Season Nine: Week 23

“This is a ray of light in what can be a very dark place.”

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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.

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!