"Our Mutual Friend" - Rehearsals - 01

A while ago, the Royal Shakespeare Company created a full-length adaptation of Charles Dickens's novel, "The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby." They adapted the entire novel, including all the wonderful characters and subplots, into an epic nine-hour play.

A few short years ago, the Young Shakespeare Players (a nonprofit theater group in Madison, WIsconsin) performed that entire adaptation of "Nicholas Nickleby." The full-length, uncut production, with a cast of 37 children and teenagers playing over 100 speaking roles, on a stage 1/7th the size of the RSC's stage. It was a triumph.

And now, YSP is breaking new ground yet again. This time, with a script specifically written (for the first time ever) for YSP, we are adapting another novel by Charles Dickens. This novel, entitled "Our Mutual Friend," is one of his darkest and most sophisticated works, an innocuously-titled murder mystery/drama/romance/comedy/adventure with a brilliantly labyrinthine plot and a Dickensianly-memorable ensemble cast.

I'm uploading some footage I took at a rehearsal, documenting some of our rehearsal processes and behind-the-scenes hijinks. Further parts to follow...

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Young
• Shakespeare
• Players
• Our
• Mutual
• Friend
• Charles
• Dickens
• Rehearsal

[shksprelovr44]

at 1:10... is that Vim w/ brown hair???



[Sylocat]

@shksprelovr44 Has she changed it?

[RavenoftheNightrays]

Does anyone else remember Jacob constantly trying to put that cut back in? I think it was the "When that young fellow..." line. I remember because a lot of people (self included) would shout, "THAT'S A CUT, JACOB!!!". Ahhhh, good times, good times.

Ashley

[Sylocat]

@RavenoftheNightrays Yes... there was also another cut in one of the R. Wilfer scenes.

Of course, I added a gazillion cuts back in in 2-27.

[Othellolover]

No sound, Nick dear?

[Sylocat]

@Othellolover The audio quality is not great, I admit, but if you turn the sound up you can hear it.

[shksprelovr44]

who posted this, dearest? Love you.

Elizabeth <3

[MusicIsMyLifeLike123]

Oliver: *tap tap tap tap, lean forward, lean backward*