Sometimes myself and jess practise In the class room with Kim and she lets us know how it's sounding and how our harmonies are . This rehearsal we decided that we'd like to involve luke , max and holly as and onsomble. There are two verses where the rest of the students at shiz university take Galindas side . I think this will give a lot of energy and fun to our song.
Also in this rehearsal we helped luke and max get a feel for the pace and timing of the song as it can be tricky . Also I think they find thigh notes hard to fit togther as they have very different singing voices .
Friday, 8 May 2015
Thursday, 7 May 2015
Remote connections National Theater
Plot
"A girl called Antler steps out of her front door and throws her phone on the ground. She stamps on it. She then climbs the tallest tree in the park. She doesn’t want to be found, not by anyone. 7 teenager’s lives all intertwine over the course of a single evening as they make their way through the park on a seemingly normal Autumn's night.Remote is a play about protest, power and protecting yourself." - Bodens.co.uk
I am taking part in the national theatre connections work shop . The play is called Remote it was written by Stef Smith . Youth groups , young actors and students get a play written by Smith and perform it in their own interpretation . I play a narration part in the acting chorus. To give my part of a narrator their own persona an status to the play I gave my character a name 'Biscuit' .I feel as though Biscuit is a dopey character and likes to break out of her job of being a narrator however is serious when is nessiasry. For example 'I have no idea what going to happen next'. This line may suggest she is a cheeky character and I would direct it to another member of the chorus which broke the relationship that a narrator has with the audience. Development for a narrator can be hard as they are just telling a story . However I have made my narrator have their own silly persona when telling the story. My movement as a narrator is slow and calm to not draw attention away from the main characters. My projection is loud and strong and I have decide to always look directly at someone in the audience to tell the story to as this will help show develop my in persona as a narrator in serious parts of the play.
In rehearsals the most feedback I have been given is pace on lines . Pace is really important . It helps bring the piece together to make it flow and move . And also line confidence was a big target of mine . I found line learning particularly challenging in remote as the lines are minor sentences / one word lines. Also they are spread out all over the script and can go from a lot of collective lines to random lines in the middle of scene. This made line learning particularly hard because there was no strong link to keep dialogue flowing . Your que line could be the start of a new subject so it's very hard to grasp . Unlike Dissocia where you had dialogue and subjects to bounce off of , even though it was a crazy , mad , surreal play there was still a strong subject you could easily improvise on. Both Dissocia and Remote where non-naturalistic however they where both challenges for very different reasons . Lisa in Dissocia had some depth given to you as an actor , like how she was a women in her 30's who had been distant from her friends and family and was suffering from a dissociative mental disorder . Where as in remote you are purely just given lines to develop further on .
Overall I think my performance was good . My projection was clear and strong . I walked with perpouse onto the stage to reflect my persona and role as a narrator . My facial expressions where appropriate for the scenes . For example in the very first scene my face is neutural when telling the story however when I said the line "smashed screen" I looked confused or puzzled by frowning . Also my body language was frozen still to create an imposing , aggressive mood to the line.
There were times where I could break from a neutral narrator persona and give some depth into my character by using facial expression , obvious change in body language and string gestures .
To improve I think I could of concentrated even more on my projection . The Capitol theatre is a lot bigger then the sea light so there was a lot more room to fill . Also the pronounction of my words . I feel as though I could of slowed down my lines to say the words clearer and sometimes I felt I would stutter on my words . However I did deliver my
lines confidently and with power .
SHOW EVALUATION
Wednesday the 15th of April was my cast's show day. We have been working on The Wonderful World Of Dissocia since January 2015. After I audition in the beginning of January for the part of Lisa by doing a monologue she has the first scene, I was thrilled to get the main part as Lisa.
In the first scene Lisa meets Victoria the watch specialist . She tells Lisa that her watch was perfectly working and that she in herself has lost and hour and that it could be found in the world of Dissocia.
Personally I found that it took a while to get the energy to flow in this scene. At first I was trying to portray a naturalistic persona. I did this by keeping the pitch and tone of my voice very similar
to my own tone and pitch. To make this as natural as I could I tried not to act to hyper , but I had closed body language by having my arms crossed. This represented the caution Lisa had to this stranger in her home.And could also represent her insecure persona.
