Final Session: “The Quest for Knowledge” in Tom Stoppard’s “Arcadia” – 2 scenes with Septimus – The Rehearsal Room [Video, Audio, and Transcript versions]

Final Session: “The Quest for Knowledge” – ARCADIA – Tom Stoppard | The Rehearsal Room

Nathan Agin: Hi there. I’m Nathan Agin. Welcome back to the Working Actors Journey rehearsal room. We are here for the final session of a, couple scenes that we’re working on from Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia. And I just heard somebody say the other day that it was like, Stoppard. As an American. I say Stoppard, but I was hearing someone saying Stoppard. maybe that’s a little Britishism, or maybe that’s, someone being a little, a little pretentious. I don’t know, maybe, maybe a character from a Stoppard play pretending they know how to say the name better. but, it’s been a really wonderful, exciting month. The work has been great. This, is your first time tuning in. you can watch tonight, go back and see, you know, how we get to this point. or start from the beginning. it’s, it’s, it’s great. just all the discoveries and the questions and the conversations that, people have been having. It’s just really, really, a great insight into how granular you can get with this material. you know, feel free to leave questions and comments below if you enjoy. Hit that like button. Subscribe. and while tonight may be our final session, what you’re seeing is not meant to be necessarily a final performance. Locked in, never to change. This is just the next step, in the work for everybody. You know, if they were to continue to work on it, it might continue to change. If they blocked it, it might continue to change. so this is just where we are, after, you know, a few weeks of, working on it. So it’s just a work in progress. Next, month we are going to be, showing from the archive, some sessions of King Lear. We did a scene from King Lear with, Randall Duke Kim and his wife Annie Okio Grosso. for those who don’t know them, they co founded the American Players Theater, and ran it for about ten years. Randy has played almost every major Shakespearean character. just, they’re, they’re both forces to be reckoned with when it comes to Shakespeare. And also lovely, lovely people. So, and, and they have kind of this method they’ve, they’ve been developing after, you know, 50 years of working on the text. it’s wonderful. So, if you, if you’re interested in Lear, if you’re interested in their process, their method, we do a great scene from King Lear. it’s where Lear confronts his two daughters. So, yeah, we’ll have a lot of fun with that. and we will continue to post those sessions on YouTube and the podcast for all to enjoy. you know, like I said, subscribe so you can follow along. You can continue to support the project through Patreon, if that’s something you’d like to do. Thank you. Quickly to some of our patrons. Joan, Michelle, Jim Magdalene, Claudia, Cliff, Jeff and Ivar. and again if you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave those below. I am going to disappear for most of the rehearsal session. I’ll be back a little bit for the Q and A and hope you guys all have a great rehearsal. So that’s it for me for a bit. Enjoy.

Brendon Fox: Thank you, Nathan. Hi everyone. Welcome back. I thought that in the time we’ve got tonight, I’d love to try this for a plan. I’d like to actually do what we did on the first session which is read both scenes back to back. we can be, you know, let’s take some notes as we go those in the scene, those listening things we observe and then we’ll stop and have a pause. Maybe that’s where we put our break and then we come back and then I think we can do it again. But this way I’d love to see what happens ah, on a macro level when we are piecing it together, one last time. Does that sound good? and before we jump in with the first scene, I had a couple of thoughts that I love from. For you all in one one to think about that I didn’t have a chance to share at the end of last session. So A couple of quick things. I think that just as a macro thought for everyone, for tonight I would just encourage us all to continue to find as many surprises, revelations, shocks to the system as possible. I think we found over the course of last few weeks that part of the fun of these characters are not. Is not just how smart they are but how, how wrong they get things how ah, wrong footed they get. You know, no matter how big or small. The more that that the more we can trip them up the better. And I think it makes them human, it makes them even more complicated. I, I would also, and I’m not sure Jeff, if I mentioned this in the last, last week, but I I’d encourage you this, this time through to lean in a little more to Septimus’s when he can, his cockiness his cheekiness, the sense of like that. His. Even from the beginning, like once he gets thrown by even that first question, where you land, you think like, I’d love to see what happens if Septimus is like, hey, I just hit a bullseye. Damn, I’m good. You know, like binding those and then they can always evaporate with her next question or something like that. But I think that’s. That’s something we can have fun with. and

00:05:00

Brendon Fox: on page six, I’m wondering, Jeff and Ta. When near the top of the page when you’re talking about. Not necessarily, my lady, but when carnal embrace is sinful, it’s a sin of the flesh. QED. And I’m wondering, Jeff, if we could explore that being a kind of a bigger beat change of reminding her that we have actually studied this. We had Caro in our Gallic wars. I’m sorry that the sea fell on stony ground. You know, that. That chunk there could be a,

Geoffrey Wade: That’s it. Yes, definitely. A. A beat change is perfect way to put it. Yes.

Brendon Fox: Okay. And that way it’s. I think it’s another tactic to. To get her off the whole sex embrace. And then somehow she manages to pick up on your few words of seed and ground and go, oh, masturbation. Right.

Geoffrey Wade: Then I have to bring her back. I have to bring her back again. I thought you were finding a. I thought you were working.

Brendon Fox: Exactly. Right, Right. So I think that. I thought you were busy. Comes after like four or five or six of these bumps in the road that she’s throwing to you throughout. and, I. And I think, you know, even later that. That page, we. In the past, I think we could. We’ve gone a little bit in this direction, but I. I wonder, Jeff, if. If you could have more fun with the. He believes he’s written a poem. More carnality. You know, let’s see what happens if Septimus can get a little cattier. See what happens. and, that way, the more, again, sort of the more comfortable you are, the more the rug gets pulled out with. Wait, what? Who? Jellyby. You know, I just want to keep setting him up for bigger falls throughout.

Brendon Fox: I’m wondering, Téa. I, love the time you’re giving her last week and these long thoughts that you’re not rushing, you’re giving yourself time to land the. Those thoughts. I would. I would encourage you this time to see what happens. If you can find. When you can tighten up the. The air to cat, especially like Things like. What do you mean, with whom and sons? to play the net a little more with Septimus, so that he. You’re. You’re in, like, a good da. In low and order. You’re kind of catching him right off the bat, and then he has to react. Think what he just said.

Téa Guarino: Yeah, to think about it.

Brendon Fox: Just answer, right, that your reflexes. You’re not only smart, but your reflexes are so sharp and quick. And I think that’s the thing that Sudnams is realizing, how you have gone to another level of Jedi mastery in this scene, that you’re not just smart, but actually, today seems to be a day where you are feeling your oats, you’re pushing the boundaries, you’re talking about sex, and you’re not letting him breathe.

Téa Guarino: Yeah. Super sharp. Today I have a. I have a mission. Got it?

Brendon Fox: Yeah. And you’re coming at him in all. In all ways. Cool. Those are the main things I just thought. Want to plan in there and see. See what. What blooms from there?

Téa Guarino: Amazing.

Brendon Fox: Sound good? Yeah.

Téa Guarino: Fantastic. M. Septimus, what is carnal embrace?

Geoffrey Wade: The carnal embrace is the practice, of throwing one’s arms around a side of beef.

Téa Guarino: Is that all?

Geoffrey Wade: No.

Brendon Fox: Shoulder.

Geoffrey Wade: of mutton. A haunch of venison. Well hugged. An embrace of grouse. Caro carnis. Feminine flesh.

Téa Guarino: Is it a sin?

Geoffrey Wade: not necessarily, my lady. But when carnal embrace is sinful, it is a sin of the flesh. QED we had Karo in our Garlic Wars. The Britons live on milk and meat. Lacte et carne vivunt. I am sorry. The seed fell on stony ground.

Téa Guarino: That was the sin of Onan, wasn’t it, Septimus?

Geoffrey Wade: Yes. He was, giving his brother’s wife a Latin lesson, and she was hardly the wiser after than before. I thought you were finding a proof for Fermat’s last theorem.

Téa Guarino: Oh, it is very difficult, Septimus. You have to show me how.

Geoffrey Wade: If I knew how, there would be no need to ask you. Fermat’s last theorem has kept people busy for 150

00:10:00

Geoffrey Wade: years. And I’d hoped it would keep you busy long enough for me to read Mr. Chaytor’s poem in praise of love with only distraction of its own absurdities.

Téa Guarino: Our Mr. Chater has written a poem.

Geoffrey Wade: He believes he has written a poem. Yes, I can see that it might be more carnality in your algebra than in Mr. Chater’s couch of Eros.

Téa Guarino: Oh, it was not my algebra. I heard Jellyby was telling Cook that Mrs. Chaytor was discovered in carnal embrace in the gazebo.

Geoffrey Wade: Really? With whom did Jellyby happen to say?

Téa Guarino: What do you mean? With whom?

Geoffrey Wade: With what? Exactly. So the idea is absurd. M. where did the story come from?

Téa Guarino: Mr. Noakes, Mr. Noak’s papa’s landscape gardener. He was taking bearings in the garden when he saw through his spyglass Mrs. M. Chaytor in the gazebo, in carnal embrace.

Geoffrey Wade: And do you mean to tell me Mr. Noaks told the butler?

Téa Guarino: No. Mr. Noaks told Mr. Chaytor. Jellyby was told by the groom, who overheard Mr. Noaks telling Mr. Chater in.

Geoffrey Wade: The stable yard, Mr. Chater being engaged in closing the stable door.

Téa Guarino: What do you mean, Septimus?

Geoffrey Wade: So, thus far the only people who know about this are Mr. Noakes, the landscape architect, the groom, the butler, the cook, and of course, Mrs. Chaytor’s husband, the poet.

Téa Guarino: And Arthur, who was cleaning the silver and the boot boy. And now you, of course.

Geoffrey Wade: What else did he say? Mr.

Téa Guarino: Noakes?

Geoffrey Wade: No, not Mr. Noakes. Jellyby. You heard Jellyby telling the cook?

Téa Guarino: Ah, Cook hushed him almost as soon as he started. Jellyby did not see that I was being allowed to forget. Finish yesterday’s upstairs rabbit pie before I came to my lesson. I think you have not been candid with me, Septimus. A, gazebo is not, after all, a meat larder.

Geoffrey Wade: I never said my definition was complete.

Téa Guarino: Is Connor embrace kissing?

Geoffrey Wade: Yes.

Téa Guarino: And throwing one’s arms around Mrs. Chaytor?

Geoffrey Wade: Yes.

Chris Guilmet: Now.

Geoffrey Wade: Female’s last theorem.

Téa Guarino: I thought as much. I hope you are ashamed.

Chris Guilmet: I.

Téa Guarino: My lady, if you do not teach me the true meaning of things, who will?

Geoffrey Wade: Ah, yes. I am shamed.

Geoffrey Wade: Carnal embrace is sexual congress, which is the insertion of the male genitalia into the female genital organ for the purposes of procreation and pleasure.

Brendon Fox: Hm.

Geoffrey Wade: Fermat’s last theorem, by contrast, asserts that when X, Y and Z are whole numbers, each raised to the power of N, the sum of the first two can never equal the third when n is greater than 2.

Jennifer Le Blanc: Ah.

Geoffrey Wade: Nevertheless, that is the theorem.

Téa Guarino: It is disgusting and incomprehensible. Now, when I am grown to practice it myself, I shall never do so without thinking of you.

Geoffrey Wade: Thank you very much, my lady. Was, Mrs. Chaytor down this morning?

Téa Guarino: No. Tell me more about sexual congress.

Geoffrey Wade: There is nothing more to be said about sexual congress.

Téa Guarino: Is it the same as love?

