Measure for Measure Teacher Information Packet

PHOTOS: JOAN MARCUS

TEACHER INFORMATION PACKET

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE NOAH BRODY & BEN STEINFELD

bY

DIRECTED BY

15 16

nov 25 - dec 20

g o r d o n ed elst e i n artistic director

H

JO S HUA  BOREN S T EIN managing director

15 16

By

William Shakespeare Directed by

Noah Brody & Ben Steinfeld november 25 - DECEMBER 20, 2015 on the claire tow stage in the c. newton schenck II theatre

Teacher Information Packet Compiled and Written by

beth f. milles Director of Education madelyn ardito Education Programs Manager eliza orleans Resident Teaching Artist barbara sonenstein Resident Teaching Artist john m. baker Dramaturg ELIZABETH NEARING Community Engagement Manager

L O N G W H A R F T H E AT R E G R A T E F U L LY A C K N O W L E D G E S THE GENEROSITY O F O U R E D U C AT I O N S U P P O R T E R S ANNA FITCH ARDENGHI TRUST ELIZABETH CARSE FOUNDATION Frederick A. Deluca Foundation the hearst foundations THE GEORGE A. & GRACE L. LONG FOUNDATION Seedlings Foundation THEATRE FORWARD wells fargo foundation The Werth Family Foundation FOUNDING SUPPORTER OF LONG WHARF THEATRE’S VIDEO STUDY GUIDE AND SUPPORTER OF THE EDUCATORS’ LABORATORY

g o r d o n ed elst e i n artistic director

H

JO S HUA BOREN S T EIN managing director

15 16

PRESENTS

fiasco theater’s production of

By

William Shakespeare Directed by

Noah Brody & Ben Steinfeld

Set Design

Costume Design

Derek McLane° Whitney Locher°

Lighting Design

Christopher Akerlind°

Matthew Melchiorre*

Production Stage Manager

Assistant Stage Manager

Amy Patricia Stern*

Fiasco Theater’s Production of Measure for Measure originally developed and produced at New Victory Theater

*M ember of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States ° Member of United Scenic Artists, USA-829 of the IATSE This Theatre operates under an agreement between the League Of Resident Theatres and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

contents

ABOUT THE PLAY 8 Setting

9 Characters

12

Synopsis

15

Fun Facts

18

Meet Fiasco Theater Company

THE WORLD OF THE PLAY 20 Glossary

22

About William Shakespeare

26

Living in the Elizabethan/Renaissance Era

28

Women, Marriage, and the Law

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS

30

The Old Globe

32

Playing Shakespeare

35

Why Shakespeare?

36 Themes

38

Other Productions of Measure for Measure

39

Additional Resources

40

Write a Review!

41

For the First-Time Theatergoer

42

Moments and Minutes Information

44 Citations

Look for this symbol to find discussion and writing prompts, CMT/CAPT-prep questions and classroom activities!

Copy will be 10.5/14 Gill Sans Regular. be 10.5/14 Gill Sans Regular. Copy will Gill Sans Regular. Copy will be 10.5/14 Regular. Copy will be 10.5/14 Gill Sans

Copy will be 10.5/14 Gill Sans Regular.

SUBHEADING Copy will be 10.5/14 Gill Sans Regular. be 10.5/14 Gill Sans Regular. Copy will Gill Sans Regular. Copy will be 10.5/14 Regular. Copy will be 10.5/14 Gill Sans Copy will be 10.5/14 Gill Sans Regular.

Copy will be 10.5/14 Gill Sans Regular.

ABOUT THE

PLAY

7

SETTING W here It All G oes Down : Vienna, 1604.

W

elcome to the Catholic city of Vienna! In Measure for Measure, Vienna is described to us as a place of sexual depravity, where brothels are commonplace and chaos is in the air.

The citizens of Vienna ignore the laws that have been put in place and Duke Vincentio doesn’t do anything to enforce them.

In Measure for Measure, all the brothels in Vienna’s suburbs are scheduled to be torn down because prostitution is illegal and the spread of venereal disease is out of control. In Shakespeare’s actual life in London, a similar problem had emerged. The sex industry thrived at the time because it was hard for officials to regulate brothels outside of city limits. In fact, in April of 1604 (the same year Shakespeare wrote Measure), King James I ordered all the tenements and houses in the suburbs be torn down to prevent the spread of the plague, which killed about 36,000 people in 1603 alone!

In contrast to the suburbs of Vienna are the more religious settings, such as monasteries and nunneries.

Interestingly, in 1538, Henry VIII (the English king who broke with the Catholic Church) began the dissolution of all the monasteries and convents in England. This eliminated an important option for women who would seek life as nuns.

The Duke leaves, and disorder is revealed, but it was always there. So instead of transformation there is confrontation and discovery. In keeping with this, instead of the wild freedom of the Forest of Arden or the Athenian wood – or, indeed, the nighttime world of Romeo and Juliet – there is in this play an inner world that is largely composed of enclosed spaces, spaces that confine and compress rather than setting characters free. Claudio’s dungeon is an enclosed space, as is Isabella’s nunnery, and the Duke’s monastery, and Marian’s “moated grange.” – Marjorie Garber, Shakespeare After All.

8

characters In Fiasco Theatre’s Measure for Measure, all of the roles are double-cast. There are six players.

Escalus: a lord in the court of Vienna who is second in command after the Duke. She is a wise elder who advocates for Claudio and believes in governing with compassion.

Claudio: A young man of Vienna, Claudio is the first to be persecuted under Angelo’s reign. He is sentenced to death for getting his fiancé pregnant before marriage.

Mariana: a woman of Vienna who was betrothed to Angelo.

Five years ago, her brother Frederick was drowned at sea and with him her dowry for marriage was lost. After this misfortune, Angelo deserted Mariana. She has since been sad and alone.

