ELICA MIWA

Tag: phrase of the day

  • The Most Heaviest [Shakespeare For You]

    🎭 It hath been the longest night
    That e’er I watch’d and the most heaviest.
    — Julia, Two Gentlemen of Verona 4-2

    [ACTING TIPS]

    Julia is talking to the host of the inn.  I would play this as I say, with the heaviest heart.  But at the same time, I would be careful not let the host notice anything about my disguise as a boy.

    #shakespeare #english #actingtips #julia  #twogentlemenofverona #lifeinJapan #kimono

    ===

    If you like my cast, LIKE, SHARE, FOLLOW, and SUBSCRIBE!

    Contact me when you want to work with me.

  • But A Shadow, As I am [Shakespeare For You]

    But A Shadow, As I am [Shakespeare For You]

    🎭 If ‘twere a substance you would sure deceive it 
    And make it but a shadow, as I am.

    — Julia, Two Gentlemen of Verona 4-2

    [ACTING TIPS]

    It is said after hearing Proteus saying: 
    　I am but a shadow, And to your shadow will I make true love.

    How heartbreaking!  Feeling that you are but a shadow.

    Thinking of which, the self being a shadow appears again at one of the latest plays of Shakespeare, King Lear.  Lear asks his Fool what he is and Fool answers “Lear’s shadow.” 

    Do you think Shakespeare remembers the line of Julia here, when he writes Lear?

    #shakespeare #english #actingtips #julia  #twogentlemenofverona #lifeinJapan #kimono

    ===

    If you like my cast, LIKE, SHARE, FOLLOW, and SUBSCRIBE!

    Contact me when you want to work with me.

  • But She Is Dead [Shakespeare For You]

    But She Is Dead [Shakespeare For You]

    🎭 I grant, sweet love, that I did love a lady, 
    But she is dead.

    — Proteus, Two Gentlemen of Verona 4-2

    [ACTING TIPS]

    Proteus says this to Silvia the princess of Milan, that his former girlfriend (Julia) is dead, therefore, he can be in love without any obstacle.

    This is heard by Julia herself, just arrived from Verona, disguised as a boy.

    O, boy!

    I would say this, to persuade Silvia that it is absolutely OK that I fall in love with you, pity me that my former lady is dead.

    #shakespeare #english #actingtips #proteus  #twogentlemenofverona #lifeinJapan #kimono

    ===

    If you like my cast, LIKE, SHARE, FOLLOW, and SUBSCRIBE!
    Contact me when you want to work with me.
    Details and contacts → https://elicamiwa.com

  • By This Pale Queen Of Night [Shakespeare For You]

    By This Pale Queen Of Night [Shakespeare For You]

    🎭 By this pale queen of night I swear
    — Silvia, Two Gentlemen of Verona 4-2

    [ACTING TIPS]

    Silvia swears by the moon that she will never change her heart toward Proteus.

    When a character refers to ”night” or “moon”, the 16th century audience, in broad daylight of the open air theatre, immediately believed that it was happening at night.

    “Pale queen of night” means the silver-blue moon.  The moon is pale with sorrow, also shows she is cold-hearted.

    I think all these references are still popularly used in songs, poems, words in theatre or films, so we actors/directors need to know the symbolism.

    This phrase also reminds me of Romeo, swearing his love to the moon and Juliet implores never do that for the moon changes its shape.

    #shakespeare #english #actingtips #silvia  #twogentlemenofverona #lifeinJapan #kimono

  • Tell Honestly What You Think of This Rogue [Shakespeare For You]

    Tell Honestly What You Think of This Rogue [Shakespeare For You]

    🎭. Thou subtle, perjured, false, disloyal man, 
    Think’st thou I am so shallow, so conceitless, 
    To be seduced by the flattery 
    That hast deceived so many with thy vows?

    — Silvia, Two Gentlemen of Verona 4-2

    [ACTING TIPS]

    To think that female characters were performed by boys, Silvia could really get angry and sharp.

    I would say this, checking whether my vowels are big and wide enough, and my consonants are sharp and powerful enough.

    #shakespeare #english #actingtips #silvia  #twogentlemenofverona #lifeinJapan #makeup

    ===

    If you like my cast, LIKE, SHARE, FOLLOW, and SUBSCRIBE!

