Session Six: Week 7

Tuesday

One of the ensemble members who recently joined the group took me aside and told me that she wanted to make sure I know that she has very bad anxiety and stage fright, and that’s why she’s been hanging back a bit. I assured her that we’ve had many people over the years who’ve worked through those challenges and accomplished a lot, and I suggested that she push herself just a bit out of her comfort zone rather than feeling pressure to dive in like many of the others. I also suggested that she let the group know how she’s feeling so that they will understand why she’s reticent, rather than anyone wrongfully assuming that she’s not dedicated or interested in the work. She did talk to the group, and they were, of course, very sympathetic.

We worked through several scenes tonight. When discussing Act Three Scene Two, in which Hastings ignores a warning from Lord Stanley and boasts about the execution of his enemies, we paused to analyze what all of this means. “It’s ironic that Hastings is so happy about the executions because he’s going to die,” said one woman. We decided that the reason there’s so much repetition in the scene is to make sure we’re set up for Hastings’ impending downfall. A woman who worked on Othello last year remarked, “It’s like all of those people saying ‘honest, honest Iago.’”

Act One Scene Three was pretty straightforward and didn’t engender discussion beyond clarifying the plot. In our brief discussion of Act Three Scene Four, one of the women remarked, “We have a Ratcliffe here. She’s a henchwoman.”

When the majority of the group decided to play an improv game, I took aside the woman who confided in me that she’s bored and gave her some additional resources about the history behind the play. She was pleased and excited to do the extra reading.

I then went to the back of the room with a longtime ensemble member who wanted to read me an essay she had written about her life. It is a powerful piece, describing intense trauma that she experienced as a child and the following self-destructive choices she made, culminating in the crime for which she is incarcerated. She also wrote about her journey in prison toward healing. When she finished reading, she began to cry, talking about how hard it is to revisit these old wounds, but how much writing about them helps. She emphatically stated that the reason she’s been able to do this is her involvement in our group. Being able to explore so much through the characters, learning about storytelling, gaining confidence and self-esteem, and learning how to more constructively express herself and manage conflict has been a game changer for her. She is nearly ready to share her experiences widely and make some kind of impact, hopefully with young girls facing the same challenges she faced.

This ensemble member has come a very long way from when I first met her. “I don’t think you can understand how much this has meant to me,” she said. “This group has changed me. You are my inspiration.”

“There could be no higher honor,” I replied. “This is what we hope the program can do for everyone. And I want you to know that you inspire me, too. Nearly every time I talk about the group, I mention you. You’ve grown so much.”

It was an intense but rewarding conversation. I am so thrilled that she’s taken these steps toward healing, and so honored that she’s shared so many details of her journey with me.

Friday

We began tonight with Act Three Scene Five, in which Richard and Buckingham begin their manipulation of those around them to give Richard the crown. Our discussion of the scene centered on the Lord Mayor, who is handily played.

“I picture him chubby and dumb as a brick,” said one woman. “He must be a wuss,” said another. “You can’t make that judgment,” said a woman who’s been in the group for several years.  Kyle observed that the mayor could be reading between the lines. “I picture him as the Monopoly guy,” said one member. “Or the Mayor of the Munchkins,” said another.

A newer member suggested that the mayor acts the way he does because he doesn’t want Richard to hold anything against him later. After all, he is confronted by Hastings’ disembodied head in this scene. “I would run and get the hell out of Tewkesbury,” joked one woman.

Why do they fetch the doctor and the preacher, we pondered? A note in the Arden version of the play (which we use as a resource) says that these two were vocal advocates for Richard. “It’s like bringing your mom to court,” said one woman.

We moved on to Act Three Scene Six, in which a Scrivener tells the audience about how obviously false the proclamation against Hastings is. The scene is very brief. Why is it here, we asked? “This is where the story unfolds,” said one woman. “It’s getting us up to date, like the scene with the citizens,” said another.

“This is the first person to say it’s a fraud,” Kyle remarked. “Who’s he really talking to?” asked an ensemble member. “He wouldn’t talk to anyone who could say he’s the traitor.”

“Shakespeare does this all the time,” said a longtime member. Kyle added that when characters speak to the audience, they’re involving them without the possibility that they could impact the action of the play. “He’s speaking for everyone there,” said a newer member.