Pompey: works for Mistress Overdone in her brothel as a bartender and a pimp.

Angelo: a high ranking member of the court of Vienna. Angelo is put in charge during Duke Vincentio’s absence. He has a reputation for being puritanical with a strong moral compass. His character is put to the test when he is put in power and enforces his moral beliefs to be the law of the land. He rules with strict adherence to old law and with a lack of compassion for human mistakes. Ultimately, we discover that Angelo is a hypocrite.

Elbow: the Duke’s constable, who has been given the task of enforcing the new laws in Vienna concerning brothels.

9

Duke of Vienna: ruler of the court of Vienna. The Duke questions whether or not he has been a good ruler in Vienna; as it has become a decadent society and the laws of the land are not being enforced. He decides to leave Vienna and put Angelo in charge; who he believes will be a better leader for the people. The Duke then disguises himself as a Friar to see for himself what is happening in Vienna and what his people think of him.

While undercover, the Duke discovers that Angelo is not the ruler or man he thought he was and that the people of Vienna do not always think kindly of himself either.

Lucio: a narcissist who loves to charm you and be the center of attention, but will talk behind your back once you are out of sight. He has a child with a prostitute that he denies. He refuses to marry the prostitiute. He is a jocular friend of Claudio.

Froth: a gentleman who spends much of his time drinking away his father’s inheritance in brothels.

Isabella: Claudio’s sister. She is a novice in a nunnery and lives her life under the safety of seclusion, order, and morality. When Isabella must leave the convent to help plead for her brother’s life (he has been sentenced to death under the newly enforced laws) she finds that the court and its government are corrupt. Isabella falls victim to Angelo’s manipulation and finds herself in the position of defending not only her brother’s life, but her life’s integrity as well.

Mistress Overdone: is a Madam who manages a brothel of prostitutes. Her business is shut down under the new law/reign. She opens another brothel, despite being warned that this is dangerous, and is ultimately arrested.

10

ABOUT THE PLAY

In the Classroom Discussion Question: What’s in a name? What images to the names of the characters bring to mind? Why did Shakespeare choose to name the characters in this way?

Going Further: All of the roles in Measure for Measure are doublecast which poses an exciting challenge for each actor playing two roles. Look at the dual nature of the characters that each actor is cast in. Compare and contrast the characters assigned to each actor.

How might the actors heighten their portrayals of these dual natures?

HINT: Think physical gesture, costume, voice/speech etc. Explain.

11

s y nopsis As Measure for Measure begins, we are introduced to Duke Vincentio, who rules Vienna with a soft hand. Although there are many laws in place, they are not enforced at all, and the Duke worries that Vienna has become chaotic. He announces that he is temporarily leaving Vienna and leaving the strict Lord Angelo in charge. In actuality, the Duke does not leave Vienna but instead dresses as a friar to observe the goings-on in his absence.

Angelo, unlike the Duke, rules Vienna with a black and white perspective. He believes solely in the law and decides that there is too much freedom in Vienna. He cracks down, ordering that all the brothels be closed and all unlawful sexual activity be immediately punished. Through this order, Angelo arrests Claudio, a young man who has recently impregnated his girlfriend, Juliet.

Although Claudio and Juliet were engaged and their sexual intercourse was consensual, Claudio is sentenced to death. Angelo hopes to make an example out of him.

vows as a nun when her brother is arrested. She is completely committed to her religion and believes in virtue above all else. Claudio’s friend Lucio tells Isabella about the arrest and convinces her to beg for mercy. Meanwhile, Elbow the constable brings Angelo two prisoners, Pompey and Froth to be sentenced. Angelo puts Escalus in charge of their trial.

When Isabella arrives and asks Angelo to spare her brother’s life, Angelo finds himself in complete lust with Isabella. When he propositions her, saying that he will let Claudio live if she agrees to have sexual intercourse with him, Isabella is shocked and immediately refuses, stating that she will not give up her virginity and that two wrongs do not make a right. She returns to Claudio to let him know what happened and at first, Claudio champions her refusal. But then, he suggests that if Isabella is committing a sin in order to save his life, then it is actually a just action. Isabella is torn and left to contemplate a very important decision.

Isabella, Claudio’s sister, is about to take her

12

ABOUT THE PLAY

As Isabella ponders, the Duke, dressed as a friar, intervenes. He tells her that Angelo’s former lover, Mariana, was engaged to be married to him, but he abandoned her when she lost her dowry in a shipwreck. The Duke proposes a “bed trick” – a plan by which Isabella will agree to have sex with the Angelo, but then Mariana will go in her place, thus saving Claudio’s life. The next morning, Angelo will pardon Claudio and be forced to marry Mariana according to the law.

Isabella agrees and leaves to visit Mariana.

Everything goes according to the Duke’s plan, except that Angelo does not pardon Claudio, fearing revenge. The provost and the Duke send him the head of a dead pirate, claiming that it belonged to Claudio, and Angelo believes that his orders were carried out. Isabella is told that her brother is dead, and that she should submit a complaint to the Duke, who is due to arrive shortly, accusing Angelo of immoral acts.

The Duke returns in his usual clothes, saying that he will hear all grievances immediately.

Isabella tells her story, and the Duke pretends not to believe her. Eventually, the Duke reveals his dual identity, and everyone is forced to be honest. Angelo confesses to his misdeeds, Claudio is pardoned, and the Duke asks Isabella to marry him.

Pompey is sent to prison, and Lucio refuses to help with his bail. Lucio gossips with the friar and slanders the Duke’s name, not realizing that he is actually speaking with Vincentino himself.

Mistress Overdone is arrested for running her brothel and tells Escalus that Lucio has illegitimately fathered a child with one of her prostitutes.

