Thursday, 26 May 2011
Wednesday, 25 May 2011
SCORE
*personal score for 1st section*
Sitting looking at and nodding subtly to the audience as they enter as music plays.
Glans at jess on my right
Watch as gary realizes that he has no seat then gesture toward the piano stool for him to sit on.
Watch as he noisily drags the chair disrupting the music until he is settled.
Catch Jess's eye as she gestures toward the fiction Douglas Fairbanks sat in the audience, nod at the audience member who represents fairbanks.
Smile at audience.
Jess brings me plate of food from buffet, nod in thanks and eat the plate of food, crunching loudly on plates.
Look out still eating as 'Smile' plays.
Watch gary getting near with the drinks as he passes take one.
Take a sip and choke slightly, then laugh, before regaining restraint
The performers at the far side move back... turn to the left to face gary (who id already in position).
Listen and nod as gary delivers speech.
'Douglas will remember this' turn synchronized with jessica and point at fairbanks.
On 'firm kick to the bottom' lower hand and turn back to Gary.
On the ending of Rufaro's laughter stand uneasily
Look at Rufaro, then turn to face the audience. knowingly look as though you are nervous about what you are going to do.
Finish your drink then start to hum.
Sitting looking at and nodding subtly to the audience as they enter as music plays.
Glans at jess on my right
Watch as gary realizes that he has no seat then gesture toward the piano stool for him to sit on.
Watch as he noisily drags the chair disrupting the music until he is settled.
Catch Jess's eye as she gestures toward the fiction Douglas Fairbanks sat in the audience, nod at the audience member who represents fairbanks.
Smile at audience.
Jess brings me plate of food from buffet, nod in thanks and eat the plate of food, crunching loudly on plates.
Look out still eating as 'Smile' plays.
Watch gary getting near with the drinks as he passes take one.
Take a sip and choke slightly, then laugh, before regaining restraint
The performers at the far side move back... turn to the left to face gary (who id already in position).
Listen and nod as gary delivers speech.
'Douglas will remember this' turn synchronized with jessica and point at fairbanks.
On 'firm kick to the bottom' lower hand and turn back to Gary.
On the ending of Rufaro's laughter stand uneasily
Look at Rufaro, then turn to face the audience. knowingly look as though you are nervous about what you are going to do.
Finish your drink then start to hum.
Group Dynamic
How we Kept the peace
What i am about to write may perhaps seem wishy washy, But it is all i can write as it is the truth of the experience i had.
In first year we were made equipped to deal with any kind of complications that may arise in the sometimes tricky world of artistic group work. And with such a large group i went n to this process armed with all of DeBono's six hats ready to defuse any dodgy situations.
I can honestly say that all six hats stayed in the cupboard. we all respected and worked coherently with each other. That is not to say that we didn't ever annoy each other because we did, but we calmly spoke to each other about what we thought was wrong. and when we got irrationally annoyed because someone chewed there sandwich to loudly, we just took five minutes. there were times when we left rehearsals frustrated not with each other really, but with the piece but always someone would send out a facebook message or text that lifted our spirits just saying that tomorrow we would make a fresh start.
we always trusted our out side eye. and if you wanted to see a scene you could always take a turn of sitting out to see what the whole picture (minus yourself of coarse) looked like.
I am under no illusions that all ensembles work so easily together but w really did we were all open about how we felt and accepted that at times we would be stressing and needed a break. no one brought moods or issues to rehearsal. we all did our best to come into the space with an open mind. I was lucky as were my friends and group members to have such a co-operative group and i thank all of them for the experience.
What i am about to write may perhaps seem wishy washy, But it is all i can write as it is the truth of the experience i had.
In first year we were made equipped to deal with any kind of complications that may arise in the sometimes tricky world of artistic group work. And with such a large group i went n to this process armed with all of DeBono's six hats ready to defuse any dodgy situations.
