Bastardizing Shakespeare - You Mad?

It's the age of carefully curated posturing. Gut reactions are hard to come by. But mention Shakespeare and two camps immediately emerge: #TeamHolyGrail and #TeamWhatTheF*ck. You either love him or hate him. If you love for him, no doubt you had a great teacher who taught you how to enjoy the juiciness of his language. If you hate him, you probably couldn't get past the pomposity of #TeamHolyGrail and their uppity/non-approachable attitude. As a lover of language and a student of theater, I should fall into the first camp. For the most part I do. 

But let's keep it all the way 100. Shakespeare was a badass and he probably hated all BS and any holier-than-thou tomfoolery. His characters critique the elite while uplifting the sensibility of the working class. Still, he was an artist and he was likely very sensitive about his sh*t. Yes, even us badasses  thirst for the approval of our peers and the tastemakers of our day. 

Luckily, during his time, he got the co-sign from the tastemakers of his time. To the point where in 2017, if an actor "incorrectly" stresses a line of his text, they'll be met with the shadiest of side-eyes.

I call shade. Shakespeare invented new words. Just. Because. He. Felt. Like. It. And with that example, you know what I say? When learning Shakespeare, bastardize it.

Definition: Bastardize - to change by making alterations. (Admittedly, I'm playing it fast and loose with this definition.) If he made new words, take those words and play with them. Find fluidity within form. The dictionary must reflect the culture it catalogs and so you too can catalog your culture, your reality. When attempting to discover meaning in the text, let the imagery connect to *your* truth. 

My first experiment in this bastardization will be Hamlet. I'm gonna have some FFFFUUUUHHHHNNNN henny!

Bastardize it henny!

Save Ya Rep: Working in Repertory Theater

Working in repertory theater for the Houston Shakespeare Festival was an eye-opening experience. We worked on two very different shows at the same time, Antony & Cleopatra and As You Like It switching back and forth each day spending the first week of rehearsal on AYLI and the second on A&C. On our last day of tech, which is a beast in of itself, one of our directors mentioned it had technically only been our 14th day rehearsing that show. WTF!!!! Are you serious.

These two shows could not have been more different. To be honest, on the days when I know I am to frolic in the land of Egypt... although I'm done up to the I was so nervous. "Antony & Cleopatra" is an absolute beast. It was fun yet hard. With each new performance, as usual, I got more comfortable. Never in my life have I shown that much skin for that many people. I think I did alright. Whatcha think?

Yours Truly working it as Charmian in 'Antony & Cleopatra'

As for As You Like It. Boy did I love playing Phebe. What a firecracker! If I'm honest, I wasn't always quite sure why people were laughing at what I was doing but I'm sure that a part of it was  because of how much my Silvius and I were in contrast to one another but also because neither of us relinquished our overall objectives. (Ick. Actor speak. My apologies ya'll). But, I'm thinking... maybe it's not my business to know why the audience laughs, but just trust what I do. The director and my scene partners are taking care of it. If I just commit to my goal and point of view, I'm golden.

Me as Phebe really wanting some Ganymede. Ha

What working in repertory theater setting really helps me work on was on how well one must rehearse, how to be efficient with time, and how to juggle two things at once. Having to continually balance two realities, and commit to telling an honest and committed story was arduous and rewarding. Even the more established actors would comment on how out of practice there were in the repertory setting. It was such a wonderful exercise in time management, multi-tasking, and so much more. I'll be heading off to Milwaukee Repertory Theater to do much of the same. It'll be exhausting to say the least, but hey, get to act for a living, God willing. I couldn't be luckier.

Opening Night! The Festival is Here!

So.. we have officially opened both shows (Antony & Cleopatra and As You Like It) of this season's Houston Shakespeare Festival and I couldn't be more thrilled. The festival is held at the Miller Outdoor Theater in Hermann Park outdoors, in the heat, of a Texas summer! Luckily, as the sun settles, the heat index does as well... AND the actors can benefit from air conditioning when they are not on the proscenium portion of the stage. Attendees who choose to sit in seats under the metal canopy and not on the lawn also benefit from a bit of AC breeze and fans spinning form up above.

During the dinner break on opening night, I walked around the park filled with families, couples, and workout enthusiasts. After an hour of profuse sweating, the universe told me to calm my behind down with all that movement, so I sat on the lawn for a good hour as audience members began to congregate. It was so exciting to have a little secret, that I, sitting on the lawn, was actually going to be on stage in an hour. I like to do this when I'm in shows because it grounds me. That, and jammin' to Jay-Z, Macklemore, or B.O.B. What can I say, this girl likes her bass.

This, however, was not the best part of opening night. After I got myself decked out in Egyptian gold (because Cleo's girls always look good), forced the dressing room to have a dance party with me (why would I not.. Antony & Cleopatra starts at a party!), creating a whole-bunch of unnecessary sweat (what was I thinking), and running to the stage when I got the call for places (I was last... #diva), the curtain went up. Never in my life have I seen that many people looking at me! I'm supposed to be frozen and I nearly broke. To remedy the situation, instead of having my eyes cast forth across the horizon, I had to drop my focus to my breasts... because they are no longer shocking to me.

And off we went. I'm truly grateful. At the moment, I get to act for a living, I have some great friends and loved ones, a roof over my head, food in my belly, and spend a significant part of my day outdoors and. As I walked around before call time, I became somewhat overwhelmed by it all and I'm not ashamed to admit it -- tears fell from my eyes for a few minutes. Gravity. (lol)

What can I say... I'm lucky.

(Also... my mother wants to enlarge this photograph, frame it, and put it in our family home. Cleavage and all. Ha)

I'm Acting... in the Houston Shakespeare Festival

So...this past Tuesday I began working, as an actor, in the Houston Shakespeare Festival. I was a perfect mix of excitement and nerves. I've had forays into the professional acting world, but it's my first gig post graduate school school. I was really looking forward to being in the rehearsal room again. It's been awhile, and if you know anything about actors, they thrive in rehearsal... they do not enjoy when they don't have a chance to perform.

Boy is it fun. Although I'm continually working on my writing and producing skills, I am an actor. Being in the room is great. I love that I get to meet so many new talented artists. They make so many strong, wonderful choices. I am constantly observing, listening, and writing down notes...you know to steal for later. HA! I love that I can contribute as well, and so far... I'm on par! I'm looking forward to digging deeper! Thus far, we've only worked on 'As You Like It.' The director, Marc Masterson, who's great to work with (and who also looks a like he could be related to Alan Thicke... it's a compliment), has chosen to set it in New Orleans and the swamp surrounding it. I play Phoebe. a shepherdess. So... ya' girl Nickclette gets to try her hand at that dialect! The role is fun and challenging, so much so that I find myself sweating, a lot. And, given that we are doing this show outdoors, in the heat, in Houston TEXAS, I don't think I'm gonna do much in the way of makeup. 

We've already begun staging it and it's only day three. We haven't gotten to 'Antony & Cleopatra' yet, directed by Leah Gardiner, but I'm excited (and nervous) to begin. We have about three weeks of rehearsal for both shows before tech. It'll be the shortest rehearsal period I've ever had.

In the words of contemporary poet Waka Flaka Flame... "Oh let's do it! Yup!"