Tonight we had the reading of the script at the Black Rep. I have been needing to hear the work out loud because so many changes have been made adapting it for the stage. Adaptions that I am pretty proud of. The stage requires the characters to have so much more depth, in my opinion, than on film in a lot of instances. We spend more time with these characters, they are in front of us—more raw, if you will.
When I heard the work, even in a cold read, I could hear the potential of this work. I could hear how the lives of these particular characters that I have assembled can work together in harmony. How they forward the story, hold space for the healing, or grieving. I heard my work in a different way. Their voices helped me envision what is to come in the next few months.
I realized in this night what my life will be like in these next months to come…consumed with this story that has been such a great part of my life, that now is my life. I eat Firstborn, drink and sleep Firstborn…this story, its manifestation something I have been called to do.
The actors that read varied from no acting experience to varied levels of performing. We only stopped a few times for redirection if a read was too out of line with the character. I am excited about the rehearsal process now, unearthing with the actors the nuggets of brilliance in the characters. We cast in January, and as always the auditions will be interesting.
In preparation for that, I started reading a book called “A Sense of Direction – Some Observations on the Art of Directing” by William Ball, the founder of the ACT in San Francisco. The book has a great deal of wealth for me, especially as a new director.
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