Week 2 Session – Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor – 2 scenes – The Rehearsal Room [Video, Audio, and Transcript versions]

Juls Hoover

Welcome back. I am Jules and this is the Working Actor’s Journey rehearsal room where we have ti the time to deeply explore just one scene over a month. I will be stepping in as host again for the month of September. Tonight we’ll be diving into two scenes from Shakespeare’s, the me Wives of Windsor. Again, there are no expectations for the work to be final in this session or in the last session at the end of September. It’s just a continuation of the work in progress. We will continue posting the weekly sessions on YouTube for free for all to enjoy. So be sure to subscribe to our channel and click for notifications. 

You can still support the project via Patreon and get early access to all the sessions. Plus a podcast version starting at just $5 a month. Thank you to our Patreon supporters who are at the CoStar level. And those names are Joan and Michelle, Christian, Jim Magdalene, evar, Claudia, cliff, and Jeff. Thank you very much. If you have any questions, thoughts, or feedback, please leave a comment below and be sure to hit that like button below so that the algorithm can do its thing. So thank you everyone and cast company. If you need anything, I’ll be listening in. And now I hand the rehearsal room over to Paul. 

Paul Nicholas

Thank you, Juls. That was so lovely. Why don’t we just like not have Nathan come back and just have you do this over. 

Juls Hoover

I think Nathan does a beautiful job. 

Paul Nicholas

Just kidding, boss. I know you’re listening. 

Juls Hoover

Kidding Boss. But call me on. Okay. Have fun guys. 

Paul Nicholas

So wait a minute. If we are free on YouTube, do you think if I go and I watch Judy Denton’s documentary, does she have to watch this? Yeah, 

Juls Hoover

Absolutely. I think that’s fair. Yeah. That’s what I’ll be doing for the next two hours and getting in touch with our people. 

Paul Nicholas

Exactly. Okay, thank you Jules. Gideon, we’ve already proven tonight or we have evidence already tonight that my memory is not that sharp, but I I seem to remember that at the end of last week you had some more notes or some more things to say and we said we’d start with it this week. Or am I imagining that 

Gideon Rappaport

You, I don’t think you’re imagining it, but I think it doesn’t pay because we’re gonna read it again. And so we’ll start fresh and I’ll take whatever notes I have. There was, there was nothing pressing left over last week. So if, if something presses, we’ll do it tonight. 

Paul Nicholas

Well, as I search for things to fill the void while Michelle tries to get reconnected, Todd or little cc. Do you, is there anything that was bugging you? Anything that you wanted to talk about? Any line you wanted to question? Either one you’ve already read or one that’s coming up, preferably from this play. 

Todd Scofield

mean, I can’t think of one right now, right offhand. 

Paul Nicholas

Well, I’m gonna, I’m gonna take my, my friendship with Gideon and put it out there and risk it, put it on the line. ’cause he might want to strangle me, me after I say what I’m gonna say. 

There’s, when we get to next week, I wanted to just try something. 

I actually don’t think it’s the answer. I don’t think it’s correct, but I’d, I would love to try it. 

I would love to try that when Mrs. Page comes in for the second visit, that she actually is freaking out because she actually did see Ford on the street approaching the house, and she’s trying to tell Mrs. Ford he’s really coming. And Mrs. Ford thinks that she’s just acting really well and performing their script or gone off script. And Mrs. Ford is really impressed with the acting and of course false staff’s hiding. So he can’t see it. And Mrs. Page is going, no, no, no, this is real. 

And I would love to try it and then have a conversation about why it’s the wrong choice. Like what? There, there, there’s evidence in the lines that says that doesn’t work. And if you want it to work, you’d have to cut certain lines or change certain lines. But I just feel like on stage that’s funny than them doing the same thing again. 

Todd Scofield

Yeah, That’s good though. 

Gideon Rappaport

I will not strangle you. I promise I’ll be true to the text as you wish me to be. And, but you’re the director, so you got to do whatever you want. And anything I say can be easily overruled by just overruling me. 

Paul Nicholas

I I feel inadequate. I don’t feel I I have the authority to ever overrule Dr. Rappaport. 

Gideon Rappaport

I mean to say, as I’ve told actors before, it’s your up there on the stage, not mine. I’m not performing it. So I, I’m going to give you whatever I can to help clarify what you’re, what Shakespeare means and then the rest is up to you. 

Paul Nicholas

Okay, good. All right. What can we do without Michelle? 

Michele Schultz

Hello? Hold on. Okay. My internet is out so I’ll have to do it on the phone. Not ideal, But it’s 

Paul Nicholas

alright. 

Michele Schultz

Where are we starting from? 

Paul Nicholas

Well, we were just gonna start from the top and then when we get to where we stopped last week, we just keep going. 

Michele Schultz

Okay. 

Paul Nicholas

How do you feel about that? Is that okay? Sure, 

Michele Schultz

sure. Michelle. Well, no, it’s gonna be a terrible recording because I’m not in the right position. But no internet. No, 

Paul Nicholas

Michelle is totally fine. 

Michele Schultz

Okay. 

Paul Nicholas

This is supposed to be rough 

Michele Schultz

Er than usual. Am I still delayed when I speak? Is it still I mean The chair please. What you just said. I Tried to change some sentence. Okay. Feel delayed. The Chair Router or no? 

Not at this point. 

Paul Nicholas

Oh, and I’m reading the servants, aren’t I? 

Okay, I’m there whenever. 

Corinna Christman

Alright. What John, what Robert, Quickly, quickly is the buck basket I Warrant what Robert? I say Come, come, come, come. Oh, here, you’re gonna read the, I’m sorry. You’re gonna read the, in the, the, the direction my bed. 

Paul Nicholas

I should say this. Enter John and Robert with a large laundry or book basket. 

Michele Schultz

Come, come, come Here, set it down, Give you amen. The charge. We must be brief Mary, as I told you before John and Robert, be ready here hard by in the brew house. And while I suddenly call you, come forth and without any pause or staggering, take this basket on your shoulders that done trudge with it in all haste and carry it among the sters int mead and there empty it into the muddy ditch. Close by the tha side. You will do it. 

I had told them over and over they lack no direction. 

Be gone and come when you are called 

Paul Nicholas

John and Robert exit. 

Michele Schultz

Here comes little Robin. How now my, oh, how now my I muske. What news with you? 

Paul Nicholas

My master Sir John has come at your back door, Mrs. Ford and request your company 

Michele Schultz

You little Jack lent. Have you been true to us? 

Paul Nicholas

I I’ll be sworn, my master knows not of your being here and have threatened to put me into everlasting liberty. If I tell you of it for he swears he’ll turn me away 

Michele Schultz

And thou a good boy. The secrecy of bines shall be a tailor to thee and shall make the a new doublet and hose. 

I’ll go hide me. Do so go tell the master I’m alone. 

Mistress page, remember you, your cue. I’m warranty. If I do not act it, kiss me. 

Go to then we’ll use this unwholesome humidity, this gross watery pumpkin. We’ll teach him to know turtles from jays. 

Todd Scofield

Have I thought the, my heavenly jewel. Why now lemme die where I have lived long enough. This is the period of my ambition. Oh, please bless it out. 

Corinna Christman

Oh sweet. Sir John 

Todd Scofield

Mistress Ford. I cannot cog, I cannot pray Mistress Ford. Now shall I sin in my wish? I would. Thy husband were dead. I’ll speak it before the best Lord. I would make the my lady 

Corinna Christman

Hi your lady, sir John Les. I should be a pitiful lady. 

Todd Scofield

Let the court of France show me such another. I see how thine I would emulate the diamond. Thou has the right arch beauty of the brow that becomes the ship tire. The tire valiant or any of the tire of Venetian admittance 

Corinna Christman

A playing cur chief. Sir John, my brow has become nothing else nor that well, neither 

Todd Scofield

The tyrant to say so I would make an absolute poor and the firm fixture of thy foot would give an excellent motion to thy gate in a semi-circle. Farthing gale. I see how thou word if fortune thy foe were if fortune. 

I’m trying to remember how we did. I see what thou word. If fortune thy foe, the fortune thy foe were not nature thy friend come now can not hide it. 

Corinna Christman

Believe me, there’s no such thing in me. 

Todd Scofield

What made me love the let that persuade the, there’s something extraordinary in me. Come, I cannot cog and say that our this and that, like many of these lisping hawthorn buds that come like women in men’s apparel and smell like butler’s very in simple time. I cannot but I love them. None but the and thou deserves to 

Corinna Christman

Do not betray me. Sir, I fear you love mistress Paige. 

Todd Scofield

I might as well say I love to walk by the counter gate, which is as hateful to me as the wreak of a lime kiln. 

Corinna Christman

Well, heaven knows how I love you and you shall one day find it 

Todd Scofield

Eep in that mind. I’ll deserve it. 

Corinna Christman

Nay, I must tell you. So you, I must tell you so you do. Or else I could not be in that mind. 

Paul Nicholas

Mrs. Ford. Mrs. Ford. Here’s mistress page at the door sweating and blowing and looking wildly and would need speak with you presently. 

Todd Scofield

She shall not see me. I’ll ensconce me behind the hes 

Corinna Christman

There. You do. So she’s a very tattling woman. 

Paul Nicholas

False staff hides behind the hes. 

Corinna Christman

What’s the matter how now? Oh, mistress Ford. What have you done? You are strange. You’re overthrow. You’re undone forever. 

What’s the matter? Good mistress page. 

Well, a day Mrs. Ford having an honest man to your husband to give him such cause of suspicion. What cause of suspicion. What Cause of suspicion out upon you. How I I mistook in you. Well, last, what’s the matter? Your Husband’s coming here. The woman with all the offices and Windsor to search for a gentleman that he says is here now in the house by your consent to take an ill advantage of his absence. 

You are undone. It’s not so I hope I pray heaven. It’s be not so that you have such a man here. What is most certain? Your husband’s coming with half winds at his heels to search for such a one. I come before to tell you if you know yourself clear why? I’m glad of it. If you have a friend here convey, convey him out, amazed. Call on your senses to you. Defend your reputation or bid farewell to your good life forever. 

Shall I do? There is a gentleman, my dear friend and I fear not my own shame so much as his peril. I had rather than a thousand pounds you were out of the house. Oh shame. Understand it. You could rob, you could rob your husband’s here at hand. You think you of some conveyance in the house. You cannot hide him. Oh. Oh, you have deceived me. Oh you, yeah. It is a basket. If he be of any reasonable stature, he may creep in here and throw for and throw foul in upon him as if it were going to bucket. Oh. Oh. It is waiting time. Send him by your two men to dash it. Mead. He’s too big to go in there. What shall I do? 

Todd Scofield

Lemme see. Let see it all. See it. Follow your friend’s. Counsel. 

