Season Nine: Week 22

Tuesday / January 21 / 2020
Written by Emma

Tonight’s session was all about strategizing from the get-go. One of our first-season members approached me with a question as soon as I sat down in the circle. This member, who will be playing Horatio, shared that she has been spending a lot of time with her script and was having trouble deciding what Horatio would be doing during some longer breaks when he doesn’t speak but is onstage. She said that she has been thinking of things she can do to be active and present without dialogue, but it’s a challenge for her. I suggested that she pay attention to how she’s feeling when we run those scenes in rehearsal, to write some of those feelings down in her script, and come back to them later.

As soon as we lowered the ring, people were eager to get to work on the play. We decided to skip slightly forward and dive in to the final scene (Act 5 scene 2). This is the big, fat, dramatic finale, in which almost every main character is poisoned, stabbed, or stabbed with a poisoned blade (double whammy!). There are a lot of moving parts that give even professional groups grief.

Before we could even get going, one of our new members asked what character she will be playing (a reminder that, while we’ve done an initial wave of casting, many characters have yet to be cast and are open for our fresh members). Adding on to this, another new member asked, “Can I just go ahead and claim Claudius?” Lauren explained that we will not be doing another round of casting for a few more weeks, but it sounds like we will have no problem filling even the larger roles.

As we got going on 5.2, it became apparent that we needed to take a quick break to talk pacing and staging in the Hamlet vs. Laertes fight. Kyle and Maria took turns discussing the ins and outs of the duel—how it is actually rather organized and breaks down into bouts that are officiated by Osric. Our Hamlet listened intently, asking logistical questions about how to carry herself when onstage. Simultaneously, one of our first season members was leading a discussion surrounding staging—a big first for her! After spending 15-20 minutes in logistical discussion, Hamlet quipped, “I think you want for us to get on stage,” and we picked back up.

I paid attention to Horatio during this scene. After our discussion at the top of the rehearsal, I wanted to be able to give her feedback if she asked. I noticed that she was actually highly emotive with her face, even when her character was seated and not talking for a long time. She watched the duel with an expression of calm intensity. It seemed as though she knew, as we all do, that this wasn’t going to turn out well for anyone. Wonderful instincts!

After we slogged our way through the scene once, we took a break to talk about where onstage we wanted all of the deaths to happen. Gertrude worked with the notion of defiantly drinking the (poisoned) wine to spite her husband. Then, once affected, she would crawl towards her son and die trying to reach him downstage. Laertes, on the other hand, would stoically expire slightly off to the side.

Concerning the death of Claudius, many folks chimed in with ideas. We wanted there to be a final showdown between him and Hamlet—some final acrimony and emotion before their sad saga comes to a close. A brand new member animatedly suggested that we incorporate the ghost of King Hamlet into the scene. “I love this—this is great. This is some good stuff. This is a good class!” she remarked, excited by the collaborative process. “I think the ghost would come out, see dead Claudius, and say, ‘haha’!” another new member suggested. Lauren asked if she thought that the ghost would be so callous in this scene. “We live in callous, everyday,” the ensemble member poignantly stated.

We spent the remainder of our time deep in logistics, including discussions concerning the poisoned cup and sword, where the table and duel would be set, and how Hamlet would finally (tragically) die. Before we knew it, our time was up for the evening. By the time we left, we had gone through one of the more complicated scenes in the play, setting us up for a smoother run next time we tackle it.

Season Nine: Week 21

“100% of us have felt like Hamlet.”

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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.

Season Nine: Week 20

“In Shakespeare, no one is invisible.”

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Tuesday / January 7 / 2020
Written by Emma

It's good to be back! Due to the holidays, Kyle G, Maria, and I had not been present at a session for a few weeks. We were greeted by a full ensemble, brimming with excited energy. One woman even danced her way to the ring, doing an impression of Farley’s Maniac from “Tommy Boy”. Everyone was ready to put the pedal to the metal.

During check-ins, one longtime member suggested that we begin our discussion of casting tonight! Her idea was seconded by another returning member, and then a host of newbies. It seemed like everyone was on board to at least begin working towards casting.

