Titus tonight, Intercon tomorrow

Woke up yesterday with a sore throat. There seems to be a number of illnesses running around right now, so I could have gotten something worse, but I am not thrilled to have anything making speaking uncomfortable with Intercon tomorrow. I am medicating with tea, and if it's still painful tomorrow, I am going to buy a bottle of Chloraseptic to spray down my throat. The stuff isn't good for the voice but it's worth it to enjoy the biggest weekend of my year.

I am almost entirely packed, just a few things that I'm still using remain. The only major chore left is to cook the dishes I'm going to pack to take with us so we won't have to depend on restaurants. I haven't decided whether I should do it today or tomorrow afternoon before we leave, I guess it depends on how much else I get done. Tonight the priority is get dinner made in time for Jared and I to eat before we go over to see the opening night of Titus.

I've been to a couple dress rehearsals, and it is a very funny show. Last night was the Naked Tech, or the final cue-to-cue where the cast runs through their marks in their underwear trying to make as much fun of the show and blow off as much steam as possible. I'm really happy that this tradition has endured and has made so many participants happy. It's part of what makes HTP so much fun to be a part of and cements people's affection for and desire to participate in the club. Last night's Naked Tech was really hilarious, and a good time was had by all, old timer and newcomer alike. It's actually getting to the point where the club is made up of more than just a small core of devoted actors and coming to be considered as an audition option for a larger-growing pool of Brandeis actors. It's taken years to get to that point, but I think it's finally happening, and it makes me really glad. There used to be so much bad blood between the groups for no good reason at all, and it means a lot to see how much progress has been made.

Festival signups and Titus build

Both of my games at Festival, The Stand and Paranoia, have now filled. The Stand will be interesting because this time it seemed I was getting a lot of female players, so in order to accommodate them I opened up a few neutral slots. Now I have thirteen men and twelve women to play seventeen male and nine female characters, which is more skewed to the female than either of the previous runs were. If any of these lovely ladies are willing to be cross cast that will make everything a snap, but if not enough of them are, I will have to consider what currently male characters I can gender swap. Given the setting and historical time period, it's a pretty gendered game, and while there are plenty of people stepping outside of their proscribed roles, it's usually pretty significant to their plot. Still, that should actually be a fun and interesting challenge should the need arise. Festival looks to be a good con overall; it's a good roster of games at this point, and they're almost all completely full. Well done, ninja_report*, for making this happen!

Build for the current HTP show, Titus Andronicus, has begun. Though the show is still several weeks off, their unfortunately early performance dates mean there is no show in the theater before them, so they were able to move in and get started. I hope the extra time proves to be of benefit to them. I went by the last couple days to lend a hand here and there where I could. I really enjoy helping with build week. With work and school I spend so much time doing mental, sedentary work that my body craves a chance to pit itself against physical work of some kind. And It's not often that I get a chance to build things. Carpentry is one of the many things I'd love to learn if it weren't something that required a significant money and space investment, so it's nice to have an outlet every now and then to experience it. And I like the challenge to my body to do that kind of work.

Merely Players Hoot review

‘Merely Players’ more than just a side-project for HTP'

By Candice Bautista
November 18, 2011

“Merely Players” was a wholly successful side-project put on by the Shakespeare group Hold Thy Peace this past weekend. A comedy by Brandeis graduate Phoebe Roberts ’09, M.A. ’12, “Merely Players” playfully mocks theater troupes’ and actors’ constant bid for the spotlight while still glorifying them.
The play was put on in Schwartz Auditorium, a venue that I personally had never seen used for a show, having only attended lectures in there. HTP successfully utilized the space, however, by moving the desks out and moving in tables for a sort of dinner show/cabaret setting. Indeed, placed on the tables were pieces of papers that doubled as mini-playbills and menus. Proceeds from items ordered went toward HTP fundraising. HTP actresses not acting in the show were waitresses as they took my table’s orders for brownies and cider. It was a very welcoming and surprising part of the setting that helped set the jovial mood for the play beforehand.

While we ate and waited for the show to begin, the actors in the actual show appeared in character and engaged in hilarious banter. At one point, Malcolm, the pretentious lead played by Ben Federlin ’14, yells to another actor, “You fungal growth! You’re homeless! Go back to under the bridge where we found you!” before hitting her on the head with his copy of “Othello.” These conversations occurred mostly along the sides of the stage portion of the auditorium, but occasionally the characters would venture into the audience along the side rows of the theater to great effect.

