Friday, July 10, 2009
The Time Has Come...
I really do not have time to be writing this update now. I slept poorly last night, and I have many things to do before I leave for town to go to opening night. So, briefly...
The final rehearsal went well. Those who had been struggling with lines did better for the most part, as near as I could tell. I had to make a save once or twice, and I stumbled a bit here and there, but nothing disastrous. Director said act 2 was the strongest is has ever been...even stronger than act one.
I was running around with a video camera taping backstage antics and there were in fact plenty of them.
I feel as ready as I can be...and I think the cast feels the same. We have become way more comfortable with the play and each other in the last 72 hours...I hope it continues into tonight and tomorrow. But of course, it will.
Now, I must go and finish my errands...2 hours before I leave. (To beat traffic, and maybe meet up with some cast mates for some social time before call.)
The final rehearsal went well. Those who had been struggling with lines did better for the most part, as near as I could tell. I had to make a save once or twice, and I stumbled a bit here and there, but nothing disastrous. Director said act 2 was the strongest is has ever been...even stronger than act one.
I was running around with a video camera taping backstage antics and there were in fact plenty of them.
I feel as ready as I can be...and I think the cast feels the same. We have become way more comfortable with the play and each other in the last 72 hours...I hope it continues into tonight and tomorrow. But of course, it will.
Now, I must go and finish my errands...2 hours before I leave. (To beat traffic, and maybe meet up with some cast mates for some social time before call.)
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
No Plan "B"
Today was a costume rehearsal, and we ran the whole show. Kind of.
One person was missing today. And "Mercutio" had to leave early. Plus, due to the building being a multi-purpose facility, we were not able to begin on the stage. We had to practice in the green room, which is not an adequate space for such things. Particularly during tech week, when we should be running things exactly as they will be performed. That bothers me, I will admit.
About 3 or four scenes in, we gained access to the stage, and continued. Because we are still stopping and going to fix things here and there, it was not a continuous rehearsal, and contrary to the plan, we were unable to get to Mercutio's death scene before he had to leave.
Aside from that, and some other confusions, things went rather well, considering how poorly they went last night. Some people still are reading their lines from the script while on stage, which is a bit worrisome, but it would seem that the director was pleased. At the end of the rehearsal she admitted she had been working on a "Plan B" for the production, but based on tonight's rehearsal declared it was not necessary. (She did not elaborate on what her "Plan B" was.)
Truth be told, it was quite a far piece from last night. There was more energy, and there were fewer missed lines, and need for books. (Though I confess I needed to call for a line once...in a place I do not usually have to. I am not sure why...maybe just the overall stress of the situation. I am going to work as hard as I can to prevent that from happening. Though of course, we cannot call lines the next time, and the time after that is opening night.)
I think several things contributed to an obvious increase in energy, (which in turn resulted in more nuanced performances from just about everyone.)
Firstly, we were all on costume. I have said it a million times; getting into costume helps push a show in the right direction. Many people hate getting into them, but as I said in my last entry, I love to be in costume. It really drives home the character and the story, and gives the actor an extra push.
Particular with me today. The director's father is an ordained pastor, and I wore his stole as part of my costume. It was the real deal. Red, which was good because the director wanted me to wear a read stole. I had been using a red scarf, until the family remembered that they had an ordained pastor in the family. (He himself is in the play, as Montague.) I pondered if I should remove it every time I wanted to use a cuss word or something, since it was the real deal.
On a similar note, many props materialized for the first time today. They help in the same way costumes do. I still need a small Bible for the wedding scene though. "Romeo" may bring one.
Yet as mentioned, the overall higher energy of the scenes seemed to be, if not the silver bullet, at least the anecdote to some of the lethargy from previous rehearsals. Who can say why exactly, but I know that for a few hours before we even started rehearsal, energy was building amongst some of us who were there early. We were joking around, and carrying on in the green room for quite sometime before hand. (Laughing, in no small part, at the white stretch pants that our Romeo must wear in this show, which he just purchased today.) And one thing led to another, and there was much laughter and hi-jinx all around, for those who were there. Others joined in later.
