One of the most challenging things I have been sketching lately is the dance rehearsals for the Trees. Here the core group is rehearsing to the Winter Medley. On this evening of rehearsals began on the main stage in the worship center of the First Baptist Church. The stage must have been smaller than anticipated because the dancers looked like they were about to run into each other. After several run throughs the director finally stood up and stopped everything. She said “Sometimes we try things and they just don’t work. We should re-think this. Lets take a break from this piece and move onto something else. If we didn’t fail sometimes we wouldn’t be successful.” To keep the rehearsal moving forward it was decided that the dancers would move upstairs to the mirrored dance room and work on the Winter Medley number. The choreographer in charge took the notes in stride and this second half of the rehearsal was lively and fun. At one point Gretchen, one of the dancers, did a dance move that the choreographer really liked and that move was incorporated into the final dance routine. Creative ideas have a way of appearing sometimes as if by accident. The director entered the dance studio after several sections of the dance were polished and refined. She sat on the floor in front and watched the improvements with joy and pleasure.
I wedged myself up against the back wall to keep out of the way while I sketched. During a break several of the actors came over and wanted to see what I was up to. It is a rewarding feeling to be a witness to the hard work that goes into making a huge show like this work. I would sketch every time the dance troupe were being given notes. These relaxed moments between periods of fast action are the windows I need to find a composition and pick out the personalities from the dancers different body types.
Trees – Light Programming
Jeff Atkisson sits for hours in a small room behind the main stage programming the lighting that will appear on the trees. He has 12 songs that he needs to program on a miniature model of the trees, and he started off with “Its the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” He used an audio editing program called DP6 and instead of editing the audio he uses the programs MIDI files to turn the lights on the trees on and off. When he stacks the bars in the program to look like a staircase in the timeline for instance the lights will sweep on diagonally up the tree. First he places what he calls a blind cue on the timeline which sets the color which will happen with the next fade in or sweep. Other effects he mentioned include pops and gleams. When the light programing is finished he can directly transfer everything right over to the full scale trees.
Huge black boxes called dimmer racks stand next to the tree model with hundreds of wires hanging out of them. Apparently one of these boxes had burnt out earlier that day but that problem was resolved by the time I came in to sketch. At one point the tree just would not light and Jeff was climbing all around in the snake pit of wiring. I don’t know how he did it but after plugging in and unplugging a number of connections, everything started working again.
He took a quick break from the program sent a text message to the director to double check some notes that might be needed. He suspected the director might want less lighting action on the trees and he programmed the lights accordingly. The director called back and they they discussed the trees lighting briefly. After that conversation Jeff proceeded with quick certainty. He started telling me about the directors style which consists of pictures within pictures with very specific shifts of focus. When I thought back to the War of the Worlds, that directing style became very apparent. I also found out the Trees show has a theme which is “Reflections from the attic”. I learn something new about this show every day I come in to do another sketch.
Trees – Set Construction
Jeff Atkisson directed me to the Madd building where I would find Jon Brandt working on the sets for Trees. The building is across the street from the First Baptist Church. When I entered I expected to see a small crowd of carpenters working but this afternoon I just found Jon working alone on the set. He had no idea who I was when I walked into the warehouse but he was welcoming and accepted the idea of me doing a sketch with no hesitation. He is standing on the side of the set that will face the audience. It looks like he is putting in three tiers and there will be steps in front and in back. A large platform will go between the back steps which is for now resting on the floor. The radio was on a talk radio station about how to handle your finances.
I was fascinated by the things to be found in storage in this warehouse. Two huge Gold Academy Awards were perched on an upper level. There were street lamps and a popcorn billboard cut out. The most prevalent item however were the crosses. There were several dozen smaller crosses and then four very large life sized crosses one being made from thick tree trunks. The large tree trunk cross has two railroad spike sized wooden spikes located where the hands would be nailed up.
Jon said he was working alone because his crew had taken off early. He however was committed to work till 5PM which gave me an hour and a half to sketch. I couldn’t help but think of the idea that Jesus had been a carpenter so he must have been very familiar with the smell of sawdust and the sound of wood boards being dropped into place.
Trees with Panels
These huge 45 foot high Christmas trees now stand fully assembled and green in the First Baptist Church of Orlando. You might notice that only one panel is missing. This is because it was wired upside down but that will be an easy fix. The two 15 tiered trees were designed by Walt Keller back in 1980. Each will hold 150 Choir members who function as living singing ornaments. Both trees will have to support about 50 thousand pounds of weight when all the singers are lined up inside.
Bill Keller explained that each choir member has initials written on their legs and a yes or no. This leg marking is put in place for the tree rats who are in charge of arranging small wooden boxes which are used to keep all the choir members about 6 feet in height as seen from the audience. The yes or no is an indication as to whether the choir member would like to have their legs massaged since they must stand in one spot for so long. If the choir member snaps his or her fingers a tree rat will climb through the maze of beams and assist them by rubbing their legs. If someone is ticklish then they certainly will have “no” written on their legs. The last thing anyone would want is to have a choir member screaming out in surprise when a tree rat brushes up against their leg.
