bio/resume: I'm a senior originally from Newport News Virginia. A theatre design major with a minor in film. I have no main focus at the moment but interest in costumes, makeup, sound/lighting design, theatre/film directing as well as script writing for theatre/film. This semester is my first time taking official directing classes, Theatre Directing and Directing for film/video, but last semester i was in "Lets Make a movie" while in there i wrote and directed living in a dry cabin http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GixkbMfzHVk which is a short video about living in a dry cabin, advantages, disadvantages, shot for a UA film scholarship competition. For Directing for film/video I directed a version of the 50 second Lumiere films, which are 50 second one shot non edited films. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBd4Dt9PC-s  Also did a directing project where i made a film using still shots. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7eefb5-0-Y  On a directing level I am actually more interested in directing film, but learning about theatre directing and even experiencing theatre directing just adds to your credentials as a director. 

Midterm Directing Scene:

Importance of being Ernest. I am doing the interview scene from Act I, when Lady Bracknell interviews Jack. My concept is that it is modern age. Lady Bracknell is a high class woman, who is a perfectionist and somewhat of a feminist. Jack is a nice guy who likes to keep a tough image. He could easily be labeled gothic, satanic, or a rocker depending on how you look at him. Set wise there is just two chairs, one is a business chair and the other is a trashy sort of chair that most people wouldn't want to sit in. There is also a door leading to the room, on the other side Gwendolen waits and it is also Jack's exit from the Interview.Other props include a notebook and pen for LB to take notes and a Satanic bible for Jack to use to control his neverousness.For lighting there should be cold, depressing lighting on Jacks territory and bright powerful lighting on Lady Bracknells Territory. These territority lights should remain on throughout the scene. At the beginning there should be a spotlight on Jack that is positive (bright) and be a similar spotlight on LB. As the scene progresses to the end, Jacks should change to negative and despair, and LB should change to a mix of stern and angry color. Costumes wise Jack would have gothy clothing and LB would have a very businessy look.

The suit on the far right would be LB suit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The Hair would be pinned and styled like the hair of this animated sims character. Almost looking like a man from the front.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Jacks would have a mohawk like this one, but with a dyed mix of black and white throughout the spikes and the flat hair.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 His shirt would be this bland t-shirt with a design of a bloody musical mic and blood on certain parts. The color of the T-shirt overall would be white.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Pants would have a mainly black design, but sort of chained by white straps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 String of the necklace, silver white with black knobs like the one on the left.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Pendant of the necklace would be solid black.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Philosophy: I like to come up with the main blocking concept, main (broad) characterization and set up the stage. Then let the actors use it and see what they do with the set, and where they go with the blocking and take their characters. If they end up doing something that throws off the concept or strays too far from what I envisioned then I direct them back to the concept. Even if what they are doing is totally against my vision I will still let them play with parts of what they did to see if it will turn out to be something to add to the scene. I like to trust actors, that they can act and carry the scene, but if they prove they can't then I put them in a box and direct their every move. Tech wise, I like simple sets, with complex lighting and somewhat idealistic costums. I like to be a bit overbearing on the tech side early on because i feel communication with designers early rather than later is really important.

Research: For my concept I used alot of personal experiences for both characters. I have alot of experience with the sort of personalities within Jacks character that i created.(from close and distant friends as well as myself) As for LB's I tended to take the females side in most of my sociology type courses throughout my life, the reasoning behind this of course is I like to take the side of the underdog and also believe in giving females equal opportunity so whenever a very traditional viewing type of male i would fight their sort of view and try to give females as many opportunities as possible. As for the playwright, Importance of Being Ernest was written by Oscar Wilde and first produced in 1895. Wilde was from Dublin Ireland, where he was a scholar at a college called Trinity. He was originally a novelist, but after little success he turned to stage writing. His plays were known to be witty, thoughtful, and have sharp dialogs mainly gathered from the upper class he lived in. After Importance of Being Ernests first run coming to an end it was revived in 1898, and 1902. Then in 1909 it become to be a great success as it saw 324 performances.Throughout the 20th century the play continued to pop up in theatrical societies of not only the UK but also Canada, Germany,  and finally the US in 1977 (original four act script).

