"Go Off!" and "Come Knight!"

Alot of words to speak a simple idea. Oh well...

In terms of entrances and exits, I think there are valuable seconds being wasted between the ends of scenes and the beginnings of others that we can take advantage of. I've noticed that the lull creates pauses in the pace of the show, and that each new scene has to start at a place of static energy, rather than as a link in the chain of the show (pardon the bad metaphor). John Barton spoke about how it was difficult for him, when he directed the show, to create that sense of "seamlessness" from scene to scene, as many of the scenes that run back to back are quite different in style and tone. I wonder, however, about whether this is true. It was commented on a different director's RSC production of Twelfth Night, that instead of viewing the play in terms of comic moments and dramatic moments, it should be viewed instead of dramatic scenes laced with comedy and comedic scenes laced with dramatic weight, so that there is no separating the two. Viewing the play through this lens!
e will I think justify flowing the scenes into one another more.
In terms of executing this, what if we as a cast work on, when we see a scene end and the characters are exiting the stage, as soon as they've turned their backs, the next characters can jump right in. Remember, all of these events at many times are happening simultaneously, so to keep the continuity and the urgency moving, as well as the pace up, we can sort of overlap an ending and a beginning. Once a scene has ended, the audience is aware that is has ended, and if we give them no time to pause and stop between the scenes, we start building that snowball. I think of it like movies. There are no "blackouts" between every scene in a movie. Rather, they "cut" from one scene to the next, where as soon as one scene ends, we start immediately with another one, seeing new characters in a new environment. Think how much longer, and how much dramatic tension is lost, if after every scene we had a black screen, to allow us as audience members go "phew, that's over, on to the next bi!
t of business in a few seconds. NO! I think THAT will help us get ahead of the audience and make them catch up.

Lots of words to say: let's meld exits and entrances.
In terms of entrances and exits, I think there are valuable seconds being wasted between the ends of scenes and the beginnings of others that we can take advantage of. I've noticed that the lull creates pauses in the pace of the show, and that each new scene has to start at a place of static energy, rather than as a link in the chain of the show (pardon the bad metaphor). John Barton spoke about how it was difficult for him, when he directed the show, to create that sense of "seamlessness" from scene to scene, as many of the scenes that run back to back are quite different in style and tone. I wonder, however, about whether this is true. It was commented on a different director's RSC production of Twelfth Night, that instead of viewing the play in terms of comic moments and dramatic moments, it should be viewed instead of dramatic scenes laced with comedy and comedic scenes laced with dramatic weight, so that there is no separating the two. Viewing the play through this lens!
e will I think justify flowing the scenes into one another more.
In terms of executing this, what if we as a cast work on, when we see a scene end and the characters are exiting the stage, as soon as they've turned their backs, the next characters can jump right in. Remember, all of these events at many times are happening simultaneously, so to keep the continuity and the urgency moving, as well as the pace up, we can sort of overlap an ending and a beginning. Once a scene has ended, the audience is aware that is has ended, and if we give them no time to pause and stop between the scenes, we start building that snowball. I think of it like movies. There are no "blackouts" between every scene in a movie. Rather, they "cut" from one scene to the next, where as soon as one scene ends, we start immediately with another one, seeing new characters in a new environment. Think how much longer, and how much dramatic tension is lost, if after every scene we had a black screen, to allow us as audience members go "phew, that's over, on to the next bi!
t of business in a few seconds. NO! I think THAT will help us get ahead of the audience and make them catch up.

Lots of words to say: let's meld exits and entrances.

- Duke