Have been working on an image board to try and get a better sense of Ariel. Made a cue sheet for myself of my exits/entrances and main blocking thus far. Satisfying the inner nerd, helping to learn it all! 

Busy night blocking with the harpy, and putting spells on Gonzalo and Antonio. The dynamic of the rehearsal space changes each night with the presence of different cast members and characters. Tonight I was the only female on stage. The boys are a lot more boisterous than working with Judy. It’s not good or bad, just a different energy! 

The harpy speech is my favourite Ariel section in the whole show. It’s so meaty, and deliciously fun to play a scary mythic bird. 

Need to do more work on articulation, as Denise mentioned during notes that some of my words are being swallowed. Happy to say, am getting off book more and more. Hurrah!

Phew! Lots of work tonight. We did my first scene with Prospero, and most of Act V, Sc I - “were I human” and “where the bee sucks...” etc. It was thrilling to really discover the power of Prospero’s shift from revenge to redemption - “the rarer action is/in virture than in vengeance”. 

Still trying to find Ariel’s twitches and ticks. My concern is that the speech will become disjointed and lose its rhythm. Perhaps it will be easier when the text is fully ingrained into my head... 

Now, I know this is entirely my JOB as an actor, but running around and speaking lines is exhausting! Show fitness is no joke people! But, oh my, how I LOVE IT. It makes me feel ALIVE. More of this please!

Worked on some more character analysis, basic biography kind of stuff, looked at Ariel’s backstory, what happens to her throughout the play, analyzed her function within it. I love this kind of intricate detective work. You realize what you don’t know. You realize what is actually important. It's a little painstaking, but it gives you a better understanding of the play, and who you are in it. Also, I am an enormous nerd and this kind of work is FUN. 

Borrowed Denise’s copy of Prospero’s Island - a, now out-of-print, book published in 1984 that analyzes The Tempest through Jungian analysis. Quite an academic analysis, it’s heavy going, but unearths an interesting perspective of the play. Made some notes on Ariel, mainly that she is an extension of Prospero’s power and represents the alchemical. Helped to make more sense of Denise’s vision of the play. 

I have all but two speeches memorized. The language is becoming easier to handle, and I hate to admit it, but that damn scansion absolutely helps!! 

Absolutely melting at the language and substance of the play. The speech that got me tonight is one of Prospero's (rather famous) speeches -

I mean, COME ON! That is seriously DELICIOUS writing. 

• Establishing authenticity in rehearsals: how we do keep that authenticity in the space, and on the stage? 
• What is revealed to us as actors? As characters?
• FINDING EACH MOMENT 

Tonight I had to ride my bicycle to rehearsal - my first time cycling through Fort Collins in the dark. The moon, two days away from a full moon, was out.I channeled my inner fire spirit and imagined flying through the dark night... 

It was delicious. Except for the fact that it was freezing. Alas, I am not a spirit, but a human, and I lack the ability to create fire at will. I arrived at rehearsal resembling an ice block. All my drama school tutors harping on about arriving to rehearsal early and ready to start trilled through my head as I spent the first half of the rehearsal trying to defrost and pay attention to the scene rather than my frozen feet. Thankfully we were still reading, and I wasn’t actually required for the first half-hour (see, I was EARLY and therefore ON TIME!)... but it was a good reminder to be prepared: i.e. will getting to rehearsal impede my ability to function at said rehearsal? I'm an Aussie living in the northern hemisphere in winter. It's harder than I imagined. 

TONIGHT’S DISCOVERIES 
- How can Ariel help to create the drama: emotional investment in what is going on? Ariel needs to be invested not only for the purposes of creating drama, but for herself - if all goes to plan, she will be freed. 
- Harpy scene: I will be mic-ed, and my voice distorted through the microphone. 

Spent the afternoon before rehearsal listening to different versions of Ariel’s songs online for inspiration.  

Musically, I found some ambient/indie guitar stuff, some jazz, a classical and floaty soprano Ariel, and an utterly hilarious musical... Tchaikovsky wrote a fantasy overture based on The Tempest, but unlike his other works, it doesn’t do much for me. 

The most interesting discovery was a fully-fledged opera composed by Thomas Adés and first performed in Copenhagen in 2004. The music doesn’t do much for me, (though interesting to note that Ariel is again a female, and a collaratura soprano to boot), but the visual design of the show is spectacular. Ariel’s costume is amazing, and the harpy flies in on a chandelier. Not sure if we’ll have the budget (or the facilities) for flying...! 

Not sure if I will be able to sing or play flute for this production, but I did mention to Denise that I do both. Perfect for a singing and music playing sprite! 