The humor only continued to flourish when the show began with the introduction of Cornelia (Stephanie Karol ’12) as the reluctant leader of the Shakespeare group. She discussed the difficulties of the burden of leading and how repulsed she was by actors. Karol, dressed in all black and donning white gloves, was hilarious and simultaneously terrifying. Having spent much of the pre-show act rolling around on various surfaces in Schwartz Auditorium, her entrance was doubly funny.

After her introduction of the theater troupe, the group breaks into a well-choreographed scene depicting the different aspects of acting, from applying make-up, to practicing lines, to struggling to get so much done in such a short period of time. From then on, the play depicts the actors rehearsing for Shakespeare plays that are clearly noted by a sign on the side of the stage. This works incredibly well as it gives the actors something with which to pretend to be preoccupied while also having source material at which to poke fun. For example, at one point in the play, Malcolm and Orlando (Andrew Prentice ’13) fight for the attention of newcomer Sylvia (Gabrielle Geller ’12) and end up pulling her back and forth during the “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” rehearsal. Other plays mentioned include “Hamlet,” “The Tempest,” “Henry V” and “King Lear,” which features a particularly hilarious bit with Malcolm tearing his shirt open, ripping off one of his buttons. Whether or not that was intentional will never truly be known by this audience member.

“Merely Players” differs greatly from the main shows that HTP puts on due to the fact that it is not written by Shakespeare, but the underlying emotions and passions the group has for Shakespeare carries through to put together a great show. Arcite the fool was played by Lenny Somervell ’12, well-known for her comedic roles in previous HTP shows, and this translates extraordinarily well in the small Schwartz venue. She showed no restraint when it came to breaking down the fourth wall and walking into the audience, petting one of my tablemates, and going around to give someone else her phone number. Truly Karol’s and Somervell’s performances were the highlights of the play, their acting pulling the various pieces of the show together into a clever whole. The show ended with just the two on the stage, concluding the show with Arcite’s line, “Better to be a witty fool than a foolish wit,” a reference to “Twelfth Night.”

The exact allure of “Merely Players” is hard to pinpoint because of the various phenomenal parts of the show, but a great contributing factor is the DIY nature of the show. Every part of the performance from the food, to the wait staff, even to the script was all made for and provided by the HTP members. At some points, it felt as though I was just in my friends’ basement on a Friday night, finally seeing the show my friends had been preparing. In fact, since HTP’s fall show “Margaret: A Tiger’s Heart” was put on about a month ago, the members must not have had that much time to put this together. All in all, “Merely Players” was a very good show with a homey feel that showcased not only HTP’s talent but also their dedication and affection for Shakespeare.

Merely Players opening tonight

At last, at last, tonight is opening night of Merely Players. It's been a great process, light and easy as theatrical endeavors go, where our intrepid band or actors and techies have wended their merry way to this fun and funny one-act we are proud to present to you tonight. We performed it for our waitstaff yesterday, and I am pleased that they were just the test audience I was hoping for. They laughed in all the right places and helped the actors figure out just where the pauses belonged, and drew so much energy just from hearing them. It's a perfect little light morsel of theater, short, sweet, and very funny.

As a text, it's not an important piece of theatrical writing. But it translates to the stage extremely well, particularly when you block it with as much humor as we did. And I like how it has meaning on multiple levels. I think it's a pretty clever spoof of the nature of theatrical collaboration, the broad, clearly defined characters clueing you into their significance even if you're not intimately familiar with the conventions of the theater. It's also a pretty good entree into the building of Shakespeare performance. I did a decent job of switching seamlessly between the plain English original text and the borrowed snatches of Shakespeare, again not requiring any deep understanding to get what's going on. And thirdly, the show is in many ways a love letter to Hold Thy Peace, making reference to our inside jokes and our long history together. The club's meant an enormous amount to me, and this piece is kind of my tribute. I joked that perhaps one day, God willing, Merely Players will become a staple of high school theater groups competing in one-act festivals. There are worse things one's writing could become.

