“This is a ray of light in what can be a very dark place.”
Tuesday / January 28 / 2020
Written by Maria
As a stage manager, one of my favorite things is to get into the nitty gritty details of logistics. This is one of the magical things about theater that doesn’t really seem glamorous but still takes artistic talent to accomplish. People come together with lots of ideas and experience to make a show happen, and as you whittle away, the concept of the show starts to come into view and something beautiful takes shape.
We started by discussing ideas for the production elements of the play: costumes, props, set design, and sound. So many of the women weren’t around in our first idea sessions that it was good to revisit some of our ideas now that most of the play is cast. For example, many weeks ago when we were first working on the play-within-a-play (Act 3 Scene 2), a whole bunch of ideas for the dumb show were thrown around, with us landing most enthusiastically on using hand puppets. When we brought up the idea again today, the two women who will be playing the Player King and Queen weren’t interested in doing that. Great! We could just as enthusiastically change that idea to something else that will work for this ensemble. We explained to the women that they didn’t have to feel pressured to do something that doesn’t interest them, that we had a lot of great staging ideas for the play-within-a-play with the cuts we have made, and that we could easily cut the dumb show completely if if works better for us.
Having limitations also forces you to think outside the box. When I worked for a theater with a large budget, we could have moving set pieces, traps, and flying scenery and people. In a smaller space, you might be limited by the budget, but then you can take creative license to have things be more representational. In prison, we have other considerations in addition to our budget, from the colors we are allowed to wear to the number of props that we bring through the gate. Keeping all of this in mind, some might be frustrated by all the things we can’t do, but these women look outside the box and think of new ways that we can make it work for us.
“I think the backdrops are going to be major,” one woman said in as we discussed setting this play in a medieval time period. “The [flats] from last year are pretty neutral,” another woman replied, saying that we could reuse them without too much work to change them. Unlike last year’s Twelfth Night, when we were constantly changing location and needed different scenery to help convey each location to the audience, most of Hamlet takes place in the castle. Many of the women who were in the audience last year mentioned how helpful our signs were in understanding what was going on (mainly by indicating the location of each scene). I suggested maybe using signs again, but this time with leading sentences such as, “Hamlet goes to confront his mother.” “Like a silent movie!” Lauren exclaimed.
Some other fun ideas that were floated included foam tombstones in the graveyard, sound cues for the Ghost and to help with the spooky atmosphere in Denmark, and a floral sheet or bush for Act 3 Scene 2 to help convey the garden the Player King sleeps in. One woman reminded the ensemble that “if someone truly doesn’t want to do a part, there’s still enough to do backstage,” which gave me an opportunity to brag about how important crew and stage managers are in keeping things running smoothly (tracking people and props, opening and closing the curtain, and helping with costume changes).
After all the conversation, we knew it was time to get on our feet for a little bit and play a game—the sound game, to be exact. This seems to be a favorite, and it gives us a chance to be really silly. Even though it was a pretty small circle of participants, a few of us (myself in particular) still struggled with identifying who was making the strange sounds. There were a lot of laughs and playful mocking.
We spent the last of our time on the Hamlet/Laertes duel in Act 5 Scene 2. We reminded the ensemble that this is a difficult scene, and that we will come back to it time and time again as we start to connect all the pieces of the puzzle.
Friday / January 31 / 2020
Written by Lauren
We welcomed two new members to the ensemble today! After a brief check in and our ring exercise, we asked the two new members our traditional three questions: what brings you to Shakespeare, what do you hope to get out of Shakespeare, and what gifts do you bring?
New member #1 has been at the facility for a long time and has participated in all sorts of programming. She is looking to try something new! She is hoping to broaden her skills, since she has never acted before. Her gift, she said, is that she is a diligent and hard worker.
New member #2 was in the ensemble a few years ago and was thrilled to make her return! Missing the group is what brought her back, and she is hoping to have another good experience. Finally, she said that her gift is that she is creative, loves acting, and thinks outside of the box.
Before jumping into scene work, the ensemble had a discussion regarding set, props, and costumes. A lot of good ideas were presented, so we’ll see as rehearsals go on what sticks and what gets changed!
We decided to work on the “gravedigger” scene. Our gravedigger really brought her “A-game!” Not only was she off-book, but she had a lot of fun with stand-in props, including “digging” the grave with a spork. One of the new members asked her if she’s been doing this a long time, because she thought she was really good!
Our Horatio felt lost in the scene. She had an idea to hop into the grave with the gravedigger, so the group encouraged her to try it again and follow her acting instincts. Another member suggested that she try getting sick at the sight of the skulls. We ran the scene again. The gravedigger tossed a “skull” at Horatio. It happened to bounce off of her, prompting her to run off stage and get “sick.” Her expressions were perfect! When Horatio returned, she went to lie down in the grave and have a drink.
As the scene continued through the funeral procession, Hamlet separated herself from the rest of the characters, while Laertes was next to the grave. It really showcased how isolated Hamlet feels, and our gravedigger remarked that it shows Laertes’ sense of power. When we ran both parts of the scene together, Laertes’ sense of grief was much stronger, while the gravedigger worked some serious facial expressions!
Members are really starting to get a strong sense of their characters, and it’s coming through on stage beautifully.