First Week - Rehearsal Prep with Tom Wood

In our first week, we had several sessions with Tom Wood regarding Preparation for Rehearsal. While the content was directed at actors specifically, I did find that most of it was translatable to the role of director. The key was 'Preparation'. That may make sense, but there are people who want to come into the rehearsal on the first day as a blank slate waiting for the director to fill them. While, that may seem ideal, it is simply not practical when one considers the limited time theatre companies have to rehearsal prior to presenting the show. Coming in prepared, but not locked in to choices, is a far better option to maximize the time for the best development of the work. After all, everyone has access to the script, so if that is the guide it certainly doesn't hurt to do as much work with it before rehearsals start.

To encapsulate some of the key points:
1. Learn your lines. These should not be learned with locked in choices, but the better you know your lines, the quicker you and the director can start exploring more interesting and productive choices. Identify the punctuation. There are a lot of clues for you as an actor inherent in the punctuation.
2. Figure out who the hero of the play is, and what your character is in relation to them. Are they a Helper or a Hinderer? Your character serves the play, not you as an actor. You will do better work if you ascertain what your function in the play is.
3. An evening in the theatre is not about the actors, or the director, or the designers - it is about the story that is being told for the audience. If the actors become the story, there is a problem.
4. When approaching the script, be an objective detective not a subjective actor. Figure out how to serve the play best and what the play actually is. Don't bring your personal baggage into the process.

There was quite a bit more in Tom's workshop, but these should give you a flavour of what we discussed and learned. Later I will write about rehearsal etiquette which has terrific tips for anyone in the rehearsal process!