Walk into Our World
Contributed by Heidi French
Tonight was amazing! I play the remarkable, challenging part of the demon, Selfishness. Rehearsal started with Mr. Lawrence Barclay, the director, urging us to put all our zest and passion into each and every rehearsal, and not just the actual performances. He wants us to give him all we got, so that when the first performance comes we are not limp and weak in our acting. It fills me with vigor and makes me tingle with anticipation to get on that stage and start performing!
Starting on our work for the night we did Act 1, scenes 9-10. They are turning out extremely well! It is amazing seeing it all come together as we now have most of the props, and people are being able to say their lines without the script! It is hard, though, for us demons. As you can assume because it is a musical, there is dancing in this production, and therefore we must practice for it! But the stage we practice on is challenging because it is awkwardly shaped and very small compared to the theatre we will be performing at. But it is good to be stretched! It reminds me of dough in the baker’s hands, being kneaded and rolled smoothed, then rolled up and patted down. We are being worked through thoroughly with all the challenges we must undergo!
Next we worked on Act 2, scenes 1-4. They are very intense and fun to act! This is when some of the rising action takes place, and increasing tension is sure to be present in the audience! It is very fun acting out powerful scenes that seem quite real to those watching, but really it is harmless!
Finally we went over one of the songs we dance and sing in. John Carter, the conductor and music director, helped us articulate our words and put much breath and force into the them. We went over the song several times getting better and better each time, till finally Mr. Barclay said to add our character facial expressions. We did, and I confess it is hard to try to sing correctly, loudly and articulately, and scrunch up your face and look selfish, bitter and condemning all at the same time! To further our moment of severe concentration, we had to then add the dance! Phew! And you know what that adds? Consciously moving into the right spots, doing the right moves at the right time, being confident and standing solid, and keeping our eyes focused on the proper place. As you can see, it is hard! Let’s just say, from now on I shall have a much greater position of respect and admiration for those in a musical or play!
It takes much effort, thought, and solid assurance to knit this all together, and we most certainly couldn’t do it without the amazing people who started it all! Walk into our world of Estranged Identity. You will most certainly be spellbound!
