- Care about what you say - understand the text and the subtext, don't throw away the lines use every word you have to project meaning.
- Be in character prior going on - before entering the stage take the time to find your character, perhaps walk or talk in your character to ensure that you bring energy on stage and can emerge yourself in the life your character is living.
- Don't allow large gaps - bounce of the other characters in the scene, be energised, alert and alive. Allowing gaps of silence kills the scene as the energy dies down, only allow gaps of silence if it is justified in the moment.
- Visualise surroundings - imagine the scene surrounding you. Visualise the small details like the cracks in walls, creaking of floor boards or the dust. Imagine what it is like to live in that era, in the scene as it helps you not only become your character but live as your character. Have an opinion on your surroundings, do you hate it? love it? long for it? and so on.
- Don't be repetitive - keep changing the scene up, moving into different spaces, use the props around you allowing yourself to make instinctive choices as your character. Repeating the same movements makes the scene boring and stops your from living in the scene, as you think about the movements you have previously done like "oh right, now i have to move here, speak, move" it creates a rigidness that hinders the flow of the piece.
- Have an opinion - always have an opinion on both what your saying, what others are saying and the other characters in the play. Doing this makes you more aware of your reactions and interactions with the others on stage and creates a more well rounded character for yourself that you understand, this also interlinks with knowing the relationship you have with the other characters.
- Use the space - don't clump together or make every interaction a personal circle of attention, open up the space, use all areas as it visually looks better and more inviting for the audience as they are able to see and hear whats going on, it also is realistic as when you speak to people in a space you are often not really close to one another.
- Don't devoice - don't reduce the sound of your voice at the end of your line, it kills the energy and stops the audience from hearing what you say. It is also un realistic as in real life people will speak an equal level until the end of their sentence. Use the all round power of your stomach voice and project.
- You have something to loose - throughout the piece act like you have something to loose. Every character has something to loose if the cherry orchard is sold and this needs to be expressed, the characters are passionate and desperate.
The magic if is one of Stanislavsky's methods of creating a character. You begin by getting into your character and then fabricate a situation in which your character has to deal with, this forces you to react in the way your character would and helps build your character.
Stanislavsky believed that no actor could truly believe in the truth of events however he believed that you can begin to believe in the possibility of those events. He believed that if you create difficult circumstances for yourself, your effort to solve them automatically leads you to natural internal and external reactions.
Logical action = Truthful acting
Here is a quote from Stanislavsky himself which i have annotated in order for me to fully understand the full meaning behind his teachings.
During today's rehearsal i have learnt that i need to be more confident and comfortable in my role and embrace being a male. I will do this by learning my lines inside out so that i am able to fully be confident on stage and be free to explore more without lines constricting me.
I also feel like I am over thinking my actions between lines - my interactions with others and objectives aren't flowing. In order to make my performance better i need to live naturally and freely in the scene. Living and thinking as my character rather than myself.
Overall i believe i could work harder and make more of an effort to be bolder. However i do believe i have been an active member of the cast, staying engaged, making notes and communicating well with my fellow actors.
One of my favourite moments so far is when Lopakhin explains to Ranyevskya that the cherry orchard can be sold here Joe did really well living in the scene and understanding the context and his objectives. His performance was interesting and enjoyable and can learn from his performance and put that into my own.
Throughout this weeks rehearsal speaking with meaning was the most prevalent direction given as throughout each scene actors (including myself) where saying their lines with no true feeling and understanding. I have learnt that each word that you say has to be understood and moments of importance highlighted through your body and voice.
For example on page 303 the scene where Madame Ranevskya talks about her love for the orchard, Chloe began by speaking well but not feeling the passion and burning love that Ranyvskya would be feeling for the orchard. In particular the line "you're young and filled with happiness, and not abandoned by the angels". When performing it looked okay but there was a lack of sensitivity and truth, so when Chloe began to speak with boldness and understood the importance of the lines it made the performance 100x better and you began to understand the connection between the characters and the cherry orchard therefor leading us to understand why the characters are so attached to the orchard and find it hard to not only let go of the orchard itself but the precious memories that come with it.
I admire Chloe's work in this weeks rehearsal as she took on the feedback she was being given in her stride and worked hard to change and understand her role.
Another useful tip that i have learnt this week is to be in character at least 4 steps before you get on stage. This really helped me because you have a purpose when coming on stage and bring energy straight on. It also allows you the time to think, focus and get into the mindset of your character instead of rushing on and not taking the time to ground yourself.
Key idea from today's rehearsal:
"The more you don't get into patterns, the more your piece will flow."
