Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Struts & Frets: Interviews with the Cast and Crew of Richard III - Laura Iris Hill


Time for a bit of a vocab lesson. Laura Hill informs us that a "budgie" is a small Australian bird, and that "budgie smuggler" is a slang term for a speedo. We're not brave enough to check that out on Urban Dictionary, so we'll have to take her word for it. Plus, she plays Margaret in HID's Richard III, so we're not willing to risk getting on her bad side.

Good luck finding a bad side on that face.

And with that, we're glad to welcome to the annals of HIDiocy, Laura Iris Hill!

HID: First off, what is your favorite color and the favorite color of each of your characters?


LH:     My favourite colour is green. Always has been. It’s the colour of nature. 


     Margaret: I’m going with red for the house of Lancaster but it also fits in nicely with all the blood of her enemies she likes to spill.

     Richard of York: this little guy likes orange. Bold and bright like him.
     Messenger of Lord Stanley: this wily character is all about the beige
     Messenger to Richard: a bit flaky this one, this messenger just can’t commit when it comes to colours. Pretty unstable if you ask me.

HID: So…what was Margaret up to during all that time in banishment?


LH:     Well, yes, this is the question, isn’t it? You see her cousin Louis XI of France took pity on her and tried to keep her out of trouble by setting her up as a hostess of a B&B, and I have this on good authority, not too far from the current location of the Euro Disney. Not really known for her warmth, hospitality or going out of her way to serve others this sent Margaret into, if you can imagine, even deeper depths of fury. She does say “…I do find more pain in banishment/ Than death can yield me…” when she returns to England in Richard III. Running that B&B, that’s what really pushed her over the edge; too many doilies, and no Yorks around to douse them in blood. What’s a former queen to do? 


HID: If you were banished from New York right now, what would you have to do before you left?


LH:     Who have you been talking to?


HID: Is there anyone in real life you feel needs a good old fashioned cursing? If so, who is it and what’s the curse?


LH:     Well, you know, I’m not really the cursing type myself but since you ask and I’m put on the spot I guess I would say because I come from Australia the current prime minister could do with some good old fashioned cursing. John Oliver has even done a segment mocking him – for an English guy to do that on tv here in the USA means our prime minister is definitely up to no good.


     As for the curse itself…hmmmn…maybe he should be turned into a budgie seeing as he has such a penchant for smuggling them.


Do yourself a favor and check out that clip. You've probably already seen it, since you're so cultured. And attractive.


 
And after you've done that, do yourself another favor (since you're doubly cultured and attractive) and reserve your ticket for Richard III so that you can see Laura's (cultured and attractive) face.
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For tickets and more information, you can either go here: http://r3hid.bpt.me

If you haven't Liked us already on Facebook, now is the time! All the cool kids are doing it.

If Twitter's more your speed, we have that too. We just want to please you any way we can.

Or to see us in action, you can check us out (and subscribe, hint, hint) at https://www.youtube.com/user/hamletisntdead 

Basically, if you want to follow us, you just put hamletisntdead after something. And why wouldn't you want to follow us?? We're a lot of fun. So, see you soon for Richard III


And remember, it's Hamlet Isn't Dead:
Theatre You’ll Love, Whether You Like It Or Not!





Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Struts & Frets: Interviews with the Cast and Crew of Richard III - Jim Cairl

Meet Jim Cairl. Actor. Father. Cardinal. Or…wait, no that last one is one of the characters he plays in Hamlet Isn’t Dead’s Richard III. He also plays Brackenbury, Ratcliff, and King Edward IV. It’s not easy tackling multiple characters, but either Shakespeare makes it easier or Jim’s a freakin’ natural.
Look at that face and tell us it's not both.
So if you’re a fan quick-changes, Jim’s got ‘em in spades. Let’s hear a little from the Master of Disguise himself.

HID: Jim. May we call you Jim? Jim. What is your favorite color and the favorite color of each of your characters?

JC: My favorite color? I like a nice blue. Not an in-your-face blue, but something muted and quiet. Brackenbury - He's definitely another fan of blue. But, a navy blue. A straightforward color -  you know what you are getting with a good navy.  Edward - White, of course, For the White Rose of the House of York. Cardinal - Another easy one. Red, for his office... and the tasty strawberries... but mostly the strawberries Ratcliffe - A deep grey - like the shadows he's always lurking in.