We moved on to Act Three Scene Seven, in which Richard and Buckingham again manipulate those around them and ultimately gain the throne for Richard. “It’s so slimy,” said one woman. The woman who played Iago last year mused, “Sometimes I think I like Richard better than Iago. Richard at least brings people into it – Iago acted by himself. Mad props to Richard – he gets people on his side.”

Another woman agreed. “Iago lied and tricked people – Richard gets people to work with him.” The first woman added, “The motives are different, too. Iago was doing it out of ambition and spite. Richard wants power.” The second woman asked, “Do you think because he’s a lord, he’s used to having people do things for him?” The first woman nodded her head, saying, “He’s entitled.”

Another woman from last year’s group said, “I think Iago’s more personal – he knows people’s weaknesses and digs deep into their souls and feelings. He plays specific people against others. Richard’s like, ‘Off with their head. If you’re not with me, you’re dead.’ Everybody hates Richard. When he does things, it’s obvious. Iago tricked people – Richard just has them killed.”

Richard’s physical deformity came up again. “It could be a body image thing,” said one woman. “Maybe he doesn’t look that bad to other people.”

We returned to the comparison with Iago. Kyle mentioned the contempt with which Iago held Cassio, and one of last year’s members chimed in, “Prattle without practice!” That’s a direct quote from the play, and evidence that it’s not just me who gets the language stuck in her head!

The discussion continued. I returned to the opening soliloquy and asked the group if they feel that, based on that language, Richard is bored and doesn’t fit in well in peace time. We mused on that a bit. Then the conversation turned personal.

“Sometimes I do want power,” said one woman. “I do things just to see if I could. There are things I want to accomplish. I’m not sure Richard wants to accomplish anything. As far as him being bored, I get that.” Another woman added, “He just wants to be somebody.”

“How tall was he? Maybe he had a Napoleon complex,” volunteered one woman. “He’s got a complex for sure,” responded the woman who posited that he wants to be somebody. “Do you think he got what he wanted in the end? I mean here we are talking about him. He’s somebody.”

I suggested that we refrain from judging Richard in black and white terms – that we will be better served by analyzing him as a multi-faceted human being. Several group members remarked how similar that is to how they feel about being judged.

“As felons, we bring a different view to this,” said one woman. “We know each other and ourselves… Society has thrown us way. You see things with us you otherwise wouldn’t see. Other people in society don’t understand. I look at friends who are drug addicts and see what led them there. The judging of character is a slippery slope. We’re gonna go out there and get judged, too.”

“Us judging them is like someone looking at our files,” said another woman.

“I’m stuck on what you said,” said another member to the first woman. “We’re all something to that effect, but in here I’ll never know you as that drug addict robber. To me you’re not.”

The first woman agreed. “Here I’m another person because we’re all on that level. But when I go home, I have to check that. For those of us that are going home soon, we have to remember that. But don’t forget who you are in here.”

The woman to whom this was a response said, “If we want people to know the real us, we have to be the real us.”

“The world is so judgmental,” said a longtime ensemble member. “If it’s not us as prisoners, it’s gonna be somebody else – lesbian, etc. If I wasn’t here, and I was posting pictures on social media, people would be saying something. In here, we have the opportunity to share who we really are.”

“We’re more than our crimes,” said another woman. Another added, “What we did yesterday is yesterday. It’s where you go from here.”

Kyle asked what would happen if they met Richard in prison. “Oh, we have,” said one woman, and everyone laughed. “We know Richards and reformed Richards,” said another. Kyle asked if there is hope that all Richards can be reformed. The group pondered this.

“I don’t want to be in the mix of the ghosts,” joked one woman. “When you’re around them, you realize they’re different,” one woman said more seriously. The first woman continued, “Some people use Richard as a character to keep up a wall.”

One woman talked about finding a good place to sit in the day room, and what she’d do if the only seat was near a Richard. “If Richard is respectful, I’ll sit there all day next to him.”

“We form preconceived notions, but we find out she’s pretending to be a Richard because of her situation,” said the woman who talked about Richard being used to keep up a wall.

Another woman said, “The Richard in my unit doesn’t like people who see her as Richard. She’ll plot against you… If you play the game and let her run the show, then you’re okay.” Another woman knew whom she was talking about. “She scares me,” she said. “I’ve seen the things she’s done to people, and I’m like, you can have it.” Kyle responded that that sounds a lot like the mayor.

“Sometimes if we don’t know better, we don’t do better,” said one woman.

