Drinks Anyone?

Rough Crossing: Week 2

As we work through the immense amount of details Stoppard has set out for us, it becomes blatantly clear that I need to tackle one challenge at a time. Dvornichek is the herald of the show, as well as the jester, narrator and comedian. He is the cabin steward for the gentleman embarking on a crossing from Cherbourg to New York in preparation for their new show, which is incidentally not finished. Rough Crossing is in essence a situational comedy on misinterpretation and misconception with elements of slapstick and farce mixed in. My challenges with the character have come primarily thus far, from the physical aspect of the show. Stoppard has indicated that Dvornichek is on his first crossing and has not gotten his sea legs. He is then inherently swaying to and fro throughout much of the show (save a small part of the second act where the ship encounters rough seas) while trying to fulfill the desires of the other characters. The physical dichotomy of trying to keep the stumbling real while keeping a cool and collected air about him is proving very difficult. Dvornichek is a wonderfully charming character and much of his likability comes from his ability to fit into any situation. I have begun trying to downplay a bit of the swaying and focus primarily on the intentions and characterizations and leave the physical as the final layer. We will see if this proves fruitful.

I am always one for realism and am mainly focused on making things believable as an actor. There have been several situations in this show however that really stretch that threshold for me and I have been impressed so far with George's ability to intermarry both elements of farce and realism. Yesterday, we worked on one of my monologues and found a very fun aside which will give the audience a great look into the inner workings of Dvornichek the man. I don't think I would have been able to push the threshold as far had I not had the suggestion of George and his overall sense of what each character is bringing to the story. I felt very strong about where we left things and I think it will only get stronger from here.

Earlier in the rehearsal process, we discussed the look of the show. George felt very confident about his choices for each of the characters and I think we are all want to agree with him. I think as rehearsals move forward, each character is revealed through the actors choices and you begin to lose your original preconceptions about the character and begin to see them through the actor. Since this is happening already, I am very excited about what the show will look like come performance time.

A Week of Reflection

Rough Crossing: Week 1

It’s been over a week since King Lear closed and I must admit, I have had some serious withdrawals. I’ve been in contact with several of the other cast members and they’ve confirmed the same sense of loss; a wonderful show past into that special place inside an actors heart that only those involved can truly understand. I will forgo the common mistake of trying to articulate this feeling, but I will say it was a wonderful experience, all I could have asked for and something a little more.

So it is with that I am on to my next show. Hit the ground running on this one. A full day off between closing and the first rehearsal but that’s what we strive for as actors, stacking work. I have tried to leave the experience and happiness of Lear behind but I feel it is only natural that some of that experience will creep in to this show. I guess some of that is a good thing as we try to grow with each performance, I just hope that it will not affect the uniqueness of this experience or corrupt this show’s process in any way.

Rehearsals have been steady, although slow. Trying to navigate Stoppard is like wandering a minefield blindfolded. To some extent, you must simply go with God. I do feel, however, that great effort is being extended in our interpretation of the script and am very happy with which the ensemble is approaching the work. Our Director, George Pierce, has given the cast an opportunity to share their ideas in an open forum before we set everything in stone. I really enjoy this way of working as a team and I feel it will make us all the closer over the long run. He has many keen insights into the staging of the show and has already shown his intelligence when it comes to script analysis. It sets me at ease to know that if something isn’t working, we can discuss it and try to make adjustments accordingly.

George has made a very unique (and subsequently quirky) choice to overlay some of the conversations over one another, juxtaposing the actor’s perspectives in several scenes with their individual intentions intact. It makes for great humor but will be very much reliant on the audience to decipher for themselves all that is happening on stage. It takes a great sense of timing and control to pull this off and although we still have a long way to go, I think it will be well worth the effort once we arrive. “Rough Crossing” may yet prove to be all its name entails but, for all those existentialists out there, will provide all the more spectacular a view from the other side.