LEARN YOUR LINES!

I think we made excellent progress over the last two days, but we still have a long way to go.  You all need to go back to your scripts and learn the lines as they are written.  Some of you are not saying what the script says (and of course, many of you are still too dependent on your scripts).   This weekend, take out your book and really work on learning what Shakespeare has given you.  It is better than anything you can improvise!

Firstly, thanks to those of you who came early to paint.  It was a big job and it feels great to have done it.  Dina, perhaps you could pass on to the other theatre production students that we will paint the trees on Monday, so they should wear paint clothes.

Check the schedule for the next two weeks!  You need to make arrangements to be at every rehearsal and do not surprise me on the day before a performance by telling me you have an orthodontist appointment or something, because we have to be sure you are there for every performance!  You don't need to ask permission to be out of class on matinee days -- I will tell all your teachers you are in the play.

Sufiah, we need front of house crew and people backstage to follow the script and cue people.  There isn't much anyone needs to do as far as set changes go.

Costume-wise:  This is modern dress, so don't worry about what period it is supposed to be.  Mr. Price wants monochrome for the city (lounge) and trendy, cool stuff that looks stylish.  Then, when we go to the forest of Arden, it should be Mountain Equipment Co-op -- "hiking clothes", but stylish and with your character in mind.  If you don't have anything, ask Sufiah -- we have lots of stuff in the prop room.

Props are on the prop table now.  If a prop isn't there that you need, let me know.  Actors, PUT YOUR PROPS BACK ON THE PROP TABLE WHEN YOU FINISH WITH THEM.  Ask Ms. Kosar about her first time being props master and how the actor kept losing the "turd" that was so important in the play!

I have made some cuts -- we want the show to be under two hours and these cuts don't take away from the sense of the story, but take out what the audience might not understand joke-wise or philosophy-wise.  I might have to make more and it is nothing about your performances but just what can be eliminated without affecting character development and story.

Cuts:
Act 1, scene 2:  from Rosalind's speech "Nay, thou goest from Fortune's office" to Celia's speech "whetstone of the wits".
Act 2, scene 7: Jacques: lines 45-57 ("provided that you weed . . . glances of the fool")  and lines 79 - 87 ("Or what is he of basest function . . . Unclaimed of any man")
Act 4, scene 1: Rosalind: "Troilus hand had his brains . . .But these are all lies"
Act 5, scene 2: Rosalind: "Know of me then . . . grace me."

Notes on the two runs:

Act 1, scene 1:  Adam:  be very hurt at "old dog"
Oliver:  really try to ingratiate yourself with Charles
COME ON TIME TO REHEARSAL!
Great entrance, Le Beau!  Everyone needs to react to the story about the family of wrestlers that gets hurt.
Great warmup, Charles
Project HUGELY in the lounge.
Orlando -- great on "Frederick"
Celia -- be silly right from the start -- very silly;  "trodden" has a short "o" as in "dog"
Make sure, when you have a big speech, that you get into the centre of the lounge, belt it out and turn around so everyone can see you.  The audience will be all around you (this is called "theatre in the round").
"Sir Roe-land" as in "show", not as in "ouch"
Charles, I think long pants, sweats, leggings, rather than shorts
"Ay" is pronounced "I"
When in a group on stage (lords), arrange yourselves in a nice stage picture.
Act 2, scene 3:  be more doddering, Adam -- really push this all the way.
"Buried" is pronounced "berried"
Lords, get the audience to go into the theatre and help them find seats

Act 2
scene 1: project over the sound, try to avoid turning your back to the audience, and project if you must turn away (but don't)
Lords:  be hearty!
When Jaques is mentioned, everyone is amused.
Samantha, when you quote Jaques, mock him.

Celia and Ros:  enjoy Touchstone, that's why you brought him along -- so he could amuse you.  Sufiah, let's find James a hat
Corin, great idea to sleep!  Well done.
"Jove, Jove, passion" -- she's quoting a song lyric.

scene 5:  NO PHONES ON STAGE!
Sabrina, good reaction to mistake -- she's just playing and singing for her friends, so that's exactly what you would do.  Make it part of the performance, as if you (as the actor) planned it.

