The First Read-thru of Wild Space A Go Go

I must say that I went in to this first rehearsal with a bit of anxiety. Not so much for the cast - as they are all fantastic! I knew going in that they would be both professional, prepared and up to the task. The anxiety was totally all mine. I mean, why not? I was the one who wrote the libretto for Christ’s sake. I am not sure if I am the typical insecure writer or not but I really went in expecting hundreds of winces as actors got to particular jokes/lines or maybe, even worse, a throw-down of their scripts in total disgust and a collective walkout.

Luckily that was not the case! If there were winces, they were well masked by their professional faces. What’s more, their timing was impeccable and the reading astounded, not only myself, but the director and composer as well. Here were actors who instinctively got all character beats in the script and got my timing for the way a broad comedy script like this has to go. I believe that each writer delivers a script but a timing of how that script will play. It’s all part of that inner voice that manifests itself when we are writing. It is just a matter of trusting that voice and believing that it will carry over.

I mentioned in an earlier blog that I was forced to trim in order to meet time restraints of the venue but also jokes that somehow repeated too many times. What ended up happening, in one case, was putting a joke back in – just based on how the actor delivered the line. With his unique reading, it was not overkill at all but a wonderful set-up for the next gag. Bravo, actor. Well done!

Insecurity comes with the creative territory. But all of the pundits agree in terms of comedy. If it makes you laugh, it will cross over from the page to the performance. I guess the real test comes with the actor that breathes life into the lines and their experience. If they have the chops, the laugh will come.

We are blessed with a immensely talented cast. Whatever happens, I will be grateful to work with all of them. In all future projects, I hope that I work with actors of this caliber.