Hello, hello! We made it through another rehearsal and face another one today. I think we're starting to feel the fatigue that comes with the end of the week. Yesterday's rehearsal was rather low-energy and yet, we still accomplished quite a bit.
We finished the Harpy. I took some footage of it and am debating posting it now or waiting until we go to Edinburgh and use it to entice people to NYC. We'll see how I feel after I play with it. The harpy is looking great. The movement is full, energetic, powerful, forceful, sharp, smooth and, well, freaky. I can't wait to terrify the audience with it in all honesty... :)
We also looked at the scene the harpy fits into again - III.iii. We questioned some of the previous cuts we made in regards to this scene. What we're struggling with now is making enough cuts to the show so that we can get in and out of the Edinburgh venue space in 2 hours while also keeping the clarity in the throughline of the story. This proves to be harder than it sounds because we know the text backwards and forwards, so if we make a cut, we still know exactly what's going on...we need to make sure that people seeing it for the first time will still know exactly what's going on.
Another interesting challenge that we took into account yesterday is in switching roles throughout the show, we need to make sure that one person's play of a character supports that of another person's play of a character in another scene. This way it won't look like each character is starting over when a new person picks them up and plays them. We want a continuous, building arc and a very solid journey.
We decided that we would add a journey rehearsal to our list of upcoming and necessary music and transition rehearsals. We want to play the scenes that one set of characters are in back to back to back - to follow their progression and see how it plays, builds, and caps off. We can do this several times for several different groups of characters that work together throughout the show.
Whew. Today we are looking at the physical elements in the scenes we've done thus far. Our faculty advisor and movement specialist, Felix Ivanov, is in from NYC this weekend and has agreed to come in and tell us what he sees in our work. What's working, what needs clarity...etc. We are so blessed to have him. We will continue to work through III.iii since the transitions in and out of the harpy are still vague and we have done more text work that feet work with this scene. We hope that the work done today will leave us with the opportunity tomorrow to run the string of scenes we've worked on so far.
I say this with love, peace, hope and laughter....
Jana for the Tempest Ladies x
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Friday, July 16, 2010
Rehearsal/Film/Thunder Storm
Whew - Friday morning! This week is going by so quickly! I don't know what to do with it...rehearse maybe?
I have to make this brief. There is so much to say and so little time to say it.
We rehearsed III.iii yesterday - the Harpy scene - and got through about half of the Harpy. We made some very necessary changes to it. We worked on it while in NYC and changed it there. Yesterday we got on our feet and tried to find what we did in NYC...struggled and scrapped everything we changed, rebuilding the entire piece. We examined the text more and divided it among ourselves differently so that the thoughts meld with each other and the piece builds with power and clarity. We then proceeded to put it on its feet and started to find movement with it to correspond to the action of the text. This isn't to say we were completely lacking before.... however, because we have time to explore we are taking advantage of the opportunity to unearth layers in the text that were not revealed before.
We ended rehearsal at four and immediately switched artistic gears, getting "camera ready" and putting on make up for the first time in four days. We filmed our "promo" video in Thornden Park...and gathered a lot of attention. Not only were our costumes something to snigger at, but everyone wanted to be in the film. We got comments like "Is this a joke?" and " Is this going to be on MTV?" and - my favorite - "Is this for Lady GaGa?" ...We told them all "Yes."
Today we are looking to finish basic work on the Harpy and do a run of the scenes we've worked through to this point. It feels like we've accomplished half of the play, but the scenes we have left to work are ones that will require even more physical effort than what we've already exerted, so we still have "miles to go before we sleep." Seeing as we're having such a good time, I don't think this will be at all burdensome.
It thunderstormed last night - I slept through it - but the girls texted each other saying, "Listen to that Tempest." We think this is a good omen for our project...the elements support us!
With Love,
The TLs
PS - We had the pleasure of meeting new SU Drama Chair, Ralph Zito, yesterday. We had a wonderful time divulging our project to him and we look forward to sharing our work with him in Edinburgh. The Department is very lucky to have him.
I have to make this brief. There is so much to say and so little time to say it.
We rehearsed III.iii yesterday - the Harpy scene - and got through about half of the Harpy. We made some very necessary changes to it. We worked on it while in NYC and changed it there. Yesterday we got on our feet and tried to find what we did in NYC...struggled and scrapped everything we changed, rebuilding the entire piece. We examined the text more and divided it among ourselves differently so that the thoughts meld with each other and the piece builds with power and clarity. We then proceeded to put it on its feet and started to find movement with it to correspond to the action of the text. This isn't to say we were completely lacking before.... however, because we have time to explore we are taking advantage of the opportunity to unearth layers in the text that were not revealed before.
