RADA Week 6

RADA Week 6

Week 6 started with the culmination of several of our technique classes (Alexander and Linklader mostly) in addition to some pretty intense preparation for our mid-week showings. We were in classes all day and rehearsals all night, squeezing every last drop of discovery and intention out of the pieces we had been working on for weeks. And I was glad we were given that opportunity, because there was absolutely more to be explored in those final days. We had our stage combat showing on Tuesday and the rest of our final showings on Wednesday, followed by a day of individual feedback on Thursday, and our first rehearsals for The Two Noble Kinsmen on Friday and Saturday, leaving Sunday for lots and lots of line learning! 

Stage Combat Showing

As I think I've mentioned in previous posts, each group worked on a different version of the opening "Do you bite your thumb, sir?" scene from Romeo and Juliet. We each had different situations based on variations of the famous opposing families, the Montagues and Capulets. One group did a very abstract yin-yang/black-white conflict, another group did Westboro Baptist Protesters vs. Pride Festival attendees and my group did flight attendants vs. (rude and obnoxious) passengers. They were all quite comical and the best part was, we hardly noticed the fight choreography. I didn't pay attention to it because it didn't make me question, even for a moment, whether or not the fighting was real. And that's virtually the entire point of the work we did in this class, so I suppose we were somewhat successful! 

Scenes Showing

My scene partner Erica and I made lots of interesting discoveries the day before the showing. This meant that we were very much still in process on the day that we performed for the faculty, still exploring, still finding new things, and still playing with opposites and extremes. For both of us, this felt like the perfect place to be in. We were on our toes, not settled into any particular choices yet, but were totally comfortable with the text so that we could just listen to one another and respond as we felt appropriate in the moment. The showing was an absolute blast and although there were some moments that might have carried more specificity had we had more time to rehearse, I was very happy with the way we were able to let go and play. 

Song Showing

After our scene showings and a break for lunch, we performed our two madrigals for the faculty, one before the monologue showing, and one as the final piece of the presentation. This, of course, was the least nerve racking bit for most of us because we were working as a group. We were able to do both songs a cappella and stay completely in tune which, for a group of many none-singers and some singers, was very impressive.

Monologues Showing

I felt really great about my group's monologues presentation as a whole. We had been working on these pieces since week one, digging into the language and the imagery, looking at punctuation, line endings, etc. The amount of growth that occurred within my class altogether was astounding to me and every class period became that much more powerful because I could see the work they'd put in the night before. That's very much how I felt on the day of the showing. I was so incredibly proud of the work my beautiful friends were doing, and I felt good about my own work, too, even after the performance, which is rare for me. The way the presentation was structured helped us flow from one piece to the next seamlessly, allowing us to be 100% present for the entire 45 minutes. The moment was created right before each actor's eyes and all they had to do was step into it and respond with the only words they could possibly think to say. They didn't feel like monologues anymore, and that was pretty magical. 

Feedback Day

We had an entire day of individual feedback with the faculty on Thursday before beginning our respective rehearsal processes for Kinsmen and Henry V. I met with the two Alexander teachers separately (Katya and Dewi), our Linklader voice teacher Adrienne, my monologues teacher Lois, and my scenes teacher Alison - five sessions that covered both showing-specific and more general development/class work feedback that I could then carry into the way I approached our final performance.  

Days One and Two of Rehearsal for The Two Noble Kinsmen

The other group working on Henry V had gotten their scripts and casting about a week earlier, but my group received the cut script and all of our roles on the first day of rehearsal. This was sort of terrifying, simply because it meant that we had very little time to get off-book and to do all of the necessary text work. However, it was more exhilarating than anything else, and we knew we would need to completely immerse ourselves in this play until we performed ten days later. How incredibly lucky are we to eat, sleep, and breathe this awesome piece for ten days straight? 

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The weekend following week 6 was really only a Sunday, which most of us spent having a picnic and learning our lines. On Thursday after feedback, though, I went to The Serpentine Gallery with Erica to see Marina Abramovic's performance art piece. I wish I could explain the two-hours I spent in three rooms with white walls wearing noise-cancelling headphones and relying on all of the senses I'm not accustomed to relying on. But, I have no words that could possible capture the experience, so I'll just say this: if you ever have the chance to see one of Ms. Abramovic's pieces, please do. You will not regret it. 

I'm in full-on rehearsal mode at this point, so my next update will be a combined 7/8 post written from the airplane on my way home. Until then, London has so much more to give, and I'm trying to take as much as I possibly can! 