Michele Schultz

Oh star. Are these your letters? Night 

Todd Scofield

Love the, should I say, should I say I love the mistress page? Since it’s not gonna be, it, it can’t be obvious here that I’m it’s an aside just to her. Sure. Okay. 

Paul Nicholas

And, and let’s make another adjustment for the screen. Michelle, would you say were those your letters Knight? 

Michele Schultz

Okay. 

Paul Nicholas

Because we don’t, we don’t really have them. So, alright, You want 

Michele Schultz

me to start at what Sir John faff or when full stop enters? Yeah. 

Paul Nicholas

What Sir John Fef. That sounds good. 

Michele Schultz

What Sir John, were these your letters night 

Todd Scofield

LoVetre page? Help me away in here. I’ll never 

Michele Schultz

Help to cover your master boy call your name Mr. Ford 

Todd Scofield

Paul. Are we gonna say that 

Michele Schultz

right 

Todd Scofield

Paul? Are we gonna I think we’re to where we got to before by the way. 

Corinna Christman

Yeah, yeah. 

Todd Scofield

Are we gonna say that stage direction as you say that? I’ll turn off my camera. Does that make sense? 

Yeah. I’m sorry. 

Paul Nicholas

Yes. You know what? I think I’ll say 

Todd Scofield

What 

Paul Nicholas

I think I’ll say. Mrs. Page pushes fall staff into the basket. 

Todd Scofield

Okay. Because 

Paul Nicholas

You are talking to her and you get Yeah. And 

Todd Scofield

it’s like an interruption. So yeah, 

Paul Nicholas

I 

Todd Scofield

know it’s not a line character line, but can you like interrupt me with that? 

Paul Nicholas

Yes, I will. 

Todd Scofield

Let me creep in here. I’ll never, 

Paul Nicholas

Yeah. 

Todd Scofield

Okay, cool. 

Paul Nicholas

Yeah, that’s a good call. I’ll say Mrs. Page pushes fall staff into the basket and she will just keep going. Help to cover your master boy. 

Todd Scofield

And they cover him with dirty clothes or no, not that. Yeah, 

Gideon Rappaport

keep the, Keep the dirty clothes They cover. 

Todd Scofield

I think that helps too. Yeah. Okay. All 

Paul Nicholas

right. I’ll say that too. They cover him with dirty clothes. Michelle will keep going. And after dissembling night, I will say Robin exits. Oh man. Oh, Robin never left when Robin came in. He never left. 

Todd Scofield

He does leave. You didn’t say it, but he does leave. When 

Paul Nicholas

the hell did he come back? Where 

Todd Scofield

did, where did it happen? There was one you didn’t say. 

Gideon Rappaport

I don’t think he leaves. 

Todd Scofield

No, 

Gideon Rappaport

He leaves after you dissembling night. But there’s no, there’s no exit. 

Paul Nicholas

I’ve never seen a production where he stays on stage. Never. But it doesn’t, he doesn’t leave. 

Gideon Rappaport

He could, you could have him leave. It may be that there’s just a missing exit. Yeah, but 

Paul Nicholas

it, but it seems like the only reason to keep him on stage is so that Mrs. Page can’t say that line to him. Help to cover your master boy. 

Gideon Rappaport

Yeah. 

Paul Nicholas

And I don’t want to cut it because it shows that everybody is in on it. 

Todd Scofield

Yeah. 

Gideon Rappaport

So let me see. I think the, I think the enter Robin, I’m just looking to see if there, if the editors put in an exit. No, 

Paul Nicholas

Oxford has no exit for him. 

Gideon Rappaport

Yeah. No they don’t. 

Paul Nicholas

Not the, not that the Oxford is all that reliable. 

Gideon Rappaport

I mean there’s no reason for him not to be there because he’s the servant of fall staff who hangs out with him. However, the ardent does have Enter Robin at line 77 Mistress Ford. Mrs. Ford hears mistress page at the door. 

Paul Nicholas

Right. I have that too. But he never leaves after that. And it’s weird that he’s on stage while the women are acting out their plot. 

I also would not, I don’t, tell me if I’m wrong, all of you, but I don’t feel comfortable with her saying, Robin helped to cover your master. I don’t feel like she should name him just in case fall staff hears him. 

But she’s also saying help to cover your master boy fall staff must know who that is if he heard it. 

Todd Scofield

Hmm. 

Paul Nicholas

Thoughts? Anyone? Michelle, it’s your line. Do you have thoughts on this? 

Michele Schultz

I think it’s okay because Robin, he knows Robin’s there. Yeah. Robin announces, Robin announces me. 

Paul Nicholas

Oh right. He’s not hiding. Robin’s Not hiding. 

Corinna Christman

He’s aware Like fall staff thinks Robin’s helping him Is my, that’s that. Right. But in fact he’s helping us. Yes. 

Paul Nicholas

Robin’s afraid of fall staff finding out that he is helping the wives. But he won’t find out just ’cause he is helping to cover him with clothes. 

Michele Schultz

Right, Right, right. He’s helping him to escape, which is his servant’s thing to do. 

Paul Nicholas

Okay. Absolutely. Right. So then Mrs. Page, why don’t you say help to cover your master Robin. 

Michele Schultz

Okay. You want me to start from there? Or 

Paul Nicholas

What do y’all think about that? If she says help to cover your master robin, call your, 

Todd Scofield

That’s good. Yeah, that works. And then 

Paul Nicholas

Robin exits weird. I’m not gonna say Robin exits, but I will say entered Robert and John, let us start from, let me see it. Let me see it. 

Todd Scofield

Okay, let me see it. Let see it. Oh, let see it. Follow your friend’s counsel. All in. 

Michele Schultz

What? So John, were these your letters night? 

Todd Scofield

I love the mistress page. Help me away. Lemme creep in here. I’ll never 

Paul Nicholas

Mistress page push his false step into the basket. They cover him with dirty clothes. 

Michele Schultz

How to cover your master robin. Call your mad mistress Ford. New disassembly knight. What? John? Robert. John, 

Paul Nicholas

Enter Robert and John. 

Corinna Christman

Go take up these clothes here quickly. Where’s the call staff? Call staff. Look how you jumble. Carry them to the laundries and Dutch at Mead. Quickly come 

Paul Nicholas

Enter Ford with his friends. 

Todd Scofield

Ray, you come near. If I suspect without cause, why then make sport at me then let me be your just, I deserve it. 

How now with or bear you this? 

Corinna Christman

Why? What have you to do? Whether they bear it. You wear best metal with buck washing 

Todd Scofield

Buck. I would, I could wash myself of the buck, buck, buck, buck, buck. I buck, I warn you, buck. And of the season two, which shall appear 

Paul Nicholas

Robert and John exit with the buck basket. 

Still you Ford. 

Todd Scofield

Is there not a double excellency in this? Oh, I see there. It’s all okay. It’s in the middle of all the, okay. 

They exit and it shall appear. Oh gentlemen, you shall see sport and on. Follow me gentlemen. 

Paul Nicholas

They exit. Well, I guess I don’t need to say that. 

Todd Scofield

Okay. 

Michele Schultz

Is there not a double excellency in this? I know not. Which please me better now my husband is deceived or Sir John. 

What? A talk taking, wasn’t it? When your husband asked who was in the basket, I’m half afraid he would have need of washing. So throwing him into the water will do him a benefit. Bang him. Dishonest rascal. I would all of the same strain were in the same distress. I think my husband had some special suspicion of false staffs being here, but I never saw him so gross in his jealousy till now. 

I will lay a plot to try that. And we will yet have more tricks with Paul. Stop his dissolute disease, will scarce obey this medicine? 

Shall we send that foolish carry on mistress quickly to him and excuse his throwing into the water and give him another hope to betray him to another punishment. You be sent tomorrow eight o’clock to have a men’s. 

Paul Nicholas

Lovely, lovely. Okay. 

Corinna Christman

I got a a couple notes if you wanna go back and do them, but I can wait too. 

Paul Nicholas

Let me give, let me, let me give this one first and then you go Gideon. 

Gideon Rappaport

Okay. 

Paul Nicholas

Michelle. Michelle say are those Sorry, were those your letters night? Because they’re not here. They’re back. 

Michele Schultz

Oh, I didn’t say that. I thought I did. Okay. 

Paul Nicholas

What, What you’re saying is were these Oh, were those 

Michele Schultz

I I got, 

Paul Nicholas

I got it. Okay. Gideon, you’re on. 

Gideon Rappaport

Okay. Around line 40. 

Paul Nicholas

Oh, you’re way back 

Gideon Rappaport

Mrs. Ford. You have three, you’re calling him three different names. So I I’m gonna challenge you to try to build on them. Okay. Like each one is is more of an insult in a way. An insult. Yeah. Yeah. So he is an unwholesome humidity more than that. He’s a gross watery pumpkin. And then we’ll teach him to know turtles. That’s real lovers. That is my loyalty to my husband from Jay’s who would go with him. Okay. There was an in to the river that should be in the river, but I didn’t mark the line. So the first time you talk about dumping him in the river, it’s an in and later when you say that, I’m giving the direction. 

Okay. It’s later. It’s an intu. Okay. Line 1 27 mistress page. Oh, how have you deceived me? Not you have. Okay. And 1 36 fall staff. 

I, it occurred to me that Eileen is him pretending to be thinner than he is or smaller than he is less fat. Oh, I can fit myself in there. I’m not that fat. Something like that. 

Todd Scofield

Yeah. Yeah. And you might, you might 

Gideon Rappaport

wanna do something with that idea. Not, not necessary, but possible. And then one more, 1 54 Mistress Ford. You are best metal with buck washing. That’s gotta be really sarcastic. Okay. Go ahead. Get yourself interested in the laundry. What, what do you think you’re doing right? 

Since when? Yeah. Yeah. That’s, that’s gotta be the tone there. Okay. That’s it. Good work. 

Paul Nicholas

That’s one of my least favorite lines in the entire cannon. You were best middle with buck washing. 

I can’t stand it. It’s, and, and, and Corina, it’s a hard line to play. 

Corinna Christman

Yeah. I know I said it, but 

Paul Nicholas

I like Gideon’s suggestion of playing it sarcastically. 

Corinna Christman

Yeah. I had a question about when false staff’s hiding sometimes can false. Are we playing it to each other or are we playing to the audio? You know, like, are we imagining that he can’t see our faces so we’re cracking each other up? Or are we just playing the scene? You know what, I’m like, how much can he see? 

Paul Nicholas

Is That, I would say he can see nothing. But you think he can see nothing. 

Corinna Christman

Okay. So we could be giggling at points like, or visually, like all the sounds we make should be this big drama, but, okay. 

Paul Nicholas

And 

Michele Schultz

I was 

Paul Nicholas

gonna, I was gonna say something about the top of the scene which would apply here. And that is that it’s a combo. There are a combo of things happening. 

