***All notes should be read and
implemented for Dress #2***
EYE
to EYE
Dress
#1 NOTES
Split Division: Eyes
ALL
Opening
energy was extremely low. You
should be walking much faster with an angry and determined purpose - and with
tons of attitude. It looked like
“actors walking to places”. You
open this show. You set the tone
for the entire evening. You simply
cannot come on this way ever again.
J As
well, cues were quite slow - it should all move at a lightning pace until Eve
yells her line to make everyone sit.
You must all take a moment to run through these lines as a pre-show warm
up each night. Don’t do it full
volume (save it) - but always do it with fierce energy. In addition to it being slow, it was
all quite difficult to discern…you must enunciate clearly.
ALL
Transitions
between beats are too slow; there’s too much time:
1. before “I’m triggered” - that breath
takes too long. It should be “I’m
more important that you”, quick breath, “I’m triggered.”
2. Before “I’m one 16th
Mexican” - get to places at lightning speed and then Marcelino must talk!
3. Before “I’m SO offended”. That is not a huge gasp, it’s a
micro-second of time. Last night
it was “No homo” - 3 seconds - “I’m SO offended”. But it SHOULD be:
“No homo” - .25 seconds - “I’m SO offended.”
ALL
Solo
lines starting with “I’m sorry.
There’s just so much to be offended by” were nearly impossible to hear
both in volume and enunciation.
Noah / Adriana - this is particularly true with you…
ALL
When
you sit after Eve yells, it’s not because the director told you to sit. You are shaken by her passion /
determination - and this causes you to sit slowly and with curiosity. As you sit, all eyes should be on
her. Don’t just plop down.
EVE
You
are really diving off a lot of words in the monologue. Carry the breath support through the
last syllable - and keep it clear.
ALL
After
Eve’s last line, you all left like actors being told to exit. You must have your inner-monologues
running, considering what Eve has said.
She has schooled you - and as you leave, you must consider this. Obviously this does not apply to Justin
who is transitioning to the next moment.
Kit-Kat
AIDAN
Lost
“Credits role” - mush mouthed.
Still no improvement on “You know him, right?” Please fix this.
Though I can certainly give the note a 117th time. J
BEN
You
must time your cross and line very carefully on: “I just loved him so much.” You have to land at the corner on the word “much”. Because then the light cue fires, and
you must turn suddenly as it pops up to continue to the monologue.
ALL
During
the stalking around the stool on “Maybe we should just kill you. It’s only fair.” - be aware of the
audience. You have to circle that
stool really tightly.
LINDSAY
“is
not God” - lost “God” because you ran over the punctuation.
LINDSAY
The
Taser needs to be held at its end.
You are palming it right now, so we actually never see it. When you
first bring it out…make sure you are holding it at its end and let us see it
extend in front of you when you are at the tower. THEN…it needs to feel like you are holding a knife. When you scream and begin the
chase: hold it like you will stab
him with it from above…turn it into a horror movie butcher knife.
MATTHEW
“Inject”
was really late off stage. I think
you were trying to find the Kit-Kat prop.
This needs to be handed to you.
You should not have to get it.
So ask the SR person (Taylor?) about having it ready. And you should be able to talk and grab
the prop at the same time.
MATTHEW
The
eating was good, but you remained facing SL the whole time. Tonight, try facing SL, US, and DS on
different beats of the anthem. Do
not face SR until you are about to walk, because that is Lydia’s cue.
Split Division: Machine
ALL
I
need much more boisterous talking on entrances. We could barely hear you. Looked like a mistake.
MARCELINO
You
are cheating to the DS audience too much on your presentation. The way to solve this it to make sure
you are also playing half the time to the tower folks. Also, pace up a bit. It’s too slow. Allow his nerves to make him go a bit
faster.
JOHNNY
Stop
saying “Push” at the wrong time.
Learn your cue, please.
This mistake has happened 7 times now. Yes, I have hash-marks. Keeping score!
Stop it. J
ALL
The
tempo for the rap was fine if we were going to a funeral. Low energy. Low volume for the intro. It’s not even at 10% of what I want intensity when it
begins. You took a big step back
on this last night…never again. J
ALL
Remember
to pick up Patrick’s junk from Kit-Kat
along with the note-cards.
Revisions
ANA
I
have told Hillary that the computer must be working and maybe even using Wi-Fi
so that Google Docs can be on it.
I don’t want to see a blank screen. Please investigate this with her.
TUCKER
“In
your own house.” It was more like
a question again. Land it. Nasty. Mean. Hurt her.
TUCKER
“Reading
has always been hard…” Lost the
word “Reading”
ANA
I’d
like to see more of her inner-workings…the thing that makes her accept his
vulnerability once he confesses his disability. What makes her shift gears and say “Is it just
reading?”
