Directorial musings-- on running auditions

Though I am happy to get the chance to step out of the director's chair and onto the stage for once, recent events and some interesting conversations have gotten me thinking about directory things, specifically about my thoughts on how to run auditions. There's a lot of etiquette swirling around audition processes which sometimes make it tough, especially for a novice director, to figure out the best way to conduct them to get all the information they need and work things out properly with their actors. Here are some thoughts on how to do it well.

I have a preference for efficient auditions. Some directors like to have people read for all sorts of things just to see what comes of it. It's how I ran my Hamlet auditions, mostly because at the time I was inexperienced enough that I wasn't sure what else to do. I will say that since I didn't know most of the people I saw it gave me some ideas, but ultimately I think it was too much screwing around for too little useful information. So now I try to have people read only a few roles that I would actually consider them for, plus one or two roles that they would like to read. People can surprise you, you must always be wary of pigeonholing them too much, so I like to give them a chance to to impress me with something I may not necessarily have expected. I have the mixed blessing of the fact that I have a very good eye when it comes to quickly sizing something up, which allows me to get a pretty good picture very quickly, but I really don't have a very good review process once I've hit on my initial conclusion. So when I'm right, I'm right, and when I'm wrong, I am dead wrong. Letting people read for a role they want to try for is my way of combating that, and of balancing efficiency with fairness.

The traditional operational form, I think, tends toward keeping things opaque throughout-- not letting the actors know what you're thinking, or doing anything that could compromise your apparent objectivity. Many directors are rightly concerned with maintaining as fair a process as possible, giving everyone who comes out the same chance and the same opportunities, and not making it seem like they are giving anyone any preference, advantage, or disadvantage. It's also good for keeping people from getting wrong ideas about what's going to happen. The opaque, totally egalitarian process is also the most polite way to handle an auditioner that you're pretty sure you don't want to cast. That happens sometimes, unfortunately, that maybe you just don't like the person's style, or maybe it's something out of their control, like you need someone with a deeper voice or a person who's strong enough to pick up another-- that last sounds odd, but I did a show where that had to be considered. So what you do is you listen intently to their piece, giving them as much a chance to prove you wrong as you possibly can, without giving any indication of your opinion. It's also sometimes a good idea to ask them "Can you do it a little angrier?" or something just to make absolutely sure you haven't made a mistake. But the point is you show them the respect of not dismissing them out of hand while still not wasting too much time. At least then they don't leave thinking they didn't get a fair shot, or automatically conclude that they sucked.

The problem with this, however, is that this Chinese Wall approach discourages honest communication between all parties that could lead to workings things out better for everyone. The more I direct, the more inclined I become to a more transparent audition process, more so the more I know the people trying out. I'd rather tell people what I want and see if they can give it to me. I know as an actor I would rather have a director say, "You know, Phoebe, you're reading is too serious, we want a lighter interpretation of the character, can you do that?" or "This is feeling a lot like how you did Puck, and we don't want that for this role. Could you change it up?" and give me a chance to change what I'm doing to something more like what they want, rather than have them silently conclude that I CAN'T do it just because I'm currently not. Some directors feel like they shouldn't say that sort of thing, but I think it makes you more likely to see the real situation-- if an actor actually does have it in them, or if they're probably not going to be able to give you what you want after all.

The Merely Players tryout was completely transparent. I didn't have a single person come out whose acting I wasn't already familiar with, or would have been unhappy to have in the cast. I asked everyone who they wanted to play, and in return told them what I was thinking, explaining what I hoped to see from them. I made my preconceived notions obvious from the start, and invited responses and opinions. The final decision was of course up to me, but I wanted to see how people felt about my intentions and whether or not they could give me what I would ask for, because that would influence the roles they accepted. I even said things like, "I'd like to use you, but know that if you're a significant part in Margaret or too many other shows I won't cast you," so that they could make an informed choice and I wouldn't have to replace an actor I picked but couldn't end up using. It allowed me to get a cast I was satisfied with while still making the show as practically functional as possible.

You can blend the two styles, but it's tricky and requires judgment. Sometimes it can benefit you to be more open with one person than with another-- if, for example, you want to make someone you have a working relationship with aware that you want to push them out of their comfort zone, but also show respect to someone you know you're not going to cast. But you need to make sure that rumors don't get spread that might lead to resentment or assumptions of bias. Make it clear in that case that you've taken someone into your confidence for the sake of getting the best fit for roles, and that they are not to make assumptions or consider anything promised or definite until the cast list comes out.

And I know some actors go into auditions with prejudices and preconceived notions of their own about how the process should go. To that I say, respond to your director as much as you can. If they ask you change your performance, do the best you can to make the change, even if it's outside your comfort zone. Do your best to give them what they want. If they ask you a reasonable question that is actually helpful to their casting process, answer it honestly even if it doesn't conform to your notion of how auditions traditionally go. You have no idea how frustrating it was to me when I asked an actor what they wanted, and they refused to answer for ages because they had a sense that it was not appropriate to "make demands during casting." The answer would have helped me, and I was explicitly giving permission!

So, yeah, just some thoughts from my experience and preferences. Others of you who go to theater auditions, or have had the chance to hold them, what do you all think? What do you think works best?

Merely Players: The Larp?

Wow, after feeling like for ages there hasn't been much larp in my life, I sure have had it in the forefront of my attention this past week or so.

After laurion* suggested several scenarios for a light, quick larp in a contained space, being the meta-theater freak that I am, I latched onto the ideas of actors, maybe actors just about to go on stage, utilizing the lovely convention of the dysfunctional troupe who've got more drama going on behind the scenes than they do onstage. Eight or so character, two hours, trapped backstage hashing out their bullshit so the show can just go on already! Funny, silly, easy to run and hopefully to write.

It amuses me that I am basically thinking of writing Merely Players: The Larp. Well, not exactly. Similar plots and character archetypes to those I used in Merely Players, if not exactly the same people or plots as they existed in the show. But if I could take a PC and an NPC from The Stand and make a play out of their drama, why can't I take a piece of theater I wrote and use it to inspire a larp?

