The Rehearsals
Here are some important hints
about the rehearsal process at SHS.
The rehearsals will take place in the auditorium.
Rehearsals
begin at 3:00 and will end at 5:15.
That is our allotted
time. Will we stay that long? It depends on how much work
gets done during a rehearsal.
We
start at 3:00 because many students have other obligations they must
attend to before rehearsal, such as chorus classes, make-up work, and
other clubs. If you have no obligations, this time should be spent
doing some of your homework. Use the time wisely. Perhaps you need to
get some air: take a walk around the track or walk up to one of the
stores and get a snack. But what ever you do, make sure you are back
for rehearsal at 3:00. A lot of time is wasted because students
meander in and rehearsal can not get started until a full cast is
present.
Attendance
is essential!
You will be given a specific schedule as to when
you will have to be at rehearsals. You must be there or else the
rehearsal will be wasted. Please make sure you notify your parents of
these dates and schedule doctors appointments etc. around your
rehearsal schedule. It is imperative that we have full cast members
at appointed rehearsal times. That will allow for optimum use of our
time rehearsing. Of course sickness can't be helped, but as Mrs.
Dennis always says, "I refuse to get sick!" If you are sick and can't
make a rehearsal, let the stage manager or the director know. Parents
can call Mrs. Dennis and leave a message in the office. That is the
only unexcused kind of absence!
Wear comfortable clothes and shoes.
Once you are familiar with
your character and you know the costumes your character will be
wearing, you should start to wear clothes that are similar to the
character. For example girls might want to wear long skirts and
character shoes. Boys might want to wear pants other than jeans and
non-sneaker type shoes.
Always bring writing utensils (not eating utensils).
Pencils
are usually what is needed. If you are writing stage directions in a
rented scrip, you must use pencil and erase before you hand in your
script at the end of the production.
Always bring your script!
How can you rehearse if you don't
have a script? That is very frustrating for the director or musical
director! So...bring your script.
Stay
focused during rehearsals.
Don't fool around back stage
or out in the house. It is very distracting to other actors
on stage and to the directors. The directors take note of
who is fooling around and you might not be asked to be in
the next play. So...cool it and focus!!
The
director is the main person in charge.
She has stage managers and
technical directors that work with her on each show. If you have a
question or a problem and can't get to the director, ask the stage
manager or tech director and he will see that your question or
problem is answered promptly.
Musical
rehearsals:
for the first 3-5 weeks of rehearsals we
will strictly be going over the songs in the show. It is
your job to rehearse and memorize your parts as soon as
possible. Once that is done, choreography or staging of the
musical numbers will happen. This can work smoothly if the
actors have their songs memorized. So...don't
procrastinate-get it done!
Once
the music is learned and the choreography rehearsals are under
way, the director will start to block the scenes. The director will
have worked with the art director and the set designer to finalize
the set for the show. You will be given the general lay out of the
set including set pieces, staging areas and light cues. You must make
note of this information in your script so that you know where you
must be on stage and how you will exit.
The stage is set in 9
different playing areas.
Check this page out if you are not familiar with where down stage
left is. You must know this before rehearsals begin.
You must begin to memorize your part immediately. There will
be a specific date as to when lines must be memorized. But don't put
that off. The sooner you are "off book" the sooner you can start
developing a character. And that is the most important thing about
the play. Are the characters believable? That can only happen when
you are comfortable with the part because you have the lines
memorized, and you can start trying to use your creativity in
developing an interesting character.
You
should also take into consideration Uta
Hagen's 9 Questions
about characters and try to answer those questions in relationship to
the character you are playing. You will in fact be asked to do that
at some point in the rehearsal schedule so, start thinking about this
ASAP.
Once
you are comfortable with your part and with the other characters,
then you can try adding new ideas to the play. Now you can begin to
play and have some fun.
Two
or three weeks before the show goes up, the director will give you
notes after the rehearsals. These are important for the director's
comments will address problems that she sees on stage and
recommendations as to how to correct those problems. You should take
notes that are addressed to you and make sure you incorporate those
corrections at the next rehearsal. It is frustrating to cast and
directors if you consistently make the same mistakes and receive the
same notes. If you don't understand the note, ask for
help!!!
Hell
week is the last full week of rehearsals. Plan on a Sunday
rehearsal that will last from 12:00-6:00. At this rehearsal the sets,
props, costumes and lighting should be ready, and we will be trying
to get everything coordinated so that the show runs smoothly. You
must have patience during this rehearsal because it is really the
technical directors rehearsal. Bring homework and snacks.
During
this last week, rehearsals will last longer than the 3-6 time. Plan
on rehearsals going until 7:00. Make sure your parents know that
these rehearsals will last longer and that you must stay until the
rehearsal is completed.
