rehearsal, rehearsal, rehearsal!
this is the schedule leading up to the week of shooting in baltimore (the x-mas scene, the dinner scene, kalin in her bedroom and bathroom scenes). as you can see, i like to do a lot of backstory stuff. i think it is essential, but then i won't bore you with my directorial philosophy! kevin (who plays kalin's father, keith) had lots of rehearsal even though he didn't say one word in all his scenes in the movie. but i think he was amazing and that he didn't need to say a thing to convey a million words. as i said, i'm a big proponent of backstory improv! it was also the very first time i had met with kerrie martin, who ended up playing young kalin. yeah, it was down to the last minute, but i hadn't seen anybody who really fit the part. was i ever happy when kerrie waltzed in! she was a star and a true professional all the way! (my only sag actor - at 5 years old!)
i was going to end the commentary here, but i thought i'd tell you one "rehearsal story." my favorite was when kevin and scott darby (who played the creepy cowboy, uncle charlie) were improving a backstory of when they were younger. kevin (keith) was supposed to be 12 and his big bro was supposed to be 17 and out at a party and the impov picks up when charlie comes home and keith is waiting up for him in their bedroom, so he can hear all about the party. we were in a reahearsal space at nyu and pretended that 2 couches were beds, and scott comes in and says hey to his brother and then promptly drops his pants!! and gets into bed. well, of course, i thought, as i learned whether scott wore boxers or briefs, his character is going to bed and what guy goes to bed in his jeans!... ahh, the wonders of method acting :) i, of course, kept my directorial cool and pretended as though i had totally expected that ... NOT!