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- Third year
Today in class we created a variety of physical pieces to demonstrate concepts and things, such as Happiness to Anger, the lifespan of a human, and wandering through the fallout of a massive explosion. I unfortunately pulled a muscle in my back which made the rest harder but I still contributed in the physical pieces such as when we played clump. 21st of September
22nd of September. Did a physical piece with Matthew that reminded me heavily of Avatar the Last Airbender. Movements were very surreal and helped me understand my body more, in that, I am capable of just doing movements without thought; I just do. To finish off the day we created a small piece where we physically acted out a sentence regarding the human body. To make it better we sought to add levels and change the layout.
- Experimental Theatre
The name of the performance was “Immerse”, being named after the machine used in the performance. The filming was located inside the black box, which had two doors on both sides, then three flaps used as windows to the outside that the cast used during the performance. The flaps were all placed with a set distance between them to allow the actors complete invisibility from whoever was inside the box, which we used to great effect.
To talk about the setting of the performance, I must first lay the context. The machine allowed the user to travel between different worlds, which include the bedroom of a child, inside a submarine, a forest containing some sort of monster and a pitch black room with flashing red eyes. During many of these ‘experiences’, a wide array of props were used, including a silken material for waves, a turtle, a teddy bear, a ball, red-lit torches and a deactivated light being used as a camera on the submarine. Immersion obviously was very important to us during the rehearsal period. This desire is supported by the black box’s small interior and a limited view of the outside, which helped us be in total control of the viewer’s vision the entire time. Five actors were involved, including myself, Meagan, Azalea, Lin-Yun and Owen.
Explain what a black box is and how it was used in the theater piece:
A black box, in our case, is a small wooden box with three openable flaps being pulled by strings, with a single chair in the interior of it. There are numerous points around the box you can manipulate to change what the viewer sees, same with keeping two flaps open, two closed, etc. With the use of sound, such as the voice overs provided by Azalea, we effectively created an atmosphere via our tools. We had the lights off in the room as well to add to the atmosphere, something we used later on with the torches to create a sense of being watched by creatures.
Discuss how the use of a black box affected the staging and presentation of the performance.
The entire performance, obviously, is centred around the use of the black box. We decided early on that we wanted to incorporate the audience into the play, by having the characters interact with them. This is scene multiple times throughout the performance, the first time being when the audience member is being viewed as the child, the use of the teddy bear breaking the wall between the performers and audience. The second time was when the two people in the forest were running as they entered the box, treating as if it was there. The third time was with the beady red eyes as if they were being watched, and finally when the scientist got them out the box and facility. By doing this, we created an immersive and depth-filled atmosphere where the audience felt like it was really happening.
Identify the specific props used in the performance and describe how they were used.
Throughout the performance we used a wide array of props. It started off with a teddy bear and football, to illustrate the picture of being in a child’s room. Additionally, cloth was used to create bed sheets. The next experience was the submarine. We used props of sea creatures and radar sounds to create the environment of the deep sea, alongside a light for the radar itself. Whilst not being a prop, the use of sound really helped as alongside the props, it gave us another tool to create a more believable environment.
Discuss how the actors interacted with each other and with the props used in the performance.
To carry my point on, I will illustrate how the use of props gave actors a greater depth to the performance. Having already been stated, the world-building that it provided is invaluable. Another thing that was invaluable was how we used sound and incorporated it with the props. Like I already said, the radar gave us a sense of loneliness and isolation whilst within that experience, adding to the sense of fear the performance aimed to achieve. Sounds such as stomping and crashing into the submarine combined with the frantic movements of the props aided us in creating more depth and believability in our performance.
Analyze the acting techniques used by the actors and how they contributed to the overall impact of the performance.
Whilst I was not there, I can definitely speak to the coordination that was achieved in the final performance. We aimed to be as synchronised and on point as people with sound queues, props and timing on when the flaps should open, and in my opinion, achieved quite well. Additional techniques such as sound gave us more room to explore the room and idea, whilst also giving depth to the creatures outside the box.
Summarize the key points of the documentation and provide your overall impressions of the performance.
