So we had a weekend of performances, a day off and three days of tech and changes. We have a performance tonight and tomorrow is our official opening celebration.
The weekend was fascinating. It allowed us to tell our story to an audience and see how they responded. Laughs came where we never expected laughs. It was nice to hear how people responded. Certain lines got gasps from the audience. Others brought utter silence. And for me as an actor, with each performance I understood more and more what was needed from me to tell Marco's story. I really began to understand the necessity for clarity and specificity for every intention I have. I began to understand what it means to act Marco's struggle. To perform how time takes effect on him, and his relationships. I began to find what is his inner struggle and the line from the song City of Lies, "Venice or Veronica" took on a whole new meaning. This is his struggle and as the actor, I must show to the audience how they conflict within me and which pull is greater at any given moment. It is not enough to understand this. It is my obligation as the performer to put this into action, to tell this story with my voice, my heart, my mind, and my body and perform for the audience so they understand. And this requires extremely detailed choices.
It was great to learn all of this with live audiences. They helped inform so much and so in tech rehearsals this week, we changed 30 things. 30! That is a crazy amount but with this hard work and changes, I feel like the show has grown so much in just one week and I cannot wait to see how the audience responds tonight before our big press opening.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
Rehearsal Day 27, July 25th
Here I sit in my room, waiting to go to rehearsal and for our first day of previews. I must admit, technical rehearsal process was long. The cues we built in for the lights were incredibly detailed and specific, but the effect is nothing short of perfection. The costumes, the lights, the set have given rise to this world of Venice, Italy and we the actors get to play in it.
With the process of doing a new musical, I have learned how to be ready and prepared to change. Something is always changing. To be honest, our first real run-through was last night and that in itself had holds, so we have yet to ever run through this show without stopping. Our first time will be tonight with a house full of audience members. It is exhilarating: live theatre. What will happen on stage tonight will be discoveries that have yet to be explored. The audience will see choices being made, tested, and how they respond will influence how we progress the show. It is truly an interactive experience for our preview audiences. And I could not be more excited.
As we moved into the technical rehearsals, our team grew this week to about another 25 members, including our crew. The orchestra moved in and has filled the space with musical instruments, giving the show a whole new sound, the wigs and costumes have literally forced us to move a different way, see ourselves as our characters, and the set is a literal adult (or perhaps not so adult!) jungle gym, letting us play our way through the story. And we are still rehearsing, changing things this afternoon to try out tonight. Based on the audience this evening, there may be more changes in rehearsal tomorrow that will be incorporated into our second performance on Saturday evening. And this will continue until August 1st when our show stops changing for the time being and the choices we have made with our characters will be played through the remainder of the run.
It has been give weeks in the making and here we are now, finally ready to tell our story to audiences. Who knows what lies ahead...but we know what lay behind us and that was something so fulfilling and wonderful that anything that is to come can only be more to experience, learn from, grow from and enjoy. - Jason Heymann
(A month ago they were sketches. Now, we wear them.)
(The Bishop.)
(Tate being serious.)
(The set is alive.)
(Tech'ing.)
(Floors cleaned - just waiting now for the audience!)
With the process of doing a new musical, I have learned how to be ready and prepared to change. Something is always changing. To be honest, our first real run-through was last night and that in itself had holds, so we have yet to ever run through this show without stopping. Our first time will be tonight with a house full of audience members. It is exhilarating: live theatre. What will happen on stage tonight will be discoveries that have yet to be explored. The audience will see choices being made, tested, and how they respond will influence how we progress the show. It is truly an interactive experience for our preview audiences. And I could not be more excited.