I can honestly say that all six hats stayed in the cupboard. we all respected and worked coherently with each other. That is not to say that we didn't ever annoy each other because we did, but we calmly spoke to each other about what we thought was wrong. and when we got irrationally annoyed because someone chewed there sandwich to loudly, we just took five minutes. there were times when we left rehearsals frustrated not with each other really, but with the piece but always someone would send out a facebook message or text that lifted our spirits just saying that tomorrow we would make a fresh start.
we always trusted our out side eye. and if you wanted to see a scene you could always take a turn of sitting out to see what the whole picture (minus yourself of coarse) looked like.
I am under no illusions that all ensembles work so easily together but w really did we were all open about how we felt and accepted that at times we would be stressing and needed a break. no one brought moods or issues to rehearsal. we all did our best to come into the space with an open mind. I was lucky as were my friends and group members to have such a co-operative group and i thank all of them for the experience.
Costume
One of my main tasks was as the costume co-ordinator \ buyer. Basically my self and anna got any peices of costume for the group that people didn't already own and then we helped develop the looks we were all suppost to have, which of coarse contributed to the over all aesthetic of the peice.
we knew we wanted to work with black and white mainly with just hints of coulor. all of our costmes arer based on costumes from Chaplin fim stills. and all of the girls would be pretty and or sexy so we could look like possible sex objects and love interests.
Rufaro... The boxer
Gary... The Jester / Clown
Glenn... The Tramp
Anna: The Maid
Lisa... The secretary
Donna... The Hippie Bride
Jess... The Vaudeville girl
Richard... Colorful Wake Guest (a take on the traditional funeral attire).
The contrast of the costumes were good to look at and also fitted with the fairly minimal setting that the performance had.
we knew we wanted to work with black and white mainly with just hints of coulor. all of our costmes arer based on costumes from Chaplin fim stills. and all of the girls would be pretty and or sexy so we could look like possible sex objects and love interests.
Gary... The Jester / Clown
The contrast of the costumes were good to look at and also fitted with the fairly minimal setting that the performance had.
Tuesday, 24 May 2011
After Thought
Take a Bow
Well its all over now and i have had a while to reflect. The audience really really liked it and understood the poignancy of the piece with it being our final performance. The performing of this piece especially the second one was so emotional, i felt a little silly but i think if anything it added to the performance because people were so invested in wanting to communicate with the audience (who by the way were also emotional). at the end when we sit in line facing the audience -mirroring the beginning- with unforgettable playing it meant so much. It sound very cheesy but i will never forget these people. i was in floods of tears and if I'm honest i had been holding it in since the start. i don't know why but before the actual performance a lot of the meaning f this piece was lost on me, I'm rather ashamed to say. I think for me the performing of this piece was us communicating to our friends and audience that we have changed and grown with there help over the past three years... but now we have to let them go. and this was our way of sating good bye. we didn't know this really while making it but thats exactly what it was... it must have been in the groups sub-conscious. I am in love with this piece, its still a little scrappy in places and f coarse is could be made better, but, it took me out of my comfort zone completely and i am thrilled to leave on the high that id 'All Thats left'.
Fractured Fusion, sadly minus Glenn went to london to perform another show the day after we finished 'All Thats Left' and we saw this street performer... I have to admit i shed a quiet sentimental tear while watching this man re create the the gentle legend that is Charlie Chaplin's 'tramp'.
Well its all over now and i have had a while to reflect. The audience really really liked it and understood the poignancy of the piece with it being our final performance. The performing of this piece especially the second one was so emotional, i felt a little silly but i think if anything it added to the performance because people were so invested in wanting to communicate with the audience (who by the way were also emotional). at the end when we sit in line facing the audience -mirroring the beginning- with unforgettable playing it meant so much. It sound very cheesy but i will never forget these people. i was in floods of tears and if I'm honest i had been holding it in since the start. i don't know why but before the actual performance a lot of the meaning f this piece was lost on me, I'm rather ashamed to say. I think for me the performing of this piece was us communicating to our friends and audience that we have changed and grown with there help over the past three years... but now we have to let them go. and this was our way of sating good bye. we didn't know this really while making it but thats exactly what it was... it must have been in the groups sub-conscious. I am in love with this piece, its still a little scrappy in places and f coarse is could be made better, but, it took me out of my comfort zone completely and i am thrilled to leave on the high that id 'All Thats left'.
