May 19th: Reunions, Table Reads, Etc.
So, there I was…
Just like many of you, scrolling through the various feeds on your phone when BOOM! I see a post from Zachary Levi about a reunion of the cast of Chuck, as well as a table read of the fans choice! They also plugged Feeding America, the charity sponsoring the event. The cast, show creators, and a lucky fan all came together virtually and read a script from Season 3 of Chuck, Chuck Vs. The Beard.
(For those that do not know, a table read is where the cast comes together to read the script for an episode. They typically act out the way they would on camera, but it’s a dry run to get “temperature” of how the script reads before they go to shoot it out on camera.)
It looked like the cast had a blast reuniting and reading together. For me, it was a fun experience to listen and watch. Chuck has always been a show that I find great joy in. The main character is a big nerd, his best friend is a bigger nerd, yet he finds himself thrust into a world of spies and espionage and struggles to find a balance between the two. It is a fantastic show, easily one of my favorites. It’s actually one of the few shows that I own completely on DVD…probably need to upgrade that soon…
More and more shows have been jumping to do these table reads, and I can’t help but think about what it’s like for the cast and creators to come back together in a creative way, despite not being able to sit in the same room.
Community is getting a good amount of traction these days thanks to its addition to Netflix, but Joel McHale and Ken Jeong also started a podcast to talk about the show and chat with each other. They too had a table read recently. Such an incredible cast of human beings back together to read one of the funniest episodes of the cult sitcom show. And through it all, the charm of the show lights up the computer screen as the cast and creator start riffing jokes like they used to.
This got me thinking…when the cast and crew come together to create a piece of entertainment for the masses to enjoy, a bond forms. They work collaboratively, weaving in multiple creative elements, technical aspects, and a well written script. But it’s more than that. That bond is strong, like a family. Maybe it’s the long hours, maybe it’s the nature of the industry, but the work that everyone comes together to do is remarkable. When a show ends, those friendships don’t go away, but it’s difficult to stay in touch with those people and keep that bond strong when you have an obligation to form a brand new bond with brand new people on a brand new production. It can be difficult. Sometime’s it is natural, easy fit of puzzle pieces. Other times, jagged ends and frayed parts make the puzzle more difficult to complete. Regardless, that bond is formed, and it’s enlightening to see the flame rekindled during this pandemic.
Which brings me to this…for most of us, it has been at least two months of staying in, staying safe, only leaving the house for groceries and other essentials. Many have said this before, so I know I’m not breaking any new ground here, but make sure to stay in contact with the people you care about! Pandemic or no, we all have special bonds with the people in our lives. Work is harder, school is longer, and life is just…weird right now. But that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be talking about what’s going on, staying in touch, having a laugh.
Thanks to Discord, I’ve been lucky enough to have a great group of people to chat with almost daily. Parents are always a phone call away, and the Zoom family meeting has become a staple for Sunday afternoons. Sometimes we don’t have much to say, but showing up, chatting about the little things, and listening to others has really helped out. We’re not doing a table read or anything fancy, but just coming together, being there for each other, giving everyone a platform to chat, it’s fantastic.
Finding ways to stay sane these days can seem tough, but help is always there for those who search for it.
Thanks for reading!