I made my movement slow and swift to imitate how Lisa would usually act relaxed in he own home. However bursts of the true story that Lisa was on a psychiatric ward would show . For example Victoria asks for a 'glass of piss'. This is shocking to Lisa and to show the contrast from being relaxed to being shocked , I stopped in my tracks when that line was delivered. I chose to do this within my movement to show the audience that Lisa was so surprised and confused it phyisical made her stop moving . It also added some extra humor to the line. To furthermore show the shock , I shouted my line 'piss!?' in a loud pitch and surprised tone.
However I thought my monologue in this scene was strong and convincing. The fact that Lisa agrees with Victoria that she has lost an hour shows the Dissociative Disorder that constantly surrounds Lisa. To show signs of Lisa slipping into this convincing mental delusion I looked straight out to the audience like I was talking to myself. I had my hands out in front of me to show her shock of realization and disbelieving that she had lost an hour. And when delivering this monologue I would occasionally laugh to myself to also show connotations of inanity and disbelief . If I had a chance to do the monologue again I might do it differently by directing it more at Victoria to show a bigger interaction between the characters, however I though I delivered it in own successful and creative and imaginative to show Lisa's disconnected manner.
The next scene was the Lift scene. Pace is the most important element of this scene as it makes the humor appreciated on a bigger level . One thing that I found was a distraction was the automated voice , I found this was off putting and was sometimes accidentally repeated , messing up our movement sequence . However this scene got a great audience response. It was clear my over exaggerated facial expressions got some laughs. I reacted well to the disturbing conversations I heard in the lift . Sometimes i'd bite my fist to show discomfort or pure astonishment. Also i'd slowly drop my jaw in amazement to what I was hearing to add to the comic element. This scene worked well in the box of light we had on the stage and set a good representation of a lift. I found this helped me keep up the cramped body language through out the scene. Staying in the light was a good guide line for the space .
The next scene was the guard scene I felt this went really well and the humor bryleah and ashley brought to the audience was brilliant and that wasnt just because they wore silly wigs and crazy slippers ! They delivered their swear words boldly and loudly ! This was important because if a swear word is going to be used it needs power and passion to make an impact ! I wouldn't of really changed much of what I did in this scene because I thought having a confused expression on my face and a question in my tone of voice was appropriate for this scene. However when bryleah and ashley would get upset as the 'in security guards' I felt that I should of been more sympathetic to win over their assistance, instead of an annoyed tone to my voice and an up tight body language .
I felt the oathtaker scene went really well . Especially when I was copying the oath . I showed that Lisa was getting annoyed by sighing and dropping my hip.However something that was off putting was that the assistance forgot their chant which left myself and Kim with abit of a long pause however we saved it by moving on . I wouldn't change Lisa impatient attitude towards this scene as I think it give the audience an idea that Lisa could be a selfish character who only thinks about her self .
I think my monologue or call to vince could be improved if I had a second chance . I felt that it was messy and I had to improvise . The improvisation could of given the call a raw naturalist feel . However Act 1 is non naturalistic .My song went well considering I made the tune up on the spot on the night. This worked effectively because it showed how Lisa was wondering off into her own
thoughts. Again it was foreshadowing the reality that this word is all a delusion .
I think the goat scene was really successful, myself and Luke did really well to create an uncomfortable scene through our enthusiastic animate movement and tones of voice
.There is a serious subject of sexual assault in this scene which was really hard to performer in a manner that was appropriate. The goat attempts to rape Lisa and this may be a contrast to Lisa's boyfriend Vince . I had to let out an ear piercing scream as the goat leans over Lisa. I thought the entrance of Jane was perfectly executed by Liviey. If I had to do this scene again I would show more fear towards the goat instead of anger,as I see Lisa to be more of an insecure character then confrontational.
The Jane scene was the most challenging scene for me as myself and Liviey had to go around on the tricycle .This was a good scene for improvisation because if something didnt go to plan on the tricycle we could improvise and it added humor to the scene . We had sound effects in this scene to help us set the minimalist set/environment.If I had to do this scene again I would suggest getting on the tricycle later on in the scene as some of the lines didnt make sense as we where already cycling . Overall I think myself and Liviey did well in this scene as the cycling could be very off putting and cause us to mess up dialogue.