As we moved into the technical rehearsals, our team grew this week to about another 25 members, including our crew. The orchestra moved in and has filled the space with musical instruments, giving the show a whole new sound, the wigs and costumes have literally forced us to move a different way, see ourselves as our characters, and the set is a literal adult (or perhaps not so adult!) jungle gym, letting us play our way through the story. And we are still rehearsing, changing things this afternoon to try out tonight. Based on the audience this evening, there may be more changes in rehearsal tomorrow that will be incorporated into our second performance on Saturday evening. And this will continue until August 1st when our show stops changing for the time being and the choices we have made with our characters will be played through the remainder of the run.
It has been give weeks in the making and here we are now, finally ready to tell our story to audiences. Who knows what lies ahead...but we know what lay behind us and that was something so fulfilling and wonderful that anything that is to come can only be more to experience, learn from, grow from and enjoy. - Jason Heymann
(A month ago they were sketches. Now, we wear them.)
(The Bishop.)
(Tate being serious.)
(The set is alive.)
(Tech'ing.)
(Floors cleaned - just waiting now for the audience!)
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Rehearsal Day 20, July 17th
We are very much in the thick of the process right now. Tech week is ever present, looming over our heads as we work to create the show we know we have amidst all the choices we have been making the past few weeks. With each run of different sections of the show, I find myself understanding more and more who Marco is. Now the process becomes about tweaking. Fixing posture here. Watching my line speed there. Defining the strongest acting intention. Going over notes at night with my script by my side. Reassessing choices I made earlier and filling up the beats even more. It is extreme detail work. The polish to make the work shine. For the first time in my life, I really feel like I have created a character from the page and breathed life into him and now am challenged with making what was once an idea into a human being.
And what is great is that I have seen myself mature in this process. What once made me frustrated now is welcomed. I feel a sense of ownership over my work and I allow constructive criticism to give way to growth. I take everything in, process it, and make new choices. And it is hard work. And it is fun. And it is my passion. And it is my life. And for all these reasons, I couldn't feel more blessed.
Friday night is crew view - our first real semblance of an audience for a run of the show. Two days of work until then. Based on where we are now, this will be quite a roller coaster! And I mean that in the best way possible! - Jason Heymann
(The set is coming together.)
(And more and more the world comes together.)
(Singing and dancing the song "Heaven and Hell." Anna spins while Robbie teaches the dance.)
(A further back shot of "Heaven and "Hell.")
And what is great is that I have seen myself mature in this process. What once made me frustrated now is welcomed. I feel a sense of ownership over my work and I allow constructive criticism to give way to growth. I take everything in, process it, and make new choices. And it is hard work. And it is fun. And it is my passion. And it is my life. And for all these reasons, I couldn't feel more blessed.
Friday night is crew view - our first real semblance of an audience for a run of the show. Two days of work until then. Based on where we are now, this will be quite a roller coaster! And I mean that in the best way possible! - Jason Heymann
(The set is coming together.)
(And more and more the world comes together.)
(Singing and dancing the song "Heaven and Hell." Anna spins while Robbie teaches the dance.)
(A further back shot of "Heaven and "Hell.")Just a short note ...
To anyone and everyone reading, I invite you to post comments, questions, et cetera, on the blog. The Theatre and Interpretation Center as well as myself want to see if this can be more interactive for readers since this is the first blog for a show they have ever done.
If you enjoy reading more and want me to do the writing, that works for me as well. I just wanted to make sure the offer was extended. Time to get back to rehearsal. I have to get my boots on... - Jason Heymann
If you enjoy reading more and want me to do the writing, that works for me as well. I just wanted to make sure the offer was extended. Time to get back to rehearsal. I have to get my boots on... - Jason Heymann
Rehearsal Day 15, July 11th
Last night we were working on a scene and Sheryl said to me, "Jason thinks that Marco should leave Giulia and be with Veronica, but that is not what Marco thinks." This struck me - especially after what I wrote in the last blog entry. Being the sentimental, heart-driven person I am, of course I think Marco should choose love over anything, but Sheryl was right. If Marco made that choice, there would be no play. Marco must be battling with his own super objectives throughout the story until the last minute where he does his first selfless act, gives up his life for love. Then and only then can the story find resolution.
