Rehearsal Reports:

Rehearsal #1 // Monday-November-16th 7:00-9:00pm

Expectations:
Read through synopsis
First read of scene (and other scenes with Nora and Torvald)
Ask questions: What are the key questions this play is asking?
What is the spine of your character?
What motivates your character?
What questions do you have about this play?
Do a second read of the scene
Determine rehearsal schedule
Notes:
These actors have good voices.
Emma has thoughts about Nora- money is a huge deal, high stakes are challenging, and she is not
playing a doll anymore.
Paul is disgusted with Torvalds switch in feeling toward Nora. We will need to work on how he
is able to see his character.
Will language be a problem for these actors? There are times when they are affecting their
voices. Responsibility is huge in this society. Love translates to responsibility.
It might be difficult for Paul to find his way into the character without judging him.
We will need to work on more scenes before this one. Provide more clarity for Nora in terms of
money. Getting into the right place emotionally is what Emma is concerned with I told her that
isnt the point. It is my job to provide them with specific rehearsals and not overwhelm them.
Developing trust and a voice is important for me.
Rehearsal #2 // Friday-November-15th 3:00-5:00pm
Expectations:
Establishing a warmup
Starting with breath. Find a place in the room. In your own time make your way down to the
floor. Become aware of your breath, Let go of your belly. With soft eyes and as little effort as
possible, stretch out on your back lying flat on the floor. Imagine yourself as a pat of butter
sitting in a warm pan. Allow yourself to sink slowly into the floor. (Take them through releasing
every part of the body into the floor). Imagine every stress of your day melting away for the next
hour and a half there is nothing you can do about it. Become aware of your breath. Bring your
awareness back to the room.
Mirror rise from the floor and find yourselves in a mirror
Dance Listen to the music where does it live in your body? Experiment with leading with
different body parts. This dance should be just for you. It can be small or large but it should be
pleasing to you.
2nd time- this time after finding where this particular music lives in you, establish a repeatable
three part sequence.

3rd time- Paul, you are going to teach your dance Emma while Emma tries to hold on to as much
of her dance as possible.
Notes:
We took time being butter and doing mirrors seemed slow but good.
It helped me to find my voice in leading warmups.
Emma macaronied and then came back to the work we talked about the importance of this.
Paul- there was the potential for a lot of tension.
The dancing was SO GOOD. Worked with the Tarantella and went through the three time
process.
We did a second readthrough. Emma needs to be careful of letting her voice get too high in her
body. Slow down.
These are real people. He has to be wrecked.
Rehearsal #3 // Saturday-November-21st 10:00am-12:00pm
Expectations:
Similar warmup to rehearsal #2.
Mirror
Push/Pull
Door/Blanket- working on what you want and what keeps you in the room
Discussing need.
Notes:
They resisted closing distance in the mirror. I will need to do more physical work with them.
They loved push/pull. They giggled at first and then got over it..
We discussed need- for
Nora- she has a library of angry words in her head. How long has she known what she wants to
say?
Torvald- Need for rightly ordered experience. He loves her dearly.
Nora- to be taken seriously/to get an accounting
I was very encouraged by this rehearsal. Good things. I am excited to be working on this
material.
Rehearsal #4 // Tuesday-December-1st 7:00-9:00pm
Expectations:
Start on the floor. On your back, become aware of breath and work on releasing each part of
your body to the floor. Feel the warmth of your grounded connection to the flor. Take a bit of
time to center yourself and allow yourself to breath out whatever it is that is distracting you and
breath in clean air that is warm and strengthening.
In the next three minutes, make your way to your feet.
Work at putting each other into statues of rest and relaxed defiance.
Push/Pull
Scene Work- work through scene in space. Explore where the bed and chair might be. What is
blocking the door. Work with impulse.

Notes:
Both actors seemed to be much more grounded in their bodies and breath than they had
previously. We started with warmups and worked with the Jesus prayer. We worked with 1st, 2nd
and 3rd circles. Statue work really seemed to activate the actors. They are stunning bodies
providing rest for each other. Statues work especially well for Paul.
Paul needs to maintain the intimacy of what he is saying but LOUDER. Is it risky for Nora to
look him in the eyes? Telescoping lines at points is okay. What does instruction mean? Ive
got to do it on my own. Even though she is angry, she is still certain. I dont want to see the
children. Talk about costume.
I ended this rehearsal feeling very overwhelmed - Like I was giving them too much to work with.
Rehearsal #5 // Friday-December-4th 7:00-9:00am
Expectations:
WarmupsMartha (make it half way down by take a good look around you)
Kinetic Sculpture find a fluid motion but there is a static that keeps you from touchingexploration of bodies using different parts of the body to explore (cheeks, foot, forehead, elbow)
Rehearsal within beats. 4 sections- work with blocking.
Notes:
Trying to find moments of connection. Where is your center of gravity?
She MUST feel trapped. Sex is just the last nail in the coffin.
Encourage galumphing. Now edit.
DONT PANIC. And continue to play.
Set up a selfish goal.
This rehearsal was SO much better than the last one. Working within beats was so much clearer
to me and it was very helpful for my actors. We are making progress. They are now off book.
Rehearsal #6 // Saturday-December-5th 11:00am-1:00pm
Expectations:
WarmupsMartha
Floor times
Work on last two beats of the scene
Do each section individually and ask what their intentions are
Stop & Go
Run two times
Notes:
We did Martha and I joined. This is a good exercise to get them to slow down.
We did mirrors because I felt like they were not connected to each other. They are still having
trouble closing distance even when I ask them to.
There should be more physical transitions in bed when Torvald feels threatened or emasculated.

Rehearsal #7 // Monday-December-7th 9:00-10:00pm

Expectations:
Short warmup
Stop & Go + work trouble spots
Notes:
Having trouble getting Torvald to want to get Nora to stay which is making it difficult for Nora.
I want to have a rehearsal with just Emma I can tell she is getting frustrated.
In Class Rehearsal // Tuesday-December-8th
Notes:
Intention in the beginning?
Where does this break in the bed?
How does he bring her back?
What is the argument that brings her back? How do you paint that?
Take a beat with strangers and also with I dont want to see the children.
Think your thoughts in real time.
Packing at the beginning?
(this rehearsal was helpful, but I think that we as a class were not constructive in giving feedback
but made it a time to point out unhelpful flaws. I wonder if this could be done in a way that is
more respectful to the group and stays away from unnecessary comments.)
Rehearsal #8 // Thursday-December-10th 7:00-8:00pm
Expectations:
Work with Emma on Noras larger pieces
Work with blocking and intention
Notes:
This was a breakthrough rehearsal. Such good progress. I asked her to just do the scene as
Emma. We worked with humanizing Nora instead of her just being this really angry woman.
This opened something in Emma and allowed her to actually think about the words as she was
saying them rather than reciting lines. She said that she felt it was easier to work opposite me at
times because she felt more present. How do I bring that into the next rehearsal with Torvald?
Rehearsal #9 // Friday-December-11th 7:00-8:30am
Expectations:
WarmupPersonal stretching to wake up their bodies
A light jog
Push/Pull
Work through new blocking

Notes:
Made good progress in talking about intentions and needs with Paul. He is wrecked when she
leaves him. At this point, I dont know how else to communicate with Paul what he needs from
her. We did a stop and go rehearsal and by the end I think they are in a much better place than
they have been previously. We will have another rehearsal tomorrow morning before the final
presentations.