We ended rehearsal at four and immediately switched artistic gears, getting "camera ready" and putting on make up for the first time in four days. We filmed our "promo" video in Thornden Park...and gathered a lot of attention. Not only were our costumes something to snigger at, but everyone wanted to be in the film. We got comments like "Is this a joke?" and " Is this going to be on MTV?" and - my favorite - "Is this for Lady GaGa?" ...We told them all "Yes."
Today we are looking to finish basic work on the Harpy and do a run of the scenes we've worked through to this point. It feels like we've accomplished half of the play, but the scenes we have left to work are ones that will require even more physical effort than what we've already exerted, so we still have "miles to go before we sleep." Seeing as we're having such a good time, I don't think this will be at all burdensome.
It thunderstormed last night - I slept through it - but the girls texted each other saying, "Listen to that Tempest." We think this is a good omen for our project...the elements support us!
With Love,
The TLs
PS - We had the pleasure of meeting new SU Drama Chair, Ralph Zito, yesterday. We had a wonderful time divulging our project to him and we look forward to sharing our work with him in Edinburgh. The Department is very lucky to have him.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Rehearsal Number Three
Hard to believe it's now Thursday and we are over halfway through the week. I think we're all getting used to the idea that we will be staying here and are really settling in. We spend many a giddy night laughing at different ways to plug our show and advertise our ensemble...we play with lines in the script, sing diddies, and make up really bad slogans so that we laugh until we ache.
Yesterday was spent reviewing the two scenes - II.i and II.ii - that we did the day before, Tuesday. We played with II.ii briefly and did a run of II.i into II.ii working the transition. This made us realize that we will probably need a rehearsal solely for transitions because there are many of them and we don't want a slow transition to waste the precious time we're allotted in the Fringe space.
We also went into working scenes III.i and III.ii. These were really great scenes to play with. Each of these scenes contains three key characters. So Holly, Stella, and Sarah play the characters in III.i and Dana, Laura, and I (Jana) play the characters in III.ii. We ended up tableworking the scenes as a group, reading through our respective parts, discussing what's happening in the scene, discussing what's happening between the characters - what the characters want...etc. Then we put one scene in one room and one scene in the hallway and played within our scenes. This was the perfect scenario because it allowed everyone to work and progress for the next hour through their scene, finding things and discovering things without the pressure of outside eyes. At the end of the hour, we came back together and showed each other what we had found. It was so encouraging to have friendly outside eyes looking in. We loved each other's scenes - not just because we love each other - but because we love what each other came up with...and we know we'll find more. We told each other what we saw and what we thought worked within the scenes and encouraged each other to keep exploring.
This leads me to recognize the value in working with a group of trusted friends. It's important to have someone who can tell you the truth in love and to have someone to wants to see you succeed and will give you the motivation you need to do so.
All this said, we're making a lot of progress through the show. We've connected four scenes in a row and will add a fifth scene to that string today - working on the HARPY, which many of you thought was strange after watching our Kickstarter promo video. :P
After rehearsal today we're shooting our next promo video...which I must now chart out so that editing will be remotely possible...I will say goodbye for now.
As always, thank you for reading. Your eyes, thoughts, feedback, and love are always appreciated. x
Yesterday was spent reviewing the two scenes - II.i and II.ii - that we did the day before, Tuesday. We played with II.ii briefly and did a run of II.i into II.ii working the transition. This made us realize that we will probably need a rehearsal solely for transitions because there are many of them and we don't want a slow transition to waste the precious time we're allotted in the Fringe space.
We also went into working scenes III.i and III.ii. These were really great scenes to play with. Each of these scenes contains three key characters. So Holly, Stella, and Sarah play the characters in III.i and Dana, Laura, and I (Jana) play the characters in III.ii. We ended up tableworking the scenes as a group, reading through our respective parts, discussing what's happening in the scene, discussing what's happening between the characters - what the characters want...etc. Then we put one scene in one room and one scene in the hallway and played within our scenes. This was the perfect scenario because it allowed everyone to work and progress for the next hour through their scene, finding things and discovering things without the pressure of outside eyes. At the end of the hour, we came back together and showed each other what we had found. It was so encouraging to have friendly outside eyes looking in. We loved each other's scenes - not just because we love each other - but because we love what each other came up with...and we know we'll find more. We told each other what we saw and what we thought worked within the scenes and encouraged each other to keep exploring.
This leads me to recognize the value in working with a group of trusted friends. It's important to have someone who can tell you the truth in love and to have someone to wants to see you succeed and will give you the motivation you need to do so.
All this said, we're making a lot of progress through the show. We've connected four scenes in a row and will add a fifth scene to that string today - working on the HARPY, which many of you thought was strange after watching our Kickstarter promo video. :P
After rehearsal today we're shooting our next promo video...which I must now chart out so that editing will be remotely possible...I will say goodbye for now.
