April 28: Run of Play 28 April, 2008
Posted by Kate Foy in rehearsals.add a comment
First runs are notorious for being unsatisfying from many angles. It is a fact that has to be accepted and worked through. Today was no different.
There are many and complex reasons for the dissatisfaction and decisions arising from the run today, and I hope our company meeting assisted in a coming to terms individually and as an ensemble with the challenges that face us from here on in. We don’t lack ability or support, just the collective will to make it happen. I feel confident that with a commitment to the effort which is needed from all, that we will ensure the work done so far will exceed our expectations in performance. After all, this is why we have been working on this thing called a production. You are artists, we are a collective engaged in a thrilling, challenging and yes … difficult enterprise. No one said it would be easy.
So, on to tomorrow with a clean slate. It’s all go for an official opening on Thursday playing through to Sunday. We will play Tuesday and Wednesday night as final dress rehearsals under performance conditions. Craig will undoubtedly confirm with his impeccable scheduling on the morrow. He will also have more information on the Saturday and Sunday rehearsals and the stand-in cast.
I hope wherever you are right now that you are feeling confident, enthused and that you have spent time tonight getting your lines, your cues and your focus where they need to be.
Sleep well.
28th April - The week begins 28 April, 2008
Posted by swampfoot in rehearsals.1 comment so far
Today, hannah and I, and whoever else wants to are handing out fliers to the show. We have nearly 200 fliers and have already handed out 200+ fliers around Toowoomba. We are hitting USQ next, targetting any unsuspecting square, or any pot filled hippi. So beware!
Also, i am taking the second poster design to the printing company today, and they should be able to do it by tonight, or early tomorrow. Then i will need a bunch of you all to continue finding places to put them up. WooHoo! Go Team… Rimer? not rimmer.
Anywho, off to the printing company.
April 27: Work and Fix Rehearsal 27 April, 2008
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Cora, Walter, Robert, Eva and I took their Act 2 scenes apart this afternoon so we could put them together again at the end of the day. It was time to examine and construct the intimate scenes and violent scenes into frame by frame actions: a kiss and a slap are both ‘actions’ with intentions. How they fit into the rest of a scene was in part, the focus of today’s working and fixing. I think by the end of the afternoon that the actors are more comfortable with the shape and rhythm of the scenes, and their part in the overall ’score’ and arc of the play.
Refreshing actions, relating them to intentions and finessing choices is possible now lines and scene actions have gelled. We’re in the transition phase from rehearsal room floor to performance. You must be confident that your role is known sufficiently well by now to step up into performance gear. The mask will be layered further this week with costume and the creation of the stage world through sound, light and images. You’ll feel the performance energy arrive in different ways: excitement, nervousness, anxiety maybe, or any variation on the actor’s dream … you know, the one where you’re on stage in pyjamas, can’t find the stage, or are on stage in the wrong play etc. It’s all part of the way the subconscious deals with performance pressure. This happens to the best-prepared performers; God help you if you don’t know your lines!
April 25: Working rehearsal Act 2 26 April, 2008
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Image via Wikipedia
Notes on a rehearsal
Friday afternoon’s rehearsal was typical of the kind that happens during the fix and work stage of rehearsals: slow, sometimes messy, usually frustrating, but with a big payoff at the end. Now as I said to everyone at noets, I could have wished that we were past this stage and into a smoother ‘run’ phase as a transition to production week. The fact is, we are not; some actors’ process is not sufficiently well developed for this to happen: lines not known; character development not advanced; relationships and objective-playing too ‘vanilla.’ If you don’t know what I mean by this, try ‘boring’ or ‘uninteresting.’ As a director, I want to see you starting to take real risks on the floor … and to give more to your scene partners. Watch, listen, and react!
Your tasks for the next 48 hours: lines absolutely down; commitment to the task which means to your own and the ensemble’s well-being. You are a professional in training. Lateness and absences will not be accepted just as they would not be if you were engaged in a production for $$.
Final note: loving working with you all. You are a talented bunch … prove it now!
Production Week 25 April, 2008
Posted by craigw in rehearsals.1 comment so far
Hi all,
With production week only being just 3 days away - I thought I would post this message to make you all maybe feel a little more comfortable, and give you a better understanding, with the next stage of this process.