Another woman remarked that someone serving a life sentence is more likely to be a Richard. This was met with some pushback. “If they’ve spent their whole lives here, it’s gonna change them,” said one woman. “You just don’t know what they’ve been through.”

Our conversation lasted until the very last minute of our meeting. We ended on a positive note, despite the disagreement over lifers being more likely to be Richards. Everyone is excited to continue the discussion next week.

Session Six: Week 6

Tuesday

Tonight during our check in, one of our new participants shared that her daughter, inspired by her work in Shakespeare, has begun acting at her school. Her daughter was excited about someday working on lines with her mother, and this ensemble member beamed as she told us.

We continued our reading of the play, beginning with Act II, scene i, in which a dying Edward IV makes peace between fighting lords and is informed about his brother Clarence’s death. Our big question was: do they mean what they say when they make this peace? “I would still be suspicious,” said one woman. We talked about all of the factions and betrayals in the Wars of the Roses. “This is like… Wednesday to them,” said one participant.

We moved on to Act II, scene ii, in which Clarence’s children, the Duchess of York, and Queen Elizabeth mourn their losses – and Richard and Buckingham put the wheels in motion to kidnap the young prince and take power for themselves.

We talked about how easily people are manipulated in this scene, and throughout the play. “Richard would have to have weak people around to do his bidding. He wouldn’t want strong people around,” reflected one woman.

“I feel like Shakespeare was in prison,” observed another woman. “All this is the same shit we go through all the time – the intrigue, the lies, the people, nobody taking responsibility for their own actions…”

We were tired of sitting still by this point and got up to play a circle game. This proved to be a welcome break.

I went over to a couple of longtime ensemble members and asked how they were doing. “I feel like I haven’t gotten to talk to you very much,” I said. “There are just so many more people in the group than usual!” They said it’s okay, and that it is a good thing to have such a large group. We’ve never seen this many people join and then stick with it!

Then one of our newer members mentioned that she has been having a little trouble keeping up. We discussed some ideas of how to make this easier, since others said they were also having trouble. One ensemble member suggested that everyone read the entire play in contemporary English and then in the original language. Another reassured the newer members, saying, “We’re going to go through this so many times by June, you’ll know it by heart. I can still quote the handkerchief scene [from Othello] and I wasn’t even in it.”

Another returning member said, “We’re just as lost right now as you are. With Othello, we were confused, and now I could tell you the story beginning to end without looking.”

A woman who has been in the group for four years talked about how putting the play on its feet will lead to a deeper understanding. “All the emotions come,” she said. “It’s like a supernatural power.”

In the end, we agreed to stop more frequently during our reading to make sure everyone is keeping up to speed. I will also be bringing in a scene-by-scene synopsis of the play for those who do not have time to read much outside of our meetings. This seems like a good compromise.

Friday

Tonight began with a question from a new member of the group about how we handle casting. I responded that we’ve tried a different method each year – that we have been able to do it via discussion some years, by anonymous voting another year, and last year with casual auditions followed by anonymous voting. I mentioned that each of these methods have proved to be problematic in some way, and we’re always open to new ideas. “I like the voting,” said one woman who was in the group last year. “It avoids ganging up and hurting feelings.” Another returning member said that she thought the facilitators should do the casting. I responded that this has the potential to be very problematic, as it would change the dynamic in the group and go against our policy of avoiding a hierarchy as much as possible.

We decided to leave the topic for now, and someone suggested that as we move through the play, we begin by reading the scene synopsis and then reading the Shakespeare. This idea was embraced by everyone.

We began with Act II, scene iii, in which three citizens discuss the death of Edward IV and their mistrust of Richard. There was a pause after the reading. “What do you think about this scene?” I asked. “I think we can cut the whole thing,” responded one participant.

“We probably can,” I said, as others nodded their heads. “But why is the scene in the play? We need to understand that before we make the decision to get rid of it.”

“Is it like a subliminal message? In the background?” asked one woman. “It’s what the people are saying,” said another. “But why is it important to hear what they’re saying?” I pushed.

“I see a motion picture,” said one participant, “where stuff’s going on, and then… It’s like when the newspaper spins, and they’re out on the street, and we see this conversation.” The first woman exclaimed, “Yes! That’s what I meant.”

The question arose of whether we might be able to do something creative with the scene rather than cutting it completely. A longtime member said, “The play shows what this scene is all about. We can cut it.” Another said, “I don’t think it’s gonna hurt or help.” We will revisit the issue when we are more familiar with the play.

