Back to "Famine"

Last night we worked Act IV. I have one important scene in this rather long act, which we ran once, and didn't repeat. There was much work done on seveal of the other scene in the act, which are much longer and deeper than mine. Had it not been for the fact that severe thunderstorms were pelting the area, (as they have done all month it seems), I would have gone home early. As it was however, I stayed at the theatre, and caught up on some reading. There are worse places to be trapped in bad weather than in a theatre with other actors.

I was mostly off book for the one scene. (When Richard betrays Buckingham.) I need to work on showing my character's shock at this reversal, without losing my sense of who he is. That isn't coming through right now as well as I would like it to. But once the book is totally out of my hands, and we run the scenes leading into it sometime late next week or so, I hope to have improved it.

The key is to inwardly feel that shock and dissapointment, but to allow only just enough that the audience knows what Buckingham is feeling, until the end of the scene. Quite a tone shift for the character, feeling victorious, disgusted, deafted and then abandoned all in the course of a few minutes. I have a sense of what i want to do with this scene in the future. I just need more time to develop same.

One unfortunate note; another actor left the show. Who knows why? He had only smaller roles, thankfully, but that makes three departures thus far. Hopefully that will be the last of those.

Progress is being made, however. The so called "three queens" scene in Act IV, which I watched a few times between readings in my magazine, already has an excellent foundation with some fine acting, particularly from "Lady Anne".

The fight choreographer was supposed to come in last night as well, but had to cancel. I have no combat scenes, so his comings and going would affect me only insofar as the director will be spending most of her time with him and the "combatants" on such days. I don't know when he is expected to return.

Perhaps tonight, for tonight we do run Act V, wherein most of the combat takes place. I have three appearences in Act V. The first, which opens the act, is just before Buckingham is led off to execution. I have talked about that speech several times already here on the blog, and with reason. It will be a significant moment for my character. I still don't feel I have it where I want it to be. Granted, it is early and we have only rehearsed it a handful of times. Still though, something has felt missing when I have done it, and I hope to begin correcting that tonight. I know the director is unlikley to want to spend too much time on it, as it is brief, opens the act, and the lighting speed action of the act that leads to the conclusion of the play will be foremost on her mind. Yet I think perhaps we will have time to run the Act more than once, if fighting choreography is not tonight.

My second and third appearences in the fina; act are as a ghost. The first of these is of course during the Richard torment scene. The second is once concieved by the director for this particular production, occurring at the end of the play. (I don't say anything then.) So my guess is that I will be somewhat more active tonight than last night.