"This Is Our Youth" By Keneth Lonergan
Theatre Royal Studio Theatre, Hobart
January 17-24, 2024
Applying the Alexander Technique to rehearsal and performance.
Bigger show. Better theatre. Higher stakes.
Rehearsing with ease.
This Is Our Youth by Kenneth Lonergan is the second Golding/Tooker production that I have directed. We spent months in rehearsal applying the Alexander Technique to the rehearsals and performances. I was delighted to be working with Sam Tooker and Jacob Godling again, and adored working with the amazing Ella Watkins.
With a five-month rehearsal process, we had the time to work on the fundamentals of acting: voice, movement, and Alexander Technique. So, the actors are truly free, connected, present, and able to perform from moment to moment. This is very scary for the actor; they have to let go of control and trust in their ability to listen and respond. When they do this, they are vulnerable, which makes live theatre so exciting. When actors allow their vulnerability to show, we get to go on the journey with them. Live Theatre done well can be life-changing. I believe as a community we are stronger when we are given the opportunity to explore and question our lives. The themes in This is Our Youth are universal and timeless.
The other bonus of the long rehearsal period was the many great hours exploring and embodying the characters. The actors very bravely explored their backstories and had to deal with complex issues. Playwrights rarely give us stable characters; they are usually people in crisis with a traumatic background. I believe the way we have worked has enabled them to step into their character’s shoes and then finish and say “That was fun”. They have learned to become a storyteller instead of losing themselves in the character.
Warming up and preparing.
We would spend at least an hour at the start of every rehearsal exploring the Alexander Technique and warming up our bodies and voice. We also danced to get grounded and connected to their bodies, and we danced to music from the time the play was set in, this gives us a feel for the rhythm of the time. If actors are going to connect and listen to each other, they have to be fully present and alive. Their bodies need to be aligned and their breath needs to be free. Their voices have to be strong to fill a big theatre. They found that when they were well warmed up, they were able to create “place”. This means if it is midnight in Autumn in New York in 1982, that is where they need to be. Any unnecessary tension gets in the way. This unnecessary tension can be physical or mental. Being nervous and stuck in your head about trying not be nervous, or having physical tension that stops your having a free breath and presence, makes it almost impossible to be in a New York apartment in Autumn in 1982. As long as the actors were firmly “in place” they did beautiful work.
Another bonus of long rehearsal period was the many great hours spent exploring and embodying the characters. The actors bravely explored their back stories, and had to deal with many complex issues. My job was to create a safe environment for them to do this. Playwrights rarely give us stable characters; they are usually people in crisis with a traumatic background. I believe the way we worked, enabled the actors to step into their characters shoes and then finish and say “that was fun”. They learnt to become a story teller instead of losing themselves into the character. This makes it safe for them as actors, and for us as the audience.
An observation on technology.
Because “This Is Our Youth” is set in 1982 the actors needed to understand the different bodies and rhythm of people who have never held a mobile phone, paid for their shopping with their watch, but had to put on a record or cassette to listen to music, and only have access to free to air TV etc. With much resistance, they agreed to spend 24 hours as if living in 1982. At the end of the 24 hours, they were more peaceful, focused and calm. Their work was freer and more connected. We tried to implement not using any technology after warm up for the remaining rehearsals, and for the performances. This was not always possible as Jacob and Sam were also the producers of the play, but when they did stay away from technology, they were not pulled back into 2024 and found being present in the moment easier.
There are two individuals whose input into this process has been invaluable:
Alison Stanton-Cook
Intimacy Co-ordinator Ally Stanton-Cook has worked with the actors on the intimacy and physical scenes. I so welcome this role in our industry. It is very important that the actors feel safe and listened to. Ally was great to work with.
Intimate moments in a play unveil a character’s depth, crucial for story development. Often rushed or neglected, they leave cast and crew uneasy. An Intimacy Coordinator provides a language and process, enabling open communication about ideas, boundaries, and needs. Leading consent discussions and offering self-care cues in rehearsals fosters trust. Coordinators collaborate with directors to convey the meaning of physical interactions, offering tools like placeholders and touch levels. Artists deserve safety, empowerment, and creative support. Facilitating confident, present portrayals of characters in beautiful, intimate moments is a rewarding experience.
Howard Fine
To be able to take some scenes from This Is Our Youth to work with one of the world’s greatest acting teachers was so exciting. From a direction point of view, it is always important to get someone else’s input, this is because you can be too close to the actors, and become too involved in the process. Howard was amazing, he knows this play and New York really well, and so he was able to sort out a few script analysis details we had missed and more importantly he could pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses of the actors. From a weakness point of view this was invaluable and gave me the tools to keep working with the actors to strengthen their work to being the best they could be. From a strengths point of view; it was a validation of our process. We have been studying Howard‘s techniques through our 5-month rehearsal process, and he was very impressed with their work and work ethic, and told me he believed “we had a hit on our hands”.
