Sunday, January 16, 2011
What really goes on in the rehearsal room?
guardian.co.uk: "To most theatregoers, the rehearsal room is a mysterious space: a crucible, sealed off to the public, from which a production will eventually emerge. I once asked the director Katie Mitchell why she didn't allow observers into her rehearsals and she bridled. To explore a play fully, she said, an actor had to discard self-consciousness and become wholly vulnerable. It's like being seen in your pants. Would I like people to watch me in my pants, she asked? No, I said hurriedly, I really wouldn't.
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7 comments:
My experience has been more open than this. I've directed in the past, and on multiple occations had guests sit in, whether because they were interested theatre instructors, wanted to observe for a grad project, or wished to see one of the dress rehearsals because they couldn't make the performance. I've also been an actor in those situations, and I don't recall ever feeling like there was something strange. On the other hand, I've sat in on rehearsals, too. Perhaps it's because the bulk of this experience was with the same group of people (my high school).
Visitors to a rehearsal room can either go unnoticed, or can serious disrupt the work. It really depends on your director and cast. Some are just not comfortable allowing people, sometimes complete strangers, to "watch them in their pants". Some actors not shy at all and will act as if go all out while others do not appreciate the criticizing eye. This is why, as a SM, it is so important to know your cast.
Another thing I find really interesting about rehearsal room guest is that they are so curious about what goes on in a rehearsal room. Some people act like its sacred ground, but once they arrive they become quite bored of watching the same scene for two hours.
I dont know a lot about the ballet, but its interesting they dont collaborate with dancers. I find it a little weird. It could just be I'm more familiar with theater which is the collaborate art. As a sm in rehearsal, i always see actors working with directors to figure out their characters, to discover the motivations behind their actions, their backstories, etc to strengthen their performance.
I agree with Kelli, inviting people into the rehearsal room depends on the comfort level of the actors and the director. Some actors are perfectly comfortable with adding new people, I'm sure some welcome having an outside eye view the progress. However some people do view the rehearsal space as a sacred area, to work and build a relationship. It also depends on the show, and the behavior of the visitor. It's not a question of acceptable or unacceptable, invasion or not, but of a informed call to be made by the cast and crew.
I completely understand the nature of having guests in the rehearsal room and why it may make artists uncomfortable. They are bearing and creating their art. Now there are exceptions to this. If the person is known by the acting company, and example would be a directing professor sitting in on a rehearsal here there is already an established comfort level. However, an "outsider" is a different story. As is the nature with art, they will immediately critique. Its our nature. This violates that safe place the rehearsal room should be for the exploration of the art. Now for dancers, I can see why it is a different situation. They are trying to perfect specific dance moves they have been training on for years. While it takes amazing talent and skill, I think there is less art creation at stake for the dancer.
This blogger has some interesting insights but honestly I think he spoke too soon. Being able to sit in on a rehearsal has as much to do with the show and the director as it does with who YOU are, your purpose in being there, and who you talk to to arrange it.
In fact, I've found myself on several ends of this type of situation:
-as a production manager or assistant sitting in to watch a rehearsal
-as a stage manager arranging for visitors to sit in
-as a visitor to a rehearsal where I was there purely to observe
-as a potential visitor at the above theatre where I was not allowed to observe because the director had closed all rehearsals to outsiders
I have even been in a situation where we had a guest in rehearsal and the actors spoke to their Deputy who then spoke to me (as SM) about having this person leave because having him there made them uncomfortable.
A person can encounter any number of these situations and more, although things might be a little different in England, where this article was written.
I don't think people who are not involved in a performance should be in the rehearsal room. I think the great thing about that space is everyone can be open and not worry about what other people think of them or the performance. But I feel that when someone else is in the room, the space immediately is not safe and everyone who is part of the production feels like they can't be as open with their work. This definitely varies from production to production, but I know this is how I feel.
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