Rehearsal

Been bumping into my past a lot lately, somewhat awkward, but not necessarily bad.

And I know it's a small thing in a chaotic world, but this director/writer I'm working with right now is a dream director for actors; I'd work with him again in a heartbeat.  He knows what his vision is, he communicates it well, and he's focused, uses the time well.  And I think the directors coming out of this film program are all gonna be good.  They know how to work with actors, and that's not as common a thing as you'd think.  They listen.  What you can give to an actor is blocking, motivation (discuss it with them), and an action, one action at a time.  You can't act an emotion or a vague concept, you can want something, need something, do something to get it, and emotions flow out of that.  You walked in believing one thing, and found a different one altogether; what does that do to you?  How do you adjust to get what you want?

Creation of film or theatre is a collaborative process.  No one is any more important than anyone else, not in the larger frame of things.  We're all better for the recognition of that.  It elevates everyone.

And between this, the Shakespeare, and the other film project, everything I've learned is starting to click, I'm instinctively beginning to do the type of work I want to be doing...maybe I can do this.

Out of the Blue

Worked on my first film where I had a speaking role this weekend.  It was for a local film festival; a friend I had reconnected with last fall contacted me last week to ask if I wanted to do it.  I had hesitated, first because I didn't feel ready, and then second, because she told me who the other actor was and I was worried because I think he's really good.  This was a horrible weekend to shoot outside, which the entire film was, the weather was awful.  A big windstorm blew through most of today with intermittent rain, and it was cold.  And since we shot out of sequence yesterday, and it all takes place the same day, could only wear what I wore yesterday, which wasn't nearly enough (though someone brought me a blanket for between takes.)  Both days I came home and stood under the running hot water of the shower until I stopped shivering (about 20 minutes.) There were things like gear dropping in dog shit, and then moments of synchronicity (someone being in the right place at the right time; running a line while walking a trail where the term "bigfoot" is used only to look up and see a sign for bigfoot - I don't know why.)  Managing to get the shots in just before it started to pour (we got lucky, a lot.)  And having a neighbor of a location who probably came out to check on what we were doing, but instead ended up telling the other actor and myself the history of the location we were in, and also of Vashon Island after the war (WWII.)  Things I probably would never have known, and that were interesting.  And we were able to connect rather than have a confrontation.  And then just hanging out at one of the locations, a relative of the filmmaker's house, and feeling like it was a place where we were absolutely welcomed, not tolerated, but embraced (as strangers), and a parade of neighbors popping in with fresh coffee cake (as we were finishing a lunch break), and a loaf of bread, and then lots of people willing to help out.  This openness, something I remember from growing up, but is something that has been lacking in my life as an adult as of late.  And I miss it.

It was a fantastic experience.  I hope the acting was okay.  I'm humbled and grateful that she asked me to be a part of it.