The last scene in act one was the Britney scene. This was the scene with the most mistake in it . I thought I could of really improved in this scene. I felt it was messy and people where talking over eachother in all the madness in what was going on , on stage . However we all pulled it off to make it very comical even if i felt the story was a little lost in all the confusion .
Act 2
Act 2 was surprisingly the my favorite act . It was all done in a naturalistic style
. It was of time passing in the mental hospital Lisa was currently in. We used house lights to give the effect of a hospital environment. And I performed 'in the round' . I felt that I had performed really well in this act . I had a drained , hostile expression on my face for the most of the act . The only time I broke out of a stable condion was when Lisa is dancing madly around her room . I went over the top to show the effects of the drugs and her mood swings. When I had to swear I delivered the line with a swear word I put extract enthasis on it to show her aggression and out of control state . I then collapsed on the ground sobbing to show her deterioration when the nurses took the ipod away .
I think myself and Luke interacted really well , showing the awkwardness between their relationship. I used a shy tone of voice and a low pitch . I would also play and fidget with the blanket on my bed to show her nervous and anxious state. To make this even better if i could do this scene i would try to get tears in my eyes to show Lisa' s disrepair and fear of being alone .
Overall i felt act 2 went really well and i was proud of my performance as Lisa. I really felt i understood and connected with her persona .
In the first scene Lisa meets Victoria the watch specialist . She tells Lisa that her watch was perfectly working and that she in herself has lost and hour and that it could be found in the world of Dissocia.
Personally I found that it took a while to get the energy to flow in this scene. At first I was trying to portray a naturalistic persona. I did this by keeping the pitch and tone of my voice very similar
to my own tone and pitch. To make this as natural as I could I tried not to act to hyper , but I had closed body language by having my arms crossed. This represented the caution Lisa had to this stranger in her home.And could also represent her insecure persona.
I made my movement slow and swift to imitate how Lisa would usually act relaxed in he own home. However bursts of the true story that Lisa was on a psychiatric ward would show . For example Victoria asks for a 'glass of piss'. This is shocking to Lisa and to show the contrast from being relaxed to being shocked , I stopped in my tracks when that line was delivered. I chose to do this within my movement to show the audience that Lisa was so surprised and confused it phyisical made her stop moving . It also added some extra humor to the line. To furthermore show the shock , I shouted my line 'piss!?' in a loud pitch and surprised tone.
However I thought my monologue in this scene was strong and convincing. The fact that Lisa agrees with Victoria that she has lost an hour shows the Dissociative Disorder that constantly surrounds Lisa. To show signs of Lisa slipping into this convincing mental delusion I looked straight out to the audience like I was talking to myself. I had my hands out in front of me to show her shock of realization and disbelieving that she had lost an hour. And when delivering this monologue I would occasionally laugh to myself to also show connotations of inanity and disbelief . If I had a chance to do the monologue again I might do it differently by directing it more at Victoria to show a bigger interaction between the characters, however I though I delivered it in own successful and creative and imaginative to show Lisa's disconnected manner.
The next scene was the Lift scene. Pace is the most important element of this scene as it makes the humor appreciated on a bigger level . One thing that I found was a distraction was the automated voice , I found this was off putting and was sometimes accidentally repeated , messing up our movement sequence . However this scene got a great audience response. It was clear my over exaggerated facial expressions got some laughs. I reacted well to the disturbing conversations I heard in the lift . Sometimes i'd bite my fist to show discomfort or pure astonishment. Also i'd slowly drop my jaw in amazement to what I was hearing to add to the comic element. This scene worked well in the box of light we had on the stage and set a good representation of a lift. I found this helped me keep up the cramped body language through out the scene. Staying in the light was a good guide line for the space .
The next scene was the guard scene I felt this went really well and the humor bryleah and ashley brought to the audience was brilliant and that wasnt just because they wore silly wigs and crazy slippers ! They delivered their swear words boldly and loudly ! This was important because if a swear word is going to be used it needs power and passion to make an impact ! I wouldn't of really changed much of what I did in this scene because I thought having a confused expression on my face and a question in my tone of voice was appropriate for this scene. However when bryleah and ashley would get upset as the 'in security guards' I felt that I should of been more sympathetic to win over their assistance, instead of an annoyed tone to my voice and an up tight body language .
