Misalliance (2 scenes), Week 1: "Class and Conflict" - The Rehearsal Room - The Working Actor's Journey

Episode Transcript
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>> Nathan Agin (00:00):
Hi there. I'm Nathan Agan. Welcome to the Working Actors
Journey rehearsal room. We started this project in June
2020. Came out of what we could do with all the time during
the pandemic. And we have found that
the time to deeply explore just one scene
or you know, a little bit of material over
one month has really been a, great

(00:21):
joy for everybody involved. And so we're
excited to embark on another month of text work.
We're first time working on some Shaw
material which is really exciting. and for those
familiar with John Barton's Playing Shakespeare series, that was
in the late 70s, early 80s with the RSC.
I kind of see this as a springboard off of

(00:41):
that. we're unscripted. It's a wonderful
way to see the creative process in real time.
This is our 39th series.
so there's lots of material you can go explore
and learn about. Just the different
nooks and crannies of Shakespeare and some Chekhov and
we have some other playwrights in there, Hannah Cowley,

(01:03):
so it's Tom Stoppard. So there's a lot of great stuff
out there. for those who are brand, brand new, what
you're going to see over these weeks is not meant to
be a final performance. We've never, this group has never
met, we've not rehearsed anything.
so it's just a work in
progress. And what you're seeing from week to week
is just the next step in that work. It's an opportunity for

(01:26):
artists of different generations and backgrounds to
collaborate, learn from one another, continue the
lineage of honing this craft by actually
doing And if I
may be so bold as to get a little philosophical for a moment,
I see this rehearsal room as continuing the
great theatrical history of apprenticeship
to some degree, where newer and younger artists get

(01:48):
to see up close how professionals work after 30 plus
years. And that may not be limited to just
those of us in this virtual room. People
watching, you know, if you're brand new to acting or
maybe your first few years, or even if you've
been doing it 20, 30 years, you know, you may take away some
ideas of how to work on this material, questions, to
ask and hopefully be inspired by what you're

(02:11):
seeing. this has never been a top
down structure that we do have a director. it's never
really Well this person is supposed to have all the
answers. No, it's always been very collaborative.
it's really been wonderful to see that good
ideas can come from anywhere. And hopefully in
the best of times, that's how actual

(02:31):
plays and films and TV
works, where it is a collaborative process. Sometimes given
budgets or timelines, it's not always possible, but, that's
the idea we're all striving for. also really
quickly, we can be more conscious around casting,
with regard to gender and age and race
than theaters sometimes might feel they can be. and
we can bring together, as you will hear tonight,

(02:54):
actors and artists from all over the place, people
that, you know are in different geographic regions, may, may
have worked together in the past. you know, now they finally have an opportunity
to work together again. so, so that's,
that's what we're doing here. And as you may know, if you're listening or
watching this, we will, be posting these sessions on YouTube
for free for all to enjoy. So, so be sure to

(03:14):
subscribe to the channel for notifications. You can,
support the project via Patreon, help, us keep some
administrative lights on, and you get, some early access
to the sessions that's just starting at $5 a month.
Very quickly, thank you to some of our patrons, Joan Michelle, Jim
Magdalene, Ebar, Claudia, Cliff and Jeff. Really appreciate your
support and, if you have any questions or comments, post

(03:34):
them below. I love seeing what people think about
some of the scenes or their insights or their ideas.
So please, this. The conversation does not have to end just
when our rehearsal room time ends. So, with that,
I am going to turn it over to the director.
And, for the first time, I'm
going to be an actor in this session. So I'm going to

(03:55):
try to just take my producer hat off
and just wear the actor hat. So, I'm going to turn it over to
our intrepid director, Erica. and per, usual. Maybe we
can do some quick introductions, and, then
dive into some shot. So take it away, Erica.

>> Erica Raltrude (04:09):
Well, first thing I'm going to do is I'm going to hand it off to everybody else. But
initially. Hi, I'm Erica Raltrude.
I'm, directing again here, and I just. I love
it. Excited and scared.
so we have today, of course,
Nathan. Nathan, do you want to talk about your acting experience
at all?

I can when it's my turn? Sure. Is it my
turn?

>> Nathan (04:31):
Yeah, go ahead.

Okay. so, yes,
I went to college at USC in Los Angeles. Studied theater
there, did a little bit of, I actually
did a lot of theater, in la, which, for people who
aren't in la, they might think, what theater.
There's a lot of theater going on in Los Angeles. a lot
of small theater. and, so I did that. I

(04:53):
worked with a classical theater company for a number of years and
ts, out there did a little bit of
TV and film, work. And
very, very tiny, tiny amount. If you squint, you can, you
can see how much I did, And then I
took a hard right turn and got, rid of everything and started
traveling, backpacking, couch surfing, a

(05:13):
number of years. Still occasionally would like, try to,
you know, I would do a play. I kind of looked at. I
thought about it as every 10 years I. I would do a
play such that it would almost bankrupt me. Not, not
exactly, but kind of. It was just like, I'm getting paid so
little or nothing at all, and I'm commuting an hour
each way. But it was such a great role. And, you know, it's

(05:33):
like, okay, I can only do this once a decade, but it's worth
it. So I've done. I've done that a couple of
times. And, and then as
you know, evidenced by this, I started getting
into audiobook work, voiceover work,
maybe about ten years ago, but in earnest
maybe about seven years ago. and

(05:54):
so that's. That's kind of how I stay
creative personally. but I love, you know,
being part of these sessions even, even as a producer. It's, it's
kind of fun to discover that you have some other skills, in
the creative, artistic arena of like, oh, yeah, I can, you know, I don't
mind. I don't mind sending emails. Like, you know, I just get everybody together
and they have fun. So that's a. I'm also, as
you probably everyone will already know,

(06:17):
I'm a very verbal person. I will, you know, Shaw
probably fits me like a glove. There's, the over
talking about every point as Hypatia will talk
about, throughout the play. Like, just stop it.
so that's, that's enough for me for now. I will. I will pause, I
will mute my mic and, you know. Hi.

All right, all right, well then let's go to
Paul. Hi, Paul. We did something.
How are you?

>> Paul Nicholas (06:41):
Nathan said this group has never met. What
he meant was we've never met to discuss this scene in
this play. We have actually all worked together
before in this, on this
program, in this series.
on different projects. Nathan, I think you should act
more. I've never seen you quite so. Ebullient? Is that

(07:02):
the word? Yeah, you are like, bubbling.
It's great. Maybe it's being a dad too, but I don't
know.

Yeah, enthusiasm is one of my
strengths. If you do those kinds of personality things, it's
just, Yeah, some people have to go. Okay,
simmer down. Easy. Easy does it, easy does
it. I'm just like a puppy. Sometimes.

It's like you just chugged a Red Bull.
Paul Nicholas. I live in Philadelphia.
Try as I might, unfortunately, Nathan, I
cannot get away from this career
no matter how little it pays me. As much as
little as it pays me. I love it so much. And I can't get away. I've

(07:45):
tried. I can't do it. I have some side hustles. I'm
a communications consultant on the side. I had one of those gigs today, as a
matter of fact. yeah, and this is my. I don't
know, I've lost count how many things I've done
with Nathan in this
forum. As an actor or as a director.
yeah, that's enough about me.

All right. And then Michelle. Bringing it up the
rear. Oh my God, I could phrase that better.
Bringing up the rear
Edit.

>> Michelle Schultz (08:16):
I am Michelle Schultz. I am,
a Los Angeles based actress, and
entertainment attorney, which is why I'm
not starving. and I have
done a number of these, working actor,
journey workshops, which I've loved, by the way. Erica, I really love
the Much Ado About Nothing exploration

(08:37):
of the role. That was fantastic. And
I had a whole lot of fun with Paul doing Merry
Wives of Windsor, which just helped me out because I actually had to
read a scene or two for
seminar, at Theater 40. And, I was the only one who understood
what the words were.

Oh, kind of important.

And I have done, a number of short
plays, and I have seen Misalliance,
produced, at, when I was
at university at Cornell.
My acting teacher at the time was playing
Lina Chepanovska and
her ex husband, who was also an actor
teacher of mine, played, John Tarleton. So that

(09:19):
was kind of interesting. And I always remembered loving
the play.

Yeah, I love it too.

I should have mentioned that I have zero
experience with this play. Never read it, never seen it,
ever.

I love
this play.
I want to make sure everybody's got any.
Want to add or anything before I move on.

my experience with this is,
I participated in a Reading of the play
at, Antias, where I, was
asked late Friday night, we may
need you for a reading on Monday.
and it turned out an actor was filming something. And they said. And so I
got. Two hours later, they're like, you're in. And I'm like, okay, great.

(10:07):
And then Saturday I read the play, and I thought, what have I
done?

>> Nathan (10:11):
How.

How. What have I agreed? Like, this is insanity.
And so I spent the weekend, kind of worried, about
it. And then I worked with a couple of the actors and, The great
Peter Van Norden, who some, of, you know, played, John
Tarleton. and, I mean, he's. Peter's just
so well suited for Shaw. It's ridiculous. and
particularly Tarleton or Undershaft, those kinds of characters.

(10:33):
and without. I mean, without any kind of
hyperbole, it was
perhaps that reading
was perhaps maybe the
pinnacle of my acting career.
Because it was just like.
I don't know what happened, but it was just like lightning
was kind of in a bottle. And I can't take full

(10:54):
credit, for that. I'll take a lot of credit, but I can't take
full credit. And it was just. I remember talking to Peter
at the break, and I was like. I was so nervous about it because I was playing a
character which was. It was. It wasn't really what I was doing. What I
did. It was like, really. I played Bunny in it,
and. And I really was trying. Like. I'll have to look it
up. He. Peter gave me an actor, an old actor to reference.

(11:15):
He's like. He's like. It's kind of like this. So I was, like, playing a
character, but my legs were literally shaking in my pants
and my trousers on stage as we're standing there. And
I was like. Like, I shifted my weight and I could feel it. And. And I told
Peter, he goes, oh, it would have been great if you fell. I would have just said, bunny, get
up. You know. And so. So it was. But it was. It
was really, And it was a wonderful cast. So, you know, that was part

(11:35):
of what made it so. So, exciting. But I'm.
I'm so. I'm thrilled many, many years later
to revisit this material. And, I've
seen one production of it.
But, But, yeah, it's. It was. It's.
It's. It's great to be,
getting back into it. So, you know, I'm sorry. I just
keep talking and talking and talking.

Not at all. I. I Love the ent.
Peter Van Norden was Cymbeline in the Cymbeline I
did in San Diego. I was Imogen.
I love that man. and when he was dressed
as a girl and we were maidens that just did a cross,
we called each other my mother, my sister, My mother, my sister.
That's me and Peter. yeah.

(12:19):
So Shaw, Ms. Alliance
is pretty much my Shaw experience.
I played Lina Shetchipanovska,
and then I played Mrs. Tarleton.
And,
I just adore this play. And
I want to get even more in depth with him, but I'm going to

(12:40):
say his name many times, but Jeff Steitzer,
who. I don't know if he did some of the early
ones here. Right. Or you've been just trying to get him in.

Yeah, Jeff and I have been talking about, involving
him. He's a busy guy, so he's a
working actor. Yeah. but, yeah, no, I. So anyway, so
Jeff, hasn't been involved directly.

Jeff Sneitzer was the, one who, directed the production
when I was Lena in, New York City.
And, he
understands Shaw like, it's in his
skin.

It's.