Yes, there are, there is urgency. ’cause he’s coming and we have to set the scene and we know our script and we gotta set the scene. There’s urgency, but it’s also fun. So you, you would love to stop and crack up about it, but you gotta hurry up and it’s like a surprise party. Yeah. Someone’s coming and, and like, oh my God, it’s gonna be so exciting. But we can’t stop. We’ve gotta make sure the lights are off and we gotta make sure there’s nothing blocking the door and everybody’s hidden and make sure the kids don’t give it away. But it’s so much fun. And I think it’s that sort of dynamic at the top. And that could apply here as well. Like Mr. 

Just page is like, oh, I can’t believe you would do this. And then as soon as he’s in, we’re covering up, it can go back to, okay, call the men. Oh, let’s take this to the, to the river and throw it in. And you, in fact, 

Michele Schultz

in fact, full staff is only in the basket for a very short scene between Mistress Ford and, and Ford. And then he’s carried out. Right. So, so, and we would not be cracking up in front of Master Ford. 

Paul Nicholas

Correct. That’s what I was gonna say next. So you can be having fun. Oh, we got him in. He fit in there. It’s great. And all the dirty clothes are on him. Oh shit. Ford is actually here now what do we do? Mm. And and it’s a little bit of a freak out because if Ford finds him in that basket, all hell will break loose. 

Gideon Rappaport

And then when, when they decide after this, when they decide to do it again, they’re cracking up again. That is Ford’s out. Now they can, you know, let loose again. 

Paul Nicholas

Right. 

Gideon Rappaport

And they’re gonna have even more fun doing it the second time. Yeah. 

Paul Nicholas

Right. 

Corinna Christman

Okay. 

Paul Nicholas

So I I that was a long answer to your question. Corina. 

Corinna Christman

Corina, that’s Really helpful though. That’s good. Yeah. 

Paul Nicholas

So I think they’re having fun until Ford come actually comes through the door and you’re like, oh, we weren’t expecting that. 

Corinna Christman

Yeah. 

Paul Nicholas

So then when he’s gone, you two can have a real release. Oh my God. Can you believe that just happened? 

Corinna Christman

Yeah. And then, and 

Paul Nicholas

then this. Oh my God. That happened. And then that happened. Then you can go, oh, what do you think? Do you think we could get away with it again? 

Yes. Let’s do it. Let’s do it again. Let’s try it again. 

Corinna Christman

It’s like a rush. Like it was scary and then it’s a rush. ’cause we got away with it. And then Yeah, we gotta try this again. 

And also because it, it’s not enough to teach fall staff his lesson. He’s gonna need, he’s gonna need re reinforcement of the lesson. I I think I sort of say that when I said his disease isn’t just going to be cured by this medicine. Correct. Right. 

Paul Nicholas

And by the way, these are, help me out here, Gideon. These are not high society women. As we talked, as we said last week and fall. Staff said, look, I’m a knight. I can help you out lady. I can change your status. These are not, they have, they have wealth, but they’re not high society women. Their lives are probably boring. This is the most fun they’ve had since they’ve known each other. 

Gideon Rappaport

I think their lives aren’t boring because they make them fun. And this is a great opportunity, unlike any they’ve had before. 

Paul Nicholas

This is so Fun. 

Corinna Christman

They’re not, they’re not high class, but they are middle class Bourgeois. Yeah. Successful middle class. Yeah. So all staff thinks they can be tempted by the title of lady and they can’t because they’ve got plenty number one. And they have, and they’re women 

Paul Nicholas

And they’re women of integrity. 

Gideon Rappaport

Yes. They’re, they have integrity. They love their husbands. They’re loyal to them. 

Paul Nicholas

And They’re virtuous. 

Gideon Rappaport

And they’re virtuous and they have enough money. So he, he’s not, he’s not even breaking their, the surface of their resistance, but he’s giving them this opportunity to have a really jolly good time. This is 

Paul Nicholas

way better than bridge night. 

Michele Schultz

This 

Paul Nicholas

Is way better than 

Corinna Christman

Way more exciting. 

Paul Nicholas

Whatever the club was back in the day. This is way better. This is 

Gideon Rappaport

And better. Partly ’cause it’s fun and partly ’cause it’s, he deserves it. So they are instruments of justice as well. And that is very, that’s fun. And, and, and we go out of our way to sort of tease him about the fact that we know that you sent these letters to both of us. You know, and then he tries to say, oh, but I only love you. I only love you. But 

Paul Nicholas

What a prick. 

Michele Schultz

Yeah. 

Paul Nicholas

So what, who says this Mr. Ford? What do you mean when you, when you say, I am a half afraid he will have need of washing, what’s the modern day equivalent of that line? 

Corinna Christman

I think he soiled himself. 

Paul Nicholas

Yes ma’am. 

Corinna Christman

I think That’s what she’s, that he’s scared. He actually was scared. Yeah. That’s what I, 

Todd Scofield

I think 

Paul Nicholas

that’s exactly what she’s saying. So then mistress page, what is the relationship? What, what do you mean when you say what a taking was he in when your husband asked who was in the basket? Because you could not see him. 

Michele Schultz

So 

Paul Nicholas

you, I’m guessing that you are trying to surmise 

Michele Schultz

Yes. I think, I think I’m, I think I’m saying. Oh, I can just imagine what he was feeling. 

Paul Nicholas

Correct. 

Gideon Rappaport

What a taking must have Been. 

Paul Nicholas

What a taking he must have been in is what you’re saying. Yeah. But don’t change the lines. But that’s what you’re saying. Yeah. 

Michele Schultz

I think that’s right. 

Paul Nicholas

And Mrs. Ford answers your wonder by saying, this is what I think he did. 

Oh, it’s so much fun. Any thoughts or questions from, from the three of you? No. You were best metal with book washing. I cannot stand that line. 

Gideon Rappaport

Why not? It’s perfectly good. It’s sarcastic. 

Paul Nicholas

After this experience. Karina’s gonna make me love it. ’cause she’s gonna deliver it. 

Corinna Christman

So wonderful. What do 

Paul Nicholas

y’all think? Move forward or do that little bit again? What do you think? 

Michele Schultz

I’d like to do it again. 

Paul Nicholas

I would, yeah. So would I from, from, let me see. Let me see. 

Todd Scofield

Yep. 

Paul Nicholas

Oh, I just realized who else pop quiz. Who else in the canon says, let me see. Let me see. Let me see. 

Todd Scofield

Oh, Hamlet says, let me see. 

Paul Nicholas

No, three times. 

Todd Scofield

Oh, three times. 

Gideon Rappaport

Lemme see. Lemme 

Paul Nicholas

see. Lemme see. 

Gideon Rappaport

Polonious. 

Paul Nicholas

No 

Gideon Rappaport

Gloucester 

Paul Nicholas

Malvolio when he’s reading. Oh, 

Gideon Rappaport

Right. Oh yeah. 

Paul Nicholas

No. MOAI. No one should something something. Lemme see. Lemme see. Lemme see. Sorry. Go ahead. Nerding. I’m just nerding. I’m sorry. 

Todd Scofield

Okay, let me see it. Let me see it. Hold. Let me see it. All in. All in. Follow your friend’s, counsel all in. 

Michele Schultz

I’m sorry. I’m, I’m fi I’m trying to find the place. So sorry. 

Todd Scofield

Okay. Starting on line 1 35. 

Michele Schultz

Thank you. That helps. Okay. Got it. 

Todd Scofield

Let me see it. Let see it. Paul. Let me see it all I in Follow your friend’s counsel. All in 

Michele Schultz

What John Star? Were those your letters Sir Knight? 

Todd Scofield

I love the mistress page. Help me away. Lemme creep in here. I’ll never 

Paul Nicholas

Mrs. Paige push his fall staff into the basket and they start to cover him with dirty clothes. 

Michele Schultz

Help to cover you. Master Robin. Oh your man. Mr. Mr. Ford. Were you Dissembling Knight? 

What? John, Robert. John, 

Paul Nicholas

Enter Robert and John. 

Corinna Christman

Go take up these clothes here quickly. Where’s the cow staff? Look how you jumble. Carry them to the laundries and batch it. Mead quickly come 

Paul Nicholas

Enter Ford with his friends. 

Todd Scofield

Ray, you come near. Ah, if I suspect without cause, why then make forward at me. Let me be your Jes. I deserve it. Move now with or bear you. This 

Corinna Christman

Why? What have you to do? Whether they bear it, you are best to muddle with metal, with buck. Washing 

Todd Scofield

Buck. I wish I could wash myself of the buck, buck, buck, buck, buck, buck. I buck, I warn you, buck. End of the season two, it shall appear Robert 

Paul Nicholas

and John exit with the buck basket 

Todd Scofield

Up. Gentlemen, you shall see sport anon. Follow me gentlemen. 

Paul Nicholas

They exit. I don’t need to say that. 

Michele Schultz

Is there not a double excellency in this? I know not. Which pleases me better that my husband is deceived or Sir John, What taking was he in? When your husband ask who is in the basket, I’m half afraid he will have need of washing. So throwing him into the rotter will do him a benefit. 

This dishonest rosco, I would all of the same strain were in the same distress. 

I think my husband had some special suspicion of false acts being here for I never saw him so gross in his jealousy till now. 

I I will lay a plot to try that. And we will yet have more tricks with Paul Star, his dissolute disease. Will sc obey this medicine? 

Shall we send that foolish carry on mistress quickly to him and excuse his throwing into the water and give him another hope to betray him to another punishment. I that could be sent Paul tomorrow at eight o’clock to have a men. 

Paul Nicholas

Lovely, lovely, lovely. We won’t go back. I promise. I’m learning to like that line. Karina. 

Corinna Christman

I know I said muddle instead of metal, so I muddled the line. But yes, I’m working on it. Yeah. 

Paul Nicholas

Yeah. I think 

Corinna Christman

When, yeah, 

Paul Nicholas

I do not wanna anger the pronoun police, but it might work if there is a little bit of a play against, why are you stopping them from taking it to laundry? Do you wanna do it 

Corinna Christman

Right? 

Paul Nicholas

There might be a little something in there sarcastically. ’cause you know he is never gonna do it. Right? 

Corinna Christman

Yeah. 

Paul Nicholas

By the way, Gideon, I forgot to ask this question. There is no way we can make it clear what a cow staff is, right? 

There’s, I mean there’s no way. Do you know what it’s Karina? 

Corinna Christman

Actually no. 

Paul Nicholas

It’s, it’s the, tell me if I’m wrong, Gideon, it’s the long stick that they stick in the top of the basket so they can lift it. 

Corinna Christman

Oh, to carry it. That’s what I thought. Oh, a towel is a also called a ton or a any big bucket shaped thing. And if it’s got rings on it or something, and then you put the bowl through it and lift it up so two people can carry it on their shoulders. 

