Final Details

Student artists just finished their fourth week of training and rehearsal. The fifth and final week starts tomorrow and should consist of fine-tuning detail work. It has been said that details are the most important part of the actor's job. This maxim makes the actor's job infinite: we can always find more truthful ways to get what we want in a scene, more interesting relationships with our partners, more compelling prop use, more nuance in the way we communicate and so on and so on. Even after actors are off book and letter perfect on their blocking, there is more work that can be done. And all that is required to be successful is time, imagination and, most importantly, the will to be better and to serve the audience better.

BONUS: Students were profiled in an article about the Stella Adler Outreach Division.

The Heat Is On

In the third week of rehearsal the heat was turned up - both literally and figuratively. Rehearsals became more demanding, new skills were introduced and New York City had a heat wave with temperatures climbing over 100 degrees.


Students has a special workshop with combat choreographer J. Steven White. Steve taught the basics of fisticuffs and directed the stage fight for the murder of Julius Caesar. His class required the quick understanding and executing of physical work. Like professional actors, the students will rehearse the fight dozens of times before performance in order to obtain physical relaxation and accuracy.


At the start of this week, the entire play was blocked. It is now essential for actors to be completely memorized (or off book) so that they can play, explore and improvise in rehearsal. Once an actor knows their text so well that they can recite it in their sleep, they create the possibility to be able to do more in rehearsal. Artistic Director Tom Oppenheim has said that for an actor to know their lines is the very least they can do. In the next phase of rehearsal we are excited to see how the student artists grow, what steps of theatrical courage they take and how both the group and the individuals in project evolve.


BONUS: Students were profiled in an article about the Stella Adler Outreach Division.

Work In Progress

The second week of rehearsal went by in a flash and included successes and challenges. Heidi worked with student artists on getting a deep grasp of the story, characters and timeline of events of Julius Caesar. They worked in the Studio One theater and blocked the entire play. Emily gave the class a voice and speech workout and the most diligent artists employed their skills immediately, warming up in the hallways before class time. Carlos saw the ensemble grow in leaps and bounds but thought the students needed much more foundational work in order to use their physical, vocal, intellectual and imaginative instruments to their full potential in performance. For the first half of the week Carlos worked with some artists in the student lounge while others were in the studio rehearsing. This unanticipated opportunity allowed cast members to gain a deeper understanding of the kind of theatrical courage and boldness that is necessary onstage.

While breakthroughs and advancements were celebrated, there were also some setbacks. One key actor lost his right to be in the cast because of a series of late-nesses and absences. He was replaced by a fellow actor who is stepping up to learn the role quickly. Carlos and Heidi impressed upon the rest of the cast how vital it is to behave like a professional and not like a student. With five short weeks of rehearsal, the dedication, commitment and professionalism of every single cast member is needed in order to make this project a success. Another challenge was a limit of space and class time. Carlos' classes in the student lounge had a great affect, but they were given on a voluntary basis in a transitory location. Funding for the program would result in more classes, more vigorous training and more rehearsal hours.

Over all, the creative team was very impressed with the high level of work delivered by the ensemble. Student-artists were on time, enthusiastic about learning and rehearsing and making self-discoveries at an inspiring rate.

So, we ask the ensemble: what are you learning about yourself as an artist? What are you learning about yourself as a human being? What skills and aspects of your personality are strong/ helpful to you in this process? Have you encountered any personal challenges in the process, and, if so, how are you working through them?

Welcome

The Stella Adler Studio of Acting welcomed twenty-two New York City teens to the Summer Shakespeare program today. Forty-five student-artists applied for a limited number of spots to this free, five-week program for qualifying youth. Twenty-two teens were selected based on need, passion and enthusiasm. As Director of Outreach Carlos Caldart pointed out, “All of the applicants deserve to be commended for their courage to call, come for an interview and return for an audition.” Congratulations to all of those who were accepted and to those who had the courage to apply.

For the next five weeks students will undergo an intensive course of study and practice. Students will be in the rehearsal hall for fifty hours over five weeks in July and August. They will study voice and speech, Adler technique, physical acting, improvisation and Shakespearean scene study while rehearsing Julius Caesar. Carlos Caldart will oversee all classes and warm-ups while professional theater practitioner Heidi Mueller Smith will direct the play. The program ends on August 5th with a performance of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.

This blog is devoted to tracking the learning and rehearsal process, student growth and progress. Students are especially encouraged to leave comments describing their experience in the program. Please check in on a weekly basis to see what the 2011 Summer Shakespeare ensemble is up to!