Ahhh...
Art. Almost back...
We had our first rehearsal today, a gouge session as we called it in the Navy, and a read through. Gouge was a term we used to describe the essential information, the central kernel, the heart of the matter. All the critical stuff, and nothing more. "What's the gouge for the test?" "What's the gouge on the new skipper?" Tonight it was phone numbers, addresses, process outline, expectations etc.
The read through was quite fun, though it seems a long time when your lines don't start until p94. It was very, very cool to hear the whole play out loud. It seems a fun group, and I'd forgotten about what the first meeting of cast and crew was like for actors. Every production I've worked on the last several years, even when I was cast, I have been very involved in producing the show, or like Les Liaisons Dangereuses I came into an already well established rehearsal process to fill a need.
It is a special time for me as an actor. Before the first time together it's, "Yeah, I got cast in this show. Sounds pretty fun." This is not bad in any way. After the first meeting or rehearsal you go away knowing who your new family is going to be for a while. It is like breaking through shrink wrap seal. I am already looking forward to seeing everybody again, even if it is not for three more weeks when we get to my scenes. I'll get to see half the group again on Wednesday, when we will do character and back story work together.
I made a few simple choices last night and stuck with them. Not the best, but not total suckage either. I did learn something in the last year, as I didn't have to keep my primary focus on my choices, I simply lived through them and the other actors. Some of my training sunk in, and it was tremendously fun! After watching a few things and being reminded how much room I have to grow over the last few weeks, that little affirmation was very ... affirming. One of the actors asked if I'd help them out. I replied it was very bad for actors to direct each other, but I'd do what I could to assist. A sincere and touching compliment, and looking back I realize there is lots of exercise work I'd like to do, like flat reads so I will be getting back to them tomorrow.
We had our first rehearsal today, a gouge session as we called it in the Navy, and a read through. Gouge was a term we used to describe the essential information, the central kernel, the heart of the matter. All the critical stuff, and nothing more. "What's the gouge for the test?" "What's the gouge on the new skipper?" Tonight it was phone numbers, addresses, process outline, expectations etc.
The read through was quite fun, though it seems a long time when your lines don't start until p94. It was very, very cool to hear the whole play out loud. It seems a fun group, and I'd forgotten about what the first meeting of cast and crew was like for actors. Every production I've worked on the last several years, even when I was cast, I have been very involved in producing the show, or like Les Liaisons Dangereuses I came into an already well established rehearsal process to fill a need.
It is a special time for me as an actor. Before the first time together it's, "Yeah, I got cast in this show. Sounds pretty fun." This is not bad in any way. After the first meeting or rehearsal you go away knowing who your new family is going to be for a while. It is like breaking through shrink wrap seal. I am already looking forward to seeing everybody again, even if it is not for three more weeks when we get to my scenes. I'll get to see half the group again on Wednesday, when we will do character and back story work together.
I made a few simple choices last night and stuck with them. Not the best, but not total suckage either. I did learn something in the last year, as I didn't have to keep my primary focus on my choices, I simply lived through them and the other actors. Some of my training sunk in, and it was tremendously fun! After watching a few things and being reminded how much room I have to grow over the last few weeks, that little affirmation was very ... affirming. One of the actors asked if I'd help them out. I replied it was very bad for actors to direct each other, but I'd do what I could to assist. A sincere and touching compliment, and looking back I realize there is lots of exercise work I'd like to do, like flat reads so I will be getting back to them tomorrow.
1 Comments:
I would bet you're welcome to observer any earlier rehearsals of other scenes, as well, if you wanted to.
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