Blackfriars Playhouse After Dark

Catherine Gilbert

            In preparation for our performances on Sunday, each of the three casts gets the opportunity to have two late night rehearsals on the Blackfriars stage. Since the Blackfriars Playhouse is typically very busy during the day, we take advantage of nighttime to be able to fit in these extra rehearsals. Of the two “late nights“ that each cast gets, one is cast only and the second is a dress rehearsal that the entire camp attends.  So far, each cast has had their private rehearsal in the Playhouse, and Gallathea and Twelfth Night have had their camp dress rehearsals. The cast of Romeo and Juliet gets the chance to show their stuff to the other campers tonight.

Audrey Wood

            These late night rehearsals are extremely useful to the campers. First of all, they allow the campers the chance to acquaint themselves with the space before they actually perform in it. For this reason, when I attended the private rehearsal of Romeo and Juliet, there were moments when we had to pause to adjust some of the blocking, to reconfigure entrances, and to find center for some of the choreography. All of this is perfectly normal. Until now, the campers have only seen the Playhouse stage, and acting upon it will be an entirely new sensation. While the campers can approximate some aspects of the Blackfriars Playhouse, such as the gallant stools, the discovery space, and Juliet’s balcony, it takes time to actually accommodate to a performance space. Thus, in order to ensure a safe performance for performers and audience members alike, the cast of Romeo and Juliet went over each and every one of the many fight scenes in the show. They repeated the fight scenes multiple times and in slow motion, working in entrances and exits and dragging dead bodies. It was interesting to note the change in how the campers projected their voices as they said their lines. The acoustics in the Blackfriars Playhouse vastly surpass those in some of the rehearsal spaces, so it was easy to understand the performers with minimal effort on their behalf. It also made it easy to hear the melancholically appropriate music that the performers sang all the way in the back of the house.

Matt Gieseke Mingles with the Audience

Lily Carr and Leila Silberstein

                 I was unable to attend the private rehearsals of Twelfth Night and Gallathea but I did go to the dress rehearsal viewings that have taken place these past two evenings. As we readied ourselves for the performances, the campers in the other two casts filled the gallant stools and spread themselves throughout the house to attain different vantage points. The directors of these shows have consistently taken advantage of what Blackfriars Playhouse has to offer in putting together the blocking. While it is fairly standard to use the balcony for the musicians to play, the campers have also used it during the actual performances. In this way, we see Olivia lamenting the loss of her family members, as well as Neptune brooding over the defiance of his edict. Furthermore, the performers have clearly been directed in such a way that facilitates communication with the audience. The big saying at the Blackfriars Playhouse is “we do it with the lights on,” which comically references the performance conditions. The audience can see the actors and vice versa. The campers play off of this staging condition by delivering lines directly to audience members. Those sitting on the gallant stools experience an extra level of audience participation. One might be expected to hold one of Cupid’s love knots, to yield their chair to a drunkard, or even to pet a wayward “sheep.”  

Mitchell Peiffer and Gabriel Komisar

            It can be easy for someone who is in one cast to get tied up in what the needs of their show are without really knowing what else is going on in the camp. By having these dress rehearsals for camp members only, the campers can view and comment on the work of their peers. The private viewings also give the performers an audience before actually opening the show to the public, allowing the campers to make their own discoveries about the text or their characters. Some lines that an actor may not have considered that funny might have the house roaring with laughter. Other times, an actor may make simple realizations about his or her character simply by performing onstage. Marina Finelli discovered this about one of her characters, claiming that she had license to be a lot goofier than she initially thought.

Rehearsal for Romeo and Juliet

The late night rehearsals are wonderful to watch. Though it has been great to see what our campers have been working on, most of the fun comes from seeing how their peers react to it. During the Gallathea dress rehearsal, camper Antonia Grisanti laughed so hard she was in tears. Likewise, during a musical scene in Twelfth Night, the campers all clapped along to the music and grooved with their peers. The chief appeal of these private dress rehearsals has been the support that the campers give each other. The cheers and laughter, the “ohs” and “awws,” as well as the congratulatory notes left on each others whiteboards are all indicative of the love that the campers have for each other. Campers, it has been an absolute pleasure shadowing you around and watching you grow. Break a leg during Sunday’s performances, and the best of luck in all of your future endeavors. 

-Madeleine M. Oulevey