The Final Fix

By Armand Thomas, KÀ Stage Manager

Last spring was about speculation and conception.Summer brought the full technical scope and the intensive training. In the fall, the esthetics came to light when the pieces were cobbled together to form a linear show. Then, amazingly, we opened; it was an exceptional achievement given the scale of the challenge and the length of the to-do list as we geared up for the November 26 "soft" opening. And now, almost suddenly, we're in the New Year having done more than 50 shows; knowledge has replaced speculation, jitters gave way to confidence, and (alas) the initial flush of giddiness has been overcome by steady routine.

Yet, at a stage when many productions would be hoping to peak before they close, we here at KÀ are still in creation mode. In just a few weeks, we'll get rid of the "previews" tag of these performances and open in gala fashion on February 3. Even the most jaded among us will sense the euphoria of shows no. 87 and 88 – they will have an aura like no other. Until then, however, director Robert Lepage and the entire designer team are back with fresh eyes for one final push, one last collective upsurge of inspiration to complete the process. Now that the show has settled and acquired a rhythm, becoming secure and revealing of its capacity, it is time to take out the buffer and polish the rough edges, fine-tune the narrative, add a dash of spice and a splash of color.

In truth, the production staff, along with the cast of course, has never stopped in the creation process. Or perhaps more accurately, it should be called the re-creation process. In order to maintain the integrity of the show and reproduce it faithfully day after day, every department must have depth in its ranks; And so, for most of December, while the creation team was away, the show crew diligently began cross-training in every department, creating back-ups starting with key members of the staff lest someone be ill, absent or simply in need of a rest.

Learning different tracks is as laborious as it is crucial. The initial repercussions are obvious: before shadowing anyone else, you must have had someone shadow you. The entire domino effect begins slowly, strategically, until the paths begin to intertwine and information is gathered more swiftly, less obscurely. At one point, it really does become like a jig-saw puzzle: the fewer the remaining pieces, the more obvious where they'll go.

Backing up positions doesn't only place a show on solid ground, it also helps avert tedium. In Stage Management, the backstage/understage tracks are now being swapped in order to provide each member with a different outlook of the show, but just as importantly, to break the dulling effect of relentless repetition. With time, there will also be depth in the booth, where several Stage Managers will be capable of calling the show. Here, too, the focus will be placed not on creating but rather re-creating: the cues must be voiced in the same manner, at the same places, lest the established tempo be broken.

Among the cast, January has been a veritable schooling month - as the cold weather and its attending flu-season blew in, artists were called upon to replace their fallen comrades on short notice. Baptisms by fire, as it were, which kept everyone on their toes and created versatility in a maturing cast that is increasingly able to preserve every image of the show.

So when the hoopla and festivities of the World Premiere come and go on February 3, KÀ will not only be officially born, it will be a strapping youth on firm ground.