Monday 28th May 2012
We practiced the Valdes and Cornelius scene, working on the blocking and thinking about the text and how each character should react to it. The text in this scene in particular is quite rude, so it was having to be suprised and shocked by what he was saying, but not making it obvious to Faustus who in fact was oblivious to what he was saying. Also we worked on the relationship between Valdes and Cornelius, seeing what they do to try and sell a product in this case magic, and what they will do to get it.Valdes is the smooth talker and distractor whilst Cornelius robs him for everything he's got. Cornelius is the know it all, who gives the sales pitch. The more we explore these characters the more you can build up a back story for the characters, and how realistic they can become no matter how bizarre who weird they are.
Tuesday, 29 May 2012
Faustus Rehearsal Process May 25th
Friday 25th May 2012
Today we looked at where the sins introduce themselves to Faustus in the play, I am Covetousness. I had the idea of combining all my characters into my piece of text. So I read one of the lines as Covetousness a charcters who is really fascinated and overwhelmed with its surroundings, who just has to touch everything. I then read another line as Valdes and the next as the Pope, giving the text something realy different and have all these differen layers. This then gives a little introduction to the Pope as that charcters is shortly going to be introduced in the next few scenes. I am really excited to explore all these characters becuase they are all so different. Although Valdes and the Pope are both comedy acts they are such opposites and are both really interesting characters that have completley different out looks on life.
We then talked about the concept of the play and the story that is really behind what drives the play all the way through. Everything is in Faustus's head, nothing is real but is real to Faustus and it is all in his mind. He has suffered a stroke, in the play it will be a subtle moment that gives the impression that he is having a stroke, the audience may miss it but we know that it is there. That is when the madness starts to happen and things get very dark and weird, the sins and all the characters are really parts of Faustus, Mephistopheles is really a younger version of Faustus, he can see a bit of himself in each character and sin he comes across throughout the play. At the end of the play, it then switches back to Faustus dead in his study having suffered a stroke. Though in fact the stroke itself would have lasted minutes, his unconscious state takes him on this journey that not even he knows isn't real as it has manifested from his brain.
I think this is an interesting concept to go on, the audience may not necessarily get it but we still know and that is what helps us tell the story to its fullest.
Today we looked at where the sins introduce themselves to Faustus in the play, I am Covetousness. I had the idea of combining all my characters into my piece of text. So I read one of the lines as Covetousness a charcters who is really fascinated and overwhelmed with its surroundings, who just has to touch everything. I then read another line as Valdes and the next as the Pope, giving the text something realy different and have all these differen layers. This then gives a little introduction to the Pope as that charcters is shortly going to be introduced in the next few scenes. I am really excited to explore all these characters becuase they are all so different. Although Valdes and the Pope are both comedy acts they are such opposites and are both really interesting characters that have completley different out looks on life.
We then talked about the concept of the play and the story that is really behind what drives the play all the way through. Everything is in Faustus's head, nothing is real but is real to Faustus and it is all in his mind. He has suffered a stroke, in the play it will be a subtle moment that gives the impression that he is having a stroke, the audience may miss it but we know that it is there. That is when the madness starts to happen and things get very dark and weird, the sins and all the characters are really parts of Faustus, Mephistopheles is really a younger version of Faustus, he can see a bit of himself in each character and sin he comes across throughout the play. At the end of the play, it then switches back to Faustus dead in his study having suffered a stroke. Though in fact the stroke itself would have lasted minutes, his unconscious state takes him on this journey that not even he knows isn't real as it has manifested from his brain.
I think this is an interesting concept to go on, the audience may not necessarily get it but we still know and that is what helps us tell the story to its fullest.
Faustus Rehearsal Process May 24th
Thursday 24th May 2012
We rehearsed the opening scene where the sins are first introduced, playing with the different ways in which we could say the different pieces of text that were assigned to eachothers sin. As we got into the students scene, i am the first sin to exit the stage so i got an audience view of what the scene looked like, and as assistant director i took the initiative to take over on how the scene could be improved. As i was watching it, it looked really boring and lifeless, so i made everyone do the scene again but this time really embracing the fact that we are students in the first scene and play on that, take on the charactertistics and react to eachother on stage. I told everyone to react to Faustus's reaction to eachothers work, whether it be you laugh at them, be shocked or upset by it. I made them run it again becuase i felt that the energy level needed to be raised and people were'nt reacting enough to what was going on. I tried to look at it from the audiences perspective and not as an actor and make sure there is a reason behind each action.