Geoffrey Wade: No. Oh, no, no, no. It is much, nicer than that.

Geoffrey Wade: I am teaching Jellyby Beg your pardon, Mr. Hodge.

Chris Guilmet: Mr. Chater said it was urgent you receive his letter.

Geoffrey Wade: Oh, very well. Thank you. Thank you.

Chris Guilmet: Mr. Chaytor asked me to bring him your answer.

Geoffrey Wade: My answer? well, my answer is that as is my custom and my duty to his lordship, I am engaged until a quarter to 12 in the education of his daughter. when I am done, and if Mr. Stater is still there, I will happily wait upon him in the, the gun room.

Chris Guilmet: I will tell him so. Thank you, sir.

Téa Guarino: What is for dinner? Jellyby?

Chris Guilmet: Boiled ham and meat, my lady. And, rice pudding.

Brendon Fox: Oh, goody.

Geoffrey Wade: Well, so

00:15:00

Geoffrey Wade: much for Mr. Noakes. Puts himself forward as a gentleman. A philosopher, the picturesque. A visionary who can, create lakes and move mountains. But in the scheme of the garden, he is the serpent.

Téa Guarino: When you stir, your rice pudding, Septimus, the spoonful of jam spreads itself round, making red trails like the picture of a meteor in my astronomical atlas. But if you stir backward, the jam will not come together again. Indeed, the pudding does not notice and continues to turn pink, just as before. Do you think this is odd?

Geoffrey Wade: No.

Téa Guarino: Well, I do. You cannot stir things apart.

Geoffrey Wade: No more. You can. Time must needs run backward. And since it will not, you must. We must stir our way onward, mixing as we go, disorder out of disorder, into disorder, until the pink is complete, unchanging and unchangeable, and we are done with it forever. This is known as free will or self determination.

Téa Guarino: Sit, Sadimus. Do you think God is a Newtonian?

Geoffrey Wade: An Etonian, Almost certainly. I’m afraid we must ask your brother to make it his first inquiry.

Téa Guarino: No, Septimus. A Newtonian. Septimus, am I the first person to have thought of this?

Geoffrey Wade: No.

Téa Guarino: I have not said yet.

Geoffrey Wade: If everything from the furthest planet to the smallest atom in our brain acts according to Newton’s law of motion, what becomes of free will?

Chris Guilmet: No, God’s will?

Téa Guarino: No.

Geoffrey Wade: Sin?

Téa Guarino: No.

Geoffrey Wade: Very well.

Téa Guarino: If you could stop every atom in its position and direction, and if your mind could comprehend all the actions thus suspended, then if you were really, really good at algebra, you could write the formula for all the future. And although nobody can be so clever as to do it, the formula must exist just as if one could.

Geoffrey Wade: Yes. Yes. As far as I know, you are the first person to have thought of this. In the, margin of his copy of Arithmetica, Female wrote that he had discovered a wonderful proof of his theorem. But, the margin being too narrow for his purpose, he did not have room to write it down. The note was found after his death, and from that day to this.

Téa Guarino: Oh, I see now the answer is perfectly obvious.

Geoffrey Wade: This time you may have overreached yourself.

Brendon Fox: That is so great. As they say in Harry Med, sound like, I’ll have what she’s having. That was lovely, folks. Oh, my gosh. So, so good. That was just. I think all three of you brought just a lot of the. There’s something interesting right in this, in this. we’re now in this moment that we can all recognize of a hybrid of one foot on the page and one foot not. And we start like, I know the line, but do I? Well, kind of. Right. But that wonkiness actually is really valuable because I love that it’s like, right. And you’re staying in it and, like, it forces everyone to be like, well, that’s not quite the word, but I’m listening for it. And that’s actually. It makes them really rough and human. And there’s, I think it’s, it’s, it’s exciting. Rather than beating ourselves up, it’s like, this, is this part of the process that anyone watching recognizes of. I’m really trying to let the training wheels go, and I’m really trying to engage and look more. But damn it, what’s the next line? You know, it’s, it’s, it’s just universal. It doesn’t matter what you’re working on. Right. It’s always there. But I, I, love that you all just kind of rolled with that. And let’s see, saw what happened, and I think as a result, there’s some really exciting things that happened. So I, I, I took a few notes for some thoughts, but I’d love to just. I’m gonna, practice self restraint. And let’s jump ahead to scene six, shall we? Let’s take a moment and gather our thoughts.

Geoffrey Wade: I have four lines in that scene.

Chris Guilmet: And I blew 50% of them.

Brendon Fox: Personally, I wouldn’t put it past, the Brits just have boiled ham and meat.

00:20:00

Chris Guilmet: Boiled.

Brendon Fox: Well, in fact, I’ve been to Prague, many times, and that seems like that’s on every menu. It’s like, would you like meat? Would you like some meat with that meat?

Chris Guilmet: Barely. The ham is the vegetable.

Brendon Fox: I was so I was wet, and I love that Taya’s face was like, huh? Oh, but rice pudding. Okay, I’ll sit through two courses of meat for the rice pudding, cut the meat. A little stopper.

Téa Guarino: Check.

Brendon Fox: What? Isn’t Mr. Stoppard Czech? Oh, that’s true. Yeah. Yes.

Chris Guilmet: Way back.

Brendon Fox: You’re referencing Prague. There well, and so, basically, Jamie, we’re just giving you the prompt. So thank you for leaning into showing off the Czech. The Czech background there. Be so funny if Septimus and Thomasina are like, we have to talk to Cook. I mean, what is there? Is there not a single vegetable left? Don’t we live on an estate? All right, so let’s take a moment. when we’re ready.

Chris Guilmet: Mr. Hogg. Thank you, Jellyby. I was expecting to be locked out. What time is it? Half, Past five. That is what I have. Well, what a bracing experience. the dawn, you know, unexpectedly lively. Fishes, birds, frogs, rabbits. and very beautiful. If only it did not occur so early in the day. I have brought Lady Thomasina a rabbit. Will you take it? It’s dead. Yes. Lady Thomasina loves a rabbit pie. You were missed, Mr. Hobbs. I decided to sleep last night in the boathouse. Did I see a carriage leaving the park? Captain Bryce’s carriage with Mr. And Mrs. Chor also. Don’t. Yes, sir. And Lord Byron’s horse was brought round at 4 o’clock. Lord Byron too? Yes, sir. the house has been up, and hopping. I have his rabbit pistols. What am I to do with his rabbit pistols? You, were looked for in your room.

Brendon Fox: By whom?

Chris Guilmet: By her Ladyship. In my room? I will tell her Ladyship you are returned. Jellyby, did Lord Byron leave a book for me? A book? he had the loan of a book from me. His Lordship left nothing in his room, sir. not a coin. Well, I am sure he would have left a coin if he’d had one. Jellyby, here’s half a guinea for you. Well, thank you very much, sir. what has occurred? The servants are told nothing, sir. Come, come. Does half guinea buy nothing any more? Her ladyship encountered Mrs. Chaytor, during the night. Where? On the threshold of Lord Byron’s room.

Brendon Fox: Ah.

Chris Guilmet: Which one was leaving and which entering? Mrs. Chaytor was leaving Lord Byron’s room. And where was Mr. Chater? Mr. Chater and Captain Bryce were drinking cherry brandy. They had the footman to keep the fire up until 3:00. There was a loud altercation upstairs and, Mr. Hodge. My lady.

Jennifer Le Blanc: All this to shoot a hare?

Chris Guilmet: A rabbit? no, indeed. A, hare, though. Very rabbit.

Jennifer Le Blanc: Like my infusion?

Chris Guilmet: Yes, My lady.

Jennifer Le Blanc: How dare you.

Chris Guilmet: I cannot be called into account for what was written in private and read without regard to, addressed to me, left in my room in the event of my death.

Jennifer Le Blanc: What earthly use is a love letter from M. Beyond the Grave.

Chris Guilmet: As much, surely, as from this side of it. The second letter, however, was not addressed to your ladyship.

Jennifer Le Blanc: I have a mother’s right to open a letter addressed by you to my daughter, whether in the event of your life, your death or your imbecility. What do you mean by writing to her of rice pudding when she has just suffered the shock of a violent death in our midst?

Chris Guilmet: Whose

00:25:00

Chris Guilmet: death?

Jennifer Le Blanc: Yours, you wretch.

Chris Guilmet: Oh, yes, I see.

Jennifer Le Blanc: I do not know. Which is the matter of your ravings. One envelope full of rice pudding and the other of the most insolent familiarities regarding several parts of my body. But have no doubt which is the more intolerable to m Me which. Oh, aren’t we saucy when our bags are packed. Your friend has gone before you and I have dispatched the. Dispatched the lost my part and I have dispatched the harlot, Chater and her husband and also my brother for bringing them here. Such as the sentence, you see, for choosing unwisely in your acquaintance. Banishment. Lord Byron is a rake and a hypocrite. And the sooner he sails from the Levant, the sooner he will find society congenial to his character.

Chris Guilmet: Well, it has been a night of reckoning indeed.

Jennifer Le Blanc: I wish it had passed uneventfully. With you and Mr. Chaytor shooting each other with the decorum due to a civilized house. You have no secrets left, Mr. Hot. They spilled out between the shrieks and oaths and tears. It is fortunate that a lifetime’s devotion to the sporting gun has halved my husband’s hearing to the ear that he sleeps on.

Chris Guilmet: I’m afraid I have no knowledge of what has occurred.

Jennifer Le Blanc: Your Trollope was discovered in Lord Byron’s room.

Geoffrey Wade: Ah.

Chris Guilmet: discovered by Mr. Chater.

Jennifer Le Blanc: Who else?

Chris Guilmet: I am very sorry, madam, for having used your kindness to bring my unworthy friend to your notice. He will have to give an account of himself to me, you may be sure.

Jennifer Le Blanc: I will do it.

Brendon Fox: Jamie. Are you muted?

Chris Guilmet: Yes, my lady. Lord Byron left a letter for you with the valet, sir. Thank, you.

Jennifer Le Blanc: When did he do so?

Chris Guilmet: As he was leaving, your ladyship. Allow me.

Jennifer Le Blanc: I do not know if it is proper for you to receive a letter written in my house from someone not welcome in it.

Chris Guilmet: Very improper, I agree. Lord Byron’s want of delicacy is a grief to his friends, among whom I no longer count myself. I will not read his letter until I have followed him through the gates.

Jennifer Le Blanc: that may excuse the reading, but not the writing.

Chris Guilmet: Your ladyship should have Lived in the Athens of Pericles. The philosophers would have fought the sculptors for your idle hour.

Brendon Fox: Really?

Jennifer Le Blanc: Really. Really.

Chris Guilmet: now there’s a thing. A letter from Lord Byron. Never to be read. Thy living soul. I will take my leave, madam. At the time of your desiring it to the Indies. The Indies? Why?

Jennifer Le Blanc: To follow the cheater, of course. She did not tell you?

Chris Guilmet: Did not exchange half a dozen words with me.

Jennifer Le Blanc: I expect she did not like to waste the time. The chaitor sails with Captain Bryce.

Geoffrey Wade: Ah.

Chris Guilmet: as a member of the crew?

Jennifer Le Blanc: No, as wife to Mr. Cheater, plant gatherer to my brother’s expedition.

Chris Guilmet: I knew he was no poet. I did not know it was botany under the false colors.