With this is mind, I sat this morning with my moleskine and mapped out Marco's super objectives, his plan for his life and how it changes after specific scenes. I thought that I would share what I came up with. As of right now, it is what is making the most sense. I think I need to become even more specific and raise the strength of the objectives but here is what I have:
Top of the show: become the rich, famous senator who has everything.
Kiss me scene: become the rich, famous senator who has the perfect
girl (Veronica).
Wedding scene: become the rich, famous, noble senator who serves his country.
Post art song scene: become the rich, famous, noble senator who serves his country and has the hottest girl on the side.
1st Giulia scene scene: become the rich, famous, noble senator who made this marriage work / get Veronica somehow.
Pasacaglia scenes: become the rich, famous, noble senator who made this marriage work / GET VERONICA.
Poetry duel scene: become the rich, famous, noble senator who married for his country AND GET VERONICA.
By this point, that second objective of getting Veronica has grown so much that when push comes to shove in the scene with Veronica and Maffio, he attacks Maffio and runs after Veronica.
I Would Love You Now scene: must get Veronica or he will not be able to go on living.
Post love making scene: become the rich, famous, noble senator who married for his country and loves the woman of his choosing.
King Henry scene: become the rich, famous, noble senator who gets what he wants.
City of Lies scene: save Veronica--clean the slate, don't know what to do it, but he needs to save her--this is all that is making sense now
Prison scene: save Veronica by stopping Maffio and then when that fails, save Veronica by stopping her; make her confess so they can be together and he doesn't lose her.
Trial scene: save Veronica by surrendering his own self.
End: let her be free of any cage and live his life in hope for their love.
I'd say it's been a good few hours of discovery. I feel like I am begging to stand up on my own two feet and take charge of this character and starting to make choices. And it feels good. - Jason Heymann
(the arches get columns.)
(Laura posing in the new arches.)
(My wig fitting. Keep in mind this is without any dressings!)
(Trying to figure out the bang length.)
With this is mind, I sat this morning with my moleskine and mapped out Marco's super objectives, his plan for his life and how it changes after specific scenes. I thought that I would share what I came up with. As of right now, it is what is making the most sense. I think I need to become even more specific and raise the strength of the objectives but here is what I have:
Top of the show: become the rich, famous senator who has everything.
Kiss me scene: become the rich, famous senator who has the perfect
girl (Veronica).
Wedding scene: become the rich, famous, noble senator who serves his country.
Post art song scene: become the rich, famous, noble senator who serves his country and has the hottest girl on the side.
1st Giulia scene scene: become the rich, famous, noble senator who made this marriage work / get Veronica somehow.
Pasacaglia scenes: become the rich, famous, noble senator who made this marriage work / GET VERONICA.
Poetry duel scene: become the rich, famous, noble senator who married for his country AND GET VERONICA.
By this point, that second objective of getting Veronica has grown so much that when push comes to shove in the scene with Veronica and Maffio, he attacks Maffio and runs after Veronica.
I Would Love You Now scene: must get Veronica or he will not be able to go on living.
Post love making scene: become the rich, famous, noble senator who married for his country and loves the woman of his choosing.
King Henry scene: become the rich, famous, noble senator who gets what he wants.
City of Lies scene: save Veronica--clean the slate, don't know what to do it, but he needs to save her--this is all that is making sense now
Prison scene: save Veronica by stopping Maffio and then when that fails, save Veronica by stopping her; make her confess so they can be together and he doesn't lose her.
Trial scene: save Veronica by surrendering his own self.
End: let her be free of any cage and live his life in hope for their love.
I'd say it's been a good few hours of discovery. I feel like I am begging to stand up on my own two feet and take charge of this character and starting to make choices. And it feels good. - Jason Heymann
(the arches get columns.)
(Laura posing in the new arches.)
(My wig fitting. Keep in mind this is without any dressings!)
