More table work tonight. We delved into Act 2, again going line by line, discussing as we went. Found a few more questions about things - got some answers from the Jewish Book of Why - and others we'll discover as we go through the rehearsal process. The whole process is one of discovery, which makes it very exciting. Most of what we've been doing so far is background work - info about the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) - life in secular Tel Aviv - etc. (Lesley's husband lived in Tel Aviv for 2 years, and she shared some of his observations)
When we got to the end of the play, I reminded the actors that now that they've learned all of this, they have to forget it. That is, the info has to seep into their bodies and become part of them without their thinking about it. We've been talking largely about facts - but the facts don't do us any good unless they inform their actions and reactions.
Fortunately, these actors are so experienced and so wonderful, they knew exactly what I meant.
Again, a little after 10, I could feel myself fading. We wrapped up, but since there was still time left, Lesley and Eric chose to stay longer to run lines!! Now that's a dedicated cast! They're both well on their way to having the entire script memorized, which makes the whole process go that much more smoothly. What a treat for a director!
And so it goes
Janet
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