Good Evening Folks!
So, last weeks blog was a little bit of a monster (pun totally intended), which is good because this week I am full of cold and there is a lemsip and a duvet waiting for me when I finish this short and sweet post.
The M Word…
As a local community theatre company… Ok, Amateur… I hate that word because actually as a group we aim to put high standard shows on and although we are not professionals we strive to achieve the same standard (rant over…). We do this because we enjoy putting on great shows which we hope the public will enjoy. This is something we can only do if the public know we’re performing. Which is why marketing is so important. It’s a big job, which is why we have 3 marketing positions on our committee – A Coordinator, a Print Media and an Online Media, plus additional support as we need it (we always need it…). Our flyers and posters were collected this week which means that print media is in full swing, and any day now PM and I will be all over Hampshire leaving flyers in our wake. Online is becoming an ever increasing publicity tool, whats on guides, social media, websites the list goes on and on and it’s time consuming. Really time consuming. But it’s worth it in the end if people come and see and enjoy the show. It also gives us the means to be able to put on our next show. Which to be honest, as Chair of the Society I need to be thinking about, but as Director of this show I just can’t at the moment.
Lines, Lines Lines,
So, scripts down is coming up on us. Which for me is brilliant news because it’s really hard at this stage to see how people are standing, where their hands are or where/how their looking if they have a book in their hands. Also it hinders energy and characterisation. For the cast, not so much, because the script is a safety blanket. I do have a couple of cast members trying without their scripts – and I love this. I think I confused one member last week with my attempt at a sly thumbs up when I saw he was without book! I guess this whole paragraph is a sly hint to cast reading this… 😉
Characterisation
I’ve been trying to meet up with members of cast before rehearsals to have a chat about their character. It’s so important to me that they understand their motivations, who they are and why. Even down to how they behave on stage – when you have 7 in the regiment plus a corporal, sergeant and lieutenant on stage not everyone can be talking all the time. So each person will need to constantly be thinking about what their character is doing. Are they fidgeting nervously, listening intently or playing with the person next to them. All this has to be consistent. Also, although there is a lot of humour in this play, I personally want to pay respect to the author. Pratchett had this way of picking some quite serious subject matter and exploring it in a way that makes you think but didn’t beat you over the head and I want to do that with the play. I hope that makes sense…
Right, I’m going to have to leave it there this evening – Rehearsals might not stop if a cast member can’t turn up, but I have to be more human less cold infested sleep monster by Tuesday… Over and out.
SUP Theatre Company 