25/4/16:
Today we could actually carry on with blocking since some cast and myself are back from helping with "The Man of Mode". Karen decided that instead of blocking act 2 we'd instead block act four since the set will change at this point and she wanted a better idea of how it can work also our rehearsal room will be used so no is the best time to start that. The stage has gone from 3 catwalks connected by a back to a back catwalk with two sections of stage in front of it and a ladder in the centre.
Ideas in my scenes/Input:
One feature of Brecht is that a characters decision should be shown. As in you should show them them making it regardless of which option you end up choosing. A moment like that happens in my first scene of the act. A moment where Sarah is telling me she has a new job I thought that Colin wouldn't want to hear about it and would only say he has a headache just in case she ends up going on another rant pressuring g him to get a job. It's that moment that I get up and decide to leave but I'm stopped.
Me and Chloe mad a little moment where we quickly yet awkwardly look at each other when Liberty says "Why she's trying so hard". The look just quickly establishes the awkwardness between them since I feel Colin isn't attracted to jasmine and the fact that he going through this whole situation with his wife's sister is slightly awkward and they both acknowledge that with this small look.
The moment when we are walking to the south bank and Jasmine goes on about how many people are checking Colin out, the script just says "!". At first I didn't know what that could mean so I just went with what felt natural after reading that. When walking off and she says "Six" to trigger it I just sharply turn round and make a face that says "Shut up" in a somewhat playful yet serious manner but only showing it in my face.
Karen said to us today that if there was any point that we felt like moving then do so, do what feels natural to try it out so the scenes aren't too static but also keep the movements in while the style and not be too naturalistic. A moment for me was when I walk around to the front when Sarah is talking about getting her job for a company. I walk around to the front of the stage and face out to the audience as though I'm talking to her. After I've had my rant while facing forward I walk to the right or the platform I'm standing in front of. I did this which gave Katrina a chance to come up and be more direct with Colin. It's a very nice scene and probably my favourite one so far. The moments I moved did seem to help the flow of the scene and it looks good from what I can tell, I'm happy that these little moments of experimenting worked.
While in the shop "Liberty's" I come out with my suit on and I had an idea for when I come out and show them. While Jasmine and Liberty are on the platform, I could stand at the front beside it looking outward to the audience as if they were a mirror and I'm checking myself out and playing with the suit while talking to them. We showed Karen and she liked it but felt it could be better so she asked us if we could put jasmine on the sofa, Liberty next to it standing up and me come out on to the platform above them. I do think this is an improvement and I even kept my mirror idea in although now I'm facing to the side so I can see both the audience and the other cast members.
Strengths and weaknesses:
Strengths: A strength of today is that me and my groups and people I was in scenes with were very focused today and very willing to go along with direction and also decide things for them =selves even if they weren't stuck to such as Karen changing our staging in liberty's but even then we all tried and I'm glad we did. Also I really like the staging for the second half of the play. The difference in how it looks and how it will still keep consistent with the style I think is great. It still has the same potential for a Brechtian approach and I like it.
Weaknesses: To be honest there was nothing really wrong with today, I guess I could say that some of the scenes took a while and a few attempts to get right such as me coming in to talk to Katrina but that's a good thing from my point of view. It's trying to get the scene right no matter what and it wasn't frustrating. It was good to see the gradual improvement of what I was doing and the effect it had. Also I could say that our staging idea got changed is a bad thing but it was improved so that's good as well so overall today was good day and I don't really have anything negative to say about it.
Information on Colin:
What does Colin say about himself?
- He says that he is in big trouble because he might come home with the wrong ingredient which gives an idea about his unsteady relationship with his wife.
- He said he's never "Fucked shit up" meaning that he has never really had the chance to be rebellious and have a free spirit. He claims it's for the sake of dignity it's best to avoid this but it is definitely something he's regretting thinking as he's gotten older. He never says that latter part but it's obvious that he does want to act a bit more like that.
- He says he's never been a city boy meaning that he has never experimented with drugs and partying or just a wild lifestyle. He doesn't even smoke so he's probably never done anything out of his comfort zone probably other than picking up Sarah from her protests but even then he wasn't too involved with them.
- He mentions a girl pinching his behind and then seeing his face and being disgusted by him. This gives me the obvious impression that when Colin was growing up he was not very popular with women or even just people to be honest. I think that Sarah has probably been his only committed partner. Also I feel he views himself as very unattractive because of that little story.
What do other characters say about Colin?
- Sarah says that she thinks him buying a Coldplay album is similar to what an old woman would do.
- Sarah mentions she thinks Colin is an amazing man to carter but all he does is look at her when she comes in so it means Colin also feels resentment towards her instead of just her feeling it towards him.
