Training begins
August 19, 2022
Dear Hamlet team,
Today, we start fight training. I'm about to leave my apartment to join Olivia (our Swing) and Walé (our Laertes) in Queens where we will meet Meron - our fight director and conduit to a new level of dramaturgy and engagment with this script.
We will begin with what Meron calls "vocabulary," or exercises and drills that will morph into phrases that will become the Act 5 duel between Laertes and Hamlet. I am so thrilled. Meron is one of the most knowledgeable people in this industry and he is gifting us his time and expertise.
As we approach rehearsals (we start on Monday with the whole cast), I am feeling oddly calm. Perhaps Sunday will be the day I break down and think WHAT THE HELL DID I GET MYSELF INTO, but by that point I will undoubtedly be receiving text messages from Emma asking how many outfits is too many outfits and Whatsapp messages from Leo saying "SEE YOU IN 24 HOURS" and voice messages from Costanza saying WE'RE DOING IT, and the momentum of the river that is coming together will sweep me out of my self doubt.
I am reading Emergent Strategy by adrienne maree brown, and this morning some marginalia appeared on my script:
"In this moment, I am here, healthy and awake. Ready to create, experience, love, listen and collaborate. The path is much longer than this next week. Everything builds on everything else."
Here's to engaging with a path that is long and fruitful.
Happy Friday -
Hilary