After a whole college year with lockdowns and online lessons we finally made it to the final unit, and our first official onstage performance with an audience. It's been a crazy journey to get here but it was worth every second. During this assignment I will be taking you along this journey from first getting the script, the behind the scenes and putting it on stage!
TASK 1 (A) - ANALYSE THE PARAMETERS OF A COLLABORATIVE PERFORMANCE.
When working on a group performance project there are a
range of expectations for a peer to meet. One of the most important factors to
working on a group performance is communication. You need to be able to have
clear communication to ensure your performing runs smoothly and everybody is on
the same page. It allows people to confidently suggest ideas and improvements to
make the performance unique and the best of everybody’s ability. Not only that,
when choosing your production role, you need to make sure you talk to others
about your role- for example: people doing costume would have to talk to
individual cast members and ensure they’re comfortable and have access to the costume
ideas. Communication goes beyond just
the cast members though- staff and crew play a key role in this. As previously mentioned
with production roles, you often have to communicate with crew members on
different elements, like lighting. There is a lot of work put in beyond what is
shown on stage; crew, staff and students should all be aware and comfortable
with what is going on in preparation for the big day!
Another extremely important element, which goes hand in hand
with communication is teamwork. We have to work as a team, near enough every
day, in a close proximity. We must know each other’s roles. When others do not fulfil
their roles or the teamwork then it creates a discord. Working as a cast we
need to motivate and encourage one another. It is essential we all work our
hardest as a cast because on stage reflects the work we put in, and if one
person is lacking or behind the audience will pick up on it- this is NOT what
we want. It is our responsibility to know the script, and our cues and movements
etc. Not only will good teamwork deliver an overall outstanding result on
stage, but it also creates unity and enthusiasm and inspiration amongst the
peers.
Additionally, preparation is a very quintessential step for
a group performance. Each cast member should clearly understand each different
character and their purpose and relationship between them-also double casted
actors should think about how their portrayals will be in the different performances
and their dynamics. To prepare thoroughly, cast members should be familiar with
the entire script even if they aren’t in certain parts. The most important part
obviously is knowing your lines, otherwise, well…you might be in a bit of
trouble. Understanding cues is essential so everything runs efficiently and
smoothly. Something that is very helpful and important is writing notes in your
script to further develop your understanding.
TASK 1 (B) - THE AUDITION
Kelly chose the show ‘Stuff’ for us to perform for our end of year show. This show is extremely important as we haven’t been able to perform all year and we can finally have our first audience.
The first step to a performance is the auditions. Either adored or dreaded. We first read this script when we were attending online lessons during January and instantly I took a liking to Dani, so when I found out we'd actually be doing it I had my mind set on her. We read through the script a fair few times during our online lessons. I usually read in as Dani, Magda or Frankie. The more we went through the script and began to understand each character, the more our class could figure out who they’d like to play.
We were given a list of monologues for each character so as soon as I went home I began learning Dani's monologue. I reread it over and over so I was familiar with the lines. Once I had the general idea, I began performing it to myself without the script and only using it when needed. I did this for roughly 30-45 minutes each day until I was confident with the lines. After this, I audio recorded it on my phone so I could listen to it to remember lines but also pick apart which parts I'd like to change. This was personally very helpful.
The auditions were to be held on Thursday April 15th. My audition was first at 1:45pm roughly. Three other class mates were auditioning for Dani as well, and they’re all super talented so I have no doubt they’ll smash their auditions. I think the tension of being first threw me off and I was very nervous, especially as it was the big show. But I just kept going over my lines until I had to go in.
When I went in I handed my acting CV in and then got into the monologue. I had the lines down and remembered them pretty well, minus a single line I skipped over. I spoke a bit too fast I think, which is something I have been working on recently. I was sat down on a chair as that's personally how I visualized the scene, so body wise there wasn't much movement- so I used my face and vocals. I spoke as if there was the two other characters from the scene with me, which I think helped.
Overall, I was a bit too fast speaking and nervous, but I'm glad I had my lines down and could keep going!
After this, we submitted a self tape. This was good as it gave more of a chance to prove our self. For the self tape, I visually presented myself differently- in a way where I believed the character would dress. I enjoy doing self tapes a lot so this was fun!
And thank the lucky stars...I got Dani! The show is double casted, so the other actor as Dani is Brooke Robinson, I’m thrilled she got Dani as I knew she really wanted the role and she’s going to be fabulous. I am so excited for this project and extremely grateful for this!
TASK 1 (C) - DOCUMENTING YOUR JOURNEY
WEEK 1 -
MONDAY 12TH APRIL
Today is the first day back from the Easter Holidays and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the upcoming weeks! New term new project! After our class arrived we started with our warmups, lead by Kane. We did a few rounds of our usual go to game ‘Splat’. This is one of my favourites as it really gets me energized and focused. After a our rounds of splat we played ‘Ninja’, the game we ALL love. It’s so entertaining and you have to be really focused for this one- it really gets you going. Karly actually one today! Go Karly. After our warmups of the day we focused on our monologues for the ‘Stuff’ auditions- so I continued to work on Dani’s monologue. I chose Dani because I like the dimension to her character- she’s very cold and quite harsh but there’s a deeper side to her in regards of her parents and what’s going on at home and I love deep characters like that. Getting to know a character is so important so I think the monologue rehearsals are really helpful thus far. I forgot to mention, the auditions are actually this Thursday...tense!
