All language subtitles for Rehearsal S01E04

Do you like spaghetti?

- I do.
- Great.

When you were young,
did you ever hate

one of your parents?

I don't think so.

- No? I did. I hated my dad.
- Oh, really?

I was very angry at him

because he wasn't there.
I put my parents through hell.

I drank like a fish.

- What did you drink?
- Vodka, tequila. I did drugs.

Marijuana...

- acid.
- You did acid?

- Yep.
- What?

- Cocaine.
- You did cocaine?

Yep.

And that sent me

into a lot
of destructive behaviors.

Mm-hmm.

What are you doing
with the noodles there?

- I'm seeing how done they are.
- Oh, okay.

Yeah.

♪ ♪

It's beautiful
in rural Oregon.

And the town of Eagle Creek,

my home base for this project,
definitely has a lot to offer.

But if what you need
is a consistent supply

of professional actors

for all the rehearsals
you have in the works...

- Bye.
- Bye. See you later.

...you need to take
regular trips to a big city.

You need to go
where the actors are.

♪

During this process,

I've discovered that
an actor's sense of authenticity

can vary vastly
from one to another.

And I wanted a way to create

a standard for the level
of realism

I needed for this project.

I had recently launched
The Fielder Method Studio

in LA's NoHo Arts District
as a recruitment camp of sorts,

to find and train
up-and-coming actors

in the specific techniques
needed for this show.

Unlike a normal role
where the worst thing

that can happen is, you know,
someone changes the channel

if they don't like
your performance,

you know what I mean.
Like, with this show,

if your performance
isn't accurate,

you could ruin someone's life.

♪

Preparing an actor
for a rehearsal

is sort of like a spy mission.

And I wanted them to learn
how to do it themselves,

as well as improve on mistakes
we had made in the past.

So, is your method based upon,
like, literally a slice of life

with this person
and then creating reenactments

- based off this one experience?
- My point is

- that this didn't go far enough.
- Okay.

Sounds like we're gonna
secretly follow somebody around

- for a while.
- Stalking?

- Stalking?
- Yeah. Yes.

You guys...

Okay, you guys are getting
ahead of this. Good.

But I often find myself
intimidated by actors.

Stella Adler says you can be
representational,

which is action based.

Or you could be
representational,

which is behavior based.

S... S...

- Stella Adler.
- Stella Adler.

- And then, yeah.
- What is her thing?

They have a way
of channeling

other people's emotions
that I don't fully understand.

The most playful chakra
is your third eye, right?

It's your creative mind
as an actor.

That's where you wanna live.

Just in hearing you talk
about this, um,

it's like the Suzuki Method
which is physical

- and it's about...
- Suzuki?

Yeah, and it's about filling
the form.

Okay. And what's the best way
to fill in the form?

Just do the action.

- Do the action.
- Yeah.

Like in the deep reality
of the action.

- Sure.
- Yeah.

And by the time
I gave them

their first assignment,
I was feeling a little insecure.

Okay. So now, we're gonna put

some of what you guys learned
today, into action.

You're gonna go out
into the real world

and pick a real person
to become your primary.

And you're gonna secretly
observe and interact with them,

and find out as much
as you can about them.

And then, you're gonna come
back tomorrow

dressed like them. Okay?

Any other questions or...

- Okay, cool. See you later.
- Bye.

After spending time
with people,

I'm often left wondering
what they actually think of me.

So, once the class was gone,
I tried a little experiment.

I decided to recreate the class
using different actors

to portray each person,

so I could relive the day
from a student's perspective.

My hope was to gain insight

into how each lesson
made them feel,

so I could improve it
for tomorrow.

With this show...

if your performance
isn't accurate...

you could ruin a person's life.

I picked
a random student to inhabit.

An actor named Thomas,

who was sitting on the side
of the room.

Putting myself in his head space,

I noticed this teacher
wasn't very good

at connecting with us.

Your character research
needs to be sourced

through real-world interactions

with the person
you're portraying.

It didn't seem
like he had ever taught

an acting class before.

Is it weird... to put my name,
like, in a method?

- Or...
- No.

Everyone does that, yeah.

I wondered
if my fellow students

felt the same way.

But I couldn't really see
their faces well

because of how the chairs
were arranged.

We were all facing forwards.

And this formal environment

made the whole class
a little less fun.

So, your assignment
for the rest of the day is,

you're gonna go out
into the real world

and secretly observe
your primary.

But it felt like
the method itself made sense.

Nathan explained it all clearly

and it was actually sort
of intriguing.