I think I'm going to noodle around with this, at least idly. Not committing to run it or anything, but it might ease my current malaise somewhat. At least it'll provide an easy, low-pressure alternative to the more serious work I am responsible for lately. Thanks, Chad, for tossing out the idea!

Merely Players Hoot review

‘Merely Players’ more than just a side-project for HTP'

By Candice Bautista
November 18, 2011

“Merely Players” was a wholly successful side-project put on by the Shakespeare group Hold Thy Peace this past weekend. A comedy by Brandeis graduate Phoebe Roberts ’09, M.A. ’12, “Merely Players” playfully mocks theater troupes’ and actors’ constant bid for the spotlight while still glorifying them.
The play was put on in Schwartz Auditorium, a venue that I personally had never seen used for a show, having only attended lectures in there. HTP successfully utilized the space, however, by moving the desks out and moving in tables for a sort of dinner show/cabaret setting. Indeed, placed on the tables were pieces of papers that doubled as mini-playbills and menus. Proceeds from items ordered went toward HTP fundraising. HTP actresses not acting in the show were waitresses as they took my table’s orders for brownies and cider. It was a very welcoming and surprising part of the setting that helped set the jovial mood for the play beforehand.

While we ate and waited for the show to begin, the actors in the actual show appeared in character and engaged in hilarious banter. At one point, Malcolm, the pretentious lead played by Ben Federlin ’14, yells to another actor, “You fungal growth! You’re homeless! Go back to under the bridge where we found you!” before hitting her on the head with his copy of “Othello.” These conversations occurred mostly along the sides of the stage portion of the auditorium, but occasionally the characters would venture into the audience along the side rows of the theater to great effect.

The humor only continued to flourish when the show began with the introduction of Cornelia (Stephanie Karol ’12) as the reluctant leader of the Shakespeare group. She discussed the difficulties of the burden of leading and how repulsed she was by actors. Karol, dressed in all black and donning white gloves, was hilarious and simultaneously terrifying. Having spent much of the pre-show act rolling around on various surfaces in Schwartz Auditorium, her entrance was doubly funny.

After her introduction of the theater troupe, the group breaks into a well-choreographed scene depicting the different aspects of acting, from applying make-up, to practicing lines, to struggling to get so much done in such a short period of time. From then on, the play depicts the actors rehearsing for Shakespeare plays that are clearly noted by a sign on the side of the stage. This works incredibly well as it gives the actors something with which to pretend to be preoccupied while also having source material at which to poke fun. For example, at one point in the play, Malcolm and Orlando (Andrew Prentice ’13) fight for the attention of newcomer Sylvia (Gabrielle Geller ’12) and end up pulling her back and forth during the “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” rehearsal. Other plays mentioned include “Hamlet,” “The Tempest,” “Henry V” and “King Lear,” which features a particularly hilarious bit with Malcolm tearing his shirt open, ripping off one of his buttons. Whether or not that was intentional will never truly be known by this audience member.

“Merely Players” differs greatly from the main shows that HTP puts on due to the fact that it is not written by Shakespeare, but the underlying emotions and passions the group has for Shakespeare carries through to put together a great show. Arcite the fool was played by Lenny Somervell ’12, well-known for her comedic roles in previous HTP shows, and this translates extraordinarily well in the small Schwartz venue. She showed no restraint when it came to breaking down the fourth wall and walking into the audience, petting one of my tablemates, and going around to give someone else her phone number. Truly Karol’s and Somervell’s performances were the highlights of the play, their acting pulling the various pieces of the show together into a clever whole. The show ended with just the two on the stage, concluding the show with Arcite’s line, “Better to be a witty fool than a foolish wit,” a reference to “Twelfth Night.”

The exact allure of “Merely Players” is hard to pinpoint because of the various phenomenal parts of the show, but a great contributing factor is the DIY nature of the show. Every part of the performance from the food, to the wait staff, even to the script was all made for and provided by the HTP members. At some points, it felt as though I was just in my friends’ basement on a Friday night, finally seeing the show my friends had been preparing. In fact, since HTP’s fall show “Margaret: A Tiger’s Heart” was put on about a month ago, the members must not have had that much time to put this together. All in all, “Merely Players” was a very good show with a homey feel that showcased not only HTP’s talent but also their dedication and affection for Shakespeare.

Merely Players triumphant

Merely Players came to its triumphant conclusion this weekend, and I am incredibly pleased. We filled our little house both nights, and most gratifyingly of all, they laughed! They followed the show and got the humor! Thanks so much to all you lovely people who came out to see it. Your support means a great deal to me.

Plus we got to test the unusual performance format. More than just our show doing well, I am pleased by the proof of concept. People will come to a show with a cabaret-style setup and buy the snacks and have a good time. That is a doable endeavor that will succeed. Hold Thy Peace could use this format for side projects in the future.

Schwartz is a shit theater space, let me tell you. It's more meant to be a lecture hall than a performance venue, so opportunities for tech are minimal-- a presention sound system and a couple of light switches you can flip on and off are pretty much the extent of it. But we chose it because it fit the aesthetic of our show. I didn't want the polished atmosphere of trying to immerse you in the illusion of another world that so much theater aims for. Instead we wanted, as I like to say, all the nuts and bolts of theater on display. Instead of hiding the trappings of a production, we used them as our set dressing-- you could see our cruddy worklights on the side aisles, the props tables and costume rack set out in plain view. And on top of that, the actors were almost never out of sight, always in character off to the sides even when they weren't on the stage. It drove the point of the metatheater home nicely, and created an immersion of another sort, one where the audience almost feels like it's on the inside of the production rather than just being witness to the final product of it.

