First Blocking rehearsal down

So that's out of the way. Thank goodness. I hate blocking rehearsals. With a flaming, screaming passion. It's the BS that you go through so the actors have some idea where to go and what to say when they get there, that you have to do to get the stage pictures right, but it doesn't involve any real creativity. The actors are still really tied to the script because it's early in the process and they don't know their lines yet. They also are trying to figure out how to cross from point A to point B, so that's another impediment, so no real acting happens at this stage, and not a lot of real directing either. It's more laying the groundwork for future rehearsals.

And I'm always nervous before we get into blocking, especially with a piece as free-form as God's Country, because the blocking rehearsals are when you begin to see if the cast has bought into your vision, if they're going to go along for the ride or if they're going to fight you every step of the way. Not to mention I'm always nervous to see if I can actually herd that many cats into some semblance of order. We have 10 cast members in a 25' x 30' space, so it's fairly important that it be blocked well in order for the piece to flow correctly.

But tonight went well. We got the first half of act I blocked, and I was able to steer a couple of folks in some different directions with some of their character development, so I'm pretty happy with our progress. And we're still on schedule, so that always makes me happy. I think it's going to be a really good piece. It has all the political and hot-button topics that I enjoy exploring, and I have a cast full of people that are willing to put in the work to make it the best show possible, so that usually turns out pretty solid in the end.

Peace,