Ahhh, September is here. But the heat of the summer remains and the heat on the Londinium set just keeps getting hotter. It is common practice and practical logistical sense for scenes to be shot out of sequence and today is no exception. When I appear on the set in Fort Greene I ask the Director if I can sit in. She clears it with the actors who seem to be comfortable enough with me observing. Not so fast, though. I have to work for my peeping tom privileges. I am asked to ‘Hollywood’ a light with a large silk flag. Easy enough. I have to divide my attention, but I’ll do it. Focus, Sean, focus.
In a prior scene (see Organic Fruitloops entry) Victoria shows up to Richard’s studio to see the portrait he has painted of her. The chemistry between them is amazing. They so want to be together and yet she tells him she must go to New York. He tries to persuade her to stay, stay with him. Emotional, she leaves. In order to pursue her Richard must collect on money owed him to book passage to the states. Catherine owes him quite a bit of money and so he immediately stalks her outside the theatre where she performs and threatens her. But Catherine is not easily frightened. She tells him when the portrait is finished she will pay him. “That means you’ll have to perform.” She chides.
She is Lilith. So here’s a little Sunday school lesson that’s never taught. Lilith was Adam’s first wife but because she wanted to be ‘on top’. In other words, to be in control of her own sexual pleasure and satisfaction she was thrown out of paradise and demonized. She is a seductress, a goddess and disincarnated spirit representing sensuality and, perhaps the darker side of that---obsession. Lilith in proto-semitic language has as its root meaning “night”. i.e. darkness, secretive, intrigue, entrapment. Originally Adam and his ‘helpmeet’ occupied the same body. The first man was androgynous and bisexual or, rather omnisexual. But duality had to come into being to manifest on the material plane. Opposites attract. On the other side of the coin ‘like attracts like’. So it is with Richard and Catherine they are the same manifesting in different forms, male and female. Yet, Richard has made a concerted effort to redeem himself. Two steps forward, one step back. The forces of his station and situation work against him. He must play the game to get what he wants or retain what integrity he has acquired (through Victoria) and possibly never see his soul-mate again. In his mind the moment is now. And so he acts from a place of passion to be set free unknowingly tightening the shackles that are already in place. Catherine has pulled together all of her power to control Richard. He is her whore for as long as she can manage to keep him. He must do all the things she requests or commands in order to be paid and set free.
The scene begins with Richard feverishly painting on the huge portrait of Catherine in his studio. Various remnants of drink, food and fruit dot the set. She is drunk in her corset and bloomers polishing off who knows how much Champagne. Interrupting him at every turn she taps on her glass so that Richard, her piss-boy, can wait on her every need. A darkness washes over him and he is seething with rage. Throwing down his brushes he saunters over and fills her glass. Then with confident bravado he takes the glass away unbuttons his trousers and lifts her off the bed and into position. She is absolutely in her element enjoying every moment. Angry, controlled sex ensues and she is almost surprised by his skill and acumen at finding her. But then it gets darker when he pulls a hidden knife and as he is about to strike, we immediately think OMG he’s the killer, he stabs an apple and begins to cut it into pieces while he is still on top of her. Who is in control now? She’s pinned in every sense. She cannot reach satisfaction even though he is still engaged and she cannot get away because he is on top. He offers her a piece of apple. It is apparent that she is not pleased and is biding her time until he finishes with his little game. But he insists. She refuses. He insists yet again. Frightened she refuses and as she states her displeasure he rams the apple pieces into her mouth and begins choking her. CUT! Jeez. I need a break after that. Judy and Whit take a minute and drink some water. They are like athletes. Not because there is anything exceedingly physically strenuous that happens but the pinpoint precision of each psychological turn makes for one hell of a scene. Catherine emasculates Richard to such a point that I need not point out the symbolic use of the apple. After a brief break the actors hit their first marks and start all over again. In take after take the actors refine their character arcs and even though it is disturbing to watch, it is also quite thrilling to see them at the top of their game. Illusion.
We break for lunch and Judy and Whit wander into wardrobe. The next scene scheduled is with Keith Herron and a day-player who is the new detective assigned to the Jack the Ripper murder case. Charles Thornton returns to London after discovering that Victoria had miscarried Richard’s child. Still devoted to her, he has allowed her the freedom that he enjoys. (More on that later). In order to collect the portrait of his wife that he commissioned at the beginning of the story he must be let into Richard’s studio by a detective of the Metropolitan Police, played with sublime subtlety by Hayden Morris. Charles finds the brilliant portrait in the abandoned studio. The detective informs Charles that Mr. Rhys had not been seen for a month or so. “The Murders have stopped, by the way.” He adds. Charles is left alone with the painting. It is all he had ever really had of her in the first place.
We break for dinner and wait for it to get dark outside. Then Whit and Judy are whisked into wardrobe and we all jump into various vehicles to make a trek to downtown Manhattan. We set up on a cobblestone street down near Wall Street. It is the corner of Mill Lane and if you look at it at a particular angle it could just as well be nineteenth century London. Patrick will have to shoot around parking signs and other anachronisms to make the scene work. Stephanie gives Whit a few last looks and he steps into a corner behind a small buttress. The way the lamplight hits him and the way he leers out like a wolf about to pounce gives me the creeps. In between takes I even say to him, “Dude you really creep me out sometimes.” I would definitely cross the street if I saw him walking in my direction. Whit tells me he knew a guy at Art School that was just like Richard.
“But this guy was emotionally unbalanced. I mean, he was the type of guy who would intentionally harm animals for fun. I remember he was in my sculpture class and his eyes were so dark and soulless that he seemed like a shell. But there was something there because he was angry and dangerous. I stayed far away from him and he sort of disappeared, stopped coming to class. He wandered around like a homeless man for a while and then completely disappeared. No one ever saw him again. I’m basing part of Richard on him.” Whit explains.
Thom calls places and the actors find their first marks. Sound is an issue since the area is a popular tourist attraction. The soundman stops the scene twice. Then the director steps in. “Look, we’re not going to be able to get clean audio. It’s impossible, so do your best and we’ll use the sound for reference when we go in to ADR the lines.” ACTION! Catherine ambles along the street when Richard steps out from the shadows blocking her passage. She is surprised and possibly a bit uneasy about seeing him so unexpectedly. He wants his money. When she threatens to scream again his plan disintegrates. He must play or walk away. But he can’t afford to walk away. For all he knows Victoria has set sail for New York. So the cat and mouse games begin. And Catherine gets her way…for now.
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