Thursday 18th October 2012
I think that the performance went really well, we were all on point with our lines and blocking and you could really feel the energy that was created within the different scenes as if you were really there. The audience responded really well to our piece and understood the plot line and the underline issue we wanted to convey. Feedback was that we had good transition of characters, physicality and focus.
The risk
1st group: I think that they had a good underline story of what they wanted to show, i think the characters were there and they had good ideas of where it was set and how they wanted to relate each characters stories to different settings. But because it was outside and we had to follow the narrator i found it very hard to focus and hear what she was saying as she had her back to us so her voice just got lost. I also thought the ending was a little bit cheesy when they sang the song, i think if they were a bit more creative with it I wouldn't have found it as cheesy. I liked the gesture with the balloons, i thought that was a creative idea as I was wondering what we were going to do with them.
2nd group: I really liked the concept of the piece and the story they were trying to tell, they had good physicality when representing the bird cage and then again conveying the bird free at the end. A lot of thought when into the story lines for each of the characters. I think they could have worked better at the transition between the scenes to make it look a lot smoother so there was a clear definition between each new scene. I am not a fan of party scenes in plays, because they can go very wrong and look very cheesy, i feel like if more energy was put into that scene it would have been a lot better and set the tone for the rest of the play as i felt they were just going through the motions they didn't really believe they were at a party.
3rd group: I thought the idea was really creative and different to have us all be part of the club scene as if we were real people out who suddenly are on lookers to the events that typically take place in night clubs. I think the characters were relatable and believable, they portrayed what really does happen in these type of situations. But i feel that because the music was so loud you couldn't hear what they were saying so a lot of the text was lost so you didn't know what they were talking about or what was happening. I think it was a good idea using the torches to zone in on who was talking or acting within the scene. I think if they'd have thought about the setting they had chosen and thought of ways to changed it up a little bit so we could hear it would have worked a lot better.
4th Solo piece: I think she had a very good monologue that she had pieced together, very descriptive and creative language that she had used, but i feel like it got lost because it felt like she was reading off the page so i wasn't really believing what she was saying. I couldn't get lost in the powerful words she had chosen. I think if she was a little more creative with her character and had more thought process it would have been really good and more impacting.
The Edge
Sam solo piece: I liked the idea she had come up with, keeping it very simple and quite intimate with the audience. I thought she did really well to capture the emotion she was trying to put across and i liked that it didn't have any words at all, it was something different. But because it had no words I wanted her to do something more for the lack of words, as I felt like it went on a bit too long and I wanted her to build up the emotion even more and take us with her on this emotional journey, because after a while it felt quite repetitive.
2nd group: I think the idea and the structure for the piece was good and interesting, I thought they all had good characters and had good physicality. They portrayed the story really well and you could see they knew the direction they wanted to the piece to go in. I liked the storyline and the difference in characters, they played on the cliche's a little bit but i don't think the comedy would have worked with out it. I think that the story was quite predictable because there are so many superhero films and stories that have the same story lines and endings. I think some of the comedy got lost because some of them played in the audiences reaction and went a bit over the top.
Overall I think you can see that everyone has really good ideas but its knowing where to put them and find a structure that is suitable for the piece. I think its now about making that transition from a GCSE level piece and going even higher and thinking outside the box a lot more and making ideas not so predictable, keeping things original. I really enjoyed everyones pieces but there are certain aspects that get in the way of making the pieces better and polished.
Tuesday, 30 October 2012
Wednesday 17th October 2012
Wednesday 17th October 2012
Today we were making the finishing touches to the piece and making sure we'd got the timing right with the music and the Josh's voice recording in the very last scene. Also using costume and any little props we had, we wanted to keep things quite simple and minimalistic. The only costume change is that we all put on a denim shirt in the 2nd scene to represent us being in the asylum and not in reality. We wanted the phones to be real as well to show that it is part of our real lives. Everything else was mimed to keep in simple and to just add that effect that you don't need massive sets to produce good work, the acting just gets over shadowed by the fancy backgrounds then.
We decided that in the very last scene we would go back to the beginning but this time when we all answer the phone you actually hear what is being said on the other end of the line which is "congratulations you have successfully been accepted for the edge". But as well as that since through out the play its Megan who's the sane one and thinks she can get us out of here, she doesn't get the same message as we do she answers her phone with "yep i'll see you then" indicating she was in on it all along.
We also wanted to have another underline message that the audience could take as well since the piece is based on four women, as Josh has a problem with each of us in our scenes he always ends with saying something that is degrading or sexist to women e.g Rosie fixing his car, his reply to her is "never get a woman to do a mans job". We didn't want it to be too obvious but something that the audience can pick up as well.
