Notes, again

The Importance of Being Earnest Opening Night Notes

4.28.2011

Act One

Nick- someone left a black stage chair sitting in the audience- it doesn't really matter, but it is placed in what should be a handicapped seat.

Actors who have difficult hair, please remember magic time starts at seven- so you need to arrive however early it'll take for your hair to be ready by then!

Lane- make sure to be center stage for the silhouette- right behind the teacart

Lane, you are just supposed to put the plate below, not the whole stand.

Matt, enunciate and project

Costume- does Algy have a tie of any kind during the first scene?

Jack 2.12 - get the lines right now, it's the real deal!

Good timing Jack on eating the sandwiches

Adam and Kevin, DO NOT talk with your mouth full- a gentleman would never do that.

Lane, you should be wearing black socks, NOT WHITE.

Jack 4.9

Algy, why are you crossing to a place you were never supposed to cross to?- remember your blocking. You cannot go into the blue lighted areas. EVER. (this happened during the Cecily argument

Algy- "poof' vs. "proof. Don't soften the r's so far they disappear entirely

Jack, enunciate "dentists" we lost it.

Algy, you would never put your teacup straight down on the surface of the table- put it on the saucer!

Jack- we could't quite understand "kill my brother"

Jack 7.7

Sound- where was the doorbell????

Algy - proposing didn't sound like proposing. Tighten up your pronunciations

Nice scene between Lane and Algernon- the "thank you" is perfect

Jack, body language- crossing your legs away from Gwen is a sign that you are not attracted to her- since you are flirting, I assume you are attracted and should cross your legs towards her

LB 9.6

Jack- we still love the stutter when you first talk to Gwen after LB and Algy leave

Jack- we couldn't hear all of "happy" in "darling, you don't know how happy you've made me"- sounded more like "appy".

Gwen- don't fidget with the bag during the scene- even if it is falling off your shoulder, you'll catch it with the crook of your arm anyways.

Jack, you need to wait until LB says rise before you do.

Lady Bracknell, deepen the register- it will make you seem older and more aristocratic!

LB, add more subtext behind your lines- yours are longer, so the more feeling behind them, the more likely you'll not lose the audiences' attention.

LB, 13.4

Jack 13.5

LB and Jack- your interrogation scene is going much better tonight!

Jack 13.17

Jack 14.2- really look this one over! It's never been quite right for either cast!

Jack 14.4

LB- you wouldn't find his decryption of his origins at all amusing- you are building to storming out.

Jack 14.8

Costumes- LB should have gloves to put back on at the end of the interrogation of Jack

LB 14.13

Jack 14.14

Lady Bracknell- pause for laughs! Comedic Timing! Don't talk over laughter- you'll lose your lines

Algy, be careful of a broad A in has

Algy- good use of Jack's "things" against him

Jack 15.12

Guys, cover when you forget your lines! Algy, good cover for Jack's mistake- Jack, look over your lines!

Jack 16.1

Jack 16.9

You missed the line about Gwen turning into her mother in about 150 years- go over your scripts!

Jack 16.13

Props- there should be a white cloth on the tea cart's handle.

Jack 17.1

Jack we almost lost "weren't"- enunciate!

Reminder note JACK- You are upset, you wouldn't be smiling at Algy when you say "nothing"!

Note for Truett- Mr. P thought you were going to bring a small journal for Gwen.

MATT AND ROSS practice the curtains! and Matt, do not cross the stage- just go off the side closest to your curtain!

Act Two

Good job, guys, with tying back the curtains. Matt- DO NOT CROSS THE STAGE.

Prism- project a bit more!

Cecily 21.4

Truett- slow down your lines. We cannot keep up with your mouth- thus the meaning behind the lines is mostly if not entirely lost on the audience.

Truett- if you are going to be speedy and speak in a high note- you have to do it all the time- although that would not be the most understandable way to speak

DC- 23.7- we lost "unfortunate young man his brother"

Cecily- the W stands for West in Earnest's address.

Cecily 23.17

Cecily 24.16 You are speaking so fast your words are running over each other. SLOW down as much as you think you should- and then slow it down some more

Cecily- don't talk towards the back of the stage- we cannot hear you if you talk to the back wall

We lost "I shouldn't know what to talk to him about" ENTIRELY, Cecily.

