Monday, August 21, 2006

Stagecraft: From Script to Stage - Volume 3

This will be a continuing series of blogs that will cover the development of the play I am working on. Inspired by the Production Diaries and Behind-the-Scenes videos on newer DVDs, I have decided to showcase some of the drama behind the dramas that are put up on stage.


A little over a month to go before the first show and things are moving along nicely. I thought that I would be a little more regular in these things than I have been but that gives you an indication of how busy things can be. Casting was completed in July and by the middle of that month, we had begun reading sessions where the cast and I would sit around the dining table and go through the entire script, working on lines, getting an understanding of the character and determining if the people cast in the roles would be able to bring out the 'person' that the particular role is. I have been fortunate in that I have found a talented group of people with whom I will be working. Although several have not acted in major roles before, their lack of experience is more than made up for by their enthusiasm and despite having begun working on blocking (that is movements) about three rehearsals ago, things are progressing quite well.

One thing I have found is that lines are key. If one has their dialogues memorized then the 'acting' part of acting is made that much easier. Moving around the stage is the fun part that most people associate with acting. It's the opportunity to be someone else for a time. I have never wanted to be an abusive druggie boyfriend but acting allowed me the opportunity (or punishment -- depends on your point of view I guess) of being someone I don't resemble in the least.

With this play I decided to go with some newer actors because I felt that it would be refreshing for the audience to see some new faces up on stage. What many people fail to realize is that acting in this area is not so much a function of talent as it is the time and motivation of the individual. There are many great actors out there but not every one of them has the time or motivation to drive out to someone's house week after week and sacrifice their weekends and evenings to a project such as this. Most of all, you need to enjoy the company of friends (old and new) and have the desire to work to the best of your particular abilities.

While we have been working on movements for only a couple of weeks, the motivation and enthusiasm I see in my team is so wonderful; it makes my job easier. I like to think of myself as a very hands on director. I like to get involved in the scenes and show my team how I'd like things to be done or how I envision them. Sometimes my vision is a bit blurry (after all... I do wear glasses) but working with everyone ensures that eventually we get to where we need to be.

We filmed the commercial this past weekend. Working rather efficiently for about 45 minutes after our regular rehearsal on Sunday, we filmed all the clips we needed and have come up with a fairly decent trailer for the play. It's a bit different than what we're used to seeing for our plays but I think it will be intriguing for potential audience members. I have very high hopes for the play and I am anticipating having a good turn out for the shows. We still have a ways to go before we're finished with the blocking but the journey has been a fun one so far!

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