Apart from a panicky doughnut run at midnight, Anne Washburn’s play 10 out of 12 is a fairly representative of an all-night technical rehearsal at a dark, messy theatre – an all too familiar site where actors and techies earn their spurs.
Jim Guedo, the driving force behind Wild Side Productions, directs this skilfully crafted show with 14 top-notch actors at Theatre Network’s new location on Gateway Blvd.
The tech rehearsal is when the overworked production crew and design team synchronize all the elements to create a seamless production that will leave audiences enthralled. That’s the goal anyway.
The focus is on technical aspects and the actors are not the night’s stars. They are simply chess pieces moved around the set as the crew marks their cues.
Needless to say, the actors are exceedingly tired and bored, which leads to punch-drunk silliness. One actor disappears for hours. Another wants to skip rehearsals to audition for a film. Yet a third holds up rehearsal while he tries to discover new meaning in his lines.
The wishy-washy director keeps interrupting with fresh, at times, outrageous demands. The flighty assistant director spends more time talking than doing his job – whatever it is.
Behind the scenes, one techie cuts his hand deeply and binds it with electrical tape instead of visiting a hospital. And the efficient stage manager, the production’s linchpin, slowly has a meltdown keeping all the creative types on track.
It’s an evening with its special crazy brand of drama and comedy. In fact, Washburn took copious notes of her own play rehearsals and used them to draft 10 out of 12.
The term 10 out of 12 refers to the 10-hour limit in any 12-hour period that Actors’ Equity members are permitted to work.
One of the most appealing aspects of this production is that we are given ear-buds to eavesdrop on parallel conversations going on backstage. To pass the time, the backstage posse discusses the merits of a salami and Swiss cheese sandwich, how the brain functions and a misplaced X-Acto knife.
Meanwhile on set, all the thespians play games to alleviate the boredom.
Two of the actresses, Eva (Nadien Chu) and Old Lady (Melissa Thingelstad) costumed in hoop skirts, kick into an improvised dance to pass the time. Jake (Jesse Gervais) and Ben (Garett Ross) grab a seat in the audience and discuss their glory days.
The bombastic Paul Carstairs character is a brooding spirit that is out of sync with the rest of cast and is eloquently played by Robert Benz. And Dave Horak as Elliot, the director, is a forceful presence while at the same time skilfully balancing his character’s ineffectiveness.
The production effectively creates the giddiness of working too hard and too long. Washburn’s love letter to the theatre is at different times both charming and irritating.
But I could not help wonder if at two hours and 40 minutes (with intermission), this love song didn’t drag out too long.
Review
10 out of 12<br />Wild Side Productions<br />Runs until Oct.16<br />Theatre Network Live at the Roxy<br />8529 Gateway Blvd.<br />Tickets: $20 to $24 Call 780-420-1757 or at tixonthesquare.ca.
