Taking the Next Step

Elizabeth Dacy, our production blogger from Warren Wilson, posts again...

Production for Caryl Churchill's A Number took an exciting turn this week as staging for the play commenced. Staging is a term used in reference to the period in production when the actors and director plan the movements and placement of the characters in each scene of the play. The actors run through their lines as the director advises and facilitates ideas as to where the characters might sit or stand. The director also asks the actors to determine for themselves where they feel their character should walk to or if they feel more comfortable remaining stationary. This process does not sound like as much work as it actually requires. It is imperative that the actors feel justification for each separate movement. They must ask themselves why their character should walk to the opposite end of the stage or what reason might the character have for standing at a certain moment? Staging is a course in production that takes a specific form of concentration and allowing room for constant adjustments.

Rehearsals have now moved to NC Stage from the space the cast had previously been using for table work. The actors are on an actual stage and under lights making the reality of the play itself rise to the next level. The stage has been built in a unique fashion: In his recent blog posts, Ron discusses the design process and the seating arrangement, and how theatre space reflects the themes of the play.

The actors are not quite off book yet, but the energy and life in their characters has begun to take a greater hold. Charlie is playing three separate characters who all have very different personalities. Each one seems to become more individual and defined as rehearsals progress. Graham plays a strong character who has made questionable decisions in the past which he must now explain. It is astonishing how quickly Graham is able to jump into character at the beginning of each run through. I feel as though he becomes a completely separate, distinctive person when a scene begins. His personality is very different than his character’s, but he appears to have little trouble switching into the mind of this role.

It was interesting to observe Ron’s process during the first staging rehearsal. He seemed to be working very methodically. He moved from one section of seats in the audience to the opposite side, his face continually transfixed on the actors on stage. In forty-five minutes Ron changed seats five times. When one of the actors expressed frustration or confusion about the staging for a scene, Ron generally advised them to just go through the lines and see how it felt to move one way or to remain seated. He did not directly tell them what to do or where to go, but instead he allowed room for interpretation. The way a concrete decision is made during the staging process does not occur through one single method, but by understanding how a choice can be made. This generally happens through discussion between the actor and director, allowing the actor to do what feels comfortable or what he thinks his character would do in a particular scene, or going back and figuring out how the previous staging in the scene might affect it later. Directing takes a specific eye and a sense of knowing when something feels right. Personally, I admire the method of directing in this particular play because of the challenge it presents. Churchill did not include any stage directions in the script. Interpretation is everything in this piece. Ron’s method is perfect for a play like this because he does not set anything in stone right away. The actors are always able to go back and change something if it doesn’t feel right later. The show opens in less than two weeks. I have a feeling that the true depth and reality of this play is about to reveal itself. This is sure to be an interesting week for both the cast and crew of A Number.

-Elizabeth Dacy

And a tidbit from director, Ron Bashford:

Here is a recent picture of playwright Caryl Churchill. She is 70 and lives in London. A compilation of reviews from the original production of A Number can be found here. Daniel Craig (a.k.a. James Bond) was in the cast!