Words, Words, Words, Words

Day #17: Your favorite speech

Again...hard to narrow down. Love the Crispian Day speech to death, I really do, and practically anything Hamlet utters, but based on the mood I'm in today, I'm going with this, from Roselind in As You Like It, simply for it's beautiful cynicism.

No, faith, die by attorney. The poor world is
almost six thousand years old, and in all this time
there was not any man died in his own person,
videlicit, in a love-cause. Troilus had his brains
dashed out with a Grecian club; yet he did what he
could to die before, and he is one of the patterns
of love. Leander, he would have lived many a fair
year, though Hero had turned nun, if it had not been
for a hot midsummer night; for, good youth, he went
but forth to wash him in the Hellespont and being
taken with the cramp was drowned and the foolish
coroners of that age found it was 'Hero of Sestos.'
But these are all lies: men have died from time to
time and worms have eaten them, but not for love.


( Other questions and previous answers )
Day #21: An overrated play
Day #22: An underrated play
Day #23: A role you've never played but would love to play
Day #24: An actor or actress you would love to see in a particular role
Day #25: Sooner or later, everyone has to choose: Hal or Falstaff?
Day #26: Your favourite couple
Day #27: Your favourite couplet
Day #28: Your favourite joke
Day #29: Your favourite sonnet
Day #30: Your favourite single line

New York was fun. Didn't go to Greenwich Village to get ravished by Butch Lesbians. It was raining, and I forgot my suspants, so I figured I'd put it off for another day.

However, Macbeth was fantastic.

I went with my two BFFs kirathaune and pairika. The three of us had played the witches one year at the Collingswood Book Festiva. It's kind of how we bonded, so we were looking forward to seeing the witch scenes, and Wow. It totally rocked. They did the bit with 'double double' as a kind of a rap and it was seriously so cool I can't even describe how cool it was.

Anyway...there are better reviews out there (see king_duncan's review on my last post for an example), so I won't bore you with my squeeing of the play, but will get on to the more important things.

After the play, we were milling about in the front of the theatre, trying to figure out how to get out of the crowd, and to decide where to go to eat. I said, 'while we're milling, can we go mill at the stage door around back?' My friends said they'd endulge me, so I turned to make my way through the crowd, and there, in the thick of it, was Patrick Stewart!

He, very graciously, had come out to the front of the theatre, and was pleasantly signing autographs and chatting with people.

"OMG HE'S RIGHT THERE!" I capslocked, digging through my purse to find the playbill and a pen.

"Do we have a card to give him?" pairika asked.

"No" said kirathaune, "but I have a keychain!"

As I stood there, vibrating with excitement, she took the Collingswood Shakespeare Company keychain off her key ring and handed it to me. I turn around and say, "Mr Stewart, may I give you something?" And these totally awesome girls in front of me actually moved aside so I could get a clear shot.

He did eventually turn to me and take my playbill and my pen that is shaped like Shakespeare.

"What's this?" he said, smiling at the pen.

"It's my Shakespeare pen."

"Oh, your lucky Shakespeare pen?"

It is now, I think.

He signs my playbill with his own pen, and as he hands it back to me I hand him the keychain. "This is from our Shakespeare company," I say, proud to notice my voice isn't shaking, although my hand is. I also blather something about how much I enjoyed the show. He thanks me, and takes the keychain, again with a smile.

kirathaune also got his autograph, and had the presence of mind to tell him we'd been the witches once, which was totally cool.

So YAY! Patrick Stewart autograph! And maybe, just maybe, he will notice our website on the keychain and check us out.

It could happen!

I also have to tell you about the funniest thing that happened the entire day, but I will cut it, as this is getting long.

( Read more... )

Got this from spinxvictorian

Bold the ones you've seen stage productions of, italicize the ones you've seen movies (I'm also including television versions like the BBC in this category) of, underline the ones you've read or listened to, and add a star to any you've performed in, done readings of or otherwise theatrically participated.

All's Well That Ends Well*
Anthony and Cleopatra
As You Like It
The Comedy of Errors
Coriolanus
Cymbeline
Hamlet
Henry IV, Part I
Henry IV, Part II
Henry V
Henry VI, Part I
Henry VI, Part II
Henry VI, Part III
Henry VIII
Julius Caesar*
King John
King Lear
Love's Labour's Lost
Macbeth*
Measure for Measure
The Merchant of Venice
The Merry Wives of Windsor
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Much Ado about Nothing
Othello
Pericles, Prince of Tyre
Richard II
Richard III
Romeo and Juliet
The Taming of the Shrew*
The Tempest*
Timon of Athens
Titus Andronicus
Troilus and Cressida
Twelfth Night*
Two Gentlemen of Verona
The Winter's Tale*

Some of them I've read and seen movies/shows of, but I only italisized those. Our Shakespeare company is actually doing a lecture tonight on Richard II, but I've never really read it.

From cheryldactyl's post.

Don't have much to say, I just haven't really updated in awhile, so I thought I'd say hello.