I felt the oathtaker scene went really well . Especially when I was copying the oath . I showed that Lisa was getting annoyed by sighing and dropping my hip.However something that was off putting was that the assistance forgot their chant which left myself and Kim with abit of a long pause however we saved it by moving on . I wouldn't change Lisa impatient attitude towards this scene as I think it give the audience an idea that Lisa could be a selfish character who only thinks about her self .
I think my monologue or call to vince could be improved if I had a second chance . I felt that it was messy and I had to improvise . The improvisation could of given the call a raw naturalist feel . However Act 1 is non naturalistic .My song went well considering I made the tune up on the spot on the night. This worked effectively because it showed how Lisa was wondering off into her own
thoughts. Again it was foreshadowing the reality that this word is all a delusion .
I think the goat scene was really successful, myself and Luke did really well to create an uncomfortable scene through our enthusiastic animate movement and tones of voice
.There is a serious subject of sexual assault in this scene which was really hard to performer in a manner that was appropriate. The goat attempts to rape Lisa and this may be a contrast to Lisa's boyfriend Vince . I had to let out an ear piercing scream as the goat leans over Lisa. I thought the entrance of Jane was perfectly executed by Liviey. If I had to do this scene again I would show more fear towards the goat instead of anger,as I see Lisa to be more of an insecure character then confrontational.
The Jane scene was the most challenging scene for me as myself and Liviey had to go around on the tricycle .This was a good scene for improvisation because if something didnt go to plan on the tricycle we could improvise and it added humor to the scene . We had sound effects in this scene to help us set the minimalist set/environment.If I had to do this scene again I would suggest getting on the tricycle later on in the scene as some of the lines didnt make sense as we where already cycling . Overall I think myself and Liviey did well in this scene as the cycling could be very off putting and cause us to mess up dialogue.
The last scene in act one was the Britney scene. This was the scene with the most mistake in it . I thought I could of really improved in this scene. I felt it was messy and people where talking over eachother in all the madness in what was going on , on stage . However we all pulled it off to make it very comical even if i felt the story was a little lost in all the confusion .
Act 2
Act 2 was surprisingly the my favorite act . It was all done in a naturalistic style
. It was of time passing in the mental hospital Lisa was currently in. We used house lights to give the effect of a hospital environment. And I performed 'in the round' . I felt that I had performed really well in this act . I had a drained , hostile expression on my face for the most of the act . The only time I broke out of a stable condion was when Lisa is dancing madly around her room . I went over the top to show the effects of the drugs and her mood swings. When I had to swear I delivered the line with a swear word I put extract enthasis on it to show her aggression and out of control state . I then collapsed on the ground sobbing to show her deterioration when the nurses took the ipod away .
I think myself and Luke interacted really well , showing the awkwardness between their relationship. I used a shy tone of voice and a low pitch . I would also play and fidget with the blanket on my bed to show her nervous and anxious state. To make this even better if i could do this scene i would try to get tears in my eyes to show Lisa' s disrepair and fear of being alone .
Overall i felt act 2 went really well and i was proud of my performance as Lisa. I really felt i understood and connected with her persona .
Wednesday performance to A level drama class 15th
Today was show day , and we got a chance to run our first performance in front of a student audience to have a professional performance environment for our marked performance in the evening. I thought it was a good idea to have they audience there because it helped me as a actor get in the right professional mind set as I would be for the real performance . Also after the audience where able to do a question and answer with our cast and also tell us what they thought worked well and what they liked and also what they thought was unclear.
Overall I was proud of my first full run through and performance. Strengths that particular stood out for me where my characterisation In lift , guard scene , goat scene and act2.
For example I thought my facial expressions in the lift scene contributed to the laughs that scene got. I really over exaggerated my facial expressions to add to the element of humour in this scene.
Overall I was proud of my first full run through and performance. Strengths that particular stood out for me where my characterisation In lift , guard scene , goat scene and act2.
