Tuesday, June 29, 2004
Kelley Keeps It Mellow
The rehearsal atmosphere for "Red" is surprisingly mellow, considering the intense subject matter and the level of work being accomplished in fairly short order.
And director Robert Kelley, or simply Kelley as he is known to the Bay Area theatre world, is to thank.
Kelley sets a comfortable and collaborative mood, asking questions out loud to anyone and no one in particular. He isn’t afraid to answer a cast member question with "I'm sorry, I don’t have an answer for that right now", betraying the fact that yes, indeed he is human like the rest of us. He may even give a line reading or two (gasp!) He is confident enough to try ideas on stage and then cast them aside.
This allows the actors to be comfortable trying new things too. Grace was even spied holding a tea pot top in her mouth while balancing other various props and her script, as she explained- "You said you wanted funny!" Perhaps that's a visual you had to be there for to really appreciate!
Although Kelley may casually joke "Are we getting behind again?" - it is clear that it's the artistic quality of the work, not the clock, that is foremost in his mind. This enthusiasm and searching seems to inspire the cast, so that even during breaks, you can find actors reviewing their notes or lines, or rehearsing blocking! Of course these are people for whom this is their occupation, so it's not too surprising that the work is treated like serious business.
The cast and artistic team of "Red", led by Kelley, are presently creating the moment-to-moment blocking of "Red." What is emerging from this work is more than just empty physical movement around the stage; it's really forward movement of the plot and characters of "Red." Sometimes it's hard to feel that momentum so early in the rehearsal process (early blocking rehearsals can entail a lot of starting and stopping and changes) but, with "Red", there's definitely a sense of calm progress already.
Stay tuned for an interview with Robert Kelley sometime in the next weeks!
And director Robert Kelley, or simply Kelley as he is known to the Bay Area theatre world, is to thank.
Kelley sets a comfortable and collaborative mood, asking questions out loud to anyone and no one in particular. He isn’t afraid to answer a cast member question with "I'm sorry, I don’t have an answer for that right now", betraying the fact that yes, indeed he is human like the rest of us. He may even give a line reading or two (gasp!) He is confident enough to try ideas on stage and then cast them aside.
This allows the actors to be comfortable trying new things too. Grace was even spied holding a tea pot top in her mouth while balancing other various props and her script, as she explained- "You said you wanted funny!" Perhaps that's a visual you had to be there for to really appreciate!
Although Kelley may casually joke "Are we getting behind again?" - it is clear that it's the artistic quality of the work, not the clock, that is foremost in his mind. This enthusiasm and searching seems to inspire the cast, so that even during breaks, you can find actors reviewing their notes or lines, or rehearsing blocking! Of course these are people for whom this is their occupation, so it's not too surprising that the work is treated like serious business.
The cast and artistic team of "Red", led by Kelley, are presently creating the moment-to-moment blocking of "Red." What is emerging from this work is more than just empty physical movement around the stage; it's really forward movement of the plot and characters of "Red." Sometimes it's hard to feel that momentum so early in the rehearsal process (early blocking rehearsals can entail a lot of starting and stopping and changes) but, with "Red", there's definitely a sense of calm progress already.
Stay tuned for an interview with Robert Kelley sometime in the next weeks!