Cast:

Jack: Adam Gillete

Lady Bracknell: Jey Johnson

 

 

 TEXT:

 

 

 

Lady Bracknell. [Sitting down.] You can take a seat, Mr. Worthing.

 

[Looks in her pocket for note-book and pencil.]

 

Jack. Thank you, Lady Bracknell, I prefer standing.

 

Lady Bracknell. [Pencil and note-book in hand.] I feel bound to tell you that you are not down on my list of eligible young men, although I have the same list as the dear Duchess of Bolton has. We work together, in fact. However, I am quite ready to enter your name, should your answers be what a really affectionate mother requires. Do you smoke?

 

Jack. Well, yes, I must admit I smoke.

 

Lady Bracknell. I am glad to hear it. A man should always have an occupation of some kind. There are far too many idle men in London as it is. How old are you?

 

Jack. Twenty-nine.

 

Lady Bracknell. A very good age to be married at. I have always been of opinion that a man who desires to get married should know either everything or nothing. Which do you know?

 

Jack. [After some hesitation.] I know nothing, Lady Bracknell.

 

Lady Bracknell. I am pleased to hear it. I do not approve of anything that tampers with natural ignorance. Ignorance is like a delicate exotic fruit; touch it and the bloom is gone. The whole theory of modern education is radically unsound. Fortunately in England, at any rate, education produces no effect whatsoever. If it did, it would prove a serious danger to the upper classes, and probably lead to acts of violence in Grosvenor Square. What is your income?

 

Jack. Between seven and eight thousand a year.

 

Lady Bracknell. [Makes a note in her book.] In land, or in investments?

 

Jack. In investments, chiefly.

 

Lady Bracknell. That is satisfactory. What between the duties expected of one during one’s lifetime, and the duties exacted from one after one’s death, land has ceased to be either a profit or a pleasure. It gives one position, and prevents one from keeping it up. That’s all that can be said about land.

 

Jack. I have a country house with some land, of course, attached to it, about fifteen hundred acres, I believe; but I don’t depend on that for my real income. In fact, as far as I can make out, the poachers are the only people who make anything out of it.

 

Lady Bracknell. A country house! How many bedrooms? Well, that point can be cleared up afterwards. You have a town house, I hope? A girl with a simple, unspoiled nature, like Gwendolen, could hardly be expected to reside in the country.

 

Jack. Well, I own a house in Belgrave Square, but it is let by the year to Lady Bloxham. Of course, I can get it back whenever I like, at six months’ notice.

 

Lady Bracknell. Lady Bloxham? I don’t know her.

 

Jack. Oh, she goes about very little. She is a lady considerably advanced in years.

 

Lady Bracknell. Ah, nowadays that is no guarantee of respectability of character. What number in Belgrave Square?

 

Jack. 149.

 

Lady Bracknell. [Shaking her head.] The unfashionable side. I thought there was something. However, that could easily be altered.

 

Jack. Do you mean the fashion, or the side?

 

Lady Bracknell. [Sternly.] Both, if necessary, I presume. What are your polities?

 

Jack. Well, I am afraid I really have none. I am a Liberal Unionist.

 

Lady Bracknell. Oh, they count as Tories. They dine with us. Or come in the evening, at any rate. Now to minor matters. Are your parents living?

 

Jack. I have lost both my parents.

 

Lady Bracknell. To lose one parent, Mr. Worthing, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness. Who was your father? He was evidently a man of some wealth. Was he born in what the Radical papers call the purple of commerce, or did he rise from the ranks of the aristocracy?

 

Jack. I am afraid I really don’t know. The fact is, Lady Bracknell, I said I had lost my parents. It would be nearer the truth to say that my parents seem to have lost me... I don’t actually know who I am by birth. I was... well, I was found.

 

Lady Bracknell. Found!

 

Jack. The late Mr. Thomas Cardew, an old gentleman of a very charitable and kindly disposition, found me, and gave me the name of Worthing, because he happened to have a first-class ticket for Worthing in his pocket at the time. Worthing is a place in Sussex. It is a seaside resort.

