• Intro and Experience
  

       I've been involved with theater for a number of years, usually in the acting or technical aspects, though i've always wanted to direct in sum aspects.  I have directed a one act titled "the Visitor" by CJ Carr In my seinor year in high school, which was a while ago.  it was a Unique experience and I'd like to do it again sometime with a bit more professional actors.  I am taking this class because i want to learn some more about the foot work that goes into directing a play, and to get more experience thinking about the implications of specific directorial choices, so that i can help enforce them as a designer, or actor.

 

• I've been looking for a good short Horror script in the vein of HP Lovecraft to direct for a short but have had a lot of trouble finding anything like this.

• I also would enjoy directing a drama rather than a comedy because i have a better feel for emotional intensity and suspense than humor.

favorite plays

 Rent, Bent, Julius Cesar, proof, Godot and a number of others who's names escape me at the moment.

     also Sweeny Todd both in opera, and movie formats.

Midterm Scene

 

or my midterm I've decided to direct a scene from hamlet, Act III
Scene IV "The Queen's closet"  I've always been struck when seeing
productions or portrayals of hamlet at the lack of emphasis on the
violent nature of Hamlet, and therefore Man ie.) the audience.  I
think this point is one of the though superficial most widely probed
aspect of this play.  My hamlet is a young man tasked with the making
the situation that he is in "right."  To a young male in my all my
knowledge of human nature a tendency towards revenge for a wronging,
especially a Violent revenge. Is the most prominent answer.  Though
Hamlet wrestles with this Idea philosophically he is convinced that a
bloody revenge is the only way to solve this situation.

This Idea is one of Pre-programmed masculine qualities.
-       if your father is not around you must assume head of the household,
including mother, possessions, siblings and such
-       To maintain face and credibility as a powerful male, revenge must be
exacted in accordance to the wrong afflicted.
-       You must personally exact this revenge to prove your loyalty....to
What?
o       To your father
o       To the idea
o       To your masculine nature...

This Story Has relevance today because it's a classic story where a
male plays a typical mascline role, this idea is now being questioned
in our society with the rise of women's rights and the acceptance of
Gay, lesbian, and transgender life styles.

Gertrude on the other hand is a woman who posses the power of a man
for her time.
She uses her "feminine wiles" to get men to do what she wants.  She is
the marker of the story who transcends this gender gap, she whields
the power of a man, though is still at the mercy of Hamlet.....Why?

        - He is her son?
        - He knows her secrets?
        - He is questioning....His Gender Role?
        - He doesn't recognize her power?

ACT III - SCENE IV. The Queen's closet.
Enter QUEEN MARGARET and POLONIUS
LORD POLONIUS
He will come straight. Look you lay home to him:
Tell him his pranks have been too broad to bear with,
And that your grace hath screen'd and stood between
Much heat and him. I'll sconce me even here.
Pray you, be round with him.
HAMLET
[Within] Mother, mother, mother!
QUEEN GERTRUDE
I'll warrant you,
Fear me not: withdraw, I hear him coming.
POLONIUS hides behind the arras
Enter HAMLET
HAMLET
Now, mother, what's the matter?
QUEEN GERTRUDE
Hamlet, thou hast thy father much offended.
HAMLET
Mother, you have my father much offended.
QUEEN GERTRUDE
Come, come, you answer with an idle tongue.
HAMLET
Go, go, you question with a wicked tongue.
QUEEN GERTRUDE
Why, how now, Hamlet!
HAMLET
What's the matter now?
QUEEN GERTRUDE
Have you forgot me?
HAMLET
No, by the rood, not so:
You are the queen, your husband's brother's wife;
And--would it were not so!--you are my mother.
QUEEN GERTRUDE
Nay, then, I'll set those to you that can speak.
HAMLET
Come, come, and sit you down; you shall not budge;
You go not till I set you up a glass
Where you may see the inmost part of you.
QUEEN GERTRUDE
What wilt thou do? thou wilt not murder me?
Help, help, ho!
LORD POLONIUS
[Behind] What, ho! help, help, help!
HAMLET
[Drawing] How now! a rat? Dead, for a ducat, dead!
Makes a pass through the arras
LORD POLONIUS
[Behind] O, I am slain!
Falls and dies

 

 

I Identified Caludius in this scene in the first lines by Gertude where she fingers her ring and talks about how hamlet has offended his "father"
i had much trouble trying to identify the ghost in the scene and due to the short rehersal time i was unable to make anything work.

