Time and Money…Time and money- we’ll just have to make it work with the Time that we have…
This is what was going through my head a lot yesterday- while we were doing our first stagger-through of the play. The actors were doing really well in the scenes that we’ve rehearsed, it’s just that we need more time together as a full company- especially for the Choral sections…and yesterday our stagger-through had the full company for about 20 mins of the piece.
We did have a very productive afternoon- including an excellent conversation about the Qualities Shared by Innovative thinkers. I shared a BBC new article on the subject with the company. Here’s the link:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-10653786
We also did as much on the ensemble sections of the play as we could- and we made good progress… And please, let me clear that there were lots of very good things going on in the stagger-through and I’m sure we’ll have a wonderful production in the end… it’s just that I’m a wee bit frustrated by this process.
There’s part of me that would like to have a tantrum, throw my toys out of the pram (is the UK expression) and I knooooow (as a grown-up) that there’s really no point and and I know that to “get the play done” that I need to stay solution-oriented and I knowwwwww that “it’s only a play” and that I need to trust the rehearsal process and it will all come together… But oooohhhh, couldn’t I just have oooooonne little tantrum, sometime, please?
There’s a theatre expression in the UK called “Booking a Tantie”. A Tantie is the cute form of tantrum. As some of us may know, frustration may sometimes appear during the rehearsal process and when it does arrive it can be for lots of different reasons. It may be that there’s a difference between what the actor/director feels is needed for the scene, compared to how it’s currently working in rehearsal. So, often, humor diffuses this tension. I’ve often heard/seen the humor come from other actors in the room… “oooo, she’s going to need to book a Tantie!” or “Have you booked your Tantie this afternoon?”(both expressed with generosity, rather than dripping sarcastic mockery) Or someone may ask, “would you like to book your Tantie now?” It’s a UK way of acknowledging, allowing and diffusing the frustration- and it can work- as long as there’s generally been acknowledging, allowing, compassion and humor in the rehearsal process.
Yesterday I didn’t have a Tantie… I did share my desire to have one, but only after rehearsals were done. I just wanted to get on with the work in the time that we had together- and we did have a very good afternoon- to which I say, “Hurrah!”
And this weekend, I’m going to think about how I can rehearse differently- and maintain my ensemble approach to the play.
And although at the moment our potential Full Company time feels like this-
and I’d like to do this…
I’m going to turn that wee perspective around- keep positive and keep going.
And I may just give myself a bit of Time off today…
I'd like to schedule mine for Thursday afternoon, please.