In my group's performance we were locked in a little cabin because the storm was about to begin.
However, when we first started devising our piece we wasn't too sure about the amount of space we should have been using, so what we did is ask if we could start working in one of the music booths so we could start getting more of an idea of what size we would actually be in if we were stuck in a cabin in real life.
By doing this it allowed us to feel more isolated and it also helped us build tension and awkwardness because we were all in a very enclosed space.
There was a problem with working in the music booth though, the problem was that we were not projecting our voices loud enough, because we got so used to working in a music booth where we didn't really need to project, so when we'd perform in front of our class we'd forget to project.
What we did to stop ourselves from talking too quietly is we'd also rehearse in the drama studio as well as rehearsing in the music booth-(we mainly rehearsed in the music booth) so that we then got used to talking loudly and also being spatially aware of how to move around thing etc.
Before we even started devising our actual end performance we had to do a lot of improvisation to see how each of our characters would react in this scenario-(Jake cheating on Katina with Maria while they were on the party boat and then they all end up in a little cabin together for ages with Maria's incredibly drunk friend who isn't making the situation any better.)
One of the first things we improvised was all of us on the top deck at the party and then Jake and Maria catch eyes and Maria recognises Jake from the other night and Jake doesn't recognise her.
Once we had done that two or three times, we then came up with the idea of us all being locked in a cabin together, we improvised this loads because we decided quite early on that we wanted that scene to be our final performance.
In the process of making this scene, we changed all of our entrances on stage, we also changed the staging- almost every lesson because we wanted the audience to see everything we were doing on stage so they got the full benefit of our performance.
When we first started devising our performance we all sat on the floor quite far away from each other, so it didn't really look like we were stuck in a cabin instead it just looked like four people all sat on the floor, so what we did to change that is we tested a few things out.
One of the things we tried out is all of us sat next to each other on the floor, ridiculously close to each other to see how that would work out for our piece. Once we'd done that we sat ridiculously far away from each other to see how that would work.
In the end we decided that sitting really, stupidly close to each other would be the most effective, because it makes the situation even more awkward and also it shows that we're in a very small, enclosed space so we have no choice but to sit so close to each other.
Also while we were in the process of deciding where we all should be on stage, we came to the conclusion that we definitely shouldn't sit on the floor because it just kills the performance completely. So what we did to change this is we managed to get hold of a sofa and we used that instead, it ended up working a lot better as well because it gave us no choice but to sit close together.
And another thing that was good with having the sofa was the levels we could have on stage to make our piece look more interesting, because we could have someone sat on the floor- (Beccy usually) and we could have some people on the sofa and we could have someone stood up, so by having the sofa it made our performance look a lot more interesting and busy, but in a good way I think.
Also another thing we did in our improvisations was take notes about what we thought went well, so in the end we ended up with all of the lines and movements we liked for our end performance.
For example we kept the line/movement Jake and Beccy do, Jake leans over Beccy to talk to Katina and before he even starts to speak Beccy interrupts him and says "Hey! Just because you got on them two, don't mean you can get on me!"
When Michelle first said that line straight away we all said that we have to keep it because it's funny but it doesn't sound stupid because it goes well with her character.
Saturday, 30 November 2013
What worked?
Today we started working in the music booth, this helped us get more of an idea of how big a boat cabin would be- so we know how much space we'd have to make it seem more realistic.
Also we started using one of the sofas, this worked because when Maria gets pushed onto it, it makes us even closer which makes the awkwardness build up and it's easier for the audience to get that tension.
I think the gags in our piece work well as one of our characters are drunk; Beccy- (Michelle) also it adds some light hearted humour to a relatively serious piece
What do you need to do to improve it?
I think what we need to improve on is our projection. Even though working in the music booth is good for our special awareness, it doesn't help us with our projection because where it's so small we don't need to use our proper performance voice as it's so small, so we need to remember to speak louder.
I also think we need to improve on mine and Harry's little argument at the beginning, because it's too short and it doesn't really show what kind of relationship our characters have.
