Directing: Speed Read Rehearsal

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Speed Read Rehearsal

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Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Directing
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Topic: Speed Read Rehearsal

Posted By: theactordavid
Subject: Speed Read Rehearsal
Date Posted: 5/12/08 at 5:42pm

My general operation philosophy is "as you rehearse it, so shall ye perform it." I make the analogy to a basketball player who practices foul shouts for hours on end, going over the exact motion of the shot so he develops muscle memory and his body responds automatically. Although he may take a break and try shooting it with eyes closed, or back turned and over his head, that's not how he'll do it in performance, so he doesn't waste too much doing it that way.

That said, the process of rehearsal is getting to performance quality, and trying more and more to do it that way is the expected approach, right up to tech/dress week. It starts very loose as the actors begin to become familiar with the roles, and the blocking is established and tweaked, until it gets to the point where it is mostly "set".

My question: there is a rehearsal technique that I believe is called "Italian Rehearsal" or for a more PC reference, a speed-through. I've heard some actors working on their lines before a rehearsal this way, and even before a show. And I generally don't intervene, because whatever it takes to get it right is a help. But I don't personally feel that it's a good practice. You get used to saying and hearing lines in a manner that will not occur during the show, and your response will not be as quick and lifeless.

So, what's the general consensus? What sort of these "non- standard" techniques do you employ or avoid, and why?

Replies:

Posted By: jayzehr
Date Posted: 5/12/08 at 8:24pm

I think it's a useful technique used very occasionally. I like to know my lines as well as I possibly can and practice saying them as quickly as I can. If you have them so firmly in mind that you can rattle them off without thinking (without memorizing "how" to say them,) it gives you more freedom to go with the moment in performance because you don't have to think about what your line is.
The group speed-through can also be useful to break actors out of rigid choices they've made and it can also be useful in putting some peer pressure on actors who haven't really learned their lines very well.

Posted By: Topper
Date Posted: 5/12/08 at 9:30pm

I agree the speed-through is a valuable tool. I like to employ it before the first show of the weekend, to shake out the cobwebs of being away for several days and get everybody's heads back into the game for the weekend of performances.

The speed-through is an excellent "muscle memory" exercise because it forces one to listen for cues and say the words as written. Unneccesary pauses, embellishments, paraphrasing and so-called "improvements" tend to vanish as the actors concentrate specifically on the author's words.

I find it also builds confidence and helps energize the cast, getting them to work together as a unit, especially for scenes that have been problematical or with random, scattered dialogue.

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"None of us really grow up. All we ever do is learn how to behave in public." -- Keith Johnstone

Posted By: spikesgirl
Date Posted: 5/14/08 at 10:40am

We do speed throughs, but if you really want to drive home a point, do what our director does. he calls a rehearsal and you start the speed through, if someone makes a mistake (he's a bear about paraphrasing), you have to start again (musicals are the worst). Some take six or seven hours to get through, but you can rest assured there is NO paraphrasing on stage.

A technique another director uses is during warm ups, he has everyone share their 'trick' lines, the one line they always stumble on, then they walk in a circle, each shouting that line. This goes on for aobut 2-3 minutes and really seems to help the actor get over the fear of that line.

Charlie

Posted By: bbpchick
Date Posted: 5/16/08 at 1:41am

I find speed throughs to be wonderful tools. Especially if the show is dragging and you want to pick up the pace. A problem that I have seen, especially in shows that need to be really tight, is people going too slow, and not picking up their cues. A speed through is not meant to be used every night at rehearsal, but we use them at least once during the process to tighten up the show and it is also a good test of how well the actors know their lines

Another thing we do and this may not work for everyone, is the first pickup rehearsal after the show is opened is as silly as we can possibly make it. In other words, we go through the show, but change up lines and just blow off steam and just spend the evening laughing and having a good time. There are ground rules of course, such as you can't go off on a tangent and you have to stick to your basic lines, but it relaxes everyone after the hell of...well...hell week. Of course this is only allowed if the cast REALLY has the play down and can keep going even with the imporvised lines thrown in here and there.

Just to empahsize this is not a performance, but a rehearsal and a good way to blow off steam after the stress and seriousness of hell week.

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Kendra
http://www.murphysblackbartplayer.com - www.murphysblackbartplayers.com
You are NEVER too old to dress up!

Posted By: MartyW
Date Posted: 5/16/08 at 7:59am

For me.. (and again, all theaters are different as are all actors) anything where you don't do it as you want to perform it is useless..... Now, don't get me wrong, if I have a particularly rough set of lines, I will sit and run them with my counterpoint, (quickly) while we are waiting for the show to start, but as for a "Rehearsal"... As you Rehearse, so shall ye perform..

