The Puzzle of Multi-Cast Storytelling
Teresa Love, director of My Robot, chose to use multiple cast configurations for this show. She wanted the actors to feel like pieces of a puzzle coming together to tell the story, drawing inspiration from this line in the script:
“And even people are puzzles,-- ‘cause we’re all made from pieces.
And if one piece goes missing, it can take a great effort
To find that lost something and fill up the gap.
But sometimes the answer’s not to look where you left it—
But to make something new. And be happy with that!”
Teresa felt that rather than have one “swing” (an actor trained to play any role in the show), every actor should be able to play two or more of the different roles. She wanted the actors to all be able to contribute and work together to make something new every time the show is performed.
How It Works
There are six different cast configurations for this show that these actors will be using throughout the BYU run and touring at elementary schools. As these actors began blocking (or establishing the movement/positions of the actors throughout) the show, they would start with one cast configuration and roughly block the scene. Then, they would switch to another cast configuration, and these actors would add their ideas. A lot of the work the kurokos do in the show was devised with the actors and director, so it was helpful to have all of the actors be able to step into the role of kuroko and add their own ideas to what was already created.
As the team got further into production, they started just working with one configuration for longer periods of time. They would fully block a few scenes with one cast and then direct the next few scenes with a different cast. It was the actors’ responsibilities to make sure they wrote down and learned the blocking for all of the other roles they played. Though it was a challenge, these actors embraced the process with creativity and teamwork. In the end, the process itself mirrored the message of My Robot. Everyone has a piece of the puzzle they can contribute, we just have to be willing to add our part and work together.
Ophelia reacts to her new home
Olivetti helps Ophelia speak to Orson for the first time.
Ophelia’s radio picks up a distress call from Otis’s mom’s boat.
Ophelia asks Orson to help Otis.
Ophelia has dinner for the first time in her new house.
