Preparing for Our January Performance at ICP English Theatre Club
As summer winds down, I am getting more and more excited about the new season at the ICP English Theatre Club. We’ve just wrapped up the draft of our script for the upcoming musical, set to debut in January. While I’m keeping the details under wraps for now—no spoilers!—I can tell you this project is shaping up to be one of our most ambitious yet. We’re all filled with anticipation for what’s coming.
This year is particularly special because it marks our first-ever musical performance since the
ICP English Theatre Club started. Each year, we explore different types of performances, and this time we’ve taken on the challenge of a musical to engage our audience even more. It’s an exciting new direction for us, and I’m eager to see how it all comes together.
We’ve also been fortunate to welcome some fantastic new talent to our team. It’s inspiring to see how people from such varied backgrounds come together, each adding something unique to our creative process. You can already see how their different perspectives are enriching our work.
Honestly, that’s one of the things I love most about theatre—how it brings people together in such a meaningful way.
Starting on September 7th, I’ll be away for a few weeks, but I’m leaving the group in Kamila’s capable hands. She’s one of our seasoned actresses, and she’ll be leading the rehearsals while I’m gone. Kamila has a keen eye for detail and really understands what makes a performance resonate, so I know the group will be in great hands during this crucial stage.
This production, like every show we’ve done before, goes beyond memorizing lines or nailing choreography—although those are important, of course. What really excites me is watching the actors dig deeper into their characters and make them their own. The process of taking a script and turning it into something that feels alive and genuine is what makes theatre such an incredible art form.
I’ve always believed that the real magic happens when actors start to connect with their characters on a personal level, and I can already see that happening as we prepare for January’s show.
Beyond the stage, what makes this club truly special is the friendships and bonds that have developed among the members. Over the summer, I’ve been delighted to see people meeting up for drinks in Prague’s pubs, attending opera and theatre performances together, and just generally spending time outside of rehearsals.
It’s wonderful to see how theatre has become a way not just to create art, but also to build lasting connections and community. This sense of camaraderie is something I hold dear—it’s what turns the hard work of theatre into a truly rewarding experience.
Of course, no production comes without its challenges. Creating a musical, especially for the first time, requires careful planning and constant adaptation. We’ve had moments where things didn’t go quite as planned, but that’s all part of the process.
Watching our initial ideas evolve into something real, something that feels like it’s truly taking shape, is one of the most satisfying parts of this journey. Every rehearsal brings us a little closer to our vision, and that steady progress is something we’re all proud of.
As we move toward January, I’m excited about what lies ahead. There’s still plenty of work to be done, but the enthusiasm and dedication from the team are contagious. I have no doubt that by the time January rolls around, we’ll have something truly special to share with our audience.
For now, our focus is on rehearsing and refining our performance. I invite you to follow along on this journey with us—I’ll be sharing more updates as we get closer to opening night. Whether you’ve been a loyal supporter of the ICP English Theatre Club for years or this is your first time hearing about us, this production promises something for everyone.
Ultimately, what makes this experience so fulfilling isn’t just the final performance—it’s the journey of working together to create something meaningful.
The friendships we’ve formed, the challenges we’ve faced, and the small victories along the way are what make this process so special. I feel incredibly fortunate to be on this adventure with such a talented and diverse group of individuals.
Auteur
I am Nancy Castrogiovanni, an artist, author, and scriptwriter, with a rich foundation in both the visual and performing arts. My academic path includes a Master's in English Literature and a Bachelor's in Fine Art, where I explored the interplay of materials in sculpture and the expressive power of performance. Delving deeper, my PhD research navigated the complex narratives of exiled and foreign writers, with a focus on the works of Mircea Eliade, Milan Kundera, and Italo Calvino.