#199: A Poem from Director’s Notes

A Poem from Director’s Notes

(for Michael Mendelson)

Move the language forward.
Move the language,
lift the language.
To whom are you talking?
There are only three possibilities:
the earth,
the gods,
or another human being.
If it happens to be a human being,
ask yourself: how do I feel about the
person I am with?
Breathe.
Volume and diction: if you can’t
hear your voice bouncing off
the back wall, you’re not
loud enough.
Make an investment:
know where you are going
and from where you are coming.
In Act III, scene i, how do you feel
about the heat? Whatever is going
on for you, let that be amplified.
Don’t let your mouth get ahead
of your mind. Make sure your brain,
your body, and your mouth are working
together. Use the words to create
emotion and not the other way around.
Exit more like cheetahs
and less like rhinos.
Juliet, I want you to stab yourself
three times. Romeo, Romeo–
(there is no response) are you asleep?
Finally, don’t play the end
before the end.  This is a corrupt
world and everyone here
is a survivor.