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THE ACTING PROCESS BEHIND
PERFORMING THE ROLE OF
HIPPOLYTUS
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By
Curtis M. Jackson
B. A., Columbia College Chicago, 2008
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Submitted to the Graduate Faculty in the
Conservatory of Performing Arts
in partial fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree of
Master of Fine Arts
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Point Park University
2014
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS………………………………………..
iv
ABSTRACT………………………………………………………
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CHAPTERS
I. INTRODUCTION………………………………………
1
II. TEXTUAL ANALYSIS, HISTORICAL RESEARCH AND VISUAL ART
INSPIRATION
A. A CLOSE READING OF THE TEXT…………
3
B. HISTORICAL RESEARCH……………………
9
C. OTHER DRAMATIC VERSIONS……………..
12
D. VISUAL ART…………………………………..
14
III. ACTING TECHNIQUE
A. PRACTICAL AESTHETICS…………………..
19
B. HEIGHTENED LANGUAGE…………………
23
IV. CONCLUSION………………………………………
28
WORKS CITED………………………………………………….
31
APPENDIX
A. VISUAL ART………………………………………….
32
B. Phèdre PRODUCTION PHOTOS……………………..
38
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
It wasn’t possible to do this alone. Thank you Point Park University, and to all who have
taught me inside and out of the classroom. Thank you Robin Walsh, Monica A. Payne,
Sheila McKenna, John Amplas, Marianne DiQuattro, James FitzGerald, Terry McCabe,
Sheldon Patinkin and O. F. Harten. Special thanks to my fellow graduate class, and my
unconditionally supportive family.
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ABSTRACT
This thesis explores various approaches to my process, including conventional forms of
acting, and their application to heightened language text. I drew from Aristotle’s six
elements of drama, script analysis and practical research, bringing them to bear in my
portrayal of Hippolytus in Ted Hughes’ translation of Racine’s Phèdre.
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
As with all theatrical productions I’ve worked on, there is an acting process. The
acting process feels more like a blueprint, a guide to build structure supporting the
creation of the play’s production. After working with countless artists on various
theatrical productions, receiving a Bachelors of Arts from Columbia College Chicago in
Theatre Performance and learning about processes honed by many acting practitioners
during graduate studies at Point Park University, I’ve discovered not only how important
it is for an actor to have their own acting procedure, but for the actor to systematically
apply this process. Through textual analysis by way of Aristotle’s six elements of drama,
exploring the play though historical research, using visual art as a medium for inspiration
and applying the Practical Aesthetics conceived by David Mamet and William H. Macy, I
was able undertake the role of Hippolytus in Point Park University’s production of
Phèdre. Understanding the aspects of my acting process and how they were applied to the
production of Phèdre is the intent of this paper.
In the spring of 2013, I was assigned the role of Hippolytus in our graduate thesis
production of Phèdre by Jean Racine translated by Ted Hughes. Unlike auditioning for
the role in the show, the role was given to me, and I was charged with bringing the
character to life. For me, the analytical research and preparation experience through
textual analysis was a very important step in the acting process.
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I learned textual analysis, or a version of it, during my time in undergraduate
studies at Columbia College Chicago. Professor Terry McCabe and his Text Analysis
class instilled in me a level of dedication and respect toward the playwright, their purpose
and their plays. Through textual analysis, I learned that taking a close read of Racine’s
text led to a better understanding of Phèdre’s complex story. I also learned how to fully
understand the play through the six elements of drama written about in Poetics by
Aristotle. Plot, thought and spectacle were the main elements used to inform my acting
process for the production of Phèdre. They will be spoken about in this paper. (Character,
rhythm and language are three other elements written about by Aristotle, and will be
referenced, though not specifically in relation to Phèdre.) The character Hippolytus,
along with the other mythical characters in Phèdre, were researched and referenced as
source material. I was also able to represent the story of Phèdre through the use of visual
art.
During the rehearsal period for Phèdre, there were two main points of focus
directly relating to acting performance. I apply an acting technique called Practical
Aesthetics, originally conceived by David Mamet and William H. Macy. I also
concentrated on one of the most difficult aspects of performing Hughes’ translation of
Racine’s text, the ability to deliver heightened language.
Lastly, I will discuss the rehearsal process for Phèdre. I will also speak about how
incorporation of my acting process proved to be effective as our production of Phèdre
was well received by our audiences.
CHAPTER II
TEXTUAL ANALYSIS, HISTORICAL RESEARCH AND VISUAL ART
INSPIRATION
Research and textual analysis requires the actor to activate their analytical skills
when learning about a play, the playwright and the meaning of the play. Analytical
research helps me as an actor to develop how I’m going to approach the character as well
as the play. I become better informed about the world in which the play takes place and
how my character functions in that world.
In the case of textually analyzing the play Phèdre and the character Hippolytus, I
found the first and most important step is, of course, to read the play. Any questions I
initially have about the play will be answered by reading the script. Before I can begin to
play any character, I should know what the play is about, where the character I’m playing
comes from, what the character does in the play and what is done to the character. I
should also learn what the character relationships are and how my character supports the
meaning of the play.
The first read, or the first time I read a play, is to understand the story. Racine’s
version of Phèdre goes into great detail as to where we are, who we are and what we’re
doing. By first reading the play to get the story, we learn what the play is about. In Act I
Scene I, Hippolytus speaks the exposition for the audience as well as for the actors
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playing the roles. We discover we’re in the city of Troezen and Theseus’ reputation is
legendary as the king. We also discover King Theseus has been missing for six months.
Hippolytus is King Theseus’ son and he is in love with Aricia who is the surviving
daughter of the Pallantes, an enemy family to the king’s. We learn how Phèdre, King
Theseus’ wife and stepmother to Hippolytus, came to Troezen. Phèdre is consumed with
being in love with Hippolytus, her stepson, but she is concerned with what will become
of her own son once King Theseus is confirmed dead. Phèdre wants to assert her son’s
right to the throne and can do so if she is favored by Hippolytus. Meanwhile, Hippolytus
is claiming his right to succession and is restoring the throne of Athens to Aricia.
Hippolytus is in love with Aricia and plans to marry her.
