There was a special buzz in the air today as blocking was in full swing! We are making fantastic progress, and have blocked Act I and Act II, as well as beginning our work on stage combat with RDA Jake. I got to spend some time working with campers one on one and in small groups, working on text and physicality.

Campers have really begun to embrace their roles over the past couple of days, and today we were able to put more dialogue on its feet. There is still a huge amount to discover, and we will be plumbing the depths of the play over the next few weeks, but we are off to a great start! I had lots of fun working with the campers playing Egeon and the Duke, and breaking down the text with them. I also got to work with the camper playing the Jailer, and together we made some great physicality discoveries.

Now that we’ve done some more blocking, what is the vibe of the play, you ask? Silly. Goofy. Slow-mo and sound effects. Production staff is having a ton of fun, and the campers are giving this wacky title their all. If you want a sense of the exaggerated physicality that’s being brought to the show, check out these photos from fight choreography with Jake (mostly featuring Dromio of Ephesus getting his pate broken).

This afternoon, campers will be attending verse and direct address workshops, and then going to see “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) (revised) (again)” at the Blackfriars Playhouse! Complete Works is a show with lots of physical comedy, slapstick, and clowning that the campers can learn from and apply to their work in rehearsal. I am having a fantastic time and I can’t wait to be back in rehearsal tomorrow!

And now, I shall bid you adieu.

Quote of the day: “Shakespeare is cool, man” – Alan