The Space Between/Antigone (devised)
Conte de Fee/'Otello' (semi-devised)
Lear by Edward Bond (script)
Dramaturg - Charisse Baxter
Met with Lisa Turner (director) to discuss roles for her Sustained Independent Project (SIP) production. She is planning to work with a group that will devise a piece from a starting point of the play Antigone by Sophocles. She wants to look at ideas around burial, concealment, ghosts/memories, and would ideally stage the piece underground in a crypt-type space. We talked about the background work and character research I can start with to help create an understanding of the basis of the show – Lisa is also interested in utilizing me as a ‘devising dramaturg’, so this production might provide quite a bit of overlap in the two areas of work. Must research (find mentor?) how a dramaturg works practically in a devising context.
24/5/11 CFT – initial mtg. with Dallas
Actually happened across a meeting already in process with Dallas de Feé and Catriona Kerridge for Dallas’ company, Conte de Feé, (French for ‘fairy tale’). We had earlier agreed in passing that it might be useful for her to have a dramaturg on her project, so I joined the meeting to get a breakdown of her project. She is interested in looking at storytelling – she has found a translation of the Italian source story for Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’, and is considering it as her source material for a Commedia-inspired presentation of the tale, possibly with a narrator and non-speaking performers. I agreed to look into Commedia performance principles and to do a plot breakdown to simplify and tighten the story.
Since I’ve already been thinking about working as a devising dramaturg in a research-based context, my impression is that I’ll stay more focused on the research for this production – but in rehearsal I may also: help to connect plot points, enable transitions; tighten up the timeline by determining essential elements and making sure they are communicated; watching the pacing; always ask if the story is being told, and if it is being told in an interesting way.
Dallas has worked with a dramaturg before, so I’m interested in her feedback and requests she’ll have for me.
31/5/11 SB/Antigone – first actor workshop
Today I presented a summary of the play and background material on Antigone, Sophocles, and Greek drama in general to Lisa’s group of actors. No one fell asleep, so that was good. I’ll be talking with them on the 4th of June specifically about character work – the idea in this setting is that I’ll provide the character breakdowns based on the text and other historical sources, and the actors will determine for themselves how much of that material to use and where to deviate from it in devising.
Lisa is focusing much of her time on warm-ups and ensemble work, with a lot of ‘flocking’ exercises and games to create a group bond.
3/6/11 CTF – Otello
Tonight I attended Scaramouche, a musical written about the origins of the commedia character (the music was pretty good – very clever lyrics), with a thought to researching presentation of commedia characters. Fairly interesting in that respect, although I think the storytelling did become secondary to the characterizations, which weren’t necessarily interesting enough in and of themselves to carry the show. Nice work done on the research and presentation of character outlines for the program – good reason to hang on to it!
4/6/11 SB/Antigone
Continuing with extensive warm-ups that move smoothly into production work. Lisa is really encouraging her cast to work on the physicality of the piece, in using and exploring the space and incorporating the body in all possible ways to make a soundscape. They worked this morning on creating short scenes with whatever objects and bits of text the individuals are interested in. I am taking notes and short videos (while reminding myself regularly to also watch the work away from the camera screen) to build up documentation.
Some of the most interesting moments came when the actors began to layer their scenes together, and allowing themselves to adapt their work as they began to interact with other performers. Claire T. repeated the question “Will you help me move the body?” and Jacqui tried and tried to get her body to move in response to the request, to ‘help’ – the watchers counted any small change or shift in her movement cycle as a successful answer to the question, but noted that Claire refused to aid Jacqui (who really appeared to need the help!). We were all interested in that contrast, and in the differing aspects of the focuses the actors exhibited. Other questions include: What if the dead will not (or cannot) respond when they are addressed? What do we keep of those that have gone before (scraps of images, memories)?
We took a lunch break, then came back for my presentation of the character breakdowns. The actors were all asked to write and email to Lisa a short proposal of the character they would like to play and the aspects of that character they were most interested in exploring.
7/6/11 SB/Antigone – mtg. with Lisa
We discussed the prospective cast, talked about some approaches (such as communicating stories through or by way of objects), listed some possible smells that might inhabit the crypt space that we could introduce, and reviewed possible goals to work to have ready for the Week 9 showing.
We also opened a conversation about my work as a dramaturg during the rehearsal process, and frankly, I was at a bit of a loss. We determined that since the basic character and background research was done, at this point I would work on documentation (in various formats – notes, video mainly) and as the material developed I would watch for possible structures for the piece; give feedback, and look for options. A little vague, but at least it’s something to work from.
8/6/11 SB/Antigone
First off, Lisa ran through the character assignments. Some decisions were based on previous conversations between herself and the performers, others on some writing she’d asked them each to do regarding their interest in specific characters or aspects of performance. As it turns out, we will have two Antigones, two Haemons, a Sentry, Tiresias, Creon, and Polynices (technically dead for this play).
Actors spent time working out a character walk, and then Lisa taught them a movement sequence that she suspects may become the basis for future Chorus work. The performers then worked out character movements dealing with objects.
Clare Lizzimore, Lisa’s mentor for this project was present, and she agreed to also meet with Lisa and I after rehearsal. It was absolutely enlightening. Where just the day before Lisa and I had been at a bit of a loss on how to use me once the basic research was done, Clare gave us 25-minutes worth of practical tips and applications for a dramaturg in a devising situation. It was incredibly motivational and inspirational, and I’ve got pages of notes. I told Clare I’d learned more about acting as a devising dramaturg in that 25 minutes than I had all year – she shrugged it off to ‘ten years of experience’, but agreed to go through it all again when I had my voice recorder to make sure I didn’t miss anything.
