Part of the thrill of developing a new play is the workshop process – reading script ideas, digging into research, and using movement exercises to find the physical life of the play. Director Lauren Morris, stage manager Mia Kristen Smith, and actors Thandi DeShazor and Carolyn Cook recently spent three days workshopping Code Noir and shared their discoveries:
Thandi says, “We did a lot of silent movement work and it forced us to find different ways to relate. Especially since Carolyn is playing multiple characters, it’s important that the transitions are crisp… It’s really a workout!
Lauren says, “As we worked, it was so exciting for me to watch these two incredible actors discover a movement vocabulary that could communicate so much with so little. They could go from husband/wife to comrades in arms to mother/son in a matter of seconds with just the slightest shift of eye contact or proximity.”
Stay tuned for more updates on script development and rehearsals! And mark your calendar – or better yet, get tickets now for Code Noir: Les Aventures de Premier Comte de Monte Cristo (Black Code: the Adventures of the First Count of Monte Cristo)!
Lastly, if you want to support this production in a BIG way, you can Donate to TdR TODAY and help us reach our fundraising goal for the year. We’re 41% of the way there! Your gift at whatever level is right for you helps us hire the Code Noir team, build the world of the play, offer discounted tickets to students, and much more. No gift is too small (or too large) this holiday season!