HID: We hear a lot about the Cardinal and his strawberries. Do you have a green thumb in real life as well?

JC:     I grew up in an apartment, and now own a house - I've been trying to cultivate some gardening skills, but so far it's been very touch and go. It's a lot more work than I thought it would be. 

HID: So, what’s, uh…what’s wrong with King Edward? Is it syphilis? It’s syphilis, isn’t it?

JC:     Look, Richard has had his eye on the crown since Henry VI, part 3. So I think a nice, slooooooowwww, poisoning from an unsuspected crippled brother is much more likely path than the sudden, serendipitous demise of the syphilitic sovereign. Besides, late stage syphilis has dementia as a component, and though Edward may have been a little too trusting of the people around him he still made sense -  right to the end.

HID: If you were King of England, what are some changes you would make to the current system?

JC:     I will take my inspiration from a former King of Spain, who said (sang)
It's Laissez Faire/
I don't even give a care/
Let's make Friday part of the weekend/
And give every new baby chocolate eclair
It's Laissez Faire/ I don't even give a care/ Let's make Friday part of the weekend/ And give every new baby chocolate eclair
I think people would prefer that to Polo and fascinators. 

And if we have to have that song stuck in our heads, everyone does!!


Listen and enjoy, then boogie on over to the BPT to purchase tickets for Richard III. The time is nigh, we open THIS FRIDAY, and we can’t wait to see you there!!

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For tickets and more information, you can either go here: http://r3hid.bpt.me

If you haven't Liked us already on Facebook, now is the time! All the cool kids are doing it.

If Twitter's more your speed, we have that too. We just want to please you any way we can.

Or to see us in action, you can check us out (and subscribe, hint, hint) at https://www.youtube.com/user/hamletisntdead 

Basically, if you want to follow us, you just put hamletisntdead after something. And why wouldn't you want to follow us?? We're a lot of fun. So, see you soon for Richard III


And remember, it's Hamlet Isn't Dead:

Theatre You’ll Love, Whether You Like It Or Not!

Monday, March 16, 2015

Struts & Frets: Interviews with the Cast and Crew of Richard III - Sara Group

The last time Sara Group was on Struts and Frets, her episode began with a limerick (It did, we swear). This time, we give you Sara as a haiku.

She played an Edward
In Henry the Sixth and died.
This show's deja vu.

If this seems a bit vague, that's either the nature of ancient Japanese poetry, or we're really bad at haikus. Either way, Sara plays Lady Anne, Catesby and Prince Edward in this show, and (spoiler!) things do not go well for the latter.

Or for Anne, really, but don't tell Sara. She's not read it yet.

So now we give you the stylings of Sara Madeline "Don't Give Me a Weird Middle Nickname" Group.

HID: Here we go! What is your favorite color and the favorite color of each of your characters?

SG: My favorite color is a nice grass green. Prince Edward's is sky blue, and Anne's is red (for the House of Lancaster and vengeance). For some reason the first thing that popped into my head for Catesby was plaid, so I'm going with that because it makes me chuckle. 

HID: You portray Prince Edward in this show as a puppet. Who’s your favorite puppet from all of history? Is it ALF?

SG: Y'know, I never got into Alf. And I'm drawing a serious puppet blank. Can I just choose the movie Labyrinth in its entirety?

HID: You may. What’s the most difficult part of the show for you?

SG: In terms of physical difficulty, definitely the scene with the Prince Edward puppet. I did not expect that it would require so much arm strength to operate that little guy. 

HID: We’re sorry to hear that. Is there anything we can do to make it easier for you?

SG: Not unless you can magically make my biceps larger. 

Well, it may not be strictly magical, but we're sure the show has at this point. Come see Sara Group exercise every muscle, from her biceps to her brain in Hamlet Isn't Dead's Richard III, opening THIS FRIDAY March 20th!
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For tickets and more information, you can either go here: http://r3hid.bpt.me 

If you haven't Liked us already on Facebook, now is the time! All the cool kids are doing it.