The fact we managed to create such a well established and coordinated performance is something I am very impressed by. Whilst I think there were areas that needed working on, such as being visible in certain spots when you intended not to be seen by the audience, I think the overall performance was very well made. I think the flaps were used incredibly well and felt very smooth and succinct to the rest of the performance. One notable moment in the rehearsal process was finding all the right timings for each individual movement and how satisfying it felt to rehearse.
- Lysander Speech
In William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Lysander is a young man in love with Hermia, who is betrothed to Demetrius. In the play, Lysander delivers a famous speech in Act I, Scene 1, in which he comments on Demetrius’ position as the favoured suitor of Hermia’s father, Egeus. Here is an analysis of Lysander’s speech and how it reveals his character and his feelings towards Demetrius:
The speech begins with Lysander acknowledging that Demetrius has the support of Hermia’s father, saying “You have her father’s love, Demetrius; / Let me have Hermia’s; do you marry him.” This line reveals Lysander’s frustration with the social conventions that dictate who is allowed to marry whom, and his desire to be with Hermia despite her father’s objections.
Lysander goes on to criticize Demetrius’ character, saying “I am, my lord, as well derived as he, / As well possessed; my love is more than his.” Here, Lysander is asserting that he is just as worthy a suitor as Demetrius, if not more so, because he genuinely loves Hermia rather than seeking her for political or social gain.
The speech concludes with Lysander expressing his determination to win Hermia’s love, saying “The course of true love never did run smooth; / But either it was different in blood–” Here, Lysander acknowledges the challenges he will face in trying to win Hermia’s hand, but he remains committed to the pursuit of true love.
Overall, Lysander’s speech reveals his confident and assertive personality, as well as his deep love for Hermia. It also shows his disdain for the societal conventions that dictate who is allowed to marry whom and his determination to follow his heart, regardless of the obstacles in his path. In the speech, I used Lysander’s self-confidence to come off as unfazed, as to drop my guard or break. Over the span of the speech I kept that façade up to trick Demetrius and Egeus into believing he wasn’t offended by how he couldn’t marry who he wanted due to societal standards.
Lysander goes on to criticize Demetrius’ character, saying “I am, my lord, as well derived as he, / As well possessed; my love is more than his.” Here, Lysander is asserting that he is just as worthy a suitor as Demetrius, if not more so, because he genuinely loves Hermia rather than seeking her for political or social gain. This part of the speech helps show that Lysander, despite his facetious façade, truly does love Ophelia. On top of this, with subtle changes in facial expressions, I showed that Lysander didn’t fake thinking he was above Demetrius, as he truly believed and knew he was.
Overall, Lysander’s speech reveals his confident and assertive personality, as well as his deep love for Hermia. It also shows his disdain for the societal conventions that dictate who is allowed to marry whom and his determination to follow his heart, regardless of the obstacles in his path. I think I captured his thoughts very well in this speech.
- Titus’ “If there were reason” monologue done by Jona Lama.
Titus Andronicus is a play by William Shakespeare that tells the story of a Roman general who seeks revenge against his enemies. In the play, there is a monologue spoken by Titus Andronicus that begins with the line “If there were reason for these miseries”. This monologue is often cited as one of the most powerful speeches in the play, and it provides a glimpse into the character’s inner thoughts and emotions. I captured the depravity of the situation by using laughing, to show that he is so overwhelmed by the mental struggle he’s dealing with that laughter is the only thing he can do to cope with it.
The “If there were reason” monologue is delivered by Titus after he has been betrayed and mutilated by his enemies. In this speech, he reflects on the senseless violence and cruelty that he has experienced and questions whether there is any meaning or purpose to it. He wonders why the gods would allow such suffering to occur and whether there is any justice in the world. I captivated this desperation for knowing why by staring out the window into the sky, to signal as if I am talking to the gods themselves. Over the course of the speech, I became increasingly more bitter and disconnected with reality by becoming more angry, shown by my change in physicality; my hunched back, deeper breathing and significantly more frustrated look on my face.
In conclusion, the “If there were reason” monologue is a powerful and poignant moment in Titus Andronicus. It captures the character’s sense of despair and hopelessness in the face of senseless violence, while also highlighting his determination to seek justice. This speech provides a glimpse into the complex psychology of Titus Andronicus and sets the stage for the rest of the play. I think I did an excellent job at capturing that despair and hopelessness quite well.
