Looking at Statuses within Politics - 20th November

Looking at Statuses within Politics.

To be political in itself, suggests a certain physical and vocal type. Politicians are used to addressing people and interacting in soicial situations.

Below are the political roles within the play (note that a mechanic and a student exist in within the politics of Thebes):

• President
• Leader of the Opposition
• Senator
• Son of the President
• Sisters of the President
• A Mechanic
• Foreign Secretary
• Minister of Justice
• A student
• Minister of Trade and Industry
• Minister of Agriculture
• Minister of Education
• Chief of Police
• First Citizen
• An Aide to the First Citizen
• A diplomat
• Head of Security

The company considered what these roles meant and how they would inform their physical and vocal portrayal. They also considered how they might respond to others in the play. Some of the questions posed were:

• If you were related to Eurydice, how would that impact your life. What is it like to be the niece of/ the son of.....?
• If your character is not actively political, how do you relate to the world of politics. Polykleitos the Mechanic - what are his views?
• Consider the Public/ Private aspects of a politician. Do they behave differently when addressing a congregation, to when they are having a private conversation?
• Consider gesticulation. How do politicians use their hands and arms to engage with an audience?