SHAKESPEARE TO SHEPARD

UH 2010-01: SHAKESPEARE TO SHEPARD

WRIGHT STATE UNIVERSITY – SPRING SEMESTER 2014

WELCOME!

UH 2010-01: SHAKESPEARE TO SHEPARD WAS A COURSE OFFERED AT WRIGHT STATE UNIVERSITY DURING SPRING SEMESTER 2014. OVER A PERIOD OF FIFTEEN WEEKS, OUR CLASS COVERED FIVE PLAYS: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, TWELFTH NIGHT, MACBETH, BURIED CHILD, AND SAVAGE/LOVE. IN ADDITION TO READING THESE WORKS, OTHER ACTIVITIES INCLUDED CUTTING SCENES, PERFORMING DRAMATIC READINGS, AND COMPOSING ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHIES OF PRODUCTIONS.

OUR GROUP

THE MEMBERS COMPRISING OUR GROUP FOR THE DURATION OF THIS CLASS WERE MOLLY ALBERS, ALYSSA ANDEL, ANDY CARPER, JULIANA CRASK, BAILEY OLEAN, AND GWEN SIMONALLE. OUR GROUP COLLABORATED VERY WELL SINCE WE HAVE ALL HAD THEATRE EXPERIENCE IN THE PAST. ADDITIONALLY, WE WERE ALL COMFORTABLE PERFORMING AND SPEAKING CLEARLY ENOUGH FOR THE AUDIENCE TO UNDERSTAND THE SCENE. THIS WAS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT WHEN PERFORMING SHAKESPEARE SINCE HIS WORKS CAN BE DIFFICULT TO GRASP. IN THE END, THE DYNAMIC OF OUR GROUP WAS COHESIVE AND THIS ALLOWED US TO DO WELL IN THE ACTIVITIES OF THIS COURSE.

DRAMATIC READING OF “BEGGAR” FROM SAM SHEPARD’S SAVAGE/LOVE

HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=4BURMWWGUCU

ANNOTATION - MACBETH ACT 1, SCENE 1: PLAY WHOLE VIDEO

HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=WZCFNZ2ZMR0

THIS DARK SCENE OPENS ON A BEACH, AND BEFORE THE AUDIENCE SEES THE WITCHES, THE WITCHES ARE HEARD. A COUGH SETS THE TONE THAT THESE WITCHES ARE OLD AND DECREPIT – VERY MUCH LIKE A STEREOTYPICAL WITCH. AT FIRST, THE WITCHES’ FACES ARE NOT SEEN, BUT THEN THE WITCHES DIG A HOLE IN THE SAND. AN EVEN DARKER TONE IS SET AS ONE WITCH PULLS A NOOSE OUT OF A BAG, THEN A WITCH SLOWLY UNWRAPS A SEVERED HUMAN HAND, MAKING THE SCENE EVEN MORE EERIE FOR THE AUDIENCE.

- ALYSSA ANDEL

ANNOTATION - MACBETH ACT 1, SCENE 5: PLAY WHOLE VIDEO

HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=FT2LTHL9Q5Y

THIS CONTAINS LADY MACBETH’S SOLILOQUY AFTER RECEIVING THE LETTER FROM MACBETH. THE WAY SHE MOVES HER EYES FROM PLACE TO PLACE GIVE HER THE UNHINGED AIR OF NOT QUITE BEING TRUSTWORTHY. SHE ADDRESSES THE LINES WITH ALL THE URGENCY AND LONGING OF HER CHARACTER. THE ACTRESS IS SKILLED AT MAKING YOU BELIEVE THAT SHE TRULY WANTS THE POWER SHE ASKS FOR.

