"The script is like an iceberg. We only see 10 percent of it and we have to discover the other 90. I try to build the iceberg from underneath." -Natalie Abrahami
Natalie Abrahami came to our class to speak with us. She directed the dazzling performance of After Miss Julie we saw. She was kind enough to share with us her directorial process. She's a big believer in emotional recall. Therefore, she has her actors improv not only what is inherently told in the script but also scenes that are alluded to. In this way the actor becomes closer to the character. If they play out a memory of the character and experience the same feelings that would have been there they can call upon that experience during the present moment and build from it. She has her actors go further into their characters than many directors I have heard of.
She also has a time for script analysis in conjunction with the background improvisation. She wants to clearly highlight the events that change everything. These could be things as big as taking a razor in hand to slit your wrist or as little as saying "do you want toast with that?". They are turns in the road and the director and the actor have to understand how they change everything. It seems so simplistic, this idea, but is incredibly hard to accomplish.
Natalie is by no means a well ripened woman in terms of years. She is young and beautiful. In terms of experience, though, she may as well be a raisin. Her biography and list of accomplishments are long. If you want a full accounting you may Google her. Take my word for it though, she is one woman anyone should be proud to work with. Natalie is the type of director that I would love to work beside. She is smart, crafty, and has a vision but she is not so stubborn she cannot change to accommodate her actors. For so young a person she seemed wise beyond measure. It was truly an honor to talk with her.
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