It's a good thing we do Viewpoints as a warm up. I literally go 9am to 5pm everyday. Then at 5 I go to the student union and buy dinner. After that, at 6pm is rehearsal time. In a perfect world I would have a session of Chi Gong, Growtoski animal work, and various vocal exercises.
For this show: Most of the magic happens inside the room. This is the place to play and the exercises we use at the beginning of rehearsals start the creative process going. One of my "AHA!" moments occurred last week. It happened during viewpoints and I used it later that night in the dumb show. Plus, for an odd reason I'm sure, I get out my head in these rehearsals. When I'm in the room, I'm in the room! That's probably why I'm always the happy one during check in.
The best part is that the room is a trusting environment. These people are very productive with positive and active feedback. Also, we are discovering this show together. But not as if everyone comes into the room blind. It is very apparent that everyone knows the show backwards and forwards. I have worked with people, EVEN DIRECTORS who come not knowing what the hell is going on! And at the other end, there are the actors and directors who come in with their preconceived ideas of the textual meaning, blocking, and delivery--and there is no other options in this. I must admit, I am at a happy medium. I have been blessed with fellow actors and a director who know the show well enough to present it correctly and are open enough to explore it as an ensemble.
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3 comments:
I love that kind of freedom during rehearsals. The freedom to experiment and play with the array of ideas... Whenever the director allows that to be the case, I feel that I get to mold the show just as much as the creative team and the director, so I actually feel like an important part of the process.
Trust is essential in any ensemble environment. Assuming I'm working with brand new people, I tend to give them the benefit of the doubt- I trust and respect them, even if I have yet to be properly introduced to them yet. But rehearsals can either make or break that trust.
In the past, I fully admit, I probably was untrustworthy. I've overcome a lot of my own ego to get to where I am today, and I believe that others can trust me. That being said, I AM human. I make mistakes. I do stupid shit without thinking sometimes. While I do believe I've improved, I don't think I- or anybody, really- will ever be the "perfect" trustworthy castmate. If conflicts arise, hopefully they can be handled like adults.
I think the thing I like best about this post is that Geo said he got dinner before rehearsal, and I think that nutrition and eating is something that all actors should take into account. TO be good performers, I think we need to be healthy and have anough fuel to keep us going through rehearsal. I also think that alot of us can get so caught up in the show we're doing along with classes etc..that we forget to treat our bodies well, and I hope that people follow Geo's example of eating before rehearsal. I think it makes you much more focussed and productive. But don't eat too much, because then you might fall asleep or throw up. okbye!
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