Blog post 4

'13' Presentations:

Today we started the week of by finishing the '13' mini presentations. My group, me Hannah and Soph presented our poster today along with others. As my groups constructive criticism was that we were all lacking confidence; and I feel as though this kept me back from embellishing the ideas that I had personally come up with and written on the poster. I felt as though I was in a difficult position because I provided the majority of the information which was then transferred onto the poster, as well as the rough design on the poster including the images, so I felt that the weight of the work wasn't balanced which is key to a good presentation because this way we could've all spoke about the separate research that we found and elaborated on them to give a detailed presentation. From this, I now know to go full out on all the information that I need to present and to "let myself shine" (Karen) because this is the only way that'll get my individual grade high. Another point for improvement was the lack of structure to our presentation, such as the order of speaking and exactly what we'll say for each section. By doing this it will make the presentation smooth and flow through meaning that the swap over of the speaker wont distract the audience rather than keeping their full attention on the information being given to them. Personally, I was really disappointed with the way I presented because I was extremely proud of the poster and the little bits of imagination about the book cover, the puzzle like effect and the info about my character, Rachel. However, I should have gone all out and explained to the audience how I came up with these ideas etc. So another of our improvements is to include the audience and eye contact. If I went on to explain each section that I imagined (book cover and the puzzles) this would be off my own back as such, which means I could give this straight to the audience using eye contact, rhetorical questions and the space, sort of like a stage, to address this to all of my audience members.

In a strange way, I'm pleased that I'm disappointed about the presentation because this way I now know fully how to improve and use all this criticism to improve for my official, graded presentation. Doing a good presentation is all very good, but I often find that its hard to beat or match the expectations, so I now know I can definitely beat this and feel confident, with noting down all the feedback for every group, that I can put on a good presentation.

My research from this presentation was:
The idea about the book cover being like the number is appearing as the 'light at the end of the tunnel' effect. The idea that the play represents a puzzle effect and that at the end, John matches all the pieces together like finishing the puzzle. I found all the information that was then transferred onto the poster via the interent and other knowledge that I collected from other peoples presentations and ideas shared in class.
These ideas that I put forward affected my interpretation of the play because I suggested that the play was a puzzle and John was the missing piece and then in the final scene of the play it all gets pieced together. So when it came to initially blocking this scene I had a set in stone representation that all of the characters had to solve what they've been struggling with throughout the play. Once we reached this scene, I felt that this idea was not going to work as we had 12 actors to solve the problems too. I was disappointed that we didn't get the opportunity to try this out; but it was a good experience for me because it showed me, physically, that some ideas just wont work and that we use the ladder effect to progress from an idea onto another to reach a level of which we are all pleased with and all contributed towards.  
          One of the  groups presentations was themed around Religion and Politics: which taught me about the effect a coalition had on the day-to-day people. The coalition is subtly hinted in '13' because Ruth brings in John and Stephen for their opinions about whether or not to go to war (in Act 4 Scene 8) This is also mentioned in Act 1 Scene 7 when she discusses the whole situation with Dennis and Sir Christopher. This is the slight mention of the coalition because Ruth is almost on her own in her decisions about the war; she brings in close friends who have authority such as Stephen and Sir Christopher, including John and Dennis. If she was in a coalition she would have someone, at the same level of authority, who would be someone she could discuss matters such as this and the outcome of the decision would lay on the two of them and not just Ruth. The coalition in modern day was decided in 2010 and was between David Cameron and Nick Clegg. Our country hasn't experienced a coalition since 1945. "Britain took a leap into the political unknown last night when the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats formed the first full coalition government in Britain since 1945, with David Cameron serving as the country's 52nd prime minister and Nick Clegg becoming his deputy." (http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/may/12/david-cameron-nick-clegg-coalition
"The leap into the 'unknown'" proves that this came as a shock to most citizens and noone knew what it entailed. Bartlett used this in '13' as it was such a big event in the years he was writing and publishing the script. 
        Another presentation was themed around Religion: mainly focusing on the 12 deciples. They described John as Jesus. Amir as Peter, being the spokesmen and a protestor in '13'. And Ruth as Judas.  I continued the research of the 12 disciples because I know that I dont know much about religion and I had not heard of the 12 disciples before '13'. 

