BWW Blog: Naomi Melvin - Somebody's Eyes: Life in Double

Theatre in Toronto is moving and shaking. This city has a consistent flow of productions year-round, but the summer is a particularly exciting time to celebrate home-grown work. On June 27, the 2016 Dora Mavor Moore Awards took place at the Harbourfront Centre. The ceremony recognizes Toronto-based creators in theatre, dance and opera spanning 48 categories. I had the honour of attending the awards on behalf of Randolph Academy and was reminded of how diverse, vibrant and hard-working our theatre community is. Many post-Dora commentators regarded Bruce Dow's outstanding job as host. His undeniable humour did not deter from socially charged commentary on the state of our community's compensation. Bruce also directed the audience's attention to the world stage, advising that artists must continue to unite globally in the wake of political events happening around the world. The breadth of work being created in this city is astounding. Repeatedly, I heard award recipients talk about persistence in this industry. Years and years of creative trial have led to works formally recognized. It is a profession worth its weight in blood, but worth every beautiful drop. I left the awards wanting to see more theatre, learn more about the veterans in the room and take a whole list of people out for coffee.

The Toronto Fringe just came to a close. Many Footloose cast members were running to shows in breaks or after rehearsal. The cast would like to send a shout out to A Glass Hive AKA The Comedy of Errors, whose company are actors in their 5th term at Randolph Academy (and just so happens to have been adapted and directed by the aforementioned Bruce Dow). While I did not see as many shows as I would have liked, I was again struck by the variation of talent living in this community. From new musicals to movement pieces to incredibly intimate storytelling, there was no shortage of fruitful work.

Between the inescapable theatre energy and the accompanying summer heat, we are charging ahead over here at Footloose. There is no better time to be rehearsing a show as we are directly influenced by our external and internal environment. Currently, and this is hard to believe, we are heading in to Week 4! The show is almost fully blocked and since we are working on Act II (shhh) there is dancing! For the past week and a half (because our school building and its two theatres serve as the hub of the Toronto Fringe) we have been rehearsing off-site at a beautiful space up the street. We have our major set pieces and props here, helping us materialize the world of the play. Stay tuned for an upcoming post about the design of the show (it's going to be incredible and very much informed by the story).

While reflecting on the rehearsal process of this show, I feel like it is valuable to note that a majority of the named characters and the entire ensemble are double cast. This takes the meaning of collaboration to a whole new level. We have a Cast A and a Cast B, one of which will work on blocking while the other takes (highly detailed) notes. The casts will switch with the expectation that the blocking is understood and ready to go on its feet. It is quite the test of listening and coordination. If we had not before, we all have newfound appreciation for swings!

I myself am cast as Wendy Jo and sharing the part has been gratifying. Having an outside perspective, at times, in relation to the character grants me access to possibilities that are not as obvious while physically in the role. I get to watch scenes as a full picture and then pinpoint opportunities where Wendy Jo can react to her environment. Also, it has been a luxury to work with my counterpart on harmonies - Wendy Jo is always in harmony in this show (and talk about the range!).

While the two casts have the same framework, the story is told in unique ways. I love watching both casts work and catching the isms of the different groups. For me this is the beauty of theatre. It is a living, breathing organism that can never truly be copied.

I asked the whole cast for comments on what this aspect of the rehearsal has felt like. Major themes in the responses were accountability, communication, comparison, relationship and individuality. Here are some thoughts that I would like to share with you:

Working with a double cast has been easier than I expected it to be. I thought I would struggle learning choreography when my double was working, but I've been picking it up. We check in with each other frequently to make sure that we are both on the same page (usually making eye contact, giving a thumbs up or asking questions if we're unsure of something). The only struggle is that she identifies as a dancer and I do not. It is a challenge when the ensemble is asked to volunteer for something dance related but we are at different levels. - Erica, Ensemble

Being in the ensemble gives us lots of freedom to develop a character. So far, I'm having a great time developing a character with Sarah. Together we came up with a gag to do in the gym scene, and we collaborate on ideas and motives for the character (and by collaborate I mean I flat out steal what she does 'cause she's hilarious). It's also been a great and crazy learning experience having to learn the choreography and spacing on the side, and then jumping in and doing a whole entire number for the first time. It's great training for those of us who want to understudy or be a swing one day. - Allison, Ensemble

I have been in two shows where I was double cast, so the experience is not new to me! It is so interesting to find the similarities between me and my double cast, Julia, when I didn't think we were similar performers at all going into this production! Having open communication between each other has been the most helpful thing; we can decide together how we want to interpret our character's moment to moment within the show. - Caroline, Ensemble

Being double cast is, at times, a challenge because we are not always working on our feet. But I have learned that I absorb information very well from watching. And by watching the other cast, the work transfers very well to the stage when it's my turn. I'm maneuvering what needs to be done before presenting the full product. - Nicole, "Rusty"

Being double cast is a totally new experience for me! In some ways, it can be a little difficult, because my personal struggle as a performer is falling into the habit of comparing myself to others. Now that I'm sharing a role, I've found that it's important for me to celebrate my individuality. The great thing about being cast alongside Rachel is that I've been learning things from her as we go along. I've picked up on new ways to approach the material and I'm really appreciating how two different actors can use the same tactics to get what our character, Ariel, wants in a scene. Even though we're using the same methods to achieve our intentions, we each bring so much more to the table in terms of our individual personalities and our bodies' histories. It's very inspiring! - Charlin, "Ariel"

Randolph Academy's Footloose will run from July 28th to August 6th at the Randolph Theatre, Toronto, ON, Canada.