Who is this cross gartered fellow?

Even the dog is laughing at this poor guy. And why? Because this is Illyria (a land that hypothetically is but really never was), where misrule and ridiculous misadventure is the daily standard! Here fools are wise, lords and ladies are foolish in the extreme, girls are sometimes boys and love brings out alternately the very best and very worst in the citizenry. Welcome to the mischievous world of Shakespeare’s  Twelfth Night, or What You Will; possibly the brightest jewel in the Bard’s comedic catalog and the our focus this year in Drama!

For those of you that wish to get started reading straight away, let me point you in the following directions:

-At <http://shakespeare.mit.edu/twelfth_night/full.html>, you’ll find the entire text (for free! free! free!)

-Be on the look out for the Folger Shakespeare Library edition of Twelfth Night! That’s our edition of choice this year, and it is useful and then some! You can find a copy for around $6 on Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/Twelfth-Night-Folger-Shakespeare-Library/dp/0743482778) or ask a helpful bookseller from your local bookshop to help you locate a copy.

I am so very excited to get started with this absolutely ripping play! As with last year, we will spend the fall semester exploring the text and becoming perfectly comfortable Shakespeare’s work through scholarship, games and various mystery activities; building a base of understanding from which we may launch our own extraordinary production of Twelfth Night in the spring! HUZZAH!

So, folks, get ready for a year of  sword fights, musical numbers, mistaken identities, practical jokes, clowns and guys with names like Sir Toby Belch. The play is Twelfth Night. The land is Illyria. I really think you’re going to like it here…

What’s this? A new look? A shaking off of the blacks and reds of MacB? Fall comes ever closer and it brings with it a Shakespearean adventure of a new and decidedly different tone…

Hello! Here’s the remainder of the show, blocked but tragically mapless. But fear not! I am sending hard copies of this very information WITH maps to you neighborhood Monday. That means that you now have everything needed to practice and practice and practice again until perhaps you find yourself wishing you’d never heard of Macbeth and his crackpot schemes. But this wish is impossible because you will NEVER tire of Macbeth! NEVER, EVER! Or at least not until June 3.

In other thrilling news, I am hoping to pick up our masks tomorrow along with the screens; so we are inching closer to having a tech rehearsal. Make the most of your week and I’ll see you Wednesday at high Noon!

-KR

Act V, scene 1:

Antony/Doctor (D) and Maeve/Gentlewoman (G) enter from CR talking with one another and moving towards C.

DOCTOR: When was it she last walked?

GENTLEWOMAN: Since his majesty went into the field. I have seen her rise from her bed, take forth paper, write upon’t, and again return to bed; yet (they stop) all this while in a most fast sleep.

DOCTOR: A great preturbation in nature.

(Jerica/Lady M enters UL, moves diagonally towards lower mid UL)

GENTLEWOMAN: Lo you, here she comes!

LADY MB (halts): Yet here’s a spot. (continues moving to mid CR, scrubbing)

DOCTOR: Hark! She speaks!

LADY MB (as she moves): Out, damned spot! (stops in distress) Out, I say! (turns to R) What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account?(begins to wring hands and move towards C, looking towards UL) Yet who would have thought the old man to have so much blood (crouches down in terror) in him? (Looks down, touches the ground) The thane of Fife had a wife, where is she now? (As her hands sweeps around the area where Shon died, she notices them and holds them out in front of her, staring) All the perfumes of Arabia will (begins to rise) not sweeten this little hand…

DOCTOR: This disease is beyond my practice.

LADY MACBETH (pacing a bit, as if lecturing someone): I tell you again, Banquo’s buried. He cannot come out on’s grave. (swings around to stare at CR, panicked) To bed, to bed! There’s knocking at the gate (she begins to move UR then stops and runs out UL)

(D and G stare at each other)

DOCTOR: More needs she the divine than the physician!

(Both exit quickly after her UL)

Act 5, scene 2

As soon as the stage is clear, Fritz enters CR and places a stool C and exit CL. Jacob/Macbeth enters DL with Max/Seyton behind him.

MACBETH (moving towards C): Bring me no more reports. Till Birnam wood remove to Dunsinane, I cannot taint with fear.

SEYTON (right behind him): There is ten thousand–

MACBETH (turns around and grabs S by the collar and gets in his space): GEESE, villian!

SEYTON (frightened): Soldiers, sir. (MB, disgusted, releases S roughly and continues to the stool at C) The English force, so please you…

MACBETH (interrupts him impatiently): I’ll fight till from my bones, my flesh be hack’d. (Sits on stool) Give me my armour.

