Tech Week - Tuesday Notes

Thanks again for your hard work last night. Huge improvement in picking up lines. Thanks!

Here are the notes:

Tami - Great energy for a sick chick! Great recovery on the guest list.

Jeff & Leland - Thanks for your help reading Blore.

Jerry - No need to thump your cane on the stairs. We can accept that he's coming from the front hall.

Mark - On "Marston's death...", cheat down stage so we can hear you. Do this whenever possible.

All - At the end of EVERY scene, FREEZE as lights come down. DON'T MOVE until lights are OUT. Howard, you did this a bunch, particularly at the very end (please stay dead). Let's preserve the "picture" of the previous scene a bit for them. This does NOT apply to Vera and Lombard in the final scene, though.

Helene - I can't tell, are you wearing stockings? I'd prefer if you were, only because Emily is such a prude.

John - As Rogers comes down the stairs, when you've got the nuts and are walking over to Blore, look at Rogers to see how he's doing. I think Lombard likes Rogers, and ignoring him doesn't look right.

Howard - Louder on the rattling of the nuts in the can. We can't hear it.

Jerry - Check your lines in the second half of the scene with Vera. One of them went wacky.

Jerry - I like the sitting, but at the VERY end of it, I do need you to stand and come towards her on "...oval shaped face..." that part worked fine the other night.

Helene - "It is YOU who should be caring for YOUR soul, Miss Claythorne." Not "her soul". I know it's grammatically correct, but it sounds like Vera should be caring for Betty Taylor's soul.

Howard - "Exactly!" at end of scene is getting too big again. You're tipping your hat too early when you do that.

All - Remember to put your used props on the big table (or back into the cabinet) when your done so that Jenn can find them.

Howard - The injecting Emily bit was better, but make it still a bit quicker, and don't jump up in surprise (or twirl around like a girly man) when you're done. Again, it was tipping the hat too soon.

John - Give a smidge more space between the first "Who" and "Whom". It need just a little more breathing room to seem like it's not an actor's mistake, but rather a character bit.

Howard - Don't go upstairs when you give Armstrong the coffee. Rogers is downstairs, out back. Also, don't come in from upstairs when you return. My previous note was to talk to Armstrong in the LOWER hallway, not the upstairs hallway. Sorry if it was confusing.

John - Make sure we get a rag on the bar for you to wipe blood off after Blore bites it.

John - Quieter when you're going down to see who's body it is. You've got a strong voice. Do it at half volume and face upstage.

Linda - Wait MUCH longer before you say "I can't hear you, Philip." That's still weird. He needs to have time to have walked further down the hill. Wait and watch, then say the line.

John - DON'T POINT THE GUN AT THE AUDIENCE. Even though it's a rubber gun, it freaks people out. PLEASE make sure that the muzzle is either at the stage, or just keep it pointed SR.

Howard - VERY GOOD final monologue. Now, make sure you give yourself a few "low" points, vocally and energy-wise so that it's not just one big scream fest. Do not slow it down though, only take the volume down a bit. Keep refining it.


- Sean