Monday, March 05, 2007
The Balcony Scene
....from WEST SIDE STORY is an example of the kind of scene we are wokring on in my Musical Scene Study Class every Monday and Wednesday morning from 9:30 -12 noon.
It's that glorious scene that takes place in the alley behind Maria's apartment , filled with climbing fire escapes and garbage cans, where Tony is found wandering in his attempt to find this wondrous new girl he just met at the Dance at the gymnasium...he is in need of this deep love that has begun inside him and he is at that wonderful point where it feels like his life depends on finding her...it is only out of such passionate need that a song like TONIGHT can grow, and this scene, filled with yearning, takes place between two of the most thrilling protagonists in theater history (based on those two others: Romeo and Juliet)...they must earn that song. So, the work of the scene, the brief scene preceding the song, is to establish the obstacles that make earning the song a labor of deep love, so that when they finally burst forth in song, we are as relieved as they are that they do so.
This morning , we worked on this scene in class. Because they are singers by nature, the two wonderful students found their way beautifully through the song, and sounded great doing it, but what they needed to learn, and what the coaching became about, is HOW TO EARN THE RIGHT TO SING IT! And, I have to say, it was terrific fun watching them have that dawn of understanding that takes place when good students are hearing what they need to hear to acquire a new tool. To bring home the point about obstacles, I actually had other students build an obstacle course (while Tony was out of the room)that became Maria's alley way, down which Tony had to traverse in order to get to his love...and i made Maria build more specifically the apartment she emrged from in order to come out onto the balcony...THEN: once i drove the lesson home that building the "pre -moment, the moment before" is a vital thing to understand and create, I introduced the notion of "forbidden love", impossible dreams and unquenchable longing for that thing or person you simply cannot have! I forbade them to easily satisfy their need to touch...to make it entirely impossible to so do...well....what happened then, as it became harder and harder for them to get to each other, as each time Tony got near, he was forced by a voice from inside the apartment to hide again...what happened was that when they finally had that first kiss, it was such a relief! So I left them with that dilemma to contemplate and continue building the scene on....it was so cool! The lovely girl playing Maria actually blushed and admitted she was beginning to really feel something
for Tony...and it showed! It was like watching lots of lightbulbs going off to see them get the point....
NOW: if I can only make sure that the truly educational point is being made in a way that they remember from now on the importance of what they learned this morning...and so, we talked about the specifics of it. And I made them struggle through the event of actually putting it into words....and language they can use and understand. It totally connects to all they have read and learned from reading Uta Hagen's books in earlier acting classes....it totally connects to all they have learned in Song Analysis classes: find the conflict, intensify it to the point where singing becomes inevitable....etc.
There was also a pretty productive coaching of the MATCHMAKER scene from FIDDLER...
the three girls had obviously worked on it and that was gratifying....that made working with one actress in particular okay then, as she is one I am fond enough of to want to continue to break of certain habits I know she wants to break...and from her improvement comes the enegy for the entire scene and song...so, some progress was made there.
There you have, in short, a bit of what this class is like....and some insight into why I love it so much. Sometimes it feels like I was sent into these classrooms for the express purpose of teaching these young actors what they need to know right now...at least at times it feels that immediate to me. Purposeful. Purposeful is good. And, for a short while, I believe in theater
again, live, interesting, human theater, where wonderful stories are told and sung. ANd people want to hear them.
It's that glorious scene that takes place in the alley behind Maria's apartment , filled with climbing fire escapes and garbage cans, where Tony is found wandering in his attempt to find this wondrous new girl he just met at the Dance at the gymnasium...he is in need of this deep love that has begun inside him and he is at that wonderful point where it feels like his life depends on finding her...it is only out of such passionate need that a song like TONIGHT can grow, and this scene, filled with yearning, takes place between two of the most thrilling protagonists in theater history (based on those two others: Romeo and Juliet)...they must earn that song. So, the work of the scene, the brief scene preceding the song, is to establish the obstacles that make earning the song a labor of deep love, so that when they finally burst forth in song, we are as relieved as they are that they do so.
