Monday, 30 January 2017
Wednesday, 25 January 2017
DEVISED - Coming up with ideas 25/1/17
Today's lesson, we were informed of our next unit: Performing a devised piece to a live audience in a site specific venue. I was quite excited when we were told this because I like to explore drama further than you can when using scripts, and I think the fact we our devising and choosing our performance venue specific to our performance allows us to explore drama and its subsidiaries even further. This lesson, we just had a general class discussion/debate on ideas for our performance which will be based on our given stimulus which is a poem called 'Mind of the Mad'
From this poem, we drew many ideas which are as follows:
I really took a liking to the idea of labels and making the audience question 'normality' - so a trying to make the audience believe that 'insanity' is 'normality', being gay is the 'norm' and other controversial topics and the like; but set in a circus, and have the audience taken round to each character and they have their own story to convince the audience and something the audience can question about reality.
We were then put into two groups to develop/come up with an idea, and then to create a proposal for our idea to showcase the root of our idea.
I was in a group with Henri, Tyler, Callum and Owen and we all came to a mutual agreement to develop on the idea of labels and making the 'norm' the opposite to what it is in reality (like an alternate reality). Henri liked the idea of putting the piece in Rochester castle. We discussed the idea of each character having their own scene about their 'alternative' (mine would have been insanity/sanity), and should anyone else be involved in another's scene, they play their character throughout to add a sense of surrealism and try to make all the characters and scenes to link effectively.
From this poem, we drew many ideas which are as follows:
I really took a liking to the idea of labels and making the audience question 'normality' - so a trying to make the audience believe that 'insanity' is 'normality', being gay is the 'norm' and other controversial topics and the like; but set in a circus, and have the audience taken round to each character and they have their own story to convince the audience and something the audience can question about reality.
We were then put into two groups to develop/come up with an idea, and then to create a proposal for our idea to showcase the root of our idea.
I was in a group with Henri, Tyler, Callum and Owen and we all came to a mutual agreement to develop on the idea of labels and making the 'norm' the opposite to what it is in reality (like an alternate reality). Henri liked the idea of putting the piece in Rochester castle. We discussed the idea of each character having their own scene about their 'alternative' (mine would have been insanity/sanity), and should anyone else be involved in another's scene, they play their character throughout to add a sense of surrealism and try to make all the characters and scenes to link effectively.
Monday, 23 January 2017
RENT - Final performance evaluation
After our final performance, I was really impressed and satisfied with how it went - and everyone shares the same opinion. Overall, I think we all clearly understood every single word we said/sung and we all had clear understandings of our characters and character relationships, and along with this came a great performance individually but also as a company. For the majority of the performance we were all clearly heard, which shows our constant work on projection had clearly paid off however we had been informed that we all were quieter at least once in the performance. There are number of aspects I can think of that could be the cause of this, firstly because for many of the class it was their first musical performance and it could have simply been nerves which will obviously be improved as we progress through the course because we will face a lot more performances, and/or most of the class are not trained singers and find this hard, or people just find projection very hard (this is definitely my case) and have recognised that this is something to work on throughout the course.
Rehearsal process
As the weeks progressed, we all worked very well together and it was a very good environment to work in; we all supported each other and were able to have laughs whilst still getting a lot done. However despite this, we had a few problems with professionalism, which entails being quiet and respectful when people are rehearsing, treating rehearsals like performances (so carrying when forgetting lines etc...), and coming to rehearsals prepared. I think this was a problem because for many of the class it was their first proper performance so resulting in being unfamiliar with what comes under professionalism. However this definitely improved very quickly. I tend to split the rehearsal process into three distinct stages: 1. Learning/staging the material, 2. Cleaning and polishing, and 3. Run through's.
Stage 1:
During this stage I struggled a lot when it came to learning the songs because I tend to take longer than usual to learn a song and this I think held the rest of the company back a bit, because we would constantly have to spend more time learning a song when we planned, for example, to learn two songs that rehearsal and as a result we spent a lot more time than planned on learning and staging the show, which gave us less time to clean and polish. I think to work on this flaw of mine, I simply need to be extra prepared for rehearsals, this entails starting to learn the material before everyone else or start as soon as we are informed of the play/musical we are doing so that I am not two or three steps behind everyone else in rehearsals, and we can spend more time on cleaning and polishing what we have learnt. As a whole company, I think we started quite badly because not everyone knew each other very well so there were, for some people, issues with confidence, acting with people in a certain way, singing in front of people and supporting each other and giving feedback, but naturally as we progressed (only took a week or two) everyone got to each other a lot better and everyone was more than comfortable with each other so these issues were very quickly erased. Again as a whole in the early stages, was we didn't know much about our characters (this is obviously before we done any character research), so we were all trying out different ways to play our characters and trying to find what suits, and I think this a very good thing to do as an actor because it gives you an opportunity to find what aspects of acting you are comfortable with, what kind of people you can portray and become of your versatility as an actor.
