Rehearsal Report

  • February 16, 1992

  • "Temps"
  • Theatre Rapport
  • STEVE

Note: This is a scene (act) for the upcoming company meeting. I was brought in two days ago as a replacement.

Three full rehearsals have come and gone. In those 3 days, we have run the first act 5 times. (We're not doing the second act.) We have two more days left and then it's showtime, baby. So what keen insights into my character has the director, Raffaele, been giving me?

Well, let's go back to the beginning. I read over the first act. I saw the character as a calm, unflappable, matter-of-fact kind of guy. Like me, but a little cooler. So, I arrive at rehearsal #1, and I jump right in. After the first run-through, Raffaele approached me and we began the most profound, in-depth, soul-searching character analysis I have ever taken part in: "Gimme more Stephen King."

[cast]

Speer, Ducey, Graff, Doyno Chapa

Forget the fact that I gave him no Stephen King the first time through. That's fine. I can throw out everything I had done for the past hour. (Perhaps he could have stopped us after two minutes, but that's fine, only an hour of my life wasted.) But what the hell does "more Stephen King" mean? "I need more of a science-fiction writer, more like Stephen King." Oh, good. He repeated it. That makes it clear.

Armed with my newly-crafted three-dimensional character, I did run-through number two. I guess it went fine. He gave us all wonderful feedback: "There were moments that worked. We'll try it tomorrow."

Day 2, run-through #3. This time, Raffaele took us gently by the hand and slowly guided us through the labyrinth of his mind to probe the intricacies of the text: "Open it up more. Listen to each other, and open it up." Ah! Of course! Now it's all so clear. It was way too closed before. And so we opened it. Fine. Go home. Learn your lines.

Today we ran it twice more. His feedback for me: "You're too quick." I must probe further: "What does that mean?" Apparently, "It's inaudible at times." That I can fix. His other offering to me: "Just listen. Let's feel the comedy." Lord help me.

As today's madness came to a close, Raffaele tried to guide us down new pathways, exploring new emotions: "Let's open it up."

His parting words: "Once you have the lines I can offer some more things. I don't want to offer too much." Don't worry, you're not.

Go on to the Preview.

Temps | L.A. Stage | Resume