PATIENCE REHEARSAL Phase One

First Meeting of the Ensemble. We pass out scores, rehearsal schedules, contact sheets. We watch a slide show on Gilbert & Sullivan and the production history of Patience since 1882. Then we take a deep breath and sing together for the first time.
		In the first week we stay mostly at New Place in the Studio room, going over the music with Jan Powell, tape recording our parts and practicing, practicing, practicing.
By the second week we continue to concentrate on the music; here the Maidens have a session with Jan at Providence High School, which let us use their general purpose room.
		Actor Peter Dennis (once the youngest Drill Instructor in the British Army!) comes in to teach our Dragoons how to march, stop, stand, turn, etc. at a Screenland Studios rehearsal space.
Dance Captain Janellen Steininger coaches the Dragoons in maintaining a proper manly boxing stance.
		Because we aim to cover each role three-deep, choreography is often rehearsed in a phalanx formation; here three sets of Dragoons practice the "Medieval Art" number.
Jeremy Lawrence, changes his original assignment (sharing the Duke of Dunstable) and begins to learn the role of Bunthorne. Here hs models the latest in Victorian Naturist headgear.
By the end of the third week, we're doing full run-thrus, and are actually beginning to sound like we're doing a musical!

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