13

synopsis

Judge not, that ye be not judged. For what with judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged, and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

– Matthew (7:1-2)

But as Angelo adjudg’d your brother – Being criminal, in double violation Of scared chastity and of promise-breach, Thereon dependant, for your brother’s life – The very mercy of the law cries out Most audible, even from his proper tongue “An Angelo for Claudio, death for death!”

Haste still pays hate, and leisure answers leisure; Like doth quit like, and Measure still for Measure.

– Duke, Measure for Measure

In the Classroom Discussion Question: What do these quotes mean to you? Do you agree or disagree?

Going Further: Make a list of times you have done something “wrong” (gotten a bad grade, used curse words, etc.) and what the punishments were for those acts. Do you think you were fairly judged?

14

FUN FACTS • Measure for Measure is divided into 5 acts.

• The play is written in both prose (38% of the lines) and verse (62% of the lines.)

Verse – Any text written in lines which have a metrical structure. Verse lines are printed with line breaks, and the first word of each line is capitalized.

Blank Verse – Verse which has a metrical structure but does not rhyme. This is Shakespeare’s most frequently used form. With its lack of rigidity, blank verse conveys more subtle thoughts and feelings of characters.

Prose – Text where the lines have no predictable rhythmical length or structure, simply reflecting the rhythm of everyday speech. In prose, one sentence flows into another, without line breaks.

• Shakespeare consulted two stories in writing Measure for Meausre: The History of Promos and Cassandra by George Whetstone, written in 1578, and Gli Hecathommithi by Italian writer Giraldi Cinthio, written in 1565.

• In the US, Measure for Measure enjoyed fresh relevance during the troubled Clinton administration of the 1990s. When the Monica Lewinsky affair led to impeachment proceedings in 1997, directors extracted topical moral-political issues from the play, relocating it to a US troubled by sexual harassment and abuse of the death penalty.

(Sacramento Shakespeare; American Players Theatre)

• Historical documents suggest that Measure for Measure was performed before King James I on December 26, 1604.

• Measure for Measure has 2,839 lines in it.

• Shakespeare’s longest play is Hamlet, which has 4,024 lines. His shortest play is The Comedy of Errors with 1,786 lines.

15

Below are famous quotes from the works of William Shakespeare.

YOUR CHALLENGE is to ARM yourself with THREE of these quotes and use them in conversation today!

There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so. – Hamlet Doubt thou the stars are fire, Doubt that the sun doth move.

Doubt truth to be a liar, But never doubt I love. – Hamlet To be, or not to be: that is the question. – Hamlet This above all: to thine own self be true. – Hamlet Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs. – Romeo and Juliet Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow. – Romeo and Juliet The course of true love never did run smooth. – A Midsummer Night’s Dream

16

FUN FACTS

Better a witty fool than a foolish wit. – Twelfth Night Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them. – Twelfth Night It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves. – Julius Caesar Ignorance is the curse of God; knowledge is the wing wherewith we fly to heaven.

– King Henry VI part 2 The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose. – Merchant of Venice If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? – Merchant of Venice All the world ‘s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.

They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts.

– As You Like It

In the Classroom Activity: Examine one of these quotes as a motto or slogan for your life and explain how it pertains to YOU. For example: This above all: to thine own self be true.

“If I can be true to my goals, fears, ambitions, emotions, words– MYSELF–I’ll have no trouble being equally honest with other people.

This is important in my life because…”

17

MEET FIASCO! FIASCO THEATER is an ensemble theater company created by graduates of the Brown University/Trinity Rep M.F.A. Acting program. The mission of the company is to offer dynamic, joyful, actor-driven productions of classic and new plays, and to offer high-level theatrical training through classes and workshops.

Past shows include Cymbeline (TFANA/Barrow Street), Into the Woods (Roundabout, Old Globe, McCarter), Measure for Measure (New Victory), The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Folger/ TFANA) and Twelfth Night. Cymbeline was presented Off-Broadway twice, for nearly 200 performances, and was honored with the 2012 Off-Broadway Alliance Award for best revival. Into the Woods garnered the 2015 Lucille Lortel Award for Best Revival. Every year, Fiasco offers the Free Training Initiative—a three-week, conservatory-level classical acting intensive for professional actors, completely free of charge to students. Fiasco has been in residence with Duke University, Marquette University, LSU, and NYU-Gallatin. Their work has been developed at the Sundance Theatre Lab, the Orchard Project, SPACE at Ryder Farm (upcoming) and the Shakespeare Society.

Fiasco has also led master classes at Brown University and NYU.

In the Classroom Fiasco Theater Company adapts large, complex plays into smaller, “chamber” pieces. They all act and sing in the show, and they even take turns directing. All actors play multiple roles and often help move props and set pieces. It is truly an ensemble company.

Activity: Break into small groups and pick a story that you’re all familiar with. How might you adapt it into a short, theatrical piece?

What songs or sounds could you put in it? How might you show it to the rest of the class using only 3 – 4 actors?

18

Copy will be 10.5/14 Gill Sans Regular. be 10.5/14 Gill Sans Regular. Copy will Gill Sans Regular. Copy will be 10.5/14 Regular. Copy will be 10.5/14 Gill Sans

Copy will be 10.5/14 Gill Sans Regular.

SUBHEADING Copy will be 10.5/14 Gill Sans Regular. be 10.5/14 Gill Sans Regular. Copy will Gill Sans Regular. Copy will be 10.5/14 Regular. Copy will be 10.5/14 Gill Sans Copy will be 10.5/14 Gill Sans Regular.

Copy will be 10.5/14 Gill Sans Regular.

THE

world of T H E

PLAY

19

GLOSSARY Abhor – To regard with disgust and hatred.

Approbation – Approval or praise.

Bawd/Bawdy – A woman in charge of a brothel / Dealing with sexual matters in a comical way; humorously indecent.

