Chance = Change

...after a warm and productive Day Two of A FINE AND PRIVATE PLACE rehearsals...wow! We have a really terrific group gathered for this production...and I am speaking not only of the actors, all of whom are so wonderful, beautifully voiced and warm..there is a genuine quality of warmth in this company which can only serve the play....that, along with a diverse and genuine sense of humor....this all bodes well for this lovely script...

We began yesterday with a half-hour union meeting, as required, and I volunteered to be the Equity Deputy..I like being Deputy and have not done it in a long time, since I haven't done a show in over a year(!) so, I was glad to ask for the position...I will use this chance to re-familiarize myself with the Off-Broadway rule book,....though I have no sense that it will be needed at the York...they all seem to be very fair and concerned with doing it all the "right" way...and they have been doing it for a long time, so i anticipate no problems from either cast or management...

.So after the Equity Business meeting, we all gathered, including as much York staff as could be there, and there was an introduction, some opening words by Gabe , who opened the floor to Eric Haagensen and Richard Isen to talk about the journey of the piece...I had forgotten so much of its development history...and i was reminded that we did it at Goodspeed 16 years ago!!!! Good Gracious!!! How can that be? Anyway, it was fun to hear how it got to where it was, and it's gratifying to realize that if someone believes in what they do , as Richard has believed in this show, the world will recognize and reward it....and i am referring to the fact that finally A FINE AND PRIVATE PLACE is getting a New York "airing" after having done all the usual round of "proofs", i.e. The O'Neill Center, Goodspeed,etc....it took the faith of its writer, who had to drop out of show business to earn enough money to finance its promotion, to get it finally recognized by even this small (but important) NYC company! Other shows have sunk into comfortable obscurity because no one believed in them as much as Richard Isen has believed in this show...this , to me, is a commendable and noteworthy thing. Lessons to be learned there...

So, we all met and chatted and designs were shown us...Jim Morgan has designed a clever and beautiful graveyard, full of possibilities for optical illusions and ghostly doings, and it should look lovely while serving the show well....by the way, James is also the Producing Artistic Director of the York Theatre, so I admire his energies and intentions...I can only imagine his life and schedule...but he has given our show a truly beautiful place to live.

After all official introductory stuff was taken care of, we began a full read-through of the show, talking rather than singing the lyrics, and it read well...I was reminded of what a lovely story it is, and how well the music serves it, especially lyrically, as we read the lyrics like they were dialogue and they revealed so much! I was surprised and happy at things we discovered along the way.
There is much to re-discover here. And I believe the way Gabe is setting th etone for rehearsals, a lot of good human discovery will naturally happen. I am appreciating his approach, his gentle and specific requests, his preparation for the work ahead. He has asked us all to write full character biographies. This can only serve us all well. I am excited to get to work on "Gertrude's"...I think she has a lot to tell me as I open my imagination and let her life enter it.

After a good read, we worked on the 2nd Act quartet, and the combination of voices is swell....Milt Granger knows how to work with singers and he immediately got a sound out of us that will develop into our company signature sound. It was impressive. But then again, Joe , Christianne, Glenn and (I guess I have to include ) me sounded strong together. And each person is as strong a story-teller as singer, so the songs not only sound good. This was fun to find out!

Then, LUNCH! Then back to do another quartet. Richard's music is making so much more sense now that I have 16 more years of analytical experience behind me! And i see how each phrase serves the characters...fascinating.

We worked well and hard yesterday, and I look forward to more music work today.
I had forgotten how much fun my profession can be. In the way of process, I mean.
More tomorrow,if I've the energy. But for now: bye...