On one hand, I’m slightly depressed about how much more I need to read to get close to her level of knowledge – on the other, this seems likely to be one area where the most effective ways to learn are to watch and talk to and follow other people. The right conversation with the right person can certainly make a world of difference! (And still keep reading, for the theoretical backing if not for the practical application!)
CTF – Otello
Small group for work tonight – my first official rehearsal. Dallas had asked the actors to come up with a totem animal for themselves personally and for their character as well as songs for both. For the exercise I chose a couple of animals, one as a main totem (I’m not really happy with ‘cow’, but it was the one that sprang to mind and stuck) and one as a ‘shadow’ totem (grasshopper, brrrr) and Dallas looked up animal traits and their mythological symbology. Fairly interesting way to look at both self and beginning to develop a character!
The version of the story Dallas is using has five characters and potentially a narrator – for clarity (for now), we are assigning them the Shakespearean names. There are only three performers, however. How can we most effectively perform (at least for the Week 8 showing) with three actors? Would it be possible to cut down the script, or to rotate narrators?
I need to sketch out the main plot points, and look at the structure of the piece. In what sense are there ‘scenes’? Could two people perform a scene while the third narrates it (regardless of character)?
9/6/11 Lear – initial meeting with directors
After a somewhat torturous beginning (they were awfully hard to get a hold of) Martin Wylde (MA Acting) and Sarah Davey-Hull agreed to meet with me. They turned out to be perfectly lovely people with ideas about dramaturgy that were very different than mine, and they were extremely hesitant. Once I had a chance to ‘make my offer’, talk a little about what I was hoping I could do for them, they warmed up and started assigning me items to research.
This is an intense show – they gave me a breakdown of the scenic design and overall concept; it’s going to be very different than anything I’ve ever worked on before, but still with plenty to read and research in a ‘traditional’ fashion. The big challenge here will be to create pleasant surprises for the directors – to be reliable, useful, and find a way to present a new (and hopefully complimentary) perspective. The tendency, I can already tell, is going to be to treat this like a ‘job shadow’ rather than an internship, but I have to get past the nerves and reticence and jump in with everything I’ve got.
It may help to think of it as a service to the dramaturgs who come after me – impress now, directors will continue to find the position useful.
Note to self: the first conversation will probably always be a specific description and exchange of ideas on the role of ‘dramaturg’. You’re a good interview – must be an even better sell and truly excellent on the follow-through. (Get to work.)
10/6/11 SB/Antigone
Today was slated to work specifically on the opening sequence, the introduction to the worlds both inside and outside of the crypt. Actors had created movement sequences for their characters that were particularly interested in sounds, and they were asked to play with those sequences in groups. The groups were then layered together.
The rain started coming down HARD outside, and at one perfect point there was a massive crack of thunder. Lisa and I both immediately started questioning how to recreate it.
We have been trying to apply Clare’s advice – naturally, it’s not as smooth as one would hope (I’m assuming it take some time and practice to get to the really quick-thinking stage). Questions to discuss with Lisa include solidifying the structure of the sequence (which looks pretty good to us, and therefore must be questioned – ;-)), and asking about the goal of the scene. I want to try to keep larger ideas and shapes in mind so that I don’t get lost in the total coolness that is being produced by these performers.
I’m not exactly sure why, but the people I’m seeing this term seem to be much more relaxed, interested, and having more fun than they were last term in Practices. It’s all good (as they say.)
13/6/11 SB/Antigone
We just had Jacqui and Dallas this morning, and so talked specifically about their character work. Jacqui as Creon will be pulling text from certain scenes to create the leader’s opening speech/chant/dance that is intended to win over the populace and begin enforcing order.
With Dallas, we worked through a physical scene where her character discovers that the body of Polynices has been tampered with, showing a great deal of character and perspective that would otherwise be revealed in a long monologue.
I’ve been considering the importance of the director having a vision for the work at hand, particularly in a situation with limited rehearsal time. Lisa has gone from being fairly diffident and hopeful of a relatively non-hierarchal collaboration to thoroughly investigating her own thoughts and impressions of the work and asking the actors to buy into that vision. They seem to be thriving in an atmosphere that values and utilizes their contributions while still providing basic structure and direction.
CTF
This rehearsal involved quite a bit of discussion; about scene possibilities for the showing (the death scene, and the opening?) as well as possible symbols that could be incorporated throughout the piece (such as strawberries, wearing white, and bowls of water – both clear and with some color or texture, like chocolate syrup). It turns out I’ve got a nice little morbid streak when it comes to stage imagery. (Dallas loves it. It might be freaking out the actors just a little.)
While staging the death scene and starting on the introductory sequence we decided to stay away from character names and have instead settled on the Captain, Sergeant, and Officer for the male parts. I have decided to re-write the script to get a better language flow. Fortunately, Dallas is not at all offended by the idea. (Whew! Need to be careful and tactful when suggesting that sort of thing in the future!)
14/6/11 SB/Antigone
After the group warm-up, the actors are asked to develop a character-based scene using prompts Lisa has developed in regards to specific areas of interest expressed by the actors. While they are working, we go with Clare Lizzimore and Dallas out into the hallway to look at the sentry scene developed on Monday. Clare expressed her respect for Lisa’s directorial practice and gave excellent notes and suggestions:
- Consider asking actors to vocalize internal monologues; that way the director and dramaturg can track beats and intentions and make sure everyone is on the same page
- When looking at a monologue, ask: What’s the value or benefit to the audience? Keep it? Remove it? How can we best serve the storytelling?
- To help actors avoid getting stuck on an idea or perspective, or in a creative rut, try asking them to run scenes with different genres or motifs in mind
- These things should all help you be able to tell what is clear or unclear, the places where bolder or subtler choices could be made…
- Have actors express their intentions with transitive verbs: I you. They should be trying to change or get a reaction from someone else. They should want to do something to someone else, or to get that someone to do something other than what they are doing.
