A Few Very Good Notes from Jay

People should be ready to start at 6 pm, we have the space until 11 pm.

Your goal tonight should be to have practised (and more or less perfected) any or all of the following:
- scene changes
- lighting cues
- sound cues and sound volume
- slideshow quality and timing
- sight lines
- quick costume changes (if applicable)
- and striking of sets

It's also probably best for casts and crews to wait in the green room if they feel they can't keep the noise down in the theatre while the tech is being worked out.

On another note, I watched the four shows last night and found them to be entertaining. As I mentioned last night, I'll just make a couple of small suggestions, but you can take them or ignore them for what they're worth: either way I won't be offended!

- at times the lines are on auto-pilot, the actors must tell a story as if it's the very first time each of these characters are hearing and seeing what they are hearing and seeing. In places, there's some anticipation and rushing of lines where the pronunciation and diction get garbled. In a set of shows where the audience is hearing for the first time about such unusual things as space whales and laser beams, self-fertilization kits, and extinct fishes at the city market, we can't afford to lose them and currently we risk that without clear communication coming through.

- heads up acting (both physically and metaphorically), some saggy line cues, i.e. line (pause) line (pause) line. We just need to trim those pauses. Characters should enter and exit with purpose, greater sense of urgency could be beneficial in all four shows.

- wait for the laugh to subside before resuming script dialogue (BUT remember not to anticipate a laugh, if it doesn't happen, just keep going!)

But like I say, these are all just tweaks that struck me last night. By that same token, you have all done a great job in leading the troops into battle. They all seem to be having a great time.

See you all tonight!

Jaybird

The Week of the Show!

Wow! It's here already!
This will be a very busy week for all of us. I thought I'd pos this as a reminder for the cast and crew of Coelacanth of the things that we need to keep in mind....

Monday Night: Run Of All Four Shows
We will meet at the loft at 6:45 and gather a few props then head over to the Saint John High mini-theatre. Once there we will be running all four shows in order. This is your one-and-only chance to get a good look at the other shows. This is also a good opportunity to work on your volume and to make sure you can be heard.

Tuesday Night: Technical Rehearsal
For those of us who can make it, we will be meeting at the loft at 5:45 to gather the set pieces and load them into Cristi's truck. We are all expected to be at the NB Museum at 6 PM (but we cannot enter before 6:00 PM). Tech night is a long one but it's necessary. We will try Scene 2 with actual food that night. It may also be a good time for the cast to do some Italians in the green room while you're waiting.

Wednesday Night: Dress Rehearsal
6 PM at the NB Museum. Full makeup and dress and tech run.

Thursday Night: Opening Night!
6 PM at the NB Museum. The house opens at 7:30 and the show starts at 8:00.

Friday Night: Performance #2
6 PM at the NB Museum. The house opens at 7:30 and the show starts at 8:00.

Saturday Night: Final Performance
6 PM at the NB Museum. The house opens at 7:30 and the show starts at 8:00.
After the show, we will need to load out all of our sets and props from the Museum and back to the loft. Then we can relax and enjoy the cast party. I would apreciate if you could at least try to make it for the first part of the cast party as there will be some presentations. Oh - and it's BYOB ;-)

Homework For The Cast

Please take the time to do the following work on your character before your first rehearsal. We will be discussing this. This makes a huge difference in your performance. There are no right or wrong answers.

• List 5 words that describe your character.


• Make sure you understand all of the text in your script.


• Take the time to imagine and describe any characters or places that are mentioned but are not onstage in the play.


• Identify the “moments before” for your scene. (What are you doing right before the scene begins? Where were you? What were you thinking about?) This makes a huge difference to the way the scene begins.


• What is my relationship with the other character(s) in my scene? How do I feel about them? How do they feel about me?


• What are my goals/objectives? Keep these simple. They should be actions or verbs (ie/ to stop someone from doing something, to sit down, to make fun of someone, etc.)


• Using a pencil, mark in your script where you think these goals/objectives change.

Some General Notes for the Cast & Crew

Please review the rehearsal schedule. If there is a conflict, or if something arises and you cannot make a rehearsal, please contact me as soon as possible.

When you are not rehearsing, please respect others by minimizing any distractions.

Please bring a pencil and eraser to rehearsals. You will need these to take down your notes on blocking, as they may very well change along the course of rehearsals. Please take the time to write down notes, as they are easy to forget!!

Rehearsals are only part of the process, please take the time to review your scene regularly between rehearsals so that when we get back to the scene you are in, we are able to move on and work on new things.

Please don't chew gum at rehearsals. Also, you may want to bring water, as it gets pretty dry in the loft sometimes.

If you have a cell phone please turn it off or put it on silent mode.

You only need to focus on your own character, If you have any concerns about anything else, please direct them to me.

About Coelacanths

Here are a few interesting links in case you are interesting in reading about the actual history of the coelacanth:

The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Dinosaur fish pushed to the brink by deep-sea trawlers

Dinofish

Bio's due Tuesday January 17th

This is just a reminder for the cast and crew that we need your bio for the program to be submitted by or before Tuesday January 17th. They are to be 100 words or less.

If you are not familiar with writing a bio for a program it can include such things as;
- past theatrical experience
- any thoughts on your involvement with this production
- your day job
- thanks to friends/family/etc.
- etc.

Rehearsal Schedule

8:00 PM, Thursday, January 12 at SJTC Loft: 1st reading
8:00 PM, Sunday, January 15 at SJTC Loft: Text work on entire play

8:00 PM, Tuesday, January 17 at SJTC Loft: Block Scene 1, and BIOs are due
8:00 PM, Thursday, January 19 at SJTC Loft: Block Scene 2
8:00 PM, Sunday, January 22nd at SJTC Loft: work on the entire play

OFF BOOK:
8:00 PM, Sunday, January 29 at SJTC Loft: Scene 1

8:00 PM, Tuesday, January 31 at SJTC Loft: Scene 2
8:00 PM, Thursday, February 2 at SJTC Loft: Run
8:00 PM, Sunday, February 5 at SJTC Loft: Run & approve costumes

7:00 PM, Monday February 6 at SJTC Loft: Run all 4 shows
6:00 PM, Tuesday, February 7 at NB Museum: cue-to-cue (technical rehearsal)
6:00 PM, Wednesday, February 8 at NB Museum: full dress rehearsal
6:00 PM, Thursday, February 9 at NB Museum: Opening Night
6:00 PM, Friday, February 10 at NB Museum: Performance #2
6:00 PM, Saturday, February 11 at NB Museum: Closing Night & Cast party

Cast & Crew

JOHN - Chad Humphries
JANE - Lisa Flower
GEORGE - Gilbert Boyce
MABEL - Kristi Neilsen
DOUG THE FISH VENDOR - Keith Dickson
THE SECURITY GUARD - Vincent Gregg

Stage Manager - Cristi Wheaton
Director - Andrea "Dre" Arbour

The Story

A boisterous American couple (George & Mabel) visits the Saint John City Market and they purchase what appears to be a long-thought extinct species of fish from a fish monger. A local resident (John) becomes flustered beyond words when he can't "bait" the American into selling him the priceless find.