Session 2

The Second Rehearsal

The rehearsal began with a model box presentation from the set design team and a presentation of costume designs from costume designers.

TEXT

The rehearsal then moved on to work on the text use the opening speech of the play spoken by the Chorus.

Standing in a circle each actor speaks one line at a time around the circle, a second reading and each actor gently pushes the actor next to them to pass the energy of the line on. A third reading and this time each actor walks into the centre of the circle before speaking the line and ensuring the speech is energised with no more than a slight beat at each line end.

What was the effect of this reading?  

"There is an energy that runs through Shakespeare an energy that runs through the text which is not a naturalistic one; an energy which impels one word to the next, one thought to the next, one speech to the next, and one scene to the next. I would say that there is really not a full stop until the end of the play"  The Actor And The Text, Cicely Berryp.82 

CHARACTER

The company then worked through the Laban Movement Qualities and then applied these to their characters. First their characters in Henry V and then their factory worker characters.

How was this exercise useful?
What did you learn from the exercise?
What did you discover about your characters?

Session 1

The First Rehearsal

The focus of today's rehearsal was to get familiar with the play, the cast, who was playing what roles.

We did this with a standing/walking read through, with actors entering the space to read as neccessary for each scene.

After each act the company paused to discuss the events of that act to start to get a handle on the story of the play.

Things to think about:

• Why was the readthrough useful (or perhaps it wasn't!)?
• What was the benefit of the standing readthrough?
• What discoveries did you make about the play or your character from reading/listening to it with the company?

The company during their walking read-through