The play was a success, everyone managed to commit to their roles and live in the world of the play, it was much better than I though it would be.
As we entered the space the atmosphere was tense and exciting. Moving as teenagers in the dark chatting, laughing and throwing paint really engaged the audience because they had no idea what was going on. The paint was really effective because it helped transform us into the nation. However, unfortunately the lighting cue did not occur so we were waiting for a long period of time, this allowed a drop in energy and the audience noticed there was a problem. In order to improve this we could have kept the energy by moving around until the lights came up.The transition into the sailor scene I believe was quite weak. Rolling out the blue sheets was very difficult and sadly we lost grip so it was not completely stretched out. This occurred because everyone was so full of adrenaline from the previous scene, that the four of us who were stretching out the sheets found it difficult to work together from opposite sides of the room. If we had had more rehearsal time with the blue sheets then the transition would have been slicker but we only introduced them in the performance on the day. However, after this we managed to pull our audience back. The slow motion of the sailors and the dramatic shouting and praying from the balcony created a tense and shocking atmosphere. The use of the balcony to define the ship was very clear because underneath we could see the waves tormenting the ship. The drowning and zombie section I believe went really well because the whispering of 'Imo made the sea', created an eerie atmosphere. We all managed to keep these creepy, inhuman characters throughout the scene and it established the style of the play to the audience. Working as an ensemble in this section was extremely important because we were all playing the same characters and we didn't want to distract audience, because they needed to focus on Mau and his father to understand the events that had just occurred.
The next scene I appeared in was the sea scene. Again we had to work as an ensemble using movement to portray the tide coming in and out. We decided to add the voiceless fricative of 'Shhhh' sounds to make our low swaying movement more believable. The sound was loud so that the audience knew what we were resembling. It was very important for us to be fully committed to the movement because in order for the audience to know what we were, we had to really become part of the sea. This scene went particularly well, the lift with Sam was smooth and we managed to personify the sea, by grabbing at Kit. Our exit was well thought out as the marching introduced the raiders who appeared in the next scene also marching.
During the birth scene all the girls ran on stage and began chanting under their breath. This was effective because it showed the difference between Daphne thinking science and knowledge could help whereas the tribal women believed it was all about women wisdom, and their gods helping them. The lift up helped Amber and Tahlia create the baby shape and the sighs were appreciated by the audience because finally the dramatic screaming and shouting had stopped. Giggling and running after Tahlia was a good exit because after seeing the difference between English and tribal custom we were also able to show the similarities, for example love and romance.
The other ensemble scenes performed in Act one, scene 10, 15 and 16 were also successful. Our tribal chants were powerful and believable and everyone one was fully devoted to the performance. By us all believing we were pigs and dream fish we could convince the audience. The moment I found most difficult was the funeral song because it was changed last minute to only me and Katie singing which made me very nervous.
Overall after talking to the audience, act one was successful however they did find it quite loud and confusing because so many different things were going on. They believed that act two brought everything together and was easier to understand. Scenes one to four were a constant flow, the transitions were smooth, the atmosphere was lively and it was easy to understand. Scene one really created the setting of the tribal village and the happy birthday dance added a modern idea to the play. I particularly liked the hand gesture scene over Jacob because here two scenes were taking place simultaneously and it created a spiritual feeling. We used a similar technique of gestures in the performance of Blackout - http://hollygarciablackoutresearch.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/techniques.html
The scenes I played Daphne in I believe also went well, they flowed from line to line, we got lots of laughs for the grandmother character and the audience believed in the relationship between Mau and Daphne.
Evaluation of myself
One performance skill I used was right at the beginning of the project when we received the script. I decided to break down the script and give myself objectives for my lines and also when on stage as part of the ensemble. This gave me a purpose for being on stage and created an atmosphere, for example when we were all in the watch scene, we all had the objective to look, this meant we were all connected by focusing on the same point so it created a tense atmosphere. Also by marking out my thoughts and analysing the text in my free time it allowed me to learn my lines easier and be able to offer ideas and suggestions during rehearsals so that the directors had more options to review.
Research was an extremely important skill. In order to fully understand the play we had to complete research on tribes, history, Victorians, and prop work. This took lots of time and dedication however it resulted in a more believable play. We also did lots of research on staging ideas. At the beginning of the process we took notes on each scene, collectively thinking of ideas such as the blue material for the wave and the extra steps over the stage. Throughout every rehearsal we made notes on our movements and the staging so we knew exactly where moments would take place. The project was quite technical because it involved lighting, sound and props. however by careful planning it was a success.
In addition I believe I showed effect instincts during the performance, we had a very short space of time in a space we didn't know to rehearse, therefore we had to lead with our instincts. For example when Cox was first talking to Mau I decided to stand on the steps so I was separated from the nation to show the audience I was who Cox was looking for. The play we took on was very difficult therefore we all had to use a lot of imagination. We had to be able visualise the space during rehearsals because we were unable to rehearse in Stanley Halls until the day of the show and also we had to live in the world of the play. We had to be part of the world because the play chosen was not very realistic so we had to believe in what we were doing so that the audience could see it too, for example we had to really believe we were a pig otherwise the audience would just see a group of teenagers in a huddle having a laugh and making noises.