Stage 2:
I think this stage of the rehearsal process was a lot more successful in terms of professionalism and getting more things done, possibly because we learnt from our mistakes in stage 1. I think everything became a lot easier because all the songs had been learnt and blocked, so it really just came down to taking direction and criticism from our peers and directors. No one had any trouble when it came to this, we all tried out any directions we were given without arguing (except the very odd occasion) because we all realise that the directors have a vision in their head of the performance, and they are watching our rehearsals from an audience member's perspective so they would obviously see first hand what needs improving and how. The song that we spent to most time trying to clean and perfect was probably La Vie Boheme because we constantly had issues with energy levels, knowing the context of what we're saying and the contextual information of the song, and we never really felt like it was good enough yet. So we discussed as a company that we should work on this, and we all discussed what points should be specifically reviewed and why, and what sort of things we want to change/add. We did this with most numbers, but it was mainly La Vie Boheme. Overall, I would say we worked very well together and we listened and took on board any ideas either of us put forward.
Stage 3:
Our first few run throughs, I think were not very good because we were not fully aware of the order of the songs, when dialogue was, and most of us were mainly focussing on learning the songs so we forgot about the dialogue, and it just these run throughs all the more stressful. Also we very rarely had a full run through from start to finish in one go because we simply didn't have the time in lesson, so we actually only had about two complete run through's prior to the performance, which didn't fill us with much confidence about how the performance would go because we felt we weren't ready, but it turns out we knew everything individually, and we had done act 1 runs and act 2 runs completely, so we knew what we were doing. By about half way through this stage, we were all pretty confident with our own individual performances and our characters; I think the main problem was our performance together as an ensemble, because I think some us had our own issues with some songs - whether it be not knowing the contextual information of the song, not knowing what it means to your character, forgetting lines, or just not really aware of what is going on, because this had an effect on the people who were confident on said song because it is very hard to act well in this situation because most of the time, acting comes from bouncing off other's peoples energy and individual performance. I felt like this in the song Goodbye love, but I knew what was going on, I just don't think some people knew that it was supposed to be a very heated and tense argument, and I found it very hard to be the one who is trying to keep everyone calm, become annoyed with the feuds within the group and break it all up because there wasn't much there to break up. But this was definitely improved by the time of the performance. In terms of professionalism, this stage was very successful because again, we were all very respectful of each other when others were on stage and whenever a line was forgotten or timing was off, or any thing was forgotten for that matter, we all just carried on an worked round it.
Individual performance
I think my performance was very good - I embodied this neutral, kind and awkward character and captured his train of thoughts and physicality. I played Mark with, at points, quite an angry tone about him. I think he would be getting quite angry because all he wants is for his friends to get along and finish his film. However with people like Roger and Mimi arguing, and Maureen and and Joanne arguing, and Roger not leaving the house, and with Benny's threat of eviction, I think this would absolutely be getting a bit too much for Mark so I definitely think Mark would begin to get quite angry. However overall, I think I capture his positive and optimistic outlook on life very well.
Playing Mark has been very fun for me, a very different character to what I have played in the past so I definitely was challenged, but I absolutely think it increased my versatility as an actor.
Rehearsal process
As the weeks progressed, we all worked very well together and it was a very good environment to work in; we all supported each other and were able to have laughs whilst still getting a lot done. However despite this, we had a few problems with professionalism, which entails being quiet and respectful when people are rehearsing, treating rehearsals like performances (so carrying when forgetting lines etc...), and coming to rehearsals prepared. I think this was a problem because for many of the class it was their first proper performance so resulting in being unfamiliar with what comes under professionalism. However this definitely improved very quickly. I tend to split the rehearsal process into three distinct stages: 1. Learning/staging the material, 2. Cleaning and polishing, and 3. Run through's.