Through analyzing the play textually, we find that Hippolytus could succeed as
ruler of Troezen and Crete. He could also restore the throne of Athens to Aricia, and if he
marries her, he would be in control of all of Greece leaving Phèdre and her son with
nothing. Political power is a strong theme within the text where the assertion of power is
offset by passionate love. “Fate is inescapable. And here, in Troezen, I had to confront the
one I banished. The first sight of him ripped my wounds wide open. No longer fever in
my veins, Venus has fastened on my like a tiger” (Hughes 18). Eventually, the king
returns which leaves the characters to deal with their prior ill-fated decisions.
By first reading the play objectively, I was able to piece together the play’s
complicated story. I take the first read to break down the play’s synopsis into a simple
and specific explanation. Everything else I find about the play becomes in full support of
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that synopsis. Everything else about the play can be considered the character’s journey,
showing the content of the play’s story.
Terry McCabe, author of the book Mis-directing the Play: An Argument Against
Contemporary Theatre and my text analysis professor at Columbia College Chicago,
relied heavily on Aristotle’s six elements of drama. Spoken about in Aristotle’s Poetics,
the six elements of drama refer to what makes a well made dramatic play. Applying the
six elements to Racine’s Phèdre helped me to understand what about the play was
important, what about my character was needed to fulfill the play and what we wanted
the audience to gain from the story. For the character Hippolytus and the production of
Phèdre as a whole, I relied specifically on three of the elements; the play’s plot, thought
and spectacle.
The first and probably most important element of drama, so says Aristotle, is plot
or mythos. The plot is literally what happens in the play. Plot has been referred to as the
representation of action or the structure of incidents. “Hence, the Plot is the imitation of
the action:- for by plot, I here mean the arrangement of incidences” (Aristotle 11). While
working on Racine’s Phèdre, I knew the plot could be considered complicated. Therefore,
during my textual analysis of the play, I had to focus on the plot in order to fully
understand the play.
Aristotle says the plot must be whole, “A whole is that which has a beginning, a
middle and an end” (14). Phèdre’s plot begins with a missing king, a deranged queen and
Hippolytus’ declaration of love to Aricia. The middle includes Phèdre’s declaration of
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love to Hippolytus, the king’s return and Hippolytus being accused of rape. The end of
Phèdre’s plot concludes with the banishment and death of Hippolytus, Phèdre’s
confession before suicide and King Theseus’ acceptance of Aricia. Viewing Phèdre’s plot
as a whole with a beginning, middle and end helped to inform me about Hippolytus’s
journey throughout the entire play. I was able to conclude what is ultimately important to
Hippolytus during each section of the play so as to determine how best to communicate
the plot to the audience.
The plot as a whole must also function as a unit. The beginning, middle and end
of the plot must be united through consistency of the actions of events. An action
happening earlier in the play causes another later on in the play. Aristotle writes about
plot-unity stating, “…the internal structure of the plot, so that what follows should be the
necessary or probable result of the proceeding action” (19). Learning how Phèdre is
united as a whole helped me to determine what consistencies needed to be developed by
Hippolytus. For example, constant references to King Theseus’ relationships with women
lead to Hippolytus’ aversion to love.This directly related to more action in later scenes
uniting the plot/play as a whole. I was able to develop Hippolytus’ behavior towards love
through discovering how the plot as a whole is united.
At first, it was difficult to follow the plot by just reading the play, especially when
the plot changes. But Aristotle says, plot changes (plot reversals or peripeteia) are what
make a well made play. It’s also what delineates a simple plot from a complex plot.
Phèdre has a complex plot where all of the characters have what is called a reversal of the
situation. For Hippolytus, I attributed his moments of desperation, uncertainty and
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emotionally driven courses of action to his ever-changing plot reversals. For example, in
Act IV of Phèdre, Hippolytus seeks to comfort his father Theseus by revealing good
news about being in love with Aricia. Instead, by the end of the scene, Hippolytus is
accused by Theseus of committing adultery and incest with Phèdre, and banished from
Troezen. This scene is also an example of Hippolytus’ recognition of character; another
element of plot coinciding with plot reversal. “Recognition, as the name indicates, is a
change from ignorance to knowledge, producing love or hate between the persons
destined by the poet for good or bad fortune” (20). Playing the role of Hippolytus
including Aristotle’s definition of recognition meant I had to critically acknowledge
moments of recognition such as when Hippolytus recognizes his love for Aricia or
recognizes Phèdre’s trechery.
The combination of Aristotle’s elements (plot, character and language) must
support the fifth element of a drama, thought. “…Thought,— that is, the faculty of saying
what is possible and pertinent in given circumstances” (Aristotle 13). Our director,
Monica Payne, developed the thought as a force within the play. She chose to have all of
the elements of drama support the play’s thought by focusing on Phèdre’s mood and
execution. Our production centered around the plot, characters and language inspired by
the overwhelming power of love. The play climaxed in the death of characters, and
descended with acceptance towards truth. To play the role of Hippolytus in this
production, I had to recognize how we put together all the elements of drama within this
play, and submit to that thought. By establishing the overwhelming power of love was
going to be the thought of our production, and by attributing the combined elements
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supporting the thought as one of the six elements of drama, I was able to perform within
the bounds of our production. I was able to make sense of our director’s concept and
execute the concept during performance.
Everything that is seen or heard onstage is the sixth element of drama, spectacle.
Though a minimalist set, general theatre lighting, one cellist, three chairs and thousands
of red rose petals seemed to simplify the sensory effect on our audience, in our
production of Phèdre the spectacle aspect of the show emphasized the performance of the
actors. The actors could also be considered spectacle as are costumes, sound, lights, set
and props. As the actor playing Hippolytus, I used the spectacle to better support my
character and the play. Aristotle writes that spectacle has “an emotional attraction of its
own, but of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of
poetry” (13). To support the overall spectacle of the production, I honed my physical
presence as the heir to the throne of Greece. Our clothes were not traditional greek
tragedy costumes, but the use of my bare feet on the stage floor, a dagger strapped to my
waist and a fitted black leather jacket gave me a strong physical presence. The sound of
the cellist helped to create a visceral feeling for Hippolytus at the top of the show as did
being immersed in blood-red colored rose petals. I’ve always made full use of spectacle
to help me perform in the world of the play. In our production of Phèdre, spectacle helped
Hippolytus feel in love, feel as if he were in a palace and feel like a king.
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Historical Research
Despite Racine’s detailed retelling of the story of Hippolytus, there were many aspects to
Phèdre that weren’t easily apparent by just reading the script. I knew if there were
questions that could not be answered just by reading the script, I must further my research
by reading as much about the play and the character of Hippolytus as I could.
