Wow. That scene.
I was talking to Richard, an esteemed British fight director, and I asked him if he ever acted in live theatre anymore. He said he didn't, because all of the fun and creativity happened during the rehearsal process, and was done by the time opening night rolled around. At the time, I thought: Wow, that's shallow! And wrong! But lately, I've begun to feel that he is right. Or rather, I am coming around to his point of view.
Then I have a scene like the one I just had.
I really have only three big scenes in this show, all three of which are with my husband. We are arguing about a divorce which he wants but I don't want to grant him. It's more complicated than that, but that is really the crux of the matter. The third scene was always my favorite. The arc of the scene is very clear and I clued into it first in the rehearsal process. Plus, that's when I get to have my big breakdown, so it was always the most satisfying scene to do. The second scene was harder to get a grip on. There were some strange transitions that I didn't nail down, even through and after opening night.
Lately I've been taking a different launch into the scene, going in with the premise that I am acting on bad advice that I had been given by another character. Of course it all blows up in my face, and we wind up tearing at each other in a very George and Martha way. The scene has just taken off in the last two weeks and now it really flies. It is fierce and fast and juicy and I walk off stage after it every night shaken and giddy and so excited, I want to tackle-hug my scene partner. Each night, he will find some new aspect of it, some new color to add or take things in a slightly different direction, and it adds a new and fresh shading to everything we do. It truly is what living in the moment is like, when you are not acting, but simply reacting to what is coming at you.
Simply because of the timing of my move, this show has been very difficult to do, and sometimes I have thought that I made the wrong decision. But then I have a scene like that, and I not only feel like I couldn't have a better Chicago send-off, but I fall in love with live theatre all over again.
Then I have a scene like the one I just had.
I really have only three big scenes in this show, all three of which are with my husband. We are arguing about a divorce which he wants but I don't want to grant him. It's more complicated than that, but that is really the crux of the matter. The third scene was always my favorite. The arc of the scene is very clear and I clued into it first in the rehearsal process. Plus, that's when I get to have my big breakdown, so it was always the most satisfying scene to do. The second scene was harder to get a grip on. There were some strange transitions that I didn't nail down, even through and after opening night.
Lately I've been taking a different launch into the scene, going in with the premise that I am acting on bad advice that I had been given by another character. Of course it all blows up in my face, and we wind up tearing at each other in a very George and Martha way. The scene has just taken off in the last two weeks and now it really flies. It is fierce and fast and juicy and I walk off stage after it every night shaken and giddy and so excited, I want to tackle-hug my scene partner. Each night, he will find some new aspect of it, some new color to add or take things in a slightly different direction, and it adds a new and fresh shading to everything we do. It truly is what living in the moment is like, when you are not acting, but simply reacting to what is coming at you.
Simply because of the timing of my move, this show has been very difficult to do, and sometimes I have thought that I made the wrong decision. But then I have a scene like that, and I not only feel like I couldn't have a better Chicago send-off, but I fall in love with live theatre all over again.