Staging

The staging we are using uses a lot of the audiences imagination as the play is performed and moves so does the set as it revolves opening into a kitchen, interrogation room, flat, and office the upper balcony is used as a speaking point for Ruth and John. During the performance the box will revolve being pushed by cast members to Aline with projections being shown apron it's sides the side door revolves to make a kitchen counter and the back door also changes into a fridge. There is also a door on the front panel which can be used to show the illusion of a chracter leaving an area creating this 360 degree performance. 

Week 2 - first blocking and devising / Miser

Today we started our first look and attempt at blocking, this for me was good because it showed me how much I needed to work on my chracter to distance him (Amir) from myself. 

The first scene that involved me was the riot scene, already I had thought prior to the rehursal how this scene may be constructed to show a peaceful protest that gets out of hand, to do this I had a meggaphone to shout my lines through this was useful as the crowd could follow and copy what I was saying this wasn't as simple as it looked as I had to instinctively judge when it was good to change the chant so that it was clear as a group. One exercise that could help with this is the stop and start task where we as a group connect and try and start walking and stop walking at the same time making us gel as a group. 

Another aspect of this scene to make it bolder was to increase the number of protesters without adding more people this was done by scattering and moving towards the line of police officers. 

In addition thinking about my objectives -being to protest I found another tactic to annoy this was by saying chants through the megga phone into the police officers faces this acted as a natural provok casting them to react irrationally in the situation making the scene flow. 

However problems that I found with the scene is the fact that we are playing to three sides so it's impperitive to a knowlage that factor. To overcome this we did an exercise where we counted numbers connecting to our breath with a partner while opening ourselves to the audience (face or chest) creating some form of action. This exercise was then developed into "tell me" , "no!" a question and answer exercise following the same patterns. I feel I got a lot out of this exercise as it showed me the importance of not performing to the front and traveling, rooting and performing your emotions with control. 

After blocking the first ten pages we then devised to scrap it all and start from the beginning using the techniques of Miesner a practioner that was all about truth and that we should live not act on stage. One of his most useful methods is the "you have, I have" exercise that consisted of actors stating what they could see. ( more general info on Miesner on top tab) 

Doing this exercise only works if you as an actor becomes vunreble and takes in what the other person is stating to you for example: 

"You have curly hair" 

"I have curly hair" 

"You move you cheeks when you talk" 

"I move my cheeks when i talk" 

This as you helps you understand how people view you. The exercise was then developed into who we were for example: 

"You have curly hair" 

"I have curly hair" 

"Your hair looks messy" 

"My hair looks messy" 

This then helps you delve even deeper into the next exercise that taps into you on an emotional level for example: 

"You have curly hair"

"I have curly hair" 

"Your hair looks messy" 

"My hair looks messy" 

"It's messy because your lazy" 

"I am lazy" 

Actually doing this exercise made me realise the depth I needed to go into to make a belivable performance and chracter and not to say anything unless it felt right making the performance live. 

"If you have the emotion, it infects you and the audience. If you don't have it don't bother; just say your lines as truthfully as you are capable of doing. You can't fake emotion."
- Sanford Meisner

Actors process

What is an actors process I hear you ask!? 

Well it's a process which actors use to prepare for the rehursal and during the rehursal. 

My actors process 

Approaching the text 

1. Learn lines cold 

2. Work out given circumstances (facts and opinions with page numbers) 

3. Actioning the script 

4. Make assumptions about your opinions and facts 

5. Research through books and the internet (reliable sites) who in socioty relates to   your chracter interviewing real people! 

6. Work out your pelimenary objectives/SUPER OBJECTIVE it needs to be your first assumption don't forget the physical objectives as the text "rides" on the action

7. Create tactics, an extra method to get closer to that SUPER OBJECTIVE or objective 

8. Be working with a metaphor that syncs with you and your chracter 

Text defermilitarisation 

1. The Larben efforts: push, punch, glide, dab

2. Working out the thought changes 

2b. Mark the thought changes (/)

3. Punctuation dancing 

4. Speed run your lines but also do the opposite slllooooowww moootttiiiooonnn 

5. Gibberish "tosh dude djdjdjd djdjdjd if dodgers". 

6. Getting rid of the punctuation 

7*. Connecting and disconnecting lines (pair) 

