Educating Rita
Educating Rita is a book based on a character in an Open University. The university is in northern England and the main purpose of the play is to make aware the changes the characters undergo during their time in the university. Willy Russell, the author created the character Rita to be simple yet complicated in some ways. She is capricious, in both her movements and her speech. If I was to stage the direction of a play like Educating Rita, the first thing or question that would come to my mind would be "How has Rita changed throughout the play?"
Bearing that question in mind, my first scene to direct would be Act 1 scene 1. In this particular scene, the audience are yet to get familiar with the character. I chose this scene specifically because it involves the audience; it makes them aware and keeps them involved in the story. Rita is a character that sets out to shock, she does not stand in ceremony and in my direction, and I will try as often as I can to portray these qualities.
In this scene, Rita comes across to be a working class girl with a northern accent. She is also fidgety which tells us a lot about her personality. My ideal actress to play Rita would be an ordinary girl preferably from Liverpool. She should be dark haired and have medium height. At this moment, I would dress my character in an ordinary floral dress; this however could be second hand. According to her first impressions, I would have her wearing flat black shoes, a Black Hand bag and hair tied to the back. Although she is a hairdresser, I would not have her hair perfectly done because the way the character moves and speaks does not coordinate with a perfectly done hair. I would advise my actress to move around a lot but at the same time be in control. It's her first meeting with her tutor, and it's in Rita's nature to test situations and the people in them. Making an impression should be the last thing on her mind. Rita is natural and with her, what you see is what you get. She should test the atmosphere and decide what to do next.
In this next scene, Act 1 scene 2, Rita is familiar with her surrounding and is becoming more comfortable with the things in it. Her relationship with Frank has improved. In this scene, I would like my actress to be more comfortable, this is essential because she now understands Frank and even throws him the occasional compliment.
"Oh aren't you impressive when y'angry"
Rita in this sentence is slightly flirting with Frank, so I would recommend that she does so verbally and physically. The actress playing Rita should move around the room more friskily and ...
This is a preview of the whole essay
In this next scene, Act 1 scene 2, Rita is familiar with her surrounding and is becoming more comfortable with the things in it. Her relationship with Frank has improved. In this scene, I would like my actress to be more comfortable, this is essential because she now understands Frank and even throws him the occasional compliment.
"Oh aren't you impressive when y'angry"
Rita in this sentence is slightly flirting with Frank, so I would recommend that she does so verbally and physically. The actress playing Rita should move around the room more friskily and unpredictably. She should also be scrutinising the things in the room. Rita is an insecure character, and I personally think so because she asks people questions, these questions are mostly ones that she needs to answer which relate to her life. In this scene, the actress should concentrate on her movement rather than her looks. Her style is rather the same but her gestures are different. Her movement means a lot because it is in those movements that she does most of the flirting with Frank.
Another moment that I feel is important to the actress playing Rita is when she says,
"Is that what y'call democracy at work? I don't wanna sit down anyway. I like walkin' around this room"
In this quotation, Rita makes it clear that she does not want to sit down and that she likes standing especially in that room. The actress playing Rita should consider this part of the scene because it is the instant where a different part of Rita is surfacing.
She says that to Frank with passion because she admires the room. Preferably, the actress should be standing either by the window admiring the view outside or she could be standing by Frank's collection of book by the bookshelves.
Act 2 Scene 1 is a bit further into the play. Rita is developing some more self-confidence and I believe this is very significant because it has effects on her style. In this scene, I would like my actress to dress up in new second hand clothes. I will also recommend some elegant and more up to date clothes. Rita is undergoing some changes in her character; I will suggest that the actress moves more slowly and in control of her steps. Rita is a self-doubting character and she believes that any change that occurs in her life, like going back to school should to be accompanied by a physical change; this with Rita means changing her appearance to suit her present status as an Open University student.
She is now becoming accustomed to her surroundings and she being the easily influenced character she is, thinks it's only natural to change her looks in order to blend in with the rest of the university.
Rita is still unpredictable on everything and her movements inclusive. She can be very fidgety and curious. She moves almost everywhere and anywhere and gestures quite a lot.
Rita is back from summer school, and to her, that is another big step that requires some change in character.
The actress's relationship with Frank should be a bit distant now. Her speech should contain less dialect. I would like my actress to loose some of that northern accent and use a lower tone of voice. A key moment is when she says,
"Trish, me flatmate, Trish. God is it that long since I've seen y', Frank? She
moved into the flat with me just before I went to summer school."
At this point the audience sees another part of the actresses disposition. Rita should adapt a rather London like accent. She should move towards Frank's book collection a lot and yet running her hands through it. This is meant to give the impression that she is interested in books and educative things. The audience now knows that she has attended summer school and Rita wants to give people the intuition that she is sophisticated and an intellectual. Rita thinks that her new Flat mate Trish is what the ideal educated person should act and look like. In her speech, Rita should try as hard as she could to depict her new self. I would like the actress to occasionally speak in her normal northern accent, but instantly change as she is talking about anything pertaining to Trish.
The next scene I found interesting was Act 2 Scene 5. At this point, Rita is looking good and she still lives with Trish. She is more into her and she is even dressing like her. I would like the actress to appear very stubborn towards Frank. At this point, Frank is concerned for Rita because he is seeing the extent of her insecurity and tries to talk to her about it. She now believes that this is the one thing in her life that is good and she will believe Frank to be jealous of her.
The actress should still talk in the occasional northern accent although she will now have lost some of the colloquialism in it.
Rita seems more confident although most of the words she uses are from Trish.
For instance
"Frank, what makes it more-more... what did Trish say again?"
That was when Rita was having the conversation with Frank regarding his poems. I would like the actress to appear more confident looking, Rita at this stage is not frightened to say anything she wants to say and she appears to be more decisive about her speech and the things in her life.
"I've got a room full of books, I know what clothes to wear, what wine to buy, what plays to see, what papers and books to read"
This is Rita declaring her independence and the audience are now noticing that she has changed to become quite bossy, though she is still vulnerable and easily influenced. She believes that she is not good enough for anything so in order to become better, she believes that she should under go a complete change. This just goes to show that she still has low self-esteem and does not think much of herself.
By Act 2 Scene 7, Rita no longer lives with Trish, Rita with the help of Frank has come to understand that the best anyone can be is their self and since Trish tried to kill herself, Rita came to the conclusion that not everyone's life is perfect.
She has now dropped Trish's accent and has returned to being the old Rita.
At this stage, I would like the actress to be wearing neat new black trousers and a stylish and glamorous blouse. I would like Rita's hair to be in a neat bun and her movement systematic.
The audience have seen the changes that Rita underwent, as the director, I have tried to get the audience to sympathise with Rita because she just wants to get on with her life. She is scared of hurting people and is tied between her new self and Frank; all she wants to do is attain her self-confidence and try to gain what she had missed out on whilst growing up.
Rita's character has undergone some physical and intellectual changes trough out the play. This however has made some significant changes in her character. She has learnt the beauty of self-appreciation, and values the more important things in life apart from image.
She has gradually upgraded herself from being fidgety, inquisitive and insecure to being elegant, confident and educated.
Jainaba (Jai) Manneh
0 JB
Page 1 of 4