 

Lady Bracknell. Where did the charitable gentleman who had a first-class ticket for this seaside resort find you?

 

Jack. [Gravely.] In a hand-bag.

 

Lady Bracknell. A hand-bag?

 

Jack. [Very seriously.] Yes, Lady Bracknell. I was in a hand-bag - a somewhat large, black leather hand-bag, with handles to it - an ordinary hand-bag in fact.

 

Lady Bracknell. In what locality did this Mr. James, or Thomas, Cardew come across this ordinary hand-bag?

 

Jack. In the cloak-room at Victoria Station. It was given to him in mistake for his own.

 

Lady Bracknell. The cloak-room at Victoria Station?

 

Jack. Yes. The Brighton line.

 

Lady Bracknell. The line is immaterial. Mr. Worthing, I confess I feel somewhat bewildered by what you have just told me. To be born, or at any rate bred, in a hand-bag, whether it had handles or not, seems to me to display a contempt for the ordinary decencies of family life that reminds one of the worst excesses of the French Revolution. And I presume you know what that unfortunate movement led to? As for the particular locality in which the hand-bag was found, a cloak-room at a railway station might serve to conceal a social indiscretion - has probably, indeed, been used for that purpose before now-but it could hardly be regarded as an assured basis for a recognised position in good society.

 

Jack. May I ask you then what you would advise me to do? I need hardly say I would do anything in the world to ensure Gwendolen’s happiness.

 

Lady Bracknell. I would strongly advise you, Mr. Worthing, to try and acquire some relations as soon as possible, and to make a definite effort to produce at any rate one parent, of either sex, before the season is quite over.

 

Jack. Well, I don’t see how I could possibly manage to do that. I can produce the hand-bag at any moment. It is in my dressing-room at home. I really think that should satisfy you, Lady Bracknell.

 

Lady Bracknell. Me, sir! What has it to do with me? You can hardly imagine that I and Lord Bracknell would dream of allowing our only daughter - a girl brought up with the utmost care - to marry into a cloak-room, and form an alliance with a parcel? Good morning, Mr. Worthing!

 

 SCENE ANALYSIS:

Jack is being interviewed to see if he is qualified to wed the love of his life "Gwendolin", and his interviewer is her aunt "Lady Bracknell". Jack goes by Ernest, and he uses lies and deceit to get what he needs and wants in life. He does not know who his parents are and has a bizarre childhood that begins in a handbag when he is found by a gentleman that takes him in. Lady Bracknell decides at the end of the scene that if he cannot bring even one parent to them, then he cannot marry her relative, because it would be too much of an embarrassment. Lady Bracknell is a high class business woman who is a perfectionist and a bit of a feminist. She would like to bring Jack into the family because even though he has a tough image, he is a nice guy and very likeable. She realizes that his clothes and postures are just a personality choice and not harmful at all. At no point is she scared of him. Jack does infact carry a satanic bible, wear hot topic clothes and when he sits he does not sit properly on purpose. But even with his tough image he tries to carry, his love for Gwendolin and want for LB's approval make him return back to his normal self. Which is a nice friendly guy, he finally gathers himself enough courage to face LB face to face and then after her rejection he leaves sadly. But her door and locks from Gwendolin get to him and he becomes angry and his exit is one of fury. The fact is that at the beginning of this scene both of them are extremely nervous. Jack is nervous because he doesn't know if he will be accepted and LB is nervous  that  first he will  be good enough (she knows Gwendolin  really likes him) and second if she has to reject him she will have to find a way to do it gracefully because Gwendolin is probably listening.

THOUGHT/MORAL: sometimes it's best to lie. 

