Time is flying by and tomorrow we start rehearsals! Definitely looking forward to getting in the rehearsal room with this play and this most excellent group of people.
I really wanted us to have a little research time… or a play day… before we sat down to read the play, so on Friday we had just over three hours of time in a rehearsal room at the Tarragon Theatre rehearsal rooms. It was a wonderful opportunity to have some play time on two particularly challenging parts of the play.
The Sad and Cautionary Tale of Smackheaded Peter has choral sections and drug hallucinations- so I wanted us to start working together on choral and physical work, without having to be too result-oriented. In the choral section I was wondering if we would need to ‘orchestrate the voices’ to create dynamics- so I was surprised to discover that it (the text) didn’t seem to need it. We’ll play with this again another day- I wonder if we’ll feel the same? I really thought that it would… In the drug hallucination that we played with we simply played with a large, stretchy piece of fabric that Brandon had brought in a played with the images that sprung from ‘cocoon’, ‘safe’, ‘warm’. The most extraordinary moment was when the company wrapped one of the actors up from head-to-toe in the fabric, while he was upside-down. He really looked like he was a big human cocoon! He looked a little like this… (but with several people around him)
We also had some fun with contact improv and played with the ‘cocoon’, ‘safe’, ‘warm’ images without the fabric…lots of wonder physical images emerged. What really delighted me was the generosity and risks that the company were taking- It was a super atmosphere in the room.
The company really dove into all the games/exercises- It was an excellent morning and I came away with a much richer understanding of how to move forward- to realize this fantastically heightened and challenging play!
We also had a production meeting- The set will be recyclable- hurrah! and the viral video shoot is coming together, which will be fun.
All-in-all, it was an exciting day- and so… onwards and upwards into week 1 of rehearsal.
We’re rehearsing in the heart of Parkdale, at the Parkdale United Church. They’ve been very welcoming and I’m very happy that it’s our ‘rehearsal home’. Much of the church is actually apartment housing for new Canadians and seniors. Here’s a photo-
To finish… here’s a link to an excellent article and short film about Thamesmead, the area where the play is set. Thamesmead was built as a ‘new town’ just over 40 years ago- It’s recently been getting some much-needed renovation. Please watch the short film and experience a little of the community and humanity amongst the brutal architecture…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/apr/16/communities
Thanks for reading… more soon!