called that evening. And, remember, nor in the afternoon! Ksenia, poor girl, showed up for both rehearsals and wasn't supposed to be called for either.
They told me that all three Sandors and a translator were there, that they waited for me, but left when I didn't show up. I was furious. I pulled Ivgeny into the hallway outside Patti's rehearsal - and got Tatiana - the scheduler (as well as mis-scheduler) - so Gregg could translate for me. Neither of them understood that I wanted anybody to work on lines - even though Gregg heard me make that request last night TO TATIANA! So my translator obviously screwed that up - not once - but twice!
Ivgeny went on to explain that they don't help actors with lines here. That is the actor's responsibility. I explained that just because they haven't done things a certain way before doesn't mean those "foreign" ways are not useful. Especially since we were in EMERGENCY MODE!!!!!!!!!I didn't care how they did things before - that this was NECESSARY work! I further explained that we often have line rehearsals in American and that THEY WORK!
So then I asked if any of them thought I would simply NOT show up at a rehearsal. I had missed only two rehearsals the entire time I was there - when I was EXTREMELY sick in bed. I asked them if anyone thought to CALL me? Or (here's a novel idea) knock on my door since I lived JUST ACROSS THE LOBBY!!! Did anyone thing that maybe I might be sick - or needed help? Or, G-d forbid - ask Gregg or Patti to CALL ME!?!?!?!? How idiotic - and lazy. To just wait around and not intuit that there was either a big problem or a small communication gaffe. Of course, this was a case of the latter - but back to the one man for one job - pencil without an eraser. If they are there to rehearse, they are not there to troubleshoot - or think - about how to solve any little problem (like no director or no instructions on what to do)! For smart people, there has been some evidence of less than smart behavior.
I asked the scheduler to call one of the other Sandors and was told he was on his way up to rehearsal.
So, Ivgeny and I go back into the scene room - and the other Sandor who we were told had just been called and we were told was on his way up - was not there. I asked the two actors who WERE there to call him again. Oh, wait - somebody forgot to tell me that he was a scene partner in for one of the contestants!!! - so he wasn't even available for anything beyond the first half hour in the original rehearsal I had THOUGHT I had scheduled! Do you see what we're up against here? We don't have time to get this show ready by opening night (and it's been 7 freakin' weeks) because so many people are not available for the wee six hours they allow us per day - made worse by the fact that 75% of the time, those who have been called cannot actually show up and 5% of the time, if they do show up, they tend to leave early for no apparent reason.
But... to turn lemons into lemonade and a sows ear into a silk purse, we start going over the entire show with Vova and Ksenia - one set of Sandors and Marys. NOTE FROM THE FUTURE: Neither Vova or Ksenia, two of the kindest, hardest working performers in the company, - ever ended up performing their roles - I repeat: ever! More on that saga to come.
It was IMMENSELY helpful. If one of them messed up a line - we went over it a few times to drill it in. And we got through the entire show - obviously just their scenes. See... line drilling works! Well - only a run through will really tell that - but it was most helpful to Vova to be able to track through his entire show and stop whenever he needed to. Ivgeny was amazing, playing every other role in the entire show. I do feel he'll be able to re-set the show come October when we're gone and this show goes into the repertory.
The... sand... is... running... out... of... the... hourglass - and they don't seem to be doing very much to help us make the most of what little time we have left.
A commiserating session with my colleagues after rehearsal - Patti had some issues with her slacker second ballet team - so she respectfully asked them to leave the rehearsal room so she could muster up the positive energy necessary to do her work.
Tomorrow is a day off - well, not really. We have a sitzprobe (sing through) tomorrow night - and next Tuesday is tech - so we have no more days off before we leave.
A very interesting (exhilirating and frustrating) day. For many reasons. I had the morning working with both of our older character guys - Mary's father - the character of Mr. Lloyd - as well as two of the younger character guys - ministers to the Prince. One of our Mary's (Ksenia) showed up - but she wasn't called - or at least wasn't SUPPOSED to be called.
It turned out to be one of my favorite rehearsals - I wish I had taken video - because it felt like home. Really creative performers, working on a very silly scene - offering great ideas and happy to try whatever I asked of them. We made major improvements on the scene and dance (which is one of the few pieces of Unger-ography in the show - I hope Patti likes it!). I left on such a high - so, of course, it was bound to be dashed in the evening!
Last night, when talking over the schedule, I made very clear (I thought) that I wanted to help the Sandors get off book - not that that was a communal job - but we are in crisis mode. So I told the scheduler that I wanted the assistant director, Ivgeny, to drill lines with the three Sandors. I also told Ivgeny that. Or so I thought.
In between rehearsals, I went to get my favorite chicken with vegetables thing across the street - then they had the gala opening of the new (smaller) theatre. A few of the performers from the company did a song or two and then they started the BOLSHOI CONTEST! Every year, they have a competition for singers at this theatre. Imagine "American Idol"... in Peoria... just for operetta. So the scale is microscopic compared with the big glitzy reality TV shows - but it is a way for operetta performers to be seen. For all I know, it may be the biggest operetta performer competition in the world. There were an impressive number of contestants and some of them were terrific. It must also be a way that Kirill can shop for talent - as several of the current company members are past winners of this competition. There were students, performers from other theatres around the country - some from very far away. Although very far means something very different to Russians. Vladivostok is a 5 day train ride to the East. So a day and a half overnight train is nothing to these folks.