This morning , we worked on this scene in class. Because they are singers by nature, the two wonderful students found their way beautifully through the song, and sounded great doing it, but what they needed to learn, and what the coaching became about, is HOW TO EARN THE RIGHT TO SING IT! And, I have to say, it was terrific fun watching them have that dawn of understanding that takes place when good students are hearing what they need to hear to acquire a new tool. To bring home the point about obstacles, I actually had other students build an obstacle course (while Tony was out of the room)that became Maria's alley way, down which Tony had to traverse in order to get to his love...and i made Maria build more specifically the apartment she emrged from in order to come out onto the balcony...THEN: once i drove the lesson home that building the "pre -moment, the moment before" is a vital thing to understand and create, I introduced the notion of "forbidden love", impossible dreams and unquenchable longing for that thing or person you simply cannot have! I forbade them to easily satisfy their need to touch...to make it entirely impossible to so do...well....what happened then, as it became harder and harder for them to get to each other, as each time Tony got near, he was forced by a voice from inside the apartment to hide again...what happened was that when they finally had that first kiss, it was such a relief! So I left them with that dilemma to contemplate and continue building the scene on....it was so cool! The lovely girl playing Maria actually blushed and admitted she was beginning to really feel something
for Tony...and it showed! It was like watching lots of lightbulbs going off to see them get the point....
NOW: if I can only make sure that the truly educational point is being made in a way that they remember from now on the importance of what they learned this morning...and so, we talked about the specifics of it. And I made them struggle through the event of actually putting it into words....and language they can use and understand. It totally connects to all they have read and learned from reading Uta Hagen's books in earlier acting classes....it totally connects to all they have learned in Song Analysis classes: find the conflict, intensify it to the point where singing becomes inevitable....etc.
There was also a pretty productive coaching of the MATCHMAKER scene from FIDDLER...
the three girls had obviously worked on it and that was gratifying....that made working with one actress in particular okay then, as she is one I am fond enough of to want to continue to break of certain habits I know she wants to break...and from her improvement comes the enegy for the entire scene and song...so, some progress was made there.
There you have, in short, a bit of what this class is like....and some insight into why I love it so much. Sometimes it feels like I was sent into these classrooms for the express purpose of teaching these young actors what they need to know right now...at least at times it feels that immediate to me. Purposeful. Purposeful is good. And, for a short while, I believe in theater
again, live, interesting, human theater, where wonderful stories are told and sung. ANd people want to hear them.
Labels: NYU/Steinhardt
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You know, fate has a funny way of leading us to people. Through a series of crazy events, I found your blog.
You actually taught me scene study at NYU's CAP 21 program proably 15 years ago, and I worked on "Matchmaker" with you. You helped me break the habit of smiling whenever I felt nervous or embarassed.
At any rate, I couldn't help smiling when I read your blog. I'm so thrilled to hear you are still teaching. You're brilliant, and I know your students learn piles from you. I know I did.
No, I don't do any professional theatre now. I'm an English Professor in Indiana. I do, however, use a lot that I learned from you as I get my students to read.
Please know that I have fantastic memories from our class together. I know you inspire your students to work to be better than they ever thought they could.
I know how exhausting teaching can be -- just know that your students remember you and the skills you teach -- no matter what their profession, you make a difference.
You actually taught me scene study at NYU's CAP 21 program proably 15 years ago, and I worked on "Matchmaker" with you. You helped me break the habit of smiling whenever I felt nervous or embarassed.
At any rate, I couldn't help smiling when I read your blog. I'm so thrilled to hear you are still teaching. You're brilliant, and I know your students learn piles from you. I know I did.
No, I don't do any professional theatre now. I'm an English Professor in Indiana. I do, however, use a lot that I learned from you as I get my students to read.
Please know that I have fantastic memories from our class together. I know you inspire your students to work to be better than they ever thought they could.
I know how exhausting teaching can be -- just know that your students remember you and the skills you teach -- no matter what their profession, you make a difference.
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