Storytelling (12) (The Snow Queen)

Today we planned to work on the second scene, but as it wasn't prepared, we worked on the third scene. Lewis is in charge of this scene, and he had a Brechtian approach to it. Therefore placards are used throughout this scene (as this is a Brechtian technique).

• We begin this scene in a circle; this is because we want to begin and end each scene in a circle so we had a returning position to show the audience the development/change in scene/narrative.
• Rhiannon will hold a placard saying "Gerda". This is so the audience knows who Rhiannon is portraying without them becoming too emotionally attached to her.
• After we've divided into groups and shrugged, we all pretend to cry. We have included levels in this section to make the piece look more pleasing.
• When only Rhiannon was needed, the rest of us made a line at the back and faced the back.
• We all lay down, on our fronts, in a straight line to form the path of the river. To show the river is moving we lift our limbs alternately.
• To represent the shoe moving in the river, the shoe is passed from actor to actor and then thrown back.
• To represent the cottage, Charlie stands up holding a placard simply saying "cottage".
• To represent the old woman being in the cottage, I hold a placard saying "old woman" and I stand behind Charlie. When my character come out of the cottage, I just step to the side of Charlie.
• The narration for this scene will be pre-recorded, but I have been given a line in this piece. I have decided not to say this live; I shall also pre-record it. I won't mime this line, but I will present the emotion behind through my use of facial expressions and body language.
• To swap from "picture book" or "cherries" to "flowers" they will simply turn the placards around. The placards will be double-sided as to avoid having multiple different pieces of paper or card.
• On the line "the next morning" we perform a small full spiral turn (from high level, to low, to high). This is to represent a change in time.
• As opposed to making set for this piece, we have taken a minimalistic approach, and we multi-roll and become the trees.
• To end, we form the circle again to show we are moving on to the next scene, but also to show how Gerda feels lost and isolated.