It wouldn't have happened without our fabulous staff. Sari, Sam, and Elena came in to wrangle the lousy space and equipment into submission, making our technical functions work in spite of everything. The hardworking waitstaff made up of Plesser, Caitlin, Charlotte, Tziporah, and Simon I thank most graciously for lending their time and effort to pulling off this whole "cabaret with concessions" scheme. Rachel is consistently one of the only designers I feel like I can simply hand off the job to, because I always trust her to do good work. And of course there's Bernie, for whom none of my theatrical endeavors would ever get off the ground. He supports me tirelessly with his work and expertise, and I can't express how amazing I find it that he can take the entire technical burden off my shoulders and make it appear, almost by magic, for me every single time.

My cast was great as well. Lenny, for example, blows me away with how incredibly generous an actor she is, having an excellent sense of how to balance the push-pull of onstage interaction. I chose the role of the Fool for her just to watch her GO, and she did not disappoint. For someone so big and active onstage, she really know how to share it, to extend when it's her time such that she holds the eye captive, and to withdraw to allow attention to shift to those onstage with her. She and Andrew have a particularly remarkable ability to read one another, to pick up on where the other is going and then to move to meet and balance them. I saw it first in Othello when they played Iago and Roderigo, but it definitely showed here too. Andrew himself is finally really hitting his stride as an actor, learning how to use his physicality, make effective choices, and convey expression with his voice. I can't wait to see how he continues to grow; this was a very good semester for him, first with an important serious role in Margaret, and then a comedic one in Merely Players.

Steph was so great in her part as the Director. The character was very much outside her acting experience, and she'd also never done comedy before, so the great work she did here really impressed me with her stretching. The character is in many ways one big parody of yours truly, and Steph exaggerated many of my habits and mannerisms to great effect. I loved how she threw herself into it, pushed herself and tried stuff to see what worked. I think she was one of the funniest parts of the show and probably my favorite of the characters.

I love Gigi's acting. I find her to be incredibly expressive and her enthusiasm makes her a joy to work with. She was my first choice for the role of the Ingenue because pretty much all of her previous roles required her to portray a more mature and dignified presence, something she is very good at, but I love seeing people do things that are different. She was adorable and charming, using a lot of her natural energy to bring the character to life.

Ben was just perfect as the Lead. I don't think he's ever had such a large important role before, so the chance to really get into and develop a character helped him immensely. I find it is often the case that an actor with growing room will often make a lot of progress if trusted with a part he can really work with. Ben has a gift for comedy, which helped, but I think it also encouraged him to create a definite physicality and expressiveness in letting him cut loose and really own the stage. I wonder if he can translate that forward leap into drama as well, and I look forward to seeing what he's like in his next role.

I just fell in love with niobien*'s work. The play would not support another person with dialogue, but I wanted to have a stage manager character in there. It was Bernie's suggestion to make the character silent. It turned out to be the coolest idea. People have a prejudice against non-speaking roles as less important, but pantomime is a difficult and dying art and I did NOT write this role to be a throwaway. It takes a lot of skill and effort to convey yourself without getting to say what you're thinking. Carolyn was amazing at that. She's never done a show as an actor before, but she was so enthusiastic and adventurous. Her expressions and her instincts were wonderful, making the character funny, endearing, and totally readable. I'd love to work with her again in a speaking role, but I am so glad that I trusted the difficult challenge of building a character out of pantomime to her.

April made for an excellent Diva. She learned to balance the over-the-topness of her character's humor with the occasional moments that demanded real, serious acting. She had great chemistry with Ben, and they made for some really fabulous interaction. Those two characters are supposed to constantly try to outdo each other, and it's no small thing that they managed to convey that without actually upstaging each other or failing to work together on the meta-level.

I also loved the visual texture provided by the techie characters, Emma, Jenna, and Miriam. Having them support the scenes made for so much additional humor. Their pieces required a lot of timing, energy, and discernment to nail just right, and they did wonderful things with it. This is a very pro-techie show, you'll notice, depicting them as the most competent and least screwed-up people involved. Though make what you will of my choosing to make the stage manager the silent character; some would say I have stolen that technical voice, while others may see it as a a reflection of how she's given up in the wake of so much actor madness.

Thus concludes my second produced play. Here's hoping that things continue on this vein, and I am blessed with such wonderful collaborators who will help me put on my work. Thank you again, all who shared the experience with me, and came to see the results of our labors. <3

Merely Players opening tonight

At last, at last, tonight is opening night of Merely Players. It's been a great process, light and easy as theatrical endeavors go, where our intrepid band or actors and techies have wended their merry way to this fun and funny one-act we are proud to present to you tonight. We performed it for our waitstaff yesterday, and I am pleased that they were just the test audience I was hoping for. They laughed in all the right places and helped the actors figure out just where the pauses belonged, and drew so much energy just from hearing them. It's a perfect little light morsel of theater, short, sweet, and very funny.

As a text, it's not an important piece of theatrical writing. But it translates to the stage extremely well, particularly when you block it with as much humor as we did. And I like how it has meaning on multiple levels. I think it's a pretty clever spoof of the nature of theatrical collaboration, the broad, clearly defined characters clueing you into their significance even if you're not intimately familiar with the conventions of the theater. It's also a pretty good entree into the building of Shakespeare performance. I did a decent job of switching seamlessly between the plain English original text and the borrowed snatches of Shakespeare, again not requiring any deep understanding to get what's going on. And thirdly, the show is in many ways a love letter to Hold Thy Peace, making reference to our inside jokes and our long history together. The club's meant an enormous amount to me, and this piece is kind of my tribute. I joked that perhaps one day, God willing, Merely Players will become a staple of high school theater groups competing in one-act festivals. There are worse things one's writing could become.

We go up in Schwartz Auditorium at Brandeis University. Doors open at 7:15 so that snacks and drinks may be purchased beforehand. Show begins at 8. I look forward to seeing you there!