Maybe there was something to it.

I guess I'd have to keep taking
the class to find out.

- Hey.
- Hey.

- We're circling. That's cool.
- Yeah, circle today.

Hang out. Have a seat.
How's it going?

It's good to see you. Hello.

♪

Um, I asked her how her day
was going,

how long was her shift.
She's working till midnight.

She's really tired.

I found her Instagram
through geotags.

- Wow.
- Then I found her Twitter

- and I found her TikTok.
- Good. Good.

She's having...

...she's having
a breast reduction soon.

Her name is Amanda.

I felt way more in sync
with the actors today.

The vibe in the room felt
so much better.

Yeah. So, my primary's name
is Henry. He is a barber.

- You had to get your hair cut then?
- Yeah.

- You got a haircut?
- I got my hair cut and I...

Yeah, it was nice. Yeah.

- So, it was good and like...
- Okay, cool. Good.

But I noticed
some students were struggling

with the assignment.

- Thomas, what about you?
- Uh...

- Well, I went to an Acai Place.
- Acai?

It's kinda like a smoothie bowl.

Okay.

And I thought
this would be a good opportunity

to show them I knew
what I was doing.

I noticed you didn't get
as... as much, um...

personal information
about your primary

- as some of the others.
- Mm-hmm.

Um, is there a reason or...

The environment kind of begs
for you to go through the line

- and then leave.
- Right.

Uh, the physical space is asking
you not to be there.

Yeah. You know, you...
When you got your order,

maybe spill it on the counter
and he would come to your aid,

and that would break down some
of those social barriers

that you're afraid to cross.

- Just disrupt the situation?
- Yeah.

And then maybe, you know,
it might lead

to a more personal
conversation perhaps.

Okay. Gotcha.

When I relived the day
from Thomas's perspective,

it proved my instincts

to be right.

Thomas, what about you?

So, my primary
was at an acai bowl place.

Acai bowl?

Yeah. Acai bowl,
kind of like a smoothie.

The circle felt
just as good

from a student's perspective
as it was from the teacher's.

And I felt really special
when Nathan pulled me aside

to give me one-on-one guidance
after class.

And that'll help break down
some of the social barriers

that you're afraid to cross.

- Thank you.
- All right? Good luck. Good luck.

- Thank you.
- Okay. Great.

After reliving day two,
I basically found no issues.

I felt Nathan gave every student
a lot of attention

and made us feel comfortable
in the process.

Maybe I had nothing to worry
about after all.

♪

It was nice
to be back in LA...

back in my real home.

Once in a while, I would try
to check in with Angela.

One, two, three, four.
One, two, three, four.

One, two, three, four.
One, two, three, four.

One, two, three.
One, two, three.

One, two, three.
One, two, three.

One, two. One, two. One, two.
One, two. One. One. One. One

- Wow! All right.
- Oh, my God.

Now that the actors
had studied their primaries

for two days...

it was time to physically
embody them.

♪

Um, you use tape
and string, is that...

- I don't know.
- You don't know? Okay.

- I don't know what's...
- Um... What's that tool here?

But over here,
I got a couple things going.

Um... This is a...

tie iron.

- Tie iron?
- Tie iron, yeah.

- T-I-E?
- I believe so.

Bananas under the cans.

But I now knew
that to take on the mind

of a stranger, it wasn't enough
to just talk to them.

The level of immersion
had to be deeper.

I am in the process of arranging
for all of you

to work in the actual jobs
of your primary.

Or at least as... as close
as we can get.

- Is that cool, pretty...
- Yeah.

...or is that dumb?

I don't wanna work.

I was noticing
the more extreme

my method became,

the more these actors seemed
to respect me.

If I'm not gonna go all the way
and get out of my comfort zone,

how am I gonna know
where I can go?

So, yeah, thank you for just
the space, you know.

But when I caught up
with Thomas, something felt off.

Yeah, so... so how did it go?
Yeah, what happened?

- It was...
- Did you get personal? Did you?

Yeah. The deeper conversation
was hard to accomplish.

Did you spill your bowl
or anything? Or...

- Did not spill the bowl.
- Okay, yeah.

But I instead went with, uh...

telling him that I lost
my lucky guitar pick

that I got from my dad.

- Okay.
- And then...

- Is that true?
- No, that was a lie.

- Oh, okay, okay, got it.
- Yeah.

I mean, I don't really
like lying to people,

- in general.
- Yeah, neither do I.

- Yeah.
- Yeah.

