Below is a compilation of journal entries from October 5th-11th, the week where I overshare about puppets.
10/05 Puppets!
Two words: Bunraku puppets. Today, I learned we’re using Bunraku puppets to tell the Acrobat story and I couldn’t be more excited! I am so fascinated by Bunraku. Bunraku is a style of traditional Japanese puppet theatre. It uses large puppets that have intricate movements to tell the story instead of the actors that are controlling the puppets. We learned about it in theatre history last semester and I’ve wanted to see them used in a show ever since. So, I’m very excited to see these puppets come to life in the Acrobat story.
There are so many techniques that the puppeteers have learned to manipulate the puppets and it just makes it even more fascinating to me. They can make the puppets breathe and have begun using the mirrors to mimic what the Acrobat and Escapologist are doing on their blocks. The techniques they’re using are really interesting and something I’d like to explore more.
10/06:
Today we blocked Acrobat II! I’ve found that I love the story of Matilda more and more the longer I interact with it. As a kid, I was deathly afraid of the 1996 Matilda movie. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the full movie, chokey was so terrifying there was no way I could get past it. So, her story is still new and exciting to me, and I love her. I am waiting to get the audiobook, so I have references from the book to look to. I’m genuinely really excited to listen to it. The acrobat story, while silly, has genuinely been moving me in rehearsals. I am so impressed by this little girl’s mind, just like Mrs. Phelps would be, and I just want to know more always. We’re still blocking in very wide strokes, so it didn’t take very long and a goal of mine is to be off book by the next rehearsal I attend.
Oct 7, Rehearsal in Wonderbread:
I wasn’t called yesterday, so I made headway on getting off book and I got off the hold list for the Matilda audiobook today! I like to listen to audiobooks when getting ready for class and walking to campus in the morning, so I’ll get the book done faster that way. It’s only four hours long, so I don’t suspect that it will take me that long. I know that if I read a physical copy it would take longer, since I read before bed and it falls to the wayside when I’m tired. I’m not completely off book, which means I didn’t meet my goal. I think I was being a bit unreallistic in that because I’ve been working nonstop on my Fulbright application, which has taken up most of my free time. I know that I will be ready to put the book down after fall break, so I’m not too upset with myself.
We got through the rest of act I today and then we ran it and it was really exciting to see all the numbers I haven’t seen blocked yet. When they’re choreographing the school numbers, people not in the dance aren’t called, so I haven’t seen some of my favorite songs in the musical. It was exciting to see these numbers performed by the first time. Especially Bruce, that song has grown on me so much and is quickly becoming one of my favorites.
10/10, Accent Work with Marc:
Today we really hammered down some of the signature sounds Mrs. Phelps’ dialect. The estuary accent is interesting to me because it’s a combination of two dialects. The work that we were doing in a more clinical sense isn’t as difficult as it is to apply it into a character, in my opinion. Doing it in a clinical sense, I’m starting to get a more confident hang of the sounds I’m trying to make in rehearsals. We talked about things I can focus on in rehearsal that aren’t extremely clinical. For example, focusing on letting my lips/lip corners do more of the work when I’m talking. That will help keep my vocal tract posture correct, without giving me even more things to think about in rehearsal.
10/11 Broad Strokes:
The show has been blocked! We’ve done it! Obviously, there is a lot more work to be done, but the first broad brush strokes have been painted. I started to play with the accent more in rehearsal, which means it was a bit inconsistent at times, but I’m hoping that by playing with it now I can avoid inconsistency later. I’m also hoping that by playing with them now, I’ll find the sound I want and need for the show. The final moments of the play are extremely touching and I can’t wait to see them grow and become alive.
I’m starting to find more of the silly and wacky energy that Mrs. Phelps brings to the stage. She’s a happy exciting woman who is 100% herself all the time. Like so many of the characters in this story are. That’s what really interesting to me. Some of these characters are so 100% honest to themselves, it inspires me. They say what’s on their minds at all times, even when they’re scared or small. I think I need to find more of that in my daily life.
