"Ferris Wheel" Rehearsal #8 - 5/1

            Today, we began practice by playing the alphabet game outside. We ended up being in a situation causing ourselves to chase Maddie through the parking lot, weaving between the rows of cars. Gib and Maddie did a great job, but at times they did have trouble staying committed. We then played “Yes! And…” where they had to find a way to market a tree outside of the Conant Gallery. They had very specific ideas and could easily build off of one another, so I had them do it for a while. They were very creative and could make the game continue with ease. We then proceeded to roll down the hill.

            We then dove right into the script. I had the two run through the show while they were sitting on the stone sign that reads “Richardson-Mees Performing Arts Center” next to the Conant Gallery’s parking lot. I had them sit there in order to run through the show because it’s similar to an actual Ferris wheel in the sense that they are somewhat high up and that they can see for a far distance and feel wind running across their faces and pushing their hair back so that they could feel how being on an actual Ferris wheel would feel. We also justified all of the unjustifiable moments.

            We then moved inside and worked more on the kissing scenes. Maddie’s problem is that she’s too awkward…which is understandable, but she still needs to be a little more fluid and passionate. We also decided that we would need to have one bench on top of a platform off of the ground so that they don’t lose their balance easily. Overall, it was a very productive rehearsal. GO TEAM!

Wednesday CBS

We finished blocking on thursday and got through the end of the play on Wednesday! We started with Joe's cast again by playing Ba-da Ba-da, which is an improv based game. Everyone picked it up quickly and got into it. We asked people not to plan the words they say, and just let them come to you. Joe and I loaded a bunch of tactics and tricks on them about making a choice and running with it in an improv scene, and about not saying no. After your partner gives a line, it is usually best to build off it. Saying no just closes a door. If you say yes, you're giving your partener a break and moving forward with an idea, no matter what that idea is.
We started working in the theatre on the last part of the piece. I'm working more and more on having them cotify sharp movements. Repitition of little moments is extremely important. When Mrs. Barrows enters, Martin and Paige give her a sharp look, and when Lisa enters from the other side, they give the same suprised reaction. As they specify their choices, I need to specify my directions. For example, I need to talk to Jess about the difference between being Indignent and Angry. I may need to give Martin metaphors to help him raise the stakes in scenes. I want Lisa to be more physical with Aaron, and Emma to create even more of a difference in her two ways of speaking. I could go on forever, and that's why I kept them an hour and a half! They're doing a great job, but this work never ends.
I'm still tweaking the diagonals and I need to return to work on articulation. I also need to get some volume so we might go outside next week. I'm planning on bringing candy on Monday and taking a field trip to the costume closet. I have a ton of games to play on Monday too, including floating disc or Angel and Guardian to raise the stakes, toungue twisters, and a game where they practice mirroring each other. When Aaron hides behind Lisa, he starts trying to avoid her and they started mirroring eahc other with Lisa in the middle. That's a perfect example of them trying something new and it working wonderfully. I have trouble saying no to ideas because I want to encourage the spontaneous ideas.

Corporate America: Anxiety

Tech week is approaching a lot more quickly than I first thought, it's a little more than a week away. I've been focused lately more on fixing staging, projecting, and other basic theatre mechanics, rather than character choices and intention, which I found out last night is starting to worry the actors. They have found, as have I, that while working on these mechanics, the energy and productivity in rehearsal has been low. They much preferred making big choices and coming up with new ideas for the show rather than tediously refining the staging.They are worried that if we focus too much on the mechanics, and not as much on the ideas of the show, then the show won't be ready for tech. Upon hearing this, I gave them an ultimatum. I told them that I will gladly focus on ideas, characters, and intentions in rehearsal if it will get their energy and productivity up. That means that it will have to be their job to keep staging, projecting, and other mechanics in the back of their heads, so that I don't have to remind them. They agreed and told me that they would work on some ideas and big choices before rehearsal so they can come prepared for a run through. To make sure they are able to get through a run through, I plan on giving directions from the sidelines instead of stopping and starting the show. This way they'll be able to make conscious choices in the moment and they won't lose focus or energy while rehearsing.