Blaspheme – To speak irreverently about God or sacred things; to take the Lord’s name in vain.

Brothel (House of Resort) – A place where people may come to engage in sexual activity with a prostitute, sometimes referred to as a sex worker.

Caitiff – A cowardly person.

Calumny – The making of false statements to damage someone’s reputation.

Chaste – Not having had sex; pure and virtuous; virginal.

Choleric – Bad tempered or irritable.

Codpiece - is a covering flap or pouch that attaches to the front of the crotch of men’s trousers and usually accentuates the genital area.

Coffer – A small box or chest to hold valuables in.

Cloister – A covered walk in a convent, monastery, college, or cathedral, typically with a wall on one side and a colonnade open to a quadrangle on the other.

Ducat in her clack-dish – A reference to paying a prostitute, but it is also a joke referring to sexual intercourse.

Ensky – To place in or as in the heavens; to exalt.

Feodary – An accomplice.

Foison – A rich harvest OR a showing of great physical strength.

Fornicate – To have sex.

Ignominy – Public shame or disgrace.

Impiety – A lack of piety or reverence, especially for God. Penury – Extreme poverty, destitution.

Pernicious – Evil or wicked.

Propagation of dow’r (dowry) – Increasing the amount or value of property or money brought by a bride to her husband on their marriage.

20

Prioress – A woman who is head of the house of a certain order of nuns.

Profanation – Desecration or debasement; vulgarity.

Scruple – A feeling of doubt or hesitation with regard to the morality or propriety of a course of action.

Scurvy - A disease caused by a deficiency of vitamin C, characterized by swollen bleeding gums and the opening of previously healed wounds, which particularly affected poorly nourished sailors until the end of the 18th century.

Strumpet – A female prostitute or a promiscuous woman.

Superfluous – Unnecessary or excessive.

Truncheon – A short, thick stick carried as a weapon by a police officer.

Vassal – A person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges.

Varlet – A man or boy acting as an attendant or servant.

Vehement – Showing strong feeling; forceful, passionate, or intense.

Vice – Immoral or wicked behavior.

Votarist – A person who is bound by solemn religious vows, as a monk or a nun Vouchsafe – To give or grant (something) to (someone) in a gracious or condescending manner.

Whip his jade – Hit his horse, his worthless nag.

In the Classroom Discussion: In Measure for Measure Claudio is sentenced to death for getting his fiancé, Juliet, pregnant (before marriage). Clearly, Shakespeare understood the scandal of a pregnancy before marriage. Examine and discuss how playwrights, writers, artists use their own life experiences as material for their self expression and their art.

Going Further: Can we separate the art from the artist? Can we critique a body of work by judging the decency of the person who made it? Or should we?

ABOUT WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

William Shakespeare was an actor, writer, and entrepreneur, born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564.

He was the oldest of six children.

22

Shakespeare’s life revolved around two locations: Stratford and London. In 1582, he married Anne Hathaway, who was already expecting their first-born child, Susanna. When they married, Anne was 26 and William was 18. In early 1585, the couple had twins, Judith and Hamnet, but Hamnet died tragically at age 11. For several years after Judith and Hamnet’s arrival in 1585, nothing is known for certain of Shakespeare’s activities: how he earned a living, when he moved from Stratford, or how he got his start in the theater.

Historians refer to these as “the lost years.”

King James I

The theater culture in 16th century England was not admired by people of high rank.

However, early in his career, Shakespeare was able to attract the attention of the upper class and eventually brought his plays to King James I. By 1597, 15 of the 37 plays written by William Shakespeare were published.

By 1599, William Shakespeare and his business partners built their own theater on the south bank of the Thames River, which they called the Globe. In 1605, Shakespeare purchased leases of real estate near Stratford for 440 pounds, which doubled in value and earned him 60 pounds a year. This made him an entrepreneur as well as an artist, and scholars believe these investments gave him the time to write his plays uninterrupted.

Shakespeare’s Birth Place

23

William Shakespeare’s early plays were written in the conventional style of the day, with elaborate metaphors and rhetorical phrases that didn’t always align naturally with the story’s plot or characters. However, Shakespeare was very innovative, adapting the traditional style to his own purposes and creating a freer flow of words. With only small degrees of variation, Shakespeare primarily used a metrical pattern consisting of lines of unrhymed iambic pentameter, or blank verse, to compose his plays. At the same time, there are passages in all the plays that deviate from this and use forms of poetry or simple prose.

William Shakespeare died in April of 1616. About 150 years after his death, questions arose about the authorship of his plays. Scholars and literary critics began to float names like Christopher Marlowe, Edward de Vere and Francis Bacon—men of more known backgrounds, literary accreditation, or inspiration—as the true authors of the plays.

Today, his plays are highly popular and constantly studied and reinterpreted in performances with diverse cultural and political contexts. The genius of Shakespeare’s characters and plots are that they present real human beings in a wide range of emotions and conflicts that transcend their origins in Elizabethan England.

24

THE WORLD OF THE PLAY

Here is a complete list of plays

by William Shakespeare:

Copy will be 10.5/14 Gill Sans Regular. be 10.5/14 Gill Sans Regular. Copy will Gill Sans Regular. Copy will be 10.5/14 Regular. Copy will be 10.5/14 Gill Sans

SUBHEADING

Copy will be 10.5/14 Gill Sans Regular. be 10.5/14 Gill Sans Regular. Copy will Gill Sans Regular. Copy will be 10.5/14 COMEDIES Regular. Copy will be 10.5/14 Gill Sans Copy will be 10.5/14 Gill Sans Regular.

