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David Montee

Director Theatre Division

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Director Theatre Division
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RE: shakespeare scripts for performance

Posted By David Montee 05-20-2016 19:04
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Hello again, Holly. I usually don't contribute to one of these threads more than once; but I want to strongly encourage you to grapple with any Shakespeare text on your own time and terms, and share the results with your students rather than resorting to any abridgment or adaptation by someone else. ...

RE: shakespeare scripts for performance

Posted By David Montee 05-20-2016 06:01
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All Shakespeare scripts should be royalty free, unless they are specifically re-written adaptations--then, of course, they're not really Shakespeare, but only the story with different text. Is that what you're looking for? If so, I'd consider doing the play as originally written, or simply abridging ...

RE: Smart phones backstage in an Equity theater?

Posted By David Montee 04-30-2016 08:29
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I'm afraid I have no specific answer for how to prohibit student cell phone use backstage in an educational theatre situation, particularly when all other aspects of our culture (and the students' parents themselves) influence them daily by example. I've found that, as in related rules and policies, ...

RE: Just a question - why no full length Shakespeare?

Posted By David Montee 01-16-2016 08:14
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I have studied, taught, acted, and directed Shakespeare for 30 years at the high school and college levels. I've had the privilege of experiencing workshops on the subject with master teacher Patsy Rodenburg, I have seen productions of the entire canon over the years in various venues in the U.S, Britain, ...

RE: All Female Cast of 1776 musical

Posted By David Montee 11-26-2015 06:21
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Although it sounds like an interesting experiment to try in a classroom/studio setting, just make certain that you receive full written permission from Music Theatre International (the licensing agents for the show) before staging a public production with such sweeping gender changes planned. Many performance ...

RE: Plans for Controversial/Sensitive Material

Posted By David Montee 09-02-2015 07:02
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Although we've been very blessed at Interlochen to mostly escape the threat of censorship over the years that I've been here, during the years when I was handling Artistic Director duties my Head of Education and the President of the School always asked me to write a reasoned prospectus defending the ...

RE: Shakespeare

Posted By David Montee 08-20-2015 08:00
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Depending upon how progressive and accepting your students, audiences, and administrators are, you might also explore Charles Marowitz's dark adaptation of the piece, THE SHREW, which juxtaposes portions of the Shakespeare text with scenes of a modern couple trying to work through a relationship in the ...

RE: Merrily We Roll Along

Posted By David Montee 05-09-2015 06:36
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Hi Mark, I absolutely adore that show; and whether it's a general audience favorite title or not, it's a wonderful show to do with young people as it raises great discussions about life's directions, just as they are about to set out on their own journeys and make their own choices. The final number ...

RE: College Auditions

Posted By David Montee 05-08-2015 06:16
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Most college auditors from programs that are worthwhile would definitely expect a student auditioner/applicant to know the play from which the monologue is taken, and be able to discuss their creative choices, their understanding of the given circumstances, the "moment before", etc; particularly those ...

RE: copywright and archival video

Posted By David Montee 04-26-2015 08:46
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Thought I'd add this link to augment my former comment: http://firemark.com/2010/05/05/aa_filming_plays/ I think when recording for archival purposes (i.e., your own individual and personal use), it's wise to be very, very cautious about any showing, lending, or distribution of the video, especially ...

RE: copywright and archival video

Posted By David Montee 04-24-2015 06:39
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I'm not a lawyer, and most of the plays I direct are Shakespearean or from the English classical repertory, so copyright is usuallynot an issue for those: but our librarian has done pretty extensive copyright research on this, and I reasonably sure that archival copies of institutional work (even from ...

RE: Favorite Shakespeare legal scene?

Posted By David Montee 04-24-2015 06:28
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Shylock vs. Antonio in MERCHANT OF VENICE. Other tribunal or "examination" scenes can be found in plays like CORIOLANUS, HENRY VIII, WINTER'S TALE, MEASURE FOR MEASURE, MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, HENRY IV Part 1, ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL, OTHELLO, CYMBELINE, etc., but the only one I can think of that's ...

RE: Monologue

Posted By David Montee 04-17-2015 06:24
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If it's Shakespeare you want, take a look at the Countess in ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL; Margaret or Elizabeth in HENRY VI part 3 or RICHARD III; or (a different kind of "older woman" role) Cleopatra in ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA. Gender-switching is okay, but if this happens to be for a professional audition, ...

RE: Best Version of A Christmas Carol

Posted By David Montee 04-03-2015 05:53
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Alan Menken's musical adaptation is lovely, and a great sell. ------------------------------ David Montee Director Theatre Division Interlochen MI ------------------------------

RE: Shakespeare scripts

Posted By David Montee 03-31-2015 06:30
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Over my years of working with Shakespeare plays on stage and in classrooms, I've become convinced that the plays, as they have come down to us from their original Quarto and Folio forms, were rarely (with maybe a couple of exceptions) performed uncut by Shakespeare's own company. I believe that they ...

RE: Shakespeare scripts

Posted By David Montee 03-28-2015 17:54
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Incidentally....there are numerous PD websites that will offer PDF or Word Documents of R&J that can be downloaded, then cut and edited to your own individual needs. Then printed, so that you can fashion your own cuts, emendations, and adaptations of language, as appropriate. Again.....have fun! Once ...

RE: Shakespeare scripts

Posted By David Montee 03-28-2015 17:22
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Unless it is an adaptation that is specifically copyrighted for stage production--which, unless there are definitive changes in the text, is unlikely--all Shakespeare plays are non-royalty. I recently published a book (August, 2014) through Smith and Kraus on working with young actors on Shakespeare, ...

RE: Gender Bending The Scottish Play

Posted By David Montee 02-08-2015 07:31
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When I produced Macbeth here in 2002, I used 6 young ladies for the witches: 3 of them were of the usual macabre-looking variety, and 3 of them--matching "mates" of the first 3 in hair color, ethnicity, etc.--were portrayed as exotically beautiful. Whenever they appeared, only Macbeth saw and responded ...