What do May 27, June 5, June 16 and today, July 7, have in common?  Right!  They ALL mark the beginning of my season blog for 2010!

Why this procrastination?  The fault, dear Brutus, is NOT in the stars, but in ourselves, as some non-Shavian writer once said.  My rehearsal and performance schedule for 2010 has been unique in my history at The Shaw.

Even before rehearsals began, Sharry Flett and I were teaching in the new pre-season intensive program in February.  This initiative, new this year, provided classes for new Shaw company members (and even some returning actors), as an introduction to (or confirmation of!) our work methods here.  Classes in movement, speech, text and “Manners of the Mandate” took place over a two-week period before the season proper got under way.  So in 2010, work at The Shaw began earlier than ever for some of us.

Harvey, which began my acting season, started rehearsals on March 1, and we rehearsed only Mary Chase’s well-loved play until we previewed.  Normally, after two weeks we would have added another play into our rehearsal process, working half-days on each, but this new method  allowed us to concentrate on one show over a shorter period of weeks, since we were rehearsing full days.  Thus Harvey was able to begin public performances April 1, appropriately enough for a play whose main character is a six-foot- tall invisible rabbit!

For this first few weeks, family life and theatre life moved along in almost perfect synchronization, with both breakfasts and suppers taking place in family unity.  For a performing parent, the opportunity to attend evening and morning school events was welcome.  Later in the season, rehearsals for my second show, John Bull’s Other Island, took place in afternoon and evening sessions;  the acting workday shifted from roughly 10 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. to more like 2-10:30 p.m.  Dad’s availablility for homework help was severely curtailed ( some might say, not a moment too soon!  What happened to the maths and science I learned in the ’sixties?  Was it WRONG, or something?)

My point is, I guess, that when extra teaching assignments and new public events are added into an already busy rehearsal mix, work at The Shaw becomes more and more involving.  We are always finding new ways to improve our professional preparation, and to extend our outreach programs.  More on these subjects later.

HOWEVER — we’ve just proved there’s still time  to BLOG!                                        Yours in theatre,  Guy Bannerman