Jennifer Le Blanc: He is no more a botanist. My brother paid £50 to have him published. And he will pay 150 to have Mr. Chaytor picking flowers in the Indies for a year while his wife plays mistress at the captain’s quarters. Captain Bryce has fixed his passion. Passion on Mrs. Chater. And, to take her on voyage he has not scrupled to deceive the Admiralty, the Linian Society, and Sir Joseph Banks, botanist to his Majesty at Kew.

Chris Guilmet: Her, passion is not as fixed as his.

Jennifer Le Blanc: Defect of God’s humor that he directs our hearts everywhere but to those that have a right to them.

Chris Guilmet: Indeed, madam. M. But is Mr. Chater deceived?

Jennifer Le Blanc: Oh, he insists

00:30:00

Jennifer Le Blanc: on it. And finds the proof of his wife’s virtue in his eagerness to defend it. Captain Bryce is not deceived, but cannot help himself. He would die for her.

Chris Guilmet: I think, my lady, he would have Mr. M. Chaytor die for her.

Téa Guarino: Indeed.

Jennifer Le Blanc: I never knew a woman worth the duel or the other way around. Your letter to me goes very ill with your conduct with Mrs. Chater, Mr. M. Hodge. I have had the experience of being betrayed before the ink was dry. But to be betrayed before the, pen is dipped and with the village notice board. What am I to think of such a performance?

Chris Guilmet: My lady, I was alone with my thoughts in the gazebo when Mrs. Chater ran me to ground. And I, being in such a passion, in an agony of unrelieved desire, oh, thought in my madness that the Chater, with her skirts over her head, would give me the momentary illusion of the happiness to which I had not dared to put a face.

Jennifer Le Blanc: I do not know when I have received a more unusual compliment. Mr. Hodge, I hope I am more than a match for Mrs. Chater with her head in a bucket. Does she wear drawers?

Chris Guilmet: She does.

Jennifer Le Blanc: Oh, yes. I have heard that drawers are being worn now. Tis unnatural for women to be got up like jockeys. I cannot approve. I know nothing of, Catechles or Athenian philosophers. I can spare them, an hour in my sitting room when I have bathed. 7 o’clock. Bring a book.

Brendon Fox: There goes the letters. Yeah, great. Lovely. I, sense that carnal embrace with all of its meat is, on the menu. that was really beautiful. I love the time you both were taking and building off of last week. That last third of the scene and the two of you finding your way backing towards each other, talking about the others, about Chador and Bryce and the connections. And I think you also, all three of you were finding these different tempos within that scene even more than I think in from last week, that I sense these different movements in the piece of music. That, the way that as you were, you know, Jamie and Chris, as you were finding your own connections together and then the interruption of coming in so strong with Jen and Lady Croom throwing that off and then the two of you finding your new music together was just something I hadn’t really heard in that same way before. yeah, really beautiful. so let’s turn back and chat for a moment about the first scene. let’s talk about both scenes before we do it all again. I have some thoughts, but let’s look. But let’s hear from you all. What was that? If we can turn back the clock 15 minutes or so, go. What was that like? for those in it and those watching, what are we discovering this time?

Téa Guarino: That was just a thinking breath. I’m still thinking. I’m still thinking.

Brendon Fox: You can go.

Téa Guarino: You can go.

Geoffrey Wade: Oh, I, I don’t, I don’t know. I, I, I, I enjoyed it. I, I have a, I have a very directorial question I’m going to ask you. I want to get, I want you to give me a line reading.

Brendon Fox: Okay.

Geoffrey Wade: Because this is a line. I’m not quite sure how it works. I think it’s, it’s funny either way. when Thomasina says, oh, Mr. Chador’s written a poem and Septimus can either say he believes he’s written a poem. Yes. Or he believes he’s written a poem. Yes. Which of those two do you like better?

Brendon Fox: Can I hear them

00:35:00

Brendon Fox: again?

Nathan Agin: Mr.

Geoffrey Wade: M. Shader’s written a poem. He believes he’s written a poem. Yes. Or he believes he’s written a poem. Yes.

Brendon Fox: Oh yeah, I see what you mean. I love them both. I feel like my instinct is that it feels I love when you give. Believes a lot of love.

Geoffrey Wade: Okay, good.

Brendon Fox: You know, like that, that, Because I.

Geoffrey Wade: Just, I dislike pronouns as much as the next person. But, but, you know, as I, every time I go through it, I think I. This, this kind of works either way.

Brendon Fox: Yeah, yeah. no, it’s.

Geoffrey Wade: The place where the pronoun works is, you know, nobody else would believe it. He believes it though.

Brendon Fox: Right, right. But I think like, I. What? I what to me, one of the reasons why I think that is juicier to me is you responding to Thomas Cena’s certainty of her line. Oh, he’s written a poem. Well, he thinks that’s what he’s doing. Right. Like, and I think that’s what really jumps out at me. Like, I have to correct you there, Thomasina, because let’s be careful not to spread that around.

Geoffrey Wade: That’s good. That’s a nice.

Chris Guilmet: Yeah.

Brendon Fox: Can I jump in there? I had marked that line on my way through as well as you were all were performing and I had put.

Téa Guarino: A little note on it. I was struck by, honestly, in both.

Brendon Fox: Scenes that we’re moving toward ease, that there’s this like wonderful sense of ease that’s developing in the relationships. And I, was thinking about when he’s not only instructing her. Well, that’s what he thinks he’s done.

Téa Guarino: But it seems like he’s sort of.

Brendon Fox: Like letting her in on it. You know, he’s like including her.

Geoffrey Wade: Yes.

Brendon Fox: Very good. Yeah. Here’s what we think about that guy. So, you know, I think just this very adult kind of. Yeah. I’m gonna, I’m gonna share this with you. That this line hit me differently this time through.

Geoffrey Wade: Good.

Brendon Fox: Yeah. I, I, I love that cape. Yeah, go ahead.

Geoffrey Wade: 100% agree with that. Yeah. That the, these two are on a different plane.

Geoffrey Wade: So anytime from everybody, you know, they’re just so much smarter than everybody else. There’s whatever the correct term would be. But, yes, that’s, that’s very good. Yeah.

Brendon Fox: Yeah. Well, and there’s a choice there. I think that like what, I love what you said there, Kate. It was like I’m always looking for what’s today. Why is today different? Right. And I think this sense of I, I remember being like a freshman or sophomore and when I, my act, you know, an acting teacher or professor would get just a little caddy or just let that facade of professionals and drop, drop. And I’m like, oh my God, I heard something maybe I shouldn’t have. That feels a Little. A little, Not, totally kosher and part of the job description. But I think you. You choosing to go there, Jeff, for Septimus is, you know, is. Is a Is another step towards a connection that you. You’re trusting her enough that she can sense your. That sardonic take. Well, I mean that you. She’s not gonna. Yeah.

Chris Guilmet: He.

Geoffrey Wade: He sort of explicitly invites her in. He doesn’t say yes. I. I wish. I need time to study this, he says in this sort of Roko way. But he says, enough time for me to. To read Mr. Ch’s poem in praise of love with only the distraction of its own absurdities.

Chris Guilmet: That’s.

Geoffrey Wade: That’s like, you know, your, Your. Your mentor, your professor saying can you believe this guy? And then she. I mean using that familiar. Our Mr. Chor has written a poem. There’s something about our Mr. Cheater rather than Mr. Cheater. It’s like the Mr. M we know. Or I mean you know, in England that that’s a common way referring to your relative, you know. Are you talking about our Andrew? Is it? you know, if you’re talking about I saw Andrew on the street. Our Andrew, the Andrew that we both know. Your brother, that one. So that power is. It’s little possessive thing. So you’re right. They’re both going a little deeper in. But I love that invitation there.

Brendon Fox: And I think Tea, you’re finding that nice line of not indulging too much because otherwise I think that would age her too much. So you’re allowed her. You. I think you’re finding what you found then is a cheekiness without her seeming catty or gossipy, which is really tricky, right, because she’s like. We’ve just like we’ve talked about for the last month. She is precocious and a genius and also 13 and also rice pudding, right? So I think it’s like you can meet Septimus partway there. But I like that you’re not just like, oh my God, can you believe. I know. Can you believe that guy? Because then I think that totally. Then there’s no place for you to go later in the play, right? There’s 13 year olds that Thomasine and 16 year old and such and I think does. So I think letting that our Mr. Chor. Our sense of familiarity, like you’re saying Jeff is coming through. But I also like Jeff that you reach her partway with your

00:40:00

Brendon Fox: dissing of. Of him. But it doesn’t fully land with her. And either because she doesn’t Fully appreciate it or she just doesn’t care to get to go into the mud, you know, And I like that we don’t know either way, but it’s like, it’s. You two are not totally on the same page with that.

Brendon Fox: And I think the roughness you brought. Jeff, I want to talk about this for a second. I don’t know if anyone else thought. But, like, I think you really allowed Septimus to be more discombobulated more often. And I think it was. He was on. I felt like it’s like, you know, when you’re sort of. You’re. You’re. You and you’re. You know, they have those bumps along the side of the highway sometimes to keep people awake. Right. So if you’re on smooth ground and then it’s like a G, G, G, G. And then you have to bring it back. That the image that came to me watching this time was like. Well, yes, no, of course. Of that. I mean, I meant. What. Yes, exactly. And then you’re using the text to write yourself on the text rather than between the text.

Geoffrey Wade: Oh, yes. Good, good.

Brendon Fox: do you feel that. I mean, was that something. Yeah, go ahead.

Téa Guarino: Yeah, I was gonna say kind of along those same lines. I’ve been trying to kind of catch up with Thomasina because, like, the shifts in each line. Not each line, but just like the lines where it’s a major shift of, like, discovery. But you’re lying to me. So, like, kind of finding where, like, my. My brain is going so fast that it’s like calculating things but then like, taking things apart. So I think I was trying to find that equation throughout the run that we just did. Like the, you know, the little big words as far as transitions, also combined with, like, the. The algebraic way that she has of putting things together just kind of in the words that she says. So I think that’s my. That was the thing I was trying to do, all while being 13, obviously, as well.

Brendon Fox: No, but I think that was coming across Taehy. And I think that adding to what did. Was you were doing that again on the line. So, like, it makes it hard and more challenging, but you. By taking away the air, it kept her young. It kept her like. Like more m. pyrotechnic. You know, as. As you’re going from here to there to there. The pivots, it’s like. And the turns you were making while you were talking. So it’s sort of like blowing glass that she’s kind of making this up as she goes, rather than. I have this thought now I have this thought, which seems like an older genius who is being careful. And I like that you’re finding those balances of. As you’re exploring Thomasina, but I like that you. We both were less careful and showing her being more raw and that she is. She has a super short flashlight. And I think by leaning into that, we don’t lose her brilliance, but actually we make her. She’s even more fascinating to me because she is literally like, Thomasine is only six words ahead of herself. Do you know what I mean? Rather than. Here’s my speech, Septimus. You know what I mean, right?

Téa Guarino: Yeah, that’s so true. Which is like, it’s. It’s fun for me, but it’s also so, like, wait a minute. Like, where am I? I have to, like, catch up with what I’m doing. But no, I think that, like, gets me out of my head as far as, like, me being taa, but also, like, as Thomasina just helps me, you know, stay in that small, flashlight area. That is very helpful.

Nathan Agin: Yeah.

Brendon Fox: Yeah. the. I also, I wanted to point out on page seven, the, Jeff. The, the. The. What else did he say? Mr. Noakes? No, not Mr. Noakes and Taa that I think we can continue to leave into this. But the difference between when. When. What else did he say, Mr. Noaks? I’m wondering, Téa, what. You could even let Tonsina be more confused.

Téa Guarino: Yeah.

