26th September

Performance Workshop

Today we rehearsed the monologue's and transitional dance at the start of our performance. However because me and my parter are quite far from each other I can't drop her on the 4 count. So we decided to change this so after everyone else has dropped there parter a beat later I drop mine. This make more of an impact because everyone is down and silent then suddenly you hear the sound of my dropping my parter.  

This transitional dance shows the audience that life may have it ups and downs and that people aren't always as helpful as they seem.

This then transitions well with the next scene as everyone on the floor that has been knocked down then does a physical theatre piece representing strength, and everyone who is stood up slowly walks off stage.

Our group was given the Stimuli of Loneliness. After discussing as a group different reasons why people would be lonely we then talked about ideas. I had an idea that to start the piece of everyone sat on there own randomly dotted about the stage in a pose that expressed loneliness. However this was not the must effective and powerful way of expressing this emotion. We decided to start the piece of with people walking into the middle of the stage into a huddle. This shows the audience that even though we aren't alone we are still lonely. We decided that each person should have a reason to be lonely and say that 1 word that expresses that. I thought a good word would be depressed, because people who are depressed often don't have many friends and are often lonely. I had an idea that if we sat in a circle would expressing that we are united through loneliness, however that would mean that some people would be facing away from the audience so instead we decided to use a half circle.

We then rehearsed The Grandfathers play and talked about different costumes and props. We have decided to keep the costume and props very simple. This is because our piece is very stylised and very Brectian, so to stick with this theme we are only going to use 1 prop which is a small box for the bird. We also worked out our transitions between scenes.

25th September

Musical Theatre 

Today we added more to our Our House dance. For our dance we have used the choreography from the Madness Musical as stimuli, keeping some of the moves and adding some of our own. For example at the start we are young school kids in a play ground, however in the actual musical they are older school children on they way home. This also fits with Madnesses lyrical themes as most of there songs are based on childhood memories.

We have also kept it similar to how Madness used to dance in there live shows and taking there movement as inspiration. After our paired work we walk into a space in a madness style. The dance is very bounce and has lots of energy similar to madnesses style of performing. 

24th Septemeber

Performance Workshop

My group decided to come in early to run lines. This gave us the chance to talk about some new idea's we had and see what we had to work on and what scene's we knew of by heart. Previously we had been given feedback to add some dimension to the end scene. I decided that it would be a good point to add an imagine of a soldier in heaven when Kol says 'And I have a terrible feeling' During the lesson we then played about with different ways of staging this and communicating it to the audience.

When the showed back a few scenes to the class and received some feedback. We were told that we should change positions so that me and Megan where facing towards the audience in our first scene. This makes the audience more involved because they are in the middle of the action between 2 rival army's. We were also told that we should lift Fran up higher so that the audience could see her easily.

We also added more choreography onto Nothing. Our group had to recreate a car using our bodies. After trying a couple of different ways we decided that it would be more effective to have Lucy and I at the front of the car being the engine and the rest of the group make the body of the car. I think this way was better than our previous way because it look more like a car and also is easier to get in and out of. 

19th September

Performance Workshop

We started of by warming up our body, this was so we don't injure ourself during the workshop.

We were then given an object that we had to use our bodies to create. Our group was given an aeroplane, we decided that we would used our bodies to create the shell of the plane rather than being passengers.I think this idea is more challenging and more effective, because it shows the audience that we are thinking outside of the box and using are bodies more effectively. I was the pilot at the front of the plane and the rest of the group made up with wings and the body of the plane.

Our group had to switch with the group of people that where making the field. We had 6 counts to get into there positions. This was so we could practice quick on stage character changes. This helps with my scripted piece as I have to switch characters quickly on stage in the last scene. 

We then started to look at our monologues again. Because had learn my monologue, this allowed me to focus on my timing and projecting my voice, as that was what I was told I had to improve on.

We then developed it and added on a short transitional dance. After our monologue we had to pose in a position as if we were asking someone to dance. We then turn to a parter and for 3 counts do a short dance then on the 4th count drop them on the floor. This idea was taken from a groups scene where there stimuli was Greed. This fits with most peoples monologues because there monologues are all about there hopes and dream and throughout that journey there are always going to be people that knock you down.

   

18th September

Musical Theatre 

Today we went through the choreography for Our House adding on some more moves. 

We had to pair up with someone and for 16 counts we had to think of a short energetic dance. I paired up with Natasha and we decided to link arms and skip around in a circle for 4 counts, the change direction for another 4. She then gets on my back and we run around. I think is works well because when we are skipping its really energetic. When she gets on my back we make the whole scene more interesting because we are playing with levels.