I have also got given the role of the pope and decided to play it as a traditional italian, taking a comedy approach to the role but with it also being quite contraversial and shocking. I think it will be interesting to see the role of the pope being portrayed by a female and how the audience will react to that. I am really excited to explore this character, seeing where greed comes into it and where its going to go from now to the day of the show. Drawing inspiration from my own family, a lot of the mannerisms and language comes from them, which helps me explore things a little more due to my own knowledge of the italian culture. We decided that the good Angel is like my servant, but i also see her as my best friend as there is some nice comedic moments between our characters. Faustus would be there in the scene, but he is invisible to me and as the food gets brought in he takes it off me and i dont know who it is. He is constantly mocking me throughout the scene and by the end he has stripped away the title i have as the pope, pouring wine all over. I think it will shock some audience members as to what is actually happening in that scene, theres comedy in it but also a pretty schocking image seeing someone make such a fool out of such a religious figure.
We rehearsed the opening scene where the sins are first introduced, playing with the different ways in which we could say the different pieces of text that were assigned to eachothers sin. As we got into the students scene, i am the first sin to exit the stage so i got an audience view of what the scene looked like, and as assistant director i took the initiative to take over on how the scene could be improved. As i was watching it, it looked really boring and lifeless, so i made everyone do the scene again but this time really embracing the fact that we are students in the first scene and play on that, take on the charactertistics and react to eachother on stage. I told everyone to react to Faustus's reaction to eachothers work, whether it be you laugh at them, be shocked or upset by it. I made them run it again becuase i felt that the energy level needed to be raised and people were'nt reacting enough to what was going on. I tried to look at it from the audiences perspective and not as an actor and make sure there is a reason behind each action.
I have also got given the role of the pope and decided to play it as a traditional italian, taking a comedy approach to the role but with it also being quite contraversial and shocking. I think it will be interesting to see the role of the pope being portrayed by a female and how the audience will react to that. I am really excited to explore this character, seeing where greed comes into it and where its going to go from now to the day of the show. Drawing inspiration from my own family, a lot of the mannerisms and language comes from them, which helps me explore things a little more due to my own knowledge of the italian culture. We decided that the good Angel is like my servant, but i also see her as my best friend as there is some nice comedic moments between our characters. Faustus would be there in the scene, but he is invisible to me and as the food gets brought in he takes it off me and i dont know who it is. He is constantly mocking me throughout the scene and by the end he has stripped away the title i have as the pope, pouring wine all over. I think it will shock some audience members as to what is actually happening in that scene, theres comedy in it but also a pretty schocking image seeing someone make such a fool out of such a religious figure.
Professional Practice May 22nd
Tuesday 22nd May 2012
We discussed ideas we had for what costumes people would want as their sins. Paul explained to us that they want the costumes to be very simple, all in black or all in white. As so many performances focus all on the costume and set and not on the actors themselves. Therefore the actors performance is overshadowed by the unnecessary "pantomime" type costumes and there is no recollection of how good the actors skills and abilities were. So once we realised that we want to be recognised for our acting we decided to go with wearing all white costumes, adding elements of our sins as the play goes on. It is also more effective to put on a show with minimal set and costume so the performance is raw and original as it should be.
We then watched a video of David Harewood talking about his life as an actor and his process when auditioning for the american television series homeland. What i found interesting was when he spoke about trusting life and that things fall into place as well because there is a higher power who's got plans for the future. I believe that too, life falls into place, you work hard to get where you want to be but sometimes you have to wait for life to find you. Also when he finally got the part, he worked on his american accent to get it right, so for a week he didnt speak in his british accent at all and only spoke american to perfect it and make it believable for on screen. I found his interview really inspiring to watch as it was just a message of letting things fall in to place, when something is supposed to happen it will happen, In terms of auditioning for roles, if you dont get the part dont be disheartened still strive for what you want, it means it just wasnt meant to be and that something better will come along that i right for you.
