Monday, January 30, 2006
Introducing JP Higgins
This from John Patrick Higgins, who plays both the Spanish Envoy Jorge Vasquez and Walter:
Several thoughts.
Today, I got pants!!! A few days later than some of the others but well worth the wait. God, thank God for costumes- I do love them. It reminded me of a production that I did in grad school of As You Like It where the entire cast wore black suits/business casual clothing how terribly dull! I wanted to yack every time I put it on. It is so much more exciting to have cool pants with hidden folds and zippers! And RED!!!! Sure, that other play was about the acting but what a marvelous thing to be excited about every piece of the puzzle. It makes you raise your game, forces you to the next level. (sorry for the sports analogies, but I've been watching the Australian Open all week.)
The rehearsal process to this point has been a very different experience for me. In the past, I usually leave the starting line sprinting. By the second week, I'm ready to open the show and can't understand why everybody isn't off book already. This is completely the reverse. The first week, I felt like the worst actor ever. But every rehearsal I pick up a small (or large) piece of the puzzle. There are so many elements that want to have their say- some demand that you listen right away, others tell you to bugger off and come back on Thursday. It's been a delight to gather the pieces. Today it was the music and pants (if your pants are speaking to you, you should probably listen). Tomorrow, who knows? Thank God for not knowing.
Super impressed by the cast- doing the monk train (don't know what I'm talking about? well, come see the show then), looking at everybody working so hard for 15-30 seconds of stage time.
Lesson of the week- I've heard it before, but never truly believed it- work on one thing at one time. This week- the dialect. When that's solid, then the action. Then the physicality. Not necessarily in that order.
Several thoughts.
Today, I got pants!!! A few days later than some of the others but well worth the wait. God, thank God for costumes- I do love them. It reminded me of a production that I did in grad school of As You Like It where the entire cast wore black suits/business casual clothing how terribly dull! I wanted to yack every time I put it on. It is so much more exciting to have cool pants with hidden folds and zippers! And RED!!!! Sure, that other play was about the acting but what a marvelous thing to be excited about every piece of the puzzle. It makes you raise your game, forces you to the next level. (sorry for the sports analogies, but I've been watching the Australian Open all week.)
The rehearsal process to this point has been a very different experience for me. In the past, I usually leave the starting line sprinting. By the second week, I'm ready to open the show and can't understand why everybody isn't off book already. This is completely the reverse. The first week, I felt like the worst actor ever. But every rehearsal I pick up a small (or large) piece of the puzzle. There are so many elements that want to have their say- some demand that you listen right away, others tell you to bugger off and come back on Thursday. It's been a delight to gather the pieces. Today it was the music and pants (if your pants are speaking to you, you should probably listen). Tomorrow, who knows? Thank God for not knowing.
Super impressed by the cast- doing the monk train (don't know what I'm talking about? well, come see the show then), looking at everybody working so hard for 15-30 seconds of stage time.
Lesson of the week- I've heard it before, but never truly believed it- work on one thing at one time. This week- the dialect. When that's solid, then the action. Then the physicality. Not necessarily in that order.
