Today I made my debut (since my last debut that is) as a director, when I took on a scene from midsummer nights dream. This definitely tore me in half, because whilst it’s a dream to produce a Shakespearean scene I really just wanted to be up there. Helena is one of my all-time favourrite characters – I empathise with her, I have felt like her, and I just want to hug her! (yes, I’m aware she is a fictional character). So it was definitely tearing me up a little, but I definitely think that the experience was good for me, since I, Ronelle got to contribute to the world of Shakespeare, in my own interpretation of Midsummers.
First up we started with me explaining the back story and describing the scene. We then went through and focused on pronounciation and announciation. This to me is the most important and basic foundation to any Shakespeare piece. I was so, proud I guess is the word, because the words flowed and sounded so good – just the way Shakespeare should sound.
I read Lysander and Ms Flood read Demetrius. The only problem with this was that I got so absorbed in the scene, listening to the poetic beauty of Shakespeare’s lines that I usually forgot my lines!
I became so focused on the dialogue and the words that Ms Flood stepped in to suggest some actions. I carefully explained the implied others of the boys, and how I wanted the girls to move, as reflections of their emotional states. I think Kate really portrayed the anguish of Helena, whilst Ash really got the fiestyness of Hermia. After several runs, the scene began to really take shape. Helena spoke to the boys and indicated for emphasis. Whereas Hermia really emphasised her hurt and anger, in particular when talking about her small stature and angrily threatening to claw out Helena’s eyes. When Ash step towards Kate and then circled her – I was seriously scared for Kate! For Ash that’s incredible because she’s such a placid person.
After my directing dream we enacted out Kate’s directing dream which was a scene from Henrik Ibsen’s Ghost (coincidentally Ash’s RI play). After familiarizing ourselves with the story, Ashleigh and I began blocking our scene as Mrs Alving and Regina respectively. It was somewhat comforting to be playing the ‘hussy’ role again, but also strange as it has been awhile since I’ve delved into that type of character. It took awhile to slip back into hussy-ville!
First time Ashe and I realized that we had accidentally switched roles – I was being mature and classy and Ash seeming younger – the total opposite of the actual characters! But we soon sorted it out. Ash had to work on lowering her register whilst I worked on raising mine. I have low voice normally so making my voice high was a fun challenge! I also loved flouncing about, and making suggestive comments about pastors! Regina is so young and foolish, which was really fun to try to play well! Adding the stage lights only made it that much more fun!
Overall today was enriching, as I was able to both create my vision and act out someone else’s.
And of course – the vid’s are to be on youtube soon!

I can only assume that Fiona Shaw HATES me.

Sure, we’ve never met – though I have (literally) dreamed that we have – but I can find no other explanation for her cold and unkind treatment of me.

The thing is, I was expecting Deborah Warner’s production of “Mother Courage” to enter The National’s repertoire in January – NOW I am hearing some sort of gobbledegook about “March”! Does she want me to KILL MYSELF? That means (almost exactly) no Fiona Shaw on stage (and let’s be honest, it is only on stage that she is transcendentally magnificent, slaying all comers – good as she can be in film) for almost exactly a year!

She has got a LOT to get through, let’s be honest – because here is a short list (not a shortlist) of the roles that I MUST see her play – and at this rate, she ain’t going to crack it:-

• Volumnia – clearly essential. No one has nailed it since Irene Worth – and that’s 20 years ago.
• Mrs. Alving – because I can’t think how she’d do it, but I know it would be brilliant.
• Prospero- not because of Richard II, but because of her intelligence – and Prospero’s gender is ENTIRELY irrelevant.
• Martha in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”. Why say more? It’s kind of predictable, but she’d be riveting.
• Cleopatra- because there is more to that part than has been played to date, even including Judi Dench’s magnificent performance.
• The Princess in “Sweet Bird of Youth”
• More Greek Tragedy. I don’t care what – no-one else can go there like she can: Clare Higgins, Zoe Wanamaker, Vanessa Redgrave: magnificent actresses, every one of them – but they don’t approach the reality that Shaw found in Electra and Medea.
• On reflection: almost anything else – apart from “The Powerbook”.

I am getting really quite concerned about how things are looking in terms of this working out – and I’d like SOME kind of reassurance from Ms. Shaw that she’s prepared to commit to this.