February 17, 2012

As we move into tech weekend for Nate the Great we are also getting ready to head to Caldwell County High School to perform the Murder Mystery production of Murder for Hire. The cast has had 5 rehearsals and are spending all of the their energy concentrating on character and lines. While there is a large component of improv with the murder mysteries we do there are often about 35 pages to dialogue to memorize as well. We will pack the theatre trailer hooked up to the theatre van tomorrow with sound and lighting equipment. The actors will meet at 3:30 pm and we will head off for the first performance of Murder by Magic. March 3 we will perform the show at the Country Club of Paducah and March 8-10 will perform again at the Market House.

April has quite a few new kids in The Adventures of Nate the Great. Some of these cast members are very young. Twice I've heard April give the note to the very youngest that they can't just sit down onstage when they get tired. They have to constantly react to the the other characters. Tonight I did a rough lighting design and the cast acted under stage lighting. April warned them ahead of time that they couldn't shield their eyes with their hands or squint trying to peer into the darkness. These kids are very young. Patrick McHaney and Emma Kate Schaaf are doing great jobs as Nate and Kate in the show.

Diane Byrd has had a few rehearsals for Getting Sara Married but she is waiting on a set from me to really start staging. Diane has all 6 actors in the show making their Market House Theatre debut.

Last week I cast Hairspray. We have a whole lot of new faces in the Hairspray cast. I'm looking forward to getting started on March 5. The rehearsal materials arrived this week for the show and I will pass those out on the 5th.

Today was the deadline for royalty requests for our play choices for next years season. We will make the big announcement March 16. The board members have been brainstorming how to create fun auction packages for the event that audience members at the big announcement party would like to purchase. I've seen some of the packages and they look like it will great fund.