Great to be able to do a run through! It gives us a real sense of the play as a story. Please try to clear your schedules for the next while so we can continue to do these runs.
Opening scene: Inez, Emily and Elizabeth - pick this up! It needs to bounce along. Don't wait between lines. That's death to any comedy in the scene and it should be funny. All of you need to "work the room" -- cheat out! Don't clump up in that corner -- use the theatre.
Know your lines by November 16.
Rachel, Sophie needs a watch. Horace and Herman need a suitcase for their first entrance. I think a nice bit of business in this scene would be that Inez comes in with a drink (with ice in it to make a sound) and Herman takes it from her and drinks it while Inez berates Horace. We need a box with a corsage in it.
EVERYONE NEEDS TO PROJECT! Think of words you want to emphasize in all your speeches - like "stuff". Inez, use Herman to back you up and Herman, back her up with nods. (This is on P. 33, not when you tentatively defy her later in the play.)
Inez and Horace, you need to practice dancing together. Inez, you need to be confident dancing. Horace, you can look at your feet a lot and mouth counting "one, two, one-two".
Sophie, you need to get used to not wearing your hat as Emily.
Elizabeth, you are very nervous with Horace. Let's see a lot of sweaty palms and dry lips. When she lies to you, Horace, you need to react. You've heard the yelling and you know she's lying. When you say, "yes, ma'am. I do understand", you really do. After Horace leaves, Elizabeth -- you are soooo embarrassed! Let's see that.
You all need to figure out how to get to your entrance. Avoid rubbing up against the curtains.
Inez, Herman says you've pushed Horace. You push Herman, too. Let's see that in your scenes together.
Mary Catherine, enter in a funk on page 40. You need to break your speeches into "beats". What are you going for from moment to moment? What do you want in each sentence? I liked how you backed up Emily on Page 41. When Emily asks you to go with her, give Horace a glance. He might be one of the reasons you don't want to go with her. Page 42, Mary Catherine, use the pauses to reflect momentarily on what you really mean. Play the subtext.
Horace, let's see the subtext on "Yes. She's very pretty." What are you saying to Mary Catherine? She asks you if you think Emily is beautiful. You say she's pretty. What does that mean? Is "pretty" as good as "beautiful"?
Mary Catherine, be careful with diction in your big speech on p. 44. Make a big change at the end of the raft sentence.
Tom, be warmer as Dad. You really love Mary Catherine and are proud of her. Don't be bashful. You are a strong guy.
Horace, when you ask Mary Catherine if she would rather go to business school, you can't imagine that she would. It's a dead end. Use the pause after she says her dad was relieved. You are changing the subject completely. I really liked how you did "How do you get confidence?" and "Oh, is that how it's done?"
You all need to cheat out and face the audience as much as possible.
Horace, on page 46, when you get to "I know I'd gain the confidence", you're done stammering. You're on a roll.
Inez, for your entrance on page 46, come in from behind the blue curtain. "She has eaten dirt" is your big triumph. Don't upstage yourself in this scene. Make Horace come to you.
Mary Catherine, when you tell Horace you know how he feels, you really do. It's the truth. When you tell him it's your first dance, that's a confession. When you say you're afraid you wouldn't be popular, you're embarrassed and I think I would choose to laugh at myself a bit at that point.
The ending needs to make us (the audience) really happy. The good guys have won! We need to root for you (Mary Catherine and Horace)!
No comments:
Post a Comment