November 15th, Sunday, start of the final week before showtime!
The set is going up! The lights and switches are being tested, cued up today. John and the crew are hanging wood planks from the ceiling to cover the sound stage where James’ piano will be set up.
A wall has been knocked down on the side of the stage area to create more space. The bed is set up with posts and doorknobs and ship ropes decorating it.
James is up on the sound stage, playing piano from time to time, blowing the fog horn. The other sound crew member experiments with horse hoof sounds by clip clopping the wood blocks that hang from the ceiling together. This also can very much resemble the sound of water lapping against the side of a boat.
Deb asks me to melt the candles so they stick onto the puppet theatre. Everyone is busy setting things up or warming up to start the run through.
Out in the fireplace lounge, there is a spoken word rally going on for equal marriage rights, and later there is punk music playing so loudly that the actors have a hard time hearing one another.
The cast runs through the whole show, marking the physicality and saying all the text quickly, yelling out cues to each other to remember things. I find it interesting to compare this to the mark through of a dance piece, in which the dancers will skip most of the big stunts unless they are decided upon.
Everyone wishes each other good luck for the first full run through. Sheila says, “See you on the other side!”
The lights go down and the run through begins. I can feel the stress in everyone’s minds as they put all they test out everything they have worked on. Bob watches critically and makes notes to share with the cast afterward. Kristin keeps time and gives lines when the actors forget.
I am finally seeing all the pieces put together, and I love noticing all the little touches they have added since they first began rehearsals. They have come so far as a cast.
I like watching Dario play with the stove that Barbra cooks on when she is remembering her mother. The stove is just a stool with a hole in it under which Dario holds some ripped pieces of paper and shakes them around to simulate a flame. It’s very dreamlike the way they are using the white pieces of paper for so many props.
James is experimenting on the piano up on the sound stage behind the hanging wood planks. Bob wants him to keep playing while Barbra is speaking but to play quieter so we can hear Barbra better. Bob is standing downstage where the audience would be and is motioning to James, but James can’t see him. Bob walks over where James can see him and signals with his hand. James stops playing for a second, but then Bob motions to keep playing and nods. He makes a shushing sign to tell James to just be a little softer. James understands. I am amazed at how in sync Bob is with the cast and crew. Everyone has such easy communication because they have spent so much time working together and knowing one another. It’s really something beautiful.
The fog horn from the sound stage is perfect. It sounds just like a ship coming into harbor. The cast finishes the run through, and Bob gives notes to cast and crew, recognizes errors and glitches that still need to be worked out. All in all, I think they will be more than ready by opening night.
I am confident in their abilities to deliver a spectacularly moving performance this weekend. I am excited for the full tech rehearsal and to see everything put together in the final product. I know that their work has transformed the piece from its first stages to what it is now, and that is something to be truly proud of. I feel honored to have had the opportunity to observe this process, and I thank everyone who has been involved for allowing me to watch their artistic minds at work.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Meeting the real space
Saturday, November 14th. First day in the Bedlam Theatre space.
The cast is talking about stage makeup, throwing around different ideas, and figuring out when and how to remove it. They will have certain makeup for specific parts of the piece but will need to remove it for other parts.
Bob is explaining his vision to the set crew. His idea is that there will be a wall of four-by-fours and the projector will be in the back showing the image of the horse on the wall. The crew members discuss how to accomplish this. They have already started to put the wall together, and John is hanging large pieces of canvas from the rafters that hang all the way down to the floor of the stage and can even act as stage wings.
James makes sounds that resemble thunder with a spring instrument. It looks like a simple noise-maker, but there appears to be a technique to making it exert a storm sound.
Barbra seems a little frazzled, but is making light of the stress. “We have another month to work on this show, right?” she jokes hopefully. Telsche remarks, “Five days.” “Shut up,” Barbra says. They all smile and continue the scene.
Barbra laughs long and loud after the three cast members name different warriors and make a joke. I think it’s nice for her to have this moment of indulgence in laughter as a release from the tension she might feel during the rest of the show. Bob asks why she skipped right to the laughter, and she says, “Oh yeah, I didn’t like that part, so I cut it.” “Thanks for telling me,” Bob says and laughs.
They work together on the part where Barbra is running through the forest and the cast acts as trees that surround her. Bob does not want them to do modern dance here, but he tells them to just run around and touch Barbra as she goes along. They all joke around about “Robert Rosen’s School of Modern Dance.” Sheila declares, “This forest is so post modern, it’s amazing.” They then take a short break.
When they come back, it is time to run through a large section of the piece. The cast paints their faces with grey paint for the warrior scene. Sonya runs to Target to get makeup remover wipes and knee pads for them.
When Barbra is reaching the sea, Bob says they should have some ocean sounds here. James makes a note of this.
The cast runs through the umbrella-people scene, and James realizes how high-pitched their jibberish is sounding. “I love how we’re going to Europe, but we reach the border and suddently we’re in Asia,” he says. “Haha, yeah,” says Bob. “Why are we in Shanghai?” He tells the cast to just try and use their normal pitch and normal voices for this part.
They back up a bit to the part right before the umbrella scene where the ship arrives in the new world and they all wave and then get off and start parading around. I find it hilarious when the patriotic-sounding music comes on and they all start mingling around quickly, Telsche riding a bicycle to deliver newspapers, Dario and Sheila hailing taxis and Barbra trying to imitate them. Bob is subbing in for Barbra so she can see her role being played. Barbra watches, smiling as Bob gets pushed around all flustered. One of the cast jokes that Bob is Barbra’s understudy.
They talk a little about costume pieces and props that still need to be worked out and placed. The cast hangs their coats and hats on the bedposts and the hooks that are on the bed.
Bob, Dario, and Sheila discuss the construction of the brick wall, decide who is building each part, and practice it beneath a warm sunlight cascading in through the big skylight over the space.
They practice the scene again where they arrive in the new world. The whole room is in chaos, the bed becomes a taxi and the cast takes Barbra “downtown!” Bob is giving Barbra points on how to interact as they go along, and Barbra is looking confused, feeling like she is in the way.
As they run through the scenes, someone is up in the ceiling, above the sound box behind me, fixing the lights with a flashlight.
I watch the café scene where Dario sits on a stool behind a newspaper, and Telsche the dog is playing with a brick on the floor in front of him. She repeatedly brings the brick back to Dario, and he throws it back for her to fetch, never looking up from the newspaper or even showing his face. He is hidden behind it. I think this is a great moment here.
They wrap up for the day, and Bob suggests that tomorrow they walk through the whole show and do an “Italian,” which I found out means they will just mark through the spacing without speaking all of the text. Bob wants them to physically know the journey in the space.
After they finish up, everyone goes next door to the rehearsal shop where John has a little model of the theatre stage with a plan of what it will look like for the show. They talk logistics of seating, backstage areas, and John asks the cast about their preferences and what they will need.
I’d say things are coming along smoothly, but I anticipate a lot of hard work will go into this coming week before the show. The sound, lights, and set crew are already working to start getting everything prepared, and John seems to be getting things organized quickly.
The cast is talking about stage makeup, throwing around different ideas, and figuring out when and how to remove it. They will have certain makeup for specific parts of the piece but will need to remove it for other parts.
Bob is explaining his vision to the set crew. His idea is that there will be a wall of four-by-fours and the projector will be in the back showing the image of the horse on the wall. The crew members discuss how to accomplish this. They have already started to put the wall together, and John is hanging large pieces of canvas from the rafters that hang all the way down to the floor of the stage and can even act as stage wings.
James makes sounds that resemble thunder with a spring instrument. It looks like a simple noise-maker, but there appears to be a technique to making it exert a storm sound.
Barbra seems a little frazzled, but is making light of the stress. “We have another month to work on this show, right?” she jokes hopefully. Telsche remarks, “Five days.” “Shut up,” Barbra says. They all smile and continue the scene.
Barbra laughs long and loud after the three cast members name different warriors and make a joke. I think it’s nice for her to have this moment of indulgence in laughter as a release from the tension she might feel during the rest of the show. Bob asks why she skipped right to the laughter, and she says, “Oh yeah, I didn’t like that part, so I cut it.” “Thanks for telling me,” Bob says and laughs.
They work together on the part where Barbra is running through the forest and the cast acts as trees that surround her. Bob does not want them to do modern dance here, but he tells them to just run around and touch Barbra as she goes along. They all joke around about “Robert Rosen’s School of Modern Dance.” Sheila declares, “This forest is so post modern, it’s amazing.” They then take a short break.
When they come back, it is time to run through a large section of the piece. The cast paints their faces with grey paint for the warrior scene. Sonya runs to Target to get makeup remover wipes and knee pads for them.
When Barbra is reaching the sea, Bob says they should have some ocean sounds here. James makes a note of this.
The cast runs through the umbrella-people scene, and James realizes how high-pitched their jibberish is sounding. “I love how we’re going to Europe, but we reach the border and suddently we’re in Asia,” he says. “Haha, yeah,” says Bob. “Why are we in Shanghai?” He tells the cast to just try and use their normal pitch and normal voices for this part.
They back up a bit to the part right before the umbrella scene where the ship arrives in the new world and they all wave and then get off and start parading around. I find it hilarious when the patriotic-sounding music comes on and they all start mingling around quickly, Telsche riding a bicycle to deliver newspapers, Dario and Sheila hailing taxis and Barbra trying to imitate them. Bob is subbing in for Barbra so she can see her role being played. Barbra watches, smiling as Bob gets pushed around all flustered. One of the cast jokes that Bob is Barbra’s understudy.
They talk a little about costume pieces and props that still need to be worked out and placed. The cast hangs their coats and hats on the bedposts and the hooks that are on the bed.
Bob, Dario, and Sheila discuss the construction of the brick wall, decide who is building each part, and practice it beneath a warm sunlight cascading in through the big skylight over the space.
They practice the scene again where they arrive in the new world. The whole room is in chaos, the bed becomes a taxi and the cast takes Barbra “downtown!” Bob is giving Barbra points on how to interact as they go along, and Barbra is looking confused, feeling like she is in the way.
As they run through the scenes, someone is up in the ceiling, above the sound box behind me, fixing the lights with a flashlight.
I watch the café scene where Dario sits on a stool behind a newspaper, and Telsche the dog is playing with a brick on the floor in front of him. She repeatedly brings the brick back to Dario, and he throws it back for her to fetch, never looking up from the newspaper or even showing his face. He is hidden behind it. I think this is a great moment here.
They wrap up for the day, and Bob suggests that tomorrow they walk through the whole show and do an “Italian,” which I found out means they will just mark through the spacing without speaking all of the text. Bob wants them to physically know the journey in the space.