Stage 1:
During this stage I struggled a lot when it came to learning the songs because I tend to take longer than usual to learn a song and this I think held the rest of the company back a bit, because we would constantly have to spend more time learning a song when we planned, for example, to learn two songs that rehearsal and as a result we spent a lot more time than planned on learning and staging the show, which gave us less time to clean and polish. I think to work on this flaw of mine, I simply need to be extra prepared for rehearsals, this entails starting to learn the material before everyone else or start as soon as we are informed of the play/musical we are doing so that I am not two or three steps behind everyone else in rehearsals, and we can spend more time on cleaning and polishing what we have learnt. As a whole company, I think we started quite badly because not everyone knew each other very well so there were, for some people, issues with confidence, acting with people in a certain way, singing in front of people and supporting each other and giving feedback, but naturally as we progressed (only took a week or two) everyone got to each other a lot better and everyone was more than comfortable with each other so these issues were very quickly erased. Again as a whole in the early stages, was we didn't know much about our characters (this is obviously before we done any character research), so we were all trying out different ways to play our characters and trying to find what suits, and I think this a very good thing to do as an actor because it gives you an opportunity to find what aspects of acting you are comfortable with, what kind of people you can portray and become of your versatility as an actor.
Stage 2:
I think this stage of the rehearsal process was a lot more successful in terms of professionalism and getting more things done, possibly because we learnt from our mistakes in stage 1. I think everything became a lot easier because all the songs had been learnt and blocked, so it really just came down to taking direction and criticism from our peers and directors. No one had any trouble when it came to this, we all tried out any directions we were given without arguing (except the very odd occasion) because we all realise that the directors have a vision in their head of the performance, and they are watching our rehearsals from an audience member's perspective so they would obviously see first hand what needs improving and how. The song that we spent to most time trying to clean and perfect was probably La Vie Boheme because we constantly had issues with energy levels, knowing the context of what we're saying and the contextual information of the song, and we never really felt like it was good enough yet. So we discussed as a company that we should work on this, and we all discussed what points should be specifically reviewed and why, and what sort of things we want to change/add. We did this with most numbers, but it was mainly La Vie Boheme. Overall, I would say we worked very well together and we listened and took on board any ideas either of us put forward.
Stage 3:
Our first few run throughs, I think were not very good because we were not fully aware of the order of the songs, when dialogue was, and most of us were mainly focussing on learning the songs so we forgot about the dialogue, and it just these run throughs all the more stressful. Also we very rarely had a full run through from start to finish in one go because we simply didn't have the time in lesson, so we actually only had about two complete run through's prior to the performance, which didn't fill us with much confidence about how the performance would go because we felt we weren't ready, but it turns out we knew everything individually, and we had done act 1 runs and act 2 runs completely, so we knew what we were doing. By about half way through this stage, we were all pretty confident with our own individual performances and our characters; I think the main problem was our performance together as an ensemble, because I think some us had our own issues with some songs - whether it be not knowing the contextual information of the song, not knowing what it means to your character, forgetting lines, or just not really aware of what is going on, because this had an effect on the people who were confident on said song because it is very hard to act well in this situation because most of the time, acting comes from bouncing off other's peoples energy and individual performance. I felt like this in the song Goodbye love, but I knew what was going on, I just don't think some people knew that it was supposed to be a very heated and tense argument, and I found it very hard to be the one who is trying to keep everyone calm, become annoyed with the feuds within the group and break it all up because there wasn't much there to break up. But this was definitely improved by the time of the performance. In terms of professionalism, this stage was very successful because again, we were all very respectful of each other when others were on stage and whenever a line was forgotten or timing was off, or any thing was forgotten for that matter, we all just carried on an worked round it.
Individual performance
I think my performance was very good - I embodied this neutral, kind and awkward character and captured his train of thoughts and physicality. I played Mark with, at points, quite an angry tone about him. I think he would be getting quite angry because all he wants is for his friends to get along and finish his film. However with people like Roger and Mimi arguing, and Maureen and and Joanne arguing, and Roger not leaving the house, and with Benny's threat of eviction, I think this would absolutely be getting a bit too much for Mark so I definitely think Mark would begin to get quite angry. However overall, I think I capture his positive and optimistic outlook on life very well.
Playing Mark has been very fun for me, a very different character to what I have played in the past so I definitely was challenged, but I absolutely think it increased my versatility as an actor.
Thursday, 19 January 2017
RENT - Programme 19/1/17
Revolution Arts presents a selection of scenes and songs from...
- Mark - Cameron Falconar
- Roger - Henri Alabi
- Mimi - Taylor Medford-Major
- Maureen - Alice Abbott
- Joanne - Lorna Clark
- Collins - Lewis Fisher
- Benny - Will Dunn
- Mr Jefferson/Alexi Darling/Paul - Warren-Joe Banfield
- Waiter/Drug dealer/Mrs Jefferson - Tyler Goodyear
Production Team:
- Director - Mr Webb and Daniel Mckay
- Lighting - Daniel Mckay and Will Dunn
- Sound - Cameron Falconar
Wednesday, 11 January 2017
RENT - Full costume run (no transitions) 11/1/17
*Insert photo of costume*
I set up all the condenser microphones with the sound system, which are designed to pick up sound indirectly from and distance and enhance the projection, to help with our volume issues. They have actually made a huge difference and it sounds perfect.