Tech week snags

So though it ultimately worked out okay, yesterday's dress rehearsal for Merely Players ran into quite a few stumbling blocks. We weren't able to get into Schwartz until an hour later than we were supposed to because of some rescheduled chemistry class in there. That was irritating, but what really burns me is that we may not be able to use the place on Thursday, our final dress rehearsal. Despite the fact that we booked it, it may have been given away to some other group by oversight. Stupid Conference and Events. I am frustrated because though I was willing to have been set to the lower priority for themajority of the process (I made sure Margaret always took precedence because it was a larger show that went up sooner, as well as the HTP mainstage) but I am not happy to have our arrangements screwed up at this late stage. Thursday is supposed to be the night that we have all of the waitstaff there as well to learn their duties and get used to how we have the spaced laid out, and their schedules are all busy enough that they don't have any time besides what I've already asked them to set aside. And the actors really want to have their Naked Tech, an HTP tradition before every show. I'm not sure we'll have time for everything if we've only got tonight before we go up.

On the bright side, once we actually got going rehearsal went very well. We got the space set up quickly, and the run through was very smooth and funny. We could bear it if we don't get that last rehearsal in. Still, I want that last night, and I want it in the space we're supposed to be in. If Conference and Events works with us, we will hopefully get the space at 9PM, which is technically enough time to do what we need to (and it would let me go to ballet, which I would otherwise be missing.) But unfortunately there's no guarantee we'll get even that. I suppose if we're not in there we'll just not bother with a run through and just talk out the pre- and post-show duties with the waitstaff. Things will be simple enough to execute that they'll be fine with just that. The show must go on, as they so, so you push through the snags and make do. Even if you're steamed about it.

Merely Players tech week begins

Yesterday was the beginning of Merely Players tech week. I was tired going in, due to the fact that I'd spent the weekend finishing my enormous final grad school assignment for the semester, but I always seem to kick into gear once the urgency of the final days of production sets in. I like the energy of tech week, the feeling of everyone involved focusing in on their tasks to put the show together. It doesn't matter how tired I am, I go into CREATIVE ADRENALINE HYPERDRIVE MODE and off we go, getting things done. And of course these Hold Thy Peace one-act side projects have the best tech weeks. The shorter the show and the smaller the cast, the easier it is to get everything prepared ahead of time and hit the ground running once we get into the theater. For To Think of Nothing it was perfect, like a series of well-designed gears clicking together and snapping into place. For Merely Players it's a little rougher due to the space; tech and set has to be minimal in a lousy performance space like Schwartz Auditorium, but we still had to arrange the lights and set the stage to suit our purposes. For us load-in consisted primary of moving our mountain of costumes and props into the theater; a hallmark of the first night of tech week for me is spending an hour beforehand packing all our stuff into my car and feeling so grateful that we can just leave it in the space until we're done. We got three lovely techies, Elena, Sari, and Samantha-- real techies, not the actors-playing-techies in the show --to come and help, and we set cast and crew alike to setting up the lights and putting together the costume rack and seeing that the prop tables were all properly laid out. On Bernie's suggestion we first did a walk-through of all the blocking in the new space. I think that was extremely helpful for the actors to get their bearings, because the first full run was smoother than even I'd hoped. We still have a bit of polishing of the timing and spacing to get down, but by and large they were very comfortable and the run was very strong. I am so pleased and proud of them. If we keep this up, by opening night this Friday we are going to do a fantastic performance of the first actually funny comedy HTP has done since Comedy of Errors my junior year.

Quick status update

A quick rundown of the state of my busy, busy life:

- Merely Players goes into tech week next week. We're very close to being ready to go; the acting and blocking have come out extremely nicely. We just need a few more costume pieces and props, plus to hammer out preparations for the concessions we're going to sell. Fortunately lots of people have volunteered to help, I just need to finalize the plan and organize those lovely people into useful action. You should come see it on 11/11 and 11/12-- doors open at 7:15, so you can order drinks and snacks before the show!

- My last playwrighting assignment for the semester is also due next week. Bah to that timing, which means I am going to have to work like a madman to get it and all the play prep stuff done all at once. I have begun work on my one-act that I must prepare, and started on the reading and responding, but still I'm probably behind where I should be. I guess this weekend will have to be devoted to finishing.

- I signed up for Feast of the Minotaur as my first pick for Intercon. I am pleased with that; it sounds like a good game and it's already full, so it turned out to be the right choice. I'd ask all of you what you chose, but as a member of bidcom I get to look at the signup logs, which is pretty much my favorite thing in the world.

- Work is going well, though I am not finding it effortless to get up one hour earlier. I do like getting out earlier in the day, though. There is talk of switching me from contractor to direct employee status. I take it that means I'm doing something right. Is it too much to hope that they'll start just paying me all the extra they've been paying to my staffing company? ;-)

- I have put myself on a diet. I am trying to stay within thirteen hundred healthy calories a day thanks to a calorie counter, and buckling down on my efforts to practice ballet for exercise outside of class. The calorie counter is mostly helpful in that it keeps me mindful of whether or not that can of soda is really worth it, and encouraging me to make better choices because the numbers indicate the difference. I feel hungry, but it allows me to get in complete and balanced meals while eliminating room for snackings during the day, so it's probably a good range for me.

- After the next week or so I am going to need a nice long rest. Fortunately my break from school and the finishing of my theater run coincide nicely. Perhaps during that time I will get more rest and start to de-stress.

Official Invitation: Hold Thy Peace presents MERELY PLAYERS

“All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages.” —Jacques, As You Like It, II.ii.139-166









Meet the Walking Shadows, a ragtag little troupe of Shakespearean actors as they struggle to revitalize a company that has seen better days! Come join us for this fun and funny Shakespeare revue that intersperses scenes from the Bard's most famous work with original comedic material poking fun at the nature of performing in a troupe and working together to make theater.

Seating is cabaret-style, with drinks and snacks available for purchase! All proceeds benefit future productions of Hold Thy Peace. Cash only, please.

