December II response:
I read with an unabashed sense of envy and wistfulness about the latter end of your rehearsal experience, Axel. As you know, here in the oh-so-very-capitalistic states, theatre and theatre business tend to be all about the bottom line. For a number of reasons (shrinking fiscal budgets, union concerns and expenses etc) rehearsal periods here usually run about two weeks on sheer hustling intensity and the detialed minutae of run-through notes, followed by one to two 12 hour days of technical rehearsals followed immediately by opening night. So, whatever outside “insights” we get generally are found in performance and before an audience.
Thus, a two week rehearsal period is fairly standard in most American regional theatre; three weeks an absolute luxury. Four or more weeks is considered a divine gift from the heavens. Suffice to say then, I’ve done many a show where I’ve had to pretty much be off book after blocking is finished. (There was even a summer where the company I was, due to the death of our then-director, was forced to mount the massive musical CAMELOT in less than nine days!)
You can’t then understand how, well, laid back and down-right mellow everything felt when my Nashville colleagues and I were involved in rehearsals for DAS TREFFEN in 2005. We had our initial read-through and early discussions about the possible ways to approach the writing, and then after a week, like the good little American actor I am, I immediately set out to memorize my lines. Nein, nein….please stay on book for the time being. Two weeks later, should i start memorizing now? (as if i hadn’t got most of them down already) Nein, it still is good for you to hold your book and be totally in tune with the material….Seriously, don’t start to memorize yet! But a truly amazing thing began to happen…the script literally ‘became” second nature to me by this ongoing process. And as you so eloquently spoke of, the possibilities to make it new and fresh began to pour into my feeble little New World brain. Now, it was agonizing at times as well…is this really the right approach to this segment of the show? What can I do to improve this portion? SERIOUSLY, CAN I ACTUALLY BEGIN MENTALLY SETTING SOME OF THIS NOW????
On another sidenote, I am also very envious of how in depth and serious the “questions” are that you and your cast can explore with the material. Post-capitalist?? Postpostmodern or postpostism appoach? Gender issues? America and Dubai undertones? Astounding!!! Be very thankful that you have this luxurious time to deal with these questions and ways of looking at the material! Over here, I’m lucky to get “No, you can’t be there because you’re blocking the rest of scene….move left!”