RADA Weeks 4/5

RADA Weeks 4/5

Voice

Last week in voice, we continued to find our natural breath rhythms through exercises that helped us identify tension areas and work to relieve those newfound tensions. I've learned that the key to finding a deeper connection to my breath is thinking about Alexander while doing the Linklader work. This week, we also looked at the movement of our articulators, working to relieve as much tension in those areas (jaw and tongue for most students) as possible. We looked at our mouths in tiny compact mirrors and went through a series of movements and massage techniques until any tension that had been present prior to class was no longer getting our way. The difference those tiny muscular tensions make in terms of your breath and your physical and emotional availability is truly astounding. 

Voice into Text

We didn't have room in our schedule for this class in Week 5, but last week, we explored the way our voices color words by taking advantage of the specific vowel and consonant sounds each word provides us with. We looked at how certain sounds make us feel and consequently, what messages are sent to our brain when we hear certain combinations of sounds. Finally, we looked at a piece of text and found out how we can paint a picture with our voices by really using the sounds we're given. Trusting the text is the most important lesson I've learned since I've been here, in terms of every playwright. However, it is especially important not to waste your words when working on Shakespeare. 

Character into Text

Last week, we accidentally spent the entire class discussing Macbeth. Ordinarily, I might have been bummed that we didn't get to discuss the character I've been studying, but with Hilary, I'm thrilled to listen to whatever she wants to talk about. It's also an incredibly valuable play to look at because, as Hilary said, all of the women will forever be looking for an opportunity to play Lady M and all of men to play Macbeth. It's undoubtedly one of the greats, and we could have spent months analyzing it if we had had the time. This week, Hilary wasn't able to be with us, so we had Zoe Waites, an incredible young actor/teacher who talked to us about how to infiltrate all of the work we do with Hilary into the character that ultimately stands on stage to begin the journey of the play. She talked to us about the importance of character lists (what you say about yourself, what you say about others, what others say about you, and statements of what you believe), which allow you to find the specificity of this human being you're inhabiting. She emphasized the fact that we have to be careful not to pass judgments on our characters that keep us from accessing the whole of who they are. It's so easy to develop a theory about your character that you spend the entire rehearsal process trying to prove through your portrayal of this person. But, the minute you do this, you deny yourself access to many aspects of the character that the playwright included for a reason. Zoe says it's important to create the human being the playwright gives you, and not the person you want them to be. This was quite eye-opening for me. 

Laban

Laban is just FUN. To me, this class is all about finding the inner life of your character through external explorations. In the past two weeks, we've been investigating our characters' physical and emotional lives through dance and movement. The most interesting part about this class for me is the amount of depth I've found in Joan La Pucelle, simply because I've been forced to dance to music that I would never associate with her inner life. Playing with different types of music has allowed me to discover things about Joan that I never would have discovered otherwise. For example, Katya put on a very light and quick, playful piece of music which helped me to find that energy within Joan. I immediately went into the excitement of battle and how incredible it feels to have that magnitude of strength and confidence. I suddenly found this sense of battle being a joyful, playful cat and mouse game. Yes, I am strong and I take this God-given duty to free my country very seriously. However, there's also a feeling of this young shepherdess having a blast testing out the limits of the gifts she's been ordained with. And I found all of this depth through music! I definitely think I'm going to work with music in the future, as this was a major moment of discovery for me. 

Monologues

Lois is one of my favorite teachers, without a doubt. Last week, we did an exercise in which members of the class who weren't working at the moment stood before the actor at work, acting as rocks. The job of the actor working was to get each seemingly immovable rock to take a step back using only their words. This helped us to specify each one of our images, forcing us to repeat the words in different ways until we had found the needed specificity in each image - enough to MOVE the immovable rocks that stood before us. Of course, you would never deliver the speech in such a measured way. But, finding that precision of words was incredibly helpful as a starting point. From there, we've been doing our speeches for Lois and getting feedback each day. I do most of the work on my monologue in the evenings and then come back to class the next day with whatever discoveries I've made. It's been so wonderful to watch my classmates grow. We've been working so hard on these speeches and this week, it became clear that we had all done the work and we had all transformed quite drastically since the beginning of the course. And we still have three weeks left! 

Scenes

Erica and I continue to explore Viola and Olivia, making new discoveries with each run. We've come a very long way with this scene already, and I'm excited to see how the last few days of rehearsal transform it before we go to showings this coming Wednesday! 

