We were then left with the instruction to create a five minute sequence of our characters day, in detail! Starting from in bed, stopping the alarm, checking your mobile, breakfast, shower etc. Then leaving the house and how they get to work, what their work was and had to include one conversation throughout their day. Then their travels home, eating, TV and back to bed. This proved a really difficult task because not only it being all improvisation, it was the duration and the attention to detail in which I struggled more with. Once again, even though we all had the exact same task, watching everyone else's it became apparent that we had all created completely different characters some whom got up perfectly on time and were organised, some who woke up, swearing that they hadn't heard their alarms and some who sprung out of bed, out the house and skipped into work. It really showed me how imaginative everyone can be and how different they all became.
Our Wednesday sessions began with a quick warm-up, then a mental game followed by a focus game. This sequence of exercises/games got us quickly engaged with all parts of our brain to be able to work actively on the devising piece. The focus counting game; at first was difficult because we were all energetic by the competitive game, but after a short while we had mastered the counting as an ensemble. This leads me onto us getting back into our devising groups, and talking out our group rules and manifesto's.
Our rules:
1. As well as inspiring others, inspire yourself first. -By this we mean, get involved and 'inspired' by our own ideas as a group, perform these in the hope of inspiring others.
2. Accepting and declining ideas as we progress. - Accept and add to ideas but be open to declining ideas that perhaps don't fit.
3. It's not wrong until you've tried it. -Suggest your idea, try it and then form an opinion on whether you incorporate it or not.
4. Everybody's input matters. -Everyone's ideas need to be spoken and heard, a key for teamwork.
Our rules revolve around being a team, and accepting that each member of the group is important to this process.
Our groups manifesto (a type motto, in which we have to live by as we work through the project.)
"We want to bring a collaborative and energetic devising process; with a clear goal and an to have achieved an obstacle filled road. With hope, we enter each session with an open and positive attitude and bring our plans to life."
After completing this we dived straight into discussing how we want our piece. Our ideas have taken a big step since the previous week; thanks to Hannah. Her original suggestion was to change it to a more crime scene, interview, investigation type performance.
Our opening scene: It's set in a classroom, which is to be set out similarly to PunkRock by Simon Stephens, and we have an audio playing as students enter. The audio is of a boring lesson, we are interrupted by the teacher asking a student to take his headphones off. As the student does so, it is revealed that he was listening to Ode to Billy Joe, the volume of the music gets louder as the headphones leave his ears-so the audience can also hear it. The bell rings, end of lesson. Then, either an audio or characters coming on stage, reciting a monologue with movements, a mixture of thoughts are told to the audience. So the end result would be a roar of noise, which similarly represents the way our minds think.
Then we were going to incorporate an ensemble Physical Theatre piece as the song still runs. For this, Nyakeh came up with moves to show that the 'Billy Joe' inside us all was being let out, and then when the sequence has finished, we are shown to be controlling our inner Billy Joe.
To start off doing practical towards the project we decided to go through and interview each character. (We recorded each of these but you cannot add voice memos onto blogger.) We simply hot-seated each character to allow us to create our characters properly. Frank wrote down the questions asked (image to the right.) This was really useful because it introduced us to some plots and character ideas, individually. Recording these meant that we can refer back to them whenever they are needed too.
This idea has really progressed through the week, and I am pleased we've settled on something. Which means we can now really focus and get physically devising.
We were set short task with Kirsty, which involved us creating three tableauxs of our devising piece so far.
For our first tableaux we wanted to create the visual of someone being trapped, we did this by standing in a circle with our arms joint and Matt sat in the middle. The contrast in height, Matt sat on the floor and the others stood, gave us the effect of being trapped in which we had aimed for. We bowed our heads also to portray us looking down on Matt in disgust or hatred...
Our second tableaux was to show bullying, tormenting, abusiveness etc. We stuck to our circular structure but disrupted the circle with various limbs sticking out ready to beat Frank-crouched in the middle. Again our heads were bowed for the effect of being more important than Frank. The arms and legs being stuck out of the circle represents a disruption to the almost calm circle; so the contrast from our first tableaux to our second was at large.
And our final tableaux, restraining Hannah/Billy Joe from escaping. The circle structure was still in use; we used the circle to represent an infinitive amount of pressure and strain on Billy Joe himself. And when he tries to escape, just as quickly as he does so, he is restrained. This was my favourite tableaux because it ended the 'life circle' as such, of our tableaux story. At the start, Billy Joe looks almost too relaxed in the circle. Then out of no-where the abuse begins. The randomness of the abuse represents that the abuse is unnecessary. Then Billy Joe tries to escape, but doesn't succeed and the process begins again and again...
Once again, our idea has taken a completely different course. So our Thursday session started off with all the same ideas but with a long discussion we ended up changing it dramatically... At first I was against changing it so dramatically because we were missing a member of our group, Sophie. But the idea really flourished!
Brief summary: We have three main stories, and each of them link very, very closely. We have Hannah and Nyakeh dating. However Nyakeh is gay and is currently seeing Matt-also gay but also Sophie's brother. The siblings live together. Hannah and Sophie are very close friends and often confine in one another with boyfriend issues. Sophie and Frank have been together for years, Frank has always wanted a child. But Sophie doesn't; however Sophie gets pregnant and fakes that the baby died... However, the baby isn't dead, the baby is grown up and goes by the name of Issie. Frank and Sophie's relationship is getting more rocky: Frank has been having an affair with Issie (His daughter! He is completely unaware of the situation.)
Sophie returns home to find Nyakeh and Matt together, naturally she seeks Hannah to explain.
