I'm sorry, but as I get closer and closer to graduation the bear of senioritous comes out more ferociously every minute....
l am definitely ready for a higher level of theatre whether it's educational or not. That is one observance that has been made very clear to me during this past semester.
One of my biggest problems with the rehearsal process is the way people warm up. They don't. I'm not saying I have always warmed up before rehearsals - it is something I realized was important once I came here. I have brought it up a handful of times in post mortoms. It doesn't matter. People still do not warm up. As an actor, we use our voices and bodies as our tool. Everyone firmly believes in warming up before a production, but they do not see the need to for rehearsals. Why? Isn't the rehearsal process for us to grow and develop the play? Jim Bartruff even gave a grand speech about how important it is to take at least a handful of minutes to warm up a bit and menatlly prepare yourself before a rehearsal. He talked about how opera singers did that and how professional actors even have outside coaches just for warming up before a rehearsal. A few people changed their ways. Most still mosied on in 5 minutes before rehearsal eating their dinner for the evening. We had to wait multiple times for people who were late, who didn't have their rehearsal clothing on, who were out running around in the hallway.
Not only do a lot of students lack the motivation and need for warming up, but many lack any knowledge of the play before company meetings. One fine actor even stated that he never read a play before the first read through, he just watches the movies of them. Us small Kansas town college students put on Shakespeare this semester and many devoted very little time to the script. People did not bother to look up words. People would be completely oblivious to what their speech meant until a few rehearsals in when Jim would stop them and finally hand it to them. It is disheartening to see fellow practitioners in this area take their work so lightly. How can we expect others to see the validating points of our art if we cannot?
Some people still do not know exactly what they are saying. It's the 3rd and second to last show. And not just small roles, but major ones. It is disappointing.
Another part that is very upsetting to me is the lack of help in the shops. During production week we were still craming to get things finished in the scene shop. Nancy asked all the actors after first dress to come in an help the following Monday afternoon because they were way behind. 3 out of 20 some actors came in. 3. That is it. And they were the same one who have been in and out to help for the length of the build. 3. How disappointing is that?! On Monday night the actors were sitting in the house getting notes and Nancy, Josh and Al were beginning to paint. Only one actor asked if they needed help afterwards. One. We were there until 1 that night. Things got finished and the set and costumes looked great! But most of the actors felt they were above getting their hands dirty. They are ac-tohrs. They should not have to do this stuff. HOW ELSE DO YOU LEARN?!?!??! It just baffles me the amount of disregard we have for each others' work in this small department. We are a generalist program. You are not going to walk away with a degree in theatre with an emphasis in anything. So you damn well better know the facets of theatre.
