Today we were asked to come up with some titles for our scenes in "The Wardrobe". As far as I'm aware we only to do this for one scene that we're in and since I'm in 3 scenes I decided to name the one i was working on at the time of being told this. My scene is scene 12 and I'm working with Sam. The scene is about someone trying to get there upset friend out of a wardrobe he's hiding away in. The implied cause is that the friend had a private photo put on the Internet by someone else. We tried some names that were centered on what is happening in the scene but we found some titles that seemed more interesting and grabbing that were focused on the cause of the scene. The two we decided on in the end were "Exposed" and "Leaked". We thought these worked the best because they were the most interesting and they were short and to the point but just ambiguous enough so that you're intrigued and when you get context from the scene it'll make sense. although what made us think of them was both the incident of the photo itself being leaked and the other title focusing on how the character feels which could be exposed among other things. So while it may not sum up the scenes it does hint at the situation which i think could make it somewhat intriguing if the audience actually knows what the scenes are called. The other titles that i thought of were for example "In the closet" because it's both a reference to the implied sexuality of the character and it's a line from the script that just sounded like it implies this has happened before like it's a cycle or has happened repeatedly for different reasons, "Worksheet" as it's used as an excuse for both characters. Character one uses it as an excuse to get in the wardrobe and Character two uses it as an excuse to try and get his friend out of it so it's a plot devise used for similar motives but for different reasons. Another was "Betrayed" which kept to the quick and vague implication of the other two and also stuck to how the character was feeling but i felt at the time that it was somewhat cliched or unoriginal, or at least compared to the two we decided on but i still think it was a good one. The last one I remember was "Comfort and Rejection", this one i did like because it implied in a sense both characters objectives or at least some intentions and actions at parts in the scene but to be honest it didn't seem interesting compared to the others. So overall we went with our two titles because they are quick and to the point while also being vague enough about the emotion or the situation to be somewhat intriguing which is what grabs the audience's/readers attention.
Rehearsal developments:
Scene 5: This scene has only had one rehearsal since the last blog and even then that was out of class time.
Development and understanding and creative ideas:
We decided to try and read the script while doing the stage directions and had stuck to keeping the lines in french and overall it went much better than the first rehearsal because we stopped worrying about the choreography so much and just did what we could. That does contradict what I thought last time but seeing as we're not focusing on it in class cause of time I thought it was necessary to compromise due to time restrictions but the movements themselves are fine for now but we will work on them. However Karen did mention that we may have to change the lines to English to to time which was actually quite disappointing to both me and Chloe due to it being half the reason we volunteered and changing the language would ruin the dynamic of the scene that most intrigued me.
Strengths and weaknesses:
The main weakness is that we haven't actually learnt the lines of the scene because we have been focusing on our other scenes during class time and Karen says to put more focus on those just in case this one gets cut. It is somewhat worrying but we are still focusing on other aspects of the scene so our time is being put to use.
A strength of this scene is that our choreography is getting much better and this is due to us deciding to change it or do what we can do. I thought it was necessary to compromise mainly due to the limited time we have to do this scene. If we were given more time in class we may have tried to stick to it more with the help of Karen but since she won't help us outside of class I thought we must do what we are able to and not worry about it too much as long as it fits the scene which at the moment it does.
Scene 9:
Development and understanding|:
This scene has had a few minor yet effective developments in terms of my character. Initially I thought that I may be disgusted by the article we're reading but Karen pointed out that my following dialogue suggests more intrigue in it which did come to mind but I just didn't use for some reason. Also to play up being defencive of the accusations the other boys throw my way seeing as they are somewhat serious and also to change up my performance and not have it so one note throughout the scene. Also Karen gave the good idea of adding in some pauses with sigh of surprised as if I'm overloaded with detail of the subject to show while I'm interested it's having an effect on me.
Creative Ideas:
We also tried the scene with music for the first time and it worked very well other than some cue issues which will be easily fixed when we have sound equipment because for now we're just using Max's phone. The music adds an atmosphere to the scene during the first part but during the last part as it changes it makes it very tense and according to Karen too tense but even then it was cause the music didn't cut off when it was supposed to so it will be more effective but in a different way when we actually do it. I gave the idea that it should cut off just before Mike says his final line which would emphasize it and possibly add some dread to the scenes closing.