If Twitter's more your speed, we have that too. We just want to please you any way we can.

Or to see us in action, you can check us out (and subscribe, hint, hint) at https://www.youtube.com/user/hamletisntdead 

Basically, if you want to follow us, you just put hamletisntdead after something. And why wouldn't you want to follow us?? We're a lot of fun. So, see you soon for Richard III


And remember, it's Hamlet Isn't Dead:

Theatre You’ll Love, Whether You Like It Or Not!

Sunday, March 15, 2015

Struts & Frets: Interviews with the Cast and Crew of Richard III - Perry Lewis

If you were born under a lucky star, you were able to catch Perry Lewis as Hamlet Isn't Dead's Titus Andronicus. If that lucky star had a twin, you'll also be able to see him as Lord Mayor, Lord Stanley, and First Murderer in our upcoming Richard III.

A hundred thousand people just simultaneously checked their star charts.

Brevity is very much the soul of wit, so we'll leave it at that. Prepare yourself for the untamable wit that is Perry Lewis.


HID: What is your favorite color and the favorite color of each of your characters?

PL: My favorite color is Blue. Murder #1's (whose name is Digby) favorite color is Red, Lord Mayor's (whose name is Chester) favorite color is orange, and Lord Stanley's (whose name is Lord Stanley) is Copper.

HID: If you were the real Lord Mayor (let’s say of New York) what would be your first official orders?

PL: If I was the real Mayor of New York my first official order would be "CLEAN UP THIS MESS!!!!!"

HID: How do you think First Murderer worked his way to the top? Do you think he started out as, say, Seventeenth Murderer?

PL: First Murderer is not on the top, guys; Second Murderer is.

HID: If you were to be granted a Dukedom, what would you want to be the Duke of? Duke of Pizza? Duke of Hugs? Anything.

PL: The Duke of Awesome....Duh.

Duh indeed! Don't miss the Duke of Awesome, and many others, at Hamlet Isn't Dead's Richard III, opening March 20th!!
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For tickets and more information, you can either go here: http://r3hid.bpt.me

If you haven't Liked us already on Facebook, now is the time! All the cool kids are doing it.

If Twitter's more your speed, we have that too. We just want to please you any way we can.

Or to see us in action, you can check us out (and subscribe, hint, hint) at https://www.youtube.com/user/hamletisntdead 

Basically, if you want to follow us, you just put hamletisntdead after something. And why wouldn't you want to follow us?? We're a lot of fun. So, see you soon for Richard III


And remember, it's Hamlet Isn't Dead:

Theatre You’ll Love, Whether You Like It Or Not!


Saturday, March 14, 2015

Struts & Frets: Interviews with the Cast and Crew of Richard III - Morgan Hooper

This is a familiar face. And of all the faces involved with Hamlet Isn't Dead, you're welcome in advance that we brought this one back. It's also a bit of a chronological inconsistency since in Henry VI this looker played the titular king, and in Richard III he ends up (spoiler) as Henry VII. It's complicated.

Complicated like a fox.

So from the mouth of babes (i.e. Rivers, Clarence, and Richmond), here's a little segment about the mighty Morgan Hooper.

HID: Let’s keep everyone on the same track here. What’s your favorite color? And what is the favorite color of each of the characters you play?

MH:     My favorite color has always been red. For my characters: Clarence is kind of a dark lost soul, so I see him in somber tones like black and grey; Rivers has a little more flash, he wants to be noticed, and he likes greens and silver; and Richmond I imagine in sky or royal blue.

HID: As has been mentioned, you play several different characters over the course of the show. How do you keep them separated in your actor brain?

MH:     The other day, I realized how much  Shakespeare differentiates his characters based on their style of language .I suppose this obvious, but it struck me in a new way since I'm playing several parts over the course of the story.

     Shakespeare's variation is evident, for instance, in the difference between characters of high and low status. Or consider the way Shakespeare's lovers speak as opposed to his clowns. With my characters, I notice the difference in the rhythms and imagery. Clarence has kind of an archaic, formal speech (all the methoughts and methinks) and his guilt comes out in his haunted retelling of the underworld. Rivers contempt for the other court members comes out in his long drawn out style of address; and Richmond's language is exuberant an full of God imagery. Every other line he says refers to God. 