- Tartuffe WordPress
Tartuffe:
When we first began the rehearsal process, my immediate response to the stimuli was to learn the hidden meanings behind the lines. Frequently throughout the script, Moliere provides no directions on how they say their lines, just what they say. Through help from the director in seeing how saying certain words sounded, and trying out different physical postures and volumes. Given the play immediately starts off as high energy, I found delivering them unrealistic was a great way to see how I should say the line. To be more specific, a scene to highlight my process is the one between Mariane, Orgon, and Dorine. During this scene, I must switch between being suspiciously nice and caring toward Mariane and being incredibly harsh toward Dorine. What helped me with this scene was imagining we must push a ball down a hill. What I mean by this is making sure the energy rolling and never giving the audience space to breathe with how loud we are, how big our movements are, and the delivery of our lines. Alongside making sure we give very few gaps between lines so no energy dips, really helped me learn the script and get an idea of what sort of person Orgon is.
For the production side of the process, getting into costume and moving around in it helped me both with the physicality of the character, and also the mental side of him. Seeing how glamorous and over the top, the outfit showed how highly he treats himself and the pride that he carries, but also how comfortable he feels in his own home to walk around in such an outfit. Physically, I made it a reflection of how he sees himself; long strides, high chest, loud steps, etc. The owner of the house, in all aspects. One other thing worth mentioning is how the other characters view him. With such a glamorous walk and outfit, it helps establish his control over the family and superiority complex.
Going back to the rehearsal process, learning how the other characters viewed him really helped me find the character and get an idea of how he sees himself. Given the outfit and established position in the family hierarchy, treating myself as the king, and somebody to be praised was definitely a big step towards finalizing the characterization process. On top of that, actually seeing how the characters thought of him made the farce elements even funnier. Moving to line learning, I found it quite difficult given the text. This is obviously due to the rhyme, something that was obviously a challenge from the beginning. What helped was doing it with my cast members, greatly helping me remember them, as I was assigning it to a movement, phrase, facial expression, etc. Also applying a tempo of sorts helped me pick up the rhythm of the lines, something which I realized was vital for the energy and progression of the play.
To sum up, I found the process fairly difficult, but quite interesting too. The play tackled me with something I haven’t really ever had to worry about in plays before which is rhyme, and helped me get a better understanding of acting overall. I think I would’ve changed the beginning process to dedicating more time to breaking scenes down with other cast members as one of the biggest difficulties was figuring out the character’s intentions in that scene and what they wanted to accomplish. I found that in the performances having a live audience really helped my confidence and energy, and gave me something to play to, making it much easier to upkeep the energy, but also make sure my comedic timing was good. One thing I think I struggled with was changing how I said a line to another cast member so that it made sense in terms of emotion or volume.
Digital:
I started off with learning the play. It was quite a drastic change in plays as obviously prior to this I was doing Tartuffe, which requires a huge amount of energy, but with Middletown, it is a stark difference; realistic characters, low energy, and subtle facial expressions. Learning the text was really helpful for me as it gave me an idea of what the play was like and the character I played. After getting a firm grasp of the character I was playing I started experimenting with different styles. The first one I picked was seeing how it felt doing it in a familiar place, my living room. Giving me a space I could openly explore and move around it at first was what I intended to do, but the more I went through the script the more I realized how in awe the astronaut was at his surroundings, so I opted to go back to sitting down. What I worked on next was capturing the reaction of seeing the Earth, simultaneously thinking of things that put me in awe, so I could capture the most genuine and real expression. The lines were the next area I moved to, using them as the medium to express my wonder and joy, all whilst trying to keep it realistic. The lines really helped me, as they gave me a direct way to turn my facial expressions into words, but also provided entertainment. Afterward, I turned to my partner to explore the dynamic between the two characters. One thing we focused on was the pacing on our line delivery. Giving each other a second to have the response ‘transmitted’ made it feel more realistic and gave both of us more time to react to the line. What also helped was the positioning of our chairs. Having us back to back made it, so we needed to project more so that they could clearly hear what the other person said, but also compositions wise it made it more dynamic. When it came to filming I wanted to make sure my expressions were clear and visible, using all the space in the room to express them. I felt it was necessary to not look at the camera so that I was truly looking at all the Earth’s beauty in awe. Overall I think we did quite well with the script and managed to capture all that we set out to do.