TUESDAY 13TH APRIL
As our lesson commenced, we began our warmups. We did our usual games of ‘Splat’. After this we played ‘Wink Murder’. For our task, Kane sorted us into groups of 5-6. In our groups we went over pages 33-36 of ‘Stuff’. I read for ‘Dani’ (well we all read for our preferred characters really). After a good chunk of rehearsal time for this scene we performed it to the other group. Honestly, it didn’t go smoothly. I was reading my lines fine and I knew my cues and that good stuff but some peoples focus on my group just wasn’t it. It was just breaking character really, it throws everyone off. To be honest, I was a little upset because this was us reading a scene, as our preferred characters, and I just felt embarrassed when it went dead. But tomorrow’s a new day so hopefully it’ll be a lot better! In good news, Kane performed a monologue for us and...it. was. outstanding. Kane is a huge inspiration to me so watching him perform was totally gob smacking to be honest.
WEDNESDAY 14TH APRIL
Today was a little different to our usual ‘Stuff’ schedule. We had a workshop from the last project we did. Previously we worked on ‘Like There’s No Tomorrow’ for the National Theatre- a lovely man called Ollie came into college and delivered this workshop. He watched us perform a few scenes (and thank god the reaction was good). We had a lengthy discussion, talking about what we liked and disliked, the process of filming the play instead of doing it on stage and how we would put it on stage. We had a Q+A with him and asked him about his career and working with the National Theatre and how he got there. It was really interesting hearing his stories and things he’s worked on. After this we played games! Which was super fun. We played the ‘Clap game’ which is very mind boggling and you HAVE to pay attention or you’re a goner. Another fun task was getting split into groups and devising our own game with one object that was given to us. Our group had a roll of paper- so what we did was put the roll in the middle, the have our heads down and when we look up if we make eye contact with somebody looking at us you have to run for the roll. Whoever gets it wins and the other person is out. We further developed it, where we had a calculator instead and whoever gets the calculator first picks it up and devises a small improvised phone call scene. This was very fun and engaging and I honestly loved it.
THURSDAY 15TH APRIL
Today is the day...auditions. I literally woke up in a cold sweat. The whole bus journey I was just going over and over my monologue. I think I’m more nervous at the fact it’s our big end of year show and I really have my heart set on a certain character- and there’s 4 of us going for said character. It is probably going to be double casted so 50% chance I guess? And then I found out. My audition is first. Oh my god. Quite literally freaking out. But I have to play it cool (totally not selling it though). When our lesson officially started, Kelly and Kane came in to explain how things would be working and gave us a pep talk type of thing. When it was time to audition I handed Kane my CV while Kelly left to quickly do something. He read it and we just had a general chat before, which was quite relaxing actually. So thanks Kane. I performed my monologue, but sat down as this is how I visualized the scene. I acted as if I was talking to the two character who would be with me during this part, looking around to either side as if they’re there. I couldn’t use my body much as I was sat, so I was using my face and voice. Luckily, I remembered pretty much the whole monologue well. I think I maybe missed one line. However I think I rushed it a bit. But. What can you do. I was asked a few questions after about why I liked this role and why it would benefit me. And then it was done. Over and done. All I can do is manifest. But I have a lot of faith and I am trying to believe in myself more. After everyone was finished we were told we can also submit a self tape, which made me feel a lot better as I could perform it again with a slower place and hopefully bag the part! To end the day we played the clapping game and ninja to cool off.
WEEK 2
MONDAY 19TH APRIL
As Monday began we started with our usual morning routine- our warmups. We played our usual ‘Splat’ and ‘Wink Murder’ to prepare us for the day ahead. After we were all energized and focused, Kane then split us up into 2 groups. We were told to rehearse a few scenes from ‘Stuff’- I think both groups did amazing and the energy in the room was fantastic. Everyone got on really well and the teamwork was fabulous! After rehearsing for a while and perfecting each scene we had a small break so we didn’t lose our energy. After our break we returned back to our groups and continued to rehearse. I think today went really good and I am very happy with the outcome!
WEDNESDAY 21ST APRIL
Today was the day...we receive the cast list. I’m very excited but also nervous to see what everybody’s got, but no doubt everyone will smash their roles given! The second years came in for a little bit for a chat and when they left we began our warmup games. Then we all RUSHED to see the cast list. Oh. My. God. I. Got. The. Role! I can not even explain how excited I am! And happy! And grateful! When I say since the FIRST time we read the script in February time I had my heart set on Dani...I am just so happy! So the show is double casted, as I mentioned previously. Some roles are played by 2 actors however there is a few with one actor playing the role for both shows. My cast is: Me (Dani), Dylan Pitt as Vinny, Kalem Stockill as Matt (double cast), Emily Peaurt as Stace (double cast), Ethan Brown as AJ, Leah Richardson as Kate, Magen James as Magda, Aaron Fletcher as Tez (double cast) and Sophie Jones as Frankie. Amazing cast! Can’t wait to work on them with this amazing project. The other actor playing Dani is Brooke Robinson and I have no doubt that she is going to absolutely smash this role, she’s a fantastic actor. We separated into our two casts and began to read through the script as our characters, so we could familiarize our self with how each actor would portray each role. After some reading through, we stood up and began to really act it out and stage it. Honestly it’s the first day and I already know this is going to be one of my favorite projects I ever do. I can’t wait!