Yeah, I don't know. It's, uh,
it's weird, but...

this is all so fascinating,
so what are you gonna do?

Right.

Thomas's ambiguous emotions

were hard for me to read,
but then I got the sense

he had been uncomfortable
with this method

since the very first day.

So, yeah.
That's what makes me feel

- kinda weird about it sometimes.
- About doing these... this...

...specific kind
of stalking thing.

The Fielder Method.

Which was interesting
because I had not felt that

when I was him.

So rather than recreating
today's lesson,

I decided to experience
that first day again

to see
if I had missed something.

- Hey, I'm Nathan.
- Thomas.

- Thomas? Good to meet you.
- Yeah. Good to meet you.

- Uh, yeah, have a seat.
- Sure, yeah.

- And, uh, just hang out.
- Okay, great.

This time, I was focused

on really getting
into his mindset.

So I just kept saying to myself
in my head,

"Your name is Thomas
and you're an actor."

"How do you feel?"

I have a show that requires
a specific type

- of performance.
- Almost immediately,

I felt a rush of excitement come
over me when I remembered

there were cameras filming me.

HBO cameras.

I love being on camera.

But I wanted to play it cool,
like I didn't care that much.

With this show, if your per...
If your performance

isn't accurate...

you could ruin someone's life.

Wait, what is this show?

Is this a show
about an acting class?

Am I supposed to be acting?
Something doesn't make sense.

If you're training actors
for a show,

why would you be filming
the training?

I wanted to ask,

but I was worried
it would seem rude.

I didn't wanna stand out.
I wanted to impress Nathan.

"Fielder Method" on three.

- One, two, three.
- Fielder Method!

All right,
thank you guys. All right.

Hi, thank you for coming
to the first day

of the Fielder Method, we're...
so excited to have you.

If you wanna participate
in the show,

you just need to sign
this appearance release.

- Okay.
- Thank you.

Oh, wow.
There are so many pages!

I don't know any
of these legal terms.

This would take me hours
to read.

Thank you so much.

But everyone else
is signing it,

so it must be all right.

Uh, it's all standard.
Signature is on the fourth page.

- Right. Sorry, yeah. Okay.
- Yeah, no problem

- Great, we'll see you tomorrow.
- Yeah.

Reliving the day again
as Thomas made me realize

there was a whole other layer
to his experience

- I hadn't considered.
- Thank you so much.

- Thanks again for today.
- Yeah. Thank you.

I'll see you. Yeah.

And I wondered
if was going far enough.

♪

I had just sent
these actors off

to work for an entire week
as someone else.

But how much is enough?

How do you ever know
you truly understand someone?

So, I started visiting Thomas
working at the acai bowl place.

- Hey!
- Hey! How you doing?

Good. How are you?

Going through
the exact experience

he had with his primary.

- How many siblings do you have?
- Pardon me?

- How many siblings?
- Brother, two sisters.

- Brother, two sisters?
- Yeah.

Do you want Nutella,
peanut butter, almond butter?

And returned to class
the next morning

to live the second day again.

I'm a dog walker
for this dog walking app

and my primary was this director

and I... I actually got
into his house.

But this time,
it felt different.

I think you're the first person
in the history of this project

to actually get inside
their primary's home. Um...

It's amazing. Wow!

I think that deserves a round
of applause. Yeah.

And I began to question
the tactics

this teacher was encouraging.

You spill your bowl
on the counter and...

see how he responds to that.

But every night
when I went home,

it was still my house.

My marble coffee table. My TV.

My black and white toilet.

The illusion was shattered.

So, I suggested to Thomas
that he move into an apartment

that reflects
the living situation

of his primary,
to immerse himself fully.

Did you... did you find out
his living situation?

Yeah. I found out that he lives

with the couple
of his band mates,

actually pretty close to here.
Uh, Sherman Oaks area.

- Okay.
- Mm-hmm.

Cool. Uh, how soon can you move?

As soon as I have to.

So, I rented him
a similar place

and hired two actors
to play his roommates.

All right. So, this is, uh...

- Tex and Matt.
- S'up man?

- They'll be your new roommates.
- Hey.

I told him
I would collect his mail for him

and water his plants
while he was away.

Plant in my bathroom.

- Just a little bit.
- Okay.

And be careful
'cause it'll overflow

- the little water catch dish.
- All right, sure. Great.

- All right. Have fun.
- Okay. See you.

See you.

But I really wanted
to do more than that.

So, while Thomas
was going deeper

into his character...

I would go deeper into mine.

