The Table Read

Guest blogging by Brian Thomas Gould, actor for The New New News.  - ed.

The table read is always a funny experience for me. Every time we (the cast) are done with the initial read, I’m always disappointed. Not with the director, or the producer, or the playwright(s), or my fellow actors, but with myself. All my disappointment with those other departments comes eventually though. I probably should have seen all this coming back when I was voted, “most likely to be disappointed” in my High School graduation class. I always thought they voted me that as a joke, but after staring at myself naked in the mirror, soul searching for six and half hours last night after the table read, I realized that maybe I am most likely to be disappointed and I can’t escape my fate. The table read has always been just an uncomfortable experience for me. 

Most stage actors if you were to ask them what the worst part of the entire process is, they’d most likely say, “Auditions, tech day and or week, preview, or the dreaded opening night”. None of those bother me. It’s that dammed table read. The table read is a creative badger. Sure, the table read looks all nice and cuddly, but that table read will rip your throat out if it has the chance. . .in my opinion.

You are probably asking yourself, “What does this minor league blogger have against table reads? My Dad is a table read!”. Calm down, I didn’t mean any disrespect. The table read for those of you who are not “hip” on the theater lingo, is the first time the complete cast gets together and reads the play. We get our assigned characters, and we read them at a table. 

Hence, table read. In my experience with theater (this is my 6^th show currently) I never know who my character or characters are until the table read. So, I walk in not knowing whether I’m the lead or I have two lines. . .sadly, offstage. For this show, I’m in neither category. And, I’m not disappointed with my line load. 

But, for me, the man voted, “most egotistical” in his high school graduation class. I want a lot of lines. And, I have been in plays where I have a lot of lines. Then of course, I’m disappointed because I have a ton of lines to memorize. So in the table read I either don’t have enough lines to fill my grand canyon sized ego, or too many which freaks me out, and the director has to search for me around town. Eventually finding me in a, “pay by the hour” motel on Aurora, four days later. I think the solution is to become a professional table reader. Give me the biggest parts, not only does it fulfill my need for a huge line load, it won’t freak me because I don’t have to memorize it anyway! Muhahaha! Unemployment here I come!

Last nights official table read went really well. Everyone was on time, friendly and read with FEELING! The cast seems very willing to work hard on this production to make it the best it possibly can be. Not at any point during the table read did I get the feeling that someone in the cast was a, “weak link”, or a “wild card”. I’m usually pretty good at that observing that kind of stuff, after all I was voted, “most likely to judge you, before actually knowing you” in my high school graduation class. 

The table read is a vitally important part of the process of creating words on a page into life on the stage. Damn, that rhymed. That’s copyrighted. . .by me. . .no one else. Anyway, I’m really excited for this production, and how all of it comes together in the next 5 weeks. And, if this table read is any indication of what’s to come. I think The New New News is going to be a great show.