Stratford

Dear reader,

Very recently, your favorite little troupe (it's feminine elements anyway) took a little trip to London and Stratford-upon-Avon to catch up on some plays, musicals, Williamesque energy, quiet walks upon the Avon, fish-and-chips and Dirty Duck fun.

We spent a long weekend away with some friends - as always, our time in William's hometown was too short - but very fulfilling! 

We got to see the RSC's beautiful production of "Romeo & Juliet" - first row seats s'il vous plaît, and the RSC's "King Lear" in the newly-finished Royal Shakespeare Theatre. I don't know where to start, so I'll let pictures speak for themselves. So much energy in that place - if that doesn't want to make you jump on stage, nothing will.

We found the most amazing prop in Urban Outfitters: a black skull moneybox! 

Our lovely Elodie and our favourite girly-tourists-in-Stratford drink: PIMM's!

"Romeo and Juliet" from the front row - oh. my. gosh.

What a show!

Since that night, I cannot help but having lines coming back to me when I least expect it.

"It was the nightningale, and not the lark, that pierced that faithful hollow of thine ear. Believe me, love, it was the nightingale."

"Beauty so rich... shines upon the cheek of night, like a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear"...

I'm sorry I'm not writing in iambic pentameter, I'm afraid I haven't spent enough time in Shakespeareland yet!

Our infamous landing-place (and that of a lot of actôrs): The Dirty Duck, ladies and gentlemen!

                           

In the Royal Shakespeare Theatre after "King Lear". I must admit Greg Hicks gave the most amazing performance.

A night to remember!

As always with Stratford (when you're passionately in love with William, that is), the adventure was too short. You just have time to dib a foot in, realize the water is exquisitely good... Before you're called back, wake up, and have to go home.

But seeing the RSC just makes you want to jump on stage again. And again. And again.

There's no better way to fuel our passion for the stage.

We're what you might call (copyright to Nadia on this one) Shakesfreaks.

And we love it!

.. more on Stratford

Photoshoot

I'm sorry dear reader, these past couple of weeks have been nothing less but crazy. But I'm well aware that's not an excuse for letting you down! We said we'll be documenting our project, and WE WILLilliam Shakespeare. Ah! Ah!

Anyway, let's start where we left off: our photoshoot with Zak Van Biljon, Nadia's photographer friend! Zak was nice enough to come all the way from Zurich with his material to shoot us for the poster and the programme headshots!

Here's his website, in case you're interested by his work (which is brilliant, needless to say): http://www.zakvanbiljon.com

And here's a late preview of the photoshoot! Enjoy!

We were lucky enough to have Sophie, Nadia's twin sister, to help out with our crazy ideas.

Zak shooting Dean (notice how he had to almost crouch to shoot us girls, but Dean's so tall he has to stand on a trunk).

Ros and Guil Are Not Dead Yet, Biatch.

The beautiful flowers we used for our hair composition.

And that's the photoshoot in the making!

We look very much forward to seeing the results of Zak's work and our Nature Morte of a poster will be up pretty soon now! Be sure you'll be the first to know! 

Love,
Ros & Guil... or
Guil & Ros
.. more on Photoshoot

New Logo

Small post, but important information: we have been working, dear public. Nadia's friend Zak, a professional photographer, has very kindly helped us out and came to shoot the poster and our headshots for the programmes two weeks ago (tons to update! We have not been idle!). I will definitely post the marvelous result of his work as soon as possible.

In the meantime, I have the pleasure of introducing our brand new logo, courtesy of Zak:

Ah! the excitement!

I hope you like it as much as we do.



Farewell for now, dear reader,

Ros

.. more on New Logo

Lesson n°1

"When life gives you lemons... you make lemonade."

That's it. Rehearsals officially started. As usual with these things ( "these things" being "staging plays") nothing goes on as planned. Ok, I need to stop being so drastic: not everything goes on as planned. The only thing you can do is not plan too far ahead. As Philip Henslowe (played by Geoffrey Rush) says in Shakespeare in Love *: "It's a mystery."

When you put on a play you need to be ready to reassess everything, all the time. Cast changes, schedule changes, direction changes, or "do-ability" changes. But that's part of the fun of putting a production together: learn to not-stress-ahead! I must say I haven't gotten quite there yet, but I keep going back to putting up plays anyway. So that's a good sign. 

I thought I was done you know. Done trying to organize such big and demanding projects. Done complaining and not sleeping, and sending random emails and figuring out how to get a monkey and a musical-chariot-that-spits-fire-and-smoke. But there is something that keeps me coming back to the stress and the passion of it all. Mostly, that's the stage. I know I want to go back to the stage, always. That's why I get so excited when I'm at the Globe or at the RSC. I want to be part of that formidable energy that is playing Shakespeare and being on stage with Shakespeare (sounds somehow kinky)! But being on stage with Stoppard is no less exciting (yet again, kinky -- intended this time).

Also, a big part of what made me do this project is Nadia's inextinguishable energy. Imagine something you looove, like chocolate, or coke, or playing the flute, or simply being with someone you love -- and that is denied you for two entire years. Imagine the yearning you have to get that thing back, and what you'd do to get it. Scary, hu? Well, that's pretty much what Nadia felt for theatre. She was so enthused it was a mystery. I couldn't not help her get her addiction back!

So here you go, this is just to say (while talking a lot about me, sorry about that): theatre is a mysterious place. It teaches you about life, love, friendship and tragedy. It teaches you about all these things you could live but are afraid to, and all these things you might never get to live. You need balls to experience theatre. But if you're up for it, it is the most deliciously bittersweet of lemonades.

* Footnote: I just watched that movie again and let me tell you it is marvelously wonderful! Some have critiqued its historical incoherences, but what is that compared to the true magic of a story? To being moved, and moved, and moved again until you are a completely mesmerized bit of a spectator gazing in awe into the depths of the wonders of love? I for one, was completely mesmerized. It gave me that "Globe" feeling--when you are so caught in the story you hope against all odds and against your better judgement (we all know how R&J ends) that somehow the lovers will stay together. *Victoria cries* End of the footnote.

.. more on Lesson n°1