So no, I don’t see there’s any way of making Cal staff clear to the, to our audience. But you could change the word. 

I don’t 

Paul Nicholas

really want to, but, ’cause there’s no word today’s in a contemporary language that would be as cool as that one. 

Gideon Rappaport

Right. And I think pole, you can maybe say pole, but then it’s hard to say cow pole. That’s not good. 

Paul Nicholas

Yeah. 

Michele Schultz

Carrying pole. Yeah. That’s fussing. 

Paul Nicholas

But you, you might help us out, Karina, if you say, wait a minute, how were you gonna, where’s the carrying stick? You didn’t bring what? You didn’t bring it. How are you gonna carry the basket? So it’s clear, it’s clearer that there’s some part of the apparatus that you forgot to bring you dumb asses because they’re pretty dumb these guys. 

Corinna Christman

Yes. 

Paul Nicholas

And, and look how you jumble is, you know, why are you moving so slowly? We have to get, we have to get it outta here. 

Corinna Christman

Okay. Why didn’t you bring the Cal staff when you brought out the basket? 

Paul Nicholas

Yeah. 

Corinna Christman

Okay. So wait, are you saying change any of those words or just say it more like what’s the matter with you? Yeah, just change. So 

Paul Nicholas

you have two options to play with Cal staff. 

Corinna Christman

Okay. 

Paul Nicholas

Here guys. Take this, take this laundry basket. Let me get you the Cal staff so you can carry it. Oh crap. Where is it? We didn’t bring it. That’s one. Or why didn’t you bring it with you? How else are you gonna carry the basket? 

Corinna Christman

Okay. 

Paul Nicholas

That’s the other way to play it. 

Corinna Christman

Okay. 

Paul Nicholas

No, no one’s gonna know what it means either way, but we will know. 

Corinna Christman

Right? Yes. 

Paul Nicholas

I just realized that you, is it John, do you always call John twice? Is it always John, Robert, John? 

Todd Scofield

Or is 

Paul Nicholas

it sometimes Robert, John, Robert. 

Todd Scofield

You 

Paul Nicholas

always call John twice, don’t you? 

Corinna Christman

Sometimes I just call them each once. I don’t know. 

Paul Nicholas

Okay. Well one of them, both of them are dumb, I think. But anyway, 

Corinna Christman

Yeah, I think John might be a little slower on the uptake, but Yeah, because I do say John more, but 

Paul Nicholas

Mr. Ford. 

Todd Scofield

Yeah. 

Paul Nicholas

Explain to me that buck line. I get the first sentence. I wish, I wish I could wash myself of the buck. Meaning I wish I could get rid of this guy that’s in my house right now. 

Gideon Rappaport

No, it also means horns. I wish I, I wish I could get rid of the thinking of myself as having horns. Yeah. 

Paul Nicholas

Which, yeah. Isn’t that the same thing? That there’s a, there’s a man in my house right now giving me horns. 

Gideon Rappaport

Yeah. So he is, he would, he, if he’s imagination is right, he would be the buck himself with horns. 

Todd Scofield

You know what? It might be more like buck, buck, buck. I buck. Where’s the man you’re hiding? I don’t know if that plays, but, oh, That’s interesting. 

Gideon Rappaport

Or you could do it more like Leon’s in the winter’s tale. Like you’re torturing yourself with this image of yourself. 

Todd Scofield

Yeah. That’s the other, that’s what I was thinking of. 

Gideon Rappaport

Yeah. 

Todd Scofield

First of all that he’s just can’t get it out of his head. I, that’s what I’m talking about. Yeah. 

Gideon Rappaport

But but don’t, don’t say it to sound like a chicken. Right. Like cluck, cluck, cluck. It’s not that. It’s like each time you say it, it’s more painful in a way. 

Paul Nicholas

Another option is you’re saying it to her to go, yes, you’re right. You heard me right? That’s what I said. 

I said Buck. That’s right. 

Todd Scofield

Oh, that’s right Buck. I know you got a man here. Yeah. Buck. Buck. I buck. Yeah. You 

Paul Nicholas

Have lots of options, Todd. You can really have fun with 

Todd Scofield

it. Yeah. No, I, I think I like that last one best Paul. It’s an accusatory toward her 

Paul Nicholas

Because when you say I would, I could wash myself of the buck. She knows what that means. 

Todd Scofield

Yeah. 

Paul Nicholas

You, I would, I could. She does rid myself of this situation. 

Gideon Rappaport

Okay. Then in the last part of that Buck has to mean fall staff, meaning a male stallion. It’s like calling him a stallion. ’cause he’s trying to seduce the woman because of the season two means he’s ready to be hunted because he is a big fat male deer. 

And you can’t hunt the, you can’t hunt a a you can’t hunt a male deer too young. He’s got to be of a certain age in, in the public parks or in the territories owned by whoever owns the manor. You can’t go hunting a male deer in the first, I think it’s the first year or two of his life. You have to wait till he is got larger horns and a certain age on him. There’s all that talk in, in, in love’s labor’s lost about the pt. Hmm. And, and it’s be because they’re hunting them. So he is got to be a certain kind of deer. Not so when you say a buck of the season two, it shall appear. It’s gonna be, he’s gonna be revealed to be ripe for hunting. 

And we think it’s funny because fallstaff is fat and therefore ripe. 

Paul Nicholas

Well, Shakespeare’s audience thought it was funny. Yeah. Cool. You good Todd? 

Todd Scofield

Yeah. 

Paul Nicholas

All right. Shall we, oh, it’s almost nine o’clock. Shall we attempt to start the next scene? What do y’all think? 

Corinna Christman

Yes. 

Paul Nicholas

I will say act four, scene two. I won’t say enter false staff and Mrs. Ford, you guys will just enter. 

Todd Scofield

Okay. Get rid of that. Sorry. I was trying to figure out how to strike through that so I could, but that’s all right. I would, 

Paul Nicholas

the only thing I would say is don’t delete it. ’cause sometimes we go back and look at the cut lines to see if We can 

Todd Scofield

Yeah. That’s why I was trying to strike through it. Not, I know there’s gotta be a way 

Michele Schultz

You 

Paul Nicholas

mean, but didn’t I give it to you with the strike through? 

Gideon Rappaport

Have you got it in Word? I give it to you in 

Paul Nicholas

Word. 

Todd Scofield

Yeah, I’ve got it in Word. 

Gideon Rappaport

Okay. So you go up to the left under the home and there’s a, there’s an A, B, C with a line through it. That’s how you strike it through. 

Do you see what I’m talking about? Under, in the section up above on the, on the menu line called font. 

Todd Scofield

Yeah. 

Gideon Rappaport

There’s a big B and an I and a U. Oh, there it is. 

Todd Scofield

Yep. Thank you. 

Paul Nicholas

What are you striking through by the way? 

Todd Scofield

Just that enter sir. On Falstaff and Mistress Ford. 

Paul Nicholas

I See. Okay. 

Todd Scofield

All my lines. All right. Mistress Ford, your sorrow has eaten up my sufferance. I see you are obsequious in your love. And I professoral to a hair’s breath. Not only Mrs. Mistress Ford in the simple office of love, but in all the accoutrement compliment and ceremony of it. 

But are you sure of your husband now? 

Corinna Christman

He is a birding. Sweet Sir John. He’s a birding. 

Todd Scofield

He’s a bird. Oh, sorry. I’m, that’s your line. 

Michele Schultz

Woohoo. Gossip forward. Woohoo. Step into The chamber, sir. John. 

Paul Nicholas

Okay. Hold a second. Michelle, you can still come in ’cause you can join this, This? 

Michele Schultz

Yeah. You want, do you want my you do you want me to put my camera on for that line? 

Paul Nicholas

No, that’s off stage. But I’m saying for this discussion you can join us. 

Michele Schultz

Oh, okay. 

Paul Nicholas

Okay. Sir John? 

Todd Scofield

Yeah. I’m trying to make a little more sense of that first line. 

Paul Nicholas

The very first one, your sorrow had eaten up my sufferance. 

Todd Scofield

Yes. And and the second one, 

Paul Nicholas

What I, what I think he’s saying is, I am no longer mad at you. ’cause I see how sorry you are. That’s a very, very simple contemporary way of saying it. That’s what I, 

Gideon Rappaport

that’s Basically right. You are you repentance sorrow has completely devoured my suffering. So we’re okay. We’re 

Todd Scofield

Have eaten up my sufferance. I’m not mad about being dumped in the river, about being dumped in the mud. ’cause 

Paul Nicholas

I can see how that’s so bad. 

Todd Scofield

Okay. So 

Paul Nicholas

what we’re assuming is we caught them mid-conversation and she just said to you, I’m so sorry sir John, I’m so sorry that we did that to you. But you know, my husband was coming and we had to do it. I’m so sorry. 

Gideon Rappaport

And she’s doing it in a compliant or pleasing tone, which is what obsequious means. Right. 

Paul Nicholas

So 

Gideon Rappaport

he’s responding to her treatment of him with those words. 

Todd Scofield

Zeal. Yeah. Zealous, officious devoted. 

Paul Nicholas

Yes. 

Gideon Rappaport

Here I think it’s a special meaning of it and it means anxious to please follow following his C it means to follow the root. And so she’s willing to follow him and make it up to him by her attitude. 

Paul Nicholas

So it’s a word generally used to describe like devotees or worshipers. 

Todd Scofield

Yeah. 

Paul Nicholas

Obsequious. 

Gideon Rappaport

And it can have a negative meaning. But it doesn’t, here he doesn’t mean it that way. And he’s using, 

Todd Scofield

I mean it pretty much now only has a more negative connotation, I think. Correct, 

Gideon Rappaport

Correct. But 

Todd Scofield

not so necessarily then. 

Gideon Rappaport

Not then And not 

Paul Nicholas

in this case. Certainly not in this case. 

Gideon Rappaport

And he is also using big words as usual when he’s wooing. 

Todd Scofield

Yes. 

Gideon Rappaport

And continues in accoutrement compliment in ceremony. 

Paul Nicholas

And and by the way, sir John, your ego is big enough that you probably think it’s proper for women to be obsequious to you. 

Todd Scofield

Yes. Not 

Paul Nicholas

a, it’s not an insult at all. It’s this a thing to do. 

Todd Scofield

Oh, Absolutely. Absolutely. 

Gideon Rappaport

Also has a night. 

Paul Nicholas

Yeah. 

Todd Scofield

Yep. I’m worth it. Yeah. 

Gideon Rappaport

Or at least you make, you have to make her think that you are. ’cause you want the money ultimately. 

Todd Scofield

Yeah. 

Paul Nicholas

Guys, lemme tell you, this is so much fun for me because this is so far from who Todd is. He’s such a modest, humble person, just with a big voice. 