We discussed ideas we had for what costumes people would want as their sins. Paul explained to us that they want the costumes to be very simple, all in black or all in white. As so many performances focus all on the costume and set and not on the actors themselves. Therefore the actors performance is overshadowed by the unnecessary "pantomime" type costumes and there is no recollection of how good the actors skills and abilities were. So once we realised that we want to be recognised for our acting we decided to go with wearing all white costumes, adding elements of our sins as the play goes on. It is also more effective to put on a show with minimal set and costume so the performance is raw and original as it should be.
We then watched a video of David Harewood talking about his life as an actor and his process when auditioning for the american television series homeland. What i found interesting was when he spoke about trusting life and that things fall into place as well because there is a higher power who's got plans for the future. I believe that too, life falls into place, you work hard to get where you want to be but sometimes you have to wait for life to find you. Also when he finally got the part, he worked on his american accent to get it right, so for a week he didnt speak in his british accent at all and only spoke american to perfect it and make it believable for on screen. I found his interview really inspiring to watch as it was just a message of letting things fall in to place, when something is supposed to happen it will happen, In terms of auditioning for roles, if you dont get the part dont be disheartened still strive for what you want, it means it just wasnt meant to be and that something better will come along that i right for you.
Thursday, 24 May 2012
Faustus Rehearsal Process May 17th
Thursday 17th May 2012
We showed Paul the Valdes and Cornelius scene and explained the concept behind it and the direction we wanted to take it in. The general idea of Valdes wanting the same knowledge Faustus has, so my character walks in with some books to return to Faustus, puts them on the desk and leaves only to return with a whole load that i am clearly struggling to carry. By the end of the scene i have picked up more books and leave, with envy also taking some books just to copy me. After we explored my character being a lot more quirky and weird but with this comedic element that is mad but likeable. We came up with the idea of me being a "wanna be" magician who isn't any good but still insists on being involved in all kinds of magic. Expanding on the idea of me coming in with all these books i enter with this heavy suitcase that i am obviously struggling with but when i unveil what i have been carrying it is a tiny book that wouldn't way anything. My goal is to convince Faustus to practice magic to become powerful and rich but really its for my own personal gain as i cant complete any kind of witchcraft without him as i am not very good.
I really enjoyed the journey this character has taken as it was just about playing and exploring ideas of how my character moves, speaks the different facial expressions they would use. My imagination just ran wild once i grasped the concept of my character and what i was trying to achieve. There wasn't a need for chairs because now i know that my character wouldn't sit down because its too excitable and hyper to stop for one minute. I am pretty much always moving around the space because i am amazed at the possibilities if Faustus is with me on my team to make my own greed satisfied. I feel now i can have a real grasp on my character and explore it further, expanding on what is already there and take it to the next level to convey my sin as greed that is incorporated within Valdes. Only building on my determination of how far i will go to get what i want.
We showed Paul the Valdes and Cornelius scene and explained the concept behind it and the direction we wanted to take it in. The general idea of Valdes wanting the same knowledge Faustus has, so my character walks in with some books to return to Faustus, puts them on the desk and leaves only to return with a whole load that i am clearly struggling to carry. By the end of the scene i have picked up more books and leave, with envy also taking some books just to copy me. After we explored my character being a lot more quirky and weird but with this comedic element that is mad but likeable. We came up with the idea of me being a "wanna be" magician who isn't any good but still insists on being involved in all kinds of magic. Expanding on the idea of me coming in with all these books i enter with this heavy suitcase that i am obviously struggling with but when i unveil what i have been carrying it is a tiny book that wouldn't way anything. My goal is to convince Faustus to practice magic to become powerful and rich but really its for my own personal gain as i cant complete any kind of witchcraft without him as i am not very good.
I really enjoyed the journey this character has taken as it was just about playing and exploring ideas of how my character moves, speaks the different facial expressions they would use. My imagination just ran wild once i grasped the concept of my character and what i was trying to achieve. There wasn't a need for chairs because now i know that my character wouldn't sit down because its too excitable and hyper to stop for one minute. I am pretty much always moving around the space because i am amazed at the possibilities if Faustus is with me on my team to make my own greed satisfied. I feel now i can have a real grasp on my character and explore it further, expanding on what is already there and take it to the next level to convey my sin as greed that is incorporated within Valdes. Only building on my determination of how far i will go to get what i want.