We desperately need to work on the big argument scene with me and Greta because it's too mess and all over the place.
We all need to stop talking over each other, because the audience can't hear what's going on and they also won't know who they're meant to be listening too.
Another thing we need to work on is Michelle's death and what happens after that.
How are we going to improve it?
To improve our projection we're going to practise in the classroom and in the music booth, by doing this we'll still know how big our space should be and we'll get used to using our performing voices.
To improve mine and Harry's argument scene we're going to think of how his character would react-(we all decided silly, then when he realises it's not working he'd then start trying to manipulate me), we also made it longer by doing this.
For our big argument scene between all of us we staged ourselves and then we decided what everyone would say at a certain part. We also changed the bit where Greta puts her leg over Harry- instead she was just pushed near Harry but at that point my character loses it and starts accusing her of putting her leg over him instead.
Once again when we would talk over each other we just decided what we'd all be saying so we weren't talking over each other.
When Michelle's character dies, Greta and I go over and start screaming for help just as the alarms start going off and while that's happening Harry's character is also screaming but only because of the alarms.
Today we started working in the music booth, this helped us get more of an idea of how big a boat cabin would be- so we know how much space we'd have to make it seem more realistic.
Also we started using one of the sofas, this worked because when Maria gets pushed onto it, it makes us even closer which makes the awkwardness build up and it's easier for the audience to get that tension.
I think the gags in our piece work well as one of our characters are drunk; Beccy- (Michelle) also it adds some light hearted humour to a relatively serious piece
What do you need to do to improve it?
I think what we need to improve on is our projection. Even though working in the music booth is good for our special awareness, it doesn't help us with our projection because where it's so small we don't need to use our proper performance voice as it's so small, so we need to remember to speak louder.
I also think we need to improve on mine and Harry's little argument at the beginning, because it's too short and it doesn't really show what kind of relationship our characters have.
We desperately need to work on the big argument scene with me and Greta because it's too mess and all over the place.
We all need to stop talking over each other, because the audience can't hear what's going on and they also won't know who they're meant to be listening too.
Another thing we need to work on is Michelle's death and what happens after that.
How are we going to improve it?
To improve our projection we're going to practise in the classroom and in the music booth, by doing this we'll still know how big our space should be and we'll get used to using our performing voices.
To improve mine and Harry's argument scene we're going to think of how his character would react-(we all decided silly, then when he realises it's not working he'd then start trying to manipulate me), we also made it longer by doing this.
For our big argument scene between all of us we staged ourselves and then we decided what everyone would say at a certain part. We also changed the bit where Greta puts her leg over Harry- instead she was just pushed near Harry but at that point my character loses it and starts accusing her of putting her leg over him instead.
Once again when we would talk over each other we just decided what we'd all be saying so we weren't talking over each other.
When Michelle's character dies, Greta and I go over and start screaming for help just as the alarms start going off and while that's happening Harry's character is also screaming but only because of the alarms.
. Chloe walks in, pissed off as she's just found out about Harry cheating.
. Harry enters, he attempts to make Chloe happy, but fails. They are sat in an awkward silence.
. Greta enters after a few minutes, pacing up and down the room in curiosity.
. As Greta goes to exit, Mich comes stumbling in, drunk as anything and informs all that they cannot leave the cabin until the storm has gone.
. After a while, Harry becomes more aggressive to all.
. Mich tries to clear the awkwardness by telling jokes and doing "funny" things.
. Greta starts doing Crystals, Chloe's anger begins to build even more as she's finding out more about the girl Harry cheated on her with.
. Everyone is sat on the sofa, Harry gets up and falls over due to the large wave that has knocked the boat, as he falls Greta falls after and lands on top. After a few seconds, sexual tension rises between Greta and Harry, Greta starts lifting her leg so she is completely on top. While this is happening Mich is asking Chloe to help her up.
. When Chloe realises what is going on between Harry and Greta she then stands up and drags Greta away from Harry.
