First Week 'The Dog'

Rehearsal started off with coffee and crossiants. Not a bad way to start the day. For our first rehearsal we started off by doing a read through of the script and answering any questions there where. I really wanted to see if the actors understood the underlying subtext throughout the plot. While doing the read through I asked them why Lizzy was so upset. After a few guiding questions and looking through the text, Colby realized that there was an affair in the relationship. I then proceeded to ask Colby why James was acting the way he was. This started our conversation into what 'The Dog' was about and the dynamic between the characters.
We discussed the difference between James motivations, the past, and Lizzy's motivation, the future, and how this created a conflict. We worked through the txt finding key turning points when the character's realize something or their emotions and why.
I discovered that maybe the best thing for me as director is just to throw this play up on it's feet. While I loved answering questions. It was less satisfying to explain the answers to the actors questions, instead of having them realize the answers through working through the script.
It would have also been helpful to do some movement work since one of the block ideas I want to work with is the idea of magnets that repel each other no matter how close they are pushed together.
Directing language is proving difficult to use. It is hard for me to not tell the character what their character 'feels' even when they ask.
I think next rehearsal I will take a step back and see 'The Dog' up on its feet and work from there. This way I can see how each actor interprets the text instead of just talking about how they interpret it.
Scheduling is also proving difficult due to massive amounts of sports conflicts. Hopefully this week we will make up for lost time.

After: Rehearsal Week 1

Week 1 of Rehearsal: 

I had two rehearsals this week with my cast. For the first Rehearsal it was only an MX block so I wanted to jump right into the script and see what they could do with it. I did a little bit of a warm up with improv and told Lizzy to tell me about the time her best friend Bill tripped her. When I wanted Margaret to start where Lizzy left off I would clap and have it be an exercise in topping in on one another. This didn't go as smoothly as I had hoped. I kept prompting Lizzy to give me the back story of what event happened and not just how she felt about her friend Bill tripping her but she never really got there. After that quick warm-up (attempt at a warm up) We started from the beginning of the text up until Margaret's ranting line. I told them to get up in the space and just play it out. At first there was no energy on either end but by the third time running through it they got a handle for the text and started to put more energy into it. 

During the Second Rehearsal on Thursday we had more time to play so I told them to come in with a song prepared to sing it. They didn't need to memorize it or anything. They just needed to have a song ready to perform. Since Margaret is a singer, I limited her to Alicia keys and Beyonce in order to get her out of her comfort zone as well as Lizzy. Lizzy started out very concerned because she doesn't sing so she, at first, didn't have fun with it. I told her to not care about how it sounds. She loosened up a little but then right back into laughing at herself about it instead of taking the fun seriously. (if that makes ANY sense) I prompted her with the idea that she just had a really bad day and I'm Yours is blasting on the radio while you are driving. This really got her loosened up and she started dancing and moving around. After Lizzy, Margaret got up to sing Girl on Fire. She was doing so well singing it and performing it. The chorus came along which is 100% out of Margaret's range and instead of just belting it off key she laughed and said, "I Can't hit that" Lizzy and I both showed her what she had to do even if it didn't sound good. This was different for her because she is used to being on key with songs. She got out of her comfort zone and belted it out and it really brought up the energy for the rehearsal. We did table talk after. Looking back I should have just let them play out the scene like I did the first rehearsal. I ended up on the verge of giving them line reads so I need to find ways around telling them how to say things. After reading through the section I wanted to go over We did blocking for the first scene where Glynda is trying to catch Cindy before going into "Off Limits" They seemed to have had a good amount of fun with this so the energy was very present. I am excited to see what choices they can make in the upcoming rehearsals and to see what kind of staging we can find together. 

I found that doing an upbeat warm-up does help a lot with the energy of the rest of rehearsal so even during MX rehearsals I need to find something fun to do before hand. Lizzy and I found, together, how to portray the fairy side of her. We discovered what we like to call the Fairy voice. I want her to make big choices with movement  because there is very little mandatory staging so the more movement to portray her being a fairy the better. Also, it will help fill the space with movement instead of stillness. 

I plan on having 3 rehearsals this upcoming week and hope to find more out as we go. I hope to see big choices and I am really excited to see what we can come up with together. 