For example I thought my facial expressions in the lift scene contributed to the laughs that scene got. I really over exaggerated my facial expressions to add to the element of humour in this scene.
Tuesday 14th tec Run
Today we ran a que to que tec run for those in charge of lighting and sound. This is so they know when lights change or flash and when there needs to be sound effects to help compliment a scene. For example the scene where Jane and Lisa are in the plane needed to be ran with sound effects for the bombing to go with the mimes Liviey was doing to represent her dropping bombs over the west.
My cast did a que to que of act 1 and Holly's cast did act 2 . Act 2 was a complete experiment with lighting as we decided we wanted to use the house lights to show the raw naturalistic environment of a psychiatric ward . It worked really well because It gave the act an uncomfortable and sterile feel. We also set the staging to 'In the round' so we could experience what the audience will during act 2.
Also In act 2 I was in charge of switching the house lights on and off. We thought that doing it manually with long pauses in between would seem more naturalistic of nurses in a hospital turning on lights . Also the long pauses would represent the time passing during the course of Lisa's recovery.
It is really important to remember que lines as they can be que for lighting , sound or entrances
for other characters. I felt as though the tec run went well and I remembered the key changes in the scenes. I know where to stand on the stage to be lighten up as much as I can , and I also know where to move to , to let other characters be at the front of the stage .
My cast did a que to que of act 1 and Holly's cast did act 2 . Act 2 was a complete experiment with lighting as we decided we wanted to use the house lights to show the raw naturalistic environment of a psychiatric ward . It worked really well because It gave the act an uncomfortable and sterile feel. We also set the staging to 'In the round' so we could experience what the audience will during act 2.
Also In act 2 I was in charge of switching the house lights on and off. We thought that doing it manually with long pauses in between would seem more naturalistic of nurses in a hospital turning on lights . Also the long pauses would represent the time passing during the course of Lisa's recovery.
It is really important to remember que lines as they can be que for lighting , sound or entrances
for other characters. I felt as though the tec run went well and I remembered the key changes in the scenes. I know where to stand on the stage to be lighten up as much as I can , and I also know where to move to , to let other characters be at the front of the stage .
Monday 13th Lena's lesson run of act 2 show week
In Lena's lesson we where able to do a run of act 2 in Dissocia. This is the act we have spent the least amount of time on as it has simple stage directions and little dialogue. In this act there is a complete contrast in theme , style and attitudes. In act 2 Lisa is revealed to be a patient on a psychiatric ward so the style is naturalistic and the themes are hostile , disconnected , repetitive and there is a new form of structure Lisa has to live with. I imagine her attitudes would be confused, scared , disconnected.
It was a useful rehearsal and it was good to see how the other cast interpreted act 2 . Small
things stood out like facial expression and body language . Generally everyone's body language was closed and restrictive. An example to who I watched was Holly . I wanted to see her body language during the section when Lisa leaves her room. I noticed that she picked up some objects to take out with her when she left. This made the whole scenario look more purposeful. However I noticed that her confrontation with the nurse brining her back to her room was more calm and pleading then how I interpreted that dialogue . Personally I deliver that dialogue with anger and annoyance. I feel as though this makes Lisa look more aggressive and furthermore disconnected. Both ways of delivering these lines from myself and Holly where appropriate and unique to our own performance.
I feel that my cast gave a great level of energy in this act . The energy from the nurses and doctors where flat , distant and naturalistic . The energy was appropriately dropped or risen when necessary for example when Lisa starts manically dancing around the room. As well as my energy change the nurses reacted with good energy and responses.
The hardest part personally in this scene is remembering that when the lights go out the next movement may just be a nurse coming in to check on me . To help, Katie would read out the stage directions so we could act accordingly and make a mental note of the order of minimalist stage directions.
Overall it was a helpful rehearsal and has shown me what elements I really want to work on. I feel I need to pay close attention on how Lisa has mentally deteriorated . This needs to be obvious to fit the naturalist style of act 2 and the low , ominous theme . Also I want to work on the dialogue between Lisa and Vince, I feel as though there is too much aggression between them and it should feel more awkward and disappointment between them.