Tune up #1 and #2 - In terms of physicality and movements and generally portraying the character, I think I did these numbers really well - I have adopted a habit of moving around the stage more with bigger movements to show confidence and being comfortable within my own living space, and me and Henri interacted with each other a lot more which just helps set a more home-like atmosphere and help show the close relationship Mark and Roger share. For example, when Mark's mother leaves the voice mail (voice mail #1), Henri starts to tease me and laugh and take the mick and I just ignore him to show that he does it all the time and I've gotten used to it. Only thing that went bad here was my lyrics: quite a few times throughout I stumbled on my words and forgot my lyrics which aggravated me a bit because I a have never got it wrong like that before, however I will make sure I revise the lyrics before the performance.
Rent - I think today was one of the best run throughs of this song to date: everyone remembered all their lyrics and movements, and I think me and Henri acted very well together and individually throughout, and I felt more comfortable during the parts where the focus wasn't on me, like when it cross cuts to Joanne or Benny or Collins because I incorporated my research knowledge of the song into my acting, so I did things like pretending to pick/stack up paper that's been scattered and ready to burn them for heat. I also think vocally I did very well, I was told I was very loud and could easily be heard, and I feel my tone throughout really suited the theme and atmosphere the song creates. Although there is a harmony at the end which I keep missing so I need to work on this.
One song glory - Henri performed this exceptionally well today, he hit every not bar one, and he acted and portrayed his character very well. His movements really helped show his angst and pain and the tone of his voice also contributed to this. Only thing, when in rehearsal he needs to stop getting annoyed if he gets something wrong or does't hit a note, he needs to practice to keep going and ignore the mistake. Other than that, I think it this song went very well for Henri.
Light my candle - Again, this went exceptionally well too: they both portrayed their character's very well and the sexual tension was more than clear throughout which really made it more interesting to watch and it added more life and purpose to the song. Only thing was that they do need to pick up the volume a bit but the mics should help.
Today 4 U - Not much change from last rehearsal, only difference is I moved around a bit more to get more photo angles of Angel instead of just staying at the table behind. Owen seems a lot more confident now, his movements seem a lot sharper and he is clearly a lot more confident with the singing. However during the musical interlude, there is supposed to be a drum solo from Angel, whether he still does this I don't know, but either way he definitely needs to do something throughout this part because it is very awkward as we aren't doing anything for a while.
You'll see - Again, no change from last week; this number is becoming pretty consistent which is a very good sign.
Tango: Maureen - I think this went really well today, possibly better than last week. We were both a lot more confident in terms of acting and portraying our characters, and singing as well. Surprisingly the dance went really well today I think, due to the fact that I am a terrible dancer (and not a dancer), I just made sure I gave it my all and really acted throughout and gave it more character instead of mainly concentrating on the dance and it turned out to be really good. So this is what I will do from now on, make sure I give it character and act throughout.
Life support - It was definitely better than last rehearsal, but it still needs a lot of work. When I come in with "Sorry, excuse me, oops", I can never seem to get the timing right, and I don't really know what it is, all I know is it is either too early or too late and I can't figure when it is. And the number just seems a bit, for lack of a better word, dead. So we just need to work on to give it some life, but at the same time keeping in mind it isn't an upbeat song.
Another day - This number was also very good today, Henri and Taylor really show their relationship very well here, and it really highlight's Roger's troubled mind and the fact he clearly wants to be with Mimi but doesn't believe he either should or deserves her. They both sung it very well and confidently, and they looked confident with each other.
Will I? - This is another number that is becoming very consistent and doesn't require work.
Santa Fe - This number was ok, we have definitely done it better. Owen struggled to stay in time at the start, however did manage to get back in time eventually, I forgot the lyrics of the second chorus and the overall energy levels were just very low. However we used the stage space very well and acted throughout and projection/volume was good. One thing I really like that we do, is during the first chorus "We'll open up a restaurant in santa fe", we four stand together in a line to show that we stand together and that it is our dream rather than just Collins' dream.
I'll cover you - There has been discussions of this number being cut due to the singing being out of tune and struggling to stay in harmony and in sync with each other, but today I think it was brilliant. They could both be heard clearly and the majority of the harmonies were perfect, and they embodied there characters and portrayed their relationship very well. Their close proxemics really show that they clearly love each other, and the way they watch each other move when one is singing or just moving again shows that they clearly adore each other.
