First Read

And they're off!

First reads have an odd vibe, don't they? When you are working at a new theatre with new people, the process of sitting down and reading the words together is at once intimate and alienating. I think this is one of the reasons many of us theatre folk band together into small tribes and avoid playing with people we have never done shows with before. When you play with your own gang, there's less risk, more shorthands, less random stress, more history. The downside of that, of course, is that you fall into ruts and do the same show over and over again, changing only the title and perhaps a costume or two. For me, there isn't an old crony in the bunch. Stepping into a new project with a large number of variables puts us outside of our comfort zone.

But then, this play (Closer) lives outside of the comfort zone. It revels in it the outland of emotional gamble. It roars and smashes the comfort zone to shards.

Still, I entered the room to meet a group of talented relative strangers, whose work shone for the brief glimpses they shared during the audition process. There is an internal tension to casting. Experience teaches that this is the part of the showbuilding with the greatest risk for the director. It stretches your imagination, but your imagination has to be grounded in reality. Therefore, the first read becomes a first test of my intuitive and theatrical sense and ability. No pressure.

All that in mind, I done good. (Pat self on back in self-congratulatory fashion). Once the room warmed and we had an opportunity to meet the space (thank you so much Brandon!) and to start setting up the world, the afternoon went by briskly. I was able to enjoy hearing the words with my ears after months of living with voices in my head. As I listened, I heard new things that I swear were never there before, and it was just so exciting to watch actors listen to one another, seeking/breaking connections and trying different approaches. This will never get old.

The read was followed by general discussion and then a scene by scene overview. I tried to give background on the play and playwright as would be helpful rather than a big lecture. This is another pitfall of preparation - by the time you hit the table, information is literally falling out of your ears and eyesockets. (okay, not literally. But it feels like it) I am glad we have a chance to revisit each scene at the table this coming week. The sheer emotional weight of the script needs time to settle and shake off before we can make staging decisions - the company needs to synchronize timeline and the precise story to move forward with clarity.

I want to thank everyone for their work today - actors, producers, designers, all - despite my jitters and first day panic your intelligent work and sense of adventure will make this show sparkle.

Huzzah!