So it's curtain up in 2 weeks' time. That is a terrifying thought - we've three scheduled rehearsals left, though I've no doubt we'll put in some more hours in between. I can't believe I'm here already, having stepped into this role with no idea of who I was or what I was doing as a director. Now, I've got 2/3 of a completed play, and a much greater understanding of how I work in these situations.
Tonight, we've got a bit of a challenge. We are hosting a character dinner party. The room has been hired, we're in discussion about the food, but ultimately it'll be 2 hours of improvisation for the actors, and observation for myself and Abi. It'll be a good way to not only shake away the cobwebs of the Easter break, but also solidify the character relationships and idiosyncrasies that I saw developing throughout the workshops Abi had been taking. It'll also be a chance for me to get my head back in and pick up on the little subtleties that will make this play more than just a show, but a performance and insight into the human psyche.
Doing improvised scenarios like this provides both a safe environment for actors to experiment and see what comes naturally, and an opportunity for the directors to take in the atmosphere of a play without being tied down to the text. I'm intrigued to see what happens and what I learn from it.
No comments:
Post a Comment