When the choir isn’t the center of attention, it is also possible for a choir member to quietly sit down to take a rest and have a sip of water. The heat generated by all the Christmas lights can be oppressive. It was estimated that there were 111 miles of Christmas tree light wiring attached to the panels. If someone feels faint and has to leave then the choir members surrounding the spot spread out a bit and the audience never notices the difference.
Tree Structure nears completion
Jeff Atkisson invited me to climb to the top of the trees if I wanted but I had already started this sketch and I suspect I didn’t have the nerve. The trees have 15 tiers and the workers are working on tier 12 at this point. When this structure is complete railings are added to each row and then panels are hung from those railings which have many strands of Christmas tree lights. Jeff explained that there are about 111 miles of Christmas tree lights that are attached to the panels. All the lights were bought new this year along with tons of replacement bulbs. Previously lights were stripped in as strands died out and this resulted in bulbs of very different colors being mixed together over time. Now all the blue bulbs are very much the same color of blue throughout. Derrick Mckenzie was in charge of assembling all 270 of the new panels and getting all that wiring to work. He had the help of about 70 volunteers and it took them over a month to assemble all the panels. All the panels had colored lights arranged exactly the same so when Jeff programs then the lights can be triggered to that the tree become all one color or multiple colors can be lit at once creating stunning effects. Jeff will be able to make the tree for instance light up all green with those lights sweeping upward in a strong diagonal. This really has to be seen to be believed. I have only seen the effect on the small model tree but it is amazing.
Singing Christmas Trees Construction
The huge Singing Christmas Trees are under construction at the First Baptist Church. The structures are 45 feet high and will be used as bleachers for a chorus of 250 singing ornaments when all the work is complete. The steel girders of the structure fit together in an intricate pattern and the planning that goes into the construction is mind boggling. Scaffolding was put up first behind the trees which allows easy access for the workers. The vertical supports had to be wiggled into place by teams of men working in unison. I felt a little uneasy when I was on the stage. While the vertical steel girders were being fit in place they could conceivably fall forward. One worker shouted “If it falls be sure to push it towards the scaffolding.”
Bill Keller wanted to see what I was working on. He explained that he and his father had been working on the trees since they were first assembled in 1980. “Building these trees has been something of a family tradition.” He said. The trees had been on hiatus for 3 years but today they are back and better than ever. Bill and his father were bought back as consultants. His father can be seen in the sketch sitting on stage.
Jeff Atkisson took me to a back room where he has a miniature 6 foot high version of a tree setup and he is using an audio editing computer program to set up the lighting effects on the trees. This process is inspired and amazing!
Costuming
Costume fittings were held during a shared rehearsal. The director broke the actors up into groups and one at a time those groups would go to try on costumes. At the same time Amy the choreographer was conducting a dance rehearsal in the same Hall and for this reason the director stressed that everyone had to remain quiet.
The first group to try on outfits was Egypt, then came the Germanic tribe, Britannia, Africa, the Shepherds and finally India. There was alot of mixing and matching that had to be done, and the director was actively involved in the process.
In another rehearsal the entrances of this whole entourage had to be timed and blocked out. The director had Egypt, Africa and India enter the theater from the back of the hall. The Germanic Tribe and Britannia entered from the halls directly next to the stage called “The Bombs”. She had different tribes start down the isles at different times trying to get a feeling for when each tribe should arrive at the main stage. Time and again the tribes had to restore and walk their entrances at different paces until their movements felt perfectly choreographed to the music which was “O Holy Night“. After many takes, the director said to herself, “I’m starting to feel something, it’s starting to get there, slowly.” Once again she shouted out “Restore!” The actors of the tribes shouted back “Thank you Restore!” as they rushed back to the back of the hall and the bombs. Then she said “Thank you, thank you.” I had to leave before the timing was finalized but with the music it was starting to feel reverent.
Trees Rehearsal – Ring Those Bells!
Here Suzanne the choreographer leads the core drama and dance group in a high tempo sort of jazzy rendition of “Ring Those Bells“. This is an over the top Broadway dance number with lots of jazz hands and fancy footwork. There was plenty of excited energy as everyone learned the steps. Suzanne said that everyone should try and keep moving through the routine even if they miss some of the steps. There would be plenty of rehearsals to come where the details could be refined and worked out but for now she wanted to block in all the moves and keep moving forward. The group started as a large triangle and then split into two halves before rejoining and ending with everyone striking a dramatic pose then stretching that pose further reaching for the sky.
Suzanne had to work with the core dancers in another studio and at that point Aradhana had Rebeca come to the front and take over the rehearsal. Rebeca did a great job of getting the group to really stretch and expand their capacities in one that one part of the routine. Later when Suzanne returned and asked everyone to go through the number one more time she was shocked and grateful for the improvement. When the rehearsal ended everyone joined hands and Suzanne prayed for relief for any aching muscles resulting from all the stretching and dancing that day. She asked that everything learned would stay fresh in everyone’s memory and that they all gain confidence as they continue to practice at home. She then asked that everyone be guided home safely. She stressed that her heart was overwhelmed with gratitude for all the hard work and joy expressed in the days work.
