Dates

For those who would like to know:
We have four performance dates this year, including (hurrah!) one down here in the desert. One is down in Palm Desert, the Matinee, so at 2 o' clock, on May the 8th (2010, of course:-) ) I will post the other dates, and times later.

Blocking... as a Whole

Wow! I'm sorry (and really shocked) at how long it has taken me to write last week's "episode" of Shakespeare class.

Blocking the scene featuring the argument between Oberon and Titania was genius on Angela's part. (For those of you who aren't sure, blocking is when you cast the "moves" or "where to go," for an un-blocked play. Since Shakespeare's plays are almost always never blocked, this is generally the most tedious part of performing any of his plays... in addition to your lines, you must memorize the blocking as well. However, Angela tends to make things fascinating and fun at the same time.)

She pulled up an Act II, Scene '0', instead of immediately jumping into II.1, in which Oberon is spying on Queen Titania and the fairies playing with the changling boy, so the audience kind of gets an idea about what the fairy king and queen are arguing about, and to show how much Titania enjoys her changling boy, and why she dislikes the idea of giving him to Oberon. In II.1, we started the blocking. That was loads of fun... and you'll have to wait and see how it turns out!

You Will Never be Alone with a Poet in your Pocket!

I'm currently reading John Adams, a perfectly intriguing book about our famous president. It says that he loves Shakespeare, along with his wife Abigail! "But in his need to fathom the "labyrinth" of human nature, as he said, he was drawn to Shakespeare, and Swift, and was likely to carry... a volume of English poetry with him on his journeys. "You will never be alone with a poet in your pocket," he would tell his son Johnny." (Page 19)

If you noticed, there was not only Shakespeare in there, but also references made to English poetry, and Swift. This is a great book that will transport you to many different places besides the history of our president, John Adams.

"Out, Spot!"

Monday in Omnibus again, we went over Macbeth, and had an interesting but fun assignment: watching a version/interpretation of Macbeth. I chose to watch the Folger's edition, (in all actuality a magnificent play) which was, as I stated above, very interesting, and very well done.

There was an interesting fact we came up with: Lady Macbeth is completely contradictory, when, at the beginning of the play, and just after the murder of Duncan, that a little water will wash the blood off of her husband Macbeth's hands. (How gruesome, I know.) Now, however, in 5.1, Lady Macbeth is sleepwalking, and talking, and rubbing her hands in her sleep, alarmed at the growing spot on her hands, muttering about how the act just won't come undone. Gross and creepy, but a great reminder of how, once sin and Satan gets a foothold in our hearts, it takes God's grace to help all come undone, just as the doctor tells Lady Macbeth's maid when witnessing this scene.

What We Are

"We know what we are, but we know not what we may be."
~William Shakespeare

"Fairy Savors"

Thursday: first meeting of all the fairies! Well, most of them: our Queen Titania's were there (Annelise and Tai), and us fairies(Me, Madison, Reagen)! We choreographed a dance, and Mrs. Ward is going to do the blocking of the supernaturals and fairies as of next week. We went through the lines, and just had fun! Also, it was extremely interesting to "watch," (actually we heard more than watched)the others, namely the Athenian Court, and Mechanicals, and Supernaturals.

Fair is Foul... Now is Foul Fair?

We've started our long-awaited and anticipated discussion on Macbeth in Omnibus (which is part of school). I was selected, along with friends Haley and Lillian to be the three "weird sisters"! Lillian has this perfect witch-like voice, and so does Haley. We got to do the first scene in the play, and then again in scene three.

Kalahan, who is also part of the "Omnibus Crew" pointed out an important fact about these two scenes: The last line of the first scene, all the witches proclaim,
"Fair is foul, and foul is fair,
Hover through the fog and filthy air."

Macbeth's first line is (1.3):
"So foul and fair a day I have not seen."

The similarities between the two lines echoes an eerieness. We know right away that something is not all right... Macbeth and the three sisters are saying almost the exact same thing, only in different ways. Oooh!

Sorry about Thursday... again, the little girls were sick. (And, believe me, it's been circling through our family since December). It's just the remainder cough. :-(