Two nights only!
November 11th at 8PM
November 12th at 8PM

in Schwartz Auditorium at Brandeis University

Runtime: ~1 hour

Admission is free, donations gladly accepted

CAST
CORNELIA, the Director - Stephanie Karol (Goneril, Helena, Mark Antony, Thalia, Duchess of Gloucester)
SYLVIA, the Ingenue - Gabrielle Geller (Lady Capulet, Portia, Hermione)
DIONYZA, the Diva - April Farmer (Regan, Nurse, Decius, Shepherd)
MALCOLM, the Lead - Ben Federlin (Montano, King Lewis of France)
ORLANDO, the Lover - Andrew Prentice (Lord Montague, Cleomenes, Roderigo, Edward of York)
ARCITE, the Fool - Lenny Somervell (Edgar, Theseus, Autolycus, Iago)
VALERIA, the First Chorus - Jenna Schlags (Oswald, Clown, Emilia)
CRESSIDA, the Second Chorus - Emma Lieberman (Perdita, Bianca, Lady Bona)
CHARMIAN, the Third Chorus - Miriam Goldman (Brabantia)
Introducing
AUDREY, the Stage Manager - Carolyn Daitch
with
Waitresses - Caitlin Partridge (Juliet, Casca, Euphrosyne, Camilla, Desdemona, Margaret) and Charlotte Oswald (Hippolyta, Selene, Duchess of Venice, Duke of Gloucester)
Bartender - Jonathan Plesser (Albany, Lysander, Friar Lawrence, Julius Caesar, Damon, Polixenes, Othello, Duke of Suffolk)

CREW
Writer, Director, Costume Designer - Phoebe Roberts
Stage Manager, Technical Designer - Bernie Gabin
Producer, Research Assistant - Stephanie Karol
Hair and Makeup Artist, Choreography Assistant - Rachel Feldman
Choreography Assistant - Carolyn Daitch

My tragic pattern

I can be such a dumbass. Whenever a due date for school comes up, I end up feeling like I don't have enough time and spend the last handful of days leading up to it killing myself to get my analytical responses and my dramatic writing done. I have trouble using bits and pieces of time to get anything done; it requires a mental shift for me to do buckle down into the work, which means I need a decent-sized chunk of time to really dig into my assignments. And when it's finally done, I feel so brain-drained I want to take a break for a few days... after which point, there's ANOTHER due date just a few days away again, and I'm back in the same situation. *Sigh* On top of that, I'm trying to figure out what promises to be the most complex, delicate, and elaborate blocking for Merely Players, which I want to have ready to teach the cast by this Sunday's rehearsal. Speaking of which, does anybody have any time during the day on Saturday to maybe help me work some of the choreography out? In case you're wondering, yes, though not precisely the same, this does technically qualify as "all my shows must have a dance!" ;-)

My blocking style: CREATIVE ADRENALINE HYPERDRIVE MODE

Had a ballet class the other day, my first at the school that blendedchaitea* is also attending. I enjoyed it, though it wasn't quite what I expected. I guess because they don't expect you to necessarily be there every class, it wasn't so much like "here is the lesson" as "follow along with the teacher as she goes." I did a reasonable job of following along, as I am fairly athletic even if I am totally unschooled. I enjoyed the challenge of it, and I liked that it felt like a workout. Though I really need to drop a few pounds. My thighs have gotten big enough to make some of the closer-set leg positions uncomfortable to do properly, which I loathe. Makes me feel like a tub. Hopefully the ballet will contribute to the slimming down, which will in turn make the ballet easier. I'm hoping to go again tonight before I meet Jared for BSCF.

Second Merely Players rehearsal yesterday was a rousing success. I was really pleased with the blocking we set down. I like to go into rehearsals with a very firm plan of what we're going to be doing with each scene. My preferred style is to give a solid framework for each scene's action, then have the actors develop their own pieces of it from there. It usually comes out with very good results when I've come up with something good that inspires the cast acting it out. But sometimes just working on the blocking on my own, I don't quite... get there. I don't get inspired to figure something out that's quite on the level I want it to be. As I've said so many times before, I believe a dynamic, well-composed, and well-orchestrated stage is the key to an engaging production. That's a pretty tough thing to achieve. So sometimes, like last night, I end up having to go in with my plan about seventy-five percent of where I want it to be. But then, once I'm in rehearsal, the creative pressure kicks in. I don't want my cast to see me unprepared, or turning in a level of work less than what I believe I'm capable of, so I'd better figure it out RIGHT NOW GODDAMN IT. And that frenzied urgency to turn it out right now so I don't let down my actors, what I call CREATIVE ADRENALINE HYPERDRIVE, kicks up the plan the final twenty-five percent. We worked out some really great, active, dynamic stuff last night that seemed to click with the actors performing it, and I felt really on my game.

This is really important ot me because I believe plays, particularly plays with a classical bent, benefit from activity that is supertextual. Hold Thy Peace has never been very good at bringing a lot of action to the stage that is not directly informed by the text. But things that are done even when they are not said can add more depth, more visual texture, and explicate aspects of the show that otherwise may seem unclear, rushed, or plain unbelievable. Merely Players in particular I wanted to be extremely active and visually layered, so having a lot going on is crucial. This is an unusual case because I happened to have also written this text we're working with, but but I prefer to included as little blocking in a script as possible in order to allow it to be directed without baggage. I included a litlte to suggest the sort of physical humor I wanted to get at, but largely I wanted to develop the staging independently of the script so that we didn't limit what we could do. And that means coming up with a lot of stuff that isn't written down, that adds layers to just the things suggested by the words.

There is, it occurred to me last night, just one weird downside to these energetic creative bursts. They kind of take up so much of my brainpower that there isn't much room left over for anything else. Normally I'd say I'm a pretty together, mentally present person when it comes to running mundane responsibility stuff-- scheduling, staying organized, being on top of what's going on, things like that. But I find when I go into that CREATIVE ADRENALINE HYPERDRIVE mode, it pushes all ability to handle those things right out of my head. There is only the project, work for the project, make the project great-- but I can't seem to remember the rehearsal schedule I made for that night, I have a hard time focusing on anything I have to read, and my brain moves so far ahead of my mouth that I sometimes forget what I'm talking about. I spent rehearsal practically bouncing off the walls, and by the end of it I was twitchy and babbly. But it is worth it to lose a little of my mental composure, because we came up with some really fun, interesting, funny stuff to use in the show. I'm really proud of myself, and incredibly pleased with the people I was working with, who were kind enough to gently remind me the different between eight o'clock and nine o'clock when I lost the ability to tell.

