Director A.S.(Alex) Freeman leads Spencer Sickmann (Nathan Hale) and Alan Knoll (John Montresor) through the first table read under the watchful eye of Stage Manager Jayme Brown.

Rehearsals started on a brand new Bluff City Theater season this past Tuesday in St. Louis.  Director A.S. (Alex) Freeman brought the creative team together for some “table work” on The Interrogation of Nathan Hale.  This is a first read-through of the script and discussion about the characters, themes and ideas the actors will be working with.

Bringing a new production to the stage in just two-and-a-half weeks is an enormous challenge, but one that professional actors and directors manage to pull off for every show.  It starts with getting everyone used to the material and their co-stars, then proceeds through blocking, character development, costuming, set construction, tech (lighting and sound design)- culminating in the final run-throughs before we’re ready to put the show in front of an audience.

And ironically, in just a few more days, it’s all over and gone- perhaps forever!  That’s one  of the reasons live theater is such a special and ethereal  art form.  Each production is a unique creation, each performance different from the last in subtle or substantial ways, each new cast a family that spends immense amounts of time together for a few short weeks, then moves on to the next project.  Is there any other art form that devotes so much energy to such a short-lived existence?

Building a professional show takes the input of a really talented and dedicated team of people and we’re fortunate here at Bluff City Theater to work with many of the best in the industry.  If you haven’t bought your 2019 Season Subscription yet, there’s still time.  You don’t want to miss a moment of our exciting season dedicated to exploring The American Experience.

Buy your subscriptions online at www.eventshannibal.com or call the box office at 573-719-3226.