For those of you following, I'm still on the track of what's in the closely guarded, top secret, 4 editions in the whole world, "Muddy Magic" book. Darren is keeping a very close eye on his. This photo is about the closest I've got to it!And another thing, we're now taking questions. If you have a question, please feel free email me on goodbyevaudeville(at)gmail.com and I'll try to get somebody on the team to answer it for you. On to the day's rehearsal...
The morning was spent cleaning up some of the details of the first act left over from last week, so that it could be run in the afternoon. Lally had been working on the second act over the weekend. The afternoon session began with a reading of this most recent draft. Last week Chris discussed with the actors that the second act will inform the first act considerably, and help fill out some more of the details the actors were exploring.
When the cast read the second act they did it on the stage, rather than around a table. And with the week's work that had already been done the reading is much more in performance mode than the first reading was. The voices are fuller and the rhythms are developing in a way that makes the reading carry more meaning than the previous read. The actors recognise the words and moments that carry deeper meaning. They work these words and moments with greater muscularity.
The reading is around 25 minutes shorter than last week's second act. Structurally it is somewhat deceptive. The cast talk about where the act's climaxes are. In this play scenes don't necessarily serve the purpose in the piece that they appear to, or scenes of their 'type' usually do. Chris talks them through how some of these scenes will work in performance. His explanation elucidates the structure more clearly for the group. He gives them an understanding that the functions of some scenes are not necessarily recognisable from their form. A scene that might seem like a romantic scene, may not serve as a romantic scene in the piece. A death scene may not actually contain a death. Scenes that seem like climaxes on the page, may not contain a climax in performance.
Conversation again moves to what is real and not real; what is 'actually' or 'really' happening in any given moment. This has been a constant question throughout the early rehearsal period. Some of the connections are incredibly complex, and it prompts Alex to bring up Einstein's Theory of Relativity. Aspects of the narrative are not necessarily linear and aren't necessarily made clearer by a 'logical' analysis. Chris talks about 'blind spots' and 'horizons lines;' just because something is below the horizon line doesn't mean it cannot exist, or isn't there. It's more a matter understanding the shape of the world in a different way.
The anchor for the actors will probably not be a logical one; it will be a 'pitching' anchor and a 'rhythmic' and a 'feeling' anchor. The premise is that audience does not have to unpack a play's logic to feel the truth of it.
The cast run the entire first act of the play. Of course there's a long way to go. There's always in these situations a combination of anxiety at how much work is still to be done, and amazement at how far it has already come.
One of the actors describes the run as a 'skeleton.' It seems that perhaps a 'skeleton' is an underestimation of what is already growing there. There are definitely organs and muscles already growing with the skeleton. I imagine it a bit like a growing body, only with some bits of the body growing much faster than others. A nearly mature skeleton, with a baby sized oesphagus, some different sized muscles beginning to take shape, a little bicep, one large buttock, some big lungs, stumps that might later exude fingers, a tiny nose beginning to grow out from a flattish face. A mix of recognisable form and fleshy potentials.
Word for the day Lally – full
Word for the day Stephen – expose
Word for the day Chris - reality
Word for the day Julia – displaced
Word for the day Richard - humour
Word for the day Darren – hot water
When the cast read the second act they did it on the stage, rather than around a table. And with the week's work that had already been done the reading is much more in performance mode than the first reading was. The voices are fuller and the rhythms are developing in a way that makes the reading carry more meaning than the previous read. The actors recognise the words and moments that carry deeper meaning. They work these words and moments with greater muscularity.
The reading is around 25 minutes shorter than last week's second act. Structurally it is somewhat deceptive. The cast talk about where the act's climaxes are. In this play scenes don't necessarily serve the purpose in the piece that they appear to, or scenes of their 'type' usually do. Chris talks them through how some of these scenes will work in performance. His explanation elucidates the structure more clearly for the group. He gives them an understanding that the functions of some scenes are not necessarily recognisable from their form. A scene that might seem like a romantic scene, may not serve as a romantic scene in the piece. A death scene may not actually contain a death. Scenes that seem like climaxes on the page, may not contain a climax in performance.
Conversation again moves to what is real and not real; what is 'actually' or 'really' happening in any given moment. This has been a constant question throughout the early rehearsal period. Some of the connections are incredibly complex, and it prompts Alex to bring up Einstein's Theory of Relativity. Aspects of the narrative are not necessarily linear and aren't necessarily made clearer by a 'logical' analysis. Chris talks about 'blind spots' and 'horizons lines;' just because something is below the horizon line doesn't mean it cannot exist, or isn't there. It's more a matter understanding the shape of the world in a different way.
The anchor for the actors will probably not be a logical one; it will be a 'pitching' anchor and a 'rhythmic' and a 'feeling' anchor. The premise is that audience does not have to unpack a play's logic to feel the truth of it.
The cast run the entire first act of the play. Of course there's a long way to go. There's always in these situations a combination of anxiety at how much work is still to be done, and amazement at how far it has already come.
One of the actors describes the run as a 'skeleton.' It seems that perhaps a 'skeleton' is an underestimation of what is already growing there. There are definitely organs and muscles already growing with the skeleton. I imagine it a bit like a growing body, only with some bits of the body growing much faster than others. A nearly mature skeleton, with a baby sized oesphagus, some different sized muscles beginning to take shape, a little bicep, one large buttock, some big lungs, stumps that might later exude fingers, a tiny nose beginning to grow out from a flattish face. A mix of recognisable form and fleshy potentials.
Word for the day Lally – full
Word for the day Stephen – expose
Word for the day Chris - reality
Word for the day Julia – displaced
Word for the day Richard - humour
Word for the day Darren – hot water
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