Followspot
The followspot website is an interesting phenomenon.
I've never belonged to a theatre community with a website where so many people got toegether to discuss the local shows.
It's received a lot of criticism in the past for people being a bit hostile and defensive, which I have seen, but we haven't gotten much of that on Macbeth. At least not yet. I think a lot of that comes about because of the ability to post anonymously, but the flip side of that is that many actors are able to say what they think of a show behind a shield of anonymity, and without fear of professional repurcussions.
I've been a bit surprised by the response to Macbeth. There's been a lot of positive and some negative. But without that source of feedback, I never would have known that there seem to be a number of people who are worried/concerned/upset about the fact that Brandee's lizard appears in the show. I can understand why people might be concerned about animals being mistreated on stage, but all that happens in this show is that she has her bearded dragon on her shoulder in one scene. It never leaves her body, and as it belongs to her, it's very comfortable. It's never been bothered by the sounds or the strobe, and of course we rehearsed with him before an audience joined us.
The other negative comment we seem to be getting a lot of is the direction of Lady Macbeth (thankfully not negative comments about Allison's acting, which has been stellar and precisely what I've asked her to do.) I'm a bit concerned that what I'm trying to do isn't getting across to the audience. A lot of them seem to see Lady M as being driven and consumed entirely by libido and lust. And I think they are missing the point (which could well be my fault.)
I see Lady M as controlling Mac through sex. I think we played that rather clearly in the first two scenes where they interact. In their third scene (the post-murder scene) she is drunk and lustful, as indicated in the line "That which hath made them drunk, hath made me bold / What hath quenched them hath given me fire." With him playing horror and regret in that scene, and her playing lustful passion, their cross-purposes make the scene really spark. We often see this scene played that way - we just amped it up a bit. It's very clear in the text that this is a couple who are very hot for each other, very much in love and in lust - she is very ambitious as well - for the achievement of that ambition to result in salaciousness is not the stretch some seem to be trying to make it.
Later, as Mac decends into madness and isolation, the passion between them cools, and the division is what drives her mad. The idea that her madness is brought about by guilt is what is usually played in her "doctor" scene in 5.1, but I believe very strongly that this is in error. If you approach the text from a first folio technique point-of-view, specifically the rule that you cross to the character who gave you your cue if the text doesn't specify who you are talking to, then all but one of Lady M's lines in that scene are given directly to the doctor, making it patently obvious that she, in her madness, is mistaking the doctor for Macbeth. She isn't responding to guilt here - she's responding to the loss of her close relationship to her husband. She's been cut out of his trust and influence, her marriage is essentially dead. THIS is what drives her mad.
Those who say 5.1 is about guilt are basing that on one or two lines - one earlier about "if he had not resembled my father as he slept" (a dubious justification for the idea that she sees him as a father figure - the one scene they are both in earlier in the play implies NO warmth between them.) and her line in 5.1 "who would have known the old man to have so much blood in him" - but this doesn't imply regret, specifically. Who's death IS she upset about? "The thane of fife had a wife: where is she now? What will these hands ne're been cleane." The murder of LADY MACDUFFE has her seemingly MORE upset than that of Duncan. Why? Is it because she's a woman? Maybe. Is it because it's the first murder that she wasn't consulted on? Maybe. Then she brings up Banquo's death as well. If she's guilty, it's about all of them, and I certainly think guilt ties in - but more than anything, it's the unforseen loss of Macbeth. Not only has she lost him, but she's also created a monster who is willing to kill innocent women and children.
There is also discussion about Lady Macbeth having an Electra complex for Duncan, because she mentions that he resembled her father. I don't really understand this argument. She doesn't say anything about wanting to have sex with him (which is what an Electra complex would imply) and he isn't actually her father, even if he resembles him. And I'm not sure she isn't just making excuses - in any case, it does show some weakness on her part, but how that becomes sexual, I'm not clear.
So anyway. I guess I just wanted to get that out in the world somewhere.
