24 January, 2008: Day 6

We complete “Light of the World” today, ‘phew’! This one was a doozy. By that I mean a headache to sort through. We normally practice in a Climenhaga rehearsal room, but today we stationed ourselves in the Witmer Dance Studio so the cast could learn the dance more easily with the mirrors. I feel like I compromised creativity in some parts of the routine, but the changes were necessary. The actors can actually sing now. I think the dance will look awesome on stage, no doubt about it, but it’ll require some major refining. Also, I'm not content with the ending movement. I don’t know why I stuck with it. I might alter those final eight counts.           

I can tell the actors feel pressured now.  Everyone’s exhausted. I sense frustration as we learn choreography today. We struggle to maintain energy. The cast gets a tad aggravated with me, and admittedly I teach at a fast pace because I feel the pressure, too. It grows tiring, doing the same thing every day, some 20-odd days straight. Lately my friends ask me, when I explain how I’m spending J-term, “Oh, so, do you actually work?” Normally, I would respond sarcastically. Now, my answer: “Yes, I’m working very hard. Honestly, the actors and directors are working even harder. This theatre thing – it’s no joke.”                                                                                      

Or maybe you knew that already.

The daily schedule:  9 a.m.-noon, 1 p.m.-4:30 p.m., then 6 p.m.-8:15 p.m. Every day. All day. No small endeavor. 

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