Faustus Rehearsal Process May 11th
Thursday 11th may 2012
The sin i have taken the role of is greed. I am very happy with that particular role as i feel greed has so many layers to it, and can be played in so many different ways. I don't want it to be just a one dimensional aspect of a character. I think this particular sin can really challenge me as an actor where i have the freedom and creative control to transform and mould it into something totally original and my own. Greed can have the desire for anything not just one thing, it can be for money, food, sex,love, power, therefore theres a different approach and characterisation for each and different mannerisms to indicate what possession they want.
I am playing the character of Valdes, we decided as a group that we wanted to make the characters of Valdes and Cornelius who is played by Rosie to be funny and break up the tone of the play. At first Cornelius was played by Chris, who's sin was sloth and we were cleaners. But when we rehearsed it we realised that the idea of them being cleaners didn't work as they both were upper class and well spoken so we changed the job roles and related them to the language and played with the idea of them being the principal and superintendent of the university. But once we'd ran through it that idea didn't work either. We came to the decision to change sloth for envy as we thought envy and greed together would be a better fit. Once Rosie and i read it through together we all agreed that it worked better and the ideas came from there. After discussing all the different ways in which our characters link with Faustus we went ahead with the idea of them being co workers. I was greedy for Faustus's books and all of his knowledge whereas Rosie was very envious of the relationship between Valdes and faustus but also wants to be like my character and have that same relationship with Faustus even though she is also jealous of him as well.
Once Ellie had seen what we had came up with she liked the idea of the relationships between the characters and the little characteristics of each sin but that we needed to just expand on them more and think outside the box. We had 3 chairs on stage but we didn't think about where the chains had come from and how they would get there after the previous scene. Also that you don't realise until you have an outside perspective how boring and outdated having chairs and table on stage is. I wouldn't want to watch a piece where people sit down in the entire scene so why would i do that myself. This really helped me realise that i need to think more creatively about how to portray a scene and that it's not just entirely about the text, but the delivery in terms of characterisation and the use of levels, the story will tell itself.
The sin i have taken the role of is greed. I am very happy with that particular role as i feel greed has so many layers to it, and can be played in so many different ways. I don't want it to be just a one dimensional aspect of a character. I think this particular sin can really challenge me as an actor where i have the freedom and creative control to transform and mould it into something totally original and my own. Greed can have the desire for anything not just one thing, it can be for money, food, sex,love, power, therefore theres a different approach and characterisation for each and different mannerisms to indicate what possession they want.
I am playing the character of Valdes, we decided as a group that we wanted to make the characters of Valdes and Cornelius who is played by Rosie to be funny and break up the tone of the play. At first Cornelius was played by Chris, who's sin was sloth and we were cleaners. But when we rehearsed it we realised that the idea of them being cleaners didn't work as they both were upper class and well spoken so we changed the job roles and related them to the language and played with the idea of them being the principal and superintendent of the university. But once we'd ran through it that idea didn't work either. We came to the decision to change sloth for envy as we thought envy and greed together would be a better fit. Once Rosie and i read it through together we all agreed that it worked better and the ideas came from there. After discussing all the different ways in which our characters link with Faustus we went ahead with the idea of them being co workers. I was greedy for Faustus's books and all of his knowledge whereas Rosie was very envious of the relationship between Valdes and faustus but also wants to be like my character and have that same relationship with Faustus even though she is also jealous of him as well.
Once Ellie had seen what we had came up with she liked the idea of the relationships between the characters and the little characteristics of each sin but that we needed to just expand on them more and think outside the box. We had 3 chairs on stage but we didn't think about where the chains had come from and how they would get there after the previous scene. Also that you don't realise until you have an outside perspective how boring and outdated having chairs and table on stage is. I wouldn't want to watch a piece where people sit down in the entire scene so why would i do that myself. This really helped me realise that i need to think more creatively about how to portray a scene and that it's not just entirely about the text, but the delivery in terms of characterisation and the use of levels, the story will tell itself.
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