Week 1 – Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure – Act 2, Scene 2 – The Rehearsal Room [Video, Audio, and Transcript versions]

Nathan

But yes, in a second, what I found the first week is helpful to do some just, you know, quick introduction. So especially for people that haven’t worked with each other, you can kind of get, get a sense of who the group is. ’cause I very often you guys just dive right into the material, which is great. But, you know, it’s, it’s a nice little opportunity to get to know each other. 

And I just have a couple pieces of business to take care of one, I want to say. So we do have some supporters that kind of help with just the production costs. And so I want to thank Michelle and Christian and Jim and Magdalene and Evar and Frank for supporting us at that, those levels that, that kind of help us keep this running. And then on another note, I wanted to just mention, there were a couple, couple people that have, have shuffled off their Mortal Coil. And I, and, and I had a connection to them. And so one of them is Jeffrey Carlson. He was an actor based, did a lot of work in New York and Chicago, taught Shakespeare a lot in Chicago. And that’s how I knew him. And he recently, recently left this plane. 

And then there was another actor, kind of more of a, an amateur actor, but his name is Danny Fulkerson and he did one of these workshops with us early on. And he was somebody that, you know, even in his seventies, still loved kind of trying these things out and doing different things. And yet a whole career is, you know, doing other work, but just, you know, love to, love to act and, and do Shakespeare. So I’ll miss both of them. They were, they were great, great people in, in their own ways. And I don’t know if, if anyone here had worked with Jeffrey or, or knew him. 

Paul

I feel like I know that name. That sounds very familiar. I feel like I’ve, if I’ve not worked with him, I’ve met him through people I’ve worked with. Yeah. 

Nathan

I mean he did, he did a lot of work at I think Shakespeare, DC and, and, and Chicago Shakes and, and, and, and New York as well. And, and had, you know, done some TV work. So What’s that, Paul? So that’s. 

Paul

Where I trained was at the Shakespeare Theater in DC so I’m pretty sure. 

Nathan

Oh, right, yeah. Yeah. So he was, he was a very, very bright light and just had a kind of an, an innate gift with, with Shakespeare. So sad to see him go. He was only, you know, I think he was only in his forties, but, you know, so, but yeah, so wanted to acknowledge both of them. 

And actually I, I saw during the pandemic, the Goodman released a streaming version of their Measure for Measure that Bob Fal had directed. And Jamie Newcomb, who I kind of connected through with this, he played the Duke and he’s a fantastic actor if you’ve never seen or, or worked with him. He’s just really, really wonderful. And they had this very seedy concept of like 1970s New York, that was their version. And I, and I won’t, I won’t give anything away in case you ever, ever the have the chance to stream it. But the ending that they chose for the play, which is a little ambiguous, had people just so divided about either they loved it or just hated it. 

And, but they made a choice and they got people talking, which is, you know, to some degree what, what art, good art does. But, but Jeffrey was actually in that production, he played Lucio and he was just brilliant in that. So, so that brings us back to Measure For Measure and really excited. I’ve, I’ve done some scenes from it. I’ve seen it. So I’m, I’m excited to, you know, just see what you guys mind from it and thrilled that you all were available and, and were able to jump on this. I’m, I’m always so grateful and so honored by all of you just wanting to do this, you know, have fun in this sandbox, so to speak, for, for a month. 

And it really means a lot. And I, I think the, the work kind of speaks for itself, but it’s just, especially all of us being so far flung around the country and varying levels of, of creative projects in our, in our lives, I, this is such a, a welcome spot in my own life. Just even being able to observe and, and listen. So I’m, I’m so grateful and I, I think it’s been a really great success in terms of being able to connect people and get people to work on material in a way that they don’t often get the chance to do at, on the, in this deep way. So I’ll, I’ll stop yammering ’cause I can cheat. Just keep going on and on about how wonderful I think all of this is. 

And not because I’m producing it, but because of all the work that, and talent that you guys bring to it. So, so thank you. And yeah, I’ll, and, and for those who don’t know me, I’ll, I’ll just very, very briefly say a little intro on me and then we’ll kind of pass it around. But yeah, I, I studied at U S C, did a lot of theater in la, did a little bit of TV and film out there. And then kind of in a similar way to, to Rachel, I got rid of everything and then just started traveling and, and backpacking. And to this point, I’ve been to all 50 states and about 20, 22 countries or something like that. 

Actually, where I’m heading is, is we’re going to Africa on Saturday. We’re going for a couple weeks, so that’ll be our sixth continent, my wife and I together, our sixth continent. And, but then five or six years ago, I, I got into audiobooks and so I’ve been doing that. And we live in very, very northern California, not the Bay Area, actual northern California, near Oregon, about 30, 35 minutes from Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland. 

And so I’m in a very small town, which is quiet. I get to record audio books, which is great, and then do this. So that’s, that’s a quick glimpse into what I’m up to. And then I’ll, maybe I’ll pass it over to Stefan. 

Stefan

Hi everybody. This is the craziness of saying yes to Nathan when he says, Hey, I haven’t talked to you in 15 years. You wanna direct people and have people, I’ll record it and people can watch it. 

Sure, why not? And then I forgot. And then he, he emailed me back and said, Hey, remember when you said do this? I’m like, oh, crap. Yeah, we’ll make it work. I was in la I went to uc, San Diego to get my M F A in directing, met my wife there who was a set designer. We moved to la I was in LA I think in the golden years, it seems like, for 99 c Theater. And I was able to work with some of the great companies and doing incredibly huge stupid theater and far more adventurous than I could do if I was in New York. And then 2008 happened and the economy tanked, and I looked for a tenure track job, and I got it. 

And I feel really lucky because my wife’s tenure track up at University of North Texas, teach set design. I teach at a small liberal arts Catholic school, but I teach theater literature and directing now. And I tour, tour, I direct a Lord show probably every two years, maybe. There’s just no time anymore with kids and everything. So this is a welcome. I’m really grateful to get to hang out with some pros. And I re rereading it. I’ve directed this play once, just rereading it. You forget how great Shakespeare is. So, thank you, Nathan. This is, we’re gonna have fun. I don’t know Charlotte. 

Charlotte

Hello, my name is Charlotte Northeast, and yes, that’s my real name. I didn’t make it up. I’m Canadian originally. Aw. 

But I, I went to school at Circle in the Square in New York, and then settled just outside of Philadelphia many, many years ago. 

And I’ve been part of the Philadelphia theater scene for 20 plus years and helped found a company that specializes in rarely produced classics. 

I’ve done measure for Measure once here in Philadelphia. I played 7,000 characters, including Mistress Overdone, the Provost, one of the bailiffs. I don’t know, I like, I I had, I, I remember the costume changes more than the stage time. It was sort of insane. 

And the reason, so Paul and I know each other, we just did, for this company that I helped found the Philadelphia Artist Collective, we just did a brand new adaptation of Jane Eyy. 

And so that’s how we know each other, a brand new. 

Paul

Adaptation, which she helped to adapt. 

Charlotte

Right. I did, I did. I did. I did I forget that part. Yeah. So I’m part of a, a writing consortium, and we write, we’ve written, this is our second piece we’ve done. So Jane Eyre, and we’ve done the complete works of Jane Austen abridged, which is exactly what you think. It’s, it’s a three three hander doing the complete works of Jane Austen abridged. And it’s really, really ridiculous and fun. And people dress up to come see it because that’s how nutty they are for Jane Austen. And this is my third project with Nathan. So thank you, Nathan. I haven’t worn out my welcome quite yet, and I’m excited to work on it. I I, I love this play. 

It’s so thorny and so gooey, so I’m looking forward to figuring out some of the, the gooier parts. Anyway, Rachel, I will popcorn it to you. 

Rachel

Perfect. Well, hi everybody. I’m Rachel dla. I went to school in Washington College where one of my professors was Brendan Fox, who introduced me virtually to, I love. 

Charlotte

Brendan. 

Rachel

Okay, good. I figured there’d be some good Brendan heads in here. And I’ve actually never seen a full production of Measure for Measure or been in one though my senior year I created an independent study with Brendan so that I could know how to audition in the real world and such. And Isabella’s, to whom should I complain, was one of my monologues for all of that. And then actually after I graduated, Brendan brought me back to Washington College for a stage adaptation of Jasper Ford’s novel, the era Fare. So this is all feeling very kismet, which is very exciting. But yeah, I’ve worked on both sides of the stage as admin and performing. And then of course, 2020 hit and theater took whatever hiatus it needed to. 

And in that time I transitioned into professional voiceover. And I’m coming to you live now from my voiceover booth in my self converted 2003 Ford E three 50 shuttle bus. And I dare you to say that six times fast. So that’s me. And I think I’ll popcorn it over to Paul then. 

Paul

Hi everyone. Jay Paul Nicholas is the professional name, but I just go by Paul. 

I, I started out as a rabbi in prisons, and then I got a job as the starting point guard for the Miami Heat and found that dealing heroine in Miami was a much more lucrative profession. And so I shifted over to that and then discovered acting. And here I am, Charlotte was one of my heroine clients. That’s how we know each other. Hmm. 

One of the best clients I ever had. As a matter of fact. No, I’m not good at talking about myself. I’m from Miami. I had a corporate life. I’ve always been an actor since I was 10 years old. Both my parents are actors. One were, one was the other, one is, and I worked a lot in Philly and decided to move to Philly in 2009. 

No, I started working in Philly in 2009. I bought a house in 2016. So I moved to Philly in 2016 officially. And yeah, I’ve been bouncing around. I act, I direct, I do fight choreography whenever I can. And I teach, I’m going to start teaching in two weeks. I start teaching college at Villanova. Wow. Kind of frightening. But there we are. 

Stefan

What are you gonna teach? 

Paul

Macro May and cocktail making. 

Stefan

They’ll, they’ll be a lot of cocktail making. 

Paul

I’m sure these are 21 year olds. So yeah. No intro to acting or fundamentals of acting or one of those things. Basic acting. 

Stefan

How awesome. 

Paul

What they said to me was, we’ve seen your work and it’s pretty basic, so we want you to teach basics. 

Yeah, yeah. You’re doing. 

Nathan

Standup on the weekends, right, Paul? Is it, are you touring the country? 

Paul

Yeah, I, I do a lot of sit down comedy. 

Charlotte

I, I’m sorry Nathan. I’m sorry. I regret my choices. 

Paul

Oh, oh my God, I love this. Never done mega. Maybe. 

Nathan

You should be. He, he, Paul should be playing Lucio and we’ll just have Rachel play Angelo. 