So we were all involved in each other scenes we would do simple things to show differences in characters, so when it was Megan's scene and we were meant to be board members we just put glasses on. In my office scene Roxie and Rosie just held coffee cups, nothing majorly obvious to just to convey a difference in characters and scenery.
The rehearsal overall went really well and we were excited to see what everyone's reaction to the pieces is going to be and if they will be shocked by what happens by the end of the piece. I am really happy with what we have come up with and glad that we changed to piece completely and come up with something a lot more performance worthy and creative.
Today we were making the finishing touches to the piece and making sure we'd got the timing right with the music and the Josh's voice recording in the very last scene. Also using costume and any little props we had, we wanted to keep things quite simple and minimalistic. The only costume change is that we all put on a denim shirt in the 2nd scene to represent us being in the asylum and not in reality. We wanted the phones to be real as well to show that it is part of our real lives. Everything else was mimed to keep in simple and to just add that effect that you don't need massive sets to produce good work, the acting just gets over shadowed by the fancy backgrounds then.
We decided that in the very last scene we would go back to the beginning but this time when we all answer the phone you actually hear what is being said on the other end of the line which is "congratulations you have successfully been accepted for the edge". But as well as that since through out the play its Megan who's the sane one and thinks she can get us out of here, she doesn't get the same message as we do she answers her phone with "yep i'll see you then" indicating she was in on it all along.
We also wanted to have another underline message that the audience could take as well since the piece is based on four women, as Josh has a problem with each of us in our scenes he always ends with saying something that is degrading or sexist to women e.g Rosie fixing his car, his reply to her is "never get a woman to do a mans job". We didn't want it to be too obvious but something that the audience can pick up as well.
So we were all involved in each other scenes we would do simple things to show differences in characters, so when it was Megan's scene and we were meant to be board members we just put glasses on. In my office scene Roxie and Rosie just held coffee cups, nothing majorly obvious to just to convey a difference in characters and scenery.
The rehearsal overall went really well and we were excited to see what everyone's reaction to the pieces is going to be and if they will be shocked by what happens by the end of the piece. I am really happy with what we have come up with and glad that we changed to piece completely and come up with something a lot more performance worthy and creative.
Friday 11th October 2012
Friday 12th October 2012
Today we wanted to properly sort of the blocking for the first scene, so we decided to properly turn it into a movement and make it quite serious. As we based it on all different ways of suicide we whoever came on stage after the first person would help and influence their suicides e.g Roxie was overdosing on pills so Meg forced her to take the pills and then when it was Megan's turn Rosie would pull out her arms so she would cut her wrists properly.
What we had to come up with was really good but when it came to then making that fit into the next scene it just didn't work. Roxie didn't understand the concept of the piece and then she honestly said that she didn't like it which then made us think, hold up somethings not working and we completely scrapped the previous idea.
So we started again from the beginning about what we could do and since Josh T wasn't there that day it kind of inspired us to come up with a piece based on four women. Four woman that didn't know each other but somehow connect and we decided to set it in a mental asylum where they were there but they didn't know why. We changed it from going down the comedy route to something a lot more serious but hints of dark comedy to coincide with nature of the piece.
We then though of how these women would get into this asylum, so we start off with four chairs but they don't all represent chairs, taking a look into the lives of these four women and what they do.
Megan is an art teacher and is talking about her project, Rosie is a mechanic fixing a car, I am a CEO of a company typing away and giving out orders and Roxie is carer fitting in a new light bulb for one of her elderly ladies she takes of. We each then get a phone call that ends with us saying hello.
The next scene transitions into us being in the asylum taking our medication given to us by Josh T. We came up with the idea that Josh is linked to us all in every scene, so when we are all together in the asylum he is our carer giving us the pills and talking to us in group meetings about how we are doing. In Megan's "real life" scene Josh is a board member cutting her Art funding, in Rosie's scene he is a customer picking up his car that Rosie is working on, in my scene he is an employee that i fire and in Roxie's scene he is the grandson to the lady she is taking care of.
Each scene you get to see what all the four women's lives used to be like before they came to be where they are now. All the while each time we repeat the pill scene before a transition into the day in the life of one of our characters, Megan isn't taken her pills trying to convince us that none of whats happening is real and that it is all because of the edge.
Within 2 hours we had came up with all these ideas and practically created the whole play. We really got more done in 2 hours than we did all week with the original idea because there really was no structure to it so we really struggled to move forward with the ideas.
