Much Ado had a pretty superb weekend – we crossed that threshhold where the cast seems to collectively settle in and starting finding life and new layers in the performance. Always takes a few shows to do that. We also had a slew of reviews out, mostly very positive – although one observed that I’m “a bit old” for the role of Benedick. (I wonder what he thinks about this gentleman daring to play it.)
Another review, though, singled me out for a full paragraph of rather staggering praise, and I don’t feel quite right about that, either! I do admit it feels good, but in a review like that, you want to see some of that love spread out amongst the cast, since they’re all working hard and we lift each other up.
Still, this is going even better than I had hoped, and I think when we reach closing night, I should be able to put this play to bed for awhile, and maybe put Benedick away for good.
A week later, we have a sort of pre-season gathering for Shakespeare Orange County, which will include costume fittings and a first reading for A Midsummer Night’s Dream. We don’t start official rehearsals until late May, but it will surely whet my appetite so see the familiar faces, meet the new ones, and start playing with my fellow mechanicals.
And today I booked tickets for a visit to Chicago in mid-April. I’m due to turn in drafts on a couple of projects in the next couple of weeks, and I believe I can accomplish that before my plane departs. It would be awfully nice to grant myself that time away from major project deadlines, and let the producers here wrangle my projects while I catch up with friends and take pretty pictures. It’s rare that I see Chicago in the spring.