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Marty W

"Till next we trod the boards.."

Posted By: JoeMc
Date Posted: 5/16/08 at 9:44am

Well the only time I use speed thru rehearsals, is when they are off book & having difficulties, because of rapid cross over dialogue.

In a lot of case I get them to sit in a circle or horse shoe, close their eyes & do their lines only rapidly.

The only other thing I do, especially with musicals. Is rehearse cue to cue - first & last lines. Prior to the tech rehearsals. Usually including all the songs & dance numbers. This is mainly to get them used to doing the cue to cue.

Which means during the techs, we can run thru the show quickly a number of times. Ensuring the dove tailing of the tech into it. Setting it up for straight run dress rehearsals.

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[western] Gondawandaland
"Hear the light & see the sound!
TOI TOI CHOOKAS
{may you always play to a full house!}

Posted By: jayzehr
Date Posted: 5/16/08 at 11:54am

Originally posted by MartyW

For me.. (and again, all theaters are different as are all actors) anything where you don't do it as you want to perform it is useless...

That's a valid point though sometimes I wish that were always true. I've seen a lot of situations in a "speedthrough" or other "line" rehearsal where an actor stops "acting" and just says the lines and it is actually much better than what they've been doing. But (for me) it's always nearly impossible to get them to incorporate that into a performance.

Posted By: MartyW
Date Posted: 5/16/08 at 12:46pm

again.. "I Think" that the reason it dosn't translate is that many people or kinistetic learners and must actually be doing the actions and business to remember what comes next... Another factor, though usually only when I'm directing High School vs CT, is when I make the BIG mistake of letting one of their last week rehearsals go without costumes.. All of a sudden thier characters just seem to evaporate...

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Marty W

"Till next we trod the boards.."

Posted By: jayzehr
Date Posted: 5/16/08 at 1:45pm

Originally posted by MartyW

"I Think" that the reason it dosn't translate is that many people or kinistetic learners and must actually be doing the actions and business to remember what comes next... .

Good point. I'm not that way and I don't really understand that orientation so I have to keep reminding myself to take that into account.

Posted By: theactordavid
Date Posted: 5/16/08 at 2:28pm

Glad to have this topic going, thanks to all posters now and in the future. Some great ideas coming through. Some thoughts in reply:

Jayzerh: “If you have them (the lines) so firmly in mind…” – and that’s key. If not, I don’t think this is a good technique for line memorization. If lines are down cold, then I can see some benefit from the occasional or one-time use of the speed read.

Also “an actor stops *acting* and just says the lines and it is actually much better than what they've been doing.” This is true, and can come out of such approach. I’ll also have them run the moment emotionally polar, a dramatic moment for laughs, a comedic moment for tears. Find a different way to say it once, and a breakthrough can occur, but then you work that back into doing it the “right way.”

Topper: “it forces one to listen for cues and say the words as written.” Actually I think most actors (I say most but I may be wrong) aren’t listening to the other actor but are waiting for what they believe is the end of the other actor’s line no matter what he says, preparing to spit out what they think is their next line whether it's on-script or not. I’d like to experiment and have one actor deliberately switch the last cue word at the end of sentence, or drop or add words within the sentence, and see if the other actors gets appropriately befuddled or just regurgitates what they are prepared to say regardless.

I do agree it tends to get actors to drop all those annoying “uhs” and “ers” and “well”s that aren’t in the script, the little characterizations they so often add in because they’re “acting”. And it's funny how they never hear themselves saying those otherwise.

MartyW: “many people or kinesthetic learners and must actually be doing the actions and business.” Truth be told, I often work on my lines while driving to work or to rehearsal, and I nail them. Trouble is, the play does not take place in my car. I often tell the cast to set up their living rooms as best they can to reflect the stage, sets and props included, and run their lines moving around in the space using their hands with props, because if you just learn your lines by sitting at a table staring at the script, once you have to stand up, walk around, and pick up something, it’s like someone gave you a big wad of gum and you choke. You see this a lot with the first off book rehearsal when the actors have no idea what to do with their hands anymore, and can’t remember where they’re supposed to move because except for the rehearsal time they’ve only “thought” it when working on their lines at home. And I always caution them prior to NOT use the script as a prop, because it doesn’t exist in the show.

I also see it a lot when we’ve got props that need to be dealt with on a certain line, and at the first few off-book rehearsals where props are now brought heavily into the mix they often forget to pick them up. Too many times while holding a script, picking up a prop with the “page-turning” hand now creates more problems, as well. So even if you’re using props while on-book, they aren’t handled correctly because the actor's focus is on the script, and their “prop hand” is used to turn pages.