Over the moon - Alice done this very well today, it was very funny and entertaining and she really embodied this crazy/wacky and over the top character. She managed to get all the way through with laughing and the addition of her cow costume made it all the more comedic. She uses a lot of big hand and arm movements/gestures which really draws attention to her and makes it even more interesting and entertaining to watch.
La vie boheme - I think this song went really well today especially, I think it was just because the energy were increased
I set up all the condenser microphones with the sound system, which are designed to pick up sound indirectly from and distance and enhance the projection, to help with our volume issues. They have actually made a huge difference and it sounds perfect.
Tune up #1 and #2 - In terms of physicality and movements and generally portraying the character, I think I did these numbers really well - I have adopted a habit of moving around the stage more with bigger movements to show confidence and being comfortable within my own living space, and me and Henri interacted with each other a lot more which just helps set a more home-like atmosphere and help show the close relationship Mark and Roger share. For example, when Mark's mother leaves the voice mail (voice mail #1), Henri starts to tease me and laugh and take the mick and I just ignore him to show that he does it all the time and I've gotten used to it. Only thing that went bad here was my lyrics: quite a few times throughout I stumbled on my words and forgot my lyrics which aggravated me a bit because I a have never got it wrong like that before, however I will make sure I revise the lyrics before the performance.
Rent - I think today was one of the best run throughs of this song to date: everyone remembered all their lyrics and movements, and I think me and Henri acted very well together and individually throughout, and I felt more comfortable during the parts where the focus wasn't on me, like when it cross cuts to Joanne or Benny or Collins because I incorporated my research knowledge of the song into my acting, so I did things like pretending to pick/stack up paper that's been scattered and ready to burn them for heat. I also think vocally I did very well, I was told I was very loud and could easily be heard, and I feel my tone throughout really suited the theme and atmosphere the song creates. Although there is a harmony at the end which I keep missing so I need to work on this.
One song glory - Henri performed this exceptionally well today, he hit every not bar one, and he acted and portrayed his character very well. His movements really helped show his angst and pain and the tone of his voice also contributed to this. Only thing, when in rehearsal he needs to stop getting annoyed if he gets something wrong or does't hit a note, he needs to practice to keep going and ignore the mistake. Other than that, I think it this song went very well for Henri.
Light my candle - Again, this went exceptionally well too: they both portrayed their character's very well and the sexual tension was more than clear throughout which really made it more interesting to watch and it added more life and purpose to the song. Only thing was that they do need to pick up the volume a bit but the mics should help.
Today 4 U - Not much change from last rehearsal, only difference is I moved around a bit more to get more photo angles of Angel instead of just staying at the table behind. Owen seems a lot more confident now, his movements seem a lot sharper and he is clearly a lot more confident with the singing. However during the musical interlude, there is supposed to be a drum solo from Angel, whether he still does this I don't know, but either way he definitely needs to do something throughout this part because it is very awkward as we aren't doing anything for a while.
You'll see - Again, no change from last week; this number is becoming pretty consistent which is a very good sign.
Tango: Maureen - I think this went really well today, possibly better than last week. We were both a lot more confident in terms of acting and portraying our characters, and singing as well. Surprisingly the dance went really well today I think, due to the fact that I am a terrible dancer (and not a dancer), I just made sure I gave it my all and really acted throughout and gave it more character instead of mainly concentrating on the dance and it turned out to be really good. So this is what I will do from now on, make sure I give it character and act throughout.
Life support - It was definitely better than last rehearsal, but it still needs a lot of work. When I come in with "Sorry, excuse me, oops", I can never seem to get the timing right, and I don't really know what it is, all I know is it is either too early or too late and I can't figure when it is. And the number just seems a bit, for lack of a better word, dead. So we just need to work on to give it some life, but at the same time keeping in mind it isn't an upbeat song.
Another day - This number was also very good today, Henri and Taylor really show their relationship very well here, and it really highlight's Roger's troubled mind and the fact he clearly wants to be with Mimi but doesn't believe he either should or deserves her. They both sung it very well and confidently, and they looked confident with each other.
Will I? - This is another number that is becoming very consistent and doesn't require work.
Santa Fe - This number was ok, we have definitely done it better. Owen struggled to stay in time at the start, however did manage to get back in time eventually, I forgot the lyrics of the second chorus and the overall energy levels were just very low. However we used the stage space very well and acted throughout and projection/volume was good. One thing I really like that we do, is during the first chorus "We'll open up a restaurant in santa fe", we four stand together in a line to show that we stand together and that it is our dream rather than just Collins' dream.