After raising the ring, Kyle asked the ensemble what they would like to do first. “Acting!” a new member blurted out. There you have it! We picked up where the group left off on Friday, with Act III scene 2. This scene is the notorious play-within-a-play scene, in which Hamlet orchestrates a performance depicting the mysterious circumstances surrounding King Hamlet’s death. Outside of the micro play, this scene has a rather heavy emotional load. Claudius and Gertrude are confronted with the reality of their actions, and Hamlet comes to the conclusion that his suspicions about his “daddy-uncle” are correct.

In the interest of sanity, Kyle suggested that we break the scene down into more digestible, bite-sized parts. This would prove important as we made our way through the freshly cut script. Facilitators and ensemble members alike were stumbling through lines, flipping pages urgently to keep up with one another. “Holy crap, I need a highlighter!” one woman exclaimed. Even our most fastidious returning member admitted she was having a difficult time following along. Still, we assigned roles and got working on the scene.

Before actors took their places, one returning member buzzed about the stage, arranging chairs and other set pieces in preparation for the scene. You wouldn’t know it to see her now, but last season, this ensemble member was reserved in her suggestions for staging and blocking. Now, she is an integral force in the staging process.

After walking through the first chunk of the scene, we took a break to regroup. Kyle suggested that we try reading the new, cut version of the scene in its entirety before we went back to put it on its feet. We arranged ourselves in a circle in front of the stage and powered our way through the text, top-to-bottom.

Next, we spent some time discussing potential sets and blocking. One woman had the idea that the play-within-a-play could be enacted using sock puppets that are color coordinated with the king and queen they are meant to portray. Another woman offered some practical ideas for timing in the dialogue when the curtain could be drawn (at the line “Lights, lights, lights!”, to be exact). At one point, one ensemble member asked the actor playing Hamlet, “What would Hamlet be doing here?” The actor paused for a moment, thinking. “I feel like he’s being devious,” she said. “So, what would he be doing?” the other woman responded, encouraging her to dive into her instincts.

What happened next was, in effect, a mess. Trying to navigate the cuts while keeping emotions, diction, and blocking in mind would be enough to make seasoned professionals frazzled. However, our ensemble handled it with grace. They corrected one another when needed, got each other back on track, and made their way through the scene. It is worth noting that this could have easily been a frustrating process, but in reality, it was anything but. In fact, our group was jovial about their mistakes.

When we finally finished 3.2, we had about 35 minutes left. We spent the remainder of the session discussing casting. We went around the circle and had each ensemble member state the “top 3-ish” characters they were interested in. We were happy to find at the end that there was very little, if any, overlap in interest. We decided to hold off on official casting for another day, but it seems like we should have no issue getting all parts happily assigned.

Things are picking up, and this ensemble is very ready to go!

Season Nine: Week 18

Friday / January 3 / 2020
Written by Lauren

We began the session with a chat about cuts to the script. A couple of women had concerns regarding some proposed cuts, so as a group we discussed those and how they would or would not be missed in the final script. Since this can be difficult work, we followed it by playing a couple of games.

The first game was new to us, and suggested by an ensemble member. It’s number game called Buzz and was very fun! After that we played a group favorite: WAH! Even a certain member who “does not play games” joined in for that one.

We moved on to Act 3 Scene 1. The discussion about Ophelia started out with one ensemble member describing her as a “ditz.” The more we spoke about Ophelia, the clearer the sadness of her life became. After clarifying that she is often spoken about right in front of her, one woman commented, “No wonder she jumped.”

We then focused specifically on Hamlet’s famous “To be or not to be” speech—its being spoken in front of Ophelia, and what that could mean for her interpretation of Hamlet’s words. One woman suggested that when Ophelia is on stage but being ignored, she could sit in a chair with her back to the audience, almost as if being placed in time out.

Unfortunately, our session came to an end not long after that, but I am looking forward to seeing how the group decides to work with these ideas!

Season Nine: Week 16

“Shakespeare is the place where I feel like I can truly, truly be myself.”

