Sunny as Spritle

The character of "Spritle" was the only one that I conceived and wrote after returning to Pearson. Originally, the Jimmy character's descent into the dreamlike realm of the second act featured a different progression... after meeting sunny, however, I saw a preexisting character too unique to keep from the story and process. Thus, I wrote the spritle character into the narrative rather quickly, and Sunny's role in Chasing the Wasp came to be.

In her mind, Sunny is certainly a star...and her attitude and work ethic both usually reflect this. I say she is a star because she is extremely hard-working. She put such a level of diligence into the memorization of her lines and comprehension of the script that I was awestruck by the time I finally saw her perform (her first rehearsal was scheduled roughly two weeks into the rehearsal process, as the second act was rehearsed second), after her steady barrage of questions and requests for insight and guidance. However, she is also rather tempestuous, and several rehearsals reflected this short scenario:

Samantha as Ms. Ratched

As with Kristina, upon meeting Samantha, I knew immediately that I wanted her to play Ms. Ratched. Her name a reference to the infamously sinister Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, I needed an actor to inhabit the character with both a commanding diction and a lack of experience. In the hands of a more comfortable actor, the part could have been rendered un-funny by over-acting by a typecast. In contrast, the intensive work I did with Samantha to ultimately make her comfortable groping herself while uttering “Swept into a blaze of lusty compulsions, it is easy to mistake the gift of life for a debauched escapade of the flesh” like a gyrating bat out of hell, with a Masters in education.

In the early rehearsal stages, she was terrified of being so provocative… to the point that, at one group rehearsal, I was forced to abandon work with her as she was clearly uncomfortable. It subsequently took hours of one-on-one rehearsal to elevate her to a level of comfort (and volume—I congratulate both her and myself for finally developing her stage voice) necessary for the role. But it was not until she stepped into her costume, makeup, and high-rise pumps that she became the deliciously cruel teacher that inhabited the stage in the final production—whipping her yardstick into oblivion in an act of exquisite, unrehearsed and pitch-perfect in-character improvisation.

Allison as Lucy

I maintain that Allison is one of the most talented comediennes that I’ve ever met—but she is still reluctant to acknowledge her talent. I wrote the part of Lucy with her in the back of my mind, but was disappointed to find her absent from the official IP auditions. I convinced her thereafter to join the cast, which truly strengthened both the camaraderie of the central players, but also inserted a unique comedic voice to the mostly hyperbolic landscape I’d created. It takes about three read-throughs with Allison to bring her out of her nervous and reluctant stasis… after which she commits to a wacky character, and always delivers. The only problems arose with her volume… she still lacks stage presence, and element to her performance that I think I could have worked more diligently to develop. Nonetheless, I was always pleased with her aside dialogue with Joanie. My favorite comedic highlight of the show, each found some way to make it more nuanced with each rehearsal, and with an audience, finally, each performer shone marvelously.

James as Will Hayes

While writing the script for Chasing the Wasp I had no specific person in mind when I created the character of Will Hayes; his name is derived from Will H. Hays, former U.S. postmaster general and namesake for the infamous Hays Code in American cinema. Rather, the role of Will Hays represents to me the tragically conflicted villain who is not really a villain at all, and rather a victim swathed in  pattern of villainy by his society, rather than by choice. However, after the IP auditions, I knew that James would bring both a keen enthusiasm to the rather sinister role, but would also treat it with the respect deserved to something not necessarily definable.

Directing James is collaborative and a usually enjoyable experience—frustrations arose when he refused to read the script until several weeks into the rehearsal process. This however, was not enormously problematic, and in some ways, perhaps afforded him a strong empirical understanding of the story and associated emotional underpinning. In order to preserve his often lofty ego, it is usually necessary to give him some superficial responsibility (“James will be in charge of leading the rhythm”; “James is the leader of the dogs”; “James is the coolest student in the school.”). He likely understood my motives in doing this, however, I think it came through in his character, and a sense of ego proliferated the Will Hayes character in general.

