I have run into a very unusual challenge with my production of Shadow Box. I cannot remember any play from the past that shared a similar problem. For whatever reason, the cast to this production came to the audition with a vengeance. They had more than prepared for the play – they were hungry to do it. They were also willing to tip over the bucket of risk and put some pretty big emotions up there on the audition floor. I truly was stunned – – and mighty impressed.
But now we are working through the moments in the rehearsal space and we have run into a bit of a wall. The cast remembers those big (somewhat forced, sometimes mighty forced moments) and they want to capture them again – – again and again. They want to dive right into the water and are a bit unwilling to stay close to the edge of the pool and dog paddle for awhile. I can sense their disappointment when the end of the scene being worked upon doesn’t produce the big moment. They feel a failure. I am not sure how to redirect this feeling, but I do know that all must be returned to making sense of the play moment by moment – – all the while trusting that the moments woven together by honest listening and reacting will provide just the right “bang” to move the audience as the playwright intended.
Big brushes are being replaced by little detail brushes. I want to talk about the moment before – – the who, when and where of the event. They want the hurt, the pain, the love and the big payoff. We face each other in the rehearsal hall. We are a bit on opposite teams at the moment. But I am betting that I will win. Now sure how I know this – – but I just got the feeling that I will . . .
4 comments on “Now to a Small Paintbrush”
I’m glad you have faith in your young actors. It takes a lot of faith to put your heart and soul into a play like Shadow Box, and the fact that they’re raring to go is pretty impressive, to say the least. I think you’re right to trust that the right mix of emotions will come through at the right time, and to trust in your ability to elicit the connection to the material that these kids are gonna need.
From your post about Shadow Box on 2/23, it looks like things are coming along nicely. This is what I get for reading these posts in reverse order! 🙂
I would love to see Shadow Box play and how your little actors work with it. That sounds so interesting and nice. 🙂 Sometimes I’m jealous for you that you have such an amazing work and you can create art every day…
It must be a good feeling that you are getting down to the nitty gritty details with the cast then. Instead of doing things on a massive scale, you are doing them in a more refined situation. Sounds like good progress to me!
This reminds me of how other performers must feel.
Athletes, etc.
I remember watching the X-games years ago and thinking the same thing.
Things have to be perfect – and if they aren’t, what’s at stake?
I can only say that sometimes, when we let go of any attachment to a result, we can observe a bit better. When we approach something from a place of curiosity, we can let go of the result – which often naturally leads to a better result.
Funny how it works that way, but it does.