March 11

CRITIQUES AND NOTES FOR THE WEEKS BEFORE CONTEST
• Rehearsal Friday, March 18 at 1:00. Rehearsal Saturday, March 19 at 8PM. Baseball boys may return home with parents –Biera
• Sunday – private performance for parents -3:00 Passes will be handed out to families for one public performance.
• Monday – Performance for middle school -2:45. Public performance 7:30PM
• March 28 Public performance 7:30; March 27 Public performance at 3PM
Jim Rambo’s critique + mine
Everyone Three judges have asked students to go back to the script and look at dialogue. ONLY IF there is a period or a colon does the actor pause. A series of commas means to speed up with each phrase/clause gaining momentum. End each sentence with a lift. Hit consonants. Look at words that are bold faced and stress them. If three judges have said this, then obviously we need to do this before competition. If the judge cannot understand us at the “get go,” we will not advance.

Music Fade out music of first song.

EVERYONE Step on lines throughout the show. Without doing this, it seems as if you are just repeating lines.
EVERYONE – I have pasted the first scene so that EVERYONE could look at the dialogue and see what to do with commas, periods, etc.
Antonio In soothI know not why I am so sad,It wearies me(lift “me”): PAUSE you say it wearies you(lift “you”):; And such a want-wit sadnesse makes of mee(lift “me”):, NO PAUSE , BUT FASTER That I have much ado to know myselfe(lift “myself”):. CUE2 Fog Horn has ocean and sea gulls
Salarino Your minde is tossing on the Ocean where your Argosies saile. NO PAUSES. LIFT SAILE.
Salerio Believe me Sir, had I such venture forth, NO PAUSE, BUT A RAPIDLY INTENSE PROGRESSION TO THE END OF THE SENTENCE.
the better part of my affections, would be with my hopes abroad(LIFT “ABROAD”. PAUSE I should be still plucking the grasse to know where sits the winde(lift “WIND”):.
Salarino ANTONIO, My winde cooling my broth would blow me to an Ague (fever), NO PAUSEwhen I what harme a winde too great at sea might do. AGUE AND DO ARE SUPPOSED TO RHYME. LIFT “DO”
Salerio But tell me SALARINO, I know, Antonio is sad to thinke upon his merchandise. NO PAUSE, BUT EACH PHRASE AFTER THE COMMA SHOULD BE SAID SWIFTER AND MORE INTENSELY. (lift “MERCHANDISE”):
Antonio Believe me NO PAUSE no. Be argumentative
Salarino Why then you are in love. (lift “LOVE”):
Antonio Fie, Fie!
Salarino Not in love either? Then let us say you are sad because you are not merry. (lift “MERRY”):
Salerio Fare ye well. PAUSE We leave you now with better company. (lift “COMPANY”):
Salarino Good morrow. (lift “MORROW”):
Gratiano You looke not well, Antonio(lift “ANTONIO”):; PAUSE You have too much respect upon the world(lift “WORLD”):: PAUSE They lose it that doe buy it with much care: (lift “CARE”): CUE 3 Fog Horn
Antonio I hold the world but as the world, Gratiano; NO PAUSE A stage, where every man must play a part, NO PAUSE and mine a sad one.
Gratiano Fare ye well awhile, NO PAUSEI’ll end my exhortation after dinner. (lift “DINNER”): LAUGH
Bassanio Gratiano speakes an infinite deale of nothing, NO PAUSE more than any man in all Venice. (lift “VENICE”): Antonio laughs without humor.
Antonio Well:
Bassanio ‘Tis not unknowne to you, Antonio how much I have disabled mine estate. LIFT ESTATE NO PAUSE EXCEPT AT THE END OF THE SENTENCE To you Antonio I owe the most in money, and in love, and from your love I have a warranty to unburden all my plots and purposes, how to get cleare of all the debts I owe. LIFT OWE – THERE ARE COMMAS – NO PAUSE, BUT EACH PHRASE SHOULD BE SAID FASTER AND MORE INTENSELY.
Antonio I pray you,NO PAUSE good Bassanio Let me know it; PAUSE be assur’d my purse, NO PAUSE lie all unlock’d to your occasions. (lift “OCCASIONS”):
Bassanio COMMAS = INCREASE PACE WITH COMMAS In Belmont is a lady richly left, and she is faire, sometimes from her eyes I did receive faire speechless messages: PAUSE Her name is Portia, NO PAUSE the four windes blow in from every coast renown’d suitors. PAUSEO my Antonio, had I but the meanes to hold a rival place with one of them, that I should questionlesse be fortunate! (lift “FORTUNATE”):
Antonio Bassanio, NO PAUSE Thou know’st that all my fortunes are at sea, NO PAUSE therefore goe forth try what my credit can in Venice doe: (lift “DOE”):
Antonio You have the first line. Please look at pauses and eliminate them if there is not a period or colon.
Rambo – Your first line slows down the first scene. Watch “gravelly” voice. Use a natural voice, but in a lower timbre.
Salarino and Salerio Watch pauses in first lines.
Italian men Entrance needs to be louder. I can’t figure out why you have changed.
Gratiano and Antonio Lift chins in first meeting. Gratiano, love the energy, but we need to understand your lines.
Bassanio EARLOCKS!
Hannah APRON – we don’t see enough busy work.
Shylock Stand erect. Line with “forfeiture” needs to be directed more to audience.
Jessica I want to see the script with the long vowels colored, the one syllable words circled. Watch pauses
Cole Strobe needs to be shorter for lightning and erratic in timing.
Shylock and Jessica WE MUST SEE THE RELATIONSHIP. THEN WE MUST SEE THE REACTION WHEN SHYLOCK SEES JESSiCA HUG LAUNCELOT. This MUST be a CONTRAST.
First Casket Scene Watch screaming – we need a diverse sound from each person. We need the chance to see the skull. Perhaps each person needs to hold it briefly toward the audience then throw it. Somehow we need to see the skull.
