dogalogue

Today is a post tumbling rehearsal at Westside and Kate arrives early as we are setting up the bunkbeds. There is a whole lot of cute chatter that happens with Kate and circus trainers and tumblers gathered around the kettle.

Kate sits us down and asks how we are. We are all tired and it shows in our laughter at the question.

She says that the plan today is to do a timed run and then to work on some of the looser scenes. Christy suggests that we do a walk through before the timed run to get it into our heads and we all agree. The walk-through becomes the time to work on the things we needed to work on, so Christy pulls out the gadgets and we create the gadget scene. We realise that fighting the bad guys should come after Terry gets his costume and need to do a bit of renegotiating. we create the training montage number three. I realise that I still have a hurried feeling like it's the walk through and we should be getting to the end quickly to do the real work - and actually this is the moment of creation right here as we make the scene. I slow myself down.

Pete emails us a track for moving towards the fence and we all pause to listen to it and to email him feedback.

Its getting closer and closer to one o'clock and christy will need to run at 2pm on the dot to her next reahearsal.

Kate asks us all how long we think a timed run of the show will take '40 minutes' '38' '32' we laugh and go to beginning positions.

Kate stands by the computer on the rigging box, running the sound and prompting us. Phoebe and Briar come and watch moments. Briar snorts with laughter when Scout says 'He's thirty five and he does a paper round.' Phoebe watches my dogologue with bright smiling eyes.

As we are nearing the end, Amanda arrives with the costumes for the last trial. We push through the run with her watching and grinning. Christy has ten minutes and needs to run: she whips herself into her costume. Luke and I dither into ours and the three of us line up. There is a lot of hilarious cuteness. Amanda sews a tail onto my schooldress. Christy's costume needs new tights, Luke's needs buttons. She has brought a sample table cloth swatch but didn't get the full amount so needs to get more.

Christy is on the phone explaing that she's going to be late, Kate is waving and leaving, Amanda is sorting piles of things she can leave and things that still need work.

I go to the bathroom and look at my cute doggy costume in the mirror. It makes me very happy.

Luke and I are left with the set and the scattering of costumes and props. We pack in slow motion. Hauling ourselves from task to task. For some reason it takes forever. I think of Christy at another rehearsal and am amazed that she has the energy.