My "Rats rehearsal' refers to an after-school program with 3rd and 4th graders that I am doing through October. Today was a good day for my little rats! The amoeba of distracted busy-ness that is our usual rehearsal actually took on a show-like shape! Some kids know their lines and say them with gusto, and some are just getting the hang of coming on and off stage. It was entertaining, and I think they are having fun. Parent volunteers have been extremely generous with their time and energy--so it's all good. Next week we are adding technical element with 2 shows on Friday, so this week I am cramming in Les Mis work!
Craftsman or artist...Can I paraphrase Bill's point? A craftsman makes something with an eye toward what other people want or expect, and let's that be the standard for his/her work. An artist doesn't allow what other people think or want to direct his sense of what's "true". An artist allows his/her personal feelings to flow into or drive the work because his/her response is part of the work.
Am I an artist? I want to be. Trying to put my mark on this material is kind of like jumping off a cliff ... I have to trust that I have prepared enough and filled my brain with enough information that my "take" or personal response is coming from the text, the characters, the circumstances as they are written: the story, in other words. ...as a director you work to know the story, the source material, the music, the historical/political/religious background, the author's and lyricist and composer's biographical information, the context within which both were written... As an actor, this is called knowing the "given circumstances" of a play.
As an actor, my next step would be to decide what my objectives are (overall and for each scene and beat) , my obstacles to getting those objectives and what tactics I use to get them. Then, when those ideas are in place -through rehearsal and discovery--I would be able to work through my character's story from beginning to end.... Like beads on a string--once they are in place, I would just follow them. I jump off the cliff into the safety net of my many strings of beads. I think that I'm making art when I do that because the result is unique to me and my skills, physicality, history, etc.
I have to do the same thing as a director--just on an exponentially increased scale because I have to tell the whole story, not just one character's story. I've asked myself questions about the form, the style, the driver of the show: is it a central relationship or central character? (JVJ vs Javert? JVJ vs God? just JVJ?) I've asked why certain songs are in certain places and how does each character serve the main character's story? I've asked about --God help me--the theme, and how each character fits that idea. What I need to ask myself now is: In this story, what makes me weep? What thrills me? What lifts me up out of myself? Those are my keys to my "take". I won't need to share this discovery..... It exists to guide me in how I choose to influence and shape my actors' approach to the story: What do the characters want? What verbs will be chosen, what obstacles, what tactics, what language of persuasion will I use for each actor?...and I think in choosing so thoughtfully, I will be making art--even though Les Mis has been done thousands of times before and will be done after.
Onward! or maybe...To the Barricades!
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