What about Bob?

SO I thought it would be a cool thing to interview Steve about working ith the Bobs so far. Here are the clips from that day.
DEFINITELY A SPOILER ALERT

Bob #9 Stephen Ray

Stephen was very intense. Frightening at times. But always the character, never the actor. He was truly being. Open and honest. It is what we ask for.



Here's a glimpse of the warm-ups, kind spoiler alert. No big reveals or anything.



This one is in mid-play, so definitely a SPOILER.




This one is nother Spoiler, interview section after the run.

Bob #8 Betty-Jane Parks

SPOILER ALERT, entry as well as video clips.

Similar to my experience with Josh, this was the most challenging thing I've seen Betty-Jane take on. It was an extremely personal journey for Betty-Jane. I was glad to have been privy to this performance.



Here's a scene from her performance. Definite SPOILER ALERT

Bob #7 Josh Hamel

Our 7th Bob was Josh Hamel. I have seen Josh's work before but this was, by far, the best
performance I have seen him turn in. On a scale of 1-10, where 1 is 100% Cerebral and 10 is 100% Cathartic, Josh was at least a 9. It was such an incredibly touching and honest performance.

I hope to see Josh in something meaty like this on a local stage in the future.

This is definitely a SPOILER alert.



and these, as well.

Bob #6 Eugenie Bondurant

Eugenie Bondurant is no stranger to the stage but mainly focuses her work on camera. It was very interesting to see how that translated to this project. She was so engaging. When on-camera actors cold read they grab what they can of the script and "pull it off the page" so they will be looking at the camera or at the object of focus when delivering the line. On-stage actors conventionally give the emotion required looking at the script and then bring the focus up to their partner at the end of their line. Still engaging, but not as intense.

Eug. put every ounce of intensity she had into every line. The show took about 7 minutes longer, but was a powerful experience for Steve.

Reminder: these video clips are spoilers for anyone who has not yet performed in or seen a production.



And here are a few interview clips between Eugenie and Steve. Definite SPOILER ALERT on these.

Bob #5 Matt Lundsford

Matt was awesome to have on board. Firstly, he got all the englishism :) But mostly because he, too, is always willing to play and commit whole-heartedly. Here are a few SPOILER clips from warm-ups and mid-performance.





And here's his immediate reaction as soon as the show was over. No major spoiler here. This one is safe.

Bob #4 Christen Petitt

Christen was the first Bob to "go off book" so to speak. Her natural skills at making improvisational small talk made for a fascinating time for us in the audience. We liked to see Steve have to adapt to the new dynamic. What fun.

This first clip is not so much of a spoiler alert.



But this one is. Please don't watch if you want to be an oak tree virgin when you attend.

Bob #3 Slake Counts

Slake was a favored performer of every one in the room when he showed up that night, having worked with Steve, Clare and myself on various projects. We were all excited to have him on board.

Spoiler alert. Just a reminder that these clips should not be watched until you have performed in or seen a production.

Bob #2 Michael McGreevy

This Clip has a little bit of a spoiler, so watch at your own risk. If you are confused about my spoiler reference, please read the Guide to this Blog. Thanks.

Michael has always brought a sturdy performance in anything I have worked with him on or seen him in. It was nice to see that it comes naturally to him and it is not just something that comes after weeks of rehearsal.

Bob #1 Kari Goetz

Kari is to be credited with the idea to record the reaction of the Bobs. She was our inaugural Bob and I chose her for this role after careful thought. I wanted the first Bob to be someone who could be completely open to anything that would be given to her. Someone who can take an arsenal of givens and remain present, just be. We have used two words when talking to our Bobs: honest and open. We, the audience, are most interested in your honest and open response to the situations at hand. Although Kari has an extensive background in Improv, including studying and working with Second City in LA, she doesn't feel the pressure to "perform" that sometimes can be associated with improv troupes. More closely related to the true definition of imrov, Kari stays in the moment and doesn't spend precious time or energy on what to do next or what the audience wants to see.
She was a joy to work with and I'm sure Steve and others who observed can comment as well.

Here's Kari's comment to being Bob. This one is short and not really a spoiler, so feel free to watch.

Ami Sallee Corley
Director, An Oak Tree

Your Guide to this Blog - Please Read

DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE SCHEDULED TO BE A GUEST ACTOR AND HAVE NOT YET PERFORMED!!!!!!!

The Gorilla Theatre is producing Tim Crouch's An Oak Tree this September. It is the ultimate look at the acting process and the power of suggestion.

The Premise: 2 actors. The 1st has been in rehearsal for 4 1/2 weeks. The 2nd is a different actor every night who has no prior knowledge of the script. Yes, they walk onto the stage for their opening night completely cold, unprepared. It is the proverbial actor's nightmare realized. Through the course of the evening the 1st actor, Steve Mountan, guides the 2nd actor, "Bob", through a series of communication techniques that provide Bob with a loose framework of what is supposed to happen. The rest, the direction the play goes from there, is solely up to what Bob brings to the table.

In addition to the 13 Performance Bobs, we have invited 23 local actors to our rehearsals. Steve needs an unaware Bob every night for an productive rehearsal process. At each rehearsal we begin with a warm-up between Bob and Steve, a full run of the show, an immediate reaction from Bob, a response once Bob has had some time to digest what has just transpired followed by a discussion where we further look at specific sections and possibly go back and work those sections for technical polishing.

We have been recording the rehearsal Bobs and would like to share them with you. But it is difficult do so without including "spoilers". So I have devised a spoiler alert system. I will try to only include the vague information on this main page. If you see a link to hidden text or a video clip, be warned that they may, and probably will, include information that will prevent you from being as unaware as Bob at your first performance of An Oak Tree.

NOTE: Not only will the video clips most likely contain spoilers for those who have not yet seen An Oak Tree, they may also contain adult language. Nothing extremely vulgar but they are candid and unedited interview clips. Consider yourself warned.

With all of this diclaiming out of the way, I do invite you to read, comment and participate in this experiment. It is truly a unique experience for all involved. Look for further entries from everyone involved.