Gratiano Love newes in faith – toward the audience and more distinct
Jessica Take the suitcase with you, not the casket.
Lane We need to see more of a light on Shylock . Shylock, make this more dramatic.
Mica Wind BEFORE Antonio comes out.
Italian men, Jessica and Antonio Bassanio and Gratiano, move more center stage to speak to Salerio and Lorenzo as Jessica comes out. Jessica and Lorenzo, take a little more time before the hugging, kissing. Antonio, more of a dramatic entrance. You have been searching for them. Bring Bassanio downstage.
Portia Difficult time hearing and understanding you today.
EVERYONE STEP ON LINES THROUGHOUT THE SHOW
Portia and Nerissa Could not hear you or understand you at the beginning. Arragon MUST come out early. Nerissa, run downstage, try to stop Arragon from messing with the caskets. Then your line to PORTIA as you are trying to keep Arragon from messing with the caskets – not pushy, but slyly.
Arragon scene STEP ON LINES. This needs to be bigger. We will use bothTy and Chris and decide who will be Arragon on contest.
Salerio , Salarino, Shylock STEP ON LINES
Shylock – you barely contain your anger
If the devil be her judge – attacking – be meaner
Bassanio Casket scene All Italian men and girls THIS WAS SLOW>>>>>Step on lines. BIGGER REACTIONS TO Bassanio’s ENTRANCE. Lorenzo and Italian men’s entrance MUST BE BIGGER. IT HAS BEEN RAINING. YOU ARE EXHAUSTED. YOU ARE AFRAID THAT YOU MIGHT BE TOO LATE TO GET THE LETTER TO BASSANIO. THIS ENTRANCE MUST BE LOUD AND URGENT. Gratiano, go to Salerio and discuss the letter and Antonio’s problem. THE ENTIRE MOOD OF THIS SCENE MUST CHANGE DRASTICALLY. Portia -LOUDER ON 6000 DUCATS. THINK BEFORE YOU SAY IT. HUG before Bassanio leaves.
Salerio, Salarino When bumping Shylock, turn toward audience. We have to see you listening to Shylock in jail scene.
Antonio Remember, you are being detained. You are not on your knees. You may cross downstage to speak to the audience. Watch gruffness in voice.
EVERYONE Stagger entrance into court scene . Come in in character. PEOPLE NOISES. YOU are worried. TALK
STEP ON LINES. If you have read this far, text me -806-470-9940 – test grade.
PEOPLE NOISES
Shylock DICTION. Sit up straight.
Portia GREAT “precedent” scene.
Nerissa We need to see you more frantic, looking through book. Take off the hat. Ah OH, put it back on
Antonio Beseech to judge
PORTIA Louder
Salarino Christening
RAMBO’s NOTES
EVERYONE SHAKESPEARE LESSON – Words come first, then characterization and emotion
Play the lines with a question – lift the last word in each sentence. LOOK AT THE WORDS. IF THE LINES RHYME, make them rhyme. Pay attention to commas, periods, colons. Emphasize the words at the END of phrases/sentences.
TEXT is not clear – Work on diction.
CULTURAL GESTURES AND PEOPLE NOISES – VARY these. Not all man hugs. Some pinching cheeks with flat hands on either sides. Patting the back. Hand shakes. NOT ALL EHHHHs
DO NOT BEND FROM WAISTS. USE THE LEGS, ENTIRE BODY TO ACT. Rambo was right. Watch your balance on your feet. You have to look STABLE as actors.
We are moving the table off stage until the trial scene. We will figure out a better way to move the pylons, perhaps a slick cloth underneath them.
We will leave tables out.
We have to play the TENSION throughout. Determine what tension is needed in each scene – different type of tension in casket scenes vs. scenes with more drama.
OPENING and CLOSING – not enough TENSION in bodies. Start with the music. Go to tense then release. Lighting accommodates and music initiates. EVERYONE MUST BE BIGGER (EXCEPT HAYDEN) Be bigger than he is.
Transitions – We need for people to lead the audience’s eye to the next transition. Nerissa, you are the man crazy one.
MOVE IN DIFFERENT WAYS EACH TIME YOU ARE ON STAGE> IF YOU SHAKE HANDS WITH MEN IN ONE SCENE, CLAP A BACK, OR A MAN HUG NEXT TIME.
Tie in relationships.
FEET - He was right. Again, feet do not need to be wider than your shoulders. Women, work wearing high heels so you look stable.
Act from the feet up. Do not bend at the waist. Keep chins up. Move your body from shoulders down.
Trim out 10% of gestures. 2nd judge who has told us that.
When you have a line in the café or any place on stage. Cross, stop, and speak – pick up something. Have two goals in mind. One to get to your object. Two to say your line.
Move the character from the gut.
Transitions. Keep acting. Keep the audience interested.
There is not enough emphasis on the last word in lines and not enough lift. Don’t attack the first of a sentence. This applies to everyone.
Court scene – be people coming in. Steal looks at Shylock, Antonio, and Jessica. Play to the audience who do not know what the ending is.
Reblock court scene.
Hannah, we must see you , and you need to have more expression on your face.
Show more emotion and tension in the court scene.
Trial – play the scene as if he is going to go through with the knife. If you have read this far, text me how you are going to do this. If you are crew, give suggestions. 806-470-9940.
More tension in the trial scene and be more focused. We don’t know when Shylock is going to use his knife. Hold the audience in suspense. Don’t play to the end of the play.
Shylock’s arm needs to appear superman strong.
Everyone needs to WANT to be part of the trial.
BLACK SOCKS.

