Summary

And we’re almost done.

First we simply added the words to the preparation we had done. Meaning, just seeing what happens organically as you use the words of the text to answer whatever impulses you get. Then we talked about using active verbs as a way of more specifically addressing how you do what you do. And, lastly, we talked briefly about finding specific clues in the text as to how it might be performed.

If we’ve done the work right the text will not be a fixed thing but something we improvise on based on a solid foundation of our preparatory work and whatever we’ve worked out in rehearsal. Just to be clear, the words themselves are fixed, and, as I said, you need to do what you’ve agreed on as you’ve rehearsed. But the individual moment will never be exactly the same. It will always vary a little bit as you respond to each other’s behavior as it is in this moment.

Having come this far, you are now actually using the words to act. Both how they are written and what they mean. The words are working for you. They inform you and what you do. But they don’t control you.