Notes From Second Dress

ALL

Cheat out. Not just your body but angle of scenes.

If two are onstage together, the U.S. person should favor a position closer to C.

If you turn to speak to another character, turn toward the audience.

If you are facing someone in an aggressive or flirtations manner with one foot toward that person, make sure it is the U.S. foot. That is, show the audience your front, not your back.

Project over the sound of your shoes.

Ad libs before Benv/Tyb fight need to be in the right mode. Louder, more pissed, more sarcastic.

Dance: Small steps.

Don’t bounce.

Much better sex last night.

Ad lib before and during Tyb/Merc fight.

During Merch and Ferrel’s business, hold adlibs until Merc’s last cross up to her. “Ere the morrow.” “Milking of the cow.” Etc.

Gregory Sampson

Montague Joke. Funny. When you enter, Greg, step further on so Samp doesn't bury you from view.

Jon E

Spit sound. Not “PAH!”

Step toward Greg/Samp with your U.S. (left) foot when you spit.

Tybalt

Wait half a beat more before “WHAT! Art thou drawn…” We should hear: “know now what you do.” TING. “What!” The “ting” is their swords.

Give Peter your mask “Fetch me my rapier.”

All stuff to and about Romeo (party scene) plant yourself. Don’t shuffle. Put all that frustration in your voice and body, but not feet.

Add a prop. Hanky to wipe dead Tybalt’s face. This if for you as well as for the drama.

Benvolio

Facing off with Tyb, ignore everyone else as they egg you on or mock you. Focus strictly on Tyb. He gunna cut yo ass.

Keep sword quiet during speeches, as much as possible.

“Not to his father’s” good pull-up. Just enough struggle. After pull-up, look at Merc, and ad “What!” as if, “What are you looking at?”

With Romoe, Merc, Nurse etc.

All three of you, move, then plant. Don’t wander.

“Why dost thou stay!?” Push Romeo off, turn him down stage.

Up the pace of the speech to the prince. Slow down the words but shorten/take out the pauses.

Prince

Stay on the upper most platform until after “…weapons to the ground.” Then step down to the stage level.

Office scene: “Your lives.” Not “lifes.”

On that line, “Your lives shall pay…” point with your sword.

Rail at them, even if you flub the line.

End “All are punished” let Cap cross in before you step down for final bit.

Romeo

Have FUN with Benv and with Peter. Enjoy messing with their heads. Don’t be mean to Peter. Romeo’s not a dick. He’s just emo.

First conversation with Jul, SMILE at her.

Is the climb down ok? “Can I go forward?” Take your time.

“He jests at scars.” Not big. Say as if, “That poor, dumb son of a bitch.”

And sneak out before you say it. Don’t lunge out.

Move bench D.S. to climb.

Balcony scene, very nice.

Too long before “Hence will I to my ghostly father’s.” One beat less.

First Friar scene. Slow it down! Make sure he understands your plan. But keep the excitement.

Enter into Benv Merc scene as you did, just hang out and watch them. Then step right in on Merc’s “Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi!”

With Benv, Merc, Nurse etc.

All three of you, move, then plant. Don’t wander.

Get into Tyb Merc fight more.

“Hurt cannot be much.” Don’t stand U.S. of Merc.

“This but begins the woe…” bring the energy down. Don’t shout. Just state it.

Banished. Don’t shout all of it. Remember the levels and the different states of mind.

Too many pauses.

INSANITY! “Tell me Friar. In what vile part…”

“Juliet wills it so.” Lie length-wise, not ass to audience.

Take vest off right away.

If Nurse is late, start kissing.

We lost the fun in this scene.

“And therefore came I hither.” Not “So came I”

Tomb, take out pauses.

“Tybalt.” Not “Tybalt?” Not as if, “Tybalt? Is that you?”

Don’t wander. Walk.

“Eyes – comma – look your last.”

“Arms – comma – take your last embrace.”

Good death!

Servant 1

Cross on “…liberty unto thine eyes.”

Wait two more seconds before entering “Where’s Potpan?”

Project over music.

Peter

Speak while opening letter. “Find those persons out…”

“In good time!” means “Yea! I’m saved!”

Project over music in party scene.

Take Tybalt’s mask “Fetch me my rapier.”

Project.

Juliet and girls

:]

Nurse

Don’t rush first speech. Just enjoy the memories of Juliet as a child.

How are we with the patch?

No sigh of relief until you hear “…gone to Laurence’ cell to make confession.

Lady Capulet

“The valiant Paris” Really enjoy saying those words to your daughter for the first time.

Turn left to guests, “Well said, my hearts.” Etc.

“Justice” speech. With Guard, good at second column, U.S. of Tyb. Them step down to Gregory after Guard releases you.

Add a prop. Hanky to wipe dead Tybalt’s face. This if for Marwan as well as for the drama.

Entrance into “Wilt thou be gone.” :]

Counter L. when Cap pushed Juliet and Nurse off “We’ll to church tomorrow.”

