All Aboard the Argo

Jim and Brent making cricket sounds.

Here's another insider's post from an Argonautica cast member! Today's entry comes from Brent Morgan, who plays Tiphys, Zetes, and several other roles in our upcoming production.

So I'm honored that Bob & Tommy asked me to write this blog post. Sometimes when you're the newest member of a new group, it's easy to feel like you're still an outsider. I mean, I know I was 'officially' accepted when Bob cast me, but that was mostly because it counted toward his mandated community service hours, so it's still hard. But this is a great group, very friendly and extremely talented, and I'm just trying to keep up and contribute the best I can.

It's certainly cliche, but absolutely truthful, that you don't know how much work goes into the finished product until you go through it yourself. I asked Bob if I could get out of rehearsals if I slept with him, and now I see why he declined: the group, both individually and as a whole, has made substantial progress over the past two weeks.

I must honestly say that I'm very impressed with Bob's directing; he not only catches what little I notice, but so much more. And while rehearsing the same script over and over is naturally tedious, it's a genuine pleasure watching (and hearing) the other actors. If every parent could provide a lilting, soothing narration like Billy Pullen's Orpheus, children would never know how any bedtime story ended. I feel safe in saying that each cast member delivers particular lines in a better way than I would ever have thought of, or that I would be incapable of reproducing no matter how hard I tried (or both).

Being a natural cataloguer, I'll note my top 5 favorite lines (as a combination of writing and delivery) in another blog post, along with the best behind-the-scenes comments. Until then, keep checking the blog for updates, mark your calendars for February 11-12, and happy listening!