Brendon Fox: You know, why are we even talking about. Wait, are we back on Mr. Noakes? And then your irritation, Jeff, was great. I think you can lean into. I love that we’re showing his testiness. Like. No, can we get back to Jelloby, for God’s sake?

Geoffrey Wade: Yeah. Good.

Brendon Fox: Stay with the program, Thomasina. I need to dig into this stat. So it’s. It was another color we hadn’t quite seen from Septimus. Or he’s like. I actually am kind of, freaked out here a little bit, and I need to find out what. Everything, you know right now. Yeah, it’s. And I. We had never seen that before. Like, you spelling it out. Can we go back to jelly? Be telling the cook, let’s go spill it.

Geoffrey Wade: Yeah. And again, I mean, it’s. Right. It’s there in the text.

Brendon Fox: Yeah, but I think what you. It’s there in the text, but I also think you have taken a less gentle approach than you did in the first few weeks, and I like that you let the gloves come off a little bit of, like, this is also Familiarity where you’re like, honey, I’m not messing around.

00:45:00

Brendon Fox: Let’s go, come on. Yeah, because also I feel like it’s not just that you don’t want to get caught, Jeff. But now I’m realizing because she’s ready to go to 18 other places and like, let’s go to the Andromeda Galaxy and let’s all do so. You also kind of need her to focus. Right? Before you get all Thomasina again. Focus, please. I know this story. Yeah, finish the story. I know this means almost nothing to you. It actually means a lot to me.

Chris Guilmet: Yeah.

Brendon Fox: and it’s in is carnal embrace, kissing, throwing one’s arm dramas, chainer, something to play with, Tea. I love that you’re bringing this time. You brought curiosity. I wonder if there’s a bit, This time might be a little more. What if it’s growing concern or horror.

Téa Guarino: Wait, yeah.

Brendon Fox: What? No, no, no. You’re ashamed. You should be ashamed. Right. So it might be a sense of. It could help us see Septimus get more and more freaked out that he’s trying to do anyway from us. That the shame on you. Shame. Bad man. See, with the dog. The dog agrees.

Téa Guarino: Yeah. And I think that’s like a perfect add up to the. After Septimus explains explicitly what it is like after we’ve had this whole like. So it’s this, it’s this, it’s this. It’s like, oh my gosh, what has the world come to? This is just horrible. So I think that’s a great setup for that moment as well. Yeah, I love that.

Brendon Fox: Right? And that, And that was great, Jeff. When she came back with if you do not teach me the meaning of things, who will? And watching the penny drop of you having to turn that whole QE2 to a new direction of oh, oh my God, it is so not at all everything I’ve been focused on for the last two pages. Right. And it makes such a difference to watch that. Make that be that big of an event. I have a question for you, Jeff. I’m curious that in that speech, the. Yes, I’m ashamed the last couple times I’ve noticed you’ve been taking a bit of a pause after brocreation and pleasure rather than going on right away to Fermat’s last theorem. Can you talk about that for a moment? this is towards bottom of seven.

Geoffrey Wade: Bottom of seven. Thank you. I don’t know. I don’t know if it’s a mix of still not remembering what’s coming next, or I guess I’m trying, to have him finish the discussion about carnal knowledge and all that. It’s just. This is. This is the end of our discussion. Let’s move on to Fermat’s last theorem.

Nathan Agin: That’s.

Geoffrey Wade: That’s what’s important. And that’s what’s, That’s what the lesson is about.

Brendon Fox: Okay. I love that. Well, yeah, go ahead.

Geoffrey Wade: Yeah, no, go ahead. I’m just.

Brendon Fox: No, no, please.

Geoffrey Wade: I’m just going to restate what I said before. It’s his way of putting an absolute period on the. And this is the end of the discussion about this.

Brendon Fox: Okay, I hear that. couldn’t we try that where you put that period on it, but immediately then move on to the more important things? Yeah, yeah. The reason why I’m floating. This is. I feel like when I see it happen in the scene, that even just that moment of air, I’m waiting for Thomasina to jump in 100, right?

Chris Guilmet: Yep.

Brendon Fox: She’s. She’s gonna. She’s gonna get in there and be like, wait, what about. What’s. Procreation and pleasure and all that? So, like, I think the finality of, like, we’re closing the door now onto the important stuff, and I think that. And Téa, it’s an opportunity for you. If we. If we try this, where you might be starting that impulse to jump in, but Septimus has. Is that train’s left the station.

Geoffrey Wade: That’s. That’s right.

Téa Guarino: Yeah.

Geoffrey Wade: And as. As I think about it now, I think even as I did it this time, I was thinking that’s. That’s too much air. Yes. So good. Good.

Brendon Fox: Yeah. Just. Yeah. Because we’ve. Tay has now set her up as. She’s just like a terrier. She’ll just, you know, you. You give her a second. She’ll. She’ll get in there. I. I love that. Taya. I just gotta say, like, jumping off the. Coming. You’re coming out. You’re. Thomasina’s reaction to things just leap out of zoom. Like you’re kinesthetically appalled or thrilled by things that are. It’s not cerebral. It is full. And it really. To me, we’ve talked a lot. You know, Jamie and Chris and Jeff, we’ve all talked about how they’re all so taken with her. And I think this. Her feel here, being this live wire of passion and that unfiltered sort of love or hate is also

00:50:00

Brendon Fox: kind of beautiful. She’s Shakespearean that way. You know, that’s like, I’m all in or I’m all out. Even though two seconds later you’re like, okay, let’s go back to carnal and Braves.

Téa Guarino: Yeah.

Jennifer Le Blanc: No, I love that.

Téa Guarino: It’s like I’m so disgusted. Then it’s like, tell me more. Actually, I’m interested in that.

Brendon Fox: Yeah. And I love that you’re able to, like, you’re sticking your one toe in it. You’re not full on, like, all right, I’m fully engaged. But just like. Like, you’re giving it the side eye.

Téa Guarino: Yeah, yeah.

Brendon Fox: I’m not. I’m not like, fully, but like, because I love that that’s just like a precursor to 16 year old Thomasina.

Jennifer Le Blanc: Yeah.

Brendon Fox: Rather than, okay, I’m all in. It’s like, that doesn’t track for me. Whereas just like, should I know more about this? No, no, I’m good. I’m good. You know, and, and again, just really quick, Jeff, I love the cheekiness. Just going back to like, you have to show me how on page six. If I knew how, there’d be no need to ask you. Keep you busy enough. There’s a. There’s. I love that you’re bringing this sense of almost mischievousness to him. Of like, no, this was meant to basically keep you. It’s busy work. And I like that you’re having fun with that and you’re not afraid to tell Thomasina back that, you know. the, Jamie, just a thought on page eight. what if we try next time? The. The. I’m teaching Jellyby. Beg your pardon, Mr. Hodge. Could we see what happens if he’s. If it’s a little more urgent and a little more like you’re bringing in that energy from Chador. If that makes sense. Like finding that balance of. I love that you’re giving him a sense of, like, pretty unruffled by things, but I. What if we let him be a little up the ruffle factor a little.

Chris Guilmet: Sure.

Brendon Fox: and, And so that way when Jeff gives you the gun room and you have that, I will tell him. So. Thank you, sir. It’s a little like the manager that just needs you to sign a triplicate for hr. Thank you. I’ll be gone. I’m out. Yeah. Sorry to take up your time. I’m out. Right.

Brendon Fox: And, Oh, and Téa, just. I’m starting to see this, but 8 to 9, I think that the moment you go from oh, goody on the rice pudding, I think that’s an opportunity for You. To, You know, I’m saying you. We can see her start to go from. Oh, my God. Right. I wanted to talk to him about rice pudding.

Téa Guarino: Yeah, right, right. Yes. I can make that more. I can make that more evident.

Geoffrey Wade: Wow.

Téa Guarino: Yes.

Brendon Fox: And then you’re sort of waiting for Septimus to take a breath, like, blah, blah, blah, Septimus. Okay, rice pudding. What’s the deal? Wtf. Yes. Right.

Téa Guarino: Exactly. Yeah. Fantastic. That’s what I was thinking.

Brendon Fox: the, And great on page nine, Jeff. I love the two of you with the Etonian again. That cheekiness I’m loving. Oh, Etonian. New Tonia, that sense of being chuffed by yourself I think is awesome. You know, it’s. It really is this sense of. Yeah, I’m pretty clever, you know, that. That. That, be careful, Téa. Of anticipating. It’s one of the only places I’m noticing you’re anticipating a little of that. Septimus, if everything can. From the furthest planet to the smallest out of our brain. You know where I see where I am. I feel like you’re already shutting it down. I know it’s hard because I’m sure Thomasina two words in is like. No, but I’m kind of watching you rather than listening to him.

Téa Guarino: Yeah.

Brendon Fox: So if you can hear him fully out, then veto.

Téa Guarino: Yeah. Let’s see if he really did crack the code. but no.

Brendon Fox: Yeah, no, that’s not it at all. Right. And. And then when he mentioned sin. I love that Stoppard gives us derisively. I think you can lean into. Ew. Religion.

Téa Guarino: Yeah. What does that have to do to me?

Brendon Fox: There’s something. A little glimpse of Thomasina the secularist that Jeff floats the. I don’t know. All right, so let’s jump to church. Oh, God. Like, he just opened up some bad dog food in the room.

Téa Guarino: Yeah. Let’s keep it scientific here.

Brendon Fox: Yes, let’s keep it scientific. Exactly.

Téa Guarino: Yeah, I hear that.

Brendon Fox: And beautiful Jeff, on the LA on page 10. That. That lovely. Like, really taking the time of watching the gears turn on the. Yes. Yes. Oh, my. Yeah. Wow. Okay. Like, you’re actively. I’m watching him try to process this new moment with her of you having no, tools for this. And I love tea. You giving yourself permission to each time you’re letting Thomasina take that moment in. In a variety of ways, you know, of. Like, thrilled to, scared to whatever is

00:55:00

Brendon Fox: there. That is. Oh, now I’ve stepped over the cliff edge.

Téa Guarino: Yes. You know, and what’s gonna happen now?

Brendon Fox: Right. And then there’s this beautiful moment I think the two of you have really highlighted of you deciding to take her to the next level of Hogwarts here. Jeff, of. Of saying, okay, well, I didn’t know when I was going to tell you this, but I’m going to tell you about the stuff in the margin, you know, and it’s like a little bit of that sense of. At this time. I. I love that I saw that Septimus is like, I’m gonna. I. I want. I want to share this with you and see what you think of this. And then I think the surprise when she laughs at it is. Is such a shock, you know, where you thought you were ushering her into the Masonic Temple here of, you know, more arcane stuff. And she’s just like, oh my God, it’s a prank. So even to the end of the scene, there’s still these. You both keep surprising each other. Jamie, on the Mr. Hodge at the top of the next scene is. I’m wondering, can you explore a little bit more of the. The shock and relief that he’s. That he’s, you know, alive and accounted for?

Chris Guilmet: Yes, very good. Yes.

Brendon Fox: and, and, and that way you both are like, oh, you’re like, yeah, I’m alive. Can you believe it? Like, I think, you know, that you both can be in that place, that shared place of still vibrating. Chris, I love that you’re bringing that sense of wow. Yeah, wow. Nature and being alive. And this is. You know, I hate how early it is, but it’s like you’re letting him spin like that is, is really lovely. It’s. It’s. And. And sharing that with, with Jelloby, it was, was, was really great. and, Jamie, to me, it’s another example of how these little micro moments are so important. You’re. When he says, lady Thomasina loves a rabbit pie on 71, you. You seem to. You gave this little smile and this little sound of satisfaction of like, okay, I approve, you know, of the rabbit pie before going on to the text, which I just love. I think it’s like, to me, it really helps that transition to see that, like, he did good by Thomasina. Do you both know what I mean? There?