JoeMc: “when they are off book & having difficulties, because of rapid cross over dialogue.” Yes, I have used the speed technique here to get the actors to get that cross over timing. But if I make them run it a half dozen times, the first time is fast as can be, the second a little slower, and we work our way to performance speed at the last time, so they get to “feel” it as it should be, tight but not faster than it should play.

Thanks to everyone, I just may start using it a little to see if I notice any improvements.

Posted By: MartyW
Date Posted: 5/16/08 at 3:05pm

David.. some good points. I myself use a tape recorder to "learn" my lines, but I think there is a distinction between learning lines and "rehearsal"...

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Marty W

"Till next we trod the boards.."

Posted By: theactordavid
Date Posted: 5/16/08 at 3:18pm

Marty - I agree there is a difference there. I don't use rehearsal as an opportunity to work with actors on their line memorization skills. We can discuss some techniques for it, but that is the actor's job at home or wherever. Rehearsal is for putting the big picture together, including blocking and scene flow among others.

As for the taping, I know it is helpful for some, and I have had actors tape the first read through for that purpose. But I always tell them to use it only to learn the words, not the "how" of saying them, because the other actors' lines are "frozen in time" on the tape, and will never sound like that again.

I also read somewhere recently that the whole purpose of the rehearsal was to work on the mechanics of saying the words in the right order and so forth. The "how" of saying them (emotional context, inflection, etc) is to be reserved for the performance, that is what the "acting" part of live theatre is all about. I'm not fully on-board with that theory, but I like the concept that if you don't commit yourself to saying a line a certain way (angry, sarcastic, etc) that you can deliver it a little differently depending on how the other actor feeds you, and the performance becomes much more alive.

Posted By: jayzehr
Date Posted: 5/16/08 at 3:22pm

Originally posted by theactordavid

I also read somewhere recently that the whole purpose of the rehearsal was to work on the mechanics of saying the words in the right order and so forth. The "how" of saying them (emotional context, inflection, etc) is to be reserved for the performance,

Do you remember where you read that? I'd be interested in taking a look at that.

Posted By: theactordavid
Date Posted: 5/16/08 at 3:28pm

Originally posted by jayzehr

Do you remember where you read that? I'd be interested in taking a look at that.

Top of my head, no. But it was fairly recently so I might be able to put my finger on the source in the near future. I'd almost suspect it to be Mamet's "True and False", but I'll find it and post back in a couple days. We've got closing weekend for our show, so with that, the cast party, and strike, I'll be a wee tad pre-occupied. Stay tuned....

Posted By: jayzehr
Date Posted: 5/16/08 at 3:32pm

Originally posted by theactordavid

if you just learn your lines by sitting at a table staring at the script, once you have to stand up, walk around, and pick up something, it’s like someone gave you a big wad of gum and you choke. You see this a lot with the first off book rehearsal

I used to have a problem with this but have come to the conclusion that (for me) it's just a matter of not knowing the lines well enough. You can't concentrate on new movement etc. if you have to think about remembering the lines. I make a tape recording with just the cue lines and an empty space for my lines and make it very fast so I have to rattle off the lines as quickly as possible (just the words, not "how" to say them) and practice that way over and over again. If I know the lines well enough to not have to think about it, I find I can deal with any change of blocking, props, people dropping lines, whatever. I also feel like I can experiment with what I'm saying and be in the moment better as I'm not locked into needing a certain way of saying something or a certain way of moving in order to remember lines. I was first sort of forced to do this from some experiences where I had to know the lines going in and had very little rehearsal time.

Posted By: theactordavid
Date Posted: 5/16/08 at 3:43pm

More or less, it comes down to (and I paraphrase him here) Stanislavski's ultimate comment: If it works for you, it's right. And that is a truth.

Oddly, I've read of directors from both ends of the spectrum. This one who won't begin blocking until the cast is off-book, so the script does not become an impediment, that one who won't hand out scripts until the blocking is done, so the words flow "organically" from the movement.

There's a lot of room in between for everyone. :)

Posted By: jayzehr
Date Posted: 5/17/08 at 12:15am

Originally posted by theactordavid

that one who won't hand out scripts until the blocking is done, so the words flow "organically" from the movement.

Which brings up the side question--if you're cast by a director with this philosophy, you didn't know if ahead of time and you absolutely don't want to work that way, are you justified in quitting?

