Monday 29th February

I felt today we were un-focused and din;t get much done. We got to do a read-through and got to talk about some things with levels but didn't get to work as hard a s usual. I feel like that on Monday's, we should be working extra hard due to only having the space for half of the time allocated due to only being one room available due to the other group also needing time to rehearse.

Reviewing another perofrmence

This week I looked at this shortened version the play:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmJukg35BgU

I didn't really liked the way the interpreted the play at all. The play is set in England as it mentions landmarks like the millennium wheel and they clearly have American accents. I felt like George wasn't bossy enough in this version and it made the audience more sympathetic towards him which I think isn't the correct way to play him. He is doing this play to make himself look good and the fact that nobody else is putting any effort in makes him lose more and more control throughout.

I felt like that as the play was shortened, a lot of Rose's bits didn't make sense and the actress didn't understand what she meant. I felt like it didn't make sense. I feel like Spec's bit was a bit rushed and him just running around in the spotlight wasn't exactly the most entertaining thing to watch. I feel like the pace was correct but needs to be more different in the way they each stand. I also felt that the costumes were wrong and would much prefer if we didn't wear bright orange boiler suits as I feel like that is quite stereotypical american.

Thursday 25th February

We decided that the first thing that we would do today would be to look at the characters of George and Kinsey's relationship with the rest of the characters. We decided that Kinsey has control over George but George wouldn't admit it. We then ran through the play again using the idea of having the stage behind us because we have to perform it that way and starting on the stage with everyone walking down when Allan does the wrong line. I didn't like this idea because I didn't think that the place where the play is being set would have a stage and would make the space look un-naturalistic but we went ahead with it due to it being a group vote and me being the minority.

Monday 22nd February

Today we ran the beginning up to page 12. I feel like this rehearsal a lot of people struggled to focus on the read-through that we did for the first period. I felt like that we could of got more done if people actually did focus and didn't mess around. This definitely slowed us down meaning we didn't get much done in limited time that we had. We did discuss on what each of our characters do when they move and the reasoning behind it. I decided that Specs would either stand or sit awkwardly near the side because he is mostly there to be ignored. I will have to careful where I go though so that I don't get in the way of the audience. My goal at the moment is staying in character when I'm not being spoke to. This would include the way that I stand, sit and facial expressions and making sure I don't switch off.

The second lesson I did script analysis on the part where I play 4 characters.

Rent evaluation

Last week we performed our version of the musical "Rent" and I think it went well and we got a lot of positive feedback. If we were to do it again on a larger scale, there's a few things that I would change:

1. Location-I feel like that if we were to do it again, I would prefer to do this in a theatre where we could possibly have a similar size stage but where we could possibly be able to make more use of the stage with things like set and props. I feel like we could make it much more like a loft with more advanced decking. I feel like that this would help the audience almost understand more about the setting where the majority of the musical takes place. I think it would also be better if we were then able to make the scene changes much smoother with the set that was transported on and off stage.
2. Costumes-I feel like that we could possibly be able to invest some more money into costumes. The costumes we had weren't terrible but it was mainly using the actors own clothes and we could possibly made Joanne a bit more formal as she is a lawyer and Alexi Darling a bit more business like. I couldn't do this as I was in the next scene and I don't really have that much business wear that I could of used so with money invested in costumes we could of made the characters more realistic of what they would actually wear.
3. Cast-When Rent is done in mostly America, the ethnicity of certain parts are almost a necessity. Collins and Joanne are black and Mimi is Hispanic looking. I feel like that if we did it again we could first of all use a slightly older cast to make it more realistic and have a black Collins as I feel like that kind of soulful voice make the part easier to sing and a Hispanic Mimi as it's mentioned in the script in "Out tonight" (even though we cut it). I do think that Joanne could be any ethnicity though and I think if we were going to cast it, we could definitely open it to more than just black women as it isn't mentioned in the script and the vocals could be sung by any ethnicity. I would also make the cast bigger with 15 people doing it making the ensemble bigger which would boost volume and would prevent the principle characters from doubling up in some ensemble parts.
4. Band-I feel like that we could use a real band so that we wouldn't be constrained to certain timings with the backing tracks as the band generally go with the actors. I feel like this would also make the show have more of rocky feel to it that it was meant to have.
5. Length of show-If we did this again, I'd want to do the full show so that the story would be easier to follow. I felt like that Maureen's and Joanne's type of relationship was difficult to follow at times and would sometimes skip key moments out. I also feel like that Maureen could be in it more even though she's not in most of the first act in the musical anyway. I feel like that we could definitely put all the cut sings back in, especially "over the moon" as it shows the protest against Benny rather than Maureen just showing up to the Cafe. We would obviously then reinstate the interval in the original place and if we did this in a bigger venue, would make it about 20 minutes but in a school, more about 10 minutes as there is less to do for the audience and they would be just sitting there for a bit too long so it would be more suitable to do a shorter interval.
6. Sound-I feel like if we did this again, no matter what venue, the use of radio mics would be needed to help the audience understand the plot more clearer as they'd definitely know what each of the characters would be singing. Giving us mics would mean we would feel more confidence to experiment as we wouldn't be worried about projecting as much.
7. Projection-The cast had this idea to project all of us at the back of the stage at the end for Marks film but we never filmed anything for it so we couldn't do it but I felt like as this is the only opportunity for projection, it would be good use and the perfect time to use it.

Thursday 11th February

Today we thought about costumes for the first time. I had the idea of wearing plain white because we are in a mental asylum. I felt like this would be realistic if it wasn't pure white but more like they've been used a lot and almost like they haven't been ironed like the picture below.