Geoffrey Wade: Rabbit pie, I realize is mentioned.

Chris Guilmet: In the first scene.

Brendon Fox: M. Yes, I know. Isn’t that great?

Geoffrey Wade: Yeah.

Brendon Fox: I think the two of you found this time 7172. A lot more spilling the tea, a lot more of that gossip that the two of you were hungry for. And like, And I love Jamie, that you’re like, well, okay, if I must. You know, and, and Chris is like, yeah, go on, go on. You know, I’m eating it up. This is good. This is really good. It’s, it’s really, it’s an unexpected sort of connection that’s happening. And I would encourage you, Jamie, next time of like, what if you get more on a role of Mr. Chain or Captain Bryce drinking cherry brandy and another thing also. And then she swoops in and cuts you off.

Chris Guilmet: Very good.

Geoffrey Wade: Yes.

Brendon Fox: You know, I got four more things to add and you won’t believe. Oh, hello. Yeah, so it’s, it’s this interruptus, like coitus interruptus, except it’s narrative gossipus interrupt us. And now you both are like, oh my God, there she is.

Chris Guilmet: And the, the loud altercation is the cheater and lady croom, is it not?

Brendon Fox: Yeah, yeah, yeah, that’s what I think.

Chris Guilmet: Oh yeah, he’s about to tell us like, well, she said, oh, hi just.

Brendon Fox: When we were getting to the good stuff.

Chris Guilmet: Yeah, exactly.

Geoffrey Wade: I know. yeah.

Brendon Fox: Isn’t that great? That that’s what led me to think, Jamie, it’s like that if you’d be climaxing towards altercation and I can, I can quote you both of them. I didn’t think they knew these words, you know, and it’s like, and, and just when you were like so that way. Chris, I think that it’s. You’re still on tenterhooks when she comes in. Just be careful not to lose that sense of. Oh my gosh, now she’s here. But I’m still thinking about the altercation, you know what I mean? So it’s a, it’s like you’re trying to behave, but also like part of you wants to be like, I still want to know what. I want to. I want to jelly be to finish what he was going to say.

Chris Guilmet: Yeah.

Brendon Fox: and I think on 73, Chris, I cannot be called to account that moment written in private. I think you can go further with I’m sorry, I’m not guilty as charged.

Chris Guilmet: Okay.

Brendon Fox: Take the high road. Best defense is a good offense. You know, try to, try to put, try to push back. Like, I’m sorry, I’m going to play this card. You violated my privacy, honey. And then that way, Jen, you can come back

01:00:00

Brendon Fox: with except addressed to me. Right? Yeah, right. This is where we get those two lawyers in the courtroom locking horns. You know, be careful. Just Jen, with the what earthly uses of love Letter be up from beyond the grave. there’s a few times. Just be with some of those questions. I would encourage you to like make it even more real. It felt a little rhetorical. I think there’s some value in like I really, you know, really ask him that. And the. And lovely vulnerability Chris with the Shirley from this side of it and then pivoting to, you know, back to. Well, I’m not going to stay there too long. I’m going to go on to the second letter. the. A. Great Chris. The the witch. Oh, aren’t we saucy when our bags are packed was really nice the way you just leaned right in with like, she kind of fed that to you. I’m like, well, since you’re at. Since you mentioned them, will you. Are you going to give me the truth?

Chris Guilmet: that’s a very fun one word line.

Brendon Fox: Right. And I, I think Jen, in that moment, there’s that pit. There’s a choice there. Oh, aren’t we saucy when our bags are packed? I feel like there’s that moment there, that breath of. I’m not going to keep going there. you notice how she pivots from that to. Your friend has gone before you, but he’s still waiting for the answer to his question. So I just want. I’d like to see more of you choosing to be like, no, I’m going to talk about the easier stuff. and I love the passion and the energy you’re bringing to all that, Jen. The banishment and such. I would say also keep fighting with that. Mix those moments of when she wants to play God a little bit. When you want to take your foot off the gas, a little of like, so this is how I roll. Do you understand? Are you scared? Are you in awe of me? You know, there’s just the. Because I don’t want to lose that fire. But I also think there’s opportunities for her to, you know, just coast on her ah, awesomeness. I’m afraid I have no knowledge of what has occurred. Chris on 74. I think you can play up the innocent me. You can make m. Let that be more faux innocent. I’m sorry. I’m so lost. Yeah. Yeah. Because you, you, you do that in the next beat, which was so lovely of the. Oh, just go to my Mr. Chair. Oh, is that what’s happening? Blink, blink. You know, and, and I don’t know if this is right, Jen, but I want to ask you something. So when you get to that moment of who Else what is there value in considering a world in which she knows that he knows? Do you know what I mean? Like the. Who else is like there’s a. If there’s. Is there a moment of. Do you know what I mean? Like. That she doesn’t try so hard to lie. I don’t know what that would do. If that makes. If that would. That would work. But I just something to play with. Yeah. And I Love Jen on 74 and 75. You have these moments I’m noticing now where like lady croom at the bottom 74. I do not know if it’s proper for you to receive a letter written in my house that that makes use the reading but not the writing. I think there’s opportunities there for you to just like honestly not know. Do you know what I mean? Like, what should I think of this, Septimus? You know, is this. Is this a problem? I mean I know that she has opinions about it, but I’m wondering if like there’s. That she’s really debating it.

Jennifer Le Blanc: Okay.

Brendon Fox: Does that track so that like the. That may excuse the reading, but not the writing. It’s like. It’s like she wants to get in with him and spar about it. And I think Chris, that would help you go. God, you are an Athenian.

Brendon Fox: You really want to get into how many angels on the head of a pin? St. Augustine, the Athenians. You just. You want to just like what is the right thing? You know, should we read a letter? Should we not? Like it’s. It’s a. It’s that. That allows Jen moments where she really honestly doesn’t know. She knows a lot of things, but you know. Great. M. And just see. See if that’s a kind of vulnerability that. That leads them to new places. and just last thing was the That Last page on 76, Chris, where you were the unrelieved desire. I thought of my madness. I love the vulnerability

01:05:00

Brendon Fox: you’re. You’re. You’re giving that and the way that he is choosing to continue to unpack. Like. And I thought this and I felt that. And I’m not gonna stop until I say everything I was feeling know that’s that allowing all of that to come out and then just putting it on the table. I really got that sense this time. All bets are off. And now. Now what do you want to do with that? Sound good?

Chris Guilmet: Yep.

Brendon Fox: Cool. Can we take five and then we’ll. We’ll come back. So let’s let’s just go one into the other and, to, you know, state the obvious. let’s just hit the refresh button, see where it goes, and see what we discover each time.

Jennifer Le Blanc: Yay.

Téa Guarino: Let’s do it.

Chris Guilmet: Okay.

Geoffrey Wade: Okay. Anytime.

Téa Guarino: Septimus, what is carnal embrace?

Geoffrey Wade: Carnal embrace is the practice of throwing one’s arms around a side of beef.

Téa Guarino: Is that all?

Geoffrey Wade: No. Shoulder of mutton, haunch. Venison well hugged. An embrace of grouse caro carnis, feminine flesh.

Téa Guarino: Is it a sin?

Geoffrey Wade: Not necessarily, milady, but when carnal embrace is sinful, it is a sin of the flesh. QED we had Cairo in our garlic wars. The Britons live on milk and meat. Lacte et carne vivunt. I am sorry. The seed fell on stony ground.

Téa Guarino: That was the sin of Onan, wasn’t it, Septimus?

Geoffrey Wade: Yes. He was giving his brother’s wife a Latin lesson, and she was hardly the wiser after than before. I thought you were finding a proof for Fermat’s last theorem.

Téa Guarino: It is very difficult, Septimus. You will have to show me how.

Geoffrey Wade: Well, if I knew how, there would be no need to ask you. Fermat’s last theorem has kept people busy for 150 years. And I had hoped it would keep you busy long enough for me to read Mr. Chaytor’s poem in praise of love with only the distraction of its own absurdities.

Téa Guarino: Our Mr. M. Chaytor has written a poem?

Geoffrey Wade: He believes he’s written a poem, yes. I can see there might be more carnality in your algebra than in Mr. Chater’s couch of Eros.

Téa Guarino: Oh, it was not my algebra. I heard Jellyby telling cook that Mrs. M. Chaytor was discovered in carnal embrace in the gazebo.

Geoffrey Wade: Really? And, with whom did Jellyby happen to say?

Téa Guarino: What do you mean? With whom?

Geoffrey Wade: Yeah, with what. Exactly. So the idea is absurd. Where did the story come from?

Téa Guarino: Mr. Noakes. Mr. Noakes, Papa’s landscape gardener. He was taking bearings in the garden when he saw through his Mrs. Chaytor in the gazebo, in carnal embrace.

Geoffrey Wade: Do you mean to tell me Mr. Noaks told. Told the. And do you mean to tell me that Mr. Noaks told the butler?

Téa Guarino: No, Mr. Noaks told Mr. Chater. Jellyby was told by the groom who overheard Mr. Noaks telling Mr. Chater in the stable yard.

Geoffrey Wade: Mr. Chater being engaged in closing the stable door.

Téa Guarino: What do you mean, Septimus?

Geoffrey Wade: so, thus far, the only people who know about this are Mr. Noakes, the landscape architect, the groom, the butler, the cook, and, of course, Mrs. Chaytor’s husband, the poet.

Téa Guarino: And Arthur, who was cleaning the silver. And the poop boy. And now you, of course.

Geoffrey Wade: what else did he say?

Téa Guarino: Mr. Noakes?

Geoffrey Wade: No, not Mr. Noakes. Jellyby. You heard Jellyby telling the cook?

Téa Guarino: cook hushed him out almost as soon as he started. Jellyby did not see that I was being allowed to finish yesterday’s upstairs rabbit pie before I came to my lesson. I think you’ve not been candid with me, Septimus. A, gazebo is not, after all, a meat larder.

Geoffrey Wade: I, never said my definition was complete.

Téa Guarino: Is carnal embrace kissing?

Geoffrey Wade: Yes.

Téa Guarino: And throwing one’s arms around Mrs. M. Chaytor?

Geoffrey Wade: Yes. Now, Fermat’s last theorem.

Téa Guarino: I thought as much. I hope you are ashamed.

Chris Guilmet: I.

Téa Guarino: My lady, if you do not teach me the true meaning of things, who will?

Nathan Agin: Ah.

Geoffrey Wade: yes, I am ashamed. Carnal embrace is sexual congress, which is the insertion of the male genital organ into the female genital organ for purposes of procreation and pleasure. Fermat’s last theorem, by contrast, asserts that when X, Y and Z are whole numbers raised to the power of N, the sum of the first two can never equal the third when N is greater than 2.

Brendon Fox: Ah.

Geoffrey Wade: Nevertheless, that is the theorem.

Téa Guarino: It is disgusting and incomprehensible. Now, when I’m grown to practice it myself, I shall never do so without thinking of you.

Geoffrey Wade: Thank you very much, milady. Was Mrs. M. Chaytor down this morning?

Téa Guarino: No. Tell me more about sexual congress.

Geoffrey Wade: There’s nothing more to be said about sexual congress.

Téa Guarino: Is it the same as love?

