Today we worked mainly on Act III Scene I, in which Miranda interrupts Ferdinand while he is working. As we worked through the scene, breaking down the meaning of each line, we all noted how beautifully the participant playing Ferdinand takes suggestions and modifies her performance as she better understands the material. She is clearly having a blast with the character, and we are all having a great time watching her work. I was impressed again by some of the conceptual work the women are coming up with as we delve deeper into the play. The participant whom some of us call “director” (for those of you who have been reading this blog for a long time) made the excellent suggestion of having Prospero enter from a doorway that is actually downstage of the actual stage and stay to the side as he observes the scene. She believes this will make it clear that he is hovering nearby, protecting his daughter, but is not active in the scene. And she is right.
This idea sparked another for one of the participants – to decorate those doors on either side of the stage with foliage to make it clear that they are entrances from the “woods” or “jungle.” This is an excellent idea, and if we can do it, we definitely will.