We go up in Schwartz Auditorium at Brandeis University. Doors open at 7:15 so that snacks and drinks may be purchased beforehand. Show begins at 8. I look forward to seeing you there!

KINDNESS WAS PUSHED

Had a lovely evening discussing matters for Merely Players with members of the cast, and generally having a nice time shooting the shit. In the course of it a certain joke Lenny cracked recently came up, regarding her culpability in a certain costar unexpectedly vacating the typical performance space. We believe we should put on a T-shirt. In reference to those conspiracy-theory meme shirts, I have generated this design.



Or would it be funnier as "Gloucester was pushed"? Opinions, please!

Love to Jonathan, whom we talked of glowingly all night long, love to Lenny, the brilliant company who made the joke, and love to Hold Thy Peace, which has given us fabulous stories and good friends to recount them with. <3

Official Invitation: Hold Thy Peace presents MERELY PLAYERS

“All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages.” —Jacques, As You Like It, II.ii.139-166









Meet the Walking Shadows, a ragtag little troupe of Shakespearean actors as they struggle to revitalize a company that has seen better days! Come join us for this fun and funny Shakespeare revue that intersperses scenes from the Bard's most famous work with original comedic material poking fun at the nature of performing in a troupe and working together to make theater.

Seating is cabaret-style, with drinks and snacks available for purchase! All proceeds benefit future productions of Hold Thy Peace. Cash only, please.

Two nights only!
November 11th at 8PM
November 12th at 8PM

in Schwartz Auditorium at Brandeis University

Runtime: ~1 hour

Admission is free, donations gladly accepted

CAST
CORNELIA, the Director - Stephanie Karol (Goneril, Helena, Mark Antony, Thalia, Duchess of Gloucester)
SYLVIA, the Ingenue - Gabrielle Geller (Lady Capulet, Portia, Hermione)
DIONYZA, the Diva - April Farmer (Regan, Nurse, Decius, Shepherd)
MALCOLM, the Lead - Ben Federlin (Montano, King Lewis of France)
ORLANDO, the Lover - Andrew Prentice (Lord Montague, Cleomenes, Roderigo, Edward of York)
ARCITE, the Fool - Lenny Somervell (Edgar, Theseus, Autolycus, Iago)
VALERIA, the First Chorus - Jenna Schlags (Oswald, Clown, Emilia)
CRESSIDA, the Second Chorus - Emma Lieberman (Perdita, Bianca, Lady Bona)
CHARMIAN, the Third Chorus - Miriam Goldman (Brabantia)
Introducing
AUDREY, the Stage Manager - Carolyn Daitch
with
Waitresses - Caitlin Partridge (Juliet, Casca, Euphrosyne, Camilla, Desdemona, Margaret) and Charlotte Oswald (Hippolyta, Selene, Duchess of Venice, Duke of Gloucester)
Bartender - Jonathan Plesser (Albany, Lysander, Friar Lawrence, Julius Caesar, Damon, Polixenes, Othello, Duke of Suffolk)

CREW
Writer, Director, Costume Designer - Phoebe Roberts
Stage Manager, Technical Designer - Bernie Gabin
Producer, Research Assistant - Stephanie Karol
Hair and Makeup Artist, Choreography Assistant - Rachel Feldman
Choreography Assistant - Carolyn Daitch

Official Invitation: Hold Thy Peace presents MARGARET, A TIGER'S HEART

Here is your official invitation to Hold Thy Peace's next main stage show, Margaret: A Tiger's Heart, a cutting together of Shakespeare's Henry VI plays and Richard III threads that center around Margaret, a French princess who was prominent in the War of the Roses. I hear the costuming was thrown together a week before the show. Don't you want to see how that mess came out? ;-)

MARGARET, A TIGER'S HEART
Directed by Dave Benger
Assistant Directed by Jenna Schlags and Lenny Somervell
Produced by Jonathan Plesser and Yoni Bronstein
Staged Manged by Elena Livak

Starring such familiar names as:
Caitlin Patridge as Margaret
Jonathan Plesser as Suffolk and Prince Edward
Charlotte Oswald as the Duke of Gloucester
Stephanie Karol as the Duchess of Gloucester
Andrew Prentice as Edward of York
Emma Lieberman as Lady Bona

