Celia

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In the Globe Theatre Company's production of As You Like It, Celia was played by Tonia Chauvet. Click on the numbered links to follow Tonia's journey as she creates and plays the character of Celia in the Globe Theatre.

Tonia Chauvet - Introduction

The rehearsals for As You Like It took place in a converted warehouse in O’Meara Street, about 5 minutes walk from the Globe theatre itself. The rehearsal room is very large and has an outline of the Globe stage marked out in tape on the floor; there are also 2 pillars in the room. These arrangements help the actors to prepare for working on the Globe stage. The actors will not rehearse on the Globe stage until the technical rehearsal, although some classes are held on the stage.

Each day, the actors received their ‘call’, the time s/he is expected to report for rehearsal. During the rehearsal period an actor’s day will vary considerably, each actor may rehearse scenes, attend a class (voice, text and movement) or have a costume fitting with the wardrobe department. A typical day might begin at 10.00am and finish at 6.30pm – sometimes there are also evening calls.

During the rehearsal period (particularly at the beginning) each actor will research his/her character. To help the actors the assistant director will find relevant books, pictures etc. and bring these to rehearsal. Extracts from books and pictures are often stuck onto the rehearsal room walls. Actors will also experiment with using props in rehearsal; these will be rough versions of the final prop and will help them to build the prop into the scene. Similarly some form of rehearsal costume will be worn e.g. long skirts for the women, this will help actors to get used to moving, sitting etc. in their costume. In particular actors will use the actual shoes they will wear in performance during rehearsal. This is to wear the shoes ‘in’, as they are made using Elizabethan techniques and there is no specified ‘left’ and ‘right’ foot. Many actors also feel that wearing the correct shoes helps them to ‘get into’ character.

The companies have 6 weeks of rehearsal before the technical and dress rehearsals and this is the period covered by these comments and activities. Generally the beginning of this period is spent improvising around the text and in development of character; towards the end of these 6 weeks actors will rehearse scenes in detail and run parts of the play. The exact method of working in rehearsal is established and shaped by the director.

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Tonia Chauvet - Character Notes 1

These comments are the actor’s thoughts or ideas about the part as s/he goes through the rehearsal process – they are simply their own interpretation and frequently change as the rehearsal process progresses.

Celia is a big presence at the beginning of the play where the strength of her attachment to Rosalind is immediately clear. Celia disapproves of her father and is embarrassed by his actions – she tries to compensate for his cruelty to Rosalind’s father. Tonia feels that despite this Celia is a ‘daddy’s girl’, she is a princess who lives in a world of privilege. Her father’s position means that Celia is accustomed to a life of leisure and luxury. From the start of rehearsal Tonia has been struck by the seeming youth of the cousins, they are best friends who are exploring ideas and are in the process of developing from children to adults. Celia wants Rosalind to think and feel the same as she does.

Early on in the rehearsal period the decision was taken that Celia and Rosalind would wear the same costume for the court scenes. This is to emphasis their closeness, their identification with each other at court (which in this production is a harsh and hostile environment). The scenes with Rosalind and Celia will be like moments of freshness in the oppressiveness of the court – Tonia would like Celia to appear quite delicate/fragile in the world of her father – this will provide a contrast with her life in the forest.

Tonia feels that Touchstone is like a mother figure to Celia; as the fool, she can relate to him in a way which is different to how she relates to the rest of the court. (The court consists entirely of men). Rosalind and Celia enjoy each others wit and the games they play together; they may have learnt these from Touchstone. However, despite their friendship, Touchstone is not their social equal as he is just a clown, a court servant. He cannot be a friend in an equal sense. This emphasises again for Tonia the isolation of Celia and Rosalind at court – all they have is each other.

Activities

1. Adjectives

One way Tonia worked on her character was to write a list of adjectives which she felt described Celia....

Either: From what you know about Celia write your own list of adjectives to describe her.

Or: Choose a character you have played in Drama, or know well from a book and write a list of adjectives which describe him/her.

2. What is said about Celia?

One exercise Tonia used early in rehearsal was to write down everything that is said about Celia and everything that Celia says about herself.

Try this exercise for yourself – make 2 lists, one for Celia’s own comments and one for those of other characters. When you have finished compare each list, what are the differences and similarities?

