By far 'Baggy Trousers' was one of my favourite dances to perform throughout the entirety of 'Our House'. The energy levels were always high and people were always laughing and having fun whilst performing which added to our characters as rebellious school children.
It starts off with all of us running onstage to random spots with chairs. This was effective as the stage space goes from having only two actors to around 20 in a matter of moments. It creates a hectic busy atmosphere which is ideal when trying to portray an end of year school scene.
The four movement motif is effective as it introduces the audience to our characters and allows there to be movement but nothing too distracting to take away focus from Reecey and Joe. I thought I performed these moves well as I did this with while pulling funny facial expressions which linked to the movement. In one of the performances Megan accidently hit me in the face as we placed ourselves a little too close to each other. Therefore, for that movement I scrunched up my face which made a few people laugh.
Moving into the two lines was done very smoothly and without much difficulty. This meant that everyone was in time and ready for the next movement. When half of us stood up and half swung chairs. During this part I believe my movements were sufficient to those of a school child. As I almost jumped up and looked around innocently as if I had done nothing wrong. I believe that in order to improve I could have varied my facial expressions and possibly interacted with other people to make it look even more natural. But, all in all I am happy with how I performed this motif.
Our freestyle movement phrase after we shout 'freedom' could of had even higher energy levels throughout the performance. As because some parts were choreographed we were focusing on timing meaning at times facial expressions could be lost. It gained energy the more shows we did but I felt it could have been expressed better and performed even better. For example, we could have made banners and signs about the end of school and the about the school year and stuff. Adding in a visual Brechtian technique. However, I believe we all did a very good performance.
I believe the choir motif was effective as it broke up a lot of the busy ensemble choreography and gave the audience a fixed point to focus on for a little while. For example, we were all clumped together in a spotlight then broke out ready to play 'tug of war' with the head teacher. I thought this was very smooth and visually pleasing as we very quick and efficiently got in clumped to 'pull' the head teacher then snaked around circling them. A part from after the freedom motif this was when the adlibbing started to become more prominent. For example, people were cheering and shouting.
I believe on both nights our duet fight piece was slightly out of time with one another as people forgot to watch Megan and Valencia who were the time keepers for that particular part of the dance. However, that could be seen as effective as one by one we were kicked to the other side of the stage and formed the two groups/gangs.
My little motif with Megan went fairly well I thought as it was only a simple filler movement. For example, we came into the space then did a little jump each side of the audience then ran crossovers before curling into a ball for the boys to jump over. This kept pace as our little motif started fairly slow but gained speed as we progress. I.E we ran to curl into balls where at the start we half walked/jogged to our first positions. Even though this was a small motif it was crucial to the performance as it was familiarising the audience with our characters and foreshadowing our involvement in the rest of the show.
The next part was when we all split into two groups but formed four lines flowing into our finale motif. At first it was just Valencia/Fran and Charlotte/Nathan. They would start by walking slowly with sharp arms and legs towards each other but crossing paths to start creating a vertical line going from downstage to upstage. After Valencia/Fran and Charlotte/Nathan had crossed paths the rest of us would start our slow sharp walking movements. This was effective as it was gradually building up and creating tensions/pace as the finale of the piece was nearing. I believe that my movements were strong and sharp creating a jerky and a staccato dynamic of movement. Once we were in lines we then quicked our steps going forward and backwards whilst the main two ran around reading to walk down the centre ilse. If done right this would be visually effective as it would be a line of dancers in unison performing a fast movement piece. On both nights this was successful and raised the energy between us onstage and for the auidnece. Whilst doing this I added in some of my own characterisaiton by looking at certain characters i.e. Billie (sister) and pulling funny faces whilst singing 'Baggy Trousers...temptations on his way'. This would then create a more hyped energetic performance.
The finale of the dance was our running downstage and falling into a clump on the floor. Cheering and wooping celebrating the end of the school year. This was effective as it can be connected with memories of at school and school leavers as well as sort of showing our journey of 'being at school, getting the end of term, then finishing. In each show the positions at the end would change depending on how people landed/slid but this made it more uniwue and fresh. As then we could naturally fall into a positon and have more fun rather than try to focus of choregraphing it and looking disorientated and distracted if we couldn't get into that position for then end of the song. This was a more enjoyable ending for us as performers and the audience watching as it looked like we were having fun and enjoying ourselves meaning they would feel relaxed and do the same.
In the initial rehearsals of 'Driving in my car' myself and Megan weren't involved in the rehearsal process as we were working on the production of 'Baggy Trousers'. However, as you can see from the video above the movements were very basic and didn't require much thought as we took inspiration from 'We Will Rock You's performance of 'Headlong' which was positioned and structured in the same way. We kept this formation and structure for a few weeks to form a basic choreography until we did a run with the whole of the instrumental accompaniment. After we had done this we found that we looked awkward and didn't know how to interact with one another and sat there not doing anything. We tried changing this up by falling left and right and forward exaggerating our arm and leg movements. This was done by extending our arms and legs to make it more visually engaging as well as to create dynamics. For example, long extended arms and long elevated legs etc. However we felt that we could only do this a few times before it got boring and predictable for the audience.
We then had a rehearsal dedicated to working on the movement of 'Driving in my car' as it needed to be more energetic and involve more physical theatre if needs be to make it visually more interesting as well as more interesting for us as performers. This included adding character motifs and actions. For example, myself and Megan would emphasise disgusted expressions as our characters hated the idea of the car and are absolutely appalled by the fact we had to get in. We showed this through facial expressions as well as crossing our arms and shaking our heads. We also added in a bit of physical movement where we moved seats with each other in order to use one of the instrumentals effectively. we all found this enjoyable and almost created a sense of pace within the song so it didn't drag visually.
When we got to doing a few runs in rehearsals in the rehearsal space we found that we couldn't remember some parts of the choreography due to it being very similar to one another. This also then meant that we found it difficult to count the instrumental for when we would have to come back in again to sing. A critique we were giving by peers were that we were too stationary and we needed to move around more for it to be more lively - as if we were in a car. We thought about it and remembered that we had some tires in the workshop. We got six tyres and placed them in 3 rows of two and di the routine like we had done with the chairs. By doing so we found instant problems. They moved around a lot more than we thought and they fell over if we stood up quickly and left them - which is what we would have to do in order to change seats. We tried it out a few times but decided as a group that this wasn't do-able if we wanted to do a strong confident performance. Unfortunately we all loved this idea and didn't like the idea of not moving. However, we didn't know how to move about the space without breaking the idea that we were inside a car.