Thursday, Oct 21st- 8PM
Friday, Oct 22nd- 8PM
Saturday, Oct 22nd- 8PM
Sunday, Oct 23rd - 2 PM

In the Shapiro Campus Center Theater

Tickets are free, donations gladly accepted

Emergency costumer jumping in

So Margaret lost their lead costumer due to unfortunate family circumstances a little while ago, leaving them just with two assistants who are eager to help but don't really know anything about costuming. Margaret is less than two weeks out from performance, and is kind of in a bind, so I told Plesser that if there was nobody else by Monday night, he could give me a call and I'd see that it got done. I was going about my business Monday wondering if they were going to need me, half-hoping they'd call because I like helping out, half-hoping they wouldn't because it's not like I don't have anything else to do. But a little after 9:30 I got the buzz, and was asked to come to the theater to hear what was needed. Amusingly, I found myself thinking, "Suit up. We're going in." It's important to me that things go well for HTP, so it's good to be able to help ensure that in a small way.

While I believe I can do a good job with this, it's not going to be my best work ever. I am going off of the designs of the old lead and prioritizing the effort to give Dave what he wants, so my personal costuming theory is not going to come in very much. I believe in normal circumstances that every costume needs to be chosen to work with every other costume, particularly when it comes to color. Color choices should all be coordinated with each other, and I like it best when they all can have meaning. Mostly here I'm just going for getting the right styling and ensuring that the characters are dressed differently enough that the audience can remember who they are. The aesthetic is military, and I have seen more than a few shows with a military look where everyone is dressed the same (UNIFORMS, ANYONE?) and gets lost in a sea of olive-drab and a cloud of camo. Gah, camo especially can give you an effective like a herd of zebras, where the patterns blend into one another and predators have a hard time seeing where one zebra begins and the next ends. Audiences, particularly with a show that's not so easy to understand, tend to like it when they can say, "Oh, it's the guy in the green coat again. I remember him." Otherwise, you get a lot of, "Who's that dude again?"

Merely Players cast list!

After a great deal of wrangling, adapting, and making hard decisions, with the release of the Margaret list I was able to nail down the cast of Merely Players. Our ragtag but intrepid troupe The Walking Shadows shall be portrayed as follows:

Cornelia, the Director - Stephanie Karol
Sylvia, the Ingenue - Gabrielle Geller
Dionyza, the Diva - April Farmer
Malcolm, the Lead - Ben Federlin
Orlando, the Lover - Andrew Prentice
Arcite, the Fool - Lenny Somervell
Valeria, the First Chorus - Jenna Schlags
Cressida, the Second Chorus - Emma Lieberman
Charmian, the Third Chorus - Miriam Goldman
Audrey, the Stage Manager - Carolyn Daitch

As always, I had more people than I could use, which meant some talented, awesome actors could not be cast. And since I'd made a promise to prioritize those with smaller roles or no roles in Margaret, or even those that weren't booked up by other shows, that meant certain poeple who I would normally leap to work with could not be chosen in fairness to the stated mission. *sigh* Let it not be said that I am not a woman of my word, even when it requires me to make some cuts that pain me. It was really important to me to do right by the club, and I feel like I can say that I did.

Looking at the complete list, it strikes me how little overlap there is with this list with those of the previous shows I've directed. To Think of Nothing had three actors in common with Hamlet, probably the three that struck me the most with their particular abilities, while this show has none. There's only one actor from To Think of Nothing in it, though not for lack of trying. Much as I miss them, it does kind of make me feel good that I was able to use a number of people tried out for To Think of Nothing that I wasn't able to cast that time, not for their lack of talent, but just because I didn't have room. I assured them once that I still though they were worthy in my estimation even though I had no parts for them, and it's kind of nice to be able to make good on that assurance now. And it's good to work with new people, to vary up your theatrical experience. It may help me improve and grow as a director.

The first read through is tonight. As I did for To Think of Nothing, I plan on cooking dinner for all those lovely souls who will be contributing their time and effort to act out this play. I think it's a nice way to start off the working relationship. Got to win goodwill from your actors straight off, and God knows if you feed those creatures you've won their loyalty for life.

Jared in As You Like It!

