WEEK FIVE: DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY

Despite the reduced numbers at tonight’s session, I felt we made great progress in finally structuring our planned performance. Having collectively focussed on some key scenes from the play I now have clear ‘vision’ on how we might be able to, not only play with the various improvisatory techniques we have employed over the past weeks, but also how these, apparently disparate exercises can be brought together in order to create a meaningful interpretation of the play.

David started the evening off with a continuation of his session on language exploration – much impressive atmospheric work was created, all of which could be incorporated into our ‘final vision’.

We attempted to view a short clip from the opening of the Louis Malle film – ‘Vanya on 42nd Street’. (Several people gathered around a PC with limited sound was perhaps less than ideal – note to self: don’t buy Region 1 DVD’s!)

EMERGING STRUCTURE

The clip highlighted an idea I had for the opening of the show – a seamless segway from ‘real life’ into the ‘world of the play’. A rough structure emerged:

• ‘Cast’ meet and greet audience in the theatre ‘as themselves’
• ‘Production staff ‘David and Gordon?’ mingle with the audience and ‘place’ essential props into the hands of the ‘cast’ who begin to draw, on a central banner announcing the title of the play (‘The Merchant of Venice’) anti-Semitic graffiti. (The conversations with the audience are maintained throughout)
• ‘Shylock’ has perhaps been collecting the ‘ticket money’ and brings it to the ‘space’ to count. He ‘observes’ the graffiti.
• As he crosses a 2nd time to ‘store’ cash – he notices the graffiti artists wearing Groucho Marx disguises!
• Sfx of rain is heard and ‘cast’ collect umbrellas and begin a ‘stylised’ walk across the stage. (This ‘walk’ will resemble an earlier exercise we did where one is only allowed to follow straight lines across or up and down the stage)
• Out of the walk a scene emerges…

On Saturday Oct 8th when we meet from 10.00 ‘till 4 .00 all will be revealed – and puppets will be made!

Gordon Duffy-McGhie