All’s Well That Ends Well As You Like It Comedy of Errors Love’s Labour’s Lost Measure for Measure Merchant of Venice Merry Wives of Windsor Midsummer Night’s Dream Much Ado about Nothing Taming of the Shrew Tempest Twelfth Night Two Gentlemen of Verona Winter’s Tale

Copy will be 10.5/14 Gill Sans Regular.

Copy will be 10.5/14 Gill Sans TRAGEDIES Regular.

Antony and Cleopatra Coriolanus Cymbeline Hamlet Julius Caesar King Lear Macbeth Othello Romeo and Juliet Timon of Athens Titus Andronicus Troilus and Cressida

25

HISTORIES Henry IV, Part Henry IV, Part Henry V Henry VI, Part Henry VI, Part Henry VI, Part Henry VIII King John Pericles Richard II Richard III

I II I II III

living in the elizabethan / renaissance era

(Queen Elizabeth I, the Queen of England and Ireland from 1558 to 1603.)

I

t’s very easy to think of Shakespeare as a one-off genius with a unique perspective on the world around him.

However, Shakespeare was very much a product of the huge cultural shifts that were occurring in Elizabethan England during his lifetime. He was working in the theater at the height of the renaissance movement, something that is reflected in Shakespeare’s plays.

26

THE WORLD OF THE PLAY

The Renaissance in Shakespeare’s Time Broadly speaking, the renaissance movement is used to describe how Europeans moved away from the restrictive ideas of the Middle Ages. The ideology that dominated the Middle Ages was heavily focused on the absolute power of God and was enforced by the formidable Catholic Church.

From the Fourteenth Century onwards, people started to break away from this idea. The renaissance movement did not necessarily reject the idea of God, but rather questioned humankind’s relationship to God – an idea that caused an unprecedented upheaval in the accepted social hierarchy. In fact, Shakespeare himself may have been Catholic.

This focus on humanity created a new-found freedom for artists, writers and philosophers to be inquisitive about the world around them.

Shakespeare: the Renaissance Man Shakespeare was born towards the end of the renaissance period and was one of the first to bring the renaissance’s core values to the theater.

Shakespeare Embraced the Renaissance in the Following Ways: Shakespeare updated the simplistic, two-dimensional writing style of pre-renaissance drama. He focused on creating “human” characters with psychologically complexity. Hamlet is perhaps the most famous example of this.

The upheaval in the accepted social hierarchy allowed Shakespeare to explore the humanity of every character regardless of their social position. Even monarchs are given human emotions and are capable of making mistakes.

Shakespeare utilized his knowledge of Greek and Roman classics when writing his plays. Before the renaissance, these texts had been suppressed by the Catholic Church.

27

women , marriage , and the law

A

woman in Shakespeare’s time had no vote, few legal rights, and an extremely limited chance of ever getting an education. She was not expected to be independent or work. The goal was to be wed to a suitable husband. Girls were typically married as teenagers; while men married in their thirties.

It was considered a parental duty to arrange a suitable match for a daughter. Marriage was primarily a business arrangement with the desired result being increased status and income.

time. The most popular activities of such women were writing letters, singing, dancing, strolling in the garden, playing with dainty little pet dogs, and poring over needlework—everything their education had prepared them for.

When a woman got married, she traditionally lost all control over her property, even including clothes and jewelry; her husband could sell them, throw them out, or give them away as he pleased.

In giving up her property, the wife became her husband’s property.

Many societal forces were at play to keep women in their place. Most women were uneducated beyond the basics. New grammar schools were being founded as Elizabethans embraced Renaissance learning but most of them had Male Only signs on the door.

Women were considered the weaker sex. The ideal Elizabethan woman was soft, plump, pale and yielding. One Elizabethan spelled it out: “A woman in the temperature of her body is tender, soft, and beautiful, so doth her disposition in mind correspond accordingly; she is mild, yielding, and virtuous.” Or, as Isabella cries to Angelo in Measure for Measure, “Nay, call us ten times frail, For we are soft as our complexions are, And credulous to false prints.” The ideal woman was one of obedience, patience, chastity, modesty, and virtue.

The only career open to Elizabethan women was marriage. A wife’s job was to run the household and help her husband in whatever he did. Her work varied according to his. Upperclass wives, with a houseful of servants to tend to domestic matters, often had much more free

In the Classroom Activity: Explore the ways women are depicted in Measure for Measure. Is Isabella the embodiment of “obedience, patience, chastity, modesty, and virtue?”

Is she more complex? Isabella is both a would-be nun and the object of Angelo’s lust.

Going Further: Consider Marianna and Mistress Overdone. In what ways do they digress from the Elizabethan ideal?

28

supplemental

materials

29

THE OLD GLOBE

D

uring the first years of Elizabeth’s reign, the English playing companies used inns, inn yards, college halls and private houses for their performances. It was not until 1576 that the actormanager James Burbage built the Theatre in Shoreditch, the first purpose-built playhouse in London. Shakespeare joined the resident troupe at the Theatre in the 1580s and the company (later known as the Chamberlain’s and then the King’s Men) flourished there for 20 years.

In 1596 a dispute arose over the renewal of the lease and negotiations were begun to acquire a disused hall in the precincts of the old Blackfriars priory to use as an indoor theatre. James Burbage died in February 1597; in April the lease expired, but the dispute continued for two years, during which time the company performed at the nearby Curtain playhouse. In Christmas 1598 the company sought a drastic solution: they leased a plot near the Rose, a rival theatre in Southwark, demolished the Theatre and carried its timbers over the river. To cover the cost of the new playhouse, James Burbage’s sons Cuthbert and Richard, offered some members of the company shares in the building. Shakespeare was one of four actors who bought a share in the Globe. By early 1599 the theatre was up and running and for 14 years it thrived, presenting many of Shakespeare’s greatest plays.