THURSDAY 22ND APRIL
When lesson time began we warmed up with our usual games. Thursdays are always a good day in my opinion, and we have a lot of rehearsal time which is fab. Kelly explained some more about the ‘Stuff’ script and how we will be assessed (so basically about what we’re doing right now). We separated into our casts and we really had a think and talk about our characters. We thought about what makes their character unique and what they bring to the story, and their purpose within the play and how they’re integral to the plot- so for Dani she causes dilemmas (storming out after arguing with AJ) and then the big part when she comes back after seeing her parents. These are two huge parts of the play that contribute to it massively. We did a couple of improvisation tasks- we did a 2 minute-ish scene that shows the group before the party. We then took it in turn, cast by cast to rehearse. So one cast would do a specific section and perform- then the other cast would and Kelly would then give us our notes on how to improve. Our main notes are blocking/staging and projection. We’re still getting to grips with some scenes and working on blocking so it is common that we make a few mistakes with it- this needs to be worked on though because we don’t want to lose any lines or important scenes on stage! Projection is harder for most of us as we haven’t been able to perform on stage at all this year, and some of the class haven’t ever performed on stage- we’re used to cameras more and due to the mics we don’t really have to project as much. This will start to come along in the following weeks though!
WEEK 3
MONDAY 26TH APRIL
As usual, we started with our warmup games to get us energized and prepared for the lesson ahead. We did our usual ‘Splat’ and ‘Wink Murder’ but we played a new game today! It was a sort of charades game I’d say- we just went to the front and played a person, job or character and we guessed who it was. Whoever guessed then went up. This was actually really funny to watch and a good bit of on the ball thinking. We cracked on rehearsing, going over mainly the first few scenes in our separate casts. We continued developing our characters, getting familiar with our cue lines. We have began blocking it nicely too, whether it’ll change with the set we don’t know but so far it’s looking pretty swell!
TUESDAY 27TH APRIL
Today we had a workshop, delivered by our lovely second year acting students. Basically, they’re doing their end of year show which is ‘The Musicians’- a comedic and uplifting story about a British orchestra in Russia who have their instruments taken at customs before the most important show of their life. They need a few people for the ensemble so they put on the workshop to see who would like to and see if we’d be a good fit for this. We played this AMAZING game called energy. We pop a good dancing tune on and basically we pass the energy. So somebody will do some crazy dance move, then pass the energy to the person next to them so they dance and so on and so on. Honestly it was really fun and it definitely got me warmed up- it was nice to just let go a bit. It definitely made me feel very comfortable with everyone because we were just having a laugh. After our warmups, Tom Guest then began to play the orchestral music which will be used within the scene. He told us how to sit properly and we all picked an instrument. I was Cello. We mimed playing the instruments to this music, then began to move around the room freely to how the music makes us feel. 4 second years who are auditioning for Roland were in the middle and being our conductor. It was a really great workshop as I love working with the second years.
WEDNESDAY 28TH APRIL
So today is a bit different than usual. Now on Wednesday mornings I will be joining the second years to work on ‘The Musicians’. On Wednesdays I will be with Tom Guest as opposed to Kelly and Kane. We arranged our chairs in our orchestra positions and got into the right seats. So the violins were together, Cello and Double Bass were, the Horns were etc. I am a Trumpet with Tom Burton. So I was sat next to him and behind the horns which are Dion Brady (when she’s not Rosie the conductor) and Ethan Brown. Tom played the same orchestra music from the workshop and we got into our positions. The violins, double bass and cello start us off. When the music kicks in my instrument joins in. We choreographed it a bit, adding in some lovely sways and sometimes we stand up at a big moment. We were then told to move freely to the music. You have to become part of the music and really embody the instrument since you don’t physically have it. Kelly came in to watch it and we received positive feedback! It’s really fun and I love being apart of this project too.
THURSDAY 29TH APRIL
On Thursdays we have started to come to lesson earlier than usual. We now begin at 11:00am instead of 1:30pm. This is great for me, as I have to be in early for math's anyway and it gives us a good chunk of extra rehearsal time! Kelly explained about how the show nights will work as we know so far, but we are still waiting for the government to confirm how many people we are allowed inside due to Covid. Then we can sell tickets. After our talk, we got up to play some games. We played energy which we got off of the second years. Justin really showed us all up with fantastic dance moves I must say! After our fun warmup, we went back into rehearsals. As we are double casted, when another group was performing we observed and gave them helpful feedback. Alongside Kelly who was giving us some pointers and helping develop the scene with entering and exits, just the smaller stuff that we need to perfect. We had some props out today, like seats and tables but also bunting and party poppers which really brought it to life I think. It’s really coming together nicely!
WEEK 4
TUESDAY 4TH MAY
Today we were with the second years and Kelly explained how on Tuesdays we will be focusing on our other show ‘Like There’s No Tomorrow’. And the other days will be Stuff/Musicians. We played our normal warmup games and routines to prepare for the lesson ahead. Splat, wink murder, all that good stuff. We went over the Prologue of Like There’s No Tomorrow to refresh our memory and we redid it a few times so we knew exactly where to go and what to do. After this we did the School scene, which is my main part. In this scene I play the role of ‘Teen 1’. I play alongside Joshua Durnell who played Teen 2, and Izzy Martin who is Maru. Ethan Brown is also the teacher in this scene. It was good to go over this scene as I only rehearsed it a few times before we had to film it as the schedule changed. It was a good refresher and good to get back into it.
WEDNESDAY 5TH MAY
Wednesday is Musicians day! So of course I was with the second years and the lovely Tom Guest. Today’s warm up was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! We literally danced for half an hour. Non stop. To Tom’s playlist which was stuff like Beyoncé. It was literally so funny and energizing. After this we cracked on with rehearsing Musicians. We went over our orchestral movement part and perfected it, making sure everyone knew what was going on. We made improvements and showed Kelly it. Everyone was happy and impressed. We sang a little bit of Pinball Wizard but we didn’t block it fully. After this, we went to our first year class and had a small amount of rehearsal time.
