"Our children, and our sins, lay on the King!"

"Let us our lives, our souls,
Our debts, our careful wives,
Our children, and our sins,
lay on the King!"
William Shakespeare, "Henry V" Act IV, Scene 1



The genius of Shakespeare has long been discussed but I have found an instance of it that I cannot allow to be lost in the conversation about Costumes.

While re-charting the costume changes for the Paper Wing Theatre's production of "The Tragedy of MacBETH", I noticed that King Duncan is in 3 scenes and then gets killed (we have added that as a scene). “King” MacBeth is in 3 scenes and then gets killed.

The Bard had a distinct sense of symmetry and one might even conclude that he is making a statement that all “Kings” are the same. There are many scholarly resources that I could look into for more evidence of the playwrights views of the monarchy, but time is too short - I rely solely on the text.

This is just one of many intricacies of the play, but one that is not so obvious until you see it on a COSTUMES CHART!



By the way, I am in my last week before Dress Rehearsals. It's exciting, scary, thrilling, and TIME-SENSITIVE!

"I may know your character better than you do right now!"

So in my earlier blog post, I discussed my costume design binder that had Questions, Cast List, LOOK BOOK, etc. in it. These were just the beginning of the essentials that I’ve been collecting in there.

The rehearsal schedule is critical to have printed out in my binder. There have been a few days shuffled around and I was able to make quick notes about them with out having to use my laptop or change my calendar on my phone while the director is still talking.

I also needed the working script so that I could breakdown the scenes. This is one of the most important processes of all. One must completely understand the play and its action to be able to determine the type of clothing needed, and the number of costume changes that are necessary.

I want to take a moment to say that it is critical for the costume designer to be a most of the rehearsals. Often the Director and the players are blocking scenes and may add or cut from the existing work.  The costumer must be very familiar with the material to be able to help “guide” the Director if, say, one knows that a scene that is being cut will dramatically affect the main character’s ability to complete his costume change. That decision could affect many characters that way. Another example would be if the Director adds a scene. The costumer must be there to understand the new dynamics and likely “add” a costume change to the actor’s gear. The costumer has to know the action and timing of the play as well as the Director does to be able to have all of the appropriate clothing, etc come out on time.

To breakdown the scenes, I read through the entire script without stopping or noting anything. This helps one to know the feel of the story and gain a sense of its timing. Having “MacBETH” as my favorite Shakespearean play was both an advantage and a disadvantage for me. The advantage came from my intimate knowledge of what the “traditional” presentation of the play looks like which was vitally important when conferring with the Director and the Producer – “I know whereof I speak…” – and have the “internal clock” of the play ticking in my head. The disadvantage is that knowing the play very well, I found myself anticipating – action – movements – tones – instead of having a good clean reading of the text. Regardless, I got through the first reading and moved on to note-taking.

The second reading of the text, I held pencil in hand and made ready. Looking up each Act number and Scene number, I noted the place within time, the location, and the characters that all appeared. So for example:

Act I, Scene I:

A desert place.

(Three Weird Sisters)

Act I, Scene II:

A camp near Forres.

(King Duncan, Malcolm, Donalbain, Lennox, Attendants, Sergeant, Rosse, Angus)

And so on through the whole play. Of course, the importance of this is clear. 1) One must know where in the play the action is happening; 2) One must know what environment the actors will portray, and 3) One must know which characters will be in the scene. Here I add an extra bit – 4) One must know which actors are NOT in the scene. This goes back to timing. Knowing the play well, I know that Lady MacBETH does not appear immediately in the play and that there will be necessary “Hair & Make-up” time for her. Balance that with the other players going on and coming off of the stage and the fact is clear: I need to know where EVERYONE is EVERY SECOND of the play. I need every second of time I can get.

OK. It goes a little bit farther now. Opening the script for the third time, I read it with one thought in mind the entire time: what is the costume each character is wearing at this moment. Reading through the text, I listed the three weird sisters’ costume change #1, MacBETH’s costume change #1, Banquot’s costume change #1, and so on. It got tricky though. There are multiple characters coming in and out of the scene, so meticulous attention is required. As I moved on through the test, I noted, MacBETH’s costume change #2, MacBETH’s costume change #3, and so on – for each character in the play.

Here’s a screen grab of the first two scenes of Act I:

By this time, I was feeling like a Shakespearean scholar, but it doesn’t end there. I began the process of matching the actors to their roles. Simple, right? Well, not so much. The words are easy enough but learning the faces with the names is not. Plus this was when I began requesting Sizes. By the time I actually got to touch the first piece of clothing, I was able to say to any character in the play, "I may know your character better than you do right now!" TRUTH!

Ah, but I’ll leave that for my next post.

The Tragedy of "M"

             First Witch
 48   All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!

      Second Witch
 49   All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!

      Third Witch
 50   All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter!

Restless and excited when Patrick was recast as MacBETH, I told him that we were going straight out to take photos, if only for inspiration. I ended up taking a series of shots – 45 of those shots were considered pretty darn good, and we landed on a few exceptional ones.

I created the poster above from one of those shots. Instead of proclaiming “MacBETH!” across the top, I opted for the more subtle “M” with the opening date in roman numerals. I was sure to put this in my LOOK BOOK that I shared with the Director and the Producer (see previous blog for info on my LOOK BOOK).

