American Shakespeare Center

As of right now I am halfway through my time at ASC and I can't help but be amazed at how quickly the time has gone by while working on Othello. We had our first run through today and will be starting open dress rehearsals tomorrow. To be honest I cannot wait to see how the public reacts to this show, it has been an amazing process to watch and be apart of and it will be exciting to start the process over again with Merry Wives of Windsor on Friday where we go back to the beginning with Ren Run Prep.

I've learned a lot this week about how shows run at the Blackfriar's theatre. It's pretty amazing to see what a difference it makes to the production when they keep everything in Shakespeare's traditional conditions. There are no stagehands working backstage and no dressers. There is a stage manager that works with the company on the road but the actors do a lot of the work required for on-stage or back-stage needs. The actors move and transition all props and all scenes, if a transition is necessary. The use of the stage is what makes moving and transitioning so easy for the actors. The stage is made of 3 doors/curtains that serve as the exits and entrances for various purposes. In the blackfriar's theatre there are two doors and then a wider space with curtains called the discovery space. I will post some pictures of the stage and the theatre so that you have a better idea of what I'm talking about. 

This week I've been taking line - notes and trying to help the actors, stage manager, and director  be word perfect. It is a requirement of acting productions at ASC that actor's be word perfect in order to preserve what Shakespeare wanted in his productions. Shakespeare was a wordsmith so he deserves to be appreciated for that.

The above picture is a view of the stage from the mezzanine level of the theatre. 

This is a view from the stage that I hope that one day I will get to view every night. 

- Lauren Dentler