So, I guess it's true: Shakespeare really does give you all the clues you need.

HID: We couldn’t agree more. You also choreographed the final fight between Richard III and Richmond. Given an infinite amount of time and budget, would you have done it any differently?

MH:     Actually, I've thought about this a lot! If I was going to do the big blockbuster Richard III, I'd go way over the top and macabre. Richard would have a hoard of throwing knives and maybe a mini crossbow underneath his cloak. He'd take down a ton of soldiers, giving you the sense of how much of a phenom he is on the battle field. With Richmond, he'd then have a kusarigama (a Japanese sickle and chain) to disarm and bind Richmond. When Richard's finally overcome, he's be writhing on the ground, the ghost of Henry VI would look piteously on him from heaven, Margaret would cut a boar's throat in completion of her curse, cackling in the wind, and if that wasn't way too much already, Richmond would sever the hunchback's hand (yes the withered creepy hand smelling faintly of cabbage) and it would twitch and flip on the earth...

Maybe we can do that version next time? :D

Maybe, Morgan... Maybe.... It's either that or Richard III in space, where the York are tentacled space Nazis, and the Lancaster are fierce duck-like aliens from a planet made of bubble gum. Let us know in the comments below which you'd prefer.

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For tickets and more information, you can either go here: http://r3hid.bpt.me

If you haven't Liked us already on Facebook, now is the time! All the cool kids are doing it.

If Twitter's more your speed, we have that too. We just want to please you any way we can.

Or to see us in action, you can check us out (and subscribe, hint, hint) at https://www.youtube.com/user/hamletisntdead 

Basically, if you want to follow us, you just put hamletisntdead after something. And why wouldn't you want to follow us?? We're a lot of fun. So, see you soon for Richard III

And remember, it's Hamlet Isn't Dead:
Theatre You’ll Love, Whether You Like It Or Not!

Friday, March 13, 2015

Struts & Frets: Interviews with the Cast and Crew of Richard III - David Laws

You know what they say about the Duke of Buckingham. Well...not a lot, actually. They just keep referring to him as "princely". Which we're going to assume is a synonym for "Relatively enigmatic but still somehow generally liked. Speaking of...

Exhibit A, your honors.

David Andrew Laws, Hamlet Isn't Dead's humble Artistic Director, plays the enigmatic Buckingham in their upcoming production of Richard III. He's also usually the one who devises the questions for "Struts & Frets", so he deferred to a co-worker for this episode. If you prefer her work to his, please write to your state representative.

HID: You know how this goes. What’s your favorite color? And what’s Buckingham’s?

DL:     My favorite color is magenta; has been for a while. I just discovered it in high school and remember thinking it was a color that needed more love.

Buckingham’s favorite color is the same as whatever Richard said.


HID: You serve as Richard's right hand man in villainy for a lot of the play. If Buckingham were an evil Disney-animated animal henchman what animal would he be?

DL:     I wish he could be a fox, but that conjures up too much of the already appropriated Robin Hood character. So, I guess, like, a red panda? Yeah, a red panda in a charcoal suit. Because Buckingham’s really manipulative as well, but he’s considered the “smooth” to Richard’s “rough”. So where people look at Richard, the toad, the spider, they look at Buckingham and they’re like “Awwww, princely Buckingham! How cute.” But that just lulls them into a false sense of security. Like real red pandas.

HID: If you were able to do one truly despicable thing with no repercussions, what would you do?

DL:     I…I don’t think I’m allowed to talk about that on the Internet. My grandparents read this.

But the most PG version would probably involve thievery. Something to put myself and Hamlet Isn’t Dead in a very comfortable position for the rest of our lives. But I'd take it from someone who wouldn't even know it was missing. Like, do you think Bill Gates would realize if a couple million went missing one morning? Well, he probably would, but it's my hypothetical.


HID: If Buckingham actually got a bunch of titles and money, what would he buy on his first shopping spree?