Posted By: drose
Date Posted: 5/17/08 at 11:45am

interesting. How do you go about learning or recording your blocking without a script? Or is it such generic blocking (wander aimlessly, pace with agitation) that you don't need to write it down? Or if you are only writing down key words with the blocking, how does that help the words to flow organically from the movement? I'm pretty sure I'm missing something here.

As to the quitting question...I don't know. Only you can know what your absolute limits are. I've had actors quit for reasons that I thought were ridiculous or unsubstantiated, but they have to live with their decisions. Only they can know if its what they "had" to do. Personally, I don't believe in quitting once I've made a committment unless I have an ethical/moral conflict or feel endangered. And even then, I try to resolve it before quitting. That said, just because I haven't run into any other situations, doesn't mean there aren't other possible "quits" in my future; just that I haven't run into them yet. How was that for completely not helpful?

Posted By: magic612
Date Posted: 7/23/08 at 2:45pm

Originally posted by jayzehr

I make a tape recording with just the cue lines and an empty space for my lines and make it very fast so I have to rattle off the lines as quickly as possible (just the words, not "how" to say them) and practice that way over and over again. If I know the lines well enough to not have to think about it, I find I can deal with any change of blocking, props, people dropping lines, whatever.

I realize this topic has not been discussed lately, but thought I'd add my $0.02 to it. I too, have made tape recordings of my lines, but what I have found is effective is to record both my lines AND the other actors lines. But how that is done is what's key: I record my lines panned all the way to one side of the recording (for instance, the left), and everyone else's to the right. That way, I can hear everyone's lines, including my own, initially. The more I learn my own lines, the more I "pan" the sound to just the other characters voices, eventually panning it to ONLY be their lines.

For those without advanced recording equipment, the multi-track recording software called Audacity is a free download. Use one track for "your" lines, and another track for all other characters' lines (even if you record the lines yourself). Then pan yours one way, and everyone else's the other. Record to CD or mix to sound file and upload to Ipod, etc. - and voila!

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Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness how genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now. ~ often attributed to Goethe

Posted By: theactordavid
Date Posted: 8/01/08 at 10:36am

Originally posted by drose

interesting. How do you go about learning or recording your blocking without a script?

Interesting point, and worth pointing out to an actor who employs this method. I will keep it in mind.

I gave it some thought, and here's my view: I guess that when it comes to blocking, characters are stationary often enough that it isn't necessary to be reminded of it. That is, you enter, cross DSR and then for the next four pages you stand there as the dialogue goes by before you move again.

Now, while the recording technique is used to help memorize the lines, the actor does (must?) refer to the script now and then and easily incorporates the few required blocking movements, associating them with key words in the dialogue, and because these movements are infrequent enough, they are easier to memorize without needing to hear "cross DSR" from the tape recorder. This is in comparison to a complicated dance routine, where the "steps" ARE the dialogue, and need to be worked on systematically, a few at a time, over and over, until memorized.

All that said, I will admit there have been instances once off book where I have had to remind actors after they enter "And you cross DSR" because they in fact do NOT know their blocking and do not review their scripts enough (it's sadly apparent). So I may be wrong here. But I think it is more about the actor than the concept, since many actors do remember to cross DSR without ever being reminded.

Whew! And that horse is barely breathin'......

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There are no small roles, only roles with a low line-load and minimal stage time.

http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com

Posted By: chelserin
Date Posted: 8/01/08 at 10:55am

As far as Speed through's I have only ever done them as a pickup rehearsal between the first and second weekend of shows. They are always helpful and usually challenging for those reasons people have mentioned before - you learn your lines with the blocking so to take one of those out of the equation makes you think more. For that purpose (pick-up rehearsal or even as warm up before the show) I believe speed through's are very effective and can be hillarious since a lot of lines make no sense without the movement.

However, I agree that when first learning lines and in early rehearsals speed reading would be a bear for all involved.

Posted By: jaytee060
Date Posted: 8/01/08 at 1:12pm

Speed Line Rehearsals. Mmmmmm

I got to thinking how I really felt about this sort of rehearsal and I came up with and interesting and revealing conclusion.

When I am directing, I have always felt that maybe it helps.

When I am acting, I always think its a total waste of time.

I really think that in this case my actor's vibes are correct. But you really might consider asking your cast thier opinion before doing it. It is even a

possibility that it might do certain actors more harm then good. Its at least something to ponder

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"REMEMBER ME IN LIGHT"

Posted By: theactordavid
Date Posted: 8/01/08 at 1:38pm

Jaytee - that said, can you offer some insight into why you feel each way depending on your side of the apron? What makes the director/actor in you think it helps/hurts? And what would happen if you were in a play and directing it also? Okay, that last was just for fun. But I'd be interested in the "why" behind your two statements. Thanks for your thoughts.