So what do you mean when you say you see that she is of seas in her love to you and you profess for quite to a hair’s breath? 

Todd Scofield

To a hair’s breath. I’m exactly there. I’m right there with you. 

Gideon Rappaport

I’m gonna pay, I’m paying you back with the same attitude. 

Todd Scofield

That’s right. And 

Paul Nicholas

to a hair’s breath, Gideon means almost as much. 

Gideon Rappaport

Yeah. So it won’t turn the, the width of a hair meaning is as tiny a as tiny a amount as you can imagine. 

Todd Scofield

Exactly. 

Paul Nicholas

Oh, I, okay, now I get it. Okay. 

Gideon Rappaport

There’s nothing to, there’s nothing to decide between how much you are loving me and how much I’m loving you. Okay. 

Todd Scofield

Right. 

Paul Nicholas

That’s what I, or that’s what I originally thought. But I I thought you said something else just now. But I I can get that one. 

Gideon Rappaport

I’m, I’m recording you with as much love as you have for me, without even the difference of a hair between them, 

Paul Nicholas

Which is such a weird thing to say. Why not just say to a woman, I love you just as much. That’s so, it’s such a weird thing to say. 

Gideon Rappaport

’cause it’s poetry my dear friend. 

Paul Nicholas

Oh God. It’s foster that poetry. Yes. And in the office of love, Todd. 

Todd Scofield

Yeah. 

Paul Nicholas

Does he mean, what does he mean with, by that? Does he mean the bedroom? Does he mean I don’t only want sex? 

Todd Scofield

Mm, yeah. I like that. 

Paul Nicholas

Is is that right, Gideon? Is that what he means? 

Gideon Rappaport

Yes, That’s right. Not only do I love you erotically sexually, but in, in my goes around it, you know, like 

Todd Scofield

My outward show 

Gideon Rappaport

Marriage and ceremony and all 

Todd Scofield

Yes. 

Gideon Rappaport

Things that go with it compliment. I’m, he’s, he’s pretending to confess, to love her. Not just for her body, 

Todd Scofield

But everything. I’m all in. 

Gideon Rappaport

I’m all in. 

Todd Scofield

Yeah. Okay. The 

Paul Nicholas

office of love, what a romantic way to say it. 

Todd Scofield

All right. 

Paul Nicholas

Feel free, Todd. When, when she asks you to step into the chamber, feel free to have some sort of reaction. 

Todd Scofield

Not again, 

Paul Nicholas

That means, yeah. Oh my God. Are you serious? 

Todd Scofield

Here we go again. Sound or 

Paul Nicholas

Whatever. 

Todd Scofield

Okay. 

Gideon Rappaport

Not yet because the men are coming, but just because mistress page is there. 

Paul Nicholas

Right. 

Todd Scofield

Okay. 

Paul Nicholas

Let me, but let’s talk about this for a second. Gideon, let’s talk about this for a second. ’cause Mrs. Paige was there the last time and he said to her, I love you. And she pushed him in and he thinks they helped him to escape. So he probably thinks they both like him. 

Gideon Rappaport

Correct. 

Paul Nicholas

So then why, why would he want to hide from Mrs. Page this time? 

Gideon Rappaport

Because he doesn’t want her to know that he’s here to seduce Mistress Ford. 

Todd Scofield

Yeah. I don’t want the o each other to know. Correct. 

Gideon Rappaport

And they’re pretending. So remember that mistress page was saying, how can you, how can you do this? How can you have a man in your house, your virtue is being compromised? So each one, he thinks that each of them is keeping her love for him from the other. And he doesn’t want them to find out that he each to find out that he’s wooing both. 

Paul Nicholas

Okay. So then maybe Sir John, maybe you react first when you hear Mrs page’s voice, you react and that spurs Mrs four to say let hide in the chamber. I don’t know what do you think? Or you both react based on what Gideon just said. You both would react, 

Gideon Rappaport

Right? 

Todd Scofield

Yeah. 

Paul Nicholas

One of you for real and the 

Todd Scofield

Other one. Oh, there’s no, there’s not even a line One 

Paul Nicholas

of you pretending. And the other one for real. 

Gideon Rappaport

You, you it, it, it’s like this. If you are on stage, he’s a bird. Sweet Sean. That’s good. And then you hear Mr. Page what ho gossip forward. What ho I mean even if it weren’t mistress page, it’s someone and 

Todd Scofield

Yes, it’s someone and I, they’re not, I’m getting interrupted again. 

Gideon Rappaport

Interrupted. And, and you’re not to be found there. ’cause it’s dangerous. Right? I 

Todd Scofield

just had a great line. I just used my best line. 

Okay. 

Gideon Rappaport

So I Think basically on stage you’re just looking around for where to go and she points you where, where to hide. Yeah. 

Todd Scofield

Okay, Because 

Corinna Christman

I was ready. Yes. All right. 

Todd Scofield

Mr. Ford, Your sorrow has eaten up. My sufferance. I see you are obsequious in your love. And I profess al to a hair’s breath. Not only Mrs. Ford in the simple office of love, but in all the ament compliment and ceremony of it. But are you sure of your husband now? 

Corinna Christman

He’s a birding. Sweet Sir. John what? How? Gossip phone. How Step into the chamber, sir. John. Sweetheart. 

Todd Scofield

Paul. Paul. 

Paul Nicholas

Yes sir. 

Todd Scofield

Sorry to interrupt here again. What if, what do you, I don’t know if this plays over Zoom. What if I’m going in for a kiss? 

Paul Nicholas

I think you are, but it doesn’t 

Todd Scofield

And I get, and then, and when we hear mistress page, 

Paul Nicholas

I think that’s exactly what you’re doing. But it won’t play on zoom. 

Todd Scofield

You don’t think so? 

Paul Nicholas

No. 

Todd Scofield

This is, are you saying this is not attractive? 

That’s not good. 

Paul Nicholas

You Yes. Do do that. That’ll work. 

Gideon Rappaport

And then you exit. Yes. 

Paul Nicholas

Yeah. I actually like that Todd do that. 

Todd Scofield

Really? 

Paul Nicholas

Yeah. 

Todd Scofield

Okay. 

Paul Nicholas

If with the mouth closed, please 

Todd Scofield

Fine. Maybe, maybe I’ll start it just a little bit and, and stop and go. But are you sure of your husband Mal? Okay. And when she says yes, then I go in further. Okay. 

Paul Nicholas

I Love it. I love it. 

Todd Scofield

Absolutely love it. 

Paul Nicholas

Okay, let’s try that. We don’t need to do, we don’t need to do the whole line again. Let’s just go from all but in all the accoutrement. 

Todd Scofield

Okay? But in all the accoutrement compliment and ceremony of it. Oh, but are you sure of your husband now? 

Corinna Christman

He’s a Bird. Sweet Sir. John, What? Gossip board. What hoe Step into the chamber, sir. John, How sweetheart, who’s at home besides yourself? 

By none but my own people. Indeed. No, certainly speak louder. 

Truly. I am so glad that you have nobody here. 

Why? Why? Woman. Your husband is in his old loons again. He so takes on yonder with my husband. So rails against all married mankind. So curses, all eve’s daughters of what? Complexion so and so butted himself on the forehead crying. Peer out. Peer out. That any madness I ever yet behold seen by Tameness civility and patience to this his distemper he is in now I am glad the fat knight is not here. Why does he talk of him? Oh, none but him and swears he was carried out the last time he searched for him in a basket protest my husband. He is now here and has drawn him and the rest of their company from their spot to make another experiment of his suspicion. 

But I am glad the night is not here. Now he shall see his own foolery. Oh, near is he mistress Paige Hot by at street eight. He would be hearing on I’m, I’m done. The night is here. Why then you hot. Utterly stain. And he’s but a dead man. Oh, what a woman. Are you away with him? Away with him? Better shame than murder. 

Which way should he go? How should I bestow him? Oh, did I put him into the basket again? 

Todd Scofield

No. I’ll come no more on the basket. May I not go out? Here he come 

Michele Schultz

A lot. Three of Master Ford’s brothers watch the door with pistols that numb shall issue out. Otherwise you might slip away as he came. 

But what make you hear? 

Todd Scofield

What shall I do? I’ll creep up into the chimney 

Corinna Christman

There. They always used to discharge their birding pieces Creep into the kil hull. 

Todd Scofield

Where is it? 

Corinna Christman

He will seek there on my word, neither press coffer chest drunk. Well vault. But he has an abstract with a remembrance of such places and goes to them by his note. There is no hiding. You in the house. 

Todd Scofield

I’ll go out. Then 

Michele Schultz

If you go out in your own sentence, you die. Sir John, unless you go out disguised. 

How might we disguise him? I lost the day. I know. Not there is no woman’s gown big enough for him. Otherwise he might put on a hat, a muffler and a kerchief. And so escape 

Todd Scofield

Good hearts. Devise something. Any extremity rather than a mischief. 

Corinna Christman

My maid’s aunt, the fat woman of Brentford, has the gown above, Oh my word. It will serve him. She’s as big as he’s, and there’s a thro hat and herm, sir John, Go Sweet, sir. John mistress Paige. And I’ll look some linen for your head. 

We’ll come dress you straight on the gown a while. 

Okay. Hold my husband. Lovely, 

Paul Nicholas

lovely, lovely, lovely. You go first, Gideon. 

Gideon Rappaport

Okay. I only have a couple things. One is Todd, when you say, but are you sure of your husband? So you’re starting to kiss 

Todd Scofield

Yes. 

Gideon Rappaport

And then you said, but are you sure? So I want to challenge you to do it on the word, instead of adding an O, what you said was a erman complimented ceremony of it. And you started to kiss and then you said, Ugh. But are you sure of your husband now that Oh, oh, 

Todd Scofield

Okay. 

Gideon Rappaport

Try to do it on the words. ’cause it makes the words more interesting that they get to hit instead of a meaningless grunt. 

Todd Scofield

Okay. 

Gideon Rappaport

Now, when Shakespeare wants you to do a meaningless grunt, he’ll write it in. So if it’s not there, do it on the words. I I just think it’s more effective. The other thing is a, a question for you, Paul. The word kill, KILN can be pronounced kiln or kill. Very often it’s pronounced kill. So when he gets into the kill hole, there can be an kind of ironic double meaning. Meaning in that. And I think it might be worth doing that milking. 

Paul Nicholas

Is it, Is it occasionally pronounced kill in today’s language? Yes. 

Gideon Rappaport

Because 

Paul Nicholas

I’ve never heard it pronounced kill. 

Gideon Rappaport

Yes. 

Paul Nicholas

Huh. I did not know that. I always heard it as kiln. I, And 

Gideon Rappaport

sometimes it’s even spelled that way. Not in formal writing, but in informal and in the past it was often spelled that Way. K-I-L-L-K-I-L-L. So I, I’m not saying you have to do it that way, but I’m suggesting it might give you a tone that would be funny. 

