Standing Ovation for Shakespeare

Any expectations I had for Shakespeare class were greatly exceeded.  Who knew Shakespeare could be so much fun?  I chose the class because I enjoyed Shakespeare's work, but I had never actually seen any of them in action.  I was curious to see how something that seemed so difficult to read and understand could be entertaining.

The moment that I realized the class' true potential was at the Pearl Theatre production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.  The director made the play so funny and so thoroughly enjoyable that it changed the way I read Shakespeare.  Before the play, I viewed Shakespeare productions as fancy theater for the wealthy and educated.  After the play, I understood that Shakespeare wrote his plays to entertain the general public, and quite genius entertainment, too.

When our final project was presented to us, I was beyond excited.  I was given the role of director for Act 2 Scene 1 of The Tempest.  As I read the scene, I tried to ignore the language gap between Shakespearan English and Modern English and what it revealed was pure entertainment.  At first read, the scene can seem dull and perhaps a bit confusing, but once it was acted out, the pieces fell together and it flowed marvelously.  The role was daunting, and I couldn't help feeling competetive towards the other groups, but ultimately I found it the most fun I had ever had in any English class.  It was a completely hands on and innovative way of teaching.

Shakespeare is amazing, but I wouldn't have been able to see Shakespeare's dirty, raunchy humor or understand his existential rants without Mr. Kiczek.  I would do it all over again!  No longer do I view Shakespeare as some kind of elitist writing, but as Shakespeare meant for it to be, entertainment.

Death Ain't Nothin'

                 There's a great scene in the movie Ray, in which the young musician Ray Charles and his band's bus driver are small-talking about their lives prior to getting involved with music. The bus driver reveals that he used to be in the army (World War II) and lived through some brutal combat. The odd thing, however, and the reason why this scene is so unique is that the bus driver comments unexpectedly that "Death ain't nothin' ". Oddly enough, Ray Charles agrees instantly with him, and then he experiences a flashback to his early childhood when he witnesses his brother quickly drown, while attempting to swim in a small pot of water. Normally, watching someone die is depicted as this painful, extravagant, and life-altering experience, but Ray opened me up to the idea that there is something very nonchalant about death, something almost disappointing, as if the process of dying was not played out enough- it just happens. Act 5, Scene 1 of Hamlet intensified this feeling of death's casualness and helped me understand the powerlessness and finality of death.

                 "What ceremony else?" This is the response of Laertes to the death of his sister, Ophelia. It does not sound like the devastated, depressed response of someone who has just found out about the death of a dear loved one, but its bluntness helps to convey a sense of hopelessness. I can feel the grief and, in a way, confusion of Laertes as all his memories of his sister flash before his eyes. Her death is so sudden, not anticipated by any of her family, and her death is nothing honorable or extravagant. In this instance, Shakespeare helps to present the odd part of death: the effects of the death of a loved one can change a life, but the actual death is nothing grand. Furthermore, the process of celebrating and remembering the life of  a person (through wake, funeral, and burial) often is not enough to satisfy people who knew the deceased. The process seems a bit incomplete, as voiced by Laertes with his short question. You just have to accept this feeling of powerlessness, that no matter what you do, you can't save the dead. I was surprised that those three simple words could move me so much and help to paint a picture of death that I will never forget.  But this is the exact reason why I decided to take the Shakespeare class in the first place.

                   One of the things that always amazed me about Shakespeare is his ability to teach such valuable and detailed life lessons in only five acts. In Othello and Macbeth, I learned about betrayal and how those closest to you can end up doing you the most damage. In A Midsummer Night's Dream Shakespeare showed me how love is not at all a logical or rational idea, but a feeling that one must simply embrace when it comes to you. Hamlet and The Tempest both helped to show me how to live a fulfilling life and to do what pleases you. Thus, Shakespeare, although he is an entertainer, is a teacher for me, someone who is able to paint such vivid pictures to illustrate life's greatest lessons.

This Is The Way The Class Ends - Not With A Whimper But A Bang

Going into this class, I felt a mixture of nervousness and excitement. I knew that I would be reading and analyzing texts as I had done in past English classes, a familiar task well within my comfort zone. I also knew that I would have to perform scenes from several of Shakespeare's most famous plays, a task that shook me to the pit of my soul. The idea of memorizing a character's lines and performing them for Mr. Kiczek was not foreign to me. In fact, it reminded me of my time on the Hearn, which was spent competing in the category of dramatic performance. There, I would memorize a scene from a movie or piece of literature and perform it in front of a judge. Here, it would be similar, as Mr. Kiczek acted as my judge. However, it was not only him  who would judge my performance - it was the rest of the class.

