2 jesters

Hortonhearsawho · 2 jesters

I was just cast as one of 2 jesters in our production, and was wondering if any other casts have ever split the part?
We are playing it as a father and son following in his footsteps kinda thing ( me being the son)
I am singing soft shoes ( Smile

) he is doing the minstrel the jester and I and we are both doing normandy.
he interacts with our minstrel ( who is older) , and I am the one who interacts with the wizard.
we split the king interpretation scenes and all the others.
Its working out quite well so far Smile

LaurelDP

We had two Jesters. But they played it as brothers... even though one was black and one was white.

They split their lines and were in every scene together.

Originally, one was the understudy. But we ended up splitting the part for them, because the understudy ended up being better at the part... Not that the other one wasn't good, he was just inexperienced, and never done a show before.

At first, only one Jester sang Very Soft Shoes, because the other wasn't confident enough of a singer.
But come opening night they both sang.

And, unfortunately, we cut Normandy and Minstrel, Jester, and I. Which kind of sucked. A lot.
Actually, we may have kept some of Normandy... I think we may have just trimmed the song, but I don't remember.

Gazelle

AH! that's so...odd
hahaha

Hm, wow i guess i can see it. Sorry just a very new idea to me. Sounds like it works, i just don't know what it'd be like watching.

Hmmmmmm quite quitequitequite quite intresting. Very curious

Tenalto

We've actually split our Minstrel into two; one is the typical Minstrel who does the singing and the Wizard cajoling and most of the part. The other is being played as a rather androgynous young apprentice Minstrel (think around ten), who has some of the older Minstrel's lines and basically bugs the heck out of him; this apprentice Minstrel dances in "Minstrel, Jester, and I," as well as singing an harmony part we added in "Normandy." The whole thing actually works pretty well -- it adds a whole new comedic factor.

I figure, if you can split the Minstrel, you can split the Jester. Those parts are probably the easiest to alter to fit casting needs. I quite like the idea of doing Father 'n' Son Jesters; sounds like fun.

Gazelle

The thing that bothers me about the father and son Jesters is it totally takes away from Jester's back story.

That his/her father was so grand and famous, and on Jester's way up to the show lights he/she had to stop and settle for this local job. Where Cardamon came as a fall back when his act went under, and he worked with Jester's father, which is why Jester always wants to talk to him and envys him, though Wizard just blows him/her off all the time. So when Wizard takes so fast to Minstrel, who's a new comer, the Jester is hurt.

if the father is there on stage with him/her... it would kinda defeat Jester's real story. in the eyes of this former Jester anyway

Hortonhearsawho

it was an easy fix, I am the one that is doing all of the wizard interactions so , my dads still alive , and he was great but is now older and has settled for this small kingdom , and I am following in his foot steps, even though i may have wanted bigger things for myself.

Hortonhearsawho

it was an easy fix, I am the one that is doing all of the wizard interactions so , my dads still alive , and he was great but is now older and has settled for this small kingdom , and I am following in his foot steps, even though i may have wanted bigger things for myself.

Gazelle

it's a decent vareation, i just can't you know, it's not the same is all. i like the originally story.

((love the username btw))

Hortonhearsawho

no I understand, its actually not that different, mostly because the jesters not that big of a character , and we havent actually added any lines . so it all works out pretty great our fathe/r son thing is just implied by our interactions.

Hortonhearsawho

oh and thanks about the username, i love the show... if its done right, ive never had the chance to do it, but the local high school did and butchered it....

Gazelle

*shrug* in all my versions, 5, The Jester was very big because the people i've ever woerked with, seen in the role, and myself have made the role that way. in all honesty Jester usually is a larger roll than Queen.A.
i think the duo would work... but for those who've seen the show and understand the Jester and his/her ways... it completely strips his/her back story and makes the Jester a completely different person. i think it would effect the show highly and i wouldn't be able to enjoy it- but then again i would know, since i know this show almost obsessively inside and out playing all the characters that i have. Yet for a new innocent audience member it would be a cute twist. But not for a past Jester such as i, i think it's sad.
---

it's a cute show, i hope you do get to take part in it some day, i'm having all too much fun in it know. Very sad about the highschool show, it's a very difficult show for some directors to completely take off and make it wonderful.

