At Home

Rehearsals are well under way for our first production in the new theater, Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods. We began rehearsals a week ago and tech begins a week from today. Around us construction workers are quickly putting the finishing touches on the building. On the first day of rehearsal the fire alarms were being tested as the cast began the process of learning the music. As Jon Kalbfleisch our music director said, “if you can sing Sondheim with a fire alarm going off, you can sing anything.” But no one’s complaining. The new Shen Rehearsal Room is about three times the size of the old rehearsal space in the garage and there are two additional rehearsal rooms just down the hall (the Sondheim and the Zickler). In fact, stage management was able to tape out the entire set in the Shen, and there was even extra room to tape out the seating banks. Where the garage rehearsal room could be a little suffocating, the new rehearsal room provides a wonderful space to play and explore in. The cast is made up of actors that have been involved in many past Signature productions and I think it’s unanimous that everyone is thrilled with the additional rehearsal space and breathing room. Donna Migliaccio said when she came to see the space a few weeks before rehearsal that it was beautiful, but it didn’t quite feel like a theater yet, but instead more like a model home. However, she was certain that once rehearsals got underway it would start to feel like a theater. I don’t know whether it’s started to feel like a working theater for her yet, but it certainly does to me. While the space is bigger, the work being done is the same. The same passion and commitment goes into creating a great production. And as the musical continues to be realized in the rehearsal room and the sets get loaded in and costumes make their way into the fitting rooms, this “model home” begins to feel like Signature.

Matt Gardiner
Assistant Director