8. Just play actions and objectives 

9. Misner repetition 

10. Say the objective before you say the line 

11. Change the circumstance 

Preparing for the rehearsal

1. Look at how your character moves and how he/she breaths 

2. Bring a prop or item of clothing that relates to your character 

3. Warm up ... "DESTROY THAT FUZZ" 

A. Focus on breathing in semi supine 

B. Picture your character

C. Sun salutation 

4. Play the objective not the scene (get into your character's mind set) 

5. Just play  

week 1 - the read through/ approaching the text

Week one started with a real punch going into are first read through of the text sbefore we started we all as a cast went through what makes a good first read of the play text:

Clear voices and diction
This is key as the following the storyline of the play its self will be hard to hear making the read through tedious also actors with following lines won't be able to hear them slowing down the read through.

Listening to the story, eachother and the text

It is imperative to listen to the story to start understanding all of the characters journeys throught the script also listening to each other adds life to the text as your able to react and gain a first impression to who your character is. 

Follow the text 

Making sure you keep concentration while following the text is key to making a good read through as it's your first insite into the story being told or in this case vocally performed following the text also it's a acts as a warning for any hard words to pronounce staying one step ahead of the game.

Keep total consentration 

This is to insure that during the read through that you can still respond to offers and to insure the reading time is accurate so your director has a rougph and more accurate duration time of the performance.

Patience 

Not everyone is good at sight reading and some words and rythems may be difficult to read so it's about being supportive to your cast and being supportive as an ansoumble, also you may not be within the scene but there may be crucial elements that relate and effect your character. 

Pump life into the text (reacting and making offers) 

It's a play not a bank statement have fun with it and make bold choices about your character doesn't matter if they're wrong it's about reacting and making offers thus pumping life into the play its self and making the read through more enjoyable. 

Be confident about your choices 

Don't be embarrassed have fun because everyone should be supportive as anomsomble meaning you can start to mould your chracter through your developing understanding of the text itself look away from the page and direct your lines to make it as real as possible. 

After going through what makes a good play text we then looked at what makes a good ansoumble: 

Taking other peoples ideas

It's not all about what the director tells you everyone should think as one coming up with ideas that may benifit OUR production to insure we as a cast can perform the text to the best of our abilities.  

Refining others ideas

Not only taking ideas but expanding on them to make a greater contribution meaning there is more than one imput expanding the performance and adding more detail. 

Listening to each other (vocally and through bodies) 

Actors make offers so you must listen to those offers and respond truthfully "no bull shitting" because we're looking for truth. 

Trust each other 

Make bold choices but to do so you should feel comfortable to do so even if the outcome is wrong it's okay to make mistakes, trusting each other also means your emotionally vunreble meaning you need to be trusting that everyone is able to support you as a cast. 

Being emotionally available 

"Leave your shit outside" don't bring any un nesseary feelings to the rehearsal room it just slows down the process and means we can't all perform to our full potential. 

Keep pushing further 

Take your offers and push them to 110% to get the most out of your rehearsal this also goes the same for making offers meaning the rehearsal process is hard working but also rewarding. 

Respect your cast

Be on time not turning up isn't just letting down one person it's letting down the cast because there are gaps in the devising a rehearsal process also the same for required work and imput learn your 

Lines on time and think about and improve on given feedback. 

Professionalism 

To make a good ansaumble, performance and practice you must act with professionalism, thinking in depth about everything you do with a mature attitude. 

First impressions of the text 

Looking at the play for the first time I found it very abstract and imaginative which poses the thought for a lot of directorial imput, also a theme that ran through was that of expression of belife making the story intertwine creating a picture in my head of a ball of tangled string with this dark under-tone from the ideas of the nightmares but it's the question that asks is this darkness formed from religion or political views posting the question of morality and the constant high stakes that are on show with this question of wheather or not to go to war and if it's morally right. However it also brought to mind the thought of socioty being a place where you can express but not do for example the promises made in politics that can never be followed through with when in a position of power; who is right in the way we live our lives today because there is no answer. 

Interms of acting there is very little classical acting other than that of the American ambassador and his family as they're story is the only one that has some form of climatic moment the other chracters are all political meaning that we should when rehursing the text let the lines do the work and not to play them as there is little emotion to follow from as everything is built from opinions.

First impressions of my chracter (Amir) 

To me I feel Amir is angry because he has little purpose in socioty as he is jobless from a decent career being a lecture and is now stuck in a loop where he feeles worthless