All together now, well nearly...

Last night saw the Woods cast get together for just the third time, it feels like ages since we were last all together.  Actually, thinking about it, I haven't has my entire cast together in one place at all yet!  Last week I was only blocking the first half of the play and didn't need Caroline and Sophie, at the read through Caroline couldn't make it and last night Sam Woods-Zombie was away in Berlin with work.

As an aside here, I feel it my duty to note that my cast were very disparaging about my reference to Sam Woods-Zombie almost sounding like Samwise Gamgee, it was very upsetting.  But I still think that it sounds like it, so I will continue to call him the Hobbit, so there!

Now, where was I?  Oh, right, rehearsal .  Yes.  So last night I required the entire team as my intention was to get the rest of the show blocked and then run through the entire thing from start to finish.  Luckily, as we didn't have the Hobbit, I had a couple of able bodied stand ins with most people having a go at reading in for him, including Caroline.  I also had to stand in for Jenna in the beginning as she was on a late shift and didn't arrive until just before 9.  No sooner had she stepped through the door, I had her catching up on the blocking that had already taken place (yes, I know I'm a slave driver)!  Only then did I allow her to have her dinner whilst we switched into the hall for the rest of the blocking and to run through.

I have to say that my cast are focused (in the main), pay attention (mostly), take notes (always) and remember their blocking (9 times out of 10).  This makes my life as a director much, much easier.  They are all consummate professionals and I thank them from the bottom of my heart.  I also thank them for continuing to give me goose bumps despite the fact that I know what's going to happen in the show, as I wrote it!  I just hope that our audiences get those chills too.

Whilst blocking I have realised that my lighting requirements will be quite something and I will have to counter for the fact that the hall is right under the flight path for Heathrow...  I wonder if I could have the hall sound proofed by April...

Song of the day - Christie Allen - Goosebumps

The Lodge in the Woods is one half of a double bill being perfomed in April 2014 and produced by Colnbrook Amateur Stage Theatre.  You can follow them on Facebook or Twitter.  Michael Starr is the writer/director of the sister play and you can follow his production blog here.

Blocking it all out

Last night saw the first rehearsal of the Woods team.  I was nervous and excited all at once to get them all together and what a rehearsal it was.

I knew I wouldn't get to Sophie's part so I dropped her a line earlier in the day to say that she was excused and when we arrived at the hall, I gave Caroline her piece of cake that she missed out on last week and told her that she wasn't required to stay either.  She was quite pleased about that.  That left 5 cast (Sam Woods-Zombie, Jenna, Kelley, Joshua, New Andy) and me.

I have started blocking the play - for those of you that don't know, this is where the movement is put into the play and the Director (yes, that's me) tells everyone where they should be standing, where they should move to and when.  I blocked up to page 19 in the script and we actually got through all of it, I'm sure we could have gone further if I'd blocked further!  We ran through it from the top to the end of the blocking and I must say I was (and am) very happy with it.  The cast think it all feels natural, even with a couple of little additions I had to make for continuity's sake and to stay true to the story (ah, now you're intrigued aren't you?).

We even got an early finish, which is always a bonus.  It does make such a difference when you have a strong experienced cast who make notes, pay attention and remember what they are supposed to do.  I have an awesome cast that are making their Director very happy.

Aside from all that, Joshua is happy because he gets to lounge around (although is worried that he's typecast) and Jenna is feeling weird about having Sam Woods-Zombie (sound like a character from Lord of the Rings)as her love interest.  There was also far too much talk about the "Log in the woods" and the toilet humour that it brought about...

The word of the evening was Dunch (er... yeah).

Song of the Day - Heather Small - Proud

Changing Places

I go away for five minutes and all hell breaks loose, okay well, that might be a slight exaggeration but at the time it seemed pretty major.  Being away on business also didn't help as I was supposed to be working and not worrying about the play!  I guess I should explain what actually happened instead of rambling on about it.

