Sunday, September 23 -- Day Thirteen:

Got up early,  got out the scissors and did what needed to be done with Act One. Then I put on some nicer clothes (from the Bay's Junior Playwright Department) and went to the Free Press News Cafe Arts Brunch. Everyone was dressed very very nicely, with Cherry's shoes a highlight as usual.  Brunch was tasty and we all remembered to use our cutlery. Evan HALL tried to steal Bob's bacon. We got interviewed, Bob and Cherry and I, and Bob did a really smooth turnaround when asked if any famous people got their start at PTE. He spoke instead about how PTE was one of a half-dozen companies who changed Canadian theatre forever by producing Canadian plays. PTE is why people like me have careers. Then the actors read a scene and it seemed to go over well. My dear mother and brother were there, and it's so nice to have fans.

After all that glamour it was back to rehearsal and I delivered my newly trimmed Act One. The actors kindly refrained from audible cheering when bits they can't stand ended up in the compost, but I did sense that the cuts were righteous. It was decided that I still have time to take one more kick at Scene Three, which has been driving me nuts for months now. It just has to be better, and I have a couple of days to make it so. Wish me luck.

Saturday, September 22 -- Day Twelve

Went in to watch the first what-we-in-the-theatre call "Stumblethrough." This means that the actors attempt, defying all known laws of probability and physics, to run the whole play after only having worked the individual scenes a couple of times. They must also try to remember where all the props are supposed to be (sorry about the props by the way) and what they're supposed to be doing with them. The actors and Stage Managers did amazing work, and seeing the run allowed me and the design team to see how things are shaping up. What I found out was that Act One is about eleventy-hundred minutes long. Time to get out the scissors. After the rehearsal, the BSSC (Brink Snacks and Social Committee, RobYn Slade, Chair) adjourned to the Current - see how we keep the water theme going even in our off hours? - for some well-deserved refreshments. Then I went to a movie with my husband, who looked familiar. I think he's the guy from the wedding but it's been a while.

Friday, September 21 -- Day Eleven

I haven't blogged in a couple of days, since I haven't been in rehearsal and have nothing to report. I've been home with sick kids, plus I know I'd only be in the way. They are doing scenework and I have to say I'm feeling just a little bit guilty. Bob emailed to say that yesterday's rehearsal was "all about packing boxes." I am also an actor, and I know there are some things you end up doing in a play that make you want to write to the playwright and say: "Really? was there no way to write this that would avoid me having to do this?" So actors:  I'm sorry about the box-packing scene but no, there wasn't any other way that I could think of and the story has to be told. So I'm sorry, but not really.
Also: I have not been cleaning my house as I said I would. Nor have I learned to play the guitar. Guilty.

And when you type the word "guilty" several times it starts to look weird. It's probably a word we could all stand to use less often. It's weird-looking and what good does it do?

Tuesday, September 18 -- after the day off:

All are agreed that one day off is not sufficient. All casts in the history of Equity have agreed on this. I was glad to get back to rehearsals though, because when I'm not actually there I have too much time to worry. But it's time to face facts: short of rethinking the whole cockamamie idea, there's not all that much I can do at this point. I can sit in on rehearsals as I did today, watching for small adjustments I can make to help the actors do what they need to do. But that's not the same as being needed at this stage in the process, is it? I'm sure they can do without my smartass comments. There are one or two scenes that I will really need to sit in on, but otherwise, I'm on call if needed. One concern: if I stay home I'll have to clean the house, and I am simply not ready to face that.

I think about music a lot these days, I guess because it helps me somehow to think of one creative process in terms of another. I was listening to Fleetwood Mac's Rumours. I finally bought the CD the other day out of some need to satisfy my inner fifteen-year-old. Listen to those folks build a pop song! (This really does relate to playwrighting. Be patient. And if this isn't highbrow enough for you, I'll do one on opera some other day.) So when Lindsey Buckingham recorded those guitar solos, did he plan them carefully or just try whatever came to mind in the moment? Either way, I'm sure that there were a number of takes to get them to sound so inevitable. Or maybe not. Some of those tunes, the whole thing sounds inevitable: backup vocals, drums, Stevie Nicks' voice-that-doesn't-fit-with-her-face, the works. Once you've heard any good song (or aria, okay? Geez), it seems as though there could never have been any other way to do it. And this is what interests me (this is the part about playwrighting): how does a good pop song, a good painting ,a good anything, manage to be both surprising and inevitable at the same time? How do you create something with that inevitability that isn't predictable? My brother the very smart guy and excellent musician Lloyd Peterson says the other good thing about Lindsey Buckingham is how he leaves a lot of room for silence in those solos. That's good for plays too.