Queen Mab Scene

All ad lib, laugh, excitement about dancing, the feast, into which we shall sneak.

All, very nice.

Merc

Conjuring, head too high.

With Ro, Benv, Nurse etc.

All three of you, move, then plant. Don’t wander.

Quarreling speech “Didst” not “Didn’st”

Let “anger” at Benv build. Not just at the end.

Death scene. Nice.

When you sit on S.R. bench, angle out.

Juliet

Be aware that you are in a nighty and Romeo is below and can see up.

When you and Ro are both at top of balcony, cheat the angle, step D.S. of Ro.

When answering Nurse, turn D.S.

Balcony scene, very nice.

“Dreadful trumpet” not “general trumpet”

Articulate loud, angry parts. SLOW DOWN!

“Shall not make me a bride.”

Friar scene “with this knife”

“What if it be poison”

Tomb scene.

We lost the fun in the “Wilt thou be gone?” scene.

“FROM the reach of these…” not “with”

Friar’s potion speech, stay seated. Stand when you grab for vile.

“Pardon I beseech” Kneel but don’t sit on feet.

Ghosts speech. Fear, not screams. Build to “Stay Tybalt!”

Quicker into “What’s hear? A cup?”

“Thy lips are warm.” Needs to be a soft, desperate “Oh god, if only I’d been here a minute earlier.”

Slightly slower death.

Jon E, Drew, Liz, Friar John, Friar L

In Friar scene, both times students are answering the Friar:

All shout the answers, Jon E raise your hand.

Friar John call on Jon E

Jon E repeat the answer, smugly, as if “Ha ha, I got the right answer because I raised my hand.”

Friar John, finish it for him as you have been “With the heart.”

Friar L

“Wisely and slow!” Be stern with Ro.

“Get thee to thy love.” Not “lady.”

Cheat R. “Go before, Nurse.”

“I’ll find out your man…every good hap…” Cheer Ro up.

Wait a bit more before entering “On Thursday, sir.” Two more seconds of music.

“Wednesday is tomorrow” sit her back down and explain. Don’t kneel.

On quicker “Come, is the bride ready…” so you’re further on when you are speaking.

Cross inside curtain, “Sir go you in.”

Friar John

Articulate. But keep the intensity. “Going to find a bare foot brother.”

PATRICK

Street musician scene, hum lightly with guitar if you want. (Not in wedding sequence.)

Guard 2

Good, pushing Lady Cap back to second column. Keep it U.S. of Tybalt.

Paris

On balcony, cheat out of Capulet’s way. Step D.R.

Tomb, when Ro approaches you “Temp not…” threaten him. “Ha!”

Capulet

Don’t shout “Look to’t, think on’t, I do no use to jest.”

After “All are punished.” Step in to Lady C. Don’t wait for Prince to move.

Balthazar

Project ad libs and lines.

Mantua, cheat out.

Pause too long before, “Her body sleeps…”

W/ Friar “Here’s one…” into light quicker.

Guard 1

Push Tybalt into tomb IN THE DARK. Wait for light change.

“Seal up THE mouth of outrage.” Not “thy mouth.”

Guard 2

Ad lib outside tomb is good. But sounds like vaudeville voice. Serous sounding voice.

Romeo mushy lines

Words in ALL CAPS are those we lost.

THAT IS NOT what it is.

Devout RELIGION OF mine eye.

WITH NIMBLE souls

UNDER loves heavy bourdon

THE GAME WAS ne’er so fair

MISGIVES SOME CONSEQUENCE…VILE FORFEIT.”

RICH JEWEL IN AN ETHIOP’S EAR

SHE HANDS UPON the cheek of night

FORSWEAR IT sight

MAKE BLESSED MY RUDE HAND

THUS FROM thy lips

FORGETTING ANY OTHER home

WITHIN THY help and holy physic

ON THE FARE daughter or rich Cap

THE OTHER DID NOT so

NEVER WITH ME when thou wast not there for the goose.

DOTH MUCH EXCUSE the appertaining

IS THOU KNOWST me not

BETTER THAN thou canst devise

TILL THOU SHALT KNOW the reason of my love

HURT CANNOT BE MUCH

MY REPUTATION stained

TYBALT THAT but an hour

THEY BEAUTY HATH MADE ME EFFEMINATE

FOR EXILE hath more terror

MUCH MORE than death

AND WORLD’S exile is death

SEIZE UPON the white wonder

NOW THAT I HAVE STAINED…BUT LITTLE FROM HER OWN.

FLIES may do this. The “F” was lost.

TAKING THE MEASURE of an unmade grave

THAT WILL CONVEY my greetings

GET ME ink and paper

DOING MORE MURDERS in this loathsome world

TO JULIET’S GRAVE FOR THERE MUST i use thee

CAME I HITHER

THAT ARE THY chamber maids

OH YOU THE DOORS of breath