The thing is surely out now... (1st Working Rehearsal/ Run through attempt)

Yesterday was the first attempt at running the entire show...

...fail.

I was pretty disappointed. The saturday I had off was really beneficial. I got in a little yoga, some good food and a good movie and I was really energized to come back and attack the play in its entirety. I took a good hour before hand to do some stretching, some yoga, and vocal warm ups, and it left me in a pretty good zone. But once we started the run I was really disheartened by the lack of focus and drive the scenes had. Its obvious tensions will probably run high throughout the next two weeks among the cast. I hope Jason holds to his statement that he doesn't want anyone calling line by wednesdays rehearsal. I think its going to be a challenge. We only made it part way through the scene 2.1. Despite the disappointment, I tried to focus on the shape on the show and monitor John's arch. I found that I lived more in his anger and contempt for the people around him, so much so that the tender good-bye moment between him and Liz was a bit diminished, and I was inhabited more by the sense of injustice and the idea of his property being taken from him. I wasn't necessarily discouraged by this because it still gives him room to realize how much he loves Liz, so the final embrace is all the more cathartic.

Tonights rehearsal was our first go at working the scenes. My scene with Abigail was really nicely tuned and Emily and I really engaged with the sexual tension. We specified the physical struggle between the two of them, tending towards the melodrama, which has continually been a great mode to indulge in (thinking back to the brief discussions with Pig Iron about Melodrama... I really wish they could get to see the show).  The most thrilling part was the fact that the lights were on for the run of the first act. Immediately the environment was completely changed and it was vastly easier to relax into the circumstances and the drama.

The work we did tonight on 1.2 was incredible. We finely tuned the connections between the proctors; Jason prompted Kayla to look for the coldness, which gave me a whole knew set of proposals to respond to. The contempt for Parris was worked into the relationship with Hale, which gave me even more to delve into and really grapple with his anger and inner hate for these men. Jason directed me to taking intense offense at being asked to recite the Commandments, which helps me to understand why Proctor will never really ever reconcile or give much forgiveness towards Hale, which was something I had sort of felt should be in there somewhere (I feel Hale is very justified in his pursuits, though he is too foolish to do much good). During my final moments with Mary, our sound designer started to play a haunting string compilation, and it really swept me up. Any time I get any taste of the score that is going to underscore any of my lines, I get so filled. Sometimes I even try to hear the score in my head to help inspire those emotions. Can't wait until lights are integrated as well. Whatever doubts I had had last week are mostly washed away now. I feel only anticipation... even as nervous as I am.