In a later rehearsal one of our directors suggested the idea that we walk around the space with them. At first we thought that this idea was a little strange and might just look awkward. However, Naomi suggested that Harry should shout 'round a bout' so that we all walk in a circle - giving it context but also giving us a reason to move around that makes sense. We originally did this silently which made it very awkward. Gradually the more times we ran the choreography we got more confident with adlibbing random things throughout the instrumental. For example, I would say things like "Why are we here" "This is ridiculous" and "I can't believe we got in here with you". My adlibbing improved greater in performance than in rehearsal as usually I would be trying to think too much into rather than letting it come naturally. So in performance I was more relaxed meaning I spoke more and appeared more confident like my character was. We also decided in this rehearsal that we needed to change our formation due to the fact the 'car' looked more like a 'tank' at this particular stage. Therefore, we decided to have two tyres at the front and four at the back to symbolise the front seating and back seating of a car.
During the final instrumental there was originally a star wars related instrumental and a titanic one where Joe and Sarah do the Titanic pose. We decided to shorten this down as we felt it was too long for pace we also felt it was sort of unnecessary and a little random in terms of context. Therefore, we cut this to just the titanic instrumental. Instead of Joe and Sarah doing the pose we changed it to Emmo and Lewis as we felt that this would contain more comedic value and also we thought logically of why would the driver do the pose whilst driving. We constructed this by myself and Megan pushing two tyres together for Harry to stand on and Andy would stand behind Harry to give him support. At the end of the song the car breaks down. To show this during the little instrumental at the end we all wobbled on our tyres and fall when Joe sings 'God I love this car!'. To start with this wasn't a popular idea among the group as we were worried we were going to hurt ourselves but after attempting it a few times we were all comfortable with this idea.
My personal problem I had to overcome was my confidence with using the tyres. At first I didn't want to use them as I didn't feel safe sitting on them and moving around. I didn't want to fall over which meant my body posture was very tense which made it difficult to move and act more as my character than myself. I overcame this by practicing putting all my weight on the tyres and moving a little bit at a time. Then gradually increasing my movement seeing how much I could move before it was even likely that I could fall over. This gave me confidence and made me feel like I had control over the tyre more. This then resulted in a more adventurous confident performance of 'Driving in my car' on both performance days.
Our call for today was at 12. This was in order to get notes from Wednesdays performances and to smooth over any hiccups/finalise and perfect song/dance numbers.
Songs/Dance recaps
Driving in my car - make sure we got the right lyrics and movements - work on fluid adlibbing and expressionistic facial features.
Baggy Trousers - lyrics and with energy but still in tune
Embarrassment movements and making sure that when I walk the group over to a new area of the stage that I lead them to a place where they will still be lit.
First scene - work on projection and making sure there was a clear formation of people singing 'Our House' and 'House of fun'.
Notes
People in the very first scene to not go onstage during the overture as its the introduction to the show and not for the actors to go onstage. Also they were left standing there for around 5 minutes which isn't ideal for the performers or for the audience members to witness.
Adlib quietly in some scenes to add a little bit or background noise so it wasn't deadly quiet - for example, the very first scene (dancing contest) as it was deadly silent. People on and off stage to add mumbling and clapping here and there.
"Reecey Guess what's happened" - more bitchy as if you're about to gossip about what's happened as my character doesn't like Joe.
Personal note: Ad lib more in other scenes to add context to our lines. For example, in the scene where Joe shows us his property development but we don't get it. I mime to Megan (Billie) that we should go with Andy and Harry (Lewis and Emmo) to get out of here. We also need to exaggerate our movement more when leaving as we are embarrassed and are trying not to make eye contact with Joe.
Slow down delivery of lines in order to create emphasis on certain words and to also let the audience take in and understand whats happening in the current scene.
Wings Of A Dove - even more expressive movements and wide smiles.
4:30 SHOW
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Transitions were smoother and things were more organised backstage meaning people weren't panicking and were a lot calmer and relaxed. Meaning as a collective we worked more effectively as a team and helped each other on and off stage by holding curtains open.
Our House opening scene and end scene had high amounts of energy and had more of an impact when opening and closing the show. The stage itself was very colourful and showed the vibrant, fun nature of the show.
'It Must Be Love' when we popped out at the sides had high energy levels and looked really cheesy gaining audience laughter.
Vocal projection was much better and people were becoming more confident with adlibbing during 'Baggy Trousers' creating a rowdy, school atmosphere.
EBI
Go all out for the last show. Have over the top expressions and movements.
HAVE FUN! look like you're enjoying yourself in 'Our House' and 'Wings of a Dove'
Bigger characterisations
Valencia - Pressman accidently missed out one of her scenes but was recovered by the musician. To prevent this going over the script and working out what scene are before and after in order to make sure this doesn't happen again.
I personally forgot my bandana in a few scenes so I need to make sure I remember for the final show. Otherwise it takes away the uniqueness of my character and makes it harder to spot my character in ensemble scenes as well as making it difficult for the audience to remember them.
7:30 LAST SHOW!!
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Everyone stepped up their game and gave it their all.
Dance numbers had high energy levels. Especially in 'Baggy Trousers' movements were almost accented and very sharp - most noticeable in the fast step phrase we all do toward the end of the song.
Everyone was on time with cues and everything seemed to run very smoothly with no hiccups.
I remembered my bandana for every scene
I adlibbed more in 'baggy Trousers' and in 'Driving In My car' adding characteristics to an ensemble and producing a more believable and expressionistic character.
Could tell that myself and Megan created an atmosphere when we came onstage as everything seemed to become silent when we enter/we always got reactions from the audience after we would say our lines.
EBI - If I were to do the show again
Personally to possibly experiment a little more with the stage space - maybe use levels/use the staging as in all of my scenes I stayed on the ground.
