Today we were on stage for the first time. Yikes. The set is huge- but all steps on which the principals do little, but the chorus and dancers do much. They are extremely steep and there are many of them: say, at least 50-75. There are large blocks about 3 ft. by one ft. that go up and down on ropes. Fortunately the blocks are light but you still do not want to be in their path.

We basically changed all our blocking in Act I sc I. So the rehearsal was spent doing that and working on the choral scene, which is quite complicated but which they do very well. It was helpful to watch the movie last night as there was a mother/Empress and also another mother and I could pick up a few expressions. For the most part they had “normal” reactions and only the formal scenes were stylized. I am now feeling a tad freer.