Was this the proverbial, (and sometimes mythical) "cast bonding" moment? I don't know. I know I felt more relaxed around some of the people today, and that leads to enjoyment of what you are doing. It carried into the start of rehearsal. Mix that with the other things I have mentioned, (and the fact that we are seriously out of time on this one) and some things I suppose naturally improved.
I confess that I am more nervous about going on for this show two days out than I have been for just about any show I have been in. Not for want of desire to do well on anybody's part. Just how close things have been getting. With the one foul up aside I have proven I have my entire part off book, and I have declared myself off book, but I really think that in one more week this show would have been good. However, if we can improve as much between tonight and Thursday (no rehearsal on Wednesday) as it seems we did between last night and tonight, we may just be totally ready after all.
I have nothing specific to report about my performance. It is solidifying into the way it is now, and I am not yet able to work all of the nuance into it that I had originally planned to. But I must also say that I have managed to fit more of it in during the last few rehearsals than I would have thought I could last week. So, perhaps I can apply even more on the night, or during performances. We will see.
One person was missing today. And "Mercutio" had to leave early. Plus, due to the building being a multi-purpose facility, we were not able to begin on the stage. We had to practice in the green room, which is not an adequate space for such things. Particularly during tech week, when we should be running things exactly as they will be performed. That bothers me, I will admit.
About 3 or four scenes in, we gained access to the stage, and continued. Because we are still stopping and going to fix things here and there, it was not a continuous rehearsal, and contrary to the plan, we were unable to get to Mercutio's death scene before he had to leave.
Aside from that, and some other confusions, things went rather well, considering how poorly they went last night. Some people still are reading their lines from the script while on stage, which is a bit worrisome, but it would seem that the director was pleased. At the end of the rehearsal she admitted she had been working on a "Plan B" for the production, but based on tonight's rehearsal declared it was not necessary. (She did not elaborate on what her "Plan B" was.)
Truth be told, it was quite a far piece from last night. There was more energy, and there were fewer missed lines, and need for books. (Though I confess I needed to call for a line once...in a place I do not usually have to. I am not sure why...maybe just the overall stress of the situation. I am going to work as hard as I can to prevent that from happening. Though of course, we cannot call lines the next time, and the time after that is opening night.)
I think several things contributed to an obvious increase in energy, (which in turn resulted in more nuanced performances from just about everyone.)
Firstly, we were all on costume. I have said it a million times; getting into costume helps push a show in the right direction. Many people hate getting into them, but as I said in my last entry, I love to be in costume. It really drives home the character and the story, and gives the actor an extra push.
Particular with me today. The director's father is an ordained pastor, and I wore his stole as part of my costume. It was the real deal. Red, which was good because the director wanted me to wear a read stole. I had been using a red scarf, until the family remembered that they had an ordained pastor in the family. (He himself is in the play, as Montague.) I pondered if I should remove it every time I wanted to use a cuss word or something, since it was the real deal.
On a similar note, many props materialized for the first time today. They help in the same way costumes do. I still need a small Bible for the wedding scene though. "Romeo" may bring one.
Yet as mentioned, the overall higher energy of the scenes seemed to be, if not the silver bullet, at least the anecdote to some of the lethargy from previous rehearsals. Who can say why exactly, but I know that for a few hours before we even started rehearsal, energy was building amongst some of us who were there early. We were joking around, and carrying on in the green room for quite sometime before hand. (Laughing, in no small part, at the white stretch pants that our Romeo must wear in this show, which he just purchased today.) And one thing led to another, and there was much laughter and hi-jinx all around, for those who were there. Others joined in later.
Was this the proverbial, (and sometimes mythical) "cast bonding" moment? I don't know. I know I felt more relaxed around some of the people today, and that leads to enjoyment of what you are doing. It carried into the start of rehearsal. Mix that with the other things I have mentioned, (and the fact that we are seriously out of time on this one) and some things I suppose naturally improved.
I confess that I am more nervous about going on for this show two days out than I have been for just about any show I have been in. Not for want of desire to do well on anybody's part. Just how close things have been getting. With the one foul up aside I have proven I have my entire part off book, and I have declared myself off book, but I really think that in one more week this show would have been good. However, if we can improve as much between tonight and Thursday (no rehearsal on Wednesday) as it seems we did between last night and tonight, we may just be totally ready after all.