Geoffrey Wade: no. No, it is, much nicer than that. Oh, I’m. I’m teaching Jellyby.

Chris Guilmet: I Beg your pardon, Mr. Hodge. Mr. Chad said it was urgent that you receive his letter.

Geoffrey Wade: Oh, very well. Thank you. Thank you.

Chris Guilmet: Mr. Chaytor asked me to bring him your answer.

Geoffrey Wade: My answer?

Geoffrey Wade: Well, my answer is that as is my custom and is my duty to his lordship, I am engaged until a quarter to 12 in educating his daughter. When I’m done, and if Mr. Chater is still there, I will be happy to wait upon him in, the gun room.

Chris Guilmet: I will tell him so. Thank you, sir.

Téa Guarino: What is for dinner, Jellyby?

Chris Guilmet: A, boiled ham and cabbage, milady, and rice pudding.

Téa Guarino: Oh, goody.

Geoffrey Wade: Well, for Mr. Noakes, he puts himself forward as a gentleman, a philosopher of the picturesque, a visionary who can move mountains and make lakes. But in the scheme of things, in this garden, he is the serpent.

Téa Guarino: When you stir. your rice pudding, Septimus, the spoonful of jam spreads itself round, making red trails like the picture of a meteor in my astronomical atlas. But if you stir backward, the jam will not come together again. Indeed, the pudding does not notice and continues to turn pink, just as before. Do you not think this is odd?

Geoffrey Wade: No.

Téa Guarino: Well, I do. You cannot stir things apart no more.

Geoffrey Wade: You, no more you can. Time must needs run backward. And since it will not, we must stir our way onward, mixing as we go, disorder out of disorder, into disorder, until pink is complete, unchanging and unchangeable, and we are done with it forever. This is known as free will or self determination.

Brendon Fox: Ah.

Geoffrey Wade: sit.

Téa Guarino: Septimus, do you think God is an Etonian?

Geoffrey Wade: An Etonian? Almost certainly. I’m afraid we must ask your brother to make it his first inquiry.

Téa Guarino: No, Septimus. A Newtonian. Septimus, am I the first person to have thought of this?

Geoffrey Wade: No.

Téa Guarino: I have not said yet.

Geoffrey Wade: If everything from the furthest planet to the smallest atom of our brain acts according to Newton. According to Newton’s law of motion, what becomes of free will?

Téa Guarino: No.

Geoffrey Wade: God’s will?

Téa Guarino: No.

Geoffrey Wade: Sin?

Téa Guarino: No.

Geoffrey Wade: Very well.

Téa Guarino: If you could stop every atom in its position and direction, and if your mind could comprehend all the actions thus suspended, then if you were really, really good at algebra, you could write the formula for all the future. And although nobody can be so clever as to do it, the formula must exist just as if one could.

Geoffrey Wade: Yes. Yes. As far as I know, you are the first person who thought of this. In the margin of his copy of Arithmetica, Femart wrote that he had discovered a wonderful proof of his theorem. But the margin being too narrow for his purpose, he

01:15:00

Geoffrey Wade: did not have room to write it down. this note was found after his death, and from that day to this.

Téa Guarino: Oh, I see now. The answer is perfectly obvious.

Geoffrey Wade: This time you may have overreached yourself.

Brendon Fox: Nice. Lovely. That was great. Let’s. Let’s jump to the next.

Chris Guilmet: Mr. Hobbs.

Jennifer Le Blanc: Yes.

Chris Guilmet: Thank you, Jellyby. I was expecting to be locked out. What time is it? Half past five. That is what I have. Well, what a bracing experience. the dawn, you know. Unexpectedly lively. Fishes, birds, frogs, rabbits. And very beautiful. If only it did not occur so early in the day. I have brought Lady Thomasina a rabbit. Will you take it? It’s dead. Yes. Lady Thomasina loves a rabbit pie. Oh, you were missed, Mr. M. Hodge. I decided to sleep. Last night in the boathouse, did I see a, carriage leaving the park? Captain Bryce’s carriage, with Mr. Chaytor and Mrs. Chaytor, also gone? Yes, sir. And, ah, Lord Byron’s horse was brought round at 4 o’clock. Lord Byron too? Yes, sir. the house has been up, and hopping. But I have his rabbit pistols. What am I to do with his rabbit pistols? you were looked for in your room. By whom? By her Ladyship. In my room? I will tell her Ladyship you are returned. Jellyby, did Lord Byron leave a book for me? A book? He had the loan of a book from me. M. His lordship left nothing in his room, sir. Not a coin. Oh, well, I’m sure he would have left a coin if he’d had one. Gallery. Here’s half a guinea for you. Thank you very much, sir. what has occurred? The servants are told nothing. Come. does a half guinea buy nothing anymore?

Chris Guilmet: Her ladyship encountered Mr. Chitter during the night. Where? On the threshold of Lord Byron’s room.

Brendon Fox: Ah.

Chris Guilmet: which one was leaving and which entering? Mrs. Chaytor was leaving Miss. Lord Byron’s room. And where was Mr. M. Chaytor? No, Mr. Chaytor and Captain Bryce were drinking cherry brandy. They had the footman to keep the.

Brendon Fox: Fire up until 3 o’clock.

Chris Guilmet: There was a loud altercation upstairs and we.

Jennifer Le Blanc: Mr. Hodge.

Chris Guilmet: My lady.

Jennifer Le Blanc: All this to shoot a hare?

Chris Guilmet: Rabbit? No, indeed. A, hare, though. Very rabbit. Like.

Jennifer Le Blanc: My infusion?

Chris Guilmet: Yes, milady.

Jennifer Le Blanc: How dare you.

Chris Guilmet: I cannot be called to account for what was written in private and read without regard Friday in my room in the event of my death.

Jennifer Le Blanc: Earthly, use is a love letter from beyond the grave.

Chris Guilmet: As much, surely, as from this side of it. The second letter, huh? As to your ladyship, I have a.

Jennifer Le Blanc: Mother’S right to open a letter addressed by you to my daughter, whether, in the event of your life, your death or your imbecility. What do you mean by rising dare of rice pudding when she has just suffered the shock of a violent death in our midst?

Chris Guilmet: Whose death?

Jennifer Le Blanc: Yours, you wretch.

Chris Guilmet: yes, I see.

Jennifer Le Blanc: I do not know which is the matter of your ravings. One envelope full of rice pudding and the other full of the most insolent familiarities regarding several parts of my body. But have no doubt which is the more intolerable to me.

Chris Guilmet: Which.

Jennifer Le Blanc: Aren’t we saucy when our, bags are packed? Well, your friend has gone before you and. And I have dispatched the harlot, Chater and her husband, and also my brother for bringing them here. Such is the sentence, you see, for choosing unwisely in your acquaintance, banishment. Lord Byron is Rick and a hypocrite. And the sooner he sails for the Levant, the sooner he will be in. He will find society congenial to his character.

Chris Guilmet: It has been a night of reckoning indeed.

Jennifer Le Blanc: I wish it had passed uneventfully. With you and Mr. Tater shooting each other with the decorum due to a civilized house. You have no secrets left, Mr. Hodge. They spilled out between the shrieks and oaths and tears. It is fortunate that my husband that a lifetime’s devotion to the sporting gun has halved my husband’s hearing to the ear. He sleeps on.

Chris Guilmet: I’m afraid I have no knowledge of what has occurred.

Jennifer Le Blanc: Your trollop was discovered in Lord Byron’s room.

Chris Guilmet: Ah. Discovered by Mr. Chater.

Jennifer Le Blanc: Who else?

Chris Guilmet: I am very sorry, madam, for, having used your kindness to bring my unworthy friend to your notice. He will have to give an account of himself to me, you may be sure.

Brendon Fox: Oh,

Jennifer Le Blanc: I will do it.

Chris Guilmet: Yes, my lady? Lord Byron left a letter for you with the valet, sir. thank you.

Jennifer Le Blanc: Hm. When did he do so?

Chris Guilmet: As he was leaving, your ladyship. allow me.

Jennifer Le Blanc: I do not know if it is proper for you to receive a letter written in my house from someone not welcome in it.

Chris Guilmet: Very improper, I agree. Lord Byron’s want of delicacy is a grief to his friends, among whom I no longer count myself. I will not read his letter until I have followed him through the gates.

Jennifer Le Blanc: that may excuse the reading, but not the writing.

Chris Guilmet: Your ladyship should have lived in the Athens of Pericles. The philosophers would have fought the sculptors for your idle hour. Really? Oh.

Jennifer Le Blanc: Really? Oh, really.

Chris Guilmet: Now there’s a thing. A letter from Lord Byron. Never to be read by a living soul.

Chris Guilmet: I will take my leave, madam, at the time of your desiring it to the Indies. The Indies? Why?

Jennifer Le Blanc: To follow the cheater, of course. She did not tell you.

Chris Guilmet: She did not exchange half a dozen words with me.

Jennifer Le Blanc: I expect she did not like to waste the time. The Chater sails with Captain Bryce.

Chris Guilmet: as a member of the crew?

Jennifer Le Blanc: No, as wife to Mr. Chaytor, plant gatherer to my brother’s expedition.

Chris Guilmet: I knew he was no poet. I did not know it was botany. Under the false colors there’s no more.

Jennifer Le Blanc: A botanist. My brother paid £50 to have him published. And pay 14050 to have Mr. Chaser picking flies for a year while his wife plays mistress of the captain’s quarters. Captain Bryce has fixed his passions on Mrs. Cher and to take her on the voyage. He’s not scrupled to deceive the Admiralty, the Linean Society, and Sir Joseph Banks, botanist to his Majesty at Kew.

Chris Guilmet: Her passion is not as fixed as his.

Jennifer Le Blanc: It is a defect of God’s humor that he directs our hearts everywhere but to those that have a right to them.

Chris Guilmet: Indeed, madam.

Chris Guilmet: But is Mr. Chater deceived?

01:25:00

Jennifer Le Blanc: He insists on it and finds the proof of his wife’s virtue and his eagerness to defend it. Captain Bryce is not deceived, but cannot help himself. He would die for her.

Chris Guilmet: I think, my lady, he would have Mr. Chaytor die for her.

Jennifer Le Blanc: Indeed. I never knew a woman worth a deal, a duel, or the other way. About your letter to me goes very ill with your conduct to Mrs. Chor, Mr. H. I have had experience of being betrayed before the ink is dry, but not to be betrayed before the pen is even dipped. And with the, village notice bought. What am I to think of such.

Chris Guilmet: A performance, My lady? I was alone with my thoughts in the gazebo when Mrs. Chater ran me to ground. And I, being in such a passion, in an agony of unrelieved desire. Oh, I thought in my madness that the chaitor, with her skirts over her head, would give me the momentary illusion of the happiness to which I had dared not put a face.

Jennifer Le Blanc: I do not know when I have.

Brendon Fox: Received more.

Jennifer Le Blanc: Unusual compliment, Mr. Hodge. I hope I am more than a match for Mrs. Chaytor with her head in a bucket. Does she wear drawers?

Brendon Fox: She does.

Jennifer Le Blanc: Guess I have heard that drawers are being worn now. It is unnatural for women to be. To go about and got up like jockeys. Cannot approve. I know nothing of Heracles or the Athenian philosophers. I can spare them an hour in my sitting room when I have bathed. 7 o’clock. Bring a book.

Brendon Fox: Lovely. Great work, everybody. I could listen to you all, all day. This is so. This is so lovely. Oh, my gosh. Great job. Nathan, did you, did you have some questions for the group?

