This bud of love, by summer's ripening breath,/May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet
So Holla Holla is doing Romeo and Juliet this summer and I'm excited.
I've wanted to do this show for a long time--I've loved it ever since I watched it back in middle school. Holla Holla's first tragedy! I remember reading it in high school, and my 10th grade pre-IB English class went on a field trip to a local DC arthouse to watch the Zeffirelli version. When Romeo drank the poison, someone yelled out "Liquid Tylenol!" We read the play out loud in class, giggling adolescently over the "draw thy sword--thy naked weapon is out" exchanges. I've always loved the first exchange between the lovers at the party and I programmed my very first cell phone (the one I had in Spain when I was on my cruise ship contract) to greet me, when turned on, with the phrase "You kiss by the book." *Sigh.* So romantic.
We're going up later this year--the first three weekends in September. This will help with the heat, and also the Clinton Cove Festival is on one of the weekends, which will bring us a HUGE crowd. The Festival is lots of fun, they have music (before and after our show, but not during) and free food and kayak rides and everything. I can't wait to finish the show and then go and pig out on free food! My favorite shows last year were the 5:00 performances--playing Viola as the light starts to mellow, as the evening starts to spread out against the sky...And I love the idea of performing Shakespeare under the stars. We're doing it at the same park as Twelfth Night, but not in the exact same location--it'll be on the grass, INSIDE the roadway (for those who remember the Gestapo PEP rent-a-cops), on the boulders at the south end of the park.
You can sort of see the stage left end of the space in this photo.
I have the beginnings of a staff lined up--Jason is directing, Nicholas is the fight choreographer and a girl named Stefania Schramm is stage-managing. I will also be hiring a sound designer and possibly a lighting person and costumer. We'll definitely have lights, but I may be able to do it myself. We don't need any kind of artistic design, we just need to make sure we have plenty of it, for the night shows. I've had several meetings with FOHRP--they're actually ponying up a chunk of change for the lights and sound. Woo hoo! They've been communicating with the Board about how awful the PEP officers were last year and were very clear about how that couldn't happen again this year. (Since we're off the roadway, it shouldn't anyway but just to be safe, I'm having the permit tattooed on my back.)
Nicholas and I had a meeting and we discussed the fights. He has some great ideas so far--I want the fights to be great and VIOLENT. My concept of the show is to juxtapose the lyricism of the romance against the senseless brutality of the feud. And since I'm playing Mercutio, I have a vested interest in how good the fights look! Nicholas and I have started training, 'cause I want to look really kickass. We met last weekend at the space and worked on parrying and thrusting positions, and where to place your feet.
Jason and I have been dealing with the auditions--the casting notice went live a few days ago and he's been deluged with skinny young women who all want to play Juliet. We're having the auditions next week, and have booked more time than we usually do, a day and a half. Oy. Il faut souffrir pour ars gratia.
I've wanted to do this show for a long time--I've loved it ever since I watched it back in middle school. Holla Holla's first tragedy! I remember reading it in high school, and my 10th grade pre-IB English class went on a field trip to a local DC arthouse to watch the Zeffirelli version. When Romeo drank the poison, someone yelled out "Liquid Tylenol!" We read the play out loud in class, giggling adolescently over the "draw thy sword--thy naked weapon is out" exchanges. I've always loved the first exchange between the lovers at the party and I programmed my very first cell phone (the one I had in Spain when I was on my cruise ship contract) to greet me, when turned on, with the phrase "You kiss by the book." *Sigh.* So romantic.
We're going up later this year--the first three weekends in September. This will help with the heat, and also the Clinton Cove Festival is on one of the weekends, which will bring us a HUGE crowd. The Festival is lots of fun, they have music (before and after our show, but not during) and free food and kayak rides and everything. I can't wait to finish the show and then go and pig out on free food! My favorite shows last year were the 5:00 performances--playing Viola as the light starts to mellow, as the evening starts to spread out against the sky...And I love the idea of performing Shakespeare under the stars. We're doing it at the same park as Twelfth Night, but not in the exact same location--it'll be on the grass, INSIDE the roadway (for those who remember the Gestapo PEP rent-a-cops), on the boulders at the south end of the park.
You can sort of see the stage left end of the space in this photo.
I have the beginnings of a staff lined up--Jason is directing, Nicholas is the fight choreographer and a girl named Stefania Schramm is stage-managing. I will also be hiring a sound designer and possibly a lighting person and costumer. We'll definitely have lights, but I may be able to do it myself. We don't need any kind of artistic design, we just need to make sure we have plenty of it, for the night shows. I've had several meetings with FOHRP--they're actually ponying up a chunk of change for the lights and sound. Woo hoo! They've been communicating with the Board about how awful the PEP officers were last year and were very clear about how that couldn't happen again this year. (Since we're off the roadway, it shouldn't anyway but just to be safe, I'm having the permit tattooed on my back.)
Nicholas and I had a meeting and we discussed the fights. He has some great ideas so far--I want the fights to be great and VIOLENT. My concept of the show is to juxtapose the lyricism of the romance against the senseless brutality of the feud. And since I'm playing Mercutio, I have a vested interest in how good the fights look! Nicholas and I have started training, 'cause I want to look really kickass. We met last weekend at the space and worked on parrying and thrusting positions, and where to place your feet.
Jason and I have been dealing with the auditions--the casting notice went live a few days ago and he's been deluged with skinny young women who all want to play Juliet. We're having the auditions next week, and have booked more time than we usually do, a day and a half. Oy. Il faut souffrir pour ars gratia.