Paul

Dude, I wanna play Pompe so bad. I used a Pompe monologue chopped up from that, from Act one, scene two, I chopped up. I made a monologue out of that and I used that as an audition piece for a long time. 

Nathan

Very. 

Stefan

Cool. So genius role. 

Paul

Yeah, I love it. I’ve seen it Shakespeare in the park with Joe Morton playing the Duke. And I forget the other actors. That was many, many, many, many, many years ago. But I’ve never done the play, but I do like it a lot. 

Nathan

Well, cool. Well, I’m very, I’m thrilled that you, you get out of the heroin game, Paul, that’s admirable. As, as lucrative as it as it was. And I’m, I’m very excited. You, you know, just hearing everybody’s, you know, backstory, some of which I knew to some degree. I’m just, I, I’m, I’m just, I I’m a kid in the candy store with these things. I, I just love it. I can’t wait. ’cause you guys are gonna have such fun conversations and, and discussions and all that. So that’s, I think that’s it for me. If you need anything, I’ll be listening in. But you know, you guys know what to do. It’s why you’re here. You’ve all been to rehearsal, so off you go. And I’ll probably check in before you leave. Yes, Paul. 

Paul

I do have a question. Is anyone listening tonight? 

Nathan

So there’s no live component for the first three weeks. It’ll just be kind of cut, you know, I’ll replay a bit. So, yeah. 

Paul

Okay, good. 

Nathan

So it’s just, it’s just us in the room for the first three weeks or you know, you guys in the room. 

Stefan

But then people can watch this. 

Nathan

Correct? Yeah. 

Stefan

Okay. Yeah. Okay, cool. This is great. I said to my wife, I trying to describe, will you, Nathan, will you just, what is you, you, I went on the website and tried to understand all of it, but so young professionals can watch this and just sort of watch what it’s like to be in the room. Is that sort of one of the goals? 

Nathan

Yeah, exactly. I mean, you know, I’ll try to keep this concise, but even at the time I recognized when I was in LA specifically Attias taking classes and doing shows, I was extraordinarily lucky to be surrounded by so many professionals who had 30, 40, 50, 60 years of work experience and who had done regional theater for 20 or 30 years. And that’s how they learned their craft. And, and of course acting as a craft. That’s how it used to be passed down is you, you know, the young pros would be on tour with the companies and they’d watch from the wings and, and learn and all that. And so to some degree, that’s how I felt like I learned and, and gained a little bit of confidence even as a young professional. And, you know, when I started this project in 2017, it was, it was a podcast to try to capture some of what I learned from these people and just to hear their stories and share that with a wider audience. 

And then over the pandemic, it just became a conversation of what do you, you know, I knew all, I know all these people, all these great actors and artists and directors, and what do you want to do at this time? ’cause I think we’re gonna be here for a little bit. And this came out of that, you know, it’s like, well, what if we spent, you know, a long amount of time on a short amount, on a small amount of material that you, you know, we, you know, material that has so much to offer that we never get the chance to do in a rehearsal. And so, so yes, it’s, there’s a number of goals with it. But in a long-winded way to Yes, I agree that one of my hopes is that this allows not only younger professionals who are involved in the scene to kind of see, well, what are the, you know, what are the pros? What do the older pros do? 

How do they, you know, deal with questions about character and what are they asking and what are they still insecure about or don’t know, or how do they, what’s their process so that they can see firsthand, whether it’s the director, the actors or, or whomever, how they investigate materials so that the, even the, the younger and newer actors or artists involved on the scene can see that. But then anyone watching, whether they’re, whatever age they are, can see this is, this is the job. Like this is really what the job is. And this is under ideal circumstances, you know, you might get cast and the director never even says hi to you. 

So what’s your job? And what, what, what do you do if, you know, you don’t have the time or the attention of, of the other, you know, people. And, and I hope that this, this can kind of reveal that process. And, and it, and it also shows that there are many ways for every artist involved. There are many ways into the text to investigate it. And, you know, I mean, we could, we could, every month we could be working on the same scene and a different group would find new things. You know, that’s, that’s the beauty of everyone having their own process and this material being so rich. And it’s not only Shakespeare, we’ve done checkoff and we just, last month Charlotte worked on Virginia Wolf adaptation. So there’s, there’s a lot to explore and there’s a lot of ways to do it. So, I’m sorry, I’m a very verbal person. If you haven’t noticed, and you’re great, man, if you get, if you get me talking about something I’m, I’m passionate about, good luck getting in a word Ed wise. So I’ll pause there. 

Stefan

No, that was great. That was great. Does anyone have any other questions for Nathan? And then we’ll let him. 

Nathan

Disappear into the ether. 

Stefan

And now I, we start having rehearsal. That’s it. 

Nathan

Yeah. Yep. Okay. Yeah. Good luck. Amazing. Yeah. 

Stefan

Thank you Nathan. 

Nathan

Alright, see you guys in a. 

Stefan

Thank you guys. I, you know, I was the only thing I wish I kind of wanted to hear about what the front lines were like in terms of the sag after crap going on out there. 

All my friends in LA what they’re posting is just let’s go protest. Who’s protesting where, what a. 

Paul

I get crazy times emails from SAG trying to encourage members to come out to pick it. Yeah. But you know, I’m, I’m two hours away, so. 

Charlotte

Yeah. Well, Philly had, Philly had a rally, I wanna say a week ago, around Love Park. 

Stefan

Really? 

Charlotte

Yeah. Yeah. And it was quite well attended. I, I saw pictures. I wasn’t there, but a friend of mine posted a bunch of pictures and it was quite boisterous. So. 

Stefan

Wow. 

Charlotte

What I, what I don’t like is the way the news is framed. Like New York Times says Hollywood actors striking. I’m like, it’s, it’s not Hollywood. It’s anybody in this union across the, it just makes me nuts. Anyway. 

Stefan

I, I don’t know how, I mean, I’m always amazed just at actors in general, but, but what’s going on now? It seems like, I hope it’s a watershed event. I hope it’s a, a big shift. Something happens, but I don’t know, it’s just not a world I I know anymore. Okay. My love, this is super weird to just jump into a, a scene and I’m so glad people aren’t watching. ’cause I thought, oh God, I, people I have to be teaching already, which is not really, or, or, or being an exemplar already. And I will tell you, I have zero preconceived notions about this scene because I did not know you and you don’t know me. 

And sometimes I learn things from auditions about, you know, what a scene is gonna be. And then I had a friend just post one of those super annoying and yet super inspirational Peter Brooke quotes and what he said, like, like, you know, his, he has this whole thing about concepts that never put a, like a concept is the last thing you figure out on a play. Not the first thing you know. Because if you, if you bring a concept to the play, you limit the play. 

That’s what happens at the very, very, very, very end. And it’s this great paragraph and it was what I needed today. So against my better judgment, I have, I, I think we should just read it and find out who we are and find out what our version of this scene is. 

Charlotte

I have a very inane question. 

Stefan

Yeah. It. 

Charlotte

Might be my same question. Yeah. Where does it, I, I know we got like a thing in Nathan’s email, but I’m not sure where it starts. 

Paul

Aren’t we starting at the top of scene two? 

Stefan

Yeah. 

Charlotte

Oh, okay, great. Sorry, a name. Yeah. 

Stefan

I, I see my, I was actually the hardest part of getting this email from Nathan is okay now he’s like, well, what do you wanna do? And here’s the criteria. It can’t just be two people. It’s gotta be of certain length. And by the way, we’ve done all the famous ones already. And I’m like, so I was really proud of what I found. This is the perfect amount of meat for everybody, you know. But yeah, we’re just doing tutu, all of it, you know, like, you. 

Rachel

Gotta pick this. I, I in my brain wondered if, like, I was dropping into, oh, they’ve been working their way through the play and this month they’re doing this scene. You got to pick this specifically and we get to work on it. 

Stefan

Yeah. And, and to be honest, I was traveling, I teach in, in, in, my university has a campus south of Rome. So I was in Rome, you know, and went in Rome and I mean, but I was like, I don’t have time to, and then I forgot and Nathan‘s like, Hey, I need a scene. So I felt terrible. I’ll put my cards on the table. I’m not a Shakespearean the, that the term all my faculty friends use. I’m, I’m not trained as a Shakespeare director, but I’ve done a lot of it. Turns out, it turns out I’m pretty good at it. ’cause I’m just good at words. But I would love a debate at some point, and maybe it’s just a beer at some point when we’re all in the same room of just your, what your visions of it are on, you know, Paul, you’re tr trained at Shakespeare. Like there, there’s just all these debates on how to do Shakespeare that I’m, I’m curious about. And, and maybe Philippa will, will help us a little bit. You know, she’s a resident at all these places, but I’m not, I don’t get bogged down in theory. 

Paul

Okay, good. So we’re not gonna be doing it like Peter Brooke. 

Stefan

No, no. So I don’t know. Any other questions before we read it? I’ll read the servant. 

Rachel

That was my next question. 

Stefan

Yeah, you can’t do it. You’re, you’re, there is a, there’s a couple times where Provost and Lucio talked to each other. Yeah. And which we, I think we’re gonna have to have fun with. Yeah. 

I think he was being nice and didn’t want one person to do the provost, but they’re two kind of fun roles like the provost. You can have a lot of fun with the provost, but, okay, for now, just read both and I’ll read the sermon. Should we read it once? Any other questions before we dive in? All right, let’s go. 

Act two, scene two, enter provost and a servant. He’s hearing a cause. He will come straight. I’ll tell him of you. 

Rachel

Pray you do. I’ll know his pleasure. Maybe he will relent. Alas, he hef but is offended in a dream. All sex, all ages smack of this vice and he to die for it. 

Paul

Now what is the matter? Provost? 

Rachel

Is it your will? Claudio shall die tomorrow. 

Paul

Did I not tell the ea did I not tell the ye had sa not order? Why does that ask again? 

Rachel

Lest I might be too rash under your good correction. I have seen when after execution judgment has repented or his doom. 

Paul

Go to let that be mine. Do you your office or give up your place and you shall well be spared. 

Rachel

I crave your honor’s. Pardon? What shall be done, sir? With the groaning Juliet, she’s very near her hour. 

Paul

Dispose of her to some more fitter place and that with speed. 

Here’s the sister of the man, condemned desires, access to you, happiest sister. 

Rachel

Hi, my good Lord. A very virtuous mate. And to be shortly of a sisterhood, if not already. 

Paul

Well let her be admitted. See you. The phos be removed. Let her have needful but not lavish. Means there shall be. Order for it. 

