Speed Shakespeare [Open]

[morphitudinous]

Billy hadn't the slightest idea how much time had passed since his rushed deal with Metronome for the Clock's destruction. He'd typed out a hurried plea for help on the omnicom network, sped off to download and review the play's script, and conjured an auditorium-like Sensorium for rehearsal. All that remained was the arrival of the cast and crew, and this probable disaster would begin.

Just what have I committed myself to? If my judgment is questionable for attempting to stage this production in just a few days, the cast...I don't foresee this ending well.

Once everything was prepared, he sent a quick message to the volunteers. They should be arriving any minute

((This is going to be subthreaded out in stages. Mingling, a place for comments from the peanut gallery, auditions/arguments, and brief rehearsal scenes. Thread out whatever you think is funniest! Final casting decisions will be happening here. I'll be on chat/AIM/Plurk during this post if you want me.

Now open for posting! Don't feel obligated to participate, we're not obsessively logging everything. This is just for comedy opportunities. Most of what I want to know is who's playing who. And it's okay to jump in even if you didn't sign up on the comm post. Everyone's welcome to audition!))

Comments

Mingling

[morphitudinous]

At long last, the ragtag crew of actors, set designers, choreographers, costumers, and hecklers has arrived. Everyone say hello!

[seesbosscrotch.livejournal.com]

Anyone who didn't know better might thing Mar had gone TOO period (and poorly, at that), since he showed up in full armor with a sword slung over his back. But that was just how he dressed normally.

"All right! This is going to be FUN!"

[zouichi.livejournal.com]

What on earth...?

"I think you might be from the wrong time period," Zouichi said, casting him a strange look. "But it looks very authentic. Did you get Reinforce to make it for you?"

[seesbosscrotch.livejournal.com]

"Huh? Who reinforced what?"

Mar didn't get it.

Re: Mingling

[carrieswar.livejournal.com]

"Never done something like actual acting before," Jr. said when he walked in. 'Acting' being in this kind of sense. One could almost say the public life he lives with Gaignun can sometimes be a bit of an act, but not for nay wrong reasons.

And then he looked over to the table with the scripts on it, wandering over to flip through one of them and stopping at a page to skim the lines. "Glad I can still remember some of this stuff, too."

[morphitudinous]

Billy happened to be pacing near the script table, endless worries in his head about what would happen when. Would they really be able to do this?

"There's a first time for everything," Billy tried to say to console them, but the saying really didn't mention anything about the quality of that first time.

He'd refrain from mentioning that.

[carrieswar.livejournal.com]

"Heh, that's true. I wonder how much of a theatrical hit this dragon is expecting it to be." Jr. wanted to hope that it wouldn't have to be something spectacular, but he hadn't actually met any of the time dragons to make an assessment.

"But if it'll really destroy those clocks, then hopefully the intent behind us putting work into it will get through."

Re: Mingling

[changelingdude.livejournal.com]

Beastboy sprang in cheerfully enough wearing a ridiculous looking hat that he had apparently made himself. It was poofy and looked like it had once been a recliner before it was re purposed. A long green peacock feather probably came from the green hero himself just for effect.

"So...who's the Leonardo Decapulet guy?"

Casting

[morphitudinous]

It was now time for the final configuration of cast and crew for this strange production of Romeo and Juliet to be decided.

Actors

[morphitudinous]

"Ah...hello, everyone," a nervous Billy greeted from his position next to the stage. "I'm very grateful that you could all come to assist with this production and rescue our friends. I know we don't have a lot of time to pull this off, but I'm willing to give it my best effort if you are."

Did that seem to work? He paused, looking out at the crowd before continuing. "I think the first matter we need to address is casting. Would everyone willing to act in the play please stand at the front of the stage?"''

When they did, he continued. "On the front pages of your scripts, you'll find a character listing. You can use those to more easily decide which role you'd like to try out for. Just come forward with your choice when you're ready."

[carrieswar.livejournal.com]

"What if we've got a few choices just in case we need to fall back on one?" The red-head fanned the script in his hand as he spoke. "Cause I've got at least a couple in mind to try out for."

[seesbosscrotch.livejournal.com]

Mar all but bolted up to the stage. Which was quite a feat in full plate. "Mercutio!"

Re: Actors

[zouichi.livejournal.com]

"I suppose I'll try Tybalt. He shouldn't be too out of character, I hope."

[goddamnwingman]

Dick had given the mask a miss for this. Mostly because it wasn't very useful except for one scene. So he DID have it with him. Just...not on his face at the moment.

He smiled at Billy as he walked up. "Well. Since you offered, I suppose Romeo isn't a bad choice." He even had a vaguely Mediterranean look to his face. Depending on the artist, at least.

Re: Actors

[colorfulworld]

Aftran read the character listing over once, then twice, then a third time. Truth be told, Aftran had no idea what this play was really about -- "Romeo and Juliet" had been Karen's ideal mental image of starcrossed lovers forbidden to meet, but the girl hadn't actually seen or read the play. The nothlit was really only here to help get Marco, Rachel, and everyone else back to normal.

"I don't really have any preference. Perhaps a secondary role..."