DL:     Wait, you mean Buckingham doesn’t get-…ooohhhh yeah, that’s right. Well, if he actually got the titles and lands due to him (by promise!), he’d probably hoard a lot of it and end up passing it on to his kids when he died. Buckingham doesn’t seem particularly impulsive. He plans and waits for the perfect moment to decide what to do. 

He might splurge on a few more dark suits first. Gotta keep up appearances in court, you know.


Oh, we know. And if you’d like to know more about Buckingham (which, it’s obvious you do), don’t miss Hamlet Isn’t Dead’s Richard III opening March 20th. And if you need more incentive, opening night is also David’s birthday! So if you’re not gonna do it for yourself, at least do it for him.
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For tickets and more information, you can either go here: http://r3hid.brownpapertickets.com

If you haven't Liked us already on Facebook, now is the time! All the cool kids are doing it.

If Twitter's more your speed, we have that too. We just want to please you any way we can.

Or to see us in action, you can check us out (and subscribe, hint, hint) at https://www.youtube.com/user/hamletisntdead 

Basically, if you want to follow us, you just put hamletisntdead after something. And why wouldn't you want to follow us?? We're a lot of fun. So, see you soon for Richard III


And remember, it's Hamlet Isn't Dead:

Theatre You’ll Love, Whether You Like It Or Not!


Thursday, March 12, 2015

Struts & Frets: Interviews with the Cast & Crew of Richard III - Samantha Maurice

     God save the queen! And if we’re talking about Queen Elizabeth, some god had better intervene. Because Lizzie’s got it coming from all sides in Shakespeare’s Richard III. Some view her as a traitor, some as a usurper, but still she (and actress Samantha Maurice) manages to light up a room.

Don't stare too long; it's bad for your eyes.
And creepy.

It’s not easy being queen, nor is this queen’s journey an easy one to watch. She loses several loved ones and her position of power all in just a few acts. But we’re putting the cart before the boar. Let’s see what Sam has to say about her royal counterpart.

HID: Easy start: what’s your favorite color? And, for that matter, what’s Queen Elizabeth’s?

SM:     My favorite color is green. Elizabeth's favorite color probably should be grey since that was the name of her first husband, but honestly, I think Lizzie is a purple gal. 

HID: If you were the queen in real life, what would your first proclamation be?

SM:     If I were a queen in real life, my first act would be better funding for the arts. We should support our artists. Particularly those artists playing queens. They should get lots of money. And back rubs. 

HID: You’ve got some pretty intimate moments with Richard III. Surely he’s not such a bad guy. Could you tell us anything positive about him?

SM:     I imagine Richard could lead an incredible filibuster.

HID: And we know he can. Last question: if Richard and Elizabeth got married, what song would play during their first dance?

SM:     I think if Richard actually won Liz over to his side, she would back him whole-heartedly in his tyranny. So I imagine their wedding song would be 'The Ride of the Valkeries.' Or maybe Darth Vader's theme song. 



Dun, dun, dun, dun, duh-dun, dun, duh-dun!! Come catch Queen Elizabeth (and genuflect appropriately) at Hamlet Isn’t Dead’s Richard III opening March 20th. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here!

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For tickets and more information, you can either go here: http://r3hid.brownpapertickets.com

If you haven't Liked us already on Facebook, now is the time! All the cool kids are doing it.

If Twitter's more your speed, we have that too. We just want to please you any way we can.

Or to see us in action, you can check us out (and subscribe, hint, hint) at https://www.youtube.com/user/hamletisntdead 

Basically, if you want to follow us, you just put hamletisntdead after something. And why wouldn't you want to follow us?? We're a lot of fun. So, see you soon for Richard III


And remember, it's Hamlet Isn't Dead:

Theatre You’ll Love, Whether You Like It Or Not!


Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Struts & Frets: Interviews with the Cast & Crew of Richard III

Welcome back! Did you miss us as much as we missed you? (Impossible). Whether it's your first time or your fiftieth time, welcome to another edition of "Struts & Frets". Here, we'll be serving up a hot, tasty portion of pre-show prep from the cast and crew of our preeminent production. And today's esteemed guest is no less than our titular character, Jarret Kerr as Richard III.