We moved on through Act II, scene iv, and then to Act III, scene i. The former didn’t engender much discussion, but the latter did.

We explored the idea that Prince Edward could not claim sanctuary because of his inability to make informed, adult decisions. We were divided on whether or not this is fair, and whether or not the characters in the play grasp what’s going on. “If they didn’t want to kill him, they wouldn’t want to get him out of sanctuary,” one woman pointed out.

We then discussed the back and forth between Richard and the princes. Someone commented that the scene has a lot of wordplay and is fairly long. “It shows their relationship – our uncle picks on us a little bit,” said one woman. “He’s a bastard,” said another about Richard. “He knows he’s going to kill him.”

We talked about the way in which the children interact with Richard – they seem to lack respect. “I think it’s a reflection of what the kids hear from their parents – they have no respect for [Richard] at all,” said one person. Another observed, “You know how boys are. They didn’t like to be called little.”

The conversation shifted to Richard’s promise to Buckingham, with which, of course, he does not follow through. “Poor guy,” I said, “He chose the wrong side.” That got some push back from several ensemble members. “It’s karma,” said one. “What goes around comes around.”

As the group moved into an improv game, I sat down with the woman who’d gotten so upset during the game last Friday and had been absent Tuesday. I asked her to tell me what’s going on – she’s seemed restless and upset a lot. “I’m just bored,” she said. “This play isn’t that interesting to me. Othello was so opaque, and this play is transparent.” I said that they are very different plays – that this play isn’t on the same level in terms of complexity. “We need to find you a way in,” I said. “Is there anything that interests you in the play?” She said that she is interested in Richard himself, and I suggested that she focus on that. I encouraged her to read ahead in the play – even to read it multiple times, since we’re moving too slowly for her in our group reading. “Then you can be the expert in the room – the mentor,” I said. She also said that she is interested in the history, and I promised to find more in-depth historical background for her to read up on. We promised to keep communicating with each other, and she seemed to feel a lot better after our conversation, even joining in the game.

It can be very difficult to strike the right balance when working with people from such diverse backgrounds, with so many different learning styles. We try our best to make everyone happy, but sometimes our compromises leave people feeling unsatisfied. I hope that this woman will enjoy the group more with her new approach, and I’m going to keep an eye on it to make sure we don’t lose her along the way.

Session Six: Week 5

Tuesday

Written by Frannie

After a brief warm up, we sat down to read Act One, scene one. We read through the entire thing and then stopped to discuss.

“He is something else,” said a longtime ensemble member about Richard, in regards to his interactions with Clarence, who is heading to the Tower. “He has no desire to get him out or serve his time. It makes me emotional. He’s manipulating his own brother. It makes me sad.”

Another person said, “He’s ballsy, though. He doesn’t care. Clarence isn’t in a position to tell Edward anything.”

We began to discuss Richard’s plotting as opposed to Iago’s – that Iago is a puppet master, while Richard is an opportunist. “Most people that are manipulative like that think a lot about their plans,” said one woman. “Powerful people… put on a front. They pretend to be one way when they’re actually feeling something different.”

A newer member chimed in, “In any sibling relationship, you’re gonna have one trying to get another on his side. George is the dumb one, right? So Richard tries to get him on his side.”

We talked about how violent the times were throughout Richard’s life – how inured he must have been to murder and manipulation. One woman offered another perspective, saying, “Richard has been the pariah his entire life, and now this is the only way for him to be respected, to have people do what he wants… That’s what drove him to this point. I mean, dogs bark at him when he walks by. This is his breaking point. He wants to get away from that feeling by any means.”

“It amazes me that these people make all these plots to get in power, but do they ever realize these things will happen to them once they get power?” mused another woman. “They don’t think it through to the end,” responded another.

Another woman joked about all of Richard’s crimes, “He’s like Pringles. Once he popped, he just couldn’t stop.”

We then decided to continue with Act One, scene two, in which Richard woos Lady Anne. There were many different perspectives on this scene, which is very open to interpretation.

“She’s easy,” said a newer participant. “She just left her dead father-in-law in the hands of his killer to go wait for him.” Another woman responded, “She’s vulnerable – she’s going through it. She’s grieving and he’s just kind of sweeping in… He keeps going at her. He’s got game.”

Another woman said, “I think she’s bloody brilliant. We have to think about the time. She married into power. This dirt bag stole it by killing her husband. The only way to get the power back is to marry the next in line. She’s brilliant. She is just getting back what he took.”