It's wonderful. And I plan on talking to him more
before as we. We go on with this
process. it's.
It's so
wonderful. I. How do I start
this? So when I. I did
some. Just looking around
online just because I was curious about what people, you know,

(13:35):
say, and the descriptions are often. It's a wacky
romance and I'm just
like, not, ah,
quite. Actually,
romance is involved in wooing and crazy
tactics and things like that. Keeping in mind that this takes place all
in one afternoon. The play takes place in one
day. and it's. It's a

(13:57):
play on that. That's a lot about social
classes. This is the Edwardian
period, and this was the first time after the
Victorian period that things were loosening up a little bit more.
the social structure was still very
strict. And as you read through the
play, you understand,
like, there's the. How do they call it? So the upper class was like the

(14:20):
aristocracy, born into
it, that kind of lineage. The middle
class was the working people
are actually sort of making money and
able to sort of like raise their status. And then you
had. The majority of the population was lower class,
and they were the laborers who made no money

(14:40):
and, you know, were suffering the most.
So it's a. I won't say it's a play of
manners, because that can get you in Trouble.
But it's all these different sort of class
dynamics and that kind of a thing, and everybody's
starting trying to play within the parameters.
Hypatia is an excellent example of that. and

(15:00):
she's tired of it. She wants to just push it away.
and then quite literally
dropped from out of nowhere,
dropped from the sky is
this Polish aviator
who comes in and blows everything
apart just by her mere presence
there. And the thing that she

(15:23):
gets angriest at, I just loved that speech,
was when Johnny proposes marriage.
That is the thing that sends her off. She doesn't
mind that Tarleton made a pass. She
doesn't mind that all these, you know, all these other
guys. But
Johnny, Mr. Straight lace,
Mr. everything is by the rules. I

(15:46):
don't think he's particularly a funny person.
His character is funny, but as a person,
Johnny's very Straight Lace. And,
he's, you know, he just thought the proper thing to do would be to
marry her. And she's got one of
my favorite lines in all theater when she's
talking about, this is what I do before I ever got

(16:07):
married. And she says,
sooner than that, I would be a clown
and set bad examples of conduct for little
children is
one of my absolute favorite lines in the play,
in all of theater. But, So
we're also dealing with. I mean, Shaw, Irish

(16:27):
fella, probably not always in the best of moods,
is playing off of this, you know,
social mobility is starting to loosen up a little
bit. So you have the Tarleton,
who've made a bunch of money with
Tarleton's underwear, right? But they're middle
class because they're not born to this wealth.

(16:50):
And then you've got Summerhays and Bentley and
Bunny, and they are born into
it. But this is, you know, the dad is a
kcb, which is a what? Knights
of, Where did I put it?

Night Commander.

Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.
And, it's an order of chivalry and was founded in
1725 for service of the highest caliber.
I don't know if that makes him a sir or a lord or anything.
I don't think it does, but it's still a big deal.
because in, you know, British imperialism, he
was ruling over a, you

(17:26):
know, a Stan in India.
And just,
But, Yeah. So,
it's a great sort of discussion, like
Mrs. M. Tarleton. And Steiser says
this, and I think it's great. I kind of wish he'd seen mine and given
me A nudge. He says people make the mistake of playing her
dumb and kind of daffy when actually

(17:49):
Mrs. Tarleton is actually quite on it and
bright. And you. You know, as I'm rereading it, I'm like, oh,
I missed that.
but she talks about never lend
the upper class money because
it's basically like feeding a puppy. They'll just keep
coming back for money. And the

(18:10):
different, Her speech about the women and
sitting in, amongst these women of aristocracy
and they start talking about drainage in their castles.
Disgusting. And Hypatia. Some of
the language that Hypatia says, and particularly
with Lord Summerhays too,
is very sort of put off by it. But she, like,

(18:31):
she said she and Johnny like to make mud
pies and get down and
dirty. And she likes to speak with slang because
it's, it's funner for her. It's like
Bentley's the best she can do. Or so she
thinks. And then this
guy comes down out of the
sky, the guy with the three fathers and you know,

(18:54):
and he's hot and you
know, so. And we have, Dylan
will be joining us next week and that
is our Percival. But we will, we will still read your
scene, Michelle.

Okay.

It's a very. I think people can
get a little caught up in this is an afternoon comedy and
a little banter and that kind of a thing.

Right.

I think it's important to build in that. That
tension and
humor, and resentment that sort of creates
the, the drive and the tension until the
airplane comes in and crash. 100 pages
into the play, you know, and then
everything explodes. so I
think, good golly,

(19:40):
we should start by just reading the
first scene with
Bentley and Johnny.
So I'm going to pop off and listen.

Give me a second.

No problem.

Oh, let me change my view as well so I
can see Nathan. There he
is.
Are you ready, sir?

>> Nathan (20:11):
I'm ready.

Hello. Where's your
luggage?

>> Nathan (20:18):
I left it at the station. I've walked up from
Haslemere.

And who's to fetch it?

Don't know, don't care.

>> Nathan (20:29):
Providence probably. If not, your mother will have it
fetched.

Not her business exactly, is it?

>> Nathan (20:36):
Of course not. That's why one loves her
for doing it. Look here, chuck away your
silly weekend novel and talk to a chap.
After a week in that filthy office, my brain is
simply blue mouldy. Let's
argue about something intellectual.

No, now seriously, buddy, I've come down here
to have a pleasant weekend and I'm not going to stand your
confounded arguments. If you want to argue, get out of this and
go over to the Congregationalist ministers. He's a
nailer at arguing. He likes it.

>> Nathan (21:06):
You can't argue with a person when his livelihood depends
on his not letting you convert him. And
would you mind not calling me Bunny?
My name is Bentley Summerhays. Would
you please.

What's the matter with Bunny?

>> Nathan (21:22):
It puts me in a false position.
Have you ever considered the fact that I was an afterthought?

An afterthought? What do you mean by that?
I. No, stop. I don't want to
know. Only a dodge to start an
argument.

>> Nathan (21:36):
Don't be afraid. It won't overtax your
brain. My father was 44 when I
was born. My mother was 41. There
was 12 years between me and the next eldest.
I was unexpected. I was
probably unintentional. My brothers and sisters
are not the least like me. They're the regular thing

(21:56):
that you always get in the first batch from young parents.
Quite pleasant, ordinary. Do the regular sort
thing. Do the regular thing. Sort. All body and no
brains like you.

Thank you.

>> Nathan (22:09):
Don't mention it, old chap. Now I'm
different. By the time I was born, the
old couple knew something. So I came out
all brains and no more body than is absolutely
necessary. I am really a good deal
older than you. Though you were born 10 years sooner,
huh? Everybody feels that when they hear us talk.

(22:29):
Consequently, though, it's quite natural to hear me
calling you Johnny. It sounds
ridiculous and unbecoming for you to call me
Bunny.

Does it? By George, you stop
doing it if you can. That's all.

>> Nathan (22:44):
If you go on doing it after I've asked you
not, you'll feel an awful
swine. At least I
should. But I suppose you're not so
particular.

I'll tell you what it is, my boy. You want a
good talking tune and I'm going to give it you. If you
think that, because your father's a KCB and you want to marry
my sister. You can make yourself as nasty as you please
and say what you like, you're mistaken. Let me tell
you exactly what Hypatia not. Let me
tell you. Let me tell you that except
Hypatia, not one person in this house is in favor

(23:19):
of her, marrying you. And I don't believe she's
happy about it herself. The match isn't settled yet. Don't
forget that you're on trial in the
office because the governor isn't giving her
Daughter money. Isn't giving his daughter money for an
idle man to live on her, huh? You're
on trial here because my mother thinks a girl

(23:39):
should know what a man is like in the house before she marries
him. That's been going on for two months now. And what's the
result? You've got yourself thoroughly disliked in the
office. And you're going to end your getting
yourself thoroughly disliked here.
All through your bad manners and your conceit.
And the damned impudence you think.

(23:59):
And. And the damned
impudence you think. Clever.

That's enough, thank you.

>> Nathan (24:08):
You don't suppose, I hope, that I should have come
down if I had known that that was how you all feel about
me?

No, you don't run away.
I'm going to have this out with you. Sit down, do you
hear?
That's, the advantage of having more body than brains, you
see. It enables me to teach you manners. And I'm going
to do it too. You're a spoilt young
pup, and you need a jolly good licking.

(24:37):
And if you're not careful, you'll get it. I'll see to
that next time you call. I'll see to that next
time you call me a swine.

>> Nathan (24:45):
I didn't call you a swine. But
you are a swine. You're a beast. You're a
brute. You're a cad. You're a liar. You're a, bully.
I should like to wring your damned neck for you.

Try it, my son. Fighting
isn't in your line.
You're too small, and you're too childish.
I always suspected that your cleverness
without wouldn't come to very much when it was brought
up against something solid. Some decent
chap's fist, for instance.

>> Nathan (25:16):
I hope your beastly fist may come up against a mad
bull or a prize fighter's nose or something
solider than me. I don't care about your
fist. But if everybody here dislikes me,
well, I don't care.
I'm sorry I intruded.
I didn't know. Oh, you

(25:37):
beast. You pig. Swine. Swine.

Swine.

>> Nathan (25:40):
Swine. Swine.

All, right, my lad. All right. Sling your mud as hard as
you please. It won't stick to me.
What I want to know is this. How is it
that your father, who I suppose is the strongest man
England has produced in our time.

>> Nathan (25:56):
You got that out of your, ha'penny paper. A
lot you know about him.

I don't set up to be able to do anything but admire
him and appreciate him and be Proud of him as an Englishman.
If it wasn't for my respect for him I wouldn't have stood your
cheek for two days, let alone two months.
But what I can't understand is why he didn't lick
it out of you when you were a kid.
For 25 years, he kept a place

(26:20):
twice as big as England in order. He kept a
place twice as big as England in order. A place full
of seditious coffee colored heathens and
pestilential white agitators in the middle of a lot
of savage tribes. And yet he couldn't
keep you in order. I don't
set up, to be half the man your father undoubtedly is

(26:41):
but, by George, it's lucky for you you were not my
son. I don't hold with you. My own.
I don't hold with my own father's views about corporal
punishment being wrong. It's necessary for some
people, and I've tried it on you. And
I'd have tried it on you until you first learned to
howl and then to behave yourself.

>> Nathan (27:01):
Yes. Behaviour wouldn't come naturally
to your son, would it?

Now, you keep a civil tongue in your head.
I'll, stand none of your snobbery. I'm just
as proud of Tarleton's underwear as you are of your
father's title and his KCB and all the rest of
it. My father began in a little hole of a shop
in Leeds no bigger than our pantry down
the passage there. He.

>> Nathan (27:25):
Oh, yes, I know it. I've read it. The Romance
of the Romance of Business or the Story of
Tarleton's Underwear. Please take one. I
took the. I took one the day after I first met
Hypatia. I went and bought half a dozen
unshrinkable vests for her sake.

Well, did they shrink?

>> Nathan (27:43):
Oh, don't be a fool.

Never mind whether I'm a fool or not. Did they shrink? That's the
point. Were they worth the money?

>> Nathan (27:50):
I couldn't wear them. Do you think my skin's
as thick as your customers hides? I'd as
soon have dressed myself in a nutmeg grater.

Pity your father didn't give your thin skin a jolly
good lacing with a cane.

>> Nathan (28:03):
Pity you haven't got more than one idea.
If you want to know. They did try that on me once
when I was a small kid. The silly governess
did it. I, yelled fit to bring down the house and went
into convulsions and brain fever and that sort of thing for
three weeks. So the old girl got
the sack and serve her right. After that,

(28:23):
I was let do what I liked. My father didn't
want to. My father didn't want me to grow up a broken
spirited spaniel. Which is your idea of a
man. I suppose the only good thing for.

You that my father made you come into the hat office
and shoe what you were made of.
Shoe what you show what you were made of. Show
shoe and shoe what you were made of. And
it didn't come to much. Let me tell you that when the
governor asked me where I thought we ought to put you, I
said, make him the office boy. The governor said you
were too green, and so you were.

