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| The African Desert Turtle that came to visit work with the reptile petting zoo. |
Monday through Saturday I rehearse about four hours per day after work. I have very little time between work and rehearsal to breathe/get anything done/sleep if I need it/memorize or work on lines. Of course this means my blog updating has suffered as well.
Here's the skinny:
Rehearsals have gone by so fast! This show was funny by week two, by now it's hilarious. Every day we discover something new and we're keeping each other on our toes.
We had a fight choreographer come in to build our combat scenes and chaos scenes. We have quite a few. I believe I'm in four 'fight scenes' in this show, none of which are actually scripted. Director has added in all the fighting, and I think the next time I see a version of Shrew I'll miss the physicality of this show. All of the combat scenes add so much to our characters and really support the story.
Our fight choreographer wasn't able to stay on very long, but with his groundwork, the rest of us pitched in and created all the fight scenes. We're lucky to have three actors in the cast that are extremely well trained (and certified) in many specialties of stage combat so the fights are not only creative, but technically executed as well. I have adored every step of the process of getting these fights to where they are now.
We've had three entire days of rehearsal throughout the process dedicated to fight choreography and cleaning/sharpening movements. Some fights have changed drastically and some have just gotten longer. In both cases I've had an absolute blast being a part of them. I have a feeling I'm only beginning to understand how much I love stunt/combat work. I'm finally getting a chance to really partake in this side of theatre and film, and every time I do it I can't help but be more excited than the last time. I'm thinking about getting into some classes here on stage combat--and because I'm lucky enough to be working with some great actors who have already done so, they've been nice enough to point me in the right direction. It will definitely make me a more marketable actor, but honestly I'm going to do it because it's so much fun.
In these past three weeks we've been getting off book, getting to know each other, and tightening up the pace of the show. We're still not quite reaching the 90 minute mark that we should be at by the time we open, but we're getting closer every day. We've rehearsed in many different outside areas to simulate the different parks we'll be playing in. This week we're finally traveling to some of our performance locations so we can become accustomed to them. Because every park is different and will present different obstacles, we're learning now how best to adapt. Some parks have massive tree roots in the middle of the stage, others are near airports, while others will be a small metal flatbed truck provided to us by an island. In the end, we have to be able to change our blocking (and out fighting) to the space we're playing in.
This means we have separate blocking and fights to remember for those different parks. Before every rehearsal we have a warm up and then a fight call. Fight call is a rehearsal of all the fights in the show to assure that no actors will be hurt in the performance by forgetting a move. Fight call for our show has become extremely lengthy, sometimes lasting over half an hour. I love it.
We've long since added in props, and we're finally getting to the costume stages. Next week will be tech/dress rehearsals, so our designers are working hard to finish the show up. We've had to make sure that many of our costume changes will be able to be made fast enough (they're called quick changes), and that our costumes allow us enough movement to fight safely.
Personally, I've been waiting for the nice weather to kick in so that we won't have to rehearse in the cold rainy weather anymore. It's slightly refreshing, but I think I'll enjoy Shakespeare in the park when summer finally arrives. Seattlites say it happens after the 4th of July! Here's to hoping!
In other news I had a fabulous audition last weekend for an adapted play with two parts--one man, one woman. It was at a very reputable theatre here, and it was the most substantial role I've been able to audition for since coming to Seattle. Most theatres here have a list a mile long already of the young, tall, thin female that they're going to use, so it's not often that I'm given the opportunity to strut my stuff.
I prepared a monologue from A Doll's House with Acting Coach. I rocked my audition, and landed a callback! I was incredibly excited, especially since the Artistic Director I was auditioning for showed me a list of at least 35 women that he was auditioning besides me. Eight of us made it to callbacks, and we all auditioned in front of each other. I had a great time, and best of all I was able to work with an extremely talented and well known actor as my scene partner. In the end, I didn't end up getting the role, but I felt like I made a good impression on a lot of people and there's not much more you can ask for than that.
This is the slow part of summer audition wise in Seattle. There aren't a lot of audition opportunities right now which is simultaneously frustrating and relaxing. In another month or so things will be picking back up again, so I'm biding my time until then. Which, of course, actually means that I'm attending my weekly acting sessions and rehearsing every day.
My second film was put on hold, which is really great for my schedule because I'm not sure I would have been able to keep up with it. Instead, I was able to pick up a shift at The 5th Avenue, and I got to see the touring cast of Les Miserables. Now, I've read part of the book (then got so busy I couldn't finish it), and I'd heard a lot about the musical. I was absolutely blown away by the show. It was amazing. I loved every second of it, and it's definitely in my list of top five favorite musicals now. It easily became a musical that I will try to catch again and again with different casts. It's such a moving piece with beautiful songs.
I have this hang up--I can't listen to a musical's score until I see it in person. I hate to know the story before I see the show, I mean, it's like knowing how a book will end before you start reading it. What's the point? So even though Les Mis is a classic, and I've sang at least one of the songs in a voice class before, I generally didn't know what to expect. I'm so glad I didn't. It made the show that much better. And the singing was just phenomenal. It was an extremely talent cast and I'm glad I caught the limited run. If it was here longer I would probably go again.
Les Miserables inspired me all over again to continue on this path. I was so awed by the talent on that stage, and the power of the piece itself. It reminded me of all the reasons why I'm so passionate about what I do. It was also incredibly relaxing to take three hours to sit back and let my mind wander. I've been running around so much lately, which I love to do, but there's been a little nugget in the back of my mind making me wonder what's so great about being so busy?
Yes, it's incredibly fulfilling if you're busy doing something you love. But I think it's also important to remember to take time for yourself, which is something I haven't been able to do lately. Now, don't get me wrong, I'd choose rehearsal over work any day, so I'm not tired of rehearsing. But I am interested in reevaluating my day job soon and really looking at what I need financially and professionally to fulfill me so that I can feasibly and regularly give myself the time I need.
If you have five minutes read this article about being 'too busy': http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/30/the-busy-trap/
It's a really interesting look at the effects of being busy, and it makes you take a hard look at the kind of life style you might actually want. Strangely enough, I had all these same thoughts before I read this article, so when I read it, it really cemented many of the ideas in my brain. It's time to sit back and smell the roses. Good thing my first vacation in ten months is coming up in three weeks!
Unrelated news:
I've since purchased a bike and have begun biking to work when the weather permits. Staying active and taking some extra time to get around to places has increased the amount of time in my day I take to just breathe and think. Healthy body, healthy mind.
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