Recs for Actresses & Actors - Choosing a Scent for a Character

[heartbeast]

I have the honor and great good fortune to be protraying the historical character of Penelope Rich at the Renaissance Pleasure Faire in Devore, CA this spring, and I'd like to give her a signature scent. I find that assigning a fragrance to a character I'm playing is very helpful to me as an actor, especially when it comes to interactive improvisational theatre. I'm afraid a custom blend is beyond my means right now (I'm still paying for my costume! Is there a fainting emoticon?), but I'd like some suggestions for existing scents that might be good. My plan is to order a 6-pack of imp's ears and choose from among them, and I have 2 picked out but I'd like help with the other 4.

 

Elizabeth I was often compared to Diana, the Virgin Huntress of the Moon, and when the metaphor was extended to her court and they were also associated with dieties in the Roman pantheon, Penelope Rich was Venus. It was often said that the Baroness Rich was the closest thing in England to a Venetian Courtesan (for this reason, my first choice to sample is Old Venice). She was educated, musically adept, a renowned dancer, and astonishingly free with her love life.

 

Her guardians arranged a marriage for her to Lord Robert Rich, a Puritan who seems to have been universally disliked but who lived up to his name. For this reason, Penelope's family thought they were doing right by her, but she did not agree: She created a scandal by loudly and articulately protesting the marriage as she was led into the church and at the very altar. Nevertheless, the marriage took place, and it turned out to be an unhappy one. Lord Rich was both physically and emotionally abusive. However, because of Penelope's considerable influence at court--her younger brother was Robert Devereaux, the Earl of Essex and the Queen's favorite--she was able to reach an agreement with her husband: She would make sure he got what he wanted from the queen, and in exchange Penelope was allowed to spend most of her time away from home at court and do exactly as she pleased.

 

Her public reputation was that of an elegant, witty and glamorous wanton. The Elizabethan comic stereotype of the beautiful young hot-to-trot wife cleverly cuckolding her nasty old husband was largely fueled by her. As public reputations often are, it appears to have been less than accurate; Penelope took only two extramarital lovers during her lifetime. The first, in her youth, was the renowned courtier Sir Phillip Sidney, who had been her late father's choice to be her husband. Sidney wrote the poem "Astrophel and Stella" for Penelope, but there is some doubt as to whether their relationship was ever consumated, although there is no doubt that they did develop an intense romantic friendship, tinged with regret, when they were at court together. In spite of the late Earl of Essex's aborted marriage negotiations for his daughter prior to his death, the two had never met until after Penelope was married to Lord Rich. She met the man her beloved father had intended for her, and fell in love with him. It's a deep romantic tragedy; I'm astonished that no movie has ever been made about it.

 

However, Penelope moved on and met the true love of her life: Charles Blount, Lord Mountjoy. (You can bet there were just as many puns about "Mountjoy" as there were about "Rich"!!) Penelope's brother, the Earl of Essex, provided the lovers with a sumptous bedchamber in his London house; there are lavish descriptions of the huge bed draped in black satin with curtains in cloth of silver.

 

Penelope and her circle of friends were devoted adherents to the "Cult of Beauty". Poetry, music, art and above all, love were considered the highest ideals one could aspire to. There is evidence that her friend the Earl of Southampton was William Shakespeare's patron at court, and there is little doubt--owing to puns in the text--that the character of Rosaline in Love's Labours Lost was modeled after Penelope. Also, the characters of Beatrice (Much Ado) and Kate (and hence Katarina is my second choice to sample) are speculated to have been influenced by the outspoken and vivacious Devereaux sisters. Another interesting bit about Penelope and her younger sister Dorothy: When it seemed like Dorothy might be up for another arranged marriage similar to Penelope's, the older sister masterminded an elopement for Dorothy and her sweetheart, whose wealthy family had been balking at the under-doweried match. If Penelope had been cheated of a happy marriage, she was determined that her sister would escape that fate!

 

Okay, that's plenty enough to go on to get an idea of the lady's character. :oops: I'm really in love with her, and when I start going on about her I can't stop. Scent suggestions requested. :roll:

 

Many thanks,

 

Deirdre

[Koumori]

Hmm.. are you looking for a scent that's particularly evocative of the character, or scents that would have been available/common in period? Old Venice sounds definitely worth a try; Chypre is very "olde-timey" to my nose; Endymion has a wistfulness that might fit with the Sidney story. I wouldn't lean too heavily on the "sexy" end of the spectrum, though you might give Vixen a try as well. I'd thought that Elizabeth was going to put out a Rosalind at some point, but I don't see it on the site right now. Of the Illyria scents, Katharina or Viola might work.

[heartbeast]

Hmm.. are you looking for a scent that's particularly evocative of the character, or scents that would have been available/common in period?

Yes!

 

Either and both. Thanks for the suggestions! I'm definitely looking for more "sensual" than "sexy", but I might try Jezebel as well. I also wondered if Tears would layer well with any of the more heady scents, to give that wistful undercurrent to a basically headstrong and sensual person.

[Koumori]

Looks like "Rosalind" made it into the new update.. maybe check that one out?