♪

♪

♪

I began living
in his home...

eating what he eats...

playing what he plays...

using the weapons he uses...

reading what he reads...

sleeping where he sleeps.

I was now Thomas 24/7.

I continued following
the lesson plan

until I was working
at an Ubatuba also.

A different one from Thomas,
so he wouldn't know.

He... he lives with a... a couple
of his band mates

in Sherman Oaks...

- All right.
- ...in, like, an apartment.

Okay. Cool.

How soon can you move?

It was beginning
to dawn on me

how much I was asking
of these students...

This is Tex. And this is Matt.

- Hey.
- They'll be playing your roommates.

- Nice to meet you.
- How are you?

...and the sacrifices
they're willing to make

in pursuit of their dreams.

Maybe I could get your keys.

Uh...

Why... Why do you need my keys?

- I can look after your plants.
- Oh, sure. Yeah.

Or get your mail
while you're here.

But no matter
how deep I went,

there were still parts of Thomas
that were a mystery to me.

But maybe that's as close
as you can get.

And that last step
in understanding someone

is always just a guess.

♪

All right, Ashley.

When they finished
their week of work,

I had all the actors return
for a final showcase.

♪

That looks like two inches.

All right. Sam.

It's hard to know
what exactly is hidden

beneath the smile of an actor.

- Would you like your bowl, sir?
- Thomas.

But once in a while,
it's nice to just pretend

that everything's okay.

- "Fielder Method" on three.
- One, two, three.

Fielder Method!

I was in LA longer
than I had planned to be,

and I was sort of nervous
to return home again...

to get back into family life.
I wasn't sure how it would feel.

- Hey, Dad.
- Oh, hey!

- Hi.
- Uh, is, uh, Angela here?

Uh...

- Hug? Can I get a hug?
- Oh, yeah, yeah. Course. Hey.

- Good to see you.
- Yeah, how are you?

Good... um...

Just gonna
put my stuff upstairs.

- Oh, okay.
- So, yeah.

♪

Oh... yeah.

Maybe I can.
Maybe I can show up.

It could be fun! It could be fun!

Everyone was being
so warm and welcoming,

making me feel at home.

But for some reason,
that felt wrong.

I was telling him
that he's more mainstream

and I'm more underground.

Like, I like to find
eclectic underground artists.

Adam was 15 now.
I had been gone for nine years.

Was this really
how he would see me?

Maybe I needed to make
some adjustments.

♪

- Hey.
- Hey.

- What's up, Dad?
- Mind if I come in?

Yeah, no problem. What's up?

- How's it going?
- Ah, just, uh...

Trying to write
some songs, sorta.

- Oh, yeah. Cool.
- Yeah.

Do you mind if I talk to you
for a sec, as you?

What's your name again?

Adam.

No, no, like, could I talk
to you as... as the actor?

- Oh.
- What's your real name?

- Oh, Joshua. Joshua, yeah. Joshua.
- Josh. Josh. All right, Josh.

Sorry, yeah.
I know we talked

about never breaking character
but...

Yeah.
Oh, okay, okay. So, just...

Okay, so, we're in, uh...

Yeah, just you
for a moment.

I guess... Okay, so your dad
comes home after being gone

for nine years. How do you think
you'd really feel?

Maybe resentment to him.

- Maybe a little bit.
- Uh-huh.

Just as me personally.
Especially if...

he comes home
and it's almost like,

"Hey, what's up?
You doing good?"

- Mm-hmm.
- That... That would be...

I wouldn't like that at all.

I think I... I think 'cause then,
it's still your dad, but it's just like...

It's like this guy like,
"You didn't take care of me."

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- So, you know,

it's... it's like,
it's like that sort of thing.

Do you mind if we try me

coming home again,
but using that?

- Uh... like that... that feeling?
- Yeah.

- Yeah, totally, I don't... Yeah. Hundred percent.
- Okay. Okay, cool.

Hey!

Look who decided to show up.

Good.

♪

Do you know anyone
or any friends of yours

who have been through anything
similar to this?

Like, dad not around situation
or...

Um... Yeah, I... I know
a couple people.

Do you think you'd be able
to just...

Maybe spend time with one
of them

or the friend and take it in,
or...

Hmm, yeah. I, um...

I think that's actually
a great idea.

I think I can definitely
do that.

Hey.

How you doing?

You wanna see a card trick
or something,

- like a magic trick?
- No, Dad. I'm not five.

Yeah, he's been like
in and out of jail a lot.

- Juvenile. Juvie.
- Juvenile?

Um, I think he actually
has a kid on the way.

