Second Day. Better Play.

Second day. Better Play.

Well, turns out I had no reason to be terrified. What I did need to do, was learn one more simple thing. How to part ways with the cast as a director. (No, not some kind of "that was crap! I abdicate!").

They came back rested, and at 10 we started a class sitting outside under sunny skies, in the dappled shade of a few arecanut trees in front of the theatre, and we discussed a concept that I really wasn't sure I could explain to them. As in, its something you have to experience, not talk about.

It was that of energy. Keeping the energy on stage crackling, the tension between actors alive, there is always something, some kind of energy that exists between actors in a performance. (when its good, and they aren't just zombies giving thier lines on cue).

So after a rather long discourse on how to keep the energy up, how it changes hands, how the focus of energy shifts, how you can add energy, how you never take energy away, but just hold on to it, change its quality, and give it back into the scene (or your next entrance).

At exactly that point, everyone was focused on what I was saying, and suddenly, behind us, a crow sat on the insulation earthing point of an electricity crow, and the resulting blzzzttthhhttt sound (rubbish approximiation) and all of us, in one millisecond, turned to look. Some got up and ran to see because I think a child had seen it and screamed out in fright, so we thought the worst had happenned.

After realising it was fine, everyone came back with an its fine, no no , just all right, and sat down again.

I love how these moments just seem to happen at the right time - a lot of the time. It was a perfect example of what i was talking about. Thier energy was focused on me... and then it was focused on a single point outside, so strongly that some ran to give that moment attention, then they took that energy that had heightened, and each brought back a piece of it to the circle in a different form... no no, its ok, nothing happened, I didn't even see the crow, that gave me a fright, and they all settled in and discussed it with each other and then as I stood thier (waiting dictatorially) for them to return thier attention, they did.

So I basically explained that whole sequence of what happenned with that energy to them, and they so got it.

We reblocked the major group scene where Gunadhaya is foiled by Sarvavarman in the court, then ran it with them keeping an awareness of the energy, and how we were looking for an electricity between the two, that was added to, in different ways by the other charachters play around them. They saw it.

Then lunch, then return, and did a small exercise based on what Michael Chekov uses called Staccato Legato. I use it a a great all around skill reviewing exercise. It takes a series of 6 simple movements - of giving energy (in one sense) to the left, right, forward, backward, up and down. They have to do the movements repeatedly, in cycles of 2 slow, 2 fast, 1 slow, 1 fast, keeping a complete concentration on going from a zero state in the center each time, to 100 percent. The entire movement controlled. But all the energy channelized in on eof the six directions. Eventually after they got the movement, and the idea of total concentration in the movement, we did the cycles, and then the last one. which is one of each cycle but only inside thier bodies and heads. To just have a memory and a total impulse to move in each of the directions, inside them while standing still.

The afternoon session we fixed the ending to work smoother, I worked with Arun (our musician and percussionist) to provide a score that kept the energy up rather than slowed it down... yesterday that was a small part of the problem. Then I let them go.

They assembled at six. I ensured that thier principal was sitting in the auditorium somewhere 'corner of thier eye visible', and then put a bit of a fear into them.

"Today, is a test. Its the day you decide whether you are students at a theatre school, and want to remain that, or if you want to be a professional company of actors."

Was the basic upshot of the talk - I told them this was the last time I was talking to them as their teacher. I would maybe do a bit of touch up work with them and leave them alone. Arun would lead thier warm up and prayer, and I would be done in exactly 10 minutes. I ran the opening scene, touched it up and removed a few things that I thought slowed its tempo and took away from the establishment of the story, and then ran it, and let them go one or two individual notes to actors, that had to do with music cues, and then I was gone.

Last night - thier performances were nothing short of brilliant. Brilliant.

I was thrilled. I actually could sit back and WATCH the play. Enjoy it. Laugh, and be an audience member. And we recorded it! (though i looked a ta bit of the recording last night.. and I tell you... its just never the same... i have looked at any taping of a show of mine in the past. and now i know why.. the beauty lies in its ephemerality, that one performance.. done.. gone.. and to the next... )

But we sat down after the play.... Just so I could give them a shawl each - which I did, and thank them. But really they came in eyes bright from a really great performance, and a strong feeling of what it was like to really nail it.

You see what that felt like?
Was it not brilliant?
Now do you see the reward for all this work and pressure I've put you through?
THIS is what its like to do theatre.
THIS is why we work our butts off, for this moment, for THIS feeling. Is it not the sweetest thing you've ever felt?

Much approval.

And I? I ate, lay down in bed, and felt every milligram of tension of the last 3 weeks just dissipate from my body as I just turned into one relaxed puddle of happy jelly.

*ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...............................*