Second Skin Theatre Blog: Rehearsal Record 18/02/2010
Rehearsal Record 18/02/2010
In attendance
Director Andy McQuade
Assistant Director Kim Moakes
Actors Coryn Rhys-Jones (Shaksper) Maggie Turner (Barmaid) Anthony Kernan (Christopher Marlowe) Filip Krenus (Edward De Vere) Patrick James (Lord Stanley) Tyler Coombes (Ben Jonson) Karl Dobby (Francis Bacon)
Kim tells me they're going to work on staging today of the play's opening scene, where Christopher Marlowe meets aspiring writing Will Shaksper.
Andy kicks off the rehearsal and says he hates the opening of the play and suggests having Marlowe come on-stage as this happens (originally he was sitting down as the lights come up) and talks to Coryn as to how he should approach Marlowe - initially with nerves, but then awe once he realises who he is. Andy stops, starts and develops the scene throughout as the rehearsal progresses.
Andy discusses character work and the play's opening lines with Coryn - suggesting a movement of the head as he's reciting his composition to wrongfoot the audience into thinking they're seeing a genius, not a no-hoper (Shaksper is trying to compose a speech) when he meets Marlowe. Andy works the timing of it with Coryn, with pauses and actions, to suggest the frustrated creativity of the man.
Andy times this now with the barmaid's entrance working Coryn's dialogue with the exact way the barmaid steps into the scene with Marlowe following behind her, looking for a drink. Shaksper's ineptitude and Marlowe's drunkenness are herein emphasised in these brief opening moments. Marlowe feigns innocence when the barmaid catches him stealing booze from the tankard she's carrying. When she asks him for money, there is a moment of childish protest, resignation and then evasiveness as he charms his way out of paying.
Andy tells them they can use their scripts as due to the short rehearsal span some of the actors have had difficulty remembering their lines.
Andy goes over the moment where Marlowe begs the barmaid for credit that will involve some comic business with Maggie as the barmaid wearing a set of comedy breasts and Marlowe standing on a stool holding aloft a lager mug, as the barmaid refuses him credit.
Andy discusses the differing reaction to Marlowe's pleading as the scene carries on. The barmaid leaves the scene, and Andy talks to Anthony about how he should reach for Shaksper's ale - he wants a drink but still has a certain decorum and he doesn't want to appear desperate.
Shaksper wants Marlowe to help him with writing, and Andy choreographs his desperate request with Marlowe's curt dismissal of him - Coryn has his tongue out in this interchange, exagerrating his character's cluelessness.
Marlowe then seizes Shaksper's drink as he changes his mind and introduces himself. Kim cautions Anthony about bowing too much. Marlowe knocks Shaksper off his bench drunkenly but this is changed so Marlowe is more friendly (in a patronising way) patting his shoulder and knee.
Andy tells Coryn to focus more Anthony as he's shaking his head too much. The actors' body language and facial expressions well convey their characters' respective eagerness (Shaksper) and disdain (Marlowe) to good comic effect. Andy is amused with the performances, telling Anthony as a compliment "You look like you've got gallstones!"
Andy goes over this scene several times and moves Anthony behind Coryn as Shaksper's poem is being recited to give greater focus on Shaksper that will make the scene funnier. Andy adds more gestures and nervousness to Shaksper to improve the comedy and then has Marlowe finish his drink as the poem ends - a comic climax.
Andy has Coryn physicalise Shaksper more as the budding playwright describes his play, and also works on Marlowe's irritation with him. Coryn smiles as Shaksper, his enthusiasm contrasts with his abysmal lack of talent - he has named the horse in his play 'Winnie'.
Kim prompts the actors when they dry, as Andy tightens the scene with Marlowe moving upstage and urinating in a corner. Andy cues the barmaid (heard offstage) catching Marlowe out and Andy directs Anthony to really play up (in a natural way) Marlowe's embarrassment.
The comedy stakes are raised as Marlowe agrees to help Shaksper if he pays him in drink. As Marlowe composes 'Venus and Adonis' (rewriting Shaksper's piece), Andy carefully times Shaksper's interruptions resisted by Marlowe who tries to keep him quiet. Coryn starts sitting down and then moves closer to Anthony in bursts of eagerness as he wants to help Marlowe write the poem. Andy tells Coryn to react and not merely freeze as Marlowe pushes him back.
The scene is repeated, with Coryn introducing his character as Shakespeare not Shaksper, and Andy adds a couple of lines. The scene is repeated once more and then Andy calls for a break, dismissing Maggie for the day.
Andy picks up after the break doing the scene with Marlowe talking to de Vere and Lord Stanley as they form the organisation "Shakespeare Inc." for writing the plays. Francis Bacon and Ben Jonson enter.
Andy times the group's collective reaction to Shaksper, who is in the dark at this point about what is going on, and then the entrance of Bacon and Jonson. He encourages Karl to really overdo it in terms of his snottiness and coolness - Kim suggests he tries to own the room, flicking his handkerchief and turning his back on them as he jousts with de Vere, playing up the mild innuendo in an atmosphere of forced civility.