>> Nathan (28:57):
I dare say so you. So would
you be pretty green if you was shoved into my father's
scent. I picked up your silly business in a
fortnight. You've been at it 10 years and you
haven't picked it up yet.

Don't talk rot, child. You know, you simply
make me. You know, simply make me pity
you.

>> Nathan (29:16):
Romance of business indeed. The real
romance of. The real romance of Tarleton's business
is a story that you understand anything about it.
You never could explain any mortal thing about it to me when I
asked you see what was done the last time.
That was the beginning and the end of your wisdom. You're
nothing but a turnspit.

A what?

>> Nathan (29:38):
A turnspit. If your father hadn't made
a roasting jack for you to turn, you'd be earning
24 shillings a week behind a counter.

If you don't take that back and apologise for your bad
manners, I'll give you a good. As good a hiding
as ever. Help.

>> Nathan (29:55):
Johnny's beating me. Oh, murder.

If you don't. Don't be a fool.
Stop that noise, will you? I'm not going to touch you.

Oh. Oh.

Ah.

Bravo. Well done. Well done.
First go around. It's a lot. It's a lot
in your mouth.

Yeah,

Ah, I'm thinking,
actually, Michelle, maybe we should read through your scene,
since we're going to probably do the majority of our work on this
scene tonight since, Dylan isn't here.
But would one of you lads like to cold read?
Joey Percival for Michelle.

I. I don't mind doing it, but, Paul, you're. You're, you know. Do
you want to throw your hat in the ring?

I don't mind either. You pick.

You guys all right?
yeah, Paul, Paul and Michelle.

Let me get it.

Yep.

And I'm just taking some notes here of that last name.

Sure, sure, sure, sure.

We're going from where?

when she's, calling in the garden. Mr. Percival. Mr.
Percival, where are you? Ah, Ah.
Aren't you glad I've caught you?

Ah, and Mr. Percival, would you give me a little bit of a background on Mr.
M. Percival, please?

Yes, Mr. Percival, is actually, in. In the
plane with Lena he crashes in with.
And of course earlier in the play we learn
about him because he was a classmate of Bentley's. Of
Bunny.

So he's about Bentley's age, is he?

He's about Bentley's age. And the
legend is he's got three fathers. He's got
his natural one by birth. his Italian
mother has an Italian priest that shadow shadows her
around the house. And then there's,
ah, can't, think of the third. But the whole, you know,
running joke is how balanced he is with three fathers

(31:48):
and, and all this intellectual stuff. And, you
know, he's Mr. Handsome and he drops in.
He doesn't know that he's. He's flying with a
woman that's sort of also the big entrance
of Lena. She's got her aviator stuff on.
And they think when she comes in, she's still got her goggles on, all that
kind of stuff. And they think because she's

(32:08):
also saved Percival,
in the crowd.

She's an acrobat.

Yes, she's an acrobat.

I, see.

And an aviatrix. And it is her
duty, her family's duty, that they
all have the responsibility to risk their lives every
day. And they take turns doing that. And that was
her life risk. So. And Percival
was doing this for a record, maybe, I think.
Okay, so he doesn't even know
who's in his plane with him.

(32:38):
he's dashing sort and, you know, very
manners, very important,
and proper. But she kind of
rattles his cage a little bit.
So let's just give it a. Just a read through,
y'all.

All right?

Mr. Percival? Mr. Percival, where
are you? Aha.
Aren't, you glad I've caught you?

No, I'm not confounded.
What sort of girl are you? What sort of house is this? Must I
throw all good manners to the winds?

Do do do do do. This
is the house of a respectable shopkeeper.
Enormously rich. This is the
respectable shopkeeper's daughter. Tired
of good manners. Come, handsome young
man, and play with the respectable
shopkeeper's daughter.

no, no, don't you know, you mustn't go
on like this with a perfect stranger.

Drop down from the sky. Don't you know
that you must always go on like this? When you get the
chance, you must come to the top of the
hill and chase me through the bracken.
You may kiss me if you catch me.

I shall do nothing of the sort.

Yes, you will. You can't help yourself.
Come along. Fool.

Fool.

Come along. Don't you want
to?

No, certainly not. I should never
be forgiven if I did it.

You'll never forgive yourself if you don't.

Nonsense. You're engaged to Ben.
Ben's my friend. What do you take me
for?

Ben's old. Ben was born old.
They're all old here except you and
me and the man. Woman or woman man or whatever
you call her that came with you.
They never do anything. They only
discuss. What. Whether what other people do
is right. Come and give them something

(34:40):
to discuss.

I will do nothing. Incorrect.

Oh, don't be afraid, little boy. You'll
get nothing but a kiss, and I'll fight like the
devil to keep you from getting that. But we
must play on the hill and run through the
heather.

Why?

Because we want to. Handsome young man.

But if everybody went on in this way, how
happy.

How happy the world would be.

But the consequences may be serious.

Nothing is worth doing unless the consequences may be
serious. My father says so. And
I'm, my father's daughter.

I'm the son of three fathers. I'm the son of three
fathers. I mistrust these wild. I
mistrust these wild impulses.

Take care. You're letting the moment
slip. I feel the first chill of
the wave of prudence. Save
me.

Really, Miss Tarleton.
Damn you. I beg your pardon,
but since we both. But since we've both
forgotten ourselves, you'll please allow me to leave the
house.

Are you ashamed of having said damn you to
me?

I had no right to say it. I'm very much ashamed of it. I have
already begged your pardon.

And you're not ashamed of having said
really, Ms. Tarleton?

Why should I?

Oh, Man. Man.
Mean, stupid, cowardly,
selfish, masculine male man.
You ought to have been a governess. I was
expelled for school for saying that. The very next person
that said really, Miss Tarleton to me, I would
strike her across the face. You were the next.

I had no intention of being offensive.
Surely there is nothing that can wound any lady in.
At least,
I really didn't mean to be disagreeable.

Liar.

Of course, if you're going to insult me, I am quite helpless.
you're a woman. You can Say what you like, and.

You can only say what you dare. Poor
wretch. Tisn't much.
You sit down in the presence. Really, Mr.
Percival. You sit down in the presence of a
lady and leave her standing.
Ha ha.
Really, Mr. Percival? Oh, really?

(37:13):
Really?

Really.

Really, really, Mr. Percival.
How do you like it? Wouldn't you rather I Damned
you, Ms. Tarleton. Hypatia.
Joey, Patsy, if you like.

Look here, this is no good. You want to
do what you like, don't you? No.
I've been too well brought up. I've been too well brought
up. I've argued all through this thing. I've argued
all through this thing. And I tell you, I'm not prepared to cast off
the social bond. It's like a corset.
It's a support to give the figure, even if

(37:45):
it does squeeze and deform
it a bit. It's a support to the
figure, even if it does squeeze and could deform it a
bit. I want to be free.

Well, I'm tempting you to be free.

Not at all. Freedom, my good girl, means being able
to count on other people to count on how
other people will behave. If every man who dislikes me
is to throw a handful of mud in my face, and every woman
who dislikes me is to behave like Potiphar's
wife, then I shall be a slave. The
slave of uncertainty, the slave of

(38:20):
fear. The worst of all slaveries.
How would you like it if every laborer you met in the road were
to make love to you? No. Give
me the blessed protection of a good, stiff
conventionality among thoroughly well brought up
ladies and gentlemen.

Another talker. Men
like conventions because men made them. I
didn't make them. I don't like them,
and I won't keep them.
Now what will you do?

Vote.

I'll, catch you.

Well done. Nicely done. Paul
called. I love
this. Love this. the earlier
in the play that gives you an idea about Hypatia.
Hypatia lures Lord
Summerhays to the house
by basically threatening to
extort him to some degree.

(39:18):
Because, he. When
he first met her, they invited him to
the house so that. That he could meet bunnies. And they
were going to surprise him, you know, with this, the
fiance, the. The engagement. And, so
she sweetly takes him for a walk and he
proposes. Lord Summerhays does.

And Lord Summerhays is not Bentley.
No.

Is Bentley's dad.

Got you.

Bentley's father. So, there's all these other
little things and Hypatia has been just
needing to get out of the box
and she's getting the chance in this
scene. And I think
it's a development of when
Percival decides it's

(40:05):
okay to participate in this
because the next time we see them,
it's working. The
proposal, the end of the marriage of them together is still under,
very much under the form and fit. The
way Joey likes things with
manners and that kind of a thing. The corset,

(40:25):
as you will. but they get
together and to the audience, don't worry about
Bunny. Lena takes him.
So little Bunny gets them.
Lena.
and what else to say about that, but I just
love that
after, the whole cast is out and they're going, oh my

(40:47):
God, who is this woman? And they're all going to go off and get cleaned up
and everything. and we have
a conversation between Tarleton and Summerhays
and then we see this and she's
just
jazzed, you know. And there's
one flirtatious moment when

(41:08):
Joey says to Lena, oh, doesn't your
husband mind? And that's when
Hypatia says, oh, it's very clever of you to find out if she's married
or not. And it's, you know, that's the
first flirt that we see between the two of them.
I think the challenge in both scenes is
to keep it interesting,
exciting, funny, without

(41:30):
it becoming a shouting match.
And I've seen this happen in other
productions where people just sort of jump to the
argument in terms of just.
And especially with with the boys at
the beginning. They establish
the play. There's exposition that

(41:50):
the audience needs to hear.
But there's a dynamic there that has to
sort of set off and also let us know it's okay to
laugh. It's a comedy,
both of those things.
so, yeah, I just. Yeah, it's a great
play. Freaking love it. M. Do you have any questions,

(42:11):
Michelle?

not really question. I think Hypatia is a very, very
typical Shaw heroine. He
was sort of like a really big believer in
this life force.
Not a practitioner himself necessarily.
and so he just always
loved women who

(42:35):
took charge of their own
destinies like heartbreak and Allison.

Yeah.

Major Barbara, Major barber.

Yeah.

You know, the, the whole string of them.
And, and Hypatia's, you know, very, for me
is very, very much in this mold that you can
just feel her straining to get
out of the
corset as, as, as Joey Percival
very well takes, it, I mean she must be bored to

(43:03):
tears. Oh my God.
She's been able to do, well.

And this is also the time when the suffragette movement
is beginning. women are beginning to
stand up and insist upon the vote and having a
voice. we've just come out
of really only a decade out
of Victorian era, which is
very family based and the expectation of
women is to get married and produce as many

(43:31):
children. You know, lie back and think of England.
it's to produce children
and play mannered and to a point of
madness. There's the famous. The Yellow Wallpaper.
I don't know. It's a book, I think. and it's
about a woman who goes mad, under the
Victorian strictures of the time.

(43:53):
camera. I think it's a book that has been
adapted into plays and things like that. But
So yeah, it's a burgeoning.
But it is also that thing where she was
raised a little girl. She's
been raised in these manners and
like Johnny, the, the. To watch the

(44:16):
way the both of them push against these strictures.
I, I just love the fact that Johnny has this violent
streak and that you, you. Yet you learn that his parents are
against corporal punishment, so they never hit
him. You know, in fact, as physical as he
got as a kid was probably when he and Hypatia,
were rolling around in the mud.

He did give me a black eye.

Yeah.

When we were children.

Yeah. Yeah. And she might have given it to him.
which would explain why he's so angry.
But, Yes. So finding.
I think when we as modern, people, as modern
women, the scene seems easy to
play as, as.

Oh, Paul, how old
would you. Do you think Johnny is
or would you like him to be?

I think he's late 20s because Hypatia, I believe is
24.

So like my.

I think Johnny's the elder. Yeah.

Okay.

John, Johnny's probably. Johnny's probably older than you, Paul.
So you know. Yeah, you're gonna have to play up a little bit.

And. And Hypatia is mid-20s. So like
Michelle's age.

Yeah, yeah, exactly. Cast it
perfect to a T, just almost.