As always, thank you for reading. Your eyes, thoughts, feedback, and love are always appreciated. x
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Sensuality in the Storm
Hey All,
We rehearsed for the second time here in Syracuse. Instead of boring you with a play by play that begins every paragraph with "and then," I will describe our time together in the 900 block black box space with word fragments.
Wake up in the morning feeling like P Diddy....just kidding. ;)
Walk down. Jog down. Down the hill. Starbucks in hand. Iced Coffee. Iced. Enter the space. Blank. Black. Yellow line of tape. One step to audience members. They will wear the hats. Talk. Stretch. Talk. Laugh. Huh-hum. Breathe. Blow it out. Exhale. Breathe. Stretch. Laugh. Stranger. In rehearsal space. Exits. Laugh. Questions. Answers? Play. Walk through. Word through. Work through. Repeat. Discuss. Repeat. Repeat. Break. Half a granola bar. Back in action. Two more runs. Next scene. TRANSITIONS?! AHHH. Laugh through. Bridge. Under, over, crab walk. Collapse. Bridge up...yikes. Switch over. Switch. Triangle staging. Sit out. Time out. Play out. Work through. Work again. Spin out. Doubles. Doubles. They get it. Promo video discussion. More cuts? Shave it down. 10 minutes. Break. Breathe. Internet.
...Get the picture? Duh.
...Yeah, I reverted to middle school today. Call it a safe play?
Love,
The TLs
We rehearsed for the second time here in Syracuse. Instead of boring you with a play by play that begins every paragraph with "and then," I will describe our time together in the 900 block black box space with word fragments.
Wake up in the morning feeling like P Diddy....just kidding. ;)
Walk down. Jog down. Down the hill. Starbucks in hand. Iced Coffee. Iced. Enter the space. Blank. Black. Yellow line of tape. One step to audience members. They will wear the hats. Talk. Stretch. Talk. Laugh. Huh-hum. Breathe. Blow it out. Exhale. Breathe. Stretch. Laugh. Stranger. In rehearsal space. Exits. Laugh. Questions. Answers? Play. Walk through. Word through. Work through. Repeat. Discuss. Repeat. Repeat. Break. Half a granola bar. Back in action. Two more runs. Next scene. TRANSITIONS?! AHHH. Laugh through. Bridge. Under, over, crab walk. Collapse. Bridge up...yikes. Switch over. Switch. Triangle staging. Sit out. Time out. Play out. Work through. Work again. Spin out. Doubles. Doubles. They get it. Promo video discussion. More cuts? Shave it down. 10 minutes. Break. Breathe. Internet.
...Get the picture? Duh.
...Yeah, I reverted to middle school today. Call it a safe play?
Love,
The TLs
Signed, Sealed! Off-Off Broadway here we come!
Hello avid blog readers! Now that we have settled into our prospective living spaces and have gone to Wegmans to feed ourselves for the next three weeks it seems it is time for an important blog post. There is much to report on for our NYC production happening this fall. As you all know our kickstarter was successfully funded by our many supporters. On Wednesday June 30th we successfully booked our space for the last week in September. The space is the Off-Off Broadway Theater at the Roy Arias Studios on 43rd street.
The entire process for booking the space went smoothly. The manager was very excited to have us there because he has an affinity for Shakespeare (smart man). We put down our deposit and now we are good to go! At the bottom of this post is a link to their website! They have a lot of spaces for rent at reasonable prices. This is the perfect place for any up and coming theater artists.
http://royariasstudios.com
Check it out!
See you all in NYC very very soon!
Love,
The Tempest Ladies
The entire process for booking the space went smoothly. The manager was very excited to have us there because he has an affinity for Shakespeare (smart man). We put down our deposit and now we are good to go! At the bottom of this post is a link to their website! They have a lot of spaces for rent at reasonable prices. This is the perfect place for any up and coming theater artists.
http://royariasstudios.com
Check it out!
See you all in NYC very very soon!
Love,
The Tempest Ladies
Park Picnic/Prop Meeting
Hey Everyone!
We're heading into rehearsal number two in about an hour, but I wanted to take an opportunity to update you on our recent endeavors.
Last night we met in the park for a picnic dinner and some updates on where we are in our Fringe process. Chelsea, our stage manager, is doing a beautiful job in keeping us connected with all necessary sources. We talked luggage, fliers, and venue/housing locations in Edinburgh.
The torch was passed to Sarah, our other chief organizer, who had us brain storm for prop lists and costume pieces. The show, while very simplistic, does require certain items to accent and clarify the action on stage.
Stella and Dana are very excited to make some of the hats for the characters. They made some of the hats in the original production, but want to remake them so that we will carry a fresher look into Edinburgh.