Gain confidence with experimenting with accents - this wasn't crucial to my role but could have differentiated between other characters if I did.
By doing our first performance at 4:30 we encountered many problems as this was the first time we had done a run without stopping at all.
Problems encountered:
Myself and Megan had an extremely quick change which lead us to being late onstage as we slightly missed our cue for driving in my car. This was due to getting changed into a different costume within the space of about 30 seconds. In order to prevent this we decided that we would wear the same costume for the two scenes that were right after each other in order to make our cue.
When we sang driving in my car because Charlotte accidently sang the wrong verse it meant that me and Megan sang our bit too early meaning - However we kept going and it didn't seem like we messed up. Instead it just looked like it was supposed to happen. To make sure this didn't happen for our evening performance we looked over the lyrics and sang it through as a group.
I accidently missed one of my lines in 'the ball gown scene' this was because Luke who played Callum exited the stage a different way to that he had previously done. This confused me and then meant I wasn't focused on my scene and forgot what I was doing. However, Megan managed to say my line along with hers so it looked smooth and I just added arm movement and facial expressions to emphasise what she was saying. In order to make sure this didn't happen in the evening I went through the scene in my head and made sure I said my lines out loud and ran it with Megan. To make sure I remembered. I also now knew that Luke was going to exit offstage left for all the shows so I wouldn't be startled/confused if he did it again. Meaning I would be concentrating on my scene and delivering my lines correctly.
A scene accidently got cut as backstage got very manic so people were telling some actors the wrong information meaning they went to their wrong positions. Forcing us to have to cut to the next scene otherwise there would have been an agonising wait for the audience. Also the scene got cut as with this confusion someone backstage pushed my fellow duo partner onstage meaning I had to come on as well to back her up and to make it look smooth and that none of us messed up. The confusion started as Maddy (Dad) accidently sang the wrong part of her song. However, this was resolved by Maddy looking over her lyrics and everyone being told to calm down backstage and not freak out. Also to not forcefully push anyone onstage as we all knew when we had to go on and to let people go on in their own time.
Naomi who played Sarah was accidently late coming onstage at one point as they were changing. Therefore, myself and Megan adlibbed onstage about the scene and why we were there. Giving Sarah time to get ready and get onstage.
CHANGE COSTUME FOR 'scab a lift' scene as it needs to be more casual not glitzy.
After the first show everyone's energy level and motivation was low as we thought it went really bad as it was the worst run we had done. However, it was also the first run we had ever done without stopping due to lines or moving furniture. Therefore, it was actually a good run considering all the factors and that we should be proud. To lift everyone's spirits we did a little round of 'I like the flowers' which is a song we sing to warm up.
EVENING PERFORMANCE
BEST PERFORMANCE TO DATE! Everyone was so hyped and excited to perform once we could hear the hustle of the audience.
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My personal interaction with Charlotte (Joe) had improved greatly as I wasn't afraid to get in her face when saying certain lines, primarily in the golf scene. And almost spat them with sarcasm and attitude. Meaning she bounced back with the same if not more emotion meaning it would raise my game to be level with her. This created an interesting vibe between our characters as well as making it more enjoyable to act knowing I had someone to bounce off of. This is/was probably my favourite scene to perform as I felt that I had a strong characterisation during this scene. As I experimented with proxemics between myself, charlotte and the audience. Directing some of my lines towards them to add different dynamics and to attempt the break the fourth wall at times.
I also experimented more with my movement. Moving up and downstage as well as turning completely towards certain characters directing my dialogue at them rather than having an open posture. I did this to make it more direct and create a bigger impact in terms of status and attitude. I also did this to try and differentiate between myself and Megan as our characters would often be grouped as one person so I wanted to create contrast. For example, I would say my lines
During 'Baggy Trousers' I started to adlib during the instrumentals to add to the vibe of rebellious rowdy school leavers. This meant I also started to create a difference between my character at the beginning and my character towards the end of the show. Showing development in characterisation. i.e during the first two scenes I appeared in I would have more bouncy, movements and bigger gestures when miming - as when you're younger you tend to over exaggerate more. To then as I was older having more relaxed movements and calmer miming movements. Showing that my character had aged from the start.
I covered when my bandana fell of my head in 'Baggy Trousers' by using large, swift but quick movements to pick it up and having shocked/bemused facial expressions as well as accented movement when tying it around my wrist. This meant that even though I was fixing a mistake I did it in a way in which my character would do it meaning I was acting and didn't break character.
Our House dance - move downstage making sure we are lit and keeping formations. Have sharper/jerky arm movements to add dynamics. Making the movements appear more dramatic and visually engaging. Also have higher energy levels when onstage.
Better organise backstage as people are falling over props and set that are backstage creating noise that can be heard onstage. Also things were being lost. Therefore in order to prevent this we need to pre-set each act keeping things in certain places so we all know where they are.
Shut the curtains as soon as someone enters or exits the stage. To prevent the audience from getting distracted by what's going on backstage instead of what's going on onstage. However, this meant that people found it difficult to find the gap between the curtains to get offstage creating an awkward moment where we are patting the curtain. To prevent this we need to have people by the curtains at all times to open them for people.
Today we started the day by going through notes that our performing arts department took whilst watching our first dress run.
These consisted of:
Bringing the 'Our House' dance downstage
Ad-lib during fun rowdy dance/song numbers.
Be closer together when setting 'Driving In My Car'
Personal Note: Get a phone prop to use in the 'Driving In My Car' scene
BE LOUDER - In terms of dialogue - especially when the bands playing as its very hard to hear
Higher amounts of energy during 'Our House' and 'Wings Of a Dove' make it seem fun and enjoyable
More colourful, varied costumes for the last scene and throughout the show.
Explore ore with the stage space as we tend to stay upstage making it harder to hear as well as making us look uncertain and as if we don't know what we're doing.
NO FEATHER BOAS!!!! Too much mess and seems cheap
Personal Note: Be even more expressionistic with my characterisation - Have fun and experiment - don't be afraid!
