Les Liaisons Dangereuses: Scene Work and First Run-Through

We had our first run-through on Sunday afternoon. It was exciting to see the shape of the show.  All of the designers were able to be there to watch, and we made a few decisions about how different rooms will look.  Valmont's and Tourvel's residences will be smaller than Rosemonde's and Merteuil's.  This will be accomplished by using less furniture in more concentrated arrangements, and with lighting areas that constrict the size of those rooms.  Our servant characters also took the first step in learning the transitions. It is great to have rehearsal furniture so that we can practice the scene changes, and I'm hoping to add more interaction among the servants at these times.  I'm going to try to find moments for them to pass letters to each other (sent to and from their respective masters), in a nod to the epistolary novel.

Our publicity photo call was yesterday, and it was wonderful to see an idea of what the costumes and make-up will look like on some of the main characters.  We also had fun making jokes about "smizing." America's Next Top Model should really have a photo shoot inspired by eighteenth-century libertines, if they haven't already.

Last night we worked on the scenes between Madame de Merteuil the Volanges family (Madame de Volanges and her daughter Cecile), and we discovered that Madame de Volanges has a tendency to overreact.  If she were playing Hearts, she might be the kind of player who would lead the Queen of Spades after taking her first hearts, thinking her best option is to Shoot the Moon. 

We also worked some of the fight choreography last night, and that led to an interesting parallel in the way Valmont treats Tourvel and Danceny.  He has a moment with each of these characters where he shows mercy.  Though he could take his victory over each of them, he relents.  We're currently staging both of those moments in the same corner of the Arena, which I like.

Tonight we will spend some time on the scenes between Valmont and Emilie, and then trace the Merteuil-Valmont-Tourvel arc.  Those three characters are very much at the core of the story, yet they are only on stage together for a brief moment.  Merteuil's dalliance with Danceny seems to make Valmont jealous, but it is Valmont's relationship with Tourvel that destroys the bond between Valmont and Merteuil.