IMFourPlay

Amping Up the Drama: Rehearsal Number Fifteen

While the title could be in reference to my own emotional fragility this evening, it actually refers to the energy of our stage work. We spent a good deal of time (a little too much, but it was work that needed to be done) reviewing and polishing some of the trickier group numbers and fine-tuning some possible song dynamics. This meant we got off to a later start with the run than I would have ideally liked, but there's little point in a run unless the participants feel that they're starting on a firm footing.

In addition to providing some good insights, Gina also provided me with my dinner, which was a huge blessing! My entire day had passed on chasing minutiae - pricing t-shirts, hunting for program ads, updating my faculty page with FourPlay info, wrestling with my crazy schedule, following up on some production issues and challenges with Dave R and Keith... I am approaching a week in the near future when I will be performing in FourPlay while auditioning improvisers for The Lost Comedies of William Shakespeare (also at SAK), and rehearsing ImprOvientation with Rollins Improv Players on campus. Heather reminded me that this is actually our norm as a performing couple, but it definitely caused me some pause as I rushed to rehearsal this evening... While I had wanted to play in the structure myself, today was not the day to do so. I find it interesting directing and performing in the piece as there are some issues that can only be addressed with an outside eye, and some insights that can only be obtained through an inside experience. Tonight, however, was an outside eye night for me.

Tonight's cast consisted of Chase, Jay, Robyn and Mark. Act one generally moved along quite nicely with the creation of some funny and interesting characters and relationships. This year's cast is doing particularly well at finding playful character dynamics that offer rich potentials for a second act. There were also many lovely little finesses: Mark's character hitting Robyn's (on the other side of the stage) in the head with his mimed yo-yo; Chase repeatedly offering to his son, Jay, that he wished he'd married his wife's sister instead; Chase's adult child pining for "hammer-proof cats"; Robyn and Jay's lovely act one duet crooning "Life wasn't supposed to be this way"; Jay's hyper absentee-parent child running around the swimming pool with scissors; and Mark's show-stopping act one solo as a 45 year old woman, culminating in the lyric, "Hating yourself is an art!"

Act two was a little more challenging. This was partially due to the fact that we had two players attempting this act for the first time, and partially due to the fact that I'm pushing a particular story agenda at the moment that undeniably raises the challenge. Part of act two centers on the emergence of an antagonist. While there are often clearer choices for this role that exist within the original family of each potential star, I'm avoiding this choice at the moment so as to see how much the structure can bend to meet each evening's story needs. I also, somewhat devilishly, like the challenge of seeking unexpected connections. My now not-so-secret agenda did create a little confusion for the second act, but it also revealed many exciting new vistas. In short, the company, with a little prodding on my part, really started to understand the importance of raising the stakes and pursuing the dramatic choice. I found it interesting and exciting that, almost without exception, when I paused the run to note that we had fallen from the path of heightened urgency and emotion, the cast was immediately able to quickly substitute a new superior choice. This bodes well. With Jay in the lead, we actually built the show to an interesting and legitimate climax. As Chase noted to me in a conversation after rehearsal, we rarely reached this level of emotional intensity last season. We may lose a little of the high comedy momentarily as we seek these dynamics, but I'm confident that this element will return. My ideal is that we really care about the star's fate by the end of the second act while still getting some great laughs along the way.

The run time wasn't particularly long, but our debrief between acts went long as we mused on possibilities. (We really need to practice stream-lining this process for the run so that our intermissions are kept tight - at the moment, though, this is unavoidable as act two is still so alien to returning and new members alike.) Sadly, we didn't finish the run until around 11:00, and notes until 11:30ish. Everyone was lovely and patient, but I want to publicly acknowledge that I do hate going over the scheduled time. As we are approaching our Producer Preview on Saturday, however, I'm keen to give everyone as many runs of the format as possible and to take the time to answer any structural or energy questions. This is a hard balancing act...

It looks like show t-shirts will be going ahead. On Andy Dooley's suggestion, I'm contemplating adding a tagline or slogan to the back with SAK approval. How about "It's always better with FourPlay" or "I'm a FourPlay Fan"? Post me your ideas...

Your slightly-the-worse-for-wear Director, David C.