Bach Bench choreography source scripts

Introduction

These are the scripts used to create the piece "Bach Bench". They are all by Shakespeare, except "My dinner with Andre" which is a film script I have not found the proper credits for.

I have marked a selection of words to have a closer look at in this text. IMHO red words may connect easier to female and blue to male stereotypes.

Scripts

A midsummer night’s dream

Thisbe: O wall, full often hast thou heard my moans,
for parting my fair Pyramus and me!

Pyramus: I see a voice, now will I to the chink ’,
to spy and I can hear my Thisbe’s face.
Thisbe?

Thisbe: My love thou art, my love I think!

Pyramus: O kiss me through the hole of this vile wall.

Thisbe: I kiss the wall’s hole not your lips at all.

Pyramus: Wilt thou at Ninny’s tomb meet me straightway?

Thisbe: Tide life, tide death, I come without delay.

----------------------------

Helena: O, teach me how you look, and with what art
you sway the motion of Demetrius’ heart.

Hermia: I frown upon him, yet he loves me still.

Helena: O that your frowns could teach my smiles such skill.

Hermia: I give him curses, yet he gives me love.

Helena: O that my prayers could such affection move.

Hermia: The more I hate, the more he follows me.

Helena: The more I love, the more he hateth me.

Hermia: His folly, Helena, is no fault of mine.

Helena: None, but your beauty, would that fault were mine.

Hermia: Take comfort: he no more shall see my face
Lysander and myself will fly this place.

 

The tempest

Prospero: What is the time of the day?

Ariel: Past the mid season.

Prospero: At least two glasses. The time twixt six and now
must by us both be spent most preciously.

Ariel: Is there more toil? Since thou doest give me pains,
let me remember thee what thou hast promised,
which is not yet performed me.

Prospero: How now? Moody?
What is it thou canst demand?

Ariel: My liberty.

Prospero: Before the time be out? No more!

Ariel: I prithee,
remember I have done thee worthy service.

 

King Lear

Goneril: Sister, it is not little I have to say of what most nearly appertains to us both. I think our father will hence tonight.

Regan: That’s most certain, and with you; next month with us.

Goneril: You see how full of changes his age is. He always loved our sister most, and with what poor judgement he hath now cast her off appears too grossly.

Regan: ‘Tis the infirmity of his age; yet he hath ever but slenderly known himself.

Goneril: The best and soundest of his time hath been but rash.

Regan: Such unconstant starts are we like to have from him.

Goneril: Pray you, let’s hit together.

Regan: We shall further think of this.

Goneril: We must do something, and in the heat.

 

The taming of the shrew

Petruccio: Come, come you wasp, in faith you are too angry.

Katherine: If I be waspish, best beware my sting.

Petruccio: My remedy is then to pluck it out.

Katherine: Ay, if the fool could find it where it lies.

Petruccio: Who knows not where a wasp does wear his sting? In his tail.

Katherine: In his tongue.

Petruccio: Whose tongue?

Katherine: Yours if you talk of tales, and so farewell.

Petruccio: What, with my tongue in your tail? Nay good, Kate, I am a gentleman.

Katherine: That I’ll try.

 

My dinner with Andre

Andre: And if you’re operating by habit, then you are not really living.

Wally: I mean, you know, in Sanskrit, the root of the verb "to be" is the same as "to grow" or..

Andre: "to make grow"

Wally: Right

Andre: I mean, do you know about Roc?

Wally: About what?

Andre: Roc of Findhorn?

Wally: No

Andre: Oh well. He was a wonderful man. And you know, he was one of the founders of Findhorn –

Wally: Uh-huh –

Andre: - and he was one of Scotland’s – well, he was Scotland’s greatest mathematician.

SONNETS XXIX

When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,
I all alone beweep my outcast state
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries
And look upon myself and curse my fate,
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featur'd like him, like him with friends possess'd,
Desiring this man's art and that man's scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least;
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
Haply I think on thee, and then my state,
Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate;
For thy sweet love remember'd such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.