Rachel

Save your honor. 

Paul

Stay a little while. You’re welcome. What’s your will? 

Charlotte

I’m a woeful suitor to your honor. Please. But your honor, hear me. 

Paul

Sorry, I’m losing place in the script. Well, what’s your suit? 

Charlotte

There is a vice that most I do abhor and most desire should meet the blow of justice for which I would not plead, but that I must, for which I must not plead, but that I am at war. Twix will and will not. 

Paul

Well the matter. 

Charlotte

I have a brother is condemned to die. I do beseech you let it be his fault and not my brother. 

Rachel

Heaven gives the moving graces. 

Paul

Condemn the faults and not the actor of it. Why? Every fault’s condemned. Dare it be done. Mine were the very cipher of a function to find the faults whose fine stands in record and let go by the actor. 

Charlotte

Just but severe law that I had a brother then heaven keep your honor. 

Rachel

If not to or so to him again and treat him. Kneel down before him. Hang upon his gown. You are too cold. If you should need a pin, you could not with more tame a tongue, desire it to him. I say. 

Charlotte

Must. He needs die. 

Paul

Maiden. No remedy. 

Charlotte

Yes. I I I do think that you might pardon him and neither heaven nor man grieve at the mercy. 

Paul

I will not do it. 

Charlotte

But can you, if you would. 

Paul

Look what I will. Look what I will not. Look what I will, not that I cannot do. But. 

Charlotte

Might you do it and do the world. No wrong. If so, your heart were touched with that remorse as as, as mine is to him. 

Paul

He’s sentenced. It’s too late. 

Rachel

You’re too cold. 

Charlotte

Too late. Why no I that do speak a word may call it back again. Well believe this no ceremony that to great one’s longs not the king’s crown. Not the deputed sword. The the the Marshall’s truncheon nor the judges’ row become them with one half. So good a grace as mercy does. 

If he had been as you and you as he, you would have slipped like him, but he like you would not have been so stern. 

Paul

Pray you’ll be gone. 

Charlotte

I would to heaven. I had your potency and you, Isabelle, should it then be thus? No, I would tell what tour to be a judge. And, and what a prisoner. I. 

Rachel

Touch him. There’s the vein. 

Paul

Your brother is a forfeit of the law. And you would waste your words. 

Charlotte

Why all the souls that were forfeit once and he that might the vantage best have took, found out the remedy. How would you be if he, which is the top of judgment? Should, oh, where’d it go? Oh, this script. Ah, there it’s should. But judge you as you are. Oh, think on that. And mercy then will breathe within your lips. Like man, new maid. 

Paul

Be you content fair made. It is the law not I condemn your brother. Were he my kinsman brother or my son. It should be thus with him. He must die tomorrow. 

Charlotte

Oh, oh. That, that sudden s spare him. Spare him. He, he’s not prepared for death. Even for our kitchens. We, we kill the foul of season. Shall we serve heaven with less respect than we do, minister to our gross selves? Good. Good. My Lord be, be, thank you. Who is it that have died for this offense? There’s many that have committed it. 

Rachel

Hi. Well said. 

Paul

The law have not been dead, though it has slept. Those many had not dared to do that evil. If the first that did the it infringe had answered for his deeded. Now to wake takes note of what is done. And like a prophet looks in a glass that shows what future evils, either now or by remiss, new conceived. And so in progress to be hatched and born are now to have no successive degrees but air they live to end. 

Charlotte

So some pity. 

Paul

I show it. Most of all when I show justice for then I pity those I do not know which a dismissed offense would after gall and do him. Right That answering one file wrong lives not to act another be satisfied. Your brother dies tomorrow. Be content. 

Charlotte

So you must be the first that gives this sentence and he that suffers. 

It is excellent to have a giant strength, but it is Tyra to use it like a giant. 

Rachel

That’s well said. 

Charlotte

Good, great man. Thunder as JoVE himself does. JoVE would never be quiet for every pelting petty officer would use his heaven for thunder. Nothing but thunder, merciful heaven, thou rather with thy sharp and sulfurous bolt splits the unedible and gnarly oak that with the, that the soft myrtle, then the soft myrtle. But man, proud man dressed in a little brief authority, most ignorant of what he’s most assured, his glassy essence like an angry ape, plays such fantastic tricks before high heaven. As makes the angels weep. Who with our spleens would all themselves laugh mortal. 

Rachel

Oh, to him, to him. Wench he’ll relent. He’s coming. I perceived, 

oh, pray heaven she win him. 

Charlotte

We cannot weigh our brother with ourself. Great men may jest with saints. Tis witt in them, but in the less fo pronation. 

Rachel

Th in the right girl. Move more on that. 

Charlotte

That in the captain’s, but a IC word, which in the soldier is flat blasphemy. 

Rachel

Artise. That that moron. 

Paul

Why do you put these sayings upon me? 

Charlotte

Because authority though it air like others have yet a kind of medicine in itself that skins the vice over the top. 

Go to your bosom, knock there and ask your heart what it do know. That’s like my brother’s fault. 

If it confess a natural guiltiness such as is his, let it not sound a thought upon your tongue, against my brother’s life. 

Paul

She speaks. And to such sense that my sense breathes, breathes with it. Fa well. 

Charlotte

Gentle my Lord, turn back. 

Paul

I will be Thank me. Come again tomorrow. 

Charlotte

Mark, how I’ll bribe you. Good, my Lord, turn back. 

Paul

How bribe me. 

Charlotte

I with such gifts that heaven shall share with you. 

Rachel

You had marred all else. 

Charlotte

Not with fond stickles of the tested gold or stones, whose rate are either rich or poor as fancy values them, but with true prayers that shall be up at heaven and enter their air. Sunrise prayers from preserved souls from fasting maids whose minds are dedicated to nothing temporal. 

Paul

Well, come to me tomorrow. 

Rachel

Go to ts well away. 

Charlotte

Heaven, keep your honor safe. 

Paul

Amen. For I am that way, going to temptation where prayers cross. 

Charlotte

At, at what hour tomorrow shall I attend your lordship? 

Paul

Any at any time for noon. 

Charlotte

Save your honor. 

Paul

From thee. Even from th virtue. Oh, what’s this? What’s this? 

Is this her fault or mine? The tempter or the tempted who sins most ah, 

not she nor does she tempt, but it is I that lying by the violet in the sun. Do as the carry does not as the flower corrupt with virtuous season, can it be that modesty may more betray our sense than women’s likeness having a waste ground. Enough. Shall we desire to raise the sanctuary and pitch our evils there? Oh fine. Five, five. What does thou or what artha Angelo thieves for their robbery have more authority when judges steal themselves? 

What do I love her? That I desire to hear her speak again and feast upon her eyes. What’s what is I dream on? 

All cunning enemy that to that to catch a saint with saints, duff’s, fake, thy hook. 

Most dangerous is that temptation that do God us on to sin in loving virtue. 

Never could the trumpet with all her double vigor, art and nature once stir my temper. But that virtuous made subdue me quite ever till now when men were fond, I smiled and wondered how. 

Stefan

Aw, poor Angelo, he met a girl. He’s a very sympathetic character. 

Paul

It’s, it’s a tragedy for Angelo. I think. 

Stefan

It is. It’s a strange play. I I, we’re gonna have fun. That was awesome. Sorry, I I just launched into what do we do at the ending, which I have never solved. But. 

Paul

You mean the ending of this scene? Or the ending of the play? 

Stefan

Of the play? Oh. 

Paul

Yeah. Lots of people have problems at the ending of the play. 

Stefan

Yeah. Yeah. I’ll tell you how I did. I cheated. See, I I, the school I i I teach at is a, it’s a very conservative school, but it’s a great book school. So they’re very well educated. It’s, it’s more great books than conservative Think think hyper intellectual Catholics rather than conservative spiritual Catholics. But there’s nuns everywhere. There’s nuns and monks everywhere and, and like, you know, PhD, musicologist, nuns, like really cool nuns and everything. And so every night when we performed it, there was a nun, there were three nuns from Uganda there one night. 

And so rather than it being a kind of like, oh, Isabella would never choose to be a nun ’cause who would ever choose to be a cloistered nun on my campus? It’s a legitimate choice of a life. Right? And so like we, I gave it up to the, the, the, the actress Chios every night. 

Sometimes she niche. She, the actress got to choose whether or not she went to him or not every night. That’s interesting. Total cop out. Total cop out. But interesting ’cause it made the guy, they made the guy playing the Duke work really hard to get the girl and try to become far more charming than maybe as written. But clearly Shakespeare thought it was weird too. 

Paul

My cop out. I’ve, I’ve decided if I ever direct it, my cop out would be worse. My cop out is, I would figure out a way to just cut the lines where he says, you should marry me. 

Stefan

I had, there was a, you guys all done? Do you guys have like drunk Shakespeare? Shakespeare in the bar in Philly? I assume. 

Charlotte

We don’t have it, but I’ve I’ve seen it. 

Stefan

Yeah. It’s awesome. You should go once it’s good. It’s good like three times and then it gets kind of annoying. But it’s basically, the premise is barely, barely rehearse Shakespeare done in front of a bar audience. But everyone’s off book. And if anyone calls for line, everyone drinks. It’s, it’s electric. And they run it. There’s like these, it, it flies by and it’s full of wonderful silly conceits and you just, it’s like really quick and you get three rehearsals. And the way they did it is they just cut her false, you know, there’s these two moments at the end where she do I go to him or not? 

And he’s like, what’s mine? It’s yours. Yours is mine. And she doesn’t respond. He is like, okay, awkward, I’ll move on. And then later he is like, what’s my, and then she goes to him, they just cut the second one and made it a comedy. And it actually worked too, where it was like, all is forgiven. It’s all okay. That worked too. But that’s not our topic today. Tonight it’s this scene, this delightful, meaty scene. 

First of all questions or comments that you might have about who you’re playing. What the hell’s going on in the play? Maybe you don’t know the play that well, that wasn’t part of the assignments. So anything. 

Rachel

Honestly, which this is kind of my, like the theater training, speaking here is always the question of why am I here? And I for how wonderful everybody’s arguments are in this scene. Every, like, I just feel, and especially just now reading through it where I was like, oh, that’s right. It’s me. That’s, that’s my line is realizing how much I feel like I interrupt the actual arguments being made. So my constant question training wise, and particularly tonight is like, why am I here? 

Stefan

There’s a moment in the end of the play, right? Where Lucio pulls the Duke’s disguise off and the Duke’s like you little shithead, like Lucio is light. Lucio goes anywhere. Lucio wants, does whatever he wants, she wants, does whatever he wants. 

