Poetry in Theater

I also want to set a goal of thinking more into the work I did with Pig Iron theater over the winter break in Philli. The focus was on theater as poetry, and it brought forth some really compelling insights into the nature and potential of theater. I hope that in some way I can incorporate this sort of thought into my work, and I hope in some way this production can find that quality.

So as a jumping off point I'm gonna throw up some Hieronymus Bosch paintings, I posted some a couple posts ago as well...

"The promise a stallion gives a mare" 1/25 and 1/26 Rehearsals

Tuesdays rehearsal involved the blocking of Act 2 scene 1, in which Abigail and John meet in the woods. Jason started the rehearsal out with reading the scene closing on the stage, not performing it but focusing on the interaction between the characters. This is something that Emily and I work frequently with out of our very brief encounter with Meisners (I really don't have a good understanding of it beyond the basics). Then Jason had us do an excercise where we stood across the stage and overly physicalized every word and action of our lines. I had a bit of a struggle completely letting go of myself and going big enough for what I hoped to achieve, I think mostly because of the nature of Proctors lines in this section as well as his intentions. He's contained and methodical about how he approaches her. Something that came out of the scene once we started putting it on its feet and dealing with it in performance is how detached from reality Abigail has become. I had thought to really attack Abigail personally with the lines "If you can hear, hear this. Can you hear?". I tried this a few times and it didn't feel fresh; it seemed to have the same quality as my assault on Mary Warren in closing of the previous scene. When Emily and I ran the scene yesterday after the practicum meeting, I decided to remain in a sort of terror at the witnessing of a girl who really may be possessed and who really has turned her soul over to the devil. Images of exocrisms came into mind as a priest would aproach the body of someone possessed. The mood of the rehearsal was a it tense for me. I was getting distracted and frustrated easily, and left feeling somewhat uncomfortable about it, but I identified that along with Jason and Emily that it was a result of the emotional state John is in at that point. So my next goal for working that scene is to experience and live in that uncertainty and distractedness, and to search for Johns fight instinct.

The mood of last nights rehearsal was also less focused than had the previous weeks. It felt a bit like the guys in the scene were a bit restless; everyone does a lot of standing or sitting. I expressed to Jason how I was worried this scene would become a lull and drag the arch a bit. I think this is the scene that we could lose student audiences a bit. Jason eased my concerns by encouraging me to indulge in the melodrama, and understand that audiences today aren't used to watching people on stage for a long period of time delivering these beautiful and sincere oratories. I wonder if its a sort of chewing the scenery thats so classic and compelling when done honestly.

I think I asked one of the most technical questions I've asked in this rehearsal process so far about what precise time to move down off of the stage right step. I knew that Jason was going to trust me enough to feel the moment for myself before I even asked it, I really enjoy being given the autonomy to explore, while still trusting that their is some guidance to affirm or ellaborate on.

Jan 23rd and 24th Rehearsals... and God's icy wind will blow...

Our Sunday rehearsal brought us near the end of Act 1 Scene 2. This rehearsal was a little more belabored than our previous rehearsals had been, but there was still a great deal of discovery and nice progress. In particular, Kayla and I got our first chance to really find the love between the two characters. Both of us commented to each other at the end of rehearsal how surprised we are by the success of our communication and mutual trust. I was also taken aback by the strength that Emily Perry found. It has been a really great experience working with these two very talented women. I'm still working on building my relationship with Hale; its a complicated one. In the interrogation bit Jason set the goal of building this seething disdain for him over the course of the questioning until it bubbles over. I'm still working to find it and embody it.

Tonights rehearsal concluded the blocking for 1.2, followed by a run of scene two, then a run of scene 1 that never reached completion due to time. In the process of blocking the final moments of scene 2, I continued to have even greater progress with Emily. She seemed to be really effected by our interaction, with really helped to facilitate my involvement with her and the scene. At the start I approached the scene with a resigned stoicism, which I think wasn't what Jason was quite expecting, but encouraged and helped me explore. I had a hard time verbalizing objectives with regards to Mary Warren. The lines in those two pages are pretty poetic and I approach them with a bit of apprehension for fear of over playing them. Jason encouraged me to "throw a boiling water in her face" with the lines, "My wife will not die for me". I love how physical the action ended up being. Jason continually seems to realize the impulses I had, but are either hesitant in acting out, or unaware of them on a conscious level.

We then moved to the first run of the entire scene 2. I was surprised at how nervous I was before running it; we had a little bit of an audience of company members waiting to rehearse scene 1. The run went well, though not as good as the scene had been throughout the rehearsals last week. Both Kayla and I felt it, as Emily Brooks and I felt it after the scene 1 run. Its to be expected. I was mostly concerned with remembering all the blocking and lines, but I had set the goal for myself of trying to live in the honest and subtle moments (as if on film) as well as noticing the shape of the scene in order to understand the arch of the first act. The tempo seemed to drag, which I blame on a lack of picking up cues, (duh).