Giulio, Aaron, Ramiro, and Ellen as Boy 1, Boy 2, Boy 3 and Girl AKA “Simple Jack”, “Chad Hogan”, “Ricky Bobby,” and “Mary Hinge”

 I chose to cast Giulio, Ramiro, and Ellen after the IP Auditions as I knew they would both contribute their talents and work ethics to the project, as well as synergize the central cast as interpersonally connected individuals. Aaron was an addendum after Amelia pleaded with me to relinquish Laughlin from my cast (a trade I’m glad I made, both because Aaron made an extremely valuable addition to the cast, but also because Laughlin saved Amelia’s IP). Not originally auditioned, Aaron agreed to participate after reading the cast list and the script, and I knew that this dynamic group of four with bolster the entire production as students, “Others”, and “Dogs”.

At the first rehearsal, I had each name their “student” persona. I guessed that they would either go into painstaking detail, or choose pop-cultural names of little import and jocular significance. The latter being the case, I knew immediately that the tone to be set with the group would be a lighthearted one until rehearsals of the final scene began much further down the line. Those would be in sharp contrast with those featuring their performances as students and “Others”. In those, I encouraged them to be hyperbolic American high school students, a task which they all enjoyed. However, as Samantha’s character was focused more with each rehearsal and into the final performance, much of the students’ responses to her behavior were natural, I think. As Others, I made them wear their costumes at every rehearsal, and borrowed much tinfoil and sugar from the caf, as they all greatly enjoyed burning dried sugar.

Kristina as Joanie

The moment I met Kristina, I knew that I wanted her to play Joanie. She was almost eerily similar to Joanie in so many positive ways—and for the ways in which she differed, I knew that her experience in musical theatre would lend itself well to the hyperbolic character.

At the first rehearsal between Kristina and AJ, I interview Kristina ad nauseam about the character… and after the establishment of some foundational character elements, I knew that the Joanie character had been realized.

The one nuanced choice that I made in directing Kristina as her character was my limited rehearsal of her final, emotional dialogue with Jimmy. The first time this was rehearsed was at a rehearsal during production week with full lights and sound. Perhaps the most emotional (and productive) rehearsal during the whole process, everyone involved that day required some guided emotional work in order to exit their characters. It was in those moments that I knew the emotional pitch I had striven for in my writing could be conceivably attained.

AJ as Jimmy

Casting AJ as Jimmy was not necessarily the result of snap judgement; rather, I cast AJ because I knew that, physically, he is a skilled performer, and would be able to draw heavily from his background in dance for some of the scenes involving intricate blocking and choreography, and I conjectured that he might relate to certain themes within the piece, without having directly experienced those traumas of his character. However, I was not certain of his vocal abilities… and for a long time, it was a source of some concern. He seemed lackluster as his character. I did intense character-building exercises with him, and, once conditioned to access his character, he could sustain it for some time, but he would gradually lose it over the course of the rehearsal. It was not until a rehearsal of his second scene with Kristina in the first act (in which he delivers his “bee” monologue), and he uttered the line:

I’m already crowned faggot, Joanie. The world is burning here. And it’s only a matter of time before I’m scorched, too. (sighs) Go home, Joanie.

Luke as The Comedian

Frankly, casting Luke was the result of happenstance and blind faith. Luke initially decided against auditioning for IP’s because his experience last year was traumatic. I had originally cast Antón as “The Comedian”, thinking that his sense of humor and timing would lend itself to the role. However, after several re-writes, I was still nowhere near satisfied with material I’d written for “The Comedian”. It was during the Victoria Ballet’s production of Ballet Rock! that a number set to “Nobody Home” by Pink Floyd triggered the entire monologue in my mind… I began furiously scribing during the show, and when I returned to school, I transcribed everything that I could remember. As the monologues as they would ultimately be took shape, I realized that a) it would be unfair to ask Antón to memorize such a substantial piece of writing, and block a relatively intricate progression of movement in roughly two and a half weeks, as he was straining under academic pressure and expressed concern at the fact that English is not his native language. It was during a sailing trip to Victoria over (Canadian) Thanksgiving Weekend that I handed some of the material to Luke on a whim, and was simply blown away by what he did with it. Since the beginning of the year, I’ve noted his newfound comedic timing in social situations; however, his ability to enliven my written words on the page simply floored me. I convinced him to join the project, and after some coaxing he obliged.

