Ok, not quite. More like Blog post from NC, but close, right?
So our NC production of Michael Walker's Letter from Algeria ended on Sunday, and I think we are all (undergrads, post-undergrads, Ground UP peeps, etc.) enjoying a few deeps breaths post-show week. And what a fantastic week it was, to be able to (super-quickly) pick up where we left off after our epic trip to NYC and get the show into a theater, ourselves into costume, and an audience into the seats. The week began with a stumble-through of the show, where we ran it (with only minimal stopping for things like, I don't know, making up a door where there wasn't one...my bad) on stage, off-book, for our UNC designers. After the terror of that adventure gave way to sheer adrenaline, the rest of the week became a whirlwind of quick changes, sound cues, silhouetted entrances...you know, super glamorous stuff :)
Opening night was, in a word, insane. In a good way, of course, and for a lot of different reasons. As with any show, you expect there to be new places for laughs and the like once an audience gets into the mix...but with Algeria, you also have to add in places for gasps, "oh no!s" and breath holding, leaning-forward-in-your-seat silences. Add in a dash of "oh dear god I have to change this dress in .00001 seconds" and "was that my line...oh god, I hope that was my line but we have only been off book for 4 days ack!" on the part of us actors (ok, well, on the part of moi) and the whole show went by in a high-adrenaline, beautifully-lit and scored rush.
After each show, we joined Kate onstage for a mini talkback, answering questions about the UnderGround program, the show, what have you. It is exciting to be part of a show that leaves people guessing, and every night without fail someone (usually more than one person) would ask for the "right answers" to secrets in the show...needless to say, we all worked hard to keep them guessing, giving indirect and shady answers...after all, no one likes a spoiler, right?
Overall, the week was exhilarating, exhausting, and everything in between, and I am so thankful to have played a part (pardon the pun) in it. I have learned so much from Ground Up, and I was proud to be able to share such a cool show with the UNC and NC community.
For realz.
sarah