Coming up is the blocking of 2.1 and moving into the courtroom scene. I'm approaching that wall of lines I haven't worked on yet and I'm getting a bit nervous the rehearsals won't go as smoothly or successfully for me as they have been. All and all i'm amazed at the progress I've made and that the company has made.



(I googled "I will bring your guts into your mouth" and I got a picture of Rex Ryan... ha).

Proctor Genealogy

http://www.geni.com/people/John-Proctor-II/6000000002928651439

Jan 21st rehearsal

Last night was one of the best rehearsals I've ever had. Kayla and I really have seemed to connect in the scene and we're already making really great progress. Each run of the scene revealed something different, and I know it will continue to up until closing night. The blocking process has also aided in discovering different emotions and have enriched my understanding of the scene and Proctor himself. These moments were mostly found when working on pages 34 and 35 once Elizabeth has been condemned. I almost hesitate to write this, but for the first time ever I almost drew tears, completely unexpectedly. I felt invested in Proctors frustration and hurt in response to Elizabeth's self-righteous judgment. After spending so much time reading the text by myself, I wasn't quite prepared for the shock of actually being able to look into Elizabeths eyes, and have them look into mine. Each time I connected with Kayla's eyes, I felt more grounded and invested in the present moment. I hadn't considered what it must be like for John to look into those eyes every day of his life and continue to see nothing but her judgement, when all he really wants is her approval, if not even her love. The ease with which Kayla and I connected in the scene was something I have rarely found in my time here at IUP.

Working with Emily in the scene was an interesting experience as well. She made an incredibly interesting choice to smile and dance when speaking about the accused women, and it really enraged me (as Proctor). I think its going to be that sort of dissonance of action thats going to give really dark shades and color to the play.

When we took our 5 min. breaks, I had a hard time shaking the tension from my body and jaw. Out of my anxiousness, I had to sit down and just scribble notes in my script to keep myself occupied until I could relax a bit and shake it off, only to come back and take the journey all over again. Once again, I was taken aback by the emotional intensity I experienced in this scene, and it makes me excited, and a bit apprehensive about approaching the following acts when things really take off.

I've got the day off today to work on lines; we're quickly moving towards the scenes I haven't memorized yet, and I'm afraid of hitting that wall in rehearsals, which will probably add to my frustrations.

jan 19th rehearsal report

Rehearsal began with a run of act 1. I'm extremely pleased with how much has been accomplished in less than one week. Jason wanted us to think of a goal we wanted to achieve for the run, and that the focus wasn't on impressing him, but just making sure we've got the blocking and the lines down. My personal goal was to focus on the shape of the scene. I had noticed after the last rehearsal that I had a hard time transitioning between the Abigail sequence and the dealing with Parris and Putnum. I discovered I had forgotten to take into account how Proctor feels about whats going on, and Betty's "sportin'". I focused on keeping in mind the fact that he knows this is fake and he's waiting to see how far Abigail is going to take it. This helped me keep his mood light and the tempo moving, two things I was concerned about.

The second half of rehearsal was on the first 3 pages of Act 1 Scene 2, the scene between Elizabeth and I. It was a really great rehearsal environment. Kayla and I ran lines together before hand and we were both decently off book, which really allowed us to make the best use of our time with rehearsal. I can already tell that the john/liz scenes are going to end up really nicely; theres really good communication between the two of us and I think we're on the same page on whats going on between the two of them. I realized all this   when Jason told us to forget that his was "The Crucible" and just do the scene as if we were married and dealing with the same issues that the proctors are dealing with. The scene really lived and there was great responding and reacting to each other. We worked to find a balance of those truthful moments while restricting anything that looks too contemporary.

Character conference

Just got out of my character conference with Jason. It was a really good meeting and it gave me a lot to think about in terms of who John Proctor and what he embodies. We talked about who John Proctor would be outside of the Puritan world. Maybe he'd be a drinker. He's a man who lives out on the fringe, connected to the earth and standing away from the the society of man. Jason proposed he may be an old hippie who'd take you out on a mountain and show you the land and say, "this is my religion and my world". He's intelligent, yet still would want to use his hands. I discussed my thinking about John and Elizabeths marriage apart from the Puritan framework, and what she means to him and what she represents.