I totally forgot to mention this, even though it's cool news and it happened a while ago now. Jared is going to be in a production of As You Like It! He will be playing Oliver, the wicked older brother of the hero Orlando who initially betrays his brother but ultimately learns the error of his ways. The production is being put on by Theatre@First, a well-regarded local company whom I first became aware of when I saw oakenguy* in their awesome Shaken Up Shakespeare show, a pastiche of pieces by the Bard and reinterpretations thereof. To make it even cooler, usernamenumber* is also in this show, playing Touchstone the fool, probably my favorite character in this play. I have a soft spot for fools, you know. :-) I think he'll be really great at it, which makes me even more excited to see it.

This is pretty cool because this marks Jared's first role with a company other than Hold Thy Peace. It makes me really happy for him that what he learned working with HTP got him to the point where he could audition for a Shakespeare play for a director who didn't know him and sufficiently impress that person enough to earn a part. The show will be going up September 8th through 11th, at 8PM the first three nights and a 3PM matinee on Sunday, at Seven Hills Park. I am planning on attending all the performances if I can, and would love to get a group together to go support Jared and Brad. HTPers, you in particular I'd love to bring along. So mark your calendars now and come out with me to see our lovely and talented friends. :-)

Theater to come

So as of this past Wednesday, Hold Thy Peace has a plan for next semester. This coming season will be really remarkable for the club, for a number of reasons. As I've mentioned, my little Shakespearean cabaret-style revue, Merely Players, will be going up as a side project. But the mainstage is looking to be particularly interesting this time around as well. A new member of Hold Thy Peace, a smart, sweet guy by the name of Dave Benger had a really cool idea of cutting together Shakespeare's plays that feature the historical French princess Margaret into one new play with her as the main character. It's a clever, novel idea for the club, not least because we have not had many shows with a true female lead. As if this weren't enough, Dave's relationship with the UTC is good enough that he got Brandeis Players, one of the other theater groups, interested in co-sponsoring the show. Given the animosity that has existed between HTP and the other groups in the past, this is a pretty big step forward in improving relations. If the collaboration goes well, it could really do a lot for mutual respect, as well as increasing mobility between the troupes. I confess my bad experiences in e past have made me a bit nervous, but I have high hopes. I think Dave is both capable enough and well-liked enough to make this happen, so I'll keep my fingers crossed.

One worry I do have is that if a lot of new actors come out for Margaret because of Players' involvement, some HTP members may end up losing out on parts they otherwise would have gotten if there suddenly weren't extra competition. Don't get me wrong, I think Dave will cast fairly according to who he feels deserves the part, but still, otherwise deserving people who have dedicated a lot of effort to the club may get shut out. If that's the case, then I think the only right thing is if Merely Players becomes the "overflow" show, taking those HTP members that didn't get into the main stage. I confess that's not my preference, I'd rather take whoever suits the roles best, but I want the show to serve the needs of the club. Of course, there may be only nine people who want to be in the damn thing, in which case no matter what that will have to be my cast.

In other acting news, I have secured an audition slot with the Actor's Shakespeare Project. I am very nervous; it's actually been years since I had to do a truly serious audition. It occurs to me that I should probably not follow my usual MO of reading men's parts and trying to stretch myself. I am more likely to impress better if I choose a piece that suits a twenty-something girl-- of which I frankly have no good examples in my current prepared repertoire. I will have to choose one, and get it ready for this Tuesday. Geez, that's soon, and I have so little time. Another thing I want to try is to see if I can emulate the style of acting I often see in ASP shows-- if that features often, it may be that is the style they want and end up casting, so it might improve my chances. I am not expecting to get anywhere regardless, and am endeavoring to firmly keep from getting my hopes up. Still, I think it's worth a shot.

Plesser as Othello

God, I have so many things I want to blog about but am incredibly behind on. One of those things was talking about the acting in Othello. I keep writing a draft of this entry which LJ refuses to autosave (grawr) so I will get through at least a bit, post it, and finish the rest as I can.