Fractured Fusion, sadly minus Glenn went to london to perform another show the day after we finished 'All Thats Left' and we saw this street performer... I have to admit i shed a quiet sentimental tear while watching this man re create the the gentle legend that is Charlie Chaplin's 'tramp'.
Monday, 16 May 2011
Rehearsal 41 & 42
Finishing Touches
14/4/11 and 15/5/11
Well this it it the rehearsal process is over... and i won't lie I'm nervous. we haven't properly ran it yet with all the last minuet tweaks. BUT I think we just might pull it off. Although i don't know how people will react.
we showed kevin the piece on sunday night and his notes were as follows:
Kevin's Notes:
The middle section is still unclear, its good but needs to be validated more
Dont use the curtains to their full potential, there nice though and we should celebrate having them
Nice balance with the costumes!
Gary go through the curtains at the start to establish the curtains and their rules.
The curtains are there for one to go through not to be hidden behind
Nice at the beginning, the idea that what has happened before this, not just about somebody dying.
Nice choreographed moments.
We all need to be aware of where things are on the floor.
There is an issue on health and safety, the audience needs to walk through the mess afterwards!
Douglas Fairbanks, Point to the same person
The singing bit is slightly awkward but we can work on it, just doesn't feel polished, but as it continues it gets better. The for people stood on the chairs at this point need to be slightly more aware.
More opportunity for overlapping, 'I'm gonna do it' came in late, Chop Gary's apologetic speech of with this.
Jess & Donna putting the plates down is nothing special, Its more about putting the smile side up in your hand before placing it on the floor, make it a moment and not a function.
'Storming off stage upset' can be seen. Somebody needs to storm off stage.
There should be more 'Toasts' not breakfast 'Toast'. They give a better reason for the monologues. could 'Toast' in someway after every monologue. Change the 'Toasts' (To Dad, To our little fellow, Gary; To Me) this could also give a reason to use more objects, toast with different objects, will look more scattered and more messy. This can get more ridiculous and hectic as it goes on. Rush to get these objects and just throw everything. Could replace some of the 'Trumpets' with these cheers.
Could Toast, each performer.
Standing behind curtains doesn't work theres never a particularly good reason for us to go behind there. The covering up of people works however. Could break the rule of the curtain and when covered we can go out on our own! and then go back through, Its all about getting in place than been in place. Can still be placed behind, but when we are behind we can 'go our own way'.
Glenn going to the piano is really nice, went on a bit too long though! stopping and starting could be an idea for this.
Blur the distinction between his wake and our wake more. Chaplin is a metaphor in this piece for 'us'.
Lisa, nobody should have to see that, refer to the bum bums. The bums can also be planted earlier on.
Glenn Scroll, could start doing it a lot earlier and slower, this also establishes the bum bums again! this will cut shorter Glenn on the piano.
Music on Glenn's Section needs to be lower and Glenn needs to be louder, THIS IS ESSENTIAL!
Anna's speech, is lovely, but goes right back to Chaplin, this is whats mean by 'blurring', Chaplin-indivindual-Chaplin, Should be; Chaplin-Individual-Chaplin-Individual-Chaplin-Indi
curtains shouldn't end at the back, we could be doing entrances during Pablo! There is room to play with the curtains a lot more.
The main note is that the performance needs to be not about Chaplin but the metaphor of Chaplin.
