Thursday 16th April - Lesson 6

Thursday 16th April

Today we recorded the moment of choral speaking and some breath. We did this so that we would be able to have a real sense of intimacy with the audience when performing our chorus section. This was because our voices would surround the audience in a fuzzy cocoon whilst they watch us perform below them, making them feel like a piece of the play but in a dream like way.

We also discussed how the pieces that we are creating are relevant for a contemporary audience.

My piece is relevant because it is supported with modern footage and events such as the London riots and the 2004 Japanese tsunami. We used modern footage to incorporate a timeless feeling to the play, and it was used to show the badness that lingered in the past but is still here today and bounds to be here in the future. It also helps to get the moral of our scene across (that being that if you do bad, then bad things are bound to happen to you) (In our scene Tiresias is warning Creon of the badness that is bound to surround him if he does not change his ways. He sees visions of what he should expect - this is where we introduced the footage).

The multimedia which we incorporated into the piece reflects the modernness which we tried to capture. The footage which we used shows modern pictures of riots and natural disasters which also matches what Tiresias the blind prophet (who could easily be portrayed as an old senile man today) was saying.

Our group didn't use any footage that we made ourselves however did create some footage of horrible things which we found online, this was supported by music and a laser which helped to get across this idea of an 'obscured vision' - type of dream' across to the audience.

We didn't need to plan much as a group. We gave individuals tasks to complete and just got on with it. One of my tasks was to find a couple of black masks which Natasha and myself would wear throughout our scene along with some ruby red lipstick. This however didn't manage to happen as the masks arrived late and came the day after the performance, and we both decided to give the lip stick a miss as it would have gone perfectly with the masks. This was a shame but didn't give us any disadvantage as we knew that delivery services were not something that we should necessarily rely on, and so we thought of the masks as something to experiment with once they had arrived rather than counting on them.

Some of the scenes from groups:

We then shared our scenes so far. Here are some of the notes:

1. This scene was very good. I really enjoyed it. I was slightly confused with what the guards were doing at first but throughout the scene it was very obvious that they were modern guards because of the language which they used. I loved the characterization! Jamie and Daniela both were completely different to the guards (both status wise and presence wise). Jamie and Daniela were very serious and probably showed the most emotion out of everyone, they really gave it their all whereas Gloria, Oliver and Conner on the other hand, also matched their passion and confidence however were more relaxed and intimate with the audience. I really liked the contrast though (it was almost like mixing cartoon stereo types with mature realistic and professional human beings).The split scene worked very well and I love how it wasn't the typical type of split scene where one part of the scene would freeze before the other begins, but instead continued at the same time (when Gloria, Oliver and Conner were performing, Jamie and Daniela were miming and visa versa). This made the scene more realistic and enjoyable to watch. The neatness needs to be developed as the scene get messy at times, but overall the piece was amazing, it was modern and the entertaining.

2. Tim and Antonia were funny but at places the jokes were a bit 'dead' and the play ran dry at times. This was hardly at all, but did occur a few times (this could easily be improved with practice along with a constant flow).The piece contained modernness (mobile phone use) and was also very funny. For example, the guards relationship which could easily be misjudged as abuse, the scene almost turned into a double act of idiots (which was very much what I believe they tried to capture with their characters personas - this worked very well).Tim and Antonia both broke the aspect of the 4th wall when they both addressed the audience.

3. I loved how a chorus was added into the piece. It meant that the scene could capture a modern audience but whilst keeping its authentic and traditional formation. To improve this scene I would encourage the group to share out the lines a bit more because Loyde said a lot in comparison to others (but that is only opinion, it looks fine the way that it is) but then that would most likely take away from the chorus like feeling which is what I like most about the piece. I loved the unison, cannon and physicality that the chorus used throughout the scene. It showed variety which was what many scenes lacked. This group did not use multimedia however I believe they made a video to contribute to the piece.