- JULIANA CRASK

ANNOTATION SAVAGE/LOVE “PART 2”: PLAY 0:00-6:45

HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=TJCAYWWV49Y

IN THIS INTERPRETATION OF SAVAGE/LOVE, THE STUDENTS USE A SMALL, INTIMATE SPACE, COMPLETE WITH RISERS AND MIRRORS. A MAKESHIFT WHITE TENT IS MANIPULATED TO MARK THE CHANGE OF SCENES, AND IT CAN ALSO BE INTERPRETED AS A SYMBOL OF THE RISE AND FALL OF THE COUPLE'S RELATIONSHIP. MUSIC IS PLAYED TO COMPLIMENT PARTICULAR VIGNETTES AND INFUSES THEM WITH EMOTION. THE NATURE OF THE PERFORMANCE IS SWIFT-ONE VIGNETTE IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWS THE OTHER-BUT A DIFFERENCE IN CLOTHING MAKES THE STORY EASIER TO FOLLOW AND OFFERS A PHYSICAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN "THE HONEYMOON PERIOD" AND THE MARRIAGE'S LATER YEARS.

- MOLLY ALBERS

ANNOTATION – SAVAGE/LOVE “BEGGAR”: PLAY 0:00-0:30

HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=GG_FUQM1M4O

THE FIRST THIRTY SECONDS ARE DONE WELL DUE TO HIS AWKWARDNESS. THE LINES KIND OF SPUTTER OUT OF HIS MOUTH WITH NO RHYTHM AND PORTRAY THE DISCOMFORT FROM TALKING ABOUT FEELINGS. THE LACK OF RHYTHM IS INTENTIONAL. HIS SPEECH PATTERN CHANGES AFTER THE FIRST MINUTE AND HIS FLUIDITY IMPROVES. HE READS THE LINES VERY REALISTICALLY WITH INTENTIONAL PAUSES AND HE BUILDS UP TO CREATE A POWERFUL ENDING.

- ANDY CARPER

ANNOTATION SAVAGE/LOVE “BABBLE II”: PLAY

HTTP://YOUTU.BE/HZXZMNC57IW

IN THIS VIDEO OF SHEPARD'S SAVAGE/LOVE, BABBLE II IS PERFORMED BY A MAN SITTING ALONE IN FRONT OF A TYPEWRITER, LEADING THE AUDIENCE TO BELIEVE THAT HE IS AN AUTHOR. HE IS WRITING AND DRINKING, AND THE POEM IS BEING READ OVER THE VIDEO. THIS MARRIES WITH THE ACTION VERY NICELY BECAUSE IT ALLOWS THE ACTOR TO BE VERY CONNECTED WITH HIS GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCES AND ACTIONS. THE ACTOR USES A TYPEWRITER, A BOTTLE AND A GLASS FILLED WITH ALCOHOL. THE ACTOR DRINKS THE ALCOHOL THROUGHOUT THE VIDEO AND GRADUALLY COMPLETES THE BOTTLE, WITHOUT COMPLETING HIS WORK. THIS CONNECTS TO BABBLE II WELL BECAUSE SOMEONE IS SEARCHING FOR WHAT TO SAY, AND AN AUTHOR IS A GREAT REPRESENTATION OF SOMEONE WHO SEARCHES FOR THE PERFECT THING TO SAY, BUT SOMETIMES COMES UP SHORT.

- BAILEY OLEAN

ANNOTATION – SAVAGE/LOVE AND INDY-HWY 74

HTTP://WWW.NEWYORKER.COM/FICTION/FEATURES/2009/11/23/091123FI_FICTION_SHEPARD

HTTP://CSUA.BERKELEY.EDU/~DXU/POETRY/SAVAGE.HTML 

IN SAM SHEPARD’S PLAYS INDY-HWY 74 AND SAVAGE/LOVE, IT IS IMPORTANT TO LOOK FOR COMMON THEMES AND SYMBOLS. FOR INSTANCE, IN BOTH PLAYS, TV IS A SYMBOL OF BANALITY, SORDIDNESS AND DESPAIR. FURTHERMORE, ADVERSE WEATHER IS USED AS A DEVICE TO ADVANCE THE PLOT, AND UNDERLINES THE CHARACTERS’ PASSIVITY; THEY ARE NOT IN CONTROL OF THEIR OWN DESTINIES, BUT ARE RATHER MOVED BY THE FORCES WHICH SURROUND THEM. FINALLY, BOTH PIECES ARE HEAVILY MARKED BY ELEMENTS OF NOSTALGIA AND REGRET; THE PRESENT IS INTERPRETED VIS-À-VIS WITH THE PAST.

- GWEN SIMONALLE