Read-Through and the Technical Rehearsals

(Originally written between Saturday, November 6^th and Wednesday, November 10^th)

Saturday morning marked the official start to the full-ensemble rehearsals in preparation for the first year production with a largely un-blocked read-through by each cast—an incredibly promising process.

Each group’s scene is clearly markedly disparate from any other, which promises a highly varied experience for next Saturday’s audience. On a more important note, though, each group is clearly committed to its scene and each actor within to the others.

Personally, I feel as if Danie and I have been working together for months. She and I seem to share an understanding of each other’s presence as a performer, and I am more than confident that our scene from Art will only get better.

Charged with “having fun” with our scene (and considering the fact that only the first of our two scene’s had been formally blocked at that point), it felt as natural as anything, and the comedic beats seemed to flow very well—it was reminiscent to me of sketch or television comedy, in the way I felt impeccably well-written banter of each scene roll fluidly.

NOTE: It’s very important that each person operating a scene change knows that he or she is participating, and it’s always better to have too many people, the extras of whom can be eventually dismissed, than too few.

Monday promised the first of the two purely technical productions. Honestly, I’d say technical productions are one of my favorite elements of the rehearsal process—a low pressure acting scenario, it’s the perfect time to toy with the limitations of sets, props, and characters without close directorial supervision. Additionally, it’s a good opportunity to bond with the other castmembers… though the nights were long, I honestly didn’t care. Many people were frustrated by the way that the first two rehearsals already began to monopolize their time, but I honestly couldn’t care less. I loved every minute of the rehearsals, and I’m already looking forward to the rest of this week, as the rehearsals shift their focus to the stage and its actors, and I can begin to interact with a small, makeshift audience of second years. Danie and I have improved with the addition of props and the stage, but I’d still like to know whether or not I’m going to have cashews to use during the final performance.

NOTE: Clarify props and set pieces with actors early on, and attempt to ensure their presence at as many rehearsals as possible—unless purposefully withheld. While I’d like to have the cashews, it’s possible that, by the time I get them, any added elements to the scene will only enrich the performance for added spontaneity.

First Rehearsals

(Originally written Friday, November 5^th)

It’s Friday, and I’ve just finished my second ever rehearsal with Nima and Danie in preparation for the first year production.

I’m excited about our scene—I think its comedic potential is great, if Danie and I can manage the physicality demanded, and if the three of us as a collaborative team will be able to settle on a distinctive plan for setting and blocking.

The problem, though, is that Nima seems to have a radically different view of the piece as a whole than do Danie and myself. I’m already afraid that our lack of cohesion as a creative team will be highly detrimental to our final product. Already, I’m slightly nervous for that fact that, this having been our second rehearsal, we’re far behind many other groups, many of whom began rehearsing before project week, in terms of preparation. I’m simply afraid that, in addition to the fact that we’re so divided in terms of consensus on a specific vision of the scene, we’ll not reach a point of preparedness in time for the beginning of serious rehearsals as a whole ensemble. I’m being pessimistic, though.

On the whole, I think that, regardless of disagreement, and whether or not were at the level of other groups, the three of us have a willingness to see this scene to its full potential, despite our sparring opinions. This an element of our team that I feel will potentially save it from failure, or at least resuscitate it from its present state of delay, I am nonetheless hopeful, and am confident that I’ll at least be pleased with my final product.

I’d like to begin compiling some sort of idea bank for the first year production, in anticipation of the directorial/logistical role I’ll assume next year.

The first think I’d like to remember is the important role that pre-production communication between director and cast plays in the confidence of the ensemble as it eases itself into the early stages of rehearsal. From our start, our communication as a group was weak, and I didn’t know confidently of the status of our ensemble until after returning from project week, a point at which, I’ve said, some other groups had already held multiple rehearsals. All the same though, I want to be careful not to judge too quickly—for every cast, while a certain tone can be detrimental for the final product, it can also be incredibly successful, even if it does not perfectly align with a particular style or popular dynamic. This said, I hope that Danie and I will be able to ply off of spontaneity—our piece being comedic in nature, I think this could be excellent fodder, and might foster an even more genuine performance, if, by the final show, we’re not simply exercising a routine. Ultimately, I suppose that we’re safe in terms of preparedness, considering the tone of Art—were it dramatic, I think Danie and I might have a much more difficult time in terms of chemistry and comfort projecting our roles into the scene.

But the fact is that Danie and I know our lines; we work well together—very well, in my estimation—and though Nima does not appear to have adopted the same artistic mentality in approaching the scenes, Danie and I consistently see “eye-to-eye”—but perhaps this is not a totally positive element, either. I’m slightly concerned that Nima feels overwhelmed by our opinions, as if we’re stripping him of that element of deserved “power” that accompanies directorship.

I’ll simply hope to remember two rules next year:

Communicate – I’d like to think that much of the disagreement and unsureness that seems to have plagued these first rehearsals is a result of poor communication in our earliest stages as a creative team; and, this cannot be blamed on anyone specific. As castmembers, Danie and I should have been more proactive in marrying our small cast with the creative directorial force; as a director, Nima should have assumed some of the logistical responsibilities that accompany a production (without a producer) that accompany the role of director, inevitably.

Collaborate with my cast, while still maintaining my creative vision – …easier said than done. But, part of the trouble with our ensemble is that Nima’s vision is simply too rigid, without any flexibility. This is incensing—I’ll be honest. Theatre has been a big part of my life thus far, and his inability to appreciate anyone’s creative influence but his own is purely egomaniacal. And this in turn leads to an inflammatory and likely irrational reaction from Danie and myself. This is simply dangerous for the cohesion of the piece, as well as the art of…Art.

Tomorrow is the read through—I’m looking forward to it. Danie and I are comfortable with each other, whether or not we’re comfortable with the current direction of the piece. But we’re the actors, and we’re the ones who will be onstage. We will respect Nima’s directorial influence—we’d be terrible actors if we didn’t. But at the same time, we have a specific vision to cultivate.