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.

Singing Evaluation (Everything You Didn't Do)

I believe our performance went very well, considering we hadn't had loads of rehearsals and only practised with the other group on the day of the performance. I feel the first section to the song was really strong and clearly projected and spoken. I was really comfortable with the harmony split in the choruses as well as it was a smooth transition that I had gone over in my own time to get the grips of it. I helped guide the rest of my group to hit the right note as they were struggling a bit, and this resulted in a powerful performance. However in the second verse, a few of us weren't fully confident on the lyrics so it stumbled a bit, but this was quickly picked back up when returning to the chorus. In the last section, I used to find it difficult to reach the high notes i.e "It's so clear now" scaling up, but with the previous warm ups and the use of my practise routine, I was able to deliver the words solidly and with the intended mood to it. The 3rd chorus then changes in key which has always been an awkward change for us. I think it's because it unexpectedly changes rather than gradually. Our harmony group were a bit wobbly at the start which could have been improved through more rehearsing, but we soon found the key and continued with a strong performance. Overall I think we worked together well and supported each other with a lively and energetic attitude, which encouraged a fun and successful performance.