Theatre Ventoux

Here we are. Opening night has come and gone, and I don’t think it could have gone better, for the performers. Last night regardless of what happened outside of their realm the cast kicked some major ass, and definitely deserved their celebratory champagne afterwards. Although it does feel weird not having a show on a Saturday I hope it brings everyone to Sunday’s performance even more energized, and pays off. I couldn’t ask for a better group to work with, and I honestly look forward to working with Ventoux as much as possible in the future.

VIVA LA BULLSHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ensemble: noun: a group constituting an organic whole or producing together a single effect.

A major part of the Ventoux Process (or at least from what I’ve noticed) is the cohesiveness of the Ensemble. We are all individual actors that come together and perform as a whole. Our tune-ups are done as a group, a lot of the focus work is done to make us aware of ourselves, our body is our instrument, and of those acting around us. This group is not about one actor or one performance. This group is about performing a ’single effect,’ the show.

Schedules and time constraints have made the cohesive aspect of this group more difficult, but we are all dedicated to the single effect, we all have the same goal; and regardless of what we have going on in our personal lives, we have to perform to the best of our ability. We owe the audience that and more.

The show has taken on a new life and we now know what the first layer of the show looks like, but in these next 9 rehearsals we’ll step up the intensity and see how deep we can make the layers. We are playing the same emotions as before, playing the same intent and need, but now it’s time to see how intense we can make that need. How many steps and layers into the process can we delve? That’s for each actor to decide, and I’d like to challenge myself and my fellow actors… find those 6 more changes and take it to a place you never thought you could get to. Step it up and start to play for the single effect.

Cheers.

i’m so scared.

i want this to be good.

i hate this responsibility.

i dread the karma.

i doubt myself.

Our cast was awesome last night. They went above and beyond the call of duty.

A storm knocked out the power at our regular rehearsal space (Greg’s classroom) so we chose to have everyone to the house to run lines. This was no ordinary storm. Torrential rain, hail, wind, sheets of lightning, downed trees, flooded streets. Did that stop the “Childe Byron” cast? Nope. It took some of them a while, but they all made it safe and sound. Their steadfast loyalty and remarkable courage were duly rewarded with a huge bag of Halloween candy.

Another example of dedication or insanity: I have taken the role of Ada. I have three weeks to learn the lines. Greg has stepped in and is doing some of the directorial duties. Nora has joined us as Assistant Stage Manager. Acting was the last thing I wanted to do right now. My emotional pendulum swings between fear and anger. Work is really stressful right now (emotionally and mentally) and I am exhausted all the time. There is, though, a part of me that is so excited.

Lisa

whichever it is, our cast was awesome last night. A storm knocked out the power at our regular rehearsal space (Greg’s classroom), so we decided to have everyone at the house to run lines.

This was no ordinary storm. Torrential rain, sheets of lightning, trees knocked down, flooded streets, etc. Did that stop the “Childe Byron” cast. Uh-uh. No way. It took some of them a while, but within an hour everyone was at our house, safe and sound. Maybe it was the 5-lb bag of Halloween candy we dangled like a carrot. Hmmm…

Another example of dedication or insanity: I have taken over the role of Ada. I have three weeks to learn the lines. To be honest, acting was the last thing I wanted to do right now; work is really stressful right now (mentally and emotionally) and I am exhausted.

What a group we have. Something wonderful….

Lisa

Yeah, I can’t believe I’m blogging, seeing how I have never blogged before, so here it goes. Wow- after watching everyone get off book I can honestly say I have never laughed so much in a rehearsal, God our cast is hilarious. It’s really impressive to see how fast everyone has come to rehearsals prepared and off book. You guys rock my world. I can’t wait until they can’t call lines and I get to give them line notes. Which shouldn’t be too many because so far most the lines are right on, I’d say about 80%- which for one full week of rehearsals is very high. I’ll keep this short and sweet, just like me, keep up the great work!

Last night was our first run off-book. It went very well. The actors are committed, the Process works. I am growing very fond of this little play.

As Ms. Snow pointed out, a play’s first days with the actors off book can be clunky. Last week was no exception. I could see that everyone was in his or her head, concentrating on the words. What I was impressed with, though, was the fact that they were still ACTING, and working the changes. Sam, Ricci, Renee, Dorian, Melissa and Steve are continually finding new things to do.