Belladonna: A Faerie Tale

The following is a short story I wrote roughly one year ago. I drew thematically from it while writing the script for "Chasing the Wasp". Originally an exploration of pop-cultural saturation and the bastardization of cherished stories and archetypes, I think I attempted to translate the more fantastical elements herein to a workable stage piece with a more universal thematic sensibility.

Belladonna: A Faerie Tale
By Derek Mitchell

            In the darkness of The Limelight she sipped her limoncello, dyed pink with red Skittles and rose hips, from a long-stemmed glass. With her tongue she teased the sword-pierced garnish—the cranberry bobbed above the surface and below, resurfacing and submerging on an interval just short of a moment and just long of a momentary lapse.

            She was flanked on either side by a retinue of misfits, skinned in patent leather and latex and bubbles and stuff—each tin kepi and nylon kneehigh a cry for an eye, head to foot.

            She cleared her throat—a murmur of disdain: “Ah-em.” The silken glove of her hand descended with an easy recoil from the crest of her lips, bloody with shoplifted Sanguine Fatale.

            The heads about the narrow booth turned to fix upon the silicone faerie:

            “Knights, tell me,” she hummed.

            “Yes?” in unison.

            She smirked. “Who’s the prettiest girl in school?”

            They shrieked: “It’s you, Belladonna! It’s you!” She tilted her head back in a playful swoon, clutched her heart, and smiled, dissatisfied.

            A dwarf in a velvet chesterfield appeared at the head of the table, the tail of his coat dragging in a train across the dusty floor.

            “A guest for you waits at the Gate, Belladonna.”

Summer: The Writing Process

Over the course of the summer, my primary task in embarking upon the writing process was the synthesis of several ideas I've been mulling over for the better part of a year. Without probing too deeply into my own process (for fear disrupting it), I do know that this is most often the first phase of my creative output. I accumulate ideas, sentences, sentiments, sketches, quotes, and images in notebooks and on scraps of paper everyday.

When I begin to piece together different components of a prospective work, I carefully choose from my arsenal of mostly unrelated ideas, piecing them together carefully but without much premeditated thought. I find that my voice is more authentic if narrative and thematic elements emerge organically... I'm not really sure how this happens, but I'm not intent on finding out.

So, often akin to pastiche in form, a narrative or series of visuals emerges from these preliminary steps, and a unique aesthetic begins to crystallize.

Reflection

One of the most prominent underpinnings of our first year theatre class has been the question of the role of theatre as a social and artistic vehicle for communication—and through the various workshops in which we’ve partaken, the productions we’ve seen, and the roles we’ve played and directed, we’ve been exposed each time to perhaps a slightly different flavor of the theatre’s communal significance. From the very beginning, we’ve seen the important—and almost indefinable—role that the theatre, and the contributions of theatre students, plays on campus, and most were drawn in almost immediately, at first without a sense of direction or a point of reference; in the best of ways, we hurled ourselves into the first pieces of theatre we could digest: the mini IPs.

Little did we know that our collaborations with second years, as well as those with other students in theatre, and those not, those with extensive theatrical experience, and those with none, would forge the connections that would ultimately form later, more ambitious productions taken on by the theatre department as a whole. In reflecting on my experience directing a miniature IP this spring, I feel as if I have some sense of the incredible emotional connection that a director forms with his or her actors, as well as with the essence of the piece presented—it is through coordination of logistics and creativity that the emotional expression inherent to any piece of theatre is drawn; the IPs act as a prime example, early in the creative year at Pearson, of this spirit of emotional expression.

Mini IPs - General

--to be posted--

"Prom Night" - My Miniature IP

--to be posted--

Puppetry with Tim Gosley

On March 30^th, we met in the LLT. I was late (dinner duty), and unfortunately I miss the earlier half of his preentation.

However, of what I saw, I was absolutely blown away by the relative simplicity of the technology used in contrast with the absolutely incredible, three-dimensional images projected wildly on the walls of the LLT.

Tim used LED lights in order to project the shadows of various figures and effigies, some more complex than others, the result being fantastical, surreal, and bizarre. Many of the figures translucent, colored, or conducive to abstract visual profiles, the images portrayed an entire projected world, originally created from a simple table of unremarkable props.

