In lieu of a traditional audition for this production, I invited interested performers to an “open rehearsal.” I did this for a couple of reasons: 1. The way we typically do auditions in the theatre–you walk into a room after waiting in line for an hour and have 90 seconds to prove yourself to a director–is one of the most unnecessarily stressful parts of the production process. 2. Neither of us learn very much about what it’s like to work together.
I wanted to design a first meeting that was more aligned with the ethos and goals of the production as a whole, and that meant re-thinking auditions. So, instead, I proposed an “open rehearsal” model, as an introduction to this production and to one another, as an opportunity to gather as a group of artists interested in this story in a low-stakes setting.
The message I gave to potential performer-collaborators:
My hope with this open rehearsal is that we can start the production process in a way that allows us to build a team of collaborators. I hope this production can embrace an abundance of ways to be involved in the telling of this story, onstage or off and serve as the beginning of an ongoing artistic relationship.
If after the open rehearsal, you are still interested in being part of the project, I want to work with you to keep you involved, regardless of whether you’re able to join the cast. [I realize timing, scheduling conflicts, limited funding for paid roles, general demands of the rehearsal process and the piece itself, etc. can complicate this.] This is to say, if you want to be part of this production, there is space for you.
I asked performers to prepare by
- Reading the script
- Reviewing the Casting Info page (this contains some preliminary production information)
- Wearing clothes that you will be comfortable moving in
My goals for this gathering (as pitched to performers) were as follows:
- To learn what interests you about the show, what perspectives and strengths of yours may lend themselves well to our telling of this story, what you’re like as a collaborator, and how this project can be a creatively fulfilling experience for you.
- To give you a chance to see how I work as a director before you make a decision about whether you want to commit to the project.
- To take some time to play with the language and the text and create something together.
Structure for the Open Rehearsal:
Introductions:
We took a some time for everyone to introduce themselves. We sat on the couches in the seminar room in Mather House on the CWRU campus–it ended up being a cozy space; I’d tried to book one of the multipurpose rooms in the campus student centers… but it was also recruitment weekend for the fraternities and sororities. And I didn’t want to ask a bunch of queer creatives to walk into the most aggressively heterosexual environment possible.
I asked those who attended to answer three questions: Who are you? How do you describe yourself as an artist? What brought you to this room today? That opened up some discussion about the folks’ artistic backgrounds, about the play itself, about what we found exciting about it. It also opened up some space for me to talk a bit about how I came to the script and how I was approaching the project as a director.
Warm-up:
Once we’d had a chance to get to know each other, I led a physical warm-up. The same one I use to begin my acting classes: a slow, guided stretching and breathing exercise intended to allow us to connect with our bodies, increase focus, and get grounded in the present.
Then, I introduced the actors to their first collaborative task:
Creative challenge 1:
Experiment with creating environment. This play takes place across a wide variety of settings–from a bedroom to the sky to the bottom of the sea. I’ll bring in a big bag of props to play with, and in small groups, your challenge will be to use the space, sound, and movement to set that scene.
I presented them with a box of props, collected from my past shows, devising workshops, things I’ve brought into acting classes. They were given the paragraph of stage directions that describes Reuben’s fall from parachuting in the sky down to the bottom of the sea. I told them they could use anything in the prop box or in the room to stage that scene. Then I left for 15 minutes to give them a chance to work on it without the pressure of having me watching.
I returned to a surprise of my blue sheets hanging from the ceiling rigging for the projector and screen. The actors were excitedly at work putting together a complex seascape with shadow puppet fish, squids, and whales fashioned from hats and various other props, complete with lighting changes both from the lamp in the box and their cellphone flashlights.
Creative challenge 2:
For the second creative portion of the open rehearsal, we did some more traditional table-read activities with the script, using the first scene of the play. We went through a couple of read-throughs exploring the questions: How can the stage directions be their own characters? What’s the relationship between Reuben and the stage direction/audio description characters?
After each reading, the actors reflected on what they heard and discovered about the characters, about the moments. I posed questions aimed at helping them dig deeper into exploring what was coming up for them. (i.e. Actor: I think I want to try this line next time with a bit more… hmm… panic, I think. I want some of that energy when Reuben’s on the phone, but not to over-do it. Me: That make sense. That panic/urgency might be something to bring into some of the other lines. This next time, what happens if you play with extremes? When is Reuben able to calm himself down? When does the panic and sense of urgency get away from him?)
By the third reading, the actors were ready to get the scene on its feet. They were eager to add physicality and explore how it might animate the relationship the stage directions/audio describers have to Reuben when they move in the space with him and around him.
Nicolas Shannon Savard 