Rehearsals, Part One

After the blocking (discussed here in Early Blocking and here in Secondary Blocking Tips) is finished, more specific rehearsal time can begin.

The point of blocking is to allow the director to very broadly sketch out they way he or she wants the play to look.  Now, he can put the details in.

This part of the rehearsal process can be the most fun.
 


At this point, the director will work with groups of actors on their scenes and their characters.  This is time for all the specific information you didn't get and couldn't really ask for during blocking.

It's also the fairly short period of time where you will not always be called to rehearsal.  The director will spend a long time working specific scenes and will sometimes release those not in those scenes.  This doesn't always happen, and it's best not to expect it, but when you are released, savor it.  As the show date gets closer, your free time will evaporate.  Enjoy it.  Use it to work your character and learn your lines.

Directors will have different policies on having your lines memorized, or being off-book.  Some will give you a date to be off book by.  Sometimes that date will even be before the rehearsal process begins.  As I mentioned before (it's very important) be off-book by then.

Some of the actor's won't be, which might tempt you not to take the date seriously.  Take it seriously, if for no other reason than that being off-book will vastly improve your performance in rehearsal, which in turn improves your performance in shows.  Never doubt how much of a difference knowing your lines can make.

However, when a director doesn't give you date, which will probably be most of the time, this is a useful rule to go by:

Memorize a scene as soon as you are finished blocking it.

This will be useful for a number of reasons.

      1) Memorizing lines with your blocking will help cement both in your mind.

      2) It will surprise you how quickly the play will go by when you break it up in this way.

I've had more than one director tell me to memorize lines this way, and it is a very professional looking policy.  Remember, a director might cast you once for a number of reasons, but he or she will only cast you in another show if you memorized your lines quickly and carefully, and you were on time to rehearsals.

I'll post more on the rehearsal process soon!