He also incorporated elements of video highly effectively, and appears to have mastered various techniques of reflections off of plastics and scraps.

We watched a film describing the festivities at an international shadow puppetry festival, and thus made the realization that, while perhaps scattered, there is a worldwide community backing this highly specialized form of theatre.

I enjoyed the opportunity to experiment with the puppets and techniques, and, whether or not I do, hope that someone uses something learnt at the workshop in an IP next year.

Presentations

I was the last to present, on the work and influence of Tennessee Williams on 20th Century Realism. The others in class presented spectacularly on the following subjects:

Emily & Amelia – Musical Theatre: History, and the Rise of

Laura – Boal, Theatre of the Oppressed

Dylan & Sidingo – Junkanoo

Alžběta – Vaclav Hàvel; Velvet revolution

Danie & Amber– Molière

Great presentations by everyone!

"The Last 15 Seconds"

At the height of the One World frenzy, the theatre students, of course, took some time to appreciate the local scene.

Fifteen of us met Libby downtown, after Friday’s dress rehearsal, and caught a performance of “The Last 15 Seconds,” Co-created by Trevor Copp, Anne-Marie Donovan, Nada Homsi, Gary Kirkham, Pam Patel, and Alan K. Sapp, in conjunction with the Victoria Fringe Festival.

The scenery was stark and austere—a dimensionally-conscious array of white cloth hung in an illusionary semicircle, disappearing in the upper extremes of the backdrop.

The first scene opened, and it quickly erupted with light, sound, and A/V projection effects; simulating a suicide bomber’s explosion in a small café, it served as the exposition—dually the starting and ending place—for each of the plays characters.

Initially, I was skeptical. I was worried that it would be too “experimental” from the beginning, and that it would be condemned to the negative stereotypes associated with “fringe” theatre.

However, as the fragmented order of the scenes unfolded, their chronology nonsensical at first, I realized that the audience’s alienation by the intense and intricate special effects, coupled with the highly “cinematographic” tone of the acting, was meant to conjure notions of the corruption of reality caused by the idea of film, and failure versus success, as accentuated by some of the story’s central characters.

Bizarre at times, the overall aesthetic played to magnificent effect. Strong performances, coupled with a truly incredible original script left me blown away.

The ultimate blow—the final scene—was remarkably impacting, as it achieved the choreographic demands of “slow motion” in live theatre, and each of the actors, speechlessly, spun their characters in an emotional three-sixty.

In retrospect, I felt as if the “slow motion” was over-used throughout—it would have been most effective had it been used only in the final scene. And I’d have liked to see some sort of prologue—one declaiming, esoterically, the role of film, or cinema. In some way—so that the audience, while alienated, would not jump to the immediate conclusion that the effects were a cheap trick, as opposed to being an effective narrative and visual device.

I found the writing to be superb, above all else. It played cinematographically, sometimes to its disadvantage. Otherwise, the show was a strong one, and it struck a chord with its audience in a decidedly non-exploitative way. It did not beg for sympathy, simply for basing it’s plot on an incident associated with some of the most pressing socio-political issues of the modern world.

One World - Assistant Direction, Reflection

After returning from project week, the prospect of One World seemed daunting, to say the least. I entered into the show optimistic about the final product, but regarding its specifics, I had no expectations whatsoever, and had little idea what to anticipate.

I love the performing arts. But, when it comes to dance, I think I’m close to useless. That’s not to say I have incredibly low esteem when it comes to it—I participated somewhat avidly in waltz and foxtrot as a middle-schooler. But at Pearson, those for whom dancing is the chief most form of expression seem to rule the stage when it comes to Regional Days and One World, and I’m perfectly alright with this. Perhaps, retrospectively, I could have participated in a dance—however, I don’t think my choice not to was a reflection of insecurity; instead, it was an ambivalence to an art form highly esteemed and seemingly easily mastered by my peers with a great deal of expertise.

So instead, I settled into a role that I find most comfortable—I find that visual aesthetic and sensitivity towards the effects of the stage come more easily to me than, say, dance. And so, assistant directing seemed, and turned out, to be the perfect niche for my first One World Experience.

