We're back from the weekend, which I apparently did not want to end because I didn't write my usual blog post after last nights rehearsal. So, this post is coming to you a day late (but hopefully not a dollar short). Apologies for the delay.
5.2
This is a short and very straight forward scene. Friar John (Zach) comes into Friar Lawrence's (Glenn's) chamber to let him know that he screwed up. Zach's only question about the scene was whether he should actually be frantic or not. I decided that he shouldn't be. The scene plays much better if Friar Lawrence is the only frantic character on stage. Not only does this give great contrast, but it makes sense that Lawrence wouldn't actually tell John what was in the letter, just that it needed to be delivered. The rehearsal for this scene went very quickly and very easily, so easily in fact that we probably won't rehearse this again on its own.
3.3
Johnny (Romeo) was very concerned, even before we started, about how far I wanted him to go with this scene. I told him that there has to be at least an element of the ridiculous in it for the friar to comment, "there on the ground, with his own tears made drunk." However, it can't be an 11 the whole time. It needs to build and then have room to rise and fall. What he is starting to build is just that. I'm letting him find it on his own at the moment, and what he's coming up with is just lovely; a little bit ridiculous and 100% Romeo. As such, I've allowed the other two characters in this scene, Friar Lawrence (Glenn) and the Nurse (Wagoner), to bump up the comedy level a bit. Even for all the crap that Romeo is going through, he really does need a figurative "swift kick in the pants" to snap him out of his wallowing and get him moving. After that, the end of this scene between Lawrence and Romeo is getting to a very genuinely sweet place. Glenn hit it right when he observed that Lawrence is acutely aware that he may never see Romeo again. It lent a very melancholy note to this parting that is just right.
3.4
This is the first scene we've had our Capulet (Jay) at rehearsal for. He was brilliant. I was smart to have cast him. Jay knows this character. He knows the guy who is a big teddy bear until he's not. This scene, while being extremely happy on the outside, has some very interesting and scary undertones. The relationship between Capulet and his Lady is quite the sinister one. I didn't exactly see it until I saw Jay and Jeff do this scene. It's all in the quick glances and the tone between them. And all the while, poor Paris (Bobby) gets to stand around looking exceedingly awkward. He's doing a great job.
4.3
I am so pleased with how this scene is coming along. We finally get to see Lady Capulet (Jeff) attempt to be a decent mother and totally get shot down. The first scene between our three ladies is a bit funny. But, as funny as that scene is, this scene is touching. It made every girl in the room "aw" when Lady C and the Nurse (Wagoner) exited. Their interactions with Juliet (AJ) are coming along so well. These three guys are really starting to sink into moving and behaving and interacting like women. When Wagoner, of his own volition, gave AJ a kiss on the head right before exiting, my heart could have melted. It was a lovely moment and just the perfect thing to do. Once they leave and Juliet gets ready to take the Friar's "dangerous zombie potion" (as we've been calling it), we're sort of home free. AJ and I have worked on this bit of Juliet before, so getting this speech back up to performance level is about as simple making sure he moves to the correct locations now that we'll actually have a piece of furniture (a bier) for him to act with. We'll need to do a little tweaking, but mostly... done and done.
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