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This Powerpoint outlines my initial project pitch
My research question: With consideration to applied theatre, how can effective characterisation be developed and achieved within a scripted performance through use of naturalistic techniques?

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I explored the play through an overview, looking at the characters, the plot structure, themes, worlds/locations, questions that could be explored and areas that may require further research

"From the beginning, the actor should be making creative, imaginative connections with the world of the play. It is also important to approach the play without preconceptions, based on incomplete knowledge, as this will prevent intuitive responses" (Stanislavski 2010: 8 – 9).

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Contacted appropriate people regarding if rights are needed to perform extracts of Between Eternity and Time by Jacob Hodgkinson - in direct contact with Jacob (writer), who agreed that I would be able to perform extracts of his work for the assessment

Reviewed script and looked at which scenes/monologue would be most appropriate to show character development of Maja - focusing on her character arc/journey

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Sent out casting call to members of Theatr Clwyd's Company 17 (of which I am part of). Had responses from two members - cast finalised. Briefed on proposed schedule and content of piece

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Looking into context of play - independent research regarding County Lines and Child Criminal Exploitation

Research helps you know the play better, clariﬁes the world you will be building. (Mitchell 2009: 15)

Deith, J. (2019) (Host).(2019, December 19). Assignment - County Lines: Girl Drug Runners in the UK [Audio podcast]. BBC. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3csy5dl

-Common for vulnerable young people to be targeted
- Big cities to smaller towns
-Importance of phones - prop usage
-Clean skins - children without criminal records - innocence
-Girls tend to do it more for respect, not money - dominance and being looked up to
-Don't realise their trapped until they try to leave - aware of the dangers though
-Become a different person
-Want protecting (can't rely on family) - history of attacks - go to those feared in the community
-Feel a responsibility to provide - Maja for her brother
-Don't feel exploited - quick cash
- A risk worth taking - "I never really have anyone from the start anyway, so this was a slight improvement to my life, 'cause I had a lot of people around me.... it was a natural transition"
-Useful having a girl on board - almost invisible - look innocent
-In Country - OT - Blend in almost anywhere - under the radar
-Transported via body - strip search - police can't search there
- Everything paid for - clothes, flat, cars etc. - would be appealing for Maja
- Extremity of girls involvement and experiences in CL has increased - more violence, greater expectation of them to be involved in aspects of CL activity - having to take acid, knives, hammers to protect themselves - rape and sexual exploitation (part of the 'offer') - abuse is common - guns held to head, stabbings and shootings - seen as normal - in a bubble (adrenaline - high alert all the time)
- Sometimes being caught by the police is the only way of escaping - probation officer - everyone had a key to her house - still gets messages now with death threats or asking to return - constant vigilance and can't go to certain places - desensitized to violence

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Assignment - County lines: Girl drug runners in the UK - BBC Sounds

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The story of girls trapped in the violent world of cross-country drugs gangs in the UK

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McLean, R. (2019) County Lines: Criminal Networks and Evolving Drug Markets in Britain. Springer.

- Like with CSE (Hallett 2015), Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE) involves an element of grooming (Sherlock 2019); however, little published research exists on complex relationships between perpetrators and victims (see Firmin 2018).

- Prior research has even found evidence of CCE that does not even involve physical contact, but rather the remote controlling or ‘mothering’ of victims via their smart phones and ‘digital collateral’ that binds people to gangs remotely on social media (Storrod and Densley 2017: 687).