Of course. They might not know what it means if you don’t say kiln because people don’t know that it’s pronounced kil, which is why I’m giving the choice to you. 

Paul Nicholas

Hmm. Michelle? 

Michele Schultz

I, I think, I think I would prefer to call it kiln because I think it’ll be more under understandable. And also that’s, that’s pretty much is awful. I mean, I’m basically saying go and go into the put yourself in the oven. Right? Yeah, 

Paul Nicholas

I was gonna say 

Michele Schultz

That. Which is bad. I 

Paul Nicholas

agree with you, Michelle, but as we, as we are in an experiential experimental endeavor, next time you do it, say kill. 

Michele Schultz

Let’s hear it. Okay. 

Paul Nicholas

I, I don’t think I will prefer it, but let’s hear it. 

Michele Schultz

Sure. 

Paul Nicholas

Kill hold. I also think it’s funny, I don’t know how to play the joke, but I think it’s funny that you’re suggesting that he go into something that his head can barely fit in, much less his body, the kiln. It’s, there’s no way he can fit in there. And then she goes through this list of things that we know he can’t fit into, like a chest or whatever else. You said trunk. Well, I guess there’s some trunks that he could fit into 

Gideon Rappaport

And vaults and wells. But yeah, the kill hole is much smaller than the kill itself. 

Paul Nicholas

Right. Very small. I think that’s funny. But I don’t know how to play that joke. I don’t know that it’s worth the effort to get that joke. 

I’m sorry, where is it? Oh, it’s right here. 

Yeah, it would be the, the joke is, he says, where is it? As if he can fit in there. There’s no chance you’re gonna fit in there anyway, let us go through this scene, this lovely scene. 

What does loons mean? Michelle 

Michele Schultz

Madness. It’s, it’s related to lunacy, I think. 

Paul Nicholas

Yes, Correct. 

Michele Schultz

Is it pronounced loons? 

Paul Nicholas

I think so. 

Gideon Rappaport

Yes it is. Okay. It’s actually not the word that we have in the original. The original, the folio has lines. Oh. And it’s probably what Shakespeare wrote because the floto has something that means the same thing in his vein, odd vein again. 

But it’s been amended by early editors. And I think it just, it makes a lot of, makes a lot more immediate sense. So I think we should stick with it. Yeah, I like it too. 

Paul Nicholas

Yeah, It sounds nice too. His old loons again, I love it. 

Please tell Gideon, I’m hoping you’re gonna tell me that when he says curses all eve’s daughters of whatever complexion. So he means skin color, right? 

Gideon Rappaport

No. Well, no, it, it, it, it includes skin color Complexion means the entire makeup of the person, meaning the balance of the four humors. Right. Blood phlegm, black bile, yellow bile. So, and that yields skin color. So if you’ve got a sanguine complexion, you’re gonna be red faced like Santa Claus or false death. If you’re, if you’re got too much phlegm in you, you’re gonna be great. 

But it’s also your character or your disposition, let’s say. 

So he’s talking about the larger sense of the word, not just skin color. 

Paul Nicholas

Ah, okay. Not, not ethnic skin color, 

Gideon Rappaport

Not ethnic skin color, but, but skin color as it depends on the characteristics of your entire physiology and therefore including skin color. 

And of course dark is rejected. And blonde is, is idealized in the period. That’s, that’s the meaning of Shakespeare’s dark lady. She’s dark hair and she may have olive skin. 

I don’t think she was black, but, but she had a complexion that was darker and her eyes were dark instead of peaches and cream skin. 

And so he loves her anyway. And there’s, there are a lot of examples of that in the sonnets. 

Paul Nicholas

So what does he mean here? That he curses all women no matter what their physiological makeup is, 

Gideon Rappaport

No matter how perfectly blonde and beautiful they are, ah, no matter how dark and ugly they are, no matter. It’s Just like if you’re a woman, I hate You. Yeah. Any woman at all. 

Paul Nicholas

Okay. I, I understand Buffett’s himself on the forehead, peer out. 

Gideon Rappaport

Yeah. 

Paul Nicholas

Meaning, Meaning watch out, look out. 

Gideon Rappaport

Wait a second. He’s calling on the horns of the cuck to appear, perhaps floating an old children’s rhyme in which the words are addressed to the snail. So imagine a child saying a rhyme about catching a snail who’s pulled his head and his horns into the shell. Oh yeah. They have horns. That’s right. And he’s calling to the snail to peer out, come out of your shell so I can look at, at you or do something to you. So he’s, he’s saying Come out, come out wherever you are, basically. 

Todd Scofield

Where are you right now? 

Paul Nicholas

25. 

Gideon Rappaport

So Ford is going around saying, looking for, looking for the men who are making him a cco 

Paul Nicholas

Or, or Mrs. Page is saying that that’s what he’s doing. 

Michele Schultz

Yes. Yeah, she’s saying that’s what he’s doing. 

Which implies coming out of your hiding. Which, so 

Paul Nicholas

He’s, she is saying that he is walking through the town looking for anybody else who may have enjoyed his wife 

Gideon Rappaport

Or looking for the person who has, 

Paul Nicholas

But if he thinks, but if he thinks it’s false out, oh, they are saying they are pretending that Ford does not know who it is, but he knows it’s somebody. 

Gideon Rappaport

Correct. 

Paul Nicholas

But if he’s on his way there, if he’s on his way there to catch whoever it is, why is he going through the town saying, come out, come out wherever you are? 

Gideon Rappaport

Well, he’s buffeting himself on the forehead because he’s paranoid about being a cucko. 

Paul Nicholas

Yeah. 

Gideon Rappaport

And he’s saying, Pierre out, Pierre out, out. Meaning I’m going to find out where he is, whoever it is. 

It’s not that he thinks every man in the town is guilty. He is looking for the guy who is, and he is buffeting himself on the forehead because he wants this coupled making man to be revealed. Is, is there a double, is there a double meaning that he’s also thinking about his own horns coming out? Maybe it’s possible. 

Paul Nicholas

And, and that was my question, Gideon, if he’s, if he’s walking through the town trying to find whoever it is, didn’t she Mrs. Page, don’t you also say he’s coming here? 

Michele Schultz

Oh, absolutely. 

Paul Nicholas

The peer out peer out has always confusing me because if he’s coming here, then who is he saying? Who is he looking for in the town? Because he thinks the man is here. 

Gideon Rappaport

I think’s fighting. I think he’s like early version of Leon’s fighting himself. And he’s saying to his own horns, come out and show yourself because the horns are identified with the, the man who’s making him a cuck. They’re his, his horns. But he wants them to show themselves or he wants them to appear. And that means to reveal who it is. Hmm. 

Paul Nicholas

Oh, okay. Okay. So he’s banging himself in the forehead saying, come on out, horns. 

Gideon Rappaport

Yeah. Since I suspect, since I suspect that I’m growing horns that only others can see. Let me see them. Which is a way of saying, let me see who’s the guilty party. And of course the whole thing is, is, is is in fact a set up to convince full staff that the danger is so imminent that he has to take these extreme measures to try to escape. Correct. 

Paul Nicholas

Okay. 

Gideon Rappaport

And he is in a kind of madness that makes all his previous versions of it seemed tame, civil and patient compared to this. 

Yes. Distemper means dis temperament. Right. The balance of humors in him is all out of whack. 

Paul Nicholas

And it’s, and it’s the craziest thing she’s ever seen. Makes everything else look, every other crazy stuff, things she’s seen look normal, look tame, 

Gideon Rappaport

Every other thing she’s seen in him. Yeah. Being jealous. ’cause she saw it in him last time. 

Now that’s nothing compared to this time. So she’s upping the ante for false death. 

Paul Nicholas

Ah, it’s just that she says that Any madness I ever yet beheld. And you think she means in him, 

Michele Schultz

In in in Ford? Yes. 

Paul Nicholas

Huh. Okay. 

Gideon Rappaport

And now the next line. I’m glad that Fat Knight is not here. Why does he talk of him? Is he talking about Paul staff of none but him and swears he was carried out the last time he searched for him in a basket. 

So now, 

Paul Nicholas

But test to my husband, he is now here. 

Gideon Rappaport

Sorry. 

Paul Nicholas

He thinks false staff is here. 

Gideon Rappaport

Yes. So 

Paul Nicholas

he does think it’s false staff 

Gideon Rappaport

now He thinks it’s false staff. No. 

Paul Nicholas

Hold on a second. Hold on. Let me come 

Gideon Rappaport

Back. Hasn’t hasn’t fall, hasn’t he Ford pretended to be broke. 

Paul Nicholas

Yes. So we know we, the there’s a whole lot of layers here. We, the audience, we know that Ford has spoken to fall staff and fall staff said, I got invited back to your wife’s house. 

Gideon Rappaport

Right? 

Paul Nicholas

But what’s in question is the wives don’t know that. So do the wives think that Ford thinks it’s false staff? Or does, do the wives think that Ford thinks it’s just some guy? 

Gideon Rappaport

Well, has she heard Ford? 

Paul Nicholas

The only reference is what we talked about a few minutes ago is when he said a big fat buck of the season two. But that could be anybody. 

Gideon Rappaport

The question is, does does mistress page, has she heard Ford accusing false staff of being this cuckold maker? 

Paul Nicholas

Right. Which we, the, we the audience think that she has not heard that. But she is saying that she’s hearing that 

Gideon Rappaport

Yes. I think it means that she, well she may be inventing it, which would be doubly ironic. Right. She may be sit reporting that he thinks it’s false death without knowing that he thinks it’s false death. 

Paul Nicholas

By the way, this is one of the lines that made me think, oh, we could try it the other way that she did hear him coming through the town talking about false staff. And so that line would catch Mrs. Ford off guard. Like, really? 

Gideon Rappaport

Right. 

Paul Nicholas

That’s a nice ad-lib there sis to make that up. But anyway, we’ll explore that next week. 

This week we’re playing that. Michelle, you, you don’t know that Ford knows it’s fall staff, but you were saying to scare fall staff, you’re saying, oh, Ford is talking about fall staff and that he’s here. 

Michele Schultz

Okay, got it. When you say your husband is in his own lus, again, it’s not just referring to this last time, right? Like, hasn’t Ford had jealous Yeah. Episodes like throughout their relationship because they make, make reference. Yeah. So It’s just something that happens and he’s, it’s probably more heightened now because there’s actual things happening, but like yeah, they referenced that he’s just a jealous man from the start And that’s why she wants to teach both men a lesson. She wants to teach fall staff, obviously, but she also wants to teach her husband that he’s imagining things. 

