April 22, 1992
Yet again, only a piddling few days went into preparation for a Theatre Rapport scene. Actually, I take that back. Both of my first two scenes received a decent amount of time. My last one was just misguided and undirected. But we had plenty of time.
This time was quite the opposite. Both my director and scene partner were very good. We just couldn't arrange our schedules so that we could get together. This left us about three rehearsals to put this puppy together, and required that we learn our lines before coming in to rehearse. But we did it. And I think fairly well.
But Crane didn't.
Crane had problems with it. Many problems. But as problems came up, they seemed to me to be, fact, compliments. What the gang saw as something wrong, we had often worked for. Crane, for example, felt that the actors were talking at each other, not to each other. That was an effect we wanted to create. They complained that they didn't know why Phil was so manic, and didn't see Eddy as a power-keg waiting to explode. But it was the first 10 minutes of a 3-hour play. It was not the question-answering part of the show. We were creating the mood, not trying to explain it. They criticized my recovery from a night of drunkenness. Zeena and I had discussed, however, that once Eddie achieves a certain level of focus, he is able to take control, and kicks in. Plus, once the pills and coffee hit him, he's back on track with a vengeance.
So, I was pleased, even though we received some negative reactions. Mike wasn't as sharp as he had been during rehearsal, unfortunately. So his inspired, hilarious tirade turned into a hurried, confusing mish-mash that was no where near as fascinating. He really had some good moments in rehearsal, but he must have gotten nervous or something.
I think Zeena was moderately pleased. She didn't have too much emotional stock invested in it since we had just thrown it together.
Anyway, I liked it. OK?