Dangerous Mezzo Productions

The opera workshop starts on Monday.  I’m very excited and very keyed-up about it — I keep having goofy anxiety dreams (as I always do) about workshops and performances and so forth.  My subconscious is very busy, lately.

We had a great production meeting last week — it was quite impressive to see how many people are now involved behind the scenes in this shindig. It was a small band when we started, although many of those folks are still around:  Judy Reade, our ubiquitous props mistress, who knows everyone and everything theatrical in Halifax; Colin Richardson, the Dunn Theatre Crew Chief, who is now lighting designer for the shows; and, of course, Tara Scott, music director extraordinaire …

It’s going to be a big crowd in room 121 on Monday morning — and I can’t wait!

Sometimes it’s just so much fun.  Take today, for example.  As I’m gearing up for the start of rehearsals for the Halifax Summer Opera Workshop, and my production of Handel’s Giulio Cesare, I’m gathering all sorts of props, costumes and knick-knacks that we’ll need.

Well, the best one arrived today — a  severed head!

(The precipitating event of Giulio Cesare is the murder of Pompey by the Egyptians, and the stage directions do indicate that General Achilla needs to produce Pompey’s severed head …)

I’ve got AK47s on order too: they’ll be traveling across Canada on a Greyhound bus …

Gotta love show business!