So I'm either going to sit in on rehearsals, clean the house, or learn to play the guitar.

If you don't like Fleetwood Mac, you could read Steve Martin's autobiography (Born Standing Up) which also told me lots of good stuff about playwrighting, even though it's about standup comedy.

Sunday, September 16 - Day Six

End of the first week and I think I would be feeling quite positive and optimistic right now if it wasn't for the fact that I AM SO TIRED I FEEL LIKE MY LEGS ARE GOING TO FALL OFF.

They managed to get through all of the blocking for Act One - looks great. And they would have got through Act Two except I kept interrupting them. The next to last scene, the "Penultimate Scene" as we call it, is giving me a headache so I thought I would spread the suffering around by asking them to read about eight versions of it. Well, three, but it felt like eight. As they blocked it, some things became apparent and they moved some stuff around, cut some things and it now has a viable shape. So we'll go with that. For now, anyway. Answers may continue to suggest themselves.

A day off (Monday) is a wonderful thing. Time now for a cold drink, a hot bath, a little time with my neglected family and a long sleep. Hope Bob and the cast and the SMs are doing likewise.

Friday, September 14 - Day Four

The PTE Playwrights Unit is getting its own swanky office/library/workroom with desks and comfy chairs and everything. It's not ready yet, so in the meantime I have a desk I can use in the Stage Management office. Why do I suddenly have the urge to be very very organized? Wayne and Peter (thank you both) got me a couple of lamps because flourescent lights make my muse shrivel up and die. 

Next to the desk there is a window overlooking the Rehearsal Hall. When I look in, I can see them working away and it looks just like a real play: very exciting. At about 2PM I looked in and Steven was wearing his character's paper printer's hat. A couple of hours later, half the cast, at least one Stage Manager and the director were all wearing them. Good times.

I am finishing up the major changes and creating a nice clean script so the actors don't have to keep writing stuff in and inserting pages. I have one more scene to rework, and then I'll stop monkeying with it (mostly) so they can learn it. And I hearby promise, promise, PROMISE not to make Lillian's monolgue any longer. I am aware that it's driving Megan to a brink of her own.

Thursday, September 13 -- Day Three

Dear women who work full time:
How the hell do you do it?
Sincerely, Ellen

The whole wife-and-mother kept me up pretty late last night. Then I slept in this morning which has caused a minor disaster or two.And I still didn't get time to finish the grant applications which are due Monday. See, if I don't apply for grants now, when The Brink is over I have no work. Forever. Oh well, I'll get them done, somewhere between helping with math homework and hearing about the soccer game and finally, finally, finally fixing scene three.

Wednesday, September 12 - Day Two

The changes I made last night, most of them, seemed to be right. Until Karyn the Stage Manager pointed out that I had a character speaking in the new pages who wouldn't be on stage at that point. Try again.



Mid-afternoon, one of the actors (who shall remain nameless) started to nod off during the discussion. I cannot say I blame this particular actor. "Table work" means long hours of reading and discussion and is very tiring. Besides, we were discussing some other actor's scene. Having been an actor, I know that other people's scenes are frankly not very interesting. What was amazing was how this actor (who shall remain nameless) managed to sleep with his/her eyes open. Such talent!

Seriously, I'm not taking it personally, or as a comment on my script. Bob wisely chose that moment to give us our break and then kept us awake the rest of the day by simulating gunshots and reading the stage directions in a way that made them come alive. What a great group. Blocking starts tomorrow which will be good in two ways. First, I will finally get to see things happening (or not) and second, all that standing and moving around will help everyone stay awake, even actors who shall remain nameless.

Tuesday, September 11 -- First day of Rehearsal

It is 12:07AM (Wednesday morning) and I have just spent a couple of hours working on some changes. I only worked on the smaller, more manageable ones. There are a couple of scenes that will need a longer look than I can do tonight. GREAT first day though. At the meet and greet I felt just like Snow White when she's all alone and she has all that housework to do. Then the bluebirds start making the beds and the squirrels sweep with their tails. That's how it felt to finally get to the rehearsal hall and have all those nice smart creative people around. It takes a village to make a play. Whatever goes wrong from here,  Scott Henderson will fix it with lighting.