I've never belonged to a theatre community with a website where so many people got toegether to discuss the local shows.
It's received a lot of criticism in the past for people being a bit hostile and defensive, which I have seen, but we haven't gotten much of that on Macbeth. At least not yet. I think a lot of that comes about because of the ability to post anonymously, but the flip side of that is that many actors are able to say what they think of a show behind a shield of anonymity, and without fear of professional repurcussions.
I've been a bit surprised by the response to Macbeth. There's been a lot of positive and some negative. But without that source of feedback, I never would have known that there seem to be a number of people who are worried/concerned/upset about the fact that Brandee's lizard appears in the show. I can understand why people might be concerned about animals being mistreated on stage, but all that happens in this show is that she has her bearded dragon on her shoulder in one scene. It never leaves her body, and as it belongs to her, it's very comfortable. It's never been bothered by the sounds or the strobe, and of course we rehearsed with him before an audience joined us.
The other negative comment we seem to be getting a lot of is the direction of Lady Macbeth (thankfully not negative comments about Allison's acting, which has been stellar and precisely what I've asked her to do.) I'm a bit concerned that what I'm trying to do isn't getting across to the audience. A lot of them seem to see Lady M as being driven and consumed entirely by libido and lust. And I think they are missing the point (which could well be my fault.)
I see Lady M as controlling Mac through sex. I think we played that rather clearly in the first two scenes where they interact. In their third scene (the post-murder scene) she is drunk and lustful, as indicated in the line "That which hath made them drunk, hath made me bold / What hath quenched them hath given me fire." With him playing horror and regret in that scene, and her playing lustful passion, their cross-purposes make the scene really spark. We often see this scene played that way - we just amped it up a bit. It's very clear in the text that this is a couple who are very hot for each other, very much in love and in lust - she is very ambitious as well - for the achievement of that ambition to result in salaciousness is not the stretch some seem to be trying to make it.
Later, as Mac decends into madness and isolation, the passion between them cools, and the division is what drives her mad. The idea that her madness is brought about by guilt is what is usually played in her "doctor" scene in 5.1, but I believe very strongly that this is in error. If you approach the text from a first folio technique point-of-view, specifically the rule that you cross to the character who gave you your cue if the text doesn't specify who you are talking to, then all but one of Lady M's lines in that scene are given directly to the doctor, making it patently obvious that she, in her madness, is mistaking the doctor for Macbeth. She isn't responding to guilt here - she's responding to the loss of her close relationship to her husband. She's been cut out of his trust and influence, her marriage is essentially dead. THIS is what drives her mad.
Those who say 5.1 is about guilt are basing that on one or two lines - one earlier about "if he had not resembled my father as he slept" (a dubious justification for the idea that she sees him as a father figure - the one scene they are both in earlier in the play implies NO warmth between them.) and her line in 5.1 "who would have known the old man to have so much blood in him" - but this doesn't imply regret, specifically. Who's death IS she upset about? "The thane of fife had a wife: where is she now? What will these hands ne're been cleane." The murder of LADY MACDUFFE has her seemingly MORE upset than that of Duncan. Why? Is it because she's a woman? Maybe. Is it because it's the first murder that she wasn't consulted on? Maybe. Then she brings up Banquo's death as well. If she's guilty, it's about all of them, and I certainly think guilt ties in - but more than anything, it's the unforseen loss of Macbeth. Not only has she lost him, but she's also created a monster who is willing to kill innocent women and children.
There is also discussion about Lady Macbeth having an Electra complex for Duncan, because she mentions that he resembled her father. I don't really understand this argument. She doesn't say anything about wanting to have sex with him (which is what an Electra complex would imply) and he isn't actually her father, even if he resembles him. And I'm not sure she isn't just making excuses - in any case, it does show some weakness on her part, but how that becomes sexual, I'm not clear.
So anyway. I guess I just wanted to get that out in the world somewhere.
posted by Brian at 2:09 PM
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