And Bunny is probably young 20s, so, that makes sense,
you know.

Yeah. His soul is 72,
but.

Yes, yes, yes. Yeah. As his dad says. Yeah. But I
don't know what to do with him until he gets to 70.

Exactly. so
got the pragmaticness of him. Like I was an
afterthought, you know. I know, I know
what my rule was.
So, Yeah. I think we're going to focus
back on the first scene with the boys. If you
want to stick around, put in your two cents, Michelle,

(46:03):
whenever.

Yeah.

We discuss. I would love that.
so. So again, so with
Bentley and Johnny,
I think it's a, I almost, I
was playing around with this idea in my head. If I was doing a
production, I'd almost love it if
Johnny was reading and he knew, he knew well

(46:25):
that Bunny was there and he ignores him initially
because Bunny loves attention. The first
thing he's gonna do is ignore him. And then.

Right. And I think. Yes.

Yeah. And then.

And I think Bunny is so
proud of like he's excited to tell people
I walked up from the train station. Like
I did like, look, look what I did.

Manual labor.

Yes. And like, you know, maybe it's
like a quarter of a mile, but like I, I wasn't
driven here. I wasn't chauffeured.

>> Nathan (46:57):
I walked.

I was one of the regular people.

>> Nathan (47:00):
Look at me.

Yeah. And Johnny's like, where's your luggage?
It's like, it's the little. They're almost
like, brother, the way they do it. Oh. You know,
it's not really my mom's duty to do that, is
it? No, no. Yeah. It doesn't care,
you know, and so I think it
becomes. Because it's a long scene,

(47:22):
right? It becomes about,
which Barbs really cut.

Yeah, yeah. and I mean even, you know, as
I was reading it, it was like,
you know, how early does he formulate
the I want to talk to him about him calling me Bunny
thing? Because he kind of delays it a
little bit. He doesn't just come out immediately say, you know, so it's like, is he
using the afterthought argument as a preface to, to

(47:49):
that, to that conclusion? You know, so it's just those
kinds of things of like, because.

>> Nathan (47:54):
Right.

Even though what Barb's cut with Shaw, it's not
like an immediate response, there's. There's a lead up,
there's a build up to it.

Right, right. And I, I think
with, with Johnny, the
resentment of having this guy around
and he's like a gnat, you know.
And I think the class issue between
those two, I think Johnny really takes it more
personally, the idea, because he clearly

(48:23):
favors Lord Summerhays. And what's
interesting is Bunny favors
Tarleton. They look at each other's fathers
as I would rather have.

Right.

and so when does it hurt when they bring up your
father? When does it, you Know,
you, you know, it's, it's.
But it's all. I think we're gonna, we can
pull all that crap up and then we'll start
covering it with a little British manners and see
what it's like for that, that lid on, the
boiling pot of water. I'm going to be mannered

(48:58):
and I'm going to smile through this whole thing.
And the best is, is like with bunnies, temper
tantrums.
Is there Bunny
manipulating it and using it? I mean he certainly does knowing that
the women are going to come out and protect him. Right.
And when does he genuinely get upset?

(49:21):
I mean I love like the description because I, I'm not
mistaken, these stage directions, at least with some of the
acting ones, are actually shaw.
Not incorrect,
but like rage, sob.
I just, I just love the idea of
that. Just going for a fury of tears

(49:42):
checked by sob. Inarticulate sob
of rage. You know,
it's so wonderful trying to recover himself
and then breaking down again.

Right.

And, and Johnny's, you know, being stung
into sudden violence.
It's, it's so
unmannered. And the fact that
he's not upper class, even though.

Who, me? Johnny?

Yeah, he's, he's not of an.
How much does it bother him that he doesn't have the,
the class?

But our family has some wealth though, right? I mean this is
a lot of wealth. Our summer home.

Yeah, this is. This. The Tarletons are filthy
rich. There's there's a speech where Tarleton talks
about, you know, wanting an idyllic. I think it's in a
scene with Lena, and how I
would have given it up. I just wished I could have shown
you know, my chickabiddy, my wife, a
spreadsheet that said we, we earned less and we only
earned £25 this year and everything.

(50:43):
But then it's. It started at
£700 and then £2,000 and it was
terrible. You know, and so he's making
dough. He's making a lot of money
actually.

But not as rich as the Summer Hazes.

Summer Hazes aren't necessarily rich.
Big class distinction is the aristocracy.
They're born into it. My, my brother in law
actually, went to school in Oxford for a year and became friends
with someone who has lineage
and, and he used to joke, yes, our money is so
old it died. So,

(51:16):
you know, it's, it's about
title and not necessarily about.
They probably had that wealth, you know,
generations before.

Right.

But so yeah, that's Sort of the interesting thing,
dichotomy of this, you know, why
the mobility of social mobility was starting to loosen up
just a little after the Victorian era.

>> Nathan (51:39):
Right.

Because we're talking. There's that. Yeah. I mean, there's that comment
that you, know, I don't really.
I don't have a job, aside from the trial that they're giving me.
And then I don't have. I really don't have any of my own money,
so to speak. It seems to be the implication,
that like. But, you know, they don't want.
Charlton doesn't want me just living up, mooching off of

(52:00):
Hypatia's money.

Right, right. He doesn't want him seeking out
basically a bank account.

Right. Yeah.

And, yeah, it's.
It's again, it's like Mrs. M. Charlton says,
don't give them any money because they'll just come back for more
money, like feeding a puppy.

It was quite, ah, a usual
arrangement around this period of time where you would
have an old money or,
you know, titled family who would want a
marriage with a nouveau riche. They
wanted the money, the nouveau riche. People wanted the
respectability of the title. And so that's. That was sort of

(52:41):
the.

The agreed bargain cross breeding, as it were.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because
that's sort of what wasn't it? Downton Abbey, that Cora.
It brought American money into.

Right.

That family.

Yeah.

Partly why he married her. Right.
But, yeah, so that's sort of where this is
beginning. I think it for England, things rattling
up and shaking because Edward. Edward VII
was all open, he hung out with artists and I think he had
a famous actress mistress, if I'm not
mistaken.

He had a lot of mistresses.

He had a lot of mistresses. But there was one very famous actress that
he was. Was sort of known.
He's got his wife and he's got the
actress. and I'm not sure if he wasn't the
fat one because he loved food.
There's. I would highly recommend not to get
off case. but there's a. You can find it on YouTube

(53:35):
called, Super Sizers Go, I think
it was called. And it's,
sue, who was one of the original hosts of Great
British Baking Show.

Oh, sure, yeah, yeah.

And then her friend, who is a food critic.
And so what they do is they take one week and they
decide to live and eat like the period
they choose. So
they have to wear like the corsets and
everything. And I think it was the Edwardian era
where they were eating like seven times a

(54:07):
day. They were drunk by, you know,
noon. And, just. They even
would do like. Like the, the
documentary with Marvin or Spurlock. Marvin,
Spurlock, Morgan.
Yeah. They did, blood tests and things like
that. And after only a week, some guys,
like, the cholesterol was gone.

(54:30):
But, yes, one of the kings, and it might have been Edward,
was quite,
a large man because he loved to indulge, especially
after mommy past.
Victoria was probably a rather strict
one. So, anyway, so
this is the world we're living in. And, and, and,

(54:52):
to do that.
let's. Do you guys have any, any other
questions before we read through the boys again?
we can stop and start too.

Yeah. Nothing.

>> Nathan (55:05):
Nothing.

overall, probably just as we go, I'll have
some questions, you know.

All right, great.

Another part of the dichotomy that I found was
that you have to be
of a really superior class
to be able to kind of show the,
emotion and lack of control that that
Bunny does. If you're below that, you
are. You are really constrained with

(55:32):
acting properly.

But it's forgiven. Are you saying. So it's. It's more
forgiven with Bentley, because. Right, right.

Oh, that's just the way they are, you know,
And. And I. And I think that's one of the.
One of the big differences between them is that
one of them is able to freely express
whatever infantile
emotion he might have, and the
other is, you know,

(55:59):
more pent up.

Yeah. Yeah. And I. You gotta wonder
how. How often
I. How often
Johnny gives him or
if this is like, you know what? I've had it two months
in the office and then you
come for the weekend. I'm trying to have a nice weekend.
I love that their weekends were Thursday to Tuesday or

(56:24):
something like that. When did
you work?
so. So some of his lessons in
business to him, you know. Well, did they
shrink? They didn't. I'm trying to make a point
about product, idiot. You know?

Right, right.

That.

It's. Yes.

so
Bunny works
for my dad as well as is dating my
sister.

And they're engaged. Yep, they are
engaged.

So did he give him the job in the office
because he was courting
Hypatia and this is a test, or
was he working there first and met her in the office?

No, he was only invited into work.
And probably the only reason why he'd be willing to work
because of the relationship with Hypatia. They don't
really say how the two families first met? I
don't recall. yeah, I don't
think at all. And it sounds like Summer Hayes is
not immediately newly back from his,

(57:31):
you know, hosting duties in India.
But
but yeah, I, I don't know when the Summer
Hayes and the Tarleton's cross
paths. It would be interesting to figure
that out. But I guess Shaw didn't care.

That's a, that's a prequel. Prequel. Play.

Prequel. Play. That's right. That's what I'll be writing
next. so.
Yes, Any other thing? Anybody
to have a bathroom break or anything? Everybody good?

I'm, I'm, I'm good.

We're all good. All right, let's start with the boys
again.
Okay.

yes,
So I have disdain for him already.
Right. We're not pals, right?

This is your future brother in law.
Let's see your children.

But that doesn't mean I like him.

That is correct.

M. I know, I know I'm being a picky little
actor here, but I'm trying
to figure out this first word. Am I
surprised that he's here? Doesn't he come here all the
time? Or what's the
exclamation point mean? Like, yeah,
like am I surprised by anybody who walked in
the door at this moment as I'm sitting here reading my book,

(58:59):
or am I surprised that he's without his
luggage? Like, what's the, what's the exclamation
point behind the hello?

And well, and it could be. Is it, is it a moment of shock where
he has been reading and then suddenly he notices him and
God, you know, it's the hallow. the
exclamation mark is with,
you know, what the hell,
bunny? And then he
sees him. Wait a minute, where's your
luggage? I mean, it's just what I find interesting

(59:28):
is right to the point he doesn't
M. Not like how are you?
But you're right, that, yeah, that catches me too. The.
Hello.

And it's not, you know, I was wondering if it's a
pillow, but that we. Would he have put a
question mark there? Hello.

Yeah.

What are you doing here without your luggage?

Yeah, I, and, and yeah, I mean
I, yeah.

And I, and I just have a question. Like to, to have written
it like that as opposed to H E L L
O. Yeah, you know, like what? Like, I just don't know
the, the meaning of that word compared
to like or the context, contextual meaning of
like when you would use one versus the other. If
there's like an implication there

(01:00:15):
In.

>> Paul Nicholas (01:00:15):
Shakespeare's time, yes, sir.

>> Erica Raltrude (01:00:17):
and.

And. And beyond. And maybe. Maybe all the way till
1910. I don't know.
Emphatic questions were oftentimes written with
exclamation points instead of questions. Like, I have one later in
the scene. A what? which is probably
a question, but we're going to talk about that when we get there.
So this might be a question,
but my question is, am I expecting him? Does he come here on

(01:00:40):
weekends to visit
Hypatient.

I. It.

It.

>> Nathan Agin (01:00:50):
Cause I don't know that you're. I'm
sorry.

No, go, go.

>> Nathan Agin (01:00:55):
I don't know if. I don't know if I'm expected. I mean, I've
been here, but I don't know if it's just, you know,
assumed that I will show up. I think it's
just I've shown up, and that's not
entirely, like, outside the realm of possibility.
But that's not to say like, oh, we know
Bunny's on the 145 train coming in.