. There is then a fight between Chloe and Greta. Harry is watching, loving every second of it. When Mich tells him to stop us.
. When Harry gets involved and attempts to break Chloe and Greta up, he knocks Mich in the face and she passes out.
. Harry does a runny while Chloe and Greta are worrying about Mich.
. Harry enters, he attempts to make Chloe happy, but fails. They are sat in an awkward silence.
. Greta enters after a few minutes, pacing up and down the room in curiosity.
. As Greta goes to exit, Mich comes stumbling in, drunk as anything and informs all that they cannot leave the cabin until the storm has gone.
. After a while, Harry becomes more aggressive to all.
. Mich tries to clear the awkwardness by telling jokes and doing "funny" things.
. Greta starts doing Crystals, Chloe's anger begins to build even more as she's finding out more about the girl Harry cheated on her with.
. Everyone is sat on the sofa, Harry gets up and falls over due to the large wave that has knocked the boat, as he falls Greta falls after and lands on top. After a few seconds, sexual tension rises between Greta and Harry, Greta starts lifting her leg so she is completely on top. While this is happening Mich is asking Chloe to help her up.
. When Chloe realises what is going on between Harry and Greta she then stands up and drags Greta away from Harry.
. There is then a fight between Chloe and Greta. Harry is watching, loving every second of it. When Mich tells him to stop us.
. When Harry gets involved and attempts to break Chloe and Greta up, he knocks Mich in the face and she passes out.
. Harry does a runny while Chloe and Greta are worrying about Mich.
1) We filmed 3 minutes of our work in class. However, I do not know where I'm meant to find it.
2) Explain what is happening and how it fits with the full scene.
In the 3 minute video it shows us what the rest of the scene is going to be about. Which is; Jake having an affair with Maria and Katina finding out ad to top it all off we're isolated in a room together for ages with Maria's drunk best friend.
The short clip of our performance shows the very beginning where Katina has just wondered into the little cabin because she has just found out about the affair Jake has had.
This works well, because straight away the audience can tell something has happened and then made curious as to why someone has just stormed on stage in an upset/angry state. However, to improve this scene, I could pace around more and maybe sigh a few times to show that I'm more stressed out and angry about the situation.
When Jake comes in after Katina, he tries annoying her into going back to the party, this shows the kind of person Jake is, annoying and inconsiderate but also playful.
It also shows the kind of relationship they both have, which is bit of a joking around one. I think to improve this part of the scene Harry- Jake could try to annoy me more and when he realises that it's not working he should sit there for a second and then try something else to get me to go to the party
When Jake eventually sees that Katina is in no mood to joke around they then sit in an awkward silence until Maria stumbles in making the situation more awkward and uncomfortable to be in.
The part when Maria stumbles into the cabin fits in with the scene because that's when we all find out that we are stuck in the cabin for ages until the storm settles down... Also, it makes it more awkward as Jake slept with Maria and Katina can sense it.
2) Explain what is happening and how it fits with the full scene.
In the 3 minute video it shows us what the rest of the scene is going to be about. Which is; Jake having an affair with Maria and Katina finding out ad to top it all off we're isolated in a room together for ages with Maria's drunk best friend.
The short clip of our performance shows the very beginning where Katina has just wondered into the little cabin because she has just found out about the affair Jake has had.
This works well, because straight away the audience can tell something has happened and then made curious as to why someone has just stormed on stage in an upset/angry state. However, to improve this scene, I could pace around more and maybe sigh a few times to show that I'm more stressed out and angry about the situation.
When Jake comes in after Katina, he tries annoying her into going back to the party, this shows the kind of person Jake is, annoying and inconsiderate but also playful.
It also shows the kind of relationship they both have, which is bit of a joking around one. I think to improve this part of the scene Harry- Jake could try to annoy me more and when he realises that it's not working he should sit there for a second and then try something else to get me to go to the party
When Jake eventually sees that Katina is in no mood to joke around they then sit in an awkward silence until Maria stumbles in making the situation more awkward and uncomfortable to be in.