As you can see, it's almost like a family tree that are all linked but also very similar storyline to a TV soap. The initial idea is confusing and difficult to explain but I think we can really work with this and make it as physical as we wish; which will help us a lot as it will be telling the story. We finally ditched the discussions and created two very short pieces between Hannah and Sophie (played by Nyakeh.) Another being between Matt and Frank (brother-in-laws) about how Frank can keep his and Sophie's relationship strong. I was part of Matt and Franks scene, by simply just mimicking everything Frank did to represent that everything Matt was telling Frank to do (be more romantic etc) Frank was thinking of me as well as Sophie. With some more work; we will create a very physical piece which will allow me to be able to copy more of Franks movements. But as a starter, we've finally got something and somewhere.
I first did a devised piece at school and as a group we found it impossible to stick to one idea and really get it up on its feet; so I felt quite apprehensive to begin this one. But the outcome of these first two weeks, has really proved to me that devising can be difficult but as soon as you are all set on an idea it can really flourish. I look forward to see what the next few weeks hold but I am really pleased with the idea we have settled on and know that we can create a really good piece.
Our Wednesday sessions began with a quick warm-up, then a mental game followed by a focus game. This sequence of exercises/games got us quickly engaged with all parts of our brain to be able to work actively on the devising piece. The focus counting game; at first was difficult because we were all energetic by the competitive game, but after a short while we had mastered the counting as an ensemble. This leads me onto us getting back into our devising groups, and talking out our group rules and manifesto's.
Our rules:
1. As well as inspiring others, inspire yourself first. -By this we mean, get involved and 'inspired' by our own ideas as a group, perform these in the hope of inspiring others.
2. Accepting and declining ideas as we progress. - Accept and add to ideas but be open to declining ideas that perhaps don't fit.
3. It's not wrong until you've tried it. -Suggest your idea, try it and then form an opinion on whether you incorporate it or not.
4. Everybody's input matters. -Everyone's ideas need to be spoken and heard, a key for teamwork.
Our rules revolve around being a team, and accepting that each member of the group is important to this process.
Our groups manifesto (a type motto, in which we have to live by as we work through the project.)
"We want to bring a collaborative and energetic devising process; with a clear goal and an to have achieved an obstacle filled road. With hope, we enter each session with an open and positive attitude and bring our plans to life."
After completing this we dived straight into discussing how we want our piece. Our ideas have taken a big step since the previous week; thanks to Hannah. Her original suggestion was to change it to a more crime scene, interview, investigation type performance.
Our opening scene: It's set in a classroom, which is to be set out similarly to PunkRock by Simon Stephens, and we have an audio playing as students enter. The audio is of a boring lesson, we are interrupted by the teacher asking a student to take his headphones off. As the student does so, it is revealed that he was listening to Ode to Billy Joe, the volume of the music gets louder as the headphones leave his ears-so the audience can also hear it. The bell rings, end of lesson. Then, either an audio or characters coming on stage, reciting a monologue with movements, a mixture of thoughts are told to the audience. So the end result would be a roar of noise, which similarly represents the way our minds think.
To start off doing practical towards the project we decided to go through and interview each character. (We recorded each of these but you cannot add voice memos onto blogger.) We simply hot-seated each character to allow us to create our characters properly. Frank wrote down the questions asked (image to the right.) This was really useful because it introduced us to some plots and character ideas, individually. Recording these meant that we can refer back to them whenever they are needed too.
This idea has really progressed through the week, and I am pleased we've settled on something. Which means we can now really focus and get physically devising.
We were set short task with Kirsty, which involved us creating three tableauxs of our devising piece so far.
Once again, our idea has taken a completely different course. So our Thursday session started off with all the same ideas but with a long discussion we ended up changing it dramatically... At first I was against changing it so dramatically because we were missing a member of our group, Sophie. But the idea really flourished!
Brief summary: We have three main stories, and each of them link very, very closely. We have Hannah and Nyakeh dating. However Nyakeh is gay and is currently seeing Matt-also gay but also Sophie's brother. The siblings live together. Hannah and Sophie are very close friends and often confine in one another with boyfriend issues. Sophie and Frank have been together for years, Frank has always wanted a child. But Sophie doesn't; however Sophie gets pregnant and fakes that the baby died... However, the baby isn't dead, the baby is grown up and goes by the name of Issie. Frank and Sophie's relationship is getting more rocky: Frank has been having an affair with Issie (His daughter! He is completely unaware of the situation.)
Sophie returns home to find Nyakeh and Matt together, naturally she seeks Hannah to explain.
| Hannah and Sophie's scene. (Nyakeh playing Sophie.) |
| Matt and Frank's scene in which I shadow Frank. |
As you can see, it's almost like a family tree that are all linked but also very similar storyline to a TV soap. The initial idea is confusing and difficult to explain but I think we can really work with this and make it as physical as we wish; which will help us a lot as it will be telling the story. We finally ditched the discussions and created two very short pieces between Hannah and Sophie (played by Nyakeh.) Another being between Matt and Frank (brother-in-laws) about how Frank can keep his and Sophie's relationship strong. I was part of Matt and Franks scene, by simply just mimicking everything Frank did to represent that everything Matt was telling Frank to do (be more romantic etc) Frank was thinking of me as well as Sophie. With some more work; we will create a very physical piece which will allow me to be able to copy more of Franks movements. But as a starter, we've finally got something and somewhere.
I first did a devised piece at school and as a group we found it impossible to stick to one idea and really get it up on its feet; so I felt quite apprehensive to begin this one. But the outcome of these first two weeks, has really proved to me that devising can be difficult but as soon as you are all set on an idea it can really flourish. I look forward to see what the next few weeks hold but I am really pleased with the idea we have settled on and know that we can create a really good piece.
No comments:
Post a Comment