SHOWS: SMing a Shakespeare

[Rhynn]

I would definitely get the side-by-side version of the script from B&N or Amazon.  I would then have your read it 10 times and then work out your actor/scene breakdown so that you really know the show before working with scheduling and other issues.  It might also be helpful to see another company's production of the show--as R&J is quite frequently performed.  I'm sure that someone in your area has done it in the last 5 years and has a home video of it.

[Bwoodbury]

Hello all! I am an sm student at the University of Maryland in College Park, MD and I just started working on The Winter's Tale (which is the aforementioned Shakespeare). I think for the most part things are going pretty well, but I'm running into overwhelming amount of stuff. I feel like I have a handle on the organizational aspect; I'm pretty good with forms and the more technical/paperwork end of things, but would love any suggestions people had about the people managing part of Shakespeare. We don't do a lot with the bard at UMD and I think a lot of students are overwhelmed by the text as, occasionally am I by the shear number of people in the show playing multiple parts. My ASMs are good, but also fairly new at sming at this level. I want to be as efficient as possible without confusing people or stressing them out. Specific suggestions people have for information juggling in a big, long, slightly inaccessible show like this. I would also love, love, love to perhaps shadow someone in rehearsal, if there's anyone on the forums that's working on Shakespeare in the area, maybe at the Shakespeare Theatre? Like I said, I don't necessarily have a specific issue, but I want to stay one step ahead! Any tips would be helpful.

More, possibly pertinent, background: I've smed 4 shows here as well as asming 2 and I smed with a company called Wildwood Summer Theatre for several years; I currently serve as the board of directors. The company is entirely people between 14-26 years old, but is a 44-year-old 501(c)(3)!  

Thanks in advance for any advice!

[planetmike]

Hi Bridget,

My current show (Pippin in Manassas, VA) has several sequences of actors changing costumes as they change characters. Other than me ensuring that their new costumes are in place for them to make the change, and if I have the personnel, a dresser is available to help out, a lot of the effort is on the actor to know where they need to be and why. I'm taking photos today of props and costumes so I'll be able to have the items placed correctly backstage. Information wise, I'm developing a spreadsheet for each actor detailing when they have set changes, costume changes, or prop work they need to do.

I've seen a few of Wildwood's shows. Consistently good work, especially considering they only do one show per year. Mike

[cprted]

It just started Tech Week for The Taming of the Shrew and I can appreciate you being a little overwhelmed if you've never done a Shakespeare before.  My show has a cast of 24 playing 31 roles.  I think my best advice would be (above just being really organized, but you're an SM, so that's already a given ) get your hands on a good gloss of the show.  An important part of the rehearsal process is figuring out what exactly everybody is talking about.  I my always humble opinion, the Folger Shakespeare Library editions are the best, but there are other sources out there.

Detailed costume and prop plots are your friend. 

If you have any specific questions, feel free to drop me a line.

Cheers,

Ted

[LCSM]

If it's the multiple-person-multiple-characters thing that's a particulaer stress, try giving each actor a colour. Than take down blocking for all their characters in that colour. You'll still have all the info for each individual character but you'll be able to see the links between different parts of the play at a glance.