Present: Dale, Marc, Greg, Dan, Jeff B. (Kevin was at a meeting.)
The problem of the night: who was to play Coriolanus? We started by having everyone state the roles they would like to play; we wrote people’s initials next to the characters. It was a pretty even distribution, i.e., we all liked almost all of the roles. (Dale and Jeff were the only two who expressed an interest in Coriolanus, though.)
Then we read through IV.5, where the boys meet, from the opening through the boys’ exit, five times. Each of us read Coriolanus. Then, and history will not believe this, we voted via secret ballot on whom we would cast. Jeff got it by acclimation.
Finally, we sorted ourselves into the remaining major roles, texting poor Kevin in the middle of his meeting with the news that we had forced him into Coriolanus. This confused him so much that when we told him he was really going to be Menenius, he didn’t know whether to believe us or not.
Here’s the cast so far:
- Coriolanus: Jeff Bishop
- Aufidius: Dale Lyles
- Menenius: Kevin McInturff
- Sicinius: Greg Lee
- Brutus: Dan Coleman
- Volumnia: Marc Honea
Marc also thinks he can double Titus Lartius, and we’re holding Cominius for others who might be joining us. Virgilia and Valeria we left up in the air, although Dale likes Valeria and it would be very interesting for Aufidius to double Virgilia.
We really need some extra hands at this point, to help fill in all the other little roles that clutter this play.
Please, everyone, (everyone who reads this, that is,…everyone?), just pop in during rehearsal time and we’ll fix you up and plug you in. Our production conceit is like an accordion and can expand and contract with ease, everything contributes to the music.
Anyone?
As was discussed last night: it’s getting far too easy to become cynical.
No matter how cynical I get, it’s just never enough to keep up.
Line learning has begun. It’s a terrrifying experience to stare in the void before going to bed and not able to recall a single phrase you must have chanted over a million times earlier in the afternoon. Fortunately, a few did bubble forth the next morning. Talk about an act of faith.
If I should die before I wake,
Download my database into the Stage Manager.
I am having similar difficulties. Aging has not been kind.
Now imagine being about 15 years older with two major illnesses and you see the foolishness of my considering a part in this. That is how much I wanted to be part of this. Make this happen!!!