Trouble shooting

Our issues during the rehearsal today were cues and energy levels. Due to the noise outside and very little way of hearing the scene which is occurring people were struggling to get their cues and being late which overall slowed down the process causing energy levels to drop and people to break out of character. This impacted the rest of the play as the energy wasn't constant and was failing to be passed on through the scenes. One way to fix this is to keep everyone in the room so we can all hear the cues and people will have less freedom to be responsible for their own noise levels. Another way is to keep a monitor outside so we can hear what is inside but this doesn't resolve the noise levels.
We have discussed creating cue sheets to put around the place and let the cast know when they are needed but this doesn't help with the noise levels or hearing the people inside also everyone should know their cues and not need a cue sheet to tell them.

Evaluation

In our run through i found it difficult to hit my entrances because of the noise in the coridoor. It made it hard to hear, also the actors on stage were having to pause due to the noise and the noise meant people were missing cues creating a jumpy performance. A solution for this is to take control and tell your peers to keep quiet outside if they are too loud. I found hitting my cues fairy simple as i learned my lines with my cues and it helps when rehearsing to keep a good flowing pace.
My super objective is to be playful and naughty, i try to keep in character and bring on my super objectives and other objectives. An example of one of my objectives in in the first unit where i have to chase fairy and take the spirit (alcohol) from her. We have done lots of exercises which help with the pucks playful objective, one exercise was pinch and poke where we had to pinch and poke everyone, this allowed me to know it is okay to do things like that to other members of the cats. Another exercise was the 5 seconds to be off the ground where we had 5 seconds to run and find an interesting way to be off the ground such as hanging from poles or climbing on the windows, this showed me how i can use the space in character.
I am using the language to convey emotions and my thoughts as some members of the audience may find it hard to understand the language we use body expressions and use the way we say the words to express what is being told. By the use of iambic pentameter we discovered which words are emphasized, Puck often speaks in iambic pentameter because he is a higher status character. I also read through all of my lines with only vowels and only constanants to discover were in the line the emotion is carried and where the information is carried. This also helped me to learn the lines. By only breathing on the full stops or commas you find the different thoughts and make sense of the language better.
To avoid overacting know your objectives and be natural as acting isn't trying to 'act' it's discovering how someone else would be and behave in different scenarios and perform it as naturally as possible.
Throught this section i have learned how important rehearsals are and how dedicated you need to be as you need to take time out of your own schedule and learn lines or rehearse to achieve good results. Rehearsals are more important and the performance and in every rehearsal you should perform the same as you would in front of an audience and show the same enthusiasm so you are prepared for the actual performance.
To shape my role i used the activities devised such as the scale of potential and imagination exercises along with discovering my objectives however i still feel like i need to break out of my boundaries more and out more energy into the role.

costume mood board

The borrowers are an inspiration for clothing as they layer lots of items on top and don't wear human clothes, they have odd items of clothing which add to their costume.

The pucks will be different sides or emotions that people feel, my puck is joy and happiness so i will wear brighter colours.

14/04/16

What does it take to be a successful artist at the Brit school in year 12?

• Be a committed theatre member who is on time, prepared, organised, open minded, and willing to offer themselves to theatre. 
• Go and watch theatre shows.
• Be focused 
• Learn lines
• Be a nice person
• Be a good representative for theatre strand
• Build positive relationships with teachers and peers to rely on each other.
• Be respectful of your peers.
• Have knowledge and research theatre.
• Be opinionated and political.
• challenge yourself.
• Become the total actor.

07/04/16

In lesson today we did a full run through of the play which took up most of the lesson. Some constructive criticism is to use higher energy and know your lines, cues and objectives as the play felt stagnant. After this we did two exercises, a scale of potential exercise and a day in the life of your character.
The scale of potential exercise was fun to experiment your character and different situations they may be in even if it is not written in the play. We looked at how our character would be at different energy levels in different situations. This was a playful exercise with no limits just exploring your character.
Then we looked at a day in the life of our characters which is an imaginary/ making it up exercise to help us know our characters. I found this more challenging as your not looking at the portrail of your character but their life and daily activities.