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There are no small roles, only roles with a low line-load and minimal stage time.

http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com

Posted By: jaytee060
Date Posted: 8/01/08 at 6:05pm

OK .. here goes.

As a director, one must wear many different caps. One of my goals/hopes is to have my actors learn their dialogue as quickly as possible. I strongly feel that the two best methods to accomplish this is (A) personal hard work by the actor on his own time and (B) sufficient repeatitive rehearsals with the rest of the cast. Naturally, every one has their own methods to learn lines and "whatever works for you" works for me. As the rehearsal process goes on, we learn lines, not only by memoraization but also by association. i.e. blocking, positioning, verbal cues, etc. Now....... these "speed run throughs" normally occur later in the rehearsal schedule. Often just days or even hours before we open. As an actor, once I have associated my lines with not only verbal cues but also blocking and other mental assistances, these "sit in a circle and rattle your lines" rehearsals can often be confusing, irritating and sometimes just silly.

So, the director in me wants to help my actors in any way I can, but the actor in me is saying "this isn't totally helping me ".

Perhaps the real way to do this is to actually hold a rehearsal as a full staged run but have the actirs do it as fast as they can. With blocking, props, the works. Speak fast. Think fast. Act fast. I don't really think that would be all that helpful either but it sure might be fun.

Damn, what a windbag. Hope this clears up my thoughts for you. But I imagine it just confused you more. LOL

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"REMEMBER ME IN LIGHT"

Posted By: jaytee060
Date Posted: 8/01/08 at 6:09pm

I ALMOST FORGET.

As to acting in and directing the same play...........unless it was a very small role I would rather eat shredded glass.

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"REMEMBER ME IN LIGHT"

Posted By: magic612
Date Posted: 8/02/08 at 12:07am

Originally posted by jaytee060

Hmmm... that's actually how I've ALWAYS done any speed-through rehearsals - blocking, props, everything. Not only does it help cut down on the "cues you could run a truck through" it also helps actors offstage know WHEN they will need to be onstage, and how soon. It gets them thinking ahead to their next entrance, and even if they need to walk on 4 lines early in order to get "in place" by the time their line is delivered, that's okay - it actually helps.

At least, it always did for me.

I've never heard of "speed throughs" just sitting in a circle, running lines. That's actually a new one to me.

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Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness how genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now. ~ often attributed to Goethe

Posted By: Ray Faiola
Date Posted: 8/06/08 at 3:03pm

We're doing BLACK COMEDY right now. It's a complicated show with a ton of business. Before final dress we did a speed-through. It was very helpful in nailing down our confidence in the words. We also did one before the second week's Thursday show; again, a helpful refresher for the words and, more importantly, the cue pick-ups. We did not do one last week and probably will not do one before this week's Thursday show (we perform Thurs-Sun).

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Ray Faiola
http://www.chelsearialtostudios.com

Posted By: pdavis69
Date Posted: 8/06/08 at 3:19pm

MartyW and I are currently performing in the Queen of Bingo (yes we are both men). Opening night, the first act lines went haywire and scared the hell out of us. Each night since, while we are having our makeup applied, we do a speed through of act one. We have not had a problem since (other than me forgetting to wear my coat once). The speed through just prior to the show really helps us.

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Patrick L. Davis
Fort Findlay Playhouse

Posted By: jayzehr
Date Posted: 8/06/08 at 4:21pm

We're opening tonight with Dearly Departed and after dress I'm really regretting not having a speed through sometime in the last week. All of a sudden lots of dramatic pauses are materializing long enough to drive a truck through.

Posted By: whitebat
Date Posted: 8/28/08 at 11:31pm

I memorize lines with a tape recording. I record the lines for all the actors and play it before I fall asleep at night. I put music between the scenes I am in. Since I have usually played bit parts and done props or dressing at the same time, I may have been more concerned with getting the lines right than doing a great job acting. The one show in which I had a bigger part, I did not work with a tape, and frequently forgot a key line (even missed an entrance). But I was directing too, which was a HUGE mistake.

Posted By: DaedalusAZ
Date Posted: 8/31/08 at 4:14am

Sometimes when a cast is off script but still struggling to remember lines, and that struggle slows down our rehearsals; I have resorted to a speed reading rehearsal. It stresses the picking up of cues. It is read vs reciting lines. So by have them read it at dbl speed....they seem to become more aware of their cues and generally it helps us immensely!