New Routine

CLASSES
Combat:
We reviewed the first two phrases of the single sword fight, and brought it up to speed. Worked a little on my parries, needing to step away from the punto thrust. I need to review the choreography, it's not as sharp as it was and I got lost a time or two when I started thinking about it. I am getting a bit better at staying low and centered.

The last ten minutes were spent on our unarmed fights. I tried using the gloves I got for the swordplay, but they are awful for knapping. I'll try to find some leather gloves at a motorcycle shop. Hopefully I can find something light with gauntlets, which will both look and sound good.

At this point the main things are continuing to build up ease with the choreography and flow, and bringing acting -- intention -- into it. Both should support getting the speed up too. We've been working intentionally slow, which really helps burn it into muscle memory correctly.

Rehearsal:
We worked from 5:00-6:30PM. The first hour was Lori and I, and the last half hour was by myself. We have worked a couple different things. One was writing down responses to every phrase your scene partner says, and reviewing it. It seems like a bit of a formalized sub-text exercise, but it really helped. I have a big stick for whacking things, as a punctuation. I used an old shower curtain bar as I didn't have time to go to the hardware store on Monday. I'll drop by one tonight or tomorrow.

For the soliloquy work I had a bible, a dagger (my flight survival knife), and a crown (my billed Navy hat, with cardboard triangles in the band making it a crown). As I went through the soliloquy I held one, and only one of the items at a time. This did two things, first it got Hal and I on track regarding the text. Not that I think I was wrong, but neither did I feel any great attachment, and certainly I'm willing to go along with an acknowledged Shakespeare expert. More importantly it gave more action and intention to my speech. It really helped bring out the things I was feeling and thinking inside out to where it could be seen.

We did that a couple times, then amended the exercise, still leaving the items spaced apart on the ground, but going to the item instead of actually picking it up. Just that intention and focus got me to a place where I was releasing my voice nicely and playing a lot with pitch and such. I'll be doing this some more the next couple days, as well as reviewing my sub-text. I was a little startled to find how it affected me.


OBSERVATIONS/CLICKS
Big "Duh!" observation here. Confidence makes all the difference. It makes getting the voice and physicality fixed easier, and it is more fun. I had more of a sense of play than ever before working with Hal. Like someone else the other night, I got scolded for scolding myself. And I knew it at the time, and was damn near laughing as Hal scolded me. It is his job to comment on my acting, mine to just do it. As humorous as the situation was, it was a great note. I didn't instantly get my adjustments fully implemented. I still missed opportunities and repeated some habitual things, but working through them makes a big difference. I may have sighed, but I didn't do it the next phrase. There is a mindset we get into, where you stop for fuck ups feeling you'll show yourself to be an idiot if you don't catch it. Getting rid of that is a relief. Work the piece instead of the screw ups.

I'm on edge. I'm loving this work, and The Scottish Play being a favorite of mine creates some stakes. My love of this play combined with the stakes create an edge. I feel that is in opposition to my tiredness. My tank is on low. Yet this charges me. I'm looking forward to this weekend. Taxes done or under control, some sleep, and more homework focus.