On Saturday the cast of “Shoalwater Shenanigans” gathered over at the church to begin rehearsing for our November performances. It was our first get-together and run-through of the show in almost a year. Some of us were letter-perfect in our lines; some of us not so much! I was somewhere in between. On a scale of one to ten, I’d give myself a seven.
Our director, Sandy Nielson, was unflappable and encouraging as always. Sandy is all about ensemble. She takes (no, actually solicits) suggestions from each of us and asks the entire group to weigh in on the big decisions like where our performances will be. Last year we did a matinee and an evening performance at the Oysterville Church. This year looks to be different.
There are definite pros and cons to doing both shows in Oysterville. I felt strongly that since Shenanigans is based on Willard Espy’s book, Skulduggery on Shoalwater Bay (Whispered Up from the Graves of the Pioneers) which was, in turn, inspired by Willard’s fondness for the Oysterville Cemetery, that the Oysterville Church was the natural venue. Plus, the ambiance of the church at night by candlelight gives an ambiance that is wonderful under any circumstances, but was perfection for “Shoalwater Shenanigans.”
A few others felt as I do but those on the ‘con’ side won out. They were concerned that Oysterville is so far for audiences to travel, that having no rest room facilities in Oysterville is a problem, and that lighting the stage area in the church for an evening performance is an issue. (The fact that there is a sani-can behind the church and that we managed the lighting last year were not of sufficient weight to sway the group.)
Perhaps the over-riding reason for the Fort Columbia venue was that PAPA (Peninsula Association of Performing Artists) has been our stalwart and generous sponsor from the beginning. They now have a contractual agreement with Fort Columbia for the use of their theater and would very much like to present “Shoalwater Shenanigans” there.
So, it looks like we’ll be doing two matinees – one in Oysterville on Saturday, November 17th and one at Fort Columbia on Sunday, November 18th. That, of course, will necessitate a rehearsal at Fort Columbia which, as I understand it, will have some staging and blocking problems to work out.
I have every confidence that our director and cast will be up to any and all challenges. Now, if I can only get to a 10 on these lines…
I hope it works out for Amy and I to be in attendance for the Oysterville performance!