H2016: Pa Lonius and Family

Last night was a rarity: a rehearsal for which Hamlet wasn’t required. We blocked the entirety of Act 1, Scene 3, which introduces us to the family dynamics in the Polonius household. Before we began, we discussed some trifles, including whether “Polonius” was actually the chamberlain’s first name or his last. I suggested that perhaps…

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H2016: Rehearsal Day 1

It wasn’t exactly unexpected, but it still felt like a bit of surprise this afternoon to find myself in a theatre with two actors and an assistant director…rehearsing Hamlet. Just like that, we’re off and running. Today I spent 90 minutes with KO, working on Ophelia’s Act 3 soliloquy, followed by 90 minutes of “Too…

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That’s the Question: Realism vs. Expressionism

The terms realism and expressionism dominated theatrical design in the 19th and 20th centuries, but in Shakespeare’s time they didn’t exist, and nowadays they seem like something of a false dilemma. In an age where most blockbuster films are conceived simultaneously to deliver hyper-real CGI and totally unrealistic stories and characters, there’s no easy bellwether…

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