Right?

But I don't say, what are you doing here?
What are you doing here this early? Or, why are you late? I say,
where's your luggage?

I think. I think it has to do part and parcel.
Also with. I think Mrs. Tarleton has insisted
that he spends time in the house because
she wants to. She makes the point, with
Hypatia or Johnny, I think says
it that my mother wants to see how
you are in the household, that, no.
No girl should marry a guy until she sees his

(01:01:44):
behavior in the house.

Ah, okay. I
think that might m. Feed the. Hello.

Yeah. Yeah.

Okay.

And you know what? Those moments with Johnny, too.
Mom told me, make an
effort. I hate the guy, but make an
effort. And, okay,
that helps.

>> Michelle Schultz (01:02:09):
Hello, in this context,
is actually, an expression of surprise.
Hello. And he did
come walking up, which is. You would
have expected that he would have been
sent. He would have sent for somebody to bring him up. So
it really is whether or not he was expected to be

(01:02:30):
there. the fact that he just shows up at the gate
with or without.

>> Nathan Agin (01:02:34):
And I come in through. I come in through the garden or something like that.
Yeah. Like, I enter through the garden. It's not even the front door. It's
just like, Right, right.

And Johnny has settled into his novel.

>> Nathan Agin (01:02:44):
Right?

Johnny is, I think, has the pavilion. And he thinks
to himself, I great. I'm gonna sit
down. I'm gonna read my novel. And then guess
who comes in. Maybe that's it. he
thinks he thinks Bunny should be coming through the front door.

>> Nathan (01:03:01):
Right.

Okay.

>> Nathan Agin (01:03:02):
Yeah.

All of this helps.

>> Nathan Agin (01:03:03):
Thank you, Michelle.

All of this helps.

>> Nathan Agin (01:03:05):
Yeah. Thanks, Michelle. And I wanted to add. I
think, you know, Michelle, you kind of described Bunny,
as like a gnat. And I think
even for my. Even for Bunny's
awareness of maybe how much Johnny
dislikes him, he still really wants,
like, this relationship to work. Like, he's still. He's, you

(01:03:25):
know, which I think is he probably even. Even more
aggravating to Johnny of Just, like, read the
room. so, you know. You
know, he's just like, oh, come on, let's talk. Let's, you know, like, I come.
I want to talk with somebody.

Yeah. And I think. I think. I think there are moments for
Bunny that are passive aggressive
and, you know, because he wants to keep it
going, even if that means a negative
response.

>> Nathan Agin (01:03:50):
Right, right, right, right. Any.

>> Nathan (01:03:51):
Any.

>> Nathan Agin (01:03:52):
Any interaction is positive because I. I can't
talk to the idiots at work. Like, are you kidding me?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's a pain
in the, Well, and also to what Johnny,
says or Bunny says about Johnny in the office.
Anytime he tries to engage with Johnny, Johnny
said, m. Ask somebody else.

>> Nathan Agin (01:04:12):
Right, right, right, right, right, right.

So there's that dynamic as well.
So put that all in the first word.

Cool.

>> Nathan (01:04:20):
Yeah.

>> Nathan Agin (01:04:20):
Yeah.

All right. Well, let's. Let's try it. Do you want to try it a couple different
ways? We're here.
Let's do it.

I'll,

I'll pop off.

>> Nathan (01:04:34):
Oh.

Where'S your luggage?

>> Nathan (01:04:40):
I left it at the station.

>> Nathan Agin (01:04:42):
I walked up from Hazelmere.

Ah.

And who's to fetch it?

>> Nathan Agin (01:04:52):
Don't know, don't care.

>> Nathan (01:04:54):
Providence, probably. If not, your mother
will have it fetched.

Not her business. Exactly, is it? Not her
business exactly, is it? Of course.

Business.

Exactly, is it?

>> Nathan (01:05:07):
Of course not. That's why one loves her for
doing it. Look here, chuck away
your silly weekend novel and talk to a
chap. After a week in that filthy office,
my brain is simply blue
mouldy. Let's argue about something
intellectual.

No, now, seriously,
Bunny, I've come down here to have a pleasant
weekend, and I'm not going to stand your confounded
argument. If you want to argue, get out
of this and go over to the congregationalist ministers.
He's a nailer at arguing. He likes
it.

>> Nathan (01:05:43):
You can't argue with a person when his.

You.

>> Nathan Agin (01:05:46):
You.

>> Nathan (01:05:46):
You can't argue with a person when his livelihood
depends on his not letting you convert
him. And would you
mind not calling me Bunny,
My name is Bentley Summerhays. Would you please.

Let's stop here and do that again.
Have another shot at this beginning where
Paul. Johnny is stubbornly
in his book. Probably the only
time he's. He looks at Bunny is when he sees he's
surprised by him. And then he notices the lack of luggage.

(01:06:21):
sort of like a. I'm trying to read
now. Not really her business, is it? You know,
it's until he absolutely pulls you
out of it.
and.
And I think, Bentley, you can. You can be a little more throwaway with the
Don't. Don't care. you know, you

(01:06:42):
don't care.

>> Nathan Agin (01:06:43):
Got it. Got it. Okay.

I think it has to be an ingrained sort of thing of like,
why would I carry it? I don't get it.

>> Nathan Agin (01:06:50):
Yep.

So, let's try.
Try that. How was that? Hello? That idea of
being surprised.

it worked for me, but I can try all kinds of different
things.

Oh. Makes total sense to me that that's what it is.
Yeah. So. All right. Do it
again.

Hello.

Where's your luggage?

>> Nathan (01:07:23):
I, left it at the station. I walked up from
Hazelmere.

Ah. And who's to
fetch it?

>> Nathan (01:07:32):
Don't know, don't care. Providence, probably. If
not, your mother will have it fetched.

Not her business exactly, is it?

>> Nathan (01:07:40):
Of course not. That's why one loves her for doing
it. Look here, chuck away your silly
weekend novel and talk to a chapter.
After a week in that filthy office, my brain is simply
blue mouldy. Let's argue
about something intellectual.

No,
now, seriously, Bunny,
I've come down here to have a pleasant weekend,
and I'm not going to stand your confounded arguments.
If you want to argue, get out of this and go over to the
Congregationalist ministers. He's a nailer at arguing. He
likes it.

>> Nathan Agin (01:08:15):
You can't argue with a person when.

>> Nathan (01:08:16):
His livelihood depends on his not letting you convert
him. And would you mind not calling me
Bunny, my name is.

One more time?
It'D be interesting, Johnny, with the speech about the
Congregationalist minister, that it isn't entirely
like a. A flippant suggestion, that
perhaps this is Johnny's attempt at being nice.
Here's a solution for you. Go for it.
And Bunny just can't help himself.

(01:08:46):
I'm not gonna go anywhere. I got you.
You just want to read your Danielle
Steele.

And a nailer, in this case
is someone who just. And
he likes it. That's what it means.

He's good at it. Yeah, he's a nailer at. He'll you
know, you'll have a hard time with this one. You'll
enjoy it because he is so good at it.

Got it.

Bye, Bunny.
Okay, so one more from the top and then we'll keep
going.

>> Nathan Agin (01:09:15):
Okay.

Hello.
Where's your luggage?

>> Nathan (01:09:26):
I left it at the station.

>> Nathan Agin (01:09:28):
I've walked up from Hazel Mayor.

Ah. And who's to
fetch it?

>> Nathan (01:09:35):
Don't know, don't care. Providence probably.
If not, your mother will have it fetched.

Not exactly her business, is it?

>> Nathan (01:09:44):
Of course not. That's why one loves her for doing
it. Look here. Chuck away your silly
weekend novel and talk to a chap. After a
week in that filthy office, my brain is simply
blue mouldy. Lets argue
about something intellectual.

No,
now seriously, Bunny. I've come
down here to have a pleasant weekend
and I'm not going to stand your confounded
arguments. If you want to
argue, get out of this and get out of
this and go over to the Congregationalist
ministers. He's a nailer at arguing.

(01:10:22):
He likes it.

>> Nathan (01:10:23):
You can't argue with a person when his livelihood depends on his
not letting you convert him. And would you mind
not calling me Bunny? My name is
Bentley Summerhays. Would you please?


>> Nathan (01:10:36):
Have you ever considered the fact that I was an
afterthought?

An afterthought? What do you mean by that?
They don't want to know. It's only a
dodge to start an argument.

>> Nathan (01:10:52):
brain. My father was
44 when I was born. My mother was
41. There was 12 years between me and the next
eldest. I was unexpected.
I was probably unintentional.
My brothers and sisters are not the least like me. They
are the regular thing that you always get in the first batch from

(01:11:15):
young parents. Quite pleasant, ordinary,
do the regular thing sort. All body and no
brains like you.

Thank you.

>> Nathan (01:11:25):
Don't mention it, old chap.

>> Nathan Agin (01:11:28):
Now, I'm different. By the
time I was born, the.

>> Nathan (01:11:31):
Old couple knew something. So I came out
all brains and no more body than is absolutely
necessary. I am really a good
deal older than you, though you were born ten years sooner.
everybody feels that when they hear us talk.
Consequently, though, it's quite natural to hear me
calling you Johnny. It sounds ridiculous

(01:11:52):
and unbecoming for you to call me Bunny.

Does, it. By George, you stop
me doing it if you can, that's
all.

>> Nathan (01:12:02):
If you go on doing it after I've asked
you not you'll feel an awful swine.
At least I should. But I
suppose you're not so particular.

I'll tell you what it is, my boy. You want a good talking to
and I'm going to give it to you.

Let's stop at this section.
yeah, it's a very funny thing
because it's like, like with Johnny, I see that
like sort of the first beat when he's just,
it's like when you're on an airplane and somebody wants to talk to you and you're
just like, I have my book Get a social
cue.

>> Nathan Agin (01:12:40):
And you know, I'm probably the person who wants to
talk. So. Yeah, I, I can understand
that.

Yeah.
it's, you
know, it's that thing like if it was a physical
exercise. It's like I'm, I'm physically, I'm not
going to engage. I'm not going to engage.
Why? You know, it's like,
okay. Until finally, you know, he

(01:13:07):
says, all right, you want to hear it? Let me
tell you that it's a, you know, gradual. You
just can't help it because Bunny is
just annoying as hell. And he's fast at
it too. These are both. Bunny's a very fast
thinker and Johnny's no dummy. He's just, his
subtlety isn't quite as

(01:13:27):
refined. Shall we say all, all brains
or all body, no brains, whatever he
says. And those little teeny
insults that he's just throwing in there
at you.
and Bentley. Have you, have you considered, Nathan, the idea
of that higher pitched voice?

>> Nathan Agin (01:13:47):
You know, I was reading that
and I'm like, I'm like, yeah, all right, I'll have to kind
of play with that a little bit. yeah, I,
I, it's like, okay, yeah, that, that,
that's something to definitely play with a little
bit.

Play around with. Yeah. I mean, you don't want to sound out
artificial.

>> Nathan Agin (01:14:06):
Right, right, right.

But it, it is sort of that simpering
inbred.

>> Nathan Agin (01:14:12):
There was. I, I remembered. So
in my, you know, 48 hours to prepare for the reading,
Peter told me the actor Terry Thomas,
which he's not a very, I think he, maybe he was
in. It's a mad, mad, mad, mad world. Like, you know, old
older actor, you know, a different era. But,
you know, if you see clips of him online, he had a, he had a

(01:14:32):
gap in his teeth and he would always be like, oh.

>> Nathan (01:14:35):
I say, you know, it was just very much like this.
It puts me in a false position. Have you ever considered the fact that I was an
afterthought?

>> Nathan Agin (01:14:43):
You know, just that it's. It's.

He's.