I nonetheless felt that I was being taken along for the ride, as opposed to guiding the ride itself. Though alienating, it was humbling to watch a sensibility for dance reign, and see myself contribute to the minutia that composed the greater spectacle.

These are my notes from the first full run-through:

-                Main choir:  Needs to be decided who/what will be the focal point while Danielle & Marc are singing—is it them? Is it Yoomi?

-                Main choir: Raid looks like he’s in a trance

-                Main choir: Felix on percussion needs to look more engaged

-                Main choir: Why are there big holes in the rows?

-                Afro Jive: Acrobats, if you’re going to do it, it can’t look like you’re just making it up as you go along

-                Itamar & Mido: Mido, you sound like you’re simply reciting a script—both could be more evocative, but Itamar is doing a better job

-                Itamar & Mido: Practice/clarify entrance/exit

-                Orchestra: Started well, but bu the end of the full orchestra it felt repetitive and lacking in purpose and emotion

-                Logan: you need to mean what you’re saying — every word must have a purpose; this could be helped by slowing down

-                Logan: “…then came the 1960s” needs to be a bigger turning point

-                Logan: You can’t let the words do all of the work

-                Polynesian: Do Nile & Aaron both have a line, or is it supposed to be one? It looks very messy

-                MCs: Before Gumboot—the script needs to be condensed

-                MCs: Gumboot should not be the last talking point, because it indicates that it will be the next act

-                Figgy: Luke looks terrified

-                Figgy: Could Danielle’s entrance be more playful or more polished?

-                East Timor: Sonya, make sure you’re conscious of the spot

-                Gumboot: Don’t look around to anticipate the other people—be confident (at the beginning)

-                MCs: Zijian, you need to make it clear that you’re yawning… it looked like you were clutching your face in pain

-                MCs: Zahida, allow for a big pause for laughs after “we don’t talk about censorship in China”

-                1030 Rule: Ramiro & Chris… look alive

-                1030 Rule: The end… indulgent?

-                MC’s: Ghazi, could you wear a big sweater instead?

-                Drama Activity: Decide on how you’re all going to stand, and where you’re going to look when you’re not talking

-                Drama Activity: Laura—make sure you annunciate on “Brazilian”

-                Drums: José, maybe rework the triplet tom runs

After several more rehearsals, the show took shape; however, throughout the week, while the vision of the final product became clearer, it hadn’t yet reached its potential.

The energy in the green room set the tone for the show immediately—early in the morning, while bleary-eyed, everyone anxiously anticipated that which would become the show that many people claimed to be “one of the best in recent memory.”

In the Royal, my role was essentially over—I simply watched. At the dress rehearsal, I took notes, but as the show played across the stage, I realized that it was the product of an incredible effort from every single performer.

There is some controversy regarding the place that the One World show holds at Pearson College—some people believe that it is a pinnacle of the experience. However, others place it under great scrutiny, saying that it is demanding, time consuming, and it fails to satisfy the demands of everyone’s niche. I would say to this: of course it doesn’t.

But as the curtains closed on the final show, the energy on the stage, and the energy that I imagine filled the tech booth and the wings, was proof enough for me that, for maybe only the slightest moment, everyone would have agreed that it was an incomparable experience.

The Group 4 Project—in my opinion, an idealistic attempt to marry the sciences—is time consuming, and failed to satisfy any of my personal niches. And yet I participated. That is was Pearson College should strive to achieve—a policy favoring experiential learning. One World may not accommodate everyone; it may be slightly commercial. However, it is the product of the efforts of so many, and it speaks to some indefinable spirit that inhabits the walls of this campus.  

Wayang - Javanese Shadow Puppetry

On February 14^th, Victoria-area resident Sutrisno, along with his family, demonstrated and performed, as an adjunct to our study of puppetry in class, Wayang, an ancient form of shadow puppetry indigenous to his play of origin, the Indonesian island of Java.

“Wayang is an Indonesian word for theatre (literally "shadow").”

“Wayang kulit, shadow puppets prevalent in Java and Bali in Indonesia, are without a doubt the best known of the Indonesian wayang.”

Sutrisno was clearly highly skilled at operating his puppets—though simple in their operational design, they require a certain deftness in personifying and characterizing them using, at most, a couple of pole-operated limbs.