Scene 12:
Further development:
This scene has mainly been to do with staging and talk of objectives to help us understand how we're supposed to say our lines. My characters objective seems to be that he wants to try get his friend out of the wardrobe and try to reassure him that the situation isn't as bad as he thinks. When keeping these things in mind it did add more naturalism to the tone of my voice so considering these things does help even the slightest bit. I need to appear more cautious when coming into the wardrobe because it matches my dialogue as I enter. This can add to the comedy to scene which makes the next subject and shift in tone more apparent so it should have a somewhat bigger impact. Since discovering these things me and Sam haven't been able to change much because of him either not focusing or being ill but we have progressed a bit which is good enough for now.
Friday 25 September 2015
Wednesday 23 September 2015
The Wardrobe Blog 1: Context and Rehearsal Notes (Updated)
We've been given our first play of the year entitled "The Wardrobe" and have received our parts. I have been given 2 scenes and volunteered for a third.
Scene 5:
This is the scene that both Chloe and I volunteered for. I was interested to do it mainly because of the fact that while the dialogue is written in English we have to do it in another language. That to me would stand out in the play and possibly make the scene more aggressive or more intriguing depending on how people interpret it. and the fact its open to interpret is what is interesting to me. also the challenge of learning lines in another language. The scene consists of one person teaching another person self defence, person 1 teaching moves and then person 2 eventually getting the upper hand in the fight. We assume that the two characters are siblings because the script says they are aged 13 and 15. The scene can take place at any point between 1665 and 1770.
Research:
From some of the historical events that happened around this period such as the french revolution, many religious wars and some of the things that were still allowed to happen such as burning people at the stake and the amount of street crime and generally less ability to enforce the law, I think it's safe to say that this was a much more violent time in history. This made me think that this is probably the motivation for the older sibling teaching the younger one to defend themselves. It does make sense with in the context of the time period and considering the age of my character. He is only a teenager and is far more vulnerable while on the streets so teaching the younger one is a logical thing to do.
Link: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/france-in-the-seventeenth-century/
Teamwork and Creative Ideas:
We have decided to do the scene in french for a couple of reasons.
1: It's a language that Chloe can find easier to learn and can do the accent on very well so due to the time limit we have, we want the easiest one possible to learn and due to that I have about lines I think we should focus on what suits Chloe more as she'll have more to do.
2: It will add an interesting dynamic to the scene because the audience won't fully understand what is going on and the vagueness of plot but violent nature should keep there attention so i think that sticking with another language is a good idea.
We've taken each others amount of lines into consideration and tried to make it so that it's easier for each other in general. Due to that i have 2 scenes already and Chloe finds learning the lines in french with the accent much easier than me so we have agreed that Chloe will be the older sibling and I'll be the one being taught.
Strengths and weaknesses:
The main weakness of rehearsing this scene was the choreography because we both fond it very hard to actually understand what the script was asking us to do. We could vaguely understand the movements but whenever either of us tried them they just seemed like they didn't work or were just awkward. I have a feeling it was probably due to that it was our first time doing them and that we just needed some help. Unfortunately this means we didn't get much done in terms of staging which is a shame but we will try next time we get a chance because we are doing this out of class time.
A strength of the day was that we did quite a few read throughs of the dialogue in English just so we could get our emphasis and the way we say our lines right or at least get an idea of how to do them before changing the words. Also while the choreography was pretty bad we did get quite a few people helping and suggesting to change it but at the moment we want to stick to the writers choices.
Scene 9: This scene I was originally in with Mike, Max and Pau but Pau has been recast with Brad. The scene takes place in a catholic boarding school in the year 1889 and focuses on a group of choir boys hiding in the wardrobe reading articles about Jack the ripper. I play a character named James and I have the lowest status of the four boys, he is the one that is mocked the most although he seems to be confident enough to insult or fight back so while he's arguably the lowest in terms of status he's not too low in general. This character I find somewhat easy to play due to him being somewhat similar to me so while it does work I do admit I'm somewhat disappointed that people said this was my better performance of the ones we did cause while it was natural I don't feel like I was proving anything in terms of acting seeing as he's like me anyway.right about. However I still think that it is a good character and I do enjoy playing him so there is no real problem for me.
