Tonight we rehearsed scenes 1, 2, and 5.

Ok two major takeaways tonight: 1) Madeleine'’s monologue at the top of Scene 2 is probably one of my top favorite monologues maybe ever now. It’s so New York and hilarious and also, maybe, probably, a little bit exactly me. ;) The actress playing her is just nailing it…I’m so happy she auditioned and is now playing her. She strikes just the right mix of hard/sarcastic and humor yet still sympathetic. 2) So far creating the distinct "areas” on stage to denote each location has made me happy. I feel it’s the right move and generally adds clarity.

The actress playing Suzan still continues to thrive and bring such wonderful energy to the scenes. The actor playing Alex is…not quite there yet. He is a great person and clearly wants to do well, and he hasn’t become frustrated or difficult at all, but it has just not clicked yet. Alex is uncomfortable in his role as a leader; he’s sensitive, he’s new to this; he is, at times, insecure. In scenes 1 and 5, this is clear. Very clear. Furthermore, even if the actor just read the lines without trying, the playwright has written them well enough that that comes through..They are written to sound realistic as dialogue, like Mamet. Less is more. Less is always more. I don’t know how many ways I can say all of this. I feel like a broken record and I feel bad that I keep stopping him…But there is no need to ACT every line….Lest you forget he’s an actor, he’ll remind you. You know? The good news is that he got better as we went on…I think it was starting to sink in. It will take time. We will get there.

We found a really sweet moment between Alex and Madeleine when he jokingly insists on sniffing her armpits:

Anyway, I’m loving directing this. I love focusing on relationships and the subtle shifts and evolution within them through each scene. It’s the best part - in my opinion - of working on plays. I’m not bogged down by plot-essential blocking and details. Everyone in the cast and the stage manager have great attitudes and are a joy to work with. I am so grateful.