Double - Auditions for Actors - Blog 22 - 30/11/16

Today we went over our monologues again each taking into consideration what we learnt last lesson about elements. After performing my monologue, I received the following notes:

• Very comical monologue, it's a good choice for you style of acting.
• The voice suits the character very well but you need to work on your diction a touch more; some phrases or words aren't very clear.
• There are some lines that you can accentuate much more so be sure to look through your monologue again for opportunities to accentuate.

I feel that these notes are very fair and I've worked on these by working on my diction when using my "Syme" voice and annotating my script on how to say my lines.

Triple - Musical Theatre Unit (RENT) - Blog 21 - 28/11/16

Today, we made a proper start on Act Two which I feel is going to be a lot harder than Act One. Act One is mostly comprised of songs between a few characters and each song reveals a new piece of the puzzle in the plot of Rent. Whereas, in Act Two, the songs are a lot more conversational and feature most members of the cast. This will be harder to rehearse as it means constantly learning the rhythm of our lines and if one person's ill, then it ruins the flow of the songs.

We spent this entire lesson learning Happy New Year B which I found quite difficult. Although the vocals aren't very advanced, it was the timing of when to say my line which was the issue. However, after singing through the song multiple times, I got the gist of the timings. We then went on to staging the scene which was very easy. We had Alice, Lorna and Cameron (Maureen, Joanne, Mark) stand on the blocks to the left, then when the rest of us enter from stage right on "5,4,3...open sesame", they jump down and we greet each other happily. When Will (Benny) enters, we react negatively and are disgusted by his presence. Throughout the song, Mimi and Roger become separated but when Angel speaks up the mood is lightened and even Benny is welcomed back into the group. We all then exit besides Mimi and Roger until their moment is over then Roger exits, leaving Mimi with The Man/The Drug Dealer (Tyler).

I'd say the main issues with the song at the moment is people not knowing how their lines are said (whether they're spoken or sung) and not knowing how some parts of the song goes (e.g. the final "Happy New Year" line). This is something we can pick up by listening to the track at home.

Double - Auditions for Actors - Blog 21 - 28/11/16

Character's Element

Fire

Water

Air

Earth

Today we focused on the characterisation of our monologues and labelling our characters as "elements".

Tom came in and demonstrated an exercise he was introduced to at a workshop he took part in during the summer and it focused on relating our characters emotions to one of the four elements: Fire, Earth, Water, Air.

We first were asked to associate ourselves to each element and first was Earth. We were asked to simply walk around the room as ourselves and were then simply asked to walk like someone who would be described as Earth. At first, I didn't have a clue what this meant but I then grasped that their wasn't one singular attachment to the term and that it can be described slightly differently but around the same idea. We were also told that if it made it easier we could associate our walk with someone we knew. I associated Earth with my friend Ben as I felt that Earth was very content and was confident in what they want and who they are. I represented this as when Ben walks, he flicks his feet when walking and is very confident with his footing. However, upon sharing our ideas, I feel that I got Earth wrong and that Earth may be confident but they're very rooted and assured of their actions. So still very confident, but I feel the flicks in my feet aren't very "Earth-y". 

We then repeated this action for water. For Water, I thought of my brother as to me water is chill and fluid and doesn't seem too concerned with the world around him. Water is lighthearted and funny and also seems very sluggish. I slouched back a bit whilst also leading from my pelvis. Water to me seemed very similar to Harlequino from Commedia Dell'arte minus the silliness. Upon discussing our interpretations, I was correct in thinking that Water was chill and that he seems to be fluid in the way he thinks and lives him life; much like my brother.

For Fire, we approached it very differently as Fire works differently to the rest of the elements. We were asked to stand still and imagine that we were a tiny flame in a candle and over the space of 5 minutes our fire spread to be a full blown house fire. We did this in increments going from candlelight to larger candlelight, to paper being caught alight, to desk on fire, spreading to the carpet and finally setting the entire house ablaze. When I did this activity, I took to it straight away and began slowly making flowy movements as the fire became bigger, I flickered and twitched and became bigger and more violent with my movements; if I didn't have a sore throat that day then I would've added noises too. We identified Fire as very unpredictable as one minute he can be comforting and cosy but when given the fuel to do so, they become violent and uncontrollable.

Finally we looked at Air. We were all very unsure on Air as it seemed to be very odd compared to the other elements. We originally thought that Air was very outgoing but we were told that Ollie Marshall, from single, is a great example of Air. Our ideas changed to someone who is free and is also very airheaded; they haven't a single trouble in the world. When walking as Air, I walked at my own pace and without a sense of direction; I was free to walk where I wanted.

We then applied this idea to our characters in our monologues by deciding which one suited our character best. For Syme, I'd say he's very Water as he's constantly chill throughout the monologue. Also because Water is fluid, he would be very manipulable and this suits Syme as he is practically brainwashed by Big Brother.

