The first day of rehearsal was always my favorite. It was when all the cast members sat around and read the script out loud. In a relaxed ambience, we listened to each other’s voices, sensed each other’s style and tempo, and got a glimpse of who the characters were, even though they’d not yet taken form. Anticipation filled the cavernous space as we gathered round, excited for the process to begin. The eager cast pulled the old, beat-up metal chairs around the table and sat down. One by one, we introduced ourselves: Marlene Kennedy; Bob Driscoll; Frank Geraldi; Sandra Billings; Bill Fleishman. Each of us gave a short synopsis of our professional past. Including the director. “Hi, my name is Allen Cahill. I’ll be your director.” There was applause from the cast, who obviously knew him from his TV work directing cop shows and sitcoms. He had recently played a role in a Robert Altman film, not yet titled. He went on to discuss the play—and how Clifford Thorne, the author, was able to capture the essence of czarist Russia and turn the play into a contemporary “dramedy”