In the afternoon after we had done our second dress run with the other cast we went through transitions into and out of every scene. Including what set needed to be brought onstage in order to prevent long blackouts and slowly paced moments which we had during our dress runs. We also worked out who would be taking on and off the set. This mainly consisted of the year 13/14s as the main cast (unless off cast) couldn't bring on set as they were usually involved in that scene. By also working out transitions we also worked out when Good and Bad Joe would need to be changed and how we would go about doing this. Cleverly someone put hooks on the front of the stage meaning we could hang the coat and hat that the Joes would be wearing. Making a quick and efficient way of transformation as well as keeping pace and preventing the over use of blackouts.
From doing our second dress run some constructive criticism that was given was that the ending seemed a little too tamed and didn't have much high energy considering it was the finale. Therefore our dance teacher suggested that we run in two circles around Joe and Sarah whilst the off cast Joe and Sarah helped change them into their costumes from the very beginning. This was to show that the finale is in fact the beginning of the story. We just got a hypothetical perspective of what could happen depending on what Joe did in the first place.
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By going over transitions it meant that a lot of us understood the process of the performance and where people needed to enter and exit in order to not get caught up with set. It also meant that we wouldn't be panicking over loss of time from trying to find people to bring things on and off. Meaning there wouldn't be any awkward pauses onstage whilst we were waiting.
I started to get a good feel for my characterisation and had more fun with how my character would say certain lines. I experimented with pace and pitch to vary my dialogue making it sound more interesting and engaging for the audience.
By having the band play the music meant we got a real feel for the musical numbers and it almost boosted our energy levels by having a stronger ensemble behind us. It also meant we knew how much time we had to do certain things before singing. For example, in 'Driving in my Car' we tend to adlib before the scene starts. By having the band we know how much time we have before we have to be in our positions ready to sing. By having the band it also meant we knew how loud we had to project in order to be heard over the underscores.
EBI
Personally I need to experiment more with the space. And potentially branch out a little more and become my own character. As at the moment I'm relying on being a 'sister' character and acting as more of a follower than an individual.
Another personal note: I could start experimenting with emphasising certain words in my dialogue in order to make it sound different/give it a different meaning. By doing so this could change the atmosphere/mood of the scene which would be interesting to witness as an actor as well as watching from the audiences perspective.
WORK ON ALL OF THE DIRECORIAL NOTES FOR THE NEXT PERFORMANCE
Have higher energy levels for wings of a dove, possibly directing some of the lyrics at audience members as if telling a story - this is a form of a different technique and would vary my acting i.e. breaking the fourth wall and storytelling (to an extent)
In the morning we decided that we would start by gathering a list of props and set that are included throughout the performance and start creating them if necessary. Myself, Harry and Raven took charge of painting the tires black. As they were previously orange and green. As well as also painting pieces of ply wood white ready to be written on for signs in Our House. Such as Pressman Developers and KEEP OUT!. I took the task to find appropriate fonts for the signs so we had a guide of how to design them rather than doing it free hand and messing it up. We then also continued to look for props that we could use in wings of a dove and the beginning and end of Our House in order to make more of the opening and ending. After this we then went over some dance routines that we felt looked a little under rehearsed or had moments where we were unsure of what to do. These included:
Wings of a Dove
Our House
Sun and the Rain
Baggy Trousers
Wings of a Dove We sorted the ending as we cut a little of the instrumental out as it was very repetitive and would lose momentum from ourselves as performances as well as the concentration of the audience. Therefore it consists of two verses and 3/4 choruses. We also get into our final positions of the dance and sing the final line here whilst raising one of our arms up. We felt that this way the ending would look smoother and not feel as rushed. It meant it would have that warm tone that we wanted to create as the song itself slows down at the end. Almost emphasising the exaggeration and over dramatic atmosphere of the 'Las Vegas' wedding. Our House We mainly focused on our formations and structure rather than the dance itself. We were figuring out who needed to be downstage and who would be upstage. Trying to figure out the best way to have everyone on stage but to not block anyone drastically. We decided as a class that the main cast should be downstage as we get to know these characters more throughout the show as well as the fact that they have dialogue that needs to be heard over the band. Baggy Trousers We refined movements and sorted out spacing again as we found when we were onstage we had less space to move around in. For example, in our little fight duet phrase we were all clumped together and out of time. To sort this we individually got marked into an area and to keep timing we follow the pair of dancers who are the furthest downstage in order to make sure that we are all completing the phrase at the same pace. We also discussed that when we put our chairs away that when we come back into lines we need to all start with the same arm in order for it to look sleek. In order for us to be able to do this as we come into the phrase the line already there needs to set the motif and all be in unison. So when we join we just have to work out the arm of the person to our left then join. Also a reoccurring thing we all need to work on is energy - at the beginning we seem to not have any and by the time we get to the end we have loads. We need to spread this through the entirety of the dance and make big elaborate gestures. For example, jumping and large/leg movements. This will create a visually engaging piece and show dynamics such as jerky, sharp movements that may have gone unnoticed. FIRST DRESS RUN
BACKSTAGE CHAOS -In our first we came across problems instantly. The space backstage. During the performance we have a lot of set that needs to be rough onstage at various moments. However, it wasn't organised and was clumped in front of the curtains making it hard for people to exit and enter the stage.In order to prevent this I suggested that we put all of the set and props needed for Act 2 in the workshop and switch over Act 1 and Act 2 set and props during the interval.
QUICK CHANGES - Another problem myself and Megan encountered was our quick changes. At one point I was dressed but Megan wasn't so we had to adlib a little onstage in order to give her some time to get ready. We decided after the show to wear the same costume for two scenes in a row as we wouldn't of had time to change into something new without missing our cue.
CUES! - Backstage we found it difficult to hear our cues which resulted in us standing right next to the curtain which resulted a lot in collisions with set and cast.This also linked with the fact that we need to be a lot louder onstage, especially if we have the bands underscore to contend with. This means that everyone needs to be silent when backstage so we have the most access to hearing what's going on onstage.For us as actors means we need to project more and direct it above the audience.
COSTUME - Another issue we had was costumes. Some people when they came offstage just threw there costume where ever they wanted in order to be ready for their next cue. This meant that props and costumes were getting lost resulting in later cues later on in the show. To prevent this we need to have our own little areas where we always go to, to pick up costume, props and put them back.