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Tuesday / December 17 / 2019
Written by Maria

Today we tackled the lengthy Act 2 Scene 2, breaking it into smaller chunks to work through. “This is half the play!” one woman said as we all flipped through the long scene we were about to undertake. Kyle G. proceeded to give us a quick synopsis of the scene before we dove in with the entrance of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and Polonius discussing Hamlet’s madness with the king and queen.

The woman who was playing Polonius has a great understanding of playing comedic moments and physicality, clearing her throat before reading Hamlet’s note to Ophelia—and clearly not impressed with his attempts at sonnet writing. “Was Polonius the old King Hamlet’s right hand man?” a woman asked. I responded that I had just assumed that the man came with the job, but another woman responded that Polonius has a disdain for Hamlet that doesn’t fit for him if he was the old king’s right hand man. “Maybe Polonius was there because he was so loyal to Claudius. He could also be there to be the fall guy,” the woman who asked the question said. “Literally,” another woman agreed.

“I get lost in my own conversation,” the woman playing Polonius observed. We then discussed why Shakespeare wrote this fuddy duddy character that we are not meant to take seriously. Is it just for comedic effect, or is there something else at play? Kyle G. said that each person in the court represents a part of the court that Hamlet hates. When we asked how the scene had gone, one woman in the audience praised the actors’ work but wanted more movement in the scene. She suggested that they move the action closer to the audience. Since we were discussing the roles of the court, that also brought up the status of each character—how could we make that clear to the audience, physically? We have these great steps between the stage and the house that we can use to have a person literally stand above someone of lower status, or to show a power shift in their interaction.

Keeping all of these ideas in mind the second time through, the scene moved further downstage, sparking Polonius to ask if it was too far. We all enthusiastically assured her that it was great and that we loved it. She also said that she had gotten a little in Claudius’ face, hoping that the king would put her in her place. Kyle G. suggested that Polonius make good use of the steps, crossing back and forth as she reads the letter, and our resident stage manager reminded us that we could set the king’s and queen’s thrones upstage to help give power to those in charge. Everyone already felt a lot better about the scene and looked forward to pushing through to the next bit.

The third time through, we continued into Hamlet’s entrance, and we added thrones for the king and queen. “It’s hard to grasp the emotions when trying to read,” our Hamlet confessed. A supportive veteran pushed Hamlet to be more aggressive with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. “Hamlet is getting madder and madder. You should move toward them when you’re asking why they are here.” We also suggested using some chairs so Hamlet could force Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to sit for her interrogation. “[Rosencrantz and Guildenstern] look busted with their tail between their legs,” one woman said, smiling, when the two were caught out by Hamlet.

One woman suggested that Hamlet enter from the house to give time for a shift in the scene (the royals to hide for eavesdropping), and everyone got ready to tackle this section of the scene again. We stopped a few times to give Hamlet some suggestions to go bigger and really push for answers from her friends, and for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to show us their fear of Hamlet’s questioning.

As we got into the scene more, I stopped taking notes and just enjoyed watching the interaction unfold before me. Hamlet, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern did a great job of taking our suggestions and pushing the scene into something funny and connected. The two friends squirmed as Hamlet pushed for the real reason that they were there. Rosencrantz took the note of being more physical, scooching her chair to be closer to Guildenstern, and even falling to the floor in an attempt to lean away from Hamlet’s pointing finger. We were all laughing, and when Hamlet pointed at the chair for them to sit, there was a lot of power in that small gesture. After coming to our stopping point, we asked how the scene had felt, and our Hamlet responded, “I appreciate not just the facilitators’ input, but the other ensemble members as well: you’re the ones watching it.”

“It made it more understandable from an audience perspective. To see you [Hamlet] toying and playing with them. I like when Rosencrantz fell out of the chair.” a woman from the audience shared. Another women praised Hamlet for always staying open to the audience. Even though she doesn’t have performance experience, this makes it a lot easier for us to understand both what she is saying and the intention behind it. Kyle S. praised the teamwork of the entire ensemble, saying that they made each other’s gestures work.

Before we could run the scene again or get into the entrance of the Players, it was time to raise the ring and say goodbye. “I haven’t laughed and smiled this much in ages—my face hurts from smiling,” one woman told a facilitator as we were leaving for the evening. It was a pretty great way to end our last Tuesday before the holiday break.