Tuesday / January 14 / 2020
Written by Maria

Today we added some new members to the group. Even though we cast the show last week, there are still plenty of roles that are available both for people who want to step into something larger and for people who want smaller roles with less lines.

We started reading through the welcome packet that explains how SIP works—but it’s always best described by ensemble members. One woman explained “I’m a cool cat. I do enjoy getting on stage and stumbling, and boy, this crap? Reading this? It’s mumbo jumbo. I’m glad I stuck with it. This stuff happens every day! Give it a chance ‘cause I swear to God, I wanted to walk out. But it’s cool, it’s straight.”

We then dove into the three questions that we ask every member of the ensemble; What brings you to SIP? What do you hope to get out of the experience? And what is the gift that you bring? Many of the newbies had heard good things about the group from current or former members, and some were just curious and looking for something to do. One woman (proclaimed her love of Shakespeare, saying that “Romeo and Juliet is the original Godfather and rom com.” We have some pretty big Shakespeare nerds in the group this season, so she will be in good company.

When thinking about what they wanted to get out of the group, a few of the new members weren’t quite sure. One woman said that she likes to learn different things, and another wanted to get more comfortable talking in front of others. When asked about their gifts, quite a few women said that they were creative, and that they liked to laugh and joke a lot—which is a great energy to add to the group.

All of this discussion prompted the woman who spoke up at the beginning of the session to jump in again, saying that this group was definitely not what she was expecting when she joined, thinking that she would get to watch the play. She said that she is shy and hoping to get on stage, and she encouraged the new members (once again) to give the program a try. This woman has grown so much since the first day, when she shocked us all, claiming that she didn’t understand the play and then asking deep analytical questions—like whether the ghost is a manifestation of Hamlet’s unhappiness and doubts about the kingdom—after only briefly scanning the first couple of scenes.

We finished up the evening with a few rounds of Wah, which some of the newbies were particularly good at. I can’t wait until we dive into staging with this group!

Friday / January 17 / 2020
Written by Kyle S.

Our group grew by quite a few new members on Tuesday, and today was our first chance to really fold them into the ensemble. We were a little slow to get back into the play, but that’s okay; time was spent getting to know one another and helping the newbies—time certainly not wasted. After a quick Hamlet catch-up session to get everyone up to speed, we played a particularly competitive round of Zip Zap Zop (with one of our newbies winning the crown), and we dove back into staging the play.

Though we had already cast our existing ensemble, there was a principal role still available for whoever wanted to take on the challenge: Denmark’s most controversial king, Claudius. One of our newcomers, a self-described “Shakespeare nerd,” took on the role for the day and joined our Gertrude, Ophelia, and Laertes to finish staging Act IV Scene V. We ran through the conflict-heavy scene, in which Laertes confronts Claudius about the death of his father, a couple of times. The ensemble offered some insightful notes to their in-scene peers about how better to define the tension. By the time we wrapped up with this scene, Laertes was using a drumstick as a rapier, Ophelia had madly trounced over every square inch of the stage, and the mighty King and Queen had developed quite the rapport. “It was all instinct,” one of our longtime members said. “It was really good.” And we all agreed.

Moving on to scenes VI and VII of Act IV gave us a lot of opportunity to play technically. These are two fairly short and expositional scenes, letting us know what Hamlet’s been up to (spoiler alert: he was kidnapped by pirates) and detailing Claudius and Laertes’ plot to kill him (What?! Even after escaping the last attempt on his life? This prince can’t catch a break). The last half of our session was dedicated to some pretty inventive staging ideas. One of the women suggested both scenes be performed in front of the curtain while the next scene is set behind it. Another woman suggested a voiceover effect during Scene VI, in which Hamlet’s voice would come from offstage while Horatio reads a letter from him. While they were focused on staging, two ensemble members, one new and one even newer, spent some time advising those in the scene on ways to make these stationary moments a little more “dramatic” and “dynamic.”

Between all the new faces coming in and our freshly cast members eager to dive in, the day was hectic—but positive. We’ve hit an exciting momentum that we’re sticking to, and I’m grateful to be working with an ensemble that truly owns the process. I took a calm breath, seeing the folks who were once the “newbies” not too long ago making sure nobody got left behind in the process. You’re new until you’re not, I guess. Then, you’re a mentor.