Tympanic Theater Company Blog

We've officially started rehearsals for all four plays in AND THEN IT BURSTS.  This is our first show acted, directed, and designed by Tympanic Company members.  AND THEN IT BURST is a great opportunity for us to come together as a company and show off one another's strengths.  Most of us have been working together artistically since the college days, which means we've come to know one another inside and out.  It's a treat when you get to work with actors who you already have strong relationships with.  You get to skip all of the ice breaker conversations, the nervousness, the self-consciousness, and dive directly into the material.  (Not that I don't like the excitement of a bunch of strangers getting into a room – - it's just a totally different experience)   This has become particularly apparent to me in our rehearsals for TEA, one of the four pieces that make up AND THEN IT BURST.  Ali, Chrissy, and I are treading through new territory every day.  The pieces is growing with leaps and bounds and I have

A. George's excellent depiction of the care vs. conflict every mother/daughter relationship has

and…

B.  Ali and Chrissy's complete and utter willingness to take risks and their ability to fully embrace every challenge that comes their way

 Last night's rehearsal was particularly rewarding as we did the usual character-ey type work.   We're learning more about these characters, their desire to escape, but the genuine love and care for one another that keeps them trapped.  And all of this over a cup of tea…

When I'm directing a play I always like to collect some images that I think reflect what the play is about.  Emotion, tone, lighting, costume, or make-up effect.  It can be as literal or figurative as possible.  Here are some images I have collected for TEA.

Thanks for reading!

Susan

For more information of AND THEN IT BURST, tympanic, and general nonsense check out www.tympanictheatre.org.