Paul Nicholas

There’s a conversation that you have when you compare the letters. When you say, look at my letter, look at my letter. They’re the, the twin brother of my letter. There’s a conversation you have where you say, oh, my husband’s so jealous. 

And Mrs. Page says, my husband’s as far from jealousy as I am from giving him calls. 

Michele Schultz

Yeah. 

Paul Nicholas

Okay. 

Corinna Christman

And then when they, yeah, when they tell Paige and Ford when pistol and tell him, tell them Yes. Forward immediately jealous. And Paige is kind of like, I’d like to see what happens here. This will be Yeah. Go after my wife. Yeah, they have 

Paul Nicholas

And would he get more of her than sharp words that lie in my head? Yeah. Okay. Continuing on. 

Corinna Christman

Are we, are we starting from 84? 

Paul Nicholas

I’m sorry, I’m reading. I’m just going through other little bits that we wanted to talk about. I’ll know more. I’ll come no more in the basket. I’ll creep up into the chimney. 

Mrs. Ford, I, I don’t know that these answers that you have or that answer, I think that’s your only one. I don’t know that you had that ready. 

Corinna Christman

Okay. I’m just trying. You 

Paul Nicholas

Didn’t think he was gonna say let’s, I I’ll creep up. 

Corinna Christman

That Wasn’t the first thing I was expecting. Okay. 

Paul Nicholas

Right. And so you go, no, you can’t go there because No. 

Corinna Christman

Okay. 

Paul Nicholas

And then kiln hole, and then you go, you know what, there’s nowhere you can hide. 

Corinna Christman

Yeah. Everything’s off limits. Yeah. Yeah. 

Paul Nicholas

Todd, what do you mean? Any extremity rather than a mischief? 

Todd Scofield

Yeah, because it almost sounds like, I mean, in one way it almost sounds like he’s saying, he’s saying what they did to him before was a practical joke and he knows it. 

Paul Nicholas

That’s See, that’s what I thought. But if he knew it, he can’t know it. 

Gideon Rappaport

No, 

Todd Scofield

I know 

Gideon Rappaport

Mischief means a, a shooting like a crime. A a violence. 

Todd Scofield

Oh, I see. 

Gideon Rappaport

He’s a coward as well as everything else we know 

Todd Scofield

Then. Yeah. A, a, a fight, a confrontation, A pri okay. Crime. Yeah. 

Gideon Rappaport

A an injury. 

Todd Scofield

Anything, anything other than them killing me. 

Gideon Rappaport

Correct. 

Todd Scofield

A mischief 

Gideon Rappaport

Or, or beating me or breaking my bone or whatever. Yes. 

Todd Scofield

Okay. 

Gideon Rappaport

I’ll even dress up as a woman to avoid that. 

He doesn’t say that yet, but they haven’t told him yet. But when they say, when he says any extremity, 

Paul Nicholas

I’ll go to any extreme to avoid getting beat. Getting beat up. 

Gideon Rappaport

Correct. And then, okay, we have an idea, 

Paul Nicholas

Mrs. Page. My, did we lose her? She here shall, my book says that thrummed means fringed. A fringed hat. Yeah. Oh, does that mean with little, like a little bangs hanging down? Yeah. 

Gideon Rappaport

Over the eyes. 

Paul Nicholas

Okay. 

Gideon Rappaport

The thrummed gown. A thrummed hat. I mean, and then why would they’re the, the ends of threads left unwoven and remaining attached to the loom when the web is cut off. But the verb was used not only of the adapting of such material, but also the fringing generally. So a fringed hat would be more appropriate here as offering more cover for the face. 

Paul Nicholas

Okay. And then why, why would they need linen for his head to act as a veil? 

Gideon Rappaport

Yes. 

Paul Nicholas

I will look some linen for your head. That 

Gideon Rappaport

is the thrummed hat might not be enough to hide his face, so they’re gonna put a white veil over it. So 

Paul Nicholas

then Mrs. Ford, I don’t know if we can, I don’t know if we can make this clear, but we should, if we can make it clear, we should try that. 

Corinna Christman

Okay. 

Paul Nicholas

The thrummed hat and the muffler. So the muffler covers like part of this, part of your face and Your 

Michele Schultz

neck. The bottom half of the face. Yeah. 

Paul Nicholas

And your neck and the fringe, the thrummed hat covers here. And yet you’re saying, and I will get some linen for your head. 

I 

Michele Schultz

cover up the hair like a kerin. 

Paul Nicholas

Is That she’s, 

Gideon Rappaport

Is that what you think she means? He’ll have the hat on. So I think he’s, I think she’s just adding as many, as many reassurances that they’re going to keep him hidden as possible. 

Paul Nicholas

And you said again later on Mrs. Ford, you say go up. I’ll bring linen for him straight. 

Corinna Christman

Yeah. 

Paul Nicholas

Okay, let’s go from, let’s go from how now, sweetheart, and then I won’t stop you. And let’s get to, 

Todd Scofield

Where’s that 

Paul Nicholas

After you, after you go into the chamber, sir? John. Oh, so 

Todd Scofield

I’m, I’m off. Yeah. 

Corinna Christman

Yeah, you just ran off. Can You gimme line number? Where Are you? 

Paul Nicholas

13, 12, 13, something like that. 

Gideon Rappaport

Oh, okay. You 

Paul Nicholas

know what, that’s too far back. It’s 

Michele Schultz

Nine 40. 

Paul Nicholas

Okay, it’s nine 40. That’s too far back. 

Let’s go from Sir John. Now I’ll come no more in the basket. 

Todd Scofield

Lime 

Paul Nicholas

48 ish. 48. 

Todd Scofield

Okay. I, yep, I got it. Do you want, do 

Paul Nicholas

you want the cue, Todd? 

Todd Scofield

No, I’m good. 

Paul Nicholas

Okay, here we go. 

Todd Scofield

No, I’ll come no more in the basket. May I not go out? There he come. 

Michele Schultz

A last three of Mr. 

Todd Scofield

Ford’s 

Michele Schultz

master Ford’s brothers watched the door with pistols. That nun shall you out. Otherwise you might step away and came. 

But what make you here? 

Todd Scofield

What shall I do? I’ll creep up into the chimney 

Corinna Christman

There. They, they always used to discharge. They’re birding pieces Creep into the kill. Ho, 

Todd Scofield

Where is it? 

Corinna Christman

He will seek there on my word neither press coffer. Chest trunk. Well, vols. But he has an abstract for the remembrance of such places and goes to them by his note. There is no hiding. You in the house. 

Todd Scofield

I’ll go out then. 

Michele Schultz

Then if you go out in your own semblance, you die. Sir John, unless you go out disguised. 

How might we disguise him? Oh, last the day. I know not there is no woman’s gang big enough for him. Otherwise he might put on a hat, a muffler and a kerchief. And so escape 

Todd Scofield

Good hair, good hearts. Devise something. Any extremity rather than a mischief. 

Corinna Christman

My maid’s aunt, the fat woman of Brentford has a gown above. Oh my What? It’ll serve him. She’s as big as he’s, and there’s a thrum hat and her muffler tip. Run up Sir. John, Go. Go. Sweet, sir. John mistress Paige and I will look some linen for your head. We’ll come dress you straight. Put on the gown. I would, my husband would meet him in this shape. He cannot abide the old woman of brentford. He swears she’s a witch. Forbade her my house and have threatened to beat her Heaven. Guide him to th husband’s cudgel and the devil guide the cudgel afterwards. But is my husband coming? 

Hi in. Good sadness is he. And talks to the basket too. Howsoever, he had had intelligence. We’ll try for, we’ll try that for, I’ll appoint my men to carry the basket again to meet him at the door with it as they did last time. Yay. But he’ll be here presently. Let’s go dress him like the witch of brentford. 

I’ll first direct my men what they shall do with the basket. Go up. I’ll bring Lyn for him straight And him dishonest. Violet. We cannot misuse him enough. We’ll leave a proof by that, which we will do. 

Wives may be married 

Todd Scofield

and yet honest, 

Michele Schultz

we do not act that often. 

Todd Scofield

Just laugh 

Michele Schultz

is old but true still. Swine eats all the draft. 

Paul Nicholas

Alright, 

Michele Schultz

Lovely. What does that mean? 

Paul Nicholas

We shall find out. Let’s work, let’s figure out what all of this means. But yes, I definitely wanna get to that line. Do you know what Michelle? You know what? 

I didn’t think I would like it, but kill hole because in my head I was going, nobody would understand that You mean kiln, but maybe when you say kill hole, it doesn’t need to mean kiln at all. It just sounds like she’s inventing something. Why don’t you creep into the kill hole so we can kill you? And he goes, where is it? Which is kind of funny. 

Michele Schultz

Okay. I 

Paul Nicholas

think I still prefer kiln, but that was not as, I didn’t dislike that as much as I thought I would. I think what makes it funny is that we, we, we, the audience thinks that no one knows what you mean. And yet fall staff goes, where is it? I’ll climb into it. Kill hole. Sure. I’ll climb into that. And then if we think that Mistress Ford has no idea what you’re talking about, but she goes, oh, he is gonna search there too, where whatever that is Anyway. Yeah, it’s jumping it. 

Corinna Christman

Yeah. Yeah. 

Paul Nicholas

We can just play different things. Okay. Where did we pick up from? We picked up from here, Todd. 

Todd Scofield

Yeah. 

Paul Nicholas

I wonder if, I wonder if he is not leaving and then we have to figure out why he’s not leaving. Because pa Mrs. Page says, run up Sir John. And then Mrs. Ford, the very next line is Go, go sweet sir John. And then Mrs. Page says, quick, quick, we’ll come dress you straight. 

So I wonder if he’s not leaving and I can’t figure out why he’s not leaving because he’s freaked out. Why wouldn’t he leave? 

Because 

Todd Scofield

he is freaked out. And 

Gideon Rappaport

also because there’s nowhere in the house that Ford won’t look. So going from one room of the house to another, he’s already been warned isn’t good enough. 

Paul Nicholas

But they just told him to run upstairs. Go upstairs where the, where the gown is. Go put the gown on. She said it. Yeah. 

Gideon Rappaport

Well he is fat. Running upstairs takes an effort. 

Todd Scofield

Yep. 

Gideon Rappaport

Run Up is funny. 

Paul Nicholas

I mean we could also steal the, steal the joke of from the production I did at Pennsylvania shakes this summer, which is she says, run up Sir John, and you go to leave and Ford, Mrs. Ford talks to you. And so you stop. And then she says, go, go sweet Sir John. And you go to leave. And she keeps talking. So you stop and she says Quick, quick. And you go to leave. And she keeps talking. So you stop. Like she keeps giving you instructions and that makes you stop. And then you stand there and they go, go. I don’t know, it’s, it was funny on stage. I don’t know if it’ll work on Zoom. 