The "opening ceremony" (such as it was) had some of the performers from this theatre, the resident dance company and, of course, the GREAT band, Izumrud (Emerald). In the video below, I have left much of their performance intact - because I love them so much. I apologize that most of the people in the contest (fully costumed, in most cases) look like white blobs! It was tough lighting for an iPhone. Also, they were honoring a famous Russian composer and his son was there as one of the judges. He's the guy speaking from the audience.
So, I assumed, at 18:00 (6PM) that the line rehearsal was starting without me. As I had explained - to two different people. I was in my apartment working on a video thing for Patti to show to the dancers. When I was finished with that - at about 18:40, I went upstairs to check on the rehearsals. First I popped my head into the contest to see what was happening there. More operetta singers. To my surprise (and chagrin), I found Ivgeny sitting there enjoying the performance. I asked why he wasn't upstairs running lines - which, of course, he could not understand. He explained to me (I think) that they were done with rehearsal - after only 40 minutes?!?!?!
I went upstairs to give Patti the video thing and found one of our romantic lead couples rehearsing one of their dances. First of all, Mary wasn't even supposed to be called that evening. And, remember, nor in the afternoon! Ksenia, poor girl, showed up for both rehearsals and wasn't supposed to be called for either.
They told me that all three Sandors and a translator were there, that they waited for me, but left when I didn't show up. I was furious. I pulled Ivgeny into the hallway outside Patti's rehearsal - and got Tatiana - the scheduler (as well as mis-scheduler) - so Gregg could translate for me. Neither of them understood that I wanted anybody to work on lines - even though Gregg heard me make that request last night TO TATIANA! So my translator obviously screwed that up - not once - but twice!
Ivgeny went on to explain that they don't help actors with lines here. That is the actor's responsibility. I explained that just because they haven't done things a certain way before doesn't mean those "foreign" ways are not useful. Especially since we were in EMERGENCY MODE!!!!!!!!!I didn't care how they did things before - that this was NECESSARY work! I further explained that we often have line rehearsals in American and that THEY WORK!
So then I asked if any of them thought I would simply NOT show up at a rehearsal. I had missed only two rehearsals the entire time I was there - when I was EXTREMELY sick in bed. I asked them if anyone thought to CALL me? Or (here's a novel idea) knock on my door since I lived JUST ACROSS THE LOBBY!!! Did anyone thing that maybe I might be sick - or needed help? Or, G-d forbid - ask Gregg or Patti to CALL ME!?!?!?!? How idiotic - and lazy. To just wait around and not intuit that there was either a big problem or a small communication gaffe. Of course, this was a case of the latter - but back to the one man for one job - pencil without an eraser. If they are there to rehearse, they are not there to troubleshoot - or think - about how to solve any little problem (like no director or no instructions on what to do)! For smart people, there has been some evidence of less than smart behavior.
I asked the scheduler to call one of the other Sandors and was told he was on his way up to rehearsal.
So, Ivgeny and I go back into the scene room - and the other Sandor who we were told had just been called and we were told was on his way up - was not there. I asked the two actors who WERE there to call him again. Oh, wait - somebody forgot to tell me that he was a scene partner in for one of the contestants!!! - so he wasn't even available for anything beyond the first half hour in the original rehearsal I had THOUGHT I had scheduled! Do you see what we're up against here? We don't have time to get this show ready by opening night (and it's been 7 freakin' weeks) because so many people are not available for the wee six hours they allow us per day - made worse by the fact that 75% of the time, those who have been called cannot actually show up and 5% of the time, if they do show up, they tend to leave early for no apparent reason.
But... to turn lemons into lemonade and a sows ear into a silk purse, we start going over the entire show with Vova and Ksenia - one set of Sandors and Marys. NOTE FROM THE FUTURE: Neither Vova or Ksenia, two of the kindest, hardest working performers in the company, - ever ended up performing their roles - I repeat: ever! More on that saga to come.
It was IMMENSELY helpful. If one of them messed up a line - we went over it a few times to drill it in. And we got through the entire show - obviously just their scenes. See... line drilling works! Well - only a run through will really tell that - but it was most helpful to Vova to be able to track through his entire show and stop whenever he needed to. Ivgeny was amazing, playing every other role in the entire show. I do feel he'll be able to re-set the show come October when we're gone and this show goes into the repertory.
The... sand... is... running... out... of... the... hourglass - and they don't seem to be doing very much to help us make the most of what little time we have left.
A commiserating session with my colleagues after rehearsal - Patti had some issues with her slacker second ballet team - so she respectfully asked them to leave the rehearsal room so she could muster up the positive energy necessary to do her work.
Tomorrow is a day off - well, not really. We have a sitzprobe (sing through) tomorrow night - and next Tuesday is tech - so we have no more days off before we leave.
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