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| Joseph Haj |
by director Joseph Haj
Today is the day we move from the rehearsal room to the theatre to begin tech for Henry IV and Henry V. We’re there for a long time. We tech from 1-11 today (Friday), and from noon to midnight on Saturday and Sunday, and then we have a day off on Monday before we go back in on Tuesday for another week of tech before previews.
The PlayMakers team is incredible. The admin staff goes to great lengths to protect my time when I’m in rehearsals, and that means additional work for them to shoulder. The shops are working around the clock to get the scenery, costumes, lights, props and everything ready to go. Our two stage managers, among the best in the business, are ready to guide us through tech. Co-director Mike Donahue and I think we are exactly where we need to be in the process.
And the twenty-four member acting company? Incredible. Generous, collaborative, smart, wildly talented, and on the cusp of something very special with these plays.
Many years ago, I was an actor in Genet’s The Screens at the Guthrie theatre in Minneapolis, and the lighting designer was Jennifer Tipton. I never knew that lights could be such a huge part of the storytelling. Jennifer is one of the most admired and in-demand lighting designers in the world, and it has been a long-held dream of mine to work with her on a project. I’m thrilled that it turned out to be this epic journey of The Making of a King.
Wish us luck! We’re on our way!
The Making of a King: Henry IV and Henry V begins performances on January 28. Click here to learn more and to buy tickets.