"Da-dum da-dum da-dum da-dum da-dum."

Second rehearsal tonight, in the Walterdale space (a rare treat). The schedule is still in flux, but most of the actors were able to make it tonight--pretty much all of those who weren't there on Sunday were there tonight, which means that some people still haven't met yet, but at least I've met them all. I'm still a bit overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

Tonight we looked at verse and scansion. Iambic pentameter, smooth vs. rough, feminine endings, elisions, etc. All stuff I'm pretty comfortable with--but all the same, it's nice to revisit the basics. Dave B. very thoughtfully photocopied a large booklent on versification for everyone in the cast, compared to which my measly "Shakespearean Secrets" handout seemed pretty flimsy!

I had the actors find asides, and then used them as samples for scansion and line-walking. I suspect it all came across as rather like a college lecture, but hopefully the cast can translate it into active terms. At the very least, they'll know what the hell I'm doing when I stop mid-sentence and start counting on my fingers while muttering "Da-dum da-dum da-dum da-dum da-dum."