The rehearsal for tomorrow (Friday 16th Oct) has been cancelled as I am going to Sydney for a funeral, so we shall have to work a little harder to accomplish everything in the given time frame. From now I hope to focus on getting the actual scene right, and remain satisfied with what we have already accomplished for characterisation.

The main theatre is set now for Beggar's Opera, so we know what we have to work with. We did not get quite as much as I would have liked accomplished today, given that other groups were also practicing and thus we were fighting for spaces. We started off in the script library, as every other space was occupied, but with the promise of the main stage in half an hour (which by then was actually 20, after waiting for people to arrive, and discussing space allocation with other groups).

We commenced with a vocal and physical warm up, using the um-ah exercise (humming, then opening to an ah, or oo sound whilst walking around the room) and a few tongue twisters. I wanted to pursue an exercise that I had planned, but not had time to complete, last rehearsal. That is, getting the actors to perform the scene in their own words. Egil from NIDA did similar exercises with us on Tuesday in the workshop, showing us how to make the characters set and achieve their objective. Initially, Lee and Shannon were concentrating on making their words mirror the script too much, so they were not focusing on the intent, but rather on the words themselves. I changed tact a little and asked the girls instead to consider their objective. Lee's, as Viola, was to give her speech at all costs and to gain Olivia's love for her master. Shannon's was to get attention, first as a result of her grief, and finally as a result of her affection for Viola. I then asked the girls to perform the scene in their own words, but keeping their objective in mind. Again, they focused too much on matching the original script, and not only using the general ideas.

The time came for us to use the main theatre, so we migrated downstairs. I again prompted the exercises, but this time I used Egil's ideas of forgetting the scripted scene entirely and just placing the two characters together with nothing but their objectives. The girls found this easier, and now found that they still used the scripted ideas, but only to the degree that they aided their objectives. Lee was the stronger character in this exercise, as Shannon at times allowed herself to be swamped in Lee's objective. Admittedly, Lee could easily overpower Shannon by merely repeating her speech and not responding to Shannon's comments. She also effectively turned any answer she gave into an example of the Duke's love for Olivia. Shannon had a few good ideas for attention, such as fainting, and vomiting all over Viola's feet, however she needed to be bigger, and more dramatic, to drown out Lee's objective.

We then performed the scene using the scripted words. I let the girls improvise the scene with no guidance, to give them a feel of the scene, and also allow them to present their character how they saw fit. The blocking overall was very static, as could be expected from a first run through, and they concentrated more on the words than on the movement. Particularly as they were trying to remember the lines without scripts. I did feel this was a good exercise to do, and it immediately filled me with ideas. What action they did provide, I feel I can use as a solid base for creating further blocking. I plan to use next rehearsal I concentrate on movement.

I want to use the wooden frames on stage right for Viola's impassioned speech about making the air cry out "Olivia!". If she can move over to that side of the stage, she can use the frames and the rostrum to swing or jump off, to add to her impassioned state.