After they finish up, everyone goes next door to the rehearsal shop where John has a little model of the theatre stage with a plan of what it will look like for the show. They talk logistics of seating, backstage areas, and John asks the cast about their preferences and what they will need.
I’d say things are coming along smoothly, but I anticipate a lot of hard work will go into this coming week before the show. The sound, lights, and set crew are already working to start getting everything prepared, and John seems to be getting things organized quickly.
Theatre on fire!
November 8th, rehearsal in the Bedlam shop space.
John brings a pile of bricks in a wheelbarrow and stacks them up in a rectangular formation with wood planks for the actors to assemble their puppet theatre. Some of the cast move the bricks around to decide which set up is best or the audience to view. They adjust according to how the Bedlam Theatre space will be, though they are not rehearsing in that space today.
Dario, Bob, and Telsche lay a canvas down under the brick pile and use a simple black bookshelf to support the stacks of bricks. Bob asks if there are any little votive candles they could use, and Telsche goes to find some. Bob also wants some old newspapers, and Deb goes around to the theatre to get some.
Bob and Dario talk about how to make a fire in the puppet show with the candles and newspaper. John is listening and says, “We don’t want to start the curtains on fire!” Bob and Dario think they can make the puppet theatre curtains out of newspaper and start them on fire with the candles to set the puppet show in flames. It should be able to put itself out after a few minutes.
Bob arranges little candles all around the bricks that stick out and puts cut pieces of newspaper down in front as the curtain. He asks if anyone can make paper hats or a paper boat out of the newspaper.
Jason, a set designer, makes paper hats that Sheila and Dario put on. Bob is thinking that Sheila and Dario will be the puppets in the puppet show. They will be life-size puppets. Bob says he wants them to play on the two levels of the puppet theatre they have created. John moves a brick around on the puppet theatre stage saying, “Hello…I’m a brick person,” and there are laughs all around.
Bob and John try to move the entire second and third floors of the puppet theatre, though none of the bricks and planks are stuck together. They almost topple it all over, candles lit and everything, but Telsche runs to help them hold it together while Dario watches nervously, whispering, “Oh my god!”
They think about how to quickly assemble the theatre on stage without sticking the bricks together, since they will all be falling down eventually in the fire.
Bob would like to portray a few poems and pieces of the book “How We Lived,” in the puppet show. He wants the actors to read through the poems and underline things they could say in the puppet show. He tells them to move their faces and arms like puppets as they play around with the puppet theatre. Bob suggests the show should have three characters. One would wear a mask and represent Barbra’s character. This character would not speak in the puppet show. It could be played by Telsche.
In one of the poems, there is a stanza about packing. Someone suggests they could say the line, “Chaos will always be in fashion,” from the poem and then pack the poem somehow.
Sheila has more ideas for the puppet show. She and Dario could act as a captain and his ship mate. Maybe one is the smart one and one is the stupid one, but really they are both pretty stupid. Maybe one is drunk?
Telsche practices the mask part as the text is spoken, beginning with Dario as Sheila is playing her violin. Then Telsche lights a match to light the candles on the theatre, Dario comes to help her set up the theatre, and Dario and Sheila become sailor puppets above the puppet theatre. Telsche wears the mask and sits on the main stage of the theatre, below them. Dario and Sheila try to ask Telsche if she has a ticket for the ship, but she does not understand them. Telsche moves the paper boat on the stage.
The idea is presented that the canvas beneath them could be used for shadow puppets. Bob plays with a big light
Sheila and Dario practice their high-pitched little puppet voices. Sheila says to Dario, “I was gonna have a cigarette, wanna have a cigarette break with me?” to which he replies in the same little puppet voice, “Sure!...Uh-oh! The boat’s on fire! At least we’re surrounded by water! Ahahahah!”
They all set up the theatre to practice burning it down. Nobody knows what to expect, but they light the paper curtains and boat on fire and push all the bricks, paper, and candles over and onto the canvas. The flames are self-contained, and the paper singes and stops after it has burned. The dust from the fallen bricks provides an eerie after-affect to the fire as it leaves a lingering mist.
They practice destroying the puppet theatre again. This time, Sheila and Dario continue to talk as the curtains start on fire, and then they finally realize the whole thing is on fire. They wait for the rubble to stop burning, and then Barbra continues, quietly reading the text about the horses that came in the night and burned the theatre to the ground.
After this, they do not have much time in the show to build the bricks back up into the café for the next scene. A couple people are down on the ground picking up the bricks and tossing them up to others who are standing at the top to start building it up again.
They finish up rehearsal quickly, as the space is being used by another group soon. Bob reminds them that they only have two days of tech in the theatre space where they can actually execute the fire. Before they leave, Deb asks if they can each submit a bio or the program by the end of tomorrow. She also give them each a list of props for them to check off whether they still need certain objects or not.
I can’t help but share the excitement of things coming together and the show is right around the corner!
John brings a pile of bricks in a wheelbarrow and stacks them up in a rectangular formation with wood planks for the actors to assemble their puppet theatre. Some of the cast move the bricks around to decide which set up is best or the audience to view. They adjust according to how the Bedlam Theatre space will be, though they are not rehearsing in that space today.
Dario, Bob, and Telsche lay a canvas down under the brick pile and use a simple black bookshelf to support the stacks of bricks. Bob asks if there are any little votive candles they could use, and Telsche goes to find some. Bob also wants some old newspapers, and Deb goes around to the theatre to get some.
Bob and Dario talk about how to make a fire in the puppet show with the candles and newspaper. John is listening and says, “We don’t want to start the curtains on fire!” Bob and Dario think they can make the puppet theatre curtains out of newspaper and start them on fire with the candles to set the puppet show in flames. It should be able to put itself out after a few minutes.
Bob arranges little candles all around the bricks that stick out and puts cut pieces of newspaper down in front as the curtain. He asks if anyone can make paper hats or a paper boat out of the newspaper.
Jason, a set designer, makes paper hats that Sheila and Dario put on. Bob is thinking that Sheila and Dario will be the puppets in the puppet show. They will be life-size puppets. Bob says he wants them to play on the two levels of the puppet theatre they have created. John moves a brick around on the puppet theatre stage saying, “Hello…I’m a brick person,” and there are laughs all around.
Bob and John try to move the entire second and third floors of the puppet theatre, though none of the bricks and planks are stuck together. They almost topple it all over, candles lit and everything, but Telsche runs to help them hold it together while Dario watches nervously, whispering, “Oh my god!”
They think about how to quickly assemble the theatre on stage without sticking the bricks together, since they will all be falling down eventually in the fire.
Bob would like to portray a few poems and pieces of the book “How We Lived,” in the puppet show. He wants the actors to read through the poems and underline things they could say in the puppet show. He tells them to move their faces and arms like puppets as they play around with the puppet theatre. Bob suggests the show should have three characters. One would wear a mask and represent Barbra’s character. This character would not speak in the puppet show. It could be played by Telsche.
In one of the poems, there is a stanza about packing. Someone suggests they could say the line, “Chaos will always be in fashion,” from the poem and then pack the poem somehow.
Sheila has more ideas for the puppet show. She and Dario could act as a captain and his ship mate. Maybe one is the smart one and one is the stupid one, but really they are both pretty stupid. Maybe one is drunk?
Telsche practices the mask part as the text is spoken, beginning with Dario as Sheila is playing her violin. Then Telsche lights a match to light the candles on the theatre, Dario comes to help her set up the theatre, and Dario and Sheila become sailor puppets above the puppet theatre. Telsche wears the mask and sits on the main stage of the theatre, below them. Dario and Sheila try to ask Telsche if she has a ticket for the ship, but she does not understand them. Telsche moves the paper boat on the stage.
The idea is presented that the canvas beneath them could be used for shadow puppets. Bob plays with a big light
Sheila and Dario practice their high-pitched little puppet voices. Sheila says to Dario, “I was gonna have a cigarette, wanna have a cigarette break with me?” to which he replies in the same little puppet voice, “Sure!...Uh-oh! The boat’s on fire! At least we’re surrounded by water! Ahahahah!”
They all set up the theatre to practice burning it down. Nobody knows what to expect, but they light the paper curtains and boat on fire and push all the bricks, paper, and candles over and onto the canvas. The flames are self-contained, and the paper singes and stops after it has burned. The dust from the fallen bricks provides an eerie after-affect to the fire as it leaves a lingering mist.
They practice destroying the puppet theatre again. This time, Sheila and Dario continue to talk as the curtains start on fire, and then they finally realize the whole thing is on fire. They wait for the rubble to stop burning, and then Barbra continues, quietly reading the text about the horses that came in the night and burned the theatre to the ground.
After this, they do not have much time in the show to build the bricks back up into the café for the next scene. A couple people are down on the ground picking up the bricks and tossing them up to others who are standing at the top to start building it up again.
They finish up rehearsal quickly, as the space is being used by another group soon. Bob reminds them that they only have two days of tech in the theatre space where they can actually execute the fire. Before they leave, Deb asks if they can each submit a bio or the program by the end of tomorrow. She also give them each a list of props for them to check off whether they still need certain objects or not.
I can’t help but share the excitement of things coming together and the show is right around the corner!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Memories, physical activity
November 7th. Last rehearsal in Bob’s studio in the Ivy Building.
Bob is feeling a little anxious, it seems. “I’m just sitting,” he tells me. He gestures with his arms waving up and down. “I want to be moving…I mean I love directing, but I’m just standing back watching them…I want play too.”
Dario is not here today. Bob thinks it wouldn’t be worth it to go through the whole show when he’s not here. Instead they should take advantage of his absence and focus on parts he is not really a part of, look at the beginning, the mother and daughter moments.
Barbra is unsure about a few things. A friend had recently watched her and given feedback, saying that the violent parts are very vivid, but almost hard to listen to. Barbra wonders whether she should be really invested emotionally in the stories she is telling, or whether it should be more journalistic, relaying the events matter-of-factly.
There is so much sun today, so much natural light flooding in through the huge studio windows.
Tomorrow, the cast will be rehearsing in the Bedlam shop space. John has a pile of bricks they will be able to practice building the wall and puppet theater with.
Barbra puts on her boots to begin a scene. While she ties them, she comments that if she’s going to have boots for the show, they’ve got to be already laced. It takes too much time for her to lace them onstage.
Bob believes the piece should begin with old things and finish with new things when Barbra is in the new place. Barbra says she feels like they are not wearing anything new right now, though. They think about different costume choices that will help the old and new themes to come out. Barbra also mentions she would like a small notebook or even a small piece of leather for the scene they are working on. She will be putting it in her pocket while she is rolling around on the bed and laying on people, so it should be flexible and soft. Stage managers make notes.
