Musical Theatre (32) - Act Two

Today we ran the whole of Act Two, as we are less confident with this act. Below are the notes we were given and what I think we need to do. The Alexi Darling number isn't in the notes below, as Warren was absent his lesson.

• "La Vie Boheme":    Timing needs care // Needs more energy (I still feel that we should add some more set movement in to the number to guarantee it doesn't fall flat) // Act throughout // We have to be careful that we don't end up standing in one line (though this would be prevented when the tables are there as we will all be around these) // Careful not bump in to each other (use our spatial awareness) // Alice and I need to decide what we are going to do before "sisters?" and before the cough earlier 
• "Happy New Year B":     Continually act (as some people tend just to act when it is their bit. We need to re-act as well as just act) // Diction needs care
• "Take Me or Leave Me":     Our harmonies worked really well today // I managed to belt a part of the song, which I've always sung in head voice // I think what we have left to do for this number is perform it in the space (as we shall be performing a lot of this number in the audience)
• "Without You":     The singing sounded really nice // Lines need o be learned
• "I'll Cover You (reprise)":     Diction needs care // Everyone really needs to get in the zone and act // Lewis acted, but don't look down all the time as otherwise the audience will disconnect // We won't move the table at all after this song, and shall instead perform the next number in front of the table
• "Goodbye Love":     We have to ensure that we act, but more importantly re-act (it's all very well acting, but we all need to respond to what other people are singing) // Taylor needs to sing "Hello disease" a bit louder (although she sang it beautifully with a lot of emotion, it needs to be projected more, as otherwise it won't be heard)
• "Seasons of Love":     Don't fidget at all // Have better spatial awareness when walking to places (to avoid bumping in to each other)

In general, our singing today all sounded pretty good, but the main note is to ensure that we all continually act. The other thing we need to be careful with are the wings as they are not very big deep and well covered - therefore there is a chance that when we are in the wings we may be seen - if you can see the audience they can see you! Therefore, we must remain in character at all times, and if we can't get far back enough in the wings that we can't be seen, we will have to stand perfectly still, and not fidget, to avoid diverting the audiences attention from the stage to the wings.

Workshop (3) - "Opening Sequence"

To begin this lesson, we read through this number again to ensure that we had remembered our timing. We then began staging this number. We combined mine and Lewis's idea by having us all start in different positions - me, Rob and Lewis stand in one line, with James and Ollie in front (these positions ensure that we can all be seen, and the fact that we all stand still it intrigues the audience to what is going to happen).

We decided that we wanted this piece to be physical and show all of our characters but weren't initially sure where to go after our positions. Therefore we began by deciding what we wanted to include and where. We knew that we wanted a lift of some sort on the line "think you know where you stand", however we weren't sure what lift we wanted - therefore we tried out a couple:

• First lift:   We tried me being lifted up in a crucifix position by Ollie and Lewis. James and Rob then lifted my feet up so I was in the air horizontally. I was then manoeuvred in to a chair position held by Lewis and Ollie. They then swung me forwards and backwards and then threw me (safely!) to the floor, with me ending on one knee crouched down.
• Second lift:   We tried a pencil lift, with Ollie and Lew picking me up just by my legs. Rob and James stood behind ready to catch me, as I then fall backwards into their arms. They lower me slightly so my feet are on the floor, and then lift up slightly, so I ripple upwards and forwards and then land on the floor on one knee crouched down.

We preferred the second lift out of the two as it looked more impressive as I am higher up and have less people holding me. I also have to have 100% trust in all four of them, especially James and Rob as I fall backwards into their arms. I was quite proud of myself in this lesson because I was brave enough to try out these risky lifts. As I am being lifted for this section, we thought that this could be my character's section. We changed my character slightly to become a dancer. We move from our two lines into one before my two solo lines - this is to represent a line for an audition. To portray this idea clearly, we all do a couple of stretches in this line whilst I say my lines. Before I get lifted, Rob and James shake hands (as if James was successful at the audition and Rob was the judge congratulating him) - as I realised this was happening, I then do a quick pirouette (as if in attempt to show what I can do and that I should get the job). Ollie and Lew then pick me up and then I get dropped into James and Rob's arms and then thrown to the floor. The purpose of this was to aim to present how difficult the performing arts industry is and how unpredictable it can be.

