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A 12-hour rehearsal marathon with pumpkin pie

Hello, this is your friendly Ghost of Christmas Past. The Ghost of Christmas Present has been very faithful about keeping you informed about our back- and on-stage shenanigans, so I will add a very short two-cents (or shillings) worth! We are having a chaotic blast. Sunday, Nov. 25, we added some more layers (as Artistic Director Alan Osburn is fond of calling them) to the mix: more props, costumes, sound effects, and a little make-up. During a 12-hour rehearsal marathon that took place while most folks were still digesting their pumpkin pie and watching the Broncos, we sang and danced and acted our little hearts out, trying to perfect and hone and streamline and get on top of things. The crew is working pretty much around the clock to practice moving set pieces and to get complex and multi-layered set changes down to a science. Our Stage Manager, Brantley Haines, also known as “God,” is performing seemingly superhuman feats of endurance to keep us and the production and crew together and on track.

The sound effects are haunting, scary, wonderful. The costumes are sumptuous (I think some were rented from the Missouri Rep, and these are beautifully constructed Victorian-style costumes). The set pieces (most of them moving) are works of art unto themselves.

The dressing rooms are packed to the gills with people and costumes. The noise level backstage is earplug-worthy. It’s sweaty and smelly and noisy and jovial. Each of has some 3 or 4 costume changes, not to mention make-up changes and microphone trade-offs (there aren’t enough mikes for the full cast), so putting all the sequences together is challenging, to say the least. But that’s why we rehearse, and we definitely need the coming days before opening to get it all in sync.

We are all working hard to get this production ready for you, our beloved public. If you enjoy it as much as I have — on stage and watching from off stage — you will definitely get your money’s worth, and leave the SaGaJi Theatre with a warm holiday glow about you.

Happy days to all,

Amy Brooks
A.K.A. The Ghost of Christmas Past, and a number of other roles yet to be revealed!