Eke
2004-12-02,

Yesterday the wind came-- the one that says, "There's no more chances of it being warm until March." It blew away the last clinging remnants of fall, along with a few trees, one of which was in the street and blocking my way to work yesterday morning. It was crazy busy yesterday - for the last two days, really - between work and home and rehearsal. I'm not looking forward to being cold this year. Then again, I never do. I just think the cold's going to be less enjoyable than usual this time round.

I've found myself some time to write something because my workday has ground to a halt. Most of the company hierarchy is out today, and the person who's been providing me with testing material is out sick. Suddenly I'm left with nothing on my hands. Therefore, a quiet afternoon is in store.

Rehearsals are getting more intensive. I must say that I've been enjoying watching H do her segments. She spends a lot of her spare time on them, going over them in a whisper when she's doing other tasks, and I've certainly heard them enough times while driving here or there. And it shows; seems like every time I see her do one during rehearsal, it's a little different, and that's in a good way. She's exploring her options, and each time makes her performance a little better. Those small increments make a large difference over time. She's been working hard; personally, I think she's the best performer in the show, and not just because I'm her husband and I'd better say that. I'm very proud of her.

Me? I'm eking by. Every day I come a tiny bit closer to having my lines memorized - which is good, considering the show opens a week from tomorrow. Ack. I'm to that point now where I'm finally getting a chance to hone the details, of which there are quite a few. When you've got an intimate show like this, where there's an audience of only around 120 people and a stage that's only a little larger in square feet than the average living room, the details are important to a good performance. Being on stage helps me a lot. I have trouble performing to small groups - something I learned in speech class in high school - but that stage-and-lights barrier adds a power to my psyche. There's just something about being elevated that activates me; maybe the change in visual perspective alters my mental perspective as well. The mind is a funny thing, that way: subtle changes can affect your whole outlook. The trick is to recognize those changes and make them happen to one's own benefit. A life lesson, kids.

-- End Transmission --