Why don’t more people read in the dramatic forum?

[catrose]

As someone planning to devote their life to studying Shakespeare, I totally disagree with you SOTE There's this outdated idea that Shakespeare is supposed to be posh. Spoken in a classy British RP accent. When in fact, I've heard many a fake RP accent ruin a good monologue and many a natural voice (David Tennant being probably one of my favourite examples) certainly triumphing over an idea of proper that comes from an era of films from a time where Shakespeare was completely inaccessable from the hoi polloi.

In truth, the Shakespearean accent is closer to modern day American than anything else. But regardless of that. I was told (before many many failed auditions for irl dramas and dramatic groups on account of my inability to act without being in my own bedroom ) that you mustn't overthink shakespeare. The words don't need to be dramatic or emotion forced. Shakespeares job is to make an actor look good, not the other way around You literally just have to say the words and they do all the hard work!

[SonOfTheExiles]

Well, it seems okay in theory, but I think Ruth might have demarcation issues about our cat B#1 being my voice coach.

We're talking bread-and-butter, people!

SOTE

[smike]

Since when does David Tennant speak English?

[Piotrek81]

I'd add that I cannot understand why anyone would volunteer to read the narrator in a DR. In my mind, it's all the hard work of a solo, and none of the fun. Perhaps folk who do undertake narrator parts would let me in on the secret .

I've never read a narrator part but the reason why I would be interested in reading it is that, in my mind at least, it doesn't take much acting- you just read the descriptions and mind the speech-reporting verbs (which might be the hard part- I imagine it's easy to lose track of all the "he said"'s and "she exclaimed"'s). Maybe some experienced narrator could come and say whether my idea of the job is correct or completely misguided?

[catrose]

Since when does David Tennant speak English?

The great David Tennant in all his Scottish Shakespearean glory: http://youtu.be/aPQXADfKHRo

[smike]

The great David Tennant in all his Scottish Shakespearean glory: http://youtu.be/aPQXADfKHRo

You name it. Scottish.

[AdeledePignerolles]

So now I'd like to know--what would make more people do DRs? A certain author, or a personal invitation?

SOTE, I would love to have you on any of my projects! I don't care about accents at all--although sometimes I try to do them for little parts to make them sound different--so if you want to come join Shakespeare you're welcome!

[chocoholic]

Be careful with PM'ing people to invite them to read. A lot of people don't like to say no to a direct request and would feel put on the spot, no matter how nicely you word it. I have always thought it's better -- and more Librivoxy -- to post a project open to everyone and let it fill as it may. (The exception is the hard jobs, which you should be sure you can fill before you start: editor if you're not going to edit it yourself and possibly narrator if it's a dramatic reading of a novel.)

I'd rather read for a play than a dramatic reading, and I'm not sure if anything would change that (it's just personal opinion). I do think that sometimes reading for DR's looks like it would be too complicated. Think of it from a newbie's point of view:

1. Look through a 250-line MW (scary!) to find a role
2. Hunt for the text source buried further down the MW
3. Realize that you need more than one text if your character is in more than one chapter; try to remember which chapters your character is in again
4. Download separate text documents for each chapter (not fun if you read from a mobile device)
5. Find your lines in each document (multicolor print is very hard for some people to read; forget it if you're colorblind)
6. Upload 12 separate 30-second files (potentially)

Vs a play:

1. Find a role in a much smaller MW (usually)
2. Click on the text link above the MW
3. Do a text search (Ctrl-F in Windows) to find your character's lines OR if it's a Shakespeare play using Open Source Shakespeare, simply click on your character's name to see all the lines in one place
4. Record from the web page (in black print!)
5. Upload 5 files max

Obviously some of this is exaggeration, but you get the point. What would make reading for a DR easier is if there were text docs separated by role rather than by chapter, so readers could just open a single page and find all their lines in one place. But the more a text is handled and split to make docs, the higher the risk of changing it from the original (this is a risk with the chapter docs too), so it would be even more crucial for the PL'er to proof against the original and never against the docs.