Blocking/Nine Squares:

 

 

 

Main blocking is that when nervous Jack paces in his territory, when he is comfortable he sits down. When he wants to challenge LB he heads to the fighting area. When Lady Bracknell feels in control she sits, when she becomes nervous she paces in her territory. When she is challenged by Jack she goes to the fighting zone and blocks his advance, leaving only retreat and the exit as an option. She also turns her back on him when she feels the interview is over.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winter Shorts Split Directing Review:

 

Split was directed by Andrew Cassell for this semesters winter shorts main show and is also the show that is going to Valdeez in July. Split is a story of a normal young man (named Adam) who has many imaginary friends he talks to. His main side kick is Vince Vaughn. He is in a relationship  with a girl that reminds him of his overbearing mother. They are separated for a short time and in this time he runs into his old crush "jenny". Adam's main obstacles are getting rid of his girlfriend and at the same time successfully hooking up with his old crush. There was a lot of humor in the lines of the play that were well directed and quite funny and some choices that ended up making the show better but also some questionable choices that did not. I really liked the decision to have Mr. Eskimo throw a bunch of "snow" up in the air right before his imaginary character entered. As well as Vince Vaughn not only drinking excessive amounts of beer, but also puking. I thought the choice to have actors moving the set around during lines was a poor on as I could  not hear lines when the set was moving and it was quite distracting to have people rearranging the set during monologues and end of scene lines. When fantasy Adam put his head on Fantasy Jenny's lap, I thought their setup was poor as well. I could  not see Adams face and him resting his head on her lap seems more of an inclination that she is stroking his head during a sorrowful tale rather then telling him about sex. I would have liked to see him sit on her lap instead, or at least react excitedly  because this would probably be the closest he's ever been to a girl's genitalia. Costume wise i thought that the costume choices for Jenny wern't sexy enough for the implied character. She is supposed to be worthy of a crush and she mostly wore very refined dressed (though low cut) but i just couldn't believe that anyone would develop a crush on someone who wears dresses all the time nor that that girl would be a sexaholic if she is dressing so formally all the time. Blocking wise in the bar scene Vince Vaughn Upstaged Adam a few times and When Adam was saying his lines after this scene i couldn't understand a single word he said because he was slamming the set around. I must say for a overall review of this play, I'm a bit disappointed. This play is supposed to represent Theatre UAF in Valdeez, and there are some very funny lines and creative decisions by the directer, but the play seems to drag along forever and there are definently some blocking issues (and possible design issues) that should be worked on before this show goes to Valdeez this summer.

R+G Directing Review:

I was in the cast of R+G so I got to see a close up and personal view of Anatoly Anotin’s directing style. He is a director that is not scared to make bold choices when casting or forming a show. His first huge choice was to cast Rosencrantz and Guildenstern as females, when traditionally they have been males. The only flaw I saw in this choice was that Rosencrantz, Guildenstern and Hamlet were friends growing up. Having R+G as females and Hamlet as a male made this unbelievable to me. I know at a mature age it is very hard to be best friends with a girl when you are a male and growing up or in teenage years it is about impossible. Your hormones go wild and you will either become in a sexual relationship or you will drift from each other as the awkwardness ensues. Anatoly also changed his overall concept a couple of times and was still making Costume and prop changes up to the free preview night. I know that this is because he keeps thinking until the last moment but it can also be a bad thing for bad actors. They have to get used to where their props are and what they need costume wise and changing it right before the real show could be disastrous. In this case it actually worked quite smoothly though. Over all the show was supposed to be a comedy but the lines were drug out so long that the comedy wasn’t there right before opening night. So Anatoly started to lean towards it being a drama but somehow on opening night some of the scenes and lines ended up getting laughs so it ended up being what it was supposed to be originally. The biggest problem I saw rehearsal wise was that all the different sections of the cast never really worked together until tech week so they had trouble interacting with each other and developing the scenes to their fullest. In the future I would suggest making more rehearsals where lesser roles and main roles get together earlier in the process and spend more time developing their relationships. Overall though the show is a success in my opinion because people do laugh and enjoy the show. They also get the main theme of choices and decisions, which can make or break you.

 

 

 

 

FINAL:

Peer Gynt

Title: You're the Father. 

Act 3 Scene 3

 Peer Gynt is a play written by significant playwright Henrik Ibsen in 1867. It was originally supposed to be literature and was popular when released in Copenhagen in 1867. In the USA it was first performed as a play in 1907, and was preformed repeatidly through the 20th century. It is a hard play to stage because of how "fantasy based" it is. Also there is a scene where the stage is completely dark so that stresses importance of having strong vocal actors that can make a scene just on voice. I read this play as a child and have always have interest in the character Peer Gynt as well as loved the entire play. I love the idea of trying to find ones identity and going all over the world to do it even if you have to leave all the ones you know and love behind.