MAX
Talk
to Hillary about having a bit more “filler” in your bag. It’s like a dehydrated corpse bag
laying in state on the stage. J
TUCKER
“How
bad I am” - losing the words amidst the acting (but it’s a beautiful moment -
so just “up” the projection a bit).
ANA
I
think when he says “How bad I am” - this hits her in an almost “instant cry”
moment…I think she wells up, and I think it takes her way off guard. So when she says “Shit” - she’s also
trying not to cry - because she relates.
ANA
When
you begin your monologue on the circle apron facing DS, be careful…I think the
audience behind you is losing words.
TUCKER
“As
long as she gets better.” Not
projected for US audience…careful.
TUCKER
Love
the sigh and reaction before she re-enters. Keep it.
TUCKER
You
are sort of screwing up your face into some sort of odd inquisitive look after
she refuses to hug you. Don’t “act
it” so hard. Just “be it”.
BOTH
As
usual - tight, connected work…
Love this piece.
Split Division: Love
ALL
This
was really good - and actually made me choke up. You were really starting to find the style of movement - and
to connect really deeply. This
felt like the first moment in the run when the Devising Ensemble became an
ensemble. Everything prior was
unfocused. But this was
terrific.
ADRIANA
Much
better on projecting - and I love the simplicity of what you are doing. It’s very haunting and beautiful to
watch you up there. The one note
is this: when you say the list of
words, think of each of them as having a period at the end of the word, instead
of a comma. That doesn’t mean slowing
anything down…it’s about allowing each word its own weight. In addition, you must get louder -
crescendo as it goes on. “Respect” should be the fullest word…and now, it’s not
able to be heard at all, because you dive off of it.
Spectral
ALL
Overall,
a huge leap forward. All
characters were connecting.
Chemistry was terrific!
TESS
Better
this evening, but still a bit muddy in the vocal area. Make sure to “anchor” yourself in this
first scene and make yourself enunciate every single syllable - and never dive
off a word. And to help
this…remember: she is investigating
Sylvie…she is fascinated by her… So that curiosity should help elevate the
language…help energize her.
Sometimes in this first scene, it feels like something tragic has
happened…and I don’t know why.
Also - when you bring up the plan to meet “tomorrow”, really land the
word “tomorrow” - it plants the seed for their ritual.
BOWEN
“talk to me” needs a little more
punch. It’s not in CAPS…but as it
is, I don’t know why you apologize in the next line. Put more venom in it.
Punish her with that line.
MICHAEL
248th
time I’ve given this note: Turn
away from Easton ON “Let it be, East” and walk to the block. You know…like I’ve
said 247 times before. J
RUBY
“Just
now getting used to it.” - give me even more excitement on that line. Remember, she overcompensates for her
fear. Fight the obstacle - don’t
play the obstacle.
RUBY
Let
Easton get a little further away before “Is he right?” As it is, I think he’d hear you and
turn back.
RUBY
I
think she is pretty irritated with Terra the second Terra enters. I think the friendship has
already turned for Aurora - and that she’s come to see Terra as a
self-sabotaging drama queen. I’d
like to see more of that judgment when Terra enters. This should help pace up this scene, which is way too slow. So…most of her lines should be to end
the conversation and get Terra to leave.
This is the scene where we see Aurora at her least kind…she does call
Terra out in this scene. I think
her temper flares on “Plan?”
TESS
After
AURORA says “Thanks, Terr.” you need to immediately stand and see Sylvie and
move to center and start talking with “I wasn’t sure you’d be back.” Even if you can’t actually “see”
Lindsay yet, you “see” her anyway.
TESS
The
monologue about her past is really hard to understand - the muddiest part of
your diction right now. Also, the
first part should be funny. Make
fun of Indiana…and make a bigger joke out of the worms…that is a funny self
deprecating moment…and she says it to get Sylvie to smile. THEN...things shift to something a bit
darker when she talks about the guys (when you cross). Bottom line: think of this monologue in two parts. Right now it’s all one note that says
“My life sucks”…it needs more levels.
RUBY
Similar
to Tess’s note above, you have a confession to Sylvie as well - what I call the
“tom boy” monologue. The first
part should be a remembrance of her joy…she LOVED running around in mud and all
that…let us see the spark inside her - her light that shined before she started
being told she needed to be more gender normative. This part can be energize and full of life as she’s swept up
in the memory. So it’s not until
“And everyone told me not to” that it takes a turn to her sorrow. And this is what gets Sylvie to
cross…Sylvie sees that turn…sees the damage that was done…sees the struggle.
RUBY
/ MICHAEL
Restaging
- read carefully - try it tonight:
Aurora: On “Not if I keep trying to be someone
I’m not.” - turn away from him and go sit
on steps - the exact same place you sit in your final scene with Easton.
