"We Have To Understand Visually" (Last Day Of Shakespeare & Chekhov)

Last day of Shakespeare & Chekhov today. Showing day!

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Andre and I presented a scene between Cassio and Iago in Othello.

Reputation, reputation, reputation! 

Oh, I have lost my reputation. 

I have lost the immortal part of 

myself, and what remains is bestial. 

My reputation, Iago, my reputation!

We'd rehearsed it on and off over the past week or so - and started to get the scene to sizzle - but we had no director, and that was our problem. A minute or so into our scene Philippe killed us. "When did you want to be beautiful? I said the beauty was in our pleasure - but he said there wasn't any pleasure. He said we need to see the game in Iago's eyes - his tactics - which we didn't. And he said there was no conflict spatially = we were performing on the same plane. "We have to understand visually...as an actor you are not bad, but the image is important."

He then got me to sit on a stool at the back of the stage, and Andre to stand further upstage to the right. He got Andre to say his text screaming in anger. Full bore. Then when it was my turn to speak he got me to take my turn, smile like my Pedophile character, and speak slowly and calmly. A really different rhythm and colour from Andre. He said if we did this to start the scene, then afterwards I could physically go over to him. But what we showed was "two bodies moving badly in space...no fixed point...bad director."

A bit disappointing to not get further with the scene, but a good lesson nonetheless.

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Sophia and I also showed a reworked version of our Kate and Petruccio scene from The Taming of the Shrew. Unfortunately it had been a rushed rehearsal process again, and there was talk of us not doing it again - a stressful night before - but we did it and it was totally worth it.

What we showed was full of life again. The fears that the audience wouldn't laugh again because they'd seen it already flew out the window - because they loved it again. "Not bad." And we'd tightened it up, and added new bits, and learned the whole scene, so it was a new work = not an issue.

Philippe said he never thought about ending our scene once, which is an indicator that it was never boring! But he said Sophia still has a negative energy about her. Like she's not quite happy to be playing. "We love him more than you because he has more pleasure."

I'm really glad we did this scene again. Casting-wise we are great in this scene together. And I had a lot of fun. Real pleasure.

~

Rodrigo also performed a monologue of Caliban's from The Tempest, which I directed.

All the infections that the sun sucks up

From bogs, fens, flats, on Prosper fall and make him

By inch-meal a disease! His spirits hear me

And yet I needs must curse.

I really wanted to see him play Caliban as his monster character from the Characters workshop:

What Rodrigo showed was basically what we'd rehearsed, but he was a lot more heavy than we had rehearsed together. I guess this is what happens with actors sometimes, and a director has to take this into account. But the shape was good. His changes were really great. 

Philippe said "he needs a different voice...heavy on his feet...too stiff...horrible body" and worked with Rodrigo to find some lightness, which was very funny. He totally won us over with his playful charm. "Not so bad."

What I realised was that the image of Rodrigo with this costume and makeup, and the text of Caliban, were already doing the job of being heavy. Of being raspy and ugly. So to move and speak in that way too was too much. We needed something light in the performance to balance the heavy image and text.

I was so happy to work with Rodrigo. He is a wonderful actor. I totally get what Philippe means when he says it's good to work with an actor that gives a lot. I'd say one or two things to Rodrigo and then he would offer so many things. It was like being given a whole lot of extra colours to paint with - extra toys to play with. It makes me think - next time I'm being directed - don't try and get it right - what the director 'wants' - but instead play and discover a thousand different possibilities. And then choose!

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Things I learned in Shakespeare & Chekhov

• Speak with the pleasure of saying fantastic text.
• Opposing rhythms are SO important!
• Follow where the actor has fun and is free. Stuff conventional!
• Strong images, and staging with conflict, are essential.
• Games & Pleasure: to be boring, to be evil, to be/pretend to be mad.

And lots more. I think the most special thing I experienced during this workshop was seeing every individual's different way with these classic texts. There is no one way. Everyone is different. And when you find that difference, the individual's humanity, it's absolutely beautiful.

~

Today was also the last day of school with many good friends from class. Rodrigo, Daniele, Ed...

...and Anna! 

"Look at my bach's big deck..."