The information about the mythical character Hippolytus is literally a full length
play within itself. Researching the character Hippolytus and uncovering what could be
used to support his actions is another important step in the analysis process. Throughout
Racine’s Phèdre, there’s mention of where Hippolytus came from and who he is. Terry
McCabe, along with other theatrical writers, label the process of learning about a
character as character analysis. Character analysis describes a character’s personality
based on their thoughts and behaviors. Through my research on the character Hippolytus,
I found his mother, and her story in direct relation to his father were very influential
towards the character analysis.
Hippolytus’ thoughts and actions are described as chaste, prideful and bronze. He
is “Our Prince of Scorn, who laughed at love and lovers?” (Hughes 6). Hippolytus also
describes himself as not being a self-indulgent or wild person. He says, “There’s not a
drop of dissolute blood in me” (Hughes 60). Hippolytus believes this, because he feels he
inherited honorable traits from his mother. Hippolytus also explains he inherited pride
from his mother by stating, “I drank this spirit in from the breast of an Amazon…” (6).
Théramène also describes the influence of Antiope, Hippolytus’ mother, and her
submission to love. He explains Antiope’s ability to love, along with the power of Venus,
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influences Hippolytus taking precedence over being prideful and bronze. He questions
Hippolytus: “Maybe Venus has suffered your taunts a day too long? Has she forced you,
even you, to kneel at her alter bending your neck—…”(6). Théramène then says to
Hippolytus, “You reject love, but where would Hippolytus be if Antiope, your
indomitable mother, had not nursed that flame for your father?” (8). As a part of my
research, I sought to know more information about his mother in hopes of understand
what made Hippolytus such a noble and love fearing man.
I discovered Antiope, Hippolytus’ mother, was the sister to Hippolyta, Queen of
the Amazons known by her golden chastity garter. Though stories conflict, Antiope is
mentioned by name in Racine’s script as Hippolytus’ mother, therefore my research
towards Hippolytus’ character would come from Antiope and Theseus’ story. In relation
to Hercules’ ninth labor and the obtaining of Hippolyta’s girdle, our story states that
Antiope was captured by King Theseus and brought to Troezen. Antiope however
betrayed the Amazons by eventually falling in love with Theseus and bearing his child,
Hippolytus. Theseus later abandons Antiope for Phèdre. Antiope rallies the Amazons
against Theseus’ marriage to Phèdre, and attacks Athens on their wedding day. Antiope is
later then killed during the attack. Some versions of the story say Theseus killed Antiope.
Some say she was killed by Hercules and some say she was mistakenly killed by another
Amazon, Molpadia. I believe Antiope’s story directly influenced Hippolytus’ character to
be chaste and resentful to his father. Knowing Hippolytus’ mother was abandoned by his
his father, Theseus, and replaced by Phèdre provided insight towards developing these
character relationships.
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Researching the backstory on Hippolytus’ mother, Antiope, helped to define
Hippolytus’ character in regards to his father, King Theseus. Hippolytus views Theseus as
“…a hero in your own epic” and describs his father as “…filling the empty place of
Hercules” (Hughes 51, 6). Hippolytus also mentions Theseus’ heroic triumph by slaying
the Minotaur in Crete and keeping all of Greece safe. However, when Hippolytus
describes Theseus’ less admirable character traits relating to women and love, his regard
for his father changes to feelings of resentment. Hippolytus later condemns his father
Theseus for believing in Phèdre’s accusations by saying he is obsessed with adultery and
incest. Theseus’ past directly influences Hippolytus’ character where Hippolytus is
inspired to be heroic like his father, but adverse to meaningless relationships with
women. Furthermore, this research effects Hippolytus’ relationship with Phèdre
informing me about his resentful feeling towards her for taking his mother’s place along
side Theseus.
Researching and textually analyzing information about the character Hippolytus
led me to develop my character analysis. Hippolytus is: bronze, but an obedient son,
chaste, but admires women, brave, but has never been in battle, admirable, but scornful,
and rejecting of romantic love, but in love. After reading Phèdre to get the story and
learning about the history between Antiope and Theseus, I was able to appropriately play
the role of Hippolytus in relation to the other characters.
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Other Dramatic Version
In addition to reading Jean Racine’s version, the research process included different
dramatic treatments of the myth by different playwrights. Hippolytus by Euripides is a
Greek tragedy which was first performed in Athens in 428 BC. Euripides’ play
Hippolytus is derived from the myth of Hippolytus and is the first theatrical production of
the story. In this section I will examine 2 of those: Euripides’ Hippolytus and Kane’s
Phaedra’s Love.
In Euripides’ Hippolytus, there is more insight on all of the characters’ outrageous
motivations being out of their control. Euripides relied heavily on the power of love
being out of control of the common man and in the control of a higher power—
Aphrodite the Goddess of love. In this version, Aphrodite is angered by Hippolytus due to
his rejection of love. “It is his sinful neglect of me for which I shall punish Hippolytus
this very day” (Euripides 67). Hippolytus is chaste and sworn to worship the Goddess of
the hunt, Artemis. “He consorts with her [Artemis] continually in the green forests,
clearing away the beasts of the earth with his swift dogs, pursuing a more than mortal
companionship” (67). Aphrodite sets a plan in motion to punish Hippolytus by casting a
spell over Phèdre, Hippolytus’ stepmother, causing her to fall in love with him. Euripides’
story put the control in the hands of the gods. Oppositely, Racine’s characters have
control over their fate.
Researching Euripides’ Hippolytus offered more analytical comprehension
towards the story of Phèdre and the character Hippolytus. For Hippolytus, he too was in
the control of a higher power, Artemis the Goddess of the hunt, leading him to be chaste.
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Though the differences between Racine’s Phèdre and Euripides’ Hippolytus primarily
revolve around what is exactly motivating the characters, their stories directly relate to
each other when it comes to the overwhelming power of love. Racine’s version seemed to
involve political positions of power where Euripides’ original version dealt with the
power of the Gods, but both are valid and helped to put me in a strong position to
perform the role of Hippolytus.
Sarah Kane’s play is a very contemporary, Hippolytus-centered and a quasicomedic adaptation of Racine’s Phèdre. Hippolytus’ story follows the similar pattern of
being falsely accused of rape, imprisoned and cast out by his father Theseus, however the
character has been completely transformed. Not only does this version include gruesome
violence and sexuality, the character Hippolytus is depicted as the opposite of every other
Hippolytus described in other texts. “Kane’s revisioning of the Hippolytus and Phaedra
myth took inspiration from Seneca, rather than Euripides or Racine– Nevertheless, there
is a highly Racinian feel to Phaedra’s Love: the setting, the royal palace, functioning as
spatial metaphor for Phaedra’s inescapable passion, presented as a human rather than
god-driven emotion” (Aston 78).