Jason asked me what I think John dies for, which is something I discussed in an earlier blog post. Jason phrased it as not just dying for himself or for his family, but for mythology. He's dying for an idea and is sacrificial in that respect. John is obviously a Christ-like figure, and in a Puritan society, He would be the only mythological or literary hero he has an example. The road to his death is very similar to that of Christs; but when does John fight against it and fear his death as Christ did, and when and why does John accept his fate and comes to terms with it? Jason suggested I look to images of the crucifixion and the stations of the cross.

 

 

First rehearsal and general thoughts

I think the audience all identifies with John Proctor at the essential struggle against laws of society, at the essential struggle with his own identity. Whats cathartic is watching that break through, the moments of anarchy and rebellion. We want to watch him land the punch, some sort of manifest of his and their frustration. It is in this way John Proctor will need the audience and how they will need him.

Rehearsal 1/17

First blocking rehearsal. I had been apprehensive about how comfortable I was going to feel putting the dialogue in with the blocking, but being off book made the process much easier. Emily and I did some good work on our first scene. Technically I felt like I kept cutting myself or Emily off from the audience; the playing space is narrow and would be more comfortable in thrust. Theres a particular moment where I walk around the bed and remain flat back to the audience. Emily comes up behind me and there are about 2 lines of dialogue where both of our backs are right to the audience, but I like that the moment is slighting cut off from the audience, so I'll be able internalize the tension of her coming up behind me and true to convey that energy through my shoulders and by turns of the head. I'm going to have to make sure my hair doesn't obscure my face. Once again, I really enjoy Jason's rehearsal process of repetition, which always works really well for me. Its going to be all the more helpful for the scenes I'm not solidly memorized on. I felt a bit restricted in general throughout the first workings of the scene, which might have to do with the nature of the scene. I'm dealing with trying to emulate the earthiness and roundedness of John; staying fairly unemotional well still being compelling and expressive. I'm paying attention to tempo and mood, which I think are two things that are in danger of hovering at the same level throughout the scenes. I was trying to think of this scene as the way of establishing where John Proctor is coming from, so that I can build the characters arch over the next two acts.

Salem Witchcraft Papers

1692 Apr. 4. Abig: Williams complained of Goodm Proctor & cryed out w't are you come to, #[are you come to,] you can pinch as well as your wife & more to that purpose

6. At night she complained of Goodm: Proctor again & beat upon her breast & cryed he pinched her. The like I hear at Tho. Putmans house.

12 Day, When the Marshall was sent up to enquire of John Proctor & others & I was writing some what thereof as above I met with nothing but interruptions by reason of fits upon John Indian & Abigail , & Mary Walcot happening to come in just before, they one & another cryed out there is Goodm: Proctor very often: And Abigail said there is Goodm: Proctor in the Majstrats lap, at the same time Mary Walcot was sitting by a knitting we asked her if she saw Goodm: Proctor (for Abigail was immediately seized with a fit) but she was deaf & dumb, yet still a knitting, then Mary recovered her self & confirmed what Abigail had said that goodm: proctor she saw in the Majstrats lap Then John cryed out to the Dog under the Table to come away for Goodm: Proctor was upon his back, then he cryed out of Goody Cloyse , O you old Witch, & fell immediately into a violent fit that 3.men & the Marshall could not without exceeding difficulty hold him: In which fit Mary Walcot that was knitting & well composed said there was Goodm: Proctor & his wife & Goody Cloyse helping of him. But so great were the interruptions of John & Abigail by fits while we were observing these things to notify them, that we were fain to send them both away that I might have liberty to write this without disturbance Mary Walcot abiding composed & knitting whilest I was writing & the two other sent away, yet by & by whilst I was writing Mary Walcot said there Goody Cloyse has pincht me now

Note. Mary Walcot never saw Proctor nor his wife till last night coming from the examination at Salem & then she saw Goody Proctor behind her brother Jonathan all the way from the Widow Gidneys to Phillips where Jonathan made a little stay But this day & time I have been writing this she saw them many times.

Note. Just now as soon as I had made an end of reading this to the Marshall Mary W [torn] immediately cryed O yonder is Good: Proctor & his wife & Goody Nurse & Goody Korey & G [torn] Cloyse & Goods Child & then said O Goodm: Proctor is going to choke me & Immediately she was choakt

Munday II'th mo ditto Lut. Nath: Ingersoll Declared that John Procter tould Joseph Pope that if hee hade John Indian in his Costody hee would soone beat the Devell out of him: and so said to severall others

 http://www.davesexegesis.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2006/07/Puritan%20Parenting.pdf

This looks to be a college or post-graduate level research paper on Puritan parenting practices and other general elements of the Puritan home.

Highlights from "The Uniqueness of the Puritan Ideal for the Family". 