DOWNSTAGE - As actors when myself and other cast members are onstage we need to move downstage more as we are staying upstage too much meaning its hard to hear us as well as the audience possibly feeling unconnected and distant from us. In order to help prevent this I suggested with my fellow duo partner Megan that we should enter diagonally downstage towards the audience as we often just walk in a straight line preventing us from moving downstage. As she often starts off our dialogue and is first on stage I said to her to walk downstage in order for our little moments to be closer to the audience making it more interesting and varied in terms of structure/formations.
DRIVING IN MY CAR SCENE - During this scene we need to adlib more and be more relaxed in terms of movement and how we interact with each other. As we all appear to be very tense and being silent when this should be quite a rowdy scene in terms of mine and Megan's characters as we are disgusted by the car and don't want to be here.Therefore, in order to make it more interesting I add a few extra lines in here and there such as "Why are we here", "No it isn't!" and "I can't believe we're doing this!" This is to show the negative and repulsed emotion my character is feeling. I also show this through facial expressions. Such as raised eyebrows and disgusted movements.
Opening scene (Our House) - School Uniform/other clothes if stated in dress runs today
Baggy Trousers - School Uniform (messy,rebellious)
Car Wash scene/Embarrassment - Black Shorts with checked shirt
Golf Sale - Blue Shorts with grey cropped t-shirt
Driving in my car - Black shorts, red cropped t-shirt
Ballgown - Black dress with sparkly band
Act 2
Wings of a Dove - Red off the shoulder dress
Joe presentation (scab a life)- black/dark silver sparkly dress
Funeral - Black polka dot dress
Party (end scene) - Blue dress
To distinguish between good and bad Joe I will wear a red bandana in the bad Joe scenes. I would like Angie to have sort of an alternative, rock chic kind of vibe throughout the performance.
UPDATE!!!! I decided to wear the red bandana throughout the entirety of the performance to distinguish my character from everyone else. And to make them unique.
Ball Gown Scene
Car Wash/Embarrassement
Golf Scene and Drvining In My Car
End Scene
First scene and Baggy Trousers
'Scab a lift' scene
Wings Of A Dove
Unfortunately I don't have nay photo evidence of the funeral scene but for this i wore: Fishnets, Black dress with white polka dots, black converse and my red bandana
What detailed
research went into choosing and evaluating the variety acts chosen?
In order to fully understand and analyse the variety acts I
chose, which were ventriloquists and impressionists. I had to understand what
kind of techniques and skills the performer would need in order to pull of
their performance. For example, I watched multiple performance for each act
performed by different people in order to see whether they had any skills in
common. This was present with ventriloquists having to have the skill of vocal
projection and control. This is a common skill needed in order to make this act
successful. By doing this I then also contrasted the acts with one another to
see where they differed. Meaning I could understand and pinpoint individual
mannerisms and gestures that were unique to the performer rather than the act
itself.
I also researched into a wide range of variety acts in order
to understand what variety meant as a term. It also meant that when I came down
to evaluating/choosing some acts I chose ones which would appear more unknown
in terms of what skills you would need and how the performer would pull it
off. I also chose acts that interested
me as an audience member and often left me bemused and wanting to know more
after it was finished.
What was the
justification for the choice of venues that you have assessed?
I chose the Pavilion Theatre and The Sealight Theatre as
they are both established performance spaces used for professional and amateur
performances touring and local. They also both contain elements to a
performance area that you would need as a performer. For example: A backstage,
wings, stage, lights, microphones, audience seating etc. I also chose them as
they are frequently used and always in action throughout the entirety of the
year. Meaning they are constantly being updated and modified with new technology
needed for the entertainment industry.
What research
materials did you consult during your research?
The majority of my materials were online based. Ranging from
web pages such as Wikipedia. News articles such as BBC and The Sun. Online
videos sourcing from YouTube and audio podcasts.
How did you decide
what materials to use?
I initially searched for factual based information on my
acts. So I found that Wikipedia and YouTube videos were a huge help and impact
to my initial research. I then broadened my perspective and read opinionated
news articles ranging from the educational aspect of the acts to the more
judgemental view on their performances.
What Comparisons can
you make between your chosen acts?
From my chosen acts I can say that impressionists need
imitation skills and a wider variety of theatrical skills and techniques in
order to visually engage the audience. They need to focus more on their
presence and physicality. Whereas, a ventriloquists main focus is on their
vocals meaning they often just stand centre stage and present their act solely
focusing on their aural performance rather than their physical performance.
Impressionists tend to also have the skill of dance and singing dependant on
their impression. Meaning they tend to have more physical fitness and a more
demanding role in terms of what it asks from them on a physically productive
level.
Criteria 3: Shaping material for a variety act
What original ideas
did you have for your variety performance?
For my original variety performance I wanted to do a comedy
act of some sorts that linked with acting but wasn’t a drama piece. I
researched into comedy acts that were already written so it would be more of an
interpreted performance. However, I didn’t find any that excited me or gave me
inspiration.
Another idea I came up with, with two of my fellow
classmates was a mashup of Disney songs done A Capella. This was connect with
peoples childhoods and be a fun lively performance full of lights and possible
movements.
Another idea I had was that I could sing a song as singing
is one of my strongest skills. However I wanted to try out other ideas to see
if I enjoyed them and could pull together a performance.
How did you decide on
your first variety performance ideas?
I thought of things that interested me as a performer and
something that I would enjoy doing as well as what I would enjoy watching as an
audience member. I either wanted my performance to engage the audience
visually, aurally or both is possible.
I decided to perform as song as due to unforeseen
circumstances our group that was created and originally was going to perform an
A Capella Disney medley had to split and go our separate ways in order to be
able to perform an act in time for variety.
For my performance I was originally going to sing ‘John
Lennon’s – Imagine’. This is due to is being hopeful that the world will become
better and more accepting of everyone. I thought this was a theme of Black
History Month. The theme of equality. I did a few rehearsals and got people’s
opinions of my performance. My peers said that it was a good performance and
linked well with the idea of Black History Month. However, as a musician/singer
I wanted to challenge myself vocally so I chose ‘Battlefield’ By Svrcina. This
song was challenging as it had many dynamics and became powerful and in the
higher octave at the end of the piece. I had never attempted to sing this style
of song live in front of an audience before so I wanted to push myself to see
what I could do.
