This week, we really cracked down on Act 1. The second half in particular. The fight scenes are all charted out, but the first full invasion is a brawl with many many moving parts, so we spent the majority of the Sunday rehearsal breaking down the parts and just slowly working through each interaction one by one. And we did so in our favourite mini-nursery, which proved a little problematic, as there were fifteen or so in there, but we worked through it and like an engine with individually honed components, the whole vehicle works better now. We’re all dying to try the play in the final performance space because its so much bigger than spaces in which we are rehearsing.
And the second rehearsal on Wednesday evening was just working through the blocking of one of the last moments of the Act 1. We had been putting them off due to actor unavailability, but we just went ahead and did it. It was the first time where I think we had a long rehearsal with lots of dialogue and almost none of it was mine. and weirdly, I fluffed what lines I did. I guess I need to get better at learning my cues and not allow the words to wash over me. In other words, “pay attention, you idiot”. And it was a weird one to consider from an “background artist” standpoint. I spent while thinking about the extras on film sets I would tell to tone down what they were doing as they would distract from the action. I think I’m getting paranoid that I am now giving myself too much business and would only distract from the important parts of the scene. I think I need to tone it down a bit.
Saying that, Leigh and I found a really lovely moment when he is talking about sacrificing those that have been bitten already. Bacon is ruthless, but he’s right. He saying what has to be said and no one wants to hear. I found myself staring him down, knowing he’s right, but hating him for it. To my surprise, Bacon, locked eyes on me, and stared back at me. I have no idea how it came across, but it felt like Leigh and I had an entire exchange without saying a word. Leigh is so good at that. He’s able to telegraph his characters emotions and intentions with not much more than a look.
Speaking of Leigh; he, Steve and I went and had a little costuming fitting in the lovely abode of our Costume Designer, Linda. And I have to say, the costumes look brilliant. Leigh’s is a divine, elegant costume with fantastic, bulbous breeches, like an Elizabethan MC Hammer. Apparently these are going to be trimmed down a bit, but they look brilliant. And my costume. It’s full Blackadder. I LOVE it. I can’t flipping wait to see it when its done. I’m only going to post a reduced photo as I’m not sure how Steve would feel about the costumes being revealed yet. they are, of course, a work in progress. 
And not only that, Linda’s son, Alun (who is also on the Southside Players roster) was there and happened to be making a metric tonne of guacamole. As a result, we were each handed a pot of gooey goodness labeled “Afflicted Slime”. Slightly funny, slightly creepy. I think I’m still unnerved about zombies. There’s not much I can do to get around that, apparently. Anyway, what a gent!
It’s tasty too. Quite spicy, for guacamole. I usually save the spice for salsa or I just plain throw chills on there after the fact.
Speaking of which, I saw a brilliant video called the Chilli Monologues. 17 actors trying to recite Shakespearean monologues after eating hot chillies. Parts of it are BRUTAL. The thought occurred that we should remake it with the cast and turn it in to a trailer for the play, but rather than burning mouths, they slowly start turning Afflicted! Here’s the video:
And in other research, Shakespeare might have been a stoner! South African scientists analysed an old pipe or two from Shakespeare’s back garden and apparently it contained traced of cannabis! So that means either Shakerags might have enjoyed a toke, or… someone dug up a 400 year old pipe and smoked weed for a lark. I put nothing past people…
This is so much more interesting than the stuff I read in Soul Of The Age this week. I’ve been slacking off on it as at the moment I am reading about his education, which is interesting at points, but Bate goes in to the nuances of the language and conjugations of latin, which is, frankly, boring as pig shit to a philistine like me. Where it gets interesting is when you infer what this means about the man himself. From the wordplay in The Merry Wives of Windsor, falls in line with Shakespeare’s grammar school education, for instance, leaving out in the cold those pompous accusations that his education was insufficient to write his plays. Take that conspiracy theorists!
We actually chatted about it after Wednesday’s rehearsal actually, so even if I found it snore inducing, it at least proved to be good conversation fodder.. The social anxiety is starting to dissipate, at last and it’s starting to feel like I’m forcing it a little less. I think I just need to chill out a bit, I think. I mentioned to Giggle Loop that I think I have actually started becoming more bald since I started playing Shakespeare.
Next Sunday is a full run through of Act 1! For the first time! Can’t wait to see how it fits together!
I Am Zombie Shakespeare 