I had an epiphany, however, about theatre tonight while finishing some grading. It came from one of my student's papers (love that!). Each character needs to have a sensory relationship to the space - sight, auditory, taste, touch and smell. I might have thought about that before, but not in such a clear way. Our senses so strongly influence our actions that we should be focusing on what is coming in via all 5 senses to exist in the world we create.
I also had other epiphanies in the last few days. The second one came care of George Nelson and his trip to Poland. In speaking with a director there, he was told "We don't live to talk, our talking comes out of living!" This rang so true for me as I tend to choose pieces to direct that are character driven. These characters must live in their world and must know why they cannot be silent any longer and must speak every time that they do. The speaking must come out of the living in their world, the world that is created not only by the language, but by the sights and smells and touches and tastes. The living is what brings out the language. It's weird because in theatre, all we have to go off of is a script so the living does initially come out of the talking. But, in order to create compelling, grounded, believable, honest theatre, the talking must come out of the living.
Lastly, "One is defined by what one is against." This is a very structuralist thought - that we are defined by our opposition; we are in a binary in which each half defines the other. It's interesting to think about what we fight for and against in theatre, and in life, and what that says about who we are. I think about my characters in Rabbit Hole and what they're fighting for and against and it's really revealing.
I have my work totally cut out for me in these next four weeks before Rabbit Hole opens. I know that it all will fall into place, I know that this show is supposed to happen at BYU at the time it is happening. Everything has fallen in to place and there must be a reason. I am starting to panic a little bit as I look at where we are and where we need to be, but I have every confidence in my team. And I have every confidence that the Lord will continue to send me epiphanies through the Holy Ghost to help guide my work. :)
That is all for tonight.
