First full run-through of the play, beginning to end, and it looks remarkably good. It clocks in at 2 hours and 45 minutes, less intermission, and once all the last lagging cues and missed lines are fixed, it should lose another five to fifteen minutes.
It's nice to see how all these elements, rehearsed until recently in isolation, hang together in the (almost-)finished product. The first act builds beautifully to the trial scene, which tonight was stunning. (We still need to work on the ladies carrying Hermione off the stage, though -- hopefully having the real set in place will help.) The second half, even with the Scene that Never Ends, flows well too. The physical comedy is looking better and better, and the clothes-swap with Autolycus and Florizel got a new and funny twist when Paul put Jeff's shirt on backwards. This is a bit of schtick that, we decided, needs to find its way into the production.
Overall, a good evening. It all still needs fine-tuning, of course, and if experience is any indicator, everything will be thrown a bit off once everyone is on the set. Still, it's a good ending to the week, and sends everyone off to Spring Break in a good mood.