Creative ideas and Input:
It was recommended that we use music from a game called "Bloodborne" due to it having very fitting music since it has a very similar setting to our scene and we decided that it would be timed to go with the final line in order to emphasize it and make it more impactful. I think that is an excellent idea and in motion will probably be great but I need more time with my other scenes since this is the one I've done the most work on. The ending to scene is possibly my favourite moment due to it being the most dramatic and most powerful moment. It is implied that the character tom is about to be violently or sexually abused b a Monk/priest working at the school. As we walk out of the wardrobe and leave him I have to stop and cross my heart. I decided to stay facing the front so I don't turn my back to the audience and to slowly cross my heart while having a sad face that signifies that he's upset he can't do anything but will still wan to. that's what I'm getting from it at the moment but that may change. The moment that it's implied he may be abused does seem to fit seeing as the catholic church does have a bit of reputation for these kinds of things even nowadays so back then during these horrible times it most likely would have been worse and more prominent.
Research: Since it's implied that the character is going to be sexually abused i thought I'd look up a history of sexual abuse with in the catholic church and from what i could find it says that's a lot less common place nowadays so it's safe to assume that it happened a lot more back then and seeing as it's a well known aspect of the bad side of the church it wouldn't be out of place for this to happen, especially with in the time period.
Link: http://www.themediareport.com/fast-facts/
Props: For this we will need just a news paper and a knife for Brad to use.
Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaUq8QiIb-U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5p_U8J0iRQ
Scene 12: This is a scene I got from the re casting and it's a scene that to be honest I'm not a huge fan of. I think it has some interesting vague plot elements but the characters to me at the moment aren't too interesting but I haven't had the scene long so I'll give it a chance and do it properly. It focuses on two school students sitting in the wardrobe which is in a museum in the year 2014 and it's implied that a photo (Presumably a nude photo) has been seen by the school and the family which leaked online. Going by what is said and the embarrassment the character is going through I came to the conclusion it is most likely that. My character is trying to get his friend who is upset out of the wardrobe so they can do a worksheet to do with a (assumed) history assignment or trip. My character has to be caring or sympathetic in order to convince the friend that the situation is a little out of proportion. That is my objective, to cheer him up and relieve him of the fear of the situation.
Creative Ideas and personal Aims:
Neither of us have at the moment done any staging of the scene as we decided to focus on the way we say our lines first and try remembering them but we will get onto staging at some point and it will improve no doubt. The scene does tackle the issues of the negative side social media and the impact it can have on a person and their trust and since it's a common enough problem for some people (Even people I know) it does fit and doesn't seem unlikely so it keeps the scene believable. Since I know people who have dealt with this I want the scene to grow on me so that I can do the subject matter justice.
Props: For me all I'll need is a watch, sheet of paper and a pen. Sam will need the same minus the watch but plus a phone.
Scene 5:
This is the scene that both Chloe and I volunteered for. I was interested to do it mainly because of the fact that while the dialogue is written in English we have to do it in another language. That to me would stand out in the play and possibly make the scene more aggressive or more intriguing depending on how people interpret it. and the fact its open to interpret is what is interesting to me. also the challenge of learning lines in another language. The scene consists of one person teaching another person self defence, person 1 teaching moves and then person 2 eventually getting the upper hand in the fight. We assume that the two characters are siblings because the script says they are aged 13 and 15. The scene can take place at any point between 1665 and 1770.
Research:
From some of the historical events that happened around this period such as the french revolution, many religious wars and some of the things that were still allowed to happen such as burning people at the stake and the amount of street crime and generally less ability to enforce the law, I think it's safe to say that this was a much more violent time in history. This made me think that this is probably the motivation for the older sibling teaching the younger one to defend themselves. It does make sense with in the context of the time period and considering the age of my character. He is only a teenager and is far more vulnerable while on the streets so teaching the younger one is a logical thing to do.
Link: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/france-in-the-seventeenth-century/
Teamwork and Creative Ideas:
We have decided to do the scene in french for a couple of reasons.
1: It's a language that Chloe can find easier to learn and can do the accent on very well so due to the time limit we have, we want the easiest one possible to learn and due to that I have about lines I think we should focus on what suits Chloe more as she'll have more to do.
2: It will add an interesting dynamic to the scene because the audience won't fully understand what is going on and the vagueness of plot but violent nature should keep there attention so i think that sticking with another language is a good idea.
We've taken each others amount of lines into consideration and tried to make it so that it's easier for each other in general. Due to that i have 2 scenes already and Chloe finds learning the lines in french with the accent much easier than me so we have agreed that Chloe will be the older sibling and I'll be the one being taught.
