ElenaP: Behind the Scenes

Last night, we finished blocking the play! We now have a rough sketch of each character's movements from curtain up to curtain down, a sketch that we'll now spend the next two weeks coloring, polishing, and filling in.

It's funny, but the first week on stage always feels like fumbling in the dark for a lightswitch. In many respects, the components we now have are the same things you'll soon be watching from those cushy red Riverside seats. You'll see the same people, uttering (essentially) the same lines, in (essentially) the same order. But its not a play yet, you know?

My fellow actors and I are still wandering, still searching-- finding the speed of the funnier lines, the tonality of the weightier ones, all the while aquainting ourselves with the rhythm of each reaction in our bodies. In short, blocking rehearsals are a lot of fun (we've laughed A LOT this past week as we've gotten to know both the play and each other) but the whole show still feels nebulous. We can feel the frame and structure of the wall surrounding us, but have yet to locate the smaller, integral switchplate that will illuminate the room in which we stand.

What's got my attention more than anything this week is another common byproduct of the first rehearsal week: seven days into the process, the character I'm playing is still a little under-lit, too. There are already moments where I think I can see Annie as plain as day: staring out the window on page 6, laughing at a story on page 40, threatening to punch someone on page 18. But there are moments in between where I'm not 100% sure how to play her. When Annie says "I don't know what I want to know anymore" is she feeling sarcastic or scared? When she admits that she doesn't know how to waltz, is she embarrassed? When she tells her lover that she never went to her Senior Prom, might she be lying just to get out of telling a racy story?

While some might find these uncertainties unsettling, I find them delicious! I love the detective work of theatre-- the slow, multi-pronged process of discovering a person who only exists on paper. There's lots of ways an actor can bring a character to life for herself. I read once that, Kate Winslet never feels in-character until she finds the right bra. Johnny Depp blasted a different kind of discordant music in each ear to feel more like Hunter S. Thomspon. And, of course, there's Spencer Tracy's more laissez faire approach: "just say your lines and don't bump into the furniture."

Me? I like to make mix CD's-- compilations of songs that my character (even if she exists in an era before recorded music) might enjoy listening to, or might respond to, or might find resonance in. I listen to these mixes before rehearsals or during warm-ups, or at random points in the process when I need to get in the mood.

And since this blog is all about inviting you Riverdogs into our rehearsal process, I thought YOU might want to give me a hand...

What songs might you associate with a girl like Annie? I'd describe her as a savvy 30-something PBS employee who is a little too passionate for her own good. She's an idealist, but also a little sarcastic, having just been dumped. When the play opens, she can feel both her faith--and her sanity-- slipping away. So what would you suggest? The Dixie Chicks? Mahler? Gloria Gaynor? The theme from Rocky? I'm totally open to your suggestions, folks. Character building can be collaborative! Post your songs suggestions in the comments link below, or email them to me at elena-passarello@uiowa.edu. I'll post the playlist next week. And who knows-- if I'm feeling industrious, maybe I'll make a few mixtape copies to distribute among the most faithful "ElenaP Behind the Scenes" readers.

More soon,

ElenaP