And... it's THE LULLABY TREE

Welcome back, we say-- though perhaps more to us than you.  As always, our blog here at Second Wind is dormant when we're not actively in rehearsals for a show.  But we're back with the world premiere of The Lullaby Tree by Ian Walker, and we've got exciting things planned for the show and this blog.  Check out our newest video and a glimpse into our first read-thru last Tuesday.

 We look forward to seeing you in the theatre....

Get your tickets now-- they go fast: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/342680

A KISS to Remember

Like any great love affair, sometime things just come together perfectly... and then they spin off into chaos and you struggle to draw the pieces back together, dust them off, and re-find the magic.  That's what pre-production for Kiss of the Spider Woman has been like.  One of those times that drive me to slide my copy of Slings and Arrows (the brilliant Canadian TV series about theatre) back into the DVD player for a little perspective. 

After a stormy production week, the sun has emerged I'm beginning to feel that magic in the air.  It was nicely topped with our first read thru of Kiss, which opens September 7th at The Phoenix.  Most people know Kiss of the Spider Woman as an award-winning musical or an Oscar nominated film.  But before any of these incarnations, it was a highly controversial novel written in response to the Dirty War in Argentina and the misunderstanding and oppression of gays and lesbians.  The dramatic version, seductive, subversive, and at times sublime, more closely follows the novel.  And to this classic of the stage, we invite you....

Here are some quick and dirty images from our First Read Thru yesterday.

Kiss of the Spider Woman
September 7-29, 2012
The Phoenix Theatre
414 Mason St., SF
(415) 335-6087
Tickets:  http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/263326

Vigilance in Rehearsal, Week Three

It's been a while since we posted a video entry to our blog. As we turn from staging to run throughs and polish, we offer a look back on what we've been up to.

We've got a few more tricks up our sleeve for this production. It's never too late to get tickets!

VIGILANCE

by Ian Walker

February 2-25th at The Phoenix Theatre, 414 Mason St., San Francisco

A hostile newcomer drives his neighbors down a path of mutual destruction, laying bar long-buried secrets in this richly imagined, NY John Gold Prize-winner thrill from Bay Area playwright Ian Walker.

Rehearsal Peek in 2 Minutes, 22 Seconds

Today's post is a visual peek into our rehearsal: 2 minutes, twenty-two seconds from behind the scenes. Tonight was our first stumble through. Like every first, it had more than one painful moment; but the strength of the story-telling is already beginning to shine. As a director, I like to identify the strengths of a piece, and then focus on its weaknesses. Strengths (an aspect the playwright focused on during the writing process) will almost always blossom on their own. The main strength of The Woman In Black is in the story-telling, so it's no surprise that's what stood out in the first stumble. Now the fun begins.

Inside a Rehearsal

This time it's an inside look at rehearsals in moving images. I've shied away from taking footage of scene work because I think it's too intrusive. It's too easy to start acting for the camera (for both the actor and the director). But Thursday's rehearsal was focused on integrating movement and fight choreography into the scene-work, giving an opportunity to shoot a little more tape. We've slipped about a day behind in the rehearsal process; there's just too much physical work to cover, and it always takes longer than one expects. Where we'll make it up, nobody knows. It's particularly frightening, because we'll take a 11 day break for the holidays, and if we're not solid before then, the show could slip dramatically. On the bright side, Arthur Keng returned from NY after 2 weeks out of rehearsals very much ready to go. When a moment catches fire for the first time in rehearsal is a blessed thing.

Visit us: www.secondwindtheatre.com