Homework #1

I've got some homework to do...

new fav site *healthy kisses* asks a good question today...
"what's your best quality?"

hmmmm... i'll have to think about that one...

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At the Duke.. (my non-well paying job ..grr)
we have a great showing of Othello.

Othello @ the Duke Theater 229 west 42nd street nyc

I was just reading up on the characters and I've discovered some great info about their lives and their craft...

The leading role, Othello is played by
John Douglas Thompson

This guys is fabulous. He has a sweet accent..and i'm not sure where it comes from. lol
Nonetheless..to me John Plays Othello as a sweet and genuine man. His portrayal of Othello is captivating because it shows that Othello is a very passionate man especially when his authority and love is tested. I agree with the NY Times Article that his speech sounds very much like a song. He sings his words. Its quite beautiful.
This reminds me of another actress that I loved from last year.

Laila Robins.

She was a stunning actress.

And she sung many tunes throughout the entirety of Antony and Cleopatra.
..Oh i think i've decided one of my first dream roles to perfrom

Cleopatra

"Ms. Arbus's exemplary work would have far less impact if her cast were inadequate or merely competent. But the actors in the play's crucial roles — Mr. Thompson and Mr. Eisenberg, along with Juliet Rylance as Desdemona, and Kate Forbes as Emilia — handle the demands of the writing with a confidence that allows them to inhabit the characters so naturally that even the knottiest verse feels like spontaneous expression."
nytimes

Back to Othello...and Back to John Douglas...

I found a stunning article on john douglas on the internet.
From the Manhattan Repertory Theatre.
John has played Othello before...
Thompson studied acting at Trinity Rep Conservatory in Providence, Rhode Island.
He gained his equity card as a student and continued acting with the company after graduation. Recently, Thompson won praise for his portrayal of Othello at Trinity Rep. He had played the role while still in drama school and didn't think he would get another opportunity until he was much older.

and here's some cool things John says about acting...
"I have a lot to say, but I communicate in other ways. Right now I'm trying to get the moods and tones of the character down so that all of my communicating is done with my body. It's like being in a silent film." "Playing comedy is a lot harder then playing drama. The only way to make it real is to totally commit to these ludicrous situations and play them seriously, and that is the hard part."
and his words on shakespeare... "The language is so powerful. You have to unlock Shakespeare's meaning and then unlock the energy of the words. I try to combine my energy with the energy of the text. Shakespeare is in touch with so many levels. He is universal and I enjoy the challenge of finding how I fit in."

what i'm really learning from shakespeare is how the language can inspire the actor's choices
also while observing the actors... i'm witnessing how important it is that your body is engaged in acting. Douglas talks about finding the "mood" of the character.
I'm sure he is talking about the text and the body.




this is lucas hall...
the guy who plays cassio.
loves it :)
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i think one of my best qualities is that once my mind is made up...
there's no stopping me.