"The Jacket Of My Life"

We had 'auditions' for Macbeth today.

Philippe told this big story about a woman who's walking along Champs-Élysées and sees "the jacket of your life". The only problem is it's €4000! She's shocked! She would never pay that! She comes home and tells her boyfriend all about it, and bitches about the extreme price, then lets it go. But it haunts her. And eventually she goes back to the store...just to try it on...

We improvised this moment. We set up a clothes shop, with desk and clothes rack and all. A man played a camp retail assistant, and a woman had to come in and ask to try on the jacket. And as she tries on the jacket (in "slow slow slow motion") she speaks the Shakespeare text. 

Come, you spirits

That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,

And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full

Of direst cruelty!

"Two lines with the feeling: I buy the jacket of my life."

Those that worked had pleasure, sensitivity, good aura - were powerful with a touch of menace, and a good earthy voice.

~

"The actor doesn't explain the meaning of the text...We receive the meaning of the text in another way."

~

For the men, we had to enter the store and find our girlfriend there, and in a super optimistic and inspired voice say "Hello my love! You look fantastic! You are so special to me, and tonight I'm going to show it by taking you out for a romantic dinner" (or something along those lines). And then when Philippe beats his drum, keep the tone, but change the text to Shakespeare.

MACBETH:

My dearest love,
Duncan comes here tonight. 

LADY MACBETH:

And when goes hence? 

MACBETH:

Tomorrow, as he purposes. 

Those that worked maintained the passion and optimism from the earlier text in the Shakespeare too. This seems to be necessary for Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. He wants to please her, and she pushes him about.

~

This is actually all we did today, yet it took up all of class. At the beginning of class Philippe asked if anyone has anything to work on, and I sat back. But I do have a monologue as Benedick from Much Ado About Nothing that I know. I should have got up, but felt like people would be sick of me getting up all the time. But stuff that! If there's an opportunity to work with Philippe...take it!