- He has a kid?
- Just with like someone... yeah.

- Just with someone.
- So what age was he having sex?

- Like 13, probably, like 12.
- He was having sex at 13?

I'm... I'm sure of it.
Yeah, most likely.

- If not 13, at least 14.
- Hey!

Are you leaving?

Yeah, I'm going
to hang out with some friends.

Okay. Where are you going?
Where... where... what friends?

My friends. We're probably
gonna go drinking.

You're gonna go drinking?

What type of drinks
will you have, do you think?

Tequila, vodka.
Just some stuff like that.

- Tequila, okay.
- Tequila.

You can't go drinking.
You're... You're only 15.

What do you mean
I can't go drinking? W... wh...

I need to make sure
you come home safe.

Wow, you're the one
to talk about coming home?

Okay, come on. Hey!

You can't...
You can't just go...

Adam?

What's going on?

Oh. Uh...

I just think he's upset

that I haven't been there most
of his life.

Mm-hmm.

- Um...
- Okay.

But...

I'm gonna fix it.

Good.

♪

Hey, buddy. Um...

you don't have to come out
or answer me.

Uh, I just got you...

uh, a little something.

It's a guitar pedal.
I know you like them.

I'm not sure what they do.
So...

Uh, I guess they make
the guitar sound cool.

Maybe one day you could show me
how it works.

Um...

Like, I think drugs is, like,
the next level.

- Yeah.
- Drugs, you name it.

He's done it probably.

You know, like, cocaine
or like,

you know, Molly and that stuff.

And that's all
'cause his dad situation?

- Um... I mean, yeah. I think so.
- Okay.

I think it is.

You're not a dad! Okay?

You weren't then
and you're not now!

Your anger is not gonna
go away...

...if you numb it with drugs

and alcohol. Okay,
this was the problem I had.

I... I hated my dad.

I hated my dad and I went
to drugs and alcohol.

I wish I would've been spared.

I wish my parents
would have sat me down

and talked to me
like we're talking to you now.

They didn't.
They didn't know how!

I'm not gonna let that happen
to you.

What... what... what drugs
are you doing?

What do you mean
what drugs am I...

- Why would I fucking tell you?
- I... I heard you s...

- What? Are you gonna go to the fucking cops?
- So you are doing drugs?

What are you gonna do?
Go to the cops and tell them?

No! And that's why I'm talking
to you about it now.

- Adam...
- I'm not a snitch.

You're a fucking disaster,
my guy.

All right! Now...

can we end
this fucking conversation now?

♪

- Hello, Angela?
- Hello.

Just a thought,

how would you feel
about going back to age six?

Oh, I guess, um,
could you help me understand

what the purpose would be
of going back?

- Oh, just because...
- What were you thinking?

...I feel like I didn't get
the experience

- of seeing him grow. Like...
- Oh, um...

I'm willing to do that.

Whatever you think is needed
for the show, that's fine.

Okay, cool.
I'll... I'll talk to you in a bit.

Okay. See you.

♪

Adam?

Adam?

Adam, Adam, you okay?

Are you okay?

Breathe.
Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.

Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.
Breathe. Breathe.

♪ ♪

- Angela! Angela!
- What?

Adam, stay with me,

are you okay?
Are you okay, Adam?

Adam. Adam...

What's going on?

Okay, it's all right.

I don't know
what's happening.

I don't know what's happening
to him. I don't know.

I don't know what's happening.

I don't know what's happening
with him.

- I don't know.
- I don't know.

He's got pinpointed pupils,
hyperventilation.

High end-tidal.
Looks like an opioid overdose.

Okay, with hypertension
we need to consider

- benzo involvement.
- Mm-hmm. I agree.

We'll start by assisting
his breathing.

- Okay.
- Hit him up with some Narcan.

Blood pressure 96
over 50. Respiration, six.

O2 stat, 86.

How are you feeling?
You good?

You okay?

What are you doing? Don't. No.
Stay, stay. You're safe, Adam.

- You're safe.
- Hey, hey, hey!

- Wh... what's happening?
- Hey!

Have you seen a 15-year-old boy
around here?

An older man? No, no.
That wouldn't be him.

Okay, thank you.

Adam?

Oh, sorry. Sorry.

It's easy to assume

that others think
the worst of you...

but when you assume
what others think,

maybe all you're doing
is turning them into a character

that only exists in your mind.

The nice thing is,
sometimes all it takes

is a change in perspective

to make the world
feel brand-new.

All right, Adam. Let's go home.

Is that it?

♪