Archive of 2013 Honors Theatre Ensemble's One-Acts

This is the Lawrence Academy Honors Theatre Ensemble....
as you can see, they mean business. 
Each year, the Lawrence Academy Honors
Theatre Ensemble culminates their year-long course by directing full productions of one-act plays. Some directors have chosen to write original scripts, others have chosen to adapt pieces of fiction into dramatic form and others have found play scripts that they want to direct.
This year, there are ten directors and so it will be a  marathon evening of plays. Here is the lineup:






Sarah Carlson directing her own script Two Guns. 
Joe Casper directing How to Survive in Corporate America by Ian August
Connor Gowland directing his own script Five Little Soldier Boys
Haley Gowland directing her own adaptation of The Catbird Seat by James Thurber
Kacey Hartner directing her own adaptation of The Long Walk to Forever by Kurt Vonnegut
Jimmy Lawrence directing his adaptation of The Egg by Andy Weir
Emily Perrault directing Misadventure by Donald Margulies
James Plummer directing Naomi in the Living Room by Christopher Durang
Jillian Thero directing her own original piece based on the recent Steubenville, Ohio rape case
Philip Titcomb directing his adaptation of the play Ferris Wheel by Mary Miller

You can follow the rehearsal progress of the 2013 One-Acts below, in the words of the directors:

Steubenville 5/7

Hello loyal readers,

On Tuesday we had a splendid rehearsal for a couple of hours. We started off with warming up on the stage with Philip, James and Joe's casts. We started with enemy protector and enjoyed running around the space and getting some energy and excitement in the room. Then we played the number game where everyone is in a line and they have to count on the beat. This is personally my favorite game, even though I am terrible at it.. I LOVE IT. Shout out to my cast member Nick for his three way tie win!

We then went outside and rehearsed because Tuesday night is hopping for one act rehearsals and there wasn't room anywhere else. We incorporated a lot of changes during this time and the new specific moments and places on stage will really improve the performance.

CBS Wednesday

On Wednesday we worked for a solid two hours and the work paid off! I made them go through every second of every scene and plan it out, which can be torturous, but is completely necessary work. We warmed up with a very effective warm up. I had them pair up and say "I love you," or "I don't care" on a one to ten scale of intensity and involvement in what they were saying. On the spot I decided t have Aaron say "I have a bomb" and Jess to respond with one of her lines. It was so helpful for them to have the repetition of those lines and for them to try saying them out loud in different ways. I really enforced that to be intense, you on't have to yell. I love you whispered can be more impactful and more importantly, truthful, then exploding with love. "I hate you" "I don' care" was also played.
Next time I might warm up with Yes and on a scale of intensity.
We did another run through which was much sharper and clearer than the first. Next rehearsal will proceed tech, and we will work on getting some more volume, staying on those diagonals, and sharpening that last scene. Here we gooooooo

"Ferris Wheel" Rehearsals #10 & #11 - 5/8 & 5/9

Rehearsal #10

            Today, we started with the alphabet game. After a couple of fruitless rounds of the two proving that they don’t know the alphabet, we played Joe’s one-upmanship game, where we would stand around a chair, and someone would have to stand on the chair and one-up the other people. First, we talked about how great our jobs were, which went off on tangents about free donuts to us paying them to work for them. Our second round consisted of us talking about how awful our lives were, which started with our DVRs not correctly recording episodes of Degrassi to not actually existing. The next warm up we did was a repeat of the improv with a stick. This game involved the two having to use the bar as a differing thing until I yelled “change,” which would then require them to change what they were doing. My favorite one they did was when they were sorority sisters, and Maddie was newly inducted. I liked this scene because it was playful, funny, and high-energy. I’ll try to attach a small clip below.

            During the rehearsal itself, we worked primarily on the transitions between the different moments. The biggest problem still was lines. However, it has gotten much better. I had tried to work with Gib to help her find a more truthful Harper, which she is improving on quite a bit. We also worked to make the kisses less awkward, and I decided that I want the last kiss to be more passionate and therefore more than just a peck, like all the other kisses are. I also gave them both all of Joel’s notes, which proved to be very helpful to the process. We’re also working to make the entire play quicker, faster-paced and more energetic. Near the end of rehearsal, when some other students decided to watch, Gib and Maddie both improved immensely. They just need to be less awkward about kissing one another.

Rehearsal #11

            For rehearsal today, we went to Gibbet Hill Grill, across the street from Lawrence Academy. At the restaurant, Maddie and Gib had to be in character and incorporate many elements from their lines in order to make their back-stories seem more authentic and believable. Also, by getting to know more about their characters, Maddie and Gib are able to play a more truthful version of their characters during the show itself.

            They established that it was their sixth date and that they were in an open relationship. They also talked about specific moments from the script that they mentioned within the actual play, which was good. We also ran though our lines, which they seem to know better. If they don’t have their lines down by Sunday, Tech Rehearsal, I’m going to have a conniption.

CBS Monday

On Monday we had a short time slot but made the most of it. After I ran through some notes, I had them warm up for their run through.We did floating disc, which transformed into mirring each other on the disc, which moved to just jess and aaron mirroring each other, which turned into the last scene where Jess mirrors Aaron who hides behind Lisa. After that I had them recite a long tongue twister for me while I sat in the backof the theatre and they stood at the podium. I wanted a choice, articulation, and volume. Finally, we went over anything they were shaky on and went for the run through. We're still working on little  moments, but the piece is getting sharper.