Assistant Director Notes - 30/11/12

WELCOME TO THEBES REHEARSAL

 – 30^TH NOVEMBER 2012

ACT 3 SCENE

• Need to work on chorus interaction of Coffee Making
• Chorus Transition to senators not working yet
• Lines – A lot of books still out
• Pg 65 – Needs to seem more casual – Not sure about characterization
• Omar – Walking about a bit unclearly – Will come when lines are learned.
• Losing A LOT of time with uncertainty – ques, entrances, lines
• Transitions between moments/Split scenes –sloppy
• Pg 69 – Not charged enough – The power of guns. The stakes should be much higher!
• Que Lines – Terrible! Be aware of when you interject and be confident to keep going.
• Chorus Reaction – Needs to be clearer.
• Really clunky at this point
• Haemon – Needs to commit to saving scud
• The stakes need to be raised!!
• P80 - Cannot see Jamahyl behind people
• Need to work on reactions
• Harry - Nice truth behind character – still on book
• Elysse – Good work on role
• Needs more progress with learning ques and lines
• Pg86 – It’s in danger of getting a bit boring at this point if the scene before isn’t on point.
• Jamahyl - strongest moments are when he snaps out of his established voice.

ACT 4

• Transition needs work
• Singing – Bit uncommitted
• Loosing time still on uncertainty
• Omar and Kadeena really coming together, enjoyable to watch
• Need to go over Dominic’s blocking
• Transitions between split screens need to be a lot clearer, have a lot more power.
• Need to work on funeral – again with the stakes. How important is this funeral to everyone.
• Entrances and exits need a lot more purpose
• Olivia – On point with lines and ques, and development of meaning

ACT 5

 

•   James – Character coming along really well

• Omar – Try to win Paul over – Entertain him more, but good 
•  Chorus interaction.
• Paul great progress, really nice work 
•  P101 Omar – Really nice 
•  Keep the peace – what does that mean? Context of Syrian protests, good to look at the context and what certain things mean in relation…..
• Paul – Revelation – Such a pinnacle moment in character journey – needs to be really powerful
• Can’t see Dominic behind Jimena.
• Needs a lot more understanding of political jargon, relationships, what actions  and partnerships mean for the country 
• P105 Omars reaction needs to be really sophisticated
• Paul’s journey – he’s now talking about myths and fear
• REACTIONS!!!
• Kitty – Bigger moment with knife.
• Clearer split scenes
• Pg 109 – Needs to parallel there first scene – but otherwise really good
• Paul – Such an epic moment – really strong but I want it to be stronger
• Haemon – Work that stick
• CHARACTER JOURNEYS NEEDS TO BE SO STRONG

The Chorus workshop

The Chorus workshop

The exercise and discoveries we made

-Walk around the room – as individuals– how do you feel today in this moment?

-As a group respond to the commands of my drum beat.

Try to move and respond together.

-Fall to the ground for active relaxation and breathing technique.

Explore breathing to certain counts, so to unify your breath.

-Lying flat on your backs in a relaxed posture, as a group count 20.  If 2 people or more say the same number start again. 

Listen to each other and really work together.

-Eclosion .

Take the space.  Allow yourself to be really present and alive.  Fill every part of your body with your energy, from your finger tips to the hairs on your head.  Push you power/sparkle/strength, though your physical body and demand attention – shin.

-Undulation and reverse undulation.

Again taking a simple movement but giving it the time and focus to concentrate on every element of the motion.  Allow yourselves to enjoy the repetitiveness, but keep each undulation fresh and alive.  Concentrate on extending your focus making the space bigger and guiding your observers.

-Play with your poles.

Focus on bringing your imaginary object to life.  Taking great care of the pole, again giving it the focus and physicality needed to create the image.

-Through the forest.

You see a branch, take it, swoosh it, see another branch, look back at your old branch, drop it, step up to your new branch.

This is about the quality of movement.  Really see each branch, the colour the texture the width etc.  Work with you breathing to keep the action alive.  Play with rhythm.  Do the actions together. 

Although you are working as a chorus it is important to work with your own physicality and embrace this, you are different people. 

With is exercise you are always moving forward, there is no regret, travel though the space.

-Flocking.

Imagine you are carrying a bowl of water in your pelvis and you don’t want the water to spill.  Keep your centre of gravity low, your knees soft and walk heel to toe.  This all allows you to be active at all times and move in different directions, playing with balance and off balance.