Ryland
- Enter talking, up steps, across stage
to sit next to her on the steps - one step up from her.
Aurora: On “You can figure a lot of people
out…” rise and cross SR to center. Turn back to face him on “All you have
to understand is…” Stay there and then exit as usual.
BOTH
Even
with the sitting as detailed above, don’t let it become too conversational and
casual. Keep the tension
high. She’s not in a place to
really want to be helped….she wants comfort and acknowledgement. And he wants to calm her down. Let that conflict heat up.
TESS
/ MICHAEL
This
scene was really rough…and Michael, it’s mostly on you. Tess is coming in really energized, in
full attack - and you swere super slow in picking up cues. This is a fast scene and must drive. Cut the beat before “I guess I’m not
then.” Tess can still take a
micro-beat before “I-I don’t know…”
MICHAEL
See
Harlan earlier and say “Gay boy’s back.”
That pause is its own play.
340th note on this. J
BOWEN
/ RUBY
Amazing
date scene…really strong.
BOWEN
“Dad’s
not here tonight” - losing that line…critical to the scene.
TESS
The
line to Eston is “Are you comfortable being on a date? Since I’m friends with” I think you did not read the version in
color online and so thought “on a date” was cut…but it was never in the old
version…it’s a new line.
BOWEN
/ MICHAEL
Great
connections. But…the kiss was a
little fast. That joint inhale on
the kiss - and a slow release is critical to the line later when Harlan says “I
felt you kiss back.” The audience
should think they are going to get together when they see the kiss happen. And then suddenly, both Harlan AND the
audience realize they got it all wrong.
Hope that makes sense.
MICHAEL
58th
time I’ve given this note: grab
his hands on “Maybe I did. Maybe it was the heat of the moment.” He then pulls away from you - which
really injects energy into the scene.
Don’t forget like you have the last 57 times. J
RUBY
You
aren’t landing your final line to Easton in the play. It has to be the “final good-bye”. It’s rushed and you are
diving off it a bit. Really
important.
TESS
“Vastness”
- losing that.
TESS
You
are speeding through “They’re just as pretty as you are.”…that is a really
important line. Like…super
important. And she has the courage
there to say it. And then Sylvie
begins to see it as an invitation.
That line leads to the kiss.
MICHAEL
Don’t
break character when you forget (or repeat) a line. And remember:
Sylvie puts her hand on your heart BEFORE you say “Love really changes
someone…”
BOWEN
“cute”
- losing that for US audience.
LINDSAY
The
breath before your only line - ha - is a bit long. Just shorten that beat a tad. It feels almost like someone had dropped a line.
Split Division: Finale Part 1
TESS
/ LINDSAY / JULIET
Heads
up. I’m re-conceiving the end of
Act One. So…after “And I love you”
- the last line of Spectral. Lights will slowly change as soft music
comes up (a repeat of the Love music)
- and this happens as Juliet slowly enters and stands on the block. Juliet will not speak UNTIL she gets up
to the block. She then takes a
breath and begins talking…like a ritual.
Once she begins talking, Lindsay and Tess slowly rise, hand in hand, and
walk off stage. The monologue ends
with Juliet jumping off and exiting as usual.
Split Division: Feast
JUSTIN
Can’t
understand almost anything in your lines.
Enunciate. Especially in
Oreo. It’s O-re-o. Right now, I’m hearing “oryo”.
ALL
This
piece is SOOOOOOOOO SLOOOOOOOOOW and SOOOOOOOOO BOOOOOOOOORING. Can you tell how I feel? The eating is not intense. The sounds are not intense. The actions are unspecific. But mostly, all the lines are taking 5 minutes
per line…well, it feels that way.
So, starting with Marcelino’s “I don’t at well, so I’m going to eat
organic food.”, you must be picking up cues and accelerating. This whole section is meant to be a
build. Each line is louder, more
intense, and faster than the one before it until you reach the chant (“Should,
Will, Can’t, …etc.) ß----- which was sloppy - but should be lighting
fast. And there’s no pause before
you all start repeating your words and going to the table…it should be a mad,
furious thing. And then you take a
quick breath and dive into the food, which for Noah, is still on the floor for
reasons I cannot understand J.
Blank
ALL
Some
notes I’ll address in rehearsal.
ALL
Where
are the picture props? We have had
them for days. They simply needed
to be copied. Please check with
Hillary. We must use actual props
tonight. And you must all figure
out a system for ordering them. I
expect this done prior to Act Two.
Use the first half of the show to coordinate it.
CLAIRE
Words
really muddled in first scene. In
general, your enunciation has been struggling the past three rehearsals or
so…maybe consider a more rigorous vocal warm up.
