something new

All of my devoted followers/readers (10) will know that I mentioned I've secured a role in A Midsummer Nights Dream. What they might not know is the role is Francis Flute. Francis Flute is a "rude mechanical". In Shakespeare's theater, this meant Francis was a blue collar laborer valued for his muscles, not for his mind. The rude mechanicals are to be a little rough, a little uncouth, a little bit on the vulgar (rude) side, because of their social status of not making much money and not possessing an education. Flute and the other rude mechanicals have made a play to perform for the wedding celebration of the king and queen. It's a competition, and if they win, they stand to win a sum of money to split between their company. Flue is excited to be a part of the production, but is picked by the amateur rude mechanical director to play Thisbe, the female lover of Pyramus. Flute is disappointed by being cast as the female.

I've seen productions where Flute is played by a young man with a thin figure and clean baby face. I've also seen it played by fully mature grown me with a thick beard. This shows the Shakespearean text can be interpreted at least a couple ways. One: Flute is the youngest and looks the most like a female of the participants; or would pass as a female the easiest. Two: Flute is clearly the ugliest, most masculine of the troupe and his playing Thisbe will be the most comical. Either way, Flute disputes the choice on the grounds that he has a beard growing.

Our rude mechanicals scene is supposed to be nearly a disaster, for comic effect. We try hard, and our hearts are in the right place, but is comical in our lackluster finished product. However, they end up winning the prize, and it's pointed out by the royalty in attendance that it was Flute's performance as Thisbe that sold the audience and caused them to win.

This informs my performance. Presently, I have a mustache and soul patch and I'm clearly not "youthful" as a young man. Also, what makes it slightly more complicated is our rude mechanical group, which is made up of men, has two female actresses in it. This begs the question obviously, why did the rude mechanicals director choose Francis Flute to play the female role of Thisbe. Now, this situation is specific to our production, it's not the case in all the productions I've watched. So, I'm thinking the reason the director would choose Flute is because he's incompetent, or has something against Flute, and he's taking it out on him in this way. We've decided one of the females, playing Robin Starveling the tailor,  will show her disdain at being cast as a man when there's a perfectly good male (Flute) to fill it.

At any rate, all of that was to say that I'll be doing a couple of firsts in this production. It will mark the first time I will be portraying a female on stage, even if it's known that I'm a male character playing a female character. Secondly, I'll be dying for the first time on stage, even if it's a fake death and it's in the play within the play. It will be my first comedy. Also, it will be quite physical comedy.

It's going to be great fun, and very funny for the audience.

Those are some firsts for me.