Everyone- be aware of the laughs. Do not attempt to speak through the laughs- they will usually drown you out,a dn if you do manage to talk through, the audience will be subconsciously annoyed that they weren't allowed to laugh as much as they wanted to.

Jack, when you say 'dead' MAKE IT DRAMATIC!!!!

Jack 26.20

DC, you're A's are very american- make the british ah sound.

Jack, play up the mourning over the dead imaginary brother

DC, 27.5

Dc, good character work!!!!

Jack 27.6

Jack -what? We lost the line following prism's thrift line.

Costumes- can we get Jack a pair of solid colored shoes? His are highly noticeable, and do not match his costume or character

DC 28.4

Algy, you upstaged Cecily when you came in. Cecily, you need to be aware of your visibility to the audience and react to the actors around you accordingly.

Cecily, don't cut off Jack in the middle of his lines.

Guys, better on the handshake tonight

Prism, we like your quirky character choices

Jack 29.18

Merriman- nice reaction of "now I have to pack it all up again" - but can you give us MORE?

Algy 30.4

Jack 30.20

Trueett, enunciate. We cannot understand half of your lines.

Merriman- give us a reaction of "now I have to unload it AGAIN" when Algy tells you to bring the dogcart around same time next week.

Truett- don't talk over the laughs- we lost your lines when you did try to do so.

Algy- just because you got a laugh, don't keep falling! You'll hurt yourself that way!

Also, it isn't very Algernon like to go running off in a panic- he's too cool, too composed for that.

Cecily, you mixed up 35.2 and 35,4.

Sound- no messing about in the back during the show

Gwen- it's candor not candid in your line

Ceci- add more sugar- we should see a thing about adding lots of sugar- make it dramatic. We'll buy more if we run out.

Ceci- make a deal about cutting the cake with the knife, but put it on the plate angrily with your hand.

Ceci - we heard Algernon Creiff. Say his name quite clearly.

Jack 39.19

Gwen 40.1

Jack 40.17

Jack 41.9

Algy- you need to go for the muffins a bit sooner!

Algy 41.14

Jack 42.3

Algy- 42.10- good cover though, for your memory slip

Act Three

Truett, don't block Gwen when you enter- she's talking ,s o her voice needs a clear path to the audience

Merriman, good reaction to the hugging

good comic three

LB- increase the energy! You need to be more p.o.'d

Good reaction to news of Bunbury's death, Truett!

LB- ENERGY. Do not speak your lines in a monotone, if you aren't enjoying yourself, we aren't enjoying watching you.

LB 46.5

Algy and Ceci- review your blocking. We believe you should be standing a step or two stage left to where you were during the scene where Brackenll's starting her interrogation of Ceci's past

Jack 46.12

LB- check your pocket watch when you say "the time approaches for our departure"

Jack, don't hold the parasol like a weapon towards LB's face- you are still first and foremost a gentleman, and she a lady. Thus, you only threaten each other through words and innuendo, and not through physical means

LB, act more money hungry- you only like Ceci because you found out she's absolutely loaded.

What is the story behind your marriage, LB? Think of one- because right now, you seem to be spewing lines for no reason other than Oscar Wilde wrote them, and that means you've got to say them.

Jack 48.9

Jack 48.13- also, come to Margo or Pereenboom about the pronunciation of the wine

Good interruption, Jack! You definitely cut LB off.

Jack 49.4 LB, good cover for his jump forward in the script!

DC- good entrance!!!

DC- 50.5

DC 50.8- Mr. Worthing isn't the first set of words- that's really only a small mistake in subject placement, though.

DC- when LB says Prism stop IMMEDIATELY

DC- take care not to be upstaged by LB when she stands center stage.

Prism- be more offended by LB essentially calling your book bad.

Props- OPEN THE HANDBAG BEFORE IT COMES OUT! Prism has got to be able to se the lining

Jack, good job trying to open the bag.

Prism 52.13

Jack, black socks, not brown.

Jack 53.2

Leave the rose where it falls, everyone. don't dive across the stage for the flower, because it takes away from the climax

LB, we like the sharp look you gave Jack when he calls you Aunt Augusta

Jack 54.3

We like how you had to shuffle through the books and then flip it right side up, Jack- it makes it more realistic!

Jack 54.8

Girls, be careful of flashing your legs when you jump!

Good job, Grace, at getting the journal out!

Try to bow all toothier, everyone

LB- don't forget to hit the final pose- do not just walk off the stage!!!!!