YTG Profile - Mary Gilstad

January 31, 2009 (edit: June 25, 2009) | andrew | 0 comments

Mary Gilstad talks about Theatre and about playing Prince Edward in our February 2009 production of William Shakespeare's R3

YTG Profile - Mary Gilstad

Mary Gilstad played Prince Edward in YTG's coproduction of William Shakespeare's R3 in February 2009. She was one of the native Yokohama-ites in our cast. We caught up with her a few weeks before the show to ask her some questions about herself and her role.

YTG: Hi, Mary. Thanks for taking time to help us with this profile. You're playing Prince Edward in the upcoming production of William Shakespeare's R3-- he's one of the famous Princes allegedly murdered in the tower by King Richard III. But before we talk about that, let's talk about your background. Like all the young cast members, this is your first show for YTG.
What was your experience before this?

Mary: School plays.

YTG: And how long have you lived in Japan?

Mary: Two years.

YTG: Two years, huh? How are you enjoying it? Where else have you lived? Got a favourite?

Mary: I lived in Maryland, USA for quite a while and Puerto Rico for a bit also. I don't have a favourite, because both places have their special charm. As for Japan, I like it very very much. I have more freedom then I would in the US, and the handy train system makes everything so accessible!

YTG: This is where we normally ask what your regular job in Japan is, but seeing as how you're 15...

Mary: I'm a student at St. Maur International School.

YTG: Got any favourite subjects?

Mary: I like Spanish and Japanese a lot because they are pretty laid back, and Drama because it's always nice to have an acting break in the middle of the sit-down-class school day. Sadly we only have drama twice a week.

YTG: That's an abomination! But you're not only involved with Drama at school: you told us earlier that you play trombone in Jazz and Concert bands. Any favourite musicians or composers you'd care to tell us about? What kind of music do you listen to normally?

Mary: When it comes to trombone, I find myself listening to Curtis Fuller a lot. In general, I listen to a wide range of music, although I seem to tend toward pop and my Mom's 80s collection.
I also listen to Beethoven and Mozart quite often, which don't make me get up and dance, but are very beautiful!

YTG: What challenges do you feel this role brings?

Mary: Performing in a Shakespearean play is a challenge- since a character's intentions are not so obvious in their words, physicality is very very important!

YTG: What can you tell us about your character? How similar or different is he from you?

Mary: Prince Edward is the heir to the throne and also the older brother of the Duke of York. He is a boy and is younger than me. He also has a younger brother, whereas I have an older brother. I have thought about what it would be like if I were a "silly little brother" rather than an "annoying little sister", but never from the older brother's perspective.

YTG: You said earlier that physicality is important in Shakespeare. Can you give us some examples from your work playing Prince Edward?

Mary: For example, there are stretches of lines in which my little brother, Duke of York, banters with Richard, and Edward is just standing there, saying nothing. Physicality is important here to show he is actually reacting to the playful conversation. Also, the first thing Richard asks me is if my travel has made me sad. This line would just blow over people's heads if I didn't actually look sad to begin with.

YTG: What are you looking forward to, show-wise?

Mary: I am really looking forward to performing for an audience that is not just made up of family and friends- (although their support is wonderful and always welcome!) Also, I am excited about the costumes, props, lighting, and sound that will be in this play, especially in the Tokyo Theatre, where there are so many possibilities.

YTG: How do you balance time on this production with other aspects of your life?

Mary: Towards the beginning of [rehearsals], I was having a hard time balancing the production with other aspects of my life, but now I think I've gotten it basically under control. I went out and bought a day planner, which has really helped. I've always wanted one of those but never had a use for it- so I am very happy.

YTG: So tell us how you found out about this production.

Mary: My school drama teacher told me about the auditions and I also saw TIP's production of Schweyk in the Second World War [this past] December.

YTG: Okay, that makes sense. That means you've been part of the cast for about a month or so now. Can you tell us what you think the best and worst things about working on this production are?

Mary: Best thing- A chance to work with adult actors and see how real productions are developed, and a chance to meet some other kids my age from different schools!
Worst thing- Late nights and extra homework stress.

YTG: Any interesting stories about the rehearsal process you'd like to share?

Mary: Maybe I didn't stress enough the hard time I was having fitting the production into my schedule. After I received the rehearsal calendar for R3 and jotted down the important dates, I realized that in some twist of fate, both the school play, Romeo and Juliet, (in which I play Peter,) and R3 debut on the same night! It was a big hassle for the directors to work out something, but in the end, they decided I will hop in a taxi at the intermission of Romeo and Juliet to go appear in R3. Thankfully I'm not in the second half of Romeo and Juliet! I am very excited about both performances, but with two doses of Shakespeare back to back, it will be quite a night!

YTG: Any advice for readers who might be interested in acting?

Mary: To all the kids out there, even the ones who haven't thought about acting before, the best thing to do is not pass up any opportunity, because the experience, even if it happens to turn out to be unpleasant, will be priceless!

You can see photos of the show in our -:GALLERY:- .

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