We are days away form Spring Break and the halls are rather bustin’ at the seams to get out, get free, and get some sun. I admit I am also ready for the Spring. My show is going to take a break. We are 2/3 the way through the process and now I won’t see them for ten full days. At the same time that I am ready to be “adolescent free” for a span of time, I am also becoming a bit of a mother hen hoping that they tend to themselves during the break and that we don’t loose the forward movement we have found in the past few rehearsals. The “Spring” might be a good thing in that they will come back refreshed and hungry to get back to work. The “Spring” might present a bit of an obstacle as we MAY have to re-learn all that the beach days have baked out of them. Either way, it is a risk. The cast members – also sensing a bit of fear (perhaps smelling the fear in me) asked last night how they can keep the forward movement. I suggested that they plan to do all that they can do to FORGET the play for the first few days of the break and FORBID themselves from even looking at the script. Then a day or two before the break I suggest that they retrace the steps that actually led them to the audition. I suggest that they pull the play (that they have long ago committed to memory) off of the shelf and read as if for the first time. Further, I ask that they not read the play just for THEIR part in the play but to read and appreciate the play as a whole. Then, I want to them to get out a pencil and write down five questions that NOW drive their curiosity about the story. They don’t need to be afraid to lose the movements of the play. They need to be wary of forgetting the CURIOUSITY that compelled them to turn the pages in the first place.
I do not want to come back with “last night’s dinner.” I could never stomach leftovers. Toss that crap in the trashcan. Come to rehearsal with new recipes and new ingredients. It’s still going to be the dinner we have planned but all is hopefully going to taste different.
4 comments on “Leftovers”
I am so glad you’re writing this blog. It gives me an insight into a creative process that I was either unaware of when I was into acting, or which just wasn’t there! When I read what you told your students to do over the break, it just wasn’t what I was expecting. It was a fresh and different approach to the process as well as the material. In my day, the advice would have been far different.
You’re inspiring me to wonder what fresh and creative ways I’m approaching my own life — what am I doing to keep life from being yesterday’s leftovers?
I’ve decided to ask myself five questions every day for a week just to keep myself fully conscious about my interpretation of my own “material.” Thanks so much for this inspiring idea.
🙂
I’m glad you offered that advice.
We need to step away from things, even the activities we enjoy. Taking a step back allows things to sort of “marinate”. It’s a form of relaxation and this is excellent for the creative process.
The best things in life usually come from a sense of balance. It’s great to go full force in one direction and then another at times because we get to experience contrast. Then we find that happy medium and it flows from us naturally.
Encouraging your students to enjoy their time away and then to return fresh and energized is the best advice. It’s also great that you encourage reading the entire script. This will give them a complete story to interact with. It’s also good to do in life itself.
That’s such a great piece of advice! I completed agree with Dana, when she says that this should be applied to everything in life. Sometimes it’s so easy to get caught up in it all, that you lose sight of your goals. It’s a good idea to take a step back, and look at it with fresh eyes. I think this is a great way to deal with stress as well. Sometimes spending so much time on something, can be tiring, and instead of making progress, you end up going backwards. The only way to make progress is to tackle it from a different angle, and the best way to do that is to take a break, and come back to it refreshed and new.
It’s also great to ensure a healthy work, life balance, especially at such a young age. So people put so much emphasis on working hard and achieving goals, that they forget to enjoy the journey. I sometimes have to remind myself to “stop and smell the roses”, they won’t always be here after all, so we have to appreciate them while we can.
Thanks for another great post!
When I saw the title of this, somehow I thought it would have something to do with that Easy Bake Oven. But I was surprised!
Yes, I think that’s a great idea of having them take a good, solid break and then work back into re-aligning with the experience of the script.
Hopefully you’ll have some refreshed, eager students to work with.