03/06/2013 DIARY ENTRY

03/06/2013

DIARY ENTRY      

                                       MONOLOGUE CLIPS OBSERVATION

Today both groups looked at a monologue from Romeo & Juliet, which was from act 2 scene 2 which is the scene when Romeo sees Juliet on the balcony. 

In this scene  Friar Lawrence enters, holding a basket and fills the basket with various weeds such as herbs, and flowers. While musing on the beneficence of the Earth, he demonstrates a deep knowledge of the properties of the plants he collects. Romeo enters and Friar Lawrence intuits that Romeo has not slept the night before. Friar Lawrence fears that Romeo may have slept in sin with Rosaline (An unseen character and a niece of Capulet- although she is silent, her role is important). Romeo assures that didn't happen, and  describes his new love for Juliet, his intent to marry her, and his desire that the friar consent to marry them that very day. Meanwhile Friar Lawrence is shocked at this sudden shift from Rosaline to Juliet. He comments on the fickleness of young love, Romeo’s in particular. Romeo defends himself, noting that Juliet returns his love while Rosaline did not. In response, the friar comments that Rosaline could see that Romeo’s love for her “did read by rote, that could not spell.” Remaining skeptical at Romeo’s sudden change of heart, Friar Lawrence nonetheless agrees to marry the couple. He expresses the hope that the marriage of Romeo and Juliet might end the feud ravaging the Montagues and Capulets.

Throughout today's session we looked at different YouTube clips how different actors approach this monologue by Romeo.......................

But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? 

It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.

Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,

Who is already sick and pale with grief,

That thou, her maid, art far more fair than she.

Be not her maid since she is envious.

Her vestal livery is but sick and green,

And none but fools do wear it. Cast it off!

It is my lady. Oh, it is my love.

Oh, that she knew she were!

She speaks, yet she says nothing. What of that?

Her eye discourses. I will answer it.—

I am too bold. 'Tis not to me she speaks.

Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,

Having some business, do entreat her eyes

To twinkle in their spheres till they return.

What if her eyes were there, they in her head?

The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars

As daylight doth a lamp. Her eye in heaven

Would through the airy region stream so bright

That birds would sing and think it were not night.

See how she leans her cheek upon her hand.

Oh, that I were a glove upon that hand

That I might touch that cheek!

All of us had 2 mins to read through this monologue and understand it after Gary gave each of us a copy. As we were watching these clips on YouTube I found most of them quite interesting, funny and entertaining due to the fact that most of these actors that approach this monologue do funny things,odd things and sometimes bizzare things. Vocally the majority of these men kept doing it exactly the same as how other men would do it E.G............

*Same tone of voice
*Same Style
*Overdone

What I've realised is that this same monologue can be overdone many times and interpreted in many different ways and this means that you cannot always abide by how other actors interpret your character from the monologue of your play. Some of the techniques they use to portray your character you can only apply to certain bits that may work for you instead of just constantly following in their footsteps. There were a mixture of positive and negative things that I picked up on while watching these clips.................

POSITIVE THINGS 

*Soft Tone of Voices

*Energy

*Clarity

*Emotional Connection


NEGATIVE THINGS

*Too Typical

*Not enough Physicality 

* Just Reading their lines from the top of their head

* Over exaggeration

* Not truthful 

*Lost

* Flat

*Lack of Research


These are both things that I picked up on while watching the videos, and as you can see I only had little to say on the Positive side but on the Negative side I have alot to say because the first 3 clips we watched were fine until as it kept going along the majority of these actors kept interpreting the monologue in the same way which slightly got on my nerves.

We watched about 10 of the clips and out of these clips the person who I thought stood out well was Ashley Walters because of the energy & consistent focus that he had throughout the clip. Also he had a creative mindset, strong emotional connection and was clear of his surroundings.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3MiaSG1SMQ