The Rivals and movement for actors

So I had to give The Rivals a couple tries before it started to sink in. The language is ridiculously hard. There are some weird words and expressions that I still don't get. On closer examination, parts of it are actually a little funny. I wrote down three quotes that got a chuckle out of me.

1) pg. 3 (referring to the books Lydia wanted) "but Lady Slattern Lounger, who had just sent it home, had so soiled and dog's eared it, it wa'nt fit for a christian to read."
2) pg. 4 (referring to Beverly) "Nothing at all- But I don't know how it was, we had never had a quarrel, and, somehow I was afraid that he would never give me an oppurtunity."
3) pg. 6 Mrs. Malaprop: "I don't know any business you have to think at all- thought does not become a young woman."

These things are so fitting for how I think of comedy of manners. Ridiculous standard, and social rules, etc. The language is still tricky, and it's somewhat hard to read. I found that it helped immensly when I read it out loud. I think it will be fun to use movement with though.


The reading out of the movement book was pretty interesting. I had never really thought about how few masters of period dance there are. People do kind of assume that all choreographers can just do a dance and it will fit the era of the show. Dances way back in the 17th and 18th centuries would be harder to come across. Yet, even plays and musicals from the 40's and 50's require knowledge of the era. I was in Guys and Dolls this summer, and the kind of berlesque, jazzy dance is definitely different than today. I think our choreographer did a great job, but how was I to know if she had really done her research.
I also liked the idea of the 3 centers of the body for Shakespeare. I had never thought of it like this but it was a cool idea. If it's the mind, you could lead with your head..the heart and you can lead with you chest, or the sexual center could be leading with your pelvis. It could really change how you interpret a monologue. I haven't tried any of the exercises, but I will keep them in mind. I did actually write in some words for the sentences he wanted you to try. It's a cool idea to see what image your mind conjures up first and then run with it.