Most of you will be familiar with some style of production week, from either Childrens Festival last year, or through other companies outside of USQ. Whilst all are different, the framework is very similar. The production week that you are about to experience, though it will be a different process than Childrens Festival, is reflective and structured in the same way that is industry standard. It becomes a busy, and sometimes stressful time for many people - actors, creatives and crew - each striving to create a production and a material vision to the best of their ability. It is one of my responsibilities is to ensure that during this time it is as a smooth transition from the rehearsal room to performance. It is your responsibility to ensure that YOU are prepared for this part of the process and that you are willing to forward the development of the production. Negative, unfocused and lazy attitudes only invade on the process for yourself AND others around you. Whilst you may not care about the process of others, just remember that the people you work with now - fellow actors or production team members - are most likely the people who will employ, or at least collaborate with you in the industry in two or twelve years time. I have full admiration and respect to artists who are willing to forward the process and I hope you all share the same view. It is also important that a respect is kept and maintained between the production crew and the acting company. Some of these people you may never have met before. They have their own process so it is most important that respect is kept both ways. If you have, or come across, any negative behaviour between the company, it is most important you address this to myself, Kate and Bernadette and it will be dealt with immediately. We are ALL trying to create a positive and creative enviroment.
Days will be long next week and it is most important that you keep healthy - physically and emotionally. Whilst the production schedule is not overly tight, it does not leave room for error. If you begin to feel you are not handling production week - I would strongly suggest you tell myself, Kate and Bernadette before you risk your own wellbeing. A production never succeeds due to one person - it succeeds on the energy and contribution of the company as a WHOLE.
Childrens Festival would have given you an insight into the many production elements that come together for production week but I thought I would outline for this production the first two days so you have an understanding of some of the pressure that our production crew have for this production week. Starting at 1pm on Monday and going up to 10pm Tuesday - the following elements come into the theatre: Set installation and painting; AV installation which includes 3 screens, 3 projectors rigged and focused; lighting rig which includes approximately 80 lighting units, focus of them all, and plot in which all cues are built from scratch; Sound installation, system test and plot in which all levels of sound are recorded; Props bumpin and costume bumpin. Plus throw in a few techincal problems here and there to slow the process down, which always generally happens.
I think I have blurbed on for far too long now so I will wrap up here. Just remember that during this period COMMUNICATION is most essential, for me and for you. As I will reiterate again from rehearsals this afternoon - I must know where you are at ALL times when you enter the theatre. For us to get through this busy busy time, we must stick together and support one another and continue growing in performance and as an ensemble.
Please do not be afraid to ask me any questions about any of the process you may be unclear about, as I will be more than happy to help you, or at least point you in the right direction of someone who can answer it.
I look forward to sharing with you the exciting process ahead.
Cheers,
Craig Wilkinson
Getting an audience….. 25 April, 2008
Posted by hannah227 in rehearsals.1 comment so far
hey guys, know we’re all busy…..but just a reminder that I’ll be on Margaret St on Saturday handing out some fliers that i just printed out. Let me know if you want to join.
No one likes an empty theatre!
Rehearsal 21 April (KF) 22 April, 2008
Posted by Kate Foy in rehearsals, workshops.Tags: heightened affect, voice, workshop
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Hi everyone. Those of you who weren’t called for last night’s rehearsal can get a copy of two handouts from Bernadette today: Memorisation by Eric Armstrong (hint, hint) and Extreme Voice Use and the Voice in Violence by me. I hope you find them both useful.
Before I saddle up and head out to old lecturer land later this year, I’ll take a workshop with you on using the voice in heightened affect during performance … safely and consistently.
To those called last night; thanks it was a good session.
PS Keep those blog entries coming.
Run/Stagger 1: April 18 19 April, 2008
Posted by Kate Foy in rehearsals.add a comment
Yesterday’s run was terrifically important in the scheme of rehearsal things. It gives us all a sense of the whole story, of the structure of the piece, the order in which we have to play it, where the ‘holes’ are in the rehearsing of scenes …. fix-it or further working. In addition, the actor can start feeling the energy of the ensemble in the space; don’t underestimate this … it’s part of the process just as important as finding a scene partner’s eyes instead of words on a page. Fine tuning your energometer (yes I just made that up but you know what I mean) to respond to those around you, scene by scene is critical.
Now some of you have noted a disappointment in the outcome, and I wanted to say that whilst I understand how you might feel, that is false anxiety. OK if you hadn’t worked at your scenes and came a cropper then so be it. But if you came out of the run feeling all the work you’ve put into the prep beforehand went for nothing … forget it! Know that rehearsals are for trying things out, going hard, making choices and living by them. Beating yourself up afterwards is folly and a waste of your creative energies. Far better to console yourself by listening to music, reading the scene again … eating chocolate. But don’t go negative … OK?
Rehearsal Shots 16 April, 2008
Posted by Kate Foy in rehearsals.Tags: images, rehearsals
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Some images to reflect on from today’s sessions.
Head over to Rimers on Flickr
Thank you Robert for pix.
stumbling over something interesting… 15 April, 2008
Posted by adelaide in Uncategorized.2 comments
This mightn’t be interesting to anyone but me, but there was a film version of the play made (I imagine it was probably in the early 70’s, I’m not sure) and Patsy was played by none other than a young Susan Sarandon! It might be interesting to watch (after the play), if anyone could get their hands on it…