The puppets themselves were incredibly intricate, and Sutrisno mentioned that a single puppet’s construction can take over a month. They are painted, and the vibrancy of their design is captured better, in many respects, from behind the screen behind which the puppeteer works. Sutrisno mentioned that an audience at a Wayang puppetry performance assembles both in front of, and behind the screen.

Traditional performances are an all-night affair, and audiences are social throughout the hours-long show. Additionally, while Sutrisno used an electric lightbulb to illuminate his screen, tradition indicated that a large open flame should be used.

Theatre students had the opportunity to play with the puppets before Sutrisno performed.

The performances of a traditional master puppeteer, or dalang, are in large part improvisational—his stories are all being retold, and his characters are archetypes. Therefore, it is his job to interpret his stories, whether comedically, dramatically, or in some combination of both. He may even incorporate elements of local folklore or gossip, in order to personalize his performance for his audience.

I appreciated the authenticity of Sutrisno’s performance, however, I wish that he’d performed in his mother tongue. In English, his story seemed too impromptu, informal, and didn’t feel as if it had dramatic purpose. However, I am conditioned by the sensibilities of Western theatrical performance, and thus cannot fully appreciate those of Estern theatre. 

A Reflection on our Production of "The Laramie Project"

As the first year production came to a close, I realized just what Pearson’s theatre department is capable of—and I thought that experience to have been unmatchable. Well, I was wholly surprised once again, and now, a week after the final show of the tremendous undertaking and achievement that was The Laramie Project, I’m left lamenting its end, and that of yet another incredible experience.

I wouldn’t have wanted to do anything but assistant direct—it was such an incredible educative experience, and I was able to begin expressing myself as a serious director for the first time (discounting the plays, starring my brother and cousins, that I’d write, costume, direct, and produce at my grandparents’ house on holidays when I was six). I hope one day to work in part as a director in film and theatre.

My collaboration with Libby was inspiring to say the least—I found that we were in near-constant synchronization in terms of creative opinion, and the freedom she gave me to direct specific people and scenes made this experience one nearly devoid of creative or curricular confinement.

In working with Danie for a second time—she and I shared a scene in the first year production—my respect for her is cemented in my admiration for her enthusiasm and genuine willingness to help. As directors, and, generally, creative people, though, we’re vastly different in terms of approach, opinion, and execution. This is not to say that she and I were ever at odds, or even involved in a vocal disagreement. Instead, I saw our collaboration wane and eventually fizzle by the final show. In the beginning, she and I shared most of the responsibility in terms of the division of specialized rehearsal time. But I saw myself taking on more and more of the rehearsal time as an assistant director—and this is not a complaint! I honestly just hope that Danie doesn’t feel as if I took control from her. I know that she struggled with the time demands of the show—because they were hefty. Many people suffered from lack of sleep and stress due to the piling workload of other classes; but, I found that I didn’t really care. The integrity of the production was simply too important to me, and I was honestly having too great an experience to succumb to exhaustion. But perhaps this also blinded me to my potential exclusion of Danie from some directorial responsibilities and opportunities. In retrospect, I just wish that we’d communicated more. Whether or not this resulted in a more balanced schedule of directorial responsibilities is unimportant in my mind. I just wish that I wasn’t left wondering whether or not she felt like I tore the reigns right out her hands, or whether she relinquished them.

But whatever the distribution of responsibility, the individual scene rehearsals with actors greatly paid off. I watched as the meticulous work I’d do with actors outside of full-company rehearsals slowly made its way into what would become our final product. Mannerisms, physicalities, honing of vocal characteristics, small adjustments to blocking, etc. Some things discussed in our one or two-on-one rehearsals never made it into the final product, but others, some actors have assured me, really developed some pieces of the greater mosaic. The satisfaction in seeing Trish and Kenta finally do their interrogation scene to the best of their abilities, or watching Katie and Makyla become mother Marge and daughter Reggie is incomparable. That—the way that I saw my careful and sometimes laborious efforts coupled with those of the cast slowly shape the greater product—is what made the countless hours spent absolutely worth it.

