live blogging "spitfire" tech

tech rehearsal for "the spitfire grill" at
the skylight theater in milwaukee, wisconsin.

1:04 p.m.

tech rehearsal is when you add the technical elements of the show: the lights, the sound, the costumes. today's schedule is 1-4 and 7-11. yesterday's 10 out of 12 (you rehearse for 10 hours out of a given 12) was shortened to 5 out of 12 because i'm so far ahead. "tony clements has learned the show so quickly that we can give you all the afternoon off," the director - bill theisen, said on friday night.

what can i say, i'm a quick learner.

1:06 p.m.

i cannot lie for longer than two minutes (which actually comes in handy when you're in a holding room at the police station at 3:00 in the morning.)

our tech rehearsal yesterday was not shortened because of my learning the show so quickly. in fact, if anything, i think i'm behind. there are lots of "pass the sugar" or "switch plates with caleb" moments that i still miss on a regular basis. ugh.

1:23 p.m.

i'm in the dressing room, downstairs. i just checked in backstage with steve koehler. steve is a good friend, and he's playing caleb in the skit. (he's fantastic.) i was listening to him sing yesterday, and started thinking of other shows he'd be great in.

"have you ever done oklahoma?" i just asked him, standing in the dark, backstage.

"nooo," he said, shrugging it off. "never."

"you'd be a great curly or judd," i told him.

"really?!" he said, a little too cocky for my taste.

"yes," i replied. "but i'm talking three stooges and winona's mom."

1:54 p.m.

just rehearsed a tiny little scene sheriff joe (that's me) has with effy (becky spice) toward the end of the play. right now it's all about a small platform and stairs from the funhouse, stepping on the right foot to stop on the top half of a specific step, and landing in a certain light. i still can't remember that sugar passing stuff, now i've got a two-step on the funky stairs. watch me goof it up when you see the show. (no, no...i'll get it right.)

2:42 p.m.

wow. i'm done until our piano dress rehearsal tonight at 7:00 -- way early. see, i'm so far ahead...