The Trees – Viewpoints
The second rehearsal I attended was with the core drama group. Aradhana, the director, got things started by having the actors walk on a grid inside the taped off area that outlined the dimensions of the stage. She said “Stop thinking, let things happen naturally in the moment.” I find myself looking to stop thinking and analyzing as I try and loose myself in a sketch. She then asked the actors to “explore gesture, and think of the space you are moving through.” “What are the spaces you explore?” My sketches of this show are suddenly exploring larger and more grand vistas. She then asked them to adjust their tempo. She didn’t want anyone moving at a medium tempo she wanted to see the extremes. Some actors moved imperceptibly while others were close to a run, actually Rachael was running.
The director said “find something about someone else to copy and make your own.” Then she asked the actors to gradually over time to discover one movement where everyone moved as one organism. This is the aspect of the exercise that always amazes me. after a while the whole group was holding hands and moving side to side. Hands went up and down in a wavelike undulating pattern around the circle. The actors were then given the cure to break away from the group when they felt like it. Music was added into the mix and soon actors were snapping fingers and moving with the grace of dancers. As the music built in tempo the actors were jumping and swaying to the beat.
The director had everyone sit down in a circle. She pointed out that everything in theater is created to build tension between characters. She said that the largest motivating factors are always about love, war or spiritual concerns.
The actors were separated into 8 groups. Each group was given a scenario to act out. The actors were given free reign to act the scenes out as they saw fit. The room bustled with creative energy. They were given some time to discuss how they might build their scenes. Then one by one the scenes were staged with the remaining actors seated around the director to enjoy the show. There was loud applause and often laughter after the director ended each scene. She then offered suggestions on how to pace the scenes faster with more motivation. On the second run through the scenes were almost always clearer and more entertaining. This was a pure joyous game of inspiration and motivation. The director pointed out that notes are not a bad thing. She asked that once a note was given that the actor say thank you and repeat the note so she knew they had heard it.
The scenes were, City People, Airport scene, a loving couple, fighting family, diva desert, decorators and carolers. Once all the scenes had been rehearsed individually, the director asked that they overlap the actions on the stage just as they had in viewpoints. She would cue the next scene when she wanted them on the stage. This was tried a number of times and then the song “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” was added. Suddenly the scenes flowed with the music choreographed by pure instinct.
The director shouted out “Alright everybody one more time, Restore!” The actors all shouted back “Thank you Restore!”
The Trees – First Rehearsal, Full Comapany
When I entered the First Baptist Worship Center, Aradhana, the director, had everyone doing a rather fun exercise. On one side of the large room individuals were holding 4 signs , Strongly Agree, Agree, Neutral, and Disagree. She asked simple questions and everyone was asked to run to the sign that matched their answer. For instance she asked ” Is Christmas your favorite holiday?” Most of the crowd of actors ran toward “Strongly Agree” with the children running the fastest. After a long list of questions people were getting tired. She explained that the exercise was used to point out how we are all individuals from different backgrounds but as a group the core values are very similar.
A large staging area was then set up in the middle of the room with 4 chairs marking the corners. What followed was a viewpoints session exploring time, space, shapes, tempo and pacing. The actors were asked to walk the space in a relaxed neutral pace. Then the director would make suggestions which affected how people walked. For instance she said ” Imagine you are walking to work to quit your job.” “You are walking in the airport to be reunited with the love of your life.” She advised everyone to be aware of the space around them. She wanted then to fill the space as a group. Then she asked the actors to either walk very fast of very slow.
She then told everyone that “You are going to meet the Messiah.” At this point an actress came to the corner of the space where I happened to be sketching and she knelt down in front of me. Others joined her and soon there was a crowd of worshipers before me. They were all looking at a point just above my left shoulder. I had to turn to look. There was nothing there. It was as if they all saw someone standing right behind me and I just didn’t notice him. If he was looking over my shoulder, I hope he liked my sketch.
Next the actors were asked to only walk in a grid pattern. She asked “How do others movements affect your own.” “Discover gestures or shapes as you explore the grid.” “Get addicted to copying something about someone else.” Soon pairs and then small groups were imitating each others movements. She asked the group to gradually find a group leader. Over time the group started to move as a whole like a flock of birds. Slowly everyone formed themselves in kneeling fetal positions. Then one woman rose up and started snapping her fingers. the energy of the group built with everyone snapping their fingers and joyously dancing around the space. The fact that professional dancers were in the group made the groups movements fluid and beautiful. Something choked me up about this unrehearsed spontaneous expression of joy.
When the exercise was over she explained the viewpoints helps actors look at the bigger picture rather than focusing on the self. For long periods she was silent. She explained that during those times the actors are forced to stop thinking and just be. As a group the exercise helped build trust among the actors even though they had never worked together before.