Andrew is the first of the 12, he is a fisherman and was called on by Jesus. This is similar to Stephen and Ruth. Stephen is a lecturer, an ordinary occupation as was a fisherman. Ruth being the one with the authority calls on Stephen for help on the discussion of war. 

James could be linked with Dennis. James (the elder) is described as "a member of the Inner Circle, so called because they were accorded special privileges.http://www.bibleinfo.com/en/questions/who-were-twelve-disciples Dennis has the 'privilege' of being the "Presidents man" (Act One Scene 10) so technically he is in the Inner Circle as was James (the elder.)

Jude and Rachel are quite similar, in some ways. Jude is described as "intense and violent" with the "dream of World Power" I know from research and playing Rachel that she doesn't dream of world power, but she does action towards what she believes is right such as not paying student fees and "women's rights in developing countries" (Act 1 Scene 10) Jude sounds like someone whom if he 'dreams' about world power, there is only one way of trying to achieve this dream and that's by taking action. Which is exactly what Rachel does for what she wants and believes in; through the means of protesting and making herself heard. 

The other presentations also showed me good presentations and weak presentations. Each presentation Karen noted down things to improve on for our next presentations, on these notes I picked out that she wants it more formal than informal, the use of eye contact came up a lot, small amounts of information on each slide so that the audience can write notes straight from the board, but listen to the information being spoken to them in a more detailed form. A focus point such as a power point or a poster so the audience dont get distracted easily. And another common one was to use the 'stage' space. Don't stand in one position, move around and interact with the audience to keep them engaged. 

 ... And how to improve
As research for an excellent presentation I researched a famous lecturer called Micheal Sandel, from Harvard University.
(Youtube link for Micheal Sandel; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBdfcR-8hEY )

After watching this video of Sandels lecture The Moral Side of Murder, I discovered that he is a very confident speaker, he has a calm, soft voice but not monotone. He uses the stage to reach all areas of his audience when asking questions etc. He uses no form of presentation or power point in his speeches, he simply just stands and talks, although I know this is a very successful method for Sandel, I feel for my presentations that if I had a Power Point with bullet points of information then my audience can listen to me and then write the notes down that relate fully to the information that I speak to them. This way it gives them a visual and mental note of the information being given to them and they are more likely to remember it. Sandel jumps straight in with a story of whether or not you kill five workers or one worker in the trolley car that you sit in. The majority, when posed the question, voted for killing just the one worker. The story was altered; do you push the man stood next to you off the bridge, stop the trolley car and kill just one man or leave the five workers to be killed. And this time round, the majority vote was for the five to be killed. He asks rhetorical questions to get the students to think why the five instead of the one? And is it because you have to push the "fat man" that you would let the five be killed? These questions, I think, will be ones that stick in your mind... I felt myself thinking what would I do? And like most of the students I would let the five get killed, although the strange thing about the situations Sandel poses his audience is that really we'll never know why the one then the five in the second story, and this is what fascinates me about his lectures, how that he can make you think about something that I believe is impossible to solve.
           So after watching this video, I feel as though I've learnt a huge lesson in life, that we will never fully understand the brain and its way of thinking, but we just have to accept its ways and awe over what it tells us. I think if I can tell a story that has the relevancy to my presentation, this way I can steal the attention of my audience and really engage them, by also expressing my opinions but on some occasions asking for theirs to relate and compare different ways of thinking and beliefs.


Rehearsals for '13'

Trafalgar Square, London.

