Today marks Day 1 of the most exciting/terrifying/brilliant/nauseating part of any rehearsal process: TECH. Actors tend to have a love-hate relationship with the necessary “evil” of tech: long hours…no windows (man, I miss that Vitamin D!) in the theatre…repitition and tedium… For me, this time on stage is where the last few pieces of the puzzle click together and I’m able to breathe as my character.

If you follow me on Twitter or are a fan of my Facebook Page, you know that I’ve posted a little something each day to try and capture the rehearsal process – in 140 characters or less. Let me tell you, it really forced me to get creative with spelling, grammar, and punctuation! (Apologies to all the editors and English teachers out there…)

So to celebrate the onset of tech, the next phase in the Bunty Berman Presents… journey to the stage, I’d like to take a quick look back at the road so far:

Feb. 25– It’s official: My Off-Broadway debut will be in @TheNewGroupNYC‘s spring musical #BuntyBermanPresents! #todayitbegins

Feb. 26– #BuntyBermanPresents Rehearsal Day 2 is over- learned my new kick-ass solo & spent part of my day HERE. 🙂Feb. 27– #BuntyBermanPresents Rehearsal Day 3: we sung through all the ensemble numbers! My script & I are now having quality time. #PostItNoteHeaven

Feb. 28– #BuntyBermanPresents Rehearsal Day 4: Today, we danced! Tomorrow perhaps my arms & legs will do the moves at the same time… #coordination

Mar. 1– #BuntyBermanPresents Rehearsal Day 5: channeled my inner Elvis for my 2nd solo number & got sweaty with my current fav dance move #ponystep

Mar. 2– #BuntyBermanPresents Rehearsal Day 6: I have a Research Films list! Singin in the Rain, Babes in Arms, A Night at the Opera, Mother India…

Mar. 4– #BuntyBermanPresents Rehearsal Day 7: I can either speak with an Indian accent or sing, but I cannot do both. YET. #ChallengeAccepted!

Mar. 5– #BuntyBermanPresents Rehearsal Day 8: dancing with sticks is HARD! Especially when @ActorTenorHuman is also whacking me with them ;-p #ouch

Mar. 6– #BuntyBermanPresents Rehearsal Day 9: 30 pages of music + 11 page scene + 4 dances + 14 actors= we’ve begun staging Act 1 Scene 1! #marathon

March 6th BONUS: My castmate, Sevan Greene, has a vlog called The Greene Room. He’s posting a behind-the-scenes look at our rehearsal process each week. Enjoy Week 1!

Mar. 7– #BuntyBermanPresents Day 10: I am well on my way to mastering the art of looking coy while running (prancing?) around trees. #progress!

Mar. 8– #BuntyBermanPresents Rehearsal 11: What do you think a “gentleman’s appliance” is? And on that note… off to a pilot audition! #HappyFriday

Mar. 9– #BuntyBermanPresents Rehearsal 12: we worked on some new pages and I had a HUGE breakthrough for my character! #ShambervisLament #chills

Mar. 11– #BuntyBermanPresents Rehearsal 13: Fred & Ginger ain’t got nothing on Shambervi & Saleem! #somuchballroomdancing #elegance

March 11th was also The New Group’s annual Gala – we were invited to sing two numbers from the show, which meant we needed to get a little gussied up. We ladies clean up well!

Mar. 12– #BuntyBermanPresents Rehearsal 14: when singing & dancing simultaneously, one must always remember to BREATHE. #oxygenismyfriend

March 12th BONUS: Check out what happened behind the scenes during Week 2 of #BuntyBermanPresents rehearsals in the next The Greene Room vlog!

Mar. 13– #BuntyBermanPresents Rehearsal 15: had the day off! AKA I ran lines out loud & reviewed dance steps by myself in Central Park… #notcrazy

Mar. 14– #BuntyBermanPresents Rehearsal 16: second day off in a row? I’m starting to miss my cast! I can only be productive for so long. #withdrawal

Mar. 15– #BuntyBermanPresents Rehearsal 17: I dare say- we’re just about finished staging Act 1! Can I get a BRAH-MIN?!!! @fbtarmo #HindusDontSayAMEN

Mar. 16– #BuntyBermanPresents Rehearsal 18: We did it. We stumbled, belted, & pony-stepped our way through Act 1!! #seriousmusicalmilestone

Mar. 18– #BuntyBermanPresents Rehearsal 19: Staging Act 2! Thanks @bornila for teaching me how to hold a cigarette in #LBOTSISfilm. #MyDivaAccessory

Mar. 19– #BuntyBermanPresents Rehearsal 20: LOVE our jazzy new ensemble transition, but the round within a round within a round… #BrainImplosion

March 19th BONUS: It’s another episode of @fbtarmo‘s The Greene Room! Week 3 Behind-the-Scenes of #BuntyBermanPresents…

Mar. 20– #BuntyBermanPresents Rehearsal 21: Publicity photo shoot tonight!!! I looked in the mirror & didn’t recognize myself 🙂 #wardrobehmuMAGIC

Mar. 21– #BuntyBermanPresents Rehearsal 22: discovered Shambervi’s vocal register lies lower than mine- need to channel Elvis when singing! #hairflip

Mar. 22– #BuntyBermanPresents Rehearsal 23: one of my solo numbers has a dance break inspired by tap & Kathak. My mom will be so proud. #AnkleBells

Mar. 23– #BuntyBermanPresents Rehearsal 24: ran the show for the first time- in HEELS. Forgot how much they change things! #posture #gravity #height

Mar. 25– #BuntyBermanPresents Rehearsal 25: had an intense (& fruitful!) vocal coaching session with the artistic genius Paul Bogaev, our co-composer

Mar. 26– #BuntyBermanPresents Rehearsal 26: it’s official. We have staged every scene in the show! Elephants and mobsters and divas oh my! #milestone

Mar. 27– #BuntyBermanPresents Rehearsal 27: so begins the cleaning process- the only way to get the whole show into our bodies is to drill it #AGAIN!

Mar. 28– #BuntyBermanPresents Rehearsal 28: Ran show for 1st time, false curtain to elephant! Let me tell ya- it’s FUNNY! Don’t miss it! 4/12-6/1 🙂

Mar. 29– #BuntyBermanPresents Reh 29: Maybe it’s the heels (sparkly, silvery, HIGHy)- Shambervi came alive during today’s run #breakthrough #DIVAtime

March 29th BONUS: Here it is – everything that’s going to (help) turn Lipica the tomboy into Shambervi the DIVA! #BuntyBermanPresents

Mar. 30– #BuntyBermanPresents Rehearsal 30: we met our incredible band in today’s Sitzprobe! #thatswhatshesaid

March 30th BONUS: Check out the first poster for “Bunty Berman Presents…”!!! That’s me being “saved” by Sorab Wadia. For the record, I do believe Bollywood has taken some photoshop-esque liberties with certain uh…enhancements…

Apr. 1– #BuntyBermanPresents Rehearsal 31: welcome to our new home!! It’s a work-in-progress of EPIC proportions #DerekMcLane

April 1st BONUS: I know you’ve missed us! @fbtarmo‘s The Greene Room Week 4/5 Behind-the-Scenes of Bunty Berman Presents 🙂

Apri. 2– #BuntyBermanPresents Rehearsal 32: getting used to our beautiful set- it’s amazing the difference doors & stairs & walls make! #readyforTECH

8 days of tech begins…NOW. Here we go!