The Seagull Study Guide (12MB) - Goodman Theatre

through the show as a whole. The rehearsal process
ends with technical rehearsal, or “tech”.
While the director and cast are in rehearsal, the
designers and their technicians have been hard at work
on all of the other components such as lighting, sound,
costumes, scenery. Tech is the period when all of these
elements finally come together on the stage. This period
– usually lasting a week – is as much a rehearsal for
the technicians and stage crew as it is a final rehearsal
period for the actors. This will be the actors’ first time on
stage in costume with full set and props. Here the timing
in the scenes must be tested to determine “cues.” This
could be a lighting cue, such as when lights come up or
go down, or a sound cue, such as music or a telephone
ring. Cues can also be used to describe entrances and
exits of actors. Technical bugs are also worked out with
the actor’s costumes and quick changes, as well as
actors’ relationship to the set (i.e. entrances and exits).
Tech ends in the final dress rehearsal which is the
last rehearsal before the audience comes to see the
show. In this final rehearsal, the show is performed in
its entirety with the actors in full makeup and costume
as they would be for a performance. After final dress,
the show starts a week of previews, a series of public
performances used to fine-tune the show. During the
preview period, changes can be made to all elements
of the production. When the house lights dim and the
curtain rises on opening night, the production is set (no
more changes) and a new show is born.
Check out more rehearsal photos from The
Seagull at: http://education.goodmantheatre.org
Director Robert Falls. Photo by Liz Lauren
each of his actors an idea of what their characters
should be doing, he allowed them to find their own
movements around the stage without blocking. By
directing this way, the show will evolve with each
performance.
Mr. Falls is very aware of the challenges involved with
this approach. According to Julie Massey, Mr. Falls’
personal assistant, “Bob recognizes that Chekhov has
written a far more complex and difficult play than it
may appear to be, and he has an appropriately healthy
respect for the demands that this places on him as a
director.”
Connecting on a Personal Level – Mr. Fall’s Journey
Robert Falls’ Seagull
Goodman’s Artistic Director is doing something very
different with this new production of The Seagull. What
sets this production apart is the way in which the actors
and company deal with the play. In this instance, every
detail of the production – from sets and costumes to the
overall concept – was discovered during rehearsals. A
radical departure from the usual process, Falls came
to the production without preconceived ideas about set
or period, casting a company of actors - and hiring a
team of designers - who were able to “find’ the concept
through the text and the interplay of characters. Giving
Many directors and actors choose to embark on a
project because they feel a personal connection to the
work. This is certainly the case with The Seagull . Both
Falls and Mary Beth Fisher, who plays Arkadina, first
encountered the play when they were young. Then they
identified with the play’s young and impressionable
and aggressive artists: Konstantin and Nina. Typical for
their age, Bob and Mary Beth (like Nina and Konstantin)
no doubt regarded the future as a destination with
endless possibilities and opportunities for personal
fulfillment. Just like Konstantin, Mr. Falls wanted to
create something new and defy traditional theatrical
conventions. With this production, Mr. Falls is coming at
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