Adding drama. Task one. Task two. Romeo and Juliet

Transcription

1 Stand in two lines facing each other. Name one line group A, the other group B. The person facing you is your partner and you should aim your responses at him/her. Task one Working with your partner, take it in turns to convey the following sentiments using only the vowel sound oooo, your tone of voice and facial expression: a) I didn t expect to see you here b) you disgust me c) calm down d) don t push me. Now try to express the same meanings using only the vowel ahhh or eeee. What is the effect of the different vowel sounds? Task two Group A is responsible for Tybalt s lines: Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries That thou hast done me. Therefore turn and draw. Group B is responsible for Romeo s lines: I do protest I never injur d thee, But love thee better than thou canst devise. a) Count the number of syllables in each line. b) This is written in iambic pentameter. That means that there should be 10 syllables or beats per line and that all the even beats (2, 4, 5, etc.) are stressed and that the odd ones (1, 3, 5, etc.) are not. On the text above, put a small / mark over each stressed syllable. c) Some people say that iambic pentameter is like a heartbeat. Work as a group, slowly beating out the rhythm of a heartbeat while saying your lines. d) Next, try galloping towards the other group while saying your lines. e) Individually, choose one stressed word per line and emphasise it (say it louder, with more force, with a different inflection or pitch.) Page 1 of 8

2 Task three Experiment saying these lines to your partner using the following techniques. a) Tybalt should say his/her lines emphasising the consonants. Romeo should say his/her lines emphasising the vowels. What effect does each way of reading have? b) Tybalt should say his/her lines emphasising all the words that are angry and violent, while Romeo stresses all words which are peaceful. c) Each actor should find one strong gesture to reinforce one word in each line. Evaluation Watch each others work and look for the following qualities: clarity (do you understand what is being said?) mood (who captures the conflict of this scene?) rhythm (who maintains the rhythm and metre of the verse?) Extension Rehearse lines and list all the words which you think are powerful and should be stressed when performed Page 2 of 8

3 Warm up Play Splat. One person should be nominated to take on the role of Splatmaster. This person stands in the middle of the room, with the rest of the class as a circle around them. When they are ready, the Splatmaster should point at someone in the circle and say splat! The person who was pointed at must duck and the people on either side of him/her must point at each other and say splat! The slowest person to respond is out. Continue until there are only two people in the circle. These two must then stand back to back, duelling style, and slowly take steps forward until the Splatmaster shouts splat! at which point they must quickly turn and try to be the first to point and say splat! Task one Half of the class will be handed a Shakespearean phrase, while the other half will have a modern phrase. Find the person whose phrase matches yours. When you have found your match, one of you should sculpt the other into a strong position for delivering the Shakespearean line. Task two Next, (while still in position) as a whole class form a line showing where in the scene you think your Shakespearean line belongs. Take it in turns to read out your Shakespeare line and the translation. Can you identify the main examples of conflict in the lines? Do any of the sculpted positions emphasise the conflict? Task three Form groups of four and allocate the roles of Tybalt, Mercutio, Romeo and Benvolio to the group members. Read lines (beginning with O calm, dishonourable, vile submission! ) then create a storyboard showing how you think the fight should be staged. Task four In slow motion, and without making actual contact, act out the fight scene as you have storyboarded it, freezing at the key moments of conflict Page 3 of 8

4 Shakespearean phrase Modern phrase We shall not scape a brawl We won t avoid a fight For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring When it s boiling outside, it makes us crazy! Either withdraw unto some private place... Let s go some place where not everyone can see us. Here comes my man This is the guy I ve been looking for. Thou art a villain You are scum I see thou know st me not You wouldn t call me that if you really knew me Therefore turn and draw Come back and fight me O calm, dishonourable, vile submission What a weak, cowardly surrender Page 4 of 8

