This week, we finally began acting on stage. We were able to proceed through both the feast scene and the witches scene, which make up the majority of the production. After many weeks of reading through lines, casting, and discussing the play, it is pleasant to see the actors up on stage. Progress is incredibly shaky. Talia is confident and intelligent, but her voice is difficult to understand. Deandre continually reads off the stage instructions. Christina has difficulties with pronunciation and, unlike our other actors, stops in the middle of her lines to ask about each word. Derek is torn between wanting to participate and wanting to stay out of the way. I am sure that as we run through these scenes again and again, these problems will gradually disappear, but they are very present right now.

Our main problem is with casting. Our actors are incredibly inconsistent in their attendance. Kurntz, Deandre, and Christina are always present, but people continually show up and disappear. When new actors arrive, they always seem so excited to be participating. However, when the next week comes, we are left with an empty chair and a need to recast. I worry that we will be continually switching and combining roles until the day of the concert. As I said above, each of our actors has an individual problem that can only be addressed through repetition and practice. As much as Christina tries, no amount of scolding will stop Deandre from reading some of the stage directions. These are problems that can be addressed through run-throughs and practice, but I worry that our time is now very short. December is coming quickly. We will put on our best performance.