Strengths and weaknesses:
The main weakness of rehearsing this scene was the choreography because we both fond it very hard to actually understand what the script was asking us to do. We could vaguely understand the movements but whenever either of us tried them they just seemed like they didn't work or were just awkward. I have a feeling it was probably due to that it was our first time doing them and that we just needed some help. Unfortunately this means we didn't get much done in terms of staging which is a shame but we will try next time we get a chance because we are doing this out of class time.
A strength of the day was that we did quite a few read throughs of the dialogue in English just so we could get our emphasis and the way we say our lines right or at least get an idea of how to do them before changing the words. Also while the choreography was pretty bad we did get quite a few people helping and suggesting to change it but at the moment we want to stick to the writers choices.
Scene 9: This scene I was originally in with Mike, Max and Pau but Pau has been recast with Brad. The scene takes place in a catholic boarding school in the year 1889 and focuses on a group of choir boys hiding in the wardrobe reading articles about Jack the ripper. I play a character named James and I have the lowest status of the four boys, he is the one that is mocked the most although he seems to be confident enough to insult or fight back so while he's arguably the lowest in terms of status he's not too low in general. This character I find somewhat easy to play due to him being somewhat similar to me so while it does work I do admit I'm somewhat disappointed that people said this was my better performance of the ones we did cause while it was natural I don't feel like I was proving anything in terms of acting seeing as he's like me anyway.right about. However I still think that it is a good character and I do enjoy playing him so there is no real problem for me.
Creative ideas and Input:
It was recommended that we use music from a game called "Bloodborne" due to it having very fitting music since it has a very similar setting to our scene and we decided that it would be timed to go with the final line in order to emphasize it and make it more impactful. I think that is an excellent idea and in motion will probably be great but I need more time with my other scenes since this is the one I've done the most work on. The ending to scene is possibly my favourite moment due to it being the most dramatic and most powerful moment. It is implied that the character tom is about to be violently or sexually abused b a Monk/priest working at the school. As we walk out of the wardrobe and leave him I have to stop and cross my heart. I decided to stay facing the front so I don't turn my back to the audience and to slowly cross my heart while having a sad face that signifies that he's upset he can't do anything but will still wan to. that's what I'm getting from it at the moment but that may change. The moment that it's implied he may be abused does seem to fit seeing as the catholic church does have a bit of reputation for these kinds of things even nowadays so back then during these horrible times it most likely would have been worse and more prominent.
Research: Since it's implied that the character is going to be sexually abused i thought I'd look up a history of sexual abuse with in the catholic church and from what i could find it says that's a lot less common place nowadays so it's safe to assume that it happened a lot more back then and seeing as it's a well known aspect of the bad side of the church it wouldn't be out of place for this to happen, especially with in the time period.
Link: http://www.themediareport.com/fast-facts/
Props: For this we will need just a news paper and a knife for Brad to use.
Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaUq8QiIb-U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5p_U8J0iRQ
Scene 12: This is a scene I got from the re casting and it's a scene that to be honest I'm not a huge fan of. I think it has some interesting vague plot elements but the characters to me at the moment aren't too interesting but I haven't had the scene long so I'll give it a chance and do it properly. It focuses on two school students sitting in the wardrobe which is in a museum in the year 2014 and it's implied that a photo (Presumably a nude photo) has been seen by the school and the family which leaked online. Going by what is said and the embarrassment the character is going through I came to the conclusion it is most likely that. My character is trying to get his friend who is upset out of the wardrobe so they can do a worksheet to do with a (assumed) history assignment or trip. My character has to be caring or sympathetic in order to convince the friend that the situation is a little out of proportion. That is my objective, to cheer him up and relieve him of the fear of the situation.
Creative Ideas and personal Aims:
Neither of us have at the moment done any staging of the scene as we decided to focus on the way we say our lines first and try remembering them but we will get onto staging at some point and it will improve no doubt. The scene does tackle the issues of the negative side social media and the impact it can have on a person and their trust and since it's a common enough problem for some people (Even people I know) it does fit and doesn't seem unlikely so it keeps the scene believable. Since I know people who have dealt with this I want the scene to grow on me so that I can do the subject matter justice.
Props: For me all I'll need is a watch, sheet of paper and a pen. Sam will need the same minus the watch but plus a phone.
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