THURSDAY 6TH MAY
Today we had our new 11:00am start. We did our normal warmups and got ready for our few hours of rehearsal. When everyone was in lesson (as some people have math's and English) we did some cast rehearsals. My cast (RED cast) went up first. We performed to the other cast and received some good feedback and thinks to improve on. Blue cast went after and we did the same for them. After we did this, Kelly set us the task of thinking of our own tune of Magda’s song ‘stuff’. So in our separate casts we made our own versions. We made it a bit off beat and a bit naff but nice and upbeat to show that the songs not THAT good because Magda's not an advanced musician but it’s upbeat and fun. We gathered in a circle and gave each other feedback today, positives and things to improve on. This was really helpful for us. Today was an amazing day and I think we all did really well, the energy was amazing and it went so smoothly!
WEEK 5
TUESDAY 11TH MAY
Today we are with the second years. We played a few warm up games like Splat and the Name Game- which is basically splat but if the persons points at you, you still duck and they shout a category. For example, if they shouted Singer you’d have to say an example quicker like Harry Styles for example. The class rehearsed ‘Like There's No Tomorrow’ however I had to leave for a few hours to go film. I was filming with Jack Fowler, as he needed some people for a classroom scene. I was only an extra but I did have a line. Within the scene Henry's character bullies Kalem's until he snaps- and I have to hold him back. I don't know much about the film as I was just an extra so I don't have the script but it looked really good. When we finished filming we went back to rehearsing. It was second years and first years in one room which was a bit difficult but we managed. I did ‘Muscians’ for a little to do the movement piece then I went over to do stuff.
WEDNESDAY 12TH MAY
Today is Musicians day! We did some really good vocal warmups with Tom. We did different letters to a beat and blowing raspberries for a while and did some physical body warmups. Then we did some actual singing warmups that the second years knew and they taught us them. They were really good and definitely got me prepared to sing, they required a lot of focus so it really got us prepared and energised too. We went through pinball wizard again and blocked it fully. We did the choreography and honestly it looks SO GOOD! Kelly came and watched it and she loves it too, so everyone is happy happy happy.
THURSDAY 13TH MAY
Today we had a lovely chat with Kelly and had a motivating talk which got me really inspired and pushed me. We discussed our set for each show (Like There’s No Tomorrow and Stuff) and it sounds good! The set for LTNT will be a lot bigger which is why it is going first. The Stuff set is a lot less as it is set in a Village hall. We spoke briefly about future projects we could do (seasonal shows like Halloween) as we were still waiting for a few people to come from other lessons. After our chat we had lunch and then came back to the dance studio. We did a full run through of Stuff (we were missing some cast due to filming so we mish mashed the casts). And people who were watching and Kelly gave us some feedback and pointers. I’m getting very comfortable with just glancing my script at moments and everyone slowly losing scripts is really bringing it to life. The rehearsal today was absolutely fantastic and everyone was on fire. I’m so proud of my class!
WEEK 6
MONDAY 17TH MAY
Today we began by doing some warmups like we usually do. We played the 'Name Game' version of splat where we do the categories. I was literally out in 0.0001 seconds...I couldn't name a car brand. I love this game because it's quick on the spot thinking (unless its cars I suppose...).
We had development notes off of Kelly to further improve our performance.
General notes = One area you might want to focus on is the building pressure and tension created by Vinnie as time ticks by. The desire to give Anita a brilliant birthday is evident through Vinnie's performance, however I feel it might be interesting to ramp up the tight deadline to build a rise in energy at points throughout the piece. The show should run at about 45 minutes in length, in the first part Frankie leaves to get Anita between now and when Frankie gets back Vinny has a pressure on him to put together the most perfect party. There is, at the moment a lovely relaxed energy to the other characters in the piece: If Vinny is hyper – aware of how much he has to get done in that short time. I’d suggest you could really create some high level tension. Work on Vinny's time against the clock. Build on the tension with AJ and Dani. Focus on energy as people enter the room. Slow down longer monologues. When was the last time AJ and Matt saw each other and what happened? Discuss this – this will change or solidify the ‘fist bump’.
The other key motivator of tension is between AJ and Dani, and then the concern that Stace and the others need to develop when Dani goes missing. This is starting to really work well with the BLUE cast as AJ brings are really different energy into the piece as he enters and his energy versus Dani’s is brilliant to watch. A point to work on is the rising tension even more when Dani goes ‘missing’ – the more tense Stacey is in her concern for Dani, the more effective AJs total dismissal of Dani will be.
An extra thing to work on for the RED cast is the instant hatred between AJ and Dani – It is not portrayed strongly enough yet, perhaps it is the friendship between Ethan and Megan but Dani and AJ don’t have any friendship and this needs working on as a side project. The AJ in the Red cast is just not yet annoying/irritating enough – keep pushing for it.
After our warmup we began with our full run through rehearsal. My cast went first! (Minus Ethan as AJ as he was filming). We went up until my big part which we redid a few times to perfect the blocking.
Notes on characterization and performance: Characterization is becoming strong and effective throughout the piece. We need to add Michael and possibly Iona into the piece as none – speaking actors, it is the job of others in the cast to make it seem like they are a part of the piece. There is some great friendships and tensions coming in both casts, the AJ and Matt relationships in both casts and being subtly and effectively observed. Id like you to get to a point where everyone knows their characters so well that they are starting to really become them which will give it a filmic quality to the acting throughout the piece. The biggest change we can make in terms of character development will be about changing the energy when characters enter and exit the space.
