A couple of observations that hit me tonight during what was (mostly) a tech rehearsal.
Tonight, one of our Woyzeck actors injured her neck and upper back. Nothing serious (I hope!), but she couldn't turn her head. Somewhat limiting, but the upside was that as the Captain she didn't look at Woyzeck. It's amazing what power *not* acknowledging someone can have. Though cautiously underplayed to protect her neck, the scene moved in a new direction as Woyzeck was now genuinely trying to get the Captain's attention. My good colleague, Rob Knopf, has talked about status in acting work quite a bit, but it was quite powerful to see it in action. Also, in keeping with lot of gender studies, particularly in drag (e.g., Diane Torres), the lack of movement made the performance much more masculine.
I was also struck by how many levels there are in Woyzeck. All the zingers are there, but we're going to spend the next week trying to find all the other points on the spectrum. Get ready for Woyzeck, the comedy (just kidding).
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