>> Nathan Agin (01:14:45):
You know, he seems like a caricature, but it's like. No, that's. That's
the guy. Like, that's how he. You know, how he
talks.

Yeah.

>> Nathan Agin (01:14:52):
So, yeah, it's. Yeah, I could hear that.

Some kind of an affectation that would also end up being quite
annoying.

>> Nathan Agin (01:14:58):
Yes. Which is what it says. It's like, you know,
he seems very, He's very, though. He seems
very sensitive. His confidence
and his high voice are a little exasperating. You know, It's. You know.

Yeah.

>> Nathan Agin (01:15:10):
And, Yes. So,
yeah, it was. I'm glad.
Thank you for kind of pushing me with that. I mean,
I was, You know, I was wondering.
Is I.

Yes, I know who that is.

>> Nathan Agin (01:15:29):
Okay. There you go. Yeah. Is that our
resident dramaturg slide, Michelle? Thank
you.

That's wonderful.

>> Nathan Agin (01:15:37):
Yeah. There's a commercial for him. It was BP oil. And he's
like, I'm a BP supa
man. And it's just like. You hear him and you're
like, this is how. It's like, yeah, this is how he talks.
that's exactly who he is. Yeah. It
puts me in a false position. Is,
I assume it's leading to.

(01:15:58):
I seem older than you, so, like, you're
calling me a name that makes me sound young, when
in fact, people. People think
I'm, like, I come off as older. Is that the false
position he's alluding to, that he's getting
to?

I. I think so.

>> Nathan Agin (01:16:16):
Yeah.

But I, think it's a card that Bunny plays
when it's convenient to. Bunny.

>> Nathan Agin (01:16:22):
Okay.

Do you know he behaves like a Bunny?
He's not behaving in a manner in which,
you know, people should be calling him Bentley.

>> Nathan Agin (01:16:33):
Right. Yeah.

You know, so I guess the way he can do it is to insist that people
do it, but he also takes advantage of it.

>> Nathan Agin (01:16:41):
And what I'm
intrigued by is how those two sentences
are linked or what his thought process is
to get from it. Puts me in a false position. Have you ever considered the fact that
I was an. An afterthought?

Yeah.

>> Nathan Agin (01:16:55):
Because it. I mean,
it's a real roundabout way. It feels
like a real roundabout way to get to his point.

but that's sort of the lure, too. That's why
John was like, what do you mean
by that? No, don't.

>> Nathan (01:17:12):
Well, do you think do you think he brings up?

>> Nathan Agin (01:17:14):
Because it seems like his ultimate point with the afterthought
is even though I was born ten years,
after you, I come off as older.
So, you know, it puts me in a false position. Is
it like. It puts me in a false position. I mean, because once he hears,
he call him Bunny, you know, his, his wheels can start
turning. Once I hear him call me Bunny, it,

(01:17:35):
it's, you know, it's like, okay, I don't, I don't like that it puts me in
a false position. And you
know, I, I guess it's, it's just a really,
it's a really dexterous, way
of having this argument of like starting it
from. Have you ever considered the fact that I was an afterthought? That like,
there's just kind of an element of like I just have to lean

(01:17:56):
into or assume that's how his brain, that's how
fast his brain works. Is that,
To explain this point, I'm gonna lure
him in with this idea
of, you know, this, you know,
seemingly off the wall concept. but
it is all connected.

>> Nathan (01:18:16):
Well, it's.

That was one of those people who. You can't get a word in
edgewise when they're not rolling.
They're moving. And because he's so fast.

>> Nathan Agin (01:18:25):
Right.

He's. He moves like a
Bunny. But
that, that is something really
up to you because it can also be a class difference
thing of like, you can't call me Bunny
because that puts me in a position where it seems like
I'm lower than you.

Oh, I didn't even think of that.

I have a. Or, you know,
I'm aristocracy.

>> Nathan Agin (01:18:50):
Oh yeah. Put you in a false position.

Which could be.

>> Nathan Agin (01:18:54):
Yeah.

A possibility. These are things to throw out for rehearsal
and that kind of a thing.

>> Nathan Agin (01:18:58):
well, you know, I, it also occurred to me. I
also, it also, it also can be like, as a
way to explain.

>> Nathan (01:19:05):
What I just said.

>> Nathan Agin (01:19:05):
Like, you know, it puts me in a false position. It
puts me in a false position. Have you ever considered the fact
that I was an afterthought? Like, like, like there can be, I
think a more of a natural transition, for
lack of a better word there any. And
it's still like what. Like, what are you talking
about? Like.

Yeah.

>> Nathan Agin (01:19:24):
How is it like to Bunny. To Bunny. It makes total sense what he's
connecting. But yeah.

And you're. If you want to know more, let me tell you a
story. You know what?

>> Nathan Agin (01:19:33):
I.

It's one of those things like.

>> Nathan Agin (01:19:35):
No.

Oh, I Opened the door. Crap.

>> Nathan Agin (01:19:39):
You know, why did you ask him? Why did you ask how
his day was?

Yeah. Oh, no, I know.
So let's, Well, let's take it then from.
You can't argue with a person whose
livelihood depends on and
great, last time through.

>> Nathan Agin (01:19:59):
And I think. Yeah. And I think there's an element of like, kind of like
the don't know, don't care. It's just like I can't talk with him.
Like, you know, and the real point is,
like, I can't talk to him, but like, just don't call me Bunny.
Okay? Like, it's like, whatever. Like, I don't need to spend
too much time on that. It's just like, hey, I mean, there's a
joke in there. But like, to Bunny, it's just like. Yeah, well, you know,

(01:20:20):
I think there's an element for him of like a
lot of stuff just. He just throws.
He throws a lot of stuff away, probably literally and
metaphorically and figuratively, because it just, it just
doesn't, It's not that he's not a person of depth,
but like, I think he's just,
accustomed to like, well,

(01:20:41):
somebody will take care of this and somebody will, you know, and like, so I don't have
to stop trying to be.

Mean to Mrs. Charlton.

>> Nathan Agin (01:20:47):
Right, right.

You know, it's just like, well, I don't care. Not my job.

>> Nathan (01:20:51):
Yeah.

And. And you know, I don't know how conscious it
is, but it is a little needling of like asking
Johnny for something.
To. Don't call me that. Please don't.
Don't call me that.

>> Nathan Agin (01:21:06):
Right.

You know, there's a lot of things you can fold into it, but
we are just. That that's the other thing is that
we're. We are at the very beginning of the play. And so
it's. You kind of just have
to. My old teacher,
Richard Easton used to say, you know, if you come across a line in Shakespeare
and you understand it.

>> Nathan Agin (01:21:25):
Right.

but scanning it doesn't help convey the
meaning. Just say the
line.

>> Nathan Agin (01:21:33):
Right.

Trust that we know that his brain is transitioning
that quick.

>> Nathan Agin (01:21:38):
Right, Right. Yeah, yeah, right.
And there's. There's a discussion of
like, you know,
how. How many times have I had to say this? Because
I doubt this is the first time
that he's called me Bunny. And, and you're right.
Like, how. How much does that not. Not necessarily
wound me, but you. You were talking about, like, what. What things really kind of

(01:22:01):
cut to me, and it's like for whatever reason, it's
like, don't m. You know, I wonder if I don't
like that if.

He calls Bunny at. If he's called him Bunny in
the workplace. I don't
know because I don't
know how strict it is because it is a shop. It's
not like a bank where probably everybody refers to
each other as Mr. And you know, no first
names.

>> Nathan Agin (01:22:26):
Right. Yeah, right. It could be Mr. Summerhays,
you know? Yeah.

Also, if you ask him to stop calling you Bunny, you kind of take away a
weapon for Johnny, right?

>> Nathan Agin (01:22:35):
Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's. There's
an element of like, how good natured,
right? Because for Bunny, like, there's. There's a sense of
like he's always playing, like he's always a play.
But even when he's manipulating, he makes it sound
like he's still having a, you know, it's a. It's a gay old time and
that kind of thing. And he's just. It's not until like he gets,

(01:22:56):
you know, it's like. Well, I mean, even still, even when
he's like, yeah, your son wouldn't have any manners, would he?
It's like he doesn't have to. He doesn't have to throw daggers.

>> Nathan (01:23:05):
It can just be like your son.

>> Nathan Agin (01:23:07):
You know, you know that.

You know, those kind of people who can say something self effacing and then
you realize as you walk away that they actually made a dig on
you.

>> Nathan Agin (01:23:16):
Right. Like, oh, wow. Yeah, yeah, yeah,
yeah.

What did he just say?

You know, it's just. I think
Bunny's probably one of those guys.

But.

>> Nathan (01:23:25):
Yeah, yeah.

I don't know how this contributes
to the conversation or even if it does, but I did notice that
Percival calls him Ben.

Yes.

>> Nathan Agin (01:23:35):
Yeah. Yeah.

Not even Bentley. Ben.

Ben. Yeah. That's a. That's an excellent
catch. Yeah.
Because, And Joey is very respectful. He's probably
that guy who was the, the football hero that
protected the nerds getting beat up in the hallway.

So he's very respectful and he doesn't say Bentley.
So, you know, how long have they been friends? What are the
circumstances of their friendship? So that might inform why
Bunny wants to not be called Bunny anymore.

He was. They went to school together. So I'm. I'm picturing like
an eaten.

And they're close enough for him to call him Ben and, not
Ben.

>> Nathan Agin (01:24:11):
Right. And I, I can't remember actually offhand
how many other people call him Bunny in the
play.

I think everybody does. Except for I can't remember
if didn't.

Hypatia Bunny in that Percival scene?
Michelle, didn't you call him Bunny?

>> Nathan Agin (01:24:26):
I'm sure, yeah. I wouldn't be surprised if she calls him Bunny.

Oh, yeah, I think
I'm not looking.

At that scene, but I don't know.

I'll look at that. I don't think. I think Lord
Summerhays calls him Bentley.

>> Nathan Agin (01:24:40):
Yeah, I think he does.
but does Tarleton call him Bunny?

I'm not sure. I'm gonna have to double check.

>> Nathan Agin (01:24:50):
Yeah, I have to look into that. Okay.
All right, well, we can keep
talking.

Crystal is the only one who calls it Ben.
Yeah, yeah.
Another word. Oh.
Oh, oh, no. I thought there was going to be another
picture. okay, do you guys want to take
it one more from the top or do you want to just take it from. And would you
mind not calling me Bunny? Whatever

(01:25:18):
your call.

Yeah, I'm the director.

Yeah, well, I,
I want to know, how much of a run up do you want to do
to try that little transition?

>> Nathan Agin (01:25:29):
I. Well, I, I was just going to jump with you. You can't
argue with a person, but,

Yeah, let's do it from there. Yeah, all
right.

>> Nathan (01:25:40):
You can't, you can't argue with a person when his
livelihood depends on his not letting you convert him.
And would you mind not calling me Bunny?
My name is Bentley Summerhays. Would you please.


>> Nathan (01:25:55):
Have you ever considered the fact that I was an afterthought?

An afterthought? What do you
mean by that?

>> Nathan (01:26:06):
I was. I was just going to
stop.

I don't want to know. It's only a dodge to start an
argument.

>> Nathan (01:26:14):
brain. My father was 44 when I was born.
My mother was 41. There was 12
years between me and the next eldest. I was
unexpected. I was probably
unintentional. My brothers and
sisters are not the least like me. They're the regular thing that you
always get in the first batch from young parents. Quite

(01:26:36):
pleasant, ordinary, do the regular thing sort.
All body and no brains, like you.

Thank you.

>> Nathan (01:26:45):
Don't mention it, old chap. Now
I'm different. By the time I was
born, the old couple knew something. So I
came out all brains and no more body than is
absolutely necessary. I am really a
good deal older than you, though you were born ten years sooner.
everybody feels that when they hear us talk.
Consequently, though it's quite natural to hear Me calling

(01:27:08):
you Johnny. It sounds ridiculous and
unbecoming for you to call me Bunny,
does it?