Notes on design = My feelings are that we start with a lot of clutter and it is cleared fairly quickly leaving us with a focus on the party set up and of course the main action.
Notes on costume = whilst I've not seen your ideas, the feeling for me as director is that these young people would look slightly over dressed for a party at a hall largely due their age and their determination to host the best event they can, Dani however I feel should be very casual – she didn’t set out to come to a party neither did she want to attend she was just uprooted on the morning to stay with family.
Notes on vocal clarity = Projection is a goal for everyone it must be ramped up by everyone when we transfer to the theatre space. Also speed of all of the big monologues is an essential note – Dani, Frankie and Vinnie have big pieces to remember and with that remembering comes speed and if you go too fast then we loose some very valuable lines so please keep this in mind and use it as a note to work on.
Notes on transitions, entrances and exits = Every single entrance of exit of a character gives a perfect opportunity to change the energy of the room. Remember – every time someone enters the room it could be Anita and Frankie arriving early. The writer has structured the piece so that every entrance is an interruption – when Kate enters on page 29 it interrupts a silence between Matt and AJ after they have just talked through all of their feelings for one another. This could be highlighted by making sure the silence is made longer before Kate enters and making Kates entrance more purposeful and high energy, this would really punch through the AJ/Matt dynamic.
Notes for my own performance = Your Dani needs to be more crazy when she returns from the ‘parent incident’ lets see some tone changes in your voice as you become more hysterical. Also slow down monologues.
I definitely tried to apply these notes today- particularly in the monologues.
When running through the script we redid my big part with Stace and Kate a fair few times to perfect the blocking and facial expressions, mainly that with Kate. I think rerunning the scene a few times and really getting into the monologues went well. I think it has really developed well and come 2 weeks when its on stage it should be perfecto.
TUESDAY 18TH MAY
Today we began with a few warm ups with the second years. Splat quiz and mob boss. You’re probably sick of reading the worlds splat by now hahahah. So we did our usual warm up routine to prepare us for our day ahead. Tuesdays is ‘Like There’s No Tomorrow’ day. So after our warm up we began to work on this. We were doing the dreaded scene 8 and 9. These scenes are very chunky and there’s A LOT of different characters and a lot of stuff going on. Within this scene I portray a parkour mover, and then a fly tipper. So it’s hard work getting from one place to another. I wasn’t originally the fly tipper, however the person who was first cast no longer is at college so I was filling in and just ended up with the role really. We did have to go through this scene quite a fair few times to get the blocking correct considering these two scenes are so big. However we did get there in the end, we only do this show for 2 hours on a Tuesday so we just perfected this scene and worked on some of scene 10. I was then given a few more lines to learn for a crowd member. After lunch, my first year class headed into a different dance studio to rehearse ‘Stuff’ quite a few class members were still filming so we had a smaller class. Kane set this task to help us portray emotions better. So what we had to do was pick a scene, so I did my argument with AJ, and then perform it. So we performed it, like we usually would. THEN after that we had to perform it but without saying our lines. Just body language and facial expressions. This took Ethan and I a few tries because it was quite difficult to see what line you’re at without speaking, you have to purely rely on your face and body. But we ended up getting there in the end and Kane said it was really good, and I think it definitely improved this scene a lot. We tend to sometimes forget our faces and body expressions because we’re focussing go hard on getting lines right- but this has really amplified some scenes I reckon. After this I went in with the second years to go rehearse ‘The Muscians’ we just went over the orchestral music and pinball wizard a few times.
WEDNESDAY 19TH MAY
Wednesday is ‘Muscians’ day! And today we had Tom teaching us which we don’t have very often; which was nice as he always has fab ideas and suggestions on how to improve our projects. To begin with we did some fun vocal warm ups so our bodies were prepared to sing. We did consonants, vowels, ‘la la la’s’, siren noises etc. I could definitely feel it warming my body up nicely. After we warmed up we worked on blocking pinball wizard. We didn’t want it fully choreographed but we needed to know what and where we were going and have some sort of structure included in it. So we decided on a canon sort of thing- when the song begins the conductor starts singing a beat, then my group join, then the next and so on. We slowly start to get into it and dance a bit, and by the time it got to the chorus we were all dancing and singing and having a fun time. We did a few choreographed guitar strums and honestly it looks class. It’s going to be so much fun on stage and It’ll definitely be one of those moment I always remember.
THURSDAY 20TH MAY
At the beginning of today’s lesson, we were still waiting on a few people who had maths and English as our lesson starts early on a Thursday so we played a fun game of ‘Never Have I Ever’ in our small group. It was actually really funny. When more people arrived Ethan and Iona got us into a line so we could practice projection and diction. We did this by saying tongue twisters. You know, the usual Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers stuff. It does help my diction and projection a lot I can say that, and everyone else seemed to really get into it. After this Kelly give us a fun task. We all got into a circle and somebody would start by walking up to another person in the circle and saying one of their lines to them, and then the other person would set off and do the same. By the end we had this massive circle walking around saying stuff from the script and it was amazing. Kelly said that she could see that we know our characters really well and we have started to become them, with stuff like walking and our voices. Onto the rehearsals- my cast went up first and it was our first full run through off script. I think that in general it went quite well, it was a little slow at times when we needed to remember lines and we needed prompting a few times but other than that I think it’s coming together nicely and by next week the flow will be loads better.