Barbra and Sheila practice the mother and daughter scene, when Barbra is leaving home at age seventeen. Bob says they need to somehow better distinguish who is the mother and who is the daughter and when they switch takes place. They talk about what kind of suitcase Barbra should have here. Bob doesn’t like the look of the suitcase they are currently using, and Barbra has one that is leather that they could paint, though it might be a little small.
They practice the scene again. I love the moment when Barbra is saying, “I will no longer be with you, ever..” as she caresses Sheila’s shoulder with her face. Then she backs away and says to the audience again, “I was seventeen,” and Sheila abruptly lets the suitcase she is holding fall open to reveal the inside of it to the audience. “What should I take,” Barbra gasps, and they both scramble around to find objects to put in the suitcase. The energy in this part of the scene has such a perfect rise and fall, it keeps my attention the whole way through.
It is a difficult concept to execute, switching the roles from Sheila as the mother to Barbra as the mother, all through Barbra’s memory. Bob tells Barbra she shouldn’t smell her hands because she was just touching Sheila, but rather smell her arms as herself now, showing that she is the mother now and is remembering the smell of her own mother. But Barbra says it is like she is taking the feeling of Sheila into her hands and onto her own face…
They run through the whole scene, and Bob says, “Good, that was good, two things: Take more time, and also look at the hat, make an adjustment as you put it on Sheila.” Barbra does it again, adjusting the hat on Sheila, and Bob wants her to make sure she stands to the side so the audience can see her make that adjustment. It shows a sort of affection that Barbra has for the memory of Sheila. Bob thinks Barbra should touch Sheila more, stop and physically adjust her clothing as she says, “I will no longer be with you…” Bob says, “It’s like…the last time you’re going to touch your child.”
I enjoy listening to the difference in tone and composition of Barbra’s voice as she repeats her lines in a fresh way each time. Maybe she likes the way it sounds one time and will keep that sound and try to find it again the next time.
Bob notices the difference in height between Sheila and Barbra as they play. “You were taller when you were younger,” he says jokingly to Barbra and they laugh.
They talk about the garden part where Dario is the memory of Barbra’s father. Barbra thinks this scene is sad. She tells everyone that the last time she did that part, she tried to smile but still have really sad eyes. But then she realized that her face is like this naturally anyway. She laughs to herself and everyone smiles.
Telsche is resting on a cushion, basking in the sun that pools in through the window. Bob wakes her up. Bob comments about how sleepy the sun can make you feel. “We should have a show here, with like 25-30 people and have a really slow show with this sun and the goal, without telling them, will be to put the audience to sleep,” he says. I can just imagine this, a piece of art in itself. An audience falling asleep to a slow show in the sun. James remembers a show he saw in London about Medea that started at 10pm and ended at 6am and the audience took a 15 minute nap in the middle while the actors sung lullabies.
The group takes a short break to refresh. When they resume, Telsche and Barbra are practicing the part where Telsche is the brother pushing Barbra down. The scene begins with Barbra’s line, “You could hear the riders laughing.” She thinks Telsche should continue by laughing as she comes in to push Barbra down. Bob mentions they might have a recording of laughter playing throughout. Telsche and Barbra play around for a while and figure out what kind of pushing and pulling and pretend wrestling tactics work best for them. Telsche pulls Barbra by the leg around in a circle, but keep moving further downstage to where we are sitting. Bob tells Telsche to just drag Barbra back if they get too far up and there is nowhere to go. Bob wants them to be spontaneous in their fight, but they talk about some ideas to make sure they are on the same page.
Next, they work on the boat stores. Telsche grabs a newspaper to carry in her pocket and read her story from. Bob wants the transition from Telsche’s story to Sheila’s letter to be abrupt. Sheila declares, “I have a letter,” immediately after Telsche finishes up with, “They thought they could fly to heaven!” and chuckles. Bob tells Sheila to sort of pull the rug out.
Telsche and Sheila leave, while Barbra works on how to find her boots in the forest. She thinks it is kind of nice to have someone huddled in the middle of the forest with no one else around. At five minutes left in the rehearsal time, Barbra says, “Well, I’m sufficiently beat up for the day. This was good, Bob, thank you.”
Bob is feeling a little anxious, it seems. “I’m just sitting,” he tells me. He gestures with his arms waving up and down. “I want to be moving…I mean I love directing, but I’m just standing back watching them…I want play too.”
Dario is not here today. Bob thinks it wouldn’t be worth it to go through the whole show when he’s not here. Instead they should take advantage of his absence and focus on parts he is not really a part of, look at the beginning, the mother and daughter moments.
Barbra is unsure about a few things. A friend had recently watched her and given feedback, saying that the violent parts are very vivid, but almost hard to listen to. Barbra wonders whether she should be really invested emotionally in the stories she is telling, or whether it should be more journalistic, relaying the events matter-of-factly.
There is so much sun today, so much natural light flooding in through the huge studio windows.
Tomorrow, the cast will be rehearsing in the Bedlam shop space. John has a pile of bricks they will be able to practice building the wall and puppet theater with.
Barbra puts on her boots to begin a scene. While she ties them, she comments that if she’s going to have boots for the show, they’ve got to be already laced. It takes too much time for her to lace them onstage.
Bob believes the piece should begin with old things and finish with new things when Barbra is in the new place. Barbra says she feels like they are not wearing anything new right now, though. They think about different costume choices that will help the old and new themes to come out. Barbra also mentions she would like a small notebook or even a small piece of leather for the scene they are working on. She will be putting it in her pocket while she is rolling around on the bed and laying on people, so it should be flexible and soft. Stage managers make notes.
Barbra and Sheila practice the mother and daughter scene, when Barbra is leaving home at age seventeen. Bob says they need to somehow better distinguish who is the mother and who is the daughter and when they switch takes place. They talk about what kind of suitcase Barbra should have here. Bob doesn’t like the look of the suitcase they are currently using, and Barbra has one that is leather that they could paint, though it might be a little small.
They practice the scene again. I love the moment when Barbra is saying, “I will no longer be with you, ever..” as she caresses Sheila’s shoulder with her face. Then she backs away and says to the audience again, “I was seventeen,” and Sheila abruptly lets the suitcase she is holding fall open to reveal the inside of it to the audience. “What should I take,” Barbra gasps, and they both scramble around to find objects to put in the suitcase. The energy in this part of the scene has such a perfect rise and fall, it keeps my attention the whole way through.
It is a difficult concept to execute, switching the roles from Sheila as the mother to Barbra as the mother, all through Barbra’s memory. Bob tells Barbra she shouldn’t smell her hands because she was just touching Sheila, but rather smell her arms as herself now, showing that she is the mother now and is remembering the smell of her own mother. But Barbra says it is like she is taking the feeling of Sheila into her hands and onto her own face…
They run through the whole scene, and Bob says, “Good, that was good, two things: Take more time, and also look at the hat, make an adjustment as you put it on Sheila.” Barbra does it again, adjusting the hat on Sheila, and Bob wants her to make sure she stands to the side so the audience can see her make that adjustment. It shows a sort of affection that Barbra has for the memory of Sheila. Bob thinks Barbra should touch Sheila more, stop and physically adjust her clothing as she says, “I will no longer be with you…” Bob says, “It’s like…the last time you’re going to touch your child.”
I enjoy listening to the difference in tone and composition of Barbra’s voice as she repeats her lines in a fresh way each time. Maybe she likes the way it sounds one time and will keep that sound and try to find it again the next time.
Bob notices the difference in height between Sheila and Barbra as they play. “You were taller when you were younger,” he says jokingly to Barbra and they laugh.
They talk about the garden part where Dario is the memory of Barbra’s father. Barbra thinks this scene is sad. She tells everyone that the last time she did that part, she tried to smile but still have really sad eyes. But then she realized that her face is like this naturally anyway. She laughs to herself and everyone smiles.
Telsche is resting on a cushion, basking in the sun that pools in through the window. Bob wakes her up. Bob comments about how sleepy the sun can make you feel. “We should have a show here, with like 25-30 people and have a really slow show with this sun and the goal, without telling them, will be to put the audience to sleep,” he says. I can just imagine this, a piece of art in itself. An audience falling asleep to a slow show in the sun. James remembers a show he saw in London about Medea that started at 10pm and ended at 6am and the audience took a 15 minute nap in the middle while the actors sung lullabies.
The group takes a short break to refresh. When they resume, Telsche and Barbra are practicing the part where Telsche is the brother pushing Barbra down. The scene begins with Barbra’s line, “You could hear the riders laughing.” She thinks Telsche should continue by laughing as she comes in to push Barbra down. Bob mentions they might have a recording of laughter playing throughout. Telsche and Barbra play around for a while and figure out what kind of pushing and pulling and pretend wrestling tactics work best for them. Telsche pulls Barbra by the leg around in a circle, but keep moving further downstage to where we are sitting. Bob tells Telsche to just drag Barbra back if they get too far up and there is nowhere to go. Bob wants them to be spontaneous in their fight, but they talk about some ideas to make sure they are on the same page.
Next, they work on the boat stores. Telsche grabs a newspaper to carry in her pocket and read her story from. Bob wants the transition from Telsche’s story to Sheila’s letter to be abrupt. Sheila declares, “I have a letter,” immediately after Telsche finishes up with, “They thought they could fly to heaven!” and chuckles. Bob tells Sheila to sort of pull the rug out.
Telsche and Sheila leave, while Barbra works on how to find her boots in the forest. She thinks it is kind of nice to have someone huddled in the middle of the forest with no one else around. At five minutes left in the rehearsal time, Barbra says, “Well, I’m sufficiently beat up for the day. This was good, Bob, thank you.”
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Barbra comes to the "New Place"
During rehearsal on November 1st, I listen to the cast share Halloween stories with each other and reminisce a little before getting down to business.
They begin by reviewing some of the parts that were played with the previous day. They practice the scene where the bed has become the ship and Barbra climbs on by walking up the wood plank, nudged along by Dario, Telsche, and Sheila, who are horses. Once they get on the ship, Telsche and Sheila are laying on the bed while Barbra reads text, standing between them. She mentions that horses usually sleep standing up, but she agrees with Bob that she would be better positioned standing taller than the horses while she reads the text. Telsche and Sheila lay on the bed so that the audience cannot see their faces. They hold onto the drapes of Barbra’s sheets as she reads the story. Barbra describes the trip on the boat, and she sways softly as Sheila and Telsche make whispering wind sounds.