In Kane’s version, Hippolytus is described as fat, lazy, cynical, apathetic and
overtly sexual though sexually unsatisfied. Phaedra still falls in love with him and says to
Hippolytus, “You’re difficult. Moody, cynical, bitter, fat, decadent, spoilt. You stay in bed
all day then watch TV all night, you crash around this house with sleep in your eyes and
not a thought for anyone. You’re in pain. I adore you” (Kane 79). In Kane’s Phaedra’s
Love, the play has nothing to do with love, but rather the grotesqueness of humanity.
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Elizabeth Klett saw it as, “The play, for all its explicit sex and violence, is a darkly
humorous exploration of the place of love in a godless, celebrity-obsessed materialistic
society” (“PHAEDRA’S LOVE (Review)”). Despite the setting of the play, Hippolytus’
character in Phaedra’s Love is completely different than Racine’s depiction.
The myth of Hippolytus, Euripides’ and Racine’s characterization of Hippolytus
describe him as chaste, bronze, admirable, beautiful and prideful. Researching these
differences in character traits between the many versions of the story can be used to
identify analytically the true character of Hippolytus for our production. I found
researching these plays and comparing their contrasting aspects informative to me as the
actor playing the role of Hippolytus.
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Visual Art Inspiration
Visual art became an inspiring source of practical research material. Throughout time,
paintings and sculptures have depicted the stories we tell through the medium of theatre.
A multitude of visual art sprung out of sourcing iconic classical art. Conducting practical
research on classical art to find source materials as inspiration became another way of
learning about Hippolytus.
As a part of my preparation for the role Hippolytus, I put together two pieces of
art. One was in the form of a collage and the other became a storybook coupling Racine’s
text with found visual art. The collage represented insight into Hippolytus’ journey
beginning with the story of his mother, Antiope, and ending with the gruesomeness of his
death by Poseidon. Both the collage and storybook not only help to depict what’s actually
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happening, but also further describe my character analysis. Through another artist’s
interpretation and perspective, we get the essence of emotion, conflict, inner and outerrelationships to help support and convey the story’s meaning.
My collage was made as a visual art piece depicting a timeline of events relating
to the story of Hippolytus. I found images, some directly created for Racine’s Phèdre, to
represent Hippolytus’ story. After compiling the images, I placed them together to make a
linear timeline of events.
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Assembling different kinds of found art relating to Racine’s Phèdre to make a
new piece of art allowed me to better learn Hippolytus’ story. The School of Education at
John Hopkins University wrote about learning through visual arts stating, “The arts offer
us models for the redescription of the world. They attach us to others, to our history, and
to ourselves by providing a tapestry rich with threads of time, place, character, and even
advice on what we might do with our lives” (Dickenson, Lee. “Learning Through Visual
Arts”). By producing the art, I was also able to form a personal artistic attachment to the
character Hippolytus and artistically develop a better understanding of Phèdre.
For my second piece, I created a storybook which specifically related pieces of
visual art to Jean Racine’s text from Phèdre. Each piece of art was coupled with the text
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to tell a synopsis of Phèdre’s story. I wanted to promote our production using timed
released pages of my storybook as advertisement. I wanted to market our show using
somewhat ancient art and text without revealing our production’s contemporary look.
Marketing this show using the ancient visual art synopsis helped to generate interest and
acquaint the audience on what they were eventually going to see.
Phaedra and Hippolytus, 1802, Pierre-Narcisse Guérin, Baron
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Phèdre (Above)
Phèdre: Theseus is alive? Oenone, it's finished. I have confessed an appetite that is unspeakable. With a
few greedy words I have stripped my husband of all honour. Aye! And Hippolytus! That arrogant gaze, plan
as speech, tells me how hopeless my case is.
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Oenone: Say nothing. All my plan requires is your silence. Accuse him first-of the same crime. Who could
contradict you? Everything is evidence against him. His own sword-which he left in your hand so luckily.
Innocent blood might have to be spilt if it threatens your name.
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Theseus: Shall I never get out of the labyrinth? Where am I? Which way can I turn? The adulterer's gaze
has to inveigle us with that seamless mask of probity.
As an example, I used an image of Baron Pierre-Narcisse Guérin's oil paining
entitled Phaedre and Hippolytus. The image depicts a series of notable plot changing
events happing in the play. Hippolytus is shown representing rejection of his father and
the kingdom’s hold on his maturing as a man. Theseus has returned to Troezen, and is
seated in a position of power as the king with an accusatory look given to Hippolytus.
Phèdre is seated beside Theseus, seemingly after she has accuses Hippolytus of adultery
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and incest. Phèdre is baring Hippolytus’ sword as evidence, while being fed damaging
advice from Oenone who is positioned behind her whispering in her ear. I wanted to best
represent this image with Racine’s text captioning the events happening in the image.
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I also used another image interpreting the climax of the play. This engraving of an
1850’s production of Racine’s Phèdre came from the Granger Collection. The image
shows the actors in motion as Phèdre has confessed her love, and is rejected by
Hippolytus. The engraving also shows Oeone’s attempt to save Phèdre from committing
suicide by Hippolytus’ sword. The dialogue I used to caption the image depicts the
dramatic climax of Racine’s Phèdre.
RACINE: Phèdre, 1850. Scene from an 1850 production of 'Phèdre,' by Jean Racine (1639-1699). Wood
engraving, English, 1850. The Granger Collection.
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Phèdre
Phèdre: I look at you and I see him. My husband's face is this face. And my love, my need, yes, in spite of
myself, my deprivation, my starvation, my fever-I can't hide it. He has to know it. It has to come out.
...your baring, exactly, your eyes, your lips, the very pitch of your voice, this noble modesty gives his
cheeks just that flesh of colour. Look-my heart. Here. Bury your sword here. I feel it lifting to meet your
stroke. Strike!
-Phèdre reveals her burning love for Hippolytus, her stepson
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Inspiration through visual art and storytelling through images captioned by
Racine’s text further my understanding of Phèdre. Making the collage and storybook
enabled me to retell a synopsis of the story highlighting Hippolytus’ journey. I was able
to recall picturizations of these scenes captioned with the text as a reference during the
rehearsals.