11/02/16

Advise for actors
How do actors learn lines efficiently?
There are many different ways and methods that actors use to learn lines. I prefer to learn lines by re-reading my part over and over again until i have an understanding of the shape of the line then attempting to run the scene with my family reading other characters and prompting me when needed. This helps me with corrections and making sure my lines are perfect. Some people like to use a method called look and cover where you look at a small bit and cover it to make sure they know it thn add some more and repeat. Others like to use physical actions to prompt a line so the line runs on the movement.

Tips from the lesson
Done close the space- keep it open
Make sure you are playing to your objective and you know your objectives clearly but don't be afraid to change them if the shape of the scene changes.
Learn lines
To perform we rehear and repeat, don't start to feel comfortable with keeping it the same and try to adapt the scene each time you rehearse.

8/02/16

Today we looked at iambic pentameter.
 Iambic pentameter is when lies consist of 10 syllables every other syllable having emphasis. This is often used by Shakespeare to show higher class in characters, Puck often speaks in iambic pentameter and so i felt this exercise was very helpful.
In pairs we had to create a short 6 line conversation using iambic pentameter. From this we found that when the lines have a flow and a rhythm they are easier to remember. During performing our short piece i had difficulties remembering my lines which were'n't in iambic pentameter.
Our conversation went:

I love you very much you are so great - person 1
I do despise the your not my lover - person 2
I shall always love the til deaths door - person 1
follow me i'll call the police i'm sure - person 2
Do not call or i shall cry i'm gonna die - person 1
Go away I hate you so very badly - person 2

04/02/16

How does an actor make an offer?

- be able to offer yourself

- be open and responsive to other people 

- allow yourself to be completely vulnerable as a bi product of vulnerability is stage presence 

- have instinctual ideas.

- play your objectives to the fullest amount 

- be big 

- don't be afraid to make a fool of yourself 

- play your objective 

By acting on your instincts you may hurt someone or be hurt. Work to the limit of your physical capabilities. Allow physical and emotional pain. 

stage plan

Assess the basic stage configuration 

Audience need to be higher so they are above the stage. 

Titianas sofa up high and closer to the audience so more action is happening down that end. 

bride and groom table 

split audience and have some included on the tables or on the edges of the room

use lighting to attract audience to different scenes

not enough freedom to walk around 

physical theatre for toilet scenes 

Monday lesson 01/02/16

Today we focused on vowels and consonants to understand how they can unlock meaning and character. 

Firstly we had an argument using just vowels and then an argument using just consonants, we found that the argument with consonants was more aggressive but the vowels had more feeling and emotion, also it was harder to think of the consonants to use as there is a larger selection to choose from so you either stick to 2 or 3 or have difficulty thinking up new ones. 

Then we had to woo our partner using just vowels and just consonants, using vowels was easier here as the vowels were longer and more emotive where as very few consonant sounds have a light enough approach to be flirtatious.

Later we worked on act 1 scene 1, we broke it down into just vowels and then into just consonants. When it was just vowels you could make more sense of what was happening and follow the lines but when it was just consonants it sounded robotic or like someone was on the phone driving through a tunnel this was very hard to follow and understand and had very little emotion or conviction. Then we put it together and once we did this it was easier to say it, we knew the words better, we would convey the language and emotion better and it flowed much easier as we understood the text.

From these exercises we learnt that vowels open words up and consonants break or sharpen words, 

Moodboard

Puck

The work

Waiting staff serve customers by taking orders, serving food and preparing tables. An important part of the work is to make customers feel welcome and comfortable during their meal.

As a waiter or waitress, your main duties would include:

• greeting customers as they arrive and showing them to their table
• giving out menus and taking orders for food and drink
• serving food and drinks
• dealing with bill payments
• making sure tables are clean and tidy

In formal restaurants your work may include silver service (providing the main part of the dish separately to the vegetables or accompaniments). You would usually work in a team under the supervision of a head waiter or waitress, known as the 'maitre d’.

In some restaurants you would be responsible for a specific area of tables. You may give advice to diners on menu choice, as well as serve them food.

You could also specialize in work as a wine waiter or waitress, for example in a fine dining restaurant. You may be known as a 'sommelier' and act as an expert in wine and other alcoholic beverages.

