Session Six: Week 25

Chuk Nowak returned to the prison tonight to finish filming for a video project we’re putting together tonight some of our process and its effects. Several of the women in the ensemble were interviewed individually for this, sharing some really amazing insight, and then Chuk filmed the remainder of our rehearsal.

We decided to keep moving forward in the play (we’re on a roll!) and work on Act Four, scene one, in which Brakenbury tells Elizabeth that she can’t see her children, Stanley tells Anne she is about to be crowned queen, Elizabeth has a breakdown, and a plan is made for Dorset to flee. It’s quite a scene!

The group collaborated well on blocking in the first part of the scene, working to figure out the best positions for all of the actors and where people should enter and exit. There was some great problem solving. When Brakenbury told Elizabeth that she couldn’t see her children, that actress instinctively swooped in on her, and Anne and the Duchess followed. It was a really effective moment.

We talked a bit about Brakenbury’s slip – when he refers to Richard as the king, even though at this point he is still the Lord Protector. I asked the group what they thought it meant. Everyone was unanimous that this indicates that everyone can see through what Richard is doing.

One woman then suggested that, when the women move in on Brakenbury, Dorset should advance as well. The woman playing Dorset was hesitant to do so, but at first she didn’t speak up about why. This led to some discussion amongst the other members of the group about how Dorset feels upon hearing the news about the children being kept from their mother. Finally, I asked our Dorset how she felt. “I don’t think he would move in,” she said firmly. I asked her why not. “I think it’s self-preservation. I think he sees red flags,” she said. That interpretation was accepted with no further discussion – she had made a good point.

We talked, too, about Stanley’s role in this scene. Unfortunately, the woman playing Stanley wasn’t present, so we didn’t get too deep into it, but we all thought that it seems like Stanley is conflicted in this scene – delivering the message and then offering to help Dorset get away. There is clear conflict here, and we want to talk about it more with the woman who is playing the role.

We started having blocking problems again at this point, and it was here that I decided to step in, since the solution was rooted in details of the text that we haven’t talked about too much yet this year. Elizabeth’s lines upon hearing that Richard is being crowned are:

Ah, cut my lace asunder
That my pent heart may have some scope to beat,
Or else I swoon with this dead-killing news.

We all know why she’s upset here, but we were missing just how deep this goes. I pointed out, first, that when Shakespeare’s characters say “Ah” or “O,” it often isn’t meant to be those literal vowel sounds, but rather emotional exclamations – often raw. So that was our first clue about what needs to happen – that it needs to be raw and emotional. The second thing I pointed out was that that first line is short, and the rhythm is irregular, especially compared to the vast majority of this play, which is pretty faithfully written in iambic pentameter. I asked the group what they thought the significance of that was. After some rumination, we arrived at this irregularity reflecting its being an irregular moment – that it’s jarring, that she’s shocked. And then we parsed out the meaning of the whole phrase – that she is asking someone to cut open the laces of her corset because her heart is beating so hard that she fears she will faint.

Given this new information, I again asked the group what’s going on here. “It’s a collapse,” one person said. “Yes,” I said, “And if the collapse is physical as well, I think we’ve solved our blocking problem.” When our Elizabeth sank down on the edge of the stage, the Duchess and Dorset immediately moved to her, while our Anne hung back, consumed by her own dread. We then found that Anne could move toward Stanley, and then out toward the audience during the monologue in which she realizes that she’s cursed herself. It was then simple for the Duchess to speak to each person individually (something that had really been tripping us up), and the exits revealed themselves naturally.

We spent a lot of time on this very brief scene, but it was warranted. I could tell that our Elizabeth was feeling apprehensive about this emotional collapse, and I assured her that no one expected her to “go there” at this stage of rehearsal, but that she should gear herself up to do it later.

It’s also worth noting that one woman who is usually fairly reticent spoke up frequently tonight, giving really insightful suggestions and feedback on blocking. We encouraged her to keep speaking up – those of us who’ve been doing this for years noted that natural directors emerge every year, and this year it looks like she’s one of them. I hope that she’ll continue to contribute in this way, as she has great instincts, and her success in staging could build confidence that will translate to other areas of her life. It’s happened many times before.

