Tuesday and Wednesday's rehearsal notes

Tuesday’s Rehearsal – Kylee’s notes
1. Hit all consonants. Watch “Jews” and”Chews” . You
2. Rat, twitch like a rat and bring hands up to nose often.
3. When opening up to the audience, stay in the story.
4. Mrs. Otter and Badger, remember you are older people.
5. Idea- Rat, for the most part, you are onto Toad’s fake illnesses and promises. Show the audience that.
6. BACKSTAGE – HUSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
7. Mole, don’t lose energy when you do not have a line.
8. Badger, show emotion when Toad talks about cars.
9. Everyone, do not look at the audience expecting a reaction. Remember, they are not there.
10. Remember that you are animals!
11. Weasels and all actors, do not sway.
12. Be mindful of blocking at all times. Watch straight lines and semi circles.
13. All actors, move gestures above the hips.
14. Take off hat when Toad speaks of death.
15. Fade music.
16. Mole, don’t lose energy after saying a line.
17. Chauffeur, speak up and out.
18. Everyone needs motivation to move. Think WHY you are moving.
19. Everyone needs to be bigger!
Wednesday rehearsal – My Notes
1. At the beginning, we need more people in the village scene. Don’t move when there is dialogue. Keep your attention on who is speaking and react to what they say.
2. Don’t wander aimlessly.
3. Fade out music at the end of the crash.
4. Mrs. Otter and Portly, make your first exit USL – then move USR and stay there. Having your left stage detracts from the weasels.
5. Weasels, when Jack makes the noise, HIDE so that Badger doesn’t see you.
6. When the girls dance – make a bigger show and Jake, take your hat off and ask for money.
7. Tom, almost squat when you are asking for money. – be low to the ground.
8. BACKSTAGE – HUSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
9. Badger, work on enunciation. 6 children
10. Toad, be in a bigger daze. I think you will just take off gloves, hat and coat. When you distract Rat, go and pick them up and put them back on. Tye had a good suggestion about your delusion in this part. Talk to him.
11. Mrs. Otter, you had three entrances that were late. Be observant backstage and watch for your entrance.
12. Weasels, I liked the squeaking. Work on showing more teeth and fix your hands like Jen Weasel. Also pop up your heads like weasels do. Don’t squeak when you are not the focus.
13. Rat, keep a newspaper left stage so you can read it when you are sitting there in the dark.
14. Chauffeur, great job of being bigger – when Toad gives you his card. I still want you that big during the entire scene. We need a cloth, so you can shine the car. You can shine it from the back and speak to Toad from the back of the car, so you are speaking to the audience.
15. Penelope, walk around Toad and look at him as you talk. That way you can be on his left side and it will give you room to act.
16. Penelope, take your basket and pillows, etc when you leave. Toad, put the shawl around your head.
17. Tye,I have added a splash after the music.
18. Policeman, great change of character.
19. Jake needs a jailer’s costume – This is for me to worry about, Jake.
20. We will need one tray for Portly. We need one tray for Penelope, and we need one tray for Mole. This is for me.
21. Toad, we will find you two jackets – one when you take off your washerwoman outfit and one at the beginning.
22. Toad, Rat, Mole, and Otter – Great job in the water scene.
23. Where were the guns?
24. Basket to put gypsies’ stage business in. We can have some of the gypsy women doing fortunes in a crystal ball.
25. Jack --- SHSHS REACT, everyone!
26. Wes, enunciate as the cook. The line is too mushy.
27. Policeman – change early
28. Mrs. Otter – as soon as the weasels leave, you need to speak.
29. We need to reblock the end.
30. Lines dropped –
Mole – Toad demolishes bakery van
Toad – I’m Toad, king of the road.
Mole – Poor animal…..
Badger, we must think what to do.
Mole –I’ll keep looking out
Rat , let Mole say – You escaped….. strange garments.
ALL – Hurrah
Badger – Toad Hall is ours!
31. Really, a great show today. For the most part, you were focused. Everyone needs to concentrate on being better each rehearsal.
32. Be in my room by 7AM on Friday. Portly, Tilly, and Jen have your hair French braided before coming in. Mole, have your hair in braids. I will try to have all the costumes completed by Friday – at least two different costumes for those of you who are two people.
33. Think about makeup. I do not want to do ears and tails on animals this year. I do not want to put on so much make up that we cannot see your expressions. PLEASE work on animal movements and traits.
34. Students, please eat a good breakfast Friday. We will go on at 8AM. Parents are welcome to watch. Freida will critique us and parents may stay or leave. Roosevelt will watch us and we will watch them. They follow us and are doing I Never Saw Another Butterfly, a Holocaust play.