CBS Monday

On Monday we warmed up with Joe's cast by playing jump rope. This got everyone's energy up. Then, I had everyone look through their script as a reminder. I said look through and write in all your cues that you're missing, which might include "stand left of Martin," "sharp look," or "speak to her like a sister." I took questions and we eased into the work mentally before physically. Afterwords, we ran through the piece several times. We've been doing so much up-close, chopped up work during the past week, I thought it would be effective to work through the whole thing and mash everything together. I needed to be reminded of the peice as a whole just as much as the cast. We ran through and gave notes a few times, working on blocking in the theatre. I'm letting them run with choices whether it be changing their dialect or making faces behind Mrs. Barrows back. Mostly because each choice seem to get bigger and more pronounced each time we run the scene. I really get to see everyone come alive this way and its great!
I'm still working on the diagonals, where the blocks will be and how to have everyone manuever around them. One obstacle our cast faces is the juxtaposition of four different settings in under ten minutes. I have a nuetral set in mind for this. I need to jump into run throughs more often, and kill most of the wandering. But I am very excited that this play is getting on its feet, and getting bigger!
Haley

"Ferris Wheel" Rehearsal #7 - 4/29

4/29

            Today was our first practice on the stage. We began with the alphabet game walking around the space. At first, they weren’t so good with their letters. But as time progressed, they got the hang of it. They were really truthful and committed, since they played a couple that was going through a divorce in the local general store. After playing that, we played “yes, and…” which was good. We then played “no, but…” and the two had to convince me to choose one of them over the other to work for my law firm.

            We then began the actual rehearsal. We then ran the ending sections and solved all justification problems with the lines. We also blocked the ending and solved all of the issues regarding the ambiguity at the end. Maddie and Gib also did a better job discovering their true characters. It was a short rehearsal, but they should have their lines down by the next rehearsal.

Two Guns Rehearsal on Sunday, 4/2

Today started off rocky, but ended up being quite successful. We started off with something called Colombian Hypnosis, which is when Person B must stare at and follow Person A’s hand as Person A moves around. This is effective in terms of concentration and building a connection between actors. It’s also just really fun. Then, I had them do the exercise as Person B, but with an invisible Person A. If someone had walked into the room just then, it would definitely looked like they were crazy- because they weren’t trying to be. The hand is so real to them, butt he audience doesn’t see it. That’s how we should have played ‘crazy’ in Sweeney Todd.

Next was the ‘Question Game’, which I adopted from Whose Line is it Anyway? (great show). All they do is have a conversation, but only using question. It started off pretty horrible, but they really got the hang of it after a while. Several times they got stuck or started laughing, but they really pulled through it.

We established all the official turning points of the show- as in the literal points in the text where they must walk around the table. It’s looking a lot better. I’m having them really play to everyone (it helps that they’re shifting in a circle). One critique that, oddly enough, works for Mariah is ‘Be happy’. It’s not as if her character actually needs to be happy per se, because it isn’t actually happier that I want Megan to come across as. It’s more of an energy type of thing. Whenever I tell her to be happy, I get exactly the PERFECT result from her character. Same thing with Steve when I tell him to think about what he’s saying more, and say things differently.

We finally worked the banana scene! It looks fantastic. Poor Steve went through FOUR bananas, but he’s got the whole effect down. I honestly thought it would be harder, but he knows what I’m looking for and certainly can deliver.

I can see that they’ve both put a lot of effort into studying the script and memorizing the lines. The meaning as well. It’s really working out, I’m impressed. I’m getting them munchkins for next rehearsal for all their solid work.

FLSB and PROM!

We had a prom asking during our rehearsal today! In the middle of a scene Garrick asked Danielle to Prom. I started rehearsal wiht playing "I Love You"  "I Dont Care" and I had them increase their energy as I counted form one to ten.  This game helped the actors wake up and get into the necessary over dramatic mood.  We worked the scene right after the first muder occurs.  We messed around woth blocking some of this scene, but I had a very specific plan for the next part.  The characters needed to read a poem aloud, and I assigned each of them two lines and gave them specific directions for how to show their line.  This scene required the actors to be in sync with eachother, while also having a certain playfulness while almot telling a story.  WE finally starting adding more to the script today.  We would run a scene and someone would say "what if we added this here!" We added some small lines based on the characters. The actors are really getting into their characters.  I see them in the halls now and I see the characters in them more than themselves.  I told them how much I apppreciate the fact that they are all going so all out in this show, I really am excited to see a full runthrough f this show now that the entire piece has been blocked!