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Noelle Templeton - Estragon
Feb. 1, 2008
Greetings from Noelle
Templeton! I am a sophomore from Galesburg and am studying English and
Secondary
Education. This is my first production at Monmouth College,
although I am not new to the theatre scene. Much of
the rehearsal process
thus far has been new to me, though. Delving into the script in order to
understand the
dimensions of the characters was a new approach for me, and I
expect it to be a very effective one. The exercises
were valuable in a
number of ways: they served as team-buildings activities among the cast,
physically relaxed
and mentally sharpened me, and stimulated creativity.
The most surprising, and maybe most pleasing,
aspect of the rehearsal process is the devotion from the cast and crew to
uncover the layers of Beckett's characters and script. I love bouncing
ideas off of others and seeing them work and try new things, and I expect
many more surprises to come our way in the next few weeks.
P.S. "This woman has to be gotten to a
hospital.
A hospital? What is it?
It's a big building with patients, but that's not important right
now."
Feb. 8, 2008
This rehearsal process is
completely different than what I have done in the past. Most of my life I
have done shows with the same people, so we knew each other well on and off
stage. Working with a new group of people is great because we are slowly
recognizing each other's strengths and idiosyncrasies, and our warm up times
are great for that. I love that rehearsal is a discovering process, and
they is plenty to discover about each other and ourselves.
There is also plenty to
discover about my character, Estragon. I have only known him two short
weeks, so I expect many more revelations within the next to weeks as well.
Right now I see him as a lost child. He wants approval and/or sympathy from
others, especially Vladimir, and most of what he says is not what he really
means. He says things to draw a reaction from others.
Every rehearsal I see wonderful details that
others are incoporating into their performances, and they are all so
impressive. Because most of my attention is directed toward Tiela, I see
her strengths the most. I find it very hard to keep up with her most of the
time because she adds something new to each run through, and she manages to
add so many layers to Vladimir. Well done, little one!
Feb. 15
Hmmm...where to begin.
This week of rehearsal has been fun and a bit exhausting, but in the
best way. Much better than post-work-out-exhausting and waaaay better
than pre-final-all-nighter-exhausting. One of my favorite things about
this show is the source work. The messages Becket is sending are so
universally understood, even when they seem way over our heads, that we
find connections to his work in the most unexpected places. I've begun
hearing Vladimir's words in my favorite songs, seeing Pozzo in the
characters in my books, and finding Estragon in my own life. Kinda
weird? maybe.
March 3
The closing of the show
is bitter sweet because, although I had such a blast working with
everyone and playing dress-up everyday, I love that I can now share
my experiences and ideas with friends and family. The show means
something different for everyone, and I've never been a part of
something like this before. One friend got the impression that Act
One was a dream of Didi's, and another, without knowing anything
about Beckett or his experiences, thought the characters were in
WWII. It is such a blessing to have been part of something that
pushes buttons and asks questions and opens eyes and who knows what
else. I suppose the greatest thing I took from this is that we each
have our own Godots that we choose to wait for or not. Whether or
not that Godot will ever come depends on the individual. I still
wonder who or what Beckett's Godot was.