They practice the next scene where Telsche, Dario, and Sheila each tell each other a story as passengers or sailors on the boat, while Barbra lays down to sleep among them. Dario is absent today, but Telsche pretends he is sitting next to her on the bed. She tells her story about the group of Christians believing they could fly to Heaven, gesturing to the newspaper and laughing, pointing the article out to the empty space where Dario should sit.
Bob works with Sheila on how to read the letter from her son. Barbra envisions her having raised a son who goes to America alone perhaps, who has left his mother and now has a reason to write her this letter. It is very bittersweet when the son talks about his mother and father in love but then signs the letter “with respect, not love,” and Bob wants Sheila to read it as though she is fighting the love and sadness from her son.
After the sailor stories, Telsche and Sheila lay back down to sleep and Barbra gets up to read more. She lays over Telsche and Sheila as she talks of sleeping among the horses on the ship, and she asks them if they are comfortable with how much weight she is giving them. They say yes.
Bob decides to change a part in the script. Stage managers Kristin and Deb are typing away, documenting the revisions.
There is a part where Barbra talks about a gallery of accomplished women of all kinds, and she pretends to write down their names on a piece of paper. She then crumples the paper and, after the line, “They were visionaries,” throws the crumpled ball into what would be the water around the ship. She and Bob like the concept of throwing the message in a bottle out into the ocean, and brainstorm other ways to accomplish this.
They move to the next part in the script. Both Bob and Barbra agree that the description of an “evil thing” in this text needs rephrasing. Barbra says that she what she means by this text is that not all of the horses are evil. Just because one person is evil, that doesn’t mean another of this same type of person is also evil. There can’t be generalizations. Telsche adds that it is about outward appearance. You can’t judge a book by its cover. Bob says, “We’ll work on it.” Sheila, on the side, starts putting the idea into a mathematical equation. “If A does B, and A is X, are all B’s X?” she says, laughing at how ridiculous this sounds.
Bob now talks about “the new place,” in the story. There should be no talking as they arrive in the new place, just noises and street sounds as they get off the boat and Barbra finds herself lost among the traffic and chaos of a city. Bob thinks the bed should remain onstage during this part, but Barbra says it should at least change the placement of where it is on the stage.
Bob would like to later create an apartment scene for this introduction into the new world.
They rewind a bit to the reading of the sailor stories on the ship. Telsche tells her story again and Sheila reads the letter from her son. Bob tells Sheila to play with the letter after she is done reading it. How will she treat this object? She could fold it up slowly, raise it up as a gesture, close it up and put it away. The movement will reflect the emotion she feels about what her son has written to her. Bob wants her to be hopeful about the letter, rather than sad. Sheila practices different movements with the letter to transition into laying back down on the bed.
Barbra rehearses the lines about her dream where there was a staircase and a gallery of portraits of powerful women. Following the text from the script, she says, “each picture had a name,” and starts pretending to write down the names of the women as she remembers them. Telsche mentions that people don’t read in their dreams. Nobody seemed familiar with this, so she explained that “you just know the words,” before you even read them. Perhaps this idea could be integrated into the script.
Barbra continues rehearsing the lines for this part, but Bob keeps stopping her to make comments or ask questions. He makes sure she is staying in the past tense as she reads, telling what happened in her dream. He also adds that, instead of just being a list of names that she writes down, there should be moments of heightened suspension as she remembers the women. She can show excitement about certain women shouting, “and her! Because she did this…and her! Because…” Barbra expresses this with more energy each time she starts over, and they both seem very satisfied with the results of Bob pushing her a little.
Bob explains the fumigation process, which they act out in the scene where they are arriving in the new place. They grab their umbrellas for this part, and everyone is thinking of ways they can represent American culture for this scene. Barbra says they could be given hats and greeted with “Welcome to America!” Sheila says “We could eat hot dogs,” and laughs. Sonya, the costume designer, asks if they would like some hats to work with for now. Bob says yes.
Bob takes out a CD player with large speakers and puts on a march song from a jazz album for them to enter America with. It sounds very patriotic, though there are no lyrics, and it reminds me of a classic Fourth of July parade. They play with the scene, walking down the plank to get off the boat, standing with arms raised to be fumigated, then Sheila and Telsche walking around with identical hats and umbrellas. Barbra tries to copy what they are doing, but seems confused.
They pause to talk about other American things they could do. Sheila suggests they could smoke cigars. Barbra offers they could open billfolds and have tons of money. Sheila takes this idea and transforms it. They could open wallets to find crumpled papers and throw them into the air.
I like the fact that they are reusing the papers as a prop and as a symbol of materials throughout the piece.
Following the busy scene of their arrival in the new place, there will be a team construction of a brick wall that is added to while Barbra is commenting on the recurring image of the horse. Barbra recollects on the photo that inspired this image. The picture is of a horse’s face in relief on the side of a building in New York, and she was intrigued, almost haunted by this photo. Sheila suggests they could have the horse’s face as a transparency on the brick wall.
They talk about Barbra’s suitcase in the new place. Does she need a suitcase? Is it left behind? Bob thinks she doesn’t need it, but Telsche says it could relate to the “stuff” that she talks about the people having in the new world. It is an idea that Barbra’s character, as an outsider, is bewildered by, but it is a part of the culture that she may become assimilated into. Bob agrees the suitcase could refer to the “stuff,” but all the objects on the bed that are carried around serve to symbolize the “stuff.” He says, “For me, the idea of possessions is memories. She needs these things to hold onto what she had..It’s not about wanting to give up all your memories.” Everyone nods in agreement to this.
Bob shows Barbra how to transition the stage into an apartment scene, making the bed, fixing the sheets, taking off her coat to change her outfit, rearranging all the new “stuff.” She is a maid, cleaning the homes of people in the new world, people who have much more “stuff” than she had thought necessary.
They touch on the corner café scene, where Barbra reads about a dog playing in front of the café, while the cast acts it out. Sheila is the dog, pushing a wooden block around with her head while Telsche, the dog’s owner, kicks the block gently for the dog to fetch.
They are nearing the end of the entire show. Barbra thinks she should end by saying something like “That’s my story,” But Bob reminds her that the story never really ends, it is still continuing.
They begin by reviewing some of the parts that were played with the previous day. They practice the scene where the bed has become the ship and Barbra climbs on by walking up the wood plank, nudged along by Dario, Telsche, and Sheila, who are horses. Once they get on the ship, Telsche and Sheila are laying on the bed while Barbra reads text, standing between them. She mentions that horses usually sleep standing up, but she agrees with Bob that she would be better positioned standing taller than the horses while she reads the text. Telsche and Sheila lay on the bed so that the audience cannot see their faces. They hold onto the drapes of Barbra’s sheets as she reads the story. Barbra describes the trip on the boat, and she sways softly as Sheila and Telsche make whispering wind sounds.
They practice the next scene where Telsche, Dario, and Sheila each tell each other a story as passengers or sailors on the boat, while Barbra lays down to sleep among them. Dario is absent today, but Telsche pretends he is sitting next to her on the bed. She tells her story about the group of Christians believing they could fly to Heaven, gesturing to the newspaper and laughing, pointing the article out to the empty space where Dario should sit.
Bob works with Sheila on how to read the letter from her son. Barbra envisions her having raised a son who goes to America alone perhaps, who has left his mother and now has a reason to write her this letter. It is very bittersweet when the son talks about his mother and father in love but then signs the letter “with respect, not love,” and Bob wants Sheila to read it as though she is fighting the love and sadness from her son.
After the sailor stories, Telsche and Sheila lay back down to sleep and Barbra gets up to read more. She lays over Telsche and Sheila as she talks of sleeping among the horses on the ship, and she asks them if they are comfortable with how much weight she is giving them. They say yes.
Bob decides to change a part in the script. Stage managers Kristin and Deb are typing away, documenting the revisions.
There is a part where Barbra talks about a gallery of accomplished women of all kinds, and she pretends to write down their names on a piece of paper. She then crumples the paper and, after the line, “They were visionaries,” throws the crumpled ball into what would be the water around the ship. She and Bob like the concept of throwing the message in a bottle out into the ocean, and brainstorm other ways to accomplish this.
They move to the next part in the script. Both Bob and Barbra agree that the description of an “evil thing” in this text needs rephrasing. Barbra says that she what she means by this text is that not all of the horses are evil. Just because one person is evil, that doesn’t mean another of this same type of person is also evil. There can’t be generalizations. Telsche adds that it is about outward appearance. You can’t judge a book by its cover. Bob says, “We’ll work on it.” Sheila, on the side, starts putting the idea into a mathematical equation. “If A does B, and A is X, are all B’s X?” she says, laughing at how ridiculous this sounds.
Bob now talks about “the new place,” in the story. There should be no talking as they arrive in the new place, just noises and street sounds as they get off the boat and Barbra finds herself lost among the traffic and chaos of a city. Bob thinks the bed should remain onstage during this part, but Barbra says it should at least change the placement of where it is on the stage.
Bob would like to later create an apartment scene for this introduction into the new world.
They rewind a bit to the reading of the sailor stories on the ship. Telsche tells her story again and Sheila reads the letter from her son. Bob tells Sheila to play with the letter after she is done reading it. How will she treat this object? She could fold it up slowly, raise it up as a gesture, close it up and put it away. The movement will reflect the emotion she feels about what her son has written to her. Bob wants her to be hopeful about the letter, rather than sad. Sheila practices different movements with the letter to transition into laying back down on the bed.
Barbra rehearses the lines about her dream where there was a staircase and a gallery of portraits of powerful women. Following the text from the script, she says, “each picture had a name,” and starts pretending to write down the names of the women as she remembers them. Telsche mentions that people don’t read in their dreams. Nobody seemed familiar with this, so she explained that “you just know the words,” before you even read them. Perhaps this idea could be integrated into the script.
Barbra continues rehearsing the lines for this part, but Bob keeps stopping her to make comments or ask questions. He makes sure she is staying in the past tense as she reads, telling what happened in her dream. He also adds that, instead of just being a list of names that she writes down, there should be moments of heightened suspension as she remembers the women. She can show excitement about certain women shouting, “and her! Because she did this…and her! Because…” Barbra expresses this with more energy each time she starts over, and they both seem very satisfied with the results of Bob pushing her a little.
Bob explains the fumigation process, which they act out in the scene where they are arriving in the new place. They grab their umbrellas for this part, and everyone is thinking of ways they can represent American culture for this scene. Barbra says they could be given hats and greeted with “Welcome to America!” Sheila says “We could eat hot dogs,” and laughs. Sonya, the costume designer, asks if they would like some hats to work with for now. Bob says yes.
