The Battle Rages On

I'm not just listening to the Deep Purple song.
So last night I was driving through the blizzard that chose spring break to ravage Allentown. Long story short, I finally know exactly what I want to say with this show. I mean, I should know it and whatnot since I wrote it, but I was wrong. Not afraid to admit it. I was reading an article on the 4+ hour movie "Che" and Soderbergh was saying how he didn't realize what it was really about until it was released. I guess I should be glad this hit me early on.
The Battle Rages On. Jason and I discussed the plot development last week and the inverted triangle came up. You have the hero that falls then rises again to audience approval. Well this play will have an inverted inverted triangle... So yeah, right-side up. Anyway, here's a breakdown.
In scene one we establish Reese and his philandering ways. At the change, Reese recognizes his flaws and is reunited with "the only girl to make him squirt" which is my stiff upper-lip British way of saying "One true love" (There's such thing in the universe I made up) As the lights rise on scene 2, Reese has grown slightly. The hero has risen at this point. Shit happens and he returns right back to where he was, a manwhoring-douchenozzle.
Nick Barber is playing a manwhore. It just seemed fitting. With Adam (the brain in the bottle) I wanted to try something new. We've all seen Hank in his goofy physical humor and how he can play innocence. He's a damn funny guy. He's very physical and large (not a shot, just saying, he's very theatrical in movement) and I would like to challenge him by limiting his physical action. By my logic, he will be putting more thought into what he does and be much more selective about his choices in action. That all makes sense in my brain-meats.... my squishy, squishy brain-meats.
Going back to Nick, during his audition I he made me question what my own reasonings were for the characters actions. He brought something I didn't see and I'd like to see what else he has. He also took direction well. All of my auditioners did, actually.
Natalie brought an down to earth honesty to D'Arcy that I liked. A bluntness, too. I think it will also be a challenge for me to direct her. I remember watching her in Henry IV and how she had that forwardness but at the same time was reserved on stage. I'd like to break her of that. Really open her up to the audience. I wonder if she can cry on command.
Another risk I'm throwing into my show is casting a high schooler. Will's friend Nikki B auditioned. She was good, but I'll need to break her of the high school acting I noticed. Crossed arms, choosing to yell right away, covering her mouth... Most of what I noticed was technical, but she was genuine in the emotion and should be fun to work with. I also need rehearsals to finish by 10pm... Fucking Cinderella laws.

At our pre-break meeting, the cast seemed to mesh really well. Natalie seemed a little nervous, but she also had another meeting after. Beyond that, I noticed a good chemistry, especially betwixt Hank and Nick which is probably best because well, their characters are best friends and I want that honesty conveyed.

The Battle Rages On... I can't get it out of my head. That's probably a good thing. Battles rage on... she show must go on... they both carry connotations of going forward... never being finished. I need to look into this. It's like a recycling symbol. Yup, that's the path my show takes... a giant recylce sigul. I need to look into that... reduce reuse recycle... It's about restraint. How long can a person be restrained? How many turns of the wheel? The story never ends. It's a never ending story. That goes on and on and on and on and on. Like Journey.
Capitulation, bitches.