Everyman Daily Report: 9

First of (hopefully) many publicity shots

Today went wrong very early on.  Having realised I have a doctors appointment at the end of the week I had to have a blood test this morning - which meant a visit to the new Community Health Centre - so called because they built it where there is no community whatsoever.  This took out my morning, because getting to the middle of nowhere from another part of nowhere takes a while, plus the queue took an hour to get to me.  (This was an improvement from the last time I was there, and the chairs in the waiting area have been re-positioned in a more sensible fashion - i.e. facing the general direction of the number counter.  And the nurse was lovely.  The machine coffee was reassuringly undrinkable.)
I then didn't quite get my connection to my first flyering site, plus I realised I'd forgotten various parts of my flyering kit for the afternoon and so gave up on the day as a bad job.
On the plus side - and after this massive whinge (sorry) it's a BIG plus side - I then spent the rest of the day working on the play.  I'm now much, much happier with progress.  I was starting to get the impression that progress was on the slide.  I was behind on my schedule, I hadn't got up and moved the show much and, though I was only a little behind, I was getting really worried that I wasn't giving enough focus on the show - too much on the process of putting it on.
I also took some time to sit and think about the aesthetic of the play - of imagery and what to do with the opening.  I've gone through so many different openings for this production, it's getting silly, and I need something to work against the venues I'll be playing.  I need to create atmosphere in spaces where there often will not be one, to create a sense of anticipation from the very start.  This is tricky.  And I'm still working on it.
Another thought that I liked today was to do something more with my collection of good and bad deeds from the previous shows.  I've still got them all, and I think something, some work of art to add to the art of the play, could be created.  Sketches in progress.
Also, I want there to be a comprehensive logic to the symbolism of the play - for the few props to add to the understanding of the play.  I'm struggling in some parts - and I don't want to abandon the use of props halfway through, I prefer an all or nothing look.
But props are a discussion for another day.  Tomorrow I'll hopefully get a few more flyers out and continue working on the close of the play (another discussion for another day) before I act as question master for a quiz.  As you do.  And, at some point, I'll finish editing the video shoot from the other day.  And... and... and...
It's nice to be busy.

You Have Been Rehearsing

The first rehearsals for You Have Been Watching are now behind us.  I'm now creating material, or finding material out there.  I've collected a fair amount of spam now (see last blog) and am currently playing around with how I could incorporate it into the show.  Do keep sending.  But now I need to get the order in for the dark glasses and the paper boiler suits, so I will leave you with a few photos (taken by Mark Pavelin) from the first rehearsal - more will follow.  Ta, ta!

Experiments in hand holding...

Explaining the process to the company...