Hortonhearsawho	2 jesters I was just cast as one of 2 jesters in our production, and was wondering if any other casts have ever split the part? We are playing it as a father and son following in his footsteps kinda thing ( me being the son) I am singing soft shoes ( ) he is doing the minstrel the jester and I and we are both doing normandy. he interacts with our minstrel ( who is older) , and I am the one who interacts with the wizard. we split the king interpretation scenes and all the others. Its working out quite well so far
LaurelDP	We had two Jesters. But they played it as brothers... even though one was black and one was white. They split their lines and were in every scene together. Originally, one was the understudy. But we ended up splitting the part for them, because the understudy ended up being better at the part... Not that the other one wasn't good, he was just inexperienced, and never done a show before. At first, only one Jester sang Very Soft Shoes, because the other wasn't confident enough of a singer. But come opening night they both sang. And, unfortunately, we cut Normandy and Minstrel, Jester, and I. Which kind of sucked. A lot. Actually, we may have kept some of Normandy... I think we may have just trimmed the song, but I don't remember.
Gazelle	AH! that's so...odd hahaha Hm, wow i guess i can see it. Sorry just a very new idea to me. Sounds like it works, i just don't know what it'd be like watching. Hmmmmmm quite quitequitequite quite intresting. Very curious
Tenalto	We've actually split our Minstrel into two; one is the typical Minstrel who does the singing and the Wizard cajoling and most of the part. The other is being played as a rather androgynous young apprentice Minstrel (think around ten), who has some of the older Minstrel's lines and basically bugs the heck out of him; this apprentice Minstrel dances in "Minstrel, Jester, and I," as well as singing an harmony part we added in "Normandy." The whole thing actually works pretty well -- it adds a whole new comedic factor. I figure, if you can split the Minstrel, you can split the Jester. Those parts are probably the easiest to alter to fit casting needs. I quite like the idea of doing Father 'n' Son Jesters; sounds like fun.
Gazelle	The thing that bothers me about the father and son Jesters is it totally takes away from Jester's back story. That his/her father was so grand and famous, and on Jester's way up to the show lights he/she had to stop and settle for this local job. Where Cardamon came as a fall back when his act went under, and he worked with Jester's father, which is why Jester always wants to talk to him and envys him, though Wizard just blows him/her off all the time. So when Wizard takes so fast to Minstrel, who's a new comer, the Jester is hurt. if the father is there on stage with him/her... it would kinda defeat Jester's real story. in the eyes of this former Jester anyway
Hortonhearsawho	it was an easy fix, I am the one that is doing all of the wizard interactions so , my dads still alive , and he was great but is now older and has settled for this small kingdom , and I am following in his foot steps, even though i may have wanted bigger things for myself.
Hortonhearsawho	it was an easy fix, I am the one that is doing all of the wizard interactions so , my dads still alive , and he was great but is now older and has settled for this small kingdom , and I am following in his foot steps, even though i may have wanted bigger things for myself.
Gazelle	it's a decent vareation, i just can't you know, it's not the same is all. i like the originally story. ((love the username btw))
Hortonhearsawho	no I understand, its actually not that different, mostly because the jesters not that big of a character , and we havent actually added any lines . so it all works out pretty great our fathe/r son thing is just implied by our interactions.
Hortonhearsawho	oh and thanks about the username, i love the show... if its done right, ive never had the chance to do it, but the local high school did and butchered it....
Gazelle	shrug in all my versions, 5, The Jester was very big because the people i've ever woerked with, seen in the role, and myself have made the role that way. in all honesty Jester usually is a larger roll than Queen.A. i think the duo would work... but for those who've seen the show and understand the Jester and his/her ways... it completely strips his/her back story and makes the Jester a completely different person. i think it would effect the show highly and i wouldn't be able to enjoy it- but then again i would know, since i know this show almost obsessively inside and out playing all the characters that i have. Yet for a new innocent audience member it would be a cute twist. But not for a past Jester such as i, i think it's sad. --- it's a cute show, i hope you do get to take part in it some day, i'm having all too much fun in it know. Very sad about the highschool show, it's a very difficult show for some directors to completely take off and make it wonderful.

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2 jesters