Act 2 Scene 1
How canst thou thus for shame Titania,
Glance at my credite with Hippolyta?
Knowing I know thy love to Theseus?
Didst not thou leade him through the glimmering night
From Perigouna, whom he ravished?
And make him with fair Aegles breake his faith,
With Ariadne and Antiopa?
I received questions about this passage from both Effie (Titania) and Jay (Oberon). The biggest question being at the end of the passage why all the names are kept, and what the importance of those names are being that much of what Ed cut was reference to Myth. What we discussed was the importance of these names in setting up Oberon and Titania’s relationship, thus giving them intention for these lines. Prior to this exact passage Titania calls Oberon out for being disloyal and having an affair. This passage is Oberon accusing Titania of the pot calling the kettle black. Titania helped Thesus to have many affairs and most importantly many of the people Theseus had affairs with were related. It is noteworthy that “Antiopia” is the last name because she is Hippolyta’s sister with whom Theseus had a child that he has since abandoned to be with Hippolyta. So in our production which examines how men abuse lust to obtain power this passage that expands on exactly what kind of man Theseus is, is important.
Act 1 Scene 2
To the rest — yet my chief humor is for a
tyrant. I could play Ercles rarely, or a part to tear a
cat in, to make all split:
The raging rocks
And shivering shocks 30
Shall break the locks
Of prison gates.
And Phibbus’ car
Shall shine from far
And make and mar 35
The foolish Fates.
This was lofty. Now name the rest of the Players
This passage is a case of just clarifying for Amy (Bottom) as to what she’s saying. In this scene we establish the rude mechs and who they are exactly. Most importantly we establish Bottom who is the most outspoken of all the mechs and traditionally a bit of a braggart, and while in our production the trajectory we are aiming for is more aspirational than boarish this moment still shines a light into who Bottom is at their core, and the actor playing Bottom must deliver the line with complete confidence. Bottom in this moment is so confident in their abilities here that they are comparing themselves to Hercules (Ercles). The piece that Bottom performs is pulled from a Greek epic, and as said must be delivered with complete confidence in order for the audience to buy into the comparison that Bottom is making. However, the passage uses some strange references.
The first half of the passage from “raging rocks” to “prison gates” is referring to Hades/Hell, but doesn’t explicitly say so, and the second part uses an obscure name for Apollo “Phibbus”. As we started rehearsals Amy was delivering the line using a funny voice, but there was nothing behind it. I pulled Amy aside on a break whilst they were working on the scene one night and after I explained to her what she was saying her physicality and intent became much more clear and more importantly confident which added nicely to the Herculean comparison.
Act 5 Scene 1
If we offend, it is with our good will.
That you should thinke we come not to offend, 115
But with good will. To show our simple skill,
That is the true beginning of our end.
Consider then, we come but in despite.
We do not come, as minding to content you,
Our true intent is. All for your delight, 120
We are not here. That you should here repent you,
The Actors are at hand; and by their show,
You shall know all, that you are like to know.
I was approached by Manda, who plays Peter Quince, for some help with this passage. Specifically Manda was looking for help in order to make the passage funny. We spent a long tossing around ideas of awkward delivery or of purposefully stumbling over the text, but we ultimately decided to go back to the folio method that has become the core of the production. In folio method one of the attributes of the method is putting emphasis on monosyllabic words. When doing text work monosyllabic words don’t cross your mind as much as say an extra “e” on a word or a capitalization, but in this case the monosyllabic words are the key to the comedy of the passage.
The rude mechs for most of the play don’t speak in meter so folio method doesn’t apply for them. But in this case Quince is speaking in a somewhat broken Iambic Pentameter so we can apply the folio method. What we ultimately decided on is that Manda would over emphasize the monosyllabic words at the end of the speech thus making the court’s reaction seem more valid, and making the moment funny as one of the rude mechs wrestles with meter for the first time in the play.