TARTUFFE OPENING NIGHT!

Sorry for not writing for a few days, but things are hectic this week! We open "TARTUFFE" tonight! Wow, it's such a crazy feeling. We came back a week early from Winter Break to start this show, and that passage of time has truly felt like a week. We had our first audience last night at our Invited Dress rehearsal. It's nice to have a "training-wheels" audience so we can get a feel for what they will respond to. So much of comedy is timing and allowing the audience to appreciate every moment. Every show will be different, so it is now up to us to keep the show driving while ALLOWING people to enjoy it.

This year ensemble acting has been such a big part of the success of our shows. In "Marat/Sade" it was up to the actors to create their own characters and ailments, while banding together as a troupe of patients in an asylum. I was one of two Assistant Directors on this show and got to watch actors from Freshman year to Senior year band together to tell the story. The next show was "The Sea Gull" where the group of people assembled on an estate all play a pivotal part in communicating the tragedy of their lives - collectively and individually. I played Arkadina and it felt like there was a spiderweb of connections to each character, which I think played a large part in our success. In "Tartuffe," we as a company all trust each other to "keep the ball in the air." The energy in this show cannot ebb and flow - it is always moving forward and upward. To keep an eye on the future, "Singin' in the Rain" would be impossible to pull off unless there was a strong ensemble of characters, actors, dancers, singers, musicians, the list goes on. I know that we as a URI Theatre acting company can bring our ability to work as a team to the next production, and even after I am gone (sad face) next year and the years after.

Off to Costume Design class, then a quick dinner break and its time to get into hair, makeup, and costume for our Opening Night. If you're interested in seeing "Tartuffe," you can go to the left hand side of this page for a link to the online box office, or you can call in during operating hours.

Hope to see you at the shows this weekend!

Julia