- EGO Research Project
I have researched EGO performance by interviewing one of the Artistic co-directors and members of the company and looking at their website.
EGO Performance Company aims as stated on their website are:
“EGO Performance Company is dedicated to delivering exciting, engaging and innovative productions that aim to be radically inclusive and allow our audiences to truly escape from reality or challenge audiences’ perceptions of society. EGO consists of a broad membership of diverse minds, bodies, cultures and ages. We celebrate difference and encourage our members, staff and wider community to find their true space and voice through the medium of performing arts.”
Due to the fact it has eight different ensembles for different age groups and abilities, the main activities vary. The one activity most of the groups do however is creating performances, with varying schedules and times between each performance. Generally speaking, it takes between 6 – and 12 months for a performance to be created and shown to an audience. Within these groups Ego has members of staff, fulfilling different activities and responsibilities for each group. For example, Big Ego’s demographic are people above the age of 18 and therefore need less support and guidance than Super Ego, whose age range is anywhere between 8 and 99.
The structure of the company is as follows although the co-artistic directors believe they have a ‘flat’ management structure where everyone has a voice in how the organisation runs.
EGO Performing Arts Company was founded on 7 January 2006 and established as a charity on 31 December 2011. Its role socially is to ‘captivate the arts, creativity and culture to empower, unify and equip people from the West Midlands to join as one, regardless of age, ability, gender, ethnicity or socio-economic background.’ It aims to work in collaboration with other companies, artists and networks to spread its reach regionally, nationally and internationally, and to increase its staff skills and knowledge. Their work’s purpose is to be original, innovative and of high quality for anyone’s viewing pleasure. Economically they wish to build support networks to reduce social isolation and to have a safe haven where people can develop their life skills, well-being and confidence. They hope that they provide a unique service to the people of Coventry where perceptions are challenged and where artworks for the people who are engaging in it. In their own words, it is “Tearing up the rule book. Rewriting cultural value. Making art that fits Us”.
EGO arts venue was created in Coventry, a city with a history of migrant communities coming and settling, as well as a long history of engagement in industry, from the weavers to the watchmakers, cycle and car industry. Economically Coventry has employments rates close to national averages, but with lower wages and fewer businesses, people earn approximately one third less. 44% more Coventry people live with multiple deprivations than nationally, and 34% more people live in fuel poverty. This has deep effects on the population. It can lead to poor educational attainment and have an impact on people’s emotional and physical health. Research shows that people with emotional and mental disorders are twice as likely to be found in the bottom two socio-economic groups than the top two and are twice as likely to be on benefits. When you look at people with a disability, and/or having a special educational need, there is a strong correlation between that deprivation, and emotional health and well-being. EGO was set up in mind to help fight these social issues and tries hard to create opportunities to improve the well-being of those who may struggle to access the performing arts. It is said 82% of people who engage with the arts, culture and creativity have better well-being (mentally and physically):
“Getting involved in creative activities in communities reduces loneliness supports physical and mental health and wellbeing, sustain older people and helps to build and strengthen social ties.”
Many of the current staff are former members and many more, past and present, have had artistic and commercial success from the skills acquired through EGO. Previous alumni work in theatre, film and television and fashion. The broader skills and confidence that they get have also launched other EGO members into social care, travel and tourism, nursing and the civil service. Nationally they have spread to London, Edinburgh and Cardiff, whilst globally have gone as far as Canada, Hong Kong, Africa and Dubai. As an alumnus myself, I have really benefitted from being a member of EGO as it has opened up a world of acting for me, leading me to my studies at Birmingham Ormiston Academy and then on to Coventry University. The fact they’re an inclusive organisation that recognised my Asperger’s and the impact it had on me as a performer helped me to gain the confidence and skills required to be an actor. As a consequence of being a member for 7 years and being involved in many performances successful auditioned for a place at BOA to study for a BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Performing Arts – Acting
As with all performing arts organisations, funding is a constant issue. Currently, the artistic directors are paid on a full-time basis, along with some creative staff, whilst there are also staff who work on a part-time basis. All staff support one or more of the ensembles. Whilst to some extent the Coventry City of Culture brought new opportunities for funding, the impact of COVID over the last two years has hit hard. The directors know they need to increase the income from circa £362,000 to £683,000 per annum to continue to develop and achieve its aim. EGO’s current situation is a difficult one, as for many previous years their financial position has been precarious, they have known what it is to live from hand to mouth. They have begged and borrowed, reduced working hours and worked for reduced pay.