The first person whose acting I wanted to commend is of course the title character, the excellent Jonathan Plesser as Othello. I would like to take a moment to recap Plesser's history on the stage for Hold Thy Peace. Brought in at the last moment to take the role of Albany in King Lear, he was to be commended for cramming his lines in the wings at tech week and doing a serviceable job getting thrown into the deep end. He was then cast as Lysander in Midsummer, a role that was good for him but I confess at the time did not do much to grab my notice; I remember thinking he was just okay, maybe even a little flat. But when he became Friar Lawrence in Midsummer, that's when I sat up and took notice. His performance was actually quite good, showing leaps and bounds of improvement in expression and believability. That's what really got me interested in him as as actor, and cued me into his potential to grow. It pushed me to ask him if we would audition for To Think of Nothing, which to my honor he did. Once there, he showed an amazing depth of understanding and insight into his character, and in fact got me to see one of his pieces of the show in a totally different way, which we ended up going with and vastly improved the text. His excellent subsequent performances as Caesar and Polixenes served to solidify how he was growing in skill with every show.

Which brings up now to Othello, his most challenging role to date and a very desirable part in terms of opportunities for an actor to show his emotional range. The part is particularly demanding in that the play really doesn't work if the Othello does not inspire sympathy in the audience, because then they just dismiss him as a monster and the show's tragic weight is lost. Plesser portrayed Othello as a brave, exceptionally talented man and soldier who has had to fight for every ounce of respect and esteem he's ever received. It made it understandable why he would be so succeptible to anything that suggests that he cannot count upon actually being loved for his own sake, that his position is constantly assailed by all manner of affronts to his self-worth. I loved his choice to play Othello as wracked with sorrow as opposed to suffused with rage, which made him worlds more understandable to me. He related well to the other characters, showing real tenderness toward Caitlin as Desdemona, and fantastic chemistry with Lenny in following the path Iago was leading him down. His progression from finally feeling satisfied with his place in the world into wounded suspicious fury worked well, and I especially liked how he spent the final scene sobbing more than raging. In combination with his insecurity, it made me really believe he was dying inside from the thought of destroying what he most loved, but felt that the only way to maintain his fragile self-respect was to see that justice was done. In addition to the huge emotional weight he carried, I also like the small details of his performance, such as the way he even endeavored to push his own limits by creating a different physicality unlike anything that came naturally to him, which I certainly commend. There was also the cool little idea he had about Othello missing the final kiss he tries to give Desdemona before he dies. All these things together show how deeply he got into the character, and how hard he worked to bring him to life.

I shall move on to going over the others' performances as well, but for now, I just want to say how amazing it's been to see Plesser go from neophyte still finding his stage presence to the new leading man of Hold Thy Peace. Well done, sir.

Set for Othello

I really liked the set design. It is a spin on the oft-used lego-block platform configuration of several HTP sets, with some major alterations that made it actually look very different. First of all, the platforms are not fronted, instead painted with dark wood stain to make them look more like real structures. The open air beneath them gives them a very different look, as does the stain. I also approve of not having to deal with fronting, or having to use the router to cut the fronting to size.

I have experience with wood stain, so I got to lead the crew on that particular task. It really isn’t hard, just paint it on in the direction of the grain and wipe off the excess, so once you know that it’s easy. We didn’t bother with multiple coats because it doesn’t have to be perfect for the stage, besides the fact that it had to be dry enough to rehearse on by the next day. I’ve always loved the look of stained wood (so much more elegant and expensive-looking than when painted) and it ended up quite lovely. To steampunk it up, we bought metal corner pieces that we screwed onto the front edges of all the platforms.

Also to that end were the streetlamps. These were especially cool given all the various theatrical departments contributed to them—lighting, props, and set crew. They found these great lantern tops which were placed on top of PVC piping spray painted black on the poles and bronze at the joints, with a cord running down through them that when plugged in actually made it possible to turn them off and on. They looked really lovely burning softly up there, and I am pleased to say that they will be saved in the Hold Thy Peace storage locker for possible use in another show.

The crew working on the show this time around was fabulous, both the dedicated techies and the actors doubling as set builders. Plesser in particular must be commended for his work as master carpenter, especially since he gave his all at that and then turned around and threw himself into four amazing performances as Othello. He is shaping up well in the position and is learning to be a real crew leader, so props to him. As a matter of fact, we had a remarkably competent group of people around, most of whom had developed some technical theater skill in building, working with lights, or anything else that needed to be done. It was a lucky thing, too, as some of the materials we used ended up using turned out to be harder to work with than what we were used to, such as the four-by-four legs that were so dense they required a lot more strength and finessing than the two-by-fours to attach to the platforms.

