Fraulein Kost has been described in a few ways across the screenplay, the script and Goodbye to Berlin, but they are all rather similar. In the script for the musical production the script merely describes her as "thirty-ish, possibly a whore" and then later we get a little bit of personality description on page 37 when she sees Herr Schulz in the hallway and "her natural, flirtatious instincts take over". In Goodbye to Berlin, Frl. Kost is described as "a blonde florid girl with large silly blue eyes... She is plump but has a good figure"
I like to imagine Fraulein Kost as an upbeat, positive thinking woman who knows what she wants and how to get it. I don't think she has come from a particularly bad or disadvantaged background, but I also don't think her family are wealthy as if they were she would be either living with them or they would be providing her some accommodation.
My Fraulein Kost character is going to be in her late twenties, with a rounder face. As I am using myself as a model I am going to use makeup to enhance a few lines in my face to make mydself look slightly older, without going too far and making it look theatrical. After looking at information on-line about different types of prostitutes in Weimar Berlin I believe she is a "Foshe"- an independent prostitute who advertised her services in magazines as a manicurist or masseuse.
2. Choose the scene
you are casting your character in.
· I am casting my character in Act one: Scene seven from the production script. In this scene we see Fraulein Kost is caught by Fraulein Schneider with a sailor in the living room, coming in from the hallway so is therefore a new 'customer'. Frl. Schneider kicks the soldier out and tells Frl. Kost that she is not allowed any more sailors in her house, but Frl. Kost knows that Frl.Schneider needs her rent money, so manages to convince Frl. Schneider to let her keep having the sailors over, as long as Frl. Schneider doesn't catch her with them.
3. Where is the
character?
· During this scene Fraulein Kost is in the living room- "The room is furnished with dull and heavy furniture. There is a sofa with an end table. There is also an old gramophone." I imagine this living room to be quite dark with not too much natural light coming in, as there are many doors leading to private rooms, then one to the hallway, so there would not e much room for windows. I think there would be lots of trinkets and souvenirs dotted around which Fraulein Schneider would have received as gifts from her previous lodgers who, she says, were wealthy and generous when she could pick and choose them. Although Fraulein Schneider keeps a clean house, I imagine dust floating around the room, being visible when the sun shines in, and heavy embroidered curtains that have seen better days.
4. When is it? What is the season? Time of day?
I believe it is late afternoon, as slightly later in the scene Herr Schultz comes in with a gift from the shop to Fraulein Schneider, and I imagine him to have brought this after the close of the work day. This does not really effect Fraulein Kost's clothing as she stays in all day, only occasionally leaving to collect a customer or get some essentials. I believe it is coming into winter so the other characters will probably be quite comfortably dressed, maybe in coats if they are just entering.
5. Where have they
just come from?
Fraulein Kost has just entered from the hallway and is accompanied by a sailor, so I think that she has just met him after he has enquired about one of her 'services' and is bringing him inside, attempting to sneak him past Fraulein Schneider.
6. What does the
character want?
The character wants to make her money and draw as little attention to herself as possible while doing so, she doesn't want to make a scene but she will stand her ground and ensure she gets her way if a dispute occurs.
7. Why does the
character want it?
Fraulein Kost needs money, as does everyone in Fraulein Schneiders house and in fact most of the characters in the play/film/story. She needs to get by somehow and her only way of doing so is by selling her services, and her service is sex.
8. Why does the
character want it now?Because if she doesn't have money then she can't pay her rent. In this scene she also has to win the argument between her and Fraulein Schneider as she not only needs to be able to work and make money, but she needs to have somewhere to live and make her money.
9. What will happen
if the character doesn't get it now?
If Fraulein Kost does not win the argument between her and Fraulein Schneider then she will lose her customer, her job and eventually her house, so she is very motivated to win this argument and convince Frl. Schneider to work around the sailor situation.·
10. Actioning.
In this scene I would chose the verb manipulate as this is what she does, in a way, to Fraulein Schneider when she brings up the issue of rent to win the argument and get her way. In terms of make up and hair, I will make her look sly and cunning by giving her strong, defined brows. I would like to pose her with a slight smirk and raised eyebrow as she knows exactly what she is doing but still wants to be seen as a friendly, innocent woman. She doesn't want to make any enemies.·
11. Score the text
Throughout the text I would say that Fraulein Kost goes from innocent to quite cunning. When she is first caught by Fraulein Schneider she tries to act innocent by saying that the sailor is her brother. When Fraulein Schneider does not believe her she turns to try and get away with having her way, before figuring out how to manipulate Fraulein Schneider into turning a blind eye.
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