Achieved:
- Lighting plan sorted ---> we asked Dan from the year above to operate the lighting desk for us during our performance. I went through with him what lighting we wished to have (what areas needed to be lit at certain times and also when we needed the lights off [for the cupboard scene!]).
- First full run-through complete ---> although this run-through didn't go as we had planned, we did fairly well bearing in mind this was our first full run-through together (due to people being off ill and so not having a rehearsal for a while where we were all there and in character).
- Costume run ---> our costumes looked really good and helped with our characterisations. We felt like we were actually working in a restaurant. I helped Rhiannon and Oliver by styling their hair and also by helping Rhiannon with her makeup (as her character is unmasked).
- Organised all props ready ---> we all chipped in and bought different props to ensure that one person wasn't left to buy everything.
- Set up the hall with tables and chairs ---> as well as working out where to position the tables and chairs to allow everyone a clear view of the action, we decorated the tables with flowers and napkins.
- Organised the stage to look like a kitchen ---> we used two stage blocks positioned in the centre as a cooker and counter, and another stage block positioned stage right as a sink.
- Team work! ---> the run-through didn't go to plan (as we were not confident due to a lack of thorough rehearsals) so we were rather down-heartened to say the least. However, despite a range of negative emotions, we pulled together and tried to stay positive. We discussed what we needed to do, this discussion included the following: let go more and relax / don't be afraid to look silly / keep the energy up / involve the audience and interact with them throughout the piece / keep the stance of our characters.
What went well:
- The lighting, sound and staging worked effectively. The lighting and sound cues were correct and our set up of stage blocks worked well as kitchen counters.
- Our costumes looked good and were effective as they helped the audience understand our characters a bit better, as well as helping us get in to and remain in characters.
- Our layout of the tables and chairs enabled all audience members clear visibility, as well as making them a part of the piece (as they were customers at our restaurant).
- Our character interactions on the whole were fairly accurate as they showed the status of all characters as well as the interactions between the original stock characters.
- I think we all kept the stances of our characters for the majority of the piece.
- We let go a lot more in this performance and had no awkward silences this time (unlike in the run-through).
- We worked well as a team as we gave each other cues if we were in the wrong place or were unsure what was to happen next.
- As we were worried about having a repeat of the run-through with the awkward silences, we kept the energy up the whole time and improvised a lot of the time. Unfortunately, we over-compensated and the piece ended up quite messy as the audience were unsure on where to look (so the sections that were supposed to be the main focus were not focused on as other sections were too distracting) ---> if we were to do the piece again we would have scheduled more rehearsals in the performance space where we would work out what everyone else would do (that would not be too distracting) whilst the main action took place.
- Our characterisation wasn't always strong... ---> we should have done more lessons and exercises on characterisation purely. We also could have done a characterisation exercise or two between the run-through and the performance if we had time.
- We were not always very audible. When we were on the "restaurant floor" we were audible the majority of the time, but when we were "in the kitchen" our voices were lost ---> we needed to project more.