Concept: Modern day, Peer is a middle class male in his early twenties. He chases a lot of women and actually succeeds a lot with gulliable or drunken women. He finally caught the hard to get girl he had been chasing when a woman shows up claiming he is the father of her child and wants marriage. He wears running shoes, worn jeans and a wife beater. The Woman is a trailor trash woman in her early thirties. She is older and is tired of playing around and wants a serious long term relationship. She is hoping that since Peer is the father of her baby and was very into her while they were intoxicated that maybe he is the one. She wears leather boots, torn jeans, a low cut blouse with a worn and holy flannel shirt. The set would be very simple, just a chair in UC. Lighting wise it would begin with a dark coloration of blue and red, then towards the end would change to purple. 

Composition: Genre-Comedy. Plot- Peer is not fond of children, the woman has been looking for a man for awhile. Climax is when Peer threatens to split her skull open and she retorts by saying she will be watching him and his wife. Resolution is she leaves and he finds out that he likes the idea of being a father because he becomes fond of the child. The message is that all good parents find a way to do whats best for their child.

 

Floor plan - DC caring, nurturing, womans area, RS bad peer area, LS good peer area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prop list: Alcohol bottle, Baby. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Alcohol bottle similar to this one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Actual picture of the baby used.

 

 

 

Costumes:  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wife beater for Peer, has some dirt on it and is white.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 He would wear pants like these. Sort of worn but stylish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

His shoes, are running shoes. Somewhat aged looking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shirt for The Woman. Low cut girly colored blouse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 She has very old hole filled blue jeans.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Some sort of leather boots. Probably knee high but covered by the jean pant legs. Well polished and stylish. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 A red flannel shirt over the blouse, unbuttoned all the way. Serves the purpose as a light jacket for her.

 

 

 Lighting: At the beginning of the scene Peer is lit with blue to show his coldness. Dark blue on his evil side and light blue on his good side. The chair and The Woman's area are lit with sexual red coloration. As the end of the scene nears the coloration around the chair turns to purple, which constitutes the mixing of red and blue, mixing of Peer and The Woman and him accepting the child.

 

Director W'se

 who: Peer Gynt and a Woman, A son of a drunk who loves to chase women and a woman who is looking to settle down with one man.

  Where: A rural area in America

When: Modern day. 

What: A woman with a child approaches the man she believes to be it's father. He hopes to get out of the situation and be on his way doing the duties to his current Woman. She tries to get him on a guilt  trip. 

Why: She hopes he will remember the good times they had together, feel love and pride for his son and come start a family with her. He only wants to serve his current woman and is not pleased with the appearance of her or her/his son. SHe hopes a guilttrip will at least make him remember her and consider it for later.

 

Role Concepts 5 W's:

 Peer - he is a son of a father who didn't give him good life direction. He doesn't know how to have a solid relationship or treat women right. He is a drunk who lives in the southern part of the US but is middle class and does not have a real accent. He hopes to get out of taking care of the baby because he doesn't like the idea of having kids or having a deep relationship with anyone. This is because of the way he was raised and he just wanted to drink fuck and move on.

The Woman - The daughter of a large white trash family. She also lives in the southern US but contrary to Peer has a very thick southern accent. She has been looking for a man who is middle to upper class for some time. Hoping to start a relationship with them to get out of the white trash culture. She is happy that she has had Peer's baby and hopes to start a relationship with him so she can start moving up in the world.

Non-Dialogue to extend scene : i-Woman sits on the chair and sings the baby a lullaby. Peer enters and The woman blocks his pack, holding a baby. He keeps trying to get past her and finally does, but she grabs the back of his shirt and stops him. -
THE WOMAN Good evening, Peer Lightfoot!

PEER What is it? Who's there?

THE WOMAN Old friends of yours, Peer Gynt! My home is near by. We are neighbors.

PEER Indeed? That is more than I know.

