It is a little over a week until opening
night. We had a mini dress rehearsal last weekend. I almost want to cry from
happiness, it was so wonderful seeing my designs coming to life, this one
character's whole look is practically my sketch! (If I am like this now I
wonder what I will be like on opening night! ) I would say I am 99%
done at this point. I brought home everybody's smelly shoes home Thursday night
and spending Good Friday and Saturday making white shoe covers. I have never
made them before, it was interesting to say the least. Here's a pic of the
process pinning the wrong side of the fabric, and an original shoe and a
covered one.
There hasn't been a lot of alterations to do
other then hemming a kilt by hand. It's been tons of shopping. At least four
cast members are all wearing completely new outfits I purchased. Two are half
pulled from either their closets or storage and the rest bought, and three of
the guys supplied their own clothes, but I was provided options and then
decided. The director wanted me to get a new shirt for someone and take
in the side of a pair of pants as well as shorten them for the next night.
(They were practically ready to cut up my Tommy Hilfiger shirtdress and use it
as the top! ) When I ran to Wal-Mart - as it was the only thing open on Sunday
night - I found a new shirt similar colour palette to my dress, and I just
bought new pants that worked better for $12 and saved myself the work I didn't
really like the drawstring waist on the other pants anyway! Although the
irony because I have to make them in to shorts with a border around the leg. It
was a challenge because I only had the material from one partial sleeve to
worth with, but I made it work. I am honestly really pleased with everything
that will be going on stage. Here is a pic of the shorts and one of the cast at rehearsal.
I am glad I was at rehearsal last weekend,
because they were actually missing a costume change entirely! This one
character is supposed to change into a white robe, but they hadn't been doing
it even though the robe was there at the rehearsal space. When I noticed this I
literally ran to the other room and grabbed the robe, when I was running back I
wiped out. My knee is skinned a little and my elbow hurt when I moved it, but
nothing was really injured, just my pride, because it kind of stopped
rehearsal.
At that rehearsal I was kind of bummed though
because one of the cast member's wasn't there and I had built his character's
cape and I couldn't wait to see his reaction. The cape is supposed to look
homemade, and I wanted it to read tablecloth, but the trick was is that it
can't be too busy because it needs to go over top the tie dye shirt I made
previously. Fortunately I found the perfect fabric, it was pricy at $19 per
metre when I needed two metres, but there was a 40% off sale and I am doing
good with my budget so I splurged. When it's right it's right. I ended up
making the cape in about 50 minutes total from start to finish while my apple
pie was baking. It's funny how that works needing such little time for
something that is going to be on stage for most of the show, but spending close
to 18 hours on something that is barely on stage for 2 minutes just to get a
certain look. The director felt the cape was too yellow, so I spend 3 hours
adding red gingham. My design concept being that the kid combined two table
clothes. I definitely enjoyed his reaction to the ginghamed cape though; it's
moments like that, which makes it all worthwhile. Here's a pic of the cape
before and after the gingham.
Finally last weekend when I was going through
my programmes, I realized I no longer have one from Toxic Avenger which played
in 2009 or 2010. I have three photo size storage boxes full of programmes in
chronological order (I wasn't joking when I said I was a theatre addict!)
I like to keep them for souvenirs/ reference, plus more than a few are
signed. I decided to try and contact the theatre company Dan Cap
Productions to see about getting another one. To be honest I wasn't even sure I
would get a reply because I wasn't even 100% sure they were in in operation but
the website was copywritten for this year. Dan Cap hasn't put on a show in a
few years. (In the years prior there was a legal battle with Toronto theatre
giant Mirvish Productions.)
I was definitely not expecting a very timely,
kind and acquiescent reply from Dan Cap Productions founder himself Aubrey Dan!
He said no promises but that it would take him a little time, but he would look
for one for me! I can't imagine David Mirvish doing that for one of his subscribers.
(I never did get a reply yet from the Rock of Ages production company) This has
definitely given me a new respect for Mr Dan.
No comments:
Post a Comment