Week Two
This week has been an extremely enjoyable one for me. My fears at the start of the year related to whether the class would embrace my choice of play, when I know there were others they might have preferred, and whether the class would rise up the the challenges presented by their individual stagecraft areas.
The sometimes heated but always deep discussions that have been had about the play, suggest that the class has welcomed the choice and are taking ownership of the play. There is a real sense of bonding developing which bodes well for the future of the project. There is a healthy amount of respect being demonstrated towards one another and everyone has demonstrated a willingness to add their thoughts and opinions on the project.
With the choice of play, some of the stagecraft areas are perhaps fairly challenging. With very little to work with from the script, students who perhaps don’t have a truckload of experience with a stagecraft area are expected to be creative and explore technical possibilities. The collegial nature in which this task is being undertaken offers great hope for the process and the product. The class is working together so well as ‘a production team’, with people offering ideas to other stagecraft groups, in much the same way that any Director would be hoping his/her production team might work together.
It is especially pleasing to realise that no one person is taking over the project, something that some members of this class may have been guilty of in the past.
The blocking is going slowly but with a reasonable level of committment. One of the tasks set early on (and perhaps we could have spent more time as a class doing this) was dramaturgy. I posed some questions for each of the characters to consider, research and decide. Some of this work was undertaken and some wasn’t. It seems now that the actors are realising how this may have helped and are in fact, seeking out clarification during the blocking. Perhaps if eaach actor went back over the questions and undertook some research/character development then things might move along a little quicker. Overall though, I’m not unhappy with the progress as it is really about quality and not quantity. And the quality of the work being developed is very good.
My only disappointment this week relates to the misunderstanding about the casting. My intention with the casting was to try out different people in different roles, then discuss the ideas with the class and the individuals involved. Timing got the better of us with this task and we didn’t get the opportunity to discuss things as a class and I didn’t get to talk to all of the actors. It was also unfortunate that the most of the initial casting used in the read through also turned out very well for the final cast list. I wonder if the two roles which changed had been reversed for the reading, would it have been an issue?
One of the most difficult jobs a Director faces is getting the casting correct. It is sometimes more difficult when the number to choose from is limited, as in a school situation. Thoughts about the casting continue right up to and often well beyond, opening night. Have I made the right choice here? Time will tell however, it was made in good faith, based on the information available, past experience and keeping in mind the look of the overall production and the desired end product.
The thing that strikes me, this year, with the amount of work we need to achieve and the level of committment that will require, is just how essential it will be this year for everyone to keep up with their tasks outside of class. One of these tasks includes journals and individual blog sites. As I write this at 8pm on Sunday night, only four of the ten students has published a Week Two blog entry. One of the important uses that I see in this task, its value as a learning and communication tool is negated a little. I had taken notes from each of the four blogs I have read so far and had planned to publish an updated response for everyone to read on the class mainpage (aitkents07), however, I am unable to do that.
Interestingly, I see this ensemble task as a precursor to the solo monologue task later in the year. The Blog exercise is going to become an essential way of supporting you and you supporting each other during Unit 4. It is important that we make an effort to build good habits now, in preparation for next semester.
Although I think we had only set aside three of the four classes this week to block ‘100′, it might be necessary to use all four. For those not acting then, you might want to use some of this time to undertake your own research, work with your co-designers if they are available or interact with the students undertaking other stagecraft areas. We have created a great team and need to continue to build upon this through-out the coming weeks.
Thanks for a great week……Coops….over and out!