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