Singing

We are nearly ready to show our madrigals. Last week, we finished learning all of the parts, and this week, we put everything together. There's quite a bit of work to do in terms of cleanliness, but we have the basics down, which is a necessary step! We only have a quick brush-up rehearsal this week before our showing, so we're all hoping that will be enough time for us to feel fully prepared. 

Alexander 1/2

Our culminating Alexander classes have really solidified this skill set in my mind and body. I can't possibly express how valuable these classes have been for me. I feel like a different actor and human being and am now willing and able to trust the simplicity of a moment. I've learned that far more meaning can be found in simple strength than in the many physical contortions we often feel are necessary to emphasize a point or intention. 

Stage Fighting

We have officially finished our full fight sequence, the opening scene of Romeo and Juliet with flight attendant Montagues and passenger Capulets, and are preparing for our Tuesday showing. Each class is doing the same scene with a different premise, and we're all looking forward to seeing how they've turned out. It's been really great to get some fundamental stage combat training, because I didn't have any prior experience. I find combat really fascinating, and look forward to future explorations including sword and rapier training! 

Shakespeare Workshop

We've officially started working on our final production which is... The Two Noble Kinsmen! Nick decided on this lesser known Shakespeare-Fletcher collaboration because he didn't know much about it and because he wanted the experience to be one of exploration and discovery for all involved. This is terribly exciting to me, and I couldn't be happier to be working on a piece that is as strange as it is awesome. The other group is working on Henry V, and they are equally stoked! Their group has already received roles, but we won't find out about casting until this coming Friday. We've started table work on the play as a whole so far, and will begin blocking and such once classes are officially finished and the rehearsal period has begun. 

Acting Shakespeare

We finished up our last Acting Shakespeare class with Nona last week. Both groups worked together on a final showing of the work we did on Hamlet - all of the soliloquies, scenes, and movement pieces combined into one hour of awesome creativity. Unfortunately, I was not able to be there because I came down with the truly awful Acting Shakespeare Plague, which has been circulating recently. It took me down for a solid 24 hours. But, I heard the showing was magical, and I don't doubt that it was just that! 

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Last weekend was fairly uneventful on the whole, simply because I was sick. I sadly spent the Fourth of July in bed with my Complete Works and a large box of tissues. However, I was able to rest up enough to attend the midnight showing of Titus Andronicus at The Globe, which was undoubtedly the most incredible theatrical experience I've ever witnessed. That was all I could have asked for last weekend! 

This weekend was about exploring new areas of London. After heading to the pub with the director and cast of Two Noble Kinsmen on Friday afternoon, a mandatory end to our day of rehearsal, I went to a burger restaurant with some friends in an area very near RADA. On Saturday afternoon, I caught the matinee of The Curious Incident of the Dog at Nighttime, a captivating and innovative production produced by The National at the Gielgud Theatre, which is where I saw Angela Lansbury in Blithe Spirit the first night I arrived in London. After the show, I spent some time exploring the South Bank with friends, having a delicious dinner at a Greek restaurant near The Globe, and walking along the River Thames. Today was all about final work on my monologue and scene, including reading plays a third (or fourth, or fifth) time, writing character lists  (Zoe's aforementioned formula, one that I've found useful at Webster as well!) and doing external research (mostly looking into Joan of Arc's past and reading Shaw's Saint Joan). 

It's been a beautifully exhausting past two weeks, and I'm beginning week 6 of 8 with an overwhelming sense of excitement and gratitude to be doing what I love every day! 

Here are some photos from recent events:

The cast of The Two Noble Kinsmen at a pub near RADA.

Titus at midnight at The Globe.

King Lear at The National (Monday of last week).

 Opening Night of Richard III with Martin Freeman 

(this past Wednesday).

Sunday evening Tex-Mex, sombreros and margs 

with these gorgeous gals!

RADA Week 3

RADA Week 3

Monologues

Last week, my group's brilliant monologues teacher, Lois, helped us zero in on the imagery within our individual pieces. Each student stood up and read their monologue, really focusing on the beautifully cinematic words we were given. Those listening were asked to write down all of the words and images that really stuck out to us, in addition to any words or phrases we didn't understand. This was immensely helpful, as so much of Shakespeare is about using the text and painting the necessary picture in the way you color the words. 

