from the Fringe

On Saturday night we made a big dinner for the crew and trekked over to the theater with our tools and costumes in tow. The show performing ahead of us finished a little early so we had plenty of time to set up. Jeremy and I figured out a new, more efficient system for attaching the outside posts to the dock using thru-bolts and wing nuts I found at a local hardware store. This is exciting stuff people. Bobby wired on the practical to the upstage post. Amy made sure we all had what we needed and kept her eye the clock. Our production's best friend, Karen, flew in from Seattle last night and we put her to work helping Becca with the front of house. Matt and Bobby to took advantage of our extra time to make a few last minute tweaks to sound and light cues. Cheyenne dirtied up Renata's costume a bit more using the brown shoe polish she bought this afternoon at the drug store on Union Square. Press kits are out. We're ready...Renata, who has been fund-raising, marketing, planning as well as performing with equal fervor, is in her dressing room warming up. Now she can finally take off the producer hat and just be the performer.

The house opens and the audience starts shuffling in. We would've been grateful for half-full on our first night, but they just keep coming until we're sold out--who are all these people? who wants to come to the theater at 10PM? We love them!

...

A good first performance. We're still working out a few kinks, but Renata was in very fine form. In the midst of all this chaos and with very little rehearsal time, she somehow managed to rip it up out there. Her ability to simultaneously be inside the characters, expertly telling the story, and yet always seemingly aware of herself in space, incorporating subtle shifts we've talked about, and maneuver through new blocking patterns we've just set hours before--this juggling act is the mark of a truly gifted stage actor.

One down. Four to go.

If you're in NY this week, you can see the complete performance schedule and get tickets here. And read our first review here.