Move across the space as a group.  Breathing together, be one, listening to each other, communicating with each other without relying on spoken language.  Trust each other.

I referred to a technique call Botoh.  Here is an example;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnR1FJ6yQq4

(It is just a starting point for you guys, if it helps?) 

This shows a group of performers working together, with simple movement but totally committing to every gesture.  They take time and finish off every movement.  They are moving together but I see clear individual bodies and people.  What are also nice about this are their faces.  As we talk about, with the half mask you have the freedom to play with your facial expressions and sound.

You created animalistic movements in the space.  We looked at moments were you could break out, an exaggerated twitch, an internal conflict or even simply a stretch; however you feel you can justify it.  It could be in reaction or accenting part of the dialogue and don’t be afraid to respond to each other.  Play with these things you are not just scenery.  Try lots of ideas out.  Go with an impulse and play.  Tim will soon tell you if he doesn’t think it works, and then try something different!  Never say no to an idea in till you have tried it.  Support each other as a group.

-Moving each other’s bodies.

Manipulate each other’s movements.  Play with push and pull.  Try to not anticipate the movement and allow yourself to be moved, almost as if the movement is bigger than you.

-Wearing the mask, try flocking.  

 When you hear my drum, or a sound cue, turn your heads together and look in the same direction.  This worked really nicely and was very powerful.  Try looking in different directions on the same beat or verbal cue of another actor. Play with levels.  Keep changing direction, changing the dynamic and the leader.  Stop and breathe together.  Let us not only hear the breath, but more importantly see the breath, bring it into your physicality.  Play with the extremes of this, how big can you make it?  What works for you guys?  Cheat the breath so you don’t hyperventilate and die on stage!

-Working with the mask.

How does the mask play in the space?  What angle does the mask play best, e.g. you lose the mask if you tilt your head to far back or to far forward.  You don’t want the audience to think you are actors wearing a mask.  When you are wearing a mask you almost have to work harder to push though the mask.  Think of the eclosion exercise.  Share everything with your audience, a mask is made to be played out.  Respect the mask and don’t touch it, unless it has been choreographed. For example: when you remove it. 

When you do remove it be very clear about what you are doing and don’t hide away from the gesture.  Play the transformation from masked ghost to your unmasked character.

-Finally we worked on the chariots.

Work together and keep the timing, the breath and energy.  It looks great.

 I want to thank you for your hard work and commitment.  Go for it!

Costume & Set Presentation - 13th November

Today was the first opportunity for the company to see the design of the set. We had explored the atmosphere of the piece and had ensured that the piles of rubble were represented by clusters of chairs, but the students would now be able to envisage their performance space.

MODEL OF THE SET - EXCITING TIMES

As well as the set design, the comapny was also shown the design of the costumes. Although the actors were constantly reminded to consider their characters physicality and how they would move within the space, knowing what their character would be wearing would help them even more.

MEGEARA

 

 

 

.

ANTIGONE

PRINCE TYDEUS

EURYDICE

THESEUS

HAEMON

TALTHYBIA

 

 

 

On Language, Learning and Annotation

Whilst reading, rehearsing and learning the text there are a few things which must be remembered!!

1. Always acknowledge the interruptions [/] - they have been placed there for a reason. It is an indication as to when the next Character begins their line. eg. Using the text above, Pargeia begins to say "He used you as……." after "he" during Eurydice's line: "The ground where he / lies" This is a heated discussion between the two characters and it requires this over-lap. 
2. These interruptions must remain when you are off-book. The text should be learned taking into account the location of [/] as you cue. 
3. Annotating and learning with punctuation: following Moira Buffini's note at the beginning of the play - "To explain why I don't put all the full stops in." - the actor must decide where they need punctuation, to aid them in their understanding of the structure of the text. Annotate accordingly, when considering what your character says. Once this has been done, you should learn the text with the amendments. 

From the Beginning with Detail - 6th & 9th November

Today was the first week back. The students had been asked to focus on learning their lines over the half term. The intention was to go back to the beginning of the script and rehearse/ block in more detail.

• Being off book frees up the actor. The less dependant the actor is on their script, the more able they are to explore the space, their physicality and how they exist within the space with the other characters. 

