THE HOME STRETCH: BENJAMIN GREGG
(From Merriam-Webster)
Definition of homestretch
1: the part of a racecourse between the last turn and the winning post
2: a final stage
Well, here we are folks, it’s the home stretch, it’s the (wait for it…)THE FINAL COUNTDOWN (cue Europe’s “The Final Countdown”).
Oh, what the heck, let’s just directly link to it because I just planted that song in your brain anyway like the movie “Inception.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNiTxUEnmKI
After many months of collaboration and exploration, we are down to the nitty-gritty of the final rehearsals leading up to the opening of “Our Country’s Good.”
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BUILDING CHARACTER WITH IMAGINARY BODIES & DIALECTS: LANA SUGARMAN
As we continue in this process, I’ve been struck by the tools that almost instantly bring me into the world of the play or the characters I’m playing.
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ON FLAT HIERARCHY: DANIEL MCKINNON
One of the most interesting things that has come with this production is the flat hierarchy, which I deeply appreciate. There is an intrinsic amount of creative freedom that comes with having everyone on an equal playing field. Yes, of course we have Craig, our director, and there are other members of the team who are in charge of specific aspects. Functionally, doing away with a hierarchy completely may be infeasible, but there is a true commitment to working in the way of equal say and shared agency.
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FREEDOM IN STRUCTURE: MERIAH SAGE
This week at rehearsal - in rooms all over NE Ohio - we started to shift from playing and exploring to blocking, solidifying our location and business.
Specific blocking was set for the large group scenes, especially. This might seem a bit restrictive from the outside, but the structure gives great frames to really play boldly in. In the scenes where our characters are rehearsing The Recruiting Officer, I found new relationships with different characters, in part because of my new proximity to them. When the characters clashed together on stage: How do they interact? What is their comfort level with each other? Do they have a similar viewpoint? What do they need from each other? The dynamics started to expand and the relationships became complex, specific, and felt more truthful.
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CHANGES AND CHALLENGES: CHUCK RICHIE
Turning “Three Quarters” on April 2nd reminded me of the world I was born into and grew up in. So here are a few reflections and wide-ranging observations on the seismic changes that have happened over those years.
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INFINITE VARIATIONS: SAM LANDGRAF
Each production of a play is different. There are different actors in different spaces with different lights, sounds, and sets. You may think that the variations stop there, but they don’t. “The words are the words, so how can there be variations?” As the stage manager, I get to see thousands of different versions of a play before it gets to opening night. Being able to witness all of the versions of the play in rehearsal, the stage manager truly has the best seat in the house. I get to see the first time that the cast sits down and reads the play together, giving the play the first signs of life. Then I get to watch the cast stand up and move about the space, saying the words, reading the stage directions, and putting it all together for the first time. After this, I get to watch the best part, playing and taking direction. When you have a good group working together (and boy, do we have a good group), the director is able to give the actors one word, one feeling, one adjustment and the run of the scene is something completely new and different than before - changing the way the actors and director understand the play as a whole.
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THE WHEELS ON THE BUS: BRETT RADKE
“We will drive the bus while putting wheels on it”; this is one of the Room Agreements in our creative space as we work on OUR COUNTRY’S GOOD.
This project is unlike any other project I have worked on before with its duration and authentic commitment to process. There have been many unknowns and uncertainties along the way, and as we are nearing the next phase of this project, I am feeling the value in driving forward even when things seem uncertain. This crystallized earlier this month when the company was in residence at The Great Lakes Michael Chekhov Consortium (GLMCC).
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BRINGING THE WORLD TO LIFE: MICAH HARVEY
How do you combine everything into a cohesive look that has everything you want as a designer, everything the director wants, doesn't ruin the life of the lighting designer and takes into account sight lines and the overall budget? Everyone has their own methods. Some sketch like crazy, some talk it out, some make vision boards. In this case, I found myself doing all three. Looking at what I first sketched out versus what we are landing on, I see two different beasts, but some initial work still holds true.
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LESSONS FROM COLLABORATION (SO FAR): LISA WILEY
before. I was given a script, a sort of treasure map if you will. I was put in a room with other creative minds and the goal was to come together as one vessel and figure out, not only what routes we would take to find the treasure, but decide on what that treasure would be. And then, share it with others.
Eight or nine months later in our excursion, as we go into the more “traditional” rehearsal process for the show, I revisited my journals, sketches and post its and decided to highlight (in no particular order) what I've learned or experienced so far in this amazing journey with some of the most creative and courageous souls I know.
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