It's over, well and over by now. I had wanted to post this final farewell to our Richard III production right after it ended but that next morning I and Amaya had a 4am flight to Puerto Vallarta scheduled (a trip for critical margharita research) so I had no time to sleep let alone reflect.
If you happen to read this blog this long after the shows closing you are I suspect either a true appreciater of that play or my mother. Or both.
It was a great last performance actually - very satisfying for the actors and audience (got a 70 to 80% standing "ov") and that sort of thing's a rarity at least for me. I have an unconscious need to invest the last performance of any play (particularly one I like so much, such as this) with an unfair expectation of catharsis. Somehow, since it's the last one I think it should encapsulate and even outshine the entire experience. It's an impossibility really, but it's based on an emotional need a little bit like the last day of camp. And yet, all this said, I swear this last show was really fun. Mark Rucker was there (a last minute surprise and the often sweltering 2pm matinee weather was balmy and forgiving. Reg was as always spectacular and improved and altered his stuff even to the last moment. Everyone was superbly balanced and inspired at the same time.
After the show we all gathered on the woodchips in front of the theatre and did the required (and appreciated) toast. Jon Moscone gave a speech that summarized and congratulated the whole production that was actually deeply sweet and moving. Some of the cast spoke and thanked everyone, particularly Mark and Reg; there was a feeling amongst us all, I think, of luckiness and gratitude that these two particular artists had let us be in their show. Catherine got a little teary and more than a few other actors looked a little misty with their champagne.
Finally the cast (expect for Blake, Tomas and Elvy since each had to head out directly after the show) adjourned to Andrew (Stanley) Hurteau's home for barbecue and cocktails with his lovely family. Everyone stayed late and got silly; drinks and hugs were plentiful and freely given. It was a fitting and satisfying way to end this wonderful experience.
For myself I am brushing up on my Yiddish for the Traveling Jewish Theatre's mounting of "2 x Malamud" which includes the dramatized version of the short story "The Magic Barrel" (it was my first job in the bay area) but before that please join me in seeing some of Richard's crossover actors (Suzannah, Eddie and Dan) sling some Shaw in the next CalShakes production which I have taken to calling "Mensch und SuperMensch".
Thanks for your time. See you all later!
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Understudy Unlimited
The understudy rehearsal began at noon on one of those blistering Orinda days of almost Biblical heat (you could make matzo in the desert kind of heat). The normally bustling Bruns Amphitheatre was like a sun-bleached ghost town; the eight understudies present that day (usually more but the understudies for Caroline and Elvy were busy finishing high school) and a skeleton tech crew. This was one of those times when Les shows how truly capable she is; on “Understudy Day” the Stage Manager is basically the director, who has to take the actors through the entire play – except in this case the actors have never rehearsed before and have five hours to get the whole thing done.
The idea is to take the understudies (some of whom are off book and some of whom are not whatsoever) through the play in it’s entirety; including especially blocking, entering, exiting and general “getting it right”-ness. It is actually very physically and mentally taxing particularly in this heat. Plus for the understudies like Kevin, Raif, Brandin and myself who are also in the show the process can be frustrating. We haven’t had the chance to come to the show with a clipboard and right down all the intricacies of the performance we’re covering. In some cases we’re performing scenes we haven’t seen since the last run-thru at the Heinz yet we’re expected to approximate the performance as closely as we can. And in my case shadowing Reg’s performance – which to be fair is full of virtuosic little nods and bits all over – is no mere thing. So needless to say there’s a lot of starting and stopping – a lot of acting and then looking out into the audience to Les asking:
“He does some funny thing here doesn’t he? Doesn’t he do some kind of dancey-dancey bit here?”
“Yes. A sort of skippy-skippy thing.”
“A skippy-skip. Then he does a grabby-grabby and then a “ha ha ha” thing, right?”
“Yes, grabby. No, ha ha.”
“That’s the next scene, right?”
“No.”
“Is it the one after that?”
