Educating Rita from a director's point of view.

Educating Rita from a director’s point of view.

“Educating Rita” by Willy Russell is a play based on one working class women’s struggle to become educated. The play has just two characters, Rita, the women seeking an education and Frank, her designated tutor. One of the play’s main themes is the emotional and social changes that occur as the play, and Rita’s education, progresses.

In this essay I will write from a director’s viewpoint how I think certain scenes of the play should be performed. I have selected act one scenes one and three and act two scene four as I think these scenes represent the changes in the two characters throughout the play.

Act 1 Scene 1

I chose this scene as I think it shows the contrasts between the two characters when they first meet. The whole play is performed inside Frank’s office with only two characters, Frank and Rita ever interacting on stage. I think though, that it would help the audience visually, when either character is describing a past memory or event, if the characters from this situation came onto the stage and act out these mentioned experiences (with no sound) as they are told.

The layout of the office should be very simple, there are three walls, the fourth is taken out so that the audience has a “fly on the wall” viewpoint. The door is stage right and leads straight off stage. Frank’s desk is in the far corner of the room with a large window behind it. At the start of this scene Frank moves around his office with a dim spotlight on him. Bookcases are laced across each wall. The door leads off stage this is to add an element curiosity and surprise when Rita first knocks on the door. When this incident occurs another light should be concentrated straight at the door. Rita then proceeds to bang on the door to try to open it; Frank simply says, “come in” repeatedly. This sequence is critical in representing the play’s main themes. Frank’s office represents the educated world. Rita’s attempts to open the door represent the many problems that Rita will face on her educational pilgrimage and also her determination not to quit. When Rita finally manages to open the door and walk in, she needs make a dramatic entrance to gain Frank’s often-wandered attention. The stage should be flooded with dim light. This is to symbolize a new dawn for the characters. However, the light remains at the same low level of intensity as the spotlight on Frank previously, this tells the audience that the two characters do not yet now what is to become of their meeting.

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The character’s costume for this scene should very deliberately be a caricature of their personalities. Rita should wear a very bright and colourful yet not at all elegant dress. Her hair should be “over styled” with needless accessories attached. She should also be wearing very high-heeled shoes and far too much make up. Frank’s costume should be very different: an old and tatty checked suit. His hair is lank and curly. This very obvious difference in the character’s outward appearance demonstrates the hidden differences between the two character’s attitudes and lifestyles. The performance of this scene is crucial to the fluency of the rest of the play, as it shows Rita at a starting point on the path she has chosen to take, and it is important for Rita to be shown as she was before her education and to signify why she wanted to change so much. Because of this I think it would be effective to have the character’s gestures and movements played in an “over the top” fashion; this would establish their differences more obviously. Rita’s lines need to be performed with the same intensity as indicated by her costume; she has a strong Liverpudlian accent, which come out when she gets overexcited.

A key moment in this scene, which reveals Rita’s character at this point in the play, is when she says “All right. It’ll probably have a job finding my brain.” This shows that she is a jester type character, but she clearly doesn’t want to be. She doesn’t want to be “thick” and this scene shows that she is determined to shake off this tag, and become an educated woman.

In terms of interaction between Frank and Rita, the actress needs to show that Rita doesn’t notice how awkward the dialog is between them in this scene, and also she needs to show that Rita’s understanding of conversation in appropriate circumstances is almost non-existent.

Another key moment in this scene is where Rita says, “God, what’s it like to be free?” she is referring to what it would be like to live a different life away from “common” people, and this is why she seeks an education. I think that this one line is so important because it symbolises the desperation of Rita to break away from her current lifestyle. By the end of the scene the actress needs to have revealed just how desperate Rita actually is without changing her movements or mannerisms on stage.

Act 1 scene 3

I have chosen this scene as I think it reflects how Frank and Rita have begun to bond and create a friendship. Throughout the scene, bright lighting is used, illustrating that the bond between Frank and Rita has become very strong. In this scene the audience sees Rita as a good hearted and willing woman, who just doesn’t have the education to take her to where she wants to go. Rita has begun to influence Frank. This can be symbolised in the Frank’s costumes, I think he should where the same old suit but have a quite obviously new tie, to show how Rita has influenced him. Also Rita’s determination desire to fit in with the educated can be represent in her costume. I think it would be effective if Rita’s costume were a lot more toned down and her hair without accessories.

The two characters relationship on stage has changed. No longer does the situation seem awkward when they are together. The friendship between the two characters has brought them almost to the same level emotionally even if intellectually they are not. This should be shown in the actor’s action and reactions throughout the scene.

An important moment in this scene is when Rita questions, “see that’s what I’ve got to learn isn’t it?” she is recognising what is she exactly needs to learn, and I believe that this is important as it shows that she is starting to understand what she needs to do to make the changes that she desires. I would emphasis this point by having Frank pay a close attention to her and what she is saying.

Act 2 Scene4

I chose this scene because I think it is very important to show how much Rita has changed and how her relationship with Frank has turned sour.

In this scene Rita’s character has changed a lot. She has become a more educated and learned person and this affects her relationship with Frank. The actress playing Rita must now be able to show that Rita has become a person with more intellectual opinions and abilities in literature. In this scene the costume for Rita should be very simple: a shirt and jeans and her hair down. I think this would be effective in showing that Rita is no longer looking to impress either “class” of people, as she knows that she can fit in where she wants, with the educated.

By this point it is not only Rita who has changed significantly. Franks has also changed in particular, becoming obsessed with every detail of Rita’s life. However, Rita refuses to engage in this “mindless chat”. During this scene the lighting will remain bright but with various lights angled to create long dark shadows of the objects in Frank’s office. This is to demonstrate that despite the bond that they have made, Rita’s progress is turning the two characters against each other. The characters interaction has returned to awkwardness of the first scene. But now Frank is forcing the awkwardness upon the situation with his rude and abrupt questioning. Here I think it would the best way for the actress to show utter frustration with the way Frank is living his life is to put a lot of dramatic emphasis on lines such as: “If you could just stop pouring that junk down your throat in the hope that it’ll make you feel like a poet you might be able to talk about things that matter”. This is a key moment as it shows that Rita cares for Frank, and that is why she is still coming to his office not to learn but out habit. At this point I would like the actress to express pity towards Frank as his possessiveness is overcoming him.

To conclude, I believe that the actress playing Rita must be able to express lots of emotions visually and realistically. Though I have only chosen three scenes, the whole play in fact would be done in a similar fashion, showing gradual changes in the two characters and their relationship through changes in lighting, costume, movement, voice and gestures.