I have nothing specific to report about my performance. It is solidifying into the way it is now, and I am not yet able to work all of the nuance into it that I had originally planned to. But I must also say that I have managed to fit more of it in during the last few rehearsals than I would have thought I could last week. So, perhaps I can apply even more on the night, or during performances. We will see.
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Sunday and Monday
(Is that getting old yet?)
Sunday was in informal rehearsal that was not required. Ergo, most people did NOT attend. Out of those that did attend, the director spent most of her time with Fate and the Minion Dancers as I call them. I am not sure what all they did, but I think it;s fair to assume it was basically choreography.
Out in the house of the theatre, I, along with about 6 cast mates read through the show, trying to run lines without checking the book. (Having to read for all the absent people as well.) I was able to do about 90% of my lines without looking. We could go through problem scenes more than once, but I didn't request such services. (Though I did ask that those reading for parts in my scenes actually read the whole scene, as opposed to just reading the last few cue words for me, which is what they did for the others. I have never been good at picking up my cue with just a few words.)
Others in the group, by their own admission, were not doing very good with lines. I mean, I have taken longer than I normally like to, but others were congratulating me for having so many lines down. I do not know if I deserve praise for being somewhat less behind on my job, but, I appreciate the sentiments. I just wish, as did they, that everyone was where I was in regards to lines.
That being said, it was a very refreshing experience for more than one reason. It was an informal gathering, but work was getting done. The pressure to be performing, and remembering everything all at once was off, and it allowed us all to relax a bit. When relaxed, more happens. It also allows for goofy moments, but unlike many of the rehearsals, those moments do not get out of hand, and they fade quickly back into the task at hand.
It also allowed us to take time and discuss things.
But most importantly, it was the very first time I got to deliver all of my lines to someone in some capacity. I have too long been reciting my lines to only myself, or in rehearsals wherein too much was going in in regards to blocking that delivery really wasn't happening. Sunday marked the first time I had delivered some of those lines in the theatre since the first first read through or so. Just the simple ability to do that made me more relaxed overall, almost right away.
I went home, and for most of that night, and today, I studied the few lines that I was still shaky on. I happy to report that as a result, despite a few shaky moments, I performed totally off book tonight, for what was our first full run through of the show in one night. (I did call for part of one line, which we are still allowed to do, but it was a fluke...the line was not any of the most recent ones I had been having trouble with.) So, though I need polish, i can after tonight, declare myself officially off book.
Sadly, that was probably the best, if not only good news from tonight to report...
The director told us, (rightfully so) at the end of tonight's rehearsal, that she just wasn't seeing the effort put into getting the show off the ground. And indeed, weaknesses abounded. We have yet to have a single night where the whole cast stayed for the entire evening. Due to having not run the show before tonight, there was some confusion as to when scenes actually changed. But worst of it all...many people still had book on their hands. This, loyal blog readers, is not good.
I only feel comfortable saying that, because the director agrees. As I said, she told us that we just are not getting there, and that we need to improve very quickly by about "5 notches".
A lot will be riding on Tuesday night. That is the night she said there will be NO stopping. Monday night, and all previous nights each scene had to be stopped several times to change or correct something. From now on, she told us, if we run into a jam we are on our own. Which we should be by this point. But I wonder what that will bring about on Tuesday.
What exactly the director will be looking for on Tuesday night, and what the consequences will be if we cannot deliver it, I have no idea.
I correct myself, however. One other good thing about tonight was that I wore a costume for the first time in the show. I did not have to, but I wanted to be into the character as much as possible, given the circumstances. Every moment I have at all engines firing, the better. Everybody has to do costume starting Tuesday, so I just decided to give it a head start.
I have never thrown together a costume so quickly. My stand by black shoes, which I have worn in at least 10 shows if not more. Black socks. Black slacks, and a durable black t-shirt (from a previous show.) My plan was to find a real clerical shirt, but that was not easy, and I was out of time. I planned to have someone sew a white piece of cloth on the collar, to give the impression of my wearing the roman collar. But tonight, as a stand in for that, I taped a small piece of white box backing to the front of the t-shirts collar. It must have worked very well, because more than one person, from a distance, thought I had found myself a clerical shirt with a collar. Not bad for a last minute idea. (Though I probably need to have cloth sewn in for the actual show...in fear of tape just coming off in the middle of a scene, though that did not happen tonight.)