I think when you've got it and you can just get on with it and make so much more process within a short amount of time and actually be excited about the piece you know that the ideas are right and that is all part of the process trial and error, it can just take one person to say they don't like for you to take a step back and think actually this isn't working.
Today we wanted to properly sort of the blocking for the first scene, so we decided to properly turn it into a movement and make it quite serious. As we based it on all different ways of suicide we whoever came on stage after the first person would help and influence their suicides e.g Roxie was overdosing on pills so Meg forced her to take the pills and then when it was Megan's turn Rosie would pull out her arms so she would cut her wrists properly.
What we had to come up with was really good but when it came to then making that fit into the next scene it just didn't work. Roxie didn't understand the concept of the piece and then she honestly said that she didn't like it which then made us think, hold up somethings not working and we completely scrapped the previous idea.
So we started again from the beginning about what we could do and since Josh T wasn't there that day it kind of inspired us to come up with a piece based on four women. Four woman that didn't know each other but somehow connect and we decided to set it in a mental asylum where they were there but they didn't know why. We changed it from going down the comedy route to something a lot more serious but hints of dark comedy to coincide with nature of the piece.
We then though of how these women would get into this asylum, so we start off with four chairs but they don't all represent chairs, taking a look into the lives of these four women and what they do.
Megan is an art teacher and is talking about her project, Rosie is a mechanic fixing a car, I am a CEO of a company typing away and giving out orders and Roxie is carer fitting in a new light bulb for one of her elderly ladies she takes of. We each then get a phone call that ends with us saying hello.
The next scene transitions into us being in the asylum taking our medication given to us by Josh T. We came up with the idea that Josh is linked to us all in every scene, so when we are all together in the asylum he is our carer giving us the pills and talking to us in group meetings about how we are doing. In Megan's "real life" scene Josh is a board member cutting her Art funding, in Rosie's scene he is a customer picking up his car that Rosie is working on, in my scene he is an employee that i fire and in Roxie's scene he is the grandson to the lady she is taking care of.
Each scene you get to see what all the four women's lives used to be like before they came to be where they are now. All the while each time we repeat the pill scene before a transition into the day in the life of one of our characters, Megan isn't taken her pills trying to convince us that none of whats happening is real and that it is all because of the edge.
Within 2 hours we had came up with all these ideas and practically created the whole play. We really got more done in 2 hours than we did all week with the original idea because there really was no structure to it so we really struggled to move forward with the ideas.
I think when you've got it and you can just get on with it and make so much more process within a short amount of time and actually be excited about the piece you know that the ideas are right and that is all part of the process trial and error, it can just take one person to say they don't like for you to take a step back and think actually this isn't working.
Wednesday 10th October 2012
Wednesday 10th October 2012
Today as we were playing around with ideas we came up with the idea of part of the show involving a game show called "the edge". As we wanted to add more comedy into it we thought this would be a fun way of adding the comedy aspect into it as well as showing a different range of characters within the piece. So we came up with the idea that Megan was the host, Rosie was the camera woman/ behind the scene technician and Josh, Roxie and I were the contestants participating in the show. This was also how we decided our characters were inter connect with each other and that was where the link between them would be.
We played around with the scene and how we would start and what the transition would be from the previous scene, I feel like the scene went okay but because we were improvising it a lot and there wasn't a defined purpose to the scene the jokes got lost in the scene and i felt like it didn't flow and fit together as well as I would have liked it to. After we finished we all felt the same in terms of we didn't know where to end the scene and what the end result would be. So I said would go home and write a proper script for the scene.
Overall I thought the rehearsal went well, I always find there are certain points in the rehearsal process that ideas can go well and come together to a certain point and then theres that time where you need to take a step back and re evaluate the scene and decided what's working and what isn't.
Today as we were playing around with ideas we came up with the idea of part of the show involving a game show called "the edge". As we wanted to add more comedy into it we thought this would be a fun way of adding the comedy aspect into it as well as showing a different range of characters within the piece. So we came up with the idea that Megan was the host, Rosie was the camera woman/ behind the scene technician and Josh, Roxie and I were the contestants participating in the show. This was also how we decided our characters were inter connect with each other and that was where the link between them would be.
We played around with the scene and how we would start and what the transition would be from the previous scene, I feel like the scene went okay but because we were improvising it a lot and there wasn't a defined purpose to the scene the jokes got lost in the scene and i felt like it didn't flow and fit together as well as I would have liked it to. After we finished we all felt the same in terms of we didn't know where to end the scene and what the end result would be. So I said would go home and write a proper script for the scene.