Bacon introduces Jonson to the group and Andy works the characters' competitiveness as having stood up together to greet Bacon they race to sit down again.
Bacon introduces the group to Jonson and Andy directs Karl to introduced them in a sarcastic, insulting way. Marlowe introduces Shaksper as Shakespeare and really builds him up in front of Bacon and Jonson. He seals his arrangement with Lord Stanley and de Vere to use Shakespeare as a front for their playwriting while Shaksper is gabbling on to Bacon and Jonson in an added piece of background dialogue. - Andy has in previous rehearsals expressed a dislike of 'rhubarbing', where actors in the background of a scene pretend to speak to each other.
Andy directs Karl to try and seethe with jealousy as he introduces the group to Jonson, adding depth to his sarcasm. Andy moves Marlowe, de Vere and Stanley as they huddle near the front of the stage to further stage left so the audience can see Shaksper talking to Bacon.
Andy has Anthony say his last line straight as he previously said it in a conspiratorial fashion but when played straight with no emphasis it sounds much funnier.
Andy dismisses Karl and Tyler for the day and then works on an earlier part of the scene where Marlowe meets Lord Stanley and de Vere for the first time in the play. When Marlowe introduces Shaksper to them, Andy introduces a physical gag where Lord Stanley nearly sits on de Vere's hands. Filip and Patrick's gesturing, as well as Anthony's dialogue, suggests a very close relationship between de Vere and Stanley.
Andy cuts some of Coryn's lines for clarity and goes over the scene to set Stanley and de Vere positions and their timing when they meet Shaksper and appear to fancy him and Shaksper gets nervous. Coryn uses his high-pitched voice and twitching body language to good effect in this - his constantly correcting people about his name is a good running gag.
Andy focuses now on Marlowe and tries to better develop his character - 50% of him is somewhere else, he is distracted by his own brilliance and the exploiting of this weakness is how de Vere and Stanley get him involved to write the plays with them.
Andy cautions Filip against kneeling too much as he makes his proposal, then moves him across the stage and into a good position as de Vere joins with Stanley in stating what they want - the two of them facing Marlowe together makes them seem bolder and stronger at this point.
Andy is careful not to make the moment seem too choreographed but moves them around to have the two of them standing on either side of Marlowe to put him on the spot making much in the dialogue his weaknesses and fallabilities (the line "sexual proclivities" is said in unison) as they weaken him as they move in for the kill. Andy stresses Marlowe's vulnerability in this and the tension is broken, and the agreement made, with a single word "Quite" that signals Marlowe's submission. The way it is scripted makes it clear this is a prepared set up by the two men to ensnare Marlowe. The scene is run one more time before Andy calls it a day.
In attendance
Director Andy McQuade
Assistant Director Kim Moakes
Actors Coryn Rhys-Jones (Shaksper) Maggie Turner (Barmaid) Anthony Kernan (Christopher Marlowe) Filip Krenus (Edward De Vere) Patrick James (Lord Stanley) Tyler Coombes (Ben Jonson) Karl Dobby (Francis Bacon)
Kim tells me they're going to work on staging today of the play's opening scene, where Christopher Marlowe meets aspiring writing Will Shaksper.
Andy kicks off the rehearsal and says he hates the opening of the play and suggests having Marlowe come on-stage as this happens (originally he was sitting down as the lights come up) and talks to Coryn as to how he should approach Marlowe - initially with nerves, but then awe once he realises who he is. Andy stops, starts and develops the scene throughout as the rehearsal progresses.
Andy discusses character work and the play's opening lines with Coryn - suggesting a movement of the head as he's reciting his composition to wrongfoot the audience into thinking they're seeing a genius, not a no-hoper (Shaksper is trying to compose a speech) when he meets Marlowe. Andy works the timing of it with Coryn, with pauses and actions, to suggest the frustrated creativity of the man.
Andy times this now with the barmaid's entrance working Coryn's dialogue with the exact way the barmaid steps into the scene with Marlowe following behind her, looking for a drink. Shaksper's ineptitude and Marlowe's drunkenness are herein emphasised in these brief opening moments. Marlowe feigns innocence when the barmaid catches him stealing booze from the tankard she's carrying. When she asks him for money, there is a moment of childish protest, resignation and then evasiveness as he charms his way out of paying.
Andy tells them they can use their scripts as due to the short rehearsal span some of the actors have had difficulty remembering their lines.
Andy goes over the moment where Marlowe begs the barmaid for credit that will involve some comic business with Maggie as the barmaid wearing a set of comedy breasts and Marlowe standing on a stool holding aloft a lager mug, as the barmaid refuses him credit.
Andy discusses the differing reaction to Marlowe's pleading as the scene carries on. The barmaid leaves the scene, and Andy talks to Anthony about how he should reach for Shaksper's ale - he wants a drink but still has a certain decorum and he doesn't want to appear desperate.
Shaksper wants Marlowe to help him with writing, and Andy choreographs his desperate request with Marlowe's curt dismissal of him - Coryn has his tongue out in this interchange, exagerrating his character's cluelessness.