Another ensemble member disagreed. “I see many stages of grief in this scene – she's crying, angry, making poor decisions…” Building on that, another woman said, “She’s painted into a corner. It’s keep your friends close and your enemies closer. It’s a power play.”

“Women want to be loved and wooed,” said another, “and he just did all of that. She’s had a lot of loss in her life, and she’s getting all of the attention. He’s giving her a reason for her loss. She wants to cling to whatever she can… The best manipulators are charming. He’s manipulating the crap out of her in a really vulnerable time.”

The conversation shifted as we neared the end of our session. It was the last night for one of our ensemble members She read a bit from her journal, and then said a few words. “I really enjoyed this group,” she said. “It’s helped me a lot within myself. Things I didn’t realize were in me, I could see within myself and in the characters. Seeing things in different ways has helped me become a better woman. When I came here, I was really angry and didn’t care about anything but myself. Now I see things differently.”

“You’ve grown up a lot,” said another woman.

We ended on a positive note, wishing her luck on the outside.

Friday

Written by Kyle

Today when Lauren and I arrived, some of the ensemble members had already started messing with me about being the substitute teacher since Frannie was not there that week.  I have confided with them in the past that I feel that way and they were quick to remind me.  I wonder how they feel about an SIP session that which Frannie is not present. It definitely has a different feel to the night.  It’s difficult to put my finger on exactly what exactly the difference is. Maybe it’s that I feel nervous that I’m going to mess it up- like I’ve been given the keys to my Dad’s car or something.

Right away we started reading act 1.3 - the famous scene with Margaret’s “prophesies” about Richard’s villainy.  It clipped along without too much stopping for comprehension.  I get the feeling there is a pretty high level of comprehension of the text; I don’t know if it is the edition we gave them that is filling the gaps, or if the group has a higher reading level.  Either way the speed at which we read, and depth of conversation is palpable.

We finished the scene, and one of the ensemble immediately said how much she loved Margaret.  She said you could tell that Margaret had her “soul ripped out” and was there to ‘rub it in.’  She liked that Margaret’s whole M.O. was to just stir the pot and didn’t want anything else.

Another longtime member said how much she liked Margaret’s and Richard’s relationship.  They had both done grimy things, and they were more or less on the same wave length.  They understood each other, and were equals.  I talked about how hurt Margaret was, but it was in part because history is written by the victors - they could paint her in whatever colors they want, and conveniently forget their own war crimes.

After the discussion of Margaret, we read the scene where Clarence is killed by the two murders.  There was talk that there needed to be more vulnerability in Clarence, and that he needed to “beg for his life.”   I am really liking the way that the ensemble is really reading into the scene and are starting to have a clear picture of what the scene should look like. This is definitely the earliest in the season that I’ve seen that happen, and I am excited to see the progress from one season to the next.

The woman reading very enthusiastically said that she loved playing murderer #2 because she “felt connected” to him.  She liked that he had a moment of reflection before carrying out the murder, and that the scene was funny, which was something she felt she could do well.

We finished the scene, and everyone asked to play a game we have had mixed results with in the past.  I was very hesitant, but it was almost unanimous from the returning members of the group.  I didn’t want to make a unilateral decision for the group, so I made everyone take a pledge that they would not get really competitive with the game.   We were going very slowly so that the newer members could get the hang of it before we started playing for real.  One member commented several times when I didn’t get someone ‘out’ who had made a mistake.  I and others reassured her that we were still giving the newer members a chance to get used to the game.  It seemed like the competitive nature of the game was getting the better of us, and I quickly changed to a different game to try and finish the night on a good note.  This did not go well with the member who was struggling- she left early and angry.  I’m not sure if it was about me, the game, or something else, but I was pretty upset about how that went down.  I decided that I am never playing that game there ever again; as much as I love it, it causes too many problems.  I was disappointed that it went that way, and I don’t know why that game seems to bring out the worst in everybody.  I feel like there is a reason that we are in prison, and that scenarios like that are difficult for some people to navigate - it is part of the work we do to help them better navigate them in the future.  It’s all I can really do.  Needless to say though, it felt like a crappy way to end the evening and I continued to think about it all weekend.  I’m eager to get back on Tuesday to make right whatever I can to make it right, and move on as a group.

Session Six: Week 4

Tuesday

After warms ups and check in, we returned to our monologue and scene exploration.