Although my peers' judgment would not affect my overall grade, it would most certainly affect my attitude towards the class. Unlike my competitors in forensics, who I would only see once and whose opinions I did not value, I see my peers five days a week. For a while, I was worried that if I decided to put my all into performing, I would be labeled a try-hard. However, this line of thought changed when we attended a performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Despite the fact that this play is one of Shakespeare's greatest comedies, most of us, including me, were skeptical about it being funny. Contrary to my expectations, the play proved to be a wonderful time. The play, a humble five man performance, was delivered in a minimalist fashion, relying on both the audience's imagination and the actors' abilities to immerse viewers in the world of A Midsummer Night's Dream. In between these periods of immersion, I noticed that my classmates were enjoying themselves just as much as I was. It was then that I realized they would not judge me for trying hard when performing in class as they were equally, if not more, passionate about this course.

Finally, it all came down to our performance - The Tempest, Act II, Scene I. Assigned the role of Antonio, I was nervous. I was no longer nervous regarding my classmates' judgement, but I was nervous to perform in front of not only Mr. Kiczek, but Ms. Reisig, Ms. Miller-Lewis, Mr. Dee, and several other teachers. It was a daunting experience, and I felt my nervousness surface whenever I looked over my script. Unlike forensics, if I messed up in front of these people, I would have to relive the moment of shame every time I passed one of them in the hallway. So I did the only thing I could - I practiced. I practiced in class with my group, I practiced at home after my commute, I practiced in the shower, and I even practiced in my sleep. I would not allow this assessment to tarnish my reputation. On the day of the performance, I was no longer nervous. There was no point by then, as all I could do was my best, and if I did feel nervous due to the presence of additional teachers, I'd power through it. Fortunately, it seemed that God was smiling upon me, as my group was not able to perform in class due to time-constraints. As a result, we performed after school in front of Mr. Kiczek alone. Without the possibility of embarrassing myself in front of any teacher other than Mr. Kiczek, I was filled with confidence. I poured my heart and soul into the delivery of my lines, filling each syllable with vapid amounts of emotion. It was one of my proudest moments I have ever had in an English class.

Then, we were done. Cut short thanks to the Regis Repertory's insistence on using the stage, Mr. Kiczek signaled our end, and that was that. Similar to how the audience's applause freed Prospero from the island at the end of The Tempest, Mr. Kiczek's words of approval signified the end of our last Shakespeare class. In T.S. Eliot's poem, "The Hollow Men," the final stanza reads:

"This is the way the world ends /
This is the way the world ends /
This is the way the world ends /
Not with a bang but a whimper."

Although you can say that's how this class literally ended for me and my group, not with raucous applause but with the brief dismissals of "happy Thanksgiving" being thrown at each other, it was quite the contrary. This class ended on a great high note. It helped everyone break out of their respective comfort zones and test their acting abilities. In doing so, everyone learned a bit more about themselves, and there can be nothing further from a whimper than that.

Tis Almost Fairy Time

Everyone knows the name "William Shakespeare", but it takes some added effort to really dive into what Shakespeare truly embodies as a playwright. Like many others, I was turned away by the language Shakespeare uses in his play and I struggled understanding the inner parts of the play as a result of the complexity of the writing. Despite this, I was still interested by the fact that Shakespeare is so popular and creative that I decided that I had to take a class about him just so I could learn more about him and his work throughout his career. I had already read Romeo and Juliet and Othello, but reading three different plays in one trimester would surely help me understand more than the other two plays ever could. I knew that I would have to overcome the language that Shakespeare uses but I was confident in what I would take from this class. At first, I imagined classes to be similar to my other experience with Shakespeare's plays: purely analytical. Yet, with the first play we read, A Midsummer Night's Dream, I was surprised to see us spending more time acting out the scenes and envisioning them rather than stating the themes or character development we saw within the scenes. Of course, these were incorporated as well but it was a breath of fresh air. 

On the topic of A Midsummer Night's Dream, I was skeptical at first at how Shakespeare would make the play comedic and humorous. Having only read tragedies from Shakespeare. I was not sure if the play would actually be funny. Reading the play, I could certainly see the funny moments within the scenes but I never really felt the humor. Mr. Kiczek reassured us that Shakespeare was meant to be acted out on stage, not read in a classroom. When we were told that we were going to see A Midsummer Night's Dream live, I viewed this is a great opportunity to see whether Shakespeare's comedies were the real deal. With the rest of my class, we were not expecting much at first and prayed for the best. 