Bob takes out a CD player with large speakers and puts on a march song from a jazz album for them to enter America with. It sounds very patriotic, though there are no lyrics, and it reminds me of a classic Fourth of July parade. They play with the scene, walking down the plank to get off the boat, standing with arms raised to be fumigated, then Sheila and Telsche walking around with identical hats and umbrellas. Barbra tries to copy what they are doing, but seems confused.
They pause to talk about other American things they could do. Sheila suggests they could smoke cigars. Barbra offers they could open billfolds and have tons of money. Sheila takes this idea and transforms it. They could open wallets to find crumpled papers and throw them into the air.
I like the fact that they are reusing the papers as a prop and as a symbol of materials throughout the piece.
Following the busy scene of their arrival in the new place, there will be a team construction of a brick wall that is added to while Barbra is commenting on the recurring image of the horse. Barbra recollects on the photo that inspired this image. The picture is of a horse’s face in relief on the side of a building in New York, and she was intrigued, almost haunted by this photo. Sheila suggests they could have the horse’s face as a transparency on the brick wall.
They talk about Barbra’s suitcase in the new place. Does she need a suitcase? Is it left behind? Bob thinks she doesn’t need it, but Telsche says it could relate to the “stuff” that she talks about the people having in the new world. It is an idea that Barbra’s character, as an outsider, is bewildered by, but it is a part of the culture that she may become assimilated into. Bob agrees the suitcase could refer to the “stuff,” but all the objects on the bed that are carried around serve to symbolize the “stuff.” He says, “For me, the idea of possessions is memories. She needs these things to hold onto what she had..It’s not about wanting to give up all your memories.” Everyone nods in agreement to this.
Bob shows Barbra how to transition the stage into an apartment scene, making the bed, fixing the sheets, taking off her coat to change her outfit, rearranging all the new “stuff.” She is a maid, cleaning the homes of people in the new world, people who have much more “stuff” than she had thought necessary.
They touch on the corner café scene, where Barbra reads about a dog playing in front of the café, while the cast acts it out. Sheila is the dog, pushing a wooden block around with her head while Telsche, the dog’s owner, kicks the block gently for the dog to fetch.
They are nearing the end of the entire show. Barbra thinks she should end by saying something like “That’s my story,” But Bob reminds her that the story never really ends, it is still continuing.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Umbrella heads!
October 31st, the morning of Halloween.
When I arrive at this rehearsal, Dario, Sheila, and Telsche are sitting on the wood floor of the studio amidst three huge black umbrellas, propped open like big boulders around them. Barbra is rehearsing the text leading up to the point where she reaches the ocean. Sheila sits on a stool against the vast, blank white wall, writing in her notebook.
They are moving towards the scene where Barbra and the cast will travel to a new world aboard the bed, which will be transformed into a ship full of horses and people. They now talk about the context of Barbra in the story. Barbra says, “When I wrote this, I wrote it as a person inside the story, telling the story, and then she comes out of the story,” as she gestures into the audience. Bob stresses that they haven’t really stepped out of the story yet, but that they will once they get to the sea port, and people are speaking in other languages or gibberish. Barbra likes the idea of the cast speaking in gibberish when Barbra arrives at the sea, because then the audience is equally confused and can feel how lost Barbra is.
They will be transitioning from a scene where the bed is offstage to the scene where the bed is the boat. Bob suggests they could cheat a little and have Deb push the bed on from back stage, while the cast sits on the bed, covered by their big black umbrellas.
They play with the umbrella scene, all walking around with umbrellas over their shoulders like parasols, whistling, chirping, talking nonsense, as Barbra desperately tries to fit in and figure out where she is supposed to go.
James has an electric keyboard today and is looking over some sheet music to play during the scene. Bob wants to create the sound of the ocean and try to find the “impulse of the wave.”
The cast of three is still practicing walking around with the umbrellas, making whoosing wind sounds as Barbra starts to read the text. Bob teaches them how to pull the umbrellas down over their heads so their heads are not even seen. They now play with this, grumbling to each other, trading things, ignoring Barbra or answering her in gibberish. It looks like their heads are umbrellas. It’s quite hilarious.
Barbra asks what others think about the ship being named the “ARGO.” This is the name of an actual ship, but maybe they don’t need a name for it. But Barbra argues that she will be presenting a ticket for a specific boat and asking the other people where to find it. James mentions that ARGO is the name of the store equivalent to Ikea in London. Laughs.
Barbra had originally written her character to just find the ship and get right on, but it seems unrealistic that a stowaway would be get on the ship, so they work with how she will inquire about her ticket and eventually find the ARGO.
James begins to improvise on the keyboard as they discuss.
The fan on the wall at the back of the room suddenly starts blowing very loudly. Bob and the cast are so deep in conversation, they don’t notice this. But it becomes hard for them to hear one another, so they gradually move closer together, without realizing it. Now, I can’t hear them for a while because they are talking in a little huddle in the middle of the room.
After a bit, they break up a little and are moving on to the fumigation scene. Sheila asks what fumigation is, and Barbra explains that the immigrants were stripped down and checked for lice and other things before they were allowed to board the ship. They then talk about how the names of immigrants were changed when they came overseas because the officers of immigration control misunderstood them. Barbra laughs at the ridiculousness. Some of them were just “saying where they were from, and now that’s their name!” she exclaims.
Dario says, “Why don’t we do gibberish and then start becoming horselike?” He makes noises, snarling, and laughs. The idea is that the cast of three will first play the umbrella people, and then will play the horses that share the boat with Barbra. Dario organizes them to all be together under the umbrellas and then separate and walk around, speaking gibberish. They work with how to hold the umbrellas and how to see out of them. They play with how they are going to respond to Barbra, a lost foreigner looking for her ship. Telsche wonders if they could size her up even with their umbrella heads. Dario tries moving his umbrella head and upper body up and down, as if examining Barbra. Sheila says, “It’s got to be bigger.”
Next they work on becoming horses. There is a plank on the platform under the bed that they will pull out and walk up to get onto the bed (ship). Bob coaches them on their posture, and tells them not to be too stiff. They all start clopping their feet down like horses would stomp their hooves on the ground. Bob joins in too, playing, trying to figure out how a human can embody a horse. James offers that they release their ankles a little and gets up to try it himself. Everyone except Barbra is tapping around, making horse sounds and nuzzling each other, while the stage managers and I are having a good laugh. How often do we get to play and pretend to be animals anymore?
The horses wait for Barbra to finish the text and then walk up the plank to join her on the ship. Bob says it’s okay to jostle her a little but try not to manipulate her too much. Barbra tries to imitate what the horses are doing, physically, and Bob helps them maneuver themselves to all sleep together on the bed. They talk about the fact that horses usually sleep upright, but eventually decide on laying down because it will work best with the next part.
After a short break, Sheila, Dario, and Telsche work on the next scene, which involves them each telling a story as a sailor or passenger on the boat. Dario tells the others about his wife who died. Telsche is excited and baffled about a newspaper article detailing a group of Christians who thought they could jump to Heaven together. Sheila reads a letter from her son, and seems hopeful to see him soon. As each tells their story, the others listen. Barbra is asleep on the bed during these stories. Each story carries a very different emotion, and Bob wants them to annunciate more and take their time with certain moments in the stories.
At the end of rehearsal, Sonya, the costume designer, fits things on some of the cast before they leave for the day.
When I arrive at this rehearsal, Dario, Sheila, and Telsche are sitting on the wood floor of the studio amidst three huge black umbrellas, propped open like big boulders around them. Barbra is rehearsing the text leading up to the point where she reaches the ocean. Sheila sits on a stool against the vast, blank white wall, writing in her notebook.
They are moving towards the scene where Barbra and the cast will travel to a new world aboard the bed, which will be transformed into a ship full of horses and people. They now talk about the context of Barbra in the story. Barbra says, “When I wrote this, I wrote it as a person inside the story, telling the story, and then she comes out of the story,” as she gestures into the audience. Bob stresses that they haven’t really stepped out of the story yet, but that they will once they get to the sea port, and people are speaking in other languages or gibberish. Barbra likes the idea of the cast speaking in gibberish when Barbra arrives at the sea, because then the audience is equally confused and can feel how lost Barbra is.
They will be transitioning from a scene where the bed is offstage to the scene where the bed is the boat. Bob suggests they could cheat a little and have Deb push the bed on from back stage, while the cast sits on the bed, covered by their big black umbrellas.
They play with the umbrella scene, all walking around with umbrellas over their shoulders like parasols, whistling, chirping, talking nonsense, as Barbra desperately tries to fit in and figure out where she is supposed to go.
James has an electric keyboard today and is looking over some sheet music to play during the scene. Bob wants to create the sound of the ocean and try to find the “impulse of the wave.”
The cast of three is still practicing walking around with the umbrellas, making whoosing wind sounds as Barbra starts to read the text. Bob teaches them how to pull the umbrellas down over their heads so their heads are not even seen. They now play with this, grumbling to each other, trading things, ignoring Barbra or answering her in gibberish. It looks like their heads are umbrellas. It’s quite hilarious.
Barbra asks what others think about the ship being named the “ARGO.” This is the name of an actual ship, but maybe they don’t need a name for it. But Barbra argues that she will be presenting a ticket for a specific boat and asking the other people where to find it. James mentions that ARGO is the name of the store equivalent to Ikea in London. Laughs.
Barbra had originally written her character to just find the ship and get right on, but it seems unrealistic that a stowaway would be get on the ship, so they work with how she will inquire about her ticket and eventually find the ARGO.
James begins to improvise on the keyboard as they discuss.
The fan on the wall at the back of the room suddenly starts blowing very loudly. Bob and the cast are so deep in conversation, they don’t notice this. But it becomes hard for them to hear one another, so they gradually move closer together, without realizing it. Now, I can’t hear them for a while because they are talking in a little huddle in the middle of the room.
After a bit, they break up a little and are moving on to the fumigation scene. Sheila asks what fumigation is, and Barbra explains that the immigrants were stripped down and checked for lice and other things before they were allowed to board the ship. They then talk about how the names of immigrants were changed when they came overseas because the officers of immigration control misunderstood them. Barbra laughs at the ridiculousness. Some of them were just “saying where they were from, and now that’s their name!” she exclaims.
