28th sep - pab Presentation of performing arts courses

Today we performed out presentations using our power points for the institution profiles, below is a video of me explaining the establishments and one of their courses in relation to performing arts. 

25th sep - rachel

Today we did speedruns of Act 1 and 2. By doing these it will improve our understanding of the narrative, characters and space. Working with our two separate casts, we quickly scanned the scripts and picked out specific lines to say in each scene with a small choreographed movement. For example, me and Sophie (who plays Maureen) sang the last lines of 'Take Me Or Leave Me', exiting on opposite sides. This clearly showed the significant mood and conflict as this is the scene when the couple split.

After doing this, what we gained from this acitivity was:

• we understood the main points in the plot - As the speedruns lasted only around 5 minutes, we had to be able to display the entire storyline in physical bullet points. So highlighting these to make it as clear as possible also helped us learn about it further. For example some main points were Maureen and Joanne breaking up, Angel's death, Mimi dying etc.
• we understood he number of songs - another thing we gathered from the script was that the musical has very little dialogue, made up largely of solos, ensembles and duets. 
• we understood the importance of the songs - learning the number of songs that are included in the musical, led us to understand how important the songs really are. The songs tell the story through the lyrics.

We then discussed and mapped the staging space, including where the audience will be, where we will be allowed the enter/exit, any obstructions such as the scaffolding and other set design. 

25th sep - kat

In today's lesson, we revisited the song 'Rent' where we structured the dance phrases more and added in more sequences. In duets, we created a short set of movements to perform on stage in a specific order. Me and Kim's actions included us running in from opposite sides of the stage, Kim then sliding down as I jump over her. This happens in a fast motion to show the chaotic atmosphere of this section, as each pair have to display a form of attack. We then join back up and bump our chests together, and then exit stage left. We could possibly exit opposite sides to further show our collision between one another.

I feel our choice of movement was effective as it showed the erratic mood of all the characters, which is also supported by the instrumental section of 'Rent'.

To improve, we could space out more as our movement is performed only in centrestage which is always in a linear fashion. Although our actions reinforce the context, our dynamics could also be stronger which will enhance the moves more. The dynamics should be more rough rather than neat, portraying the violent nature. We could add more actions as ours is fairly short, ensuring it is as realistic as possible. Dance actions that aren't associated with the theme e.g. an arabesque would not be suitable or make sense in the phrase. Using more physical theatre in this would be more effective.

Our gang characteristics could be stronger incorporated within the movement too, maintaining our body language etc.

gangs - structred more
partners interaction in order - jumped over kimberly
video

24th sep - rachel

In today's lesson, we first briefly discussed how our rehearsals were going to operate and what to expect. In our weekly lessons, we would take part of that time to rehearse the various group and duo songs, with Kim with the piano and also working on choreography with each other independently. As well as this, we will also spend time with our double cast to figure out and make decisions for our character's movement etc. in specific scenes and songs. Although we want to have similarities and reflect each other, we also will want to make our own slight alterations for when we play that character. This is so you have had a chance to add more of your own viewpoint of the characters which may be slightly different to your pair.

We then had a short time to think of 3 facts/ideas of our character (I chose Joanne as she was my main character), one being about their family origin relationship, one about their friends association and one about their ways to earn money:

1. Family origin relationship: Joanne, although has a close relationship with her mother and father, also frequently quarrel over her and Maureen's relationship, who believe she would be much better off with someone else. To them, Maureen and Joanne are like chalk and cheese, with nothing in common and constantly bickering themselves. However I believe they are more alike than her parents think. She may be an uptight lawyer with trust issues and not much interest in the artsy world, but considering Maureen is the complete opposite of all these things, there must be another side to Joanne, the one that is unconditionally in love with Maureen. 
2. Friends association: She keeps her friends at work very separate from the others surrounding Maureen. Her social life is similar to that of a double life. When at work and with her family, she is being the example of what they want her to be like and act like. Whereas when she's with Maureen and Mimi etc., she is more relaxed and free. 
3. Ways to earn money: She was a former law student, graduating from a well-respected university and entered the law career, becoming a lawyer. As this is high pay and an overall stable profession, it may suggest her parents pushed her into this direction, which also explains why they aren't approving of Maureen, as she isn't at all similar in terms of occupation. Joanne is the only character out of all the others to be in a high paying career with a sturdy future unlike the rest who can barely afford their rent

In the 'Given Circumstances' task, we would in random pairs be given a scenario, which we had to act out trying to incorporate our character ideas into it. We would end up in a conversation of getting to know each other's characters basically. 