Boy, did we get the best. In the beginning of the performance, I was very lost and confused and thought this was going to be the rest of the play; but it eventually transformed into a comedic masterpiece that brought me nearly to tears from laughing so hard. Being someone that laughs at nearly anything, I was holding my stomach at every little joke or innuendo. It became a struggle containing my laughter especially when the play transitioned into a more serious scene. Just thinking about the last scene made me hold my mouth shut. As the play ended, I couldn't help but realize that this is what Shakespeare is about; it's not about analyzing the significance of a symbol or how a character represents something far greater. I originally felt I needed to understand everything about Shakespeare but I realized it's more about enjoying it, whether it is a tragedy or comedy. When I had to reenact a scene from A Midsummer Night's Dream for the final project, I immediately recalled my experience of watching it at the theater. Looking back, I was determined to carry that sense of enjoyment and laughter into our performance of the play. While we were not professional actors, we put a lot of effort and preparation into making sure our play was the best it could be. It was also enlightening to realize that we can put our own little touch into the performance; even if it is the same play, every director has their own vision for their performance and that is what makes Shakespeare all the more intriguing and enjoyable. After my experiences in the Shakespeare class, I will never doubt the genius that is Shakespeare and I will surely never hesitate to watch a Shakespeare play whenever I have the chance.

The Power of Art

Choosing to take Shakespeare, I only half knew what exactly I was getting into. I did not think I would expect the class to have nearly as much of an effect on me as it did. Over the course of the past three months, I have come to multiple realizations--that Shakespeare caters to audiences of all types, how much taking a play off of a page and onto the stage can enhance one's understanding of it, and my passion for bringing new life and interpretation to words. However, these are things I already knew to some degree or had at least been told. The course allowed me to experience all these things firsthand rather than as a mere thought in my head. The most significant realization I had was about the impact of great art. Everything we read throughout the trimester was written 400+ years ago yet we can not only understand but enjoy it all. Despite its age, Shakespeare's work is still read, performed, and widely recognized throughout the English-speaking world. Unlike science, which constantly evolves and makes earlier iterations of itself obsolete, or politics, where views can change and power can shift at the drop of a hat, art can survive for as long as it can stay in people's memory. Art comes from human nature, so all people can identify with it regardless where or when they are from.

It was while reading and discussing The Tempest that I made this realization. Shakespeare makes specific allusions to things (ie the Globe Theater) not normal to us yet we can still fully enjoy the play because there are plenty of themes with which we can identify. Whether it is the notion of control, the power of knowledge, a combination of them, or something else, people enjoy his work because it resonates with them. It was only through this course that I realized the very close connection between human nature and art.We can identify with Prospero not because of his magic or his dukedom, but through his humanity. Though we do not have magical garments, we deal with having control and letting it go every day. Regardless of the circumstantial differences between the readers and the characters, Shakespeare's works survive because of their appeal to the readers' humanity.

Nothing was the Same

Author and critic, Joe Nickell, once said, "No two things are ever constructed or manufactured in exactly the same way." I believe that this quote is perfectly embodied by my experience with Shakespeare's plays in this class. The most noteworthy endeavors of this class were those that allowed me to discover the many interpretations that Shakespeare's works evoke. Through our viewing of A Midsummer Night's Dream at Pearl Theatre, in-class performances of Shakespeare's most storied scenes, and through my group's performance of the rude mechanicals' production, I realized that no two depictions of Shakespeare would ever be alike. It may only take one word or one line in a given scene, for a viewer to discern their own meaning of the play. For instance, while rehearsing my part as Pyramus in the rude mechanicals performance, the following prudently spoken line by Lysander struck me, "A good moral, my lord: it is not / enough to speak, but to speak true" (5.1.115-116). From this line, I conceived my own meaning of the play, which was the importance of using our words shrewdly. In fact, it reminded me of a quote once pronounced by Plato, which my father often repeated to me as a child, "Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something." Evidently, the rude mechanicals were fools that abused their opportunity to speak well and put on an acceptable play for Theseus, Hippolyta, Demetrius and Lysander. Instead, characters such as Quince were caught up in their drunkenness and characters like Bottom were caught up in their egos. Thus, my understanding of that line contributed, in its own way, to the greater meaning of the scene and perhaps the entire play. The meaning that I found, personally, was that we should speak, act and love with intention rather than for the sake of speaking, acting or loving.

