tech!

Friday, 9.45 pm

We’re back in the hotel after a good long day. Eli and I met up this morning to head over to the studio. The company was there ahead of us, training and warming up. When they were done, we loaded in lights and moved the speakers to the far corners of the room. Lunch was another vegetarian feast, and afterwards, Sock and I lost the who-will-do-the-dishes game.

Tech was a breeze – JooYah is a whiz with lights, and for only having about 10 instruments, she did amazing things. We teched through the show once and ran once, all before dinner. Here’s Eli giving some notes during tech (click on the images for a bigger version):



After dinner, the clowns got into makeup. Tuida shows are usually heavily madeup, but this style of makeup is new for them. Eli helped them, since he’s done it before:



It was remarkable to watch the transformation in them as they painted their faces. They really shifted into new characters. Here they are, individually:

Yong, as a witch:



SooAh, as Banquo and Duncan:



Joe, as a witch:



Sock, as a witch:



Hee, as Fleance:



Ara, as Lady MacBeth:



HyeRan, as MacBeth:



And the company all together:



In the last few days, the actors have really improved their focus and their energy. For example, HyeRan had been hyperactive as MacBeth (rapidly moving hands, feet, head, etc.), but now she uses only the most essential actions to convey character. Everyone in the company is learning that clowning is not about trying to be silly or goofy. It’s about conservation of motion, precision, and focus. The funny comes out of that.

After everyone was in makeup, we ran the show almost flawlessly, gave some notes, and were done! The run was quick and painless. While everyone got out of makeup after the run, Eli showed Yosup some other clown video (including the UCI performance of our doomed China show: Ready Set Dead), and HyeRan volunteered me to make a big Italian dinner tomorrow night. So, Eli, Yosup, and I will meet tomorrow morning to buy groceries for the post-show-celebratory feast! The current plan for the menu is spaghetti with two sauces – a red sauce and a pesto. A nice big salad, and wine. I wanted to make some bruschetta, but they don’t have an oven at the studio.

Tomorrow is also our performance day! We have shows at 3 and 6. Wish us broken legs!