Shylock Prideful, erect.
Don’t be afraid to make the last line echo.
Play up your disgust with Christians. Use your height as a presence. Antonio is the enemy.
Equal pound of flesh – measured and lift flesh up
Prick us – Hit all action verbs strong. Lift US
My daughter – lift daughter.
Remind me about the stipple above beard.
BOND – play it each time for the audience.
Mica , Cole, Lane Wait a beat after Shylock’s last word before blacking and sounding out.
Antonio You are handling the text too harshly. Tonality is harsh. You need more vocal variety in voice. Too slow with first line. You are attacking the first words of the sentence instead of concentrating on the ends of sentences with a lift.
Too gruff with “my purse”
Raise to a present sum. Sum needs to lift. Don’t attack the beginning of the sentence.
Stop using your stage right hand making a fist.
You are as disgusted with Shylock as he is with you. I think that wrestling with Bassanio in the entrance weakens your character. Walk across. See Shylock. Stand, discuss with Bassanio, and we need to see your decision to speak to Shylock.
Be more of a business man, task oriented, business like. More of a playboy when you are with your friends.
PUSH – Jew
Shall become a Christian. Clarify this more – measured speech. When do you decide to give Lorenzo money and baptize Shylock? We need to see it.
Salarino
Salerio More bigotry
Vary physical movements
Bassanio Tune the audience’s ear into your dialect. Not so heavy at the beginning. HIT Consonants and last word of sentences.
Casket scenes Use the casket bearer’s blocking as ways to create new blocking for people in the scene.
Portia & Nerissa Lift end of phrases.
Lower register. Vary vocals.
INITiAL CASKET SCENE PEOPLE We need Le Bon, Duke of Saxony’s nephew back out. PEOPLE NEED TO CHARLESTON. I will come up with steps. Perhaps Chris’s sister can help just the people who dance .
Portia Lottery of my destiny – lift destiny.
She may learn – lift learn
Feet power – don’t lose your center of gravity.

Jessica Again, I want to see your script – color long vowels and make a conscious effort not to make them too long. One syllable words should not be made into two syllables. Ms. Kuehler said to watch the word letter. Ask her.
Do it in secret – lift secret. Play more to the audience.
Jessica and Shylock We need to see more contrasts in your relationship. Make a point to connect eyes. Be on the same plane at some time. “Fair displays of love” Love must lift.
Gratiano and Salarino and Salerio Choose varied ways to greet each other.
Arragon You need a specific way to enter and exit.
Bassanio Don’t back up
More emotional during the trial scene. It appeared contrived.
Gratiano Emphasize too
Salarino Don’t use the finger?
Duke To Chris Speak more to the audience and with more emotion. Campaign as you come into the courtroom.
Connor Bring Duke’s table downstage.

BE READY FOR FRIDAY, March 18th. I think we will have $ for dinner that night, so I will bring a van to rehearsal, so we can stop and have dinner. We will stay until you are good. On Saturday, we will do it again.