And, and there’s this, and everyone knows it and there’s a freedom to what what Lucio does that you need, you can explore and just somehow it’s okay that Lucio is in the room, right? So Lu Lucio iss not a servant servant, right? He’s not like the messenger, but Lucio clearly doesn’t mind telling truth to power. Luci Lucio has no status. He just does whatever they want. 

Lucio wants her brother to get off, right? 

So his why are you there? From a most basic question of like, why am I there? It’s to coach her, to make her make sure she does it correctly. 

’cause she’s never gone before a judge and argued and like begged and you have all the time. 

Rachel

Right? And so to that end, the asides to Isabella are audible for Isabella versus like in the corner being like, oh, come on. If I could just tell her these couple things. 

Stefan

If I’m not, I think you might have one I can’t remember. You might have one that’s like to yourself like, oh, what was that? But one thing I’ve learned from Shakespeare in the bar, and if you’ve ever seen a show at the Globe, the size of the audience, it’s all connected. You, you’re allowed to just break the fourth wall and just muck play it up. But no, a lot of your job is to is to get Isabella to like do something like, like to goose her to like, ’cause she comes in like one way. 

Like the, the beauty of the scene from an acting challenge is that you both get great arcs, right? The Duke and Isabella get these great fun things. And so you gotta figure out how you enter and then how you exit. There’s your training. 

But Isabella is a stiff, perfect person at the beginning. 

And Lucio iss like, come on. Like I, I, I wondered what Lucio, A good question you might ask yourself is, well what was, what did Lucio think she’d do? 

Rachel

Right? Well, I then I’m asking too, it’s like, well, if Lucio could have made this argument by himself, he would have or they would have. 

Stefan

Man. No. Yeah. And, and, and I can’t wait to unpack the argument and find out how much of it is true. How much is kind of bullshit, right? How much is circular? Like what, when does Angelo fall? What makes Angelo, like what, what, how does she actually get him would be my job as the director to tell, to make sure we all are aware that’s where the event is. Right. 

Rachel

And does she mean to, or does she wanna, or is it because she’s being coached or, yeah. Oh, I love this scene. This is great. 

Stefan

Yeah. Yeah. And when does, when does Isabella step out of her comfort zone? Right? 

When, when does she go too far? There’s a scene. Yeah, go ahead. No, go ahead. 

Charlotte

Well, that’s something, you know, there’s, there’s, there’s several moments where CIO’s you’re too cold, you’re too cold. And like I’m a very fiery person, so I’m like, how much is that just CIO’s spin on it? Or is she, is she the ice queen? And so I’m trying to figure out like she is, how, how facile is she? ’cause she gives up real quick in the beginning. Like, oh, that sucks, I gotta go. Like, you know, and so, and then it just, the, the engine starts. And so yeah. I’m, I’m still, the topography of this is so complicated that. 

Stefan

It’s so complicated. 

Charlotte

Yeah. I’m, I’m still just figuring out the navigation of that and yeah. What, what is useful from what Lucio gives her as opposed to like buzzing in the air. But duh, you know. 

Stefan

You remember her first scene? I don’t know if you know, you know, okay, have you seen the play? Yeah, yeah. You know, like, yeah. Okay. Right. So she’s got that scene where her, where she’s talking to the, the, the, the head of the order and she’s like, wait, yeah, she. 

Charlotte

Appeals to the, the mother. Yeah. 

Stefan

Yeah. And, and her appeal is, wait, is this, aren’t there more strict rules? Shouldn’t, aren’t there? Is this all the rules? There be more. 

And the governance is, is like, hmm. And, and I will tell you there are, I have a, I have a lot of friends who are priests and monks and nuns and I have a lot of students who’ve tried to become nuns who get rejected. 

A lot of ’em because they’re just like her at the beginning. They’re just zealots. They, they, they might as well be, well they, they Catholic has nothing to do it. They’re, they’re, they’re 18 to 22 year old vegan zealots. They’re whoever, you know, who’s like unbending, like I want rules to. Right? And there’s not an order in the, in the world that would take ’em, they’re really careful. And so she starts out that way, right. In the play. Right. And so here I think it’s almost, this might be the next scene. 

Charlotte

It’s, yeah. And so it’s it’s that it. 

Paul

No, she has a scene with Lucio after the nun. 

Charlotte

She has a scene with Lucio. Yeah. But right. So, but it’s, it’s all like filaments out of the air, like, you know, discovering these moralities, I guess. 

Stefan

Good through. 

Charlotte

Good. Yeah. 

Stefan

Totally. Yeah. But I think when she comes in, you know, rules the rule. All right, I’ll go appeal. Will you use fair my brother? No. All right. 

Paul

When. 

Stefan

And that’s why Lucio Hass to be like, get up there Angela. Yes sir. 

Paul

When Lucio says you are too cold, does he mean you are too conservative about following rules or does he mean you’re too timid? 

Stefan

Well, or something else. Lucio. 

Rachel

Well, actually that’s interesting too. ’cause one of those, you are too colds comes immediately after Angelo has spoken versus Isabella. I think it still says aside to Isabella, but the devil meanings in so many of these lines of like, save your honor, save your honor. 

And you are too cold and you are too cold. 

It’s something that’s fun to play around with. 

I, my first impression is that Lucio is like, touch him more. We’re like in a conversation about my best friend who’s in trouble for impregnating, somebody he loves and actually wants to marry. And we’re in this town where everybody does it, and the Duke even knows everybody does it. And that’s why he put you in charge so he doesn’t have to punish anybody. So I think it, most of the, you are too cold. It’s like, hey, loosen up, touch him. Like make sure he like gets in a more flexible fluid or mood. 

Stefan

I think it means it’s, it’s, it’s it’s, it is, there’s a sex in there. You are too cold in, in all those ways. It’s like, come on, get in the deep end, let’s go. 

Paul

And he has a line, Lucio has a line in the scene with Isabella where he says something about that it, it, it’s much more powerful when women maidens sue, when maiden sue men stupid. When maidens sue men give like gods. But when they weep and kneel, all their petitions are as freely theirs as they themselves would owe them. So he believes that a woman can get a man to, to agree to just about anything. If they are, if they use their, their wilds enough. 

Stefan

Awesome. Right? ’cause so much of this play is about getting stuff outside of the law, right? They’re all, it’s all a bunch of big bartering kind of thing. And it’s the way the world has worked. So yeah, I think Lucio is like, get in there, get human. 

Rachel

Yeah. 

Stefan

She’s nervous. 

Rachel

Which though the other interesting side of that is having her being on the cusp, Isabella being on the cusp of being of the sisterhood and that being almost a kinky, like, hey, get it now. Because if we’d been a couple hours later, this wouldn’t have even been a bargaining chip. 

Stefan

I, yeah, no question. 

I can’t wait to get a dramaturg here to talk about Catholics and, and Elizabeth in society, but I won’t go there right now. Paul, how are you feeling? I’m. 

Paul

Any. 

Stefan

Big questions? 

Paul

Oh yeah, I’ve, I mean I’ve studied this play and I’ve always been so a little intimidated and fascinated by the complexity of this character Angelo. 

And one of the approaches I decided to take, which I think maybe it’s just me being lazy or maybe it helps me to figure him out, is just to look at him more simply. And I want the three of you to tell me if that makes sense. Like you asked, when does he start to turn? And I noticed the first time he says anything to himself slash the audience is when he says that her argument makes sense to me. 

And I don’t know if that means that he’s already being attracted to her or if he’s being literal and saying what she is saying does make sense, make. 

Stefan

Make. 

Paul

And then the next time he takes an aside is after she says she’s gonna bribe him. And he is like, what bribe me. Are you insane? 

And then when she explains what she means by bribery, then he starts to say, wow, I’m going that way to temptation. So I’m wondering if it’s really that simple or does he start to turn earlier? Or if it’s something else, you, you people that are smarter than I am can help me figure that out. 

Stefan

I think we’ll have, we’re definitely gonna have to find it, and we’re gonna have to find that place. And we’re gonna have to, we’re gonna have to agree on it. It’s gonna be a, it’s somewhere where Isabella finds a new gear, a new color, a new right, that goes to this new place, because he did, he could have started the scene, Mr. Shakespeare, with Angelo being, oh, hello. You know? Yeah. But he did, he does it. And he, and he, and he, and it’s, it’s a while. So I would delay it as not as long as possible, but we definitely can go, well, what, what works on him? And it, and it’s really, it’s, it’s sexy hot reason. It’s, it’s, it’s what it is, it’s reason, it’s passionate reason, which is just so much cooler than the world of the rest of Measure for measure, which really is just straight up erotic. 

Everyone’s getting, you know, I, I had one bad version of this in grad school that I thought up was just, of course, to do it in Mardi Gras because, but you’ve gotta do it. You know, you gotta do it somewhere where everybody’s in, you know, it’s got carnival written all over it. 

Paul

It also has Handmaid’s Tale written all over it. 

What was I going to say? Oh, one of the things that complicates him even further for me. 

’cause I would love to just simplify him and say, oh, he is this stickler and he is a puritan and he is never had this, these thoughts, but we find out later on that he had a woman in the past that he left at the altar. 

Stefan

Yeah. And. 

Paul

And she was pregnant, wasn’t she? If I remember right. 

Stefan

I can’t, that I can’t remember. 

Charlotte

Is that Maryanne, right? Maryanne. 

Paul

Yeah. 

Charlotte

Yeah. I don’t think, I don’t think she’s pregnant, but she was definitely betrothed to him. Yes. 

Paul

They were set to be married and he, and he bounced. 

Stefan

Yeah. 

Paul

But, you know, so that complicates it even further. And maybe that’s not, maybe I should not think, I should not weigh that too heavily. And maybe I should listen to him when he says. 

Charlotte

Like, ex-smokers ex-smoker at the worst, you know, because they’re so, they’re so like, ah, and you’re like, you need to settle down. Like, there’s just like a, I mean, that’s the worst version of that, but like, do you know what I mean? The people who have, have rejected a major part of themselves, 

but was that go one way or with it, they can be gracious about it, or they can be so anti, anti, you know? But. 

Paul

Was that a major part of himself? Or did he just get with a woman and decide, I’m, this is not for me. I’m too scared. This is not the right one. I’m out of here. 

Charlotte

Yeah. I don’t know the, I don’t know the genesis of why he made that decision. Like, well, well, she wasn’t, she wasn’t very affluent. I’d have to look at the Maryanne. Yeah. 

