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Getting the ghosts on their feet

Written by M.E.H. Lewis

Last night, for the first time, we started putting the play on its feet. This is a fairly tricky play, with a lot of movement. The “ghosts” in the play have to morph into a variety of different characters, keep the story line clear, and be convincingly scary. It’s not an easy job. Last night we started staging the first scene. This is a scene with no dialogue—just Isabelle, one of the main characters, trying to make dinner as she is plagued by ghosts. Callie, Cara and May Lee did a fantastic job! It was genuinely scary and moving to watch. This is something I love about theatre—the way makeshift props and bare stages magically transform. It’s an alchemy that just doesn’t happen in any other art form, and it takes me right back to the sacred, ritual roots of theatre.

It’s very interesting working with actors and a director in this way, working on a brand new, unwritten play. To be honest, I was more than a little nervous about it. Writing is such a mysterious and delicate process, and it takes almost nothing to whither a new play. But I trusted Mitch, and I’m glad I did. The play is opening up in all sorts of interesting ways. Last night we tried out a brand new scene, one with more ghosts, working toward a fluidity of voice and a more plastic use of space. I want there to be a layered, almost choral quality to the voices in some of the scenes, reinforcing the idea that these ghosts (of violence, of war, of the past) are always around us. It sounded surprisingly good to me (I LOVE working with good actors!). It’s really fun to work toward a less linear, less realistic play. The trick will be to make sure that the story line doesn’t get lost in the complexity of the presentation.

I’ve attached a few photos of last night’s rehearsal. My favorite is Callie in blurry mid-flight as a ghost.