Enter Stage Right

Illustration by Jillian Tamaki.

Day 6

The final day of opening week is here, and as I open my eyes to greet it, I realize I welcome it. I snooze for an extra half hour, then crawl out of bed feeling pretty rested and pretty good — although secretly, I can’t wait for the day to be over.

I head to the theatre for rehearsal for As You Like It, which I’m sure will be more like a pre-opening night chat with our director Antoni Cimolino. In the Green Room — the staff cafeteria — I run into a friend who mocks me for my purchase. “Forget about muffins, missy,” she says to me, “you need energy today. You go out and get a good pasta in a nice thick cream sauce — that’s what you need.” Then she gives me a hug and a kiss and sends me on my way. Maybe she’s right…

Down in the maze of the festival theatre building, I find myself in Rehearsal Hall No. 3, a room named after Tanya Moiseiwitsch, the first designer of the Stratford Festival, and the genius behind the architecture of the most magical stage in the world — the festival’s thrust stage. Most of the cast is already seated when I arrive. I scarf down the rest of my sad little muffin and join them. As I thought, Antoni hasn’t gathered us to really rehearse — more to check in and have a chat. His job is finished; the show is ours now. He delivers a heartfelt thank-you speech and ends by saying that this is the most fun he’s ever had directing this show. I take this as a good sign.

Rehearsal is broken, and we have a five-hour countdown until show time. I hurry downtown to pick up a very last-minute opening-night present, get distracted with a little window shopping and, heeding the advice from earlier, pick up some chicken fettuccine alfredo to go.

At home, I set to work organizing everything for tonight, have a quick nap and before I know it, it’s 6 p.m. and I’m trundling off to the theatre, bags and bags of cards and presents in hand.

Warm-up is crowded, almost everybody is there; there is so much energy in the room, it might as well be levitating off the ground. I go to my spot — I have the same spot every day — and immediately feel myself go into a “zone.” I’m really focused tonight — I have no idea how or why — but I go with it because it feels really good. Usually, I’m very influenced by the chaos around me, but something inside is keeping me grounded and connected. Because of this, I leave feeling excited about the show, and not the least bit scared.

Downstairs, my dressing room table is overflowing with cards and presents and flowers from friends, cast mates and, of course, Mom and Dad. This is totally overwhelming — people are so generous.

Tonight, the show will start with Barenaked Ladies singing the national anthem live on stage. This shifts our usual show rhythm, but the band sounds really good and after the cheers for them have died down, there is a hush as the stage goes to black and this year’s production of As You Like It is unveiled.

I have a lot of fun in my first scene as Audrey — but I’m aware that I’m trying too hard. I tell myself to relax and trust; to my surprise, my body listens. I don’t feel like overanalyzing or worrying tonight; life’s too short.

And so is the play, apparently — as fast as it began, it was over. After the curtain call, the back stage halls are filled with chatter and laughter. I look in the mirror as I take off my wig, and I’m smiling. I had a really good time tonight, and I think I feel satisfied.

Upstairs at the reception, I say goodbye to a long but fulfilling week with a toast that lasts into the wee hours of the morning…