In all probability, I will refer back to it in relation to other topics. But here are some thoughts on my brief stint in drama.
Over the course of junior and senior year, I participated in two productions, "The Merchant of Venice" and "Hamlet." They used five casts in total, two in "Merchant" and three in "Hamlet." In total, I played six extras (three last year and three this year), one minor character (last year), and two major characters (this year). Overall, out of these nine figures, eight of them were male and one was a teenager; I enjoyed them all and genuinely respected two (the major characters). I have been requested to "Please be more snotty!" and heard "You were so obnoxious!" and "You were totally over the top!" and "We could just see you being evil and scheming!" used as compliments. I have been given advice on how to practice crying, had special throne-sitting, fake-blood-applying and "dying" practice, literally pushed around someone I had nothing but sympathy for, worked on keeping my voice an octave lower than normal, chased a robber while waving a scimitar, been part of a howling, murderous mob that stormed a castle, run through the hallways in a four-foot-in-diameter skirt frantically asking all my castmates if they'd seen my husband, held a friend as she/he "died," played my fife and wore a mask during a masquerade through the streets of "Venice," and freaked out at the sight of the Ghost - my little brother.
Now, all that insanity said, what have I learned (the hard way?), experienced more fully, and taken away that is of value?
Assistance - Costume changes in "Hamlet"
I had two quick costume changes this year, both as the queen. I was not expecting what happened the first time I got to one of these changes (the first dress rehearsal with me in the role). I stepped offstage with the intention of running to the dressing room, but five of my co-actresses had anticipated the situation, appeared at top speed the moment I got offstage with my costume change and literally were changing me before I could say "Hang on - " This was a process I participated in from the other side in the cast in which I was not onstage during the changes. Between making Ophelia crazy, making Ophelia dead, putting the queen in and out of mourning, and helping those who had to change characters, we had (infrequently) the moment of leisure to contemplate how it would all work if we didn't help each other. The answer, of course, is that it would not work. If the extras did not run through the hallways looking for the characters' props (I remember being an extra and combing the hallway for the queen's handkerchief and almost freaking out) and taking responsibility for being helpful, the production would go down the toilet. I, and many others, owe a good deal to the diligence of our castmates.
Who rocks? Extras rock! Moroccans in "Merchant"
The most fun I had in "Merchant of Venice" was probably participating in an extras group that was, simply, the train of a minor character who only appeared in two scenes. However, we were special - because we decided it would be remarkably fun. We had turbans and had this ridiculous "Formal" pose like the stereotypical genie that we would jump to when our Prince of Morocco signaled us. We would be clapping, nodding, and cheering at him, and he would glare and we would jump to attention and freeze. We asked for boffers (Fake swords) at one point, and the wonderful armorer came back with a whole bunch of miniature versions of the Prince's curved scimitar that she had made for us. We had a ton of personality, and were so funny that we got more applause during curtain call than any other appearance other than Shylock.
Studying Horatio (because nobody's boring)
Most of the major characters in "Hamlet" get a lot of negativity. Horatio gets a little trash-talking (for being "boring" and for "not being a good storyteller") and a bit of a good reputation (for being loyal and for not being evil, murderous or mad), but mostly he doesn't get much of anything at all. There is so little explicitly said about him, and so little that he does that is over the top (a suicide attempt at the end doesn't count for much, I suppose, and the Production Team cut those lines anyway). However, I really enjoyed playing him this year. The first thing I did upon seeing the cast list was email the person who would be playing Hamlet and we went back and forth many times before the first post-audition rehearsal, deducing everything we could about "our" mutual past and relationship. Not only was it fascinating and enjoyable, but there was so much that I could learn about the character that only needed someone to actually think about it. There's so much he goes through, so much he does and so many decisions he makes that are difficult and/or selfless and/or courageous, that people don't seem to notice. At this point, not only am I very well familiar with a character few people tend to think about, but I have an incredible amount of appreciation for him as well.
PC's ugly head (Political Correctness, not Personal Computers!)