When it came to performing our monologues, we were asked to first, act it as the element we chose for our character, and then, we were asked to adapt it to a different element which wouldn't typically be associated with our character. When I was asked to perform as a different element, I was given Fire and this couldn't be any further away from my character. Fire is quite unsure about things and uncontrollable whereas Syme is adamant on the idea of Newspeak and is currently controlled by The Party. The way I portrayed Syme was with twitching, darting looks, and stuttered words. This truly showed how different a character can appear based on what element we're portraying. Next lesson, we will continue to work on our contemporary monologues.

Single - Applying Acting Styles - Blog 25 - 25/11/16

Today, we focused on how we'd be implementing our acting styles into our performances and making sure everything we've blocked followed our acting style (E.g. avoid breaking the fourth wall unless it's used in the chosen acting style).

With Hope, Rob's and my scene from Advice For The Young At Heart, we needed to decide how we would certify that our blocking matched that of our chosen acting style: Epic Theatre.

We created a mind map for our piece where we listed all of the Epic Theatre conventions which we're using in our performance and explain how we use them. Below is the mindmap in bullet point form:

• Fourth Wall Breaks
• On certain lines, Hope, Rob and I will speak our lines to the audience. For example, when Sam talks about the times where he was there for Candice, I deliver this all to the audience; to tell them about my frustration.
• Placards
• For the box of phones, we'll have a box with a placard on it with a phrase like, "box of phones," written across it.
• Projection
• We'll have an image of a lock up garage projected onto the background to represent where the play is set.
• During the scenes where Candice is "remembering" conversations between Sam and Kenny, when she shouts over the pair, her words will appear across the already present projection backdrop.
• Minimal Costume
• We'd all start in blacks and we'd walk onstage to where our representational costume would be in place ready. Hope would be wearing a hoodie and Rob and I would be wearing suit jackets.
• Conveying a message
• Brecht's plays were always didatic which is the same case for our piece. The basic messages of our scene are:
• "Listen to advice given"
• "Be your own person"
• "Racism is terrible"
• Verfremdungseffekt
• Sadly, due to Rob having stitches at the time of the performance, we're unable to perform the high energy fight scene we were hoping to perform. However, this isn't an issue as we now have the opportunity to perform it in a more Epic Theatre style. Besides just running at each other and fighting, the fight will now begin with me lunging at Rob (to stop him from talking to Gloria) to which he throws me back and then grabs my throat. We freeze. Blackout. Rob exits. Lights up and I'm left on the floor crippled. I feel this is much better in terms of using Epic Theatre techniques as it takes something as simple as an alleyway brawl and turns it into something stranger.
• When Candice is, "remembering," conversations between Sam and Kenny, she shouts at Sam which doesn't affect the pair as they're merely a vision from the past. This takes the thought of memories to a whole new level.
• Episodic Storyline
• Throughout the play, Candice constantly remembers different memories involving conversations between Sam and Kenny. Each memory seems to follow a second storyline and the story progresses further and further after each memory in an episodic fashion. This was very popular with Brecht.
• Representational lighting
• Brecht was a big fan of representational lighting which we're using to make the change from memory to reality very distinguishable. For reality (scenes between Sam and Candice) we're having a white wash lighting but for memory scenes (scenes between Sam and Kenny) we're having a warmer sepia tone to the lighting to show that the scene is in the past. Additionally to represent this, we're having a sound effect alongside the lighting change.
• Proscenium Arch
• We'll be having our piece performed proscenium arch as this was the typical favourite for Brecht performances.
• Stereotypes
• In Epic Theatre plays, most characters were big stereotypes based on where they come from or their occupation etc. For our scene, Rob and I are using 50's "Londoner" accents and Hope is using more modern and common "chavvy" accent.
• Historical Context
• Brecht aimed to link his plays to real events in history ranging from wars to topics like racism. This play features strong opinions on racism from the 50's and takes place during the London Riots of 2011.

We repeated this exercise for our naturalistic scene from People, Places and Things. Below is my conversion of our mindmap:

• Realistic setting:
• Our play is set in present day which is always better for naturalism as the audience can relate to it much easier. It's also set in a more realistic setting for our era: a hospital. This has the same effect as having our play set in modern day.
• Relatable characters
• Our character are very believable as they are not only set in familiar environments for the audience. Most, if not, all characters have rich backstories which allow the audience to get connected them easier.

Triple - Musical Theatre Unit (RENT) - Blog 20 - 24/11/16

Today in Rent, we went through all of Act One in its entirety as we had gone through every number within it that we hadn't cut. As a reminder, the songs we've cut in Act One are:

• Christmas Bells #1
• Are You Okay Honey?
• Voicemail #2
• Out Tonight
• On The Street
• Christmas Bells
• I Should Tell You
• La Vie Boheme B

And in Act Two we've cut:

• Happy New Year A
• Voicemail #3
• Seasons of Love B
• Contact
• Your Eyes (undecided)

Below are my thought on each song/section which I'm in:

• Opening (Tune Up #1, Voicemail #1, Tune Up #2, Rent): I feel this section went very well, despite only being able to rehearse in our classroom as opposed to the stage. There was plenty of energy for the entire opening. I feel that I performed my lines very well with good movement and it didn't sound too bad considering my throat wasn't feeling great. I'd say that the only improvements needed are improving some one the timings in sections like the phonecall to Benny, and having more energy in the dance break in Rent.
• Today 4 U/You'll See: I'd say Today 4 U is in need of the most improvement out of all of Act One. Despite being the only one who knows the opening to the song, my timing still needs improvement. Also, Owen's movement as Angel needs to be much more feminine. Furthermore, I feel I need to interact with Owen more as this is the song where it's established that Angel and Collins are actually a couple as opposed to I'll Cover You which establishes that the pair are soul mates.
  For You'll See Boys, the singing is good with minor timing issues and the movement between Benny, Roger and Mark is relevant to the song. However, me and Owen seem very forced in this song as we have around 5 lines between us and we just stand there for the rest of the song so we should be more involved in Benny's request.
• Life Support/Another Day/Will I?: Life Support was better than usual with everyone putting all their energy into every line making the song much more meaningful. This energy was replicated in Another Day which feels like one of the strongest numbers in our production. However, Will I? is still very weak as the echos are very messy. The energy's there but there's a lack in quality to the song which means it needs a lot more work. We will definitely work on this next lesson.
• Santa Fe/I'll Cover You: Santa Fe is one of my favourite songs in this show, not just because it's an amazing song in it's own right, but because our interpretation of it is one of, if not, THE best song in the show so far. There's plenty of energy in this inspirational number and no character looks lost or out of place. I think the use of having a small chorus on the blocks stage left (comprised of Lorna, Warren and Tyler) is very key to this song as it beefs out the cast and makes the song louder.
  I'll Cover You, on the other hand, isn't amazing. Although our movement is a lot more romantic now, our harmonies are very clashy which ruins the romance of this song and destroys the idea of us being soul mates. Owen and I will arrange to go over these harmonies with Mr Quinn, the school's music and singing teacher.
• La Vie Boheme: This number is full of energy and really does embody the idea of bohemian life which is the goal of the song. There are a few minor issues which can easily be changed but they do take a lot away from the song. For example, when we all say, "Evita" after Benny mentions his dead dog, we all sound very bland and the word has no meaning when it should really be a sense of realisation. This is the moment when the audience should understand that Benny's dead dog is the same dog that Angel assassinates for Benny's neighbour; this should be a very comical moment of the play. Additionally, when there's moments where only two or three characters are singing (e.g. Maureen and Joanne's conversations/Mimi and Roger's end section) everyone else sort of stops to watch them. We should either talk to ourselves, or continue dancing crazily.

Single - Applying Acting Styles - Blog 24 - 24/11/16

Today, Hope and I, went through our scene once again where we focused on working on our movement to help represent the relationship between our characters and the meaning of each line.

We split our section in half and focused on each one separately in order to to focus on each one in more depth. There were some lines where the movement was very obvious and didn't need much thought put into them. Whereas, there were some sections such as where Candice questions Sam about how he stood up to Uncle Kenny where we could've done different things in terms of movement. We could've had Sam go to exit and Candice call him back and he comes back to her or we could have Sam sit on the wall away from Candice and them Candice come to him. We chose the latter as it represents that Candice still does care about her grandfather despite spending the most part of the play shouting at him.

We also spent this lesson as a class looking at exercises to help us use our diaphragm more when performing. This is very helpful, not just in terms of projection but when trying to shout above another character but not wrecking our throats. This is also very helpful for me in triple with my musical theatre unit as I struggle to use my diaphragm when singing too. By the end of this exercise I was able to project my voice much easier without needing to strain my vocal chords. I'll practice this outside of lesson in order to make it more natural as opposed to being forced.

Next lesson, Hope and I will perform our scene to the rest of the class as well as looking into costume.

Triple - Musical Theatre Unit (RENT) - Blog 19 - 23/11/16

Today in Rent, me and Owen went over new movement for I'll Cover You and we all rehearsed from Life Support to Will I? We also went through You'll See Boys for the first time.

For I'll Cover You, we've made the movement much more romantic and we hold hands etc a lot more. This builds up the relationship between Collins and Angel better which will make I'll Cover You Reprise so much more emotional.

The run from Life Support to Will I? was okay but needed a lot of improvement. Life Support was sung very well but I struggled pitching the first note of each choral section. This is something I'd need to familiarise myself with; besides that, Life Support  was very good. Next with Another Day, I thought this was our best runthrough considering we'd only sung through it once or twice. We all came in at the right times and we all were very emotive when singing. Also, Henri did very well to keep his volume up and be heard above the rest of us all singing the same thing. Finally was Will I?. This song was brilliant until the echo came in. When the second group (Tyler, Taylor, Owen, me) echoed the same lyrics of the first group (Lorna, Warren, Will), we lost the timing especially on the fourth and final line, ("From this nightmare"). This led to the third group (Cameron, Henri, Alice) also being lost as they were following us. This is a song that we will need to keep practicing in order to get the timing right.

Finally, we went through You'll See Boys, for the first time which went very well. We sang each line as it was meant and our movement was relevant to the song. We will most likely go through this again, next lesson.