3. Dividing the text.

To help her understand Celia’s motivation at each moment during the play, Tonia divides the text into sections – each time Celia’s motivation/aim changes she begins a new section. Tonia then gives each section a title.

Try this exercise for yourself: you could look at any part in the play or focus on the end of Act 1 Scene 3.

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Tonia Chauvet - Character Notes 2

These comments are the actor’s thoughts or ideas about the part as s/he goes through the rehearsal process – they are simply their own interpretation and frequently change as the rehearsal process progresses.

Celia and Rosalind talk about ideas, trying to understand what life is about. They have conversations about fortune versus nature and enjoy contradicting each other and arguing their point – their conversations are reminiscent of those of adolescents – as yet neither Celia nor Rosalind have experiences to inform their discussions. In the forest this begins to change, the friends enter a different world with different people and begin to experience things they had only previously talked of.

Tonia now feels she needs to explore Celia’s role in the forest. Ganymede and Orlando become close quite quickly and Celia as the only female is left out – she can no longer play their games. Tonia feels that Celia might ‘keep house’ in the forest, yet she recognised that Celia is only playing at this – she is not doing any really hard work and remains essentially a princess in Arden. Tonia has asked for lots of miniature games for one that can hang from her dress and which she can play with during Ganymede and Orlando’s long discussions.

Celia is the character who discovers Orlando – she finds his poems on the branches, Tonia feels that Celia spends a lot of time exploring the forest, wandering around in her own private world, therefore she probably knows the forest very well and has a strong imaginary life.

At one point Celia feels that Ganymede and Orlando have gone too far, she disapproves of their games and becomes increasingly isolated from their activities.

At this point in the rehearsal process the company went on a residential weekend to an Elizabethan manor house where they improvised the scenes that were not in the play. This was useful for Tonia as it allowed her to explore how Celia would spend her time in the forest. Tonia realised how much Celia was alone and how she was surrounded by other couples – Ganymede/Rosalind and Orlando, Phebe and Silvius, Touchstone and Audrey. This experience contributed to Tonia’s sense of Celia’s growing isolation in the forest.

Activities

1. What happens off stage?

Actors work to understand their character as a whole, not just what s/he does and says on stage. To help them actors use an exercise in which they decide what happens to their character in between the scenes in which s/he is featured.

What do you think would happen if Celia met Orlando in the forest? (Tonia feels that Celia meets Orlando in the forest before Rosalind does). You could improvise this scene in groups, or write down your ideas in a script format.

2. Games

Tonia has decided that Celia will have some small games attached to the belt around her waist. These will be games that can be played by one person.

Devise a game which Celia might be able to play by herself in the forest. Write a set of rules for the game. If you wish you could try making a small version of the game. Remember it must be small enough to hang from Celia’s belt and should fit in with the Elizabethan costume worn in the production.

3. Props

When Celia and Rosalind leave for the Forest of Arden they take a considerable amount of luggage with them.

What do you think Celia would choose to take with her to the Forest of Arden? Write a list of objects and give the reasons why you have chosen each one. If you wish you can draw designs for each object.

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Tonia Chauvet - Character Notes 3

Tonia feels that Celia and Rosalind’s stories in the play are basically the story of how they grow up. Their journeys in the play are journeys of separation – their lives grow apart during the play to the point at the end where Celia is able to fall in love with Oliver. Celia meets Oliver, hears his extraordinary story and falls in love with him; she does not put him to the test at all (as Rosalind does with Orlando), they meet and the next day plan to marry. Tonia feels that it is his story and the spiritual nature of Oliver’s conversion which attracts Celia.

In one sense Tonia feels that Celia is a very straightforward character, she is centred and is the voice of calm and reason for Rosalind. Her main task now is to develop the character of Celia in the later scenes, as the play progresses Celia says less and less – Tonia needs to find away to complete Celia’s journey for the audience without a great amount of dialogue.

Activities

1. Falling in love

Celia falls in love with Oliver very quickly – they only have one scene together and say very little to each other.

How do you think Tonia should show the audience that Celia has fallen in love with Oliver? Send your suggestions to Tonia.

2. Animals

One exercise actors often use in rehearsal is to decide which animal most reminds them of their character. The animal Tonia chooses may effect the way she moves or stands as the character of Celia.

What animal does Celia remind you of? – Give reasons for your answer.

Try this exercise for yourself, maybe with characters from a book you are reading or a television programme. Make sure you explain why the character reminds you of that animal.