Up until 2020, their earned income had been limited to selling tickets (Box Office), membership fees from participants, and facilitating drama teaching to a Coventry secondary school one day a week. Recently they completely reviewed their income streams and realised they need to do something more to secure funding so that they could retain staff and give them the security they deserve.
From the beginning of 2022 onwards, they have begun generating additional income earned through launching and developing EGO Creative Academy to 60 students and increasing the number of schools they reach to five in 2025. In addition, they will be launching ‘EGO Creates’ operating as a social enterprise (hosting and selling artwork created by their members). They will also be doing set building and costume designing services to the public and creative industries. They will also be selling merchandise, including EGO branded clothing, annual photo books and posters.
In terms of the current strategy and future direction of the organisation, the directors are facing many changes. Firstly, the current age and condition of Jesson House, the building used by EGO are not suitable for the ongoing needs of the organisation. There were investigations into purchasing and developing the site, and this is a consideration that they are still looking into, as is the potential opportunity to move to new premises. The second fixed cost, across all the EGO families of ensembles and projects, is the salary of the key organisational staff. This means staff whose roles cover all the work within EGO.
Looking at the aims of the Let’s Create Framework, it is clear that EGO Performance Company meets the requirements to support the strategy aims:
- Creative People: Everyone can develop and express creativity throughout their life.
- Cultural Communities: Villages, towns and cities thrive through a collaborative approach to culture.
- A creative and cultural country: England’s cultural sector is innovative, collaborative and international.
We can see that EGO’s performance Company meets these aims very clearly. For Creative People, creativity and idea creating are heavily endorsed and encouraged at EGO performing arts company and are actively sought out, through what their social message is, and through what the company was set up to do. The ensembles always create their own plays, starting with improvisation to encourage creativity and maje sure that all participants in the play have a voice in the way that the play is shaped.
Secondly, its newest project “Pirates of the Canal Basin” with NoFit State Circus completely meets the Cultural Communities’ aims. This was the most ambitious project of the organisation so far and as it was staged in collaboration with City of culture saw the creativity of its performers being taken right into the heart of the city. Adults and children with differing needs were seamlessly incorporated into the performance, which was highly commended by reviews.
“The opening night of Pirates of the Canal Basin was a huge success with more than 500 people watching the show. It’s the biggest production by Coventry-based Ego Performance Company and features aerial skills by Cardiff’s No Fit State Circus, magicians, and a live band.
The fully immersive and interactive show was produced for the UK City of Culture and saw the Canal Basin transformed into a Pirate harbour complete with a giant life-size ship.
BBC CWR’s Trish Adudu and City of Culture reporter Ushma Mistry spent the afternoon there ahead of the first show”Additionally, NoFit State Circus was founded in Cardiff, Wales showing how EGO has collaborated with other performing arts companies from other cities city. Finally, EGO does yet another successful job of going international as stated before, it has past members travel not only through England but the globe.
BBC Sounds website, April 22nd, 2022
As for the four investment principles of the Art Council:
- Ambition & Quality: Cultural organisations are ambitious and committed to improving the quality of their work.
- Inclusivity & Relevance: England’s diversity is fully reflected in the organisations and individuals that we support and in the culture they produce.
- Dynamism: Cultural organisations can thrive and are better able to respond to the challenges of the next decade.
- Environmental Responsibility: Cultural organisations lead the way in their approach to the climate emergency.
It is clear that EGO Performance Company meets these investment principles. Its mission statement reflects many of the principles: “EGO Performance Company is dedicated to delivering exciting, engaging and innovative productions that aim to be radically inclusive and allow our audiences to truly escape from reality or challenge audiences’ perceptions of society. EGO consists of a broad membership of diverse minds, bodies, cultures and ages. We celebrate difference and encourage our members, staff and wider community to find their true space and voice through the medium of performing arts.”
