Author Topic: First week off book  (Read 3451 times)

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ABennett

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First week off book
« on: Oct 11, 2009, 11:47 pm »
I am the PSM on my high school production of "Arsenic and Old Lace". The actors all seen very good, but have had trouble keeping up with their lines and blocking with their scripts in hand. This week is our first week off book. Is there anything I should do or be ready for this week? Should I note every line they miss?

BayAreaSM

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Re: First week off book
« Reply #1 on: Oct 12, 2009, 02:47 am »
I would talk to your director (is that person a teacher?) and see how they feel about the off book process. How long will you be off book before going into performances? Sometimes when working for a director who is the drama teacher, they may have high expectations, so be sure to find out that they expect before jumping to your own conclusions.

A good rule of thumb for lines:
If it's the very beginning and you have some time, and people are still learning, just note the big stuff. If they jump someone's line, if they reorder the words in their line so that it completely changes the context, or if they have a specific line that always gives them trouble. They are probably still learning, and know they are making mistakes. You'll be directing them to the areas that need the most attention, even though they know they need to review it all.

As you move along in the off book process, start to be more picky. Some people may argue with me that you need to note everything from the start, but, unless you have an army of people working for you, you'll be working on line notes all evening. Start broad, then hone in as the days progress. It's also extremely discouraging for someone to get pages and pages of line notes. This is even true for the most seasoned actors. Everyone makes mistakes in the beginning.

Be prepared to give line often when they call for it, and make a special mark in your script on those lines. I've noticed that some actors hit those same trouble spots time and time again, and if you have it notated that it's a usual line they call for, you'll be extra prepared to call it out when they ask.

There are also several methods of giving line notes. If you are interested to know my version, please PM me. I have very strong opinions on this topic.

Also, don't be afraid to correct the blocking. Be sure to talk to your director first, to confirm that the blocking you set in rehearsal is definitely what they want to keep, and that they are OK with you giving verbal corrections during rehearsal. Yes, it may disturb the actors and confuse them a bit, but if you know that someone needs to be somewhere and it affects other people, you need to make sure they do the right blocking. Your eyes are going to be everywhere, so it may help to review your script before rehearsal begins, just so you know what is coming up.

I hope this was somewhat helpful.

planetmike

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Re: First week off book
« Reply #2 on: Oct 12, 2009, 11:39 am »
You can be a huge help to the cast by being ready when they call "Line." Stay focused on your script, while following what you need to follow regarding blocking. Discourage anyone other than yourself (or your designated prompter) from giving lines. Also, I tell the actors not to break character when calling line, and to simply start their line as soon as they've recalled it after my prompt. I don't give a line prompt until the actor calls "line." As you get to know an actor's style better, you may be able to "know" when they need help, but make it clear to the others that you've worked out a system.

Example: My current show just went off-book last week. At our full run rehearsal Saturday, one of the leads was struggling with his lines, which was understandable, as he, the director, and I had talked about his struggles, which were mostly caused by his being in a another play that just opened the previous night. So after one scene of trouble, (which actually wasn't that bad), I allowed him to use his script, which he only referred to a few times.

 

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