Wardrobe Week 5 & 6

Introduction:

We began to look and study the work of Bertolt Brecht, who was a German poet, theatre director and most significantly one of histories most famous playwrights. He was a theatre practitioner contributing to theatre. He first began writing plays while working in an army hospital. Brecht's work fitted nicely with the Dadaist and Marxist movement of the time. The increased dissatisfaction with society after World War I fit Brecht's anti-bourgeois writing. He fled Nazi Germany and settled in the US, until setting in Berlin following World War II. 

As opposed to Stanislavsky and Chekhov who wanted to make it feel natural, truthful and real, Brecht didn't want the audience to get emotionally attached to the character, he wanted to bring them back and away from the story line to make them remember that they are watching a story, and that it's not really happening. Examples of Brecht work are 'The Duchess of Malfi' and 'Antigone'. A film that I noticed that uses Brecht is 'The Fiddler on the Roof'. The film uses the technique where the film pauses and the character who is talking or speaking, speaks to the audience.

Creative Ideas:
Creative Ideas this week were additions and ideas for my scene, for example the idea of adding in dresses in our scene. The line that Sarah says's originally would have indicated that the mistress had left her wardrobe empty, but we felt that it would be more fun and creative if we could use some dresses as if they belonged to the mistress, in the scene. We decided we would use them to wear and try on during the scene, this helped us with blocking and fitted with the mischievous sides of Mary and Sarah.

Development:
We developed our scene by experimenting with different ways on entering the wardrobe, for example we decided that instead of all entering at once, it would be nice that Rae playing (Anne) would start off on her own in the wardrobe as this shows the audience, the first clue of what the wardrobe is there for. The wardrobe is a a type of safe sanctuary for children, or young adult around our age throughout history to hide or feel safe from the outside world. Rae, feels safe from her illness, and for that moment when she is reciting the audition speech, it takes her mind from anything negative. This I think is a moment that I love because although the audience does not know what happens yet, we do, and I think the audience can look back to this moment and realise there was a reason why we blocked it like that, that there was a meaning behind it.


Trial and Error:
This week we tried adding a hint of a accent, to bring a truth to our characters. Although our characters were higher up than most maids, as we are ladies maids, they aren't exactly posh. They must have been well spoken to a certain extent though as they would have had to serve the mistress' of the house. It was challenging trying to add the accent on at first, but Karen suggested to just have a hint of the accent, so we decided to experiment with what felt like it sounded natural. I'm not sure whether we are going to keep it, but trial and error is all about experimenting and working towards what we like.


Strengths and weaknesses of scene work:
Strengths: Teamwork, we look good as a three.
Weakness: Need to detach myself from my character to seem real
Strength: The story is coming together nicely and seems touching.
Weakness: Need to run through it more, and learn lines make it more fluent.

further development- aims: learn lines

Teamwork Examples:

Me, Rae and Paige have all researched into our different characters.
We have continued to develop the relationship between our characters.
We bring out the strengths in each other during performances.

Problems and solutions:
The only problems we are having at the moment, is working out space, as it is difficult to estimate where to block with out realizing the limited space it will leave us with to perform, so for now we are going to focus on the development on our characters and learning lines, as we can deal with the space restrictions when we come to them.

New learning:

We did a workshop this week on turning our scenes into a series of about 8-10 Brecht tableauxs. These tableauxs helped to breakdown the scene into sections that showed you the key points of the story.

1-Entering
This first tableaux showed the audience, that the relationship between the three girls is more than just a working relationship. They are quite obviously friends, who are up to mischief and are happy at that moment in time.
2-3 girls laughing
This one shows a tableaux of all 3 of us laughing, this shows the happy and upbeat energy in the scene, the atmosphere seems like a safe and good one.
3-Anne's Dream
This tableaux shows the audience how me and Mary are actually drawn in by Anne's dream, suggesting perhaps we want it just as much, but are afraid to admit it. This is a nice moment as the girls take a moment to take in what Anne is saying instead of actually just being sarcastic and joking.
4- Sarah's 'The plague (Zip)'
This moment in the scene, allows the audience to get the first serious energy change. As if we are not to talk about the plague. The tableaux was of all three of us acing the audience. This is one of the most powerful moments.
5-Anne's Speech
This tableaux shows that the scene has guided away from the serious side and is focusing on Anne's positive dream again.
6- Sarah's False Alarm
This shows the second of the more serious situation, it is the moment of where the energy is at a suspense for the audience, because they don't know if Sarah does actually have the plague.
7- 3 girls in the Triangle
This Tableaux creates a separation between all of us, as we are all in our own space, in a triangle, as if we are backing away from the disease, the energy state is at state 8, as if there is a bomb in the room.
8-Anne's speech ending
This shows Anne collapsing, but Sarah and Mary clapping, not realizing, Anne is being truthful.
9-Anne's real ending
Mary shows anticipation and fear as Sarah kneels down beside her. Showing Mary is fearful, for her own health at first, but Sarah is fearful for her friend.
10-Sarah recites Anne's words
As Mary shows sacrifice for her health to help Sarah with Anne, Sarah recites Anne's words, to make her feel better, but knowing the reality and not trying to show it in her voice.

I think the ending shows real friendship. That is what I love about the scene. The breakdown of the scene, made me realize that as soon as Anne came out of the wardrobe, the reality of the plague caught up with us and we were no longer safe from the outside world. The wardrobe was what made light of the situation.



Aims for next lesson: to be off script or prepared.