Tag: rehearsals

Missed reports for last week’s extra rehearsals

Present: Dale, Marc, Jeff B, John, Greg, Dan

Our goal was to run the show. We did not succeed, although we made it to the end of IV.5 (the Aufidius scene) before we stopped. We think the remainder of the show should take us no more than 30 more minutes. That means that the show is probably going to run about three hours, which is OK.

It was agreed that we really need to run the show every day next week, despite not everyone being able to be at every rehearsal.

Schedule for next week:

• Monday: 6:00, in the park
• Tuesday: 6:00, at Dale’s house (There’s a big thing in the park that evening.)
• Wednesday: 6:00, in the park
• Thursday: 6:00, in the park
• Friday: 6:00, in the park
• Saturday: 9:00 am, in the park
• PERFORMANCE: SATURDAY, 3:00. Plan to be there at 2:00 to set up. The publicity promises a chat with curious audience members at 2:30, but you don’t have to be a part of that. Dale and Marc will be the front men for that; if you want to play, dive in.

We will run the show every night.

NO BOOKS ON STAGE starting Monday night. Call for line if you need it. Be planning where you need to end up and where poles, chairs, et al., need to be.

Present: Dale, Marc, Greg, Dan, John, Jeff B

We worked through Act III twice, and it’s shaping up to be the exciting political thriller we’ve been telling people it is. It all boils down to having one’s lines memorized, doesn’t it?

Michael Dean, our Martius Jr, came to watch. He played young Patrick in Auntie Mame back in the production that actually gave Lacuna its start. He’s now a freshman in high school and will be with us next Saturday to do his one line.

Here are the cuts and assignments we made today:

• III.1: Jeff A, play all Senators, Patricians, etc.; Scott, play People/Plebians/Citizens; Dale will play the Aedile
• III.1: CUT lines 246-253
• III.2: Jeff A, play Senator
• III.3: Dale plays the Aedile; Jeff A, Scott, play plebeians/people
• III.3: CUT from COMINIUS: Hear me, my masters… to ALL: It shall be so!
• IV.1: CUT
• IV.3: CUT
• IV.5: Scott, play the THIRD SERVINGMAN
• IV.5: plan on condensing the ending “comedy” scene
• IV.6: Who’s playing the messengers in the “café scene”?
• V.4: CUT
• V.5: Scott, play SENATOR
• V.6: Scott, play SECOND LORD

We’re stepping up our schedule these last two weeks:

• Monday, October 13: 6:30!!!!, in the park, Acts IV and V.
• Tuesday, October 14, 6:30, in the park, whatever we decide on Monday night, but I’m thinking we need to run Acts I & II.
• Wednesday, October 15, 7:00, dance studio, “Menenius Night,” i.e., all of Menenius’ scenes

Present: Dale, Marc, Jeff B, Jeff A, Greg, Dan, John, Scott, Kevin

Back in the park. We worked for over an hour on the Battle Ballet, aka I.4, and by heavens we got it! We will now need to run this at least once a rehearsal in order to keep it in our heads.

We decamped to the Newnan School of Dance’s new digs downtown and worked Act II, since Jeff B had to go home and we needed him for Act III and Kevin and Dan had missed last Saturday’s work on II.

GENERAL ASSESSMENT: We are at the point where we all have to be off book within the next week. This show goes up in two weeks. It is also time for us to discuss a heavier rehearsal schedule during the week. Be thinking how you can make that work.

NEXT: Saturday, in the park, Act III.

Present: Dale, Marc, Greg, John, Scott, Jeff B

We met in the park and worked on Act II. It’s so short that we ran it twice. No real problems to solve: the play’s action is wound up and set loose in this act, so the whole thing moves along quickly.

NEXT: On Wednesday, we will learn the Battle Ballet, and start on Act III. Place TBA. Watch this space.

Present: Dale, Marc, Greg, Dan, Jeff B.

We worked through Act II, which is the kickoff of the actual plot.

In II.1, the return of Coriolanus, we got some more mileage out of the Tribunes and Menenius. (Kevin, we’re thoroughly exploring your character while you’re away. You can just mindmeld with Dale.) We have to find a Cominius to replace Philip. John, if you’re reading this, be looking at the role.

We had previously worked the end of the scene with the Tribunes, and it showed. The subtleties of their deviousness began to develop.

In II.2, which seems to be a very formal kind of “let’s praise him and make him consul” scene, we found a lot of informality by relating the procedure to the Good Old Boy system in place around here, i.e., they are not seriously presenting and considering his consulship; they’ve already decided this at cocktail parties over hor d’oeuvres. This is just window dressing, which the Tribunes recognize. We see this mostly through Menenius’s insouciance about the matter. Coriolanus is just bein’ difficult.

We went over II.3 several times, exploring the Citizens. We’ve given them cracker accents, and it works. It pulls out the comedy and delineates their social status very quickly for the audience. Even their Monty Python overtones come across.

We didn’t get to the Battle Ballet, but we will on Saturday. We will also tackle Act III.