“No.”
“Where’s the “ha ha ha”, then?”
“To my knowledge, Max, he never does a “ha ha ha” anywhere in this particular production.”
“….. well I would.”
Yes, as one can probably guess understudying an actor is a weird thing – there’s often a palpable sense of trespass and unworthiness. You’re basically walking around in the theatrical equivalent of someone else’s underwear. If you admire the other actor’s performance (and in this show that’s certainly the case) you may feel strange and even guilty trying to “replicate” it. Plus if you have within you a glint of desire to someday play the part you are understudying then you may feel an instinctual urge to really “go for it” on the off chance that it might be your only opportunity. I know this makes it sound really emotional and Docter Phil and it’s not really, but actor’s (like most people) are an emotional and hysterical people and this sort of thing can be profoundly weird.
We did it though. All us understudies went up and did our lines. Like I said, taxing and occasionally deeply absurd. For instance, since there are a number of parts in Richard the Third and a limited amount of understudies there is naturally some doubling up. This becomes trully bizarre, however, when you are trying to run the entire play and the same actor is understudying all of these parts. You will, for example, have an actor do a scene in which he is understudying two characters: so he does it twice, once for each character, each time talking to an empty space with Les reading the other guy’s lines. Or sometimes two understudies will do a scene and exit and then run back on to do to completely different characters. A pity that Les disallowed all stage-combat from the rehearsal; otherwise you could have seen Thomas fighting Thomas, fighting Brandin and Brandin fighting me and eventually being killed in the end by Thomas. Can you imagine? It's like Henry the Fifth performed by schitzophrenics (hey ... not a bad idea! They could call it "Henry/David/Kenneth/Alice the Fifth")
The idea is to take the understudies (some of whom are off book and some of whom are not whatsoever) through the play in it’s entirety; including especially blocking, entering, exiting and general “getting it right”-ness. It is actually very physically and mentally taxing particularly in this heat. Plus for the understudies like Kevin, Raif, Brandin and myself who are also in the show the process can be frustrating. We haven’t had the chance to come to the show with a clipboard and right down all the intricacies of the performance we’re covering. In some cases we’re performing scenes we haven’t seen since the last run-thru at the Heinz yet we’re expected to approximate the performance as closely as we can. And in my case shadowing Reg’s performance – which to be fair is full of virtuosic little nods and bits all over – is no mere thing. So needless to say there’s a lot of starting and stopping – a lot of acting and then looking out into the audience to Les asking:
“He does some funny thing here doesn’t he? Doesn’t he do some kind of dancey-dancey bit here?”
“Yes. A sort of skippy-skippy thing.”
“A skippy-skip. Then he does a grabby-grabby and then a “ha ha ha” thing, right?”
“Yes, grabby. No, ha ha.”
“That’s the next scene, right?”
“No.”
“Is it the one after that?”
“No.”
“Where’s the “ha ha ha”, then?”
“To my knowledge, Max, he never does a “ha ha ha” anywhere in this particular production.”
“….. well I would.”
Yes, as one can probably guess understudying an actor is a weird thing – there’s often a palpable sense of trespass and unworthiness. You’re basically walking around in the theatrical equivalent of someone else’s underwear. If you admire the other actor’s performance (and in this show that’s certainly the case) you may feel strange and even guilty trying to “replicate” it. Plus if you have within you a glint of desire to someday play the part you are understudying then you may feel an instinctual urge to really “go for it” on the off chance that it might be your only opportunity. I know this makes it sound really emotional and Docter Phil and it’s not really, but actor’s (like most people) are an emotional and hysterical people and this sort of thing can be profoundly weird.