After, we then had to make 3 firm decisions about our characters:

1. Parents not approving of Maureen
2. Always questioning life choices (being a lawyer, relationship with Maureen etc.)
3. Has trust issues, due to Maureen's wild and flirty persona

This lesson has been useful as we have quickly gathered information and built on our characters, which will soon mould the overall structure of them and help us to characterise ourselves

pab - 21st sep 4 Performing arts courses

Today we had to create Institution Profiles around Performing Arts, researching different universities and drama schools and the courses they offer. We had to focus on 4 different courses, possibly contrasting each other, to then present. I looked at Kingston University, London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA) and Kingston University.

LAMDA 

Course: BA (Hons) Professional Acting

3 year course

£9,000 a year

Year 1 - technical classes (acting, improv, voice, movement, singing, text analysis & interpretation, Alexander Technique, physical theatre, stage combat, dance) 80% of course content

Year 2 - Classwork 60% of course content, inc. audio & screen acting monologues

Workshop performances of Shakespeare, restoration drama, 19th century russian naturalism& musical theatre

Year 3 - public productions in LAMDAs theatres, can tour across UK & abroad

final phase of screen acting, voice-over & mic training ~ produce short film, radio play, voice reel & on-camera audition technique

Technical classes throughout final year

Train minimum 35 hours per week 

Audition: 2 monologues (1 from Elizabethan/Jacobean play, 1 form 20th/21st century)

maximum 3 mins

Kingston University

Course: Drama BA(Hons)

3 year course

Year 1 - key approaches to uunderstanding performance, analysing playtexts & productions etc.

end of year 1, create a performance project

Year 2 - contemporary play study, devising performance & Modernist theatre theory & practice

Year 3 - major production project, text based/devised ~ choice of option modules e.g cabaret & variety performance

Learn a language for free whilst studying - Arabic, french, german, italian, japanese, mandarin, portuguese, russian & spanish

Study/work abroad

Entry: 280-320 points

Grades: A level/BTEC:DDM

LIPA

Course: BA (Honours) Dance

3 Year course

£9,000 a year

Year 1 - technical: regular jazz, ballet & contemporary classes, weekly in tap

study fundamentals of choreo & commercial dance~inc. cross-cultural, street dance & combined art forms

inc. acting, singing and voice classes

Year 2 - technical classes continue. Classes to enhance secondary skills in acting and singing with musical theatre classes

Public peformance project~work alongside musicians, designers, & technicianss towards major performance

Year 3 - Explore elements of own research through practice, studying professional interests in dance & related performance

 performance opportunities for internal & external audiences, inc showcase opportunities for industry professionals

Entry: 5 GCSES Min. C Grade

160 points ~ 2 A levels, BTEC Diploma DM

University Of Surrey

Course: Dance with Theatre and Performance BA (Hons)
3 year course
Dance and theatre combined, expressing meaning and emotion through performance
£9,000 a year

References

www.lipa.ac.uk

www.kingston.ac.uk

www.lamda.org.uk

18th sep - production roles

My production role is 'Props'
This will involve me listing all of the props that are described in the script, along with:

•  the act and scenes in which they are used, 
• the quantity of the item, 
• the locations they will start/end in
• the character(s) that use them
• any other necessary notes 

We have began to roughly list the items in Act one and Act two. We need to also discuss with the cast which items we already possess, which items we still need, alternative items, items we won't be needing and any additional props

I will need to type these up into a table in more detail.

18th sep - kat

Today we continued with 'La Vie Boheme', adding more movement. With our partners, we added onto our duo phrase, using 3 given contact positions to incorporate into the dance.

Balance by pulling against each other

Leaning support

Pushing against each other

We then further developed our movement using some choreographic devices including canon/unison, repetition, levels etc. For example, Kim crouches and slides towards me whilst I dance towards her (levels), then joining me as we (unison) body ripple. Another example is when we (repeat) a section of the original phrase, but this time I am sitting down on a chair and Kim is standing directly behind me (levels) when performing this.

