Iago the Pedophile

Ben worked a scene from Hamlet:

"This goodly frame, the earth, seems to me a sterile promontory, this most excellent canopy, the air, look you, this brave o'erhanging firmament, this majestical roof fretted with golden fire, why, it appears no other thing to me than a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours. What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason! How infinite in faculty! In form and moving how express and admirable! In action how like an angel! In apprehension how like a god! The beauty of the world! The paragon of animals! And yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust?"

He dressed in a big Greek tragedy cloak with a hood and dark makeup around the eyes. He stood amongst three big rubbish bags, had Thomas drum from the side of the stage, and spoke in a high almost operatic voice. None of his choices made much sense. He said he saw a man in public speaking from inside a rubbish bin and wanted to try it out theatrically. Fair enough. But not the right play for it. 

"We don't see Hamlet have fun with himself."

"Your ideas are bad...But it's good to start with something."

"When we work we have to see just the human being and not the idea."

Philippe got Ben to do something much simpler and it was far better. Ben was confused because it doesn't feel like work for him - to do very little - and yet in that way he was very watchable - and that is big learning for all of us. 

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Anna worked Katharine from Taming of the Shrew.

A woman moved is like a fountain troubled,

Muddy, ill-seeming, thick, bereft of beauty,

And while it is so, none so dry or thirsty

Will deign to sip or touch one drop of it.

Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper,

Thy head, thy sovereign; one that cares for thee

And for thy maintenance; commits his body

To painful labor both by sea and land,

To watch the night in storms, the day in cold,

Whilst thou li'st warm at home, secure and safe;

And craves no other tribute at thy hands

But love, fair looks, and true obedience--

Too little payment for so great a debt.

"We have to see her really in love."

Anna is an amazing performer - very technically capable - but sometimes her technique comes before pleasure. That is, she's really good, but we want to see her having fun too! So Philippe got her play run behind the wings and kiss Ed (her boyfriend, who Philippe only found about today!) and then immediately come on stage with the pleasure of the kiss, and continue her monologue. This was joyous! He also got her to play the game where you try and escape your seat without being touched by the guard behind you. So when she escaped she would arrive out on the stage with the pleasure of the escape, and then continue her monologue.

He then got her to do the text in a variety of different ways: In the style of a young woman reading 'Little Red Riding Hood' to a group of elderly people whilst knitting. This got a sincere quality.

As an Australian feminist giving a speech about machoism ("but with spirit!...not just militant!"). This got an ironic quality.

As Helen Mirren - a bit posh, with a slight smile, and constantly surprised the words that come out of her mouth.

And finally as her "horrible Scottish lady" from Characters.

"I love all - I can't say this one or that one...It depends on the other actor."

Philippe said it's a pleasure working with Anna because she gives so much as a performer. She plays, explores, and offers a lot more than the 'brief' asks for. And this gives a director so much more to work with. I want to be like this too!

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When actors have done 'asides' for Shakespeare monologues Philippe has said not to do direct address to the audience. "You do it alone...pretend there are no spectators." Which is interesting! I'll have to ask him about it tomorrow.

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Daniele and Mia worked on Hamlet with the "To be or not to be" speech and then the following scene with Ophelia. They showed the whole scene, and Philippe didn't stop them. Then finally he said "We never saw one second when someone is beautiful...so you don't do your job." He worked with them afterwards - getting them to be still, more sensitive, more surprising - but the atmosphere got a bit heavier in the room.

~

I went up after and did a monologue from Othello of Iago:

...I'll pour this pestilence into his ear,

That she repeals him for her body's lust;

And by how much she strives to do him good,

She shall undo her credit with the Moor.

So will I turn her virtue into pitch,

And out of her own goodness make the net

That shall enmesh them all.

I felt a bit pressured to show something beautiful after Philippe working with Daniele and Mia and so was nervous going up and not in the best head space. I started, not having any real idea, or really playing anything, and the lines went out of my head (I was also quite tired from the weekend by this point in the day).

Ed ended up prompting me and I started again, this time with more energy - trying to play pissed off and cool. Then Philippe got me to dress in the same Greek tragedy cloak Ben wore and to put two seats on the stage, next to each other (with a bit of space in between), facing the audience.

He said he had a politically incorrect idea that just might work: I was to play a pedophile, and to slowly convince a young victim to come and sit on the seat next to me. 

Rodrigo was the victim.

-- What's your name?

- Rodrigo.

-- And how old are you Rodrigo?

- Six.

-- Wow. I remember when I was six. I had lots of fun when I was six...Do you like having fun Rodrigo?

- Yes.

-- Why don't you come over here then? We could have fun together...

Then I did the text in the same style as the pedophile conversation, still trying to charm Rodrigo into coming over to me. I had a deep husky voice, a big smile, and a slightly evil (yet warm) laugh. I was slow, gentle and seductive. I had to be quite sensitive to Rodrigo - he was great in that he made it hard for me. Sometimes my laugh would scare him and so he would take a step back. But finally he did sit next to me, and then take my hand, and then I turned and looked at the audience with a creepy grin on my face.

Philippe seemed happy that his idea worked. He said "it's good for Iago and it's good for you".

Not my best work today though. Wasn't in the right head space and so didn't explore or play any other tactics. I kept it simple. But that's okay. I've known before that I'm good at playing sleazy creepy bent roles, and this was a good little confirmation of that.