If this scene was my baby, then I must be a bad mother for bringing it into the world I created today. Today I got the chance to direct the physical sequence that myself and Tat began last term. Due to a recent injury I obtained, I can thoroughly blame the effects of co-codomol for the crazy explosion of ideas that were translated to stage today.
My ideas began with Ben giving me a track to listen to over the break so I could start forming some plans in my head.
The track he gave me was: Knife Party & Tom Morello - Battle Sirens
I fell in love with the track, listening to it profusely as it became the stimulus from which all my plans began to form. Mix that with Ben's ideas and perhaps we have an explanation for what we created today.
Stage 1- For approximately the first 30 seconds the track builds up to the initial beat change. In my head I saw the energy and atmosphere of the world come seeping in as the audience waits for the track to kick in. As Skilling is already positioned onstage I would like him to take the time to look out over the balcony, imagining the Enron he will create and in the next minutes, those thoughts that only he is privy to at the start begin to appear before the audience's eyes- it is like watching Skilling's dreamworld come to life.
Stage 2- When the beat changes, a perfect cue for the explosion of Skilling's dreams to appear on stage presents itself. As our tables are on wheels I envision the ensemble entering in groups with people sat typing on the table and being pushed on by people talking on the phone. Each time the beat hits consecutively in that beginning section a new table enters and they line up: one upstage right, one centre and one downstage left.
Stage 3- In the following crescendo, the people sat down will clear the tables and leave room for the ensemble to take turns jumping over the tables, running across the stage, making the feel of the scene be one of the world being these people's playground. The tension will build as they jump and they will make one final jump into position onstage in preparation for the next section when the crescendo comes to it's conclusion.
Stage 4- There is then just over a 20 second period of time in which people can exit to get props, set tables in new positions and move across the stage in preparation for the main section of the track and indeed the piece.
Stage 5- The track's chorus kicks in and for 45 seconds the ensemble have a period of time in which to perform devised motifs they have created for their individual element. They will use it to interact with each other, move across the space in a direct, structured fashion, responding to the music and their surrounding, attempting to paint a picture of the world Skilling has created.
Stage 6- With Skilling at the front of the stage leading the ensemble and Claudia on the balcony looking on in dismay and bewilderment, Skilling and the ensemble track the sun moving across the sky right to left as time passes- 2 years complied into 30 seconds of the lull in music.
Stage 7- when the lull in music is finally interrupted everyone breaks the trance and in this last section of the music everyone has a different job onstage: the table pushers line up the 3 tables and make a walkway for Skilling to walk along from stage right to left, his very own walk way. As he reaches a new table the previous one will push around to the front of the line so the walkway continues across the stage until they reach the other side at which point they set up the tables in a triangle formation ready for scene 7. Once the tables are set and secured one person will bring a chair on from the wings so Sam can jump down and sit cuing the end of the track. Whilst this is happening the back of the stage is full of the busy officer workers which Claudia will navigate through to come to arrive in Skilling's office. By the end of the track the stage should be clear with just Jeff and Claudia ready for the next scene.
And thus Skilling's world is brought to life. What I wanted from this piece is a combination of style and raw energy- I want the theatre to come to life; the audience thought the play was mad and now they think it's scary in it's lunacy. Skilling is this ball of energy bursting onto the scene at Enron creating this new world of business. I want all that energy we see trapped inside realised in this piece to create this landscape that is frightening for an outsider to walk into which we see in Claudia's entrance. It's great to be able to get creative with these scenes because in the same way Skilling see's his world come to life, I got to see my ideas carried out by the ensemble. If this scene is polished and technicalities addressed it could be a moment in the play which captures the vibe Enron produced in the 1990s and the one it built it's name on.
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