The only real criticism of it is the use of the moving bits. This is the first dynamic set we've had since Hamlet, which consisted of metal painters scaffolds that rolled around. They were reconfigured in various positions to represent different places in and around the castle of Elsinore. In Othello, there was a freestanding platform that represented the bed, among other things, a bridge in the middle that pushed in and out of the stage right platform cluster, and a low roller that came out of the front of that side. While the bed mover worked pretty well, I feel like the other two didn't do a huge amount to change the shape of the set. The front mover in particular didn't much affect anything. But I like the idea of dynamic sets, so I think we need to work this into the design with more mind as to how it will be used in the blocking and what change it will make to the look of the set.

Turned out not half-bad, now, didn’t it?

So I feel like a real stride forward has been made in HTP set design and construction. Hopefully what was learned here will be used to push the envelope even farther for the next show.

HTP party, and housing concerns

I am super psyched for the Hold Thy Peace tenth anniversary party this Saturday. It's going to be really big with food and lots of HTPers and an open mic portion of the evening and it's going to go late into the night. I don't know if I'll stick around for the sleepover, seeing as my actual bed is going to be a couple streets away, but I would like to show back up for pancakes in the morning. I am struck with the desire to wear something fun for it, so I might dress up if that's not too out of place.

A little stressed about housing for next year. It looks like I may have found new people to occupy Elsinore for the coming year, but they're not friends and I think I've gotten used to living with people I like AND live well with. Not delighted with that, but at least I'd keep my bedroom and my entertaining space and wouldn't have to move. I'm also a little bit nervous that things might change and somebody isn't going to be sticking around after all, in which case I'll either have to chase someone new down, or else find another place. It could be that there isn't much on the market yet with June 1st move in dates, but my cursory explorations have not revealed much that would work for me. Definitely nothing one-bedroom in my price range, so I'd have to find at least one roommate, and I don't know who I would even ask about that. My new job is in Waltham, so I don't want to move too far from that. *Sigh* This is complicated stuff, and it's starting to make me edgy. We'll see what happens, I guess.

More bad news

Having a hard time shaking the malaise that's been over me for the last week. I was sure I would have perked up by Friday, when I went to a party I had been very much looking forward to, but even then I found myself feeling low and, even worse, shockingly unable to connect to anyone around me. I think I may finally be normalizing, but still, I feel really disconnected from everyone.

That next bit of bad news I was anticipating happened. I am sad to say that Merely Players won't be able to happen this semester. We were unable to get performance space at a workable time, so it looks like the project is going to have to be shelved. I'm pretty down about that, I've been trying to keep my life full and productively lately because it makes me feel better, so that's one less positive thing I will have to do. HTP has been thinking of doing it next semester instead, which I am trying to see it as something for the best. The club's schedule will be much freer then. It's not like I don't have a ton of other stuff to do in the next few months-- writing two larps, preparing for two larp cons, being in a dance production, helping if they need it with Othello, and trying to do normal person things like see friends, eat occasionally, and shower regularly. And next semester there will be a lot of people who are abroad now who will be back then, like Steph, April, and Gigi, who would then have a chance to audition. And I'll have more than enough time to polish up the piece to get it exactly where I want it to be.

I don't know. I am trying to move forward, but it's tough. I have too much to get done to lose time to being a mope.

Steamthello!

Hold Thy Peace officially has a show for spring semester! We will be performing The Tragedy of OTHELLO, the Moor of Venice, directed by the lovely aurora_knight* and meamcat*! They are going to doing it in a steampunk setting with everyone having clockwork enhancements except for the Moor, whose Otherness will be represented by his plain, boring, fallible humanity in contrast to their technologically-altered superiority. I think this will be an excellent, exciting, and visually stunning production and I'm very happy they're getting to do it.

The side project also got through! Merely Players, as marigumi* and nennivian* suggested we call it, will also be going up next semester. This metatheatrical and melodramatic little piece commenting on the nature of putting on a show with a troupe will be coordinating with Othello to exist side by side and expand HTP's repetoire a bit further. I was very pleased to see how many people were interested in it. Should give me some options on creative casting. Now I just have to finish the damn thing, don't I?