When we performed this, what went well was our timing of the movement and the fluid, continuous structure of it. We also remembered to use our facial expressions and high energy throughout our whole phrase. However, at the end of our dance, we still had time left before the song ended. To improve, we sould improvise movement to fill in the gaps instead of standing around. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfDkia-tXlo&index=2&list=PLl8RU1N6TfpJ3SZwGNRO2e8f8SLsEsvpq

18th sep - rachel

Today we watched a Rent production performed by an American high school. This helped us gain an insight into the ways this musical has been interpreted in terms of staging design and directions, vocal performances and the style of the characters (personality/costume). We noted down what sections our own characters were involved in and entered, for example Joanne's first appearance is in the opening scene 'Rent', where she it's in conversation with Maureen on a payphone. As me and Josh play Mr and Mrs Jefferson, it was interesting to see how the roles were performed. As they are leaving a voicemail, the couple's lines are half sung half spoken. This will be useful for when we are practising this section to play around and exaggerate the lines, to give more of a humorous quality.

We then began labelling and annotating a diagram of one of our characters, mine being Joanne. This included what their attire would consist of, their thoughts, feelings, ambitions, fears etc.

Here is a video of my explanation and own opinions on my character, Joanne.

Evaluation of audition for 'Rent' 17th September

Aspects of the audition I felt weren't successful was when I first performed my chosen song 'Light My Candle' from Rent. I decided to sing both parts of the song (Mimi's and Roger's) as the song consists of a back and forth duet, so it flows better rather than having gaps when I'm singing.
I was particularly nervous which caused me to forget some of the words and lose my confidence. Rachel's feedback on my performance was that I had a good tone but need to work on my confidence.

I was then asked to sing 'Out Tonight'. Although I didn't know the lyrics, I had watched the film recently  beforehand so I was familiar with the melody. Using a copy of the lyrics, I performed the song and immediately felt much more comfortable when singing. I managed to project better and pronounce the lyrics clearer. I need to work on feeling comfortable and self-reliant without the help of lyrics , as in a real audition there wouldn't be an exception.

I prepared for this audition by thoroughly watching the film to understand it's context, all the songs and background of the characters. From doing this I gained a deeper interpetation of the storyline, and the importance of each individual role in the musical.

What I could have done better, is if I used time at college to practice as well instead of fully at home. This is because it's more difficult to fully rehearse at home due to distractions and not having an open and quiet environment.

This experience will benefit me in future siuations such as job interviews or auditions, as I now have good knowledge on the significant aspects of what to expect, and how to respond. In addition, it is key to do as much prep and research as you can, even if you don't need all of it. For example in my audition I had my other song for 'West Side Story' prepared to sing it, however I didn't need to perform it in the end.

Audition video

Monday 14th September - pab

In today's lesson we focused on professionalism in acting auditions.
Pre-audition
In preparation for the audition, it is important to warm up physically and vocally. This is so you are able to perform to your highest strength and you are feeling relaxed and calm. Vocal warm ups could include rehearsing the song/monologue etc. you are to perform, or any general excercises to help you regulate your vocals.

Ensure you have covered your research and that you have everything you need, as well as being organised within yourself, too. This will show your commitment toward the production and company. An early arrival also demonstrates your dedication, and early arrivals will be seen quicker as opposed to someone who comes much later, giving you a better position.

In the audition
Your attitude should remain although positive and confident, humble. You want to give the impression that you believe in yourself and the production, but are an open minded person who responds correctly to any kind of feedback, and being respectful. However, be inquisitive in asking appropriate questions. This will imply you are looking to understand the production in depth showing a genuine interest.

Your presentation must be minimalistic in terms of makeup and your outfit. This brings the focus entirely on you and your performance.

In partners, we then discussed the type of questions you most likely will be asked in an acting interview. The questions I thought of were:

1. Why do you think you'd be right for this role?
2. What experience do you have?
3. What interests you in this play? - 
4. What knowledge of the company do you have? 
5. Could you perform this with a different accent/style?
6. Do you have any questions?
7. Have you read the script? What are your thoughts on it?
8. Who's your favourite playwright?
9. What's your availability?
10. Do you have your own travel?
11. What is your voice type?
12. What are your strengths/weaknesses?

We then practised interviewing each other to see what it's like when under pressure

From this I've learned how there is many different aspects that go into an acting audition which will overall determine if you get the part, not just about remembering your lines. From my own research,  watched several audition tapes including famous actors who starred in the specific film, who messed up lines etc. but still got the part. This shows how other factors influence whether or not you get the role. 

