Before Rehearsals (May 22 2023)

In 2023, The Knack Theatre is producing "The Jasmine Suite" by Michael Olsen. For transparency, education, and mostly entertainment, the director is keeping a diary of all the excitement, pain, and embarrassment that goes on behind the scenes. Join our mailing list to follow along, as well as find out what other exciting shows lie ahead.

What a busy time it has been since the audition process. On 27 April, the cast and crew gathered around a conference table to give the first full read of The Jasmine Suite. Lexi and James immediately proved that I had made the correct choice, making many natural choices with their characters that I honestly thought I would have to walk my actors through. We discussed some logistical challenges the production will face (including our small budget, costume issues, and how we are to approach marketing). In the end, however, it wasn't as much about developing the play as getting to know each other.

Tonight is the real beginning of the show. In 38 days' time, we will have opening night, and in between, we have approximately 35 hours of rehearsals. My personal preference was to have 24, which means we even have wiggle room for nasty things like sick kids, work shifts, and completely messing up the special effects.

What I've been up to before the rehearsal

Ignoring the search for props (including the elusive Anubis), the troubles with rehearsal venue selection, and making the first steps of marketing, I wanted to discuss how I personally approach directing a play and what I've been up to before those first explorations with my cast. Every director takes a different approach, so it might not exactly be what you expect.

Step One to A-Thousand-And-One: Reading the Play

Okay, it wouldn't have been a thousand and one. And I'm far from off-book, but the play script has been on my bedside table since the beginning of April, and, whenever I haven't been tired, I've read through it. I am not making any specific decisions but simply getting very acquainted with it. This is probably overkill, but I cannot accept the idea of any actor knowing more about the play than the director, and, in the end, I'd even prefer I know it better than Michael Olsen himself.

Step…. let's say Two anyway: Breaking it Down

Admittedly, this isn't as complete as I want it to be by this stage, but I am slowly going through the script, leaving behind notations about each line. What is the character really trying to say? Is there a necessary action or movement I want them to undertake? Where are the sound cues coming in?

I don't go as far as specific blocking in these moments, but it comes damn close.

Step Three: The Rehearsal Schedule

While the dates for rehearsals have been set for a while, this is where I decide how I want to approach the rehearsals. This is my first time directing a play that has several differences from my previous productions, including far more complicated scene changes and special effects. I have been advised that sometimes these are better addressed as early in the rehearsal process as possible, but I won't be doing so.

This is two-fold. First, I find these things to NOT be as important to get perfect with, but also easier to mess up if they are not fresh in your mind. Secondly, and more importantly, I'm just not ready. We are a small show, so there is no special effects coordinator or even makeup artist, and I've had to educate myself quite a bit to make things work. I'm still doing so. So these elements will be approached in the second half of production.

Instead, the first days will hammer home those character-driven scenes that will make or break the play. While all the audience members may remember the bloody wound after seeing the show, they will only call it a good play if they connect with the characters and the absurd situation they are going through.

One important rehearsal early on, the second day, in fact, will be the "Intimacy" rehearsal. We have a trained intimacy coordinator who will be using up most of the time going through how we will approach both the kissing and some of the "wound care" scenes and talking about how we can feel safe at all other times. I really appreciate that we have Vincent Pidal working with us in this role.

Step Four: Breathe

In the end, I know I have to trust the process. Trust that Lexi and James are going to show me how some of my previous ideas are wrong. Trust that the things I haven't worked out yet will be. Trust that we can survive the next six weeks with no one coming down with COVID.