Day 9

I read Macbeth this morning. Macbeth is a tragedy about a regicide and its aftermath. Basically, these creepy witches tell this man named Macbeth about how he will become King. He takes it to heart. He becomes a little crazed, along with his wife as he kills the King and anyone else who may threaten to diminish his power. In the end, MacDuff kills Macbeth and brings everyone's death to justice. Macbeth is said to have been written between 1603 and 1607. It's prestige is up there with Hamlet's.

Bard of Avon,

I read Twelfth Night in 8th grade with Ms. Gant. I didn't really care for it. I never really looked forward to that one Shakespeare book we were required to read each year. I guess it was because I honestly never knew what was going on; and Twelfth Night more than others. There were just too many characters and too much going on on the side for me to fully comprehend it. However, after this second read, I am comfortable saying that I get it now. This monologue wasn't that bad, I'm close to Viola's age, which always helps. It was my first Shakespeare comedy! I mean, I've done a little of As You Like It, which has the whole girl dressed up as a man thing in common, but that was only a short scene. Recording this wasn't that difficult. The monologue was relatively shorter and more straight-forward than that of Juliet. I only really fully recorded it twice and I stuck with the second. 

Video # 2 - Viola's Monologue

Viola's Monologue

Viola only has one main monologue, so, I am going with that. It's in Act II, Scene 2. At the end of Act I, after Viola has sought out Olivia to confess Orsino, the Duke of Illyria's love for her - we see that Olivia is rather infatuated with 'Cesario' who is really Viola in disguise. Viola's monologue picks up after Malvolio, Olivia's steward (who is also in love with Olivia) is ordered to deliver a ring that Viola-Cesario 'left behind.' It's really an excuse for Olivia to see Viola-Cesario again. When Malvolio leaves, Viola puzzles over his message. She questions if Olivia has fallen in love with her.

Act 2 Scene 2

A street near Olivia's house

VIOLA I left no ring with her. What means this lady?

               Fortune forbid my outside have not charmed her!

               She made good view of me, indeed so much

               That, methought her eyes had lost her tongue,

               For she did speak in starts distractedly.

               She loves me sure; the cunning of her passion

               Invites me in this churlish messenger.

               None of my lord’s ring? Why, he sent her none;

               I am the man; if it be so, as ’tis,

               Poor lady, she were better love a dream.

               Disguise, I see thou art a wickedness,

               Wherein the pregnant enemy does much.

               How easy is it for the proper-false

               In women’s waxen hearts to set their forms!

               Alas, our frailty is the cause, not we,

               For such as we are made of, such we be.

               How will this fadge? My master loves her dearly,

               And I, poor monster, fond as much on him,

               And she, mistaken, seems to dote on me.

               What will become of this? As I am man,

               My state is desperate for my master’s love;

               As I am woman - now, alas the day! -

               What thriftless sighs shall poor Olivia breathe?

               O time, thou must untangle this, not I;

               It is too hard a knot for me t’untie.

Day 7

I apologize for not posting sooner. Thursday, I was in school all day for my acting final. Our final was a series of improvised scenes using characters we had been working on this semester. I played a schizophrenic (Park Posey), and then an unladylike cheerleader (Anne Yolles). It was refreshing to take a break from Shakespeare. This weekend I went to New York with my family and saw Billy Elliot. Again, way different from Shakespeare. It was amazing. I am sorry to say I did not enjoy Elton John's music, however, the choreography and the chemistry between the cast was amazing. It was the best Broadway musical I had ever seen. 
Well, now it's back to Viola!

She's The Man

In modern day, we have the adolescent film of She's The Man, based loosely on Twelfth Night.

Day 3

I finished Twelfth Night last night. It's one of Shakespeare's many comedies. It's said to have been written around 1601-1602. Mainly, the play is about a giant love triangle. However, add some subplots and cross-dressing, throw in a couple drunks, and get a really clever jester - and you've got Twelfth Night. 

 

Kudos if you can tell which twin is Sebastien, and which is Viola. 

Bard of Avon,

First time ever reading your Romeo & Juliet, let alone acting it out. Of course, I always knew the story. At camp, my bunk did a five minute production of it. I was Romeo... The only line I could remember was "Thus with a kiss I die." When I read that line the other day, I was thrilled. I thought this monologue was pretty challenging. There was a lot to it. In this particular scene she is anxious, excited, nervous, impatient, and a couple other things that would be inappropriate to mention. With any luck, I was able to convey at least four of them... I guess I'm worrying about finishing all the monologues by the end of next week. I didn't want to spend too much time on this first one. Overall, I am satisfied. I recorded it 8 times. After I finished the 7th, I told myself that I needed to be down after the next take. Turned out the 8th video was the best.