 
THE WOMAN Even as your hut was builded, mine built itself too.

PEER  I'm in haste-

THE WOMAN Yes, that you are always, my lad; but I'll trudge behind you and catch you at last.

 

PEER You're mistaken, good woman!

THE WOMAN I was so before; I was when you promised such mighty fine things.

PEER I promised-? What devil's own nonsense is this?

THE WOMAN You've forgotten the night when you drank with my sire? You've forgot-?

PEER I've forgot what I never have known. What's this that you prate of? When last did we meet?

THE WOMAN When last we met was when first we met.
-Motions the baby at peer-
PEER Father? You're drunk, woman! Do you call him-?

THE WOMAN I should think you might well know the pig by its skin! Why, where are your eyes? Can't you see that he's lame in his shank, just as you too are lame in your soul?

PEER Would you have me believe-?

THE WOMAN Would you wriggle away-?
-pass the baby and alcoholic bottle back and forth-
PEER This long-legged urchin-!

THE WOMAN He's shot up apace.

 

PEER Dare you, you troll-snout, father on me-?

 

THE WOMAN Come now, Peer Gynt, you're as rude as an ox! Is it my fault if no longer I'm fair, as I was when you lured me on hillside and lea? Last fall, in my labour, the Fiend held my back, and so 'twas no wonder I came out a fright. But if you would see me as fair as before, you have only to turn yonder girl out of doors, drive her clean out of your sight and your mind;- do but this, dear my love, and I'll soon lose my snout!

PEER Begone from me, troll-witch!


THE WOMAN Ay, see if I do!

PEER I'll split your skull open-!

THE WOMAN Just try if you dare! Ho-ho, Peer Gynt, I've no fear of blows! Be sure I'll return every day of the year. I'll set the door ajar and peep in at you both. When you're sitting with your girl on the fireside bench,- when you're tender, Peer Gynt,-when you'd pet and caress her,- I'll seat myself by you, and ask for my share. She there and I-we will take you by turns. Farewell, dear my lad, you can marry to-morrow!
-gives baby to peer-
PEER You nightmare of hell!
-tosses baby back-
THE WOMAN By-the-bye, I forgot! You must rear your own youngster, you light-footed scamp! 

 

THE WOMAN What a head he has got on his shoulders, the dear! You'll be father's living image when once you're a man!

  

PEER Oh, would you were as far-!

THE WOMAN As we now are near?

PEER And all this-!

 

THE WOMAN For nothing but thoughts and desires! It is hard on you, Peer!

PEER It is worst for another!- Solveig, my fairest, my purest gold!

 -turns his back on her and drinks-
THE WOMAN Oh ay, 'tis the guiltless must smart, said the devil; his mother boxed his ears when his father was drunk!

 -she puts the baby on the seat and sneaks out, he has trouble deciding if he should take responsibility of the baby or not then finally chooses to and picks it up and sings it a lullaby-

Rehearsal Logs:

Rehearsal #1:

Worked one on one with Sayrah. Went over the blocking for pre-acting at the top of the scene. She would sing a lullaby without words. Then challenge him when he enters.

Went over her thoughts on her character: A white trashy girl that comes apart physically due to prenancy. Said the accents she could do best were Irish, Hick or Boston accents. My original concepts were either UK or US so i liked to hear this. 

Talked about her first attempt to hand the baby to him, when/what line did she feel that was appropriate. She seemed lost, but i already had the idea that when she said "when we last met was when we first met" was a good place because he says "dare you father on me..." afterwards.

Discussed the idea of hot potato. Three times, first time he gets it shes excited he's not happy, second time she catches it he's excited she is impatient, 3rd time he catches it and is extremely unhappy she is overjoyed. 

Went over the end of leaving baby on the doorsteps: She leaves him on the doorstep, then takes off running, grabs the baby and attempts to catch her but she out runs him and he is left with the baby.

Rehearsal #2:

Worked one on one with Joe. First discussed what he thought about the character. He thought he was guy who used to be bad, but is now nicer. However he tries to hide it. I liked this idea and decided to expand it. Only accent he could really do from the three that Sayrah was good at was English. So i ended up going with my UK concept. 