We did it though. All us understudies went up and did our lines. Like I said, taxing and occasionally deeply absurd. For instance, since there are a number of parts in Richard the Third and a limited amount of understudies there is naturally some doubling up. This becomes trully bizarre, however, when you are trying to run the entire play and the same actor is understudying all of these parts. You will, for example, have an actor do a scene in which he is understudying two characters: so he does it twice, once for each character, each time talking to an empty space with Les reading the other guy’s lines. Or sometimes two understudies will do a scene and exit and then run back on to do to completely different characters. A pity that Les disallowed all stage-combat from the rehearsal; otherwise you could have seen Thomas fighting Thomas, fighting Brandin and Brandin fighting me and eventually being killed in the end by Thomas. Can you imagine? It's like Henry the Fifth performed by schitzophrenics (hey ... not a bad idea! They could call it "Henry/David/Kenneth/Alice the Fifth")
Friday, June 15, 2007
Over hill and Under Study!
A too long hiatus between blogs. I blame the weather both the crappy
type from the week before and the sublime kind we have now. Plus, I¹ve been reading my co-blogger Jim Carpenter¹s co-blog (that sounds vaguely klingon) which is so insightful. You¹d think I wouldn¹t need to read it with the source-material sitting right across from me in our musky men¹s dressing room but I do! There¹s never enough Carpentry to go around.
There¹s loads I haven¹t brought up that might be interesting I say MIGHT.
One thing was that on the Wednesday of the second week I took part in a secret mid-day gathering that only a few selective people were privy to:
The Understudy Rehearsal!
(Okay that should look different. Try to imagine it with spooky Halloweeny font! Like Baskerville Semi-bold, or some-aught like that!)
Did you know that CalShakes had understudies? Those who read my blog last year would say “Yea!”. If you recall Juliet Strong actually went on during Merchant of Venice for the then sickly Jenny Bacon. Generally, the understudies are a few of the non-union cast members who second the main parts and a couple invaluable people like Juliet who aren¹t in the play most nights but memorize a major role in their own time.
The role of an understudy is kind of like a concealed firearm. Hopefully all will go well and you won¹t have to use it, but if you must you definitely want yours loaded and ready. (That sounds so weird. Understudies shouldn’t be “loaded”)
Sometimes the understudy gig can be a big frustration with all the work and none of the back-stage betties with programs for you to sign. And if on the odd occasion you are “called up to the majors” it is necessarily a nerve-wracking experience for everyone involved.
At CalShakes there is one singular opportunity for the understudies to actually rehearse their part – mainly for practical reasons; they have to know where to come on, when to go off and how to die in costume. One rehearsal for a 3 hour play might sound absurdly insufficient … and that’s because it is. But in the event an actual “downed actor” an emergency team would be scrambled to fully prepare them to go on. Still for the time being that one Wednesday rehearsal is our metaphoric “one bullet given to Barney Fife so’s he can feel like a deputy but not hurt nobody.”
To be continued …
type from the week before and the sublime kind we have now. Plus, I¹ve been reading my co-blogger Jim Carpenter¹s co-blog (that sounds vaguely klingon) which is so insightful. You¹d think I wouldn¹t need to read it with the source-material sitting right across from me in our musky men¹s dressing room but I do! There¹s never enough Carpentry to go around.
There¹s loads I haven¹t brought up that might be interesting I say MIGHT.
One thing was that on the Wednesday of the second week I took part in a secret mid-day gathering that only a few selective people were privy to:
The Understudy Rehearsal!
(Okay that should look different. Try to imagine it with spooky Halloweeny font! Like Baskerville Semi-bold, or some-aught like that!)
Did you know that CalShakes had understudies? Those who read my blog last year would say “Yea!”. If you recall Juliet Strong actually went on during Merchant of Venice for the then sickly Jenny Bacon. Generally, the understudies are a few of the non-union cast members who second the main parts and a couple invaluable people like Juliet who aren¹t in the play most nights but memorize a major role in their own time.
The role of an understudy is kind of like a concealed firearm. Hopefully all will go well and you won¹t have to use it, but if you must you definitely want yours loaded and ready. (That sounds so weird. Understudies shouldn’t be “loaded”)
Sometimes the understudy gig can be a big frustration with all the work and none of the back-stage betties with programs for you to sign. And if on the odd occasion you are “called up to the majors” it is necessarily a nerve-wracking experience for everyone involved.