We thought this would then be a good place to move on to a different character. Due to the lines at this point, we thought we should move on to Ollie as this businessman next (as the lines "completely different land" and "surface sometimes cracks" made us think of a businessman who has travelled to an important meeting that doesn't go as planned). To create a busy city scene, we perform the Frantic Assembly technique of "round-by-through" movements (which we previously used to create a busy scene in our own version of a scene from "Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time"). The boys all interact by using these movements, whilst I am on the floor as quite an aggressive beggar to make Ollie's character feel more uncomfortable, as well as fulfilling the stereotypes of a busy city setting. It made sense for me to be a beggar, as I was already on the floor crouched down from my scene - so I roll over from one knee into a sitting down position miming holding a cup.

Due to the line "and your life is different than you planned", we thought we could then have Rob's character scene of a newspaper editor. We thought that he could be a bit depressed in his job - perhaps he thought this was the job he wanted to do but didn't realise how hard it would be). We wanted to form an office for Rob, but didn't want to bring on tables and chairs - also we wanted to make the whole piece very physical and abstract. Therefore, Ollie became a chair (by going on all fours) whilst I became the table (by standing up and doing a table top position, so my back is completely horizontal and perfectly flat). Rob would sit on Ollie and lean on me, whilst James and Lewis kept bringing over paper to Rob and putting it on my back.

We didn't get time to block James's scene, but we know that we would like to have him writing a letter to his lover (to present him as the old romantic type) whilst the other four of us would form pairs and act as if we were in love, doing some sort of movement piece. Between each scene we go back to our opening positions to show that we have changed perspective.

Devising (2) - Pictures

We began this lesson by experimenting with the lighting to see how we would do the snapchat trick. We would project a (supposedly) "live" snapchat feed on to the wall, whilst Ollie would do whatever is on the video live on stage. In the video, the lights would go off and I would appear in the video (on the projection) as a silhouette and "magically" disappear again. This would happen a few times on the video but not in the actual room. The first way we tried this was by having a spot light behind me and come on, but this wouldn't make sense as why would there be a random light source coming from behind Ollie. Therefore, we tried this again, but with a spotlight from in front of Ollie (as this made sense to have a light source in front of him). This actually looked really good so we would like to use this sort of trick at some point during our piece, but we are going off our idea of snapchat. We like the idea of social media (as it is very current and makes our piece modern) but we don't feel like we would be able to make a whole story out of it. Therefore, we decided to think of themes and questions to help us get back on track and to form a discussion:

• Themes - death // myths // beliefs
• Do you believe in ghosts?
• What would be considered "proof" for the existence of ghosts?
• Believe so much you "see" / "feel" ghosts - i.e. the placebo effect
• Ghosts have personalities?

Whilst discussing these points, Lewis came up with a little story. He told us that it wasn't going to be brilliant, it was just to get us thinking and to give us ideas for what we could do. His story was set in a school and involved the main character believing in ghosts whilst no one else does. The boy then gets possessed by this ghost and he attacks the bullies. Although not a brilliant story, it was original and did make us consider locations. As we were still struggling with coming up with an idea, we all sat down and made some mind maps based on certain words and pictures. Below is what we came up with:

• "Ghost":   Possessions // Possessive // Rain // Storms // Spirits // Orbs // Murder // Story-telling // Hunting // Suicide // Antagonist // Protagonist // Death // Children // Mirror // Dark // Fear // Belief // Haunted houses // Homes // Graveyards // School // Abandoned building // Hospital // Mental health institution
• "Mental Health":   Hospitals // Visions // Unpredictable // Child-like behaviour // Against the norm // Social outcast // Quiet // Needing help // Mute // Bi-polar // Schizophrenic // Psychopath
• Image 1:   Smoke // Danger // Cigarettes // Never-ending // Trapped // Fire // Spirals // Lungs // Disease // Death // Quiet // Drugs // Mist // Cold // Weather // Cancer // After-effects
• Image 2:   Old // Decay // Power // Lights // Needing help // Abandoned // Isolated // Depression // Smog // Supressed // Encased // Darkness // Eerie
• Image 3:   Death // Lack of identity // Trapped // Fear // Beyond the grave // Lungs // Encased // Isolated // Psycho // Suffocated // Surgery // Grim reaper // Heaven // Hell
• Image 4:   Religion // Belief // Superstition // Light // Empty // Distortion // Hell // God // Candles // Controversy // Safe // Hope
• Image 5:   Church // Religion // Beauty // Nature // Honesty // Life // Clean spirit // Peace
• Image 6:   Fog // Church // Supressed // Power // Authority // Dark // Mist // Lack of vision // Dagger // Power // Fantasy
• Image 7:   Lack of identity // Busy // Airport // Drunk // Lack of vision // Purgatory // Blur // Shadows // Mystery // Unknown // Bombs // Silhouettes

By making the above notes was how we finished this lesson. I found that this activity really helped us as it made us think of ideas we wouldn't have done from just the stimulus title - by finding images and then labelling them, helped us envision what we could achieve. So far we are particularly liking the ideas of having a modern setting and the idea of mental health and visions.