Another benefit from the photo shoot was that we could see his movement in the garments. Leather doublet and black kilt, with "accessories" like tartan scarf, etc. were restrictive in movement as he climbed up a steep hill and almost fell down the same hill. In the end, we both decided that we would like to take more photos indoors to represent the conditions under which the play will be performed, that is to say, we didn't want people to get the impression that this was an outdoor play.

SunnySideoftheGraveyard.com

It's official! We have a soft launch of our new online retail store, SunnySideoftheGraveyard.com.

Why the name? Well, for many years my sign-off has been "From the Sunny Side of the Graveyard," and how fitting it is. I'm know for looking at the sunny side of things, even the paranormal. It's like shining a flashlight into a dark room. I suppose I have always used humor and sentiment to make my way through challenging times and now the idea of "Sunny Side of the Graveyard" seems more relevant than ever.

The theme of the retail store is Paranormal Culinary Lifestyle and that pretty much sums it all up for me. You'll see what I mean when you click over.

So, we found a variety of products and are continuing to add new items all the time. It's a time consuming process, and frankly, I LOVE IT! There is something very personal in it for me. I enjoy using these items and they help me to create happier and intrinsically valuable experiences.

We started the Paranormal category with candles and incense that I have come to depend on in my daily rituals and in some of the Paranormal work that I do. These are useful tools for anyone - not just mediums, witches, and paranormal researchers.

In the Culinary category, you will find a fun variety of silicone ice trays that also work great as chocolate molds. Two of the best sellers of these are the Gin and Titonic (oceanliners and icebergs) and the Cool Shooters so you can freeze your own shot glasses... OR... make chocolate cups to fill with fruit, mouse, or fresh ground almond butter.

The Lifestyle category is full of fun items that help you make a statement. My favorite item right now is the COFFINS UMBRELLA - yes, coffins on a grey field. It's COOL and very attention getting.

Also in Lifestyle is the Valentine's Day Special. The HEARTS RAINBOOTS are so cute with white hearts on a reddish pink background. They're only available in one size, UK 38 which is between size 7 and 7.5 in the USA. The number 23 has a particular significance for me so these boots are 23% off through Valentine's Day!

There are many products in the works and it's been intersting to see pre-orders. We've been filling pre-orders with merchandise enroute resulting in the need to re-order. This means we haven't even been able to have them in stock yet. Wow! That was an unforseen activity and that learning curve is kind of fun too!

That's the "quick and dirty" on the soft launch. I'll post more shortly and then make a big announcement about the projected Grand Opening!

RADIO INTERVIEW WAS AMAZING - THANKS ALLIE!

Well, thank you Allie of WINGS OF LOVE Radio.

Today's interview was FAB and Allie was a great interviewer. We talked about a wide range of topics including Goth, Entertaining, Food, Horror movies, The Gothic Gourmet online, the soon to launch Online Retail, and my upcoming Books (and desire for a publisher).

Allie showed my photos in the chat room and I had the opportunity to talk about my Cosmic Twin... VLAD QUIGLEY at length.

Who else? The Bone Jangler and my friend/fan Lauri from Dallas, TX!

Whew! There was a lot going on there including recipes and I wanted to be sure to include those here.

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APPETIZER
Prepare 3 per person

Per serving
Shittake Mushroom
1 Tbsp diced Tomatoes
Goat Cheese
1 Tbsp diced Yellow Bell Pepper
Olive Oil
Salt and fresh cracked Black Pepper to taste

Trim stem of Shittake Mushrooms all the way down to the base. Set on Cookie sheet.

Saute diced Tomatoes in pan. Season with salt and pepper. Put on top of Shittake and spread evenly.

Take Goat Cheese and cut into 1/4" think medallions. Place one medallion on top of each stack.

Top with diced Yellow Bell Peppers.

Before it goes in 425 degree oven, drizzle with olive oil and put a little water in pan. Heat through.

Finish with fresh cracked Black Pepper on top.

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MAIN COURSE
Black Pasta with Pesto Sauce and Fresh Vegetables

1 package of Black Squid Ink Pasta
Fresh peas, carrots, or vegetable of choice
2 cups Fresh Basil Leaves
3 Tbsp Pine nuts
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese grated
Salt and Pepper to taste

Prepare pasta according to directions.

Steam vegetables to al dente.

Put basil, oil, pine nuts, garlic, salt and pepper into a blender or food processor. Blend to a paste, but NOT until smooth.

Transfer to a bowl and add parmesan cheese.

Just before the pasta is done, stir in a little of the hot pasta water into hte pesto to thin it out.

Toss pesto with drained pasta and steamed vegetables.

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DESSERT
Chocolate Bundt Cake with Simple Blackberry Sauce

Chocolate Bundt Cake (prepare ahead of time)
3 cups of fresh or frozen Blackberries
1/3 cup Sugar
Grated Lemon Zest

In a sauce pan, bring to simmer the Blackberries, Sugar, and Lemon Zest. Stir until sugar is dissolved then cover and simmer another 5 minutes.

Serve rustic style as is or press through sieve for refined texture.

Place slice of cake on plate and drizzle Blackberry Sauce.