By George. You stop me doing it if you can.
That's all.

>> Nathan Agin (01:27:18):
If you.

>> Nathan (01:27:19):
If you go on doing it after I've asked you not,
you'll feel an awful swine.
At least I should. But I
suppose you're not, so particular.

I'll tell you what it is, my boy. You want a good
talking to and I'm going to give it to you. If you
think that because your father's a KCB and you want
to marry my sister, you can make yourself as nasty as you
please and say what you like, you're mistaken.
Let me tell you that. Except. Let me tell you
that. Except Hypatia, not one

(01:27:52):
person in this house is in favor of her marrying
you. And I don't believe one. And I don't believe she's
happy about it herself. The match isn't settled
yet. Don't forget that you're on trial in
the office because the governor isn't giving his daughter
money for an idle man to live on her.
You're on trial here because my mother thinks a

(01:28:12):
girl should know what a man is like in the house before she
marries him. That's been going on for two months
now. And what's the result? You've got yourself
thoroughly disliked in the office and you're getting yourself thoroughly
disliked here. All through your
bad manners and your conceit and the
damned impudence you think clever.

>> Nathan Agin (01:28:33):
That's enough, thank you.

>> Nathan (01:28:36):
You don't suppose, I hope, that I should have come
down if I had known that that was how you all feel about
me?

No, no. You
don't run away.

All right, let's stop there.

Yeah.

Should be a finality to. Well, I'm leaving.

>> Nathan Agin (01:28:53):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yep. Yep. Yeah.
Do you want me to take it from that speech or do you want,

>> Nathan (01:28:58):
Well,

I want to. I would say a couple things is. So I think the
thing about the insulting that with Bentley
is it's quite easy, you know,
because of course you have no iq. But that's fine.
But, you know, that. That they
don't. Doesn't have to be as.
As latent. But what's good about doing it
now a little bit more pointedly is that

(01:29:21):
it builds into that. So as we get easier with
the language, you'll be able to sort of almost like you're throwing it
away, but it's that.
Go ahead.

Yeah.

>> Nathan Agin (01:29:30):
What, Sorry, what specific part are you referring
to?

Like, you know, don't be afraid it won't over tax your brain.

>> Nathan Agin (01:29:37):
Oh, okay. Got it.

You know those little things the regular and the ordinary to do
regular sort of things. All body and no brains like
you. You know that these things can
be you know just a little bit more
that that the end. Because this
is. This is the story points
that finally pushes Johnny.

(01:29:59):
The book goes down and he's like all right.
I'll tell you what it is. And he lets him
have it. And I think every single thing that Johnny says
to you. Every single thing that Johnny says
to you hurts. It hits.

>> Nathan Agin (01:30:13):
Yeah. Yeah.

I think also Bentley is quite clueless
because as an aristocrat he probably doesn't
give a. If the maids had a bad day. Do you know, it's.

It's.

And he's gotten away with a lot of crap. That and the fact that his
parents ignored him because they didn't know what to do with him.
So.

>> Nathan Agin (01:30:30):
Right.

You know. So I think Johnny has really got to hurt
you.

>> Nathan Agin (01:30:34):
Yeah.

And you're you know.

Full.

You think it's an fu. Because you're gonna walk and
Johnny stops you.
So I. Yeah.

>> Nathan Agin (01:30:44):
Yeah.

All Right. So take it from Johnny. Why don't you take it
from. I'll tell you what it is my boy.

I'll tell you what it is my boy. You
want a good talking to and I'm going to give it to
you. If you think that because your
father's a KCB and you want to marry my sister. You
can make yourself as nasty as you please and say what you like, you're
mistaken. Let me tell you that. Except
Hypatia. Not one person in this house is in

(01:31:15):
favor of Her marrying you. And I don't believe she's happy about it
herself. The match isn't settled yet. Don't forget
that you're on trial in the
office. Because the governor isn't giving his daughter money
for an idle man to live on her. To live
on her. To live on her.
Isn't giving his daughter money for an idle man to live on

(01:31:35):
her. You're on trial here. Because my
mother thinks a girl should know a man is what a man
is like in the house before she marries him. That's been going
on for two months now. And what's the result?
You've got yourself thoroughly disliked in the office and you're
getting yourself thoroughly disliked here.
All through your bad manners and your
conceit. The damned impudence you

(01:31:57):
think clever.

>> Nathan Agin (01:31:59):
That's enough. Thank you.

>> Nathan (01:32:02):
You don't Suppose I hope that I should
have come down if I had known that that was how you all feel about
me.

No, you don't run away.
I'm going to have this out with you.
Sit down, dear.
That's the advantage of having more body
than brains, you see. It
enables me to teach you manners. And I'm going to do
it, too.

(01:32:30):
You're a spoilt young pup, and you need a
jolly good licking. And if you're not careful,
you'll get it. I'll, see to that next time you
call me a swine.

>> Nathan (01:32:41):
you are a swine. You're a beast. You're
a brute. You're a cad. You're a liar. You're a
bully. I should like to wring your damned neck for
you.

Try it, my son.
No. No. Fighting is not in your
line. You're too small and
you're too childish.
No. I always suspected that your
cleverness wouldn't come to very much when it was brought up against
something solid. Some decent chap's fist,

(01:33:17):
for instance.

>> Nathan (01:33:19):
I hope your beastly fist may come up against
a mad bull or a prize fighter's nose
or something solider than me. I
don't care about your fist. But if
everybody here dislikes me,
well, I don't care.
I'm sorry I intruded. I didn't

(01:33:39):
know. You beast. You
pigs. Swine. Swine. Swine. Swine. Swine.

No.

All right, my lad, all right. Sling your mud as
hard as you please. It won't stick to me.
What I want to know is this. How is it that
your father, who I suppose is the strongest man
England has produced in our time.

>> Nathan (01:33:59):
You got that out of your Hapney paper? A
lot.

>> Nathan Agin (01:34:02):
You?

>> Nathan (01:34:03):
A lot.

You know, let's stop right here, because now we're shifting into dad
talk.

>> Nathan Agin (01:34:06):
Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, no, that. That was great. And,
And as we get more, like, adept and
swift with the, The language, I think it's
like a front foot forward attack on
Johnny's part. You know what I mean?
Like. Like, it's, It's like. And
this and this and this and this. And I know it's

(01:34:28):
working. I can see that you're gonna start crying. I'd see a
little lip, your little lip starting to go, you
know.

Are you talking about the long bit about
your trial here, and you're on trial in the office, that bit? Or are you
talking about the,
you're, spoiled. Or are you talking about I knew when you
came up against a good fist, you would back down a bit.

I think it's, I think you were enjoying and it's front footed
with the, the thing about the office and the home
and because he, I think he knows that
Bunny doesn't know this
and so you're just, you've had it two months of
this torp. And
I, I think it hurts Bunny particularly because he

(01:35:11):
doesn't assume that that's what people think about him.
You know, and that, that, that it
sort of manifests in this physical. Now Johnny gets a little
physical with him, you know, tries to sit down, dignified.
Johnny pushes him down. And I
reading this where he sits, bitterly humiliated. I
think that's a good word for, for Bentley

(01:35:33):
right now that as Johnny goes after him, he's not just hurt,
he's humiliated.

>> Nathan Agin (01:35:38):
Yeah.

Johnny's succeeding at getting to
him and.

>> Nathan Agin (01:35:43):
And, and, and being so like manhandled.
you know, in my position that like
not only have I been insulted and, and upset, but now I'm
being, I'm being thrown around and it's just like this, this, this
does not happen to me. This is not, you know, this is not
okay.

People don't do. Last time I did this I, I got a nurse
fired.

>> Nathan (01:36:02):
Right.

>> Nathan Agin (01:36:03):
She, and she's probably just said something cross to me. She didn't even touch
me.

Yeah. Yeah. So,
and I think there's a, there's a pleasure that
Johnny is. There's got to be some kind of sense of
relief on some level. Again,
having to build the ups and down as we work through the
scene. There's got to be a level of
enjoyment for Johnny because this is Johnny's
purview. I think being able to

(01:36:29):
put somebody, you know, in their place because
that's, that's his function. He's going to be a tough boss.
He's very practical. He, he doesn't feel
so bad about corporal punishment.
you know, I, I think so this is
interesting that the, the dads then start coming up,

(01:36:50):
and we start talking about the differences between the fathering.

>> Nathan (01:36:53):
Right.

But so I didn't call you a
swine, but you're a beast, you're a brute, you're a cat, you're a
liar. and, and I do think
it's the, you know, the older brother who's getting to torture the
little one. There's you know, a little bit of
pleasure. I bet you Hypatia would
fight back. You don't get the better of
Hypatia very often.

(01:37:17):
try my son. fighting isn't in your line. You're too
small and you're too childish. how suspect. Your Cl
can be much fun.
Yeah, it's, I think Johnny is like,
yeah, I'm, Now I'm getting my chance to
finally let him know, I hope you're beastly kissed
and so much. And

(01:37:38):
it's when.
When Bentley's really lost his mind
and he's really upset about it.

Swine.

Swine, Swine, swine, swine, swine, swine. It. It's up to
you if you want to play with,
Johnny's a little taken aback by.

>> Nathan (01:37:54):
Whoa.

He's.

I got him. I, really got him going.
Or. Or if he's like, oh, for sake,
this again. You know, it. It. It
might be kind of fun to say, oh,
oh, wow. I got them wound up.
All right. Mom will hear you and she'll come out.
Just settle down.

>> Nathan Agin (01:38:15):
Can I ask you a quick clarifying question of the
now at the end of the swines? Swine, swine, swine,
swine, swine. Now.

I took it to mean. At least the way I thought you meant
it was. Now what are you going to do?
You told me not to call you a swine. You said you
would punch me next time. You called me a swine. Well, there you go. I just
called you a swine six times. Now what are you going to do?

Interesting.

>> Nathan Agin (01:38:41):
Interesting.

That's how I received it.

>> Nathan Agin (01:38:43):
Okay.

Yeah, I think that's actually. That's great, Paul. I agree with
you.

Is that what you think? Is that. Do you agree with that?

I think that makes total sense to me. And because
it also gives you an opportunity for
Bentley to be like, okay, there's my
chin.
Huh?

the. The earlier line, Nathan, is you're a
spoiled young pup and you need a jolly good licking. And
if you're not careful, you'll get it. I'll see to that next time you call me
a swine.

>> Nathan Agin (01:39:12):
Right, right, right, right, right. Yeah.

Yep. So he's calling.

>> Nathan Agin (01:39:15):
Yeah, yeah. I mean, I call you a swine and
a bunch of other things, and then. Yeah, and then I really.
I just go to, continue the, the metaphor
whole hog and call you swine. Swine, Swine, swine, swine.

Right. And it doesn't work. I mean, you call me at turn,
spit.

>> Nathan Agin (01:39:32):
And you're like, okay, now you cross the
line on the.

The roasting jack that your father built for you.
Yeah, yeah. All right. My lad. All right. Sling your
mud as soon as you heard. Yeah, I guess it sort
of doesn't become as fun when they're.
When they give in, you know, it's just. Oh.
Like picking on you when you get upset. And now you're just
this little thing. All right.

(01:39:59):
so, yeah, let's, let's do, let's
go from.

Oh. Oh, hello. This is not what
I expected. the dictionary says a
turn spit is a servant.
Oh, I thought it was job was to
turn a spit. I thought the turn spit was the thing that
the pig was on me too.

It's not. As opposed to
servant.

According, to the Oxford Dictionary, it's a servant or
a small dog running on a treadmill whose
job was to turn a spit on which meat was
roasting. So let's see what he
actually said because.