Hamlet's entrance before Plonus has hidden behind the curtian was a great choice and i think it added much to the drama of the scene.

though i feel that i feel short on using the idea, espically the 3X that i should have.  This 3X rule is something that i didn't adhear to in my 

directing and ultimatly it hurt me in the long run. 

 

The scene takes place in gertrude's bedroom so most of the space is hers, espically the bed/couch that is set center stage.  

Hamlet's space is wherever he is.  He is and invater into the queen's space and take over the couch as a point reclining 

nonchalantly and even inviting her to sit with him, before he threatens her.   

FINAL

 

The Balkan Women

A tragedy

By Jules Tasca

VALCO(SAMIRA)

            Colonel…

HERAK

            Oh… yes… Samira Jusic… you… you look tired.

            Aren’t you sleeping?

SAMIRA

            I can’t sleep.  I can’t sleep in this place.

HERAK

            You have to sleep.  That’s how we recover from one day to the next… anyway, let me tell you where everything is.

SAMIRA (chorus)

            Why do you want me here?

HERAK

            Just some light housekeeping.  There’s a kitchen in there.  This morning some coffee.  I like it thick and black and hot.

(pause)

Is something wrong?  Didn’t lieutenant Valco explain why you were sent here?

SAMIRA

Out of all these women, why… why’d you ask for me?

(pause)

Well?

(pause)

Because you bought milk from my grandfather a hundred years ago?

SAMIRA (chorus)

            Or is this the colonel’s genteel way to rape a woman.

HERAK (chorus)

            What make you think that of me?

SAMIRA

            It goes on all the time here.

SAMIRA (chorus)

            Rape and the threat of rape.

HERAK

            But you haven’t been… He threatened you?

SAMIRA

            You don’t think I volunteered to come here to make you –

SAMIRA (chorus)

            The killer of my people –

SAMIRA

            Some coffee.

HERAK

            Your… your mother asked me to take you on as a housekeeper.

SAMIRA

            She asked?

HERAK

            Yes.  To keep you away from… from everything.  In Belgrade I have three daughters.  Understand.  I would never… I meant to say… you’ll be safe here.

SAMIRA

            How safe can I be with a slaughterer like you?

HERAK

            I’m a soldier.

SAMIRA (chorus)

            That girl they shot – Nadia – was 17.

HERAK

            In a camp like this…

SAMIRA (chorus)

            A Prison.

HERAK

            In a prison like this, it’s a capital crime to give information to the enmy.

HERAK (chorus)

            Yes, it’s a prison, not a girl’s school.

HERAK

            That girl knew the chance she took.  The message she tried to smuggle out was the fact that I’m here in this camp and which building I’m in.  She was a danger.  There are terrorists out there…

SAMIRA (chorus)

            Freedom Fighters.

HERAK

            Terrorists who’d like to have that information.

SAMIRA

            And your conscience is not bothered that a teenaged girl was shot though the skull?

HERAK

            She was warned when she came here.  You all were.

HERAK (chorus)

            The enemy comes in any gender, any age.

HERAK

            In Goradze, where I took shrapnel, high school boys fired the mortar rounds.  We returned fire It’s our duty.  We’re soldiers.

SAMIRA

            My father and brother fought in Goradze.

HERAK (chorus)

            They might have fired on my men.

SAMIRA

            And your return fire might have killed them.

(pause.  They regard each other)

SAMIRA

            But here I am now, going into your kitchen to make you coffee… thick and black and hot.

SAMIRA (chorus)

            Just the way you like it.

