The Boards, Wednesday Evening [Rehearsal]

[oncourtandstage.livejournal.com]

As Troy finished setting up the pitchers of water, he was doing his best to hold back tears. He'd been on the phone with Ryan earlier in the day -- been on the phone with Ryan until suddenly Ryan wasn't there to be on the phone.

Or anyone else whose number he had from East High.

Or anyone else he'd ever known in New York.

He took a moment, before everyone arrived, to just stop. Take a breath. Hold it in, let it out, center himself as best he could.

No time for his tragedies: his cast would have their own. And there was a show to put on.

Comments

Arrive/Mingle

[oncourtandstage.livejournal.com]

As mentioned, there's water again, and tea again as well, with honey and lemon if anyone wanted it. (No sugar, no milk -- bad for the voice, after all.)

Re: Arrive/Mingle

[trigons_child]

Raven wasn't sure her performance would be any better this time than it was the last, but she did welcome rehearsals as an excuse to check on Jono and Karla and other friends. Even if she'd mostly shut down emotionally, she couldn't turn off her feelings off entirely anymore.

Re: Arrive/Mingle

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

Miley was off to the side, nursing a cup of tea and avoiding people's eyes.

She still wasn't quite up to dealing with people.

Re: Arrive/Mingle

[selfhelphero]

It was pretty clear that Miley wanted to be left alone, but Billy was glancing her way anyway. He'd heard her radio broadcast, and looking to see if she needed some comforting seemed like the least he could do.

Re: Arrive/Mingle

[walkswithcoyote]

Mercy was sitting quietly. Very very quietly.

Re: Arrive/Mingle

[didntchewgrass.livejournal.com]

Elphaba showed up, but she looked a little irked to be there.

And then, actually after a moment, she just blurted out "Why are we even here?" she said.

Re: Arrive/Mingle

[furnaceface]

"Nobody's making anybody be here," Jono said, glancing over at her. "Me, I'm thankful to see people showing up in one piece, but if you aren't feeling up to this, and I really can't blame you if you're not, you're welcome to go try to look into this in the library or something more constructive, luv."

Re: Arrive/Mingle

[oncourtandstage.livejournal.com]

"Because maybe this'll bring a little holiday cheer to everyone else," Troy said, flatly. "Don't... Jono's right. You don't need to be here, and maybe helping in the library, or doing one of a hundred other things, would be more helpful. But maybe this'll be the one thing that puts the smile on someone's face this year, and to me? That's more than enough reason to keep going."

Re: Arrive/Mingle

[selfhelphero]

Billy's sense of duty was strong enough to bring him to rehearsal, even as he wondered if there was something else he could be doing. It hadn't seemed like he could do much to help so far, at least.

Re: Arrive/Mingle

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

Kenzi now buzzed over to Billy and grinned at him. Denial! She Can Haz It!

"Hey Boss. I'm doing the thing where I start looking at flats to paint and sheets to dye and oh, I was thinking snow. Chemical snow. Maybe fluffy cotton snow. Thoughts?"

Re: Arrive/Mingle

[i-am-the-rat.livejournal.com]

Hank shifted nervously on his feet, not really sure how to react to everyone. Sadness perplexed him.

Re: Arrive/Mingle

[life_inshadow]

Tara put about a pound of honey into her cup of tea -- or at least a few generous tablespoons -- and then sat to take in the rehearsal.

She felt comfortable about her performance, even if she wasn't comfortable about anything else.

Warm-Up!

[oncourtandstage.livejournal.com]

Sing scales, stretch out, do tongue-twisters -- Troy's got some moddable pamphlets on various warm-ups, if anyone need help figuring out the best way to do it.

Next time there'll be another game, maybe.

[oncourtandstage.livejournal.com]

"So we should all have a pretty good idea -- or at least some ideas -- as to what you're doing in the production," Troy said, smiling at least a little. If it was a little subdued, well, he wasn't talking about that. "I'd like to work with the people doing monologues tonight, see if we can get closer to an actual final draft of whatever you're going to be saying. We can tweak it during the rest of the rehearsals, but it'd be nice to have a final framework to work from. And I'm sure Jono has plans for what he wants the musicians to work on tonight."

[walkswithcoyote]

Since Mercy didn't have a monologue she just waited silently to see what Jono wanted her to do. She was perfectly willing to sit and wait all night or until dismissed or given a task.

[furnaceface]

Right, then. Mercy had come here, and if she was looking for direction, he was going to bloody well direct.

"Mercy, luv," Jono said, looking up and trying like hell to seem like he wasn't coming apart at the ends, "would you mind running through that Gaelic number again? You had a lovely grasp on it on Sunday, but I'd like to hear it again, if you please. And then, once everybody has gone through their more personalized acts, I'd like to see if we can do a little something with Carol of the Bells, if people are feeling up to it."

[i-am-the-rat.livejournal.com]

Hank lifted his guitar and waved it at Jono. "I'm getting lessons!" he announced proudly.

[furnaceface]

"Yes, Hank," Jono agreed. "I'm aware of that."

Because Jono was the one giving him those lessons.

Talk to the Directors!

[oncourtandstage.livejournal.com]

When the ping in!

Re: Talk to the Directors!

[oncourtandstage.livejournal.com]

If anyone wants to catch Troy before or after the rehearsal proper, he's around. And he'll do his best (which after a few years on stage is pretty good) to cover up the fact that he really just wants to be screaming right now.

Re: Talk to the Directors!

[furnaceface]

Jono watched the handful of performers as they trickled in. And then he frowned a little, leaning over to murmur at Troy.

"It... isn't going to happen. Is it?"

Maybe they'd know their parts by then. Maybe they wouldn't. Maybe they were all watching reality come apart at the seams and were just going through the motions. Either way, the world was ending, and here they were making students sing holiday music.

Re: Talk to the Directors!

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

"Hey, I don't think we talked, I'm Kenzi," Kenzi said, buzzing by. "Here, have coffee. I'm helping with sets."

Re: Talk to the Directors!

[furnaceface]

Honestly, at this point Jono was well convinced that there wasn't going to be a stage left to hold a showcase on. But he was here, with coffee, not even bothering to hide his frown today.

If people wanted to rehearse, then by all means, they were welcome to bury what was eating at them in their performances. And if they didn't feel up to it, but they were here regardless...

That just meant that he could confirm that they were still safe and alive, and he rather needed that, today.

Re: Talk to the Directors!

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

"I can't do it."

Oh, hello, Jono. There was a slightly blotchy-eyed Miley standing in front of you, wearing a dark hoodie with the hood up. She... didn't exactly look capable of any performance at that moment, no.

OOC

[oncourtandstage.livejournal.com]

Classes this morning, but I should be around all afternoon/evening!