We've got Deities, Magic, and Plenty of Time to Spare...

Of all the weeks working on Shackles, this is the one most likely to be blog-worthy.

The festival is fast approaching, and that means that Rob (the closest thing we have to a deity here) will be coming around to view each one of the shows involved, which we've all been working on so diligently and so wonderfully-independently these past few months. Our particular time of glory was about a week ago.

It's a fascinatingly stressful experience. On the one hand, you have a perfectly harmless looking young man watching your show and smiling throughout, however, on the other hand, you're aware you're giving the performance that could potentially result in your termination from the festival, and by extension your love of life and sense of self worth.

Now, that didn't happen, of course.

No, it actually went surprisingly well. Our show is coming along nicely, we're almost off book, and have our blocking set, which all means the show is really taking shape. Rob gave some great advice, and we're looking forward to some more from our mentor and additional deity Philip Akin, who we'll meet up with tomorrow. (Instead of watching the Super Bowl, may I add. Oh the sacrifices we make for theatre...)

The real remaining question is what to do with the month we have left; because now comes the best part, the part with the polishing and the perfecting. The part where we experiment and explore. The part where, assuming we can get past the leisure-ness and the technicalities and the remembering-of-lines, where the real, shamelessly clichéd "magic" happens.

Here's hoping our respected mentors/Gods can help with that process and what's to come, and here's to sharing that particular type of magic with you, Dearest-Paprika-Blog-Followers.

Until next time,

Shackles team.