COMPLETE[PLAY]Hecyra: The Mother-In-Law by Terence - thw

[alanmapstone]

Phidippus act 4

https://librivox.org/uploads/toddhw/hecyra_phidippus_4.mp3

A bit more talkative in this act!

[Kitty]

Phidippus act 4
A bit more talkative in this act!

indeed, he's got a lot to deal with in this act ! But you excellently plodded through it all, I couldn't detect a single missing line. Well done, Alan, and this concludes Phidippus' part.

Thanks !

Sonia

[Elizabby]

Here's Sostrata!

https://librivox.org/uploads/toddhw/hecyra_sostrata_2.mp3
https://librivox.org/uploads/toddhw/hecyra_sostrata_3.mp3
https://librivox.org/uploads/toddhw/hecyra_sostrata_4.mp3

Just a note about Act 3: The first line I have given you twice, the first time is the text as given. However, I think this is probably an error in translation. She is entreating the gods "Asclepius" and "Hygeia" - although the name of the goddess is usually translated "health/hygiene" if you were entreating a god by their name, you would use the name rather than the translation. So the second version says "Hygeia" using the un-translated name of the goddess, as I think would be correct according to the usual usage in Greek. (Asclepius and Hygeia are father and daughter, their shrines are usually adjacent and prayers were customarily offered to both at the same time, so it makes no sense to translate one but not the other.) I was recording it and I suddenly hit the translated word for the name of the goddess and I thought "that can't be right" but I'm aware that we are not supposed to edit text, so I left both versions in the final file.

EDIT: I didn't realise when I claimed the part that I was supposed to be old enough to be Tomas' mother, so I've done my best with the voice to make her sound mature without going super-quavery and elderly (which I don't like). If you think she sounds too young still, I can give it another crack - the whole part is about 6 minutes fully recorded so I don't mind redoing it if you think the play needs it.

[ToddHW]

Thank you.

Todd

[Kitty]

She is entreating the gods "Asclepius" and "Hygeia" - although the name of the goddess is usually translated "health/hygiene" if you were entreating a god by their name, you would use the name rather than the translation.

yes, I guess the translator chose the English name, so that people would maybe better understand. Sometimes in plays you also hear invocations to "Love" instead of Venus or Aphrodite, for example. I think both variants are acceptable but we need to ponder whether we "stick to what the author wrote", and I will leave the choice to our editor.

I didn't realise when I claimed the part that I was supposed to be old enough to be Tomas' mother, so I've done my best with the voice to make her sound mature without going super-quavery and elderly (which I don't like).

I wouldn't worry about that. I once plays Todd's mother (and I am younger than him) but it didn't sound off at all, I think. And in Greek times, the mothers may often have been very young still. Let's say Parmeno is around 20 in this play, and Sostrata was a mother at 16, then she would be in her mid thirties and this is totally believable. She doesn't have to be an old hag. Actually I never thought she was, or they wouldn't have such young kids.

I think the performance is very well done. You bring an "aristocratic" touch into many of your roles anyway, so it feels like Sostrata was quite an upper-class Greek woman. She does take her misfortunes very composedly, which gives her a sort of grandeur of character.

No need to redo anything, totally PL ok.

Thanks

Sonia

[Availle]

Here is Syrah, with some advice for women.
Pity she doesn't have more to say. Might have been very interesting.

https://librivox.org/uploads/toddhw/hecyra_syra_1_128kb.mp3

[ToddHW]

Thank you.

Todd

[Kitty]

Here is Syrah, with some advice for women.
Pity she doesn't have more to say. Might have been very interesting.

haha, I see what you mean. She definitely knows the ways of the world I think you have been a procuress before in one of our plays...wasn't it The Devil is an Ass ? People seem to be drawn to similar characters.

Good job, especially when you burst out in exasperation. Thank you for not screaming in my ears

Totally PL ok. Thanks

Sonia

[leanneyauyau]

https://librivox.org/uploads/toddhw/hecyra_stagedirections_1_128kb.mp3
https://librivox.org/uploads/toddhw/hecyra_stagedirections_2_128kb.mp3
https://librivox.org/uploads/toddhw/hecyra_stagedirections_3_128kb.mp3
https://librivox.org/uploads/toddhw/hecyra_stagedirections_4_128kb.mp3
https://librivox.org/uploads/toddhw/hecyra_stagedirections_5_128kb.mp3

[ToddHW]

Thank you.

Todd

[Kitty]

thank you Leanne for the stage directions. Now Todd can start assembling for good. There are a few things that still need adjusting, but it was beautifully narrated, with a calm voice. I like it.