    Contact me when you want to work with me.

  • Just Like Romeo & Juliet? [Shakespeare For You]

    Just Like Romeo & Juliet? [Shakespeare For You]

    🎭 SILVIA:  Who is that that spake?  
    PROTEUS:  One, lady, if you knew his pure heart’s truth,
    You would quickly learn to know him by his voice.  
    SILVIA:  Sir Proteus, as I take it.  

    — Silvia & Proteus, Two Gentlemen of Verona 4-2

    [ACTING TIPS]

    Silvia is in her room of a high tower.  It is evening and too dark to see see who is under the tower from the window.

    Which is very much like the first balcony scene of Romeo & Juliet.  Juliet cannot see Romeo, for she says something like “From the voice, are you Romeo the Montague?”  (Which means she proposed Romeo without seeing him.  Wow.)

    I love Shakespeare using the same situation into varied plots and circumstances.

    I can see how Sylvia expected that someone below could be her love.
    I can see how Sylvia is disappointed to know that someone below is her hate.

  • Beauty Lives With Kindness [Shaekspeare For You]

    Beauty Lives With Kindness [Shaekspeare For You]

    🎭 Beauty lives with kindness,
    — Song, Two Gentlemen of Verona 4-2

    [ACTING TIPS]

    Simply, nice phrase.  The song is used by Shubert later.  I would let Proteus sing.

    #shakespeare #english #actingtips #song #twogentlemenofverona #lifeinJapan #makeup

    ===

    If you like my cast, LIKE, SHARE, FOLLOW, and SUBSCRIBE!

    Contact me when you want to work with me.

  • When You Realized Your Love Did Not Welcome You. [Shakespeare For You]

    When You Realized Your Love Did Not Welcome You. [Shakespeare For You]

    🎭 Host: Now, my young guest, methinks you’re allciholy.  I pray you, why is it?  JULIA as a boy:  Marry, mine host, because I cannot be merry. 

    — Host & Julia, Two Gentlemen of Verona 4-2

    [ACTING TIPS]

    Just before Proteus is going to sing the song for Silvia under her window, Julia who followed from Verona finally arrives.

    Do you remember when she left Verona, her maid said Proteus may not welcome her and Julia denied the idea?  Now she realizes her maid was right.

    This is just her entrance as a boy.  We don’t know her name yet, but later she tells her name is Sebastian.  The name Sebastian appears also in The Twelfth Night as a long missed twin brother.

    How shall the director and actor show the audience that this boy is in fact Julia, without showing it to the Host?

    #shakespeare #english #actingtips #julia #twogentlemenofverona #lifeinJapan #makeup

    ===

    If you like my cast, LIKE, SHARE, FOLLOW, and SUBSCRIBE!

    Contact me when you want to work with me.

  • Give Some Evening Music To Her Ear [Shakespeare For You]

    Give Some Evening Music To Her Ear [Shakespeare For You]

    🎭 But here comes Turio.  Now must we to her windows,
    And give some evening music to her ear.
    — Proteus, Two Gentlemen of Verona 4-2

    [ACTING TIPS]

    Proteus has been sharing his feelings toward Silvia.  He must hides it before Turio, and pretends that he is here because of helping Turio.

    I also notice the phrase resembles to Lorenzo’s lines on music in the Merchant of Venice.

    One function of a soliloquy of Shakespeare is this kind of  “I am going to tell a lie from here” announcement.  Share and promise with the audience.

    #shakespeare #english #actingtips #proteus #twogentlemenofverona #lifeinJapan #makeup

  • The More She Spurns My Love [Shakespeare For You]

    🎭 And notwithstanding all her sudden quips,
    The least whereof would quell a lover’s hope,
    Yet, spaniel-like, the more she spurns my love,
    The more it grows and fawneth on her still.

    — Proteus, Two Gentlemen of Verona 4-2

    [ACTING TIPS]

    Proteus is in agony.  The feeling must be like having sold your soul to the devil and yet no good outcome has been made.  Anxiety.

    #shakespeare #english #actingtips #proteus #twogentlemenofverona #lifeinJapan #italiangreyhound