I'll cover you - There has been discussions of this number being cut due to the singing being out of tune and struggling to stay in harmony and in sync with each other, but today I think it was brilliant. They could both be heard clearly and the majority of the harmonies were perfect, and they embodied there characters and portrayed their relationship very well. Their close proxemics really show that they clearly love each other, and the way they watch each other move when one is singing or just moving again shows that they clearly adore each other.
Over the moon - Alice done this very well today, it was very funny and entertaining and she really embodied this crazy/wacky and over the top character. She managed to get all the way through with laughing and the addition of her cow costume made it all the more comedic. She uses a lot of big hand and arm movements/gestures which really draws attention to her and makes it even more interesting and entertaining to watch.
La vie boheme - I think this song went really well today especially, I think it was just because the energy were increased
Monday, 9 January 2017
RENT - Act 2 run through 9/1/17
La vie boheme - We need to add more energy into this song because it all looks and I feel very awkward and a bit dead. I think to do this we just need to be a lot more comfortable with what we are doing, and understand the lyrics and meaning of the song more so we know what we should do. Everyone also need to listen out for the timings because we were told that most of us were out of time which is very uncomfortable to listen to. Especially my part at the start with the "Dearly beloved, we're gathered here to say our goodbyes...", I'm all over the place here so I need to find the pace before I start singing, and stick with that pace throughout.
Happy new year B - We were told that we need to continue acting throughout especially when we aren't saying anything and just listening to whoever else is singing/speaking. I think all of just need some contextual information on this song because all we know is that it is a new year party/reunion but then Benny gate crashes and starts/provokes an argument. For my character I think it is just about trying to enjoy myself and being happy everyone is getting along, until Benny enters and starts the argument.
I'll cover you (reprise) - All we were told for this one was to improve our diction with the dialogue at the start; the acting and movement/physicality and vocals were good throughout.
Goodbye love - Today's rehearsal of this song was just a mess all the way through. I don't think people understand that this song is an argument and there should be clear signs of tension between each other, because it just doesn't seem very heated, it just seems like a casual conversation and it then feels very awkward to act in and awkward to watch. So we all need to become more definite with our movements and add some energy to it. At the part where me and Henri have the argument, we were completely thrown off by the timings because our backing track is slightly different in terms of counts and bars, so we needed time to work it all out, but it was still very confusing.
Seasons of love - The main thing we was told was focus on spacial awareness. Everything else was good.
Happy new year B - We were told that we need to continue acting throughout especially when we aren't saying anything and just listening to whoever else is singing/speaking. I think all of just need some contextual information on this song because all we know is that it is a new year party/reunion but then Benny gate crashes and starts/provokes an argument. For my character I think it is just about trying to enjoy myself and being happy everyone is getting along, until Benny enters and starts the argument.
I'll cover you (reprise) - All we were told for this one was to improve our diction with the dialogue at the start; the acting and movement/physicality and vocals were good throughout.
Goodbye love - Today's rehearsal of this song was just a mess all the way through. I don't think people understand that this song is an argument and there should be clear signs of tension between each other, because it just doesn't seem very heated, it just seems like a casual conversation and it then feels very awkward to act in and awkward to watch. So we all need to become more definite with our movements and add some energy to it. At the part where me and Henri have the argument, we were completely thrown off by the timings because our backing track is slightly different in terms of counts and bars, so we needed time to work it all out, but it was still very confusing.
Seasons of love - The main thing we was told was focus on spacial awareness. Everything else was good.
Thursday, 5 January 2017
RENT - Run through on stage and transitions 4/1/17 and 5/1/17
During our run through, we were focussing on transitions between the scenes and songs, and working out who is taking on off what piece of set.
Tune Up #1 & #2 - We used the stage space a lot better here I think, and interacted a bit better with each other; so for example, during the voice mail #1 (which splits tune up #1 from tune up #2), it is Mark's mother calling, and Henri starts to mock me and laugh because of what the mother says. We also clearly understood what was going on here a lot better, especially with when Collins is very briefly introduced, I never understood what happens to him or why we throw him down the key but never comes up. But I now that when we throw him down the key, he gets mugged which is why he says "I may be detained" and then the phone hangs up. There was a couple of bits where I stumbled on the lyrics but I was able to pick myself back on track. Also, I feel a lot more comfortable with the timings of it all now, so now I can focus properly on the acting as well as the singing, which is why I feel this number went really well today. This runs straight into the next song Rent so there isn't really any transition for this.