Laura is showing a great interest in the music scene and seems to have a ball thinking of different products/items we can turn into musical instruments. We've decided as an ensemble that we want all actors present on the stage for the majority, if not all of, the show. This means that if an actor isn't in the action of the scene, they will always be supporting the scene with different musical underscoring. I'm excited to see where that goes. Different musical item ideas thrown around were: milk jugs, coconut shells, finger piano, kazoos, tambourines...etc.
We also decided what we want for our "commercial." We think this video will be a great way for us to promote our show to Edinburgh papers and media. We want them interested in seeing us before we arrive in Edinburgh. We think if we get them excited early, we will have a better shot of filling up our venue's houses from the beginning of the run. ...I will also add that I'm particularly thrilled with the opportunity to play with the editing of said video.
OH! We're also looking to have photos done of the ensemble in the rehearsal process. Holly astutely pointed out that these would be really useful for promoting the show later on in NYC...so we're hoping we will have access to those...
That's about it...will write more later when we have another rehearsal to report on.
This is Jana for The TLs... x
We're heading into rehearsal number two in about an hour, but I wanted to take an opportunity to update you on our recent endeavors.
Last night we met in the park for a picnic dinner and some updates on where we are in our Fringe process. Chelsea, our stage manager, is doing a beautiful job in keeping us connected with all necessary sources. We talked luggage, fliers, and venue/housing locations in Edinburgh.
The torch was passed to Sarah, our other chief organizer, who had us brain storm for prop lists and costume pieces. The show, while very simplistic, does require certain items to accent and clarify the action on stage.
Stella and Dana are very excited to make some of the hats for the characters. They made some of the hats in the original production, but want to remake them so that we will carry a fresher look into Edinburgh.
Laura is showing a great interest in the music scene and seems to have a ball thinking of different products/items we can turn into musical instruments. We've decided as an ensemble that we want all actors present on the stage for the majority, if not all of, the show. This means that if an actor isn't in the action of the scene, they will always be supporting the scene with different musical underscoring. I'm excited to see where that goes. Different musical item ideas thrown around were: milk jugs, coconut shells, finger piano, kazoos, tambourines...etc.
We also decided what we want for our "commercial." We think this video will be a great way for us to promote our show to Edinburgh papers and media. We want them interested in seeing us before we arrive in Edinburgh. We think if we get them excited early, we will have a better shot of filling up our venue's houses from the beginning of the run. ...I will also add that I'm particularly thrilled with the opportunity to play with the editing of said video.
OH! We're also looking to have photos done of the ensemble in the rehearsal process. Holly astutely pointed out that these would be really useful for promoting the show later on in NYC...so we're hoping we will have access to those...
That's about it...will write more later when we have another rehearsal to report on.
This is Jana for The TLs... x
Sunday, July 11, 2010
First Rehearsal
Hey All,
We've made it safely to Syracuse. We arrived yesterday via plane and train and got settled into our apartments - a little later than we may have planned, but we're all snug now. With a Target run for a shower curtain and fan we should be good to go. :)
We had a read through with our newly chosen characters today. We make a lot of switches during the show - from one character to another - and it made us laugh with just how many switches there are and just how quickly one of us must exit the stage with the last line of one scene and enter again with the first line of the next scene. All in all the read through sounded great. It felt so good to sink back into the text as an ensemble.
We're looking to get onto our feet this Tuesday. We came into these rehearsals completely memorized and off book, so we're anxious to get moving, working the text through our bodies.
We'll also be working to produce a "Tempest Trailer" that will show everyone what's "coming soon" to Edinburgh.
Needless to say, we'll be occupied and busy, but in the best sense. I think we're looking at a great time with great people in some great places.
So here's a shout out to you for reading - and we hope you'll stay tuned!
We've made it safely to Syracuse. We arrived yesterday via plane and train and got settled into our apartments - a little later than we may have planned, but we're all snug now. With a Target run for a shower curtain and fan we should be good to go. :)
We had a read through with our newly chosen characters today. We make a lot of switches during the show - from one character to another - and it made us laugh with just how many switches there are and just how quickly one of us must exit the stage with the last line of one scene and enter again with the first line of the next scene. All in all the read through sounded great. It felt so good to sink back into the text as an ensemble.
We're looking to get onto our feet this Tuesday. We came into these rehearsals completely memorized and off book, so we're anxious to get moving, working the text through our bodies.
We'll also be working to produce a "Tempest Trailer" that will show everyone what's "coming soon" to Edinburgh.
Needless to say, we'll be occupied and busy, but in the best sense. I think we're looking at a great time with great people in some great places.
So here's a shout out to you for reading - and we hope you'll stay tuned!
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