- Densley's (2013) research highlighted the exploitative nature of gang-involvement and older gang members’ ability to take advantage of age and immaturity. Here, gang members spoke openly about the coercion and manipulation that was experienced between ‘elders’ and ‘youngers’. One self-identified gang member ‘member 37’ (of 52) highlighted:

Elders normally use these people to do their dirty work … like, hold this in your house or give them something to do outside the streets. They just use the young people because … police wouldn’t really stop a younger person. (Member 37, cited in Densley 2013: 80)

-Going missing – or running away – from home or care is a key indicator that a child may be involved in County Lines (National Crime Agency 2016). A 2016 inquiry into the safeguarding of absent children reported how criminal exploitation by gangs fell under the radar for children missing from home. In particular, boys were categorised as being ‘at no apparent risk’ (APPG 2017), therefore leaving them without support until the risk had escalated. In a national survey of 7349 young runaways, Rees (2011: 17) highlighted some of the risks associated with running away from home and concluded that 26% of young people age 14–16 who had run away overnight had either ‘been hurt or harmed’, ‘had slept rough or with someone they had just met’ and/or ‘had stolen or begged in order to survive’.

-The use of mobile phone lines is incumbent to the success of this drug supply process and it is this which connects the new customers to the city dealers operating in their area (Coomber and Moyle 2018). The use of children in these operations offers distance and anonymity for dealers who can manage the supply from their local areas without having to go to the markets themselves (National Crime Agency 2015). Windle and Briggs (2015) highlight that as well as the use of children, vulnerable women, children in care and adults living in poverty are all used as ‘runners’ and ‘commuters’,

-Cuckooing is one form of criminal exploitation that is essential to County Lines drug supply yet has remained largely overlooked by the academic community.

-‘Cuckooing’ was evidenced in the seminal works of Windle and Briggs (2015) when talking to practitioners. Respondents in their study detailed a case of a young person who was missing from London for around six months, finally being located by police in Reading, Berkshire in what the police described as ‘high level crack houses’

-In fact, most will be unhygienic, unfurnished homes where environments of normalised crack and heroin consumption and risky sexual acts are common (Briggs 2010). Young drug dealers using crack houses as a base to sell from will be in constant contact with adults who are consumed by crack cocaine addictions, further linked to psychosis and violence (Briggs 2010).

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I explored the character of Maja within the context of the play through a mindmap, exploring her role in the plot, relationships with other characters, first impressions of her as a character, significant themes and questions I have about her as a character - exploring using Stanislavski's Given Circumstances

If is a spur to a dormant imagination, and the Given Circumstances provide the substance for it … (Stanislavski 2008b: 53)

Will aid characterisation - Essentially, in developing a truthful performance, you should not limit yourself to your opinions of what is true for you; instead search for the seeds of the character ’s behaviour in something you would do, say or think, though it might be something unusual for you. (Rose, 2013)

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16/1/23 - Independent Research into Framework 

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16/1/23 - Independent Research into Framework 

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Framework for work

Kershaw, B (2009) Practice as Research through performance chapter in Practice-led Research, Research-led Practice in the Creative Arts (Smith and Dean eds.)

Nelson, R. (2013) Practice as Research in the Arts: Principles, Protocols, Pedagogies, Resistances. Palgrave Macmillian.

Starting Points, Aesthetics and Documentation

Starting points
- Research question/s that the project will address
- Practical research should ‘interrogate itself’ and ‘be located in a research context’, but above all it should be ‘driven by a research imperative’, perhaps a default phrase for ‘starting point’ (HERO RAE 2001). In 2008 ‘research imperative’
- Use of paradoxes - in my piece this may be the use of naturalism within applied theatre and theatre in education, which tends to be more stylised