Stefan

Yeah. It’s definitely one of those, she’s never affluent, but he, I think he liked it. I, I’m gonna say Paul, that these are the things we’re gonna discover. I think he is. I think one of the secrets of the play to doing the play is you create this desire inside you and you hide it. Right? 

Paul

As an actor, you mean not Yeah, Angelo does. 

Stefan

Yeah. Yeah. I think each character probably has something except for maybe Lucio who’s just out there. Right. But you gotta find that thing that you’ve decided you to put away. And that, and that might be the thing that knocks the lid off the pot, is that thing. And it will also sort of give you guys two things to play simultaneously. Right. 

That, that there might be a clue, but I think we’re just gonna walk through it and find it, the conjecture about why he left her at the altar. I’m gonna leave that up to you, or, we’ll, we’ll talk about it even more later. But that’s all the, it’s all in there. And we’ll find who he is is another way to put it. 

I, let me ask not, not to change its topic, but the Provost is a neglected but very important character that actually reveals a lot about Angela. Right. Because look at how the, what the provost says about Angela. Right. Well, you know, there are times you’ll ch you’ll i’ll, you know, you’re a little, you’re a little hard to handle sometimes. I never know what you’re thinking. Right. And, and I, I, and the provost is interestingly on the side of everyone else, the, the provost is kinda like the judge, right? The judge in Angelo Stead, if I’m not mistaken. 

Rachel

That’s interesting because the, the other context I’ve seen for provost is also like closer to jailer. And so, like, it’s strange to try and find what the power dynamic is here, especially when Angelo is potentially in this place of like, power drunk of having been recently promoted and Provost needing to be like, yeah, but I’ve been with the Duke long enough to know that this is a test, or I’ve been around long enough to know that what your weaknesses are, Angelo. So like, there’s lots of different ways to play the unspoken history of all these characters. So. 

Charlotte

I think the Provost is one of the, like the most levelheaded person in this world. 

Just like the most pragmatic, and it’s like, sometimes they’re just speaking a completely different language. Yeah. 

Rachel

I get kind of a sense of like, I mean, I’ll do what you want me to do, but like, let’s think real hard before you give me my work order. 

Stefan

I agree. And you just have to throw onto that the idea of the provost and Angelo’s world is a world of sort of corporate government, government. Like, they’re very professional. Even when the provost is questioning him, he’s very professional, right. So that Lucio can live outside the law. Right. And so you have this, these two different versions of it. I, I, yes. I love the provost is a levelheaded person, but they’re not casual. Whereas Lucio would be the guy that puts his feet up on the desk, you know, and does whatever. Right. 

Rachel

Right. 

Stefan

Let, let’s do this, y’all. Let’s re God, it flies by. 

Paul

What time is. 

Stefan

It? And we go to nine, right? We go another. 

Rachel

We’ve got another hour. 

Paul

Sorry. 

Stefan

We just have another hour because I’m in Central. 

Paul

We. 

Stefan

Have 50 minutes. Yeah. Can we just read really slowly and e anyone can stop, anyone can call hold, don’t call hold during someone else’s monologue, but just stop. This is what I call looking for facts. This is a fact read. So as we go through, if there’s things that will help us, I’m not a, I’m not crazy stanislavsky given the circumstances, but I sometimes the logic is there. Let’s see if we can find it as we go through. All right. 

So. 

Paul

I will say this before we start. 

Stefan

Yeah. Yeah. 

Paul

A lot of the facts and logic that would help inform all three of us for this scene is in, are in other scenes. 

Stefan

Yeah. 

Paul

Unfortunately. 

Stefan

Yeah. Like, where the hell are you at the beginning of this? So he’s hearing a cause and your provost. 

So the provost has come there. This is how far we’ve gotten. The provost has come into the chambers. I picture we’re in his chambers. Right. Angelo’s, Angelo’s chambers. The provost has come to, to try to not kill him. Right. 

Okay. He’s hearing of a cause. He will come straight. I’ll tell him of you. 

Rachel

Pray. You do try again. 

Stefan

Shut up. That was my Siri. Siri, whatever. It’s. 

Rachel

I love that. 

Stefan

Pray. You do keep going. 

Rachel

Pray you do. I’ll know his pleasure. Maybe he will relent. Alas, he ha alas, he ha But as offended in a dream, all sex, all ages smack of this device. And he to die for it. 

Stefan

Questions. 

Is it weird that the provost has come? Like, is it different? Is the provost risking? Is the provost Like, that’s it. I’m gonna go into his chambers. 

Rachel

Hmm. Yeah. I, in, in theory, this is the first time that’s ever happened, particularly because this is the first time Angela’s been in charge of that decision. Yeah. And so I get it again, that power dynamic of like, I wonder if it’s almost a little beneath the provost to have to ask. 

Stefan

Did you think of it as that? It is, it is. It’s risking, not necessarily beneath, but it’s, it’s, it’s, it’s demanding something he normally wouldn’t. 

Rachel

Mm. 

Stefan

Right. And I get that from his line. I’ll know his pleasure. 

I That’s it. I’m gonna find out for sure. And I, part of me thinks he’s talking to himself. He’s, he’s like bucking himself up. That’s it. I’m gonna do this. 

Rachel

I just have that. Right? 

Stefan

Yeah. I I mean, if I were directing it, oh shit, I am. But if I were, he would, he would, he would, he’d be nervous. Okay. Not in a, like, I’m nervous, but in a, that’s it. I’m, I’m gonna, I’m gonna, I’m gonna find this out. 

Rachel

I’m here to ask this question and go, yeah. 

Stefan

Yeah. And yeah, what the hell? I’m gonna do it. And then look what happens when Angelo enters. 

Rachel

Right. 

Stefan

Right. Enter Angelo. 

Paul

Now what’s the matter, provost? 

Rachel

Which pause? Actually it, the idea of like, now comma feels a little potentially like the provost has been here a couple times to question a couple things. Yeah. 

Stefan

Now what’s the amount of pros now? What, yeah. It’s definitely okay that he’s been in there before. Right. Hold on. And you guys, I don’t know if you guys subscribe to the whole shared line thing with Shakespeare. Where are we at on that? 

Paul

I try to, if it’s convenient. 

Stefan

If it’s convenient, I love it. So, right. You see in the first exchange, I’ll tell him of you pray. You do. I’ll know. That’s one line I’ll tell. And look, it’s almost mono Islamic. I’ll tell him of you pray you do. I’ll know it’s a perfect 10 beats. So that he wants that all. Maybe he wants it all run together. I just found a book that says maybe that’s all bullshit, but it feels better. Right. But then you same thing here. And he to die for it. Now. What’s the matter? Provost? Now what the fuck? 

It just comes in 

to die. I’m not even that good at. 

Paul

To die for it. To die for it. Now what’s, what’s the ma No, it’s not, it’s a weird line. It’s not a, it’s not a blank verse line. 

Stefan

But would you stress it. 

Paul

Is 10 though? 

Stefan

It’s 10. What’s a master provost? Is it, is there 11? Is it like a Yeah. 

Paul

Well it, it could be a weak ending with provost. 

Stefan

I think it is. Yeah. Because you wouldn’t say provost. You say provost. Provost. 

Paul

So. 

Stefan

The now really is, it really hit? It’s what’s the matter? What’s up? 

Rachel

Which in that case indicates like, this is an unusual thing for me to be here. 

Stefan

I think a little bit. Or it’s just annoying. Right? Look, my assistant, well, doesn’t, she’s done a million. She’s, she’s asked me a million times what a Google doc is. And I’m, it, it’s still annoying. So, okay, let’s keep going. There. 

Paul

Is a it, this line, if we were gonna do it as a shared line, begs for an empty beat because it is 10, but it is a weak ending. So I could almost take an empty beat on the comma to die for it. Now what’s the matter of provost? 

Stefan

Unless. 

Paul

You want it. Unless you wanna un contract the fort and make it to die for it. 

Now what’s the matter, provost? 

Rachel

The pause after now feels almost like a, sorry. I’ve been dealing with a ton of other things. Your turn, what is it? 

Paul

Which is what I thought it was in the beginning, but I think this new idea of, are you back again? 

Stefan

Yeah. And I like the, it almost to uncontracted because the, it, here’s, here’s my reasoning. It is an important image. 

All sex, all sex, all ages smack of this vice. And he to die for it. 

Paul

Yep. 

Stefan

It, yeah. Now what’s the matter, provost? I don’t think we want the now, now makes it is, is is a, is a delay. 

We are such nerds. So. 

Paul

That’s No, no. This stuff is good. This is, this is what makes it work really well when we’re nerdy about it. So, so that’s the I am is now what’s, now what’s the matter? Provost? 

Stefan

Yeah. I think so. Is that okay? I. 

Paul

That’s what works for me. 

Stefan

Great. 

All right, let’s keep going. Is it. 

Rachel

Is it your will? Claudio shall die tomorrow. 

Paul

I’m so sorry. Ask me that again. 

Rachel

Is it your will? Claudio shall die tomorrow. 

Paul

Did not. I tell the yay. Has thou not order? Why does thou ask again? 

Rachel

Lest I might be too rash under your good correction. I have seen when after execution judgment have repented or his doom. 

Paul

Go to let that be mine. Okay. What does that mean? Let that be mine. What is, what is that The judgment? 

Stefan

Yeah. Let that be my problem. 

Paul

Let the let this issue be mine. 

Stefan

That’s not a you problem. That’s a me problem. Right? 

Paul

Go to let that be mine. Do I see? ’cause he follows up with, do you your office give up or give up your place. Okay. Okay. Okay. 

Alright. Go to go to, let that be mine. Do you your office or give up your place and you shall be well spared and you shall well be spared. 

Rachel

I crave your honor’s pardons. 

Paul

Is that a shared line, Stefan? And you. 

Stefan

And you shall well be spared. 

Paul

No. 

Stefan

This is so weird. And this is where I, I didn’t look up the folio and all that crap ’cause I thought I have a dramaturg, but now I’m gonna not not today. These lines are so short. Go to, so do you your office or give up your place as I believe. Perfect. Do you your office or give up your place. That’s a perfect line. Yep. 

And what I love about this first half of this scene, y’all actually almost all the way through the scene, is how careful we’re gonna have to be with pronouns. And a lot of times in Shakespeare, he does not like you to stress pronouns, right? Correct. Nothing hurts me more than going to see bad Shakespeare. And they’re all hitting pronouns. 

Charlotte

Excuse me. 

Stefan

But the next line. 

Charlotte

Is. 

Stefan

Weird. Count it. 