We rehearsed:

• up to page 32 on the Tuesday: Act Two, Sc i
• up to page 59 on the Friday: (Towards the end of) Act Two Sc ii

Some of the things discovered through rehearsals were:

• The opening scene between Miletus, Scud and Megeara is key in the setting up of the energy of the play - the actors really need to set the pace….
• Following Megaera's "Welcome to Thebes" (and the Chorus' echoes of the same), the ensemble will enter into the space - exploring the debris and whispering/ repeating "Welcome to Thebes". It is at this stage that we first hear the helicopter. Quiet at first, but you get the sense of a looming threat - an outsider approaching. (Think the "streetcar" from A Streetcar Named Desire). The company focus their attention to the sky......…
• The chorus will be part of Eurydice's "getting ready". The chorus will be present at the base of the podium and they will hand up the scarf, the watch and the handbag as they're referred to by Ismene (page 14). 
• Need to really find the pace during "breathe frenzy" moment on page 52-53. The energy/ tension needs to build to the climactic moment where Polykleitos goes to pull trigger. 
• Place Polykleitos in entrance 'B' on page 54 when Talthybia talks about the "Theban guy…" - "who dismantles guns and weapons……" Polykleitos needs to find the passion in what he is saying there and then - it's a flash back/ a re-visiting to what was said. 

Looking at Statuses within Politics - 20th November

Looking at Statuses within Politics.

To be political in itself, suggests a certain physical and vocal type. Politicians are used to addressing people and interacting in soicial situations.

Below are the political roles within the play (note that a mechanic and a student exist in within the politics of Thebes):

• President
• Leader of the Opposition
• Senator
• Son of the President
• Sisters of the President
• A Mechanic
• Foreign Secretary
• Minister of Justice
• A student
• Minister of Trade and Industry
• Minister of Agriculture
• Minister of Education
• Chief of Police
• First Citizen
• An Aide to the First Citizen
• A diplomat
• Head of Security

The company considered what these roles meant and how they would inform their physical and vocal portrayal. They also considered how they might respond to others in the play. Some of the questions posed were:

• If you were related to Eurydice, how would that impact your life. What is it like to be the niece of/ the son of.....?
• If your character is not actively political, how do you relate to the world of politics. Polykleitos the Mechanic - what are his views?
• Consider the Public/ Private aspects of a politician. Do they behave differently when addressing a congregation, to when they are having a private conversation?
• Consider gesticulation. How do politicians use their hands and arms to engage with an audience?

Chorus - 12/10/12

Exploring the Chorus:

The purpose of today's rehearsal was to explore the Chorus. The Chorus was not present in the original production but it was something that I felt (as the director) needed to be explored within ours.

Questions which needed to be explored and answered were as follows:

• Identity. Who are the chorus? In Greek theatre, the chorus take on the identity of the "people". We needed to decide who these people were.
•  Movement. How did they move? Traditionally, Chorus are very much "other-worldly" in their mannerisms and movement - there is an almost animalistic quality. We needed to explore this so to have some consistency throughout the performance.
• Text. As there is not a Chorus written into the text, I would need to decide where their language would come from. Would they echo certain characters? Would they become the voice of some characters? 
• Voice. We would need to explore how the chorus spoke. Would they have a collective voice? What would be the dynamics of their voice - tempo; quality; volume...etc. 

The communities mentioned in "Welcome to Thebes" are:

• The Thebans.
• The Athenians.
• The Spartans.
• The Dead.

This suggested that the Chorus would need to find multiple identities. Reuben (assistant Director) and I agreed that "The Dead" would be a good place to start:

Death seems very present throughout Welcome to Thebes:

"The ghosts

Their parched tongues are flickering

Like unseen negatives upon the day.

They form another city all round us" Tiresias (Page 63)

"My Dead husband lies unburied" Pargeia (Page 67)

"The ghosts are grey" Scud (Page 7)

"By insulting Polynices

I've insulted all the dead." Eurydice (Page 89)

Company explored how the Chorus related/ interacted with:

1. Haemon. "I think that I see people creep away." Haemon is tormented by his loss/ deterioration of sight. He denies being blind but struggles to see. Just as Harmonia is Tiresias' guide, the Chorus explored how they might be Haemon's guide. 
2. Eurydice. 
3. Tiresias. Ellie looked at how Harmonia can incorporate aspects of the Chorus when exploring her relationship with Tiresias: Sharing some of his lines; how they move together; how she guides him and communicates with him.

Visual Reference for the Chorus' mask: