Talley’s Folly Rehearsals
Posted by Anthony Sanford, Jr. on October 2nd, 2008 The set design model for Talley’s Folly, designed by John Lee Beatty. |
Talley’s Folly rehearsal is definitely underway. Today the rehearsal room went on a field trip to see the set under construction. For me, this beginning was quite lovely. Having already seen the model for the set, seeing it coming together in person was a reminder that it won’t be long until the play will be rehearsing on stage. The set, designed by John Lee Beatty, is the same design as the Tony award-winning Broadway production. It consists of raked platforms to make a boathouse and gazebo. (The boat actually floats in water!) The platforms create a very specific ground plan from which the actors and director negotiate movement patterns. Take a look at the model. I’m sure you’ll want to climb the actual set. I know I do!
One of the challenges of Talley’s Folly is creating an accurate “playground” for the actors. The day before rehearsals began I helped the stage management team tape the floor. It took about 8 hours, but we successful taped the outline of the set to the rehearsal room floor. We also taped reminders to the floor to indicate the height adjustment from one platform to another. Presented with the obstacle of representing the various posts that sprinkle the set, Alison, the stage manager, came up with the great idea of making hexagons to represent each post. The actors, however, also needed some real posts to maneuver around, so we use six eight-foot poles to represent the taller posts on the set. For the downstage posts, we use a little stool so that the actors can practice sitting until they can use the actual posts that will be in place on the set. Another challenge with imitating the set was creating the railings around the gazebo and upstage platforms. They play an important part in the actors’ mobility on the set and offer more options for staging. To solve this problem, we aligned the backs of chairs to create a faux railing where the actual railings of the set will be.
After physically creating the space for the actors, the ambiance was created. In the rehearsal for Talley’s Folly, we actually have some control over the lights and sounds, so the stage management team actually gets a little pre-tech practice in creating this nighttime rendezvous. I have never been privy to rehearsal conditions that allow for so much technical control. From dimming the lights to cueing the dogs, the stage management team stays busy. Their work is pretty effective, too. Some nights, I come home from rehearsal with crickets still chirping in my ears or feeling like it’s later than into the evening than it really is. As Matt says, “we have everything here to help us” and it makes a big difference.
Posted by Anthony Sanford Jr., Directing Producing Intern at McCarter Theatre
