notes and the actors write down his pointers in their notebooks. He notes lines that worked and that didn’t. He reenacts scenes to show them how they need to play. By 10 p.m., it’s a wrap, and the actors need to finish any schoolwork and get some sleep before the next day’s classes.
At the end of Act Four, emotion leadens the air as the Chancellor weeps over two bodies: his son Ferdinand has poisoned Luise and then himself. At the close, the audience bursts into applause. The cast, drained from the rigor of the performance, but glowing and proud, lines up for their bow.
Show Time
When everyone but the cast has dispersed, Peter gathers them to review the night’s performance. “What moments were positive, effective?” he asks.
Friday night, the second of three consecutive performance nights, brings heavy rain. More than 100 people—faculty, students and parents—wait in the hallway for the doors to open. The room fills with chatty and excited energy. Lights dim, the music is cued and Act One unfolds. Ferdinand’s love for Luise is written on his face. Frau Miller and Miller (Oliver Bok, Class I) banter and bicker like an old married couple. Lady Miller, regal and confident in her black lace dress, also conveys her vulnerability and sadness. The Chancellor towers physically over everyone, a looming, menacing presence. The Hoffmarschall is all color and wit while Wurm oozes around the stage, a terrifying character. All the actors have nailed down how to communicate with their eyes and gestures. As Act One concludes, the story’s intensity sits heavy on the silent audience.
The actors, in turn, graciously praise their peers for particular scenes and chemistry. The actors will take these thoughts into their final performance the following night. “I was so pleased with the casting and how the play turned out,” says Peter. “I was pleased by how the students understood and embraced the words and language, how they understood the literature and then made choices to bring it to life. One moment in rehearsals, I asked Caleb how he was tapping into his feelings toward his son Ferdinand and he answered, ‘Because I see his mother.’ Well, the script never refers to the mother! That’s the kind of leap you want an actor to make. Ah, yes!” Liz Matson
“If you are struggling for a line, think about what you want to say in this moment with this person, and it will come to you,” says Peter. “Make sure you are listening to each other.” During the week of the performances, “run week,” major and minor decisions must be made regarding costumes, music and lighting. Flyers are designed, printed and hung around campus by the actors. Tickets are “sold” during lunches at Forbes. “This is the most stressful time,” says Emilie. “We still want to get so much done. But it will come together. It always comes together.” At the dress rehearsal, they first run through the beginning and ending of each scene to check scene queues, shifts and prop placement. Then Peter gives the command: run the play from beginning to end. “This is a rehearsal. We might stop, but I hope we don’t have to.” Peter perches in different audience seats, taking notes. At the end he goes over the Fall 2012 47