(S scurries off CL to grab armor as Doctor enters DL and holds back for a moment)

MACBETH(shouts after S): Hang those that talk of fear! (notices D and gestures to him to come C) How does your patient, Doctor?

DOCTOR (hurries towards him): She is troubled with thick coming fancies that keep her from rest.

MACBETH (short): Cure her of that. Canst though not minister to a mind disease.

DOCTOR: Therein the patient must minister to herself.

MACBETH (rises suddenly towards D, who stumbles back): Throw physic to the dogs then. (dismisses D with disgust) I’ll none of it.

(Doctor hurries off DL)

MACBETH: I will not be afraid of death and bane, till Birnam forest comes to Dunsinane. (Seyton returns from CL and begins to help him into his armor. While this occurs…)

Act 5, scene 3

(Audience is asked to rise. Malcolm, Siward, MacDuff, Lennox, Angus and Ross begin sneaking their way through the audience, towards the aisle.

SIWARD (reaches aisle first with Angus and both look around): What wood is this before us? (Malcolm reaches aisle, moves to test the “trees” to the L)

ANGUS: The wood of Birnam. (MD enters and moves C)

MALCOLM (moves to right): Let every soldier hew him down a bough and bear’t before him: thereby shall will shadow the numbers of our host.

SIWARD: We learn no other but the confident tyrant keeps still in Dunsinane.

MACDUFF: Let our just censures attend the true event, and put we on industrious soldiership. (The group disperses to respective hiding places)

Act 5, scene 4

(Seyton finishes putting on Macbeth’s armor. He rises)

MACBETH: Our castle’s strength will laugh a siege to scorn. Here let them lie till famine and the ague eat them up.

(Lady MB screams off stage. It is truly horrible. Macbeth starts and swings around to UR. S runs off UL to see)

MACBETH(turns to face the audience): I have almost forgot the taste of fears.

SEYTON (re-enters UR): The queen, my lord, is dead.

MACBETH (begins to run towards UR, stops suddenly, turns): She should have died hereafter. There would have been a time for such a word. (begins to move DS) To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow creeps in this petty pace from day to day the last syllable of recorded time. Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more. (Stops at upper r corner of DL) It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

MESSENGER (enters aisle, looking nervously behind him, crosses to MB, kneels): Gracious my lord, as I did stand my watch upon the hill, I look’d toward Birnam, and methought the wood began to move! (audience takes one step forward.)

MACBETH: Liar and slave! (hauls him up) If thou speak’st false, upon the next tree shalt thou hang alive! (pushes him back towards CR) Ring the alarum-bell!

(Terrified, M races off CR while S grabs the stool and also exits CR)

MACBETH: What’s he that was not born of woman? Such a one am I to fear, or none.

(Young Siward enters from audience up aisle)

YOUNG SIWARD(shouts from D.S.): What is thy name?

MACBETH: My name’s Macbeth.

YOUNG SIWARD: The devil himself could not pronounce a title more hateful to mine ear. (rushes at MB, they battle towards CR. YS is fatally wounded, crawls back to mid CR.)

MACBETH: Thou wast born of woman. (begins to walk towards YS to finish the job…)

MACDUFF(enters DL): Turn, hell-hound, turn! (YS crawls off CR)

MACBETH (stops, slowly turns around): Of all men else I have avoided thee. (begins to move left to counter MD movements) My soul is too much charged with blood of thine already.

MACDUFF: I have no words! My voice is in my sword! (FIGHT!)

MACBETH: Thou losest labour. I bear a charmed life, which must not yield to one of woman born.

MACDUFF: Despair thy charm, for Macduff was from his mother’s womb untimely ripped! (SUPER FIGHT!)

MACBETH: Accursed be that tongue that tells me so! (Pushes MD back) I’ll not fight with thee!

MACDUFF: Then yield thee, coward!

MACBETH: I will not yield, to kiss the ground before young Malcolm’s feet! Lay on, Macduff, and be damn’d me him that first cries, “Hold, enough!”

(Fight takes MB and MD off to CR. Malcolm, Old Siward come out of audience, enter at DR move toward DS, swords drawn)

MALCOLM: Macduff is missing, and your noble son.

ROSS (enters from aisle, moves toward upper DS, followed by Angus and Lennox): Your son, my lord, has paid a soldier’s debt, but like a man he died.