I also discovered that historically, from the early 1700s through to the mid-twentieth century, Ariel had been played by women. In my own humble and completely unbiased opinion, Ariel is one of the most interesting and fun characters in the show. I love the idea of women being able to perform a role that isn’t a portraying a virgin/sex object. On that note, I love that we have a female Prospero. It adds an interesting dimension to the story, a woman and her child being exiled, Gonzalo’s care for them, the mirror and foil of Sycorax, the idea of women having power that isn’t sexualized. Brava!

Rehearsal #2
More Meisner reading of the text. As the scenes grew bigger, with more cast involved, it became harder to do the Meisner stuff. Though challenging, it was still interesting to be finding the truth of each scene. We read through my first scene with Prospero, which is loaded with information about who I am, my past, and why I do what I do (obey Prospero in order that I will gain my FREEDOM). 

Today was the first time we had a full-cast present. YAY! It was wonderful to finally meet everyone, and exciting to everyone in the room. I realized just how many MEN are in this show, and the significance of having a female Prospero and Ariel. Without us, Miranda, the virginal innocent, would be the only female on stage. I say NO to that representation of fifty percent of the population. 

Questions arising from today: 
How does it feel to be imprisoned by Sycorax?
What is it like to re-live the torment? 

The rehearsal process is super organized. The script has been broken into four sections, with each section rehearsed once over four nights. Each section is further divided into four, with specific call-times so that we are not required 7-10pm every night. I would prefer to watch the whole rehearsal process, but just about every person in the cast and crew is working full-time in addition to the show, Denise is conscious of using everyone’s time wisely. It’s a joy to work with organized people! 

The floor has been taped out with set markings, and there is a finished set model on hand for reference. Very exciting. The set is a gradually descending series of platforms, with a ramp that leads out to the stage floor. 

Rather than jumping straight into blocking, for the first week we’re going through a Meisner-esque process whereby we sit knee-to-knee and read the text. The aim to find the authenticity of each scene, and explore the emotions experienced by our characters. 

It’s a fascinating process to watch, and I was surprised at how much we were able to discover. Watching Judi as Prospero is wonderful. She radiates a quiet inner power which is thrilling. 

My main note from Denise was to sloooooow down the pace of my speech. I found that incredibly amusing, as my usual note when speaking in a Gen Am accent is to speed up. 

A really fun rehearsal... Please sir, may I have some more?! 

Thanks to the Broadway production of The Lion King, I am a huge fan of Julie Taymore. I think she’s brilliant. The Lion King is one of the only long-running shows on Broadway that remains fresh. I’ve seen it three times in two different countries, and every time was exciting and wonderful. 

So with great anticipation, I sat down with Aaron to watch Julie Taymore’s version of The Tempest starring Helen Mirren as Prospero. And then, we promptly turned it off. Well, we made it to the end Caliban’s first scene. Aaron was curious to see how they did it because he played Caliban in high school. But no further could we tread. 

Let’s just say, it’s not my favourite movie... 

Character analysis! Went through the script and made note of all the references to Ariel, and the names by which she is called. 

The only other character I have direct interaction with is Prospero. All my other interactions are indirect, where I’m either invisible to the other characters (putting Gonzalo and Alonso to sleep, playing my tabour to lure Caliban, Sebastian, and Antonio), or in a different form (nymph/harpy/goddesses). 

Prospero refers to me several times as a bird, and as a small creature - “delicate Ariel,”  “spirit too delicate,” “my bird”, “dainty Ariel”, “chick” etc. This fits well with my initial reading of Ariel as child-like, small, and young. Ariel is a spirit so essentially ageless, but I like the idea of playing her a child with bird like qualities. The image of a sparrow comes to mind. - quick movements, lots of sharp little head turns. I need to better merge the idea of the fire spirit with the bird spirit... 

Shakespeare gives us a lot of specific information about Ariel’s past. She has presumably always lived on the island. When Sycorax, a foul witch banished from Algier, was on the island she tried to make Ariel perform her evil commands. Ariel, being “a spirit too delicate” refused, and Sycorax trapped her within a tree. Sycorax died, and Ariel remained trapped in the tree for twelve years, howling and crying so that all animals could hear, until Prospero released her. Ariel then becomes Prospero’s servant, doing tasks on the promise that she will be released. 

The questions that arise for me are:

• Why did Prospero not release Ariel straight away? I presume that Prospero recognizes Ariel’s power, and needs Ariel in order to become the enlightened magus. Interestingly, it is through Ariel that Prospero gains compassion for Alonso/Gonzalo et al. and chooses forgiveness over revenge - if Ariel, a little spirit, can develop compassion, why not a “wise” being like Prospero? 
• Why do academics think Prospero is benevolent? I am utterly confused by this. If Prospero is so good, why doesn’t she release Ariel straight away? Because drama, because we need Ariel for the story... it’s a play. But still.

Is it time for rehearsal yet?!