Posted by Matou on Tue 20 Dec 05, 11:19 PM to Matou's blog.
Oh, my! It's been over a year since I blogged. There were reasons for that (and still are) but sometimes "a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do" - in this case remove the bushel and let others see the light.
Anyone who visited the BBB this month and made it to the demo will know that, as is usual for the Christmas demo, it was a bit “different”. I don't intend to describe it since cerrynn and I missed most of it, only hearing it from the “backstage dressing room” (aka the stairwell) but I do want to see that some well-deserved credit goes where it is due.
The credit in this instance is to cerrynn. The topic for the “demo” was a lecture entitled “BDSM through the Ages” given by Prof. Ivor Kinkforessnem, which should give you some clue as to the seriousness of the lecture. Our contribution to this august presentation was a portrayal of how "The Shrew" was really tamed by Petruchio. Cerrynn did an absolutely amazing job of getting the gist of an entire play down to ten minutes and 3½ pages of script – using mostly the Bard's own words, to boot. A few words and lines were added as we rehearsed (yes, we *did* actually rehearse! We only fluffed one line and that was me) but 90% was her first draft. I must confess that cerrynn is something of an expert on Will but nevertheless it was a superb piece of “Reducing Shakespeare”.
Now we must both confess that whilst we did our damnedest to be entertaining, our little sketch was a hopeless piece of self-indulgence. I got to act and look silly and cerrynn got to look lovely (could you see at the back that her top was see-through? I could and it was most distracting). The indulgence is that Shakespeare – even a bastardised version – is great fun to perform. You can get lost in it. This was the very first time since my schooldays and I am no Richard Burton but it was wonderful. It was wonderful just rehearsing at home, though on one occasion when cerrynn was trying out one of her “glares to kill” we both burst into a fit of giggles. It is very easy to assume the characters' characters and the dialog between the two players is very emotive – you can really get into it. Actually, we were a bit concerned that our neighbours might think we were having an argument several times a night but nobody complained to the police so hopefully we got away with that.
It also gave us cause to ponder – and wonder – at how little the original had to be changed to suit our lifestyle. The first time I heard cerrynn give Katherine's speech at the end of the play I was quite affected by it. If you read the words, the speech is all about marriage being a division of duties and responsibilities, a partnership. That is also what D/s means to us. Each of us has duties and responsibilities in respect of the other. They aren't the same – but then nor were those Katherine spoke of. The first time we “walked through” that scene I was sitting on an old stool in our lounge with all the furniture pushed back to make some room. Cerrynn was on her knees in front of me. When she looked up at me and recited the last lines of her little soliloquy:
In truth, I now would place my hand below my dominant's foot,
In token of which duty, if he please, My hand is ready, may it do him ease.
...I was somewhat more than just “affected” and remembered (again) all the many reasons why I collared her in the first place.
Bravo and full credit to our compatriots also willing to risk making total nitwits of themselves in the name of entertaining others. Bravo (and thank you) to the people handling sound and lights and generally making things work backstage. Bravo to Keith for making the whole damn thing happen – and in doing so giving me the opportunity to play Petruchio to my beloved Katherine.
Ai shiteru, my bonny Kate
| 21 Dec 05, 11:38 AM PFLsAgain UK, 7 yrs |
I did fear for Petruchio's safety at one point, the dragon seemed to have laid some cunning paraffin-soaked traps around. But you both pulled it off wonderfully well and I shall never see the Bard in quite the same light again. I do love the BBB's Christmas specials and this was one of their very best. I haven't laughed so much in a long time. "I learned what every dreaming child needs to know - no horizon is so far that you cannot see above or beyond it." ~ Beryl Markham (first pilot to cross the Atlantic solo the hard way - East to West) |
