Bannerman Bloggination

Let the Bloggination begin! Or I suppose I SHOULD say, "continue". I"m impressed by the frankness and lucidity of David Ferry's previous notes.

I am, however, a completely different Guy. Guy Bannerman, in fact. Still, it's good to have a forum to discuss our performers' experience of MISSING -- and we may have a few opinions on the rehearsal process, too, already chronicled by our fearless director.

We were reminded about that very process today, when an enthusiastic audience of Brampton teenagers asked us how long it had taken to perfect our scene changes. Sighs and groans were our response, as we relived those hectic last days. With any new script, there are bound to be necessary last-minute decisions that lend added challenges to the final rehearsals and first previews. Although we did absorb some minor line additions and cuts from Florence Gibson, our transitions developed into a master class on tightening and restructuring.

David Ferry had already instituted a convention of overlapping the endings and beginnings of scenes vocally, while necessary movement of set pieces was carried out. This alone was not enough to support the accelerating flow of the play towards its conclusion. Ultimately David developed a convention that froze the largest set pieces (the diner counters) in one all-purpose configuration, and combined this with the gradual stripping down of the stage picture by eliminating pieces of furniture from familiar locations. For example, a fight that used the large farmhouse table as an integral element was restaged in an empty space.

There was even a humourous element to the proceedings, as a chair needed by one actor missed being set by another actor. A clever improvisation covered the mistake -- and was almost immediately incorporated into the "official" version. Art includes accidents!