What did you learn
from this Performance?
Unfortunately, during this performance I was ill and
struggled to sing certain parts and in the higher octave. However, I learnt
from this performance that I needed to be more relaxed when onstage and enjoy
my performances a lot more. I also found from this performance that I wanted to
interact with the audience or at least be a little more intimate with them.
This meant that I wanted to face the audience so I could look at them rather
than face away from them. Like I was in this performance. I also learnt that I wanted to challenge myself for my next performance. Whether that be vocally, instrumentally or with a different kind of act all together. But I wanted to try out new/different ideas that weren't just singing. I also wanted to experiment more with lighting and possibly set. Also testing proxemics to see what would work well for my act and for the audience and also myself.
What ideas did you
have for you final performance?
For my final performance I established that I was going to
play an instrument and vocals would be something I would test later. My
original ideas were:
·West End/Broadway medley on piano
·Medley of 00’s songs on piano
·A song on either guitar or ukulele
All of my acts included a musical element as I am more
confident with music and singing than I am with any other type of variety act.
Acting is on par however, I felt as though I wouldn’t have been able to
create/perform an entertaining drama piece with just myself performing. I would
have asked other people. However, other people were very busy with their own
acts/being involved with other people’s already. For example, I was already
invited to perform in two others as well as my own individual performance. This
included Sam’s scripted drama and an ensemble song at the start of the show.
Did you try them all
out? What were the outcomes? How did you decide on final idea?
What specific ideas
did you have for staging and detail of your performance? Did you change
anything if so why?
Originally the idea of my performance was that I was going
to create a character and perform a song in that character. For example, the
song I had created was a medley of sad/heartbreak songs. So I was going to
create a dark character who wore dark elaborate makeup and wore dark clothing.
Along with this I was also going to create a little backstory as why they are
the way they are and gradually introduce the idea of a song. I was going to
call them ‘The Siren’ as in mythology ‘Sirens’ would sing songs to sailors and
lure them to their death – in this respect my character would sing but almost
as she was singing would be dying/drowning herself theoretically. The more she
sang the sadder she would become expressing these emotions to the audience.
However, I didn’t see this idea through as the
atmosphere/mood we were creating for the audience was a relaxed evening Broadway
sort of vibe with fancy seating with waiters and waitresses. I felt as though
if I saw ‘The Siren’ through it may have been a little too dark and unsettling
for the audience potentially making them feel uncomfortable. This was also a
night for people to relax and have fun, therefore I didn’t want to add a dark
element into the mix and risk upsetting the audience and making them tense for
the rest of the evening. Therefore, I decided that ‘The Siren’ would not be appearing
however, they may be used in a performance at a later date.
So my other idea of just standing in front of the audience as
a raw, bare acoustic singer was my other option. Originally, with this idea I wanted
to walk into the audience and almost sing around the tables and to direct audience
members. Creating a really intimate performance. However, this would appear to
be an issue with microphones and sound. If I were to of done this I would not
have been lit and the whole performance would have relied on my natural ability
to project which is okay but not enough to sustain a whole performance whilst
not facing certain audience members. Therefore, I stuck with standing
downstage, centre in order to still be intimate with the audience but be lit
and heard efficiently. It was also decided that I would have purple lighting to
match my purple ukulele and to also add the sad, emotional atmosphere of the
songs I would be singing.
Did you need teacher
support on any aspect of your act?
No I did not.
Criteria 5:
Rehearsing for a variety act
How did you go about
rehearsing your variety act?
Being a solo performer meant I had plenty of time to
rehearse. This is due to not having to organise rehearsals with other people
and potentially not having enough rehearsals. By performing as a solo act meant
I could work at my own pace and spend as long as I wanted perfecting it for
performance.
In order to make my rehearsals useful and progressive I asked
some of my classmates such as Megan, Vicki and Harry to watch my performance and
give any feedback they wished. This also helped get used to the idea of
performing to an audience and in fairly close proximity. When watching my
performance Megan had the idea that I look at the audience but not for too long
as it might look a little strange. Harry and Vicki both suggested that I work
on my stage presence and try to interact with the audience of I can to make
them and myself feel more at ease then a tense atmosphere just waiting for me
to perform. This then made me change my posture to a more relaxed one. Still
standing upright in order to sing but I would sway more which I was preventing
myself from doing before as I thought it was distracting. But my peers thought
it made it look more relaxed and comfortable.
When I could I also practiced in the space (the Sealight
Theatre). This was so I could get used to the amount of space I would have as a
performer and roughly how I should stand and where I should look. This would
mean that when I got on stage to perform I would be more confident and wouldn’t
feel lost as I would know what I’m doing. I practiced in the space twice for
about an hour at a time. Whilst doing this I practiced walking – to test my
intimate audience idea as well as standing in different areas of the stage to
see how the acoustics different and where sightlines would be.
REHEARSING IN THE SPACE TO WORK OUR ACOUSTICS AND WARM UP VOCALS BEFORE SHOW - SINGING A DIFFERENT SONG TO WARM UP MY VOICE THOROUGHLY AND TO ALSO NOT OVER SING MY VARIETY PERFORMANCE SONG
What was the
intention behind your act? What effect was intended on the audience?
My intention was to perform an acoustic medley that
entertained the audience and kept them engaged with the performance as new
songs/melodies were introduced. I wanted the atmosphere to feel raw with the
idea that I was performing with an instrument and vocals right in front of
them. But for it to feel comfortable and relaxed. I wanted to create an almost
defeat emotion from my songs that I chose as it’s a journey through emotions.
For example, I explore that even though I’ve been through all this sadness and
hard times at the end I’ve realised my worth and that, as I end my performance ‘You’re
gonna miss me when I’m gone’. Showing a strong, backbone to the piece/songs
that things get better and I’m stronger than before. Therefore, I wanted to
take the audience on a journey through my songs, almost telling a story.
