Bad dress rehearsal, good first night?

Question

Does anyone know the origins of this theatrical belief? And just how true is it?

I'm in a comedy (Lord Arthur Savile's Crime) and we're on tomorrow night. Last night's dress rehearsal was AWFUL so I'm hoping it'll prove to be true!

Answer 1

No one is ever certain, until the final first curtain, whether or not their performance will be well received.

By the time a cast reaches dress rehearsal, they better be spot on in blocking, lines, etc.

A dress rehearsal, especially the first one is a new test in the process.
"Um this is too tight, too loose, where is my,,,," etc. etc. etc.

It affords all concerned, the opportunity to gauge how well the performance will look as well as get the acting group to get comfortable with the billowy dresses, the hats, the boots that may be too tight, the movements of each other interacting,,, and rarely are there NO problems.

Keep in mind however,, that even after the SM calls "5 minutes everyone" and the curtain goes up, it is ACTING, and as such the audience is expecting it to be so. The design is to entertain, send a message, INVOLVE the audience, and hopefully cause them to feel the ticket price was money well spent.

BTW,,, "First night is the worst night.",,, and to borrow one more, from cast and crews alike,,, "Done is better than Good."

Steven Wolf

Answer 2

I don't know where it comes from, but I find it to be true pretty often, especially for comedies. If I had to guess, it's because right before you open in a comedy, the biggest problem with a show is that it needs an audience, making the final dress sort of lack-luster.

Adding an audience to the equation ups the stakes, creates energy, and good stuff seems to happen.

To borrow a line from Shakespeare In Love, "It's a mystery."

Answer 3

The way you Rehearse is the way you perform.