Day Two - Bacchus is BACK! (But watch out for the monkey!)

Day Two. Monday. First full day of rehearsals. It is gorgeous outside. The sun is shining, the birdies are singing, the facilities people are cleaning up the underwhelming aftermath of Irene, the pre-orientation kids are smiling and friend-making... All is well. Huzzah!

Today I entered the Aidekman Arts Center

for the first time this year. Let me just tell you that I LIVE there. Like really. If I am not sleeping or in class, chances are I am in that building. It was great to be back. I met Jeff in the box office, and he bestowed upon me the keys to the rehearsal hangar, and a lovely cup of coffee. (THANKS JEFF!) After setting up the Hangar for this morning's table work, I set off to prop-stock to gather rehearsal props with Theresa, the prop designer. (For those who are wondering, table work is when the director sits down with the actors and they talk about their characters and the scenes. And the friendships between the characters. There is a lot of that.)

Let me just say that I love prop stock. You can find the most random things in there. From gas-masks to stone busts to samovars, prop stock has pretty much everything. Except for a steering wheel. We will need one of those. Hmm. Theresa and I went through the list of props, and gathered what we needed in a big box. In the process we found a GIANT FUZZY SCARY MONKEY. I do NOT want to encounter that thing in the dark.

After collecting rehearsal props, I left Theresa and went upstairs to the box office where I made copies of important papers and such on the copy machine, named "Bacchus." Esti (the stage manager for the TTII show) was also in there, making copies. While we were in there, Downing Cless, the chair of the Drama department, stopped by. Coincidentally, he is directing the fall department show, Oedipus and Antigone, which Esti is stage managing and I am assistant stage managing. So it was a very happy reunion. (ps. Downing is AWESOME.)

And now I am sitting in the Hangar as the actors talk about characters and friendships and the friendships of their characters.