Hours

You are likely to work shifts including evenings, weekends and public holidays.

Restaurants and kitchens can be hot, humid, noisy and busy at key meal times. You will need a smart appearance and you would usually be provided with a uniform.

Income

Full-time salaries for waiting staff can be around £12,000 to £16,000 a year. With experience and extra responsibilities it is possible to earn between £17,000 and £20,000.

Many waiters and waitresses are paid by the hour. Income may be increased by tips.

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Skills, interests and qualities

To become a member of the waiting staff you should have:

• excellent customer service skills
• an interest in food and drink
• high standards of personal hygiene
• the ability to remain calm under pressure
• an awareness of health and safety issues
• the ability to memorise orders
• good numeracy skills for dealing with bills and payments
• the ability to work on your own and as part of a team

lesson 25/01/16

We worked on characterization and how to portray a character with different energy levels in our first exercise, over a count of ten we transformed into our characters and had to move around the space as they would at a level 5 energy, then we would vary the energy levels by moving faster, having larger expression, changing direction quicker, becoming a larger character overall, Then we would move down in energy and walk slower, become smaller, lazier and less facial expressions till you were at 0 and became yourself again.

We then performed an activity were in pairs we had to  have an argument, person A was only allowed to use the word YES and person B could only say NO. Also you couldn't use any body language. By varying the way you said the words you could transform the argument. We discovered that person B saying NO often sounded more persuasive and like they were winning as it is a cutting sound and is very quick and snappy. Yes often had to work harder as the language is more open to suggestion. 

Then we worked on a scene from 'A midsummer night's dream' where Helena is arguing with Demetrius, Helena is a portrayal of the yes and Demetrius is a portrayal of the no. We focused on their tactics and how they should be portrayed physically throughout the scene such as one of Helena's objectives is to hold on to, this allows the actor to portray the scene without words as Helena can show she is holding on and that her language would be to hold on without using words. One of Demetrius's objectives is to push away and this can be easily communicated without language and get the moral across. We also had to create super objectives for them both which they communicate throughout the entire scene to give them guidance.

Cast list

Oberon- Katie
Titania- Amelia
Theseus- Ruby
Hippolyta- Lili
Philistrate- Max
Edeus- Charlie
Demetrius- Esmae
Lysander- Zafra
Hermia- Jess
Helena- Poppy
Quince- Saffron
Snug- Laila
Bottom- Mia
Flute- Wildat
Snout- Megan
Starvelling- Shenneil
Indian Boy- Aaron
Fairy- Gina
Puck- Alice, Natasha, Yolanda
Peasleblossom- Kaleem
Cobweb- Isaac
Moth- Kailash
Mustardseed- Rio

Lesson 21/01/16

Our final and chosen concept is that there is going to be a wedding in a gay bar.

Oberon and Titania are married and they are the bar owners however they are not in a happy marriage 


Philistrate is the wedding planner 

Hippolyta and thesis are getting married 

The merchants are a local acting group or band who are preparing to perform in the palace bar 

The lovers are guests 

At the bars we can serve alcohol and soft drinks plus light snacks like crisps to the audience who will be sat at tables as though they are customers 

The fairies are bridesmaids 

Puck is a dogs body/ waiter/ress 

Titania is a regular customer of the woods 

The lighting in the woods is red and there are hay barrels to make it feel like a barn also there will be a small outside area 

The palace will have purple or blue lighting and look more futuristic and higher class and serve better drinks 

Lesson 18/01/16

we read through our assignment brief and took notes on each section and what we have to do to achieve the best results and top grade 

We read through the Helena and Demetrius scene and had to be very physical running around to find the characters objectives and tactics. Everyone had to find the text ride on the action and it became very comical. After this we looked at the scene done as though it is a bar and the language became easier to understand because it was being portrayed very human. I enjoyed this exercise because I was pushed out of my comfort zone and also began to understand the characters more and their physical objectives became clearer. 

Warm ups

Syringing with hum-

Hum as you go up and down your vocal range to warm up the voice without harming your throat.

Plank-

Stay in a plank position for a minute pulling your stomach in to maintain the position, after one minute slowly move back till you are sitting on your heels and repeat five times. This works on your stamina and is good core exercise.