At CalShakes there is one singular opportunity for the understudies to actually rehearse their part – mainly for practical reasons; they have to know where to come on, when to go off and how to die in costume. One rehearsal for a 3 hour play might sound absurdly insufficient … and that’s because it is. But in the event an actual “downed actor” an emergency team would be scrambled to fully prepare them to go on. Still for the time being that one Wednesday rehearsal is our metaphoric “one bullet given to Barney Fife so’s he can feel like a deputy but not hurt nobody.”
To be continued …
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Opening Sesame
Well, somebody in the weather room must be forgiving because that was what the weather was like last opening night. Cold, it's true, but finally a calm, windless night. By comparison to the previews it was positively balmy.
The show went very well I think all would agree. I was very moved and inspired throughout by my fellow Plantagenets. It's such a fine group and a good vibe that I find it a pleasure to show up for work every day. Which is a good thing since the morning after opening we have to get up and do our first matinee in the sweaty California heat; irony of ironies!
The show went very well I think all would agree. I was very moved and inspired throughout by my fellow Plantagenets. It's such a fine group and a good vibe that I find it a pleasure to show up for work every day. Which is a good thing since the morning after opening we have to get up and do our first matinee in the sweaty California heat; irony of ironies!
Friday, June 01, 2007
Knight Fever
One little piece of something you may not know. During previews we in Richard III not only rehearse before our performance, than DO the performance, but we actually continue to rehearse after the audience has filed out of the Bruns and meandered down the hill to their Jettas, Civics and Priusii(real word?)
Last night the 2nd preview went a bit better. Still wind but much less. After a short break the actors got together on the stage to work the final fight again. But since it was late and all us actors were punch-drunk from too much pentameter Andrew (our fight captain) had us do it without weapons. The resultant "finger-fighting" was so much fun it felt like we were channeling those long-forgotten "light-saber fights" we had on the schoolyard of 3rd grade yesteryear. I (from my position as a dead guy) snapped a picture of the Richmond and Richard's deadly finger battle; rendered to you through my handy Elizabethan cell phone.
Behold!
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Dissing in/on the Wind
First Preview was last night. I think I'm an optimistic person in general; if not a "glass-half-full" guy then at least an apathetic "not-that-thirsty-anyway" type. But last night our entire production was almost blown away by what our director termed GALE FORCE WINDS. Seriously, there were times when it felt like any actor in a long-robed costume might just take sail and float off the stage.
It was hard not to take it badly, but the truth is it was no ones fault (you could argue it was Mother Nature's fault, but who can be mad at her? Plus who has her number?) The audience was remarkably understanding and stayed the whole time. On the good side it's going to be hard for it to be any harder weather-wise. On the bad side young Caroline Gelber (Prince Edward) nearly had her wig untimely ript off her head by a erstwhile gust.
Still, on to preview number two!
It was hard not to take it badly, but the truth is it was no ones fault (you could argue it was Mother Nature's fault, but who can be mad at her? Plus who has her number?) The audience was remarkably understanding and stayed the whole time. On the good side it's going to be hard for it to be any harder weather-wise. On the bad side young Caroline Gelber (Prince Edward) nearly had her wig untimely ript off her head by a erstwhile gust.
Still, on to preview number two!
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Thursday, May 24, 2007
See Dick Run (w/designers)
The designer run arrived and went. All in all I think people were happy. It’s such a monstrous play as far as politics, death and the simple amount of lines Richard has that it can be exhausting to watch as well as play. Reg is going at it like a champ, surely losing five pounds per act and his drive is enough that the rest of us get swept along.
A couple things that have maturated nicely in the most recent run: The textual cuts look and sound good. There doesn’t seem to be any extra dangly bits hanging off this particular theatrical cut of meat. Apt metaphor actually, since the play is now lean and bloody.
