"40 is the New 15" Rehearsal
Dana Meller as Sarah rehearsing "Higher" and "Better Than This" with Cindy O'Connor, composer
The first week of rehearsals is in full swing, and it's an exciting time. With 5 new songs, and several new scenes, we're smoothing out the new material and solving problems/answering questions as we go. We've built a 'gap week' into the schedule, so that we can spend some time next week doing revisions and issuing a revised script, before we go back to work again.
I had a bit of a meltdown yesterday when we were exploring the new monologue and song for the character of Winter. It's difficult sometimes, when working with some real pros, to maintain my ego and not get defensive in the face of criticism and tough questions. I'm getting better at it, but I also need to remember that in the end, I have to trust my instincts and hold true to my vision, or I will regret it. Sink or swim, this will have my name on it (and Cindy's!) and we have to be proud of the message and the impression it leaves on the audience. So, it's all a balance.