4. I liked the status in this group. Jake appeared bigger physically and spoke with the correct pronunciation whereas Beni sounded peasant like and held himself low to the ground, was very hunched over etc. I also loved how a modern and daily experience for most of us was added into the piece, this was the news. It mean that the piece was instantly modernized and was relative to the majority of the audience. I don't think the group need to improve particularly, apart from tightening up like the rest.

5. This scene was very slick and cool, it had all the top dogs looking their finest. The two guards had brilliant Russian accents but kept to the modern language. I really liked this about this group because it meant that they kept Antigone fairly the same however transported us form Greece to Russia.


6. This group created a torch lit scene where the point of interest was lit by mobile phone torches which were held by the chorus. The chorus were lacking a role in the piece, I think they needed more to do however the little they did was perfect.


7. My scene was okay. In my opinion it was lacking a lot and not many of us on stage knew what we were doing, we just kind of improvised however we did manage to do it and save ourselves the humiliation of not knowing what we were doing at all. We used footage as our multimedia but it was not shown in this run through. To improve we need to fix everything and practice a lot, there wasn't much that didn't need improvement which says a lot.

Creative Performance - Lesson 4

Today we explored two versions of the scene between Antigone and Creon. 

The script my partner and I shared had a very modern style. And I think the writer managed to use a contrast of the traditional language along with a more modern type.

Our script opposed to the other script was more modern however managed to have a more effective grasp on a current audience without using violent language. Whereas the other script was more brutal and fierce, containing a huge amount of passion however appeared to be more relevant to an older audience as it was less interesting. Also the script I had seemed to present Antigone as this brave female and Creon as a evil monster whereas the other version made both characters a similar status.

The language used, changed the characters persona's completely. Antigone was perceived as the fiery girl in one version but merely as a spark trying to flame in the other, as she was overridden by Creon.

In groups we then created a version of Antigone focusing on setting it in a specific context. By doing this we had to focus on the use of the language in the piece. The group that I was in consisted of Eric, Robin, Connor, Will, Logan, Max and I.

My group and I created a piece that was based in the 'East End' which consisted of the 'The King' and his 'Roadmen' that had stumbled across two twin sisters digging up their brother from 'The Kings' graveyard. It was set in 'The Kings' throne room (which could have been anywhere - probably a park bench or some ratchet set)

Characters:
2 Twin sisters that made us Antigone (Robin and I, we both played menacing twins that were ruthless but also extremely funny)
1 King aka Creon (Logan, he played a leader that bossed his sidekicks around and scared everyone but was very funny and had a phobia of germs)
2 Roadmen (Conner and Eric, played two of the Kings top men and were seen as mean but also slightly dumb helpers)
2 Guards (Will and Max reported Antigone's crime to the King and then fetched her to the King)

We used a a lot of violent language to try and capture a modern audience. This language ranged anywhere between 'You dare to rebel against me' to 'We're your fucking nieces!'. We used this language in the hopes of being able to reach out to a modern audience.

Loyde, Danielle, Matilda, Tim and Amaia:
The performance contained top notch stereotypes which made the piece very funny. The posh accents used were exaggerated and the element of 'food' was used to the performers advantage (in a comedy type of way). I loved the status which was clearly represented with a change of voice, body language and posture. This meant that the audience got the most out of the piece as there was a consistency in the way in which the performers held themselves.

Sarah, Mateo, Pheobe, Ella, Sherene and Ellis:
This group used modern and explicit language throughout the piece. The performance was a little messy however the humour that was intertwined throughout the piece saved the performance. The plot of the story was delivered in a relatable way and it was the only performance to actually include the death of a girl (Antigone). By including the death of the girl it made the piece feel more complete.

Alabama, Natasha, Clement, Stacey, Oliver and Chris:
This group didn't stick out as much as the other groups for me, but it did include the element of humour, which seemed to be a something that every group decided to interpret into their piece. The audience got a little confused at times but understood was going on more or less. I loved how the group put Antigone in a modern pub, it was a nice twist which could actually be improved upon and put into our final performance.

