(no subject)
Nov. 26th, 2007 05:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
my_window_seatGOOD rehearsal today.
I came in with units for the scenes and actionable verbs -
And I also leveled with them.
I told them, guys, after analyzing this play to death for the last few days, I've come to the conclusion that, if I could do it all again - I wouldn't be doing this scene.
To which K (Uber Actress, and I don't say that in snark) responded - "But you're committed to it now, so we're going to make the best of it."
Nail + Head = DIRECT HIT
I also told them, you know what, even though this isn't the best scene to be doing, I have really GREAT actors to work with - and you guys are the ones that are going to make this scene even better than it's written.
And I'm not even blowing sunshine up their asses - I really mean that. These guys are AWESOME.
I struggled quite a bit with telling them that. I was really worried that if I didn't go in there with all the confidence in the world, it was going to punch a hole in their confidence, and then the whole thing would just sink into the floor.
Bottom line - I'm not a bullshitter.
If the ship is sinking, better to acknowledge it and come up with a reasonable game plan. Denial doesn't leave you with a lot of options, but looking at what works and what doesn't - well, that does work.
And it did.
It really did.
We didn't get the entire scene completely blocked yet, but we got a solid amount of work done and it's starting to take concrete shape. Once the motivations are clarified, the traffic patterns have a tendency to sort themselves out almost like magic.
In script analysis and in the directing area, we're always being harped on to give actors things to do rather than things to be. Give them verbs rather than emotions - don't tell them "be angry" or "be sad" - give them something physical to manifest the emotion, because really, how often do people just stand around 'radiating emotion'? They don't. Humans are always unconciously looking for some way to externalize what they're feeling inside - and by giving the actor that kind of concrete instruction - "you're processing that thought, so take your head down to bring it inside and when you've come to the conclusion of that idea at the end of her line, bring your head back up to signal that you've made your mind up and you're ready to face her with the truth" - "okay, that's GOOD - now, instead of taking that cross all the way to her, keep it at the table and anchor yourself with that chair back - you can push her back with the force of your will, but if you cross all the way over it will weaken your position - let her be the one that backs away from you - "
Heh.
Blah blah blah, etc. etc. etc.
Anyway, by the end of our time, it really felt like we'd accomplished something. There were some really gorgeous things happening on stage. And I felt like I could trust my instincts again, and I think they felt like they could, too.
Now I just need to get all this on the page to turn in tomorrow.
Part of the assignment is also drawing full set designs and lighting plots and costume and make-up designs, and fucking STORYBOARDS for chrissake - all hand-drawn out in color, FOR FUCKS SAKE -
I'll do as much as I can, and that's all there's going to be on the subject.
The real work I'm concerned about is the work with the human beings.
And if I have to, I'll write that into the assignment - that if I were actually mounting this show, by god, I'd be turning that work over to the set designer - here's some sample pictures of the look I'm going for, and I'm sorry, I just don't have time to be fiddling with that shit if I actually want to make what I have to work with actually WORK in the time we have to get this done.
Period.
Okay, so more tactfully than that, but -
Anyway.
Argh.
It felt really GOOD to have that successful rehearsal today.
And now, back to homework.
Onward...
I came in with units for the scenes and actionable verbs -
And I also leveled with them.
I told them, guys, after analyzing this play to death for the last few days, I've come to the conclusion that, if I could do it all again - I wouldn't be doing this scene.
To which K (Uber Actress, and I don't say that in snark) responded - "But you're committed to it now, so we're going to make the best of it."
Nail + Head = DIRECT HIT
I also told them, you know what, even though this isn't the best scene to be doing, I have really GREAT actors to work with - and you guys are the ones that are going to make this scene even better than it's written.
And I'm not even blowing sunshine up their asses - I really mean that. These guys are AWESOME.
I struggled quite a bit with telling them that. I was really worried that if I didn't go in there with all the confidence in the world, it was going to punch a hole in their confidence, and then the whole thing would just sink into the floor.
Bottom line - I'm not a bullshitter.
If the ship is sinking, better to acknowledge it and come up with a reasonable game plan. Denial doesn't leave you with a lot of options, but looking at what works and what doesn't - well, that does work.
And it did.
It really did.
We didn't get the entire scene completely blocked yet, but we got a solid amount of work done and it's starting to take concrete shape. Once the motivations are clarified, the traffic patterns have a tendency to sort themselves out almost like magic.
In script analysis and in the directing area, we're always being harped on to give actors things to do rather than things to be. Give them verbs rather than emotions - don't tell them "be angry" or "be sad" - give them something physical to manifest the emotion, because really, how often do people just stand around 'radiating emotion'? They don't. Humans are always unconciously looking for some way to externalize what they're feeling inside - and by giving the actor that kind of concrete instruction - "you're processing that thought, so take your head down to bring it inside and when you've come to the conclusion of that idea at the end of her line, bring your head back up to signal that you've made your mind up and you're ready to face her with the truth" - "okay, that's GOOD - now, instead of taking that cross all the way to her, keep it at the table and anchor yourself with that chair back - you can push her back with the force of your will, but if you cross all the way over it will weaken your position - let her be the one that backs away from you - "
Heh.
Blah blah blah, etc. etc. etc.
Anyway, by the end of our time, it really felt like we'd accomplished something. There were some really gorgeous things happening on stage. And I felt like I could trust my instincts again, and I think they felt like they could, too.
Now I just need to get all this on the page to turn in tomorrow.
Part of the assignment is also drawing full set designs and lighting plots and costume and make-up designs, and fucking STORYBOARDS for chrissake - all hand-drawn out in color, FOR FUCKS SAKE -
I'll do as much as I can, and that's all there's going to be on the subject.
The real work I'm concerned about is the work with the human beings.
And if I have to, I'll write that into the assignment - that if I were actually mounting this show, by god, I'd be turning that work over to the set designer - here's some sample pictures of the look I'm going for, and I'm sorry, I just don't have time to be fiddling with that shit if I actually want to make what I have to work with actually WORK in the time we have to get this done.
Period.
Okay, so more tactfully than that, but -
Anyway.
Argh.
It felt really GOOD to have that successful rehearsal today.
And now, back to homework.
Onward...
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-11-27 10:46 am (UTC)Let me know if I can help.
no subject
Date: 2007-11-27 12:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-27 01:04 pm (UTC)And yes, as tough and over-whelming as that class is, it is almost identical to mine (taken from Dr. Deb) and you will use all of that the rest of your life!
Good luck!