CONNOR
Cut
the “…” before “ghostbusters-sanctioned ghost party”. I think he’s been holding that bad joke in his pocket for a
while, so just say it with full authority and no pause.
AVA
“I
wouldn’t get too invested if I were you.”
Lost that line.
JACKSON
Jab
him harder on “You’re not nearly a good enough artist.”
NEALA
Props
- all food props need to be pre-torn a bit to make for easy opening. Also - we can’t hear any noise of
wrappers back stage prior to your entrances. This means the wrappers in your mouth have to be folded
carefully and easy to pop in your mouth.
This means that you can’t grab the handful of wrappers for the “dropping
them on the aisles” section until the music starts for that moment. Think it all through.
EMILY
Again,
when she asks you to walk with her… “Of course” is meant to be friendly. It
still seems like you are suspicious.
No. It’s a kind line. Smile when you say it. Phoebe is thrilled that her seduction
is working.
EMILY
“Eat
it”. I’m hearing “t - t”
AVA
In
the “She lied” scene, Lola should be on fire…pace it up - keep it energized -
keep her filled with anger and disgust…drive it!!!
AVA
/ CONNOR / JACKSON
The
entire “she lied” scene needs to double in pace and drive. And I need Lola to exit faster with
much more fury after “Let’s go ask Skylar if there’s anything we can do.” And then a much faster stopping her on
“Lola, you wouldn’t happen to have that drawing would you?” SO SLOW RIGH NOW.
AVA
It’s
Skylar’s line: “You know those
drawings you and Elliott found?” that makes her instantly suspicious. When she says that, it’s a huge shift
in Lola.
CONNOR
“We
need to get to her before she does something stupid” isn’t reading right. What he’s saying is: “we need to stop her from self
harming…or worse.” But right now,
“something stupid” sounds like she’s going to make a bad YouTube video and
publish it or something. J
NEALA
When
you read the texts that are questions, you need to make them questions. Like “Are you safe?” Remember, these texts bring her
hope. Right now, you seem to be
hating all of their texts. It’s the opposite. These texts make her consider leaving Phoebe…which is why
Phoebe goes into a rage. We’re not
getting that.
SAMMY
/ JACKON / CONNOR / AVA / EMILY / NEALA
I
want to cut all of the lines that are not Piper’s and Phoebe’s…they are all
sort of throw away horror movie lines right now…and over expository. I think the image of them all coming in
and seeing her…fearful and not knowing what to do…I think that’s much more
haunting. This would mean “We’re here”, “Piper, it’s us. We got your drawings.”,
“Piper, who’re you” would all
go. We’ll discuss at rehearsal
today.
NEALA
You
cannot put any pauses in your lines with Emily during this climax…it’s so, so
bad right now and killing the scene.
And Emily is having to wait and wait on you. I know the physicality and intensity is tough - but you cannot be having to think
about lines here. And if we cut
the above lines, you need to look at that too.
NEALA
/ CLAIRE
Pace
up the last scene. It’s not a
funeral. And Skylar could start it
with some pretty positive, cheery energy… Try to make good with her. Invite her to lunch.
Split Division: Enjoy
Will
address at intermission rehearsal.
But in general, way too slow.
Lines need to pick up! And
Barrett, it’s coming off as “I’m sad, grumpy, down, bored.” Give him more drive.
B2
ALL
I
took few notes last night. Because
as has been the case for some time, the characters are super clear. and the intentions work overall. Right now, it’s just a bit sloppy in
places. The second half, in
particular, was quite rough…with a huge loss in pace and dove-tailing
scenes. This is to be expected,
given the time away from it…so no worries. But remember…things cannot stop. It’s a mad dash.
TRISTAN
You
are the main culprit (see above).
You are late on many entrances, not anticipating…and in many cases, you
should say lines AS you enter and not wait to get to places. Your “Big Tony” line can be “as is”
with the cross first, but the others should all be “speak as enter”.
SURESH
/ TRISTAN
The
hug/rocking moment is weird - because PJ is giving him no reason to step away
and say, “PJ, is that really you.”
So Suresh, on “I would get mad at you, but I won’t…” You have to break
down into ugly crying. It’s a
comic beat. His crying is what
makes Remy step away and question him…because emotion is not something PJ
shows…
CLAIRE
Don’t
“robot” your final dust fact. Say
in genuinely. We’d like to see it
tried this way once, and then we’ll decide if we keep the new way - or revert.
Split Division: Finale Part 2
JOHNNY
You
are ending the whole show. You. I gave the ending of our 3 hour epic to
you. It’s a huge responsibility
and a privilege to have that moment.
Think about that when you are deciding how to spend your time off
stage. Juliet is NAILING the same
monologue - and it’s backwards. I appreciate you coming up to me to
address it and to apologize, but you still are not off the hook. That can’t happen again. Okay? J
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