- Keep the attention to detail in service to the overarching story (dramaturg: keep an eye on that story)
: draw out scenes, play with the approach (Chekov, clown, melodrama, Buster Keaton, etc…) – make it a game
- Stop thinking, keep doing (and playing)
15/6/11 CTF
Lisa is running her Antigone rehearsal, so before too long I was standing in for her so that Dallas could get a sense of the flow of the piece. We’re working with the idea that this particular story is being informed by children’s games, and so we’re starting with Katie on the swing while Cat and Lisa (me) play tag on the level below. This moves into singing from Lisa and the narration beginning – going into ‘children’ playing at the events described in the story and interspersed with gags and jokes. It’s not very deep, but it’s fun.
I have to be careful that I don’t get caught up in the unofficial role of assistant director, though Dallas doesn’t seem to mind – I don’t think I was very helpful today dramaturgically, as I didn’t get to watch and couldn’t really see the whole, but at least we have a way into the story now and something to keep working on.
SB/Antigone
I came in late after CTF – Lisa has asked the actors to work out character movement sequences, something that will inform on their motivations as well as their personalities. Valeria’s is very ritualistic, semi-militaristic, and doesn’t use any text; Ming has adapted Haemon’s lines and put both Creon and Antigone into the scene at the same time – which created some intriguing new approaches to the character. (For example: what would the story look like from Haemon’s perspective? What if he really were the balanced character and washed his hands of both his father’s and Antigone’s extremes, disappointed by both of their failures to listen to reason? Why didn’t Antigone ask him for help from the beginning?); Claire created a burial ritual that went from a careful washing of the hands and arms to rubbing earth forcefully into those damp hands and then spreading the dirt over Polynice’s grave, then repeating the sequence. She used lines from Antigone’s first scene with Ismene, in particular. Yukiko represented her character with string and cat’s cradles – in some cultures, the weaving of string between the fingers and creating patterns and pictures is used for fortune-telling. Yuki also brought Ming into the scene as Haemon, doing a stamping rhythm, then folding her hand into an open position and incorporating her into the cat’s cradle.
(Ming has agreed to send over her version of her Haemon scene.)
Fascinating work and images all around.
I need to sit down with Lisa and talk about these elements, see if they fit in the right way with Lisa’s vision for the piece, and find potential places for them on the storyline. Also to consider: ways to overlap and stack the pieces, what are other performance possibilities that might intensify or contrast the storytelling, what are the most important/most memorable images and aspects of each, and could they be simplified?
What further research could I be doing to aid the piece?
16/6/11 Lear – Production Meeting
Holy what-have-you, I’m intimidated. I really have to strap in and figure out how to contribute – this is probably the one aspect of ‘script-based’ dramaturgy that I was never able to get my directors to include me in, the production meeting. I was a few minutes early, and so got to listen in to Sarah and Martin talking over set possibilities, and started jotting down further image research
The production team filtered in – apparently this is one of the biggest teams the school has assembled for a production; but then, there are some pretty tricky particular needs for this show. I listened for the most part (and need to remember to review the notes from the PA) – I’m going to help look for collapsible knitting needles (ask companies who’ve done the show before?) and a few other bits of research for the set designer and the fight choreographer.
Got a great list of research to be done from Sarah –
Need to have a copy of the actors’ packet to Sarah and Martin by Thursday the 23rd so they can take a look and request any changes before the first rehearsal on Monday the 27th. Time management is KEY. Must find ways to contribute, offer ideas and insights. Must find rights to Gaddafi umbrella photo or something similar, or make other suggestions to directors and marketing department ASAP.
CTF – Tutorial with course leader
Came over as soon as Lear production mtg. ended – missed first half hour. Evidently they’ve been talking about the course leaders’ concerns for Dallas’ focus and productivity, as no one has been able yet to get to one of her rehearsals (miscommunication all around). I started taking notes pretty much as soon as I sat down – Nick really started to help me see what kinds of questions are the right questions!
- need a clear picture of what you’re trying to do
-What’s the palette you’re drawing from? (What are your restrictions?)
- What are the resources? (In this case, for example, consider a collection of
children’s games from a particular period, etc…)
- How can this be made to be an MA-level piece of work?
- WHAT’S THE RESEARCH QUESTION?
Nick started latching on to particular words Dallas was saying: one that he liked was “Re-invention”. The questions that occurred to me in relation to this word were:
- Re-invent games: use the story to play the game?
- How could you re-invent an old story?
- Is there a way to ‘reintroduce’ to ‘play’?
- What’s the relationship you’re interested in having with the audience?
(Participatory? Theatrical?)
- What’s performative about playing?
Another way to think about the overall approach was this:
“What are you kicking AGAINST?”
- What does that mean?
- Why is it important?
- Should we push to address things that we would instinctively avoid?
- Consider open dialogues about this question
Also: - confound obvious expectations
- create a narrative experience rather than a linear narrative
Then I stopped in the restroom and had an epiphany – I’d been asked by my PAT tutor to consider why the dramaturg was important, why I wanted to be a dramaturg, and the following came to me:
The dramaturg’s job is to ask: What do you want to discover? Not accomplish, or achieve, or build, or any other of those great things, but TO DISCOVER. Any production, scripted or devised or any combination of those would benefit by a production team and cast looking at it as a chance for research, for discovery, and not just an opportunity to put on a show.
Discovery by way of storytelling
Dramaturgy to structure the discovery
That’s what the dramaturg is really for.
And Katie and I sat with Dallas for the next hour or so and talked about her research question, and the possibilities for finding that question in the work that had already been done. We talked about what she found most interesting, most enjoyable, what she wanted to pursue; and we talked about possibilities for re-structuring what had already been done so that it wouldn’t be like starting from scratch before the presentation next week.
And I really felt like dramaturg, in that I was helping her figure out not only what she wanted, but how to make it happen.