It was a useful rehearsal and it was good to see how the other cast interpreted act 2 . Small
things stood out like facial expression and body language . Generally everyone's body language was closed and restrictive. An example to who I watched was Holly . I wanted to see her body language during the section when Lisa leaves her room. I noticed that she picked up some objects to take out with her when she left. This made the whole scenario look more purposeful. However I noticed that her confrontation with the nurse brining her back to her room was more calm and pleading then how I interpreted that dialogue . Personally I deliver that dialogue with anger and annoyance. I feel as though this makes Lisa look more aggressive and furthermore disconnected. Both ways of delivering these lines from myself and Holly where appropriate and unique to our own performance.
I feel that my cast gave a great level of energy in this act . The energy from the nurses and doctors where flat , distant and naturalistic . The energy was appropriately dropped or risen when necessary for example when Lisa starts manically dancing around the room. As well as my energy change the nurses reacted with good energy and responses.
The hardest part personally in this scene is remembering that when the lights go out the next movement may just be a nurse coming in to check on me . To help, Katie would read out the stage directions so we could act accordingly and make a mental note of the order of minimalist stage directions.
Overall it was a helpful rehearsal and has shown me what elements I really want to work on. I feel I need to pay close attention on how Lisa has mentally deteriorated . This needs to be obvious to fit the naturalist style of act 2 and the low , ominous theme . Also I want to work on the dialogue between Lisa and Vince, I feel as though there is too much aggression between them and it should feel more awkward and disappointment between them.
Wednesday, 6 May 2015
Easter Term Rehearsal
Today was a positive rehearsal . It gave all of us a great insight to where we are strong within our performance and where we need to improve. Personally I feel my weakest scenes are the Britney and Jane scenes. The dialogue exchanged needs work on pace and line confidence. My cast's performance is on Wednesday the 15th so this was a great opportunity to see how much time we had to improve on lines and interaction.
A worry I really had was a movement element with the Jane scene. We have most definitely developed our ideas from blocking the Jane scene on the floor. Today we tried to run the scene on a two person tricycle which proved to be very uncomfortable and distracting. It really effected my concentration on lines and I would find myself skipping some important dialogue. This will be a target for myself and Liviey to overcome as she had the same problem and was concentrating on pedaling. It was a good opportunity to see what ways we could try with the tricycle and how we would mime dropping the bombs out of the plane to sound effects.
However even though the tricycle was a challenge it added a great sense of humor to the scene and was visually interesting and attention grabbing for the audience. Also I saw it as an opportunity for improvisation on performance night which could make the scene even more humorous.
Also today's rehearsal helped with entrances and exits . Myself and Holly as Lisa find that there are very few times we are off stage. This makes sense as it is a world that Lisa has created in her own mind as a result of her dissociative disorder. Also que lines for when im off stage are very important to pick up . For example one I will always remember is with the guards my que line is "I'd kill for an arse like yours'.
Overall I feel confident with the Victoria scene , the lift scene , the guards, Oath taker , goat , my song , polar bear and second act. I feel that i need to work on line confidence for The Jane and Britney scene .
A worry I really had was a movement element with the Jane scene. We have most definitely developed our ideas from blocking the Jane scene on the floor. Today we tried to run the scene on a two person tricycle which proved to be very uncomfortable and distracting. It really effected my concentration on lines and I would find myself skipping some important dialogue. This will be a target for myself and Liviey to overcome as she had the same problem and was concentrating on pedaling. It was a good opportunity to see what ways we could try with the tricycle and how we would mime dropping the bombs out of the plane to sound effects.
However even though the tricycle was a challenge it added a great sense of humor to the scene and was visually interesting and attention grabbing for the audience. Also I saw it as an opportunity for improvisation on performance night which could make the scene even more humorous.
Also today's rehearsal helped with entrances and exits . Myself and Holly as Lisa find that there are very few times we are off stage. This makes sense as it is a world that Lisa has created in her own mind as a result of her dissociative disorder. Also que lines for when im off stage are very important to pick up . For example one I will always remember is with the guards my que line is "I'd kill for an arse like yours'.
Overall I feel confident with the Victoria scene , the lift scene , the guards, Oath taker , goat , my song , polar bear and second act. I feel that i need to work on line confidence for The Jane and Britney scene .
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