Aestethics
- Styles of performance
- Identities of performers - defined by costumes
- Performance spectrum
- The aesthetics of performance practice as research are highly sensitive as they automatically spark off major issues regarding, for example, standards and virtuosity, rigorous protocols and creative unpredictability, inadequate resources and the nature of appropriate infrastructures.
-the potential invisibility of the performers for the visitors and, second, the styles of movement developed with the performers to create what Reeve calls the ‘eco- logical body’ (Reeve 2006: 8)
- An interdependence between research aims and aesthetics
-The spectra of invisibility– visibility created by the costumes and movement styles – from ‘visitor’ to ‘bare human’ – were evolved to provide high degrees of semiotic and somatic flexibility for the performers. At best this afforded them highly responsive integration into any ‘scene’ as they responded and adapted interactively to the energy flows between animals, visitors, keepers and gardeners, for example in visitors’ efforts to gain good animal ‘views’. Then, by continuously exploring the opportunities for improvisation that the movement styles afforded them, they could work to open up channels of communication that might stretch the bounds of conventional zoo behaviour and reception, as happened, for example, when the young boy joined in the ‘dance’ with the spider monkey, a sight that stopped some exiting punters in their tracks.
-‘paradoxology of performance’
-the more rigorously consistent the research design the greater may be the chances of missing out on producing refl exive results. Unexpected, accidental or improvisatory events evolved between the performers and the cameramen – opened up new perspectives on the purposes of the project. A fly in the ointment can raise its game. And this method for identifying potentially useful homologies

Documentation
- it takes a paradoxology of performance to recognise how documentation of a live event might reactivate in the present of its user a sense of performance life from the past. In this sense the homologies between document and event work as multi-channel reflexive opportunities for recreating qualities of the processes of the latter in the former.
-Hence the operations of a paradoxology of performance in response to absolutism in the doctrine/theology of the ephemeral/‘liveness’ open up what I call ‘degrees of ephemerality’ between a live event and its documents. Such degrees, I suggest, afford a prospecting for performance ecologies that can become more sustainable through the live in both events and documents.

Conclusions
-  the powers of practice as research allow the creation of methods that dis-locate knowledge (or its equivalents) in the multiple dimensions of performance events
-The flexibility of practice as research as a methodology that can encompass many (if not all) disciplines through the paradoxical rigour of its specific procedures and protocols.
-Performance practice as research typically generates generic research issues relevant to an especially broad church of research methodologies. This is because it inherently chal- lenges binary formulations – such as conventional polarities between, say, theory and practice, rationality and creativity, process and product, artistic and academic – through the degrees to which it successfully evolves methods that are holistic in conception and operation.

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Whyman, R. (2013). Stanislavski: The Basics. Taylor and Francis Group.

I looked at the Stanislavski system of uniting and objectives to help me analyse my monologue.

"A unit is a portion of a scene that contains one objective for an actor. In that sense, a unit changed every time a shift occurred in a scene. Every unit had an objective for each character. This objective was expressed through the use of an active and transitive verb; for example, to seduce her or to annoy him. This active (action driven) objective then had corresponding physical action(s) that would help to achieve the objective. The objective was directed towards another person in order to ensure interaction." - Whyman (2013)

I feel the use of uniting within monologue to explore character objectives was really helpful and I would like to carry this over to scenes and rehearsals if possible, as well as potentially exploring Stella Adler and Meisner techniques

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21/1/22 Planning first rehearsal and setting objectives

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21/1/22 Planning first rehearsal and setting objectives

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Stanislavski warned against actors turning up to ﬁrst rehearsals having already learned the role by heart (2010: 20).

Stanislavski advocated approaching a new role in practical ways, with keys to analysing the text and ways to begin improvising in order to approach the play through the basic plot and simplest physical actions (2010: 48).

If you use these methods, the exciting thing is that characterisation will emerge, as he put it, ‘ in such a way that you will know nothing about it ’ (Rose, 2013)

In attempting to achieve characterisation too early, the actor will limit what they could achieve with the role and will inevitably repeat what they have done before in previous roles, using old methods (Toporkov 1998: 203). What is essential is to see the character or role as a process, created afresh each time, and never completely ﬁxed. (Rose, 2013)

Objectives of rehearsal:
- Finalise roles
- Analyse scene scripts - units, objectives, super objectives - I want.... (external or internal) - any obstacles or counter tasks?
- Exploring given circumstances of characters - magic if
- Facts, incidents and themes exercise
-Six questions exercise - who, what, when, where, why, wherefore (meaning ‘ for what reason)
- Read through scenes using what learnt about characters
- Discuss props and staging - "Uta Hagen insisted on having the set pieces and props in the rehearsal room from the beginning"

