Read Through/ Rough Blocking

Read through/ rough blocking.

• Initial read-through and discussion of response to text.
• Marking out of stage and labelling of entrances.
• Began rough blocking

Following the initial read-through and discussion, the company were introduced to the layout of the stage. Taking into account the New Theatre, we established the entrances/ exits and labeled them A-D - at the same time as marking out the audience. 

Once the entrances/ exits had been established, the company was briefed on the basis of the staging. The set would consist of 3 piles of rubble representing the "post-war" feel of Syria/ Thebes. Two of the  piles (DSR & DSL) would consist of rubble, tools, discarded guns and bodies - the presence of the tools and guns particularly relevant to Polykleitos' scene with Thalia. The third pile (USC) would also include a podium from which Eurydice and Theseus address the congregation. 

For the company to embark on the 'rough blocking' it was crucial for them to appreciate the layout of the set. So to be able to physically take into account the presence of these piles, the company used clusters of chairs to act on and around:

Notes given to the company before starting:

• Distance - exploring distance/ space between actors within a scene. Sharing a dialogue across the space as opposed to being in close proximity to each other. 
• Shared Scenes - exploring how two scenes can be happening simultaneous within the space - thus providing the audience with two stories/ sets of information. These are written into the script:

"ELSEWHERE: Eurydice is staring at Polynices' corpse.  Euphrosyne and the soldiers accompany. she cannot tear her eyes away."

• Diagonals
• Giving/ Receiving of the line. 
• Language -