This is a face only a mother could love. Your mother. 
Now, Jarret doesn't pull any punches, onstage or off (ouch!), so he gave us some truly heartfelt answers here; we're talking multiple paragraphs worth. So strap on those reading glasses and hold onto your hearts; here's a little Q&A with the mighty Duke of Gloucester.

HID: Let’s start out easy. What’s your favorite color?

JK: My favorite color is blue because my eyes are blue and I am told blue looks good on me. Therefore, I wear a lot of blue.

HID: Makes sense. What about Richard III's?

JK: I think Richard's favorite color is baby's breath blue. It's just SO innocent and unassuming! Or red like the guts of his enemies. 

HID: What are some similarities you find between yourself and Richard? Besides the hump, we mean.

JK: Being an actor, I relate most strongly to Richard's fondness for showmanship. Here's a man whose desire is to be liked by everyone whilst simultaneously despising them. Not that I despise people in my personal life, but that need to be liked, even by people I personally don't like, I understand all too well. I think a lot of actors want to be liked, and after all, what is Richard but a great actor? 
     Richard says at one point "Tis death to me to be at enmity./I hate it and desire all good men's love". Now of course, this is one of his stratagems to clothe his hatred; however, I believe there is a kernel of truth in that. He does want to be liked but at the same time, he can barely suppress his loathing. I think everyone can relate to that in some way. Society forces us to be civil even in those time when we want to (figuratively) chop off some heads.
     I can also relate to Richard's frustration with his own body: a man whose ambitious mind and desires are thwarted by the broken vessel he's trapped in. I'm sure we all know what it feels like to not like something of ourselves but feel powerless to change it. It's important to keep in mind Richard's vulnerable humanity beneath all his bravado, raging and moxie. Because of how he looks, everyone expects Richard is one way (and they are right to some extent) but they gloss over his humanity and ignore his emotions. Of course, he's more than happy to live up to their expectations. How else could he get even?
     I believe that Richard's nefarious nature is a direct result of the whispered insults and disgusted looks he's endured his whole life because of his outward appearance. Because Richard feels he physically does not belong, his inner beauty begins to warp to match his outward show. In a sense, Richard is only as evil as he's been treated and that's why he decides to get even. An eye for an eye, as they say. I think everyone can relate to that. 

HID: If Richard III had an animal familiar, what would it be? And what would its name be?

JK: If Richard had an animal familiar it would be a frankenstein of a shark and a grizzly. Sharkizzly or a grizzark. The only place Richard feels like he belongs, the only place he feels alive, is in the midst of struggle, either politically or physically. Ideally, in the midst of a bloody, hellacious battle field. The second things calm down, and people start to dance at parties and speak to each other cordially, Richard is uncomfortable, lost, and worst of all, bored.
     Sharks never stop moving, and I get that sense in Richard. In times of peace, at court, amongst the lords and ladies, Richard is a gliding shark, waiting for his time to strike. On the battlefield, Richard is a fearsome, raging, powerful beast - a grizzly bear.
     If he had any powers aside from the power of simply being part shark and part bear, I believe his power would be mind control. Getting people to do exactly what he wants without them even knowing he prompted them to act in his interests. That and maybe X-ray vision so he could see ladies naked that he'd never get into bed otherwise. 

If you weren't already terrified of Richard III, now try imagining him screaming "A grizzark, a grizzark! My kingdom for a grizzark!" Oof, chills.

And while Jarret's an absolute peach, his portrayal of Shakespeare's self-professed villain is rotten to the pit. Don't let yourself down by missing this work of art. Get your tickets today!
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For tickets and more information, you can either go here: http://r3hid.brownpapertickets.com 

If you haven't Liked us already on Facebook, now is the time! All the cool kids are doing it.

If Twitter's more your speed, we have that too. We just want to please you any way we can.

Or to see us in action, you can check us out (and subscribe, hint, hint) at https://www.youtube.com/user/hamletisntdead 

Basically, if you want to follow us, you just put hamletisntdead after something. And why wouldn't you want to follow us?? We're a lot of fun. So, see you soon for Richard the Third!


And remember, it's Hamlet Isn't Dead:

Theatre You'll Love, Whether You Like It Or Not!