20/6/11 CTF
No Lisa today, and it’s spitting rain – which means I’ll be playing the swing again AND we’ll be trying to find an empty room since we really won’t want to be out on the terrace for long.
I was hoping to catch Dallas a few minutes early, to talk about her decisions regarding her research question and her approach to the work for the showing in two days – instead I found her, Cat, and Katie all in a conference with Gemma, Dallas’ mentor. (I believe I’ve seen Gemma in a production by Shunt.) I was a little thrown by feeling late, coming into the meeting, even though I was early for the rehearsal. I was further thrown finding out a few minutes later that Ayse would also be coming in to the rehearsal to start.
We headed up to the Terrace to show the mentor and the tutor what we’d been working on on Wednesday (the section that Nick disliked, unfortunately, since we didn’t have anything else) – and it was all a little awkward thanks to the weather, the unexpected (by me) audience, and the fact that I was playing Lisa (which is not usually the place for the dramaturg). We then trooped inside and headed to the Viewing and Seminar room for a bit of a warmup, while I headed down to the library to print copies of the newly-revised script. By the time I got back Dallas had set her two (actual) actors a song-lyrics game and then stepped out into the hall to talk to Gemma and Ayse.
Seriously awkward – I really should have asserted myself and gone with them, particularly to hear their feedback and note it down. I’m kicking myself for that – instead I stayed in the room and occasionally helped out with song lyrics.
Dallas came back in with Gemma and Ayse left – we then started working back through the opening sequence. The tricky part for me here was two-fold – I didn’t know what direction Dallas was no intending to take, and I felt strange trying to make suggestions with Gemma in the room. (It was really an off night for me!) Gemma had no such qualms – she was all about trying things out, and then trying them in a different way. We kept to the idea of games, and Gemma insisted that the actors consider and acknowledge the audience, and at least allow them to connect with the game players if not actually participate. Everyone liked the image of Katie up on the swing at the top level of the terrace, so she’ll be starting there and then moving down. Lisa and Cat will be playing rock-paper-scissors, and the stakes are members of the audience; basically, they will be ‘choosing teams’ by competing over individuals as they come into the space. Gemma was very interested in making sure the actors acknowledge each agreement, and fully experience the results of each match – and letting the audience members feel part of those results.
Gemma had to leave and we continued – Dallas and I finally took a minute to chat and it turns out that since the conversation with Nick on Thursday with our follow-up afterwards she’d then had two subsequent tutorials… both of which, naturally, completely contradicted everything anyone else had said. Bowing to the wisdom of at least attempting to work with the tutor’s suggestions, Dallas is working from the ‘question’ of ‘Symbols and Language in Storytelling’ – knowing, even as she tries to use this as her focus, that it is a HUGE topic. Still, there are elements of the work already done that will apply, and we should be able to get it organized into a good showing for Thursday.
Now, we are working with the idea that the plot is being propelled by the games – Katie, in ultimately winning the rock-paper-scissors (over both Cat and Lisa) gets to start the storytelling. The actors tell the story and continue to find ways to compete in order to move the plot to the next point and take over the telling themselves. It’s a little complex, but it allows us to use most of what we’ve already done and further incorporate games as the means of storytelling.
21/6/11 CTF
Up on the terrace – the rain held off today, but we’ve got a nice stiff breeze. Dallas has produced white T-shirts for the three performers, and while she sets up the space I fill Lisa in on the work that was done yesterday and the previous week. Dallas is interested in tightening up the opening section, and in finding ways to repeat it (three times) for the showing tomorrow.
We walk through the opening section slowly, in order to slot Lisa in. I still have to remind myself to back off and let Dallas run things, and I generally succeed. I think I’d feel more comfortable acting as a devising dramaturg if we had agreed to that role for me earlier on, but Dallas always seems to appreciate the suggestions and incorporates them, and usually they fit with the vision in her head.
About two-thirds of the way through the rehearsal Dallas finally brings up the “question” we’re specifically addressing – symbols and language in storytelling. I wish I had remembered to bring that up first thing, if only as a reminder to myself how we were to be formatting the rehearsal. Dallas had that covered, though. We had briefly talked about the structure of the piece for the performance, the repetition of the sequence, and after getting a handle on the movement and blocking of the piece the actors were instructed to try it without any text. Initially, they simply tried to re-create what they had rehearsed without speaking, but after a few tries they started relaxing into the storytelling and responding to what they were given. This actually opened up the characters a little more and got them playing again, which was nice.
Next, they worked on the third repetition – they sat at the table and simply read from the script. (This is to be the ‘language’ part of the ‘symbols & language in storytelling’, obviously.) Dallas had an idea for a bit involving Cat breaking into to an elaborate section of storytelling in German, contrasted with an overly-simplistic subtitle, and I proposed the idea that the actors might try for the ‘game-playing’, ‘competitive’ angle that we had been working with as they moved through the script. Instead of sticking to their assigned lines, they were to try to edge each other out of the ‘storytelling spotlight’ whenever they felt the urge, and using whatever tactic they could find. I intended it as an exercise for pacing and volume, etc… but Dallas latched on to the idea and kept the performers at it. She was right – by the third and fourth time through the actors were finding all kinds of ways to ‘compete’ and interact vocally, infusing a great deal of energy and a new sense of connected playfulness.
The three sections – physical storytelling, script-reading, and the combination of both – should make for an interesting showing, and a pretty solid representation of some intensive R&D. Hopefully the tutors and course leaders will feel the same way.