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Within this rehearsal , I focused on script analysis - uniting, objectives and super-objectives

I found it helpful to condense the footage to be able to analyse and reflect on the relevant points made and actions taken

On reflection, I need to frame the shot better and have the camera closer to improve the volume and audio quality

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Collaborated with actors to unit scenes and formulate objectives and superobjectives, as well as obstacles

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Collaborated with actors to unit scenes and formulate objectives and superobjectives, as well as obstacles

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Collaborated with actors to unit scenes and formulate objectives and superobjectives, as well as obstacles

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Collaborated with actors to unit scenes and formulate objectives and superobjectives, as well as obstacles

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Collaborated with actors to unit scenes and formulate objectives and superobjectives, as well as obstacles

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Collaborated with actors to unit scenes and formulate objectives and superobjectives, as well as obstacles

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Collaborated with actors to unit scenes and formulate objectives and superobjectives, as well as obstacles

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I have decided to utilise the Gibbs model of reflection to analyse my rehearsals as I feel it allows me to focus on the key aspects and formulate plans of action

Description - I held my first rehearsal with my two actors, looking at the chosen extracts from the piece and analysing the pieces utilsing Stanislavski's uniting, superobjectives, objectives and obstacles

Feelings - I was feeling slightly apprehensive as I feel I lack experience in leading and directing rehearsals and other actors. To combat this, I formulated some rehearsal objectives and ensured I was prepared as I could be.

Evaluation - I feel the rehearsal went well and good progress was made regarding uniting and objectives. I feel I collaborated well with my actors, still remaining in charge but valuing their input and implementing where possible. However, as I know the actors well, I feel that focus was lost at points where further progress could be made. I also feel my aforementioned confidence influenced me subconsciously. I also feel I was overambitious in what could be achieved in a 2 hour rehearsal.

Analysis - From what was achieved in the rehearsal, I feel I now know what the next step of progression is and what areas may require development, for myself as both an actor and a director/rehearsal facilitator. I also feel I am more aware of what can achieved within the rehearsal timeframe

Conclusion - In addition, I feel I could have done some more research into how undertake the rehearsal process, potentially through discussion with peers with experience in this area, or through further independent research.

Action plan - Moving forward, I feel my reflection will positively impact my structuring of rehearsals and content of rehearsals. I will implement what I have learnt during my next rehearsal process and undertake this reflection process again to reflect on the impact

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25/1/23 Meeting with Pam - feedback from pitch

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25/1/23 Meeting with Pam - feedback from pitch

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I had a meeting with Pam regarding feedback on my project pitch

- Character journey - emphasis on this
-Slide - performance in applied theatre - dramatised - step removed - how much can naturalistic techiques be applied in this context - supended belief - show how trying to find middle ground
-fully record rehearsals - insert into lecture demonstration
- long term lone of equipment
- book in time for a technical rehearsal - week before dress rehearsal
- doesn't have to be all scenes in lecture demonstration - all footage can go in documentation

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Donellan, D. (2005). The Actor and the Target. Nick Hern Books.

Donellan (2005, p.9) - Our imaginations make us human and they toil every millisecond of our lives. Only the imagination can interpret what our senses relay to our bodies. It is imagination that enables us to perceive ’

I feel this is true for me regarding music, as it allows me to put myself in the headspace of a character and utilise my imagination on a subconscious level. I feel music definitely aids my characterisation through aural imagination - music helps me access the emotions felt by the characters and get into the headspace of these emotions effectively.

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Pam provided me some reading that may aid my practice as research

- McKay, Samuel Stephen (2019) Dislocating Applied Theatre: Crossing the Borders between Practice and Context. PhD thesis, University of Leeds.