Video # 1 - Juliet's Monologue

Day 2

Just got back from school. I visited my faculty adviser, Ms. Martineau. She is lending me some gorgeous costumes! She also gave me advice on the monologue, and now I am looking to set up a backdrop somewhere in my house, work the scene a few more times, and hopefully record it before the sun goes down.

The technique

That's just the first part...

Now? Break up ever letter of every word from every line.

Mark it. Mark it. Mark it. Really. Mark the f**K out of it! (pardon my french)

Pour example - 

Mark your text for how many beats each letter gets. 

Put one line underneath a letter if it gets one drum beat, and two lines if it makes a sustainable sound. For my case, because of my computer - the letters that are underlined have one drum beat while the larger letters in bold make a sustainable sound.

Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds, Toward Phoebus' lodging.

Once you've done that, work on the y-buzz! It's that meditation sound in yoga that makes your whole body vibrate. Pronounce the biggest letters in italic with the same manner.

Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds, Toward Phoebus' lodging.

Then, put it all together: 

Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds, Toward Phoebus' lodging.

Now go back to the original line:

Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds, Toward Phoebus' lodging.

...and voila,

2 ½ lines down...29 more to go!!!

Juliet's monolgue

I have chosen to work on Juliet's monologue from Act 3 Scene 2. She is completely unaware that Romeo, now her husband (GO FRIAR LAWRENCE) has just killed her cousin, Tybalt. She waits for the night to come so she can see Romeo. Thanks to Alexander Schmidt's Shakespeare Lexicon and Quotation Dictionary Volume I AND Volume II, I have a good idea of what she's saying. Basically, she's very...she's full of lust...

  Act 3 Scene 2

Juliet's room in Capulet's mansion

Enter Juliet alone

JULIET  Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds,

             Toward Phoebus' lodging. Such a wagoner

             As Phaeton would whip you to the west

             And bring in cloudy night immediately.

             Spread thy close curtain, love-performing night,

             That runaways' eyes may wink, and Romeo

             Leap to these arms, untalked of and unseen.

             Lovers can see to do their amorous rites

             By their own beauties, or, if love be blind,

             It best agrees with night. Come, civil night,

             Thou sober-suited matron, all in black,

             And learn me how to lose a winning match

             Played for a pair of stainless maidenhoods.

             Hood my unmanned blood bating in my cheeks,

             With thy black mantle, till strange love, grow bold,

             Think true love acted simple modesty.

             Come, night. Come, Romeo. Come, thou day in night,

             For thou wilt lie upon the wings of night

             Whiter than new snow upon a raven’s back.

             Come, gentle night, come, loving, black-browed night,

             Give me my Romeo. And when I shall die,

             Take him and cut him out in little stars,

             And he will make the face of heaven so fine

             That all the world will be in love with night

             And pay no worship to the garish sun.

             Oh, I have bought the mansion of a love,

             But not possessed it, and though I am sold,

             Not yet enjoyed. So tedious is this day

             As is the night before some festival

             To an impatient child that hath new robes

             And may not wear them.

 Then her Nurse comes in crying and ruins the moment.

West Side Story

I personally don't find this musical all that wonderful. It's my father's all time favorite, but to me, it's dated. I know it's a classic and being dated is nice, but in West Side Story's case... no.


  Nevertheless, for Will's sack:
After Romeo meets his Juliet, or in this case - after Tony and Maria have their meet-cute, Tony learns her name, and walks towards her balcony, serenading...

In reality?

It's really a rather depressing play. Their love is doomed, and in the end, nearly a third of the cast is dead.


   Shakespeare said it best:
For never was a story more woe
than this of Juliet and her Romeo

Day 1

I finished Romeo and Juliet last night. Romeo and Juliet, as most know, is one of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies. The play is about two young star crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite the feuding Montague and Capulet families. By the plays stylistic similarities with A Midsummer Night’s Dream, its composition can be placed between 1591 and 1595. 

Now, if I were Juliet... I would have jumped...

Dear William

For these next two weeks, you are mine.