Think about the way the animal you have chosen might move, sit or stand if it were a person. Try these ideas out practically.

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Tonia Chauvet - Character Notes 4

Before each performance Tonia likes to make sure she is properly warmed up and prepared; to do this she goes through the same ritual before each show. She begins with a physical warm up – running, to feel energized. Tonia then warms up her voice, stretching it, making sure that it resonates properly, if she does not warm up her voice properly she could damage it during the performance. Half an hour before the show begins Tonia has a shower in cold water! She then uses aromatherapy oils (usually orange and rose) to help her concentrate and get into the mood of her character. Finally she brushes her teeth.

Tonia has found that during the performance she is increasingly able to play out to the audience. She has also found that they respond to some lines in a way that she had not even thought of e.g. the audience always laugh when Celia tells Rosalind she can have her father, as Celia’s father is not a very attractive character.

The company have now gone into rehearsal for their second play of the season, A Mad World My Masters by Thomas Middleton. This means that Tonia has either rehearsals during the day and a performance in the evening, or a performance in the afternoon and rehearsal in the evening. She has a large part in the play - Tonia plays Mistress Harebrain – a French woman who has just married an English man a great deal older than her. He is an extremely jealous husband who does not allow her to go out. Mistress Harebrain is very different from Celia, although Tonia feels that playing Celia may influence her approach to Mistress Harebrain as she knows she will consciously try to approach the character in a way that is different.

Now Tonia is finding that she is able to relax during performances as she grows more accustomed to working in the Globe space. During the scenes in the forest Tonia is now able to simply react as Celia to events, rather than to first think about how Celia would react. Tonia is always finding small details to add to her portrayal of Celia, although there is still one scene where she feels she is still improvising and is not completely in control of what is happening. This is Act 3 Scene 4 in which Rosalind and Celia discuss Orlando and the notion of falling in love.

Recently during performances Tonia has found that Orlando and Celia have become accomplices in the forest, paradoxically Tonia has also found it easier to allow Celia to be left out of the action in the scenes between Rosalind and Orlando. During rehearsal Tonia tried to give Celia something definite to do in these scenes, but as her performance has developed she has become content to be an observer in these scenes. The audience often allies with Celia during this part of the play and uses her a means of interpreting and/or judging the wooing scenes between Rosalind and Orlando.

Activities

1. Act 3 Scene 4

Look at Act 3 Scene 4 that begins "Never talk to me, I will weep." This is the scene which has been causing Tonia the most problems.

Either - How do you think this scene should be played? Send your ideas to Tonia.

Or -Tonia feels that it should appear as if she and Rosalind are playing in the scene. Can you think of anything they can do to communicate this to the audience?

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Tonia Chauvet - Character Notes 5

At this point, just over half way through the run of the play, As You Like It was given a 3 week break from performance. This was to give the actors in the Red Company the opportunity to rehearse full time for their second play of the season, A Mad World My Masters and to open that production with a week of performances, before the play went into repertory with As You Like It. Tonia and the rest of the company have been busy with rehearsal, technical rehearsal and previews and have not been thinking about As You Like It during this period. Therefore returning to the play is quite challenging.

The company were called to rehearsal before the show for a line run of the play (for which the actors just say their lines, without movement) and a speed run (for which the actors include their moves but as fast as possible). Tonia found this very useful as it helped her to hear the words of the play again and to be reminded of the way in which the scenes fit together.

Tonia has enjoyed performing As You Like It again, and the character of Celia now comes naturally to her. She has suddenly found that she trusts the play more. She no longer feels a need to try and explain things, but is confident that the pace of the play and the performance itself will tell the story well. Because of this, she feels able to listen to the play more. Coming back to As You Like It has made Tonia appreciate even more how good a writer Shakespeare is!

The company has also faced another challenge as Maggie Wells who plays Audrey was injured during a rehearsal for A Mad World My Masters and was unable to perform. This means that Tonia has needed to adjust the way she plays her scenes with Audrey in order to respond to a different interpretation of the role.

About Tonia Chauvet

Tonia Chauvet trained at the Ateliers Gerard Philippe, and the Conservitorie Regional de Nice. She worked extensively in French theatre, appearing at the TGP (National Theatre) and the Cherbourg Theatre, as well as touring throughout France. She has also appeared at the Gate theatre, London.

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