Suzanne and Greg are, in a word, sublime. I love watching them work. Suzanne’s acting is fierce, raw and vulnerable. Ada is a complex character and by the end of the play, Suzanne has stripped the veneer and reveals a woman at peace. Greg’s Byron is the best role he’s ever done. Like Ada, Byron is complex; Greg hits all the notes spot on. This part will cement his reputation as one of the finest actors in town.

Greg and I are always mindful of the “sophomore curse.” TFG was a solid production, which

This being my second experience with the Theatre Ventoux process I find myself taking more from the Tune-Ups than I had with “This Flattering Glass.” I really love the Tune-Ups because it gives me a chance to let my world melt away and allow for my creative process to come forth. It doesn’t matter what I come into the rehearsal space carrying or weighting on my mind, as soon as we focus on our breathing and start playing with the Space Ball, the world as I know it disappears for the next 3 hours and I am in the zone. It’s a mini vacation from my life and playing in a life I am portraying.

“Childe Byron” is an intense, touching, and kick in the pants show that is so much fun to perform. I am loving this group of actors, most of which I’ve performed with before and some I’ve never worked with before. It really is a good range of talent.

Tonight we are to be off book. The dreaded time period (I’m sure you heard the do-do-dooooooooo music and a scream in the background) as the actors rush to make sure they know their lines better than they did last night. I spent the weekend camping and sitting by the fire memorizing my script, yes even when the drinks were getting passed around, I was memorizing my script. It’s strange what we are willing to do for our art, isn’t it?

I know that this week of rehearsal will be a little clunky, but that is to be expected. We are getting off book rather quickly, but I can’t wait to get it out of my hands and really be able to act. I especially can’t wait to further develop a particular character I am playing, knowing that it’s going to be an amazing connection.

So for now, I’ll be walking around my office, waltz stepping (I’ll let another actor talk about the Waltz Rehearsal), memorizing and speaking in a British accent as much as I can.

VLB!
AL

we begin formal rehearsals for cb tonight. more of the ventoux process, dialects, rough explorations of space and relationship, on our feet playing with what is, once again, a fantastically talented and dedicated group of interpretive artists. thanks to ebay we have our props and costumes (or most of them), thanks to steve sansebastian (fresno auction company) we have our set pieces.

i guess all that remains is to rush in where angels fear to tread…but then, we’re no angels. or, perhaps we are, and angels were never what we thought they were.

at any rate: VLB!!!

etonne-moi
g

Yesterday, we had our third informal rehearsal. The two previous had been sit-down read-throughs; this time, the actors were on their feet.

Greg took the cast through the Ventoux process: a modified version of our physical and vocal warm-up, followed by a game of “Changes.” Only Melissa an Renee had played before: Suzanne, Dorian, Sam and Ricci were virgins. All I will say is that Suzanne upped the stakes to 7 changes and set the bar pretty high. It will be interesting to see who will trump her.

After the tune-up, we walked through Act 1. It was great to see that the cast had done some homework. Lots of interesting play was going on. Sam, Ricci and Dorian, who are new to Ventoux, jumped right in and each brought great things to their scenes. Melissa is the most fearless and inventive actor I’ve ever seen. She always finds new things to do and brings it full-on.

The relationships between Ada and Byron (Suzanne and Greg) and Augusta Leigh and Byron (Renee and Greg) are beginning to take shape. Suzanne and Greg have a nice chemistry, and yesterday’s Ada was very different from the Ada of our August reading. Suzanne’s Ada is nutty as a loon and stoned out of her mind, presiding as the ringmaster of her drug-induced hallucination. Greg is doing something I’ve never seen him do as an actor: rather than make Byron larger than life and bring it down later, he’s starting in a much more subtle place, making Byron a more vulnerable, sympathetic character. Greg and Renee have worked together before, so the comfort level is already there and they can play sooner that they might otherwise be able to. Instead of playing up the incestuous aspect of their relationship, G and R are focusing more on the emotional intimacy between Bryon and “Goose.”

Personally, this play is becoming more and more important, on personal and artistic levels. Personally, I am fascinated with the father-daughter dynamic. Growing up, like Ada did, without my father, I’ve always wondered what I would ask him if I could, and what he would tell me about why he left and why he never came back. Artistically, I feel an obligation to do justice to Byron and Ada and all the rest of the characters in this play, who were real people, not characters born in Romulus Linney’s head.

The real work starts in two weeks. I can’t wait!

Lisa