(Trying to figure out the bang length.)
Rehearsal Day 14, July 10th
As I submit these blog entries, I find myself losing track of the days. How long have we been in rehearsal? What is the date? Did this happen yesterday or today? As far as I know, maybe it's happening tomorrow. The only thing that is comprehensible right now when it comes to time is that the work is endless and seamless. Mornings fall into afternoons that dive into evenings and before I know it, I am waking up to my script in front of me, searching for my character. The rehearsal day has become the rehearsal month- never ending or beginning. The work is continuous and that is a blessing for an artist.
After the stumble-through night we were welcomed back into the rehearsal space with a discussion of changes being made. Some things were cut, one being an entire song. It was challenging for some of us. We put our heart and soul into the work and create an arc for the character. Then to have something big changed really messes with your work. But in the end, the changes are necessary to tell the best story possible, and we as the actors must take it as a challenge. So now we head into two weeks of taking the stumble-through and juicing out the best show we can.
Personally, I now confront the hardest part of my process. I realize my character and who he is. Now I must discover which pieces of me are right for Marco and which are not. I have to search through my identities and pick and chose which are right. I am finding myself putting too much of the sensitive, emotional side into him and not enough of my positive, self-assured side. He needs to live by expectations, always anticipating things to work his way and then let the disappointments take effect. All things I must explore. And I have two weeks before we have an audience. The real work is just beginning.
Here we go... - Jason Heymann
(Working in the maze on the 20th-something version of the opening!)
After the stumble-through night we were welcomed back into the rehearsal space with a discussion of changes being made. Some things were cut, one being an entire song. It was challenging for some of us. We put our heart and soul into the work and create an arc for the character. Then to have something big changed really messes with your work. But in the end, the changes are necessary to tell the best story possible, and we as the actors must take it as a challenge. So now we head into two weeks of taking the stumble-through and juicing out the best show we can.
Personally, I now confront the hardest part of my process. I realize my character and who he is. Now I must discover which pieces of me are right for Marco and which are not. I have to search through my identities and pick and chose which are right. I am finding myself putting too much of the sensitive, emotional side into him and not enough of my positive, self-assured side. He needs to live by expectations, always anticipating things to work his way and then let the disappointments take effect. All things I must explore. And I have two weeks before we have an audience. The real work is just beginning.
Here we go... - Jason Heymann
(Working in the maze on the 20th-something version of the opening!)
Rehearsal Day 12, July 8th
Today we had our first stumble-through and it went surprisingly well. The past few days I have been working a Loy with Sheryl and Jenny on Marco and Veronica's story and arc, which in turn has helped tremendously on character.
The deeper I get into the character, the more I am fishing that Marco's obstacle is his own self, his pride, his vanity, and the duty imposed on him by society. His battle is with himself. It is a disconnect between mind and heart and he struggles to reconcile the two.
As I understand the character more, it is easier to make choices on stage. I have impulses constantly now that I am understanding who Marco is and I am able to try things out. I have so much more to discover, but this was the week it clicked. Now I must dive in.
The stumble-through was great. I felt that I found a good hold on the show and I am excited to head into the next three weeks before we open to audiences! - Jason Heymann
(The floor takes on new colors.)
(learning choreography for the wedding scene.)
The deeper I get into the character, the more I am fishing that Marco's obstacle is his own self, his pride, his vanity, and the duty imposed on him by society. His battle is with himself. It is a disconnect between mind and heart and he struggles to reconcile the two.
As I understand the character more, it is easier to make choices on stage. I have impulses constantly now that I am understanding who Marco is and I am able to try things out. I have so much more to discover, but this was the week it clicked. Now I must dive in.
The stumble-through was great. I felt that I found a good hold on the show and I am excited to head into the next three weeks before we open to audiences! - Jason Heymann
(The floor takes on new colors.)
(learning choreography for the wedding scene.)
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