Overall I thought the rehearsal went well, I always find there are certain points in the rehearsal process that ideas can go well and come together to a certain point and then theres that time where you need to take a step back and re evaluate the scene and decided what's working and what isn't.
Tuesday, 9 October 2012
Tuesday 9th October 2012
Tuesday 9th October 2012
Today we discussed what the opening scene was going to be, talking about all the different ways people commit suicide e.g taking pills, hanging, cutting wrists but really over exaggerating the movements, that each of us take on making the opening quite dramatic and movement like. Then just having josh cut the scene and tension straight away by saying "guys this is really shit" and everyone agreeing therefore straight away the build up and drama that was in the first scene has completely gone and the play has transformed.
We then went to work on the next scene which entails us really talking about what we could do about a play called the edge, making it really natural and a lot of it is improvisation with a few set lines to get us where we want the next part of the scene to go. We wanted the characters to based very much as ourselves but a little bit over the top so they come more to life on stage. Therefore we played on Rosie's shyness and as we try to discuss ideas she comes us with one but because she is so shy and quiet her suggestions just get ignored until my character overhears her idea and then suggests it herself claiming it was her own idea. An argument then arises from that as Megan knows the idea was originally Rosie's and the scene continues on from there with several people leaving the scene.
I think we made really good progress today, we have got the concept and we know exactly where we want to go with the story, its just filling in the blanks in between with a story. I am really impressed with the concept we have come up with and i haven't seen anything like this in a while so i am really interested to see how the play actually turns out from where it is now to in a weeks time.
Today we discussed what the opening scene was going to be, talking about all the different ways people commit suicide e.g taking pills, hanging, cutting wrists but really over exaggerating the movements, that each of us take on making the opening quite dramatic and movement like. Then just having josh cut the scene and tension straight away by saying "guys this is really shit" and everyone agreeing therefore straight away the build up and drama that was in the first scene has completely gone and the play has transformed.
We then went to work on the next scene which entails us really talking about what we could do about a play called the edge, making it really natural and a lot of it is improvisation with a few set lines to get us where we want the next part of the scene to go. We wanted the characters to based very much as ourselves but a little bit over the top so they come more to life on stage. Therefore we played on Rosie's shyness and as we try to discuss ideas she comes us with one but because she is so shy and quiet her suggestions just get ignored until my character overhears her idea and then suggests it herself claiming it was her own idea. An argument then arises from that as Megan knows the idea was originally Rosie's and the scene continues on from there with several people leaving the scene.
I think we made really good progress today, we have got the concept and we know exactly where we want to go with the story, its just filling in the blanks in between with a story. I am really impressed with the concept we have come up with and i haven't seen anything like this in a while so i am really interested to see how the play actually turns out from where it is now to in a weeks time.
Friday 5th October 2012
Friday 5th October 2012
As we continued on with new ideas we came with an even more exciting back story for the piece that really drives us forward through the play. We came up with the idea that there is a yellow line at the front of the stage that represents the "Fourth wall" and that as an actor you don't cross it, the same as the yellow line you get on a train station platform. That is where the missing character that is Joe comes into place and explains where he has disappeared to, without us even knowing till later on in the play. This represents us as actors not wanting to break the fourth wall and staying where its safe on stage, peoples opinions and perceptions of you don't matter from up there.
There is a tiny gap missing in the yellow tape, meaning the fourth wall has been broken and that is where Joe has gone. Its quite a subliminal message and hopefully the audience wont get or understand why the tape is even there or why there is a gap in it, they just have to be curious to want to know what it is. As the play continues we see each character slowly disappear and you are not sure why at this point, but all starts to be revealed towards the end and the pieces of the puzzle start to fit together and make sense. Do the actors really want to be on stage forever or is there something more out there to find?
I think this is such an interesting concept because it can be relatable to us as actors so you can actually draw from experience and play on that fear of what the edge of the stage is really like. Also what happens if the audience see that vulnerable side of you that you try to shadow within the character you portray on stage. Being yourself is terrifying, playing a character is easy because its not really you that has to either be loved or hated.
As we continued on with new ideas we came with an even more exciting back story for the piece that really drives us forward through the play. We came up with the idea that there is a yellow line at the front of the stage that represents the "Fourth wall" and that as an actor you don't cross it, the same as the yellow line you get on a train station platform. That is where the missing character that is Joe comes into place and explains where he has disappeared to, without us even knowing till later on in the play. This represents us as actors not wanting to break the fourth wall and staying where its safe on stage, peoples opinions and perceptions of you don't matter from up there.
