Lady vs. Anne

[rm]

I have two auditions tomorrow requiring a classical monologue. I usually use a Lady Anne thing from Richard III, because I think it suits me massively, and casting folks have said as much in a "that's really interesting, but I don't know what to do with you" way. I get good feedback on it, but it's never gotten me anywhere.

That said, I'm having an impulse to use something from the Macbeth stuff I did at NIDA. Something in the back of my head is telling me that it's the sort of thing people don't want to see (overdone? Macbeth superstitions?), but I also know I had serious professional coaching on it, and it's the thing that made people take me really seriously at NIDA, so part of me thinks I can just nail the thing to the wall if I do it. Of course, I also worry because my interpretation of Lady Macbeth is a bit outside of the typical bounds (good? bad?) mainly in that she's _young_ which is accurate to the period, but not to what we've done to the play in modern times.

Um... thoughts?

Comments

[schpahky.livejournal.com]

Can't hurt. They have probably seen every hackneyed version of that monologue ever - a different take would likely prick up their ears, for better or for worse. Best to be memorable, right? And, the professional coaching is GOOD.

[winterknight.livejournal.com]

go for Lady Macbeth. i love the idea of her being younger. never pass up the chance to show your stuff.

[ladypeculiar.livejournal.com]

I use a Queen Margaret monologue from Henry VI (Part III) that I think you would really dig . . . I forget where it is but it starts, "Enforced the? Art thou king and will be 'forced?"

I wouldn't do Macbeth simply because your audition will probably be colored by people who know nothing about Shakespeare doing it really badly.

I have a copy of this SOMEWHERE but there's a monologue from Racine's Pheadra which you could do really well.
Take up your sword
And slay another monster, the most dangerous--
Theseus's wife who dared to love Hippolytus!

There's also a bunch of Marlowe somewhere in the house, perhaps something from "Dido"?

[miep.livejournal.com]

yeah, i myself am a big lady percy fan (oh yet, for god's sake, go not to these wars!) but 24 hours to work up something new is a leetle too short.

be daring. they might not know what to do with you, but they'll remember you...

advice from someone who knows nothing about acting.

[quaskye.livejournal.com]

what more could you ask for?

How important are the auditions to you? The Lady Anne hasn't been getting you anywhere, so why not take advantage of the opportunity to at least give McBeth a test run. If you get a bad reaction, who cares. There will be so many more auditions. And then you'll be able to confidently scratch McBeth off the audition list and not worry about it (in theory).

[00goddess.livejournal.com]

I would say do Lady Macbeth.

The reason most modern productions portray her as a bitter old woman is because of the ageism of our time. It's okay to hate an old woman, they are all mean and bitter and conniving. BUt young women are sexy/pure.

I think playing her young will be refreshing and make you stand out. And it's something you are comfortable with and you know you do it well.

[patashoqua.livejournal.com]

Have you seen the Polanski version of MacB? It's uneven, but interesting, and the Lady is about 20.