from MarcelTonight was the second of three pick-up rehearsals before the premier at Rogue 2007. There were 2 runs tonight... both went well. The second better than the first but both engaged the audience (me) and I am happy and proud of my cast and crew.
A friend who has followed the process right here from the eastern seaboard commented to me that
"this show of yours seems like a big love fest. Surely things have not been as good as you guys are blogging about!" The answer simply is ... yes... better actually. I don't think any of us blogging about it have really managed to capture half the essence or the "feel" of this particular project... at least within the work setting. When we decided to record the process our mutual agreement was that it would be "warts and all". Really, we haven't whitewashed a darn thing. No "difficult episodes","external dramas" or "flare-ups of frustration". (My own sense of karma almost buys into the notion that this was the payoff for the challenging write.)
Perhaps it's because everyone involved agreed from the start that we would all bring to the project without imposing on it. Allowing for experimentation within the context of the play. Yet allowing for sometimes broad and bold choices to present the possibility of veering into unthought of territory. Then exploring those choices as an ensemble of co-creators without the fear of failing. Because we grew to understand that not to try was the real failure. Then weaving those choices (we decided to keep) into the tapestry of the fabric that is this play.
Tonight for instance... we were all still discovering and "playing" with more options and choices. This is as it should be. The beats and transitions are sharper and overall it really seems like a different show than that was played for the previews. A more pointed one that seems deeper with more silky layers added. There were subtleties and nuances that emerged tonight that I had not been witness to before. A simple turn of the head. A flash of engagement. A slight beat between lines driven or supported with sharp intent. Nothing wasted... nothing empty. All these little touches just brings it closer to a beauty that is within grasp.
If this keeps going I think the performances during the festival will be definitely worth catching. The audience will get it's moneys worth and more. Not so much for the piece (yeah, the play is good) but more for the stellar performance of the cast. It's a cast that still likes playing the play and the time we spend at rehearsals just zipps by like a roadrunner in heat.
It is a joy... and that is something that I rarely admit to... but it is. I couldn't ask for a better and more creatively rewarding work experience than this one. Bottom line... the people I work with make it so. Now to just keep the push constant and become even more relentless on the marketing so we can get decent houses for the Rogue.
Labels: directing, rehearsal, Rogue, Tale End