11th sep - kat

In dance, we started off by exploring different types of stimuli. A stimulus is a starting point, often used in dance as a basis for creating movement.

• Auditory: This includes songs, noises, percussion, human voice etc. 
• Visual: This includes photos/paintings, films/clips, colours etc. 
• Text-based: This includes scripts, poetry, literature, news items etc.
• Concepts/themes: This includes telling a story, conveying an idea, examples are war etc.

A text-based stimulus we have used in Musical theatre before is scripts. In WWOD this largely relied on the script as it was very detailed in terms of sounds, lighting and props as well as the lines.

We also went over the choreographic process:
(in order)
Stimulus
Research
Improvise
Select and Refine
Create a Motif
Add Choreographic devices
Create Climax
Structure Motif

How to refine s Motif:
Use of dynamics
Use of spacing
Timing
Focus
Use of relationships

Then, we started learning the dance movement to the song 'La Vie Boheme'. We watched the a clip of this scene from the film, to help us recreate it. This involved 2 rows of chairs parallel to eachother, with a gap down the middle, representing a lengthy table. The scene is set in a pub/restaurant and the main characters have entered coming from Maureen's protest. It is a very busy, fast paced environment which is shown when the song starts and the energetic interaction between everyone in there. We reflected this through our movement which involved some of us dancing and jumping off chairs, showing the bouncy, fun-loving atmosphere.

In partners, we then learnt a short phrase performed after our group phrase as we split off into different spaces on the stage. We have to improve our timing accuracy as everyone performs this section at the same time, meaning we had to look neat and in sync.

11th sep - rachel

Today we revisited the 'Rent' song, where we now began to block the scene of when each gang would enter/exit the stage, and what directions they would be coming from. We then did a run through the scene with the actual 'Rent' track to reflect on what needs to be improved in our own gangs.

Our gang took advantage of the space as we used a large portion of the stage, as the beginning of our performance displays me and Ashley entering from the complete opposite corner to Paige. We then meet in the centre and travel far downstage, then far upstage and exit to the left. This is more effective than staying in one area, as when additional gangs then filter through and cross through others.

We had an obvious contrast between the 3 states of tension. For example, our 'parole' behaviour involved us casually walking with our heads low and with a composed expression/attitude, whereas our 'intimidation' behaviour included us crouched on the ground, very focused, alert and fixated on where we were aiming to go. We then sprint closely together off-stage to 'attack'. These various actions helped highlighting the significant behaviour changes and the rising level of aggression. We also portrayed our gang-style characters well through our body language and gestures, such as the handshake between Paige and Ashley at the start and the fist gestures (representing our plan of attack) when we are in our crouched position. 

We managed to show a relationship between each gang member by interacting with one another. Even when me and Ashley enter the space as a pair already shows a bond. The handshake is another aspect, as it shows their familiarity with each other. Another action we performed was when I kneeled to the ground and Paige shoved Ashley over so he tripped over my back. Although this could show the boisterous, banter side to their friendship, we decided not to use it as didn't flow as well into our next positions etc.

Things we could improve involved

More energy: Something our gang was lacking was the energy. We needed more power in our actions and more liveliness to our whole performance.

Sharper turns: the whole point in our turns is to switch to our next state of tension. Therefore, making the turns more tight and distinct, will lead on to improving the a clearer behaviour change.

Facial expressions: Although our body language and actions were reflecting the gang movement, we needed to also reflect this through our faces. 

Exaggerate movement: For example, our sprint off-stage could be done in a more forceful and sudden manner, or our shoving and playing around could be performed bigger and more obvious. As it's a musical, it is rare that things are done subtly. 

More confidence: Even when simply walking, walk with purpose. 

Smoother transitions: We needed to avoid any pauses or hesitating when going into the next move

More improv: When repeating the phrases and simply wandering around the stage, we should improvise movement that links to our character

Interact with other gangs: We could also associate with outside gang members, presumably in a confrontational way to challenge dominance and status of their group.

More sholl fish: Sometimes we distanced too much from each other in the space, so we need to remember the sholl fish exercise to maintain our gang mentality.

Once we get our individual 'Rent' character roles, it will be better as it will change the way we interact with the gang members. 

