4/30 Notes From Heidi

Per usual: Ask if confused.

RIVKAH: Pointe shoes! GINGER: black leotard for Sophie!

Act I:

Pre-scenes – gotta be on and off quicker.

SL messenger – can you take on George’s levers when you sneak up?

Sophie – Check that are between the other two in front – you were too far SR

Octave – come out a little farther so we can see you denying the messenger the tip more clearly – it’s reading right now more as you not accepting the letter. You can take a little more time with that beat.

Octave – really nice on the describing the clothes section.

Scapin – “don’t need to, thank you” – needs to be louder.

Scap/Oct/Syl – let’s get Octave a little more upstage so we can see his face more clearly as he’s reacting to Scapin telling the story.

Scap/Syl – can we go a little faster on the second half of the story? Post “woo”? I feel like the “Bullwinkle” only works if Scapin gets overconfident and starts running too fast.

Scapin – “So I could have used it against him” – articulation

Movement (esp. Maddie) – don’t forget that scheming is hella fun and we need to smile and mischievous. 

Hyacinth – stay on the piano longer. Like, take the time to pose gloriously on top of there, and then realize that Octave isn’t paying attention and hop down to try something else. 

Scapin – go back to deadpan delivery straight out to audience on “my trousers fit”.

Porters – Make sure you’re dropping it on his foot, not his cane. Obviously don’t actually drop it on his foot, but we should think it does.

Arg/Syl/Scap – much better on the beating Sylvestre.

Argante – can you stick the money pouch more into your pocket?

George – Make sure your attention stays on your characters and does not wander into the audience.

Sylvestre – lunge farther.

Ginger – volume/articulation

Sylvestre/Scapin – can you return to stage to say “I’m getting nervous?” this will get you offstage sooner so you aren’t on as much during Ger/Arg

Arg – Once you leave stage proper on exits, scuttle off without clicking your cane down – it’s loud!

Scapin – phrasing – you sounded like you came back covered in bandits.

Leander/Scapin – I think this is best your fight scene has ever been!!

Leander – play up the “ooooh, the horror of those nightmares, Octave”. Make it a nice, big, loud “Oh”.

Syl – good running through the Zamboni and on.

Leander – “Zerbinette” needs to be said a leeeetle sooner. Just a smidge.

Leander/Octave – Don’t hear what Scapin/Syl are talking about after the sword drop. Maybe your attention is on each other? Or on something else – Like Oct on his clothes and Lea on his sword?

Arg – when trying to escape Scapin’s leg grip, can you look at an audience member and mouth “help me?”

Scapin – Give George a little more breathing room for his game show music cue.

Syl – Beeeee in place on tiiiiime.

Zoe – Be careful on the table/wall!! Also, can you tuck all yo hair into the silly pirate hat?

Syl – I think you’re putting the sword belt on improperly? The sword should hang behind you, not in front. Ooooh I think it’s backwards?

Scap/Arg – when Scap goes to get Syl-pirate back, really start to go, and Arg chases him and gets in fron of him on “no! no!!” – juuuuuuust like Scap does to Arg earlier in the scene.

Maddie – you should have a nightstick too!

Scapin – let’s go more operatic/dramatic on the “signor geronte”

Geronte – We gotta do something about your money bag. It is deeestraaacting.

Geronte – “Ok. No, what I wanted to ask you…” Let’s make the “ok” more almost offended. Like “I wasn’t gonna ask about the boat, I had a different question, jeeez” time thing. And then flow into the no from that attitude.

Scapin – We gotta find a way for you to say the “foreign menace angle” line with more meaning. That line is the payoff of all the racism of Geronte. It is a satirical comment on society and the attitudes of the elder generation. It needs to be said so that anyone in the audience could understand what it meant even if they have no idea what some of those words mean.

Everyone: George’s levers have to disappear at the end of the act. Who can carry them off?

Act II:

Similarly – Who can get George’s levers back on? Movement? Who enters from SL?

Movement – We gotta see Scapin getting ready to catch Nerine before Zoe pulls him away. 

Zerb – Make the hair flip sassy-er and sexy-er! Get some hip swing in there

Scapin – Try not to make noise with the slapstick during your French (and the Cathtille) monologue – it is loud! Also – le articulation.

Scapin/Syl – communicate to Syl that he should be looking for something before he starts the 

sentence. Syl, don’t start saying your line about searching until Scapin gestures to the house and lets you know that you ARE searching.

Whyyyyyyyyyyyyy did the sack get halfway into the hedge?

Zerb – EXCELLENT pose on your entrance.

Zerb – Also perfect delivery on “oh shit”.

Zerb/Lea – Run the ring toss from the window prior to start tomorrow. Make it a HUGE DEAL. Like, this is essentially the promise of good faith as a husband that Zerb wanted. He’s PROPOSING! So let’s make it big and CHARMING!

Nerine – louder

Syl – as funny as you and the cane are, it’s too distracting from Geronte/Nerine…

Nerine – PERFECT on the second “This way”