In 1613, during a performance of Henry VIII, wadding from a stage cannon ignited the thatched roof and the theatre burned to the ground ‘all in less than two hours, the people having enough to do to save themselves’. The theatre was quickly rebuilt, this time with a tiled roof. Shakespeare may have acted in the second Globe, but he probably never wrote for it. It remained the home for Shakespeare’s old company until the closure of all the theatres under England’s Puritan administration in 1642. No longer of use, it was demolished to make room for tenements in 1644.

30

supplemental materials

T

he project to rebuild Shakespeare’s Globe was initiated by the American actor, director and producer Sam Wanamaker after his first visit to London in 1949.

Twenty-one years later he founded what was to become

the Shakespeare Globe Trust, dedicated to the reconstruction of the theatre and the creation of an education centre and permanent exhibition. After 23 years spent tirelessly fundraising, advancing research into the appearance of the original Globe and planning the reconstruction with the Trust’s architect Theo Crosby, Sam Wanamaker died in 1993, the site having been secured, the exhibition undercroft structurally complete and a few timber bays of the theatre in place. Three and a half years later the theatre was completed.

31

PLAYING SHAKESPEARE Iambic Pentameter Iamb – a metrical unit, or a food of meter, made up of one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable. Examples: “alive,” “forget,” “a dog.”

Pentameter – The number of iams in the line. Penta is the Greek word for five, so there are five iambs in one line of iambic pentameter.

Iambic Pentameter is the most common form of verse in Shakespeare’s plays!

U for Unstressed and S for Stressed.

Example from Measure for Measure:

U

S

U

S

U

S

U

S

U

S

Say what you can, my false o’erweighs your true.

Measure for Measure, Act II Scene IV. So the emphasized syllables are: WHAT CAN FALSE WEIGHS TRUE, which makes more sense than SAY YOU MY O’ER YOUR. The rhythm gives us clues to what the line is emphasizing and helps actors tell the story.

In the Classroom Activity: Mark the stressed and unstressed syllables in the sonnet on the facing page.

32

supplemental materials

Sonnet – A poem of fourteen lines using any of a number of formal rhyme schemes, in English typically having ten syllables per line.

Example: Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate.

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

And often is his gold complexion dimmed;

And every fair from fair sometime declines,

By chance, or nature’s changing course, untrimmed;

But thy eternal summer shall not fade,

Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st, Nor shall death brag thou wand’rest in his shade,

When in eternal lines to Time thou grow’st.

So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

In the Classroom Activity: Write your own poem, sonnet, or monologue using iambic pentameter.

33

DID YOU KNOW? Shakespeare invented words, many of which we use in our common vocabulary today! Below is a list of just some of the terms for which Shakespeare is the first authority, as per the Oxford English Dictionary.

Abstemious Addiction Arch-villain Accessible Amazement Assassination Barefaced Batty Bedroom Bloodstained Buzzer Cheap Churchlike Coldhearted Countless Critical Dauntless To dishearten Distrustful

Disgraceful Downstairs Droplet Enrapt Eventful Exposure Eyewink Fitful Foul-mouth Gallantry

Gossip Green-eyed Hostile Hot-blooded Indirection Informal Jaded Juiced Lackluster Lament

In the Classroom Activity: Using the list above, write a poem, monologue, song, or scene using as many of Shakespeare’s invented words as possible.

34

Laughable Lustrous Majestic Mockable Moonbeam Motionless

WHY SHAKESPEARE NOW? Tell my story! – Hamlet, Hamlet.

Set me free! – Propsero, The Tempest.

Today, the world gathers to applaud, to set Shakespeare free, liberating his plays into the meaning of our times. We remember him and must tell his story.

In 2015 we can list most of the global issues and critical agendas of our times and find deep Shakespearean resonance and exploration: •R efugee crises as numerous immigrants flee foreign oppression or shipwreck and seek to survive in alien lands (The Comedy of Errors and The Winters Tale.)

• Inequality and poverty (King Lear and Timon of Athens.)

•T he just war and the just assassination (Julius Caesar and Henry V.) •R acism, prejudice and xenophobia (Merchant of Venice and Othello.)

• I mprisonment and punishment (Measure for Measure and Two Noble Kinsmen.)

•T he machinations of the tyrant (Richard III and Macbeth.)

•T ribal loyalties, gang warfare, and urban fracture (Romeo and Juliet and Coriolanus.)

•S lavery and servitude (Taming of the Shrew and The Tempest.)

Shakespeare is the world’s first go-to for stories of greed, lust, anger, jealousy, envy, betrayal and hypocrisy but also for mercy, loyalty, justice, friendship, grace, honor, respect, tolerance, faith – and, of course, love. Arguably, love is the fundamental dynamic of the 38 worlds that Shakespeare created for our contemporary stage.

35

themes Good vs. Evil, Right vs. Wrong, Virtuous vs. Unethical.

In Measure for Measure, the characters have firm, unwavering belief systems about what is right and what is wrong.

In the Classroom Discussion Question: How do you define what is right vs. what is wrong? What set of values do you live by? What kind of event would disrupt these values?

Activity: You be the judge! How would you label the following actions by characters in Measure for Measure?

• A ngelo sentences Claudio to death for having consensual, premarital sex and impregnating his girlfriend Isabella. Virtuous or unethical?

• A ngelo decides to strictly enforce laws that eliminate brothels and illegal activity.

• A ngelo tells Isabella that he will spare Claudio’s life if Isabella agrees to sexual intercourse.

Virtuous or unethical?

• I sabella and the Duke orchestrate a “bed trick” so that Angelo will actually have sex with his ex-girlfriend, Mariana. Virtuous or unethical?

• T he Duke leaves his station to the inexperienced Angelo so that he can travel anonymously and observe what’s really going on amongst his people. Virtuous or unethical?