Had I the chance to do it again—and I wish that I had, just for the rush of culmination that the final show represented—I would probably do very little differently. Not because everything went perfectly, because it didn’t. I wish that the actors had known their lines earlier—I think that the time it took for the entire cast to be totally comfortable with the text was detrimental to the progress of show’s developmental stages. I don’t think that the cast reached its potential until the final show. In some ways, maybe that’s a good thing—the ultimate gratification and validation. But had we more time to rehearse, and for the actors to do the individual work that made the final show magical, I feel that as a company we could have surpassed the high bar that we set at the final show. Considering the breadth of the play, though—in terms of the relatively esoteric cultural pocket represented by its characters, the intensely naturalistic demands of the text, the length of the show, and the technical components of the production (i.e. audio/visual)—our bar was nonetheless set at a mountainous height.

The end of a show is, I think, one of the most bittersweet of experiences. By its end, we all—especially our magnificent Emily—were at the end of some proverbial fuse. But when your life becomes a show—thinking, breathing, and either living or dying with it—its end takes a little, temporary piece of you with it. That’s the melancholy of the theatre. It produces some of the truest, most visceral art; but, unlike a painting, it can’t be preserved and curated. In one instant, its tenderly cultivated from rough beginnings to a living breathing masterpiece, and in another, it’s over and done. Toil and beauty, briefly, at once.

My Rehearsal Notes from "The Laramie Project"

Class/Rehearsal 1/11/11 – To Do

           

-       Co-direct scene w/ Nima, Katie, & Kelly

-       Trish—Texas accent

-       Slow down overall dialects… Wyoming

IMPORTANT

-       Direct scene with Ashley, Chezev, Kelly, Spencer; MOMENT: MATTHEW (PAGE 30) – 8:15, TOMORROW

-       Direct scene with MOMENT: ALISON AND MARGE (PAGE 28) ????????

-        

Laramie Project Notes – Early Rehearsal

-       Kelly needs to slow down

-       Trish is stiff, and needs to be more naturalistic

-       Spencer: don’t ever accentuate ‘faggot’… it needs to roll off of your tongue

-       Spencer: speaking WAY to matter-of-factly

-       Help Kenta with pronunciation

-       Katie: idea… make all “s” sounds soft, closer to “sh”

Character Notes:

-       Spencer i.e. Doc O’Connor –

-       Katie i.e. Doug Laws – like a televangelist, find example

Nighttime Pronunciation Rehearsal/ Rehearsal of “Moment: Matthew,” pgs. 30-31 –

1/13/11

            Enrique:

                        Matt Galloway – pg. 38-39

                        Andrew Gomez – pg. 66

                        Matt Galloway – pg. 40-41

                        Matt Galloway – pg. 71

                        Matt Galloway – pg. 63

            Kelly

                        Father Roger – pg. 65

                        Jen – pg. 61-62

                        Tiffany Edwards – pg. 52

                        Tiffany Edwards – pg. 53

                        Trish Henderson – pg. 74

Nighttime Rehearsal:

            Excellent rehearsal… good work with Spencer, Trish didn’t come. Ashley needs             to memorize her lines, and Chezev is on her way. Kelly is doing well, too.

Notes: Rehearsal Thursday, 1/16/11

-       Where does Greg sit?

-       Kelly: “O-M-A-H-A”

-       *”whoop-dee-doo

-       You two are very good friends—do it like you two have an inside joke that you’re not telling greg or the audience

-       Katie: USE PAUSES!!!!

Notes: Workshop

-       Watch Video

-       Discuss video

-       Choose one character, isolate

o      Walk

o      Facial expressions

o      Voice

o      Hands

o      Posture

-       Work individually

-       Warm-up

-       Get in pairs, work on realizing the physicality

-       Walk across stage

-       Isolate monologues

Notes: Rehearsal Sunday, January 16, 2011

-       Opening “Sky” slide – does it really have to say “The Laramie Project”? It looks tacky

-       PAGE 51: Moment: The Gem City of the Plains

o      Logan, who are you talking to? Don’t make the sotto voce visible to anyone. Stand with confidence! You are a newsperson

o      Kelly: No idea what you’re saying. Pronunciation.

o      Blue Screen for Logan

o      Spencer: Doc O’Conner seems VERY stiff

o      IDEA: Flash photographers in the audience??

o      IDEA: Newscasters constantly fixing hair, makeup, etc.??