Can you speed up the tempo, Sabrina?  Use the lords as your audience and try singing some of it to them.
On second verse, all lords join in on "Come hither"
Everyone laugh when Amiens says to Jaques, "it will make you melancholy" because he already is.
Jaques, make sure you're clear on "turn ass" because that's a joke!  Big elaborate bow after you sing. Make your ignorance big -- "stanzo" and "ducdame"

When Amiens says, "Sirs, cover the while" -- two lords go into the hut and bring out the bench for the lunch.

Scene 6:  maybe "WAAA!" Adam?

scene 7:  Lords, put the food on the bench.
Jaques:  Make each stage of life different and imitate the voice of the person in that stage (like a baby's voice, a little kid's voice, Nolan's voice as Silvius (for the lover), the soldier -- very macho).  You are trapping yourself in the "melancholy", I think, and getting into a repetitive delivery style.  Try to laugh at yourself, get angry at people, sigh heavily -- think of a variety of ways that people express their disappointment with their friends and the world at large.
  Lords, join in on second "Heigh ho" and clap, not snap (having heard both, I've decided)
Lords -- when Duke Senior exits, take the food!

Act 3
scene 1:  Lords, you should be there (at least two of you)
scene 2:  Orlando, stick the poems everywhere!  (There are stickies on the prop table) -- if anyone wants to write a silly love poem to Rosalind, write it on a sticky!
Touchstone -- DICTION!  Bigger thrust on the copulation speech
Lords, come into the theatre and react to jokes from Jaques and Orlando
Orlando, when you change the subject abruptly, find motivation for it.  Tease him, Rosalind.
Everyone, don't come too far downstage -- you aren't in the light; on the high platform, come as far forward as possible.

KEEP THE BANTER, JOKES FAST!   Going slowly kills it.

scene 3:  PROJECT!

scene 4:
lineaments -- pronounced lin ee ah ments
nice on "brave", Celia

scene 5:  great scene, Silvius and Phebe -- but come as far forward on upper platform as you can and don't linger there too long -- it is so hard to light!
DAmask - great, Phebe
"Dead shepherd" -- this is a reference to Christopher Marlowe and a poem he wrote so say it like a quote -  "oh, now I understand Marlowe's poem!"

Act 4
scene 1: "Wit, wither wilt?" - good
scene 2:  We need lots of lords here and hearty singing (it doesn't have to be good, just hearty!)
scene 3:  Silvius, you are afraid of Ganymede, but you don't cringe -- try to pretend you aren't afraid.  You are very curious about what is in the letter and when you find out, you are crushed.  Good crying.
Celia, when you see Oliver, let your mouth drop open, like "wow" and then walk slowly towards him as you speak.
Oliver, to Celia's right, when you tell the story - don't drop your voice and don't turn away -- really act what happens.  There is a bloody napkin on the prop table.
Sort out the exit.  To whom are you speaking?  Be sure you know.

Act 5
scene 1:  nice scene -- Audrey, when you fight with Touchstone, face us (not away)!
Touchstone -- always use the audience!
scene 2:  Orlando and Oliver -- how are you such buddies after all the strife?  can you motivate this?  Oliver is grateful to Orlando for saving him.  Maybe Orlando is just so happy to have some family to love that he's eager to be liked.  Try to show us what's going on.
Orlando needs a sling for his arm.
scene 3:  Audrey, this is a sign that Touchstone is not going to be a good husband.  Look concerned.
scene 4:  great on the "Lie Direct" scene, everyone!  That really helps the audience understand.  Do it to the audience and don't look back, Touchstone.

When Hymen and the girls enter, everyone give them full focus.  Really react!

Dina, the sound board has blue tooth -- can we do that rather than using the plug in?  I am concerned that the plug in is sounding rather muffled.

That's it!  LEARN YOUR LINES!  (Have I said that before?)

About a week to go!