Second Night Trap

In class Philippe worked with those who wanted to present to get into the show, or who had performances that needed some tweaking before being ready.

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Duncan found a great Macbeth imitating a cowboy like Clint Eastwood.

“Take your time to have fun to be a cowboy.” 

It’s really great. Duncan plays a riff on his harmonica, then grizzles out a line of Shakespeare about death and grits his teeth and wriggles his eyebrows...then back to the harmonica.

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Barbara tried her Spanish text again. She keeps falling away from the thing Philippe has been helping her to get to: lightness and beauty. He told her that she needs to do ten lines with the fight of a child (playing toy soldiers) like a hero. But not in a natural way.

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He worked with Akron to speed up the timing of (and make more clear) Bouzin stealing a bouquet of flowers. Logic always helps. i.e. Why would the butler allow Bouzin to steal the flowers if he can see him...? He shouldn’t see him. And Bouzin should wait until he doesn’t see him.

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Christine presented a monologue by I’m not sure who, but she didn’t risk anything. It was the same small voice. “We don’t care...you speak like a prof de musique...boring.”

She also tried the scene in which the woman seduces the pubescent boy, but because she was upset and frustrated, she wasn’t any better in this scene. “Not good fun enough.” It’s difficult to get out of a struggle like what she’s going through right now when every time she tries something it becomes harder and she feels worse. It’s very brave to keep trying! And really important.

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Philippe ended up cutting the Chekhov scene between Thomas and Mia, so now I have another fast change over! Practiced that...

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Lee also tried his “I’m Leaving” monologue again. I had worked with him before class (trying to get him to have fun to play pissed off), and so had Vicky (working in a lighter gay way). He tried both ways but neither worked. It was too heavy, and he wasn’t with us. “Sometimes he is good” but he’s not consistent. I think because he’s relying too much on the response from the audience. He has to be clear on what and how he’s going to do before he has an audience, and then when he has one, he needs to adjust. “You have to be subtle and to let people come to you.”

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Tuesday Night’s Show

A smaller audience than Monday night, consisting mostly of the same first years that came last night. Overall it felt a bit slower than last night. Not quite as together. Philippe said in general it was not as good as yesterday. An actor and a rhythm problem.

Puck: My voice was too high. Nyah nyah nyah... (I thought I was going to be cut actually, because as I performed it I felt it wasn’t going so well and then I saw Philippe lean over and say something to Michiko...ay ay ay).

Bastard: Fine. I’m consistent with this one. I love it.

Erection problem: We weren’t great like we were last night at all. Philippe said Ben needs to move because he dreams to be a dancer, not because he has a sore leg and wants to stretch it out. For me, we didn’t see my characters problem. I need to show this more. And the relationship between us wasn’t good.

Chamber pot: The rhythm was a bit off. We were all a fraction too slow. But the crisis at the end was better.

A second night trap?