SIWARD(moves towards R: Had he his hurts before?

ROSS: Aye, on the front.

SIWARD: Why then, God’s soldier he be.

MACDUFF( enters CR w/bag) : Hail, king, for so thou art: behold, where stands the usurper’s cursed head. Hail, King of Scotland!

ALL: Hail! (all keel)

MALCOLM: My thanes and kinsmen, (all look up) henceforth be earls, the first that ever Scotland in such an honor named. Call home our exiled friends abroad that fled he snares of this dead butcher and his fiend-like queen. This, and what needful else that calls upon us, by the grace of Grace, we will perform in measure, time and place.

Hello, Folks!

Boy, sharing blocking verbally is one thing, but transcribing it is ridiculously time consuming! So much so that I will have to post this mass in chunks. I have the first little bit today, and will post more this evening. I’ll then bring a hardcopy of what I have to Keystone tomorrow with the remainder of the blocking to be posted by Sunday at 5pm. Thanks for your patience and remember to keep practicing scenes, lines, fights, etc! I’ll be here tonight.

-KR

P.S. As you can see, the transfer from Text Edit to Blog format scrambled my maps. I will try to fix them, but the written blocking still works.

Act 3, Scene 1

Eric moves table off CR, then join Lady M group @ DR as Murderer 1

Fritz (F) enters as CR with stool and crosses to US, places stool on X, stands behind stool as Page

Erica (Er)enters CL  with stool and crosses to US, places stool on X, stands behind stool as Page

DR Group:

Brian/Siward (S) @ 12 o’clock 

Jerica/Lady Macbeth (LM) @ 3 o’clock

Phil/MacDuff (MD)@ 6 o’clock

Maeve/Angus (A) @ 9 o’clock  

Eric/ Murderer 1(E) behind Angus @ 9 o’clock

DL Group:

Joe/Ross (R) @ 12 o’clock

Jake/Macbeth (MB) @ 9 o’clock

Santos/Banquo (B) @ 6 o’clock

Jack/Lennox (L) @ 3 o’clock

Alexis/ Murderer 3(Al) behind Lennox @ 3 o’clock

When Fritz and Erica are in place, both groups move to DS

At DS:

LM and M join hands and move US to stools

DR Group follow until C, then move to places, kneel

-S moves the lower left corner of UR

-A moves to upper left corner of CR

-MD go to LM, hands crown,

moves back to upper right C

-E moves diagonally to mid CR

DL Group follows until C, then move to places, kneel

-L moves to lower right corner of UL

-R moves to upper right corner of CL

-B go to MB, hands crown,

moves back to upper left C

-Al moves diagonally to mid CL

Macbeths crown each other, all cheer.

Fig. 2

S/A move forward to congratulate LM, then MB

E moves left to chat with MD

L, R, Al move forward to meet MC.

-R moves right to speak with LM and S/A

During this, B walks thoughtfully to upper left corner of DS

BANQUO: Thou hast it all now, as the weird women promised, and, (MB moves to greet MD and Eric) I fear thou play’dst most

foully for it. Yet it was said that myself would be the root and father of many kings. (MB makes his way towards B and reaches him      before the end of his line. When M excuses himself, both bow. MD moves up to LM, E crosses right to chat with L and Al at upper right CL)

MACBETH: Here’s our chief guest! Ride you this afternoon? (both walk slowly DS)

BANQUO: Aye, my good lord.

MACBETH: We should have else desired your good advice. Fail not our feast.

BANQUO: (stops, bows) My lord, I shall not. (Exit through aisle)

MACBETH: (waves and crosses to mid DS) To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus! They hail’d him father to a line of kings. (gestures to Al, E, L)  Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown. (Murderers cross to MB)

Fig. 4

___________________________________________________________

(LM notices this little chat and begins to keep an eye on it while continuing to socialize.)

MACBETH: All of you know Banquo was your enemy. So is he mine. I will put that business in your bosoms,

whose execution takes your enemy off.

FIRST MURDERER: We shall perform what you command us.

(LM makes her excuses. MD, S, R, and A bow and exit CR, talking. F and E take up their stools, F exits UR and E exits UL. LM begins to move DS towards her husband)

MACBETH: I will advise your where to plant yourself, for’t must be done to-night. Fleance, his son, must also embrace the fact of

that dark hour.

