PreShow Rehearsal

Monday Night. July 26. Week 2. After a full day, the entire camp gathered in the King Theatre for one of their first PreShow rehearsals. For a couple of years now, along with the productions, the campers also create a preshow of dance, music, and text that they get to perform at the Blackfriar’s Playhouse before a resident troupe’s performance. For this year, Doreen had set the direction of the preshow to encompass the modern period, Shakespeare’s London, and Ancient Egypt. She had already asked the campers what would be their preferred section, whether it be dance, music, combat or text. Many of them find it extremely hard to choose. After deciding on groups, Doreen sent the music group, along with all the boys, with two of the counselors, to a different space, with the direction of “Create a music piece in the vein of Cleopatra’s Egypt”. She also gave them some sample music to work with.

Doreen was now left with twenty one female campers to create a processional onto the stage. She situated them by height into a pyramid, with a couple of campers playing Cleopatra, Charmain, and Iris, at the point. By the end of the rehearsal, the campers used an Elizabethan dance step, the Pavane, to come from backstage and end up in their pyramid formation. Their breaths were synchronized and they created different levels by dropping to the ground on different lines given by Cleopatra and her maids. Also incorporated was a snake formation using everyone’s bodies to create a massive animal form, representing the snake Cleopatra uses to bring about her own death.

Next, the girls in the processional section had the opportunity to see what the music group had done. The girls all sat and watched while the other group came in with their instruments to show what they had worked on. One camper started them off with the clanking of tiny cymbals, and then the ringing from a water glass was added. Next, low droning voices were heard. Drums, a flute, and a shaker started up while two of the girls mimicked the flute’s notes with their voices. By the end, the girls from the processional section were in awe; as well were Doreen and the other counselors. One camper was very excited and kept saying how awesome her fellow campers did. Doreen automatically sent the musicians up to the balcony and combined all that the campers had created. With the music underscoring the women walking out and Cleopatra’s text, the whole room felt as if it was transported back to Ancient Egypt. Afterwards, Doreen kept saying how much the music added and how much it completely changed the whole image of the processional.

Darielle Shandler