Hey guys! My name is Margaret Odette and I am coming to you from my fire escape
here in Harlem, New York City. And I'm so
excited to be participating in The
Public Theater's Brave New Shakespeare
challenge. I first started my
relationship with The Public Theater as
an audience member
checking out their shows at their free
Shakespeare in the Park in the Delacorte
Theater as a teenager. And I have since  interned at
The Public and most recently I had the
honor of portraying Hero in an all-Black
production of MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
that they did at the Delacorte last summer so I'm really excited to be
exploring THE WINTER'S TALE with you
guys today through a piece, a Hermione piece from
Act 3, scene 2. Now I have never played Hermione
in a full production. I have done a production of
THE WINTER'S TALE
in undergrad, excuse me, in grad school
at NYU and in that production I played
the old shepherd as a 75 year old
Australian man and I was Time which is a
genderless character so I'm really
excited to be exploring Hermione. She is one
of my favorite women in Shakespeare's
canon and this piece particularly
resonates with me because in the face of
such adversity that she's getting from
her husband and the court at large,
she stays true to herself and she stays
true to her conviction and her values
and she speaks truth to power. And I
think that is so incredibly inspiring
and embalming and really important to
remember to do in times like we're
experiencing now where so much social
unrest is being expressed because of
so much overwhelming injustice that
exists in our society and reminding
ourselves that we have the power to
speak truth against those injustices
and stay true to what we know to be
righteous and valuable so with that
let's play.
Sir, spare your threats:
The bug which you would fright me with I seek.
To me can life be no commodity:
The crown and comfort of my life, your favour,
I do give lost; for I do feel it gone,
But know not how it went. My second joy
And first-fruits of my body, from his presence
I am barr'd, like one infectious. My third comfort
Starr'd most unluckily, is from my breast,
The innocent milk in its most innocent mouth,
Haled out to murder: myself on every post
Proclaimed a strumpet: with immodest hatred
The child-bed privilege denied, which 'longs
To women of all fashion; lastly, hurried
Here to this place, i' the open air, before
I have got strength of limit. Now, my liege,
Tell me what blessings I have here alive,
That I should fear to die? Therefore proceed.
But yet hear this: mistake me not; no life,
I prize it not a straw, but for mine honour,
Which I would free, if I shall be condemn'd
Upon surmises, all proofs sleeping else
But what your jealousies awake, I tell you
'Tis rigor and not law. Your honours all,
I do refer me to the oracle:
Apollo be my judge!
And there we have it. And now I bring the
challenge to you. Get out there, express
yourself through this language either in
song or dance movement piece or your own
piece of writing that is inspired and in
conversation with this one. However you
choose to do it, remember to stay safe,
stay brave, stay engaged, and have fun.