They’re ambitious in their work by wanting to ‘deliver exciting, engaging and innovative productions’, and actively find new ambitious ways to make performances. Be it through a performance where the audience decides the fate of the participants or a live promenade performance with audience interaction, it is clear that their work’s intention is to be innovative and creative at heart. The principle of Dynamism, they have already had to deal with the huge shifts in work style to fit the requirements of lockdown. In order to do this, they had to quickly and professionally adapt to the use of technology which will support them in the future, as it gives them new tools to reach out to audiences not usually able to access the arts.
References
Emerson, Corrine. (2022).’ The organisation, Aims and Challenges of EGO performance Company Interview by Jona Lama [In person], 22nd April.
Emerson, Corrine. (2022) https://www.egoperformance.co.uk/
ARTS Council England 2020-2030. “Let’s Create.” https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/sites/default/files/download-file/Strategy%202020_2030%20Arts%20Council%20England.pdf
- FINAL CHANGES AND PERFORMANCE (Godot)
After rehearsing the scenes more and going over the changes we made, I felt there were still areas I did not fully understand. To help with this, I researched the directions and philosophy of the writer, Sam Beckett. The initial research I did was good enough for a basis but the additional research, definitely helped much more, as I learnt the way in which he directs and the vision he had for the actors in his play. The part of the scene that confused me the most was the meaning. What it all meant, and why certain things are the way they are. Researching into Beckett’s intention for the play and other elements of the play, such as the repetitive and circular nature of it. After watching the 1989 performance in France and researching the play, we rehearsed with the new information and felt extremely happy with what we made.
Moving on to the performance, both I and my partner felt very happy with the final product. Besides a few missed timings and slightly off-time for a few of the lines, we got a lot of the parts we rehearsed into the performance. Our volume was better than we began with, we got the timing right on a lot of the lines, and were generally content with what we had made given our unfortunate beginning.
- CHANGES FOR PARTNER AND I (Godot)
The next area I and my partner began focusing on was reactions. We felt that a lot of the performance was very stationary and unrealistic and that it was more like we were just leading the lines off a script. We first began by thinking about how the characters would react in context to how far we are in the play, and what sort of reactions they’ve had before in other scenes. We began practising different reactions throughout the scene and seeing what felt both realistic for the character and entertaining, which in the long term helped significantly. We developed this further by fluctuating the amount of time on each reaction, delaying some very heavily to fifteen seconds long, whilst others to instant responses. This, alongside the initial changes to reactions, really helped us develop the scene further.
- IMPROVEMENTS AND CHANGES (Godot)
I think during the rehearsal process I could’ve worked on was my vocality. I had a lot of the key characteristics down and thoroughly rehearsed the relationship with my new partner, but I found I lacked the voice of Estragon and felt very much similar to my own voice. This would’ve been quite effective to learn the voice of Estragon as I had matched the level of enthusiasm and energy that he commonly demonstrates throughout the scene, and would’ve overall made the role more believable. To carry on, I think I landed the energy very well with Estragon and bounced quite nicely off the very monotone and low energy that Vladimir had in our scene. The contrary between the two was quite effective and something we had rehearsed thoroughly. I think an area my duo and could’ve worked on was timing, however. There were times when I missed the comedic timing of a line and vice versa, something that was quite bad for our scene as momentum and pace were something we initially realised when rehearsing the scene. Speaking of which, one of the first things I did when I got my script was analyse the meaning behind the lines to see what Estragon was implying but not saying. This was crucial for the process as a lot of the text is very hard to understand and confusing if you don’t know the meaning behind it.
- INITIAL RESPONSES. (Godot)
The first thing I did during rehearsing Waiting for Godot was watch the film. This gave me a solid understanding of not only my scene but the performance as a whole. I researched into what Sam Beckett’s notes and ideas behind the scenes to also help me grasp what the purpose of my scene was, and whilst also beginning my characterisation of Estragon. There was the problem of not having an active duo so to overcome this issue I began thinking about the relationship between Vladimir and Estragon and how they interact with each other to replicate having an acting duo. Getting an understanding of what Estragon did throughout the whole performance made the process much easier for me, as it allowed me to consistently think of how he would say a certain line, or how he would react.
The Actor’s Bible 