NOTES - Stumble Through 4/26

EYE to EYE

Stumble Through on 4/26

NOTES

Devised Chapter One

Adriana

lost almost all lines in solo sections.  Voice up!

Johnny

lost the word “lumped”

Eve

Enunciation lost a bit in monologue.  Don’t let the emotional nature of the piece get in the way of clear storytelling.  Lost the word “ignore”.

Kit-Kat

Aidan

Was really “mumbly” throughout - bite the consonants more.  Lost a lot of words.

Matt

When Patrick says “I just loved them so much”, go ahead and sit on the steps.  Then rise again on “What are you gonna do…”

Ben

In general, we lost some of the humor on all the “melodrama” lines…like “I just loved them so much” and “I would look at myself.”  Really go HUGE on these line.

Matt

Take the taser; that’s the whole point of grabbing her hand.

Lindsay

In general, she needs to be louder, bossier, more strident.  Just take everything you are doing and ramp it up 5 clicks on the dial. J

Devised Chapter Two

Johnny

You aren’t slamming the book on beat 1.  We will review.

Marcelino

That rhythm at the end of the rap is still wrong, so you’re jumping out of the 4/4 meter.  You also must ramp up and nearly scream:  And wish we were done.

All

Remember to start big with the chanting and then back off when Marcelino comes in.  Also, the talking as you all enter can be much fuller in volume.

Revisions

Ana

You’re still over playing the “Oh, my God.”  Try saying it to yourself while sitting and then getting up.  Cross slower.

Tucker

Don’t look away from her in the silence after “We had a deal.”  This is a change; maybe it will look less awkward.

Tucker

I loved the “I’m not stupid section.”  To review:  You stayed seated, slamming your hands on the desk for “I’m not stupid.  Stop treating me like I am.”  Then you stood up, still looking at her and continued with “Bullshit.  You’re no better than me.  At least I try.” Then you took a few steps a way, caught your breath, turned back and began the monologue.  Let’s keep it like this!

Ana / Tucker

Overall, this was a fantastic run.  You have both consistently set the standard for a professional approach to the work.  Your timely memorization, attention to detail, openness in rehearsals, and discipline have landed you in great spot.  Thank you for being such a fine example for the company.  Don’t get complacent!  It’s a tough piece…but you should feel confident and proud.

Devised Chapter Three

Adriana

Lost nearly every word.  You need to take your volume, projection, and enunciation and multiply it by 5.  You are also talking over music, so it’s even more important.  That said, your approach to the language, the emotional content, and the movement all look great…  Just make sure we can all hear it.  Please, please work on this. 

All

There was still a ton of “human “ movement.  It looks like people are just “going to their places.”  Johnny and Marcelino are more on the right track.  There should be a dreamlike quality to all the movement.  Resistance in the physicality - as if under water - is the key.  Also - nearly everyone upstage was on top of the audience.

Spectral

Specific notes will be given this weekend.  With the new cuts coming, this will affect things, and I don’t want to overwhelm you.  So…in general…

All of you are diving off lines - quite a bit.  Losing your words.  And it’s all in relationship to how close you are to each other.  Here is the standard:  When Bowen is the aisle talking to Michael who is on the steps, that’s the one time I felt comfortable with the voice work in the show.  That level of diction and projection is necessary even if you are two inches from each other.  That…is actor technique.  J  Also - almost every scene was 25% longer than it needed to be.  Act ON the lines, not BETWEEN the lines.  This was not much of an issue with Terra / Sylvie which require a level of listening and silence.  But almost every other scene was “precious”.  In your defense, I could tell how hard you were working to “drop in”…and now that you have…you can pace back up.  If you have sections where lines are rough, you must fix it.  My patience with unknown lines / blocking is really thin.  It’s completely unacceptable at this point to make those sorts of mistakes.  And what’s going to make it harder?  You’re about to get a ton of cuts and re-blocking.  So dial in!

Devised Chapter Four

All - the table is not on the floor.  When you dive in for food, you can’t go low.  See the table, make it real in your heads.   Given this is still pretty new, my main note is about specificity.  There is a fine line between it “being gross because you are all eating” and “actors are trying to be gross”.  I want the former…

Justin

Learn your blocking…rough.  I need a better roll up the body for that one move.

Blank

Emily

When you say “Nice seeing you again” really land that…every audience member must hear it.

Emily

In general, you are diving off lines.  I took the note when you said “something”…I’m only hearing “Some…”  You must have breath support to the last syllable of every sentence.

Emily

When she asks if you will walk with her, you say “Of course”…but it’s reading like you are suspicious of her.  The subtext is: “Of course I’ll walk with you; we’re friends.”

Ava

When Neala comes on and you see each other:  see her, stand, hold for 3 seconds, then turn and go.

Ava

You don’t know your lines - not well.  That simple.  It’s so vague and all over the place…especially half way through…  Losing words, intention, reality. It feels like you’ve addressed the first half…this needs to be much more steady come the weekend! 

Claire

Better vocals today.  You have some sticky sections with lines that are sort of the same every run…work it!

All

Dove-tail scenes. 

Jackson

When you come in and say “Who’s Phoebe”, don’t sit.  Just stand in the entrance by the block and go from there.

Emily, Neala

The lines for the climax, with Emily holding her from behind are a mess.  There are huge pauses, gaps, and so the throw to the flow is almost comic.  There cannot be a single pause…not one…the lines must flow…  As well, Neala is to claw Emily’s hands off of her, and then Emily keeps putting them back throughout. 

Connor

Much better with voice work.  Be cautious that he doesn’t become a “clown” from another type of play. 

All

Prep the zippers on your bags.  Have them slightly open to help access.

Devised Chapter Five

All (no Barrett / Marcelino)

Remember that the soap opera is in slow motion. 

Barrett

Don’t play the whole monologue as if he’s “sad”.  Defend your position.

Marcelino

Better - but keep him high energy…let him be fidgety, physical, loving the outdoors.  Maybe poke Barrett, even try to get him off the block.  Improv some of that as you keep devising.

B²

General

First half was…okay.  I can tell it had not been run.  Lost some of its zip - but that will return.  You must balance the speed of the second half (which cannot slow down at all) with vocal clarity.  The speed is pushing many of you to scream all of your lines…and when people scream in this space, we cannot discern.  I understood NOT ONE WORD of the entire circling section before the drop to the ground.  It might as well have been “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH BLHHHHHHHHHHRAHHHHHHHHHHHHGRAHHHHHHHHHHTAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAHHHHHHHHHHHH”  

(Beat).  

“Liz, what are you doing?”