So, we have a few things to clarify. again me need to make the bonds between us will make us them more apparent nothing to drastic just always be thinking about the others in the space. also when we spend time behind the curtains don't just act as if no one can see us... because they can. we need to always be aware of the audience even when we are 'off stage'.
we are adding in toasts al though the performance toasting loudly and subtlety through out, its nice because it brings the audience into the space with us. and the fact hat it is out 'swan-song' at university i want the audience to share it with us.
And finally the use of the legacy's make sense. we all have one and we hold it up behind the curtain to remind the audience not to forget us... which is poignant i think.
I will be honest i am nervous about the performance... its not like anything i have ever performed in and i just really want the audience to like it... I think my mind will be made up on the piece when my performance gets its audience reaction. Ahhhh! I don't know if thats rights but I'm not sure if thats right, but thats how i feel.
14/4/11 and 15/5/11
Well this it it the rehearsal process is over... and i won't lie I'm nervous. we haven't properly ran it yet with all the last minuet tweaks. BUT I think we just might pull it off. Although i don't know how people will react.
we showed kevin the piece on sunday night and his notes were as follows:
Kevin's Notes:
The middle section is still unclear, its good but needs to be validated more
Dont use the curtains to their full potential, there nice though and we should celebrate having them
Nice balance with the costumes!
Gary go through the curtains at the start to establish the curtains and their rules.
The curtains are there for one to go through not to be hidden behind
Nice at the beginning, the idea that what has happened before this, not just about somebody dying.
Nice choreographed moments.
We all need to be aware of where things are on the floor.
There is an issue on health and safety, the audience needs to walk through the mess afterwards!
Douglas Fairbanks, Point to the same person
The singing bit is slightly awkward but we can work on it, just doesn't feel polished, but as it continues it gets better. The for people stood on the chairs at this point need to be slightly more aware.
More opportunity for overlapping, 'I'm gonna do it' came in late, Chop Gary's apologetic speech of with this.
Jess & Donna putting the plates down is nothing special, Its more about putting the smile side up in your hand before placing it on the floor, make it a moment and not a function.
'Storming off stage upset' can be seen. Somebody needs to storm off stage.
There should be more 'Toasts' not breakfast 'Toast'. They give a better reason for the monologues. could 'Toast' in someway after every monologue. Change the 'Toasts' (To Dad, To our little fellow, Gary; To Me) this could also give a reason to use more objects, toast with different objects, will look more scattered and more messy. This can get more ridiculous and hectic as it goes on. Rush to get these objects and just throw everything. Could replace some of the 'Trumpets' with these cheers.
Could Toast, each performer.
Standing behind curtains doesn't work theres never a particularly good reason for us to go behind there. The covering up of people works however. Could break the rule of the curtain and when covered we can go out on our own! and then go back through, Its all about getting in place than been in place. Can still be placed behind, but when we are behind we can 'go our own way'.
Glenn going to the piano is really nice, went on a bit too long though! stopping and starting could be an idea for this.
Blur the distinction between his wake and our wake more. Chaplin is a metaphor in this piece for 'us'.
Lisa, nobody should have to see that, refer to the bum bums. The bums can also be planted earlier on.
Glenn Scroll, could start doing it a lot earlier and slower, this also establishes the bum bums again! this will cut shorter Glenn on the piano.
Music on Glenn's Section needs to be lower and Glenn needs to be louder, THIS IS ESSENTIAL!
Anna's speech, is lovely, but goes right back to Chaplin, this is whats mean by 'blurring', Chaplin-indivindual-Chaplin, Should be; Chaplin-Individual-Chaplin-Individual-Chaplin-Indi
curtains shouldn't end at the back, we could be doing entrances during Pablo! There is room to play with the curtains a lot more.
The main note is that the performance needs to be not about Chaplin but the metaphor of Chaplin.