With the text changes a couple characters that were given a little short shrift have been brought nicely to the fore. Catesby and Ratcliffe (in previous productions I’ve seen they have been confused, combined or cut entirely) now have an individual personality and satisfying arc to each of them.
The addition of a couple extra female characters to the show; Mistress Shore (“mistress” to King Edward and Lord Hastings) and Young Elizabeth (King Edward’s daughter, later espoused to Richmond.) These are “extra-textual ladies” that are alluded to in the script but that Mark has popped directly into the story. R3 is a play with the potential to be a massive Y Chromosome party so it’s nice to expand the women’s role a bit. Plus Mistress Shore in particular gives us a chance to add a little sex to the general violence and we all know audience people HATE that.
Finally, I think we can safely assure that the play will be under 3 hours (knock on wood!) It moves along like a little Italian motorcar (making occasional stops to hit dogs and squish pedestrians) and with any luck people will be out before the sun rises.
A couple things that have maturated nicely in the most recent run: The textual cuts look and sound good. There doesn’t seem to be any extra dangly bits hanging off this particular theatrical cut of meat. Apt metaphor actually, since the play is now lean and bloody.
With the text changes a couple characters that were given a little short shrift have been brought nicely to the fore. Catesby and Ratcliffe (in previous productions I’ve seen they have been confused, combined or cut entirely) now have an individual personality and satisfying arc to each of them.
The addition of a couple extra female characters to the show; Mistress Shore (“mistress” to King Edward and Lord Hastings) and Young Elizabeth (King Edward’s daughter, later espoused to Richmond.) These are “extra-textual ladies” that are alluded to in the script but that Mark has popped directly into the story. R3 is a play with the potential to be a massive Y Chromosome party so it’s nice to expand the women’s role a bit. Plus Mistress Shore in particular gives us a chance to add a little sex to the general violence and we all know audience people HATE that.
Finally, I think we can safely assure that the play will be under 3 hours (knock on wood!) It moves along like a little Italian motorcar (making occasional stops to hit dogs and squish pedestrians) and with any luck people will be out before the sun rises.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Superior Stage Blood: Ketchup or Caro Syrup? Discuss!
A bit of the last weeks insight:
On the the front of violence there have been many intriguing developments. Particularly in the area of death, blood and maimage. Dave (last name forthcoming) is our fight choreographer and was responsible for last years vertebrae-popping wrestling match in As You Like It. He's arranged all the able-bodied men of the cast to take part in the final Act Five melee (The Climactic Battle Between the Army of Richard and the Army of Richmond). Somehow the "elderly and infirm" Dan Hiatt and Jim Carpenter have managed to be excused from this, even though Carpenter can be seen jealously stroking the broadswords when no ones looking and occasionally wielding them with startling ability. Still we have a bonny crew of bloodthirsty theatre-nerds who love nothing more than to yell inarticulate battlecries and gleefully bang each other to pieces with sword and shield. All with the utmost safety and caution, of course. Above is a cell phone picture of Reg beating the prose out of Blake Ellis (Richmond).
Besides this, there are some other wonderfully creepy bits that Dave has cooked up. I won't ruin it by being too specific but this is one of the plays with a bit of a body count and we'd be remiss if we didn't get a little messy. It's part of the fun.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Verse and the Art of Heavy-Breathing
We’re now a couple days into rehearsals. We’ve done the slow-text work quickly followed by the uncommonly bizarre experience known as the “first read-through”.
What’s nice about doing Richard III is that unless your playing the man himself there are spans of text where you mightn’t show up at all. The benefit, of course, is crossword puzzles; the danger is Jim Carpenter going missing from rehearsal like the narrative in a David Lynch film. To be fair, both he and I are in one of those positions where we appear early in the play; give a particularly long, eloquent and purple-ish speech … and then drop down dead. And once you’ve died it’s understandable you’d think you’d be done for the day.