-“The household is as it were a little commonwealth by the good government whereof God’s glory may be advanced, the commonwealth...benefited and all that live in that family may receive much comfort and commodity.” (Robert Cleaver, quoted by Daniel Doriani in “The Godly Household in Puritan Theology

-“It was the husbands responsibility to channel the family into religion; to take them to church on the Lord’s Day, to oversee the sanctifying of the entire day in the home; to catechize the children, and teach them the faith, to examine the whole family after each sermon, to see how much had been retained and understood, and to fill any gaps of understanding that might remain; to lead the family in worship daily, ideally twice a day; and to set an example of sober godliness at all times and in all matters.” (J.I. Packer, The Quest for Godliness: The Puritan Vision of the Christian Life

-Oliver Heywood described it as acting as a priest in the family, a role that consisted of the four duties of the Old Testament priest:5

1. To instruct the people in the principles of religion, and their duty to God and each other 2. To manage the holy offerings and sacrifices for atonement (confess the sins of the family) 3. To intercede for the people (to stand between the dead and the living) 4. To bless the people

-As covenants included both blessings and cursings, so children were seen as mixed blessing.7 John Robinson said that “[Children] are a blessing great, but dangerous.”8 They would affirm Psalm 127, that children are a blessing from the Lord, but that they also bring heartaches physically and spiritually from their birth until eventual marriage.

-Excessive affectionate smothering, or “doting”, of their children was looked down upon.10 They observed that even apes killed their young with hugging.11 They did not want to be cold toward their children but rather impartial.1

-Baptism, in particular, was seen as an inauguration of a child into the covenant: “[God] ordained baptism to be used as a solemn initiation of all that will come into his church, and enter into the covenant of God.”-

-They will follow thee up and down in that ever-burning lake with direful curses and hideous outcries, crying out continually, “Woe unto us, that ever we served such a wicked wretched master, that had no care of the salvation of our souls, took no course to save us out of these fiery torments!” Even thine own dear children, in this case, will yell in thine ears, world without end, “Woe and alas, that ever we were born of such accursed parents, who had not the grace to teach us betimes the ways of God, to keep us from our youthful vanities, and to train us up in the paths of godliness! Had they done so, we might have lived in the endless joys of heaven; whereas now we must lie irrecoverably in these everlasting flames. Oh! it was the fault of our own parents’ unconscionable and cruel negligence, that all our life long struck full deep in our souls, and hath now strangled them with everlasting horror.”23

The Puritan outlook is always so bleak. John obviously relishes his sons, but I'm sure he too looks on them as a dangerous responsibility. His guilt must hugely come from the fear of his sons finding out that he's committed indecencies. While it certainly his goal, I'm sure there is an subconscious Oedipal fear that they may grow to be purer men than him in action. On top of this there would be some subconscious fear that Elizabeth loves them more than she loves him. 

I opened this article wondering whether corporal punishment was a common Puritan practice, and it doesnt seem to be, which makes John's threats of whipping all the more violent and interesting. I don't believe he has ever hit anyone though. I also doubt he ever would have made those same threats to his sons. I can only assume that a Puritan boy raised to be as hard working as a Proctor would be would hardly be any trouble to raise. In fact, I suspect he has a better relationship with his sons than do many others in the village.

Johns refusal to have his youngest son Baptized is evident of his lack of faith in both Parris, but also the Puritan dogma.

Before I post the research i've gathered I just want to do a quick check in on my christmas break progress; I've had little free time to work thus far between the holiday, a brief vacation, and wisdom teeth surgery. But i've been back at it this week and I'm starting to really build momentum. I'm not as far on the memorization as I would like to be... its coming slower than I hoped. I've never been as meticulous at avoiding paraphrasing as I have been this week, which is slowing me up a lot... again, with the grammar being so unique, I always am questioning exactly whats being said. Tenses throw me.

Thoughts on John and Elizabeths relationship:
         The only peace John can possibly get in Salem is from his wife, all others are constantly judging and his work is grueling. What he is always going to need from her is affirmation, approval, and safety. At this point, he receives none of that from her (not until the conclusion). Abigail is the only one who offers it to him. Undoubtably, John is in love with Elizabeth. He dies for her. I think his death is more for her and his sons than it is for him.
On top of that, the gravity of the situation is difficult for any husband and wife to deal with, and there really is no way out for either of them, being that divorce is not an option. I wonder if maybe Elizabeth wishes she could leave John. She most certainly has love for him and loves him very much, but I wonder if she is totally and completely in love with him. Her ideal man would be Christ-like and in the Puritan perspective, John is anything but. Aside from lechery, Elizabeth probably suspects or has witnessed his violent tendencies. He threatens to whip Mary Warren on several occasions in front of her (see research to be posted on child-rearing). I imagine there would also be a serious lack of romance in any Puritan household, as any grand display of emotion is unwanted.