Rory, Benji, Michelle, Nina, Antonia and Daniel:
The only performance to actually include multimedia. We were not asked to include any form of multimedia into our performances however I love that them knowing that they would eventually have to do this, actually meant that they gave it a go so early on during rehearsals. And it really paid off, the piece was amazing and a delight to watch. The multimedia and language used created a modern piece that meant that the show was relevant to younger audiences that could relate to things such as phones and music. It was definitely the most creative piece, using technology however didn't convey the story as much as other groups did so therefore didn't deliver as much as the should have to the audience. The group didn't exactly complete the task given however I think they actually strived for the best and challenge themselves and tried to surprise us, which is exactly what they did. 

Frankie, Jake, Roseby, Teago and Zach:
This performance was set around the Busy Malone era, which also entitled the actors to use the Chicago gangsta accents which they managed to deliver perfectly. The piece was action packed which is exactly what an audience member wants, something exciting which they can feed off of and conduct energy from, this piece definitely delivered. It was very funny to watch and I wish it lasted longer.

Set Design Task...

This Easter holidays we needed to design a set for our own version of Antigone. We needed to imagine that we'd have as much money as we needed to create this, therefore we had no limits on our ideas.

We needed to think carefully about designing something that helps the audience to understand our version of the play. 

Our version is meant to be relevant for an audience today. 

Here is my design:

This shows a simple format and layout in which our scene could be performed in.

 It is set in a dark environment. I wasn't sure whether to set it in a black room or a very dark forest, either would be effective.

The audience should be seated in a proscenium arch layout. This is because  the way in which I have envisioned the performance, no other other seating layout would be relevant nor enable the audience to see what's happening on stage clearly. 

I have mainly used red, white and black to symbolize the abstract fierceness of the colours and how they are all strong and bold, however will not mix because they are like oil in water. They symbolize the blood of war, the pain from death and the avenging furies of hell. 

I drew this image to show what the set of Antigone would look like if I had a lot of money. This would be for the scene that Antigone's dead body is found in the cave (The name ' Side Ship' also comes from what could be a group of 'Side Chicks aboard the ship).

Multimedia - Lesson 3

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O704ld5WQnk

The Theatre production uses multimedia to communicate this idea of being lost in what I can only imagine to be an imagination or mindset of some kind (after more research I found out it was based on a boy with autism and is mainly set in the autism spectrum). It's all very much set in the matrix and allows the performance to be free flowing and different. The performance itself creates illusions to mimic literal action in an abstract way. This goes really well with this play in particular because it is about an imagination and after all imaginations aren't normal they are abstract and have bits and bobs everywhere. The illusions enhance the storyline and captures a modern audiences attention with its uniqueness. The lasers, projections and lights used, create some kind of a barrier between the audience and what is going on; on stage (it's almost like a shield protecting the audience from getting lost in the mind of the person). You are unable to interact with the actors in this performance however the audience still feel very much a part of the piece, this is because it stuns and leaves the audience in a state of hypnosis from start to finish. Sounds are also used and come from all directions making the play more realistic instead of the usual idealistic tradition of all the sound coming from the sounds room located at one spot in the theatre. Because of fluidity with the directions of the sounds, it makes the performance truly come to life and more realistic even in a fake world. The multimedia conveys a high level of newness and endless opportunities ahead. The multimedia gave the piece a contemporary perspective which meant that the play explored certain areas in a depth that previously didn't exist. It did this by focusing on the main subject and magnifying it in an unusual form. For example, the main character embarks on a trip and has to take the underground train service. The stage which resembles the underground, quickly changes into something else. An array of projections and sound (of course we can all relate to noise of the underground services but this noise is different, it’s slowed down. And the lights are very abstract and magnified through different shapes which move at different speeds).