But first, I must share with you about The Green Dress Velvet Christmas Dress!”
I will share with you about “Improv In Our Everyday Living” in a future blog. I promise. But for now, I want to share about Re-Story Theater’s upcoming Christmas show December 7th, 8th, and 9th.
My beloved theater group, Re-Story, is well into its second season (with one show under its improvisational belt) and has begun rehearsals on the reprise of “The Green Velvet Christmas Dress”. And we are loving the momentum from Molly’s Coffee House, passing it on to the two other actors joining us to complete our cast.
Re-Story Theater 2012-2013 is a wonderful group of skilled actors, with some seasoned improvisers and some just beginning their journey in improvisation. With years of teaching theater, I have come to believe the art of improvisation is different from the traditional actor and script. The improviser-actor needs a comfortable and accepting environment in order to succeed.
As we begin each rehearsal, we start with telling a little of our current story, along with coffee and a little bit of something to eat. Fears and anxious thought dissipate as we sip and chat.
“Bearing one another’s burden” is a fairly scriptural thing, but knowing “an actor has your back” on stage is very important. It involves trust. I teach my actors that their desire for the success of their scene partner on stage and their partner’s desire for their success on stage is fail proof! That actor is for you and you are for them.
Loving improv, I built into “The Green Velvet Christmas Dress” an interactive tea-time with the audience and characters. The audience is invited to spend their tea-time with characters and ask further details about the character and their story within the play.
To prepare for this time my actors develop a lengthier character study than that which I have provided as the author of the play. They get involved with what makes the character live and breathe and their unique part in the play’s story. Some of our rehearsal is spent in interviewing our characters. The actors improvise their way through this interview in character. There is no third-person dialogue, but dialogue with the character and it is equal in importance to the lines they memorize.
As a good director, I remind them about their Uncle Harry or their best friend that is likely to come up and try to get them to break character. My counsel to them is firm: “Don’t break! Don’t let them steal what you have worked so hard to create.” And I remind them, “It’s only unscripted conversation and some of the best part of the play happens in this moment.”
It was great fun to see the audience interact with the cast last year. Some of the most thoughtful questions came from the children and teens. They really absorbed the story and wanted more details!
I hope you will join me and Re-Story Theater for a 130 year journey as we ponder the power and hope in our legacy through “The Green Velvet Christmas Dress”! You can go directly to our store for tickets http://rightsideupstories.com/shop/
Melea