Cori J.

A small group trickles in through the doorway, talking amongst themselves in small groups; discussion is varied and playful. Laughter rings out as the people find their seats in the circle and conversation recedes to a few last sentences said in a near whisper. The lecturer starts the discussion. After an awkward moment or two of silence, hands start to rise as people recall the night before and the emotions the play evoked. Soon people are engaged as they remember the power of the play. There is no disputing the merit of the post-play discussion; however, I think that the often-overlooked pre-play lecture can add even more to a performance than a post-play discussion. Many of the pre-play lectures at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust did just that and greatly helped my understanding of the plays. All three maximized my enjoyment and appreciation of the performances.

The pre-play talk on The Merchant of Venice significantly helped me understand the history of the play. When simply reading the text, partly, I believe, due to the fact I read it on the plane, it felt rather dull and I did not fully understand all the different directions it could go. In the lecture I was educated on the ways that the play as whole and specific characters, mainly Shylock and Portia, have changed in their portrayals over the years. Learning about how the play went from being a comedy to a humanitarian play, as the focus on Shylock grew, truly helped me appreciate the director’s choice to make it a bit of both. I would not have otherwise realized how significant it is to have The Merchant of Venice played with moments of hilarity, tragedy, and empathy. I also appreciated the lecturer’s choice to not share the ending, as it was unexpected.

The Cardenio talk was very well-presented. I really appreciated it, as it explained how the script of Cardenio came about and all the controversies and different ideas about it. Learning the history of the script was extremely important and I found it quite enjoyable. This allowed me to form my own ideas and conclusions, and not be confused as to where the language came from, after watching the play. The amount of plot she revealed was perfect. She brought up interesting topics in the play to consider but not enough to ruin the suspense. After all, it is unusual to watch a play of Shakespeare’s and not already know the plot. This pre-play lecture was the most informative and interesting of the three.

When the speaker for City Madam talked to us, I appreciated her extremely in-depth research. The small details she gave us helped the world come alive. For example the explanations of how there was limited knowledge of American “Indians” and the specifics of how the English people dressed were important. Knowing the importance of the ribbons and lace, and how they were used to show your wealth, helped me understand the characters of City Madam wonderfully. If I had not received the talk I probably would have just thought that the ladies and Mr. Plenty dressed ridiculously, not understanding the intentional message it sent. However, the speaker’s choice to reveal the ending was frustrating because otherwise the play would have been more engaging. Though, generally, the amount of information provided about the play and its plot was just enough the whet my appetite.

Besides the pre-play discussions, which I think were the singularly most helpful activity, much else in Stratford helped me understand Shakespeare and his plays. Visiting the Shakespeare properties was useful to help paint a picture of the times and customs that existed in Shakespeare’s day. Seeing the spare bed laid out in Shakespeare’s childhood home’s parlor helped me understand the lengths people went to show off their wealth. This helped me view the characters that did similar types of things in the plays seem more understandable, namely the characters in City Madam. In addition, learning about Shakespeare’s life as a child was informative. I noticed the references to gloves more after learning his father was a glove maker and how often terms relating to that profession appear in his plays. Another fact I appreciated was the details of his early marriage. This makes me wonder about his life and how he felt about his family. This was an especially interesting fact, to me, because I already knew that his family never lived with him in London. Learning about Shakespeare’s background was appreciated, both to understand his plays better, as well as to try to understand him.

Of course, the plays themselves truly brought Shakespeare to life. While I have always enjoyed watching Shakespeare’s plays much more than reading them, I really appreciated RSC’s versions of the plays. It was wonderful how they never seem to let a play just stand as is and are always looking for new ways to further the meaning. The choices they made were very thought-provoking and reminded me that you can do more to modernize or make Shakespeare interesting than simply setting it in a new place. The plays off of stereotypes in Merchant, particularly Balthazar and the Mexican janitor, were particularly poignant and I loved the switching of roles in Macbeth. Donaldbain’s death seemed to fit much more smoothly into the play than Young Siward’s ever did and the choice of creating the child witches was simply amazing. I was constantly intrigued by the details they played with, such as the dolls, the crosses on their faces, and having them double as Macduff’s children. It was all excellently done and new and fresh without seeming like it was trying to change for the sake of trying.

Finally, the special sessions that related to our main play were wonderful. The voice lesson and scenes we worked on helped me to focus in on those parts of the play when we saw it for the second time. Seeing the play a second time was very interesting as I could start to analyze the choices they made and where they came from. It added to my understanding and seeing The Merchant of Venice a second time was a treat. Additionally, the question and answer session with the actress who played Portia was quite possibly my favorite group session of the entire trip. This also created greater anticipation for the second viewing and clued me in to even more details and choices. Overall, I feel that this trip has helped deepen my appreciation for Shakespeare and all the versions of his plays produced. So, the next time I file into the theater to watch something of Shakespeare’s I will truly question every choice and word in a way I would not have not known how to previously.

 

previous   |   back to testimonials   |   next