Asked him if he loved her. He felt he didn't because of her new physical appearance but some where deep down inside he remembered how she used to be and feels a little bit of love. 

Went over the idea of him doing something to the baby that would make Sayrah as a mother want to take it back from him. Wanted it not to be child abuse but to make her want him not to have it in his arms. He chose to put it under his arm and pet it like a dog. 

We went over the Hot potato reactions and used method acting to use his real little brother for his emotion about being stuck with the child. 

Went over the ending. He sulks back after he loses her, sits in the chair.

Rehearsal #3

Both Joe and Sayrah were at this rehearsal. Since we had our character and motivations put together we went to work on blocking.

First we went over the opening struggle of Peer trying to get past The Woman. The biggest note here for both of them is; Peer make sure you really try to get past her and The Woman, try your damnest not let him by you. Peer take different tactics to get by her, deceit, overpowering etc. 

Went over the three baby usages which are her trying to give him the baby, the hot potato and the leaving on the door step. Biggest note her was completely reject her the first time, really try to push her and the baby away, becareful with the baby, when you're trying to get her to take it back do something that you know will worry her but don't abuse the child, and lastly (The woman) set him down and sneak away, Peer really try to catch her but don't catch her. Then have a moment with the baby.

Territories: went over whos territory is where. 

Went over the corner scene with the chair, The woman wants to creep him out and attempt to scare him into her desires. Letting him know that not only will she stalk him but his son will stalk him when he is old enough to stalk too. 

Ran through the final scene with the doorstep.

FIRST SHOWING:

People didn't like the tossing of the baby because it made the baby unreal. People liked the lullaby. Chair position was insignificant in the corner where no one could see it. People wanted to know if Joe was drunk, or if he should be a drunk. People liked the hot potato but wanted to change it to tossing a baby bottle or exchanging baby for a alcoholic bottle. People wanted to see two Peers, an Accepting good Peer and an Unaccepting Evil Peer. People wanted The Woman to stop Peer, because why would he stop if she was just yelling at him.

Rehearsal #4

Both Sayrah and Joe once again were at this rehearsal. We went over her stopping him. I had envisioned her grabbing his hair to stop him, but asked them what they thought and Sayrah wanted to kick him in the balls. So we tried it, her kick was usually off. I showed him what he could do so she could really swing and not hit his balls. Was basically closing the upper inner thighs then her kick wouldn't reach and would look real. I gave Joe a whiskey bottle and told him he would be drinking throughout the scene. We talked about master gestures. 

Then we went over baby and bottle exchange. Then we worked on the end. I liked Brian's suggestion to put the chair in DC for the most intimate spot.Peer ignores her and has his back to her while he drinks, she puts the baby on the chair and sneaks out.  He picks up the baby while she is watching and starts to lullaby, she comes back, this scares him and he puts the baby down and runs off. She starts to chase him then remembers the baby then grabs the baby and pursues him. Notes to Joe were, make sure you let her approach you before you run, you want her to startle and alarm you.

SECOND SHOWING

Audience questions were where to cut scene, with him lullibing or with her chasing him off. Where to put the bottle during the naturing chair part. Drinking, when to drink, how drunk is he. 

My notes: For joe to get out of his bad area for the exchange, to be at the neutral area, with is a center line from the chair all the way across the stage. Joe was in wrong area for tossing the baby back. Can't do bad things in the good area. More accurate kick. 

Rehearsal #5

Just joe, Sayrah didn't show up. gave Joe all Peer's notes. spent alot of time rehearsing the final chair scene. Decided to cut with him singing the lullaby. Went over how to build up the lullaby. Never leave the bottle in good area or nurturing area. Made the lullaby build up in three stages. One: walk up and look, cross between good and bad looking at the baby, go back to bad and drink. Two: come back, put bottle down, sit down play with the baby, giggle or do the guchi guchi goo thing. decide you don't want to do it. Three: start to pick up bottle but midway put back down, come to baby, have a moment, begin lullaby. 

Notes: make giggles bigger, if you're going to drink then drink, if you're not then don't. Talked about whether we needed a real tree for Sayrah to hide behind or not. 

