Two Sides of the Same Coin - Christopher Nachtrab

Trying to defend my honor as Tybalt, fighting Romeo

     

     It is hard to believe how quickly these past few weeks have flown by.  For the past four weeks I, along with my fellow Sac Ballet dancers, have emerged ourselves physically and emotionally into Shakespeare’s world of “Romeo & Juliet”.  We have spent our days listening to the ingenious and passionate musical compositions of Sergei Prokofiev, exhausted ourselves by tediously reviewing the details of our ballet technique that is so very necessary in such a production, and we have explored our emotional boundaries by allowing ourselves to recreate dramatic scenes dealing with love and death.

Trying to get a laugh, as Mercutio

     For many of the dancers, including myself, we have also been offered a further challenge (upon those already presented)… we would have to perform two character roles during the performance weekend.  While at first acknowledgment it my not seem as such a big deal to have two roles – the reality of this aspect soon presents itself.  I have been granted the privilege of representing both the characters of Mercutio, the best friend of Romeo and friend to all the Montagues, and that of Tybalt, the kinsman of the Capulet family.  In essence I will always be playing my own worst enemy during any given rehearsal and during performances.  Quite a challenge!! 

     During the first week of rehearsals I was told to strictly concentrate on just one of these characters, so as not to overload myself with too much choreography, or contradicting information.  Throughout the weeks however I slowly began to develop a split personality in the studio, having to call upon my humorous, light-hearted, yet slightly mad character for a certain rehearsal and then having to internalize myself for a moment and change my attitude to that of a fierce villain-like person, whose passion is only quenched by blood shed that fuels his ever-empty cup of honor.  I suppose that if this were not my job I may very well be considered insane.  However, I was still very unsure about how to keep a steady handle on these two characters - by making them both individual (for example, both Tybalt & Mercutio are each killed during the ballet - but their intent before their death and the way in which they each die have to be unique and true to their persons).

Acting with Mr. Cunningham during rehearsals

     In trying to deal with all of this constant switching I received a wonderful piece of advice from my artistic director Ron Cunningham, during a small break early in the rehearsal process.  He told me that he considered both Mercutio and Tybalt to be “two sides of the same coin” – a simple idea that has really helped me separate and control the character and choreography of these two very intense roles.  As two sides of the same coin, each man has the same value as the other and carries the same weight; they fight each other for a chance to be the victor and are simply two opposites. Neither one being more important than the other, nor neither one being necessarily right or wrong in their intent of action or loyalty to their friends/family – in each of their minds they are doing what is necessary and what is just.   These two characters are nothing alike, yet are one in the same.