Monday, September 8, 2008

Doomsday - Rehearsals #2

The horror! The horror!

Yep, it's that time in rehearsals where everyone is trying to get their lines down and, as the writer, you see the actors struggling with the lines and think "my god, this is gonna suck!" It happens with every show I've written. To watch some of the longer passages drag, to hear some dialogue not make sense, to be approached by an actor questioning if his character would say what you've written, to have the director pull you aside and ask you to cut down or change dialogue -- you really cannot have an ego during this process, otherwise you'll end up in a fetal position popping cocktails of Prosac and Xanax with chasers of Jack.

The thing is, it's all part of the process. This being the 6th play I've written for the First Light Players, the most important thing I've learned is how important the "team" factor is in making an enjoyable production. The director, the writer, the actors, the stage crew -- we're all there to make the show as good as it can be. So to stiffen up, to be inflexible, to not listen to or heed the advice of others -- can hurt an otherwise great production.

So rehearsals for the last week have been a lot of that. A brutal drag in some ways. Really inspiring in others. Until you get to the point of a breakthrough where, at last, you catch a glimpse of where the show will end up. And that's what happened last night. The rehearsal started out painful. Everybody, for the most part, is off book. But still struggling with their lines. So it was just a mess at first. However, little by little, Cathy started molding us into the picture of what you will see on stage. And there it was, right at the end of the night. A momentary glimpse of the real show. The intensity. The urgent pace. The danger. It started to click. And that's when I got excited. Yayyy!!! The show won't suck!

Last blog, I told you about Liv, who plays Alice, Rollin who plays Ace, Brendan, who's Pete and Trista, our Gigi. Herve Ambwa, a first timer for the First Light Players is playing Jay. Jay's character reflects the streets. Those people whose circumstances and experience have been so detrimental, they can't see a light at the end of the tunnel. Herve's a quiet guy. He's not one to speak up or readily share his thoughts right off the bat. He was one of the first to be off book and get into character. I've mentioned what a powerful presence this guy has on stage -- and boy, he really does. I know Herve's going to stand out. Just the way he carries himself on stage is outstanding. He gets the character and, as a writer, it's exciting to see.

Kay Dease is playing Rose. Kay is such a great character actress. She has been with the FLP since the beginning and has had great success with characters such as Josephine the plummer, Fingers the pickpocket, Leviathan, the evil mob leader from the 6th Trumpet and whole host of other memorable roles. However, I believe this to be the first rather normal role she's gotten to play. I know she was struggling at first how to get ahold of Rose. Rose' character is that of a one time socialite who has experienced tremendous tragedy, yet survived. At first, she wanted to base Rose on the late Ann Richards, the governor of Texas. But the Texas accent seemed to much of a characiture. Now she has moved Rose into a more refined personality, and it works. She's got hold of Rose and you can tell. It's just real.

For the character of Tru, the female cop, seargent and squad leader of the riot squad, we needed an actress who could be a dude, yet convey a touch of femininity. Kayla Thames auditioned for the role and we knew right off, she was our Tru. Kayla is an amazing person. Very well-educated. She has worked in the entertainment industry both in front of the camera and behind as a location scout. She's also worked for the State of California in economic development and currently does so with the State of Oregon. Weird how she would end up as part of our cast, but we are really honored to have her. She is able to capture Tru's power as a leader, yet her vulnerability as a woman.

Ross Araujo, who plays Joe in the play, has worked with the FLP before as the lead in "O Little Town of (I forget what, buns, donuts ???)". He's a local dentist who works a lot of community theater. Hails from Brazil. A funny interesting guy. I thought his accent may be a detriment, because it is a bit heavy. But during the audition, Ross hit a note with the character of Joe that was extremely moving. Last night, he was really getting into character. The anger and sarcasm, that masks Joe's pain. He was nailing it! The accent seemed so minor in comparison. I realized, Ross is a really good actor. And he's a character just in and of himself.

Finally, Marisa Mlynarek plays Mo, the real estate tycoon heiress. Her first time on stage since high school. Marisa has a great presence. Such a powerful personality when she walks into a room. There's a lot of confidence there. Plus she's like a Rennaissance woman. A really gifted photographer (amazing!), and a writer -- she's written a pilot epsiode for a web series she created -- kind of an I Love Lucy for nowadays. It's really funny! In fact, once I read the script I was thinking she should take it further. It would make a great screenplay! Marisa is slowly getting her stride as the character of Mo.

I'm just amazed at how God puts together a cast! And I'm excited at the prospect of this show! This is going to be a good one! So you better get your tickets now!

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Greg it's just amazing to see every production come together the way it does. I think each one is unique and I know each is a pain, but then God shows up and makes everything work.

Anonymous said...

THANK YOU GOD FOR ALWAYS SHOWING UP!!!