First reading

The cast list was published last week and the first reading of the script was announced for Monday evening. We're all feeling a little more comfortable now that we have a role in the musical and have some idea what we'll be doing. Some of us have rented the video Oliver! to watch "our" character in action one more time.

The director passes out the scripts at the same time the house manager is collecting the applicable fee. Shelling out money for something not only keeps the costs down for the DMTC but it also provides a little incentive for keeping track of your own copy.

We're given a rundown of the house rules such as no food in the dressing rooms, no food on stage, no food in the seating area of the theater, no food while in costume, no... well, you get the idea. It's best to leave your food at home or in the car. I suspect this rule is based on many years and bad experiences.

The director finally gets us all to settle down in the first three rows, middle section of the theater while she takes a seat center stage. She outlines her vision of the play which will be a mix of the theatrical version and the movie version, taking the best of both. This will lead to some interesting twists and turns in the actual script we have in front of us but nothing we can't handle. I hope.

And, finally, reading through the script. We skip the musical numbers except where the lyrics are vital to understanding the story line. I'm surprised that my Mr. Brownlow has much more to say than I remembered in the video. This is going to be a lot of work but a lot of fun as well. The full impact of what I've gotten myself into begins to sink in.

The next rehearsal is announced, the cast list with email and phone numbers is passed out, and we're asked for our "bios" for the programs/lobby pictures. Oh, and another request is made to find us a pianist.