How To Be Another Woman

How To Be Another Woman
1980s New York. Anything is possible.

Creative Team

Director Natalie Abrahami
Design Samal Blak
Choreography Aline David
Lighting David Holmes
Sound Rich Walsh

Tuesday 20 July 2010

WEEK ONE, Day Two: HOW TO WARM UP

Listen to your favourite tracks from 1980, something by Michael Jackson, Duran Duran or even some of Kate Bush's earlier work. Follow the leader, 'if you can't see anyone else in front of you then you are the leader' says the choreographer. Don't say anything it is 10am and there will be plenty of time for talking later. It is like being in an exercise class, or being sucked through an MTV time warp into an alternative dance video reality invaded by Dolly Parton and her colleagues working '9-5'. This is fun, and a great way to show off all of your favourite moves. Show the choreographer what you can do, she will probably use your moves to inspire her to make up the sequences you will be dancing for the 5 week run of the play so enjoy it.

By day 3 of week 1, you begin to become more adventurous with this warm up game, there are a lot of items of 1980's costume lying around and it would be great for the director to begin to see how you can use them. Break away from the group when Footloose comes on the sound system, it has inspired you to try on a pair of stilettos and improvise, when the rest of the ensemble do the same pretend you are strutting down 5th avenue on your way to your NYC office and everyone is looking at you, the director likes this, you are beginning to create the world of the play. As the week continues you become even more playful during your warm up. The director has pointed out there are only 4 of you in the cast (all women) and 12 characters in the play, and some of those are men. Think to yourself that changing your physicality will be important for the audience to follow the story. Spend half an hour one just moving like a man, wonder to yourself: 'how do men walk?' Watch men intently on the street after rehearsal, take notes, look away when they get the wrong idea. Show off your male moves the next day.