Rehearsal Plan
6:30-8:30 Scene-to-Scene Table work
8:30-10:30 Introduction to Viewpoints and Ensemble Based Movement
Notes:
Today was another really good rehearsal. We only got through to Scene 6 with table work, but we got so much done in terms of clarifying the arc of each scene. The actors picked up notes really quickly and I'm loving the unique relationships that are starting to build between Jak and Lang and Dex and Tweek. Aimee and India took some extremely brave leaps in starting to realize the inhuman vocals of Dex and Tweek, and I feel confident that the mix of movement work and textual analysis is going to help them create something truly terrifying. JP was much more talkative today, so he must have gotten some sleep. Colin and I agreed that tomorrow, both to save time and to give the actors space to explore intellectually, we are going to talk less in table work. Which will definitely be difficult because we're such verbose, cerebral people. However, it's important that we continue to tamp down on our ego, and allow the power of the ensemble begin to build and shine.
Movement work was pretty good. I always get a little nervous asking professional actors to do Viewpoints with me, mostly because I'm afraid that they'll think I'm trying to change their acting method. However, I was really clear that I'm not trying to replace their process, but rather attempting to build a unique and precise sense of living ensemble as well as organ movement for the ritualistic scenes in the piece. I had to do an entire overview of the Viewpoints just to get started because most of the actors had never had any experience with it. We made it through everything but architecture, and I could tell that by the end of the night they were all exhausted. I have to keep reminding myself that this work is important and valuable, and not to be thrown off by the fact that most theatre's don't allow time to truly build ensemble perception. At the end of the process, the work we're putting in now is going to pay off with a performance that is alive, vital, and thrumming with energy. Tomorrow will be more fun anyway because we're going to move into Open Viewpoints and Viewpoints with Music.