17th September

Performance Workshop

Today we had a full read through of The Grandfather, and assassinated parts. Assigning parts was quite difficult as we had to change a 9 part play into a 3 part play. I think it will be challenging playing more than 1 part however I think it would be really effective as it makes the play more un-naturalist.

We then started blocking the last scene. We thought as the words were really powerful that we wouldn't put to much movement into the scene. We start the scene on our feet, but when I say 'What do you call that conscript?' Fran and Megan sit down onto there knees. As I have to change quickly between 2 character, I thought it would be effective if I turned my body to face them and in that turn I change character. We have set a target to learn all of the last scene by Friday. 

12th September

Performance Workshop

We started of by reading through our assignment brief, our brief for this unit is 'Self '

We then wrote a paragraph about ourself and about our hopes and dreams. I wrote about how when I leave I'd like to move to London and act in TV shows and hopefully a movie one day. 

We then had to walk on stage and find a space and read our monologues out to the audience. We then did it again but this time would had to sit down in a pose that reflected our monologue. I choose to sit down looking off into space, as it reflected me daydreaming about my dream to become a professional actress. 

We then had to pick a song to use as stimulus that reflected our monologue. I chose Born to be Somebody by Justin Bieber, because this song is very personal to me and also reflected my monologue perfectly. The song is about knowing that you are born to be somebody and that as long as you believe in your dream no one can stop you. I think this song would work well with the show as it not only reflects my story but it also reflects other peoples as a lot off other people want to be an actress. 

We then watched a Physical Theatre piece which we used as stimulus. We were then given a topic and a location and we had to create a physical theatre piece. We were given Bullying on a mountain. In the physical theatre piece we watched they touched on the subject of homosexuality. We decided taking into consideration what's happening with the current Gay marriage laws that we would have 2 lesbians being bullied. I decided that it would be effective if they had no support at all other than each other. This not only shows that anyone can bully you or discourage your beliefs, but it also shows how strong love is, even if it is between 2 people of the same gender.

I played the teacher, who to there face was supportive however as I showed them out of the room I used my facial expression to show my disgust. When we were not in character we played mountains. We did this by putting our arms above our head into a point. This shows that they are on a mountain range.   

11th Septmeber

Musical Theatre

Today we met with the 1st years and watched the opening song from Madness The Musical, which is Our House. We then sang through it as a class, then in a smaller group, then in an even smaller group. This helped us grow in confidence with singing. Also it helped us get used to the tune and the lyrics.

We then separated off into groups and choreographed a dance to the first verse and the chorus. As this is the opening number it has to be really energetic. I think our group worked well together we all had lots of ideas which we all talked about to pick the most effective. As everyone was giving so many idea's and everyone was really enthusiastic I decided to take charge and make sense of everyone's ideas. I think our choreographed piece was good because it started off structured then once the chorus kicked in we where all walking around the stage using all the space, but when ever we sang Our House we would point to ourself on Our then on House we would make a house shape with our hands. I think this was a good idea as the audience could join in which would engage them.

We then started to learn the choreography for the opening song. We start in a freeze frame as kids in a playground. I decided to be a little kid playing hand games with my friend.

I'm going to learn the song and the tune as some parts are quite fast and I haven't yet mastered it.  

10th September

Performance Workshop 

Today we looked into devising our own play and using a scripted play. As a class we brainstormed idea's for types of plays and plays. We all decided as a class that doing a serious play was best because was have already done 2 comedy's, also it is more challenging.  

Once we finished Megan, Fran and I decided to do The Grandfathers because it is quite comedic but has really serious undertones. However we are going to have to condense it down as there are only 3 actors playing a 9 part play.

I am going to get a copy of the script and work with Fran and Megan to condense it down. Then I will write up notes about my character and work on where the humour is and where the points are that are impacting to the audience. 

We looked at the song Nothing from A Chorus Line. We looked at the lyrics and try to find the humour in the song.I think a lot of the humour could come from how the other pupils are acting in the class. I also think there could be some humour when she says 'I feel the snow... I feel the cold... I feel the air' Morales could mimic the pupils in the class, as if she was making fun of them. 

Then we turned the song into a mini scene. I had an idea of rather than just having 1 Morales we switch between 3, this gave everyone in our group a chance to be the main character. I also had the idea when Morales is singing about how she is trying to feel how an ice cream cone feels, that she could us her arm and body and try to be an ice cream cone. This could be quite comedic as it shows the audience that she is really trying to feel like an ice cream cone which is really comedic as ice cream cones don't have feelings and its also very stereotypical of an acting class.