27/6/11 Lear
The first Lear rehearsal - the 18 performers from the MA Acting programme have been working together all year, and their familiarity with each other (relaxed, teasing, irritating) is obvious. Sarah led an extensive physical and mental/work-zone warm-up, and then Martin started the first read-through (first group read-through, specifically - the actors for the most part seem to have all read the play. There are some possible comprehension issues). Sarah 'hijacked' the read-through (with Martin's quick consent) and lead a 'Katie Mitchell' technique exercise along with the reading. The actors were to collaborate on lists of FACTS and QUESTIONS regarding anything that exists before (48 hours or more) the action of the play, and separate lists of FACTS and QUESTIONS about 'immediate circumstances' (24-48 hours around the start of the script).
This exercise created context questions to be answered by the cast, as well as a whole slew of additional detail-driven items for me to research. Is there some way to cover this new list of research topics without creating another actors' packet? A research blog, possibly?
Sarah and Martin are asking the cast to consider the production as potentially belonging to four different genres: Epic, Tragic, Parable, and Dystopia(n).
28/6/11 Lear - Production Mtg.
Very technical - guns, knitting needles, marketing image, the model of the set and potential movement through the space, etc...
The production with occupy a 'dystopian world' space; it has its own rules, and will incorporate machinery, electricity, guns but not phones, computers, or air travel. The setting of the play could be anywhere from the mid-nineteenth century to the present, will use elements from all of those eras, and will visually settle (most likely) around the 1940's.
More research. The more you read the script, the greater the possibilities... Never think that the first (or third, or fifth) reading means you understand the text. Keep looking.
29/6/11 Lear
Various warm-up games, today (archived on video). Character work is next, with Sarah leading further Katie Mitchell-technique exercises that ask the actors to improvise a series of very simple, specific, day-to-day activities. Continued script read-through - some questions answered, additional questions (particularly on character motivations) posed.
Further improvisations ask the actors to create the moments leading up to the staged action from the script.
The cast discussed the difficulties of handling an audience in an immersive AND site-specific space:
- the audience/actor relationship and boundaries are of paramount importance
- audience members will be moving through the space that also includes mock weapons; as such, physical and psychological harm both possible and must be prevented
- actors should immerse, not intimidate
Speaking of intimidation, the actors are looking a little bit nervous. Every day they see a little more of just how large a scope this production has planned for performative and experiential aspects. They are a little grim, but working hard. The whole thing is fascinating to watch. Other than the actors' reseach packet, I haven't had much to contribute. I try to stay out of the way, take notes, and get a clear camera angle. I have decided to set up a blog and email the cast the web address - that way, when they have questions in rehearsal they can look for answers and possibilities in one place online.
1/7/11 Lear
Today Sarah is running a 'Viewpoints' warm-up - I've heard of the technique, but never seen or participated. I will be reading up. This version deals a lot with group awareness, and a type of focus that allows the whole group to respond to an undetermined impulse. Very engaging to watch, even though there's no story. There is conflict, there is struggle, there is a paring down of 'character' and personality in order to simply (and not at all simply) respond collectively.
Script work continues with the actors writing down intentions and events (or something that qualifies as a change for most of the people on stage) rather than exits/entrances/scenes. The direction is to memorize intentions and events first, and then finalize lines.
Some of the interaction between Sarah and Martin has led me to wonder: What kinds of things must be dealt with, negotiated, as part of a co-directorship?
5/7/11 Lear
More scenework, improvisations, clarification of intentions and events.
It occurs to me that intentions must always be directed outwards, towards/for someone else. (There are doubtless exceptions.) Energy is much easier to harness/use/channel if it is directed with someone else in mind. The question becomes not "What do you want?", but rather "What do you want to do... to someone else?"
There is no TRY.
A note from Sarah: Intentions are what you want to do to change the situation. They may involve action towards others, or towards self. Memorize events and intentions first, then lines - then whatever you say, even if it's not word-perfect right away, will still forward the action. If intentions are concerned with change, then the actor can play the change. Intentions do not generally come inside/with events, they happen instead between events.
There are seven elements to review when working through a script - they are: Events, Intentions, Character, Relationships, Facts, Time/Place, and Immediate Circumstances.
I will be giving the cast a tutorial on the proper ways to stand and salute, as everyone at some point plays some kind of military character.
22/7/11 Antigone - mtg. with Lisa and Clare
In preparation for the 'crypt' performance (groups from MAATP getting together a performance space for a day-long 'festival' setting) Lisa has re-named the piece 'The Burials at Thebes'.
We met with Lisa's mentor, Clare Lizzimore, who suggested that we look again at the structure of the piece. Not necessarily to change anything, just to re-consider it. She recommended that we look at the work of filmaker David Lynch, and the way his indications of a shift in atmosphere and action create deliberate choices within the movement of the work. An option might be to continue experimenting with form; to study the jolts and shifts that come with grief, and how expressions of grief need small, tender moments of realness. Knowing the stages of grief might be useful here. ("A Year of Magical Thinking" by Joan Didion could be a good resource.)
The actors are working carefully to be ever more specific and deliberate, to make beats and changes very clear, and to support intentions in any given moment.
24/7/11 CTF - Otello
We met today to consider the direction of the project for the 'crypt' performance - Dallas has re-worked the entire piece and changed the name to 'O, Capitano'. She's got a new script (that the actors will not be asked to memorize, as the performance is in two weeks) and new actors - only one worked in both phases of the project. She's very organized and energetic.
26/7/11 The Sound of A Voice
I've been talking with Deirdre McLaughlin (PHD candidate at Central) and she has asked me to be assistant dramaturg on a project she's doing for the Arcola Opera Festival. It's got a very short rehearsal period and Deirdre will be out of town for part of that time, so I'll cover for her and take the opportunity to shadow a dramaturg on another traditional, script-based piece of theatre - in this case, an production consisting of two one-act operas. We've already started working on the actors' research packet, and will finish up after the first script read-through. The performers have been engaged and started learning the music - we'll be reading the one-act plays that form the basis of the operas themselves.