Session Six: Week 24

Tuesday

Tonight we worked on Act Three, scene five, in which Richard and Buckingham manipulate the Lord Mayor into trying to persuade the citizens to hear out the reasons why the princes are illegitimate. A minute or so into the scene, a couple of minor characters enter with Hastings’ head (Richard framed and had him executed in the previous scene).

Initially, the scene felt awkward and wooden, so we worked together to fix it. First off, based on how everyone was standing on stage, it would have been impossible for the Lord Mayor to see the head in a bag (we clearly don’t have the budget to replicate our Hastings’ head, nor do we think the prison would allow us to use a severed head…). We revisited what the scene is about – Richard and Buckingham pushing the Lord Mayor into doing this thing and using the head as part of that manipulation. What we arrived at was having them literally manhandle the Lord Mayor around the stage, getting him very close to the head. And then, in a burst of creativity, our Richard took the bag from the messenger and started gesticulating wildly with it, repeatedly putting it in the Lord Mayor’s face. It was hysterically funny, especially because our Lord Mayor stayed almost completely in character as she reacted to it. We might want to pull it back at some point, but for now we absolutely love it.

We then moved on to the Scrivener’s speech, in which he talks about how, while he was in the midst of transcribing Hastings’ indictment, Hastings was already executed. He questions how people could not see through Richard’s machinations; and, if they did see through it, what it would take for them to speak out. Our Scrivener at first didn’t understand some of the language; I explained it to her, and she said, “Oh, okay. So this is exactly the way I feel about politics right now.”

I asked the group why this speech is in the play. We talked about what a scary situation this must be for the “little people,” who would be able to observe events without being able to directly affect them, and who might be drafted into war against their wills. We decided that the main thrust of the speech is to try to get someone to speak up. The second time our Scrivener delivered the speech, all of her intentions were crystal clear. It hit home for many of us.

Friday

Before we began tonight, one of our ensemble members pulled me aside to speak to me about her good friend in the group. This friend is extremely nervous about getting up on stage. She also has OCD and is terrified of being touched. I reminded the ensemble member that, first of all, nobody has to do anything that she doesn’t want to do, and that, given the characters she’s playing, there is no need for physical contact. I encouraged her to ask her friend to talk to me herself. But I also suggested that we push her friend just a bit – that we ask her to at least try getting up on stage before she decides that she can’t do it. “Now’s the time,” I said. “We’re still a ways away from performing, so there’s no pressure and no audience.” She said, “That’s exactly what I told her!” We’ll see how it goes.

I had one-on-one conversations with a couple of other ensemble members as well. One is nearing her release date and is very concerned about what’s going to happen when she goes home. Her relationship with her family is complicated, and she has big goals for herself that will be challenging to achieve. I listened attentively and encouraged her not to put too much pressure on herself – that she is certainly going to have challenges, but that doesn’t necessarily mean she will fail. Another ensemble member simply wanted me to know that this is a rough time of year for her, and that’s why she’s been a bit reticent lately. I thanked her for continuing to show up when she’s having such a hard time.

Some ensemble members requested that we do our Six Directions exercise, and this time I challenged the people participating to do it without speaking. We stayed perfectly in sync.

We chose to work on Act Three, scene seven, in which Buckingham and Richard continue their manipulation to make Richard king. A running theme in the play is Richard’s religious hypocrisy, and nowhere is it more evident than in this scene. Our Richard took this to heart, repeatedly dropping to her knees and praying, laying it on thick as she resisted Buckingham’s pleas to take the crown. It was hilarious. She really understands the humor in this role (which is often missed), and she is so much fun to watch.

The other thing that was really remarkable was when we asked who would play the aldermen (who don’t speak) in this scene. The woman who, months ago, told us that her anxiety might prevent her from getting on stage at all, volunteered to play one of the roles. No one had pushed her (we all agreed not to when she originally expressed the concern) – she just decided to do this of her own accord. These kinds of moments are my favorite part of this program – when someone who initially thought she couldn’t do something decides to give it a go. It shows so much growth and courage.

