This week our guest blogger is Chinazo...she gratifyingly answered my call within minutes...erstwhile member of the black and the gold company...before they were named as such and now at university...we're enjoying her temporary return visit and therefore its fitting that she has contributed while she's here
I’ve been back at Thursday nights (the Black Company) for two weeks now and it’s weird because I feel like I haven’t really been away. Everything seems the same except a couple of new faces and the refurbishment of Sarah T’s. I have sort of struggled a little bit getting back into the whole acting thing...particularly as my voice is really beginning to grate on my nerves.
It’s so much fun being back into the whole rehearsal process and the rehearsals for 15 Minute Hamlet are going pretty well. I’ve never actually performed Shakespeare before despite having studied several of his plays but I’ve always had a strong belief that watching and performing Shakespeare is so much more enjoyable than just reading it. A lot of the cast have found themselves struggling with the language but when watching others perform they find that they actually know what they’re saying and what’s going on. Margaret Atwood wrote “context is all” and I feel that this is very appropriate when looking at Shakespeare. We’re given a text that is filled to the brim with obsolete words, non-standard use of grammar and a few neologisms (made up words,) we can’t really be expected to pick it up and know exactly what’s being said. Even at uni when we’re studying a play we’re not expected to completely understand the language and that’s why we’re encouraged to read the gloss and even watch the dvd. Context is all...the language is easier to understand when placed within the situational context of the play that is taking into consideration all these questions: Who’s saying it? Who are they saying it to? What kind of relationship do they have with the person? Where are they? Who else is around? And somehow the meaning springs from there...
Basically if you’ve got time, watch a film adaptation of it; they really helped me with my studies this year. There are plenty around. If you’ve got loads of time to spare I recommend the Laurence Olivier version. It’s unintentionally amusing and Jean Simmons is absolutely stunning!
That’s all...
Chinazo
I’ve been back at Thursday nights (the Black Company) for two weeks now and it’s weird because I feel like I haven’t really been away. Everything seems the same except a couple of new faces and the refurbishment of Sarah T’s. I have sort of struggled a little bit getting back into the whole acting thing...particularly as my voice is really beginning to grate on my nerves.
It’s so much fun being back into the whole rehearsal process and the rehearsals for 15 Minute Hamlet are going pretty well. I’ve never actually performed Shakespeare before despite having studied several of his plays but I’ve always had a strong belief that watching and performing Shakespeare is so much more enjoyable than just reading it. A lot of the cast have found themselves struggling with the language but when watching others perform they find that they actually know what they’re saying and what’s going on. Margaret Atwood wrote “context is all” and I feel that this is very appropriate when looking at Shakespeare. We’re given a text that is filled to the brim with obsolete words, non-standard use of grammar and a few neologisms (made up words,) we can’t really be expected to pick it up and know exactly what’s being said. Even at uni when we’re studying a play we’re not expected to completely understand the language and that’s why we’re encouraged to read the gloss and even watch the dvd. Context is all...the language is easier to understand when placed within the situational context of the play that is taking into consideration all these questions: Who’s saying it? Who are they saying it to? What kind of relationship do they have with the person? Where are they? Who else is around? And somehow the meaning springs from there...
Basically if you’ve got time, watch a film adaptation of it; they really helped me with my studies this year. There are plenty around. If you’ve got loads of time to spare I recommend the Laurence Olivier version. It’s unintentionally amusing and Jean Simmons is absolutely stunning!
That’s all...
Chinazo
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