So, we will see what tomorrow brings for the Friar's outfit, and for the show itself...it is the most critical and direct moment of truth for a show that I have ever been involved in, in my tens years as an actor.
Sunday was in informal rehearsal that was not required. Ergo, most people did NOT attend. Out of those that did attend, the director spent most of her time with Fate and the Minion Dancers as I call them. I am not sure what all they did, but I think it;s fair to assume it was basically choreography.
Out in the house of the theatre, I, along with about 6 cast mates read through the show, trying to run lines without checking the book. (Having to read for all the absent people as well.) I was able to do about 90% of my lines without looking. We could go through problem scenes more than once, but I didn't request such services. (Though I did ask that those reading for parts in my scenes actually read the whole scene, as opposed to just reading the last few cue words for me, which is what they did for the others. I have never been good at picking up my cue with just a few words.)
Others in the group, by their own admission, were not doing very good with lines. I mean, I have taken longer than I normally like to, but others were congratulating me for having so many lines down. I do not know if I deserve praise for being somewhat less behind on my job, but, I appreciate the sentiments. I just wish, as did they, that everyone was where I was in regards to lines.
That being said, it was a very refreshing experience for more than one reason. It was an informal gathering, but work was getting done. The pressure to be performing, and remembering everything all at once was off, and it allowed us all to relax a bit. When relaxed, more happens. It also allows for goofy moments, but unlike many of the rehearsals, those moments do not get out of hand, and they fade quickly back into the task at hand.
It also allowed us to take time and discuss things.
But most importantly, it was the very first time I got to deliver all of my lines to someone in some capacity. I have too long been reciting my lines to only myself, or in rehearsals wherein too much was going in in regards to blocking that delivery really wasn't happening. Sunday marked the first time I had delivered some of those lines in the theatre since the first first read through or so. Just the simple ability to do that made me more relaxed overall, almost right away.
I went home, and for most of that night, and today, I studied the few lines that I was still shaky on. I happy to report that as a result, despite a few shaky moments, I performed totally off book tonight, for what was our first full run through of the show in one night. (I did call for part of one line, which we are still allowed to do, but it was a fluke...the line was not any of the most recent ones I had been having trouble with.) So, though I need polish, i can after tonight, declare myself officially off book.
Sadly, that was probably the best, if not only good news from tonight to report...
The director told us, (rightfully so) at the end of tonight's rehearsal, that she just wasn't seeing the effort put into getting the show off the ground. And indeed, weaknesses abounded. We have yet to have a single night where the whole cast stayed for the entire evening. Due to having not run the show before tonight, there was some confusion as to when scenes actually changed. But worst of it all...many people still had book on their hands. This, loyal blog readers, is not good.
I only feel comfortable saying that, because the director agrees. As I said, she told us that we just are not getting there, and that we need to improve very quickly by about "5 notches".
A lot will be riding on Tuesday night. That is the night she said there will be NO stopping. Monday night, and all previous nights each scene had to be stopped several times to change or correct something. From now on, she told us, if we run into a jam we are on our own. Which we should be by this point. But I wonder what that will bring about on Tuesday.
What exactly the director will be looking for on Tuesday night, and what the consequences will be if we cannot deliver it, I have no idea.
I correct myself, however. One other good thing about tonight was that I wore a costume for the first time in the show. I did not have to, but I wanted to be into the character as much as possible, given the circumstances. Every moment I have at all engines firing, the better. Everybody has to do costume starting Tuesday, so I just decided to give it a head start.
I have never thrown together a costume so quickly. My stand by black shoes, which I have worn in at least 10 shows if not more. Black socks. Black slacks, and a durable black t-shirt (from a previous show.) My plan was to find a real clerical shirt, but that was not easy, and I was out of time. I planned to have someone sew a white piece of cloth on the collar, to give the impression of my wearing the roman collar. But tonight, as a stand in for that, I taped a small piece of white box backing to the front of the t-shirts collar. It must have worked very well, because more than one person, from a distance, thought I had found myself a clerical shirt with a collar. Not bad for a last minute idea. (Though I probably need to have cloth sewn in for the actual show...in fear of tape just coming off in the middle of a scene, though that did not happen tonight.)
