Last night I sat in on the final rehearsal for Next Fall. It was the final chance for the cast and crew to tweak the hundreds of little details that go into making a great show. Final notes for the actors were given. Technical issues were being discussed and resolved. The final hurdle is getting past opening night nerves, which had started to flutter, more for some than others. But all these things were just the last touches capping off a transformation.

What was once a Victorian house, with an attached doctor’s office is now a modern apartment, a hospital room, a hospital waiting area, and a few other places. Seeing the transformation from one set to a completely new one always amazes me, especially knowing what a small space the designers have to deal with. The transition movements of the set is like watching a moving puzzle. There are certain elements that are constant, some come in and out of the set, while others are there for a just s brief moment in time. All of this is done to give a sense of different times and places, but I also see it as an analogy to life in general. The great puzzle we are all trying to figure out. We know that the pieces with flat edges are our boundries and always will be, but the rest we have to figure out and try to put together in a way that makes sense.

The transformation was not just in the stage alone. If you have been following the theatre scene in Charlotte you would know that Christian Casper, who plays Adam (a modern gay man) in Next Fall, was in ATC’s previous show The Vibrator play, where he played a Victorian doctor. These are two totally different characters, with little in common. Their only common bond being the fact that both characters experience conflict with their partners. Was the transition easy? This would be a good question for you to ask Christian after you have gone to see Next Fall.

Polly Adkins has also gone through a quick transformation, but where Christian had to totally change his persona, Polly has had to tone one back. Before Next Fall, Polly was Violet in August: Osage County at CAST. In it she portrayed a drug addicted overbearing mother, with a vast assortment of other issues, all of which she has an opinion on. As Arlene in Next Fall, she plays a mother again, who has an attachment to her pills and her opinions. She has had to go from an extreme, and then had to dial it back several notches to create a whole new character. For those not familiar with acting and it complexities, this can be quite difficult, as an actor never wants to play two different characters the same way, especially one right on top of the other.

Next Fall opened tonight and while I couldn’t be there for it, I am positive it went great. Make sure you get your tickets now, don’t wait until the last minute, or you might miss your chance. Keep an eye out for my next blog where the director of Next Fall, Dennis Delamar answers a few questions regarding the show. In the meantime, check out the Who’s Who section under the show description and read the bios of all the amazing talent that makes this production what it is.