We then continued to work on '13'. As a small group, including Matt, Brandon, Soph, Milo, Donna, Nikey and Joe, we began blocking Act Four Scene Five. This scene is set in Trafalgar Square and the cast is huddled together as Matt (John no2) speaks.Matt decided to huddle the cast in a rough outline of a square due to the location in which the scene is set in, Trafalgar Square. I came up with the idea that as John moves around the stage, delivering his lines, that the huddle could do the 'keypad' activity with a set sequence. However, this idea was declined because we felt that because the scene was set in a public and open space that the 'keypad' would look to rehearsed instead of looking like normal public people, doing their own individual things and going their own ways. I then had the idea that we use the 'keypad' but less obviously with the huddle all subtly looking at different 'numbers' as though thinking and taking in what John has to say then responding with their lines. Unfortunately, we didn't get the chance to try this new idea out, but hope to in our longer rehearsal sessions as I feel this will make the scene more interesting for the audience as they have more to look at whilst John and Mark have their emotional talk. This is very similar to the Greek Tragedy/Theatre chorus idea as, as a huddle we react to what John is talking about which is then told straight to the audience through both John and the huddle; although the huddle show the audience the impact it has on the 12, and John just tells them how it is.

Interpretation of the split scene layout.

Following on from this scene, I went on to explore Act Three Scene Six which is a split scene with Rachel and Amir at home, and Ruth and Dennis in an office location. I had an image that the two sets are plain and simple to prevent any audience distraction. We havent begun blocking this scene yet, however I have designed my representation of how I think the scene should look. As you can see in the image, Ruth and Dennis are on the right side of the stage, which represents that they are always right in their opinions and those that they discuss in this scene such as going to war. The other side is where Rachel and Amir are located. In the drawing, the shoes, pillows and block for a sofa is the exact layout for an earlier scene which is always set in their flat. The shoes will be skattered over the stage bringing the scene to the front of the stage a bit more. I've situated Ruth's desk at the front end of the stage because I want them to represent always being on top of things and ahead of the public in the decisions that they have to make. Having them forward also makes them look more important than Rachel and Amir, which they are, but this shows their importance to the audience.
                  Rachel and Amir are set further backstage, which is meant to tell the audience that this conversation, about the same important decisions as Ruth and Dennis are discussing, is more laid back and casual; in the comfort of their home. The idea of the shoes being around the stage brings a more casual and home-like feel to the scene and also, the contrast in locations (office to sofa and vice versa) makes the atmosphere in both locations thick with tension.

Taking the role of an audience
In some moments in the rehearsals this week, I had time to spare. I spent this wisely. I went in to watch over some blocking processes of other scenes in '13'. This, I found, was very useful because the scene ( Act Two Scene Four:Dennis, Ruby and Sarah.) mostly consisted of Dennis and Ruby speaking and Sarah sat thinking and often reacting to what they were saying. I focussed my attention on the things that Sarah (Hannah) was being told to react too. She was sat, blank faced out to the audience, and then with a que she would look towards Dennis as though she is offering him a sign of support. I noticed that these little things in a scene really bring it life because this is what someone would do. So I learnt that perhaps the art of acting is representing life as it is, in its purest form instead of making your character unrelateable for the audience. As an audience member, I was watching Sarah and listening to the conversation also on stage, however if Sarah was static this would mean I would just be watching Dennis and Ruby which, then relating it back to the good presentations, would become boring for the audience. But giving them more to look at will keep their attention which can only increase the atmosphere in the theatre, naturally boosting the actors.

Summary of '13' cast so far...
This week we completed a full run of Act Two, and reflecting on that achievement I can say that its looking good; but we want it to look brilliant! I don't believe that it can be brilliant by just delivering the lines. In my case, I know that I need to BE Rachel. And that I need to fully become her to get the audience to like her as a character; which is one of my personal aims already set to complete after this show.
    I fully believe that the success, so far, of this play is the teamwork that as a group of 18 show. After this short amount of time we have all become close and I often find that we all help someone throughout these rehearsal sessions. I admired the fact that actors help other actors, because to be truthful, I haven't witnessed such a motivated, polite and helpful cast before now; and I know that I can perform and get criticism which is the only possible way in which I can improve as an actor, and the same rules apply to the other 17.