What could it be like, rehearsing The Crucible? Two theater professionals answer

This was fascinating to read. First, from an answer delivered via tumblr messaging.

And a second answer, from Linda60:

I would say that they started with reading rehearsals with the whole cast and staff in attendance. They usually take about 1-2 days, depending on how long the text is. In our theatre the rehearsals are customarily divided in 2 times 4 hours per day (10.00 – 14.00 and 18.00 – 22.00) when the actors do not have to be on stage for a performance in the evening. Alternatively there is only a morning rehearsal, as there has to be an intermission for the actors of at least 4 hours between a rehearsal and an actual performance. Rehearsals can also be scheduled during the day with short intermissions. But still they should not last longer than 6- 8 hours. The actors need time to learn their text (esp. possible text modifications) and to let all the discussions, impressions and rehearsed scenes sink in.
If a director has a (more or less) clear idea about what the final play should look like (which is somehow desirable but not always the case and can make the process quite often a bit less stressful for all the participants), he/she would’ve already decided with his/her assistant(s) about a detailed schedule for each and every actor for a week in advance. They should have Sundays off!!
(I’m talking of Germany here with it’s special kind of theatre tradition with a really large number of municipal theatres or state theatres.)
Above all it is a huge cast (26 actors!!) in “The Crucible“ on a relatively small round stage and I would assume this is one of the challenges that this production faces, to get them all “choreographed“ on and off stage without everybody being constantly running and moving which can be very distracting and confusing for the audience sitting so close around.
BTW as you all probably know, other than in film productions, in theatre the scenes are rehearsed in “chronological“ order.
Measuring the actors is one of the first things they have to get done, usually before they start with the rehearsals. The original costumes are normally ready for the first proper stage rehearsals, about 2 weeks before the “premiere“. It seems they have less than a week to rehearse on the original stage as the current production runs till June 15th. In this relatively short time until June 21st they have to get ready with most of/all the technical and lightning setups and to get the actors at the right place where the spotlight is…. 😉
Well, these are my ideas about this…. Maybe it’s totally different at the Old Vic….

~ by Servetus on May 28, 2014.