Leaving them with the subconscious idea that things get better even if at the
time it doesn’t seem it. It does. I believe that by changing songs it developed
a story and progressed it better than if I just sang one song. It shows that multiple
artists go through similar things but can always get through it and come out
stronger. This was the message I wanted to portray through my performance
without outright saying it to them.
By using a ukulele it kept the delicate nature, of the songs
and the themes I wanted to portray i.e. sad emotional but coming back stronger
and fighting through the hard times. It also meant that the audience focused
more on my vocals and the songs/lyrics I was performing which was what I wanted.
As these were the most important part to my performance personally.
I believe that I did this well as watching my piece back
everyone was silent and looking engaged whilst watching my performance. As well
as generously giving myself two applauses at the end of my performance which I am
very grateful for.
How did you ensure
that you had a confident and technically secure performance ready for the
variety evening?
When doing my tech runs I experimented with distance when
singing in order to judge where abouts I needed to be in order to be heard
clearly and loudly from having the microphones. This also meant that I tried performing
sitting and standing. One to test sound volume and clarity and also to see
which one felt most natural and comfortable for myself as a performer.
I performed my piece a few times with the mics and got my
peers feedback on when they could hear me and when they couldn’t. This was
helpful as I wouldn’t know what the audience hears to be able to change anything
so by having other people there it means I can adjust equipment or myself to
benefit the audience’s retention. I also made sure that I would have the accessibility
of two mics as I was playing an acoustic instrument that can appear quiet if
not amplified. I also made sure that the
process in which things would be brought on stage was clear to my peer. This is
so there wouldn’t be any fiddling about with what mics I was using or where
they would be going in order to create a smooth transition between my act and
someone else’s and also the transition from getting the equipment to my
performance. By people knowing where and what they were doing meant that there
was no hesitancy meaning I was confident in my piece and how it would go.
In todays lesson we focused the first 2 hours on singing through all the songs once with lyrics then another with lyrics down. By rehearsing the songs this way it gave us a chance to look over the lyrics we may not have been so confident with and letting us have the reassurance. Then to test us and prove that we do know the lyrics we are just relying on our scripts because we have them there.
I thought this rehearsal was useful as it meant we got more confident with singing them and also started to work on our characterisation of how we would sing the lyrics along with the piano. We also managed to work out the timing in Baggy Trousers to how we choreographed it as the instrumental is slightly shorter than we needed so we just added in an extra verse to give us that time.
In the last hour and a half we were joined by the year 13 and 14s. This is so we can start to get an idea of how many people will be on stage during certain scenes and whether we would need to re-block parts. We instantly came across a few difficulties with spacing due to us not having our staging up and running. This meant that the stage space was more cluttered with people. However, this will be sorted when we have the staging as they will be on different levels to us. Myself and Megan realised this when we had to enter but couldn't because there were people in front on our entrance. However, this was because they had moved forward to accommodate the year 13/14 whilst they were understanding what they were doing. Meaning that when everyone knows where they are and what they are doing we will not have this issue.
EBI. I think in order to make rehearsals run smoothly I think we should bring the rule of putting phones in a box as our class worked more efficiently and quicker with this. And I think it would be more beneficial for the yr 13/14s as they have less time to learn our show. I also feel that people need to take it in turns to speak as at one point we had around 10 different people talking from both classes and it made everything un-audible. Also people need to be quiet and considerate when people are acting as there was chatting in the audience which was putting off the actors. To add to this I feel that people need to not laugh if someone gets their lines wrong as It puts them off and doesn't help them if they are trying to remember.
In todays lesson for the first hour we spent this time working out what we needed to work on and when our extra rehearsals would be. This was a production meeting including the year 13/14s so they knew when they would have to be a part of our production and rehearse.
REHEARSAL PROCESS
In the second hour of the lesson we focused on the ending of 'Our House'. As a group we agreed that compared to the whole show this was the part that needed to the most work. This is due to us continually going over the beginning and middle and not really looking at the ending at all.
To start off this rehearsal we went from a few scenes before i.e. The funeral Scene.
We did this to understand the transitions and make them smooth and slick in terms of performance and how it ran. By doing this we understood that we would be onstage for that last few scenes and would just transition between times and locations. This meant that we would have to have a quick change between the funeral and the few lines we have before we re-enter to form the prison bars/wall/prison guards. By having the last few scenes in smooth transitions with possible lighting changes to make it clear what's going on to the audience it keeps pace and subtlety suggests to the audience that the end is near as almost the whole cast is on stage. The only other time this happens is right at the beginning of the show. This is an example of continuity. It is also a good indicator that the finale is near. By also solely focusing on the end we figured out exactly how the ending works. This is because we got confused with the order of the dialogue and how we would be blocked on stage. We didn't understand the whole picture moment and thought it was confusing because we already blocked taking a few photos and then later on in the script had to take more. However, we sorted this by staying in our photo positions but miming movement and conversations whilst the other dialogue was happening. Meaning we were ready for the next photo bit and didn't have to suddenly move into these positons again. We also decided to finish the show with a freeze frame moment that we used to open the show. Signalling the end of the performance of a high positive note.
WWW.
We managed to finish the show and understand the order and narrative better by running the ending a good few times straight after one another until we got a smooth run.
Everyone had good energy and was positive when it came to blocking the confusing photo part which made the rehearsal run smoother and made us able to solve the problem quicker.
We are starting to understand the transitions between scenes and how we need to work with them in order to keep pace. For example, trying to stay on stage during scene changes rather than keep going off then back on.
EBI.
Possibly start to think about lighting, set, props and costume in terms of our characters and what they would wear in certain circumstances. I.E. The Funeral, the wedding and general attire.
100% learn our own lines and possibly our cue lines in case people need cueing or prompting or in terms of show to keep going if someone forgets a line.
In one lesson we got into three/four small groups to devise a motif/movement phrase to go in 'Wings of a Dove'. Myself and Megan's characters lead the entire song so we had priority when it came to choreography. However, we did take on board peoples ideas and collaboratively used a mixture of our own and the classes.
Here were out initial ideas for the chorus of 'Wings of a Dove' which made it into the final version of the dance.