Session Six: Week 23

Tuesday

Written by Matt

A rainstorm seemed to keep turnout tonight a little low, but the women who came were ready to work. A short check-in led into some physical warm-up exercises, and one woman reflected that she has used a particularly meditative warm-up (a Michael Chekhov-inspired movement of energy in six direction) to calm herself when faced with a potentially explosive situation in the prison gym.

From the warmup, we dove straight into the text, focusing on Act II, Scene 2, which we had started to explore on Friday. In the scene, Queen Elizabeth and the Duchess (Richard’s mother), mourn the death of the ailing King Edward. Richard barges into the scene with his usual lack of subtlety and disrupts the mourning while ostensibly commiserating with the women. The scene is our introduction to the Duchess, and is an important scene in establishing Richard’s family background, all through subtext.

After stumbling through a couple of times, we began to work on refining the blocking—using the characters’ movements and body language to convey the core of the scene. Richard dove into this project with gusto, skulking in as the women wept and approaching Queen Elizabeth with a cartoonish expression of grief. After a few lines to Elizabeth, Richard pushed her aside with a dismissive backhand that had everyone in the audience laughing out loud; it perfectly encapsulated Richard’s sociopathy. Richard spoke afterwards about wanting to keep that gesture without losing its spontaneity.

When we determined that this scene is, in fact, the first time that we meet the Duchess, the woman playing her reflected that she wanted to convey how “sick she is of Richard.” A few other suggestions came from the group of ways to approach the Duchess’s role. Is her benediction to Richard perhaps a last-ditch effort to save him? Or it could be that she simply feels cornered and utters the words without clear intent—in which case the meaning of the interaction would need to come through entirely with body language. We resolved to try the scene several times until some way of performing it felt right.
We then turned our attention to Richard’s motivation; it turns out that his entire purpose in talking to Queen Elizabeth is to get her to reduce the number of bodyguards who will accompany the heir to the throne (a child) to the palace. Richard intends to kidnap the heir (which he later succeeds in), so the size of the royal entourage is important to him. We discussed how Richard needs to approach the task of convincing his superiors that a small group is safest, and we came back again to subtext and body language—a theme for the night.

We spent the remainder of our session discussing props and costumes, as we will need to come up with a full list soon. We went to take stock of our inventory of set pieces and flats, which are held backstage, and we started to brainstorm ideas for working within the prison’s restrictions on costuming. There are colors to avoid, types of garment that cannot be worn, and broad prohibitions on anything “military.” All of this, we decided, can be worked around in some way.

Friday

Written by Frannie

Tonight as we gathered, a couple of longtime ensemble members privately expressed frustration to me with another longtime ensemble member whose attendance has been spotty lately. One of these women actually confronted the her, asking her bluntly why she hasn’t been showing up and reminding her that we chose our play largely because of her input.

When that ensemble member arrived, she sat next to me. I quietly asked her whether or not she is still in the group. “I’m half in,” she replied. I said, “We need you either all the way in or all the way out. Halfway isn’t going to work.” She said she would think about it.

We worked on Act III, scene iii, in which Rivers, Grey, and Vaughan are led to their deaths. We discussed the relationships in this scene and the feelings of anger and injustice that these men have relative to their impending executions. Our Ratcliffe also inspired us with her utter lack of caring for the men – she was stone-faced, impassive, with monotone responses to their pleas. It was exciting and chilling.

We then moved to Act III, scene iv, in which several lords debate on when the coronation of the prince should take place, and Richard suddenly accuses Hastings of treason and orders his execution. This scene is pretty straightforward, and the ensemble managed it well, with Richard getting right up in Hastings’ face, being incredibly intimidating even though she is physically smaller than the woman playing Hastings, and then storming out. Our Hastings hesitated before her “Woe, woe for England…” speech, and we encouraged her to really dive in and not judge herself. She did, and it was very moving. She sometimes has a hard time approaching the material seriously – she gets self-conscious and reacts by laughing a lot – but when she buckles down, she can be very powerful.

I chatted with the ensemble member who’s been absent a lot again before she left. She said that she’s been working quite a bit and focusing on her writing, but that every time she makes up her mind to leave the ensemble, she can’t quite do it. I encouraged her to make the best decision for herself, but to do it soon because her absences are hurting our process. She assured me that she would make the decision within the next week.