• C laudio tells Isabella that her sleeping with Angelo will be virtuous because she is doing it to save a life. Virtuous or unethical?

36

supplemental materials

The worst sin that anyone commits in this play is to not really know themselves.

– Roxana Silbert of the RSC.

In the Classroom Discussion Question: What does Roxana Silbert’s quote mean?

Measure for Measure is considered a problem play because it totally lurches from tragedy to comedy, so you can’t neatly categorize it.

– Roxana Silbert of the RSC.

Measure for Measure is not a problem play, rather it is a black comedy. It deals with real, current themes in extreme ways.

– Robert Falls of the Goodman Theatre.

In the Classroom Discussion Question: What are contemporary examples of “problem plays” or “black comedies” that you have seen in theater, movies, or on TV? After the Play: How would you categorize Measure for Measure? Does it fit into one of the already listed genres, or do you need to make up your own?

37

OTHER PRODUCTIONS of M ea s u re f o r M ea s u re

I have chosen to set my production in a time and place that is familiar to many of us: New York City in the 1970s, an era in which economic challenges, urban flight and the sexual revolution transformed what had arguably been the greatest city in the world to one of the most troubled. The images of that time – of 42nd Street grind houses and peep shows, of graffiti-laden walls and garbage-filled streets – provide a visceral backdrop to a tale of corrupting power, moral excess and religious zeal. And a multicultural cast of 25 will bring to life an assortment of Shakespeare’s most vivid dramatic creations.

– Robert Falls of the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, IL. The setting is going to be abstract, no specific location, no specific time: theatre time. The play, of course, offers us insight into ideas around young women ad sexuality now: attitudinal differences between the generations. Power and sexuality. I have cast a young woman as Isabella. I think it’s very important that she is young. There is a huge difference between the black and white thinking you have when you are 19, 20, 21, and how you think and feel in your 30s. Life becomes much more grey…I think the play is about people who are in the process of finding themselves. There are no bad people in the play, just characters who are off course, their heads and their hearts misaligned.

– Roxanna Silbert of the Royal Shakespeare Company.

In the Classroom Activity: How would you direct your own production of Measure for Measure?

Keeping in mind the themes of religion, politics, sexuality, virtuosity, punishment, and leadership, what place and time would you set it in?

Who would you cast?

38

additional resources Copy be 10.5/14 Gill SansPlaying Regular.Shakespeare, Copy will A clipwill from John Barton’s focusing on Titus Andronicus as performed by be 10.5/14 Gill Sans Regular. Copy will be 10.5/14 Patrick Stewart: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEUkn6tQ3us Gill Sans Regular. Copy will be 10.5/14 Gill Sans Regular. Copy will be 10.5/14 Gill Sans Regular.

Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie spoof John Barton’s Playing Shakespeare: https://www.youtube.

SUBHEADING com/watch?v=gL5aBB1ZPtE Copy will be 10.5/14 Gill Sans Regular. Copy will be 10.5/14 Gill Sans Regular. Copy will be 10.5/14 Gill Sans Regular. Copy will be 10.5/14 Gill Sans Fiasco and of New York’s 52nd Street Project discuss the actions of Regular.Theater Copy willCompany be 10.5/14 Gillstudents Sans Regular.

Copy will be 10.5/14 Gill Sansfor Regular. the characters in Measure Measure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEO4EjkCOus

Teacher’s Guide to Studying Shakespeare: https://www.teachervision.com/teaching-methodsand-management/resource/4099.html Shakespeare’s Globe is in full operation today! Their Education page is full of study guides, videos, actor interviews, production photos, archives, and more: http://www.shakespearesglobe. com/education A walking tour of Shakespeare’s Globe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3VGa6Fp3zI

39

WRITE A REVIEW!

T

here is a lot of truth in the old saying that “Everyone’s a critic.” But to write a review, it takes more than a strong opinion – it takes an open mind, a way with words, and a sense of honesty, intelligence, and balance. A critic’s primary goal is not merely to pass judgment, or to explain what a work fo art means, but to note how a production works and why it was successful.

With that in mind, writing a review is very different from typical journalism or essay writing, and reviewing theatre in particular is distinct from any other kind of art form. To create your own review, there are a few steps you should take for a successful approach.

The first step is to watch the show in an open, active frame of mind. Remember that professional critics are journalists first, and that comes with great responsibility to put aside their own unique tastes to see through to the heart o the work, rather than getting hung up on personal preference. How does the play function? Who would enjoy this play, and why?

At the same time, it’s important for the critic to experience the play as any other audience member would, by being receptive emotionally as well as intellectually. Theatre is rooted in the exchange of emotions, not only onstage, but between the performers and the audience. Along with an open mind, your gut reaction is your most important critical tool. Don’t eliminate your impulses – take stock of yourself honestly after a performance to see how your feelings were inspired.

The foundation of a review follows a basic formula:

2. The “thesis” introduces the main idea of the review, which acts as a through-line or “spine” For the entire piece. It should be outlined early and briefly, and everything else that follows should illustrate your idea.

If you liked (or disliked) the show, this should provide the reason why.

3. T he body of the review provides evidence to illustrate your claims as they unfold. Keep in mind your particular audience of readers.

Are you writing for frequent theatergoers, a particular age group, or the general public?

You should shape your language to help your readers follow you, but you don’t need to pander to their tastes.

Don’t overlook one essential component – the basic information about the show. Names for the play, its major artists, and the theatre are standard.

As the review progresses, be sure to include the names of the actors as you mention each character for the first time – give credit where credit is due! A very short summary of the play may help to clarify your review, but don’t reveal any big surprises!

Use the playbill as your primary source for names, spelling, and other information.

It’s important to be honest, but it’s equally important to avoid being nasty. It can sometimes feel gratifying to put down a production, but it is possible to give negative feedback without being aggressive. Keeping an open mind will help you be specific in addressing shortcomings and how they affected their final product, rather than disparaging their efforts.