On Thursday, I was in Amsterdam at a conference and I received a Facebook message from Andy.  He had been offered a job in a holiday camp in North Wales and unfortunately for me, they needed him to start in 2 weeks time.  Bugger.  Well, much as I was disappointed, I understood what an opportunity this was for him, so I wished (and still wish) him well.

But that left me with a gap, a hole in my cast.  One good thing was that we hadn't really got started, apart from the full read through so at least I didn't have to go through loads of blocking and stuff again.  But there was still the question about who could fill the gap.  I wanted a strong actor to compliment the rest of the incredible Woods team and someone who I could see as Andy.  In my head I had an idea of him, I guess that's the thing about being the writer, you see the characters as you write them so I had to find someone that would fit that image.

I made some enquiries and obtained a number for the person who I thought would be best for me and the show and dialled his number.  Before the read through and auditions he had spoken to me and explained that he would not be able to audition for me as he had training on a Thursday night.  However, luckily for me(but not for him), he had injured himself at the weekend and was unable to play for a while or now train on a Thursday night.  I sent him the rehearsal schedule and the first part of the script but only to the point the we go to at the read through, asked him to read through and let me know whether he was interested.

On Friday, I was on my way to the airport and just dropped him a line to ask him to let me know whether he would like to step into the role or whether I had to go to plan B.  Luckily for me, he said yes!  YAY!  So we now have a New Andy, he will be known in this blog from now on as New Andy.  Oh perhaps I should have mentioned that before, I will only refer to the cast in their character names or their responsibilities if they aren't in the cast but I need to refer to them.  Hope that's clear...

So tomorrow is our first official rehearsal, I'd better get on with some blocking or shall I make a cake, blocking or cake...  blocking or cake....  If I don't do the blocking, tomorrow's rehearsal will be rubbish, but cake...  Must go now and do one or the other...

Song of the day - 3 Doors Down - Changes

All is revealed

I gathered together my cast last night at my house for a full read through of the scrip.  Unfortunately, Caroline couldn't make it, but I did have everyone else, which was great and much appreciated.

Prior to Kelley and Andy's arrival, the rest of the cast were speculating wildly about what was going to happen in the end of the play, with some good suggestions, ones I may use for my next play, if I ever get that far...

It was great to have the read through with the cast, it really brings the scrip to life and I can see that I absolutely made the right casting decision and have another couple of ideas that will work in the play too.  I foresee some tweaks coming up, but that's the joy of also being the writer isn't it?  The fact that I can make small changes to the scrip whenever I like because it's MY scrip.

I read in for Caroline and it was great to see and hear the reaction of the cast as the play went on and they understood what was happening, I got the shivers as we read through and I'm happy to say that the cast did too (and it was very warm in my house!).  I think that means success! 

Add to that my first ever attempt at a chocolate cake was "delicious" and "so very moist" and I am one very happy bunny.

The cast will be without me on Thursday (so there may be a gap in blogs) as they record the scrip but I'm sure they'll be fine, they have Sam Woods-Zombie in charge (sorry guys)!

Song of the day - Katy Perry - Ghost

Cakey Bakiness

I have invited my lovely cast to join me tonight at my house for a full read through of the scrip and in order to thank them (or bribe them, you choose) I have made a cake.  A big gooey chocolate cake.  I don't actual like chocolate cake so this was my first attempt at one (but we won't tell them right?), let's hope it's good.

One of my cast (Caroline) can't make my read through tonight and did let me know this on Thursday after she was cast, the other request she made was for me to send her part over to her because as we'd not completely read the scrip at the read through, the part she had been cast in hadn't even been mentioned.  On Friday with some trepidation I sent it across.  No more than ten minutes later, to my relief, Caroline sent an email back to say that she was very happy with it.  Phew!  And, as she wasn't going to make it tonight I had to also tell her the end so she could understand how her character fits in to the overall plot of the show.  Her response was very encouraging, yay me!  So when I said none of my cast knew the end, it was a small fib for the sake of timelines on the blog, forgive me?