WEEK 7
MONDAY 24TH MAY
Today is officially our last week of rehearsals. It’s gone by so fast and I can’t even wrap my head around that fact it’s already almost over...so this week we need to REALLY get into it and not hold back with our performances. Today Justin led the warm ups and we did our usual sort of stuff- Splat Quiz, Mob Boss, etc so we were ready for the following day. Kane asked us which cast should go first and it was voted that my cast should go first, as due to our filming, we haven’t gone through it as many times. Now everyone is fully off their script and it went really well. There was the odd moment where people didn’t know their cue lines or just their little lines, so hopefully that’ll be sorted soon. I think it flowed a lot better than last week and it’s really starting to feel like the real deal. The blue cast were absolutely gorgeous as well; I can feel their energy when they perform and it’s insane. They’re going to absolutely smash it on stage!
TUESDAY 25TH MAY
Tuesday mornings we are with the second years. I was a few minutes late to lesson due to my bus being full but when I entered the room they were playing a warm up game called ‘Catch’. You have to run across the room and not get caught by the catchers. After catch we played Mob Boss which is always really good when we’re with then second years because there’s so many of us. We did a full run through of Like There’s No Tomorrow and it has been improving a lot in terms of blocking and staging I believe. After lunch we came back to the studio and I worked on the Musicians with the second years. We had to try our costumes on to make sure they fit fine in preparation for the show and dress runs! I returned to the ‘Stuff’ rehearsals after I was finished with that- it was a little hard to rehearse due to both shows being done in the same room and the second years needing their music on, but we powered through.
WEDNESDAY 26TH MAY
We were with the second years again today, alongside Tom and Kelly, which is nice as we don’t have Tom often. Luckily the theatre was free so we had the opportunity to go rehearse in there for the first time! We did some lovely warmups with Tom- we did a lot of body ones; circling our head, relaxing our body, stuff like that. Tom’s warmups always get me energised for the day. We began a full run through of ‘Like There’s No Tomorrow’- I managed to do the prologue and my first scene, however I had to leave at 10:45am to get makeup done for Tom Kerr’s film ‘Guiltless’. I left and headed to the makeup room, and I was with two lovely MUA’s who were assigned to do my slit throat SFX look. It took about an hour and a half to do this. I left to go film with Tom afterwards, alongside Magen James and Daniel Cooper. It was quite a short scene but due to makeup and setting up the camera/waiting for equipment it took a few hours to get done.
THURSDAY 26TH MAY
Today is finally the day. Our last ever rehearsal day in college. I genuinely cannot believe it, and how far we’ve come since the beginning is astounding. We have to make every single second of today count, and perform like we never have before. We started at 11am, as we usually do. We formed a circle and we played Splat Quiz, the clap game and catch. By the end of this warmup I looked like a tomato! I was literally sweating so hard, and plus I was in my costume which is a jumper so I didn’t get it easy. We had a chat with Kelly about our show week before we actually commenced with rehearsals as there was a few people who were in maths and English. We discussed the pace of the show and how at certain times the energy drops a bit and it goes quite flat- it’s generally when we get to the ‘15 minutes’ and other time stamp warnings. Previously we discussed doing a timer so this lesson we would be doing that. Red cast went up first (minus Emily) and I think my performance was fine during the beginning but there was some individuals that weren’t trying. We ended up starting again because people were saying that ‘they can’t talk’ and missing their cue lines and it just was NOT it. So we began again. We did a full run through and we tweaked and improved some sections to add more movement and physicality. For example; in my big speech about my parents Kelly suggested that I get up and go to the table, maybe eat a crisp and walk around a little. Just adds some more dimension to this part as there isn’t a lot of movement- this has really amped up the scene and improved how I say things I believe. The blue cast were stunning, as they always are. Their performance is fantastic and their improvements from the begin are outstanding- they’re going to look fab on that stage! Mostly everybody was in costume today as well (some people are waiting on theirs to be delivered) so it really got us all in that headspace and made it look just that much better. I had to leave a few minutes early due to filming but I think this week ended incredibly and I am so proud of my cast, and the blue cast for how far we’ve come on this journey.
TASK 2 (A) - RESEARCH SOURCES
CHARACTER RESEARCH
COSTUME -
A fundamental part of acting is understanding your characters. When an actor understands their character the performances just tops the level and makes it so much more believable.
For character research I have curated some makeup looks and costume mood boards based off of how I view Dani. I see Dani as a bit of a Chav really. So based off of this I see her as a trainer/fluffy slider girl, who is mainly seen in crop tops and ripped jeans, Nike leggings (God forbid they're off brand) or ripped skinny jeans. She LIVES in teddy coats and tracksuit jackets. Nothing else. Ever.
When I think about Dani, she never wanted or was meant to be at the party- so she wouldn't be dressed up. The other characters are quite nerdy, and don't get invited to parties so I think they'd all dress up and look well put together. As for Dani, she only has an overnight bag with her to stay at Stace's so she wouldn't have party clothes. So taking this into consideration, she would have to have casual clothes, well compared to the others at least.
Dani's costume needs to reflect her as a character. She's cold hearted, mean spirited, got an attitude and really doesn't care about other people or what they think. Her laid back costume represents how she doesn't care about the party or the people there but it also links to her situation with her parents because even if she wanted to, she only has them clothes due to what happened.
My final costume is a black pair of leggings and a North Face Jumper, paired with white air force once and gold hoops with a classic chav bun.
PRACTICIONER RESEARCH
Stanislavski is a very well known theatre practitioner; he directed a variety of productions which led him to be so familiar. He was broadly recognized as an outstanding character actor. His work has been very influential over the years, and people still consistently practice his techniques today.