(Samira exits.  Herak sits in his chair and stared at her as the lights fade.  Music punctuates)

 

Adam Gillette

Directing

7 May 2008

Balkan Women

Concept

            This scene is about the removal of innocence and the transformation of even the most unexpected candidate into a solider.  Nationalistic pride and head strong beliefs will necessarily produce an army of soldiers who only have the interest of their group in mind, even over the interests of their own family.  This show takes place in the Balkan region as the name of the play suggests, but specifically in Kosovo where this conflict between Serbian christens and Muslims is still going on today.  This will take place in the turn of the century, prior to 911, 1999 specifically.  War makes very plain the delineation of ideas and sides, good and bad, friend and foe.  This piece is dealing with the “Women” of the conflict.  These are the people left behind in empty cities, and taken captive as these towns change hands.  The idea is that these women are not helpless property to be concurred along with the land and buildings, but soldiers themselves.  These women are fighting this war the same as the men, though with a different set of rules, more ambiguous and cunning.  Blurring the line between soldiers and citizen is something that is in the news constantly today, in the Middle East.  Our soldiers are fighting a war against this new type of soldier one that is hard to find and harder to eradicate.  This also brings up the idea of what kind of soldiers we are, here sitting in Alaska we can soldier for our cause.  War is fought with guns on the battleground but with words, plots, and intrigue from an armchair thousands of miles away. 

Composition

            This scene is the first meeting between a father and his daughter, also a stand off between too armies, and two religious ideals.  It was imperative for me to build tension and conflict as well as a tender relationship.  This was a great challenge and one of the major reasons I was drawn to the script in the first place.  It is two opposite conflicting emotions bundled into the same short scene. 

Climax for this scene was a difficult thing for me to ascertain, because I felt there were a number of different answers depending on the angle and intention with which it was read/ interpreted.  One climax the one for Herak comes on his line I’m a soldier, this is the moment which he looses all control over the situation and gives in to a controller.  He is now able to blame all this actions on someone else, his superior leaving him blameless for all the atrocities he has committed, the rest is down hill for him as he attempts to defend his position and gain power by yelling and belittling Samira.

            Samira’s climax comes on her second to last line “and your return fire might have killed them” this is her realization that she has become a soldier, the same as Herak and she was responsible for the deaths she had caused the same as him. 

            The Climax I chose visually to portray as a physical tableau was Samira’s this is the spot where the natural build of tension and action breaks, the rest is a punctuative resolution to the conflict.  The tension builds from calm orders, to stinging calculative remarks, to an all out yelling battle, and breaks for the calm understanding of the conflict for what it really is.

           

Character

            Herak has two aspects to his character, father, and soldier.  The father is a loving caring man who is proud of his daughter and happy with his accomplishment of bringing her into this world.  The Soldier is a Nationalistic drone, built to believe what he is told and not to question authority.  He is give the scapegoat of military hierarchy so he is free to commit as many atrocities as he sees fit.  He is an ideal Soldier and has succeeded greatly at it.

            The Father has a gentle touch, and is comfortable close to people and in a relaxed posture.  The Soldier is ridged; likes to distance himself and will often times hide behind his desk or paperwork.

            The Father has a tender nice and understanding, he thinks during his sentences making them longer and broken into thoughts.  His words are directly linked with a visual representation of what he is saying.  The Soldier is short concise and to the point he wastes no breath on unnecessary comments.  He generally asks questions or makes demands and expects his worlds to be acting upon immediately. 

            Samira also has two aspects, Daughter and Soldier/ Rebel.  The daughter is a timid child unsure of herself and inexperienced in the world.  She has a hard time making decisions and expressing her opinion.  She is naïve and moldable but with and underlying sense of intelligence.  The Soldier is irrational acts on impulse and is quick to judge and act.  Has a major sense of Nationalistic pride to the point of self sacrifice. 

            The Daughter is confined to small acting areas, often times never moving at all except when she has built enough courage to blurt out an opinion.  She holds a doll and keeps her hands close to her sides.  The daughter is also the devout Muslim girl who believes unquestionably in its teachings.

            The Soldier is irrational and Nationalistic.  She waves her arms around in expression, she moves little still but from a sense of pride, and determination not fear.  She holds her ground and takes that which she wants without weighing the consequences.

            Vocally The Daughter is timid, and quiet only speaking when asked a question or on occasion to impose a question of her own.  She remains reserved and doesn’t say much of what she thinks.  The Soldier is more out spoken the timber of her voice varies more as her emotion influences her speech.