SECOND MURDERER: We are resolved, my lord. (All Murderers exit CL)

LADY MB (at C): How now, my lord? Why do you keep alone? (moves to MB at DS) What’s done is done. (see fig. 5)

MACBETH (moves away left a bit ): We have scotch’d the snake, not kill’d it.

As you have doubtless discovered, Drama will be moving back to Wednesdays at noon. This week we’ll be wrapping up our largely scholarly look at Macbeth followed by a read through of the abridged script itself. It’ll be an action packed afternoon and a deliciously successful one if we all prepare the following:

-Finish reading the unabridged version of Macbeth and come armed with a few interesting discussion questions.

-Read through our abridged version of Macbeth. Also, spend enough time with your lines that you can read them aloud with ease. That means looking up any troublesome words, pronunciations, etc.

-Bring any ideas/concerns regarding the production. This would include a list of songs for scene shifts.

Have a fantastic week and I’ll see you Wednesday at noon!

-KR

Absolutely smashing work at the auditions, folks! Every last one of you handled the event like a seasoned professional and I must say, there were some very impressive performances. I’ll be back in the classroom on Thursday, April 22 (sorry for any confusion based on my confusion. I had it fixed in my mind that Wednesday was the 22nd) to finish up auditions and post the cast list.

Until then, please, please continue to work on the production. Alexis, you and your crew should be thinking about set and costume design. That could take the shape of sketches and research pictures. Keep in mind we have a negative budget.

Creative team, collect whatever text the editing team has finished and start to consider the mood and possible staging of these scenes. Musical team, put the finishing touches on your sound work.

All teams, please be ready to share the fruits of your recent labor on Thursday. As soon as the script is finished, it will be copied and distributed so folks can begin to commit their lines to memory. Also, if you haven’t finished reading the play, please do so ASAP. It’s hard to commit to an incredible and scholarly production of a work you haven’t read through.

Again, thanks for a delightful audition process and I’ll see you Thursday.

KR

Just a reminder, auditions are tomorrow! Get ready for some warm up games and a generally jolly time. We’ll devote the last half of class to production business. Each team should have something to share. See you tomorrow!

-KR

It comes as no surprise that the offices of the creative and musical selection teams are right next door to each other. Let’s keep a virtual open door policy so the two teams and any other interested parties (Shon, Joe, Jack, etc) can breezily share information/ideas/comments between offices and beyond. This is a great space for the everyone to post potential ideas and gather feedback from our little online community, especially during in the weekend where in class work time will be difficult to come by. Finally, I am here if you need me and would love to see what you are up to. The more we can get accomplished before Monday, the greater our productivity will be on that happy day. As always, I’ll be around the blog this weekend, ready to lend a hand. Best of luck!

******************************************************************************************

Here is a format those interested in submitting musical ideas might find useful.

Example comment: I think we should start Act 1.2 with a band of Scottish foot soldiers marching wearily across the stage, singing the chorus from “We are the Champions” by Queen. As the soldiers leave the stage, the song lessens to a quiet hum.  The Sergeant, bringing up the reatr of the group, stumbles because of his wounds and Malcolm goes to him,  prompting the king to start the dialogue with, “What bloody man is that?”.  The music fades as the Sergeant tells his tale, but as he is carried off to have his wounds looked at, the chorus starts back up as Ross, Lennox and their men (looking fresh and unharmed) enter singing brashly. After Duncan’s line, “What he hath lost, noble Macbeth has won!”, the scene ends with everyone singing the chorus!

So note that I included act, scene, song and an approximation of when the music would pop up and how it would be used.

As promised, here’s your space to chat it down. As I mentioned, I’ll be around this weekend and will submit some ideas of my own if I find this area arid and comment-less! Have a jolly time of it and we’ll chat soon.

-KR

Hey there, fellows!

You can find Macbeth in its digital entirety at <http://shakespeare.mit.edu/macbeth/full.html>. Copy and paste the whole of the document into Word and then go at it, mercilessly! If you need some direction when it comes to important moments, check out spark notes or the Wikipedia entry for the show.

Also, here is the address for the 30 minute Macbeth I mentioned earlier today. This will not take you to a website (at least it didn’t with my computer), rather it will ask to be opened or downloaded to your desktop. You should be able to merely open it without saving, but ask your folks before hand if it’s OK just to be on the safe side. I actually saved it safely on my computer.

30 minute MacB at <englishclassinperformance.googlepages.com/ecipmacb.pdf>

I’ll be in touch this weekend, fellows, and absolutely best of luck. The script could not be in more competent hands!

-KR