Piecing the Puzzle Together
Jarod Hanson:
As you can tell by the previously posted photo of Kari, it was a weekend well spent taking a hard look at all of the scenes we've created and making sense of the piece as a whole. It's a critical stage of the process, and it's both incredibly exciting and challenging, as we track each scene's world, atmosphere, and direction, along with how it could juxtapose another scene. Each decision greatly shapes and affects the overall arc of the story, so we look, we process, we listen, and soon the piece starts to speak to us, revealing what it is. And its at this point that we discover what's missing and what needs tweaking or a dramatic transition to justify the next scene. No easy feat, but it's a thrilling ride, and when the shape comes together it's incredibly rewarding.
As I hone my own creative and directorial eye, I'm learning to find the balance during the process of when and where to stop and figure out details and when to let them go to be resolved later. It takes a real developed focus to constantly be looking at the work with an open mind and not to feel married to or locked into an order, structure, scene, or soundscape. As the whole of the piece comes together, it often demands flexibility and mutability to truly grow organically. Certain images may no longer service the story, or we may find that certain themes are coming more to the forefront. It's been highly enlightening to delve into that aspect of the dramaturgical side of directing.
We spent the past two days unearthing the last of the new material for the show, and the big picture of HEADSHOT! has come together. As a director, I absolutely love this stage of production, because now, through rehearsing and refining scenes, we find the deeper layers of specificity and sophistication that really make each scene sing. Having been in the position of the actor countless times, I know it's equally exciting from that standpoint, as every rehearsal reveals new discoveries within the script for more profound emotional connections from moment to moment.
We feel ready to take on the challenges of tech and are excited to be that much closer to sharing this work with an audience!