One down, four to go

Wednesday's dress didn't go too badly. Good thing I have my own gloves, as the costumers didn't have anything to replace the pair of men's gloves they'd laid out for me, which were too big and had a broken wrist closure. I did have one big costume problem, though - in our second entrance I slipped on an overlong costume drape so that my feet slid right and the rest of me fell left. Thump! At least I managed to be more graceful getting up again than I was in hitting the deck. There were some weird balance things going on in the orchestra - musical cues I was expecting but not hearing - and some odd tempi, but nothing serious. Our costumes continue to develop; the ladies' closing costumes now have fetching little hats. Lovely little things, but figuring out how to secure them presented some difficulties at first. Not to mention figuring out which way they're supposed to face, where they're supposed to sit on your head - top, right, left...?

Last night was Opening Night. We had a much bigger audience than I'd expected (though I don't know the actual numbers) and they were very receptive and vocal - laughed at everything, applauded everything, and generally seemed as enthusiastic as we could possibly wish. I just hope they haven't spoiled us for subsequent audiences. ;) I think things went well - everyone in good voice, orchestra sounded good (though there was one place where we had trouble hearing a cue), good pacing. And no falls, though apparently the gazing ball got knocked off its stand at one point, and my Bunthorne badge, bearing the portrait of the poet the ladies are all mooning over, fell off during the Act I finale entrance and had not reappeared by the time I left last night. And I just realized this morning that the finger cymbals I use in that finale never made it back to me, either. I'll have to hunt up both those props as soon as I get to the theater tonight.

Costume annoyances: No one checked to make sure that those of us given men's gloves had gloves that fit. We were all supposed to get bags w/ our wreaths & blindfolds; I got a wreath, but had to ask for a blindfold. (But since I like the fabric & it goes w/ my dress, I'm keeping my mouth shut.) My dress still fastens w/ safety pins, not hooks or a zipper, the overdress is still in progress and is likewise attached w/ safety pins, and we got ribbons/streamers added at intermission last night, attached on the shoulder with - you guessed it - safety pins. If safety pins were banned from this show, most of these costumes would fall apart! And I dearly wish someone would HEM Lady Jane's dress, or at least trim it where it's fraying! The satin is lovely but it needs to be hemmed or something to keep it from fraying. That said, though, both sets of ladies' costumes do look lovely, and the men's uniforms turned out very well. The poets' costumes are great; the only ones I haven't seen are the officers' "aesthetic" costumes, because at that point I've been in the dressing room, changing into my 2nd costume and putting up my hair. It wouldn't be costume-appropriate to leave it down, not to mention that putting up my hair gives me more to pin the hat to.

This is a compressed schedule - performances Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday matinee & evening, Sunday matinee, then strike, then cast party. Whew! I'll be spending Monday getting over the worst of my theatrical withdrawal symptoms. Good thing I have an audition coming up on Thursday, and auditions the 2 or 3 weekends after that.