Nathan Agin: Yes, yes, I did. And, I, I. I really echo your sentiments, Brendan. You know, I. What I really enjoyed about this, both of the passes through the scenes, is just seeing the, the real fun the actors are having, with the scene that, that. It’s just, you know, and not to take anything away from the first real week, of you guys reading the scene. And it was. It was a lot of fun. It was enjoyable. But just to see, you know, how much it has grown and how much depth, you’re all bringing to it.

Brendon Fox: But.

Nathan Agin: But just literally, when you. When you see the performers having a lot of fun with this, even through all the different levels, it’s not like you’re constantly, always making jokes with each other, but you’re just. You’re just having a lot of fun with it. And it’s really. To see that arc. I was reminded I heard, Billy Crudup talk in an interview.

Brendon Fox: He did.

Nathan Agin: He did the New York premiere of this. I can’t remember. I think maybe he had auditioned for it, but just. It didn’t work out or didn’t, you know, couldn’t get in to read. And he was working with, I think, the actress playing Thomasina. And, he was. He was her reader. He was working on the scene with her, and he worked and worked and worked on it, and then auditions opened up again, and he was. He was able to get a spot, and it was just like, well, yeah, I mean, I’ve been working on this for weeks, for hours. So it just kind of, I think, emphasizes. And, recent.

Chris Guilmet: What.

Nathan Agin: We’ve been talking a lot about it. Just when you take your time, just all the different things you can find in it. And of course, he had the leisure of not really stressing about it when he was working on it, so hopefully that kind of carries over to this format too, is that you’re not really worried about, like, oh, geez, you know, people are coming to see. We’re just working on it. That, But all that being said, yes, I do have some questions. And actually, Brendan, I remember last week, you had kind of, tossed, out the idea of, you know, wondering what people might take away from this kind of experience or working in this way or unpacking things. and so I just kind of open it

01:30:00

Nathan Agin: up right there. If anyone has any specific, response to that, of, you know, how this might have differed from other rehearsal processes you’ve gone through and things that you really gravitated toward, or enjoyed about this, that you are, you know, excited to bring into the rest of your work or other productions. So I’ll just kind of open it up to the floor. Not all at once.

Téa Guarino: I can go.

Brendon Fox: Go.

Téa Guarino: I, I think that as, like, a. As a working actor, like, just kind of getting into the. The mix of things, like, right out of school, you. You kind of put pressure on everything at first, and you kind of forget the artistry of it and, like, being in a room full of people just working on something to get better at it rather than it being, being a final product. So I think working in this way and giving it room to breathe every single week and just working on it for these two hours and being like, okay, I can, I’ll, I’ll forget about that and let it come back in these next two hours and knowing that nothing is going to be lost in that time. It’s just going to be able to build more on the work that we’ve been doing and like to be with people that obviously know what they’re talking about and are smart and are, and have like super great ideas to bounce off of is a plus. But I think for me personally this is a great reminder, especially like going into the new year of just to, you know, let things go, let things be and do it for the fun of it and for ah, the play. And I think that that’s what this process really brought for me. So I had a fantastic time.

Nathan Agin: Yeah, I’m thrilled to hear that. And I want to quickly say, you know, we were all young 20 year old actors or thereabouts at one time and for me, you know, confidence is always a big thing. Like you just want to make sure like you’re feeling like, can I do this? You know, can I hang with these people? And I just want to say, Téa, ah, the way you threw yourself into Thomasina and the courage you had to just really go for it was just so fun to watch and so exciting and so I, I just, I, I, I think you must have some self confidence to, to be willing to throw yourself out there like that. But I, I just want to kind of ah, echo that, that, that it really, really was enjoyable. So you know, you, you were, you were as much a part of this group as, as anyone else. So, so you know, even if you’re feeling like you’re still getting started, yeah, it was, it was really beautiful to watch. So you know, kudos to you for, for you know, doing all of that.

Téa Guarino: Thank you.

Nathan Agin: You’re m welcome. Anyone, else wanted to share ideas, or things that they took away from this process? And if not, I have other questions.

Geoffrey Wade: It’s okay, I’ll just, I’ll just add, since nobody’s talking, I’ll add one thing real quickly. And Tayo reminded me of, it’s, it’s so rare that you get it. you get these big breaks between, between working on something. Only a couple of times in, in my career have I had a, something happen where I did a production of something and then did the same production, you know, not, it was, you know, a restaging of the same production, and it was like a, like a year later. And I think it’s happened twice now, with, you know, it’s the same people. It was a different place, but essentially the same people. And, and I could tell the, the first day of the pickup rehearsals, it was just automatically better. Like, you know, wine or cheese or anything. Just, Just by sitting somehow, you know, in our minds, that without working on it every day or, and intensely, which also, it’s just this weird side benefit that you can’t engineer. It just, It’s a little side benefit of this particular form, that you’ve developed. Nathan, these, these long breaks between. I mean, I, I, I would look, I’d look over the thing a little bit, but I didn’t sure wasn’t spending every day on it. In the, in between time. It’s just a, an interesting phenomenon that happens.

Nathan Agin: Well, it’s that, yeah, it’s, it’s like the, the shower moments where things just. You have the time for things to drop in. You’re like, oh, okay, yeah, that’s what.

Geoffrey Wade: They’Re talking about or remembering someone’s name, you know, 10 minutes after you see them. you know, when you’re reaching for the canopies, it is an odd phenomenon, and it sort of can’t. You can’t engineer it. But as Teo, if you just sort of trust it and, and do get up and walk around, you know, walk the damn dog. Who’s quiet now? You’re quiet now, aren’t you? Stupid dog. Anyway, that’s all I’m done. Ask some questions.

Nathan Agin: He’s retortus.

Geoffrey Wade: Yes.

Nathan Agin: Sit. well, anyone can jump.

01:35:00

Nathan Agin: Yes, please, please, please.

Brendon Fox: So I was thinking about over the course of the four weeks we started the first week, talking a little bit about table work and why table work was valuable. And it’s interesting to reflect back on that.

Téa Guarino: This is my little, like my academic.

Brendon Fox: Brain and sort of scholar practitioner side. But the time that we spent really looking not just closely, but slowly.

Téa Guarino: There’s a lot of value in slow work.

Brendon Fox: Right.

Téa Guarino: Closely and slowly and sort of,

Brendon Fox: Preparing that ground, planting the seeds, and to see the payoff that happens in, in week four, in both the first read of the scenes and the second read of the scenes. But that, that time to pull apart those lines and the generosity everybody had with each other, sort of discovering, playing, asking questions.

Téa Guarino: It’s.

Brendon Fox: It’s like you then turn away and you know, if you’ve ever had a friend who has a puppy or a kitten and you don’t see it for eight weeks and you turn back and you’re like, oh, my gosh, you’ve grown.

Téa Guarino: that was fun tonight to see that.

Brendon Fox: The flowering of the work that happened four weeks ago.

Nathan Agin: Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. and, Brendan, I do want to ask, you a question about this play, but I also want to highlight, This is not to say that other directors don’t do this, but, what I. What I noticed tonight, and if I go back through the other sessions, I’m sure I’ll see it there is just how encouraging you seem to be with the actors. as you’re kind of talking through things or offering suggestions or notes. and, I observe that as what seems to be a really helpful quality and something that really creates a, ah, nice sense of collaboration and an open forum for everybody. I don’t know if any of the actors want to speak to that specifically, but, that just seemed like a really great, skill that you. You probably developed and honed as, a way to, you know, just, allow the free flow of ideas and not. Not have anyone feel shut down about, oh, I know I made the wrong choice there. He doesn’t like that. You know, I don’t know if you want to speak about that, Brendan, a little bit at all.

Brendon Fox: Well, I really appreciate that, Nathan, that you observe that. That means a lot because I think that is part of my DNA now. I hope that. I mean, I had. I feel very lucky. I have to. I have to shine a light on two mentors of mine, Jack O’Brien and Frankelotti. Both of whom, had every day brought joy and loved love, actors, artists and, lived for every moment. And I think that I tend to gravitate towards challenging texts. And I think it’s worth acknowledging this stuff is hard. And when people get up on the tightrope or on the trapeze, like, half of as directing is coaching and empowering in chief and say yes, and more of that. And also maybe this, but also just yet. Amazing. Yes, keep going. I mean, that is. I find myself in rehearsal half the time. All I’m saying is. Yes, more. How about more of that? Like, maybe there’s even more. and I don’t know where that will go, but I think that’s a lot of it is for me just continuing to help people get in the deep end. And part of that is, encouragement and hopefully being Specific about encouragement. That’s what I saw with my mentors, too, was a lot of directors I assisted was. The specificity is helpful, I find for actors. Not just like, good job, you know, it’s not Instagram or something like, I’m hiding you. But, it’s like, but what can they use from that? Or are we on the beam or. Or where are we going? you know, as we’re all trying to figure it out together.

Geoffrey Wade: Right.

Nathan Agin: And. And, well, and. And that specifically, you know, to be. To be nimble and flexible enough to not necessarily have decided what you want it to be or what you think it is going to be to, you know, to allow the actors choices to inform, you know, not to say, well, no, I don’t. You know, I’ve already decided. I want it like this and to just be open to that. I think, you know, there’s a lot of trust on both sides, obviously, but you’re just. Your openness, to the discovery of the process of what, you know, what the scene will be, I think speaks to, you know, your ability to do that. as I was saying so well.

Brendon Fox: And also, what’s the fun in that, right? If it’s like, no, I’m sorry, Chris, that’s not Septimus. It’s like, who am I to say that? Like, thank you for playing. I think it’s all, ah, an experiment. So I think, that to me is like, we’re all trying to solve for X. But, to me, just really quick, I would also add in terms of. It’s a lot of about casting. I mean, whether it’s casting for this or casting for a full production, you’re already, if you choose your actors, you kind of are already to some degree starting the work and you’re having a sense of, okay, here’s who they are as people, as artists,

01:40:00

Brendon Fox: here’s what I suspect they might bring to the table. And then we’re already ready to play, you know, So I just. I think that’s also worth noting too, is we don’t always talk about that, but, like, sure. That choice of if we’re gonna go with this person for Lady Crim over this person, well, then that’s already a certain something that’s coming into the room.

Geoffrey Wade: Right.

Nathan Agin: And it speaks to what we’ve kind of been talking about a lot of the confidence and trust in yourself and in others that, you know, I don’t need to have this all decided. I don’t need to pretend like I know all the answers. as you guys have been discussing through the weeks. Brendan, you know, could you share a little bit about. You may have talked about it the first week, but, you know, what. What specifically drew you to these scenes or what you were hoping to, you know, maybe, unpack or unlock about maybe the character of Septimus or. Or any of the characters that. That you, you know, you wanted to explore more.