(The operas are from one-act plays that are from a couple of short stories, "The Sound of a Voice" and "The House of Sleeping Beauties". They are very much caught up with Japanese folk-and-fairy tales, and an Oriental aesthetic.)
This seems to be a very positive, engaged company - the director is young and enthusiastic, with a passion for the genre and this piece in particular. The read-through has lead to quite a few questions and research topics - from now on, I should probably try to get a group of people together to read a script out loud when I begin research work! It's amazing how much more you discover when you're hearing the words, instead of just reading them.
I will also set up a research blog (this looks to become a permanent fixture of my process - I hope there's no blog limit!) that can be accessed by the cast and crew. Evidently, the director has also been in contact with the author and with the composer, and there is a good chance we'll be able to set up interviews with both that we can clip and post on Facebook, and use for marketing. Exciting!
28/7/11 Crypt Rehearsals - The Burials at Thebes and O Capitano
The space is the crypt under St. Andrew Church in Holborn, London, and it's got these long curved tunnels. It's a very clean space, roomier than you might expect, with the chill and earthy damp appropriate to a crypt. (There is also a body - well, skeleton - but it will not be participating in any of the performances. It will stay calmly in its niche and look on proceedings.) Lisa has appropriated 1.5 of the tunnels (the .5 end is being used for audience seating and will be converted for a separate performance) making a long, relatively narrow performance space. Chairs are set up in a long, off-kilter curve, and lighting comes from one hanging bulb and several torches (flashlights). One end of the space has an opening in the wall, and the floor there has been outfitted with dirt a few inches deep, and a very old piano. It's a marvelous space for the piece, and is almost exactly what Lisa had in mind when she started developing it.
We're blocking and rehearsing, working out technical details. I'm mainly just another observer now, a little removed from the piece and watching sightlines and fire hazards. At this point Lisa is far too engaged to be truly objective, so I am also trying to check progress against the original vision of the work. There are a few things that I feel would help the flow and movement of the piece, but Lisa is stubbornly insistent on making the audience work to understand and comprehend the action - it's a good reminder that, after all, I'm not the assistant director and the final decision is not mine. Lisa's been terrific about listening to and accommodating my suggestions as much as she could, and now I need to just be supportive and try to alleviate stress in any way I can.
The actors seem to be quite enjoying playing in the dirt - in my experience, it's gratifying for performers to have tactile materials (water, dirt, paper, objects) with which to engage. We're all children at the beginning and the end... one more reason it's called a 'play'! The performance goes well - Lisa had a larger audience turn-out than she expected, so there was some scrambling just before the start.
Dallas has carefully organized her blocking and performance - I'm able to see the occasional small detail that she's missed, otherwise I'm really just there for moral support. The script is a complete departure from the work the group had been doing in the first phase, so I am pretty strictly "outside eye" at this point. Her group's performance is also their first complete run-through (due to scheduling issues) and the piece definitely would have benefitted from a preview audience to test out Dallas' new script. Live and learn - it was absolutely an educational experience!
30/7/11 The Sound of A Voice
UPDATE: The two performers unexpectedly began pulling extreme 'diva' behavior (issues with the rehearsal space, refusal to learn their music and lines in the rehearsal period, suggestion that the full performance be scrapped in favor of a concert version, refusal to sign contracts) - the director has fired one and is considering firing the other.
There is a good possibility that the production will have to be re-scheduled, possibly for January of 2012.
Evidently the director and performers all really liked the actors' packet and research blog.
2/8/11 Lear
Yesterday was the first full dress run (still working out technical issues) and it was very choppy. That is what tends to happen though, with costumes and makeup and a concerted attempt at lights and sound... I was part of that preview audience, and it certainly was a unique kind of experience. It may be familiarity, but the violence and other 'shocking' elements were not as effective as I had expected. It certainly could have just been part of the difficulties of first dress.
Today was the second dress, and Dallas attended with me. The directors (unexpectedly) asked me for feedback yesterday, and then didn't use it (or the actor chose not to). That's a job hazard, and not to be taken personally. I should probably be ready at any time to offer an opinion or question, though! This run was less choppy - I did feel interested and engaged, though I'm not sure if was looking at the larger picture or watching individuals and moments that I knew from rehearsal. Is there a way to train oneself to separate and step back?
Dallas mentioned one transition that was not clear, and a possible solution might be a tweak in the costuming. We talked about how this show could benefit from a dramaturg, thanks to the options available for period and the resulting collection of details. I mentioned how I could have been more involved with those choices if I had started a week or two earlier - as it was, those choices were being considered by the directors when I began. They discussed the possibilities with me, but I did not contribute research or opinions to those choices. (I probably could have - the directors were very open - and more to the point, I probably should have made a much stronger attempt to involve myself in those choices.) The earlier a dramaturg can get involved with a project (particularly text/script-based shows) the more opportunities there are for research and suggestions that affect the final piece. At any point, though, with enough enthusiasm and dedication, a dramaturg can make a difference.
LESSONS LEARNED:
- Read the play several times. Have it read out loud, if possible, even before the table read. Take notes each time (except possibly the first).
- Read the play again on a weekly basis (ideally) and compare notes and video with the director's original vision.
- Keep research entries on the production blog concise, visual, and regular (er, often).
- Update production diary after EACH rehearsal.
- Determine from the start how often you will attend rehearsals.
: once a week or 2-3 times over the total rehearsal period will help you to stay objective
: more regular attendance will generally cause you to lose some objectivity, but allow you to document process
- Consider the possibility that the director(s) will ask you for feedback! Always watch closely, keeping original concept and larger picture (clarity, coherence, comprehension) in mind, and be prepared to - briefly - offer it up.
ENJOY!