> the volume is under 86 in each act, but Todd will adjust that if necessary

But unfortunately, you made yourself a bit too much of work by including the character names where it wasn’t necessary. Sorry that I didn’t point it out specifically before, I actually thought that being involved in so many dramas you already knew about this convention, but maybe it’s your first time as narrator....

well: if the stage directions come right at the beginning of a speech, you include the character name, if they come in the middle or at the end of a speech, you don’t record the name

Todd: I noted down all the places where the character name is superfluous. There are quite a few... Do you need Leanne to cut them all out, or will it be ok for you to cut them out in editing ? In act 4 that’s the only mistake she made, so maybe she needs to cut them only in those acts where there were other mistakes as well and I could mark Act 4 PL ok already ? Unless it will make your job much easier if the file is all ready to plug in. You're the boss.

All right, here is my list of notes. Those that are in colour are the ones that need to be corrected, the black ones are only the cuttings of the character name. If Todd says it’s ok, then you don’t need to do those

*****

for Act 1:

> at 0:28: missing: Dramatis Personae. Could you please say them all with the character description, so in case we’re missing any by the reader, we can include your line:

example:
Laches, an aged Athenian, father of Pamphilus, read by
Phidippus, an aged Athenian, father of Philumena
(etc)

also include: Scene.—Athens; before the houses of Laches, Phidippus, and Bacchis.

> at 0:30: Todd: do you want any of the preceding parts included: the subject, title, summary and two prologues ? So far Leanne recorded none of them
Update: Todd's answer: "let's skip "The Subject", "The Title of the Play", and "The Summary of C ...". But please do record the First and Second prologues - skipping the footnotes"

> at 1:01: "pointing to her house" - character name cut

> at 1:13: "pointing to the house of Phidippus" - character name cut

*****

for Act 2:

> at 0:28: "pointing at Sostrata" - character name cut

> at 0:45: "Accosting him" - character name cut

> at 0:55: "Sostrata, sighing deeply" – you said “to Phidippus”

> at 0:57: "Laches, to Phidippus" – you forgot to say Laches here. In fact, I suspect you merged these two lines

> at 1:06: "Goes into her house" - character name cut

*****

for Act 3:

> at 0:40: “he listens” - character name cut

> at 0:49: “Goes into the house of Phidippus” - character name cut

> at 1:33: “Weeping” - character name cut

> at 1:37: “Goes into her house” - character name cut

> at 2:05: “the Attendants, who go into the house of Laches” - character name cut

> at 2:17: "exit slowly" – you say "they exit slowly", but it's only Parmeno that leaves

> at 2:25: "Stands apart" - character name cut

> at 2:47: "pointing to Phidippus" - character name cut

> at 3:06: "Going away" - character name cut

> at 3:21: "Goes hastily into his own house" - character name cut

*****

for Act 4:

only character name cuts - if Todd is ok with it, this can be PL ok. - Update: it's ok.

> at 0:40: "Goes into the house" - character name cut

> at 0:48: "Goes into the house" - character name cut

> at 1:03: "Goes into the house" - character name cut

> at 1:06: "ironically" - character name cut

> at 1:58: "pointing to Phidippus" - character name cut

> at 2:09: "exit speedily" - character name cut

> at 2:26: "turning to an attendant" - character name cut

> at 2:51: "pointing to the house of Phidippus" - character name cut

> at 3:18: "to her attendants" - character name cut

> at 3:22: "Goes into the house with Phidippus and her attendants" - character name cut

> at 3:30: "goes into the house" - character name cut

*****

for Act 5:

> at 0:57: "ironically" - character name cut

> at 1:00: "coming forward" - character name cut

> at 1:08: missing final end line: "End of Hecyra: The Mother-In-Law, by Terence. Translated by Henry Thomas Riley."

Pheeew, now this time I was working for my money

Sonia

[ToddHW]

I can cut out superfulous stuff when I edit. Extra is always preferred to too little.

Thanks, Todd

[Kitty]

I can cut out superfulous stuff when I edit. Extra is always preferred to too little.

yes, I thought the same, but didn't want to decide on my own.

Leanne, Act 4 is PL ok then, for the other acts, correcting the red notes is probably enough

thank you

Sonia

[Kitty]

Todd, maybe you didn't see my other question for Leanne's Act 1:

> at 0:30: Todd: do you want any of the preceding parts included: the subject, title, summary and two prologues ? So far Leanne recorded none of them

Sonia

[ToddHW]

Missed that. (I am only on my phone today.)

Certainly would like the title. I think the summaries and prologues are not great - I will have to look later today.

Thanks, Todd