Rachel

Only seven, three. 

Paul

And you shall well be spared. Six. Six. 

Rachel

Sorry, I was looking at mine. Yes. I’ve. 

Paul

Six. Your honors. Pardon? That’s seven. 

Charlotte

Yeah. It turns into an 11. 

Stefan

Sorry about that. Wow. 

Paul

Okay. 

Stefan

Did we figure anything out? 

Paul

And you shall well be pardoned is six, I crave your honors. Pardon? And you shall well be spared. Is six Icra your honor’s? Pardon? Is seven. So doesn’t really help. 

Stefan

But the only thought I had is if I were directing it, I would leave space. 

I I could literally say, and you sh right. Do you your office and or give up your place and you shall well be par, be spared. Be be I would have Angelo go back to working or something like, and then the provost chooses not to go. Right? 

And or you could put the beat extra beats. Yeah, you put the extra beats after spared and then the provost goes, okay. I’m sorry. 

I crave your, I crave, your honor, your honor’s. Pardon? And then idea, light bulb beat for what shall be done, sir, with the groaning. Julie. 

So I think you have room in there to play. 

I am not. I’m so, yeah, absolutely 

all. Where do you guys wanna take it from? 

Paul

Rachel, what do you wanna take from. 

Rachel

Do? Did she do? I think if you wanna just dismiss me again from go to let that be mine and we’ll keep going and I’ll incorporate those beats. 

Paul

Go to, let that be mine. Do you your office or give up your place and you shall well be spared. 

Rachel

I crave your honor’s. Pardon? Bush shall be done, sir. With the groaning Juliet, she’s very near her hour. 

Paul

Dispose of her to some more fitter place and that with speed. 

Stefan

Here’s the sister of the man condemn desires access to you. Good hold. Yeah, that’s gonna work, isn’t it? And you are allowed, and you could take, you could take a beat before what shall be done, sir. You can have an idea. You don’t, I don’t mind a little zoom acting. 

Rachel

Yeah. It’s almost like, yeah, because it’s almo. Like if we were in physical space, it would be a like, alright, I will leave. I’m going now. But we finished the conversation. Okay. But one more thought. 

Stefan

Yeah, yeah. Totally. 

Dispose of her to some more fitter place. And that was speed. And that was speed. I don’t know if there’s anything in there, you know, like Paul, I’ve hurry up and do it. I don’t wanna deal with it anymore. Any ideas? 

Paul

I thought it was before she gets too far along. 

Stefan

Great. 

Paul

Before, before the baby comes. 

Stefan

Yeah. Let’s. 

Paul

Not have this baby born here or in the prison, wherever she is. 

Stefan

Great. And I love that it’s, it’s also a, a conversation ender. It’s like, do it, do it quickly. 

Paul

Yeah. 

Stefan

Like we’re done talking. 

Rachel

And potential question for Dramaturg is Juliette as in as much trouble as Claudio is? No. 

Stefan

No. Chicks get away with everything. 

Paul

She’s in trouble though. 

Rachel

Yeah. Yeah. 

Paul

But she’s not, she’s not sentenced to die. Yeah. 

Rachel

Okay. 

Stefan

And groaning right. Is pregnant. It literally means both. She’s literally probably in labor and also also groaning under the weight. She very, her hour dispose of her to some fitter place. And that was speed. Here is the sister of the men condemned desires access to you. 

Paul

Kathy, a sister. 

Rachel

Hi, my good lord. 

Paul

I’m sorry. Did I know she was coming? I think I did. Right? 

Stefan

No, I I I don’t think you did. 

No. Or he wouldn’t have these questions. I, I’ll, I’ll look it up. But. 

Paul

But I mean, what I mean is did I know that anyone was coming on his behalf? No. Right. 

Stefan

No. 

Rachel

Okay. Which is almost the first introduction of Angela. Not Angela Claudio as like actual person who has a sister and consequences when he is not here. 

Paul

Yeah. And I love that Shakespeare has had the provost come in and ask for mercy already. And Angelo dismissed him summarily. And now here comes his sister to ask again. That’s really nice. 

Stefan

Working on the scenes of this play is amazing. Yeah. 

Paul

Trying. 

Stefan

Get the whole play to work is a beating. 

Paul

Yep. 

Stefan

I’m a good lord. 

Rachel

From there. Okay. I my good lord, a very virtuous maid. And to be shortly of a sisterhood, if not already. 

Paul

I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m gonna be an a Uber nerd right now. Why do I ask if he has a sister, please don’t tell me it’s because I’m a pervert. 

Stefan

Oh, no. 

Paul

Good. Why? Why do I ask that question? Had he a sister? What may, how would I know that if I, if he had a sister? I’ve never met the guy. What? Right. That’s a weird question. 

Charlotte

Does it humanize him in a way that’s disconcerting? Like Claudia, you just thought was a rake and for him to have a sister, it’s like, hmm, that’s inconvenient. I don’t know. That’s just my first thought. 

Stefan

I wonder, desires access to you. Has he assi I wonder if it’s, if it’s funny. 

Paul

Like. 

Stefan

If it’s. 

Paul

Really, if this is his sister, really? 

Stefan

Well also one more thing because you’ve just had the provost pull you out and argue with you. Right. And you’re like, are we done? We’re done. Great. Okay, now here’s a new problem. What are we gonna do? Juliet? 

I don’t know. Get rid of her and, and, and do it quickly. Great. Here comes a sister. It’s almost a rule of threes 

exas. It’s, he’s exasperated. Right. Okay, great. Now the family is showing up. 

Okay. Which is why I think the provost goes, oh yeah. And by the way, gonna be a nun asshole. So I dare you not to admit her. Okay. 

Paul

That makes sense. 

Stefan

I think so. 

Rachel

I love how often the provost is like, cool. I asked my question, I tried. Oh wait, I can ask that question. Cool. I trudge. 

Stefan

Yeah. 

Rachel

Oh yeah. I can ask that one too. 

Stefan

Yeah. And you, you talk more than you need. I, I’m a good, a very virtuous maid. And to be shortly of a sisterhood, if not already. Yeah. 

Rachel

Which, sorry. The double meaning in that is like, she’s soon to be a nun or she’s soon to no longer be a sister. 

Stefan

Soon to be a nun. 

Rachel

Okay. 

Paul

But there is a double meaning in there though. 

Stefan

There is a big old, and to be shortly of, and to be shortly of a sisterhood. Like not much longer actually. Right. 

Paul

Right. It’s. 

Stefan

Do you think Shakespeare would write? He like, could you see him writing that line and going, Lucio could have given that line. 

Shit, I gotta give it to the provost. 

Paul

I can see him writing that line and going, damn, I’m good. 

Stefan

Damn. I’m good. He’s so good. He’s such an asshole. He was. 

Paul

He was the Eminem of his day. 

Stefan

Absolutely. If not, and to be shortly of his sisterhood, if not already, for now, provost. I think you just play it as informative, but also as a you’re fucked dude. 

Rachel

Gotcha. 

Stefan

All right. Well let her be admitted. 

Paul

Okay. Well let her be admitted. Well let her be admitted. See you. The fornicate be removed. Let her have needful but not lavish. Means there shall be order for it. Okay. Now why did I just tell, I just told the provost to take care of that. Why am I telling the servant that? Wait, I’m, I’m talking to provost. 

Stefan

You’re talking to provost. 

Paul

Servant just exited. So I’m telling him again. Okay. I got it. Can we go back? 

Stefan

Yep. Where do you wanna go from. 

Paul

From, from letter. Be admitted. 

Stefan

Thank you, sir. 

Paul

Well let her be admitted. See you with the fornicate. Be removed. Let her have needful but not lavish. Means there shall be order for it. 

Rachel

Same, your honor. 

Paul

Yeah. Damn it. Just, sorry, I just lost my place. I’m sorry. Go ahead. What were you gonna say, Stefan? 

Stefan

No, I love it. He’s also, strangely, earlier he just said, she says, what should I do with the pregnant girl? And and you say what you say. 

Paul

Get rid of her. Take her to someplace that’s a better place for her to be. 

Stefan

Yeah. And now you say, even though you call her fornicates, you say 

there you have needful, but not lavish means there shall be order for it. There’s a part of me that thinks he’s softened, annoyed. I don’t know, maybe I’m reading into it, but really, he’s like, I don’t know, just take your, take her somewhere. And now he is like, look, take it to a decent hotel. Not a fancy one, but a decent one. And we’ll pay for it. We good. 

I, I wonder if it also makes for the audience, Angela seem less of an asshole. 

Paul

The the other option is, I don’t know if this is the right one, but there’s another option is he was always that empathetic and considerate, but we just didn’t see it because he was such a rule follower. 

Stefan

No question. Yeah. Yeah. That’s, that’s where I’m hoping we end up in this, in this, this world. He discovers his humanity. Maybe not that much in this scene, although he does have a very long monologue about his own humanity. But this is, I think you’re absolutely correct. Alright, Lucio. Isabella, come on. 

Paul

Stay a little while. You’re welcome. What’s your will? 

Charlotte

I am a woeful suitor to your honor. Please put your honor. Hear me. 

Paul

Well, what’s your suit? 

Charlotte

There is a vice that most I do abhor and most desire should meet the blow of justice for which I would not plead, but that I must, for which I must not plead, but that I am at war. Twix will and will not. 

Paul

Well, the matter. 

Charlotte

I have a brother’s condemned to die. I do beseech. You let it be his fault and not my brother. 

Stefan

Heaven gives the. 

Rachel

Sorry, heaven gives the moving graces. 

Paul

Help me out here. Stefan. 

I know that she is Claudio’s sister. 

Stefan

Yes. 

Paul

Here’s the sister of the man condemned desires access to you. 

So I understand. Well, what’s your suit? 

Because maybe I’m not, how could I not know why she’s here? I must know. 

Stefan

Why she’s Oh, you know why, you know why. 

Paul

So well, what’s your suit? Must What what is that then? If I know why she’s here. 

Stefan

It’s No, no, it’s, it’s, you will discover this in your professor to when they, you, you have to make them say the words and you have to kind of like, like, we wanna come talk to you about directing a play after hours. Great. They come in, what did you guys wanna see me about? Like, he, he just goes formal. Right? He knows what it’s about, but he makes her say it. Okay. I’m not gonna assume. What’s your suit? What do you want? So way of controlling the room. It’s about not speaking first. 