Furthermore in the actual play we had to use voice skills, physicality and emotion. In order to show different characters I used my physicality for example when tribal I was quite low and animalistic whereas when I played Daphne I was upright to show that I was originally Victorian. I also used my voice and body as one when being the sea and performing the tribal chants because they had to work together to portray the character. Voice work was extremely important when adapting to the huge space. I had to project my voice to both sides of the audience and when Daphne I had to articulate and used 'received pronunciation' which I practised in my voice lessons by performing tongue twisters in the warm ups. Emotion was another key skill this could only be achieved by knowing my objectives (my purpose for being on stage) and living and reacting in the scenes.
I communicated my role as Daphne by wearing the orange bracelet and a white dress to show how she was innocent and different to the rest of the tribe, also by using an aristocratic voice and adapting my posture. This play did not allow for television acting, we had to be almost over the top because the space in which we were performing was so big, this meant that any small acting would be lost. Each character I played was changed by size and body. I communicated my intention by the colour of my voice, not throwing away any lines and creating soundscapes for example the sea. Our theatrical conceit was an imaginative concept, in order for the audience to believe in our skateboards as boats, us as teenagers breaking in to an abandoned building we had to believe in it ourselves. The style we performed used simple and subtle props but it was a difficult play. In order for the audience to understand, we had to understand it ourselves by knowing our objectives and believing in the play. There were lots of cross-cutting between scenes, but the intention was clear by the interesting entangled trees, the environment of the sea, pigs and also the use of bandanna's for the raiders. (This was an extremely clever idea by Toby because every time they came on stage the audience was able to recognise them.)
I made a significant contribution to the piece by putting in effort, commitment and not being distracted. I made notes on my script and staging diagrams for every scene even ones I was not in. I committed to the ensemble, turned up to extra rehearsals and helped my cast members when they were unsure. I was prepared for rehearsals by learning my lines, cue lines and ensemble lines in the process, researching lyrics and tribal culture and using diagrams to familiarise myself with the space. Cue lines were particularly important because in some parts 50 people (the ensemble) relied on the same cue line. I also lead in some Thursday rehearsals when people didn't know what they were doing in the 'beer' scene, I remained in character throughout the play and I did not draw attention when in the ensemble. This was a live piece of theatre so I was able to react for the audience and play with what was given in the performance.
I have learnt over the past two years at the Brit school that acting doesn't have to be perfect, it's called a play because we are supposed to play with it, make mistakes in order to find out what feels right. During this project I particularly learnt how to quickly adapt to a space, as an actor we should be flexible and be able to perform anywhere. Also when acting you need to use your time well, be motivated to learn your line and objectives and get the most out of it. I learnt that acting isn't just about the performance, its about the research, prop making and rehearsals, everything done before the performance counts. Acting in an Ensemble means you are not trying to make yourself look good, you should be making everyone else look good because it is as important as performing a monologue. Acting has no limitations, the more practice you have and the more skills and techniques you learn the better an actor you become and you also need to be able to improvise in case things go wrong. Finally Acting is truthful, you are becoming a character, living as the character, everything to do with you should be forgotten in order to become a different person.
I have learnt that personally I am not a very confident person, I get embarrassed over silly things and I find it difficult singing in front of people but I know that confidence doesn't matter because I know that I am willing to try new things and I know its OK to fail. I also learnt that I should have more trust and belief in people because we were able to pull it together in the end. Additionally I need to learn how to stress less and enjoy the rehearsal period instead of worrying all the time because time and energy in the rehearsals pays off. Everyone needs to be at the same level in order for the performance to work well and finally I need to be both selfish and selfless. When I am the focus I need to show my character and project but as part of the ensemble the focus should not be on me. I have learnt that true acting is finding the balance between the former two attributes.
WWW
I remembered my lines, cue lines and objectives so every line sounded like I was saying them for the first time. I took direction well in the end scenes and followed the idea that every scene is a chase scene, for example the spacing in the scene between me, D'nai and Charlie, we all allowed space and directed our lines to the audience. I took good notes which meant I could lead rehearsals on Thursdays. I really enjoyed the physical work especially being a tribal character. Finally I think I worked really hard on my vocal work this term, I was able to control my breathing which was useful alongside the physical work and I was able to project even within intimate moments.
EBI
Our transitions were better on the night but they could have been improved, there were still a few lulls in energy and we should have practised them better in rehearsals and they should have been thought about in more detail. I should have made my physical objectives more clear and researched more about the relationships between characters to be able to show more emotion. Unfortunately lots of us strained our voices through the shouting and chants but this could be improved through voice exercises and learning how to support our voice with our diaphragm. Finally I found it difficult to adapt to the space so I should have gone back to the technique of the dagger and shield and I should have made even more detailed notes because the little decisions and alterations make the play better like the precise chips in a sculpture make it beautiful.
