Day 1 -- Monday January 26 Back to the Paramount lot on the heels of the big Frasier week there. No one at the front gate seemed to register that I was back again for more work. Nor did anyone strolling the lot. I guess they didn't miss me at Paramount for those three days I was "on vacation." It seems even Frasier went on without me if you can believe that.

And so little unnoticed John Ducey found his way to Stage 12 for the table read of the new Sabrina the Teenage Witch script. I received some warm welcomes from the cast members. Rick Millikan, the casting director, was there and was the only person I knew (and I really barely know him at that). So I chatted with Rick for a couple of minutes and then took my seat and waited for all the cast bonding hellos to transpire and we began. The reading was fine. My lines are moderately funny in places so I got some courtesy chuckles from the group. We'll see how they all pan out as the week progresses. I hope.

The table-read ended a little before noon and I was shown to my dressing room, a very comfortable little space with a cushy couch and a TV/VCR. As 4pm rolled around and I had done nothing but crosswords and napping, I longed for a cassette tape or two to pass the hours. Finally, they began rehearsing the scenes in the gym, where all of my scenes take place. I went to the set to await my big moment.

First up was a scene where the two main bands are rehearsing. I am NOT in the scene. What IS in the scene, however, are a couple of sound cues, some lip-syncing, some choreography, lots of complicated stuff. The next hour or so was like a Harvard production of old where none of the technical stuff seems to be going right. Miscommunication, incorrect cues, conflicting instructions, it all brought the rehearsal to a bit of a halt and so I waited some more for it all to sort itself out.

By about 5pm, we started rehearsing a scene I was in. I'm off to the side for most of it and have one line at the end. We also started looking at a second scene of mine but it became obvious that the time was getting late and Melissa Joan Hart had to be somewhere by 6pm. And so the remainder of my scenes were pushed to tomorrow. That only leaves tomorrow and then taping begins. Sure doesn't seem like enough prep time but perhaps there's more rehearsing when cameras are there.

What's missing from the process, however, is the chance for the writers and producers to see the work in progress and then make changes as the shoot date approaches. I would suspect most shows benefit from such tinkering, if only to point out what parts are really not working. But tomorrow will be the final rehearsal for all the scenes, and the first and last rehearsal for two of mine. Then the show is run for the network and it's a go. We'll see how it goes down tomorrow.

Go on to Day 2

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