1.4, 2.5: Fools and Madmen
Another outstanding rehearsal tonight. We're getting into the meaty scenes now, and the cast seems more than willing to embrace the challenges posed for us in the text.
We started with a brief scene tonight, in which Edmund shoos his brother out into the night and then pretends that he's just had a scrap with him. We ended up playing it somewhat for laughs, although that wasn't my intention at the start. I think the cast is starting to think I'm doing something sacriligeous by seizing on all these comic moments--but let's face it, two hours of doom & gloom (and eye-pokery) is just no fun at all.
Most of the evening was devoted to 2.5, another storm scene. This is the one where everybody goes crazy: Edgar is rolling around and eating rats, the Fool is babbling as always, and Lear decides to go the Full Monty in the middle of a downpour. As Gloster (master of understatement) says: "What a night's this!"
Again, I must reiterate how utterly game my actors are. Max (Edgar) was a tumblin' fool, scrambling about the floor, clutching at invisible bugs. And when I told Dale (Lear) to "study" the "philosopher" Poor Tom, he went all the way, down there on the ground, even trying out a roll or two. The overall result was a highly active, intense scene, very keyed up, seemingly chaotic but actually quite calculated.
When I got home, I took a look at the structure of the play, and I realized that this scene is, effectively, the physical climax of the first act. Important emotional discoveries are still to come, but this is when the storm's mad energy reaches its peak. And it'll definitely get there. It's nearly there already.
On an unrelated note, visitors are encouraged to give a listen to this hilarious Monty Python sketch, sent to me by a friend and fellow director.
We started with a brief scene tonight, in which Edmund shoos his brother out into the night and then pretends that he's just had a scrap with him. We ended up playing it somewhat for laughs, although that wasn't my intention at the start. I think the cast is starting to think I'm doing something sacriligeous by seizing on all these comic moments--but let's face it, two hours of doom & gloom (and eye-pokery) is just no fun at all.
Most of the evening was devoted to 2.5, another storm scene. This is the one where everybody goes crazy: Edgar is rolling around and eating rats, the Fool is babbling as always, and Lear decides to go the Full Monty in the middle of a downpour. As Gloster (master of understatement) says: "What a night's this!"
Again, I must reiterate how utterly game my actors are. Max (Edgar) was a tumblin' fool, scrambling about the floor, clutching at invisible bugs. And when I told Dale (Lear) to "study" the "philosopher" Poor Tom, he went all the way, down there on the ground, even trying out a roll or two. The overall result was a highly active, intense scene, very keyed up, seemingly chaotic but actually quite calculated.
When I got home, I took a look at the structure of the play, and I realized that this scene is, effectively, the physical climax of the first act. Important emotional discoveries are still to come, but this is when the storm's mad energy reaches its peak. And it'll definitely get there. It's nearly there already.
On an unrelated note, visitors are encouraged to give a listen to this hilarious Monty Python sketch, sent to me by a friend and fellow director.
posted by Scott Sharplin at 10:32 p.m.
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