The actor must go into rehearsal having read the whole play, however small his part; if he’s got a cough and a spit, he may be lucky enough to watch some fine actors and actresses working, and have the chance to observe their skills, their methods and their mystery. Read the play carefully and form your own general impression of it.
A kindly director will make the introductions and try to put the cast at their ease. If he’s a wise director he or she will say a little bit about the play, giving a general impression, perhaps that language is paramount, or that the play is an ingeniously wrought and very complex machine, or that it should look very elegant and stylish. If the director goes on at length, listen and make a discreet note or two.
It’s still a common practice to have a first reading right through the play, so that the actors can form a further feeling about the play. This is usually fairly terrifying except for the old hands, who will read their way through in a most leisurely fashion as if they were having a conversation over brunch; they are trying to dig out meaning. Follow their example; don’t try to impress anyone, ask questions where necessary, and above all, listen to the other actors, try to sense what sort of people they are. Perhaps for the next year you are going to act the most intimate relationships with them. The girl sitting opposite is your wife; the guy at the end of the table is your father in the play. So from the start be prepared to like them and approach them with interest, sympathy and good faith. Other directors may start rehearsals with a session of improvisation, perhaps to throw the actors into immediate relationship with each other, or for his or her own purpose – to find out more about them. An actor at a job interview is usually on his best behavior; well-dressed and wagging his tail, and may be a different animal in the rehearsal room. Most actors prefer to find out more about the play rather than starting off with improvisation.