The cast will be tasked to record the script on Thursday night as I am away with work, I have to leave  Sam Woods-Zombie in charge, no darts playing please...

Song of the day - Eileen Barton - If I knew you were coming I'd've baked a cake (well what else could it have been)

Next!

Thursday night was the night I was both looking forward to and secretly fearing.  I was looking forward to getting my cast in place and getting on with the show but I had the same anxieties as Monday, what if no one came?  What if they didn't like it?  Also, with such a small cast, I had to have three supporting actors, what if the people I cast in these roles didn't want them, even though they are pivotal to the whole play?  Urgh, I'm sure that it's easier when you haven't written the play yourself as there wouldn't be the same insecurities, maybe just new ones!!!

Anyway, my fears were allayed as true to their words, we had all the people from Monday (minus just one or two) come back for auditions.  Director Zombie and I had decided to audition everyone together from the same script, mine, so I had pieces of my script ready for our auditionees.

When you get a large talented bunch of "artistes" together, what happens?  Well, apart from playing darts (although I think it was too crowded for long distance darts), it means that the casting decision is extremely difficult and there will be folk that don't get cast, strong talented actors that just don't fit in the mix.  I don't like to disappoint people so I did feel really bad not being able to cast everybody.

Director Zombie and I also wanted to have separate casts so nobody would be in both plays, for a number of reasons, so there were also discussions taking place in the audition room around who wanted what actors, again there was some preference from the actors themselves which also made some decisions slightly easier.

After we had seen everybody, had call backs for groups and gotten DZ and I completely bored with those sections of my script, a final chat between us and the decisions were made.  The die was cast, or the cast were cast.

Both DZ and myself are extremely happy with our teams, we both have extremely strong casts, me with actors who (on the most part) have been on the Colnbrook stage for a while and I have worked with on several occasions and DZ with some new talent about to be unleashed.  I think that's right too, as a first time director, I think I need experience to guide me in this adventure as well.

My team, although not rehearsing on Monday will be joining me at my house for a full read through of my script as none of them yet know the ending, some not even knowing what their characters are all about.  I have said I will make cake, what a nice Director I am...

Song of the day -  Alice in Chains, Your Decision

Tonight's the night

So, here we are, just a couple of hours away from the first auditions for my play, mine, the one I actually wrote.  That sounds weird.  Nice, but weird

It's going to be weird for me to be the other side of the table too, plays are the reason I joined the group in the first place, my forte being acting so it will be odd to be not going for a part.  I suppose I could always audition for Director Zombie's show, or not, perhaps I have enough on my plate as it is...

Here's hoping for a great attendance, as we had on Monday and a difficult decision, maybe even a fight with my co-director over choice of actors, let's hope he doesn't do any hair-pulling or scratching...

Song of the Day - Smashing Pumpkins - Tonight, Tonight

It's Out There

Oh bum!  I completely forgot I said that not only would I write a play and direct it, I also said I would blog about it too.  I have been kindly reminded by my co-director putting me to shame and having his blog already posted, although I have been at work all day, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

So last night it all began.  I was pretty nervous actually.  Would anyone come?  Would they like it?  Would they want to be in it?  Scary stuff and we hadn't even started reading the play...  Well, people started arriving early and they just kept coming, we had to add chairs and then we had to add tables to accommodate the people that turned up!  What a showing!  CAST certainly made me a very happy bunny!

My play was read first but I cut the ending off about 7 pages from the end, well, I didn't want to spoil the surprise of a badger with a gun did I?  Oops, that's blown it now hasn't it?  It seemed to go down well with the readers and if all the people that came along last night decide to audition, my co-director and I will have a tough job on our hands...

Lots of admin type things to get done now before Thursday - eek!  Work certainly does get in the way!

Song of the day - anything by Crowded House