Although it is very complex, the main goal of the 'Stanislavski system' (or method) was to portray characters to be natural and believable on stage. This was a huge contrast compared to the other thespians of 19th century Russia- character were often played as being over the top and grand during this time. Stanislavski was developing a new way of acting, and many people refer to him as the father of todays style of acting. He wanted to teach a way of acting which immerses people into the character, and becomes them.
From a young age Stanislavski was involved with theatre. His mother was in-fact the daughter of a French actress, so the influence of theatre and acting was there from a young age. As I previously mentioned he was apart of theatricals as a young boy; the first time he appeared on his parents stage, he was 14. He joined 'Alekseyev Circle' a dramatic group which was organized by his family. There were many important figures in his life which motivated and influenced him. When Stanislavski first studied in the Moscow Theatre School, he did not enjoy the approach it took. He didn't like how the students were expected to follow all the instructions and conventions from the tutors. This led him to the Maly Theatre, where he learned how to be more fresh, and where he learned to take in the energy from the other stage players. He learned this from foreign artists, such as: Salvini and Duse. He believed that they were powerful- he thought they amplified graceful movements. Some other major influences were Shchepkin and Gogol. They worked together in the Maly Theatre a whole generation before Stanislavski- he gained the natural and real approach to acting from them. In terms of collaboration, Chekov was (among) the first to be a shareholder in the Theatre company which Stanislavski owned. Although they did have major differences this saved the play right and theatre company. The playwright's first production failed, and left Chekov disillusioned- he announced a retirement. However Stanislavski's partner at MXAT convinced Chekov to allow restaging under Stanislavski's direction and with his dramatic force detailed analysis of play- it was a massive success.
Stanislavski was brought up around theatre and the arts. Cultivated human beings was very much part of Stanislavski's education, within his family. His family had a strong sense of social responsibility- they were believing. Additionally, they were a Christian orthodox family. Stanislavski did not separate theatre from its social context. He believed theatre was educational; it had good social significance. The civil unrest, which led to the Russian revolution in 1905 encouraged Stanislavski to reflect and portray social issues on stage. Stanislavski's history was always revolving around theatre. He was indulged from a young age due to his family. On the political side, Stanislavski was a believer of democratic ideals; equal opportunities and value for every person on the planet. His cousin died in the Gulag prison camp due to political reason.
The theatrical purpose of Stanislavski- as previously mentioned, his techniques paved the acting methods of today. He wanted to portray natural and realistic characters on stage. He wanted real and raw emotions to be shown on stage, and he wanted the actors to delve into the character and really become them. His techniques were developed in the early 1900's.
TASK 2 (B) - PRODUCTION ELEMENT
Behind any stage show is a production team. The production
element is so important because it finalizes the product of a show. From marketing
to makeup, staging to lighting, props to front of house. There is a wide
variety of options to pick from for a production role. Personally, I am doing
Makeup and Props.
For the makeup aspect, I obviously will not be applying this
to cast members myself. The MUA team get to do this. However, I have planned
some looks that I will be giving to the MUA team for consideration for the
final product.
The process of the makeup element was rather fun and a bit of a challenge as this is an aspect of production that I’ve never been apart of, but thoroughly enjoyed. I started by messaging cast members and asking for their opinion on what they believe their character would wear. I then began doing mood boards for different characters, and different versions of the characters from each cast. I gathered up references photos and explained why each character would wear this. I also curated Pinterest boards for each character.
Props, was rather different. I have been working with Emily
Peaurt on this. We discussed which props would be needed which are included in
the script (different types of drinks, alcohol bottles, spray paint can,
cigarettes, bunting etc.) and wrote that down. We then thought about what else
we could use to bring it to life- paper plates, food bowls, etc. For the final
product Emily and I will be gathering these props. So far I have brought in the alcohol bottles, a phone and can use a cigarette packet. I will be bringing in paper plates and food closer to the time due to it being actual food. Magda's makeup moodboard (both casts)
Dani's makeup moodboard (red cast)
Dani's makeup moodboard (blue cast)
MY PERSONAL JOURNEY
In conclusion, this show has been one of the best journeys I have been on within acting. The whole process from start to finish has been a delight, even though it has been stressful at times and not always as easy it has been amazing- from the audition, the production elements, each rehearse and the performance itself.
I am over the moon at how much progression has been made, for both casts as well. The sheer passion and determination has been outstanding.
Personally, this journey has been fantastic for me. Ever since we first got the script my heart was set on Dani and I was lucky enough to be cast as her- it’s been a huge confidence booster and I put my entire soul into this performance. During stage shows, I’ve never had a huge role to play- this was very out of my comfort zone but I am so glad I got the courage to audition for Dani because it’s taken me on my own personal journey of confidence in myself. I think this role has certainly pushed me as an actor and I have gained a lot from this process. This is our first official show with a real audience and I want every audience member to feel the energy and passion in the performance.
As I have mentioned, since our very first script read through at the beginning of the year I was always set on Dani. I vividly remember talking to my friends about the show and saying that I really loved Dani’s role and they all encouraged me to go for her if this ended up being our end of year show. Alas, it did. When we were given our audition monologues I began working on it from the minute I got home. I was so determined to get this role and I worked on it every single day.
The moment I got Dani, I knew this had to be the best performance I have ever given. The fact we haven’t been able to be on stage just pushed me that much more because I wanted to show what I can give and impress the people watching. Every morning I would go over lines walking to the bus, on the bus and walking to college. I had so much passion to bring this character to life and that was what I was going to do. Before rehearsing I’d psych myself up- I’d really get into her mindset and become her. I’d think about what she’s going through behind closed doors- her parents are splitting up and I wanted to make it realistic by using my own emotional memories of my family just to give it that element of reality.
