THE VOCABULARY DETECTIVE
The courtyard rehearsal
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intermittent
persistent
imminent
retreat
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The courtyard performance was due to begin at 2:20. At 2:05, a crackle from the speaker was intermittent. It came in short bursts, with clear sound between them, so rehearsal continued while a technician checked the cable.
The stage manager kept a timed log. A persistent noise—one that continued without those quiet gaps—would be a different problem if it covered the dialogue. The team had a backup plan, but its conditions mattered.
At 2:14, the audience was gathering. The start was imminent, only six minutes away. “The earlier note says the sound comes and goes,” a student said. “We should stay.” The stage manager asked for the latest checks before deciding.
If the backup condition was met, the actors would retreat from the courtyard and move to the indoor room. They would withdraw from this stage, not necessarily abandon the show. Was that change needed now?