"Iaith" is Language in Welsh

So, now that we're "off book" for Henry, I get a new job. During rehearsal, I follow along in my script and when one of the actors can't remember what comes next, they say, "Line" and I give the next bit to them.

That's all well and good, but part of Henry takes place in Wales in the home of Owen Glendower and his daughter, Lady Mortimer. At the moment, Glendower is my favorite character in the play. He keeps talking about how the earth moved when he was born and how he can "call spirits from the vasty deep." He's hysterical. Anyway, back to my story. Lady M is being played by my roommate Robyn and the whole joke is that her character speaks no English and her husband, Lord Mortimer speaks no Welsh. Glendower is constantly translating for them.

Well, at one point last week, my friend John, who's playing Glendower, was trying to remember the line, "Rhaid i ti aros a chanlyn gyde mi." So, of course, he called for the line. Well, he and Robyn have been learning Welsh. They even went to a Welsh church service! Robyn even gets to SING in Welsh. But me, I don't speak Welsh. Robyn had told me before that rehearsal that she might have to call for a line and I should read it as best I could and she'd know what I was getting at. So, when John called for it, I attempted to give it to him. I butchered it all the way to hell and back and prompted quite a bit of laughter from all of the cast and the director. Sean said it was the best line prompt he'd ever heard. John applauded me for giving it a try.

Maybe you had to be there, but it's definitely a story to be added to the theatre annals.