Dario says, “Why don’t we do gibberish and then start becoming horselike?” He makes noises, snarling, and laughs. The idea is that the cast of three will first play the umbrella people, and then will play the horses that share the boat with Barbra. Dario organizes them to all be together under the umbrellas and then separate and walk around, speaking gibberish. They work with how to hold the umbrellas and how to see out of them. They play with how they are going to respond to Barbra, a lost foreigner looking for her ship. Telsche wonders if they could size her up even with their umbrella heads. Dario tries moving his umbrella head and upper body up and down, as if examining Barbra. Sheila says, “It’s got to be bigger.”
Next they work on becoming horses. There is a plank on the platform under the bed that they will pull out and walk up to get onto the bed (ship). Bob coaches them on their posture, and tells them not to be too stiff. They all start clopping their feet down like horses would stomp their hooves on the ground. Bob joins in too, playing, trying to figure out how a human can embody a horse. James offers that they release their ankles a little and gets up to try it himself. Everyone except Barbra is tapping around, making horse sounds and nuzzling each other, while the stage managers and I are having a good laugh. How often do we get to play and pretend to be animals anymore?
The horses wait for Barbra to finish the text and then walk up the plank to join her on the ship. Bob says it’s okay to jostle her a little but try not to manipulate her too much. Barbra tries to imitate what the horses are doing, physically, and Bob helps them maneuver themselves to all sleep together on the bed. They talk about the fact that horses usually sleep upright, but eventually decide on laying down because it will work best with the next part.
After a short break, Sheila, Dario, and Telsche work on the next scene, which involves them each telling a story as a sailor or passenger on the boat. Dario tells the others about his wife who died. Telsche is excited and baffled about a newspaper article detailing a group of Christians who thought they could jump to Heaven together. Sheila reads a letter from her son, and seems hopeful to see him soon. As each tells their story, the others listen. Barbra is asleep on the bed during these stories. Each story carries a very different emotion, and Bob wants them to annunciate more and take their time with certain moments in the stories.
At the end of rehearsal, Sonya, the costume designer, fits things on some of the cast before they leave for the day.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
History, images, ideas, progress
It’s October 25th, Sunday. Rehearsal in Bob’s studio.
Some of the cast sits around the big white table, eating cookies as others wander in. Bob tells everyone about the film he saw a friend shooting the previous night. He relates filming to theater. Directors, writers, visionaries work really hard to get that “thing” that they want. They have an ending in mind, but there is so much work needed to find this end. It may not be revealed until something in the process of play sparks it. Once it is found, everyone can rest a little, but that thing that clicked has to be re-created every time.
They start talking about a show some of them just saw at the Guthrie. Then Bob tells them he was recently reading the Divine Comedy and noticed a connection between Dante and the Wizard of Oz. He realized that not only is every movie rooted in the Wizard of Oz, but theater is rooted in the Wizard of Oz, and even life is rooted in the Wizard of Oz.
The conversation shifts to the music for the show. Barbra wants Bob to listen to a specific waltz song played on accordion. Maybe Sheila could play it on violin for the puppet show or for background music as they are traveling on the bed. They will need to find the sheet music somehow. Bob says they could use a combination of live and recorded music, however it might be tricky to get a piano into the space.
Ideas are thrown out regarding the plot of the puppet show. Sheila suggests they could take a scene from Dante and adapt it or even a little story from the Torah. Something simple that can be made funny and cartoonish. Bob suggests a Golem story, something from Lorca, a Bible story, or the scene they brought up before with Catherine the Great. Perhaps there could be a fire, the puppets could burn and be cooked in a pot by the actors. Bob thinks of a horse’s smashed leg in the pot. “So dark,” but they all seem to like it. Barbra laughs.
They look for narratives by immigrant Jews in the How We Lived book to add to the graveyard scene. There are more historical references they want to add to the text. Bob reminds them that “we don’t want them all to be hardship stories.” Some should be hopeful, and there should be one about Barbra’s grandfather.
Deb says, “It’s 11:30, if you wanted to take a break.” They are still sitting and discussing these ideas. They laugh about how they are already on break,that today has been a constant break. I would disagree, having seen light bulbs blinking non-stop over each one of their heads since the rehearsal started today. “How about we take ten to work, and then come back to the break,” Bob jokes. Everyone laughs.
Later they work on what images are being shown in the cave scene. Bob says a lot of people will come out of an open room with light spilling out. The audience will see the shadows of the people, some in relief, some silhouette or shadow, but their outlines will not be completely clear. Barbra will play with the shadow people. Barbra adds that, thematically, it should be about war, violence, some reflection of that.
When they move on to the border patrol scene, where people are rolling stones, Bob says this is “all very dream-like.” He wants to keep the three actors separate, not characters interacting with Barbra, until they reach the sea.
This rehearsal was a huge success, in my opinion. I think they have all had some breakthroughs, whether they know the final answers or not yet. Again, I feel privileged to watch such brilliant artistic minds at work and achieving discovery.
Some of the cast sits around the big white table, eating cookies as others wander in. Bob tells everyone about the film he saw a friend shooting the previous night. He relates filming to theater. Directors, writers, visionaries work really hard to get that “thing” that they want. They have an ending in mind, but there is so much work needed to find this end. It may not be revealed until something in the process of play sparks it. Once it is found, everyone can rest a little, but that thing that clicked has to be re-created every time.
They start talking about a show some of them just saw at the Guthrie. Then Bob tells them he was recently reading the Divine Comedy and noticed a connection between Dante and the Wizard of Oz. He realized that not only is every movie rooted in the Wizard of Oz, but theater is rooted in the Wizard of Oz, and even life is rooted in the Wizard of Oz.
The conversation shifts to the music for the show. Barbra wants Bob to listen to a specific waltz song played on accordion. Maybe Sheila could play it on violin for the puppet show or for background music as they are traveling on the bed. They will need to find the sheet music somehow. Bob says they could use a combination of live and recorded music, however it might be tricky to get a piano into the space.
Ideas are thrown out regarding the plot of the puppet show. Sheila suggests they could take a scene from Dante and adapt it or even a little story from the Torah. Something simple that can be made funny and cartoonish. Bob suggests a Golem story, something from Lorca, a Bible story, or the scene they brought up before with Catherine the Great. Perhaps there could be a fire, the puppets could burn and be cooked in a pot by the actors. Bob thinks of a horse’s smashed leg in the pot. “So dark,” but they all seem to like it. Barbra laughs.
They look for narratives by immigrant Jews in the How We Lived book to add to the graveyard scene. There are more historical references they want to add to the text. Bob reminds them that “we don’t want them all to be hardship stories.” Some should be hopeful, and there should be one about Barbra’s grandfather.
Deb says, “It’s 11:30, if you wanted to take a break.” They are still sitting and discussing these ideas. They laugh about how they are already on break,that today has been a constant break. I would disagree, having seen light bulbs blinking non-stop over each one of their heads since the rehearsal started today. “How about we take ten to work, and then come back to the break,” Bob jokes. Everyone laughs.
Later they work on what images are being shown in the cave scene. Bob says a lot of people will come out of an open room with light spilling out. The audience will see the shadows of the people, some in relief, some silhouette or shadow, but their outlines will not be completely clear. Barbra will play with the shadow people. Barbra adds that, thematically, it should be about war, violence, some reflection of that.
When they move on to the border patrol scene, where people are rolling stones, Bob says this is “all very dream-like.” He wants to keep the three actors separate, not characters interacting with Barbra, until they reach the sea.
This rehearsal was a huge success, in my opinion. I think they have all had some breakthroughs, whether they know the final answers or not yet. Again, I feel privileged to watch such brilliant artistic minds at work and achieving discovery.
Still working here..
Well, I hope you all enjoyed "Stories As Told In a Bed" this weekend. Barbra and the cast of Sheila, Telsche, and Dario executed the piece so well, and I was really impressed by the transformation the show made in the final few days before the show, thanks to Bob Rosen's directorial vision and the hard work of sound and lights crew and stage managers Kristin and Deb. I saw the show on Friday and felt completely refreshed by the changes and embellishments that had been made since the tech on Wednesday. Great job, everyone. Really exciting stuff, Barbra.
And now...
I will proceed with the rest of my story as an observer, watching the process up to the point in which it was shown to the public this weekend. I truly apologize for the delay in these writings. My coursework at school had me completely tied down during the final week before the Stories opened, and I am sorry to not have finished this before the show.
Anyway, continuing with the rehearsal on October 24th..the cast has been working through bits and pieces of the show. Large pieces of canvas are hung as a backdrop in Bob's studio space. Barbra is doing some grande plies in the center of the room, while Bob talks to the cast who are still laying on the bed by the back wall, under the canvas hangings.
Before they move on to the next scene, Barbra tells Bob the thing that strikes her most in the moment they have just worked on is how alone that person (her character) is. "So, it'd be nice to just have the person alone..and hopefully not sad," she says. "I really think moments where I'm just still and talking would be nice."
They also talk about Barbra's costume. Bob says, "You almost look too clean right now in that coat," so they discuss how to make her look dirtier. "I could be barefoot," Barbra says. "My feet are just really cold."
Barbra does the forest part again, and Bob thinks there are some gaps that need to be filled in. Barbra and Bob continue working on this part while the others take a break. I can hardly stop watching them figure through Barbra's lines and actions. Their communication is so cohesive and they are equally dedicated to the evolution that will inevitably occur in the piece through their work. They are respectful in responding to one another’s ideas, and seem to have parallel wavelengths, artistically. It is as if each idea one comes up with has been something buried in the other’s mind that they just hadn’t yet discovered.
Bob and the cast work on manipulating the canvas hangings by rolling and pinning them up in different ways to achieve a space to show the audience a fire. Bob supposes they could use transparencies over the lights to show images of the fire and the horses again, this time in a different context. Silhouette or shadows could be used to avoid realism.
Telsche runs around in a circle, shaking her arms to warm up.
They talk more about the fire. Telsche is most familiar with the Bedlam space, and she adds that there are sprinklers that are heat-detected, but the Bedlam stage does not have fire alarms per se, so the fire should be okay.
Bob finds a screw sticking up in the floor. Everyone crouches down to investigate.
Barbra talks with Bob about having the cave men – Telsche, Dario, and Sheila – make a sort of shadow show on the back wall of the theatre or on the canvas.
Bob, James (assistant director, musician), and John Bueche (Bedlam’s Co-Artistic Director), set up extension cords to try out the shadows on the canvas. The cast of three decide what they are going to do in the shadows, and Barbra looks through the text, reading, marking.
Sheila, Telsche, and Dario sit close together and Bob shines the light on the side wall, creating a shadow of the group. They play around with the shapes they can make in the shadows, moving hats, brooms, and arms, and watching the pictures they are making.
Barbra and James hold up the fabric hanging and Bob tries shining the light on that. “It’s interesting,” he says, “to have not just the white back, but…texture,” referring to the canvas.