I had to think about why Dani is in this play. What is her purpose? What makes Dani an integral part of the show? Why did she end up there? Every rehearsal I’d think about this- before each specific scene I’d think about her purpose and why she was doing what she is doing.
I believe there is a clear difference between me as a person and my character of Dani. From the costume, to the way I sit, talk, my facial expressions, body language and vocal clarity. I have really tried my hardest to become an entirely new person that is so completely opposite to who I am.
This is a collaborative piece and process, so we had to work closely as a cast. We would often discuss ideas and debate about our staging plans. We would talk about costume with one another- and discuss any ideas and contribute our own plans to make it feel natural for everybody within the performance.
However, it wasn’t only my cast whom I communicated with. We also worked alongside the blue cast. Both casts would give each other notes and tips to help push each other. We all know each other so well now we’ve almost been here for a year, so we were able to give them a lot of feedback that was capable and relevant to each actor.
Dylan has been very good at blocking things- he is a very good visualiser and with his ideas we could all bounce off of them so we could really perfect each scene and make sure the staging was perfect. At the beginning there was some issues with blocking as we were still figuring out where to go and what felt natural, but with a lot of discussion and trial and error we have blocked our show very nicely so that it looks natural and feels good to each actor and is also relevant to each character and what they should be doing.
Our tutors have also been the other key communicators with us. Kelly and Kane have been working alongside us on this piece, and have majorly helped and impacted this performance. Within our sessions they would give us good relevant pointers and feedback- helping our characters develop nicely and giving us good techniques to really push us and get our performance perfect. We delved into every little detail to bring this together. For example, Kane stepped into Kate’s role during my speech to show Leah how to react to what I’m saying. He gave all the facial expressions and showed how she should move and walk so she could really understand her character.
All in all, this has been the best experience of this year. It’s been a very difficult year with going into lockdown and not being able to do any acting in college. We weren’t able to do any proper shows which was heart breaking but now we finally have this opportunity and I am so grateful for it. It’s pushed me so far as an actor and it’s given me so much confidence in myself that excels outside of acting too. I am unbelievably proud of everybody involved in this, from the cast to our tutors. It’s a fantastic show and I cannot wait to put it on stage.
DRESS REHEARSAL
Today has finally came; the last official rehearsal during our first year of college...I genuinely cannot fathom that this year is almost over and the show is too, it feels like only yesterday we got the script for the first time on teams. And now this whole journey is almost over. I’m getting quite emotional typing this, honestly. There has been so much love and dedication put into this process. The passion is so abundant and the energy is off the charts. It wasn’t always easy though, there’s been arguments and squabbles, bad days and then the good days. All this will be worth it when we’re on the stage for the first time, in front of that audience. All the work will pay off when we can finally take our bow at the end of the show and the lights go down.
Speaking for me personally I think my dress rehearsal went rather well. I was in costume so I could really get into the headspace and it felt like I was on stage, performing it for real. I know all my lines, and cue lines now and I feel as if my flow is a lot better as to what it was at the beginning. When I first began, I was very self critical and I am quite an anxious person and I often hid behind my script to deflect. Now I can confidently project my lines, without having to hide.
When I perform, I feel so natural. The piece flows so much better than it did at the beginning and I think I have improved massively. I have developed my character so much from the beginning- every single note and tip I’ve been given i’ve taken on board and applied to my performance. When I perform, I feel like I am Dani. I don’t feel like Megan at all. In the beginning, there was glimpses of me shining through but I think I’ve really really pushed myself into becoming this crazy character. From the character research, to the costume and emotional memories that I can attach to Dani- I think I’ve really embodied her as a character and developed her on stage.
As a cast, there has been ups and downs during the process. At the beginning of today’s rehearsal some people weren’t prepared and honestly just didn’t even want to say their lines. But I was NOT having that- if one actor is not prepared and not trying to affects everybody and that is not fair. So I suggested we start over. For the most part, our cast are fabulous. The character development is insane and how far they’ve came- especially developing the characters chemistries with each other. That’s came along beautifully and for the majority they know their lines, and cues. It’s a bit disheartening when cast members don’t want to put in the effort as it dampers everyone else, but hopefully by show day everyone will be rearing to go. I must say, the energy was A LOT better today. By a mile. Maybe even two miles. The pace was tons better and I didn’t feel as if the energy dropped at any parts, which has been an issue for the past rehearsals.
Everybody was giving each other feedback and positive notes and little things to work on to give it that final push. I thoroughly believe today went rather well. The projection has been worked on and it sounds so much better, each character has their own tones and clarities and it sets everyone apart perfectly.
The reactions from each character are so much stronger now also- Magen James who plays Magda is absolutely brilliant at reactions and I always love seeing them. The background acting has improved much more for each person- it’s not too loud nor distracting it’s just at the correct level.
As a whole, I am very confident in this piece. Personally, and as a cast we have came so far from the first ever rehearsal and I am incredibly proud to be apart of this project. Everything feels natural and realistic- every character is unique and interesting and they all have their purpose set out. As an ensemble it’s really challenged us with communication as that is a very key part to this production- from the biggest scenes down to the littlest details and background acting, everything has been worked out and plotted greatly. Each time we’ve rehearsed it has shaped it into the piece it is- it’s fantastic. This project has brought me closer to the right people and made me inspired for the future. I am beyond thankful to have been apart of this beautiful project and the journey has been absolutely amazing- beyond proud of every single person.
Comments
Post a Comment