One aspect of rehearsals I’ve come to enjoy is our voice and text instructor Fonta. At first I misheard her name and went through our session calling her a mix of “Fanny” and “Fatwa”. She didn’t seem to mind. She’s one of those infectiously optimistic personalities, which helps in voice work, I think, since it’s a time when actors can easily become self-conscious. After all, when one’s bent over, pushing against a wall in the Facilities Office and yodeling into a Nicholas Nickelby poster of Danny Scheie posturing in false side-burns it’s self-possession that’s the first thing to go.
What’s nice about doing Richard III is that unless your playing the man himself there are spans of text where you mightn’t show up at all. The benefit, of course, is crossword puzzles; the danger is Jim Carpenter going missing from rehearsal like the narrative in a David Lynch film. To be fair, both he and I are in one of those positions where we appear early in the play; give a particularly long, eloquent and purple-ish speech … and then drop down dead. And once you’ve died it’s understandable you’d think you’d be done for the day.
One aspect of rehearsals I’ve come to enjoy is our voice and text instructor Fonta. At first I misheard her name and went through our session calling her a mix of “Fanny” and “Fatwa”. She didn’t seem to mind. She’s one of those infectiously optimistic personalities, which helps in voice work, I think, since it’s a time when actors can easily become self-conscious. After all, when one’s bent over, pushing against a wall in the Facilities Office and yodeling into a Nicholas Nickelby poster of Danny Scheie posturing in false side-burns it’s self-possession that’s the first thing to go.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
The First Day of Rehearsal
RICHARD THE THIRD or "Early Shakespeare Murder-Spree in Verse"
Day One
There was a lot of nervous excitement this morning.
Liam Vincent (the actor playing Catesby), while waiting to be costume-fitted said "It's like the first day of school."
"Yes," I replied, "I actually left the house wondering if the other kids are going to make fun of my clothes like before."
Is it meaningful that the first day of rehearsals fell on the first of the month? The cast (a whopping one, this is one of the histories after all) assembled at the Heinz. There followed the usual series of introductory remarks; usual not in a redundant way but almost ritualistic. Everyone wants to start rehearsals off right. Even more so since this is the first play in the CalShakes season.
Mark has filled the cast with a slew of CalShakes regulars (or irregulars take you pick) notably Liam Vincent, James Carpenter, Dan Hiatt, Sharon Lockwood, Catherine Castellanos and Susannah Livingston (the artist formerly known as Schulman). As well as Elvy Yost and Eddie Webster. Several new faces (or new to me) as well: Blake Ellis and Brad Myers have dropped in from Fresno. And of course our Richard is played by a wonderful actor Reg Rogers. Who I didn't hesitate to Google all up and down the internet.
After the speechs had been made Mark briefed us on his first-day impressions of the play. "Richard's supposed to be this first incarnation of evil in writing or something." he said, "I don't think so. Everyone in the play is self-serving it's just his time to shine." The model of the set was brought out; a fascinating thing that looked like an Elizabethan stage dissected and spread around with neon and flourescents gravy. The costumes were described and sound almost painfully awesome (modern armor and sort of gothic) and everyone was given the newly cut script.
This is incredibly important, of course. As any one will tell you (anyone being a drama-nerd) no-one sees the same Richard the Third twice. The play is nearly Shakespeare's longest and has so many knotty bits (not naughty bits, but those too) and also some quite long and difficult passages so that the only solution is to cut and cut bravely. This means that any production is necessarily a kind of adaptation and very unique. The 90's Ian McKellan film (which was excellent) is a great example of how much restructuring and surgery a given version needs. Mark and the able-bodied CalShakes dramaturg Laura Hope did a killer first draft for the first rehearsal which they made clear to us all was a FIRST draft.
