Of course, that's the opening line of Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott, who was quite an extraordinary woman -- a feminist and an abolitionist and a woman who supported her family "with her pen" in a time when that was not the common role for a woman (of course, doing it by writing is still pretty uncommon).
I saw the new iteration of "Little Women" (directed by Greta Gerwig and featuring Saorise ) yesterday and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed it. It had a lot of energy (which I think the book does as well) and all the performances were great and it looked sumptuous with snowy Concord and sunny France and gritty New York. I have never read the actual book, amazingly, so I scooted out and got it. Jo is an unusual character, uncompromising and sometimes difficult to like (at least, this is me talking after reading two chapters and seeing several movie versions of the story, so perhaps I'll change my mind after finishing the book). I knew the story well and remember wondering about some of Jo's choices (I won't ruin the story, because I'm sure some of you plan to see it, or maybe, READ THE BOOK, like I am now) but I think the movie deals pretty well with Jo and how unusual she is and how difficult it would have been for someone like her to make her way. It conflates Louisa May Alcott with Jo (and of course, I don't think there's any doubt that a lot of Jo is Louisa May Alcott anyway) and helps us see things through a writerly perspective. Anyway, the movie is highly recommended by me and is a charming addition to the lexicon of festive movies that don't really involve Christmas much, despite the first line of the book.
I also saw Noah Baumbach's "Marriage Story" (with Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson). I thought it was quite good and showed the challenges of two people who still love each other in a way, but not in the way that makes them want to be married anymore. They have a young son and their love of him and their desire to continue to be his parents is what makes the thing so heartbreaking. I can't imagine having to let another person, even a person I loved, take my son away to another part of the country and be in charge of him and me not be in the day to day. It is hard enough to be a parent and feel like you're helping and raising the child to be a good person, but not to see them every day and sit down to dinner with them and read to them and disagree with them and then resolve it (which you'd probably be afraid to do, if you only saw them on weekends or on holidays) -- that would be horrible. You and your partner are adults, so it's sad that your relationship is over and you would feel badly, but you would be able to regroup and move on, but I don't know how you would bear it if you had to lose your child's time as well. The most painful scene was when Charlie (Adam Driver) comes to Los Angeles and he wants to take Henry trick or treating on Hallowe'en and Henry has already gone with his mom and his cousins and doesn't really want to go again, but Charlie is determined that they're going to go and it isn't a success. You understand Charlie, but you want to intervene and tell him that he has to give in, but of course, Charlie is in the moment and you are at that omniscient distance.
I hope you're all enjoying your holidays (if you're having them and not busy working). I am taking it very easy and reading a lot and staying cosy. Are you making any New Year's Resolutions? I made two the other day. I am going to write daily (I think I have resolved this before) -- I have a really good idea for a play (maybe for next year's first show) called "I Shot Santa" about an artistic girl who is bullied by her two friends with whom she has kind of a girl band. I wrote the lyrics for the song "I Shot Santa" the other day and have this idea that the play will trace their relationship from their childhood to adulthood with the scenes all happening around the holidays.
My other resolution is to check my email once a day only. I check it more than that and it's a waste of time. I will be 63 tomorrow and time is getting more and more important as I age. Instead of looking at my old emails, I could write a scene of "I Shot Santa"!
Tuesday, 31 December 2019
Saturday, 21 December 2019
If you're worried and you can't sleep, just count your blessings instead of sheep, and you'll fall asleep counting your blessings!
The other day, our question of the day was your favourite holiday song, and this is the one I chose. I have been watching a lot of my favourite Christmas movies these days and I watched "White Christmas" last weekend, and old Bing Crosby sings this one to Rosemary Clooney (I believe she is George Clooney's aunt -- I wonder if he can sing like an angel, like she can) and they are both (Bing and Rosemary) terrific singers and the song has a lovely, Kosar-style philosophy. I am sure I've told you about my mom saying to "count your blessings". It's like keeping a gratitude journal -- you can't feel sorry for yourself for long when you start to count your blessings. Maybe things aren't just the way you'd like them to be, but you have a lot going for you, if only that you live in a warm house and get to eat when you want and are safe in Canada. The birds and the stars and the river and the trees are all free to look at and enjoy.
We have made it through the year at school and have managed to make it to the end of December with no major mishaps. It was great to see old kids at Breakfast with Santa and all the acts I saw were amazing! I am so impressed with our Mudsharks band. We are really lucky at our school to have such talented musicians among us. What a wonderful set they treated us to! Thanks to them for kicking off the holidays in such a stellar fashion.
