Celebrity Sonnets And Speeches Focus On Shakespeare's Women

Speaker 1: 00:00 The San Diego Shakespeare society presents its 18th annual celebrity sonnets tonight at the old globe. The theme is a celebration of Shakespeare's women through sonnets and speeches. KPBS arts reporter Beth Armando invited Shakespeare society members, Darryl Woodson, Julia [inaudible] and Patricia Elmore Costa to preview some of the readings. Speaker 2: 00:22 My name is Darryl Woodson and I am the president of the San Diego Shakespeare society. We are doing the 18th annual celebrity sonnets. Its title is sonnets and speeches, a celebration of Shakespeare's women. The San Diego Shakespeare society has been in existence since the year 2000 and we are the only group in San Diego that does Shakespeare all year round. We do monthly open readings, a film series. We do also the free lecture series and we work with the San Diego museum of art to do what they call art stops. What I'm going to do now is sign at 130 that's from a Shakespeare's sonnets collection and this is one of those sonnets that has a reversal at the end or the last two lines. So if you listen closely to the sonnet, listen to the last two lines especially, which kind of reverses a lot of what happened previously. My mistress eyes are nothing like the sun. Coral is far more red than her lips red. If snow be white, why then her breasts are done. If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. I have seen roses damask red and white, but no such roses. CII in her cheeks and in some perfumes. Is there more delight than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. I love to hear speak. You had, well, I know that music at the far more pleasing sound I grant, I never saw a goddess go my mistress when she walks treads on the ground Speaker 2: 02:22 and yet by heaven I think my love as rare as any, she belied with false compare. And now we have two more selections from the 18th annual celebrity sonnets presented at the old globe theater. Thank you. Speaker 1: 02:41 Hi, my name is Julia Jill Zadie and I'll be performing a monologue from the Shakespeare play. The winter's tale. The character is named Paulina. This monologue takes place at the trial of Polina's best friend and a boss, her meiny she has been accused of by her husband with absolutely no evidence. And at the, uh, at the end of this monologue, she reveals to this jealous tyrant that his actions has caused his wife to die of grief. So, uh, she's pretty angry in this one. What studied, torments tyrant has to for me what wheels racks, fires, what flaying boiling in LEDs or oils. What old or newer torture must I receive? Whose every word deserves to taste of die? Most worst, thy tyranny together working with, by jealousy fancies two weak for boys to green and idle for girls of nine O. Think what they have done and then run mad indeed stark mad for all thy bygone fullerenes were butts spices of it that thou betrayed publicities towards nothing that did not show the of a fool in constant and damnable in grateful nor West much that was to poison good Camillo's honor to have him kill a King. Speaker 1: 04:00 Poor trespasses, more monstrous standing by where of I reckon the casting fourth two crows, thy baby daughter to be or none or little that were devil would have shed water out a fire. Air done it. Norris directly lead to the the death of the young Prince who's honorable thoughts, thoughts, high for one, so tender. Collect the heart that could conceive a gross and foolish sire or blemished his gracious dam. This is not no laid to thy answer, but the last Oh Lords when I have said cry. Whoa. The queen, the queen, the sweetest, dearest creatures dead and vengeance for it. Not dropped down yet, but Oh thou Ty rent. Do not repent these things for they are heavier than all thy woes can stir therefore, but take the two, nothing but despair. 1,000 knees, 10,000 years together, naked fasting upon a barren winter and still winter in storm perpetual could not move the gods to look that way. Speaker 1: 05:07 Thou wort, I really love this, of this peace and love performing this monologue as Polina because it's one of the greatest instances. I believe in Shakespeare's works of a woman standing up for another woman and a standing up specifically to a man in authority and saying to him, you're wrong. Um, I think it's extremely relevant both for hundred years ago and today for, uh, for women to stand up when you see something happening that doesn't look right to say this isn't right. Because sometimes, especially in this case, the character, her mind, she can't speak for herself. So Polina sees this injustice happening and she doesn't stand by and let it happen. She risks her status, she risks her job and she risks her life by standing for what's true. And, uh, again, like I said, I think that is something that even today is super relevant and super important to, uh, to, to put out into the world. Um, and incidentally, I am playing her mind in a production of the winter's tale right now at the core and auto play house. It's running Thursdays through Sundays, um, and at 8:00 PM and on Sundays at 2:00 PM, Speaker 3: 06:22 I'm Patricia Elmore Acosta and I'll be doing Kate from the taming of the Shrew. And uh, this piece is something that appears at the end of the play. Like most of his comedies, there's a wedding celebration and uh, so she and her husband are at the wedding celebration and there's been a wager and Petruchio my husband has bet that I will come out first when called and everybody laughed and said no way because you know she is a Shrew fi fi on nit that threatening unkind brow and dark, not scored. Folk glances from those eyes to wound die Lord by King, by governor. It blots thy beauty as frauds to bite the Meads confounds thy famous whirlwinds shake fair buds and in no sense is meat or amiable. A woman moved is like a fountain. Troubled, muddy is seeming thick bereft of beauty and while it is so non, so dry or thirsty will deign to sipper touch one drop of it. Speaker 3: 07:38 My husband is the Lord by life thy keeper. I had vice sovereign one who cares for the and for thy maintenance, commits his body to painful labor both by seeing land to watch the night in storms, the day in cold, well foul, liased, warm at home, secure and safe and craves no other tribute at the hands but love fair looks and true obedience. Too little payment for so great. A debt such duty as the subject owes the Prince even such a woman Oh with to her husband and when she is fro word peevish sullen, sour and not obedient to his honest will. What is she? But a foul contending rebel and graceless trader to our loving Lord. I am ashamed that women are so simple to offer war where they should kneel for peace or seek for rule supremacy and sway when they are bound to serve. Love and obey. Speaker 3: 08:48 Come, come you fro word and unable worms. My mind have been as big as one yours. My heart as great. My reason happily more to bandy word for word and frown for frown, but now I see our lenses. Arbid straws are straight as weak. Our weakness past compare that seemed to be most, which we indeed Lee star, then veil your stomachs, Florida snow boots and place your hands below your husband's foot in token of which duty. If he please, my hand is ready. May I do him ease. Kate is a wonderful character and she is a woman before her time in that she's independent. Now she is fro word peevish, sullen and sour. But I think Petruchio likes that about her because he's like that himself. So, um, this is a great example of the battle between the sexes and uh, I think what's really important to know is that all of us have our public selves and our private selves. And I think Kate has learned that um, she needs to put on her public self and show her view, one that she has indeed been shame, uh, tamed. She has been tamed by Petruchio and she has learned the value and importance of acquiescing in public. Why there's a winch come on and make, those were members of the San Diego Shakespeare society providing a little preview of what you can expect tonight at its annual celebrity sonnets. The event starts at seven 30 at the old globe.