Brendon Fox: Well, I think it was exciting. Yeah. I think to me, the both these scenes revolt, have this character of Septimus, and all these characters are kind of spokes of the wheel around him. And I think what was also exciting. We know and I were putting this together. Nathan was the idea of having. And I don’t think I’ve ever done this with all of the versions of this I’ve done with you. Nathan is having two Septimi, right. And so we were not only exploring the play, but we were actually having a binocular view of Septimus. that didn’t. That didn’t have to have two actors playing the same scene, but these scenes were different. you know, these characters are so complicated. They contain multitudes. And so I think what was exciting to me tonight was also just watching and loving what Jeff was bringing to Septimus and what Chris is bringing and that. That. That. This. It’s like pointillism, right? They were bringing some red, some blue, some green, and the mosaic of Septimus and then everyone is bouncing off of them. That was really exciting to me. And I think these scenes we kept. Right, folks, we kept discovering, oh, there’s rabbits, there’s. There’s love, there’s lust, there’s a sense of distance. Discoveries in both. I think so I knew that they would echo each other and they would compliment each other. I don’t think I had any idea to what degree they were forming this kind of ouroboros with each other and that we just kept going. Oh, my God. And I really appreciate the time everyone was giving to each other’s scenes. So I do want to mention that as well, that it’s a real tribute to all of you that I loved how you were also, over the last few weeks, offering thoughts on what you saw in the other scenes as opposed to, well, I’ll peace out till 9:00, you know, or I’ll just be here, which we could do. But I think it just allowed everyone to be there together and to share what you saw. Not just what I saw or what Kate saw. And I think that. So I want to thank everyone for that, but I think this was a fun, again, a fun experiment. And I think there was a link I knew with watching him and Septimus, you know, having this sort of really deep relationship with Thomasina and this burgeoning relationship with Lady Croom and how that mother, daughter affects him.

Brendon Fox: I think those were some of the big, big thoughts initially, you know, and then, yeah, sort of we, we bungee jumped from there.

Nathan Agin: Yeah, no, it was, it was, it was a lot of fun putting this together. And yes, I, I think it was really great. At least what I observed it seemed, you know, because when you’re double cast and you’re both playing the same scene, you know, you’re still kind of subjectively looking at things. But I would guess, or it seemed like because of their willingness, to contribute, you know, Jeff and Chris had a bit of objectivity, subjectivity and objectivity about Septimus because they were watching a scene that they’re. It’s the same character. But I’m not in that scene, I’m not playing that. So I can, I can look at it differently and I can, I can just. It’s the, the phenomenon of when you’re in acting class, you can’t think of nearly as many things when you’re doing your scene as when you’re in the audience watching and you’re like, yeah, isn’t that obvious? How did you not, how did you miss that? so it’s, I think it was a lot of fun to observe and I think you bring up a great point, you know. You know, even if you’ve done table work, in a production, there can be kind of a feeling of like, well, these people are in this scene, so they’re going to talk about this scene. And it may not necessarily feel like it’s open up to the whole group to weigh in of like, well, I had this question about this character, what about this? And so I think that’s one of the things I’ve always loved and I’ve never had to instruct the group that, you know, it’s, it’s not a top down format. This is very open, collaborative, process. So yeah, no, it was really, it was really exciting. I, I completely agree because I, you just wonder like, are people going to disappear for an hour? But it was really wonderful to see just everybody be part of this. And even if they didn’t have a lot to add, they were still listening and observing and watching. So I think that that just adds to the ensemble feel of it.

Brendon Fox: So, if I May, Nathan, really quick, can I ask a question of the group? Is that, is that, along these lines, I just have to say, and I don’t always see this. Like,

01:45:00

Brendon Fox: what I was also observing was can you, any of you speak to. You all got so comfortable with each other pretty quickly. And yes, we’re on Zoom and we’re not literally in the room, but I really felt like I sensed you were all there for each other. You were all laughing at each other’s work, watching each other’s scenes. Can you talk for a second about what is that like? You know, either definitely in a virtual or even in the room. I’m kind of always fascinated with all the shows I do of what is going on in those first few days as a cast sort of checks each other out and tries to. Begins the bonding, I guess. And I. In an ideal world, I mean, I feel like that we had a version of that here. I don’t feel like that’s too out there to say, what was, what was that like for you with this? As you were. Some of you knew each other, some of you didn’t, but I felt like we did create a little bit of a group here. Any, any thoughts on that? How or, or how do you approach that? You know, whether it’s this format or another one.

Chris Guilmet: I think, obviously I can only speak for me. Right. But, I, I love this art form. and I love and appreciate what other actors bring to what they’re doing. And it’s such a joy for me to watch other actors, to watch good actors do their thing that it’s super easy to be like, that’s amazing. just tonight, instead of following along with the script, I thought, oh, I should probably should watch what they’re doing scene. And when Jeffrey was, was going through the. Well, okay, this is actually what a carnal embrace is. It’s the watching Tay’s face the first time through, it’s just like the growing horror. What was happening was just like. I loved it so much. it’s just, it’s like, it’s. It’s one of the, One of the things I love about, about this art form is getting to work with other actors. So just the, the process itself is a, is a joint. Yeah.

Geoffrey Wade: I mean, that may be it. It may be a sort of self selecting group. I mean, if you don’t enjoy this, you’re not gonna, you’re not gonna, you’re not gonna do it, but it is, it’s. It’s a It’s a wonderful format. You know, I got flip flops on. You don’t have to drive someplace. And so it’s very, it’s very comfortable and all that. I, I just want to say, two things real quick. First of all, I didn’t, I did watch. You know, I was watching the scenes, although I was off camera. I was really tickled by Jamie. Your, Your, What? Jellyby. By jellyby. That time. I don’t know. That was something. It was so funny about it. You got so conspiratorial. It was just absolutely one. I mean, everybody’s wonderful all the time, but you really got me that time. And the other thing I have to say is I love working with Brendan, because you have the most, you have the widest selection of imagery I’ve ever heard from a director, and I know you like to use it. I remember being in class, sometimes we don’t sort of have you stop talking so people could work because. But it’s all fascinating. My favorite tonight was blowing Glass. It’s like, blowing glass. What the hell does that mean? And, you know, the short flashlight and all this stuff, it’s great. So I just, I really enjoy working with Brendan.

Brendon Fox: Part of the fun is just getting Jeff to go. What? You know, it’s like a road. When you hit the bumps in the road and you’re like, yeah, that one.

Geoffrey Wade: That one, too. Ah, all those things. I mean, where do you come up? I, you know, it’s really wonderful.

Nathan Agin: Okay, well, I, I, I don’t want to shortchange anyone else. Is there anyone else wants to speak to Brennan’s question or any other points that came up?

Jennifer Le Blanc: Oh, well, yeah, I just throw out. It’s, it’s really a joy. I’m very grateful. Thank you. For this opportunity. it’s really a joy when you get to, like, excavate really deep text. I’m just like, wait, there’s another layer. Okay, there’s another one. I’m gonna, you know, and stopward has, like, all of those layers, so that’s fun. But also when you’re working with a group of people who are also curious and, like, you can tell when the folks, to Brendan’s point, when the folks who come together are all like, yeah, let’s play. Then you get excited to go, like, okay, I brought some toys.

Téa Guarino: Let’s play.

Jennifer Le Blanc: What you bring, you know, is. It’s really fun. And so the conversation we were having about, Brendan’s positivity in the way you direct, like, It’s. I find as an actor it’s so useful both to know what is working and what isn’t working.

01:50:00

Jennifer Le Blanc: And sometimes directors focus on what isn’t working, which is often what you need to do. But sometimes just knowing like, oh, yes, go that way, then you go, great, thanks. I don’t need to worry about those questions anymore. I can focus on these ones. And also when someone is as, generous and kind as Brendan is when directing, I’m not afraid to try my silly idea. Like sometimes when I’m at home working on something, I’ll be like, I have this silly idea. Is it too silly? What dumb? maybe I shouldn’t try it. But if you have a director who, when you try something is going to go like, either, like, yeah, that was weird, but go for it. Or or like, not that, but thanks for trying it. You are more willing to try the funny thing or like the funny idea that you’ve got percolating in your head if you know that it’s going to be met with kindness.

Brendon Fox: Yeah. I do find, Jen really quick that like when that happens and people jump in the deep end, that if there’s a. And everyone kind of by the, and out of the corner of the eye, look at the director like that, can we do that? Is that, can we all jump there? And like. And if you sort of go, yeah, what Jen’s doing, let’s just like, why not? Right? There’s no value judgment. Then it. I do find that more people are like ready to go, you know, and try the silly stuff because what do you got to lose, right? But it does, it’s not only that it takes the people ready to dive in and take a big swing, but it’s also about like, let. Letting everyone else go in there too. And I, you know something? I hadn’t thought of that. I love that image, you said, Jen, of like the work. Sometimes the directors don’t think of the work. The actors doing at home, trying stuff out, auditioning themselves on X or Y ideas, and then what you choose to actually share in rehearsal, that’s a whole part that directors have no clue that goes on right. The moment it’s like the Truman show, the moment the rehearsal is done, I have no idea what, what’s going on with the actors world, but then they come in with new ideas and so obviously things are happening, percolating, but it does carry over. Thank you for that anymore.

Geoffrey Wade: You know, it’s like

Chris Guilmet: Group of people in a production.

Geoffrey Wade: The joy of the exploration and the process means more than anything, you know,

Chris Guilmet: That’S.

Geoffrey Wade: That’s what I feel with this group. But it’s also a little bit like.

Chris Guilmet: a dog on a leash. Because I like to be in the room.

Geoffrey Wade: You know, I’d actually like to be in the room working on it.

Chris Guilmet: And the physicality of it, that’s the.

Geoffrey Wade: One thing you can’t really do on zoom. And the text is great and. And it is, you know, very satisfying.

Chris Guilmet: but, you know, then there’s the physicality of how, you know, you know, there’s a.

Geoffrey Wade: There’s a longing to want to, you know, you know, be in the room with you guys, you know, so,

Chris Guilmet: Which I hope that happens at some point. I was just going to share. This is completely off topic, but I wanted to share this with you. I’ve got. I’m going to a dinner party and I’m going to have to sign off.

Geoffrey Wade: But, last night I, saw two Ionesco plays. Ah, they were readings, ah, of Bald Soprano and the Lesson. And I gotta tell you, in the.

Chris Guilmet: Present circumstances, which we’re living in, absurdist theater really has a resonance. it really, really does. and I, I encourage everybody to.

Geoffrey Wade: Sort of take a look at it and, maybe Nathan to explore.

Chris Guilmet: That, you know, because, I mean, it really was like suddenly, like a revelation, in this absurd world that we’re living in, in this country right now. So. Just wanted to share that with you all.

Nathan Agin: Well, thank you, Jamie. I appreciate you, yeah, putting that out there. And it’s, It’s very heartwarming to hear, everybody’s experiences, and their joys and how much they’re enjoying, this process. And because, you know, that’s why any of us do anything creative. We’re hoping that other people will enjoy this thing that we. We put out there. So, yes, it’s. It’s just been wonderful. you may hear a very happy baby in the background for me. I will absolutely take that over the alternative. So, there may be a little bit of noise back there. and, that’s probably me needing to get off pretty soon too. but, I just want to kind of wrap things up here. Again, thank you all so much, for your work this month and, for all your dedication and effort. I’ll mention again for people tuning in, we’re doing King Lear next month with Randall Dukem and Annie Okio Grosso. It’s a play they’ve probably been looking at for most of their professional lives. And Randy is finally the kind of right age to be playing Lear, and he’s just brilliant. So, you’re in for a treat if you check those sessions out. and, yeah, come on back. We’ll be doing more. Who knows? Maybe we can find a venue to do Arcadia somewhere.

01:55:00

Nathan Agin: You know, Wouldn’t that be fun? and, yes. I’ve just been, really, really thrilled. Thank you again, Brendan, for your, desire to, you know, do something and then work with me to put this together. And thank you all to the, actors and artists and, Kate, for you being here as well. Your contributions were invaluable. There are just some things that even a group of six talented artists are not going to pick out every little thing. And it’s why having a dramaturg in the room is so, so helpful. so, again, thank you all so much. Have, a great, rest, of your evening. Thank you all. And, we’ll see you next time in the rehearsal room.

01:55:34