[catrose]

Be careful with PM'ing people to invite them to read. A lot of people don't like to say no to a direct request and would feel put on the spot, no matter how nicely you word it. I have always thought it's better -- and more Librivoxy -- to post a project open to everyone and let it fill as it may. (The exception is the hard jobs, which you should be sure you can fill before you start: editor if you're not going to edit it yourself and possibly narrator if it's a dramatic reading of a novel.)

I think I explained my system wrong. I never invite people to read a specific role, especially people I don't know well (eg people I don't often work with). However, if I know someone shares a particular interest with me (in Early Modern Drama), I will drop them a PM to tell them that I have launched a project because a lot of my friends either don't look on the Launch Pad or aren't as around often to read through all 37ish links in the dramatic forum if a play is either not very well known or has been buried lower down in the forum. I have found people more than willing to turn it down due to being busy, but the overwhelming feedback from replies is that they're glad I've PMed because it was a project they hadn't noticed or were waiting for someone else to be first to claim a role. (Especially because in the past we had Elizabeth Klett, expert in all things drama, to guide us. If she went and claimed a role whilst it was still in Launchpad, you know a play was good! )

[TriciaG]

What would make reading for a DR easier is if there were text docs separated by role rather than by chapter, so readers could just open a single page and find all their lines in one place.

I don't like this idea. Aside from the "more manipulation, more potential errors" issue you brought up, there's also the problem of context. A list of lines doesn't give the reader an idea of the emotion involved, nor any emphasis that might be needed.

(And a lot of plays aren't text searchable or use abbreviated names and vary them [in one recently, Morillat was abbreviated MOR in some spots, but MAR in others - in the scan, so it wasn't an OCR error], so I'm not sure that part of the play vs. DR argument is valid for many plays.)

I read in some DWs, but not many. It's dependent on my mood more than anything.

[Timothy Ferguson]

I like the idea of DRs. I scan the new DR listings, imagine myself doing one of the parts ... and then burst out laughing at the thought of an Australian-accented Don Quixote or Shakespearean character.

I guess then that the three stages of coping with Dramatic Inadequacy are:
1). Scrutinise
2). Fantasise
3). Satirise

Seriously, if Librivox ever does "For The Term of His Natural Life", or some other play requiring an Australian accent, by all means, but until then, as far as Shakespeare is concerned, I figure I'm bard.

SOTE

You realise that Shakespeare's accent sounded a lot like a harsh Yorkshire accent does now, right? You're closer to his vowels than someone who speaks Estuary English.

[Timothy Ferguson]

Off topic: Is there really a place like that? I've looked for somewhere to do paid voice work but haven't really found much.

ACX? (Amazon's audiobook clearinghouse).

[Timothy Ferguson]

I tend to get soothsayers...

I did it for a while, but recently each time I've gone there it would just be to fill in Spear Carrier #2.

I think that the people who set them up often fail to sell the play, too. It''s easy to guess why you might enjoy being part of a Marlowe or Shakespeare. It's harder for some of the less well-known authors.

[catrose]

I tend to get soothsayers...

I did it for a while, but recently each time I've gone there it would just be to fill in Spear Carrier #2.

I think that the people who set them up often fail to sell the play, too. It''s easy to guess why you might enjoy being part of a Marlowe or Shakespeare. It's harder for some of the less well-known authors.

Timothy, I still listen to your Malvolio on repeat

Yes, selling the lesserknown plays is more difficult. I've managed to in terms of Shakespeare. Eg. Ford's Tis Pity She's a Whore was very much incestuous Romeo and Juliet and his Broken Heart (hint hint Something Exciting on my signature!) has the gore of Titus Andronicus, with the tragic love of Romeo and Juliet, the jealousy and revenge of Othello with a hint of the royal crown-snatching drama of Lear

[RuthieG]

You realise that Shakespeare's accent sounded a lot like a harsh Yorkshire accent does now, right? You're closer to his vowels than someone who speaks Estuary English.

There's an interesting article about pronunciation in Shakespearian times in The Times here.

Ruth