When the Nazis performed "The Merchant of Venice" they tended to change it so that Shylock's daughter Jessica was his stepdaughter instead. They would cast this blue-eyed blonde so that it was clear that they weren't related. Now, as a youth company, most of our group looks nothing like each other. It was interesting, putting together six families in "Hamlet" this year, winding up in one cast with a 5'3" girl playing the father of a 6'7" young man. However, in order to "not offend anyone" and make it clear we weren't doing a Nazi version of "Merchant," they found this (really ugly) black wig and made one of the Jessicas wear it. (The other Jessica was, although not the stereotypical "ethnic" look, in fact Jewish, and the costume fairies and producers had the sense not to make her wear it.) Still, I feel like this kind of behavior simply reminds us all that the racism exists. Obviously no one actually expects two kids from different families to actually look like father and daughter, or people to resemble an ethnicity they don't belong to. (And the wig was really ugly.)
So, it has been a fascinating and fun complement to my final two years of minordom and high school. What's next?
Assistance - Costume changes in "Hamlet"
I had two quick costume changes this year, both as the queen. I was not expecting what happened the first time I got to one of these changes (the first dress rehearsal with me in the role). I stepped offstage with the intention of running to the dressing room, but five of my co-actresses had anticipated the situation, appeared at top speed the moment I got offstage with my costume change and literally were changing me before I could say "Hang on - " This was a process I participated in from the other side in the cast in which I was not onstage during the changes. Between making Ophelia crazy, making Ophelia dead, putting the queen in and out of mourning, and helping those who had to change characters, we had (infrequently) the moment of leisure to contemplate how it would all work if we didn't help each other. The answer, of course, is that it would not work. If the extras did not run through the hallways looking for the characters' props (I remember being an extra and combing the hallway for the queen's handkerchief and almost freaking out) and taking responsibility for being helpful, the production would go down the toilet. I, and many others, owe a good deal to the diligence of our castmates.
Who rocks? Extras rock! Moroccans in "Merchant"
The most fun I had in "Merchant of Venice" was probably participating in an extras group that was, simply, the train of a minor character who only appeared in two scenes. However, we were special - because we decided it would be remarkably fun. We had turbans and had this ridiculous "Formal" pose like the stereotypical genie that we would jump to when our Prince of Morocco signaled us. We would be clapping, nodding, and cheering at him, and he would glare and we would jump to attention and freeze. We asked for boffers (Fake swords) at one point, and the wonderful armorer came back with a whole bunch of miniature versions of the Prince's curved scimitar that she had made for us. We had a ton of personality, and were so funny that we got more applause during curtain call than any other appearance other than Shylock.
Studying Horatio (because nobody's boring)
Most of the major characters in "Hamlet" get a lot of negativity. Horatio gets a little trash-talking (for being "boring" and for "not being a good storyteller") and a bit of a good reputation (for being loyal and for not being evil, murderous or mad), but mostly he doesn't get much of anything at all. There is so little explicitly said about him, and so little that he does that is over the top (a suicide attempt at the end doesn't count for much, I suppose, and the Production Team cut those lines anyway). However, I really enjoyed playing him this year. The first thing I did upon seeing the cast list was email the person who would be playing Hamlet and we went back and forth many times before the first post-audition rehearsal, deducing everything we could about "our" mutual past and relationship. Not only was it fascinating and enjoyable, but there was so much that I could learn about the character that only needed someone to actually think about it. There's so much he goes through, so much he does and so many decisions he makes that are difficult and/or selfless and/or courageous, that people don't seem to notice. At this point, not only am I very well familiar with a character few people tend to think about, but I have an incredible amount of appreciation for him as well.
PC's ugly head (Political Correctness, not Personal Computers!)
When the Nazis performed "The Merchant of Venice" they tended to change it so that Shylock's daughter Jessica was his stepdaughter instead. They would cast this blue-eyed blonde so that it was clear that they weren't related. Now, as a youth company, most of our group looks nothing like each other. It was interesting, putting together six families in "Hamlet" this year, winding up in one cast with a 5'3" girl playing the father of a 6'7" young man. However, in order to "not offend anyone" and make it clear we weren't doing a Nazi version of "Merchant," they found this (really ugly) black wig and made one of the Jessicas wear it. (The other Jessica was, although not the stereotypical "ethnic" look, in fact Jewish, and the costume fairies and producers had the sense not to make her wear it.) Still, I feel like this kind of behavior simply reminds us all that the racism exists. Obviously no one actually expects two kids from different families to actually look like father and daughter, or people to resemble an ethnicity they don't belong to. (And the wig was really ugly.)
So, it has been a fascinating and fun complement to my final two years of minordom and high school. What's next?
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