Scenes

I am doing the first meeting of Olivia and Viola from Twelfth Night with a dear friend, Erica. Last week was the first time my group was told what scenes we would be working on long-term, and once we found out, we hit the ground running. We're still looking at some of the smaller scenes we worked on prior to our full-length scenes, but almost all of our class time and outside rehearsals are devoted to these new scenes now. I'm loving the whole scene, but the "Make me a willow cabin at thy gate…" speech will always hold a particularly special place in my heart. 

Singing

More madrigals! Last week, we continued learning April Is In My Mistress' Face and began working on a new song, Since My Tears and Lamenting. We only have a one hour singing class each week, but it's the perfect amount of time to get a good grasp on the music of Shakespeare's time. 

Shakespeare Workshop

Oh, how I love working with Nick in our Shakespeare Workshop. My favorite days are those that begin with three or more hours of this class. Every time we meet, my eyes are opened to another moment of Shakespeare's brilliance that so many people would gloss over if they allowed themselves to see it as a printer's error or a mistake. Nick is always telling us to refrain from "cleaning up" Shakespeare. When something doesn't seem to make sense, look deeper to find a reason why this character enters when they do or says their line to the person they speak to. Shakespeare wrote with incredible detail and intention and there is not a single aspect of his plays that should be deemed a nonsensical mistake. There is a reason for everything. Find it!

Acting Shakespeare

Last week we continued work on Hamlet's soliloquies with Nona. We have been working on finding the specificity within the "O, That this too too solid flesh would melt…" speech by assigning actions to each phrase and by marking breaths. It's incredibly challenging to incorporate all of these details, but that's sort of the point. Working on Shakespeare is like juggling all of the balls of technique you've been given until you can drop them all and they'll be there to support you without having to think about them. We also explored some of Hamlet's other soliloquies by creating movement pieces that captured the heart of these speeches. This was a wonderful way to specify the language and imagery, which is what it's all about! 

Alexander 1/2

Alexander continues to change my life, both in class and out. I know that whenever my body feels tense, all I have to do is think about the Alexander directives and immediately, I stop working to hold my body up and everything opens and falls into place. It's difficult to put the sensation into words, but it's basically as though I begin shedding all of my body's unnecessary tensions until I've reached its core or original state of being - that of a tiny baby before the world has altered its alignment, openness, and consequently, its vulnerability.

Voice

Adrienne worked with us on finding the body's natural rhythm of breathing last week, helping us to access a deep, expansive, well-supported breathing pattern. She uses a lot of massage techniques to help us find our breath and, after a series of exercises, I had this sense that my body was a straw, my breath coming effortlessly up from my toes into my back and ribs, and finally up and over my head. It felt as though I had been a straw with a kink in it before doing these exercises, adding effort to my breath. However, after working with Adrienne, the straw was completely aligned, which made breathing as effortless as it should be. My next step in this process is finding a way to connect my Alexander training with Adrienne's Linklater work. 

Voice into Text

Last week, we looked at all of the ways our voice can communicate without language. We spoke utter gibberish to one another, having fully intelligible conversations, simply because of everything we're able to express through our voices alone. A lot of the work we do in this class is very similar to the awesome voice training I'm getting at Webster. This is really important, because it allows me to incorporate some of the different training I'm getting here in London with the training I've gotten, and will continue to get, in the US.

Character in Text

Hilary continues to blow our minds with her incredible knowledge of Shakespeare's characters. I could listen to her talk for days on end and I'd simply never get bored. We sit around a table and take notes in this class, the only class we have that's like this, and by the end of our time with her, we are all inevitably leaning in, mesmerized by her wisdom. I wish I could include everything she has to say in this blog, but I would be writing a novel! 

Sonnets

I am so bummed to be finished with Sonnets class. Our final presentation was last Friday and, though we were all really proud of our work, I would be happy working on these things for the rest of my life! And I guess that's the point. We now have the tools to do just that. Here is a photo of some of the Acting Shakespeare students with our sonnets teacher, Bruce, after the showing: 

Last weekend was lovely, as they all have been. On Friday night, a few friends and I went to The National to try to get tickets for King Lear, without success. Instead, we found an incredible burger restaurant (with gluten free buns!) and had a delicious and relaxing dinner. On Saturday afternoon, I had Afternoon Tea with the gorgeous gals pictured below and saw 1984 that night, which was as captivating as it was disturbing. On Sunday, we all saw a reading at the Globe, followed by work on my monologue and scene for the week to come.