Finding the shape

The first two textual analysis rehearsals threw up some interesting ideas and observations. The final one is this evening, before we start looking in more detail at characters and context. So, ahead of tonight's somewhat condensed 90 minute rehearsal, I thought it expedient to have a go at dividing up the dialogue in the seventeen scenes into individual voices and speakers. I'm not thinking much about who the speakers are at this stage, I simply want to look for patterns in the arguments, referring to the notes taken at the read-throughs as a guide. We established that some scenes are obviously monologues, whereas some are suited to larger numbers (whole ensemble in some cases) and some voices work better with specific genders.
Variation in the numbers is important to an extent, but I'm trying to avoid variation for the sake of it. It has been a fairly mechanical exercise, but it has been interesting thinking in a little more detail about when an existing voice carries on a particular thought or line of argument, and when it seems that a new speaker has stepped in. In some cases I think I have been fairly accurate and deliberate, in others freer and more arbitrary.
So the plan for tonight is to test out these first attempts (pun not intended) with the various voices at the rehearsal, and make any changes that the cast feel are required. Hopefully three additional actors are joining us for the first time tonight, bringing the total up to 10, although Sarah can't make tonight but 9 will allow for a pretty strong consensus. So tonight's work will be useful for bringing the new actors up to speed with the play, having not read it before, and I hope their slightly fresher eyes and ears will be able to inject some new energy and ideas into what we have already brought together.
Meanwhile, a clear contextual concept or holding form is beginning to take shape in my mind. Blogging about it will help bring the ideas together, but I think it's a subject for a new post over the weekend, once tonight's work has been completed.