Now we have two full weeks before we must trudge back to the halls of Steveston-London. I hope all of you have a safe and happy holiday with lots of cheer and warmth and good food and good company and good books (one of my favourite parts of the holidays). One of the blessings I count when I can't sleep is my great good fortune to have work I love and to be able to spend my days with energetic and enthusiastic young folks like yourselves.
See you in 2020!
We have made it through the year at school and have managed to make it to the end of December with no major mishaps. It was great to see old kids at Breakfast with Santa and all the acts I saw were amazing! I am so impressed with our Mudsharks band. We are really lucky at our school to have such talented musicians among us. What a wonderful set they treated us to! Thanks to them for kicking off the holidays in such a stellar fashion.
Now we have two full weeks before we must trudge back to the halls of Steveston-London. I hope all of you have a safe and happy holiday with lots of cheer and warmth and good food and good company and good books (one of my favourite parts of the holidays). One of the blessings I count when I can't sleep is my great good fortune to have work I love and to be able to spend my days with energetic and enthusiastic young folks like yourselves.
See you in 2020!
Monday, 16 December 2019
Myth, money and show and tell!
Don't forget to bring $5 to pay for your ticket for the play. The money goes to the Drama Club!
Memorize your lines for The Creation of the World.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SHOW AND TELL:
You should be preparing your "show and tell" speeches! Practice your speech OUT LOUD and make sure you have two minutes of material! This is very important. It should not be more than two minutes (more is not better) and it should not be less than two minutes.
You will stand centre stage and not fidget! You will appear to be confident. You may use cue cards, or even have your whole speech written out, but you must make eye contact with the audience. You must speak clearly and make sure I can hear you and understand you from the back of the theatre. Think about communicating to the audience. Tell them a story that features your item. Showing the item is not enough!
You may speak about anything you like, but if it is not allowed at school, you will have to show a photo or picture of it.
You MUST not start the speech with "so" or end it with "yeah". Think of a joke or a quotation or a question to start things out and then at the end come to a conclusion -- "this is what I learned", "this is why this thing is so important to me", "as you can see, it is important to 'look before you leap'. Something like that.
Use something that inspires a story to tell. Just describing the item will not engage your audience. That's the basis of theatre - a good story. We've talked at length about how the plot line works -- that will help you here. If you are interested in the story, we will be, too, so choose something that inspires a good story.
This is a chance for you to demonstrate that you are a good public speaker! Make sure you have TWO MINUTES of material. Don't speak too fast!
We will present these speeches at the end of the term in January.
Memorize your lines for The Creation of the World.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SHOW AND TELL:
You should be preparing your "show and tell" speeches! Practice your speech OUT LOUD and make sure you have two minutes of material! This is very important. It should not be more than two minutes (more is not better) and it should not be less than two minutes.
You will stand centre stage and not fidget! You will appear to be confident. You may use cue cards, or even have your whole speech written out, but you must make eye contact with the audience. You must speak clearly and make sure I can hear you and understand you from the back of the theatre. Think about communicating to the audience. Tell them a story that features your item. Showing the item is not enough!
You may speak about anything you like, but if it is not allowed at school, you will have to show a photo or picture of it.
You MUST not start the speech with "so" or end it with "yeah". Think of a joke or a quotation or a question to start things out and then at the end come to a conclusion -- "this is what I learned", "this is why this thing is so important to me", "as you can see, it is important to 'look before you leap'. Something like that.
Use something that inspires a story to tell. Just describing the item will not engage your audience. That's the basis of theatre - a good story. We've talked at length about how the plot line works -- that will help you here. If you are interested in the story, we will be, too, so choose something that inspires a good story.
This is a chance for you to demonstrate that you are a good public speaker! Make sure you have TWO MINUTES of material. Don't speak too fast!
We will present these speeches at the end of the term in January.
Friday, 13 December 2019
journals near the holidays
Grade 8: How do you think the world was created? Could you make a play about it? Explain how. Describe what you would do in detail. How did your group decide the cast of your performance of The Creation of the World? Where, in the story, would be a good place for a tableau? Where would you put a mime? What do you think the end of the story means (when it says "ever since, all children born of Man contain Mutima, a longing for God")?
Is there anyone you would like to work with in the theatre sports/improv group?
Grade 9/10:
What are the rules of theatre sports? (Name at least three.) What is your favourite game? Explain why.
With whom would you like to work for the theatre sports tournament?
Senior Drama:
Which of all the improvs we've done is your favourite? Explain why. Who is the best improvisor in the class? Explain why you choose the way you do.
Is there anyone you would like to work with in the theatre sports/improv group?
Grade 9/10:
What are the rules of theatre sports? (Name at least three.) What is your favourite game? Explain why.