Do u bite your thumb- 

In pairs act out the "do you bite your thumb at me" scene varying the way you say each line and then on your own say the line focusing on each phrase letter movement . 

14/01/16 review of the concepts shown

Review on scenes shown 

The tube

I really liked the concept of the tube as it added character to the piece 

They weren't all bobbing in the same way and it looked not like a tube 

I thought the scene fit with the concepts 

The pub

The pub fit well in the scene 

I enjoyed the characterisation

I think the forest may be difficult and it will be hard to perform in the small space as it can be hard to understand  

French tube bombing 

I think the French didn't work too well but I enjoyed the fact you brought it to a modern day situation 

The train made the scene restricted

The hospital

I didn't understand how the scene fit into the  concept and I didn't understand the scene 

I felt it needed work but could be legible if you made some slight changes such as having an abused woman in the hospital telling her husband she still loves him 

Lesson 14/01/16

4 Athenians who are in a love dilemma run into a wood. An actor calls bottom who is an Athenian goes into the wood as well. They all meet fairies. Bottom turns into a donkey. The queen of fairies falls in love with bottom. Also the Athenians are given the same love potion and fall in love with the right people which sorts the story out. Titania's spell runs off and she falls in love with bottom for real

It's about love and the conflicts in love 

It can also be about how society controls who we love 

Love and magic and how close love and hate can be 

How love and lust are different

How love can be fake 

 Power and control 

How a society can control your actions

This play discusses how society impacts our decisions 

This play discusses the power of love

This play discusses the difference between love and lust 

This play discusses that reality is an illusion 

This play discusses the close bond between love and hate 

This play demonstrates the hierarchy in society 

How does society change you 

What is the difference between love and lust 

What is real and what isn't real 

Why are Love and hate so close and intertwined 

How does hierarchy exist in society 

Good art makes people question their humanity and life 

Homework set 7/1/16

Homework

Work out what questions a play asks 

Example: is play real or is it just a drug 

Then keeping in mind that there are lots of cast can't me up with 3 test concepts that may work and some which may not 

The play asks questions such as 

Is it a dream or reality 

Is love blind/ can you fall in love at first sight 

Concept 1- 

Sexuality 

Have some boys as girl characters in girls clothing and change the story around slightly to represent different sexualities in modern society such as transgender or instead of Hermia and Lysander Hermia and Helena or Lysander be played by a girl. 

Concept 2 

Each character has 2 actors playing it one being a normal stereotypical view of their character the other having a mental illness to show that people can have issues secretly 

Concept 3-

It's all a dream 

7/01/16 Read through

How to interrogate text 

1: read through 

2: initial thoughts

I don't really understand the language but I like the overall story line and find it very comical, I like the use of the actors as this adds a comedic factor and also puck and Oberon casting spells on people is also a funny thing which adds to the scene 

The relation ship between the four Athenians is a bit confusing but I enjoyed the melodrama 

I think I need to decipher the language more and understand the meaning behind each line before I think about anything else. I'm t was easier to infer how to act or react to a situation than I thought and the language was easier than I expected but still hard

Fast paced, lots of transitions and short scenes which tire you as you watch it 

3: work out the themes 

The themes are comedy as many of the characters such as the actors and puck and very comedic, romance as the idea of a wedding and the four Athenians relationship is a four way love hate relationship which does add some comedy in a melodramatic way. 

It showed it themes well and this stood out a lot

It is a patriarchal society as her father chooses her husband 

Magic is featured through the fairys

Love 

Control/ order 

Conflict 

Trickery 

Transformation 

Chaos 

Nature 

Journeys 

Dreams

Reality

3.1: work out data      Unit 18

Characters 

Titania, bottom,

Location

Woods

Time of day 

Morning 

Atmosphere 

Romantic and poetic 

Props/ set

Flowery bed

Do we need any SFX/LFX?

Bottoms music?

4: work out what questions the play asks 

Before we impose concept we must ask ourselves what assets do we have

Simple school props

Large number of actors 

Skills of cast 

411 is rehearsal room, square hot rehearsal room 

5: test concepts