All Begins to Become Clear
Apr. 23rd, 2006 03:52 pmFirst rehearsal/meeting for That's What We're Here For from 10 am to 2 pm today.
We listened to the sound cues and watched some of the short films that inspired this show. I expressed my feelings about the working process we'll be using on this show, without getting into too much "directorial philosophy" nonsense. I noted my unease with the approach I was having to take on this show, and the cast was understanding.
It felt good. I was pretty happy, but then I asked everyone to get on stage so I could see the cast together, and I just started seeing a scene and started blocking them for the "Dad at His Office" scene. Just vaguely, really, but it was a start. Ideas started happening. And I knew how the show was going to work. I'm much more secure in my position on the whole piece.
I realized this is going to come off as some kind of trade show/Up With People performance as if staged by Robert Wilson. That cracked the structure for me.
I was worried about the use of video, but I have realized I will need to use the video pieces as "Knee Plays" between the longer scenes to allow for costume/set changes.
And I have to learn to stop apologizing for those times when I just need to look at everyone and think -- it feels deeply inefficient to me, but that's the process for the show, and I have to learn to accept it and just go on without worrying about anyone being bored or uninvolved. The cast is behind me, so I have to get on with the work.
I wish I could rehearse with stage lights, and figure out the cues as I block the actors, but that's not possible. I should bring in some practicals to use.
I've cracked the work process problem, too. I have to stage the tableaux/scenes first and not worry about the sound integration so much, just deal with the visual patterns first, and whatever dialogue I put in -- and I'm wanting more and more of it -- and then start dealing with the interspersed sound fragments.
I need to slice the hours of sound cue pieces I have down to the absolute smallest fragments I might be using, and catalog them on a number of CDs, so that Berit can sit there with a boom box and drop them in to the scenes as I need them, on the fly, in rehearsal.
Okay. The show will work.
We listened to the sound cues and watched some of the short films that inspired this show. I expressed my feelings about the working process we'll be using on this show, without getting into too much "directorial philosophy" nonsense. I noted my unease with the approach I was having to take on this show, and the cast was understanding.
It felt good. I was pretty happy, but then I asked everyone to get on stage so I could see the cast together, and I just started seeing a scene and started blocking them for the "Dad at His Office" scene. Just vaguely, really, but it was a start. Ideas started happening. And I knew how the show was going to work. I'm much more secure in my position on the whole piece.
I realized this is going to come off as some kind of trade show/Up With People performance as if staged by Robert Wilson. That cracked the structure for me.
I was worried about the use of video, but I have realized I will need to use the video pieces as "Knee Plays" between the longer scenes to allow for costume/set changes.
And I have to learn to stop apologizing for those times when I just need to look at everyone and think -- it feels deeply inefficient to me, but that's the process for the show, and I have to learn to accept it and just go on without worrying about anyone being bored or uninvolved. The cast is behind me, so I have to get on with the work.
I wish I could rehearse with stage lights, and figure out the cues as I block the actors, but that's not possible. I should bring in some practicals to use.
I've cracked the work process problem, too. I have to stage the tableaux/scenes first and not worry about the sound integration so much, just deal with the visual patterns first, and whatever dialogue I put in -- and I'm wanting more and more of it -- and then start dealing with the interspersed sound fragments.
I need to slice the hours of sound cue pieces I have down to the absolute smallest fragments I might be using, and catalog them on a number of CDs, so that Berit can sit there with a boom box and drop them in to the scenes as I need them, on the fly, in rehearsal.
Okay. The show will work.