So, we have a few things to clarify. again me need to make the bonds between us will make us them more apparent nothing to drastic just always be thinking about the others in the space. also when we spend time behind the curtains don't just act as if no one can see us... because they can. we need to always be aware of the audience even when we are 'off stage'.
we are adding in toasts al though the performance toasting loudly and subtlety through out, its nice because it brings the audience into the space with us. and the fact hat it is out 'swan-song' at university i want the audience to share it with us.
And finally the use of the legacy's make sense. we all have one and we hold it up behind the curtain to remind the audience not to forget us... which is poignant i think.
I will be honest i am nervous about the performance... its not like anything i have ever performed in and i just really want the audience to like it... I think my mind will be made up on the piece when my performance gets its audience reaction. Ahhhh! I don't know if thats rights but I'm not sure if thats right, but thats how i feel.
Friday, 13 May 2011
Rehearsal 38-40
The tweaking begins
5/5/11 to 13/5/11
we have now got in two lovely first years to do our sound and tech which is great because when we are not running in and out to control the sound and lights it makes us able to have a really smooth run. we showed kevin our potentially complete performance.
Kevin notes! 5/5/2011
Taking shape, nice shape
Main issue -> making connections across us all
Crampness of space
Feels like a group of individuals not a group working as a whole
Look and acknowledge each other
Whys and therefores?
Every object has a journey like us.
Piano stoll maybe come from outside.
Rufaro kicking gary WHY…with our journeys need to be aware?
Beginning works well better when natural – working as part of image.
Something staggered and busy… TOO BUSY AT ONCE… PERHAPS MAKE A POINT OF IT? – maybe stand as foursome R & G move (thinking time)
New line ‘small things’
Donna choking funny it works and connects later.
Rufaro uncle tom.
Have images in head when doing stuff.
Anna and lisa silent film lovely – let last longer
NOT HAVING TO GO TO BACK TO DO NOTHING!
Nice moments of just sitting.
PIANO (GLENN/GARY STOOL) MAKE THESE CONNECTIONS!!!
Find function of signs
Anna line… ‘love makes you useless at everyday tasks’, weave in more ‘bask in warmth’.
WATCH EACH OTHER AND LISTEN
Text is littered with things that people could make connections with and relate
Do a run where we are so conscious of everyone else (Record This)
Piano stool is out of place (Consider the objects on stage) Could bring the stool into the space.
Ruffaro kicking Gary, know why your doing it. Needs a reason, know your journeys.
Beginning works really well, don’t force the text.
Exiting from the beginning is to staggered and to busy all at once, could change this or make a reference to this.
Donna Choking and laughing good and important.
Ruffaro choking points towards vaudeville! (Nice little touches, think more about these touches)
Laughing on stools nice moment and breaks it!
The doo wop songs works well but change the song (Chesnuts roasting song)
Lisa and Anna running (silent movie) works really well, however it ends abruptly!
Likes Greenie doing nothing for a long time.
Be careful of text, sometimes falling into an improvise mode works and sometimes doesn’t, the jack jones bit I an example of not working, makes audience read into something that is not important.
Glenn Danny boy works well.
Feels really fluid now.
Map our journeys, always be aware of yourself and others.
Its nice not having the piano there, and having the stool where the piano should be is really nice.
Lisa and Donna/Gary sleeze/girls doing hair/ Ruffaro at front all needs looking at.
Stop using ‘I’ in the text, ‘he’ or ‘we’ will do fine. This opens the text up. Or could get rid of all the reference to a person.
Plant the gary text rose seed earlier. Probably put a rose in the space.
Get rid of west side story line. “Feel like I’m in (Charlie Chaplin Film)”
The signs feel misplaced and needs a lot of time to work on.
Look at the transitions of the curtain. Why is that person moving the curtains, make this more apparent and consistent. And why does that person stay behind the curtain. Probably hold up legacy placards.
Get a fab from the table. Provides imagaes in the text.
Greenie, Jess works well.
Plackards work, signs don’t.