First Merely Players rehearsal



We had our first rehearsal for Merely Players on Sunday, and I was really pleased. The actors for the most part picked up the sort of feeling we're going for very quickly, allowing us to jump into the blocking. We're going for a very delicate kind of meta here, where everything is meant to be commentary on and parody of working in a theater troupe with all other aspects of the story being secondary. That means that whenever anyone does anything onstage, it's not so much for service to the plot or the expression of the character they're playing, but rather intended to make a point on the subject matter in a humorous way. It's a weird way for an actor used to building a performance based on creating a character who wants a thing to conceptualize what they're supposed to be doing up there, but pretty much everybody seems to be getting it. I'll have to do a good job explaining to make sure everybody's following.

Best of all, I think it's going to be genuinely funny. Humor can be a very elusive thing, requiring timing and judicious setup, and is not easy to really nail. But I'm proud of what we've done so far. Contrary to my usual control-freak ways, I am working very hard to encourage collaboration, so as to enrich the material with as many funny things as we can come up with. I am fortunate to have a game and gutsy cast who is willing to take risks to make it really funny. This is niobien*'s first time acting onstage, and she has been wonderful, enthusiastic, energetic, and very, very fun to work with. I think the audience is going to love her. I'm working really hard to have a lot going on onstage, to give it visual texture and keep a lot of the comedy physical. The more theater I do, the more fixated I become on the notion that good theater is visually engaging and dynamic, never leaving just a flat and static stage.

One thing I have resolved is that I am not going to stress over this show at all. If something doesn't go exactly right in the process, if things don't work out the way I plan, I am just going to roll with it. This is not supposed to be a magnum opus we're all going to hold up as high art we made for years to come; this is supposed to be a fun show where we experiment, learn some stuff, have some fun, and hopefully make our audience laugh. And one way or another, it will get done.

Merely Players cast list!

After a great deal of wrangling, adapting, and making hard decisions, with the release of the Margaret list I was able to nail down the cast of Merely Players. Our ragtag but intrepid troupe The Walking Shadows shall be portrayed as follows:

Cornelia, the Director - Stephanie Karol
Sylvia, the Ingenue - Gabrielle Geller
Dionyza, the Diva - April Farmer
Malcolm, the Lead - Ben Federlin
Orlando, the Lover - Andrew Prentice
Arcite, the Fool - Lenny Somervell
Valeria, the First Chorus - Jenna Schlags
Cressida, the Second Chorus - Emma Lieberman
Charmian, the Third Chorus - Miriam Goldman
Audrey, the Stage Manager - Carolyn Daitch

As always, I had more people than I could use, which meant some talented, awesome actors could not be cast. And since I'd made a promise to prioritize those with smaller roles or no roles in Margaret, or even those that weren't booked up by other shows, that meant certain poeple who I would normally leap to work with could not be chosen in fairness to the stated mission. *sigh* Let it not be said that I am not a woman of my word, even when it requires me to make some cuts that pain me. It was really important to me to do right by the club, and I feel like I can say that I did.

Looking at the complete list, it strikes me how little overlap there is with this list with those of the previous shows I've directed. To Think of Nothing had three actors in common with Hamlet, probably the three that struck me the most with their particular abilities, while this show has none. There's only one actor from To Think of Nothing in it, though not for lack of trying. Much as I miss them, it does kind of make me feel good that I was able to use a number of people tried out for To Think of Nothing that I wasn't able to cast that time, not for their lack of talent, but just because I didn't have room. I assured them once that I still though they were worthy in my estimation even though I had no parts for them, and it's kind of nice to be able to make good on that assurance now. And it's good to work with new people, to vary up your theatrical experience. It may help me improve and grow as a director.

The first read through is tonight. As I did for To Think of Nothing, I plan on cooking dinner for all those lovely souls who will be contributing their time and effort to act out this play. I think it's a nice way to start off the working relationship. Got to win goodwill from your actors straight off, and God knows if you feed those creatures you've won their loyalty for life.

Please let this coming week be calmer...

At last, the week of ceaseless theater and theater prep is over. I went to all four shows of As You Like It, which turned out to be a thoroughly enjoyable production. There was lots of good acting and great humor as I was hoping there would be, and it was also nice to be reminded just how good Jared is. I haven't seen him act in a while, and I was incredibly proud of the performance he turned in as Oliver, the hero's wicked elder brother who reforms by the end to marry the heroine's cute cousin. He seems to have enjoyed it too, as they were a great group to work with and he very much liked his part. usernamenumber too is particuarly worth a mention in his hilarious portrayal of Touchstone who was easily everyone's favorite part of the play. My favorites of his line readings were his scary-heavy-metal-voice "DOTH MY SIMPLE VISAGE CONTENT YOU?" and "Thou art in a perilous state, shepheeeeeeeerd!' The picnic on Saturday made it even better. We ended up in a group of over twenty people, with lots and lots of delicious food to share. It doesn't get much better than combining three of the best things in the world, food, friends, and theater.

I hope this coming week is lower-key. Even if I'm enjoying the things I'm doing, constantly having to run from one thing to the next is a surefire way to stress me out. I'm still a little residually edgy. But on the plus side, I will soon be able to release the cast list for Merely Players, which I am very excited for. Had a very productive meeting with Dave to make sure we were on the same page, and I think things are going to work out very well. He was great to talk to and I think he'll be great for everyone involved in the show to work with. My parents are also coming in, and I know they're going to need my help with some stuff they need to get done while they're here. More work, I guess, but it will be nice to see them. Here's hoping I get a minute to catch my breath after the week I've had.

