FALLING FOR EVE Blog: "The Put-In"

The York Theatre Company is presenting te World Premiere of FALLING FOR EVE, a new musical with book by two-time Tony Award-nominee (and recent two-time Outer Critics Circle Award-winner) Joe DiPietro (MEMPHIS), music by Bret Simmons ('The Megan Mullally Show') and lyrics by David Howard ('Galaxy Quest').

The cast of Falling for Eve features Jennifer Blood (LIKE YOU LIKE IT at the Gallery Players) Krystal Joy Brown (HAIR),Nehal Joshi (LES MISERABLES), Adam Kantor (NEXT TO NORMAL, RENT), Jose Llana (SPELLING BEE, FLOWER DRUM SONG) and Sasha Sloan (RAGTIME, The Kennedy Center).

Please visit www.yorktheatre.org for complete performance schedule.

In this BWW blog, the cast and creative team take you behind the scenes of this new production!

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*Falling for Eve* Blog by Adam Kantor

The "Put-In."

Sounds dirty? It is.

Friday afternoon we had our "put-in" for Stephanie Umoh, who is replacing Krystal Joy Brown as Eve in *Falling For Eve* beginning Tuesday August 3rd. The "put-in" is the one and only rehearsal where an actor who is replacing another actor in a show gets the opportunity to run the entire play from start to finish with the full performing company, orchestra, lights and sound. The replacement actor is the only one in costume.

This is generally a nerve-racking day for the actor who is being "put-in."
Why?

For one thing, the rule of thumb is, the actor who is replacing has had an insanely small amount of time to learn the role. And by learn the role, I mean to learn and memorize all of the dialogue, songs and staging. In this case, I believe Stephanie had something like seven rehearsals. Megan
Schneid, our Stage Manager, was telling us a story about how in *A Tale of Two Cities*, an understudy had to go on with only ONE rehearsal, so in this case, seven sounds generous. When I replaced in *RENT*, I had over two weeks of rehearsal, which now seems like decades in comparison! But seven days to learn the role of "Eve," which is a vocally and emotionally demanding role, is a daunting task to say the least.

Also, while rehearsing the role, the replacing actor watches the show every night. So, it becomes a sort of surreal experience to go from watching the show to actually being in it. It's like when you're dreaming about a movie you've seen a million times except you're actually a part of the action.
And, although you've learned your blocking with the stage manager, and although you've walked your "track," and although you've been told, in theory, where the other actors will be on stage around you, you've never actually had them there before to do it with you, and you get only one
shot. Once it starts, you feel like a cannonball that's been shot from a cannon, and there's no heading back! You don't want to mess up the other actors, who have been performing the show nightly and have a semi-permanent rhythm, but you also want to infuse your own persona and human experience into the character, to make it your own. It's a tricky balance.

Also, if you have a guilty conscience, like I do, you are fully aware that the entire tech crew, band, and Acting Company have come into the theatre all for YOU. Normally, actors like attention. However, this knowledge can be a bit suffocating. The last thing you want to do is not know your
stuff. You want to ensure everyone that you were hired for a reason, that his or her show will be OK, that you're up to snuff. This can be especially daunting stepping into a company of actors who have originated the roles in the play or musical, or who have been a team for a long while.

I don't remember much of my put-in for *RENT*. I was so nervous - much more nervous than on my actual opening night - that I think I blocked a lot of it out of my head. I do remember Michael Greif, the director of RENT, coming over to me during intermission of the "put-in" and saying something along the lines of "you've done all the work you can do....you know this role....you
are Mark....just be yourself and know that you are worthy." For me, being 21 and fresh out of college, acting alongside some of my idols, Michael's "pep talk" made all the difference and really inspired me and calmed me down.

Today, Stephanie did a truly incredible job. She was completely focused, in the moment, made really bold choices, sang her face off, and told the story of "Eve" beautifully, with a specific arc to the character. And, she doesn't remember a thing. Afterwards, I told her how amazing she was, and
she said she was blacked out. Didn't even remember our scene together. This is completely normal for a "put-in."

And you know the most ridiculous part of it all? STEPHANIE IS ONLY IN THE SHOW FOR 6 DAYS. We close on August 8th.

While losing Krystal will be sad for all of us, since she is an irreplaceable talent and personality, we are all excited to welcome Stephanie into the cast, who will bring her own unique and incredible version of "Eve" to The York.