Friday, 8 November 2013

Greek tragedy week 2

On Monday we went straight back to working on our Greek project after a week off after half term. In the half term I managed to get some research done about some factors I can add to my character profile, and managed to finished my blog entries for our first project.

Monday:
-We looked at contextualizing contemporary
-Did vocal warm ups and work
-Played stuck in the mud
- Movement with Kirsty, we developed something which we started in the follow up to this project before half term.

Wednesday:
-Had Alex working with us in the morning
-Dynamics in the voice
-Looked at certain parts of the script as a group
-Brought in props
-Brought in a book
-Looked at different types of staging in which was new to me.
-Looked at key themes in the play
-Activity to show these themes

Thursday:
-Continued developing our play with Electra
-Showed Karen our work we did with Kirsty
-Choreography
-Watched a scene between Elle, Zac and Joe. (  this is the scene I come in later)




Creative Ideas:
The first idea I liked was the pose I created on Thursday. It was the my pose I did in the scene with Abi, where we were devising some chorus movement around her. I liked it because it showed how I was doing something different when Karen said to show how we are offering Electra more. I decided to move outwards to enhance to the audience instead of everyone going in to her.

The second creative idea I had this week was during movement with Kirsty and it was how I walked across in a certain way mirroring Reece. We were all asked to get in a sort of journalistic pose or show that we are taking notes on the incident happening with the murder in the bath, committed by Clytemnestra. I thought it would be a good idea to walk in front of the two lovers as me and Reece were the only ones that did this but it gave it a nice detail. Whilst we both walked in front of them we put a hand to our face to imply we were whispering about them.

There were a lot of creative moments this week coming from everyone.

Development:
We developed a chorus part, where we all witness Clytemnestra kill her husband (Electra's father). This was during movement with Kirsty. We started this the week before half term in the follow up to our Greek project. We added a journalistic pose or action (as described above) and we also got up to the point of witnessing the murder and all bunching together as a group and leaning over one another to watch the murder. I quite like this idea as it brings all the focus to the murder and higlights one of the key themes in the play (murder).


Devising: We started devising a scene where Electra is played by abi. In this scene we started working with the chorus and thinking about placement. We all start by walking into drum beats which I quite like because it brings a really nice idea of tension that fits brilliantly with the scene. We all end up round the bath as if it is representing a grave which will be used for more than one scene, with Joe lying as the body for a long time. The chorus is there in disguise as if we are pretending to pay our respects but really we are just nosy journalist looking for a new scoop and headline. I think now we are putting together the piece, Karen's journalist theme is really starting to look effective, and I can see every one is enjoying the characteristics of these roles.

Continuing research findings: 

I have found some interesting facts about slaves during the Grecian times. For example I found out that the majority of citizens in Athens owned at least one slave. In those times they considered slavery natural and necessary.

A quote from Wikipedia said 'Thucydides recalls that 7,000 inhabitants of Hyccara in Sicily were taken prisoner by Nicias and sold for 120 talents in the neighboring village of Catania. Likewise in 348 BC the population of Olynthus was reduced to slavery, as was that of Thebes in 335 BC by Alexander the Great and that of Mantineia by the Achaean League.' 
This could help me decided where my slave originated from and how/why she became to be a slave.


Input into the scene: I have put in some creative ideas for example the ideas I wrote about in my creative ideas section. Although I have also put in input to other group activities this week for example, on Wednesday we were asked to do an activity in groups of five or six, and asked to read out words with different dynamics. The dynamics we used were whispering and shouting, and putting different energies into different words leading to a different outcome every time. I quite liked the use of stamping whilst words were being said, I believed it to be dramatic and simply brilliant. So I thought of using this into our activity and it worked really well.

Strengths and weaknesses: I always find the week after half term hard to focus, on the other hand, I get more excited about doing it because I haven't been doing it for a week. I am really enjoying being in the chorus at the moment because I love the characteristics and energy of the journalists, I think they can be nosy annoying and full of energy and I just love playing out that energy. I think it is a strength when you are enjoying something as when you enjoy it, you seem to put more effort in to it and it looks believable in the scene.

A weakness this week is that the buses have been a little bit slow and I haven't been on time every day which lead to me missing the first few minutes of class. Another weakness this week was that I hadn't handed in an essay that I had done, but felt it wasn't at any standard to hand in. After talking to Karen I now understand that some work is better than no work.


Teamwork: Teamwork was used a lot for our activities and workshops during our lessons. We were put into groups a lot and were asked to experiment with certain types of staging, certain pieces from the script, to start thinking of devising a certain movement for a scene in our play, or to work together as chorus and to use each other to bring our characters alive. I like how we all feel comfortable with each other now, and this leads to better acting when it comes to working with each other.

Problems and solutions:
A problem this week was how I hadn't handed in my essay, though the solution was that Karen was kind enough to give me an extension, so I could improve on the things I wasn't comfortable with. Work is better than no work. Another problem was how the buses were being a pain this week, but a solution is how I am getting up earlier next week to get in on time.

New learning and self-reflection: This week I learnt about staging that I didn't have a clue about, I learnt some new names of different stagings, for example the thrust, the proscenium arch, the round, and the traverse. All in which we explored during some activities. I also learnt some more interesting things about others in voice this week with Karen for example of how some of us don't actually like our voices, or what techniques we can do to improve the things we dislike about them. I think I am quite nasally, but it could be due to the fact I had a clod this week, but Karen suggested a technique to help loosen the nasal cavity.

Aims for the week:
To try and hand work in on time.
If I have an idea put it across.
If i'm worried about something just talk to someone.
To be on time


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