A Midsummer Night’s Virtual Reality (2005)
A Puck’s eye view...
It all began when, in October, it was announced that the play to be preformed was Shakespeare’s Midsummer’s Night Dream with an unexpected twist.
Auditions were called, and noting the success of last year’s stunning performance, students stampeded to these try-outs.
After the casting, we actors were split up into small groups classed by our role in the play for the first rehearsals, which took place in the Lycée de Sèvres. During these preliminary rehearsals I took my time to try out the many facades and personalities my character could take, but moreover to familiarize myself with the group and master in which way I should perform around them on stage.
When the time came, all the deserving actors rallied together for the main rehearsals. Although unquestionably vital to the performance, the sheer length of these unrelenting reiterations never ceased to muster a sense of dread within me. At the time, it was plain that some people could not devote enough time, nor had they enough determination, to turn up for every rehearsal. This of course incited complications of a casting nature.
However, on my part, the most foreboding impediment which caused much frustration and...spluttering, was the positioning of braces upon my slightly crooked teeth. Flabbergasted, Paddy Salmon, the ingenious director of many school plays, proposed “Maybe you could have them...removed for the play.” Having been placed 24 hours before, this offer was totally absurd. Obviously he has been endowed from birth with a perfect set of molars!
The first dress rehearsal was held in the entry room of the SEL where for the first time we were able to look upon the flamboyant fairy garb, the surly noble attire and formal school-children’s apparel. However the conditions of this hall were not first-class, not counting the infernally disrupting blast of a fire alarm every 10 minutes, the acoustics were far from obliging. However, with true grit, we were able to put aside these inconveniences and effectively rehearse nonetheless.
It was on Wednesday when the first true performance was to be presented to a non-
paying audience. Not only was it the first time the public would see the play, it was also the first time we had seen this stage, this caused - especially on my part, great confusion as to where to go and where to be for entrances and exits. On this opening night, I must admit, more than a few blunders were committed and I know myself to be one of the major culprits...
The next two performances ran along smoothly, everyone knowing exactly what to do. However I must admit, with some measure of humiliation, that I was assigned someone to tail me and make sure I did not enact any more false moves.
Ben ELIE
Dernière modification le 19-05-06 par