Bob gets closer to the cast with the light, and watches their shadows get larger and larger on the canvas.
Sheila suggests they try standing. Dario puts his arm in a distorted sling position over his head and walks frumpily around, hunched like a caveman, frowning.
I am sitting by, interestedly learning with them, but my intrigue increases ten-fold as they move violently with the objects. The shadows appear to be killing something.
They use papers to drip down like guts falling out, a pillow is beaten, Sheila stabs with a stick, Dario takes a block of wood overhead and slams it down. What is happening? I wonder.
Sheila kneels down and flaps her arms like a bird while Dario and Telsche make stabbing, beating motions to appear to kill the bird. Sheila stops moving to indicate she is dead, and Dario and Telsche devilishly stir the pot of papers. The shadow is more than disturbing.
After playing with this scene, they converse about different ways to use the light and the canvas and how this will be seen from the audience.
The cast does the same with another scene, acting out the part about the prisoners in shadows, pretending to eat together while Barbra reads the text loudly.
They play with this for a while, but some seem unsatisfied with it. They finally decide to just get rid of this particular image. Barbra is a little disappointed, but knows this is to be expected sometimes. “It was too good to be true,” she says and sighs. “We were moving so well.”
Barbra suggests they run the piece from the beginning of the show, since Telsche and Dario will not be in attendance at tomorrow’s rehearsal. Considering what they have “sort of accomplished today,” it would be wisest to use the rest of their time running the piece. Telsche reassures everyone that they need slow days like this sometimes to just work through things. Hopefully it will help them make some decisions and she reminds them how nice it is to have people act out ideas to see how they look, although it is more time consuming.
Bob compares this cave scene and the image of people pushing rocks to Dante’s inferno. He talks of Barbra seeing the horrors of these cave men. “Not only did she leave her family, everything she knows, but she’s going back to the beginning of man,” he proclaims.
He puts forth a thought that is expressed in this scene: the point where one asks “where am I going, and what am I looking for?” Nothing is answered..
I watch them do the shadow scene again with the two cave people beating the bird and Barbra articulating the text, closer to the canvas. How interesting that the shadows made by the three are so much bigger than Barbra, and they get even taller as they walk towards her, so tall that their heads are cut off at the ceiling. They are like giants, enveloping Barbra. As she steps closer to the wall and creates a clearer shadow of herself, the three people are following behind her, creating larger, more blurry shadows of themselves around her. She reaches out to look as if she is touching them.
They wrap things up as rehearsal comes to an end. Barbra wishes Telsche well on her weekend journey on the road, and Bob and James talk about the play, images, music that James will play.
I think the shadow work was very successful, and I am extremely excited to see this scene on stage.
And now...
I will proceed with the rest of my story as an observer, watching the process up to the point in which it was shown to the public this weekend. I truly apologize for the delay in these writings. My coursework at school had me completely tied down during the final week before the Stories opened, and I am sorry to not have finished this before the show.
Anyway, continuing with the rehearsal on October 24th..the cast has been working through bits and pieces of the show. Large pieces of canvas are hung as a backdrop in Bob's studio space. Barbra is doing some grande plies in the center of the room, while Bob talks to the cast who are still laying on the bed by the back wall, under the canvas hangings.
Before they move on to the next scene, Barbra tells Bob the thing that strikes her most in the moment they have just worked on is how alone that person (her character) is. "So, it'd be nice to just have the person alone..and hopefully not sad," she says. "I really think moments where I'm just still and talking would be nice."
They also talk about Barbra's costume. Bob says, "You almost look too clean right now in that coat," so they discuss how to make her look dirtier. "I could be barefoot," Barbra says. "My feet are just really cold."
Barbra does the forest part again, and Bob thinks there are some gaps that need to be filled in. Barbra and Bob continue working on this part while the others take a break. I can hardly stop watching them figure through Barbra's lines and actions. Their communication is so cohesive and they are equally dedicated to the evolution that will inevitably occur in the piece through their work. They are respectful in responding to one another’s ideas, and seem to have parallel wavelengths, artistically. It is as if each idea one comes up with has been something buried in the other’s mind that they just hadn’t yet discovered.
Bob and the cast work on manipulating the canvas hangings by rolling and pinning them up in different ways to achieve a space to show the audience a fire. Bob supposes they could use transparencies over the lights to show images of the fire and the horses again, this time in a different context. Silhouette or shadows could be used to avoid realism.
Telsche runs around in a circle, shaking her arms to warm up.
They talk more about the fire. Telsche is most familiar with the Bedlam space, and she adds that there are sprinklers that are heat-detected, but the Bedlam stage does not have fire alarms per se, so the fire should be okay.
Bob finds a screw sticking up in the floor. Everyone crouches down to investigate.
Barbra talks with Bob about having the cave men – Telsche, Dario, and Sheila – make a sort of shadow show on the back wall of the theatre or on the canvas.
Bob, James (assistant director, musician), and John Bueche (Bedlam’s Co-Artistic Director), set up extension cords to try out the shadows on the canvas. The cast of three decide what they are going to do in the shadows, and Barbra looks through the text, reading, marking.
Sheila, Telsche, and Dario sit close together and Bob shines the light on the side wall, creating a shadow of the group. They play around with the shapes they can make in the shadows, moving hats, brooms, and arms, and watching the pictures they are making.
Barbra and James hold up the fabric hanging and Bob tries shining the light on that. “It’s interesting,” he says, “to have not just the white back, but…texture,” referring to the canvas.
Bob gets closer to the cast with the light, and watches their shadows get larger and larger on the canvas.
Sheila suggests they try standing. Dario puts his arm in a distorted sling position over his head and walks frumpily around, hunched like a caveman, frowning.
I am sitting by, interestedly learning with them, but my intrigue increases ten-fold as they move violently with the objects. The shadows appear to be killing something.
They use papers to drip down like guts falling out, a pillow is beaten, Sheila stabs with a stick, Dario takes a block of wood overhead and slams it down. What is happening? I wonder.
Sheila kneels down and flaps her arms like a bird while Dario and Telsche make stabbing, beating motions to appear to kill the bird. Sheila stops moving to indicate she is dead, and Dario and Telsche devilishly stir the pot of papers. The shadow is more than disturbing.
After playing with this scene, they converse about different ways to use the light and the canvas and how this will be seen from the audience.
The cast does the same with another scene, acting out the part about the prisoners in shadows, pretending to eat together while Barbra reads the text loudly.
They play with this for a while, but some seem unsatisfied with it. They finally decide to just get rid of this particular image. Barbra is a little disappointed, but knows this is to be expected sometimes. “It was too good to be true,” she says and sighs. “We were moving so well.”
Barbra suggests they run the piece from the beginning of the show, since Telsche and Dario will not be in attendance at tomorrow’s rehearsal. Considering what they have “sort of accomplished today,” it would be wisest to use the rest of their time running the piece. Telsche reassures everyone that they need slow days like this sometimes to just work through things. Hopefully it will help them make some decisions and she reminds them how nice it is to have people act out ideas to see how they look, although it is more time consuming.
Bob compares this cave scene and the image of people pushing rocks to Dante’s inferno. He talks of Barbra seeing the horrors of these cave men. “Not only did she leave her family, everything she knows, but she’s going back to the beginning of man,” he proclaims.
He puts forth a thought that is expressed in this scene: the point where one asks “where am I going, and what am I looking for?” Nothing is answered..
I watch them do the shadow scene again with the two cave people beating the bird and Barbra articulating the text, closer to the canvas. How interesting that the shadows made by the three are so much bigger than Barbra, and they get even taller as they walk towards her, so tall that their heads are cut off at the ceiling. They are like giants, enveloping Barbra. As she steps closer to the wall and creates a clearer shadow of herself, the three people are following behind her, creating larger, more blurry shadows of themselves around her. She reaches out to look as if she is touching them.
They wrap things up as rehearsal comes to an end. Barbra wishes Telsche well on her weekend journey on the road, and Bob and James talk about the play, images, music that James will play.
I think the shadow work was very successful, and I am extremely excited to see this scene on stage.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
SHOW OPENS TONIGHT! 7:30 at the Bedlam Theatre
And here are some more photos taken at rehearsals. I am far from finished explaining the process of how the piece came to be what it is now, but I hope you all will come out to see the final product! Shows are tonight, tomorrow, Saturday, and Sunday at 7:30. I attended the final tech rehearsal last night, and am thoroughly impressed with how the show has come together. Paging through all my observations, I am amazed at the transformation the piece has made through the work of Barbra, Bob and the cast. I hope you will continue to check back here in the next few days as I add the rest of my observations leading up to the show!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
The shadows of the cave
Rehearsal on Saturday, October 24th began with a bit of a show and tell. Telsche had brought photos of her grandmother, Agnes, who was an Irish orphan, auctioned off to a farm at a young age. Now Agnes is 95 years old, and has told Telsche some of the stories from her childhood as an orphan who was forced to leave her family. The cast sits around the big table in Bob's studio, admiring Telsche's photography and commenting on the similarities between Agnes' story and the story Barbra is telling about her grandfather's experience as an Lithuanian immigrant.
After catching up for a few minutes, they move to the rehearsal space and Bob helps the cast rehearse the line on page five of the script, a line in which they are playing with different stops and changes for each word of the line. They want to each say a few words of the line and have it connect together. They try standing in a line. The first person says the first phrase, then the second person says the last word of the first person's phrase with the first person, and continues on with a few more words. They continue down the line, each saying the last word with the person before them and finishing the phrase. Bob says it sounds a little "clunky." Barbra likes that the word "completed" provides a pause before "my aloneness." She seemed content with the flow of the words from person to person, though the sound quality might need practice. I personally think it is nice they are all involved in this line. It shows that the three characters are really a part of Barbra's imagination and are helping her tell her story.
They practice this fractured line while walking around the room and each carrying an object, while Barbra lays on the bed, wearing the wig she will use in the show, and goes over the next lines from page five to herself.
The cast then joins Barbra at the sides of the bed for the next part. Barbra will be waking up as the sun comes up to tell more of the story from the bed. Telsche shines a floodlight on Barbra as she is getting up. "This may be directorial," Barbra says, "But shouldn't the light come on before I wake up?" Bob hesitates, and says, "Shut up," jokingly. Everyone laughs.
They go through the lines, moving further in the script this time. They stop now and then for Bob to offer a suggestion or make a change. Each time Barbra revisits her lines, she delivers them in a different way, or with a different sound. Sometimes she adds or changes a word, but this offers a new interpretation of the script, a new vocabulary to play with, each time.
