Barry Yandell

. Barry’s critique is below. Read all of it.

Do the old opening

PAY attention to the weather.

Critiques from last night & Barry’s

·         Step on lines  His biggest criticism “Stepping on lines must be intense.”

·         Another criticism – Look at each scene – what is the climax? What is the climax of the play? Discover clarity through the lines.

·         Work on all accents -  everyone – especially Rose, Roberson, Edie

·         Main issue – Each scene seems the same except for Joey’s and the women’s.

·         Richer and richer – together

·         Shine shoes Clarence. He said this too. Gestures from within

·         Doris – cut the melodrama in the Sidney scene and women’s scene. ( This is mine – you have to look Sidney and the women in the eyes)

·         Robertson – To whom r you speaking?  2^nd time we have heard this.  Hit consonants. Gestures initiated from within. Step away from frozen people.  He suggested that you speak upstage sometimes. Think about this during the Hooverville lines.  Work on Germany and soft shoe lines. Look at  your watch when you say clock ticking.

·         Loved Joey, Quinn, - loved the entrances.

·         Grandpa – use the cane. Try a dif. Voice – That is his specialty.

·         Lee – believable, honest – his favorite   I need you to be younger at the beginning. Great job in such a short length of time. Great stage presence.

·         Change the door bell. Cody, I owe you – I’m sorry I messed up.

·         Music was too loud at times. If you are speaking, over compensate if you are speaking over music.

·         EVERYONE – final consonants.

·         We need to move people from CS – just to the left or right.

·         During the Mississippi scene, Dancers toward left and upstage with silhouettes.

·         Did not like red wash on protestors – Lindsey, Cole and Lane – What do you think?

·         Too many scenes in the same places.

·         Tempo and rhythm in each scene needs to be worked out.

·         Needs more of a relationship between Quinn and Graham. Roberson, laugh at Graham’s forwardness and at Quinn’s awkwardness.

·         Cut music after Quinn’s scene.

·         Fanny – straighten cloth on bar.  Think of times to move around the front.

·         Each character needs to change – within a scene – a priority in the entire play.

·         Men – shadows on heads.

·         Sidney – work on a more nasal singing tone.

·         Everyone, look at actors in the eyes.

·         Isaac, you were not involved in the action. You cannot look awkward on stage.

·         Awkward freezes – we need to choreograph them  - this was during Moe and Lee’s scene. Moe step a little out of the light.

·         Loved welfare scene.

·         Loved Mississippi dancing scene – liked him in the light sitting?

·         Irene’s speech – it worked today because of the people noises.

·         Paige and Kapush, don’t upstage the focus.  We may move you.

·         Edie Lee scene didn’t work.

·         All women whined.  Fanny, lower register.  Too much whining. Get a wet rag and wipe necks, drink water, play real cards. He loved the energy there and the energy with Lee. Everything else drug.

·         Everyone who has monologues – “see” the person to whom you are talking.

·         Rose – loved your levels in monologue. Everyone learn from that.

·         Lee, first speech is carefree and happy. Plant your feet and use your body with the words.

·         Fanny, lost your accent during the opening scene.

·         Moe– sit more left stage – left of center – use a bench. We need you a lot louder.

·         Lee, remember you are on stage and you say _ What did they believe?

·         Everyone – the bank scene was horrible. We need to choreograph it.

·         On Banks’ scene, Ty and Savannah, cross from right to left.

·         He had a hard time figuring out what to focus on. We need to make sure lights are right on the spot. People need to look at whomever is speaking.

·         LOOK AT ACTORS.

·         Be always in the moment.  It is a new day. You have never been here before.

·         Dance as silhouettes

·         No straight lines in dancing. No straight lines at all anywhere anytime.

·         Block the little scenes upstage.

·         Rehearse with feelings.

·         In the welfare scene, and all other scenes, know why you are there and how you feel.