One of the perks of running the Around the Bay last weekend was that I missed a rehearsal.

It was a milestone rehearsal.

Off Book Day.

Yes, I would rather subject myself to the pain. The pain of running 30 kilometers. Rather than face the humiliation of not knowing my lines.

But I couldn’t dodge it forever.

Today was the first day that the whole cast was available to stumble through the first act.

Off Book. (No scripts.)

Yes, it was painful.

No, I still don’t have my lines down yet.

It is uncomfortable calling out “Line!” when the memory won’t deliver the thing you thought you knew.

Everyone was in the same boat.

Some people know their lines better than others. But everyone was tripping over something.

It’s another bonding experience.

And it happens with every show.

One of those rites of passage.

Now, I’ve got a few days until Sunday’s rehearsal.

To work on those lines.

To come up with the strategies to remember.

To get it done.

But it was also fun to start moving around without the script.

To start to play with the role a bit more.

Especially as the set gets closer to its final state.

And props can get held and played with.

This is going to be a good show.