Director's Challenge - Part 27 - Line Runs and enhancing vocal tone

For this rehearsal we set a line deadline where we expected everyone to be completely secure on their lines and thus we could run the piece and stop when we wanted in order to change and enhance certain aspects. As part of our original plan, we had expected to be stopping and enhancing certain aspects prior to this point, but due to difficulties in blocking in the first three weeks of rehearsal, our plan has had to change and as such I fear that we are running out of time. Thus, it was no surprise that by this rehearsal certain members of the cast were not able to recite their lines perfectly, more specifically, Ollie who doesn't take drama and whom we entrusted a large role onto. Nevertheless, we expect that by the Saturday rehearsal everyone will feel completely secure on their lines and blocking including any additional blocking we make on Saturday.




In this rehearsal, I worked with Tom and Grace. I attempted to focus in on certain lines and changed my approach to how I wanted the lines to be said. Previously I had been using a copy and repeat method where I would say the line how I would want it to be said and having my cast members repeat it, however, I have since realised that this doesn't allow for Stanislavski's method of internal monologue and as such actors were not understanding the feeling that their character was trying to portray. I changed my style of directing so that I would explain the emotion and description behind why and how a character would say a line and more often then not this worked more effectively than what I had been trying previously. I also wanted to enhance Grace's facial expressions between lines and tried to get Tom to use gesture more frequently, both of which would enhance the scene that the two are in together.




Imogen and I also worked collectively on Leah's second monologue wherein the focus is on bonobos. As seen previously, in this monologue Leah strangles herself. I had seen other DNA performances where the strangulation by Leah is funny and shows that she's merely trying to get Phil's attention in a humorous way. This would lift the scene and make it more in the style of Kelly's writing of Leah's other monologues. We made it so that Leah coughs much more dramatically and ensures that the audience understand she is only doing this to get Phil's attention. Evie found it easier to work on this premise and as such the scene became more humorous especially when coupled with the section on bonobos and the previous work with Leah trying to steal Phil's food.


On Saturday, we hope to do a full tech run and have our cast run through the piece a number of times so that we can change small things and enhance the piece. Moreover, we expect that they will have learnt lines and as such will be able to run through the piece without or at the very least very minimal prompting.