In the third installment of “A Peek Behind the Curtain,” Thomas Nelson student Hannah Styron, who plays Agnes Evans in “She Kills Monsters,” gives insight into the third and fourth weeks of rehearsal. The show is scheduled for April 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, and 11 in the Dr. Mary T. Christian Auditorium.
The Hard Part
There comes a time in any show when the cast leaves the scripts behind (go off book as we say in the biz) and says or sings their lines from memory. Thankfully, we have our amazing assistant stage manager Dawson Evans (no relation to Agnes and Tilly) who prompts us with our lines when we call for them by shouting “Line!” This past week was that time for us. Not only were we off-book, but we also moved into the theatre. Believe it or not, we don’t rehearse in the theatre until a certain point. That is usually because events are going on while we are supposed to be rehearsing.
The transition from the rehearsal space to the theatre is always interesting. The space is different so there is some readjusting that has to happen for blocking. That transition is also the moment the show starts to feel real. Thankfully, we did not go off-book for our first rehearsal in the theatre or that probably would have been a disaster (at least on my end)! The first off-book rehearsal was already a disaster for me. I haven’t counted how many lines Agnes has, but man does she talk a lot. I messed up almost every single one of her lines during that first rehearsal off-book. Somehow, I managed to do much better the second night of being off book.
Other Goings On
On top of getting off-book for this show, I also began choreographing “The Scarlet Pimpernel” at The Williamsburg Players. So, once a week I go to Williamsburg to teach the choreography. That’s in addition to teaching 7 1/2 hours of dance a week. My days get pretty busy keeping up with class, schoolwork, rehearsals, and work. This upcoming week is spring break so, thankfully, I get a little break from the classes!