The first group read the scene in which Clarence begs for his life and is then killed. The woman reading Clarence remarked that she had really started to feel it toward the end. One of the women reading the second murderer said, “I can relate to this guy. He’s a total douchebag. He wanted the money, but he didn’t want to do the work.” Another woman asked, “Did he maybe have a conscience?” The first woman thought for a moment and then said, “I don’t think so.”

A new participant read a short Margaret piece. We asked her why she chose it. “It’s like Margaret was seeing her revenge,” she replied. “The kingdom is crashing down and she’s like, ‘Yes.’” She said she had chosen Margaret because she’s “kind of awful” and “it’s different.” She also admitted that she’d been very nervous, and a returning participant suggested that next time she bring others on stage to talk to.

Another woman read Richard’s monologue to Anne in the wooing scene. “We know that Richard’s not a nice man,” she said. “This is one of his most vulnerable moments.” We talked about whether he is lying in this scene or if any of it is truthful. There is some disagreement there that will likely be cleared up when we read through the play together. But this woman maintained that it actually doesn’t matter whether or not he was lying – the objective, to get Anne to marry him, is the same either way.

Last year’s Othello read a Richmond monologue. “I always really like when people lay out battle plans. They’re always strong characters in the moment,” she said.

Three returning participants then read the scene in which Richard is visited by ghosts. The two ghosts went back and forth between partially closed curtains, and it was very effective. Then the woman reading Richard jumped up and performed the ensuing monologue. Her delivery was clear and intelligent. She was the one who had chosen that scene. “It’s one of my favorite scenes,” she said. “He’s finally getting what he deserves. He caused so much misery, and now misery comes to visit him.”

One of those participants then read Anne’s monologue over King Henry’s body. “I’ve never been so upset that I’ve wanted revenge. I like how she goes through so many emotions,” she reflected.

One of the women who read a Richmond monologue rousing the troops for battle last weektried the same piece again, with more gusto. She said that it felt better that time. She gravitates toward the language in the piece: “He’d be like HUH and HUH and WOMEN!” We all laughed.

Then a returning member read part of the Anne/Richard wooing scene with Sarah, one of the facilitators. “It’s disgusting,” she said. “It was different with Richard in it (the scene). We’ve all been in situations where you’re angry, they’re nice, and it makes you more and more mad.”

We decided to spend one more day exploring in this way before hunkering down to read through the play together. This has been a really valuable way for people to get their toes wet and begin to take ownership of our project.

Friday

Tonight we welcomed two new people into the group. We then warmed up and went right back into our monologue and scene work.

Two new members read a scene together in which Clarence describes his dream. One of them said, “I felt like I was gonna puke. I was nervous, shaking… but it felt really good. When he went down to the sea is when I really started feeling it.” She also shared that she has suffered frequently from nightmares, and that’s what drew her to this scene. The other woman in the scene shared that she felt like a good comforter. She is clearly nervous to be up in front of people, but she did a wonderful job.

A returning member read Richard’s “Was ever woman in this humor wooed?” soliloquy. She read it with a great deal of humor, causing many of us to laugh. She also mimed eating an apple. We asked her about that. “I feel like – ‘cause he’s talking shit, you know? An apple is a perfect prop.” She continued, “He’s, like, so cocky… a jerk… He thinks he’s the baddest ass ever… So it’s kinda like me, and I like that.”

Two other returning members read part of the Richard/Anne wooing scene. The one who read Richard remarked, “Richard is an a-hole.” The woman who had just read a Richard monologue argued, “No, he’s not. You don’t know his struggle.” The first woman pressed on, “I felt that same arrogance. He left her no choice – if you want to continue to be royal, you’re gonna come with me.”

“I don’t know,” mused the woman who had read Anne. “I felt drug into it. I feel like she’s not as mad as you would think… She’s mad and she’s upset… She’s a little dramatic. I think she’s getting off on it… Enjoying being nasty to him.”

Three new members read a scene between Margaret, Elizabeth, and the Duchess. The woman reading Margaret was particularly powerful, instinctively working with the meter, playing with emphasis, and varying the volume and quality of her voice. We were wowed. “I don’t know what it is about this character, but I really identify with her,” she said. “There’s a lot of pain there. Sometimes when you hurt so much and someone else is going through something, they finally understand you.”

