Pt. 3 Ready to try Shakespeare? Hints for preparing to see @reduxiontheater 's Much Ado About Nothing Pt. 3

Remember, I am not an academic or professional actor, these are just my thoughts.

Shakespeare’s characters are so vast and so unique; of all the hundreds of personas he has created in all of his plays, none are alike.  They all speak to us, and Shakespeare has an incredible way of making us feel like we know them so well from just a few lines.

A few things to remember when attending Shakespearean plays in the post modern era.  First of all it is important to realize that the actors will most likely be playing several roles.  This can be confusing at first because we think that the character just changed his clothes when actually the same actor is playing a different role.  Check the playbill and take a look at who is playing who.  You will also find the different characters will always have something in particular that they wear when they return in different scenes.  It could be a hat or jacket etc,.  You will get the feel as the play progresses.  Don’t be embarrassed to ask someone around you at intermission if something seems confusing.  We all are in the same boat.

Secondly, when you read the plot summary before the play, make sure you take a look at the character list.  You won’t need to learn all of the characters, but becoming familiar with the primaries can be very helpful.  They will typically (but not always) be near the top of the list.

Another thing I like to do is really focus on a particular character; let them speak to you in a sense.  In Much Ado About Nothing, Beatrice (in my opinion) is the most transcendent and original personality. Her perspective and creative insight into life and how to live it is among, if not the most, brilliant of Shakespeare’s female leads (yes even more so than the effervescent Juliet in some ways).  Benedick as the co-lead is also and amazing original character in Much Ado.  You will know him well by the end of the play. 

I plan on paying particular attention to Don John this time in @reduxiontheatre ‘s upcoming production.  Don John is a brooding, malcontent bent on the destruction of other peoples happiness.  He is the classic overlooked step brother who, while not quite an Iago or Macbeth, will go to fairly great lengths to destroy a life.  I want to get inside his head, and learn about why third wheel insanity can do what it does.