As you can see the body percussion phrase didn't make it into the final cut. This was because from rehearsal we established that the rhythm of the body percussion didn't fit with the music. Therefore, we cut it from the piece but luckily it didn't make too much of a difference. We understood from watching the musical version of 'Wings of a dove' that it had a lively carnival like theme. Meaning it would be very energetic and full of colour. This meant that we experimented with movements we may not have done if it were for a more contemporary serious dance. For example, we use the butterfly arm movement and wavy arms. This is to represent the crazy, fun wedding/party atmosphere that goes along with this song. In our next lesson of choreography for 'Wings of a dove' we had the year 13/14s meaning we could experiment with more elaborate movements. For example, right at the beginning there are two lines and they each go through each other. I thought this move was good as straight away it shows the intimacy of the dance and how relaxed it should be. i.e people are holding hands and are in close proximity to each other. Showing that the relationships between them are close and that they are in a happy moment at this particular part.
WWW. I believe we worked well as an ensemble and managed to add in our own characters characteristics to the dance and how they would react with certain people. For example, as a certain moment we have a little bit od dialogue during the song. At this point me and Andy (lewis) group in a corner. Then Megan, Harry and Vicki group in the other (Billie, Emmo and Kath) these characters have very strong positive relationships with one another so it would make sense that they were together. By having us grouped together away from the main ensemble it shows our closeness. I think we managed to capture the high energy and enthusiasm the danc ehas through some of our movements. For example, we have a section where we skip around the stage following each other and then later a motif where quick thigh slaps are involved. This shows the ecstatic nature of the song and how its a happy, celebratory dance. i.e. The Wedding. EBI. ( I was in a lot of pain when doing this dance this day hence why I look really unhappy) Personally, I find this dance a little bit of a struggle as I'm not a dancer and therefore feel slightly uncomfortable and inferior. In order to improve this I could practice more and ask fro individual help with movement and technique from either Kat (the dance teacher) or Megan who is my duo partner. This way it would make me feel more confident with the movements and therefore also help with my characterisation in this dance as 'Angie' is known to be outgoing and therefore would exaggerate these movements. I feel that this dance in certain parts still needs to have more energy and ferocity as its a celebration and it almost seems to tamed. For example, at one point it has the ensemble walking in a circle at a fairly slow speed. I feel as though we need more possibly duets and solo dance motifs just add a bit of flair into the routine. However, this may be improved when costume and props are added into the mix
Embarrassment For one of our lessons we spent the entire two hours working on songs in the musical that we weren't comfortable or confident singing. We mainly focused on the ensemble songs in order to make sure that everyone was doing something as well as to make use of the full cast when we have the opportunity. For the first hour we focused on 'Embarrassment'. This song ranged from solo/duet and ensemble singing meaning we could also work on characterisation of specific characters. To start with we sang the whole song through with the piano working out timing and rhythm. This is good as it gives us a solid structure to work with. Once we know that basics of the melody we can then start to progress to work on movement and vocal technique in terms of characterisation. Whilst singing this song as an ensemble we came across as too 'choir like' and soft toned. When the texture to this song is harsh and mocking as it is putting down the character 'Joe Casey' because he is a reformed young offender. In order to help people understand and develop their own understandings of the atmosphere of the song and the way it should be sung. Our director got the cast to separate where we were all together accept the two 'Joe Casey's' and sing directly at them standing in a line. This helped as it meant we could see them and start to act through our singing channelling the emotions. However, in some respect we were still focusing too much on the vocal correctness rather than the acting. In order to try and get us more into our characters our director had us insult the two Joe's in order to get into that mind-set and find our tones in our voices. At first everyone was hesitant and didn't want to say anything. Then eventually a few people would shout out a few insults here and there. This encouraged more people to do the same as it made the atmosphere less tense and awkward and almost relaxed people into the idea. After doing this we then sang through the song again. This time however, there was more enthusiasm and confidence. People were having more fun with the song and its context and were more relaxed. This then also created a natural blocking where we would step forward/move forward as the song progressed. At the end of the song we all centred around the 'Joe's' and pointed at them singing 'you're an embarrassment' WWW. I believe the exercise of shouting insults at the two 'Joe's' helped us get into character and work on our characterisation when singing. As, as a group we tend to forget about this. This worked well as it gave us confidence in our characters as well as in our vocals as we didn't feel pressured when performing to be vocally impressive. I think that as a group we are also starting to understand crucial emotions/atmospheres that are created through certain songs. For example, in embarrassment its a mocking atmosphere full of exaggeration and teasing. Therefore, we are using our physicality more and using facial expressions in order to portray the emotions. I.E. crossing our arms, cornering the Joe's and raising eyebrows/smirking. Personally I felt as though my characterisation improved greatly. As usually I focus a lot on the vocal performance and making sure its as good as it can be rather than the acting part of it. However, I was acting on behalf on my character and adding emotion into my vocals almost making it sound spoken. Therefore, creating a more convincing and impressive vocal performance in terms of performing a musical number. EBI Next time we could start to properly block it with characters immersed in the scene. In order to smoothly block it in rather than it being acting then singing. We could continue to work on characterisation in our vocals as well as our physicality in order to portray a convincing performers of the 'Our House' cast. Baggy Trousers For this song we had already blocked the whole song with a dance routine. Our main focus was making sure we sung as well as singing the right parts as the majority of this song is sung by the character Reecey. Therefore, to start with we got our scripts and sang through the song. Understanding when the ensemble are supposed to sing and when its just Reecey. Once we had done this we also worked out harmonies in order to make it sound aurally engaging and to give it some life and character to assist the dance. We then tried putting both together (dancing and singing) However, it didn't really work as we were still all focused on the movement and were too fatigued from the dance to sing. EBI. We need to work on singing the song as an ensemble as at the moment there are only a few people singing due to our main concentration on the dance and timing. We need to work on singing whilst moving at high energy levels as this is an issue. Baggy trousers is a very high energy dance with jumping and running therefore we are finding it difficult to sing whilst performing. In order to solve this we could do little exercises whilst singing the song and increasing in difficulty to gradually increase our vocal stamina. Eventually being able to do the entire dance routine with a strong vocal backing.