           

Floor Plan

                      Samira Daughter        Samira Soldier, Herak Father          Herak Soldier

                                                                                   

                                                                                                Herak Control area

                                                                                                       Hides behind desk

 

Battle               Samira

Zone                Confined to

Area

 

 

Family              exit to kitchen              

                        ß

 

 

 

Set consists of a desk, one chair, and a small red and white foreign looking carpet.  The d

The desk is set at an angle at center it separates Heraks space from soldier to father.  He is able to hide behind his desk as he hides behind his persona of Soldier not having to account for his actions.  When he is out from behind his desk he is more vulnerable and expresses the father aspect of his character.  Herak controls the whole area, mostly the L 2/3 of the stage in the beginning of the scene.  Samria is confined to a single square like a prison cell and the only way she can escape is to break through the walls with confidence.  She moves from square to square making small almost unnoticeable victories until she finally confronts Herak in the Battle zone CS.  Herak is take by surprise because she is attacking him in his vulnerable spot where he is a father, so he quickly retreats back to his Soldier zone and this causes him to loose ground quickly.  The final moment takes place DS in the Family Zone this is where they have come to the realization that each are not so different and still they must fight.

 

Props

            Three different props are used, each to emphasis a major aspect of character and conflict in the scene.  Head wrapping is a representation of her Muslim heritage when he takes it off it becomes the draping of a catholic priest.  The doll is her innocence as a child and is used by Herak to express a sense of fatherhood.  Lastly the papers are a representation of his trappings as a soldier he hides behind the desk/ papers distancing himself from the terrible crimes that he is ordering committed.

Costumes

            Samira is dressed in a peasant sort of garb, a skirt, long sleeve shirt and the traditional head wrapping of a young Muslim woman.  Her color scheme is black and red this blackness of oppression and resistance and the red flare of passion.  Herak is a military Colonel, though for a resistance militia.  His jacket is neat and well fit and he wears a button up shirt and tie, signs of professionalism and rank.  His jacket is colored olive green to denote military but is not the standard military issue because they are not funded by a state sponsored institution they have a hodgepodge of military uniforms.  The garb reflects the duality of his person military and human at the same time.

 

Journal

Rehearsal I

            We were able to establish the blocking they have taken too it quite well, the idea of removing the head wrapping and replacing it as an indication of the religious struggle is not reading well, hopefully because they still have their scripts in hand.   Toad needs to be more gentle and loving. 

            Movement in the space is sparse need to create dynamic movement of scenes, maybe think of working on a vertical plane! 

            Need to get a doll for her, so she can feel and look like a child to change in the end.  More change for her towards the end, vocal and physical get crazier…maybe.

            His papers are his military mind, he hides behind them, that barrier is broken at the climax.

            He check her out as admiration for his daughter but prompts us and her to think rape…..

Rehearsal II

            Sideways slant of desk is becoming a problem with facing upstage.  I really don’t want to change the configurations because it lends some much more visual dynamic to this somewhat stale moving scene.  Cheat should fix it. 

            I like the use of the carpet by Rachel kind of neurotic lining up of feet on the edge….Brilliant!! now I need to keep the carpet.  I like its look though lends a worldly feel to the office, ties in Middle Eastern influence.  Wonderful mistake!!!!

            What is she saying with “She Asked?”  Surprise? Alarm? Resignation?

Ending tableau needs work on timing.  Eruption ¾ beat, break to knees, scramble, beat, regard, beat, beat, beat, exchange, stand beat, line……beat, beat, beat, Sigh. END

            Herak Soldier needs to be more ridged, decisive steps turn to audience on soldier cannot look at Samira

NEED TO WORK ON BUILDING INTENSITY ending flat….

 

Rehearsal III

            Worked on intensity with carries shoe throwing exercise,  not enough shoes toad not getting it.  Used Laurra McConnel adrenaline technique helped much more with both of them intensity is there now build is great can go higher. 

            Work on Usage of doll to express.

I speech by Toad needs more emphasis on I and ME he is very self centered, wants you to care more about the endangerment of his life then the murder of a 17yr old.