Not only is it important to be be actively engaged in scene, but while out of scene too. It’s very important to know when you’re involved in a scene change or a task offstage; other cast members are counting on you. This became very important when STC started tackling the transitions between vignettes this past Thursday.
Usually, there are transitions in a play for the sole purpose of getting props and set pieces on and off stage expeditiously in order to move on to the next scene. The unique thing about Almost, Maine is that we didn’t necessarily create the transitions in the hope of being expeditious. We decided to create the community of Almost, Maine by using the transitions effectively to shown character interactions. This was a really cool idea, but we had to remain with the idea that these transitions were not supposed to be “precious”. There’s a very good line in the director’s concept statement for Almost, Maine: “Our production will attempt to shuck the preciousness from the scenes, allowing these scenes to operate as the mirrors they are, accurately displaying the ambivalence that springs from the pursuit of love.” We can’t use transitions as an excuse to not follow the pursuit of love. Most scenes end in a spot of tension or questioning. We don’t know what’s about to happen, so the transitions should hopefully continue those feelings.
The first transition was from the prologue into the Her Heart. It had already been roughly planned out and shown to the rest of the cast a few rehearsals earlier. I hadn’t been in attendance the first night the transition was blocked so I was given the privilege to watch as Kivan worked out some kinks with the cast. I learned here, or a least I now believe that it’s just as important to sit back, take it all the information in, and process the images on stage as it would to get up and do it. My perspective was completely changed. I watched Kivan make only slight changes, but with considerate enhancements to the transition. This may have been the way two people acknowledged one another, or how one took another’s hand, or if recognition of a face created this facial expression or a different one. Once it was done right, you could almost hear the magical “click” as the pieces slid into place, it was very satisfying. After the transition was running smoothly, it was time for my character to be added.
First, Kivan asked me to walk with Rhonda as she entered, and I felt like it probably could have worked, but something just didn’t feel right. We tried it once or twice, but then Kivan asked me to enter with Gayle instead. Gayle and I know each other in Almost, I’ve given her love advice before, so it only seemed fit if we were talking together. Gayle then has an interaction with Lendall where then, we exit. The next of the transitions went according to plan and we finished 4 more transitions.
The growth of a scene, transition, or play as a whole is really important if it can be looked from different perspectives. Sometimes on stage, we may think what we’re doing is really clear but to the audience it may not. So having feedback for things like that is crucial. I’m glad I got to see both sides of it on Thursday. We’ve now got all but two transitions blocked and I’m so excited to see how the last two transitions go!
Jayna Wanamaker
Marvalyn / Head of Dramaturgy
