Context: A lot of work is done to ensure that actors sound truthful and not as though they're giving a poetry recitation. It must sound natural so the audience can believe in the characters. A Midsummer Night's Dream is demanding in that much of the play is in rhyming couplets. Actors focus on the integrity of the thought behind the speaking rather than deliberately marking the rhythm and shape of the verse. They spend time finding the intention in the words, answering questions like: What drives the character? What does he want? |