Bob and Dario fix the pieces of canvas hanging from the ceiling. They roll and clip them so the bed can slide underneath to be hidden for part of the piece. Barbra lays back on the bed, and everyone puts the crumpled papers all around her. There is talk about Barbra's wig, and costume adjustments before they move forward.
In the next part, Barbra practices the lines in the forest. She tells Bob that she changed something in the script, and he makes note of this. Barbra and Bob work for a while on Barbra's part only, while Sheila, Telsche, and Dario are lounging on the bed at the back of the room, underneath the canvas hangings.
A little later, Barbra goes back and sees the three of them are all laying together, whispering pleasantly on the bed. "Hey guys," she whispers.."What are you doing?" Dario and Telsche peak out from behind the canvas sheets, and the all have a good laugh.
I realize I have a long list of moments that I observed in this rehearsal. I will stop here, at this point of laughter among the cast, and resume very shortly.
After catching up for a few minutes, they move to the rehearsal space and Bob helps the cast rehearse the line on page five of the script, a line in which they are playing with different stops and changes for each word of the line. They want to each say a few words of the line and have it connect together. They try standing in a line. The first person says the first phrase, then the second person says the last word of the first person's phrase with the first person, and continues on with a few more words. They continue down the line, each saying the last word with the person before them and finishing the phrase. Bob says it sounds a little "clunky." Barbra likes that the word "completed" provides a pause before "my aloneness." She seemed content with the flow of the words from person to person, though the sound quality might need practice. I personally think it is nice they are all involved in this line. It shows that the three characters are really a part of Barbra's imagination and are helping her tell her story.
They practice this fractured line while walking around the room and each carrying an object, while Barbra lays on the bed, wearing the wig she will use in the show, and goes over the next lines from page five to herself.
The cast then joins Barbra at the sides of the bed for the next part. Barbra will be waking up as the sun comes up to tell more of the story from the bed. Telsche shines a floodlight on Barbra as she is getting up. "This may be directorial," Barbra says, "But shouldn't the light come on before I wake up?" Bob hesitates, and says, "Shut up," jokingly. Everyone laughs.
They go through the lines, moving further in the script this time. They stop now and then for Bob to offer a suggestion or make a change. Each time Barbra revisits her lines, she delivers them in a different way, or with a different sound. Sometimes she adds or changes a word, but this offers a new interpretation of the script, a new vocabulary to play with, each time.
Bob and Dario fix the pieces of canvas hanging from the ceiling. They roll and clip them so the bed can slide underneath to be hidden for part of the piece. Barbra lays back on the bed, and everyone puts the crumpled papers all around her. There is talk about Barbra's wig, and costume adjustments before they move forward.
In the next part, Barbra practices the lines in the forest. She tells Bob that she changed something in the script, and he makes note of this. Barbra and Bob work for a while on Barbra's part only, while Sheila, Telsche, and Dario are lounging on the bed at the back of the room, underneath the canvas hangings.
A little later, Barbra goes back and sees the three of them are all laying together, whispering pleasantly on the bed. "Hey guys," she whispers.."What are you doing?" Dario and Telsche peak out from behind the canvas sheets, and the all have a good laugh.
I realize I have a long list of moments that I observed in this rehearsal. I will stop here, at this point of laughter among the cast, and resume very shortly.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
A couple mistakes, plenty of laughs
October 18th, rehearsal in the Ivy Building again, Bob’s studio.
It was a day of many shared laughs, silliness that never carried on too long or cut into the seriousness of the work. How great it is that these performers, these artists can laugh at mistakes, and their smiling eyes reflect how much they love their jobs. We all have hobbies, interests, things we like to do and are passionate about, activities that are fun for us. We also have work that we must get done, deadlines to accomplish before we can have time for these hobbies. And we may not like the work as much as the fun stuff, even if we enjoy it. For these people here in the Ivy studio, their laughs, their fun, the fire they have in pursuing this work is a perfect combination of the two. Their hobby is their work, their work is their passion. And they are passionate. The enthusiasm and emotion, both negative and positive, that come with this type of creative work are part of what makes the final product so rewarding.
Shall we continue on the journey..
I entered the studio and sat down on the stack of mats to watch them set up. The room is somewhat quiet, except for the hum of the fan on the wall and Telsche kicking around crumpled papers and whistling.
The others gradually move into the space as they are ready, and Barbra and Sheila go through the mother daughter relationship at the beginning of the play. Bob wants Barbra to really relive the memories from when she was 17, the sights, the sounds, the smells that she associates with this age. Barbra acknowledges it, takes a deep breath, and starts the line, “I was 17 when I left…” Bob corrects her – it is actually “I was 17 when I walked away.”
“Just punch me every time I do that,” Barbra says, looking slightly frustrated, but unabashed.
Barbra begins the monologue again. Bob thinks the line, “This is a true story,” is important to say. He makes a mental note that this line should not be changed. The edits in the script are just as important to the process as these moments when a line is confirmed as completely right on.
Later, Bob is explaining that he wants Barbra to break up the pieces of the play so that the audience doesn’t already know everything that is happening. He wants memories to start coming back to her slowly throughout the piece, rather than her telling the story from a list of memories she already has in mind.
There is a part in the script that is several repeating lines of “I will no longer see you with my eyes. I will no longer touch your warmth. I will no longer hear your breath..etc,” spoken by Barbra when she remembers departing her mother. Everyone has a good laugh when Barbra jumbles some of the words trying to say the lines. She says, “I will no longer smell your touch..I will no longer hear you with my tongue,” looks around and smiles, then giving up says, “I will no longer do any of these things!” and shakes her head at the mistake. I had to laugh myself.
Barbra and Sheila have an interaction in a scene when Barbra is deciding what to pack as she prepares to leave home at 17. There is a suitcase open on the floor. Sheila, the mother figure, stands next to her, eyes glazed. She appears as a figment of Barbra’s imagination. Barbra frantically searches for things to pack in the suitcase. She puts some of the crumpled papers in it. Then she moves Sheila to step into the suitcase, and tries to fit her in and close the suitcase.
During the break, Bob and John talk about different ways to use the crumpled papers. John asks me how I’m doing, if I’m getting tired of watching them “do the same thing over and over again, eight different ways.” I tell him I’m not tired, and I’m pretty used to this process. As tedious as it may be at times, I know it will be worth it.
Rehearsal finishes with more ideas about the papers. They are still trying to figure out how to eventually get rid of all the papers on stage. Bob suggests Barbra rip the papers into smaller pieces to use as dollar bills. Everyone nods and smiles at this idea.
There are thoughts of moving the bed to symbolize the dream moving forward.
Kristin keeps them on track. “We’re at 1:00,” she says. Done for the day.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
The bed is rolling
Continuing with the October 17th rehearsal...
The cast moves as a unit with the bed--Barbra laying on it, Sheila underneath it on the platform, Telsche and Dario pushing it around the room. Bob stands by watching, seemingly concentrated on the patterns Dario and Telsche are making with the bed combined with the music Sheila is playing. This beginning part of the piece is very much about moving and traveling, stopping for a quick moment, and then getting back on the bed and moving again. After a while of circling around, Bob instructs them to stop, and they quickly transition to a short scene where Dario and Telsche are sharing food from a pot while Sheila looks around the new place they have arrived at.
After a couple minutes of this, they hurry to put the pots and stools and crumpled papers back on the bed. Barbra decides to hide her hands under the bedsheets as she drops the papers, and Bob wants some sort of butterfly net or piece of mesh on a pole to catch the papers as she drops them. Then he decides that Dario and Telsche could pick them up as they go.
They also want a bicycle. It could be attached to the end of the bed the way a bike is attached to a car hitch, or Dario could just ride it around while helping push the bed. It would provide a real image of vehicular transportation as they are moving from place to place with the bed.
They are getting ready to progress into the first section of script now, and Barbra starts to yell out the first line while laying in the bed in the center of the room, the others mingling around a little. She sings, trying out different vocal timbres, “I was…I WAS…I waasss..I was 17 when I walked away.”
Bob tells Kristin to make a note that he will need a piece of white chalk to draw the country border line on the floor when they cross it. Dario looks around, hesitatingly, and then says that he actually has a piece of chalk in his bag and goes to get it. Everyone laughs at this.
They draw the border on the floor, and practice moving with the bed again, Barbra laying down, dropping the papers, Telsche and Dario now slipping around trying to catch them as they fall while also holding onto the bed and maneuvering it in circles. Telsche struggles playfully to catch the papers in her hat, reaching here and there, sometimes leaving the bed to get the obscure ones.
They talk about how the chalk will look on the actual theatre floor. It is possible the Bedlam stage floor might be too busy to exhibit the white chalk line. They take a 5 minute break. Kristin keeps track of time as they snack and rest.
When rehearsal resumes, Bob preludes by saying he wants it to be more explosive, more animated at the beginning. They nod in agreement and ponder on ways this can be achieved.
Kristin gives me a copy of the script, which I look over briefly. Barbra sees me reading it and, peering over my shoulder, says, “If you’re looking for what we’re doing on there, you won’t find it.” I laugh, realizing they are still working on what comes before the script starts. It’s so fascinating the way artists work in spurts almost, filling in this piece first, then moving on to another when the inspiration comes, and later fitting them all together, perhaps in a totally different order than they were originally set to be.
They work through the scene yet again, this time much louder, livelier, like an eruption. Telsche and Dario run with the bed, Barbra screaming “Not so fast! Not sooo FAST!” and throwing papers out sporadically. She shouts directions at them and they struggle to please her, shifting the bed this way and that quickly. Bob wants an earthquake. They improvise with the objects on the bed, banging pots and pans, dropping wood blocks, Dario covering his ears with his headphones, Sheila making horse noises.
They look for a stopping point in the madness, and Barbra thinks it might be nice to have different languages spoken when they are asked for their papers each time they cross a border.
After the earthquake movement gets slower, but Bob tells them to keep the energy up. They begin the first part of the script where Barbra looks for the beginning of her story in the mess of crumpled papers. Sheila, Telsche, and Dario help her by picking up papers and starting to read, to which Barbra usually responds “No, no, that’s not it,” and continues the search. She finally finds the right one, and reads the first line of the story.
Rehearsal comes to a close, all seem proud to have accomplished this first bit with the bed rolling and paper messing. They review the parts of Barbra’s imagination that are acted out in the beginning with Sheila as the mom, Telsche as the brother of “She,” Barbra’s character. There is a general notion that the other actors should be interconnected as parts of Barbra’s story while she is telling it.
‘Twas an eventful morning.
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