We did our "Macbeth" scene on Saturday at the Collingswood Book Festival - went well. It was fun and my husband did a good job as Macbeth, so well done him. We had a great time, my fellow 'sisters' and I, playing the witches. It really attracted children's attention, especially all the ingredients we had for our caldron.

Oh, I almost forgot. During the summer Charlie was doing this 'treasure hunt' with the liberary. Every week we would check out some books, and he would get a stamp on his map. Every two stamps he would get a little prize - bookmark, whatever. He really enjoyed it, and it got him interested in some books, so that was nice. At the end of the contest we turned in the map, and there was supposed to be a drawing or something at the book festival.

I'd completely forgotten about it, and late in the afternoon, we were walking around in our Rennisance garb, as requested, and wandered into the children's section where I saw, much to my surprise, Charlie's name on the list of winners! He got a copy of the Collingswood version of Monopoly.

I've been watching this British show called Afterlife. It's really good. Really dark, but really good. It's sort of like "The Ghost Whisperer" but not stupid and not schmaltzy. And it stars Whatshisname, the guy who was in love with Keira Knightly in Love Actually.


Charlie's Halloween Costume

I'd like to point out I made this costume, but I'd be lying. My friend Kim, who is amazingly talented, did. She'd made it for her daughter ages ago and offered it to Charlie. He loves it. It's a knight, in case you can't tell.

Just got back from the last night of Twelfth Night/the cast party.

I had, as many of you predicted, a good time doing this role. Ultimately didn't get to wear my blonde hippie wig (will do photos though) as the director felt it was too over the top, and I got laughs anyway, which is what I wanted, so yay.

I was also pleased to see elfmanfan at the show with her friends on Friday. It was a plesant surprise.

I think part of my problem was I wasn't at many of the rehersals so I didn't feel a part of the cast, but once we got really rolling, I did, and that makes a difference.

I may go into more detail later, but I must say this whole thing came together so much better than I thought it would, and I am pleased, as the whole thing was the brain child of pairika and me, and it really has helped put the Collingswood Shakespeare Company on the road to success.

I wanted to tell you about Charlie and the lost kitten, but I think I will save that for later.

So we open tomorrow. 7:30pm at the Holy Trinity Church on Haddon and Fern avenue in Collingswood - $7.50 (I think), for anyone in the area who cares.

I'm still struggling with feelings of bitterness. It's hard for me to feel excited about the play. I don't really feel like a part of the production, which makes it difficult. If I had a part I liked, I'd be all excited right now, but I just can't feel it, not totally.

I did however, get this totally rocking long blond wig that totally makes me look like a Hippie Earth Mother, which is the look I'm going for. So that's cool.

And really, it is going to be a very good production. The actors are all very good; some are excellent, and the costumes came out really well.

Meanwhile, my work day has been insanely busy, and I really need to get back to it. I just needed to whine a bit.

Feel better now.

For reasons I don't quite understand but were not about to question, as they gave my ego a boost, I was asked to 'model' for publicity photos for the Collingswood Shakespeare Company.

So here's a few photos that I like. ( Which do you like best? )

The Collingswood Shakespeare Company had a party on Saturday at one of the member's house. It rained for much of it, which was sad, since they have a nice pool and a huge back yard, but it was fun. John, the director, came and they were going to have a 'read through' with the cast, so I'd planned on getting out of there before that happened.

So I'm standing there, and hear my name. John is talking with the Francie, the 'producer' and the next thing I know I'm agreeing to play the Priest(ess) in the play. I thought of the advise you all gave me, to take a small part to show willing and just to be involved, and besides I couldn't think of a way to get out of it gracefully without sounding like the petulant baby I actually am, so I'm playing the priest, and had to stay for the read through.

It was kind of painful, mostly because I only have about 5 lines* in the very end of the play and had to sit through the whole thing, trying very hard not to glare at the girl who got Oliva. Sigh. Also, I feel a bit like John offered me the part in a sort of concecending way. I don't think he did, really, but it's how I feel.

But, meanwhile I'll probably be glad I'm a part of it, and we have other things happening that I am in charge of and therefore can give myself good parts.


*A contract of eternal bond of love,
Confirm'd by mutual joinder of your hands,
Attested by the holy close of lips,
Strengthen'd by interchangement of your rings;
And all the ceremony of this compact
Seal'd in my function, by my testimony:
Since when, my watch hath told me, toward my grave
I have travell'd but two hours.

Went to the doctor's this morning because I've been very dizzy lately. And not dizzy like Gracie Allen, dizzy like I feel like I'm going to fall down.

It's most likely an inner ear thing, so he gave me Allegra and I have to have blood tests tomorrow, just to make sure.

I said to him, "So I guess you don't have to call in Dr. House, then." He laughed. He isn't a big fan of the show, not because of the medicine, which he said isn't actually that bad, but because House is so mean. Apparently that really bugs my kindly doctor.

Had a Shakespeare thing tonight. I've been called back to read Olivia, and just Olivia which can mean one of two things. One, he is so sure he wants me to be Olivia, that he's just seeing who I work best with or two, I have a very limited range, and he's just throwing me a bone since I'm on the board.

I'm hoping it's the first one.

I also hope I remember I can't eat anything tomorrow.