The Guardian: Filler Week

This was what I'm going to call a "filler" or "set-up" week; just like a T.V. show sometimes does, this week was filled with a lot of necessary task completion that will pave the way towards greater things.

We got props this week and I was really pumped about the radio we found. It was so close to EXACTLY what I wanted when I imagined that radio prop. It even has the word "Biscuit" on it (Ren calls Beschut "Biscuit" at one point, so I feel it was destiny that we used this prop). We found a flower crown which is alright, but I think certainly needs some modification to become what I envisioned for the prop in the show. We also got a few blocks modeled to look like rocks or tree stumps which will work nicely for our set. I really need to start thinking about that "ring of nature" surrounding Ren's campsite, and how many of them I'd like to be bushes v.s. the rocks or tree stumps we found. And I also got to figure out where to get the bushes I want from.

We've only had one rehearsal this week so far, though we will be having another one on Sunday. Keanu was out of town this week, so we could only rehearse with Chloe and it didn't really make sense for us to do more than one solo character work rehearsal with her.

I went through much the same process with her that I did with Keanu last week. She, Will, and I discussed the character of Ren, her backstory, and her personality. I had Chloe move around and think about how Ren walks, how she interacts with the world around her physically, and her other idiosyncrasies. We went over how to consider her conditioning forces and given circumstances, as well as the world of the play and how it pertains to Ren.

I feel that rehearsal was probably the best of the three so far. I feel like, in each rehearsal, I learn more and more about how to be an efficient and successful director, and I'm really able to apply that stuff to the next rehearsal. I've learned a lot about my own personal directing style and how to marry that with the kinds of feedback and instructions that my actors personally respond best to.

Next week, we've got a BUNCH of rehearsals and the voice-over session. I'm looking forward to continuing this process.