I then thought it would be a good idea to have symbolic items of clothing for each of the characters that they are in the play. An example of this would be for Rose to wear a hat for Lady Bracknall. Specs would have the book of the play but a well worn version of it with it being tattered. I thought this would be the most realistic as they was put in this prison for young offenders, they wouldn't be treated like adult prisoners with the boiler suits. I feel like they wouldn't have their own clothes though as they wouldn't have an identity.

Specs subtext

George is very patronising towards Specs and only really gets to talk when he is told to. This is still very hard for specs and if he takes too long, they'll cut him off and he doesn't object. He also then gets told to do his scene showing that he loves to perform and would love to be in the play meaning that he either does have stage fright or George being the director doesn't let him be in it because he really doesn't like him. Specs could easily play any character and in the group, he is the only one who can actually act but doesn't have any confidence to do so who pretends like he doesn't.

Monday 8th February

Today we went from page 18 and looked further into each of our characters with things like Rose's childish mannerisms and Milo's accent and George and Kinsey's former friendship. We particularly looked at Allan's monologue about when he lived in London. When we first did this, Ashley (Allan) walked forward and faced the front. I pointed out that he would only be performing to some of the audience due to where our audience will be sitting. I pointed out that we should move it back so everyone can see whilst the rest of the group suggested for him to lean against the wall so he looks relaxed and is ignoring the other characters. We also made him slow down so that he would come across much more relaxed.

Child detention center

https://youtu.be/xm5w7tdTmvM

Over the weekend, I looked into a documentary of John venables and Rob Thompson and the type of prisons they go to. They talk about how the prisons they went to, it's much more about rehabilitation. In our prison in the play, it's more about punishment so that they stay in there and  not get out. In the documentary, they talk about how some of the prisoners actually get let out on days out. The people in our play never would because they wouldn't be trusted to. This could show that this play is an exaggeration of real life. The Rose character could be an exaggerated version of Mary-Anne Belle as she strangles a kid and his them with a hammer. I think specs crimes aren't touched upon as it makes the audience wounder what he actually did as we know he's been on there the longest.

Thursday 4th February

Today we went to the hall but we had to wait for a while because of a meeting. We then went onto the stage as saw that there was a table in the middle of the stage. We all thought that this would be a good idea to use as another bit of our limited set. We came up with the idea that the edges of the table would have to be covered with some sort of material to soften it so it wouldn't look dangerous and it couldn't be used as a weapon. I like the idea of the table being used if it's used right. I don't think we should sit on it too often because it's still a table in which you're meant to place objects onto. I think the only time someone else should use it is when Rose (Ellie) lays on the table.

We then thought about the power shift and control between the two characters of Kinsey and George. We decided that it would be a good idea to keep them as far away as possible because they don't get along anymore. This would then build up for when they are together on their own when they have their argument and they get closer and closer. It would also start with George being in control with it then slowly shifting over to Kinsey. We would show this by who advances to the other person whilst the other person is stationary. I like this idea because I think it will show the audience who is control at each part of the conversation and they can see George become more and more defensive against Kinsey.

Thursday 4th February

Today we worked on subtext. When we did a certain scene, we had to clap when we think that the character is thinking something different to what he really is saying. I couldn't take art in this due to there not being a long enough scene which all of us are in. We did a scene with everyone else in. I looked at subtext on my own whilst the group did this.

I decided that I would look for what Spec thinks in his first scene. Something that happens with specs is that he gets spoken to when someone needs information. This is normally George to back him up on an argument even though George doesn't actually care about him. The fact that he actually gets to speak to someone when he gets called upon actually gets him to be excited and makes him happy until get told to shut up again. This has are him the quietest person there even though he has been there xor the longest

Tuesday 2nd February

Today we looked at the actual space for our performence and started to set how we would perform it. We decided that Spec's prompting chair would be behind the audience so it would be like the audience seating would be set out like they are about to perform the play. We then looked at levels with today's run-through. We looked how we could not all be in one place and make sure we are on a variety of levels to make sure that the audience would keep their attention for longer. We also decided that we would have our own chair aswell that would stay stationary as they wouldn't be able to as it would be too dangerous as it could be used as a weapon.

Monday 1st February

Today we looked through the script and started to develop each of our characters past. This is will help us to create a character if we actually know what they have done to end up in this prison. I feel like that what we said about Specs could be correct but I'm not sure that he is faking everything. I feel like the fact he has always been bullied for his stammer, this would then cause him to have psycopathic thoughts. Even if he is faking they way he acts, it would be hard to actually potray this as he is always around eveyone else and always acts shy and gets bullied. I feel like that he is genuilly like this and isn't faking this and the fact that other people like George bully him makes the situation that he is in even worse. Spec's will have to be sympathised with the audience and will be hard for the audience to understand him with little stage time but it is possible if I do act it right so the audience can fully understand him as he is a confusing character especially as he doesn't have much of a backstory and doesn't have any hints to what he did unlike the other characters.

Character profile

Specs

Real name: Unknown
Age: 16-20
Specs could be one of two things, he could generally have a stammer and be quiet, not looked after and in some cases bullied by others or he could be actually putting things on pretending to be. I personally think that he is very clever but I think he is being honest. My group discussed the possibility of him not being actually being bullied and alone but I think that he is actually like this and isn't hiding behind this and is planning to break out. I think he does actually have a stammer and I think he probably the worse offender of the group and has done the most horrific crime but you don't get any hints of this because he is the worst offender. It also may be the case that because he is the first one in this prison out of everyone in the play, he could be the only one who knows what he did and hasn't actually told anyone what he has done because he doesn't really speak much and maybe doesn't get a chance to.