Glenns text is a really nice moment. Gives a lot at a point when we need a lot.
Could be a connection between 2 people in Anna’s text. Map the journey
Nuttini dance at the end good. Donna laughing could come back in the nuttin dance.
Cane’s need to come in more, hit bums and stuff a bit more bumming in general. Everyone has to have a cane at some point.
The maths section doesn’t work. The numbers are important but not in a way that is explicit. The facts could be internal to the performer. Its not interesting to know and isn’t asking any conceptual questions.
Its not a piece about Chaplin it’s a piece about Us. Don’t forget this.
Plates on floor walking over them all turned up smiling. Should end with a plaphour of plates on the floor.
BE ANAL!!!!!!!!
Gary text multiplicity should be more than just seducing gary.
Kevin quote – “If its something your doing then you should be thinking about it before hand.
Do not assume what we have is correct and right.
honestly i was nervous t show kevin what we had because although i thought we were sitting on a piece that was fun to perform i didn't know how well put together it was, or how well it would look as a whole. Yes we have a lot of notes' but at the end of the day we have a week to perfect what we have, and I'm happy to say kevin liked it over all. he thought we made something that is quite special :D!!
what i took from what we still had to do is we MUST map our journeys in the space and develop subtle relationships with each other, We all individually went through our journey in the space physically looking at who we encounter and why. because there are eight of us we don't all interact all of the time, in fact some of us don't even look at each other from beginning to end. My relationships with jess and lisa are strong... and i also have quite a comical relationship with gary. other than that i may only glance at the others but they do don't play a huge part in my personal journey and i don't have a lot of significance in theirs.
I have been working really hard to do everything with a purpose and to know what I'm doing. there is something i do a lot in the piece and thats laugh. which when you consider the performance is set in a wake is fairly significant. I think my persona is that of someone who just wants to make light of the situation, i want people to laugh with me and celebrate Chaplin and ourselves but i can never quite escape the confines of the wake.
OH AND WE HAVE CURTAINS!!! CHEERS PHIL COLLIN'S
5/5/11 to 13/5/11
we have now got in two lovely first years to do our sound and tech which is great because when we are not running in and out to control the sound and lights it makes us able to have a really smooth run. we showed kevin our potentially complete performance.
Kevin notes! 5/5/2011
Taking shape, nice shape
Main issue -> making connections across us all
Crampness of space
Feels like a group of individuals not a group working as a whole
Look and acknowledge each other
Whys and therefores?
Every object has a journey like us.
Piano stoll maybe come from outside.
Rufaro kicking gary WHY…with our journeys need to be aware?
Beginning works well better when natural – working as part of image.
Something staggered and busy… TOO BUSY AT ONCE… PERHAPS MAKE A POINT OF IT? – maybe stand as foursome R & G move (thinking time)
New line ‘small things’
Donna choking funny it works and connects later.
Rufaro uncle tom.
Have images in head when doing stuff.
Anna and lisa silent film lovely – let last longer
NOT HAVING TO GO TO BACK TO DO NOTHING!
Nice moments of just sitting.
PIANO (GLENN/GARY STOOL) MAKE THESE CONNECTIONS!!!
Find function of signs
Anna line… ‘love makes you useless at everyday tasks’, weave in more ‘bask in warmth’.
WATCH EACH OTHER AND LISTEN
Text is littered with things that people could make connections with and relate
Do a run where we are so conscious of everyone else (Record This)
Piano stool is out of place (Consider the objects on stage) Could bring the stool into the space.
Ruffaro kicking Gary, know why your doing it. Needs a reason, know your journeys.
Beginning works really well, don’t force the text.
Exiting from the beginning is to staggered and to busy all at once, could change this or make a reference to this.
Donna Choking and laughing good and important.
Ruffaro choking points towards vaudeville! (Nice little touches, think more about these touches)
Laughing on stools nice moment and breaks it!