Session Six: Week 22

Tuesday

Written by Frannie

Before we began tonight, one of our ensemble members came to me for a private conversation. She feels like she’s been wasting the ensemble’s time because she hasn’t been participating very much. She has been focused on introspection and learning about herself recently, having been reunited with a family member with whom she hasn’t had much contact in years. She loves Shakespeare and doesn’t really want to leave the group, but she is concerned that she’s getting in the way. I reassured her that she isn’t in the way at all – that there have been participants in the past who have literally sat in the back of the auditorium doing crossword puzzles, and that that was a problem, but that her being more quiet and reflective has not been brought to my attention by anyone as troublesome. I promised to tell her if it gets to be a problem and reminded her that everyone is in the group for different reasons, to accomplish different things. It’s okay if she hangs back for a while.

I also had a one-on-one conversation with another ensemble member who is concerned that much of her part was cut from the script. She was wondering if she could add anything back in. I reminded her that all cuts have been made in the interest of streamlining the play – we need to perform it in 90 minutes or less – and that if she’s going to add anything back in, it needs to be brief, and she needs to be able to make a case for why we need it. I also reassured her that these cuts were not personal – that they were made in the best interests of the team. I encouraged her to find some other small roles to fill, and also to volunteer to fill in when people are absent. This will make it easier, if someone leaves the group, for her to jump in and replace that person in a larger role. I encouraged her to be the first to volunteer in that instance. She seemed to be relieved by our conversation.

We worked on a scene between Richard and Buckingham, making cuts as we went. We got a little distracted talking about other Shakespeare plays, but this was fruitful in that we do need to explore our options for next season. There was also some confusion about the play’s timeline, which led to a brief discussion about making fiction out of the history and how the two don’t always match up.

Friday

Written by Kyle

I began Friday night having a longer conversation with one of our newer members who has spent the majority of her child’s life incarcerated.  It was incredibly frank for such a spur of the moment conversation.  She said that motherhood has been a double edged sword; on one hand going to prison changed her life and she has been clean ever since, but on the other hand she worries what toll her incarceration has in her child’s life.  It is a constant ray of sunshine that also seems to cast shadow of pain at the same time.  This is my third season, and, especially once we begin rehearsals, it can be tempting to forget that this isn’t an ordinary theatre troupe; we get working on the production, we laugh, have inside jokes, and sometimes it can seem so commonplace to my experience working in theatre. Tonight I was really reminded just what is happening not too far below the surface of any given rehearsal.

After check in and warmups, we started to work on Act 1 Scene 4, in which Edwards learns of his brother Clarence’s death.  It’s a difficult scene because there are lots of people on stage who have compelling backstories and conflict, but that are secondary to the central conflict of Edward learning of the death.  It made for difficult staging, which tends to be the ensemble’s weakest link anyway.  There was a lot of discussion as to just how sick Edward needs to be; if she is too sick to stand, how can we put the needed movement in the scene to make it move along?  If not, what other kinds of sickness can King Edward display that makes her condition clear?  It was getting disproportionately heated for such a seemingly small matter, and some people felt like their suggestions were not being heeded; we had to stress that it is ultimately up to the actor playing King Edward to make the final decision, and we moved on to the next scene.  The actor playing Richard was having somewhat of a difficult night - there was definitely something off, and she seemed a little short tempered.  I pulled her aside and asked if something was wrong. I think she may have apologized twenty times.  She was having issues with a family member and didn’t realize she was being as short as she was. It was really positive, and I’m glad I talked to her about it. We only had a little bit of time to work on Queen Elizabeth and the Duchess's scene, in which they learn of King Edward's death, but I had a pet idea for staging that the ensemble was kind enough to humor me and try.  It’s always a delicate balance trying to be an ensemble member myself and a facilitator.  I want to have ideas, but I want to facilitate their ideas as well; unfortunately tonight, the former won out.  We didn’t finish the scene, but I was glad we worked right up to 8:30.