The part when Maria stumbles into the cabin fits in with the scene because that's when we all find out that we are stuck in the cabin for ages until the storm settles down... Also, it makes it more awkward as Jake slept with Maria and Katina can sense it.
Saturday, 16 November 2013
1. Describe the status exercises.
What did you learn?
We did three status exercises, the first one being the "Line Of Status". In this exercise we all stood in a giant line and Andy numbered us 1-16, 1 being the person with lowest status and 16 being the person with the highest status. Also we could only talk to the person next to us. For example, I was 16, so I could only talk to the person next to me to give them an order.
However, the person next to me wouldn't do any of the orders, instead they'd then turn to the other person next to them and tell them the order, and this would go on until the order got to 1 and number 1 would be the only person who would ever do the orders given.
The next exercise we did was where Sav was sat on a chair, being the person with the highest status and the rest of us were all circulated around her and using complicity we'd go in one by one to serve her well. However she could click you dead with a snap of her fingers whenever she wanted too.
Also, when doing this exercise we were not allowed to stand higher than her, we had to crawl, we were not allowed to talk before she spoke to us first and we were not allowed to look at her.
The last exercise we did was scripted base. We were handed a small slip of paper with about 4-5 lines on from a play. It was about someone who had been interviewed at a work place, and the employer had found out that the person who had been interviewed had a criminal record.
In this exercise we were put into pairs and we got to play around with status.
For example, the employer could be the person with less status than the person who is being questioned about the criminal record, or they could both have really high status of low status etc.
From these exercises I learnt that status can have a massive impact on the other actors, because people react differently to the way people show their status. Like when someone is acting really shy, either the other person would take advantage of that and act all big, or, they'd act more quiet so that they don't seem as threatening...
Thursday, 14 November 2013
Yesterday I worked with my group for the first time.
We started devising our piece, after reminding each other what our characters are like.
Jake-(Harry) and Katina-(Me) are going out in the performance and Maria-(Greta) and Becca-(Michelle) are best friends.
Our piece is about 4 people who go on a party ship, on the party ship Jake has an affair with Maria and thinks his girlfriend; Katina doesn't know anything about it. He is very much wrong, he finds out she knows when they're all isolated in a cabin.
We came up with this idea by doing a couple of mind maps for ideas.
The mind maps consisted of our ideas and plots on what to do for our piece.
One of them said what era it's set in- modern day...
Our original idea was that we were all on the party boat, partying and I'm good friends with Jake and Becca is best friends with Maria.
Jake and Maria have a history-(one night stand) and on the boat Jake doesn't recognise Maria, but she recognises him and those have conflict because of this. We changed it because if we just had arguing all the way through there's a possibility of it getting boring and the audience losing interest in the performance.
So to change our piece we made it so Jake and I are going out.
I then out about Jake having an affair with Maria, but I don't mention it, I just want Jake to tell me so I feel like I can trust him again.
When I find out about the affair, I go straight from the party into a little cabin on my own to think things through. When Jake follows me into the cabin he tries winding me up into going back onto the top deck, where the party is but I refuse. After a little while of Jake practically begging for me to go-(and failing) Maria gets pushed into our cabin to wait for her friend Becca. However where Maria didn't know that Jake was in a relationship straight away she turns to him and says "What's your name again?" then sees me and freaks out. Then just as she leaves her friend shows up and tells us all that we have to stay in the cabin as there's a storm coming. So we're all sat awkwardly for ages in a cramped little cabin room.
We changed our piece to this because we thought that we could build on the tension and we could have a well structured argument without shouting. Also we've made Michelle's character more funny to lighten the mood.
We started devising our piece, after reminding each other what our characters are like.
Jake-(Harry) and Katina-(Me) are going out in the performance and Maria-(Greta) and Becca-(Michelle) are best friends.
Our piece is about 4 people who go on a party ship, on the party ship Jake has an affair with Maria and thinks his girlfriend; Katina doesn't know anything about it. He is very much wrong, he finds out she knows when they're all isolated in a cabin.
