*

March 22, 2008
We don't start rehearsals for another month, but we had our first read-through of the play today in producer Jeffrey Finn's office in New York. Doug Hughes wanted to take advantage of the fact that Bill was in the city for the weekend. Also got to meet Chuck Means, our stage manager, who worked with Bill on The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? The reading only took 90 minutes, but we stayed for at least three hours discussing the themes of the play, the history, the politics behind it. This is a very good sign. I had done the play five years ago in London, an entirely different production, but I am relieved to find that the writing is so rich I feel confident it will sustain my interest again.

April 28, 2009
Today is our first day of rehearsals here in New York [in anticipation of the Los Angeles run], starting with a meet and greet. Neil Patel shows us his model of the set design, which is very exciting. It seems like there is a lot of opportunity to move around, instead of Carol being stuck in her chair and John being stuck at his desk. Have to be mindful of the thrust stage; The Taper is not a traditional proscenium theatre, but the audience sits in a semi-circle (much like a lecture hall). After the introductions, Bill, Doug, the stage managers and I are left to do some table work. This initial part of rehearsals is all very intellectual and cozy; we are just beginning to wrap our heads around the material, but don't have to get up and fall on our faces yet. At the end of the day, my brain firing on all cylinders, Bill and I ride the elevator down together. I think we both know that a lot lies ahead; it feels a little like chugging uphill on a roller coaster, really slowly before you get to the peak.

	Director Doug Hughes, Julia Stiles and Bill Pullman
	photo by Joan Marcus

Week of May 5th, 2009
We are already on our feet, rehearsing the blocking. Taking away the tables feels a bit like removing a pacifier; it's a necessary rite of passage, but you feel a little stranded. The stage managers have put chairs around the space to remind us of sight-lines, but I have a feeling that that won't sink in until we are physically in the theatre. I meet with Kate Wilson, a terrific voice instructor I've worked with in the past. We discuss the pitfalls of a thrust stage, particularly in terms of being heard. How audible we are isn't just about volume, but sight lines, too, and being able to see our mouths. To compensate for sometimes having our faces turned away from certain areas of the house, Kate suggests just acknowledging that section is there, with a brief turn of the head (naturally, of course), to include them vocally. I like how her approach to projection involves not just the voice, but your whole body. I also learn by watching Bill that we don't always have to look at each other when we talk. At this stage in rehearsals, we are still trying to get the lines and cues, so my tendency is to fixate on him and ignore the rest of the space. Must get over that.