We briefly discussed possible uses of the stage, for example triverse seating, ways to reproduce fire((red lights & smoke?)) (as fire is in this scene). This will be further discussed when we are allocated production roles.

We then ran through the scene again and filmed it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDPDW8HJHM0&list=PLl8RU1N6TfpJ3SZwGNRO2e8f8SLsEsvpq&index=1


What we did that went better:
Our switches and turns were sharper
Our transitions were smoother
We improvised more when repeating phrases
We had better interaction with other groups on stage

Still need to improve?
I think we need more actions in our states of tension and even more interaction with other gangs.

10th sep - gangs

Today we started with a warmup which is described as a 'sholl of fish'. In random groups, we would attempt to stay shoulder to shoulder with another as we walk around the space, with any one of us randomly changing direction and speed. We had to keep focused in order to keep up and respond quickly to unexpected switches. This exercise helped with the next task of this lesson.

Our 3 main words we were working on was

1. Parole
2. Intimidation
3. Attack

This was in relation to the style of New York gangs, which will appear in the opening scene 'Rent'. In groups of 3 (I worked with Paige and Ashley), we created 8 moves linking to the characteristics of gang culture. Showing a strong bond between each other can reflect this culture as people often become apart of gangs for protection, and carving an identity for themselves. We also stylised the pedestrian movement such as having a slouching posture whilst we stroll with our focus mostly towards the ground. 

For parole, we decided to meet centre stage, 2 of us meeting the other from opposite sides. As we approach each other, we greet which involves a handshake to show our relationships. For parole, we begin by slowly strolling in one direction, using our learned characteristics. Upon changing direction, we turn to 'Intimidation'. We use movement such as joking and shoving each other about, which is performed in a physically loud way. This gives the intimidating vibe, which is often associated with gangs when coming across them. It could show a lack of social awareness, as you are entirely focused on you and your gang, rather than thinking of how you are affecting people around you. In our last change of direction, with 'Attack', we crouched down together and focused on the wall (portraying offstage), imagining it was another person. We began planning on how to attack, using actions such as slapping our fists to highlight our idea, in we then dart offstage. 

We also practised this with rock music, which portrayed the aggressive, chaotic atmosphere of this opening scene. Practising with the music helped us to embody our characters.

Our chosen actions worked well and the use of the 'sholl of fish' exercise improved our group's interaction and movement. However we need to work on exaggerating our moves and being even more aggressive with it when/where needed.

Wednesday 10th September

In today's lesson, we discussed what to expect at auditions and how to fully prepare yourself for them.

Preparing & Research

It's useful to do some thorough research into the production company and even the casting director/choreographer, as this will show your genuine interest into the whole background/roots of what you are auditioning for. You should also try scanning through the script of the production beforehand if you get the opportunity, especially if you are unfamiliar with it as you can grasp the structure and style. Ensure you know your full availability for when they ask, preferably being as flexible as possible which will show your commitment to the whole production.

Ensure you arrive early, and remember the audition begins the moment you enter the building. This means all your actions/behaviour should remain appropriate at all times, even when waiting to go into your audition. The director and others involved in the company will want to know what you're casually like when you don't know you're being observed, so they know if your real character is tolerable. Prepare your physical appearance for the audition, such as a neat hairstyle that doesn't fall over your face, subtle clothing (preferably black/white) that doesn't overshadow yourself. This is so the interviewers can focus entirely on your performance rather than being distracted by your attire. Make-up, if any, should be subtle too. You should consider yourself  a blank canvas, where the directors can see what they can work with for the role.

When in the audition, you need to remain calm, relaxed yet attentive, to show how you feel comfortable in this situation as well as giving your full attention. Be confident, but not cocky. You need to portray your optimism and positivity, but you can't come across arrogant. Have an attitude which shows you're hard-working and keen to learn.

Own audition

The songs I've chosen to sing for my audition is Rent's 'Light My Candle' and West Side Story's 'A Boy Like That'. I chose this Rent song as it's more within my vocal range that I am more comfortable performing for the audition, as I get quite nervous. I chose this WSS song because I prefer the singing style of Anita in this song than Maria in 'Somewhere'. She uses mostly chest voice including when she hits higher notes, unlike Maria who sings mostly in head voice.

I will prepare for this audition by watching the films and specific clips of the songs to rehearse, in addition to researching the plots and knowledge of the main individual characters of the production.