Week two flew by! The format of our schedule remained the same as we learned new teaching strategies and practiced them with different plays. Highlights from this week included rehearsing with my small group and touring the Globe stage.
Scene rehearsals have pushed me out of my comfort zone in a great way. I participated in a few plays during high school, but we never had intense acting training. Our director has been super creative during rehearsal and given us ways to consider our characters. By far, my favorite moment was when he told us to grab our scripts and follow him.
We walked two minutes down the street to the original site of Shakespeare’s Globe. There was a nice sign and a small cobblestone area, but honestly if you blinked you might miss it. Our director told us to use the whole area as our stage, say our lines with our whole body, and essentially double our drama levels to borderline over-the-top. We could use the stairs, the street posts, the signs, anything. He wanted us to get as creative as we wanted and “dare to be wrong.” Our group jumped right in. We were twirling around flower posts, leaning against fences, crossing the street mid-dialogue. We started adding in probing questions to each other, pushing each other to defend our character. We made eye contact with terrified pedestrians as we pleaded our position, and our words transformed from lines we had memorized to what felt like real conversation. It was one of the most exciting and weird things I’ve ever done.
Eventually, we had to finish quietly and leave because of a disgruntled resident who apparently likes to nap at 5 pm, but it was worth it. There was something magical about delivering Helena’s soliloquy, knowing that 400 years ago the same lines were being delivered on the same plot of earth. I felt weirdly connected to generations before and was humbly reminded of the binding nature of storytelling. We all know or have been a Helena at some point.
I had the same sense of connection as I delivered a few lines on the Globe’s stage during our backstage tour. Tom gave us plenty of time to play with delivery and blocking. When I walked on the stage, I was shocked at how close the audience is; the space is more intimate than you may think. I also realized that while the Globe has no ceiling, it’s not an outdoor theatre. It still has walls to capture the sound and you certainly don’t need to shout to be heard.
As we individually practiced our lines, we played with the three circles of communication: to yourself, to a friend, to everybody. Our volume, tone, and pitch varied depending on each circle. We also played with positions. Tom would read a line, and we would walk to the part of the stage where we felt like that line should be said. I learned that stage middle, under the painted heavens and sun is called the king’s position for royalty. Villains tend to stand stage left and heroes typically stick to stage right. I also learned that there’s much debate about whether the pillars are in the correct place or not. Some actors/directors find them very challenging to work with.
Our final performance will be at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse next Tuesday. The format of the theatre is similar to the Globe, but it has no pillars and is much more intimate. It looks like we will have a chance to rehearse in that space a bit this week, so we can apply our learning and process to the final destination. Until then, I hope to keep playing with my lines and seeing how I can most authentically say them. I’ve been fortunate enough to see two performances of Dream since I’ve been here, so I’ve got a few ideas. 😊
Until next time 💕