So, we will see what tomorrow brings for the Friar's outfit, and for the show itself...it is the most critical and direct moment of truth for a show that I have ever been involved in, in my tens years as an actor.
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Thursday and Friday
Like my snazzy title?
My apologies for not documenting the events sooner. With the holiday weekend and other such things, it slipped through the cracks of my schedule.
Thursday night's rehearsal was originally supposed to cover all of "Act One". (And in this context, I mean the first half of the show before intermission.) We did not quite get there, as most of the people in the cast could not, despite knowing it may be needed, stay late to finish things up. And though I got to run some of my scenes, I did not get to run my best scene from the first half. And in fact, I have not run it yet.
All kinds of circumstances that would not be proper to get into here have contributed to what even the director admits is a bit of a slow moving process; one that is behind where it really should be at this point. I confess that even I am a bit nervous in more than a few ways. We never had a lot of time to get a Shakespeare show together anyway, and with all of the difficulties we have been facing, I feel less into my character, less settled, a bit less focused, than I am used to being 6 days before a show opens. I also admit to being worried about having not run all of my scenes yet.
It is by running them on stage with the actors that truly commits the lines to memory, and opens up the mind to creativity and nuance within a performance. Yet with actors still holding books, people being missing, and other problems, that has not been able to happen yet. And it seems that it is often the scenes that I am in that get sacrificed for the sake of time. It is not personal, but it is worrisome...at this rate, I will at most, get only 4 more times, and possibly only three. If we run the whole show each day next week, (with Wednesday off), that means I will have 3 chances at best to actually experience most of my scenes as I will in the performance. (Romeo will be missing for one of those days, and 85% of my lines are with him.)
I am also usually in costume by now, and I have not, as of yet, found anything that will work for it.
Long story short, I actually felt nervous performing some of those scenes for the first time, without book. I really should not be feeling that way in the final week. That is when it should be clicking. It actually should have clicked for me before now, which is one reason I am a bit concerned.
To be honest, I do not, beyond this, remember much of what I did accomplish on Thursday. Suffice to say that I got to run some moments for the first time ever, which relieved some of the pressure within me. The scenes that remain unrun, still, with less than a week left are replacing that pressure and fear, however. I have never been this close to an opening without having run all of my scenes before...
Friday I remember more about. "Act Two". (After intermission.) Again, not all of my scenes were run, but the most significant things that I do for the second half we did in fact get to. The first being my delivering, in its proper context, the hideously long and boring speech that explains the sleeping potion plan. I got it all out. Not totally natural feeling, but I did it. I have it. Hopefully there is time to polish it up.
Skipping around the script a bit, (given that once again a large portion of the actors had to leave early), we moved to the last scene. A big scene for me, wherein I discover Romeo, my surrogate son of sorts, laying dead. And the resolution of the play following.
I confess at that point I was more frustrated with the proceedings than I had been up to that point. I had been, on two different occasions, been building up to performing that final scene, to make sure I had the emotional power I wanted for it. On two different occasions I was unable to get to it. So on Friday when jokes, laughing, a lack of focus, half hearted readings, and just overall noise elongated a 2 minute segment into over a half an hour of work, I finally pleaded with the entire group to please just run the scene.
I probably should not have said anything. It probably was not my place, but I very quickly saw my chance to run the all important final scene once again slipping away, and I really needed to run that moment that night, and as many times as I can between now and the opening of the show. So, just loud enough to be heard above the fray of actors laughing and bouncing off of the walls I said, "Can we just run the scene, please?"
That doesn't sound too horrible, I realize, but it wasn't my place to say anything. I have no authority over the production, being just an actor. But as an actor, I felt that not all of my fellow actors were being as productive at that moment as others.
It did calm done a bit for the final 20 minutes then, during which we ran the final scene. (With a new actor for the first time..."Montague" quit the show.) It went well, I would say over all, though the blocking will not be exactly as it should be until we have the actual slab on which Romeo and Juliet will lie. It can make for an interesting take on the ending, if we polish it enough.