Session Six: Week 21

Written by Kyle

Tuesday

This week I started the evening talking to one of the newer members of the group about Shakespeare’s verse; we don’t always get to take a deep dive into the intricacies of his verse. It can get dry and too academic for many in the group.  So I always jump at the chance to ‘nerd out’ when I see one of the ensemble members willing to go there with me.  It turned into a much longer conversation, though, about the philosophy of the group.  It was an interesting conversation. She was craving some more heavy-handed direction, which we intentionally avoid because the group strives to be non-hierarchical.  I reiterated that it is an ideal to which we will always fall short, and that it can make the process seem more laborious at times; ultimately, though, the extra effort is worth the sense of ownership that a communal process fosters.  I appreciated the frankness of the conversation and the perspective of a newcomer to the group.  One of the highlights of the check-in was when one of the ensemble members told the group that she will be seeing her son for the first time in two and a half years; that this is a direct result of the positive changes that she has made to her life, and that SIP was a big part of that.

We had a fairly well attended session at the outset so we elected to skip a scene or two and begin with Act 1 Scene 3, in which old Queen Margaret crashes the party.  The ensemble oscillates between creating some truly compelling acting work (by anyone’s standards) and learning the basics of stagecraft: where does one stand on stage, how to counter your scene partner with your movement, if you are a messenger with only a line or two where do you stand that’s out of the way, etc.  These are all commonplace discussions that happen just about every couple of minutes in these first rehearsals.  It’s encouraging to see the newer members challenge the group to acknowledge royalty, suggest cuts to a scene, and identify possible inconsistencies in the text.  This scene is packed with a fair amount of back history, and it's difficult to not get bogged down; you can easily spend all your time talking and not actually get around to rehearsing.  Once the scene got going we had some really powerful stuff from our Margaret and Richard; both actors could have easily held their own in a university setting or professional actor training program.  It was also great to have Sarah in attendance tonight. Her point of view is always so authoritative and inspires such discernment from the ensemble.  It’s pretty amazing, actually, the caliber of acting that is happening so early in the process.  At a certain point, though, the actors began to lose the thread of the scene, and we had to sit and hammer things out reading in a circle.

We’ve been having an issue with conflicts and the ensemble leaving early. It’s been happening all along, but it plays out a little differently now that we are in rehearsals.  I hope it is something that we can address in the coming sessions; although there is a part of me that enjoys working with the actors in a more intimate group, ultimately it becomes the same collaborative question that came up in private conversation at the start of the session.  Great work was accomplished by the members who stayed, but it felt somewhat lost because so much of the ensemble had left early.

Friday

Today we had the update from our ensemble member who was reunited with her son.  These things never quite go the way you’d think, and the story she told was no exception.  She said it was a start, though, and it was wonderful to see the whole group share in her joy.

During the latter part of the check in, one of the other ensemble members brought up the attendance policy and how everyone had bailed before the end of the session on Tuesday.  It was really well said, and without rancor or judgment; I was really impressed by how well she navigated potential conflict with good natured poise, all without walking backwards on her position.  It did drive home just how many people have legitimate conflicts. It felt like people were skipping out early on Tuesday, but I’m rethinking that assessment.  A large number of our group have other approved commitments, and I imagine it will be something we revisit several times before the performances this summer.

After the warm-up we worked the famous scene in which Richard courts Lady Anne.  It’s a truly challenging scene, and it is nice to have two veterans from the group be at the helm.  Unfortunately, it's a two-hander, and quite long at that, so much of the group were not rehearsing their scenes tonight; everyone was really good about following the scene and contributing ideas where they could.  The actor playing Richard has really taken it on herself to play and experiment in her scenes.  I’ve not seen this kind of freedom from her in seasons past. She’s always been a committed actor and taken direction well, but I’ve never quite had the feeling like she might do anything at any moment.  It’s exhilarating to watch her play - she walked right up to one of the servants and flicked her in the face.  It happened so organically, and there were many more moments just like it; every couple of lines Richard would give a look to the audience letting us know what she really thought of the scene.  It seemed like there were a hundred little eye rolls, winks, and inside jokes she started with the audience.  I’m really not sure when it sunk in that she could have as much fun experimenting in the scene, but if tonight’s rehearsal is anything to go by, she has learned the lesson well.