Today I began directing my Elizabethan scene. Although I brought two ideas with me to class I decided against them both and instead came up with a third idea. Although I needed to include Dan, Lewis and Toby (as they have also not done this unit before), I realised I could include Tom (although he has done this unit before) and thought I might as well as he is very keen on Shakespeare. Also, by including Tom, it meant that I had more actors to use and enabled me to try a new idea. I then thought of using a split screen technique, having one side using traditional Shakespeare techniques (including the language and grand gestures) and having a modernised version on the other side. I began by casting my piece: I wanted Toby and Dan on the modernised side (as they are not overly keen on the Shakespearean language) and Lewis and Tom on the traditional side (as they are both comfortable with the Shakespearean language and conventions). Furthermore, I wanted Toby to play the girl (as Dan has a beard and is taller, so therefore they would have been cast like this in Elizabethan times, as women were not allowed to act main roles) and Lewis to play the girl on the other side (as Tom has a deeper voice).
Before I decided what I wanted to do with the modern side of the split screen, I got Tom and Lewis up on their feet to read through their scene. They ran it a couple of times, adding more movement each time and remembering more of their lines off by heart each time too. Whilst watching them perform I came up with an idea of the actual audience watching Toby and Dan watching Lewis and Tom. I was inspired by the TV reality programme "Gogglebox", where families and couples are filmed watching television. I then got Dan and Toby up and positioned them sitting stage right next to each other facing Tom and Lewis (who are performing centre stage facing the actual audience). Tom and Lewis will be performing their scene but will keep being "paused" by Dan, who gets frustrated with Toby for constantly interrupting and asking questions as he does not understand what is going on. Next lesson, I would like Toby and Dan to continue developing (and scripting if needs be) their dialogue that interrupts Tom and Lewis. Whilst they develop this, I would like Tom and Lewis to continue going through their scene and I shall do an exercise where I shall press "pause" on their scene and "play" at random times so they are able to stop their piece whenever Dan and Toby chooses and they can pick it up from the same place (without being confused, despite the distraction of the other two).