As for my part, I am happy to report I was in fact able to sum up the depth and type of emotion I wanted for the discovery of Romeo. I have not had much occasion to cry in character in my career, and as with all things the key is to not over do it while at the same time being removed enough from the tone of the rest of my performance to have an impact on the audience. I believe, personally, I achieved this. (I am not sure what the director thought of it, though...she did not comment on it.) Hopefully, I can polish that in the next precious few days.
That last 15 minutes in fact is going to be quite a roller coaster for me. I have to go from bewilderment, to worry, to devastation, to defeat, and than to strength, all within the course of the last scene. Just the anticipation of doing it last night had my nerves keyed up a bit. (Which is why it is stressful to build up to tackling that scene, and not being able to do it.) I imagine it will only become more pronounced as the performance gets closer. My prayer is that by running it 3 more times (at best, sadly), it will become natural enough for me to be at ease with it.
In fact, that will be the goal of all of my scenes. I am thankful that some of them are at last under my belt. But it means that a great deal more will have to be accomplished with the scenes I have not yet run, than otherwise would have to be, had I been running them sooner. I wish to heaven for one more week.
But I shall not get it. The only 2 performances are coming at the end of this week. And I have much work to do. (I confess to needing the book for my final speech...) I am upset at myself for letting distractions get in the way of my memorization, but I have already gotten more off book sense last night, and will continue to work on the final speech or two tomorrow until I leave for rehearsal at 6PM. That should give me three whole performances during which to deliver all of my lines off book. I just hope it's enough. It will have to be.
My apologies for not documenting the events sooner. With the holiday weekend and other such things, it slipped through the cracks of my schedule.
Thursday night's rehearsal was originally supposed to cover all of "Act One". (And in this context, I mean the first half of the show before intermission.) We did not quite get there, as most of the people in the cast could not, despite knowing it may be needed, stay late to finish things up. And though I got to run some of my scenes, I did not get to run my best scene from the first half. And in fact, I have not run it yet.
All kinds of circumstances that would not be proper to get into here have contributed to what even the director admits is a bit of a slow moving process; one that is behind where it really should be at this point. I confess that even I am a bit nervous in more than a few ways. We never had a lot of time to get a Shakespeare show together anyway, and with all of the difficulties we have been facing, I feel less into my character, less settled, a bit less focused, than I am used to being 6 days before a show opens. I also admit to being worried about having not run all of my scenes yet.
It is by running them on stage with the actors that truly commits the lines to memory, and opens up the mind to creativity and nuance within a performance. Yet with actors still holding books, people being missing, and other problems, that has not been able to happen yet. And it seems that it is often the scenes that I am in that get sacrificed for the sake of time. It is not personal, but it is worrisome...at this rate, I will at most, get only 4 more times, and possibly only three. If we run the whole show each day next week, (with Wednesday off), that means I will have 3 chances at best to actually experience most of my scenes as I will in the performance. (Romeo will be missing for one of those days, and 85% of my lines are with him.)
I am also usually in costume by now, and I have not, as of yet, found anything that will work for it.
Long story short, I actually felt nervous performing some of those scenes for the first time, without book. I really should not be feeling that way in the final week. That is when it should be clicking. It actually should have clicked for me before now, which is one reason I am a bit concerned.
To be honest, I do not, beyond this, remember much of what I did accomplish on Thursday. Suffice to say that I got to run some moments for the first time ever, which relieved some of the pressure within me. The scenes that remain unrun, still, with less than a week left are replacing that pressure and fear, however. I have never been this close to an opening without having run all of my scenes before...
Friday I remember more about. "Act Two". (After intermission.) Again, not all of my scenes were run, but the most significant things that I do for the second half we did in fact get to. The first being my delivering, in its proper context, the hideously long and boring speech that explains the sleeping potion plan. I got it all out. Not totally natural feeling, but I did it. I have it. Hopefully there is time to polish it up.
Skipping around the script a bit, (given that once again a large portion of the actors had to leave early), we moved to the last scene. A big scene for me, wherein I discover Romeo, my surrogate son of sorts, laying dead. And the resolution of the play following.