First steps for Merely Players

Merely Players auditions happened last night. They went well, and I liked and would be happy to use every single person I saw, though out of eleven I only have room to cast nine. Alas, I am spoiled for choice. Poor me. ;-) I could probably nail down a list right now, though, except that Dave has requested that I wait until he can finalize the Margaret list next Wednesday. He's afraid of losing people he wants to other shows when common casting rolls around, and any shifts he has to make because of that might affect my list. I certainly can understand, I lost three actors that way back when I did Hamlet, and though it worked out, for a while it was quite painful to fill the gaps. Still, I kind of wish we could jump in and get started. Seeing people come out for my show last night has got me really raring to go.

After this crazy week ends, I need to get serious about finishing the blocking. I have a lot of ideas, and some things nailed down concretely, but I like to go into rehearsals with at least a solid idea of what we'll be doing. It always changes once it gets worked, of course, but it helps cut down on wasted time. Though one thing that's kind of exciting is that this is very much a living script, I expect it to evolve and change as we rehearse it, and I welcome suggestions and ideas from the actors. If anyone has a thought on how to make it flow better, or to make the piece funnier, I want to hear it to make it the most entertaining piece it can be. I've never really worked like that before, nor do I think any of these others have, but that's the way writers often develop their new plays. It will be an exciting new challenge.

Intense week of theater

Gah. Things started getting busy last Thursday and won't let up until the end of this coming weekend. We got Jared successfully moved into his new place with an intrepid team of him, Bernie, Steph, and myself. It actually went pretty smoothly except for the actual travel, because traffic was so awful it took three times as long to get anywhere as it should have. But I'm glad to have gotten it taken care of, and I think it's been nice for Jared to be in Somerville since he's in tech week for his show.

The show is going to be going up this coming weekend. I promised to attend all four performances starting on Thursday, the Saturday of which the big potluck picnic will be. I am excited, but I need to be ready and in organizational mode to make sure everything goes off all right. Hope to see as many lovely friends as possible there!

As for my own activities, this past weekend I spent finishing my latest homework assignment and recovering from a blindingly bad migraine. Saturday and Sunday I spent working, but I woke up on Labor Day with a halo in my right eye that I only noticed when I tried to go back to my school reading. Soon the headache set in on the left side of my head, followed by waves of nausea and vomiting. If Bernie hadn't been able to quickly run me over some Excedrin Migraine, I don't know what I would have done. I've only just started getting migraines about a year and a half ago, and even then I've only ever had four or five, but that was easily the worst one I've ever had. I had recently experienced a lot of the factors that contribute to getting migraines-- stress, long hours staring at a computer screen, hormonal changes due to my prescription running out and being unable to get a timely refill appointment --but it does kind of make me nervous that they seem to have become worse with every episode. It may be something worth addressing with a doctor, before I end up with an aneurysm or something.

Auditions for Merely Players are tomorrow night. I was a little nervous at first, as not very many people had contacted me with interest in coming out, but now it looks like things will be fine. I'm very excited to nail down a cast for this. I have not gotten the name of a single person I wouldn't like to cast, so I fear if I get many more I'm going to run into the same painful situation as I did with To Think of Nothing-- more fantastic people than I can use. The decision maker will probably end up being comparing it to Dave's cast list for Margaret and taking those with smaller parts of who didn't get parts in his show, which was my plan all along.

I also am trying out for a couple of things myself. I found a production of Titus and a production of Romeo and Juliet that have an open call. I wish they weren't this week, as it doesn't leave me a ton of time to prepare, but them's the breaks sometimes. I am not terribly optimistic, as I've tried out for a lot of things this summer that I didn't get in, but you never know unless you try. That is the closest I can get to being hopeful, I suppose, being convinced it's futile but keeping at it anyway. It's probably the only thing keeping my functional, given what a pessimist I really am.

Staying positive

Gah, what an insanely busy week. My office has been packed with high-ranking executives from other branches of the company, so I had a lot of additional responsibilities relating to accommodating them. They were all very nice, and since a lot of it involved organizing breakfast and lunch it played to my skill set, but it meant I came in early and stayed late almost every day this week and was constantly running from one thing to the next to cram in all my work. On top of that, I've been trying to run errands and do homework for an upcoming due date through intermittent bouts of randomly getting sick. All of this has left me kind of stressed out and overwhelmed, which is threatening to make me withdrawn and down. So in an effort to combat that, I shall take a moment to focus on the good things that have happened lately.

- I am steadily learning how to use my sewing machine. Lise's tips have helped, and I've been getting in some good practice. Moreover, it's an activity I'm enjoying doing, and I'm looking forward to making more things.

- I am sticking to my resolution to eat better, and actually making myself exercise on a regular basis. I don't think it's taken off any weight yet, but that takes time and patience.

- My finances are unusually comfortable this month. I budgeted carefully, and getting a little overtime didn't hurt.

- Apparently I impressed some people at work enough that they asked if I might be interested in a full-time opportunity. I had to regretfully decline, as I really don't have time with my homework to do as well, but it was nice that somebody thought well of me.

- Preparation for Merely Players goes well. Steph has agreed to be producer for it, and she is excellent at getting all the details organized for putting on a show. We are moving forward nicely, and I am super-excited to cast and work on the show.

If I focus on the positive, then maybe I won't feel so overwhelmed.

Merely Players script finished

At last, I have completely edited and polished up the script for Merely Players. I confess I am still not totally satisfied with it. The edit took me a long time because I was stuck on not being happy with a couple of areas and wasn't quite sure how to fix them. There's still a place or two where it doesn't feel quite right to me. But at least it's done and ready to go. I have sent it off to several trusted readers to examine and give suggestions on if any come to mind. The first reader I've heard back from has been positive, so perhaps it's better than I fear.

Now I must begin on really blocking it. There is some blocking incorporated into the stage directions, basically to convey to the reader how the blocking is supposed to support the melodramatic humor of the piece, but there needs to be a lot more stage business than just that. As I've mentioned, it's very important that this piece use space and interact with the audience differently than a typical show. I want the entire space to be utilized for the performance, not just the small auditorium stage, with all the characters being visible for most of the show, moving among the audience, unusual things like that. I know the space we're going to have and how we're going to arrange it. That's enough information to get started. I like going into a production with at least a solid idea of the blocking; it makes rehearsals go more smoothly. Of course you have to be willing to let things grow and evolve once the actors are involved, but I find everything works better when they have a jumping-off point.

