Well, we had a slew of middle school theater students in tonight, and we really slew them. Their teacher is our director's daughter, and she designed our lights.
The kids enjoyed the show, but we can't figure out just what was so hilarious about the scene where the nurse finds Juliet, supposedly dead. For some reason, the audience laughed there, and the actors involved in the scene are a bit confused by that.
ETA: see comments for an explanation...
Now, these were kids who had not seen any Shakespeare. They seemed to follow the story very well, except for this one scene. Lynn says that it's just because they are kids. Well, there may be kids in other audiences. We have one more rehearsal with an invited audience, and then on Friday we open.
We are all a bit shaken by this, and want to make sure it doesn't happen again.
What I am shaken by is that THEY are middle schoolers!
ReplyDeleteThese actors are not middle schoolers. We have one eighth grader in the cast, and f ascattering of high school kids, but Romeo and Juliet are both in their twenties.
ReplyDeleteMystery solved!
ReplyDeleteApparently there was a girl on the front row crying when Juliet died and a boy started laughing at her, being middle schoolers the rest started laughing for no reason at all other than someone else was laughing.
Silly, I know, but that's kids for you...
BTW, Tara was VERY impressed with the show, she LOVED your costumes and said, we 'set the bar very high for the rest of the season'!
See you tonight!
:)Lynn
Tell Tara "Thanks!" for me, Lynn...
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to tonight!
Audiences laugh for all sorts of reasons, and often in what one would consider inappropriate spots. One of the hardest things as an actor or director is to trust your choices even when you don't get the reaction you were expecting.
ReplyDeleteI CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE SHOW!!!! I PROMISE I WILL MAKE IT TO ONE OF THEM!!
ReplyDeleteSAFFIRE
You had better! You're still on my list for missing the last one!
ReplyDeleteHi, Robert(s)!
ReplyDeleteSo very true! It is difficult. And, with adolescents, it doesn't take much to set them off.