Sounds like a Hope/Crosby movie, doesn't it? I drove a little over 200 miles today, to start settling in at my home-away-from-home for the next two and a half months. Beautiful Bemidji, Minnesota, in the heart of the North Lake Country. Northern Minnesota was built on its summer tourism trade, which is still holding strong. Boating, fishing, swimming, hiking - all sorts of outdoorsy activities, for families and friends to participate in during the day. But what to do at night? Another tradition that caters to summer tourism is summer-stock theater. Or, as we insiders call it, "theater camp for adults".
Five theatrical productions. That's what we'll be producing between now and August 14th. Ten weekends, 45 performances, all live, each show having a 10-day rehearsal period (except our first show this season, Biloxi Blues". Because of Memorial Day, we lose one full day and one partial day of rehearsal time.) The rehearsal period is short but intense. Three 3-hour rehearsals each day. Long hours of set construcion, costume fittings and alterations, finding just the right prop. This is the work of the designers and tech people who are here for the whole summer. See, the actors are only here for one show, two at the most; but those of us behind the scenes, we do this every day FOR TEN WEEKS. Exhausting, nerve-racking, frustrating, and yet it feeds our souls, this intensive, all-consuming life of summer stock theater. And we wouldn't trade this life for anything.
Next up: Prep work?
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