I confess at that point I was more frustrated with the proceedings than I had been up to that point. I had been, on two different occasions, been building up to performing that final scene, to make sure I had the emotional power I wanted for it. On two different occasions I was unable to get to it. So on Friday when jokes, laughing, a lack of focus, half hearted readings, and just overall noise elongated a 2 minute segment into over a half an hour of work, I finally pleaded with the entire group to please just run the scene.
I probably should not have said anything. It probably was not my place, but I very quickly saw my chance to run the all important final scene once again slipping away, and I really needed to run that moment that night, and as many times as I can between now and the opening of the show. So, just loud enough to be heard above the fray of actors laughing and bouncing off of the walls I said, "Can we just run the scene, please?"
That doesn't sound too horrible, I realize, but it wasn't my place to say anything. I have no authority over the production, being just an actor. But as an actor, I felt that not all of my fellow actors were being as productive at that moment as others.
It did calm done a bit for the final 20 minutes then, during which we ran the final scene. (With a new actor for the first time..."Montague" quit the show.) It went well, I would say over all, though the blocking will not be exactly as it should be until we have the actual slab on which Romeo and Juliet will lie. It can make for an interesting take on the ending, if we polish it enough.
As for my part, I am happy to report I was in fact able to sum up the depth and type of emotion I wanted for the discovery of Romeo. I have not had much occasion to cry in character in my career, and as with all things the key is to not over do it while at the same time being removed enough from the tone of the rest of my performance to have an impact on the audience. I believe, personally, I achieved this. (I am not sure what the director thought of it, though...she did not comment on it.) Hopefully, I can polish that in the next precious few days.
That last 15 minutes in fact is going to be quite a roller coaster for me. I have to go from bewilderment, to worry, to devastation, to defeat, and than to strength, all within the course of the last scene. Just the anticipation of doing it last night had my nerves keyed up a bit. (Which is why it is stressful to build up to tackling that scene, and not being able to do it.) I imagine it will only become more pronounced as the performance gets closer. My prayer is that by running it 3 more times (at best, sadly), it will become natural enough for me to be at ease with it.
In fact, that will be the goal of all of my scenes. I am thankful that some of them are at last under my belt. But it means that a great deal more will have to be accomplished with the scenes I have not yet run, than otherwise would have to be, had I been running them sooner. I wish to heaven for one more week.
But I shall not get it. The only 2 performances are coming at the end of this week. And I have much work to do. (I confess to needing the book for my final speech...) I am upset at myself for letting distractions get in the way of my memorization, but I have already gotten more off book sense last night, and will continue to work on the final speech or two tomorrow until I leave for rehearsal at 6PM. That should give me three whole performances during which to deliver all of my lines off book. I just hope it's enough. It will have to be.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
The Final Blocking
Though I am sure there will be changes, and I confess to some gaps in my recall in regards to some of it that we have not run in a while, the blocking stage of Romeo and Juliet was completed today. At least as best as it could be given some disadvantages.
One such is that one of the characters who was to do some tumbling for some of the scenes strained his back, and no will be unable to work any of the sort of things that had been worked out. They will have to be revamped in some way.
Also on this particular day, I had to stand in for someone. "Juliet" specifically. But wrap you mind around this...I stood in for the actress playing Juliet, in a scene in which she is not actually playing Juliet. The actress will in fact be playing some random Montague in a street brawl.
If the logistics of all of that are making you dizzy, relax. It's got more layers than an onion. And since I only had to do it for today, it hardly matters in the slightest, outside of being an intriguing mind bender. I was being me, playing a small part that will normally be played by another actress, that normally plays another part. Whoa.
The scene for all of this warped metaphysics was the first scene of the play. As I said, a brawl in the street between servants of the two houses. "Do you bite you thumb at me, sir", and all that.
(To add an even weirder element, I also appeared in this scene years ago, in the Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged. Flashbacks were inevitable, and in fact, have come up in various other moments of this production as well.)
As fun as that was, my actual character is not in the scene. So I admit I was just sort of sheep-ing my way through that part of rehearsal.
Later, we reviewed and expanded upon the blocking of the Capulet Party scene. In this version, the Friar is in fact present. I have received not particular instruction as to where to go in this scene, except when the whole party moves. So I have, so far, kept mostly in the back, observing everyone else, letting those who wish to approach the good Friar do so. My version of the Friar is more laid back than would be most interpretations of him, but I still somehow doubt he would be whooping it up, as it were, at the block party. Though I should come up with a bit more to do, and have a bit more motivation. I have a lot to think about in that regard for all of my scenes in the second half, save one. (The last.)