Rent - I think this was the best run of this song we've ever done: all of the singing was good all round, and I think I acted it well today, and in terms of projection I think everyone did a pretty good job. However, Henri and I still think the small dance isn't necessary - we feel so awkward doing it because a) it's so cheesey, we just think it contrasts badly against everything else and it is very out of place, and b) we are the only two doing it. This whole number takes place primarily in Roger and Mark's apartment, with the odd cross cut to the street, Joanne's place or Benny, so the main stage set is a table and possibly a sofa, this then runs into tune up #3, which is still in the apartment so there are no set changes here. It's just simply a case of everyone else leaving the stage, but we were told that when we leave the stage after a number or scene, we need to leave with purpose instead of just simply moving into the wings.
Tune Up #3 - This was the first proper time we actually done this today, it is very short so there is not much to say. A couple stumbles on lines between both me and Henri but nothing major. This part is mainly about Mark giving the audience some more information on Roger and his backstory, so to show the contrast between talking to Roger and the audience, I sort of retract form Roger's space and come forward closer to the audience and make eye contact with them so it is obvious that I am talking to them.. This then runs straight into One song Glory as soon as I leave, so there was nothing worry about for any transitions, except I take the wood burning stove off.
One Song Glory - This runs straight into Light my candle, so again nothing to worry about for any transitions.
Light my candle - Watching this today, this is definitely one of the best numbers and rehearsed numbers in the show, both Taylor and Henri seem to know exactly what they are doing and look very comfortable with each other and what they are doing. Voice mail #2 is a cross cut scene, so the set for the apartment stays on stage.
Voice mail #2 - No transition.
Today 4 U - Since I researched and looked further into this song for my character, I feel a lot more confident in this one now (even though I am just singing). Mark is amazed by Angel, and is very fascinated by his/her appearance and how much he looks like an actual woman. So when Angel is dancing and singing, I start to film her for the documentary because Mark wants everyone to see him/her and what he/she can do. I only have one line in this song and it is spoken, I say "and you earned this on the street?" to Collins in amazement that you could find such a character on the street; I say it with quite a loud and higher pitched tone to show enthusiasm and amazement. I want to also move around to different points of the stage to get different angles of Angel for the camera, which will again help show my enthusiasm and amazement towards Angel because I want to make sure I get a range good shots of Angel.
You'll see - This went very well all round today - we are each using a lot more space of the stage, and coming forward at points to highlight something or someone: for example, when I say "You're wasting your time...and you broke your word, this is absurd!", I move in directly towards Benny and point at him to highlight that I am talking to and about him - I think this move also makes me seem a bit more serious about the situation and highlights my feelings towards Benny and what he has done. Also, vocally I think it was the best we'd done it; we were all almost perfectly in time throughout and we each remembered all our lyrics and acted each well accordingly. For the transitions, this number is in the apartment so it follows after Today 4 U straight away, but at the end I take the table off, Lewis pushes Owen in the chair off, Lorna brings on the white box as the amp and the microphone stand to down stage left ready for Tango: Maureen.
Tango: Maureen - Today wasn't as good as last time, mainly the dance; possible because we had not done it for 2 weeks. But I think our acting and singing was good - not much change from the previous time. At the end of this song, I take the white block and microphone stand off stage and Henri and Warren bring the table on for the part of the apartment we show during the cross cut between the apartment and the life support group ready for life support.
Life support/Another Day- This number is now becoming consistent so there was no change. No transition because another day is in the apartment.
Will I? - At the end, me and Henri turn the table round to reveal a brick print out on the back of the table to show that we are in the street for Santa Fe.
Santa Fe - No change in this number either. This runs straight into I'll cover you which is also in the street so there is no transition.
(No transitions for the rest of act 1)
We didn't get time to perform act 2, so we just discussed and practiced the transitions.
La Vie Boheme - Me and Warren take a round table to downstage left, Lewis and Tyler take a round table to centre stage and Lorna and Owen take a table to downstage right. We each put a sheet over the table. At the end of the song, me and Warren take our table off and Lewis and Tyler take theirs off too, but Lorna and Owen just adjust their sheet on their table to make it look scruffy to be the table in the apartment. This remains for Voice mail #3, Happy new year B and Take me or leave me.
Without you - Will brings on the chair and Tyler brings on the table with the sheet over it and pillows. At the end, we have a blackout, during this Taylor takes the chair off and Owen takes his pillows off, then I take the black stage block from the front of the stage to behind the table upstage centre for Owen to be on for I'll cover you reprise. The table with the sheet over remains for Voice mail #4 and I'll cover you (reprise).
There is now no set for the rest of the show (Goodbye love and Seasons of love).
