Category: Reports From Stage Management

Call Began: 6:30

Ended: 7:30

General:

Kat asked Caroline (Victoria) about her character background. They talked about Victoria’s reputation and relationships in middle school and why she seems to be against school.

Caroline and Jon walked around the space as their characters- experimenting with moving like children (at this point in the show both of their characters are younger than 13)

Kat did general blocking for scenes 4 and 7, allowing them to run through each scene 2 times – with notes after each run (experimenting with the placement of the bench within the scenes).

General:

Cam (Wendy) told Kat and Jon about her character’s background. She talked about how she doesn’t think Wendy necessarily hooks up with as many people as everyone seems to think. Then, Kat did general blocking for scene 17- letting the actors figure out which movements they felt fit the scene. After running it once, Kat gave both actors some notes to think about until they run the scene again.

After a short break, Andrea (mother) talked about her character’s background. She talked about how her character had a close friend die. She also talked about her thoughts behind her character’s use of the word parasite, her turtleneck choice, her reasons for killing herself, her relationship with Wallace and her husband.

Kat ran through scene 2 with Wallace and mother. She connected this scene with the movement exercise that we did at our first rehearsal- telling Andrea to play with a feeling of heaviness and Jon with a feeling of lightness. For this rehearsal, Andrea didn’t do most of her movements full out- removing her shirt, slitting her throat, falling. As with other actors and scenes, she will not do these motions until she has further direction and time dedicated to working on just these motions alone.

Sami told us about her character’s background. She was asked questions like: how many times did Wallace visit you? Did you medicate him? Who sent Wallace to you? Etc. Then, Kat did general blocking for scenes 6 and 13.

Victoria and Grandma then joined Wallace and Psychiatrist on stage for scene 14. Kat talked through the complicated blocking for scene 14. They were told to think about their movements before the next rehearsal so that they can be more familiar and comfortable with it when they actually run through it for the first time.

Sydney (Lili) talked through her character background, mostly talking about her reasoning behind having sex with Wallace. Then, Kat ran through blocking for scene 15 with Lili and Wallace. They ran through the scene once, and then Kat gave blocking notes.

Set:

We used chairs and a small black cube to build a makeshift set.

Call Began: 8:20

Breaks:

Ended: 10:13

General:

Jon, Jillian, and Emma weren’t called to rehearsal until after the Arts Residential College Common Hour. So, Kat conducted a character workshop with Molly (Grandma) by herself. Molly told Kat about the character background that she created for herself outside of rehearsal. They used this character background to analyze some of the grandmother’s lines and actions within the script.

Kat talked with Molly (Grandma) and Jon (Wallace) together about their characters. They had been told to come into this rehearsal with a character backstory. So, each of the actors talked about some of their characters background, including analysis of certain aspects included in the script. Molly told Jon about the grandma’s character background, which she had just talked through with Kat.

Using chairs and a cube as a make-shift set, Kat started to introduce general blocking for scenes 2, 8, and 20 with Grandma and Wallace. She used minimal blocking, allowing them to find general motions for their characters on their own. After running through each scene once, the actors were given notes on intention: they were told to come back for their next rehearsal having thought about specific lines or actions, and what their characters may have intended in those moments. They were told that the set and blocking at this rehearsal is subject to change as rehearsals proceed (as the blocking will go more in-depth at future rehearsals)

Jillian (Nina) and Jon (Wallace) talked about their characters’ backgrounds and relationships. Kat focused on Nina’s life before she met Wallace- asking Jillian for the background she created for her character. Then, they focused on what happens after the script ends- where did Wallace and Nina’s relationship go? Did Wallace ever come clean about his relationship with Lili?

Jillian (Nina) and Jon (Wallace) did general blocking for scenes 16 and 20. For the intimacy moments, the actors used a high-five as a placeholder for kissing (which Kat told them they would continue to do until they have had an official intimacy workshop). Jillian also didn’t do the real slap (in scene 20)- Kat told them that this would also be saved until they are given specific direction. After running the scenes once, Kat gave both actors some notes for them to think about until the next time we run these scenes.

Set:

The padded chairs in Tustin were used to build make-shift set pieces (Wallace’s bed and side-table, grandma’s kitchen counter and chairs, etc.)