With whom would you like to work for the theatre sports tournament?
Senior Drama:
Which of all the improvs we've done is your favourite? Explain why. Who is the best improvisor in the class? Explain why you choose the way you do.
Thursday, 5 December 2019
All the world's a stage
We have a great opportunity this week to see a wonderful play by the greatest playwright, William Shakespeare. The play is "As You Like It", which includes the speech we all learn in grade 8. It is a great comedy with terrific relatable characters, a big wrestling match and lots of romance. There are two performances today (Thursday) and one on Friday. Try to see one of the remaining performances.
Journal:
If you see "As You Like It", write a review of it. Say what you liked and what could have been improved. Try to make specific comments about particular actors or scenes, or the set (spectacularly designed and built by Mr. Price), the idea to have the first act in the Williams lounge, anything that you would like to discuss.
If you absolutely can't see the play, then write about another play you've seen. Include the name of the play and where you saw it (even if it was just at school). Follow the instructions above.
If you were in the play, write about the experience -- rehearsals and performances.
Journal:
If you see "As You Like It", write a review of it. Say what you liked and what could have been improved. Try to make specific comments about particular actors or scenes, or the set (spectacularly designed and built by Mr. Price), the idea to have the first act in the Williams lounge, anything that you would like to discuss.
If you absolutely can't see the play, then write about another play you've seen. Include the name of the play and where you saw it (even if it was just at school). Follow the instructions above.
If you were in the play, write about the experience -- rehearsals and performances.
Friday, 29 November 2019
Many hands make light work!
Journals for this week!
Grade 8: On a scale of 1 - 5 (with 1 being "not good at all" and 5 being excellent), how would you rate yourself as a group member? Explain your answer. What did you contribute to the musical tableaus? Are you a good leader? Explain. Write about a time you had to work in a group and what you learned from the experience.
Remember, D Block -- I am taking you to the play on Thursday at 1. Please bring $5 for your ticket! The money goes to support the drama club, so we can keep doing great plays for our school.
Drama 9/10: Write a review of your heritage play. Give the play a name (for example, "Time Marches On" or something like that) and then write about how it went describing particular scenes, actors, the use of music, the staging, whatever you want to comment on. Include both things you thought were successful and things that you wish had gone differently.
Senior Drama: Martin Scorsese (the great director of "Taxi Driver", "Raging Bull", "Goodfellas", "The Age of Innocence" and many great movies, including this year's "The Irishman") has said this about Marvel movies: "Cinema is an art form that brings you the unexpected. In superhero movies, nothing is at risk." He goes on in this vein, "[refering] to Marvel movies as “amusement parks” and [listing] how they are devoid of “revelation, mystery or genuine emotional danger,” and that the “pictures are made to satisfy a specific set of demands, and they are designed as variations on a finite number of themes.” Comment on this idea. Do you like Marvel movies? Do you think they follow a pattern? Are the characters interesting? (Describe one you like, if you can. If you don't like the characters, say why.) Do all movies explore a finite number of themes and satisfy specific demands? Try to be thoughtful in your answer.
Grade 8: On a scale of 1 - 5 (with 1 being "not good at all" and 5 being excellent), how would you rate yourself as a group member? Explain your answer. What did you contribute to the musical tableaus? Are you a good leader? Explain. Write about a time you had to work in a group and what you learned from the experience.
Remember, D Block -- I am taking you to the play on Thursday at 1. Please bring $5 for your ticket! The money goes to support the drama club, so we can keep doing great plays for our school.
Drama 9/10: Write a review of your heritage play. Give the play a name (for example, "Time Marches On" or something like that) and then write about how it went describing particular scenes, actors, the use of music, the staging, whatever you want to comment on. Include both things you thought were successful and things that you wish had gone differently.
Senior Drama: Martin Scorsese (the great director of "Taxi Driver", "Raging Bull", "Goodfellas", "The Age of Innocence" and many great movies, including this year's "The Irishman") has said this about Marvel movies: "Cinema is an art form that brings you the unexpected. In superhero movies, nothing is at risk." He goes on in this vein, "[refering] to Marvel movies as “amusement parks” and [listing] how they are devoid of “revelation, mystery or genuine emotional danger,” and that the “pictures are made to satisfy a specific set of demands, and they are designed as variations on a finite number of themes.” Comment on this idea. Do you like Marvel movies? Do you think they follow a pattern? Are the characters interesting? (Describe one you like, if you can. If you don't like the characters, say why.) Do all movies explore a finite number of themes and satisfy specific demands? Try to be thoughtful in your answer.
Saturday, 23 November 2019
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!
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!
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