It is to be on Thursday, (our next official rehearsal) that we start running the show from the top, and going through as much of act one as possible. Friday then is act 2. Tech week, (though we have no real tech as it were) will start on Sunday. Each day of next week, except one, we will be running the whole show, in theory. This is both scary and a relief. Relief in that I will finally get a chance to work on my dynamic with Romeo a bit, and to deliver the lines to a living actor as opposed to a tape recorder, as has been my practice when getting off book.
Scary, in that even the director told us that though she had faith in us all, we are a bit behind in where she wanted us to be. Costumes and props are not yet secured. Books are still in hands. (I am not innocent of this...for though I know, I would say, 90% of all my lines, I do not yet have them all. But you can bet I will be working quite hard on that in the coming days.)
Not that I won't have to call for lines a few times in the coming days. But as I have said here on the blog before, the memorization process is not fully complete until I am actually working the lines in the scene with the other actors. (This is not film, after all, where rehearsal is not always even on the menu.) Granted I will have far less time to do so for this show than I am used to. But I am determined to make it happen.
Nothing tomorrow for me. It is stage combat day for those who need to fight. The Holy Man fights not.
One such is that one of the characters who was to do some tumbling for some of the scenes strained his back, and no will be unable to work any of the sort of things that had been worked out. They will have to be revamped in some way.
Also on this particular day, I had to stand in for someone. "Juliet" specifically. But wrap you mind around this...I stood in for the actress playing Juliet, in a scene in which she is not actually playing Juliet. The actress will in fact be playing some random Montague in a street brawl.
If the logistics of all of that are making you dizzy, relax. It's got more layers than an onion. And since I only had to do it for today, it hardly matters in the slightest, outside of being an intriguing mind bender. I was being me, playing a small part that will normally be played by another actress, that normally plays another part. Whoa.
The scene for all of this warped metaphysics was the first scene of the play. As I said, a brawl in the street between servants of the two houses. "Do you bite you thumb at me, sir", and all that.
(To add an even weirder element, I also appeared in this scene years ago, in the Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged. Flashbacks were inevitable, and in fact, have come up in various other moments of this production as well.)
As fun as that was, my actual character is not in the scene. So I admit I was just sort of sheep-ing my way through that part of rehearsal.
Later, we reviewed and expanded upon the blocking of the Capulet Party scene. In this version, the Friar is in fact present. I have received not particular instruction as to where to go in this scene, except when the whole party moves. So I have, so far, kept mostly in the back, observing everyone else, letting those who wish to approach the good Friar do so. My version of the Friar is more laid back than would be most interpretations of him, but I still somehow doubt he would be whooping it up, as it were, at the block party. Though I should come up with a bit more to do, and have a bit more motivation. I have a lot to think about in that regard for all of my scenes in the second half, save one. (The last.)
It is to be on Thursday, (our next official rehearsal) that we start running the show from the top, and going through as much of act one as possible. Friday then is act 2. Tech week, (though we have no real tech as it were) will start on Sunday. Each day of next week, except one, we will be running the whole show, in theory. This is both scary and a relief. Relief in that I will finally get a chance to work on my dynamic with Romeo a bit, and to deliver the lines to a living actor as opposed to a tape recorder, as has been my practice when getting off book.
Scary, in that even the director told us that though she had faith in us all, we are a bit behind in where she wanted us to be. Costumes and props are not yet secured. Books are still in hands. (I am not innocent of this...for though I know, I would say, 90% of all my lines, I do not yet have them all. But you can bet I will be working quite hard on that in the coming days.)
Not that I won't have to call for lines a few times in the coming days. But as I have said here on the blog before, the memorization process is not fully complete until I am actually working the lines in the scene with the other actors. (This is not film, after all, where rehearsal is not always even on the menu.) Granted I will have far less time to do so for this show than I am used to. But I am determined to make it happen.
Nothing tomorrow for me. It is stage combat day for those who need to fight. The Holy Man fights not.