We came up with this idea by doing a couple of mind maps for ideas.
The mind maps consisted of our ideas and plots on what to do for our piece.
One of them said what era it's set in- modern day...
Our original idea was that we were all on the party boat, partying and I'm good friends with Jake and Becca is best friends with Maria.
Jake and Maria have a history-(one night stand) and on the boat Jake doesn't recognise Maria, but she recognises him and those have conflict because of this. We changed it because if we just had arguing all the way through there's a possibility of it getting boring and the audience losing interest in the performance.
So to change our piece we made it so Jake and I are going out.
I then out about Jake having an affair with Maria, but I don't mention it, I just want Jake to tell me so I feel like I can trust him again.
When I find out about the affair, I go straight from the party into a little cabin on my own to think things through. When Jake follows me into the cabin he tries winding me up into going back onto the top deck, where the party is but I refuse. After a little while of Jake practically begging for me to go-(and failing) Maria gets pushed into our cabin to wait for her friend Becca. However where Maria didn't know that Jake was in a relationship straight away she turns to him and says "What's your name again?" then sees me and freaks out. Then just as she leaves her friend shows up and tells us all that we have to stay in the cabin as there's a storm coming. So we're all sat awkwardly for ages in a cramped little cabin room.
We changed our piece to this because we thought that we could build on the tension and we could have a well structured argument without shouting. Also we've made Michelle's character more funny to lighten the mood.
Sunday, 3 November 2013
Today in lesson we were doing lots of different exercises which involved us changing the ways we moved around the room and also reacting to certain things in a different ways to how we usually would.
The first exercise we did was changing the ways we would walk in different scenarios.
For example, when Andy said "...and now it's cold, freezing! Like it is in Finland..." the whole class changed their body language. I tensed up, hunched over and hugged myself tightly, I also didn't walk like I usually do-(quite big strides) I only moved the bottoms of my legs.
Another thing Andy said was "...and now you're home late and your mums going to be angry with you and ground you..." when Andy said this, there were loads of different reactions. Some people sped up and was running around the room, desperate to get home, and some stayed calm.
I stayed calm and chilled for this part of the exercise while others were rushing around me.
I also noticed that when Andy said "...Now it's hot, too hot..." straight away nearly everyone's weight was held in their knees and their shoulders, so they were hunched over whilst bending their legs. Everyone moved a lot slower too and hung their heads lower.
After this exercise we play "Party Quirks".
Party Quirks is where someone is having a party, in this game Heta for hosting the party.
And Andy gave everyone else a weird little quirk that they would have to improvise with at Heta's Finlish party.
Some of the quirks were; someone was invisible, someone was scared of everything, someone thought they were outside and the weather keeps changing, someone had just been to the dentist and so on.
And what Heta would have to do is guess what everyone's quirk was.
The first exercise we did was changing the ways we would walk in different scenarios.
For example, when Andy said "...and now it's cold, freezing! Like it is in Finland..." the whole class changed their body language. I tensed up, hunched over and hugged myself tightly, I also didn't walk like I usually do-(quite big strides) I only moved the bottoms of my legs.
Another thing Andy said was "...and now you're home late and your mums going to be angry with you and ground you..." when Andy said this, there were loads of different reactions. Some people sped up and was running around the room, desperate to get home, and some stayed calm.
I stayed calm and chilled for this part of the exercise while others were rushing around me.
I also noticed that when Andy said "...Now it's hot, too hot..." straight away nearly everyone's weight was held in their knees and their shoulders, so they were hunched over whilst bending their legs. Everyone moved a lot slower too and hung their heads lower.
After this exercise we play "Party Quirks".
Party Quirks is where someone is having a party, in this game Heta for hosting the party.
And Andy gave everyone else a weird little quirk that they would have to improvise with at Heta's Finlish party.
Some of the quirks were; someone was invisible, someone was scared of everything, someone thought they were outside and the weather keeps changing, someone had just been to the dentist and so on.
And what Heta would have to do is guess what everyone's quirk was.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)