Essay Masterclass / References
[REDACTED], can you help me with my hair?" Sena uttered while flipping through her script madly. All around me, teenage girls were running around me wildly while shouting amidst our common resolution to create perfection in our Shakespearean performance. The makeup, hair, script reading, everything had to be a notch above perfect.
Serving as a teenage mother to these teenage girls is part of the responsibilities to being the student director of a Shakespearean play, Macbeth. Directing the teenagers for the Shakespeare play has been a tradition at St. Cuthbert's College for several decades. Girls from lower year groups participate as actors in the Shakespeare Soirée. As a St. Cuth's student, I reveled at the opportunity to become a part of the masterpieces written by Shakespeare; St. Cuthbert's College encourages, supports and inspires us to join different ventures such as drama. Together, the students are incredibly passionate about literature and theater, and participating in such activities brings about stronger relationships between the campus community.
Olivia cleared her voice: "Was the hope drunk wherein you dressed yourself."
I interrupted quickly, "Livvi you need to be more furious and dominant here!"
Olivia immediately raised her voice and her tone, tinged with irritation, "And wakes it now, to look so green and pale at what it did so freely?"
I did a slapping gesture to remind the actors: they needed to coordinate their lines perfectly with a movement of Lady Macbeth slapping Macbeth. As director, my biggest wish is for their acting to accurately reflect the words of Shakespeare, illustrating the vivacity imbibed within the scene.
From the beginning, Sena and Olivia have always been little rebels who exaggerated their stressful and hectic school life in order to escape rehearsals. Their cunningness reminded me of my youth; I empathized with them in their excuses and tiredness. However, under their unruly appearances, shined a deeper passion for learning new knowledge and engaging with Shakespearean literature. Like them, I discovered solace and identity within Shakspeare. The Comedy of Errors was the first masterpiece that captured my attention; Macbeth came second, as the utilization of sound, colours and imagery brought the whole play to life. The first time I portrayed Lady Macbeth, I relied on pure courage and strength to highlight the emotions of her character. It was the same courage that travelled with me when I moved back to New Zealand to a completely new environment.
After having numerous rehearsals with them and trying to impart the complex themes of Macbeth, Sena and Olivia have emerged as more than participants of my play. As a director, I began infusing my ideas of the scene into their performances after learning about their personalities from constant interactions about school and life. I learned how to be patient, while reiterating the purpose of Shakespeare in writing and inculcating the disparate characteristics of the two characters. I learned to be compromising, as I always had to take care of the younger girls and understand their emotions during stressful rehearsals while accommodating their needs. Through Sena and Olivia, I not only came to understand them, but also grew more intimate and in touch with myself and my own experiences, allowing me to mature more than I could have ever imagined.
The spotlights first dim, and then shine on the little girls' faces. A look of confidence conquers their facial expressions and their performance. The short five minute scene finishes with no mistakes, and all I can see is their smiles as they have conquered a challenge in their lives. After all, they have performed the scene to nothing short of perfection, but also taught me some valuable lessons in patience, compromise, and most importantly, my own self.