WEEK TWO

It is Sunday and we have completed a run through of the show on site, with costumes, horses and lights.

The site is the Arboretum - a large public park alongside the Rideau canal, featuring a gargantuan tobbagan hill, winding creeks, and an extraordinary collection of rare and ancient trees.

Earlier this week the set was moved out of the NAC shop and assembled in the various locations. Crews erected a great white tent for the horse barn. A generator powered trailer was installed for the cookshack/dressing room. By Friday the Royal Winnipeg Ballet had moved in to rehearsal hall B and the cast of the Snowshow had moved out of rehearsal hall A and into the -20 environs of the Arboretum.

On Saturday the horses and teamsters arrived, and we rehearsed our route in the blinding sun, passing through joggers, dog walkers, kids on toboggans. A testament to the teams and teamsters - they handle the park's many distractions very well. That afternoon we added the actors and marked through the route once more.

By Sunday afternoon, we prepared for two run-throughs of the show - one in daylight, and one in the evening with the full complement of technical support. That afternoon the park was crammed with people, and we required an army of audience patrol to move the sleighs through the winding park. Joggers in bright gear breezed right through scenes, excited dogs barked on the periphery, and sun blinded tobogganers barreled down on the six sleigh convoy - to be intercepted/tackled by stage management. The horses, teamsters, actors and crew moved through the Sunday melee with calm, and we got through without incident. By that night, the park had emptied, the stars were out, and Martin Conboy's lights were up. We ran the show again, and some of the old magic of the show began to make itself felt as we wound our way through the towering trees and crossed the little bridge to the winds and the troll scene. Afterwards, a quick note session to go over what's left to be done, what changes to be made.

Opening Night is three days away.