Todd Scofield

Yeah. Hmm. That would false sex. It’s definitely more hard, difficult to pull off on Zoom. 

Paul Nicholas

Yeah. So maybe he is, would he be apprehensive about putting on a, a women’s attire even though he just said, I will do anything. Do anything. I’ll do it. Would it, is it funny if he goes, whatever you come up with, I’ll do. And then they go, we’re gonna dress you as a woman. And he goes, well I don’t Are you sure? Is that the only way? 

Todd Scofield

Oh, I don’t know if that Yeah, we could try that. 

Paul Nicholas

But it’s clear. Yeah. 

Todd Scofield

Could try that not 

Paul Nicholas

Leaving because they keep telling him to leave and he is not leaving. Yeah. 

Corinna Christman

You, You could like Start to turn and then when they say something again, turn back. But sort of like, I don’t know, turning out, I don’t know how much it would read, but like turning away and moving and then turning back to us. 

Todd Scofield

Yeah. 

Paul Nicholas

Yeah. 

Todd Scofield

Yep. 

Paul Nicholas

So cudgel is one of those words where I know what it means and I know how to use it, but I would love to know exactly what it means. 

Michele Schultz

I think it’s a club. Yeah, 

Paul Nicholas

That’s what I think. That’s what I think. But I’d love to know like the history of it. 

Gideon Rappaport

Well, I think that I have to look it up in just a regular dictionary because it’s a, it’s a fat ended club I would say, but I’m gonna look, 

Paul Nicholas

Yeah. You know what I have somewhere, I have my Isaac Asim off. I’m sure it’s in there. 

Todd Scofield

Oh, I don’t know if it’s in the, he doesn’t always get that specific 

Corinna Christman

Like a bat. I 

Paul Nicholas

also have my lexicon somewhere in a box. It’s Called 

Gideon Rappaport

a, it’s a short heavy club. 

Paul Nicholas

That’s it. 

Michele Schultz

That’s what I thought. Yeah. And it hurts when you get hit with it. 

Paul Nicholas

Oh, 

Todd Scofield

I’ll 

Paul Nicholas

bet it does. 

Corinna Christman

All the pictures, it looks like a little baseball bat, like a slender handle. And then it’s wider with the the weapon end. 

Paul Nicholas

Mr. Ford. She says, yes, he is coming. And the weird thing is he’s also talking about the basket. I don’t know how he found out about that. Yeah. So when you say we’ll try that, I think it, it should be Oh. Oh my gosh. 

Corinna Christman

Yeah. 

Paul Nicholas

That’s another layer we could great. Yes. 

Corinna Christman

That’s 

Paul Nicholas

another piece of fun we could have. 

Corinna Christman

He he is looking for a basket. He is heard about this. Okay. 

Paul Nicholas

Yeah. 

Corinna Christman

So we should use that, right? Yeah. Okay. But we don’t have enough time for that. 

Try also means tests. We’ll see how far we can push that one. Yeah. Okay. Like that joke. Yeah. 

Paul Nicholas

Mrs. Page, when she says that, she says to, to they’ll, I’ll instruct my man to carry the basket again to meet him at the door with it as they did last time. When you’re and Gideon tell me if I’m right. When you say nay, you don’t, you’re not saying no, that’s a bad idea. 

What you’re saying is, oh my gosh, he’s gonna be here soon. We have to go dress, we gotta go dress. False acts. 

Gideon Rappaport

Where are you? I’ve lost you now. 

Paul Nicholas

90, 96, 97. 

Gideon Rappaport

Oh, I think I’m saying No, we can’t do that because we don’t have enough time to do the whole basket thing. He’s already up there getting changed into the dress. We’re gonna go with that. 

Paul Nicholas

You okay? 

Corinna Christman

Yeah. I think you’re going back and forth. One of them is more ex Yeah. You wanna do the brentford thing? And I’m like, yeah, yeah. But first let’s do the basket too. Yeah. And That’s because we’ll make Them both happen. Mistress page doesn’t have an interest in necessarily showing up, showing up Ma Master Ford. But Mistress Ford does. Yeah. So she’s, she wants to double the fund for her. 

Paul Nicholas

So you Think, you think Mrs. Page is saying, no, that’s a bad idea. ’cause we don’t have time. No, 

Gideon Rappaport

it’s not. No, but it’s, we we don’t have time. She is saying we don’t have time. It nay is just like a exclamation It doesn’t literally mean No, but she, it’s like saying, well that’s all, that’s fine, but we gotta hurry. Yeah. 

Paul Nicholas

Okay. So then 

Gideon Rappaport

They split up, then they split up. You go dress, start dressing him. I’ll deal with the basket and then I’ll come help you 

Paul Nicholas

And, and, and you actually, what you actually say is, I’ll tell my men to deal with the basket and I’ll get some linen and I’ll come up. 

Right. 

Michele Schultz

Ah, oh, oh, yes, yes, yes. I see it. Okay. I misread it. 

Paul Nicholas

And Mr. 

Michele Schultz

So they 

Paul Nicholas

Are gonna Huh? Go ahead. Go ahead Michelle. 

Michele Schultz

I said yes. They, I I misread it. She says yes. They, they are going to do both. They’re gonna do the fake basket too, so they can watch Ford go and go through the basket and find nothing. Right. But We’ll, but the main thing will be to dress as a, as a, as a, and then they’ll sneak him out dressed as as, as a, as a woman that, but they know that Master Ford hates the woman. 

Paul Nicholas

Right. 

Gideon Rappaport

And it’s a decoy because they, yeah. He will be, the plan is he will be so focused on the basket. He won’t examine the the woman. The woman. Yeah. Yeah. I get it. Yeah. I I I’m sorry, I I did misread the scene at first. Okay. 

Paul Nicholas

Okay. And let’s close the evening with still swine eats all the draft. 

Todd Scofield

Let’s do a draft. 

Gideon Rappaport

All right, well let’s do all four lines. ’cause they’re, they’re great. We’ll leave a proof by that, which we will do. We’re going to exemplify by what we’re going to do. That wives may be married not because they’re hiding something or they’re behaving immorally, but because they can be both Mary and honest. Okay. Yeah. Fun and chased. Then we do not act. They’re often just, and laugh some women just, and laugh because they’re acting, they’re hiding, they’re hiding their immorality. But we, some women often that often just, and laugh are not acting. And we’re not, we’re not pretending to be virtuous. 

We really are. We’re gonna, and what we do is gonna prove that in the long run. Then she quotes this old adage or saw the proverb. 

Still wine eats all the draft still means quiet or 

Paul Nicholas

Right. 

Gideon Rappaport

Unmoving, unex un they’re not showing anything. Right. Other animals are, are busy trying to, but the still one gets it in the end because people are misled into thinking he’s not gonna go after it. But because of that, he will. So it’s, it means, 

Paul Nicholas

And the draft is, is the feed, is the pig feed, right? 

Gideon Rappaport

The dregs or the hogs wash the, the leftover food. 

The no, and the, there’s an added part in a, in a similar usage in another play by Haywood. The quote is they the still sow eats all the draft and no question, the most smoother tongue fellow, the more errant nave. 

So it’s another way of saying we can be good and still laugh and make Mary, because the quiet ones are the ones you can’t trust a woman who’s virtuous and is quiet, maybe not, maybe can’t be trusted, but a woman who can laugh and jest can also be virtuous. Does that help? 

Paul Nicholas

Yes. A little bit. The first three lines were always clear to me. 

Gideon Rappaport

Okay. It’s the 

Paul Nicholas

still swine gets all the draft. How does that, the 

Gideon Rappaport

Quiet one is the one not to be trusted. 

Paul Nicholas

Ah, okay. But the draft, the draft you’re saying is the leftover feed that none of the other pigs Want. 

Gideon Rappaport

Well, no. Every, all the pigs are eating draft. That’s what they eat. Right. 

Paul Nicholas

So it is the pig feed, 

Gideon Rappaport

Pig feed. But pig feed means the garbage from the house. Pigs eat whatever’s left over. 

Paul Nicholas

So she’s saying she, she’s not saying that these two are still swine? No, she’s saying we are not still swine. 

Gideon Rappaport

No. The opposite because 

Paul Nicholas

We are mer and we just, and loud And 

Gideon Rappaport

we’re honest. Whereas the still swine is the one pretending to be honest. But really eating all the draft, don’t trust them. Trust you can trust us. Even though we’re justing and laughing, don’t trust the quiet ones. They’re the ones who are probably pretending. Hmm. 

Paul Nicholas

Fascinating. All right. Jules is about to bust down the door at any moment. Actors, questions, thoughts, concerns, manifestos, criticisms. 

Todd Scofield

Hmm. Oh, 

Juls Hoover

Very exciting. 

Michele Schultz

So I 

Paul Nicholas

guess Michelle, that last line should sound like a warning. 

Michele Schultz

Yeah. 

Paul Nicholas

Forgive me if that’s Exactly what just said. 

Michele Schultz

I didn’t, 

Paul Nicholas

I didn’t realize it 

Michele Schultz

still meant quiet in that context. I understand it now that it makes a lot more sense. We’re, we are boisterous, we are, we are, we, we, we don’t hide fact that we’re having fun. And that’s why, you know, that we’re honest. 

I have only to say that. I think next time we should start with what we haven’t read at all yet. Okay. And we should start, and I, and I apologize. I’m, I’m, I’m going to go back to my old location so I don’t have technical problems, but I think we should start from here when we meet again next week. 

Todd Scofield

Yep. 

Michele Schultz

I 

Paul Nicholas

agree. I agree. 

Juls Hoover

So specifically, where are we starting from? Where would you like to start from 

Paul Nicholas

Right after this? I’ll, the first thing is enter, enter Mrs. Ford and Robert and John with the buck basket. Right. 

Gideon Rappaport

So start at line 1 0 8, Right. And Ford comes in. Yeah. 

Paul Nicholas

Yeah. 

Juls Hoover

Excellent work. And 

Paul Nicholas

then we’ll get through it. We’ll get to the end and then I’ll try my little experiment and then the final week we’ll polish it up. 

Todd Scofield

Cool. Thank you. 

Juls Hoover

This has been fun. Yeah, This is 

Paul Nicholas

so much fun. I can’t think of a better way to spend a Tuesday evening. 

Gideon Rappaport

Well, I suggest you go to sleep now. Yeah, yeah. 

Paul Nicholas

I’m waking up at four 30 

Gideon Rappaport

Based, based on your own testimony. 

Todd Scofield

Hmm. 

Juls Hoover

Well thank you. 

Todd Scofield

All right. 

Juls Hoover

Yes. And be everybody 

Todd Scofield

Next week, 

Juls Hoover

The audience please remember to subscribe and like, and we will see you next Tuesday. Thanks everybody. 

Paul Nicholas

Bye. 

Corinna Christman

Thank you.