The doo wop songs works well but change the song (Chesnuts roasting song)
Lisa and Anna running (silent movie) works really well, however it ends abruptly!
Likes Greenie doing nothing for a long time.
Be careful of text, sometimes falling into an improvise mode works and sometimes doesn’t, the jack jones bit I an example of not working, makes audience read into something that is not important.
Glenn Danny boy works well.
Feels really fluid now.
Map our journeys, always be aware of yourself and others.
Its nice not having the piano there, and having the stool where the piano should be is really nice.
Lisa and Donna/Gary sleeze/girls doing hair/ Ruffaro at front all needs looking at.
Stop using ‘I’ in the text, ‘he’ or ‘we’ will do fine. This opens the text up. Or could get rid of all the reference to a person.
Plant the gary text rose seed earlier. Probably put a rose in the space.
Get rid of west side story line. “Feel like I’m in (Charlie Chaplin Film)”
The signs feel misplaced and needs a lot of time to work on.
Look at the transitions of the curtain. Why is that person moving the curtains, make this more apparent and consistent. And why does that person stay behind the curtain. Probably hold up legacy placards.
Get a fab from the table. Provides imagaes in the text.
Greenie, Jess works well.
Plackards work, signs don’t.
Glenns text is a really nice moment. Gives a lot at a point when we need a lot.
Could be a connection between 2 people in Anna’s text. Map the journey
Nuttini dance at the end good. Donna laughing could come back in the nuttin dance.
Cane’s need to come in more, hit bums and stuff a bit more bumming in general. Everyone has to have a cane at some point.
The maths section doesn’t work. The numbers are important but not in a way that is explicit. The facts could be internal to the performer. Its not interesting to know and isn’t asking any conceptual questions.
Its not a piece about Chaplin it’s a piece about Us. Don’t forget this.
Plates on floor walking over them all turned up smiling. Should end with a plaphour of plates on the floor.
BE ANAL!!!!!!!!
Gary text multiplicity should be more than just seducing gary.
Kevin quote – “If its something your doing then you should be thinking about it before hand.
Do not assume what we have is correct and right.
honestly i was nervous t show kevin what we had because although i thought we were sitting on a piece that was fun to perform i didn't know how well put together it was, or how well it would look as a whole. Yes we have a lot of notes' but at the end of the day we have a week to perfect what we have, and I'm happy to say kevin liked it over all. he thought we made something that is quite special :D!!
what i took from what we still had to do is we MUST map our journeys in the space and develop subtle relationships with each other, We all individually went through our journey in the space physically looking at who we encounter and why. because there are eight of us we don't all interact all of the time, in fact some of us don't even look at each other from beginning to end. My relationships with jess and lisa are strong... and i also have quite a comical relationship with gary. other than that i may only glance at the others but they do don't play a huge part in my personal journey and i don't have a lot of significance in theirs.
I have been working really hard to do everything with a purpose and to know what I'm doing. there is something i do a lot in the piece and thats laugh. which when you consider the performance is set in a wake is fairly significant. I think my persona is that of someone who just wants to make light of the situation, i want people to laugh with me and celebrate Chaplin and ourselves but i can never quite escape the confines of the wake.
OH AND WE HAVE CURTAINS!!! CHEERS PHIL COLLIN'S
Thursday, 5 May 2011
Rehearsal 32-37
THE INTENSIVE WEEK
27/4/11 to 03/5/11
27/4/11 to 03/5/11
So I'm going to write this week up as one long rehearsal... because essentially that is hat it has been. We came back roughly a week early from Easter break so we would have free rein over the spaces.
This week was great, really great. I think the break from rehearsals over Easter let me really think about what I thought the piece was lacking. I came back a little apprehensive about how this weeks rehearsals will go. I was frightened that I would not find my passion and why with piece... but I can say now after this week I think I have.