Marlowe then seizes Shaksper's drink as he changes his mind and introduces himself. Kim cautions Anthony about bowing too much. Marlowe knocks Shaksper off his bench drunkenly but this is changed so Marlowe is more friendly (in a patronising way) patting his shoulder and knee.
Andy tells Coryn to focus more Anthony as he's shaking his head too much. The actors' body language and facial expressions well convey their characters' respective eagerness (Shaksper) and disdain (Marlowe) to good comic effect. Andy is amused with the performances, telling Anthony as a compliment "You look like you've got gallstones!"
Andy goes over this scene several times and moves Anthony behind Coryn as Shaksper's poem is being recited to give greater focus on Shaksper that will make the scene funnier. Andy adds more gestures and nervousness to Shaksper to improve the comedy and then has Marlowe finish his drink as the poem ends - a comic climax.
Andy has Coryn physicalise Shaksper more as the budding playwright describes his play, and also works on Marlowe's irritation with him. Coryn smiles as Shaksper, his enthusiasm contrasts with his abysmal lack of talent - he has named the horse in his play 'Winnie'.
Kim prompts the actors when they dry, as Andy tightens the scene with Marlowe moving upstage and urinating in a corner. Andy cues the barmaid (heard offstage) catching Marlowe out and Andy directs Anthony to really play up (in a natural way) Marlowe's embarrassment.
The comedy stakes are raised as Marlowe agrees to help Shaksper if he pays him in drink. As Marlowe composes 'Venus and Adonis' (rewriting Shaksper's piece), Andy carefully times Shaksper's interruptions resisted by Marlowe who tries to keep him quiet. Coryn starts sitting down and then moves closer to Anthony in bursts of eagerness as he wants to help Marlowe write the poem. Andy tells Coryn to react and not merely freeze as Marlowe pushes him back.
The scene is repeated, with Coryn introducing his character as Shakespeare not Shaksper, and Andy adds a couple of lines. The scene is repeated once more and then Andy calls for a break, dismissing Maggie for the day.
Andy picks up after the break doing the scene with Marlowe talking to de Vere and Lord Stanley as they form the organisation "Shakespeare Inc." for writing the plays. Francis Bacon and Ben Jonson enter.
Andy times the group's collective reaction to Shaksper, who is in the dark at this point about what is going on, and then the entrance of Bacon and Jonson. He encourages Karl to really overdo it in terms of his snottiness and coolness - Kim suggests he tries to own the room, flicking his handkerchief and turning his back on them as he jousts with de Vere, playing up the mild innuendo in an atmosphere of forced civility.
Bacon introduces Jonson to the group and Andy works the characters' competitiveness as having stood up together to greet Bacon they race to sit down again.
Bacon introduces the group to Jonson and Andy directs Karl to introduced them in a sarcastic, insulting way. Marlowe introduces Shaksper as Shakespeare and really builds him up in front of Bacon and Jonson. He seals his arrangement with Lord Stanley and de Vere to use Shakespeare as a front for their playwriting while Shaksper is gabbling on to Bacon and Jonson in an added piece of background dialogue. - Andy has in previous rehearsals expressed a dislike of 'rhubarbing', where actors in the background of a scene pretend to speak to each other.
Andy directs Karl to try and seethe with jealousy as he introduces the group to Jonson, adding depth to his sarcasm. Andy moves Marlowe, de Vere and Stanley as they huddle near the front of the stage to further stage left so the audience can see Shaksper talking to Bacon.
Andy has Anthony say his last line straight as he previously said it in a conspiratorial fashion but when played straight with no emphasis it sounds much funnier.
Andy dismisses Karl and Tyler for the day and then works on an earlier part of the scene where Marlowe meets Lord Stanley and de Vere for the first time in the play. When Marlowe introduces Shaksper to them, Andy introduces a physical gag where Lord Stanley nearly sits on de Vere's hands. Filip and Patrick's gesturing, as well as Anthony's dialogue, suggests a very close relationship between de Vere and Stanley.
Andy cuts some of Coryn's lines for clarity and goes over the scene to set Stanley and de Vere positions and their timing when they meet Shaksper and appear to fancy him and Shaksper gets nervous. Coryn uses his high-pitched voice and twitching body language to good effect in this - his constantly correcting people about his name is a good running gag.
Andy focuses now on Marlowe and tries to better develop his character - 50% of him is somewhere else, he is distracted by his own brilliance and the exploiting of this weakness is how de Vere and Stanley get him involved to write the plays with them.
Andy cautions Filip against kneeling too much as he makes his proposal, then moves him across the stage and into a good position as de Vere joins with Stanley in stating what they want - the two of them facing Marlowe together makes them seem bolder and stronger at this point.
Andy is careful not to make the moment seem too choreographed but moves them around to have the two of them standing on either side of Marlowe to put him on the spot making much in the dialogue his weaknesses and fallabilities (the line "sexual proclivities" is said in unison) as they weaken him as they move in for the kill. Andy stresses Marlowe's vulnerability in this and the tension is broken, and the agreement made, with a single word "Quite" that signals Marlowe's submission. The way it is scripted makes it clear this is a prepared set up by the two men to ensnare Marlowe. The scene is run one more time before Andy calls it a day.