My long important project list

There are so many things I need to get working on.

I want to get started with my schoolwork. The natural starting place seems to be to do the reading, but my teacher hasn't yet sent along the packet of ten-minute plays that I must respond to for my first assignment. I guess I can read the craft book I need to review; just ordered a copy of it now.

I need to finish planning the revival session of my Burn Notice game for this coming Tuesday. We will be joined by the fabulous Mr. Michael Hyde, who has graciously agreed to take on the role of Riker, the nerdy hacker who remade himself into the ultimate cool guy (or so he thinks.) He will be coming over for dinner tonight to discuss the particulars of the campaign and how best to fit into it. Hopefully it will inspire me a little. I like the sessions to be extensively planned out so there's a lot of detail and possibility, which requires a lot of forethought. I also like to emulate the way the show incorporate personal hooks for the characters into an otherwise caper-of-the-week plot structure, but that can be tough. No wonder I can't manage to run this as a weekly campaign; I could never churn out that level of work in that short a period.

I do, however, want to get serious about writing a ten-minute play a week. I think it would be beneficial to my development as a dramatist. The problem is right now I am totally stuck for an idea. I've always had this problem. When I have an idea, I've no trouble coming up with the project to match it, but when I know the project I need to do, I really suck a coming up with a fitting idea. I might have to cut it down to a ten-minute play every two weeks if it's going to be this tough to come up with something to write about. Suggestions welcome, I suppose.

I need to finish the final edit of Merely Players. The show is so close to being finalized it's painful, I just need to buckle down and make it work. I am endeavoring to add back in the stage manager character I had to cut for a lack of lines, but now I think I can include him if I make him a pantomime character who is totally silent for comedic effect. Also, I want to have an initial blocking plan made up to go into the process with. The show is supposed to be really funny, which the blocking must support, and is also intended to work outside the conventions of traditional theater. It has a cabaret sort of atmosphere, so the fourth wall is a lot less firm, for example, and the "actor's space" is not confined to a separate area understood to be the "stage." The blocking must take full advantage of that freedom, and be sufficiently unusual to create the proper effect.

I want to find a good beginner's sewing reference. I will be FINALLY getting my sewing machine at the end of the month, as that's when I will be next visiting home and my parents discovered the thing would be exorbitantly expensive to ship. In the meantime, I would like to cut out pattern pieces and study up to be ready for the machine. There's a lot about technique and terminology I am completely in the dark about, so might as well use the time before I can actually start sewing to read up on the matter and be prepared.

Sadly, I think I should probably be putting my new larp idea on hold. The Roman Empire game, which I am thinking I'm going to call Imperium, is very exciting to me right now, but sadly I think I need to be prioritizing dramatic writing and more immediately relevant writing instead. Of course, knowing me, I'll be struck by ideas for it anyway, which of course I will be obliged to record lest I forget them even if I'm not actively working on the project. Nice as it would be to have something new to debut at next Festival, I need to balance my love for larp writing with writing I can make greater use of in a career as a writer. I hate saying that, but my current portfolio is kind of unbalanced and that needs to be corrected.

So those are my major concerns right now. Looks like I have a lot of work ahead of me. Let's see what I can do. *cracks knuckles*

Theater to come

So as of this past Wednesday, Hold Thy Peace has a plan for next semester. This coming season will be really remarkable for the club, for a number of reasons. As I've mentioned, my little Shakespearean cabaret-style revue, Merely Players, will be going up as a side project. But the mainstage is looking to be particularly interesting this time around as well. A new member of Hold Thy Peace, a smart, sweet guy by the name of Dave Benger had a really cool idea of cutting together Shakespeare's plays that feature the historical French princess Margaret into one new play with her as the main character. It's a clever, novel idea for the club, not least because we have not had many shows with a true female lead. As if this weren't enough, Dave's relationship with the UTC is good enough that he got Brandeis Players, one of the other theater groups, interested in co-sponsoring the show. Given the animosity that has existed between HTP and the other groups in the past, this is a pretty big step forward in improving relations. If the collaboration goes well, it could really do a lot for mutual respect, as well as increasing mobility between the troupes. I confess my bad experiences in e past have made me a bit nervous, but I have high hopes. I think Dave is both capable enough and well-liked enough to make this happen, so I'll keep my fingers crossed.

One worry I do have is that if a lot of new actors come out for Margaret because of Players' involvement, some HTP members may end up losing out on parts they otherwise would have gotten if there suddenly weren't extra competition. Don't get me wrong, I think Dave will cast fairly according to who he feels deserves the part, but still, otherwise deserving people who have dedicated a lot of effort to the club may get shut out. If that's the case, then I think the only right thing is if Merely Players becomes the "overflow" show, taking those HTP members that didn't get into the main stage. I confess that's not my preference, I'd rather take whoever suits the roles best, but I want the show to serve the needs of the club. Of course, there may be only nine people who want to be in the damn thing, in which case no matter what that will have to be my cast.

In other acting news, I have secured an audition slot with the Actor's Shakespeare Project. I am very nervous; it's actually been years since I had to do a truly serious audition. It occurs to me that I should probably not follow my usual MO of reading men's parts and trying to stretch myself. I am more likely to impress better if I choose a piece that suits a twenty-something girl-- of which I frankly have no good examples in my current prepared repertoire. I will have to choose one, and get it ready for this Tuesday. Geez, that's soon, and I have so little time. Another thing I want to try is to see if I can emulate the style of acting I often see in ASP shows-- if that features often, it may be that is the style they want and end up casting, so it might improve my chances. I am not expecting to get anywhere regardless, and am endeavoring to firmly keep from getting my hopes up. Still, I think it's worth a shot.