"It's Really Difficult To Be Better Than The Story."

Today we worked on scenes from my version of Steph's story for the whole class. I would propose a scene I'd like improvised, give some background info and details I think useful to the actors (I want you to play this and you to play that), and then watch the improvisations. I found them useful in various ways. 

• Certain lines of dialogue would pop up that work well. 
• Seeing things physically made more sense of the conflicts and relationships in the scenes.
• Moments of physical action gave me ideas for games.
• Rhythms needed to make the scene fizz became clear very quickly.
• Different actors offered different things.
• Offers from actors (good or bad) gave me a good indication of how to (or how not to) write a scene.

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So I got a chance to work as a writer - Philippe would often ask me to comment after each improvisation, and I would then give feedback to help the actors improvise closer to what I want to write.

But in doing this I also got to work a bit as a director. Using words to get different qualities from actors.

"Be careful what you say to actors because ooh la la!" i.e. I had said to one actor that her character is 'nervous' at this moment, but 'sensitive' would have been a better word, as 'nervous' could lead the actor to play manic.

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Philippe also gave suggestions, such as us not seeing Steph when she first comes home. We see the mother talking to Steph, who is at the doorstep off stage. This gave the scene something else. Some mystery.

He also spoke about how a writer does his job and the director does his job. "Everybody has his job, but it's not the same." It's up to me to worry about what the characters say and do, but it's up to the director to find the way they say and do things.

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Towards the end of the class, when I had seen all the scenes I wanted to, I asked the class for some advice on the ending for my play. This involved me talking about what I want to do with the second half - which is a lot darker, and not something Steph spoke about when she told her story. It's more from my imagination now - which I find harder. Anyway, Philippe questioned whether I needed more. Otherwise I might be telling two stories which he said is difficult. "Who is the story about? Steph? Or the mother?" He advised me to stick with telling the first part of the story as "you need to write the first bit to know what to do later." Fair enough. But I do think I'm going in the right direction (of course I do - I'm the writer!). The story when first told never had a clear ending, and I'm trying to find that - which is hard. But I'll get there.

"It's really difficult to be better than the story."

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"Normally the end is open." Philippe spoke about how careful you have to be as a writer not to piss off your audience with the wrong ending.

"You have to play one thing clearly." Actors don't want complicated direction. One thing at a time. It can be complicated in the heads of the audience, but shouldn't be for the actors.

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I felt a bit sick in the stomach at the end of class, particularly when I spoke about what I wanted to happen in the second half, because it's not the story that Steph told. I didn't want to cross any lines, to offend her, and although I checked with her earlier about my idea, and she gave me her blessing, I did feel like I was messing about with something quite personal and sacred to her. I am allowed to change the story though. And she was okay with it. But still - upholding respect for the original story, and the teller, is important.

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Tonight I went to see La Gnole De Tante Christine Est Imbuvable at Théâtre Des Deux Rêves.

It's a Bouffon play by none other than Philippe Gaulier. Starring two ex-Gaulier students (Jayne and Julie who I did 'Characters' with back in 2009) and directed by Balthazar Gaulier.

It was all in French, I was tired, and the theatre was like a sauna, so I didn't completely follow...but they were talking about homosexuals and sex at one point...

Both performers were strong - alive and sensitive - but it took us a while as an audience to warm to them. I think the fact the performers were so close to us (due to the size of the stage) didn't help. Philippe would yell "Back! Back!" but it wouldn't work here! It went on too long for me - a bit slow - but there was nice play and complicité, and good rhythm changes.