27/6/11 Lear
The first Lear rehearsal - the 18 performers from the MA Acting programme have been working together all year, and their familiarity with each other (relaxed, teasing, irritating) is obvious. Sarah led an extensive physical and mental/work-zone warm-up, and then Martin started the first read-through (first group read-through, specifically - the actors for the most part seem to have all read the play. There are some possible comprehension issues). Sarah 'hijacked' the read-through (with Martin's quick consent) and lead a 'Katie Mitchell' technique exercise along with the reading. The actors were to collaborate on lists of FACTS and QUESTIONS regarding anything that exists before (48 hours or more) the action of the play, and separate lists of FACTS and QUESTIONS about 'immediate circumstances' (24-48 hours around the start of the script).
This exercise created context questions to be answered by the cast, as well as a whole slew of additional detail-driven items for me to research. Is there some way to cover this new list of research topics without creating another actors' packet? A research blog, possibly?
Sarah and Martin are asking the cast to consider the production as potentially belonging to four different genres: Epic, Tragic, Parable, and Dystopia(n).
28/6/11 Lear - Production Mtg.
Very technical - guns, knitting needles, marketing image, the model of the set and potential movement through the space, etc...
The production with occupy a 'dystopian world' space; it has its own rules, and will incorporate machinery, electricity, guns but not phones, computers, or air travel. The setting of the play could be anywhere from the mid-nineteenth century to the present, will use elements from all of those eras, and will visually settle (most likely) around the 1940's.
More research. The more you read the script, the greater the possibilities... Never think that the first (or third, or fifth) reading means you understand the text. Keep looking.
29/6/11 Lear
Various warm-up games, today (archived on video). Character work is next, with Sarah leading further Katie Mitchell-technique exercises that ask the actors to improvise a series of very simple, specific, day-to-day activities. Continued script read-through - some questions answered, additional questions (particularly on character motivations) posed.
Further improvisations ask the actors to create the moments leading up to the staged action from the script.
The cast discussed the difficulties of handling an audience in an immersive AND site-specific space:
- the audience/actor relationship and boundaries are of paramount importance
- audience members will be moving through the space that also includes mock weapons; as such, physical and psychological harm both possible and must be prevented
- actors should immerse, not intimidate
Speaking of intimidation, the actors are looking a little bit nervous. Every day they see a little more of just how large a scope this production has planned for performative and experiential aspects. They are a little grim, but working hard. The whole thing is fascinating to watch. Other than the actors' reseach packet, I haven't had much to contribute. I try to stay out of the way, take notes, and get a clear camera angle. I have decided to set up a blog and email the cast the web address - that way, when they have questions in rehearsal they can look for answers and possibilities in one place online.
1/7/11 Lear
Today Sarah is running a 'Viewpoints' warm-up - I've heard of the technique, but never seen or participated. I will be reading up. This version deals a lot with group awareness, and a type of focus that allows the whole group to respond to an undetermined impulse. Very engaging to watch, even though there's no story. There is conflict, there is struggle, there is a paring down of 'character' and personality in order to simply (and not at all simply) respond collectively.
Script work continues with the actors writing down intentions and events (or something that qualifies as a change for most of the people on stage) rather than exits/entrances/scenes. The direction is to memorize intentions and events first, and then finalize lines.
Some of the interaction between Sarah and Martin has led me to wonder: What kinds of things must be dealt with, negotiated, as part of a co-directorship?
5/7/11 Lear
More scenework, improvisations, clarification of intentions and events.
It occurs to me that intentions must always be directed outwards, towards/for someone else. (There are doubtless exceptions.) Energy is much easier to harness/use/channel if it is directed with someone else in mind. The question becomes not "What do you want?", but rather "What do you want to do... to someone else?"
There is no TRY.
A note from Sarah: Intentions are what you want to do to change the situation. They may involve action towards others, or towards self. Memorize events and intentions first, then lines - then whatever you say, even if it's not word-perfect right away, will still forward the action. If intentions are concerned with change, then the actor can play the change. Intentions do not generally come inside/with events, they happen instead between events.
There are seven elements to review when working through a script - they are: Events, Intentions, Character, Relationships, Facts, Time/Place, and Immediate Circumstances.
I will be giving the cast a tutorial on the proper ways to stand and salute, as everyone at some point plays some kind of military character.
22/7/11 Antigone - mtg. with Lisa and Clare
In preparation for the 'crypt' performance (groups from MAATP getting together a performance space for a day-long 'festival' setting) Lisa has re-named the piece 'The Burials at Thebes'.
We met with Lisa's mentor, Clare Lizzimore, who suggested that we look again at the structure of the piece. Not necessarily to change anything, just to re-consider it. She recommended that we look at the work of filmaker David Lynch, and the way his indications of a shift in atmosphere and action create deliberate choices within the movement of the work. An option might be to continue experimenting with form; to study the jolts and shifts that come with grief, and how expressions of grief need small, tender moments of realness. Knowing the stages of grief might be useful here. ("A Year of Magical Thinking" by Joan Didion could be a good resource.)
The actors are working carefully to be ever more specific and deliberate, to make beats and changes very clear, and to support intentions in any given moment.
24/7/11 CTF - Otello
We met today to consider the direction of the project for the 'crypt' performance - Dallas has re-worked the entire piece and changed the name to 'O, Capitano'. She's got a new script (that the actors will not be asked to memorize, as the performance is in two weeks) and new actors - only one worked in both phases of the project. She's very organized and energetic.
26/7/11 The Sound of A Voice
I've been talking with Deirdre McLaughlin (PHD candidate at Central) and she has asked me to be assistant dramaturg on a project she's doing for the Arcola Opera Festival. It's got a very short rehearsal period and Deirdre will be out of town for part of that time, so I'll cover for her and take the opportunity to shadow a dramaturg on another traditional, script-based piece of theatre - in this case, an production consisting of two one-act operas. We've already started working on the actors' research packet, and will finish up after the first script read-through. The performers have been engaged and started learning the music - we'll be reading the one-act plays that form the basis of the operas themselves.
