I mentioned a few posts ago how plainly irritating it was to perform the Lifehouse Everything Skit.
The theater troupe I'm with starting this year is performing this year Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice." This is one of Shakespeare's most infamous works, right up there with "The Taming of the Shrew" and "Othello." When you think "The Merchant of Venice," you probably think of Shylock the Jew (this year played by my brother's best friend) and his notorious grudge against Antonia (this year played by my brother). (This shall be very entertaining to watch.)
And this year I am playing Salerino, a suck-up merchant friend of Antonio's, Bassanio's, Lorenzo's, Gratiano's (played by another brother of mine), Salanio's, etc. Meaning, I say things cruelly to Shylock, while referring to Antonio with "A kinder man treads not the earth."
We had a discussion today, answering the questions "Who's scummier, Antonio or Shylock?" "Is Shylock a villain?" and "Why is Antonio so sad?" This led to lots of debate. There are so many reasons that Antonio is so sad. It's going to wind up coming down to what the actors think, but the main, albeit general, reason is that he's totally materialistic, while money is never enough. Then, "Is Shylock a villain?" Certainly. He tries to murder Antonio. Period.
Finally, "Who's scummier, Antonio or Shylock?" The general consensus, with which I concur: Antonio. At the end of the court scene (Act IV Scene 1) he pulls an evil-genius, stunningly brilliant double play with his sentence on Shylock: He orders that Shylock convert to Christianity and that everything he makes will be left in his will to the two people he hates most, his runaway thief daughter and her husband who stole her. In this sentence, he succeeds in totally destroying Shylock while making himself look amazingly merciful.
There's no way that Shylock will ever believe Christianity. He's remaining a Jew inside. (For that matter, I don't believe that Antonio is a real Christian either. No wonder he's so sad.) So a) He's being forced to violate his religion, which he does believe, which is probably driving him madder than ever. And b) He's being cut off from his social group while he will never be welcomed to a new one, because everyone hates him. So he has been socially ostracized. As for the second rule, it guarantees that Shylock will never find the same satisfaction in making money, which was basically his life.
With that established, my job now on stage is...to make Salarino, a moderate role, into a "real person." And to support Antonio in it to the fullest while despising Shylock. Right. Say things that I would never say otherwise and certainly could never believe. And say them with passion.
This is the "Everything" dilemma all over again.
So my first job is that of establishing Salarino as an identity utterly separate from myself and then enjoying it, the acting and the role, the outlet and the creativity. Establishing the character's backstory, the history that the audience never sees, to color and fuel every facial expression, every gesture, every word.
The theater troupe I'm with starting this year is performing this year Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice." This is one of Shakespeare's most infamous works, right up there with "The Taming of the Shrew" and "Othello." When you think "The Merchant of Venice," you probably think of Shylock the Jew (this year played by my brother's best friend) and his notorious grudge against Antonia (this year played by my brother). (This shall be very entertaining to watch.)
And this year I am playing Salerino, a suck-up merchant friend of Antonio's, Bassanio's, Lorenzo's, Gratiano's (played by another brother of mine), Salanio's, etc. Meaning, I say things cruelly to Shylock, while referring to Antonio with "A kinder man treads not the earth."
We had a discussion today, answering the questions "Who's scummier, Antonio or Shylock?" "Is Shylock a villain?" and "Why is Antonio so sad?" This led to lots of debate. There are so many reasons that Antonio is so sad. It's going to wind up coming down to what the actors think, but the main, albeit general, reason is that he's totally materialistic, while money is never enough. Then, "Is Shylock a villain?" Certainly. He tries to murder Antonio. Period.
Finally, "Who's scummier, Antonio or Shylock?" The general consensus, with which I concur: Antonio. At the end of the court scene (Act IV Scene 1) he pulls an evil-genius, stunningly brilliant double play with his sentence on Shylock: He orders that Shylock convert to Christianity and that everything he makes will be left in his will to the two people he hates most, his runaway thief daughter and her husband who stole her. In this sentence, he succeeds in totally destroying Shylock while making himself look amazingly merciful.
There's no way that Shylock will ever believe Christianity. He's remaining a Jew inside. (For that matter, I don't believe that Antonio is a real Christian either. No wonder he's so sad.) So a) He's being forced to violate his religion, which he does believe, which is probably driving him madder than ever. And b) He's being cut off from his social group while he will never be welcomed to a new one, because everyone hates him. So he has been socially ostracized. As for the second rule, it guarantees that Shylock will never find the same satisfaction in making money, which was basically his life.
With that established, my job now on stage is...to make Salarino, a moderate role, into a "real person." And to support Antonio in it to the fullest while despising Shylock. Right. Say things that I would never say otherwise and certainly could never believe. And say them with passion.
This is the "Everything" dilemma all over again.
So my first job is that of establishing Salarino as an identity utterly separate from myself and then enjoying it, the acting and the role, the outlet and the creativity. Establishing the character's backstory, the history that the audience never sees, to color and fuel every facial expression, every gesture, every word.
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