Rent - I think this was the best run of this song we've ever done: all of the singing was good all round, and I think I acted it well today, and in terms of projection I think everyone did a pretty good job. However, Henri and I still think the small dance isn't necessary - we feel so awkward doing it because a) it's so cheesey, we just think it contrasts badly against everything else and it is very out of place, and b) we are the only two doing it. This whole number takes place primarily in Roger and Mark's apartment, with the odd cross cut to the street, Joanne's place or Benny, so the main stage set is a table and possibly a sofa, this then runs into tune up #3, which is still in the apartment so there are no set changes here. It's just simply a case of everyone else leaving the stage, but we were told that when we leave the stage after a number or scene, we need to leave with purpose instead of just simply moving into the wings.
Tune Up #3 - This was the first proper time we actually done this today, it is very short so there is not much to say. A couple stumbles on lines between both me and Henri but nothing major. This part is mainly about Mark giving the audience some more information on Roger and his backstory, so to show the contrast between talking to Roger and the audience, I sort of retract form Roger's space and come forward closer to the audience and make eye contact with them so it is obvious that I am talking to them.. This then runs straight into One song Glory as soon as I leave, so there was nothing worry about for any transitions, except I take the wood burning stove off.
One Song Glory - This runs straight into Light my candle, so again nothing to worry about for any transitions.
Light my candle - Watching this today, this is definitely one of the best numbers and rehearsed numbers in the show, both Taylor and Henri seem to know exactly what they are doing and look very comfortable with each other and what they are doing. Voice mail #2 is a cross cut scene, so the set for the apartment stays on stage.
Voice mail #2 - No transition.
Today 4 U - Since I researched and looked further into this song for my character, I feel a lot more confident in this one now (even though I am just singing). Mark is amazed by Angel, and is very fascinated by his/her appearance and how much he looks like an actual woman. So when Angel is dancing and singing, I start to film her for the documentary because Mark wants everyone to see him/her and what he/she can do. I only have one line in this song and it is spoken, I say "and you earned this on the street?" to Collins in amazement that you could find such a character on the street; I say it with quite a loud and higher pitched tone to show enthusiasm and amazement. I want to also move around to different points of the stage to get different angles of Angel for the camera, which will again help show my enthusiasm and amazement towards Angel because I want to make sure I get a range good shots of Angel.
You'll see - This went very well all round today - we are each using a lot more space of the stage, and coming forward at points to highlight something or someone: for example, when I say "You're wasting your time...and you broke your word, this is absurd!", I move in directly towards Benny and point at him to highlight that I am talking to and about him - I think this move also makes me seem a bit more serious about the situation and highlights my feelings towards Benny and what he has done. Also, vocally I think it was the best we'd done it; we were all almost perfectly in time throughout and we each remembered all our lyrics and acted each well accordingly. For the transitions, this number is in the apartment so it follows after Today 4 U straight away, but at the end I take the table off, Lewis pushes Owen in the chair off, Lorna brings on the white box as the amp and the microphone stand to down stage left ready for Tango: Maureen.
Tango: Maureen - Today wasn't as good as last time, mainly the dance; possible because we had not done it for 2 weeks. But I think our acting and singing was good - not much change from the previous time. At the end of this song, I take the white block and microphone stand off stage and Henri and Warren bring the table on for the part of the apartment we show during the cross cut between the apartment and the life support group ready for life support.
Life support/Another Day- This number is now becoming consistent so there was no change. No transition because another day is in the apartment.
Will I? - At the end, me and Henri turn the table round to reveal a brick print out on the back of the table to show that we are in the street for Santa Fe.
Santa Fe - No change in this number either. This runs straight into I'll cover you which is also in the street so there is no transition.
(No transitions for the rest of act 1)
We didn't get time to perform act 2, so we just discussed and practiced the transitions.
La Vie Boheme - Me and Warren take a round table to downstage left, Lewis and Tyler take a round table to centre stage and Lorna and Owen take a table to downstage right. We each put a sheet over the table. At the end of the song, me and Warren take our table off and Lewis and Tyler take theirs off too, but Lorna and Owen just adjust their sheet on their table to make it look scruffy to be the table in the apartment. This remains for Voice mail #3, Happy new year B and Take me or leave me.
Without you - Will brings on the chair and Tyler brings on the table with the sheet over it and pillows. At the end, we have a blackout, during this Taylor takes the chair off and Owen takes his pillows off, then I take the black stage block from the front of the stage to behind the table upstage centre for Owen to be on for I'll cover you reprise. The table with the sheet over remains for Voice mail #4 and I'll cover you (reprise).
There is now no set for the rest of the show (Goodbye love and Seasons of love).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)