I, I have a side gig. We all have them where I coach public speaking and I do a lot of lawyers and depositions and watching man watching lawyers prep people for depositions. It’s like, say not one extra word. This the last one I did. The guy’s like introduce yourself. I’m Bob Smith and I’m chairman of this pharmaceutical company. He said, hold stop. Let them ask that question. You say, I’m Bob Smith and what is, what is, what is your job, Mr. Smith? I am the c e o of the, like it’s that lawyer legal thing that he’s doing to her and he’s controlling the room. 

Paul

Okay. That’s easy. That makes sense. Thank you. 

Stefan

No worries. Let’s go. Actually, I wanna go up to CIO’s first line. Okay, so how about just from condemn the fault and not the actor of it. 

Paul

Okay. Condemn the fault and not the actor of it. Why? Every fault’s condemned? Dare it be done. Mine were the very cipher of a function to find the faults whose fine stands in record and let go by the actor. 

Charlotte

Just but severe law ahead a brother, then heaven, keep your honor. 

Rachel

So, so to him again and treat him, kneel down before him. Hang upon his gown. You are too cold. If you should need a pin, you could not, if you should need a pin, you could not with more tame a tongue desire it. Who am I saying? 

Stefan

Good hold man. Some of this, these I ams are a pain, but we’ll, we’ll play with it. Okay? Okay. Anything in here from her entrance. So, hello, welcome to the play, Isabella. Who is she when she enters? Right? 

Charlotte

Meek and mild and like oh, powerful man. You know, like, you know. Yeah, I mean that first line. I’m a woeful suitor to your honor. Please. But your honor, hear me like I’ve been saying honor twice, not, you know, not quite, you know, but. 

Stefan

I think she’s is. Can you also, she’s allowed to be annoyed that she’s doing this because look at her next line. 

Unpack the next line for me. Well, what’s your suit? 

Charlotte

There is advice that most I do a poor and most desire. So, so like, I, I hate what he’s done, you know? And, and I, you know, and I think, you know, most people in their moral whatever would say that it does, you know, meet the blow of justice for usually I wouldn’t, I wouldn’t fight for this, but I have to, right? For which I must. Yeah. And there’s, yeah, this weird, like, for that I, but that I must, for which I must not plead, but that I am at war, Twix will and will not. So it’s that, is it that thing, and this might be, is it that thing of like, hey, hey, hey, we, we all know this is an unpleasant situation, but we gotta see the, you know what I mean? Like, is there a little bit of that? Yeah. I mean, no, in in the none world. 

Stefan

In the none world. And this is what the thing, so talk about status a lot, guys. I use status. I like, it’s, it’s like I have one trick, which is key Johnstones book ipro. You know that book? Anyone? Oh, I, it’s gift. I have a gift for you. 

I buy him whenever I see him. Keith Johnstone is the founder of Modern Improv. He wrote a book called I M P R O Pro and he’s a Britt. He started teaching acting at the royal court and couldn’t get the British actress to talk to each other. He was like, why are they sucking? And he realized that they had to be reminded what status was. And so you have to learn how to just put your status slightly above another person. And he learned to speak in status. And so I train all my young actors in status and it’s a good way to negotiate very difficult scenes by just having a series of status shifts. And you could see that, right? And it’s a good way to really, you could tell young actors like, well, okay, it’s really funny when someone of low status acts high status and they know it, right? It’s when the fool sits on the throne, it’s like, look at me. 

Ha ha ha. Right? So playing with status is fun. And I, I I think it’s very important that Isabella has a very high status. She’s not working class. 

She is, this is why she could talk to Angelo that way. 

And her, her logic, she hates being, she’s not a body character. She’s a head character. She discovers her body maybe by the end of the scene. So when she comes in, it’s not casual, it’s, it’s annoyed. Kind of like, I cannot believe I have to do this. 

Charlotte

Hmm. 

Stefan

And he looks right at her and she’s like, Ugh, okay. I don’t like people who eat meat and yet I’m the one who has to go to the farm and save the farmer who kills meat. Right? It’s almost like you’re asking Angelo for sympathy, but not in a pleading way, but in a, can you fucking believe I have to do this? Okay. Ah. 

Charlotte

Mm mm. 

Stefan

That’s who she is. And, and that connects with the first time we see her, right? I would like more rules, please. 

And Angelo can yeah, 

remember Angelo’s status, the Dukes of 10, right? Because the Dukes of 10, Angelo got, sta had a status raised and they really enjoyed it. We have another example in Shakespeare of having someone having their status raised and enjoying it. Malvolio, right? 

It’s the same idea is, but in a, in a very different genre, different world. But that idea, Angela’s been raised and I think Angela really likes, especially in this very opening, she comes in, remember the provost was barely giving you status. Angelo Ray, he’s questioning a little bit. And now here comes, but here comes a nun who’s like, very sorry, your honor. Your honor, your honors. I just, I have to ask you this. I’m really sorry. And he’s like, shut it down. She goes, great, I’m done. 

I think you guys are both kind of happy that each of you can play status where you want it to be. Is that track? 

Charlotte

Yeah. 

Stefan

So why don’t you, well enter again for me. No, no, I’m not gonna do that to you. That’s bullshit. That’s sort of bad directing. Lemme go on a monologue and then say to an actor, okay, pull that off. Just put that in your pipe. Smoke it tonight and we’ll come, we’ll come look at it later. All right, cool. Let’s move. Or any thoughts on what I just said? And we’ll move on. Sorry. 

Rachel

One more in this vein of who has already bothered Angelo about this before. Provost potentially has asked once or twice, this is Isabella’s first time imploring. Has Lucio tried on his own? 

Stefan

I’d have to go back and read the play if I wanted. Like textual. 

Paul

Textual. Excellent. Excellent question. 

Stefan

But excellent question. And probably the most effective way is to say kind of, yeah. 

Rachel

Cool. 

Stefan

Because it’ll, it’d make Angela more annoyed, right? All righty, savior honor, 

how about from Lucio, right? Actually, can we just go to, to condemn the fault and not the actor of it. 

Paul

Okay. Condemn the faults and not the actor of it. Why? Every faults condemned there’d be done. 

Mine were the very cipher of a function to find the faults whose fine stands in record and let go by the actor. 

Charlotte

Just but severe law. I had a brother then. Heaven keep your honor. 

Rachel

Not or so to him again. And treat him. Kneel down before him. Hang upon his gown. You’re too cold. If you should need a pin, you could not with more tame a tongue, desire it to him. I say. 

Charlotte

Must he needs die. 

Paul

Maiden. No remedy. 

Charlotte

Yes, I do think that you might pardon him and neither heaven nor man grieve at the mercy. 

Paul

I will not do it. 

Charlotte

But can you, if you would, look. 

Paul

What I will not that I cannot do. 

Charlotte

Might you do it and do the world? No wrong. If so, your heart were touched with that remorse as mine is to him. 

I don’t dunno that question at all. Okay? Why you gonna do the world? If so, your heart were touch. Oh, touched with remorse being compassion. 

Got quite remorse in the way I understand it. 

Stefan

Well let, let’s unpack this ’cause it gets really power. Let’s get, let’s first it is any of this shared must he needs die mayden. No remedy. Die remedy. Okay, so you’re allowed to take a beat, Isabella, take Lucia’s beat. 

You could not with more tame tongue desire it to him. I say, and I would have, Angelo does. Angelo says, we’re done. Angelo, you would go back to your work at your desk. So focus, you’re like, all right, we’re good. Great. So that then I can send some focus over to the two of you, Lucio and Isabella. And Isabella, you can have a thinking beat before, right? Before, before must He must he needs die or must he needs die, whatever it is. I don’t give a shit in that case. But you could have a beat before Muis die made in no remedy. And those are, those are one idea. Does he have to die? There is no remedy. Boom. Cool. 

Charlotte

Yep. 

Stefan

Okay. I will not do it. But if you can, if you would avoid it, look what I will not do that. I cannot do many. 

Charlotte

That’s just like a verbal tennis match. 

Stefan

It’s boom, boom, boom. Yeah, yeah. And you guys, I don’t know. So I was just in Italy, a a faculty member who’s a Shakespearean talked about the education Shakespeare got and the students, they, they were taught something like Shakespeare knew something like 200 figures of speech, like rhetorical devices like Ton and Epi Zoox sis. I don’t know what any of these mean, but this is what we’re about to get into. We’re about to get into this fireworks that are tightly woven and it’s almost sexy by the end how much these two connect as they go together. So yeah, you’re absolutely right. Verbal death match. 

I will not do it. But can you do it if you would, and then do you have a question on that next line? If so, your heart were touched with that remorse as minus to him. 

Charlotte

Yes. Yeah. It ends in a question. 

Stefan

Oh crap. What? But might you do? Look what I will not do. Look, if I’m not gonna do it, I can’t do it. But might you do it? Listen to that. Words will not, cannot, might beautiful. Right? You do it and do the world. No. But might you do it and do the world No wrong. 

The question starts there, but it doesn’t have to end as a question. If so, your heart were touched with that remorse as mine is to him. 

It’s almost like the question mark should be before the if. Right? But might you do it? You know, I won’t do it. I can’t do it. Yeah. But if you do it, you might not do the world harm. And if, and it’s almost like the if should be an and. Mm. And if you do it, your heart were touched with that remorse as mine is. And with the same you, you feel the same way I do about it. 

Saying you’d be human maybe. 

Charlotte

Yep. 

Stefan

Okay. Yeah. Two things. I will talk until you say Yeah. Yep. Or no, I’m not kidding. This is my, I’m not kidding. Thank you. I don’t need to hear myself talk, but I will fucking talk forever until you go. Got it. And then I’ll move on. 

Charlotte

Okay. I’m just. 

Stefan

It was awesome. Yeah. Yep. Great. Moving on. Let’s. 

Charlotte

Do it. 

Stefan

Let’s, 

as mine is to him, he sentenced his to late. Is that one line Paul. 

Paul

As mine is to him? I, I read it as such, but I didn’t count it as mine is to him. He’s sentenced his No, it’s 11. 

Stefan

I I’ll take 11 though. If you make sentenced as mine is to him, he’s sentenced his too late. Yeah. 

Charlotte

In the, in the Arden it’s contracted. So, oh. 

Paul

It’s also, also is to him could be one foot. I forget if that’s a trophy. Yes. Or the other one as mine is to him he’s ti too late. 

Stefan

I love that. Besides it fits with everything those two do. Right? Okay. All right. That’s the end of the beat. 

Paul

Who, who, who are the Shakespeare nerds here? Charlotte. Is that a troche? When it’s unstressed Unstressed stress, is that troche or is that the spon? 

Stefan

Spon. 

Paul

TRO is just stress unstressed unstressed. 