CHAPTER III
ACTING TECHNIQUE
The actor must understand that a technique cannot in itself enable him or her to act.
Rather, it provides the actor with tools that, combined with strength of will, bravery, and
common sense, can help the actor bring the life of the human soul to the circumstances
created by the playwright.
-A Practical Handbook for the Actor (Bruder et, al. 9)
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Practical Aesthetics
While I researched the play, read different translations of the story, created visual
inspiration, and applied Aristotle’s six elements of drama, I also applied an acting
technique during rehearsal and performance. The technique I subscribed to is called
Practical Aesthetics and was originally conceived by David Mamet and William H. Macy.
Practical Aesthetics is derived from the methods of Sanford Meisner, Stanislavski
and the Greek Stoic philosopher Epictetus. The technique teaches actors to use a four step
process when working on a scene from a play. The techniques are explained in A
Practical Handbook for the Actor and are also mentioned in the book True and False,
written by David Mamet.
As a graduate student at Point Park University, I was reintroduced to the
Stanislavski based technique. Both Robin Walsh and Rich Keitel, my acting teachers,
attributed good acting to having a Stanislavski based method where characters are
internally developed and externally performed. My Meisner teacher, Monica Payne,
taught me the importance of an actor doing something during a scene which involves
Jackson 19
Jackson !20
their scene partners. I discovered Practical Aesthetics as an acting technique which
includes Stanislavski’s internal development of what a character is experiencing in a
scene, and Meisner’s work on what the actor is doing in the scene.
Practical Aesthetic’s four step analysis focuses on both Stanislavski’s method and
Meisner’s technique. While performing the role of Hippolytus, I payed constant attention
to what the character Hippolytus was experiencing during the play and what I was
actually doing as the actor performing the role. The analysis forces the actor to make
decisions on what he is doing to communicate the scenes to the audience. Award winning
actress Felicity Huffman uses the Practical Aesthetics technique stating, “It gave me
structure from which to work. Analyzing the script, breaking it down to actions that are
simple and become habitual. The structure then becomes the base from which the actor
can jump into improvisatory work. The true currency of the actor is in the moment-tomoment work. That’s where the truth of the moment lies” (“Successful Actors Talk About
Their Training.” backstage.com). The four steps written about in A Practical Handbook
for the Actor are called: the “literal,” the “want,” the “essential action” and the “as-if.”
Using Act V in Racine’s Phèdre, as an example of applying Practical Aesthetics, I
started with step one of the analysis process, the “literal.” This step answers the question,
“What is the character literally doing?” (Bruder, et al. 21). I wrote out a basic description
of what is happening in the scene.
Act V: “Hippolytus is asking Aricia to run away with him and get married.”
In Act V, Hippolytus speaks long speeches about Phèdre’s declaration of love for
him, and his father’s accusations toward him about adultery and incest. Hippolytus also
Jackson !21
explains he has been dishonorably banished from Troezen, that he would like Aricia to
escape with him and that they can be married at a sacred ancient shrine. Although there is
a lot of dialogue and exposition written in heightened language, the literal description of
what is happening in this scene is, Hippolytus is asking Aricia to run away with him and
get married.
The “want” in Act V for Hippolytus would be: What Hippolytus wants Aricia to
do or say. I wrote: “Hippolytus wants Aricia to agree she will marry him and escape
together.”
Again, a basic description of what the character Hippolytus wants from the other
character in the scene gives a strong starting position. I now have a clear intention and
specific need from the other character in the scene.
The “essential action” step for me was not as basic or simple as the first two steps.
I attribute the “essential action” step to the teachings of Sanford Meinser’s acting
approach. A Practical Handbook for the Actor describes “essential action” as “…or
essence, of what the character is doing in the scene. This is the actual physical action you
will be performing onstage…” Once I found the essence of what Hippolytus was doing in
the scene, I had to develop what Hippolytus was physically going to be doing. “Essential
action” is attributed to physical action. “To act means to do, so you must always have
something specific to do onstage or you will immediately stop acting” (Bruder et al. 13).
Meisner’s acting exercise, called the Activity, is synonymous with physical action.
“Acting is doing. It is not talking about, it is doing something and when we are not doing
onstage we have stopped acting” (Silverberg 55). Practical Aesthetics’ technique has nine
Jackson !22
guidelines to follow when developing physical action derived from “essential action.”
This action must:
!
1. be physically capable of being done.
2. be fun to do.
3. be specific.
4. have its test in the other person.
5. not be an errand.
6. not presuppose any physical or emotional state.
7. not be manipulative.
8. have a ‘cap.’
9. be in line with the intentions of the playwright. (Bruder et al. 13-14)
The “essential action” I chose for Hippolytus was: “Make Aricia sacrifice her life
for love.” My physical action for Hippolytus became kneeling before Aricia, wrapping
my arms around her waist and proposing for her hand in marriage. This “essential action”
gave me a strong physical action in order to get what I wanted. It also fit perfectly within
the context of the scene that involved the other characters.
The fourth step in Practical Aesthetics’ scene analysis process is called the “as if.”
Its intent is to help the actor get away from thinking about the play as fiction by
developing ways to find the truth in the scene. By applying the “as if,” I was able to
immerse myself into the scene by using my own sense memory, acting as if I were in the
scene’s imaginary circumstance. Playing the character Hippolytus “as if” I were in
Hippolytus’ situations allowed me to commit to the circumstances, react honestly to what
was happening and pursue my intentions. “It helps the actor gain a fuller understanding
of the action he has chosen for a given scene.” (Burder et al. 27-28).
Jackson !23
Using Act V as an example, I acted as if I were asking my true love to escape with
me and get married. Relating the “as if” to the “essential action,” I proposed marriage to
her truthfully incorporating physical honesty as if I would in reality proposing to my true
love.
Using the Practical Aesthetics as an acting technique during the production of
Phèdre helped me to be a physically and mentally present actor during rehearsals.
Because of the techniques I was able to try different choices in the scenes, and later select
the strongest choice that worked best for the scenes. I was never at a loss or unable to
actively engage during rehearsal. The technique’s emphasis on involving the other actors
also enforced a strong connection between my scene partners and me.
!
The Language
Racine’s Phèdre is written in heightened language. To avoid getting lost and
overwhelmed with the text, I paid close attention to how Racine’s text is needed to best
serve the play, what is considered heightened language and how to deliver a strong
performance by having intention through the use of heightened language.
