The learning center where I work often requires me to have students spell, either by giving them the word and asking for the letters or giving them the letters and asking for the word. Usually the assignment sheet will specify what kind of word: a CCVC word, for instance, contains a consonant blend in the beginning, a vowel sound, and then another consonant. Grim(m) is a perfect example. The other day, I gave a kid the letters G-R-I-M and asked him to tell me the word. I wanted to hear it out of a complete stranger's mouth, a kid's mouth no less. I prepared myself for the answer, in which case I'd have a nice, secret laugh to myself, basking in the fact that this seemingly insignificant word now carries so much weight in my life.
Except the little chump said "drum." Fail, kid. Fail.
All did not go according to plan.
On that note, we've had some last minute casting changes. Two of the cast members had to leave our show, scoring paid gigs elsewhere, which in this business, is fortunate and extremely wonderful. Nonetheless, this has thrown the proverbial wrench into the complex, heavily (s)oiled machine that is Grimm. Now, two of our fantastic ensemble members, Theresa and Gina, are stepping up to fulfill the roles. Mike Wirsch, who has until now offered his services on the production end, is also joining the cast to fill in the missing male voices. Luckily, he was in Grimm 1.0, which means those harmonies are forever embedded in the recesses of his brain. It’s like hearing a song by the Backstreet Boys fifteen years after you were obsessed with them and still remembering every word, every intonation and breath. (...I know I’m not alone on that one).
Sometimes in life you have to improvise. There's no resistance, no fighting back. You accept the proverbial cards you've been dealt with, slap on a poker face, and aim to win the game anyway.
Hence the stumble-through on Tuesday, which was really Olivia's way of relinquishing directorial control in an overall situation that warranted none. It didn't matter that both our leads dropped, that we had no props or set to work with (“let's pretend Kenny's keyboard case is the trunk, ok?”), that the cast hadn't solidified the blocking in certain numbers yet. Sometimes you just have to roll with the entropy. That's how great art is often created, isn't it? Grimm: a visual, Pollock painting of the dead, containing the burnt vestiges of fire, the colorful splatters of body-switching, intrigue, and baby-eating monsters -- all with a cherry (house) on top.
Although this might seem like a setback, this is how the industry goes. Art is improvisation. And lucky for us Olivia hails from an improv background. (Lest we forget, this was the theme of the callbacks.) From the outset, it's been ingrained in us that this process is a matter of “yes and” -- of supporting your teammate no matter what, even if he tells you there's a two-headed alien cephalopod growing in his nasal cavity.
Or if your director tells you there have been some major changes in casting two weeks before opening. To this, I can't help but smile at the support this cast has provided Theresa, Gina, and Mike, to this show in general, to Kenny’s music and Olivia’s vision. It's because of all their hard work and dedication that I still have complete faith in this production. It's not going to be a worse show; as Abby mentioned at tonight’s rehearsal, it's going to be a different show. And so, I raise my proverbial glass to Theresa, Gina, Jake, Mike, Sierra, Grant, Abby, Kat, Taylor, and Cooper.
Things always do turn out right in the end. This morning I gave a different student the letters G-R-I-M. Last week he couldn't even tell you how to spell “cat," but he got it.
Cheers everyone. ::proverbial glasses clinking::
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