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Sometimes the biggest moments in rehearsal happen before we even open the script.

We arrived at the programs building around 6:00 to a relatively small group. As we settled in, one ensemble member casually announced that she wanted to read King Lear that night.

I was thrilled.

The group was excited to be together, and to dive into reading. It was clear that several of them had been reading their scripts over the weekend, as many came in with new ideas about which characters they were interested in playing. One announced to the group that she wants to play Kent right as she arrived. She told us that she had been sharing the script with some people throughout the facility and getting everyone excited to see our prodcution.

I don’t think I realized that was going to happen when we first arrived at the programs building on Tuesday. It was just after 6:00, and only a handful of ensemble members had gathered. We chatted about other programs, shared stories, and waited for the rest of the group to arrive. One participant asked me what our question of the day was, and I told her we were asking everyone to reflect on when they first felt like they belonged in the ensemble.

We got to programs around 5:55. As we get more members in the room, we start check in. We start around 6:30.

One member leads the ring for the first time.

Today, we moved forward with Act 1, Scene 3, which is a very short scene.

After reading it through, the ensemble discusses what is happening in the scene. They seem to connect to Goneril’s anger toward Lear.

One participant said: “She sounds angry, she wants to be left alone.” 

A participant: “You rocked that,” she tells the reader.