Racine was a master at writing in alexandrian verse, and he chose this way of
writing because of the effect it would have on the audience. The effect of his writing was
explained to be Racine’s intention. He wanted to inspire social dominance, to be
acknowledged as the greatest literary figure of his age and to be the Euripides of classical
France. Racine’s writing was known for being beautiful while full of heart-wrenching and
tragic sentiment. He wrote primarily neoclassical works drawing on the tragedies first
Jackson !24
presented by the Greeks. Because of Racine’s intricate poetry, his works are not easily
translated into other languages without the full effect of the poetry being lost. Knowing
this about Racine and his writing allowed me to read and perform in Phèdre with a better
understanding of how this story is both beautifully written and ugly in human nature.
I believe Racine’s poetry is considered to represent raw human instinct delivered
through elegant linguistics. This is why his works are difficult to translate into the
English language. We used the Ted Hughes translation of Racine’s Phèdre which is, as
our director Monica Payne says, the best translation of Racine’s work. Hughes’
translation of Phèdre was written in free verse to allow a more natural rhythm of speech.
I believe the challenge for Hughes was to translate Racine’s alexandrine meter into
beautiful English poetry while keeping the ugly nature of human behavior.
Performing heightened language was a challenge for me as a young actor. While
working on Phèdre, the same challenges blocked my ability to fully speak the lines and
understand what I was saying. Through the advice of my Shakespeare teacher at Point
Park University, James FitzGerald, I was reminded of John Barton and his teachings on
delivering heightened language.
John Barton is a theatre director, actor and writer who specializes in
Shakespearian Theatre. In his book and television series, both entitled Playing
Shakespeare, Barton speaks about heightened language where he describes it as text full
of images, metaphor and simile. For the characters, the text is not necessarily considered
naturalistic, but of an urgent need to be used to heighten the character’s intention. Phèdre
Jackson !25
is written in heightened language and I wanted to develop Hippolytus’ speeches to make
full use of the text and full understanding of the language. I wanted to develop the
character Hippolytus as someone who uses his language not only to explain himself, but
in return, is also being described by what he speaks. Barton says, “…the nature of the
language tells us the nature of the character, or maybe we should say is the
character” (71).
Hippolytus’ speeches in Phèdre are beautifully written poetry. During Phèdre’s
rehearsals, I wanted to not only deliver the speeches clearly, but to exploit the richness of
the heightened language. I found myself becoming overwhelmed with the amount of
physical and mental agility it took to deliver these very long speeches, and realized how
much attention it took away from working with my scene partners. I went back to John
Barton’s Playing Shakespeare, and realized the same fundamentals on Shakespeare’s
heightened language applied to Racine’s text.
In regard to heightened language, Barton says, “I believe that in rehearsal, at any
rate, we should tend to go too far, because we can always pull back later” (57). In
addition to going too far with the delivery of the language during our Phèdre rehearsals, I
also discovered what motivated the language needed to be clear to the audience. The
motivation for the language is the intention. The most important step with heightened
language wasn’t to deliver the speech as beautiful poetry, but to first establish the
intention of the speech. Barton uses one of Henry V’s speeches as an example and states,
“…I want to concentrate here on Henry’s use of language. His intention is to rally his
Jackson !26
troops and so his language is heightened because of his intention, not because it is a set
speech” (69).
When Hippolytus’ intention with his speeches became clear, the speeches
themselves became clear, and the heightened language became words that Hippolytus
needed to say. Hippolytus’ speech to Aricia is a wonderful example of heightened
language where I needed to find a very clear intention in order to deliver the speech. I
chose Hippolytus’ intention to be: A truthful confession to Aricia about how I’m in love
with her. Hippolytus’ need to speak words that may be unfamiliar to him is considered
heightened language, but the language came from a clear intention that even Hippolytus
is able to execute.
Desperate, humiliated,
With the arrow in me,
Six months of mortification,
Fighting you, fighting myself.
I search your absence for you like a madman,
And yet I run from your presence.
Everywhere in the woods your image hunts me.
I try to escape you
But every shaft of sunlight,
Every night shadow
Sets you in front of me, surrounds me with you.
Everything competes to fling
The obstinate fool Hippolytus
!
Helpless at your feet. (Hughes 30)
Jackson !27
The heightened language is a highly regarded aspect of Phèdre. There is both
narrative exposition and dramatic dialogue in Phèdre which I was able to use to help
portray the character Hippolytus. His language is dynamic, expressive and vivid,
therefore so is the character of Hippolytus. I was able to use the heightened language as
my primary way to communicate human emotions, communicate exposition, break
through character obstacles, and relate the story of Phèdre to the audience. Techniques
from Barton’s Playing Shakespeare and an understanding of Racine’s intentions through
his literary works bettered my ability to perform Hippolytus’ speeches.
CHAPTER IV
THE CONCLUSION
!
Phèdre is the tragic story of a queen and her unrequited love for her stepson. Unbalanced
by the Goddess Venus and spurned by the young man, Phèdre’s pursuit of Hippolytus
forces her mind and the family itself into a downward spiral from which there is no
return.
-Monica A. Payne, Director
Incorporating this entire process while working on the production of Phèdre was a huge
undertaking. Our rehearsal process was very unusual and included chunks of time
working together as a cast of actors, and chunks of time working individually as
researchers. While we were together, a lot of time was devoted to table work sessions,
some acting exercises and staging on a minimalist set.
During the table work sessions, our cast would speak about the research found in
Greek mythology, the different versions of Phèdre, and correct pronunciations of Greek
names and places. We would talk about heightened language, and the overwhelming
power of love being in control of the goddess Venus rather than in the control of the
characters. In addition to putting together collages for inspiration through visual art, we
also made character tableaus called triptychs. We self directed and performed these
triptychs using a minimalist set, some lighting and some costumes to convey parts of our
character’s story.
To help with the heightened language and memorization, our director, Monica
Payne, taught us an acting exercise called punctuations walks. The punctuation walks
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Jackson !29
exercise could be done with a scene partner or alone. The idea is to have the actor step
forward on each syllable of a line, and only changing direction, body position, physical
and vocal speed when punctuation in the line appears. The lines are to be spoken in a
monotone voice so as not to develop artificially memorized vocal inflection. We spent
full rehearsal periods working on the punctuation walks exercise. The exercise helped us
to physically learn our lines, be able to tackle long speeches of heightened language and
develop a connection with our scene partners when we were punctuation walking
together.