5 Shakespearean phrase Modern phrase Gentlemen, for shame, forbear this outrage! Guys, stop this fighting! A plague on both your houses! I curse both of you and your families! I am sped I am killed Courage, man; the hurt cannot be much Be brave, you can t be badly injured My reputation stain d with Tybalt s slander Tybalt s murder has ruined my good name! And fire-ey d fury be my conduct now. Let my anger guide my actions O I am Fortune s fool I am so unlucky! Page 5 of 8

6 Warm up Stand in a circle and shake out. Then slowly begin walking around the room, keeping an even amount of distance between you and everyone else. Then, on your teacher s instructions, do the following: a) Make eye contact with everyone you pass. b) Gradually take on the characteristics of the animal you are allocated (monkey, mouse, lion, etc.) When your teacher says 1 you are mainly human and only slightly have some characteristics of that animal. When your teacher says 5 you are half human and half animal. When your teacher says 10 you are entirely animal. c) Keeping the characteristics of the animal you have chosen, try the eye contact exercise again. Discuss: did you feel more powerful when you assumed your animal characteristics? Did you feel less powerful than other people? How could you use this technique when acting in? Task one Your class will be divided into four groups. Each group will be assigned one of the following characters and lines: Tybalt: Therefore turn and draw Mercutio: A plague o both your houses! Romeo: Fire ey d fury be my conduct now! Benvolio: Brave Mercutio is dead! In your groups, decide what animal you think your character is like. For example, you might think you character is like a panther or a cobra. Agree a movement for your character and practise the whole group moving in unison. When you are happy with the movement, add in your character s line. Using this movement, cross the room as a group saying the line as you go. Did your choice of animal influence how you say the line? Page 6 of 8

7 Task two Form groups of four and allocate the roles of Tybalt, Mercutio, Romeo and Benvolio to the group members. Create a silent mimed scene showing the following actions. a) Benvolio tries to convince Mercutio not to look for a fight. b) Tybalt enters looking for Romeo. c) Mercutio and Tybalt begin to argue, while Benvolio tries to make peace. d) Romeo enters looking for Mercutio and Benvolio. e) Tybalt challenges Romeo to a duel, which Romeo refuses. f) Mercutio is ashamed of Romeo and challenges Tybalt to a swordfight. g) Mercutio and Tybalt fight, Romeo steps between them and Tybalt wounds Mercutio under Romeo s arm. h) Mercutio announces he is dying and curses Tybalt, Romeo and their families. i) Tybalt flees. Benvolio leaves, half carrying Mercutio. At any point, someone from outside your group may tap one of you on the shoulder. Using thought-tracking, say what is going on in your mind at that moment in the scene. Task three Look at the change in Romeo from when he entered the scene, in love with Juliet and determined not to fight, to his reaction to Mercutio s death. Have one actor read Benvolio s lines: O Romeo, Romeo! Brave Mercutio is dead! That gallant spirit hath aspir d the clouds, Which too untimely here did scorn the earth. One person should take on the role of Romeo while the rest of the class forms a conscience alley standing on either side him and whispering his thoughts upon hearing of Mercutio s death. Should he risk death and losing the love of Juliet to avenge his friend s death? When Romeo reaches the end of the conscience alley, he should say And fire ey d fury be my conduct now! Task four discussion Why has Romeo changed from the beginning of the scene to the end? What do we learn about Romeo s character in this scene? Why is this an important scene in the play? Page 7 of 8

8 Task five In groups of 4 or 5 you will be asked to stage one of the following sections of this scene. lines lines lines lines lines lines NB If there are more people in your group than speaking parts, some group members could take on the role of director(s) and servants, bystanders or other extras. Consider the following: Where have you set your scene? Be imaginative, it can be any public place from a shopping mall to a laundrette, a bowling alley to a football stadium.) How can you use movement, gesture, facial expression to help emphasise the characters personalities and express the conflict in this scene? Task six - evaluation. Watch each others work, and evaluate another group s performance on the following criteria: vocal skills movement and use of physical space characterisation commitment and imagination Page 8 of 8