"Some of these cuts are for real and some are to provoke debate." Mark pithed. And that's true; I'm sure many more cuts will be proposed, argued, rejected, re-preposed and finally snuck in while nobody's looking. If surgery were done like this it'd take a year to get your tonsils out, but for a play it actually works very well. Plus it's nice to have some big cuts made without you. If the director decides it you can sigh and mourn for the line that never saw the light of day and move on. But if it's your decision then it becomes a whole "tempest of the soul" thing. And that's way more interesting onstage then in your room.
After that, Mark forwent (real word?) the usual "read through the whole play while the administrative staff quietly files out of the room" part of first rehearsals and had us launch right into the slow but valuable text work. A nice move, I thought. So much of the first day is ritual, meant to inspire people and set mood for the process to begin, that it's easy to forget that's it's also a day to rehearse the play. And there is something really cool about sitting down with all your scripts and hearing a guy start you off with "Now is the winter of our discontent ..." It's high job-satisfaction and a good way to start a play.
Day One
There was a lot of nervous excitement this morning.
Liam Vincent (the actor playing Catesby), while waiting to be costume-fitted said "It's like the first day of school."
"Yes," I replied, "I actually left the house wondering if the other kids are going to make fun of my clothes like before."
Is it meaningful that the first day of rehearsals fell on the first of the month? The cast (a whopping one, this is one of the histories after all) assembled at the Heinz. There followed the usual series of introductory remarks; usual not in a redundant way but almost ritualistic. Everyone wants to start rehearsals off right. Even more so since this is the first play in the CalShakes season.
Mark has filled the cast with a slew of CalShakes regulars (or irregulars take you pick) notably Liam Vincent, James Carpenter, Dan Hiatt, Sharon Lockwood, Catherine Castellanos and Susannah Livingston (the artist formerly known as Schulman). As well as Elvy Yost and Eddie Webster. Several new faces (or new to me) as well: Blake Ellis and Brad Myers have dropped in from Fresno. And of course our Richard is played by a wonderful actor Reg Rogers. Who I didn't hesitate to Google all up and down the internet.
After the speechs had been made Mark briefed us on his first-day impressions of the play. "Richard's supposed to be this first incarnation of evil in writing or something." he said, "I don't think so. Everyone in the play is self-serving it's just his time to shine." The model of the set was brought out; a fascinating thing that looked like an Elizabethan stage dissected and spread around with neon and flourescents gravy. The costumes were described and sound almost painfully awesome (modern armor and sort of gothic) and everyone was given the newly cut script.
This is incredibly important, of course. As any one will tell you (anyone being a drama-nerd) no-one sees the same Richard the Third twice. The play is nearly Shakespeare's longest and has so many knotty bits (not naughty bits, but those too) and also some quite long and difficult passages so that the only solution is to cut and cut bravely. This means that any production is necessarily a kind of adaptation and very unique. The 90's Ian McKellan film (which was excellent) is a great example of how much restructuring and surgery a given version needs. Mark and the able-bodied CalShakes dramaturg Laura Hope did a killer first draft for the first rehearsal which they made clear to us all was a FIRST draft.
"Some of these cuts are for real and some are to provoke debate." Mark pithed. And that's true; I'm sure many more cuts will be proposed, argued, rejected, re-preposed and finally snuck in while nobody's looking. If surgery were done like this it'd take a year to get your tonsils out, but for a play it actually works very well. Plus it's nice to have some big cuts made without you. If the director decides it you can sigh and mourn for the line that never saw the light of day and move on. But if it's your decision then it becomes a whole "tempest of the soul" thing. And that's way more interesting onstage then in your room.
After that, Mark forwent (real word?) the usual "read through the whole play while the administrative staff quietly files out of the room" part of first rehearsals and had us launch right into the slow but valuable text work. A nice move, I thought. So much of the first day is ritual, meant to inspire people and set mood for the process to begin, that it's easy to forget that's it's also a day to rehearse the play. And there is something really cool about sitting down with all your scripts and hearing a guy start you off with "Now is the winter of our discontent ..." It's high job-satisfaction and a good way to start a play.
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