(The operas are from one-act plays that are from a couple of short stories, "The Sound of a Voice" and "The House of Sleeping Beauties". They are very much caught up with Japanese folk-and-fairy tales, and an Oriental aesthetic.)
This seems to be a very positive, engaged company - the director is young and enthusiastic, with a passion for the genre and this piece in particular. The read-through has lead to quite a few questions and research topics - from now on, I should probably try to get a group of people together to read a script out loud when I begin research work! It's amazing how much more you discover when you're hearing the words, instead of just reading them.
I will also set up a research blog (this looks to become a permanent fixture of my process - I hope there's no blog limit!) that can be accessed by the cast and crew. Evidently, the director has also been in contact with the author and with the composer, and there is a good chance we'll be able to set up interviews with both that we can clip and post on Facebook, and use for marketing. Exciting!
28/7/11 Crypt Rehearsals - The Burials at Thebes and O Capitano
The space is the crypt under St. Andrew Church in Holborn, London, and it's got these long curved tunnels. It's a very clean space, roomier than you might expect, with the chill and earthy damp appropriate to a crypt. (There is also a body - well, skeleton - but it will not be participating in any of the performances. It will stay calmly in its niche and look on proceedings.) Lisa has appropriated 1.5 of the tunnels (the .5 end is being used for audience seating and will be converted for a separate performance) making a long, relatively narrow performance space. Chairs are set up in a long, off-kilter curve, and lighting comes from one hanging bulb and several torches (flashlights). One end of the space has an opening in the wall, and the floor there has been outfitted with dirt a few inches deep, and a very old piano. It's a marvelous space for the piece, and is almost exactly what Lisa had in mind when she started developing it.
We're blocking and rehearsing, working out technical details. I'm mainly just another observer now, a little removed from the piece and watching sightlines and fire hazards. At this point Lisa is far too engaged to be truly objective, so I am also trying to check progress against the original vision of the work. There are a few things that I feel would help the flow and movement of the piece, but Lisa is stubbornly insistent on making the audience work to understand and comprehend the action - it's a good reminder that, after all, I'm not the assistant director and the final decision is not mine. Lisa's been terrific about listening to and accommodating my suggestions as much as she could, and now I need to just be supportive and try to alleviate stress in any way I can.
The actors seem to be quite enjoying playing in the dirt - in my experience, it's gratifying for performers to have tactile materials (water, dirt, paper, objects) with which to engage. We're all children at the beginning and the end... one more reason it's called a 'play'! The performance goes well - Lisa had a larger audience turn-out than she expected, so there was some scrambling just before the start.
Dallas has carefully organized her blocking and performance - I'm able to see the occasional small detail that she's missed, otherwise I'm really just there for moral support. The script is a complete departure from the work the group had been doing in the first phase, so I am pretty strictly "outside eye" at this point. Her group's performance is also their first complete run-through (due to scheduling issues) and the piece definitely would have benefitted from a preview audience to test out Dallas' new script. Live and learn - it was absolutely an educational experience!
30/7/11 The Sound of A Voice
UPDATE: The two performers unexpectedly began pulling extreme 'diva' behavior (issues with the rehearsal space, refusal to learn their music and lines in the rehearsal period, suggestion that the full performance be scrapped in favor of a concert version, refusal to sign contracts) - the director has fired one and is considering firing the other.
There is a good possibility that the production will have to be re-scheduled, possibly for January of 2012.
Evidently the director and performers all really liked the actors' packet and research blog.
2/8/11 Lear
Yesterday was the first full dress run (still working out technical issues) and it was very choppy. That is what tends to happen though, with costumes and makeup and a concerted attempt at lights and sound... I was part of that preview audience, and it certainly was a unique kind of experience. It may be familiarity, but the violence and other 'shocking' elements were not as effective as I had expected. It certainly could have just been part of the difficulties of first dress.
Today was the second dress, and Dallas attended with me. The directors (unexpectedly) asked me for feedback yesterday, and then didn't use it (or the actor chose not to). That's a job hazard, and not to be taken personally. I should probably be ready at any time to offer an opinion or question, though! This run was less choppy - I did feel interested and engaged, though I'm not sure if was looking at the larger picture or watching individuals and moments that I knew from rehearsal. Is there a way to train oneself to separate and step back?
Dallas mentioned one transition that was not clear, and a possible solution might be a tweak in the costuming. We talked about how this show could benefit from a dramaturg, thanks to the options available for period and the resulting collection of details. I mentioned how I could have been more involved with those choices if I had started a week or two earlier - as it was, those choices were being considered by the directors when I began. They discussed the possibilities with me, but I did not contribute research or opinions to those choices. (I probably could have - the directors were very open - and more to the point, I probably should have made a much stronger attempt to involve myself in those choices.) The earlier a dramaturg can get involved with a project (particularly text/script-based shows) the more opportunities there are for research and suggestions that affect the final piece. At any point, though, with enough enthusiasm and dedication, a dramaturg can make a difference.
LESSONS LEARNED:
- Read the play several times. Have it read out loud, if possible, even before the table read. Take notes each time (except possibly the first).
- Read the play again on a weekly basis (ideally) and compare notes and video with the director's original vision.
- Keep research entries on the production blog concise, visual, and regular (er, often).
- Update production diary after EACH rehearsal.
- Determine from the start how often you will attend rehearsals.
: once a week or 2-3 times over the total rehearsal period will help you to stay objective
: more regular attendance will generally cause you to lose some objectivity, but allow you to document process
- Consider the possibility that the director(s) will ask you for feedback! Always watch closely, keeping original concept and larger picture (clarity, coherence, comprehension) in mind, and be prepared to - briefly - offer it up.
ENJOY!