Workshop (2) - "Opening Sequence"

In this lesson we made a start on the first number: "Opening Sequence". Lewis and I had both come up with very different ideas for this number, so we both presented our ideas to the class. Below are the ideas that Lewis came up with:

• spoken word poetry - almost like the inspirational rhyming speech videos
• "dancing on my own" instrumental playing underneath
• different characters (newspaper editor / businessman / actress / lover)
• use cannon for certain lines - "time to fly"

Ollie suggested that we could keep these characters throughout the entire performance - this could be how we link all of the songs (if we decide to link them or not). We thought that "The River Won't Flow" could be about the newspaper boy, "The World Was Dancing" could be the lover and "The Stars and the Moon" could be the performer's audition. We then thought that the first and the last song could be about everyone, but we could have every other song based on / about one character (as there are five of us and five songs, excluding the opening and the last song).

We decided that I would be the performer, James would be the lover, Ollie would be the businessman and Rob would be a newspaper editor. We then had to come up with a character for Lewis. We didn't want anything to do with writing or movement, so we thought he could be a taxi driver. We then thought that Lewis could pick up the other characters at different and important parts of their life (e.g. the lover on the way to a date where he would propose, or my character on the way to an audition).

Lewis then split up the lines to where he wanted. We all read through this a few times to ensure we knew what we were doing and that our timing was okay. We then thought that Rob could play the song on piano and he could be a musician instead. I then suggested that he could be a song-writer and could be trying to figure out the song in the beginning. This would have been quite nice, but it would have meant that Rob wouldn't be doing much movement or anything, so we kept to the original idea of him being a newspaper editor. When reading through the script, I then quietly sang the first few lines of the "Opening Sequence" to the instrumental of "dancing on my own". This actually worked with the song really well. I then just improvised some riffs and different "ooh's" over the music. We then thought that my character could be holding a script and singing these random lines as if she is trying to learn her piece for an audition and is just practising.

Next lesson we shall hopefully get this number up on its feet.

Devising (1) - Stimulus Response

In this lesson we were put into two groups and given our stimulus. I am in a group with Rob, Lewis and Ollie and our stimulus is "Ghost Stories".

Our initial thoughts were as follows:

• Story telling -- Campfire Stories
• Stories -- Woman in Black // A Christmas Carol // The Hex Story // The Three Brothers
• Missing people
• War & Soldiers
• Mirrors & reflections
• Objects / items of clothing that are haunted
• Social Media -- Snapchat stories -- Snapchat

Developing one idea - Snapchat:

• Every time you open a certain snap, the screen goes black and the person gets possessed for ten seconds.
• Snaps play themselves
• Projecting live messages and videos -- This would look good but might be unreliable due to internet connection but the videos could be pre-recorded to avoid this.

Inspiration:

• The 2016 film "Lights Out" -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnBWYvaDWKA -- Purely for its use of lighting techniques to create silhouettes and figure outlines
• The 2016 film "Ouija: The Origin of Evil" -- Idea of child-like characters, perhaps someone who believes they are younger than what they are
• The 2014 film "Unfriended -- was discussed to say that our idea of snap chat was similar to an already existing film. This made us more aware on how creative and imaginative we shall have to be to ensure that our idea is as original as it can be.

Ideas to include:

• Mirrors and reflections
• 'Magic tricks' - i.e. clever use of lighting / making certain performers soaking wet (in adjacent room to the performance room) to suggest they have been out in the rain) / proxemics with actor-audience relationships
• Sound effects / music

Thoughts:
I like the idea of giving our piece a modern style (by using the idea of social media) as it avoids the stereo-type of people connecting the idea of "ghost stories" to ancient stories or myths. I am finding this stimulus a lot harder than I thought I would, as it is so difficult to make an original idea as well as avoiding clichés. 

