Play Time

If you have never been in a play production, you may not know what all goes into the few hours of entertainment that is enjoyed by all in the audience.

Before living in Uganda I had only once ventured into a play rehearsal setting. It was not my idea of a good time and I never did it again. But 2 years back I thought I might help out with fixing up costumes for a pantomime. The cast and crew were great fun, the work was easy once I found a tailor to do most of the sewing, but the wardrobe room was dank, full of mold and mildew and a hazard to one's health just to be there for 5 minutes. I decided to not do that again.

Last November the director for the 2009 pantomime asked if I would help with the costumes. I had forgotten at that moment what I had decided 2 years earlier, so said yes. Shortly thereafter, I realized the error of my way but before I could get out of it, learned there was no one else doing costumes!! I met the producer, Mary Kinney, who worked closely with me. She did much of the work, including shopping at Owino Market, something not high on my list of fun things to do. By the end of the production I'd enjoyed working with her so much that I told her, rashly, that I'd work with her again anytime she wanted help.

Well....here we are in the beginning stages of Sound of Music. In the on-line research I found a web site that listed all the costume changes, by scene for each actor in SOM. The children have 9 or 10 different outfits, some worn twice! There are 7 children (and 2 sets of actor/esses). Thank goodness the 12 nuns only have 2 outfits as they are also dancers at the Ball. Maria and the Capt. Have 8 or 9 apiece.

This is just the costume side of things. There is set design and construction, props, publicity, music, and of course all the practicing of lines, songs, movements, etc. We don't practice in the Theatre itseld untill the week prior to opening. In the meantime, there are 4 practices a week for the actors. The Music Director, Play Director and Production Manager are all very busy people in their real lives, and now are moving at the speed of sound to bring this together for 8 performances beginning May 6. Can we do it??!! YES, WE CAN. (to paraphrase Bob the Builder)