Stefan

Only two beats. So troche would be stressed. Unstressed. 

Paul

Oh, I’m thinking it were est and what’s the other one? Pest. What’s the other one? 

Stefan

Dact. 

Paul

What? 

Stefan

Dil Maybe. 

Paul

Dactyl est. And an est. 

Stefan

Yes. 

Paul

The way to remember them is that an est is a dactyl. The word est is a dactyl, est and a pest. 

Charlotte

Good lord. 

Stefan

Good lord. 

Charlotte

An. 

Rachel

Aquarius. 

Charlotte

I’m just gonna call, I’m just gonna like. 

Stefan

Talking. 

Charlotte

About dinosaurs. You talk about, I’m. 

Stefan

Always amazed. 

Charlotte

Love. 

Rachel

It. 

Stefan

He sends just too late. Boom. Okay, we’ve got, oh we’ve got 12 minutes, right? 

Paul

Yep. 

Stefan

Okay, let’s keep going. You’re too cold. 

Rachel

You are too cold. 

Charlotte

Too late. I know. I do speak a word. Make call it back again now. Okay, so we got the back in the, in the little duly dos here and in the Arden it’s go, it’s not there. And I know this is a, some debate in the footnotes and I have a dash after that again. And then well comma believe this in the Arden. 

I like the fact that there’s no comma here in the Folger, but this question of the back. 

Stefan

As in do we need back or not? 

Charlotte

Yeah. Like it’s, it’s, it’s definitely up for a debate in different versions. 

Stefan

May call it back again. Well be believe this. So that’s a perfect make call. Hold on, on. And then you scan it first make, call it back again. 

Believe. Well believe. See that makes well believe because. 

Charlotte

I like the idea of, well not being just a throwaway, but like, well believe this, like this is, this is for for Oh. 

Stefan

Interesting use of the word. Well. 

Charlotte

Yeah, I don’t know. In this, in this usage without the comma there. That’s how I read it. 

Stefan

Well believe this. 

Charlotte

As in really established. 

Stefan

Yeah, because it’s so we wouldn’t like, it’s so casual American, like, well yeah, believe this. 

Charlotte

But well believe this and then well. 

Stefan

Believe this. 

Charlotte

No ceremony that to great ones longs like to me it’s like set up the argument. Go. 

Stefan

No one’s arguing with you right now. Don’t yell at us. Yes, you’re correct. I think you’re absolutely correct. 

So so would you get rid of get rid of back. 

Lemme call it again. Well believe this may call. It may call. 

Charlotte

It. No, I mean no, I’m just, I I like the back because it, it it, i I like the, I like the, I say the word and I can pull it back, but it’s, yeah, it seems like it’s such a controversy and I’m just, I’m just asking about. 

Stefan

They have no lives and they, by the way, I don’t think they ever make much theater. The the the real penance and the the real. 

Charlotte

These guys. 

Stefan

Yeah. They don’t make much theater. Like I’ve sat around with them and I’m like, it’s impossible to act. What you’ve just said is going on. 

Charlotte

I on Patreon, no, I do the Frankenstein method. I’m like, oh, this punctuation serves me from here and this doesn’t serve me here so I’ll just Frankenstein it to what I want. 

Stefan

There’s a new book. It was not so new. Maybe it was five years old. It takes everything we thought was a, a thing and just throws it out by this woman who studied other plays. She studied Q scripts and everything and just so, and, and and no, there’s no real text anyway. There’s no definitive text. So we’re allowed to do whatever you need. I’m not kidding. Okay, keep going. This is exci. This is so exciting. ’cause normally if I were doing this, if I were doing this in Aort theater, right? If I were doing this, there’ll be, there’ll be three people in my cast of 15 who’d be like this. Like as we’re doing the table read and I, and I would start to speed up and I’d be nerve I’d like, oh, I’m so sorry to annoy you. Right? And so did we get to do this shit? 

It’s awesome. Alright, let, let’s get through this speech. ’cause I bet Nathan‘s gonna come back on and say hello. 

Charlotte

Alright. Top. 

Stefan

Too late. 

Charlotte

Yeah. Okay. 

Stefan

Yeah. 

Charlotte

Too late. Like no, I that do speak a word may call it back again. 

Well believe this no ceremony that to great one’s longs not the king’s crown nor the deputed sword. The marshal’s trun in nor the judge’s robe become them with one half So good at grace as Mercy does. 

If he had been as you and you as he, you would’ve slipped like him, but he like you would not have been so stern. 

Paul

How, how angry do you think this prey you be gone Is Stefan or not? 

Stefan

I would, what I would say is this because. 

Paul

It’s a shared line, right? 

Stefan

It’s a shared line. So I don’t think it’s angry. I think it’s quick. I think right now where we’re at from a Isabella logic point of view, it’s she’s her rhythm’s fast right now. ’cause her logic is, 

her logic is it’s still not all that amazing. Right? Pretty good though. Oh yeah. Well you’ve done it and he’s like, no, get out, I’m done. So I, it’s a shared line and I think the rhythm is it, it’s picket. They’re they’re they’re grabbing at each other. I don’t wanna slow it down until later. Right. 

Paul

Okay, so so then how dismissive do you think it is? Is it pretty? Am I just dismissing her? Because she does make a, a good point. She says mercy is the greatest of all things that you could aspire to have. 

Stefan

You are pissed. You’re pissed because she’s starting to get to you only a little bit in terms of just her logic point of view. I don’t think there’s any erotic thing yet. And I think you’re like, I’m fucking done. We’re done is what you just said. Pray you be gone. Done. 

Which is why she then, okay, just looking ahead, right, because then she gets four lines, right? 

Oh yeah, well fuck you. Oh yeah, I wish I had your potency right. Keep reading. I got five minutes, I went to heaven. I had your potency. I. 

Charlotte

Went to heaven. I had your potency and you were Isabel. Should it then be thus? No, I would tell what to, to be a judge and what a prisoner. 

Rachel

I touch him. There’s the vein. 

Paul

Your brother is a forfeit of the law and you, but waste your words. 

Charlotte

What all the souls that were, that were forfeit once and he that might the vantage best have took, found out the remedy. How would you be if he, which is the top of judgment should but judge you as you are hall, think on that. And mercy then will breathe within your lips. Like man knew made. 

Paul

Be you content fair made. It is the law. Not I condemn your brother. Were he Mike Kinsman brother or my son? It should be thus with him. He must die tomorrow. 

Stefan

Good hold. ’cause you guys are getting on a good run. I just wanted to point out that Angelo gets all of a sudden two lines, right? 

He had been just little line, little line, little line and that and that your brother’s a for of the law and you, but waste your words. He’s starting to warm up a little bit. Yeah. And that she’s able to then complete his word with alas, alas. And you’re off to the races. 

Paul, you asked how how angry at one point is, I would say is also depends on how pissed off, you know, Charlotte makes you like, to be honest in real life, i i in real life, in real life, like, but I really do, I I don’t wanna plan the scene too much. ’cause you are allowed, you’re allowed to just breathe in what she gives you and throw it right back at her. That’s, that’s the beauty of this. If we keep it alive each time. 

But I think, I think your question, I get your question for real. That’s why I didn’t go there. But as a, a thing to everybody, I don’t plan a damn thing. It ends up someplace on the day. 

Alright, my loves it’s 8 57 and I think that’s a good stopping point. 

Nathan

He’s back. Great work, great work. I love listening to everything. I promise I was actually listening to everything. No, you what? Because you. 

Paul

Would be pissed if you heard what we said about you if you were listening. No, no. Nathan was looking up Troche the whole time. He was. 

Nathan

I thought David knows tro thought about coming. I thought about coming on the God mic because you know, I don’t know if I need a a, a reputation as a ta stern task master, you know, harassing Stefan over in Rome going where is my scene? How dare you take time off. But, but no, I I figured I would just, just let it play out and it’s okay. But no, no, I i and, and believe me, I I I love nerding out even just listening to this as much as you guys are. So it’s, you know, it’s, it’s really fun. And so thank you, thank you for a great first session. I think it was really wonderful. And I will just say, my apologies if my notes about the scene weren’t too clear. I, you know, you guys can do exactly what you want with the scene. You can start, you know, if you wanna start where Angela comes in, if you wanna eliminate the provost later, if you wanna combine, you can do, there are no rules in terms of how you deal with the characters and, and the dual characters that Rachel‘s playing or you know, whatever. 

So whatever makes sense, whatever aids your exploration of the scene is what you guys can do. So, so that’s it. I would, I would ask that you don’t tack on another three scenes, but other than that, that’s, that’s fine. That, that you, you get people in here and they’re just like, well, well let’s look at this part, you know, and they just wanna keep doing the play. So it’s, it’s, it’s a good problem to have. But no, just cut. This was, that’s. 

Rachel

Cool. There’s no more. 

Nathan

Well only, oh, come on. I’m too big. You, you there, there’s, there’s a lot to mind with Lucio, but yes. So just, you know, I, well Rachel, as a voiceover actress, you, you may want to play with what, what kind of, what kind of voices those two characters have, so, you know, but yeah. Any, any other questions for me? Any thoughts or anything like that? 

No. Okay. Great work. 

Stefan

This. 

Nathan

Was fun. Yeah, go ahead. Fun. 

Paul

I that I was gonna say those three words. This was fun. I love nerding out about not just Shakespeare, any play, trying to dig in and figuring out what it all means. I love it. 

Stefan

So we’ll just keep going like this you guys next week we’ll just keep mining and we’ll probably take us all of next week to get up to your monologue, Angelo. 

And then we’ll mine the monologue and then we’ll come back and we’ll go through it and see if it starts to hold water. 

Nathan

And I will, I’ll just confirm with Philippa that, you know, her schedule works for the rest of the sessions. Great. If for some reason it doesn’t, there are other dramaturg I know who I’m sure would be happy to, to jump in. So, but hopefully, fingers crossed. ’cause she’s, she’s great. She’s very, she’s not as, she values the text, but she’s very into just kind of the general exploration of things. So that’s always nice too is that it’s, it’s nice to get different approaches to the material that some people are extremely text-based and that’s how they, they start and other people are, well a lot of people have a connection with Brendan and he is extremely questions based and, and you know, just really kind of explores things that way. 

So there’s lots of ways to get into the material. So, but great, great work. All. 

Stefan

Cool. Thank you. All right, I’m gonna run. We’ll see you guys next week. 

Paul

Thanks everybody. Thank you. 

Nathan

Bye. Thank everybody. 

Stefan

My pleasure.