The live musicians came in today, which was fantastic. Yuri, the violinist paired with the Peter character, is funny and immensely talented.
Initially she looked a little nervous, when we described the way Peter would be running in circles around her and said, “Be careful.”
“Don’t worry. I played.” ((Seventeen years))
She immediately relaxed. “Okay. You get it.” So, she’s totally game to strolling on stage and letting Peter run in circles around her.
I completely understand her concern. A lot of people don’t understand how fragile violins are or how expensive they are. It’s the same with puppets, though they aren’t nearly as expensive. People tend to think of them as dolls or toys and will just pick them up to play with them. Basic etiquette: Never touch a puppet that isn’t yours.
In fact, a couple of the musicians did that last night and it really annoyed me. You’d think they would get that automatically, since I can’t imagine they would be happy if someone picked up their instrument. I didn’t say anything, because I figured they were just excited. Still, I might ask the director to casually talk about how the puppets are our instruments.
Aside from that one, minor, annoyance, it was so unbelievably fantastic having the live musicians there. Everything felt more immediate. The clarinetist and flute players were getting into their characters and teasing each other on stage, just as a cat and bird might.
I’m very much looking forward to the next rehearsal
You mean that they are NOT dolls?
I know. It’s hard to believe.