A review is a lasting record of your theatrical experience, one that expresses a unique perspective from the audience. The best reviews focus on the work of art itself, and the result is the greatest benefit for audiences and artists alike.

1. The “lead” or opening statements. Here, readers should get the gist of where the rest of the review will go. At the same time, it’s important for the writer to “hook” readers into the following discourse, which begins with:

40

supplemental materials

FOR THE FIRST-TIME THEATREGOER the major consideration to keep in mind is that your actions can be distracting not only to the rest of the audience, but to the actors on stage as well. Behavior that is acceptable in other public settings, like movie theatres, ballgames, or concerts, is out of place when attending the theatre.

The following tips should help you get acquainted with some DOs and DON’Ts for first-time theatregoers.

DO arrive early. Make considerations for traffic, parking, waiting in line, having your ticket taken, and finding your seat. If you need to pick up your tickets from the box office, it is a good idea to arrive at least twenty minutes early. Generally, you can take your seat when “the house is open,” about half an hour before the show begins. Late seating is always distracting and usually not allowed until intermission or a transition between scenes, if it is allowed at all. Follow the old actors’ mantra: To be EARLY is to be ON TIME. To be ON TIME is to be LATE. To be LATE is UNFORGIVABLE. DO turn off your cell phone. Phones and any other noise-making devices should be switched off before you even enter the theatre: you won’t be allowed to use them anyway. Texting during a performance is also rude.

The intermission is a good time to use your phone, but remember to turn it off again before the next act begins.

DON’T leave your garbage in the theatre. Food and drinks are usually not permitted in the theatre at all, with the exception of bottled water. If it is allowed, be sure to throw out your trash in a garbage can or recycling bin in the lobby; don’t leave it for the house manager or ushers at the end of a show.

DO watch your step. Aisles can be narrow, so please be considerate when finding your seat. Avoid getting up during the performance whenever possible, since it can be very distracting. You can use the restroom before the show and during intermission. Also, be careful not to cross in front of the stage, as it will break the illusion of the show. Don’t step on or over seats, and never walk on the stage itself.

DON’T talk during the performance. Chatting is extremely rude to the actors and the audience around you.

Everyone is trying to pay attention to the play and those nearby will be able to hear, so please be quiet and considerate.

DO get into it! Actors feed off of the audience, just as the audience feeds off of the actors. Don’t be afraid to laugh, clap, or cry if you are so moved. However, there is a line that can be crossed. Please be respectful, and don’t distract from the work of the professionals on stage. After all, people paid good money to watch the show, not you. Just enjoy the experience and let yourself have an honest response.

41

2nd L ANNUA

A SPOKEN WORD, MONOLOGUE AND VISUAL ARTS FESTIVAL FOR NEW HAVEN YOUTH APRIL 2016

& s t n e momnutes mi

WHAT IS IT?

Long Wharf’s 2nd annual Moments and

An evening of brand new

community’s youth. The evening will

Minutes Festival is a celebration of our showcase visual art, spoken word poetry,

work written, spoken, and created by teenagers from

and monologues devised by students from all over the area, highlighting both their individual and collective

all over New Haven!

experiences. Guidelines for submission are as follows:

42

SPOKEN WORD/MONOLOGUE:

VISUAL ART:

Each piece must be an original composition by the student performing it and should speak to one of the following:

Your work can be in any of the following mediums: paint, chalk, pencil, photography, or collage. The piece should be a visual representation of one of the following:

- Human Identity. Who are you? Who or what has shaped your identity thus far?

What is the difference between how the world sees you and how you see yourself?

- Human Identity. Who are you? Who or what has shaped your identity thus far?

What is the difference between how the world sees you and how you see yourself?

- Dreams and Ambitions. What do you hope to achieve in the future and how will you overcome challenges?

- Dreams and Ambitions. What do you hope to achieve in the future and how will you overcome challenges?

- Legacy. What is the legacy of your family, race, or religion? How do you hope to define your own history?

- Legacy. What is the legacy of your family, race, or religion? How do you hope to define your own history?

Each performance piece should be memorized and no longer than 2 minutes in length. Each performer will have access to a chair, a cube, and a microphone.

The student must provide an Artist’s Statement that clearly articulates how the piece represents one of the above themes. 500 words max.

HOW TO SUBMIT: Students must email their spoken word piece or monologue as well as a video clip of themselves performing it. Students wishing to submit visual art must email a photo of the piece, its title, and their Artist’s Statement. Please email all submissions to Eliza Orleans at eliza.orleans@longwharf.org with “Moments and Minutes” in the subject line.

Should video submissions be a challenge, a representative from Long Wharf Theatre will come to your school by appointment to audition students.

Submissions must be received by February 1, 2016.

43

C I TAT I O N S http://www.shmoop.com/measure-for-measure/setting.html Dunton-Downer, Leslie and Riding, Alan. “The Essential Shakespeare Handbook.”

Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2004. http://geniusquotes.org/tag/william-shakespeare-quotes/ http://www.folger.edu/shakespeares-life http://www.biography.com/people/william-shakespeare-9480323#controversy-andliterary-legacy http://www.opensourceshakespeare.org/views/plays/plays.php http://shakespeare.about.com/od/historicalcontext/a/Renaissance.htm Papp, Joseph, and Elizabeth Kirkland. “The Status of Women in Shakespeare’s Time.”

EXPLORING Shakespeare. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Student Resources in Context. Web. 10 Nov. 2015. http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/suic/ReferenceDetailsPage/ http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/about-us/history-of-the-globe/original-globe Smith, Paul. Shakespeare Lives in 2016: How Shakespeare’s Plays Reflect Current Affairs. September 2015. The Huffington Post.