We met as a cast once a week for fifteen weeks. During that time, we eventually
started to work on staging scenes in the rehearsal space on our minimalist set. The set
consisted of three antique chairs and thousands of red-rose petals. Knowing there would
be very little to anchor us as actors, other than the three chairs, our director instructed us
to own the space, and depend on the language of the piece to ground us along with each
other as scene partners. The staging of Phèdre also became minimalistic where most of
the movement came from the actors entering or exiting the stage. This allowed for our
director to create a lot of picturization, and freed us as actors to communicate through
text, physical gesture and physical contact.
After a four week hiatus from working on Phèdre, we were finally able to meet as
a complete cast. We immediately began to review, re-block and work on new staging with
newly added cast members. During this time, I was able to review all of my research
about Phèdre by teaching it to the new cast members. During technical rehearsals, the use
of spectacle (i.e. costumes, light, sound and props) helped to solidify for all of us the
Jackson !30
world in which this play and our characters lived. The production of Phèdre had literally
come to life.
Our production of Phèdre opened on February 1st and closed on February 2nd,
2014. With only three scheduled performances within a two day period, I was very
impressed by the overwhelmingly hard work and dedication put forth by our entire cast
and crew. During the performance period, I felt my acting process while working on this
show prepared me to sustain a fully professional, six week run. I felt confident and
informed about what our play was saying, what my character was doing and who my
character was in relation to the rest of the cast. I felt the play was very well suited for its
production and served the Aristotelian definition of a well made play.
Performing the role of Hippolytus in Racine’s Phèdre proved the importance of an
actor having an acting process. By applying a text analysis to the script, I was able to
develop how to approach the play as well as the character Hippolytus. Fully
understanding the play through Aristotle’s six elements of drama clarified for me the
aspects of our production and how they all fit together. Researching historical myths
supported the discoveries I made about Hippolytus’ character traits and creating visual art
unlocked my artistry towards visually interpreting Racine’s classical text. Using the
Practical Aesthetics scene analysis always gave me as an actor something to bring into
rehearsal and kept me from actor’s blocks. Finally, applying intention to heightened
language provided me with the ability to not be overwhelmed by Phèdre’s very long and
beautiful poetry.
WORKS CITED
Aristotle. Poetics. Mineola: Dover Publications, Inc., 1997. Print.
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Aston, Elaine. Feministic Views on the English Stage: Women Playwrights 1990-2000.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003. eBook.
!
Barton, John. Playing Shakespeare. New York: Anchor Books, a division of Random
House, Inc., 1984. Print.
!
Bruder, Melissa, Lee Michael Cohen, Madeleine Olnek, Nathaniel Pollack, Robert
Previto, and Scott Zigler. A Practical Handbook for the Actor. New York: Random
House, Inc., 1986. Print.
!
Dickinson, Dee. “Learning Through the Arts.” New Horizons for Learning. (1997). http://
education.jhu.edu/PD/newhorizons/strategies/topics/Arts%20in%20Education/
dickinson_lrnarts.htm. Date Accessed April 13, 2014.
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Kane, Sarah. Sarah Kane: Complete Plays; Blasted; Phaedra’s Love; Cleansed; Crave;
4.48 Psychosis; Skin. London: Methuen Publishing, 2001. Print.
!
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Jackson !32
Klett, Elizabeth. “PHAEDRA’S LOVE (Review).” jstor.org (Oct. 11, 2002). http://
www.jstor.org/stable/25069242. Date Accessed April 19, 2014.
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Hughes, Ted. Phèdre: A Play. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1998. Print.
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McCabe, Terry. Mis-directing the Play: An Argument Against Contemporary Theatre.
Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, 2001. Print.
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Silverberg, Larry. The Sanford Meisner Approach. Hanover: Smith and Kraus, Inc., 1994.
Print.
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“Successful Actors Talk About Their Training.” Backstage.com (Nov. 09 2011). http://
www.backstage.com/news/successful-actors-talk-about-their-training/. Date Accessed
April 17, 2014.
APPENDIX A
Hippolytus by Eugene Danagers.
Phèdre (Above)
Everything has changed since the gods
Decided to grace this palace
With the daughter of Minos and Pasiphae.
-Hippolytus
!
Phèdre (Left)
Oenone: What is all
this remorse? What
crime could be so
awful?
!
Phèdre: He had simply
appeared-Staring at me,
The man created to
destroy me. Before I
could grasp what I'd
seen I felt my face
flame crimson-then go
numb. My whole body
scorched-then icy
sweat. My eyes went
dark.
I could not speak.
Phèdre by Alexandre Cabanel, 1880.
I could hardly stand.
The first sight of him
ripped my wounds wide open. No longer a fever in my veins, Venus has fastened on me like a tiger. I know
my guilt and it terrifies me. My own craving fills me with horror. I detest my life…
-Phèdre reveals her dark secret to Oenone
Jackson 33
Jackson !34
Phèdre (Left)
Hippolytus: I try to escape
you. But every shaft of
sunlight, every night shadow
sets you in from of me,
surrounds me with you. All I
had meant to do was declare
my love. Your delicate snare
has caught a strange creature...
-Hippolytus declares his love
to Aricia
The Awakening of Adonis by John William Waterhouse, 1900.
Phèdre, The Ganger Collection, 1850.
Phaedra, Oenone And Hippolytus by
Raphael Urbain Massard,1824.
!!
!!
!!
!!
Phèdre (Left & Below)
Hippolytus: You gods, what
am I hearing? Have you
forgotten that King Theseus is
my father, and that you are his wife?
Phèdre: I look at you and I see him. My
husband's face is this face. And my love,
my need, yes, in spite of myself, my
deprivation, my starvation, my fever-I
can't hide it. He has to know it. It has to
come out.
...your baring, exactly, your eyes, your
lips, the very pitch of your voice, this
noble modesty gives his cheeks just that
flesh of colour. Look-my heart. Here.
Bury your sword here. I feel it lifting to
meet your stroke. Strike!
-Phèdre reveals her burning love for
Hippolytus, her stepson
Hippolytus and Phaedra 11 by John Woodrow
Kelly, 1997.
Jackson !35
Etude for Hippolytus by Piotr
Naliwajko, 2000.
Venus and Adonis by Georges Barbier.
Phèdre (Above)
Hippolytus: You gods, what am I hearing? Have you forgotten that King Theseus is my father, and that you
are his wife?