Our new brand new members each read a scene with a returning member. One said that although she had been nervous, it was fun, and she liked it. The other remarked, “It was a little bit overwhelming, but I liked it. It was something new – I needed that edge, that spark.”

Two returning members read part of the scene between Richard and Elizabeth. The one who read Richard said, “He’s so creepy. In this scene, he’s comparable to me when I was in my addiction. He really worked to make it make sense.”

The woman who’d been working so hard on the opening soliloquy decided to try the piece without her script. Another woman stayed on book for her, and she made it through the whole thing. “It was daunting without the script,” she said, “but it was okay!”

As we wrapped up, a woman who has been in the group for almost five years remarked, “This is a good group, full of participation. Normally people need to get comfortable, but y’all got some boxing gloves on!”

Session Six: Week 3

Tuesday

Tonight we focused on getting to know each other. There are three questions that we always ask at the beginning of the process, and, after a name game, we took turns answering them:

1)What brings you to Shakespeare?

2) What is the gift you bring to the ensemble?

3)What do you hope to get out of Shakespeare?

Some answers included:

“I love this – what we do, the process, the hard work that culminates in successful shows the last four years.”

“I hope to make connections with other people, and I hope to grow into a well-rounded individual that can connect, be normal, and have feelings.”

“I want to learn more about myself and the characters, learn to relate to things that are different, see from other perspectives, and make friendships.”

“I hope to become something great at home from getting out emotions through the characters.”

“I want to gain discipline and people skills – dealing with life on life’s terms. We learn to work through situations and not quit when things get hard.”

“This is my favorite thing that I do. I love the process. The performance is a whole new high – we follow through and don’t flake. It’s nine months of something I never thought I could do. This is my family. You will bare your soul because Shakespeare is timeless. This is a safe place. These are my best friends. ”

“I thought I was too old, but the unity has brought me back – the bond. Someone said something about safe space. The outpour from everyone, their concern – I want to take what I’ve seen, get people to send money and supplies. I’m proud to be a part of this and want to let society know about this work.”

We wrapped up by saying goodbye to a member who is going home tomorrow. We wished her luck and sent her on her way with enthusiasm and the feeling of camaraderie she has often expressed as the thing she loves most about our group.

We also took on a challenge of performing the opening soliloquy of the play on Friday, whether memorized or not. We’ll see how it goes.

Friday

Tonight after our warm up, we decided to jump right into monologues. One of our new members volunteered to go first. She read from her chair and said that it felt good, even though she stumbled in a few spots.

Then one participant asked if we had to do the opening soliloquy or if we could choose something different. “You can do whatever you want,” I said. A new member leaned over to the person next to her and said, “How often do you hear that?”

Another new member read her piece from her chair, stating that she had been trying to memorize it but was just too nervous to work without her notes. A returning member reassured her, saying, “Ifyou were uncomfortable, I couldn’t tell. You made me comfortable.”

At this point, people started volunteering to read and/or perform all sorts of pieces from the play. As it turns out, many of them had been intrigued by other characters and wanted to explore them instead of Richard. One woman read one of Richmond’s pieces, working to incite our group to go into battle with her. The response was enthusiastic and invigorating.

Others felt drawn to Margaret. “She’s just angry and hurt because she’s lived this life for so long,” said one woman. “Now she has nowhere to go.” This same woman later remarked about Anne, “I can’t feel the hatred of Richard. I feel like I’ve known hurt and something being taken from me that meant a lot.”

Another woman read Anne’s speech over Henry’s corpse. It was powerful, and she said, “I felt like it was just coming out of me, like I couldn’t contain it.”

A pair of ensemble members read a scene in which Margaret curses Richard. “I think part of the reason why he hates himself is the mother,” said one of the women. “There’s so much dysfunction in this family… You just know that it’s bad.”

We branched off into a discussion about how we handle mistakes in performance. Returning members of the group mentioned using the improvising skills we develop to help recover from anything that goes haywire. We told stories of past mistakes and how we dealt with them, and there was a lot of laughter.

At the end of our meeting, two participants read to us from the journals they are keeping about our work. We all loved hearing their reflections, and the group decided that anyone who wants to read in the future is welcome to do so.

We decided to each choose a different piece to work on for Tuesday. After this, I imagine we’ll begin our reading and analysis of the play, but the group is already ahead of where they usually are at this point. I would credit this to our use of the “No Fear” Richard III, which has made it so people for whom the language is unfamiliar can still read and understand the plot.