 It was my preparation for my role as Pyramus in the rude mechanicals' rendition of Pyramus and Thisbe that made me realize the distinct interpretations of Shakespeare's plays. When I first took on the role of Pyramus, I recalled that I was not only Pyramus but Bottom as well. Certainly, it would be difficult to balance the conceited interjections of Bottom with the stately and composed demeanor of Pyramus. Like an experienced athlete preparing for a tough opponent, I decided that I would "study film" so that I could perfectly portray the stately poise of Pyramus while capturing the arrogant behavior of Bottom. After watching the scene performed by the Baron's Troupe of Mummers, I took notes on their casting of Pyramus: confident, jumpy, arrogant in their portrayal of both Bottom and Pyramus. Then I viewed the scene as performed by Shakespeare in Detroit and continued my notes on Pyramus: egotistical in his presentation of Bottom, truly immersed in Pyramus' dignified character. Quickly I exited that video and opened another. Still, a new presentation of Pyramus/ Bottom as a comedian. By the time I finished and scanned my notes, it seemed that I was to be five different characters. These videos, presented below, had expressed the most contrasting qualities of Pyramus, making it nearly impossible for me to decide the most accurate representation. Indeed, I had run straight into a wall. Was I to be a comedic Pyramus? A somber Pyramus? Or perhaps a combination of the two? 

Through this process, I learned that there was no template for a portrayal of Pyramus, or Bottom for that matter. Instead, each actor allowed Shakespeare's commanding words to influence their attitudes, actions and intonation. Thus, I decided that I would do the same. Ultimately, this decision proved a more fulfilling experience while rehearsing and performing on stage. Instead of feeling confined in the walls of certain emotions and actions, I let the the words determine my temperament and the role naturally came to me. More important than my experience on stage, though, was what I learned from rehearsing my role and "studying film". This lesson was that no two interpretations of Shakespeare were the same, which is the very beauty of his work. The same scene or line or word can have different meanings for different people based on experience, exposure and our frames of mind; I discovered this, more intimately, in the classroom s with the various interpretations of my classmates. In fact, this message can be extended to everyday life as we are all different, a truth that results in different opinions, experiences and actions. This uniqueness is what prevents a dull world, similar to that of George Orwell's renowned novel "1984", and creates an unpredictable world full of opportunity.

 In sum, taking this course taught me a great deal about intonation while reading, performance in theatre and ultimately the gravitas of Shakespeare's work. However, I believe that the most important lesson that I learned regarded uniqueness and individuality. Undeniably, an actor is assigned to certain roles and emotions, but an actor also shines through his role to make the presentation unique. Therefore, the manner that I initially went about studying for my role was incorrect because I was trying to be someone else. This is why Shakespeare's work continues to please, because its messages apply to us all in so many different ways, which spawns an expression of our true selves within the realm of his works.

Live in Action

All my life, I always looked at reading as a connection between us and others in a different time and place, and Shakespeare is no different. Through all books, we learn about other times and cultures, while also discovering universal human truths that are seen in the text. In all of Shakespeare's works, especially the ones we read, we got a good look at old England, while also finding out a lot about human nature, whether it be love, revenge, or death. However, to find most of this one has to look hard because it is hard to find it in text. Most of human communication is done through body language, therefore a lack of makes seeing what the author wants to get across very hard, particularly in Shakespeare's works where the work was designed to be performed not read. That's why the performances we saw grabbed my attention so much.

As I read Shakespeare in the past, the plots of each play was good, but I never experienced the sight of a Shakespeare play live. That all changed this year, seeing the plays we read acted out the plays both in and out of school. Every time we did so, I always thought, "Shakespeare was meant to be performed for an audience", as drilled into us by Mr. Kiczek. When we did a couple scenes in class, I began to see that even just a little emotion began to change the meaning of a scene, with some thanks to Mr. Mileo. I had somewhat low expectations going into the Pearl Theater showing of A Midsummer Night's Dream being that some of the performances I had seen at the College of Staten Island where underwhelming. I was blown back by the performance, as it surpassed all my expectations. Seeing the play live, not only did I have a great time, but I understand the play better, including the human emotions that both the characters and the audience felt. Finally, when I performed myself, I really saw how big of difference acting the play out makes. Both during my soliloquy and in the graveyard, I was really able to get into what I was saying, and it almost felt natural, as if I was having original thoughts and feelings, rather than acting out other characters. That was truly when I felt the power and emotion of Shakespeare's works the most.