Tonight, then, shall be for writing. I have nothing else on my agenda, so I believe I will staying in, working on scripts, character sheets, and various and sundry writing projects that currently are on my plate. I shall have to make myself a nice dinner, get comfy, and settle in to work.

Bits and pieces



A year or so ago, Jared's parents went on a Mediterrainean cruise and brought me back a woven scarf in various shades of pink/purple/blue on black. At the time I didn't really think it was my style; it was a little over-embellished for my tastes and I don't usually wear patterned things. At first the only way I really cared to wear it was as a wrap over my mesh shirt, a look I still enjoy when it's warm enough and not totally in poor taste. ;-) But as I tried to dress more like a grownup, I realized what a versatile accessory it was. It complements a surprising array of colors-- black, white, cream, gray, navy, green, purple, pink, blue. It occurs to me that I've always chosen solid scarfs because I thought they would coordinate better, but shockingly this patterned thing goes with more outfits than any of my others, and because it's so striking-looking I get compliments on it all the time. Perhaps patterns, at least in scarves, might be the way to go in the future.

Winter's Tale cast party was last night. It went beautifully well, filled with nice friends and good food. Jared helped me clean the house and then Bernie and Charlotte helped me cook. We made a Rachel Ray chicken dish with apples and onions with a basil-tomato-mozzarella bruschetta on the side, while lots of other snacks and treats were brought potluck by the guests. I was reminded what a great cast Winter's Tale was blessed to have, not only because of their talent but because of what great people they are.

Proposal meeting tonight. We shall have a new show, or two, for next semester. I am excited for Hold Thy Peace build on the momentum Winter's Tale has generated and keep improving the quality of output. Onward and upward, as they say. :-)

Side project, go!

So HTP seems like it's interested in doing another side project show, and I have been asked to write the script. What I was thinking was a sort of cabaret-style Shakespeare revue presented as if by a small Shakespeare troupe who seems to be on the decline but becomes revitalized when a bright new talent auditions and helps them shake off their gloomy past. Inspired a lot by the structure of the Wrathskeller, the storyline would frame the performance of a number of Shakespeare scenes that would support the metaplot. The basic story is set, so now I have to figure out how to illustrate what I want through the Shakespeare scenes and the dialogue in between them. I had a great planning session with Steph and Bernie last night, which nailed down the cast of characters and figured out some possible scenes. It still needs a name, though-- I'd like to name it after the "troupe" in the story, but I don't know what to call that troupe. Something that is a Shakespearean reference, preferably. If anyone has any suggestions, feel free to offer them here.

Today-- work

Today is for getting things done. I have a number of writing projects that I need to buckle down on, and the good start I got yesterday makes me all the more keen to make a dent in them. I finished my Resonance characters and brought them to the meeting, and today I was struck with an idea for another that I can do for the next meeting. I wrote it just now, and I can cross off one of my three. Yay! Heh, I have a funny tendnecy to write one of my assignments immediately after the previous meeting and forget to do my other assignments until the day before the next one. *eye roll*

But now I shall move on to other things. I have a lot of stuff on my list right now, because idle hands are the devil's blah blah blah. My plan is to go home, cook myself a big tasty pot of cream of broccoli soup, and munch this warming brew all day while getting my writing done. My list as it currently stands:

- Work on The Stand
- Write at least 2 more sheets for Resonance by the next meeting on 12/12
- Finish going over my cut of Othello to give to aurora_knight* so that if her proposal goes through she can work with it over the break
- Work on putting together a script for a cabaret-style Shakespeare revue performance put on by a fictional Shakespeare troupe, because HTP seems interested in doing another side project this coming semester

The Winter's Tale - Official Show Invitation

With less than two weeks to go, it is time to officially invite everyone to...

THE WINTER'S TALE
by William Shakespeare

Hold Thy Peace's Fall 2010 Show

Directed by Stephanie Karol
Produced by Walter Simons-Rose and Kiernan Bagge
Stage Managed by Walker Stern
Technical Directed by Bernie Gabin

In the Carl J. Shapiro Theater at Brandeis University
November 11th-13th at 8PM
November 14th at 2PM

Admission is free, and dontations are gladly accepted.

Come see me exit pursued by bear. ;-)