-       Page 54: Moment: Seeing Matthew

o      Work out Reggie and Marge with Katie and Makyla

§       Work on the “mother/daughter”

o      @universityoflaramyW.com???  UWYO.EDU

Full Run-through: Act I

-       Rebecca Hillaker should be more frazzled… hair in the faced, constantly adjusting it

-       Trish—Texas accent WAAAAYYYYYY too thick… fix it! It’s supposed to be subtle.

-       Doc o’conner… Spencer you sound like you’re trying to sound like a dork.

-       Makyla: Reporter… rework blocking, you’re placement is awkward

-       Logan: there is little disparity between your characters

-       Moisés.. Ashley… you’re delivering most of your lines to the floor

-       DIARY ENTRIES… are you going to have props? If not.. (even if you will), you can’t just be scribbling for the sake of scribbling… you have to be writing what you’re saying

-       Waitress… Makyla, take your time, don’t stumble through it. If you’re going to do the accent, commit to it

-       Katie and Kelly: Where did the energy i.e. LAUGHTER go?

-       Katie: PAUSES

-       SPENCER: ENERGY!!!!

-       Chezev: slow down!

-       Emmy… “Do you want a funny story?” … delivery SO awkward. There needs to be a huge pause before that

-       Kenta… work on Jonas monologue pg. 33—

-       Logan/Katie… what you’re doing is more like what Katie should be doing. You sound like you’re giving a sales pitch. Instead, you should focus on gravitas and deeper emulation

-       Definitely want to work on Moment: The Word

-       Zubaida needs to be zanier, and more spontaneous

-       Argentine; Your “attitude” as the Pastor’s wife is misdirected

-       GENERAL NOTE: The tectonic people have very little personality

-       GENERAL NOTE: Everyone needs to learn how to smoke

-       No one in the Fireside is doing ANYTHING… they’re just sitting around and pouting. Why? Nima looks like he is taking a nap. Revision Katie, Argentine, Makyla actually doing an excellent job

-       IDEA: In the fireside… there should be a chair in which the interviewee sits sometimes, vacillating between a subdued interview site and the raucous memory of the Bar

-       Want to work with Argentine on the ANONYMOUS monologue (pg. 41)

-       Want to work with ashley on Sherry monologue (pg. 42)

-       Micha you’re paraphrasing…

-       Want to work on Moment: finding Matthew Shepherd

-       Makyla… Reggie Fluty, page 45… “I’m sorry”… she says this because she’s crying. If you’re not going to be able to do this, strike this line

Libby Notes:

-       Nima, more rehearsal

-       Work on Jedadiah with Logan

Production Meeting – 1/21/11

-       Make decisions about the fence, and how it will be constructed. Also, relay to Gugu how it will be concealed by the fabric, and at which point it will be revealed

-       Talk to Jecton about removing the paintings from the wall of the Max Bell lobby

-       Send Emily lobby write-ups

-       Q&A After the show… happening

-       Need to be in the Max Bell @ 2 Saturday

-       Sunday optional for the Ads

Rehearsal 1/23/11

-       TO DO: REPRINT THE POSTERS

-       Nima… Greg needs more personality and volume

-       Einat … Rebecca still needs to be crazier

-       Spencer… still needs to work on getting rid of the Ontario

-       Trish… texas accent still needs work

-       Logan… Jedadiah… annunciate on Angels in America

-       Trish… you are not driving an 18-wheeler. Work on driving.

-       Nima--- it’s Marge Múrray… not murráy

-       Katie… Marge… TRANSFORMED!!! Try coughing fits

-       Chezev… VOLUME

-       Emmy… “I just came out then. PAUSE You want a funny stoy?”

-       Emmy… pronunciation… irreparably

-       Kenta… Jonas: feet, feet, feet, and fluidity

-       Katie… Doug Laws SLOW DOWN

-       Kelly… Father Roger… slow down, annunciation, pronunciation

-       Emmy… Barbara… speak up when people are moving chairs during your small “fireside” introduction

-       Ashley… shadow… learn how to smoke that joint

-       Ashley… Sherry… plant yourself… don’t sway around

-       Nima… don’t actually “cry” when you’re talking about having cried