Musical Theatre (31) - Transitions

In today's lesson we almost completed a full top-and-tail run to work on transitions (although we didn't complete it, we did discuss what we shall do for the rest of the show). Below is what we worked out:

• FIRST SET - table // chair // "wood burner" (i.e. dustbin) // guitar
  • Remains for "Tune Up 1", "Voice Mail 1", "Tune Up 2", "Rent" and "Tune Up 3"
  • Cameron takes off the wood burner after "Tune Up 3" as he leaves
• SECOND SET - table // chair // guitar
  • Remains for "One Song Glory", "Light My Candle", "Voice Mail 2", "Today 4 U" and "You'll See"
  • Cameron takes table off. Henri takes guitar off. Owen sits on chair, and Lewis pushes Owen off stage on the chair. At the end I bring on the white block (used as the step to get on to the L-Shaped decking) to centre on it's side (to become the amp) and a mic stand. 
• THIRD SET - white block on its side // mic stand
  • Remains just for "Tango: Maureen"
  • Cameron puts whit block back as step and takes off mic stand. Tyler and Warren bring tableand guitar back on.
• FOURTH SET - table // guitar
  • Remains for "Life Support", "Another Day" and "Will I?"
  • Henri and Cameron turn table around (to reveal the back of it, as it has a brick wall pattern hanging down to suggest a different location). Cameron was told to take off the guitar, but as he is in the next number, and is already turning the table, I believe Taylor should take it off as she exits stage right anyway.
• FIFTH SET - table
  • Remains for the rest of Act One
• SIXTH SET - two small round tables, stage left and stage right // one large table centre stage (all tables with cloths on)
  • All is set during interval
  • Remains for "La Vie Boheme" only
  • Taylor sits on the stairs at the end, Henri sits on the edge of the stage - both for the "AZT break section". Tyler and Lewis takes off stage right table, Warren and Cameron take off stage left table. Owen and I adjust the sheet on centre table so it is only half covering the table (to become the table in the flat, looking like it is covered with a dust sheet).
• SEVENTH SET - table with sheet half covering - looking scruffy
  • Remains for "Voice Mail 3", "Happy New Year B" and "Take Me or Leave Me"
  • Warren then adjusts sheet to cover entire bed and Tyler brings on pillow - as if they are nurses at the beginning of the next number.
• EIGHTH SET - table with sheet over and pillow // chair
  • Remains for "Without You" only
  • During song, Will brings on chair. Taylor takes it off at the end during the blackout.
  • During blackout at the end of this number, Owen takes off his pillow and Cameron puts black stage block (that has been on the floor in front of the stage for the entire show - used in "Life Support" and "Will I?") at the back behind the table.
• NINETH SET - table with sheet over // black block behind table
  • Remains for "Voice Mail 4" and "I'll Cover You (reprise)"
  • During blackout at the end of this number, entire stage is cleared.
• TENTH SET - no set
  • For the rest of the show ("Goodbye Love" and "Seasons of Love")

In our top-and-tail run, we only got up until the end of Act One, but we all discussed the rest of the show. I really liked Lewis and Cameron's idea of having a sheet hanging off the back of the table with a brick pattern on the other side, as it allows for an easy set change that presents a clear change in location. Originally, Mr Webb wanted us to have three small circular tables for "La Vie Boheme" but I suggested that we have the table we shall use for the latter songs on from the beginning of this act to make set changes easier. This meant that we didn't have to change our set at all, and instead just have to move a sheet around a little bit. Next lesson, we will hopefully do the entire transition run, and then begin our complete full runs.

Business (24) - Task F - Equity

Equity Definition:

• "Equity is the UK trade union for professional performers and creative practitioners."
• "We are a campaigning and organising union and proud of our strong record of taking the things that matter to our members to parliament and other centres of influence. Being part of Equity gives members a voice in these places. Members are at the heart of all the union’s activities and by getting involved they drive forward the work of the union."
• Both quotes from the following website: http://www.equity.org.uk/about-us/ 

Cast size:

• 5 T-Birds -- Danny // Kenicke // Roger // Sonny // Doody
• 5 Pink Ladies -- Sandy // Rizzo // Jan // Marty // Frenchy
• 8 Mains & Supporting Cast -- Eugene // Patty // Miss Lynch // Vince Fontaine // Johnny Casino // Cha-Cha // Radio Voice // Teen Angel
• 12 Chorus -- 4 Cheerleaders // 4 Jocks // 4 Geeks
• TOTAL CAST SIZE = 30

Thankfully... 
Thankfully, as this is a school show we are putting on, all of the actors (and back stage crew) are pupils at the school, thus meaning we don't need to worry about equity.