"There's a limit to what two people can do."

Or is there?

Ros and Guil are excruciatingly endearing idiots, and they are limited. In time, in space and in possibilites. But they are, surprisingly enough, accompishing a lot through their inaction and addressing a lot of themes in their verbal logorrheia and exclamative grunts.

The late 50s psychanalytic German and French theories of reception concerning the reader and the spectator state that mimesis works only if the identification of the reader to the story is not complete. Hence Claudius, upon seeing "The Murder of Gonzago" performed, reacts because what he sees stages a nephew and not a brother killing his King.

On the same note, the spectator beholding Ros and Guil gets a direct access into the intense tragedy of Hamlet through an identification to these two fellows - their friendship and betrayal of Hamlet can be identified with a spectator's experience of empathy and abnegation of Hamlet once he kills Polonius and Ophelia goes mad.

Thanks to these secondary villain fools, we can understand royalty, tragedy and Oedipal complexity and more importantly, question it. 

The Player Why?

Guil Ah. Why?

Ros Why what?

Guil Why what exactly?

Ros What?

Guil WHY IS HE MAD?

Ros I DON'T KNOW!

Their uncomprehension and puzzlement illustrates generations of high school students' perplexity. Herein lies Stoppard's coup de génie: 

"Ros You can't treat royalty like people with normal perverted desires. They know nothing of that, and you know nothing of them, to your mutual survival. Now, give them a good clean show, suitable for all the family, or you can rest assured you'll be playing the tavern tonight."

So, is there a limit to what two people can do?

We certainly don't hope so, because we're planning on taking over Switzerland with this project, and who knows where else we could land on?

On a lighter, more aesthetic note, there seems to be no limit to what one hairdresser can do. Here are a couple of production shots for you to enjoy. We'd like to take this opportunity to thank again Mara Coiffure and her amazing work and enthusiasm for our project. This play would've been completely different without her. As a beloved anonymous said (can't remember who it was exactly for premiere-excitement-vomit-see-below reasons):  

"If people get bored, they can just look at your hair."

Ros' hair or "A Peacock Exploded on My Head"

Who would've thought an iron railing can  be accounted for a beautifully crazy hairstyle?

Mara had her hair salon's shop window decorated for our play! So sweet!

Guil, or "Crazy Marie-Antoinette going Virginia Woolf"

Ros' heart-shaped Minnie Mouse hair

We paid attention to details and color distinctions for Ros and Guil

With flowers in our hair... Wink to our poster and reference to madness

DONE! This is the no make-up version I'm afraid. But there were several steps to getting to be Ros and Guil that day. Hair was the first, and definitely most spectacular.

The Player had lovely wavy hair

Ros and Guil are taking the bus. Funny bus anecdote: a priest asked us if we were celebrating a bachelorette party.

Make-up part of the process. I jus love backstage pictures - so theatrical. How a person gets ready to go on stage is very important and ritualised. Ros had crazy blue eyes make-up, reminding of a mask.

Hamlet/Alfred calmly posing en coulisses.

A couple of Guil's flowers and innumerable pins fell off my hair during the play - no major problem though (surprisingly enough) - and it gave me a funnily stupid look. Make-up-wise: I went for a Marie Antoinette red lips and black mouche combination with black eye liner.

Alfred had crazy slave-actor tattoos.

Thank you for your time, dear reader.

Next on "Staging Ros and Guil Are Dead": production pictures!!! I don't know about you, but I can't wait!!! Also, unlike your favourite shows, we don't stop our show during the summer so be sure to stay tuned to be updated on our future performances and experiences.



With love,
Guil