Rehearsal #6

With just Sayrah. Joe had work. Gave her notes from last showing and from what we discovered at the last rehearsal. Practiced toss, made sure to take bottle from him and force the baby on him. The end, decided we didn't need the tree, she would just exit and not come back. 

Rehearsal #7

Moments later Joe unexpectedly showed up. With all these new notes we just ran through the full scene a couple of times. My notes were, make the trying to get by the woman bigger. Stay in the bad area when you're doing bad things and in the good when you're doing good things. Keep bottle away from chair. Either pick up the bottle or don't if its a start to pick up but decide not to then make it real. 

Final Performance:

People seemed to like it. People laughed. Joe didn't do all three steps for the final lullaby. He seemed a bit nervous and didn't slow down so alot of the moments were rushed. Blocking for the most part was very stationary, which is my fault for not giving them enough insight on how they should move besides the main movements. I did this mainly because many times i hear actors say they feel like they are in a directors box and can't act. So i just like to give actors a main overall idea and let them work out the other blocking themselves. I won't say anything unless they are doing something really bad. Trying to get by The Woman at the beginning to me seemed rushed and the movements were big enough. Overall like i said though, the audience seemed to like it, someone came up to me afterwards and said they liked how i did the scene. 

Actors Evaluation:

Like to say that professionalism wise Joe was great. He always showed up on time, tried his best to fit it in his schedule, some cases coming during his work break instead of relaxing or eating dinner. Sayrah was pretty easy to schedule although she did miss one rehearsal but had a good reason that her alarm was set on her phone and it died. Line wise this was a short scene and she was still trying to learn her lines at the last moment. Both of these actors were relatively inexperienced performance wise so they both were somewhat nervous and rushed important moments of the scene, but at the same time they made moments comical with their language and movements. Blocking wise they both seemed lost at what do to for the most part if i didn't tell them where to do they just stood in center stage and paced around each other. Which may actually have been ok, they are two people in a conflict and circling each other before the climax could be a good idea but it wasn't big enough because they didn't do it enough. Both are good at developing characters, all i had to do was tell my main concept and they both came up with their characters on their own that was exactly what i had envisioned. Accent wise Sayrah is good at a slew of accents and can do all of them very well. Joe could only do one accent and he had trouble keeping it during the scene. They both were pretty good at playing with ideas, using imagination intertwine good ideas with the ideas i had to make them bigger. Whenever i gave them overall idea and said "play with that" and let them play with it they usually could come with something i had envisioned so i didn't have to tell them how to do every single little movement.

Overall I would say they need to work on calming down and take their time more, learn their lines earlier on.

Self-Evaluation:

I selected these actors for a reason and that reason may be a agreeable one or not. My idea was to choose unknown actors/actress's so there was no possiblity of other directors taking them and conflicting in my rehearsal schedule. Also unknown/inexperienced actors listen better and contribute better than some experienced actors that have developed an ego. Overall that just makes it easier to direct them. Even with this being said they both did fit the roles i was wanting as well. The scene had a definent beginning middle and end. Peer was a much different person at the end than at the beginning. The scene is a comical scene and it was funny and got laughs. Which is always a concern when you're doing a comedy. I've been involved with comedy scenes before that didn't work and no one laughed and it was quite embarrassing. This was not the case in this scene though. I felt i did all i could to get them to make things bigger and the crowd must have just caused them to rush a bit but i don't foresee anything else i can do besides motivating them to always make it as big as possible in every rehearsal. I guess i could warn them about the difference of the audience and remind to them to try to remember to slow it down and not rush it. My biggest flaw in my opinion was that i didn't run through the whole scene enough and make sure they had more precise blocking. I wanted to work on a lot of small things and make sure they were solid and usually only ran the whole thing once or twice a rehearsal. Their main blocking was ok because i kept going over it alot but the smaller blocking was very inefficient and i was kicking myself watching it. Wishing i had ran the scene more times and made sure they had better small blocking. I also still don't know about the ending, i almost wished i had put a tree at the edge of Peers good side offstage and let The Woman watch him through the leaves showing her excitement as the scene faded.