>> Nathan Agin (01:40:37):
Yeah, because he says if your father hadn't made a roasting jack for you to
turn, you'd be earning 24 shillings a week
behind a counter.

Oh, so he's calling me the guy who's turning the
spit.

>> Nathan Agin (01:40:47):
Right. And you're just, you're just standing there, like,
just, you know. Yeah, you know, that's it.

That's all you do. He's using it as a metaphor to describe
the business, the underwear business.

Yeah.

>> Nathan (01:40:58):
Right.

I'm just. I'm just standing there, crank, making sure
that the machines run, and I'm making money.
Okay.

>> Nathan Agin (01:41:04):
And I assume 20.

Go ahead.

>> Nathan Agin (01:41:07):
Sorry. Go ahead. Go ahead. Erica, I, I.

To me, it also struck me as, you know, because dad built the
roasting pit for you to do this.
So your career is about what dad built for you and gave
you. Don't give me a crap about you being
a brilliant businessman.

>> Nathan Agin (01:41:22):
And I assume 24 shillings a week was not
a lot of money. Like, that's, that's like, you know,
nothing.

Probably down to the labor class. Yeah.

>> Nathan Agin (01:41:30):
Right.

I believe that's 2 pounds, 12 shillings is a pound.

>> Nathan Agin (01:41:34):
Right.

Michelle?

She might be gone.

She might be gone.

No, no, no, I'm not here.

Two pounds a week in 1910, that was good money,
wasn't it? Well. Well, not. Maybe not for them.

I don't think it'll move you up a class.

No.

Might be, might be like their minimum wage. Get you
enough to pay your rent, Right?

>> Nathan Agin (01:42:02):
Yeah.

Buy your groceries, but you're not going to save much.

>> Nathan Agin (01:42:05):
You'd be earning 24 shillings a week behind a counter,
like. Yeah, I think he's insulting him with
that. Definitely. in many ways.

so he's not saying that he'd be a pauper or a beggar.
He's just saying you'd be a middle class
person.

>> Nathan Agin (01:42:19):
Yeah. You'd have a minimum wage job.

Yeah. You wouldn't be able to sit here reading your novel on your
weekend.

>> Nathan Agin (01:42:27):
You'd be taking orders at McDonald's, pal. Like that's, you
know, the drive thru.

Window, like everybody else.

>> Nathan Agin (01:42:34):
Yeah.

Essentially, your status is built by your dad's
success.

>> Nathan Agin (01:42:39):
Right.

Ironically. So it's Bentley, but.
So, All right, well then, yeah,
okay, let's take it from, No, don't you run. You don't run
away.

Oh, that's my line.

That's your line, darling.

Let's see where we are.

He's trying to leave, but Bentley tries to leave, you know, in a
dignified manner.

Here we go. Now, you
don't run away. I'm going to have this out with
you. Sit down, do you hear?

>> Nathan Agin (01:43:15):
Huh?

That's the advantage of having more body than brains, you
see. It enables me to teach you manners.
And I'm going to do it too.
You're a spoilt young pup and you need a jolly good
licking. And if you're not careful, you'll get it. I'll see to that
next time you call me a swine.

>> Nathan (01:43:33):
you are a swine. You're a beast. You're a brute,
You're a cad. You're a liar. You're a bully. I
should like to wring your damned neck for you.

Try it, my son.

M.

Fighting isn't in your line. You're
too small and you're too childish.
I always suspected that your cleverness wouldn't come to very
much when it was brought up against something solid. Some
decent chap's fist, for instance.

>> Nathan (01:44:06):
I hope your beastly fist may come up against a
mad bull or prize fighter's nose
or something solider than me.
I don't care about your fist. But if everybody here
dislikes me, well,
I don't care. I'm sorry I
intruded. I didn't know.

(01:44:27):
Oh, you beast. You pig. Swine.
Swine.

>> Nathan Agin (01:44:30):
Swine.

>> Nathan (01:44:30):
Swine. Swine.

All right, my lad, all right.
Sling your mud as hard as you please. It won't stick to
me. What I want to know is this. How
is it that your father, who I suppose is the strongest man
England has produced in our time, you got.

>> Nathan (01:44:47):
That out of your ha'penny paper. A lot you know about
him I.

Don'T set up to be able to do Anything but admire
him and appreciate him and be proud of him as an
Englishman. If it wasn't for my respect for him I
wouldn't have stood your cheek for two days, let alone two
months. But what I can't
understand understand is why he didn't lick
it out of you when you were a kid. For 25
years he kept a place twice as big as England in order.

(01:45:13):
A place full of seditious coffee, colored
heathens and pestilential white agitators in
the middle of a lot of savage tribes. And yet he
couldn't keep you in order.
I don't set up to be half the man your father
undoubtedly is but by George, it's lucky for you
you were not my son. I don't hold

(01:45:34):
my own father's views about corporal punishment
being wrong. It's necessary
for some people. And I've tried it on. And
I've tried it on you. And I'd have tried it on you
until you first learned to howl and then
to behave yourself.

>> Nathan (01:45:51):
Yes. Behavior wouldn't come
naturally to your son, would
it?

Now, you keep a civil tongue in your head.
I'll, stand none of your snobbery. I'm
just. Just as proud of Tots Turtle,
Toddleton's underwear as you are of your father's title and
his KCB and all the rest of it. My
father began in a little hole of a shop
in Leeds no bigger than our prime than our

(01:46:17):
pantry. Down, the passage there,
he.

>> Nathan (01:46:21):
Oh, yes, I know. I've read it.
The Romance of Business or the Story
of Tarleton's Underwear. Please take one.
I took one. The day after I met. I first met
Hypatia. I went and bought half a. Half a
dozen unshrinkable vests for her
sake.

Well, did they shrink?

>> Nathan (01:46:42):
Oh, don't be a fool.

Never mind whether I'm a fool or not. Did they shrink? That's
the point. Were they worth the money?

>> Nathan (01:46:51):
I couldn't wear them. Do you think my
skin's as thick as your customers hides?
I'd as soon have dressed myself in a nutmeg
grater.

Pity your father didn't give your thin skin a jolly
good lacing with a cane.

>> Nathan (01:47:06):
Pity you haven't got more than one idea.
If you want to know.

I'm gonna go back. The speech is about the fathers.
it an interesting source of Johnny being,
proud of both. There's one
proud of Lord Summerhays as an Englishman
and you know, this man with. Who's a KCB
and all this kind of stuff. and then talking
about his pride of what his father has

(01:47:32):
built. And I'm just wondering
if you want to play with
what tonally, what do you think would be
the difference?
Do you know, do you know what I'm saying? That that's an
opportunity with all these speeches and things like that is. That is the,
the, the difference between what

(01:47:54):
he respects and holds in high regard
with Lord Summerhays
versus what his father has accomplished with
Tarleton's underwear.

I think what would help me to answer
that question is if I knew more about the play. Like how
does, does he say anything in the play about
how he feels about the underwear business or his
father?

he, he mentions, I think, frustration
with his father. And when they're together,
there's not a lot of warm fuzzy between
Tarleton and Johnny.

But he's proud of him, though. It sounds like he's proud of him.

It sounds like. Yeah, it sounds like he's proud of what his father's
built. but it's, it's, it seems very
clear that he actually leans
more towards Lord Summerhays in that they're both a little
bit more
up and down,
straightforward mannered, that kind of a
thing. That there is an admiration for Lord Summerhays.

(01:48:54):
That is something that just doesn't exist in Johnny's world,
if that makes any sense.

Yeah, what's.
I'm, not disagreeing. I'm not disagreeing.

No, no, no, no, go ahead.

But, but, but it is two different.
I'm not saying it's two different types of respect, but, but he's
saying that these two men took two different paths.

That's right.

Because your father was born into this. My
father worked his ass off from nothing to build
this. But he's not saying. It doesn't sound like he's
comparing them is. It's not what he's doing.
Right.

He's not. Yeah, he's not saying, well, my dad did this
versus your dad. Because they're still, as he
goes into it, they're talking about they get around
to how he fathered him.
We get along those lines. But I'm also
spitballing right now.

The other thing is, what's the place? What's the place that's
as twice as big as England? Is that in the play or do I need to
look this up?

but I think they call it Genghisan.
They mention it,
yeah. It's a longer, word,
but yeah, it's a sort of a. I think a
made up Sort of sounding Indian.
why can't, I think Providence or
something that the English took?

It's definitely fictional.

Yeah.

Okay. And,
KCB is not fictional, right? No. Night
Commander of the Bath.

It is an actual, yeah, actual thing
that was, I think, originated in the late 1700s.

>> Nathan Agin (01:50:30):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I don't know quite. I, I still don't get the order of the
bath, because it makes. Is
he in charge of filling the tub? But that,
that's just me.

See?

Silly.

Well, they did have things like Order of the Garters, so it
very well may have been.

Yeah. I, I, I was recently
watching, the Crown again and, and there's
the sequence where they tell her she needs to cut down her
budget. And so she meets with every
single one of these people who have these
roles that have been built into the,
the, you know, the royalty,

(01:51:09):
you know, keeper of the hounds or,
you know, these kinds of things. And she actually gets to
know them personally enough in the interviews
to sort of open up and realize and how hard it is for
her. But these are traditional. These are hundreds of
years of tradition. But I need to cut the budget because the public's
pissed.

(01:51:30):
So, but yes. so I
think we made some pretty good. I'm going to do
some more research and I'm going to, look
into,
how everybody calls Bentley, you know, who refers
to him by what name, and
then maybe try and just clarify some more about

(01:51:50):
Johnny or. Yeah, it's, this
is one of those ones I got to read more and more and more and more and more.
Hypa. This could be
exciting. And I like the idea
of her not just being modern,
bold, oh, ah, hot guy. I'm going to go after him.
But the things that are unfamiliar that she sort of

(01:52:11):
dreamt of saying to somebody at one point, but now
I'm gonna do it, you know, chase
me through the broken.

ah, Chat
GPT is saying
that gbs in the play
Misalliance.
well, one thing on Chat GPT says that it
was British India that Lord Summerhays
governed. And another one is saying that was a,
that in quotes, a province in China,

(01:52:39):
as if the place says that it was a province in China.

>> Nathan (01:52:42):
No, I mean, it's, yeah, it's kind.

Of a play on Genghis Khan.

they talk about India.

Yeah. And yeah. And they do mention India a couple of
times.

>> Nathan Agin (01:52:50):
Oh.

Later in the play.
Yeah.

So yeah, it's, it's governed British India.
Okay.

And, you know, twice the size of England, although England
isn't exactly huge, but. Yes.

No, it's not.

No. So. But
anyway, excellent work.

>> Nathan Agin (01:53:12):
Yeah, this is great.

This is a lot of fun. Peel back and
feel free to email me any questions during the week.
And, I'm delighted that you guys
have all agreed and signed up to do this,
because I just love this. This is fun.

>> Nathan Agin (01:53:28):
Yeah, it is great. And. And we'll, we'll add one more.
We'll add Dylan next week.

Yep.

>> Nathan Agin (01:53:33):
and so, yeah, no, this is great. Thank you. Thank you,
Erica, for. For leading this group. And, for those
watching, subscribe, comment, share, do
all those things that you do online and come on back
for. Yeah, and come on back for week two.
And,

Yes, Paul, you have one more question, or.

I was gonna say. I was gonna say it's so much fun. That's all.

Oh, good. I'm glad you're enjoying your shawl.

>> Nathan Agin (01:53:58):
Cool.

Yeah. All right.

>> Nathan Agin (01:53:59):
Okay, thanks, everybody. We'll see you next week.

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Misalliance (2 scenes), Week 1: "Class and Conflict" - The Rehearsal Room

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Misalliance (2 scenes), Week 1: "Class and Conflict" - The Rehearsal Room