Re: Actors

[changelingdude.livejournal.com]

Beastboy had been having a hard time figuring out who to be. He barely knew anything of Shakespeare except a movie he'd watched once because he couldn't find the remote.

Still, faint hearts never won fair chicks! And he was going to give this his all so why not try out for the lead?

He had even gone so far as to stitch together a hat that looked like it was made out of an old recliner with a long green peacock feather in it. It looked midevil to Beastboy.

"Uh...yo! I'm Beastboy, and I'll be auditioning for Romeo." After a moment he faltered and backpeddled, "B-but like, I'll do any role you want, I'm just here to help and have fun and stuff right?" He laughed nervously shuffling his feet, "Right I'll uh...I'll just start."

He let his mind wander for a minute picturing a tower, a beautiful golden haired girl with blue eyes who was painfully familiar to Beastboy's oft trodden upon heart appeared.

But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief,
That thou her maid art far more fair than she:
Be not her maid, since she is envious;
Her vestal livery is but sick and green
And none but fools do wear it; cast it off.
It is my lady, O, it is my love!
O, that she knew she were!

His voice shook a bit as he struggled with the unfamiliar dialect. His projection was good but a little too loud given the area. It wouldn't be as bad on a grand stage if he could just focus more on the emotion he was trying to project rather then getting the words exactly right.

She speaks yet she says nothing: what of that?
Her eye discourses; I will answer it.
I am too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks:
Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,
Having some business, do entreat her eyes
To twinkle in their spheres till they return.
What if her eyes were there, they in her head?
The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars,
As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven
Would through the airy region stream so bright
That birds would sing and think it were not night.
See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand!
O, that I were a glove upon that hand,
That I might touch that cheek!

Beastboy thought to himself in the back of his head that he was bombing horrible. His green cheeks were flushed as he pushed onward hoping to drown out the screaming voice in his head that could barely understand what the character was trying to say.

Re: Actors

[ternaui.livejournal.com]

"The narrator seems well enough. I doubt I am suited for ...character parts."

And the Chancellor, having read it over, repeats the introductory passage in the same rich, booming, 15th-century English tones in which he introduces people to the Emperor of Avalon.

Re: Actors

[hit-girl-mindy.livejournal.com]

Mindy had already known exactly who she wanted to play. Yeah, they had taken some liberties when they did the crazy ass Leonardo Dicaprio version, but the she had read the play herself. From the moment she had laid eyes and heard the whole self indulgent dream scene to the death, Mercutio had been her favorite. Not afraid to die, even joking on his last legs, cursing the stupidity of the feud in his last moments of reflection.

"Hey," she said, approaching Billy. "I said I'd go for Mercutio. Do me a solid and tell me its not taken yet?"

Re: Actors

[neverwastenaya.livejournal.com]

Tenaya scanned through the script a few times as she watched the casting, and it was becoming clearer to her that there was a crucial part left uncast.

"You still need a Juliet, don't you?" she asked, hiding her dread.

Well, she'd said she'd be able to do any part...

[encourage]

Sakura took her stance at the front of the stage looking something close to uncomfortable for a moment, evening out into a smile and a clasping of her hands firmly behind her back. All right, so first she needed to look at one of the scripts. Moving toward them after several others, she unlocked her hands to pick one up, flipping through.

What kind of language was she even reading? Sakura was fairly sure it was translated, but the flow of language felt closer to old parts of her culture that she only had the smallest contact with herself.

She looked up at Billy, and confessed, "I'm willing to play whatever part -- or parts, I guess -- you need me to. Is there something you want me to read?"

Re: Actors

[not_the_philistine]

While Goliath has never considered himself an actor, and never assumed he'd be one, he's well aware of the power of his voice to make people stand at attention.

Plus, chastising feuding subjects is something he became experienced at when he was leader of the Wyvern clan, and no one else has yet read for the Prince of Verona, whose monologues are few and mostly consisting of these. This may still be an all-human production, but someone needs to play the man.

"Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace,
Profaners of this neighbour-stained steel,--
Will they not hear? What, ho! you men, you beasts,
That quench the fire of your pernicious rage
With purple fountains issuing from your veins,
On pain of torture, from those bloody hands
Throw your mistemper'd weapons to the ground,
And hear the sentence of your moved prince."

Set Designers

[morphitudinous]

"Now, for everyone here for set and costume design, can you tell me about your experience and vision for the project? I'm still not sure if we'll be using the Sensoriums to a degree. It would build a perfect set without wasting valuable materials, but I need your vision. What colors should we use? Degree of historical accuracy?"

Re: Set Designers

[nobel-berserker.livejournal.com]

Allenby waved her hand. "This guy's lookin' for emotion and sincerity, right? So the set oughta reflect that! Instead of all that stuffy Renaissance stuff, we should make it look really awesome for each place that stuff happens in. Like--for the scene where Romeo and Juliet meet, we could have big lights shoot up from underneath them in all colors and light all the edges of the set on fire!"

Pep Talk/Discussion

[morphitudinous]

Now that everyone had their roles, they had a few words to hash out before rehearsal began in earnest.

Rehearsal

[morphitudinous]

These next few days would be filled with chaos and mayhem. Grab a script and grab your sword, it's time to break a leg!