Psychiatry Online
"Intellectual and Cognitive Development: Course of Adult Intellectual Development" is an article on the cognitive functioning of older adults. This article in particular covers the aspects of dementia and its frequency among the population. I chose this article as an acting resource because I think that any actor playing the role of Harpagon would need to understand the typical brain functioning of an aging man. The actor would need to determine to what degree Harpagon would be suffering from dementia or aging brain.
2. The Costumer's Manifesto-Costume Designs for Moliere
Manifesto
The site gives accurate descriptions and images of costumes that would have been worn during the time period in which Moliere would have produced his plays. This website would be useful to an actor because the actor would need to understand how the costumes fit and how the costumes would change the way they would be able to move onstage. The women would be more restricted in their movements due to the corseting that is attributed to the time period.
3. Fashion from the Court of Louis XIV-Los Angeles County Museum of Art
LACMA Online Collections
This website contains images of costumes that would have actually been worn by the court of Louis the XIV. Louis XIV was very concerned with keeping up to date on the fashion of the time. He probably would have wanted his actors of the Royal Court to do the same. This information would be valuable to an actor in that the actor would receive a greater understanding of specific costume requirements and fashion of the time if the piece is directed in a manner that is very close to original time period.
4. The Miser:A Study Guide
The Miser
This source is some general information as well as some deeper information about Moliere’s The Miser. This website would be extremely useful to an actor who may be having trouble understanding the script or who understood but don’t know anything about the origins of the script. The site does a great job at giving actors a starting point from which to do more research of the time.
5. Wilson Web-Biography Index
Wilson Web
This database on the SHSU Library website allows users to search for books and articles about specific people. Actors could use this database to located books in the library or elsewhere to do research on the playwrights. I did one on Moliere and was able to find several resources I could use to read up on Moliere and gain a broader understanding of his life. Researching the playwrights would allow actors to look into the lives and times of the authors which can be useful in understanding the script.
6. Internet Broadway Database-The Miser
IBDB
The Broadway Internet Database gives users the ability to see current and past productions of a specific show. A search for The Miser will turn up only 3 recent productions. There was one production in 1936, one in 1969 and in 1990. This database would be a valuable resource to actors who may be seeking opportunities to see a current running production of the show. Actors may want to see how others have interpreted the script. This also may help actors determine the frequency of which the show is produced.
7. The Miser: Script Analysis
Analysis
This page gives us an analysis mostly of the main character, Harpagon. This site reveals that Moliere himself was probably cast in the role of Harpagon. This information would be extremely useful to actors who would need to further investigate the life of Moliere. Surely Moliere’s increasing illness had something to do with the way in which Harpagon was acted.
8. Chronic Coughing
Cough
This site gives some possible causes and symptoms of a chronic cough. Moliere was said to be suffering from an illness of some kind that caused him to have a constant cough. The exact illness he had seems to be unknown. A website like this that lists potential causes of the cough can help an actor make an executive decision on how to portray Harpagon. One actor may say that it was Asthma causing the cough while another may believe the cough is caused by lung cancer.
9. Backstage-The Actor's Resource
Actor's Resource
This website is a site geared toward helping actors find ways to accurately portray roles and answer questions that they may have concerning the world of theatre. This article in particular gives actors pointers and tip for acting in farces in today’s 21st century thinking. This would be useful to an actor today because theatre today has to compete with things like reality TV shows and movies starring Brad Pitt. An actor preparing for a role in one of Moliere’s plays may find this site useful when starting to create their character, including the servants.
10. Louis XIV-The Sun King
Louis XIV
This resource is all about Louis XIV's life and dealings of his time. The site gives information about his court, women and artworks. There are even some actual drawings done by a young Louis XIV. I believe this resource would be useful to an actor preparing for a role inThe Miser because it is important to understand the time period from which the show orginates. Without Louis XIV it is likely that this script wouldn't exist today. Actor's who understand the history of the piece will understand that this play is not to be acted in the realistic style seen today but in a very stylized, over-the-top type acting that is common of the era.
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