Discoveries.

King Lear: Blocking Day 2

Is it more valid for an actor to make a discovery or take a direction?

It is always exciting when you find new things while exploring a scene. I'm really enjoying the amount of freedom Mark is giving us in this exploration. Whether it is physicality, vocal intonations or movement, he has been approaching the rehearsal process with the attitude, "let's try it and see." This is not to say that he doesn't have clear ideas when it comes to blocking. I overheard him speaking with an actor about a specific action another character had been playing. He was concerned when the character had lost this action and felt it may affect his performance. Mark agreed, but told him, "let's let him find it on his own." I thought, "that's putting a lot of faith in the actor." But sure enough, by the end of rehearsal, the action was back.

We also began our fight choreography, which is being lead by Paul Ugalde (also playing Albany). It's interesting how he can choreography a physical scene, while taking into consideration the character motivation and keep us safe at the same time. As we worked a small stunt in Act I, Scene IV, Paul directed Paul Schnabel (Kent) and David Dilego (Oswald) through the blocking. I got to see first hand how one character's physicality can affect the outcome of a stunt. Oswald is tripped up by Kent, who threatens him with his staff while Oswald scrambles off stage. Because of the physicalizations David has taken on, we had to rework the stunt over and over until it was safe to run at full speed. You never think of the dangers in doing a small stunt like this, but should something go wrong, and David be hurt, the production would grind to a screeching halt. I can only imagine what kind of precision it will take to choreograph the dueling scenes later in the show. Paul's attention to detail and demand for safety has set us all at ease and let's us get back to what is most important, making discoveries.

I started trying to use physicality to inform my character, the King of France. He is a stately noble, with a penchant for disruption and an air of arrogance. The discovery of this has brought me to a place, physically, where my attitude and vocal delivery are affected. I had a brief conversation with Kent Cassella (Gloucester) about this exploration and he encouraged me to try acting all impulses that come up. I am still addicted to approval, especially from actors I respect, and I am hoping he will continue to give me feedback. The entire troupe's honesty, with each other, is so refreshing and I think this is part of what I've been missing about the theater.

So we are, as actors, expected to make choices through discovery, then make our discoveries anew, each night, in front of a live audience. The process of discovery is vital to establishing a scene, as well as a character, and has the capacity to hold the audiences' attention, allowing them to engage in the experience along with the actors. And so discovery is one of the greatest tools performers have in their arsenal. It is one of the most vital elements of human nature and is what pushes us to keep learning and growing as artists and people. Our ultimate goal was perhaps summed up best by Rilke,"...to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time."