!
Phèdre: I look at you and I see him. My husband's face is this face. And my love, my need, yes, in spite of
myself, my deprivation, my starvation, my fever-I can't hide it. He has to know it. It has to come out.
...your baring, exactly, your eyes, your lips, the very pitch of your voice, this noble modesty gives his
cheeks just that flesh of colour. Look-my heart. Here. Bury your sword here. I feel it lifting to meet your
stroke. Strike!
-Phèdre reveals her burning love for Hippolytus, her stepson
!!
!
Phèdre (Left)
Phèdre: Theseus is alive? Oenone, it's finished.
I have confessed an appetite that is
unspeakable. With a few greedy words I have
stripped my husband of all honour. Aye! And
Hippolytus! That arrogant gaze, plan as speech,
tells me how hopeless my case is.
!
Oenone: Say nothing. All my plan requires is
your silence. Accuse him first-of the same
crime. Who could contradict you? Everything is
evidence against him. His own sword-which he
left in your hand so luckily. Innocent blood
might have to be spilt if it threatens your name.
Phaedra and Hippolytus, by Baron PierreNarcisse Guérin, 1802.
!
Theseus: Shall I never get out of the labyrinth?
Where am I? Which way can I turn? The adulterer's gaze
has to inveigle us with that seamless mask of probity.
Jackson !36
Phèdre (Left)
Theseus: You made a mistake. Have you forgotten? You dropped your sword.
In her hand it convicts you. You made another mistake. You omitted to kill
her-and cut off her voice.
!
Hippolytus: Am I to understand-the Queen has accused me? My lord,
consider a son's solicitude for the father he loves. That keeps my mouth
sealed. Unless you wish to open an abyss under a gulf that is already gaping.
My mother's chastity was her fame. There is not a drop of dissolute blood in
me. She formed me. Remember Phèdre's mother. Phèdre bears the blood of a
lineage far more heavily charged with such crimes than mine ever was and
you know it.
!
!
Theseus: Your lascivious eyes are locked on Phèdre. Get out. For the last
time-get out. Do you have to be flung out bodily?
Neptune, O great God of the Oceans, remember how I scoured your shores
clean of every ruffian. Grant me my wish. Avenge a heart-broken father.
Break your wrath on the head of this traitor. Smash the bones of his
effrontery, show how a great god can demolish a man.
!
Authentic Greek
Sword, 400BC.
!
A god of vengeance out of the sea pursues you. And yet in spite of your
nature, so strangely diseased, I love you. You gods, see what I suffer. How did
I sire this deformity?
-On the word of Phèdre and Oenone, Hippolytus is accused of adultery and
incest. Theseus banishes his son Hippolytus from Troezen.
!!
!!
Phèdre (Left)
Phèdre: What am I hearing? How dare you go on
mixing these drugs? Will you try to poison me to the
last? Witch. This is how you have destroyed me. Leave
me to mourn what you have made of me. And may the
heavens pay you exactly what you have earned.
Sycophants, the most pernicious of the gifts an angered
god can give to the wearer of the crown.
!
Oenone: Ah God, I have spent my life to saver her.
Have I now been paid as I deserved?
-Phèdre condemns Oenone for executing their plot
against Hippolytus
Phaedra and Oenone by Raphael Urbain
Massard,1824.
Jackson !37
Phèdre
Theseus: Where is Hippolytus? I gave him
to your care Théramène. Where is my son?
!
Théramène: Ah- so much concern coming
so late and superfluously. Such paternal
love. And all so useless. Hippolytus is dead.
!
It came out of the sea, as if the whole sea
had bellowed. A sudden skull-splitting roar,
an indescribable, terrible, tearing voice, like
lightning flash and thunderclap together.
And out of it, the foam cascading from a
colossal body, came a beast- Up the sand,
with a fury of a supernatural existence. It's
head was one huge monster all to itself, like
a bull's head, with bull's horns. I saw
Hippolytus swerve tight passed it's jaw and
The Death of Hippolytus (La mort d’Hippolyte) by Sir
bury a javelin all but for a span length of
the shaft behind that thing's shoulder, right
where the heart is in creatures that have
hearts. With a fury at his daring- the whole mass of it
rose and collapsed onto Hippolytus, like another
mountain of ocean, or like a giant octopus of water. A
last scything swipe of the monster's tail came round
under their hooves, toppling the horses and smashing
the wheels of the chariot. The horses galloped away
with their weightless bundle that had fed them, and
that was your son. We followed- The trail was easy- he
had signed every stone, left us rags of flesh on every
thorn. My lord, with those words Hippolytus' voice
and his life failed all together. And I was left
The Death of Hippolytus by Carle Vernet, 1800.
Death of Hippolytus by Peter Paul Rubens, 1611.
The Death of Hippolytus by Joseph Desire
Court, 1825.
embracing the latest prize of the triumphant gods- an
object hardly recognizable as a man.
-Théramène described Hippolytus' death by Neptune
called upon by Theseus
Jackson !38
Phèdre and Thésée by Léon Bakst, 1927.
Phèdre (Above)
Théramène: And here comes the cause of everything-
!
Phèdre: No, Theseus. Now hear me speak. Let me restore your son's lost innocents. Hippolytus was not
guilty. Hippolytus was chaste. And loyal to you. I was the monster in this riddle. I was insane with an
incestuous passion, to amuse some malevolent deity.
!
!
Panope: My lord, she is dying.
Phèdre: I feel my pulses pushing it icily into my feet, hands and the roots of my hair. I see the sun's ball
through a mist, and you, whom my very presence sickens, I see you in a mist, darkening. My eyes go dark.
Now the light of the sun can resume its purity unspoiled.
-Phèdre clears Hippolytus' good name and dies by drinking the poison her sister Medea brought to Athens
APPENDIX B
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Production Photos:
Phèdre, By Jean Racine
Directed by Monica Payne
Produced by the Point Park Graduate Program in Acting
GRW Space, Lawrence Hall, Point Park University 2014
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APPENDIX B
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PHEDRE
BY JEAN RACINE
DIRECTED BY MONICA PAYNE
Saturday, Feb. 1 at 8 pm
Sunday, Feb. 2 at 2 pm and 8 pm
GRW Performance Studio, Lawrence Hall
Point Park University
Produced by the Point Park Graduate Program in Acting
Admission is free. Please RSVP to [email protected].
Phèdre Production Poster, 2014
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