There is a tiny gap missing in the yellow tape, meaning the fourth wall has been broken and that is where Joe has gone. Its quite a subliminal message and hopefully the audience wont get or understand why the tape is even there or why there is a gap in it, they just have to be curious to want to know what it is. As the play continues we see each character slowly disappear and you are not sure why at this point, but all starts to be revealed towards the end and the pieces of the puzzle start to fit together and make sense. Do the actors really want to be on stage forever or is there something more out there to find?
I think this is such an interesting concept because it can be relatable to us as actors so you can actually draw from experience and play on that fear of what the edge of the stage is really like. Also what happens if the audience see that vulnerable side of you that you try to shadow within the character you portray on stage. Being yourself is terrifying, playing a character is easy because its not really you that has to either be loved or hated.
Thursday 4th October 2012
Thursday 4th October 2012
It was really good to be back and exciting to see what the new year has install. Discussing what new projects we will be introducing and putting together, really got me inspired to want to up my game from last year and really prove myself as an actor. Especially with the new " The Edge" performance that is coming in within the next 2 weeks. My group is Josh T, Rosie, Megan, Roxie and Sam. Once i found out the concept was completely up to me and the rest of my group I thought that this was the perfect opportunity to showcase what i want to do.
As a group we got together and come up with ideas and bounced around what The edge actually means to us. We came up with the common sayings such as "the edge of reason", "living on the edge" and what the story behind those lines could be interpreted as. Suicide is the one that stood out the most because although people have many different problems in life they can always link to the result of taking their own life. But we didn't want to have a cliche piece of theatre and turn it dark and dreary so
with this piece I really wanted to completely turn it on its head and do something that isnt obvious and typical.
We all decided that we would rather take it down a comedic route rather than a depressing one, even mocking a little bit the scenarios you have in relation with suicide. Then as we contemplated ideas we thought there should be a deeper meaning behind the story, so we came up with the idea that the play is about a group of actors, there are 6 of them present on stage but one is missing. The audience wont know that person is missing only by chance if they catch the odd subliminal mention of the character that would be over before they could even remember what was said. This character could be missing the entire time and its not until the very end of the play that you find out whats happened to him.
We thought we should keep it quite naturalistic basing the characters on ourselves but big enough for stage. Also going with the idea that a lot of it can be improvised and completely different every time we perform, keeping the end goal and result the same but keeping it fresh and exciting. I am really happy with the concept we have come up with and i am really looking forward to performing it and seeing everyones reaction. I feel like this is really pushing the bar in terms of a lot of the piece being improvised as i have never done a piece solely on improvisation so it should be interesting to see the direction it takes and how we all deal with it as performers.
It was really good to be back and exciting to see what the new year has install. Discussing what new projects we will be introducing and putting together, really got me inspired to want to up my game from last year and really prove myself as an actor. Especially with the new " The Edge" performance that is coming in within the next 2 weeks. My group is Josh T, Rosie, Megan, Roxie and Sam. Once i found out the concept was completely up to me and the rest of my group I thought that this was the perfect opportunity to showcase what i want to do.
As a group we got together and come up with ideas and bounced around what The edge actually means to us. We came up with the common sayings such as "the edge of reason", "living on the edge" and what the story behind those lines could be interpreted as. Suicide is the one that stood out the most because although people have many different problems in life they can always link to the result of taking their own life. But we didn't want to have a cliche piece of theatre and turn it dark and dreary so
with this piece I really wanted to completely turn it on its head and do something that isnt obvious and typical.
We all decided that we would rather take it down a comedic route rather than a depressing one, even mocking a little bit the scenarios you have in relation with suicide. Then as we contemplated ideas we thought there should be a deeper meaning behind the story, so we came up with the idea that the play is about a group of actors, there are 6 of them present on stage but one is missing. The audience wont know that person is missing only by chance if they catch the odd subliminal mention of the character that would be over before they could even remember what was said. This character could be missing the entire time and its not until the very end of the play that you find out whats happened to him.
We thought we should keep it quite naturalistic basing the characters on ourselves but big enough for stage. Also going with the idea that a lot of it can be improvised and completely different every time we perform, keeping the end goal and result the same but keeping it fresh and exciting. I am really happy with the concept we have come up with and i am really looking forward to performing it and seeing everyones reaction. I feel like this is really pushing the bar in terms of a lot of the piece being improvised as i have never done a piece solely on improvisation so it should be interesting to see the direction it takes and how we all deal with it as performers.
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