As much as I should have probably been mussing over the material we have and generating ideas for material to come on the week or so we had off, but honestly I kind of let myself forget about it. I felt almost guilty first rehearsal back as every one came in talking about how they could not stop thinking about ideas all through Easter. I had thought but I think just because before Easter I was stressing about the performance I needed some time to calm down about it and come back with a new and fresh attitude, I think before the pressure of this being my last ever performance was getting to me.
The first thing we all agreed was that we need to just have fun with it... to stop being so ridged. We have good scenes and text to work with but the way it is structured now is not necessarily the best way, we are not talking about going right back to the drawing board but rather being playful with the good material that we have made to further improve it. When I came into rehearsal and realizes that everyone agreed we needed to play with it, I got really excited.
I realized, no we realized that the idea and method we were using of embodying one of his children was really smothering the potential of the piece. Every two minuets we all had to ask ourselves would Christine or Victoria, or whoever we were do this? It was not the, meticulous questioning we disliked, but we could all see that this meticulous thinking really wasn't helping our piece at all, in fact I believe its stiffening it.
Going through the piece without such restriction is refreshing and we are all putting ourselves into the actions we carry out, this is naturally lifting the piece. Also it think if I have learned one thing in my three years its that although I do not believe in an all encompassing self, its impossible when performing to escape what others perceive to be you. When watching Helen Mirren in 'The Queen' you never one think I'm watch the Queen on TV you think I'm watching Helen Mirren as the queen. I think it’s so important to me that this piece is more about us than Chaplin’s relations... or even Chaplin himself. I think we should use Chaplin’s work and legacy to make our own legacies in this performance. Also the themes of death witch are present, I realized are very poignant because although hopefully none of us will die we will all be leaving the 'uni' part of our life behind to start a new life in the big bad world :) and this performance marks the transition from uni life to the next.
The main factors we looked at this week was omitting any unnecessary text... we were doing an awful lot of redundant chit chat and where as in previous performances I have made text in the rambling conversational style worked, this piece is far more choreographed ad controlled so we need to be carful about what we say and the way we say it.
The idea of putting in speech bubbles and title boards as homage to silent films is being work shopped I'm not quite sure where I stand on it. I think maybe they could work it on them was written personal facts about us the performers. We shall see how they come but they have not quite found their place yet.
We have also been rehearsing with food, witch makes the piece sooooooooooooo much better, and really you would not believe it. I don’t know why but we all agree that watching people on stage eating is very endearing and we fully intend to play on this.
Our piece this week had developed a real aesthetic that I am new to yet fond of. Its quite surreal with odd jarring gestures and allot going on yet for the most part everyone is quite calm and does nothing o extraverted. I think having so many people on stage means if we all do something even quite little at the same time it is, for the audience, quite frantic, even though individually we feel like we are underperforming (if such things exist).
Because we do want some down time in the piece for us as performers and to give the audiences eyes a rest we need an off stage. The buffet is great and essential to the piece but it does the opposite of provide an off stage it is very entertaining to look at and when the performers are picking at it I found it (when I was the outside eye) quite mesmerizing. We are having our own mobile theatre curtain built. Especially for us. Two of them that we will use to hide prefers behind. Also if they are curtains they fit with our vaudeville theatre theme and also allow us to make grand entrances. The man who is building them for us is called ...Phil Collins :)
Another thing we have finalized this week is the structure of the piece. Its a circle. it begins in wake and ends in the wake and there are many subtle levels in between. i think the image we begin with of all of us in a line making direct eye contact with the audience will be the ending image.
the end is near now. its hitting us all i think that we are finished soon... and i think this piece could be quite an emotional one.
Another thing we have finalized this week is the structure of the piece. Its a circle. it begins in wake and ends in the wake and there are many subtle levels in between. i think the image we begin with of all of us in a line making direct eye contact with the audience will be the ending image.
the end is near now. its hitting us all i think that we are finished soon... and i think this piece could be quite an emotional one.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)