- Sarah says Colin used to think she was more attractive when she stood up for things that mattered and now that she's moved on to something less exciting it has made him long for something more. He used to actually help her to a degree but now she's more independent and gone against her older morals he has lost respect for her a little.
- Sarah is often telling Colin to get a job. In fact it's the first thing she says to him when she comes in. This annoys my character. He feels that the love has gone from their relationship. He also finds it extremely annoying and even at points goes to walk off when she mentions it such as in act 4 when he says he has a headache. It doesn't say in the script if it's real but I say it's fake because he doesn't want her going on another rant about finding work.
- Jasmine says he would probably be on his own and has a lot of time on his hands. This adds to what I was saying about him wanting more. To most people just spending all their time at home is not enough so to Colin, a man who wants more out of life it's definitely not enough to satisfy him and that's why he is looking up things that give him hope or just make him a little happier.
- Jasmine says Colin is going through a midlife crisis which is true since he wants to change his life and he's got issues with how everything is going. He's having marital issues and he wants more but can't get it since things such as pressure from his wife are getting in the way.
- Sarah says that he used to hate what she used to do such as throwing things through windows or protesting and Colin replies with "At least we argued about things that mattered"
- Jasmine says he's had a tough life to which he replies "Fuck it" meaning he is ready to move on and can see the potential in this as 5 women have checked him out while he is in the suit in a very short amount of time.
- Both Steve and Sarah are surprised by him buying the suit so this means no one would expect someone this shy and reserved to go all out like that so suddenly. It's quite jarring to them.
What does the writer say about Colin in the script?
The writer puts a fair few of Colin's felt emotions in the stage directions and their is no character biography in the script to my knowledge.
- It says after the burlesque scene that he is STILL carrying his shopping which can also suggest something about it. Maybe Sarah told Colin to go instead of her meaning that she can boss him around a bit.
- It says I enjoy watching the student girls dance that I'm looking at on the Internet. Also that I want to join in to point where I literally stand up. This shows my enthusiasm for it and how much I desire to be a part of it and need to try it.
- It says that when I sing to myself I am restrained and shy and this is when I'm on my own so it means I have very little self confidence.
- It then says that I sit motionless and sad, this is due to him realising that he'll probably never actually be able to get involved in all this since he's stuck in this situation.
- It says that his sigh when being told he'll be helped and sorted out is a strange depressing one. This could be him realising "Yeah, I really do need to sort myself out or I am gonna be stuck like this". It will take effort and time but if he doesn't do anything now then he can't at all.
- During the dancing scene it says he is not used to moving his body. When I gain confidence it isn't ironic and that he is really going crazy because he wants to. It shows what he wants to really be like, wild and generally care free.
- It says he stops her kissing him which to me confirms my idea of him having no real attraction to her.
- It says that when Colin comes out with the suit "He looks fantastic". I get that when he sees himself he also feels fantastic, he sees what he's wanted to see for years. He's gone all out but worries that he may look slightly silly due to lack of confidence.
28/4/16:
Today we blocked the first few pages of act 3 in the script. This means we staged the prologue and only the slightest bit with me and Jasmine in it.
Input:
Me and Chloe decided that this scene would take place on the stage left catwalk in the middle of it. We would stand at the front facing outwards when speaking to each other at the door. She then walks past me to sit down on the sofa and I don't sit down on it until she offers the drugs and alcohol. This was a very small amount of scene that we blocked although I quite like what we have done with it and I'm starting to see what the rest of the scene can lead to when we block the rest of act 3 such as how we can move forward to sing at the front of the stage and possibly even go crazy and go off of the catwalks which would be quite fun although it means that we could potentially distract from the moments of Carter and Sarah which would not be a good thing.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Strengths: A strength of today was that despite the very short amount of time we had did get something done. Everyone was off blocking their individual moments and came back with some good results. Even though me and Chloe only got a small section of our overarching scene in the act we liked what we came out with and even what other people had done such as I really liked the way the scene between Max (Robert) and Jack A (Steve) turned out. It's an engaging, funny and well performed scene.
Weaknesses: The only real weakness of today was that due to other arrangements with college the class didn't actually have that long in order to block the act so that resulted in only a few scenes being properly blocked and it meant the cast had to block them individually instead of going through the acts as usual with Karen however what we got was still great and even if it was a small amount it was great what we got.
Aim:
My aim for the next session is to hopefully expand on this staging and I hope I can suggest going off of the stage at some point for the dance scene if we get that far because I'm really hopeful with how it's all going. I also need to carry on my research because I feel there's still more to uncover such as theme work and of course anything to do with Colin.
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