nothin A Little Late To Rehearsal—& A Little Wiser | New Haven Independent

A Little Late To Rehearsal — & A Little Wiser

Remsen Welsh, a home-schooled 8th grader, plays the role of Rebecca in the revival of Our Town opening this week at Long Wharf Theatre. She is keeping a diary of the experience.

I got an e‑mail last night before from the production stage manager notifying me that I would be called at 11:30 a.m. today. My mom and I headed out on our usual route, but because of the traffic going over the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge, my mom looked at me and informed me, You’re probably going to be a little late. Can you text Michelle [the child wrangler] letting her know we’ll be a little late?”

As I was composing this brief text, my mom was having a bit of anxiety. We had come to the section of the highway where, when you’re coming from Branford to get off at the Long Wharf exit, you have to cross over three lanes of traffic.

Oh, I just dread having to get off on this exit!” my mom exclaimed. The drivers coming from Hartford are merciless — no offense, but they speed by, barely allowing us to cross over.

We finally pull up to the theater at 11:35. Michelle was already waiting by the door into the theater.

I guess we’d better get up there. I think they’re right at your scene,” Michelle said.

I was feeling quite optimistic and confident. In the e‑mailed schedule they had also alerted us that Long Wharf’s education department would be filming in the rehearsal room.

As I snuck into the room, [director] Gordon [Edelstein] turned around to say hello” and to tell us that, as Michelle had previously informed me, we were nearly to my scene.

As I set my things down I immediately sat in a chair until my entrance. Gordon skipped a few of Mrs. And Mr. Gibbs’ lines, saying he wants to get to my scene.

As I heard my cue for my entrance, I crept on as I would do usually. Once I made it to the ladder I conversed with my brother,” feeling as though that had gone pretty well.

I also took note of advice Gordon had given me the day before about the line that reads: George do you know what I think, do you? I think maybe the moon’s getting nearer and nearer and then there’ll be a big splosion.” He suggested that I make the way I say “’splosion” sound more as if I think the moon exploding would be an awful but amazing thing to happen.

As we moved on, Gordon decided to also skip the next scene, to cut right to my next few lines, I delivered these lines just as I have been. The line reads:

REBECCAI never told you about that letter Jane Crofut got from her minister when she was sick. He wrote Jane a letter and on the envelope the address was like this: It said: Jane Crofut; The Crofut Farm; Grover’s Corners; Sutton County; New Hampshire; United States of America.
GEORGE: What’s funny about that?
REBECCA: But listen, it’s not finished; the United States of America; Continent of North America; Western Hemisphere; the Earth; the Solar System; the Universe; the Mind of God — that’s what it said on the envelope.


Before I could get to the end of my second line, Gordon cut me short.

When you say Western Hemisphere,’ your voice drops. Instead try to keep it elevated, so that we understand that there’s still more — you know?”

Given the okay, I started from the beginning of the lines.

I never told you about that letter Jane Crofut” …

Gordon cut in once again.

I think you might be taking a little too much of a pause between letter’ and Jane Crofut.’ Try to take a deep breath at the beginning of the sentence, then go right through it rather than taking that pause.”

I nodded. But suddenly the lens of the camera in the corner seemed to bore right through me. I felt my cheeks flush. I started again; this time I made it all the way through both of my lines, except for the fact that I forgot to say the Universe” before the Mind of God.”

Gordon came in again.

That was good!”

I felt the breath that I had been holding release.

The only thing is remember to make the Mind of God’ a really climactic ending, as if you are in total awe of it. And one more thing: It isn’t and the Mind of God.’ It is just the Mind of God.’”

I did it once more. Gordon said he is satisfied, but before I left he made one last note.

Don’t drop your voice on that last little bit where you say, That’s what it said on the envelope,’ OK?”

I nodded, relived to finally be able to go and practice the lines on my own.

As I ran through the lines on my own in the next room, I realized that with the notes that Gordon gave, the scene sounded quite a bit better.

Directors always have different ways of working. Even when you are given directions that may not seem to make your lines better, in the end when you perform, it makes sense and you finally see the genius behind the director’s notes. I find it amazing how all directors, including Gordon, pick out tiny details that you may not have noticed but make a difference in how an audience perceives it.

As I was in the shower tonight, I ran those lines over and over again — to make sure the next time I do the scene, I will nail it.

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