The show felt like it was really coming together, as we started threading together the scenes chronologically with the full cast of Arcadian Opera’s “The Magic Flute”. Often in theatre and film, directors will direct the action out of sequence to reflect which characters are called and their availability. For example, on one rehearsal day I was called for an afternoon session with Matt Clark, who is playing the role of Monostatos, together we worked through scenes from Act One and Two that involved both of us.
When rehearsing non-consecutive scenes, I find that it can be a little tricky to emotionally capture where your character is within their greater journey. In order to combat this, I create a timeline for my character. I will start by thinking about what has immediately happened to my character before the opera begins. In Pamina’s case, I wanted to consider how she was captured, the motivations of her captors, how she is treated by them as this will inform her emotions and reasons for her actions. I will then split a piece of paper in half by drawing a long vertical line, which will become a detailed timeline. One side for Pamina’s journey on stage (what the audience see), the other half I will write: what other characters say about her and key moments that happen as story develops on stage, whilst my character is not there, but may affect her future actions. This technique helps me to better understand her place in the greater drama as well as find intricate details that add flesh to the bones of her character.
This week ended with a full company run of the show. Often these are called stagger runs. These types of rehearsals mean that you run the show in chronological order with the full cast, but if the director needs to pause the action to attend to a detail or minor change they can. I particularly enjoyed watching the show coming together and I am excited by the wonderful voices that I am able to sing alongside. It will be a fantastic event.
Today, I am taking part in the Sitzprobe. This type of rehearsal is held by the music director (conductor) and the full cast is joined by the orchestra for the first time. The atmosphere is often electric and I adore the sensation of singing with an Orchestra – it feels like a young bird soaring for the very first time aided by the energy of a friendly gust of wind, climbing and gliding effortlessly whilst enjoying the moment.
Our two performances are this coming week, next Saturday 23rd October at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday 24th October at 2:30 p.m. Both performances will take place at the Roxburgh Hall Theatre in Stowe and for those of you who can join us tickets can be purchased by clicking HERE:
A big thank you to Poppy, Sofia, and Lydia who perform the roles of the Three Spirits and took the pictures for me during the rehearsals 🙂