- Shawyer, S., & Shively, K. (2019). Education in Theatrical Intimacy as Ethical Practice for University Theatre. Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism 34(1), 87-104. doi:10.1353/dtc.2019.0025.

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4/2/3 - Research on Representation and Ethics

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4/2/3 - Research on Representation and Ethics

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McKay, S.S. (2019) Dislocating Applied Theatre: Crossing the Borders between Practice and Context. PhD thesis, University of Leeds.

Upon reading research undertaken by McKay (2019), the concept of representation was highlighted:

- The reality that representations depict the real lives of individuals or groups who may be vulnerable and/or marginalised .As cultural workers, we have a responsibility to ensure that the representations that are made have sensitivity, dialogue, respect and willingness for reciprocity.

(Preston, 2009: 65)

a critical ethnographer must ask:

- How we represent?
- How we evaluate the legitimacy of our representations
- Whether it is possible to effect change in the world?

(Gallagher, 2006: 64-5)

Conquergood (link to photo)
- At the center point, with a balance between difference, identity, commitment and detachment, is a “path to genuine understanding of others”, where the ethnographer is involved in the struggle to “bring together different voices, world views, value systems and beliefs so that they can have a conversation with one another” (Conquergood, 1985: 9).

Young (2000, cited in Nicholson, 2013)
- representation is conceptualised not as an identity but as a ‘differentiated relationship among actors’ in which it is understood that there is both a productive connection between the represented and the representative and a recognition of separation (2000, 127).
- a ‘mediated relationship’ that is morally dependent on time, temporality and context is, therefore, a useful prompt to thought. ‘Representation moves between moments of authorization and accountability ... in which discourse and action at each moment ought to bear traces of the others’

Barnes (2011) MAPPING ETHICS IN APPLIED DRAMA
AND THEATRE (Chapter in Acting on HIV)

- Participants should always be respected and their dignity
maintained, and that the methodology should not echo oppression by telling
participants what to think, feel and do - focus on
discovery and space for participants to articulate and
dramatically express their understandings.
- requires self-reflexivity, an ability to recognise the ways in which our own  values determine our perspectives and are  present in our work - need to be very conscious of our own subjectivity, partiality and biases

Thompson (Applied Theatre: Bewilderment and Beyond)
- Values are not acquired from outside us, but rather, they are forged in dialogue among people and texts. Thus, encounters with stories or people, in everyday life and in the imagination of drama, are sites for dialogue through which we can become clearer about the ethical views we or others already hold and through which our ethical positions can change. (Edmiston, 2000, p. 64) - these changing positions should be ‘grounded in ethical assumptions he or she brings to each particular encounter’
- we need to avoid ‘cultural invasion’ where ‘the actors […] superimpose themselves on the people’ and attempt ‘cultural synthesis’ where the ‘actors become integrated with the people, who are co-authors of the action’ (Freire, 1970, p. 161).

Kerr (2009) - Ethics of Applied Theatre
- one of the main features of AT’s ethical minefield - a play or technique that is quite acceptable in one place or context may create severe moral problems in another.
- Ethical decision-making depends upon facilitators pushing cultural norms beyond the acceptance of reactionary attitudes or oppressive practices- carry the community with them, and without putting community members into unnecessary danger
- For facilitators not to assume the role of gurus, but to be always open to the persuasive power of collective intelligence.
- Ethics need to be flexible enough to adapt to different times, geographical locations of shifting social, political or economic circumstances.

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5/2/3 Education in Theatrical Intimacy as Ethical Practice for University Theatre - Helpful quotes

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5/2/3 Education in Theatrical Intimacy as Ethical Practice for University Theatre - Helpful quotes

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Shawyer, S., & Shively, K. (2019). Education in Theatrical Intimacy as Ethical Practice for University Theatre. Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism 34(1), 87-104. doi:10.1353/dtc.2019.0025.

-  Advocacy for clear communication around consent, boundaries and intimacy choreography - Engaging in physical and emotional responses to character, scene partner in the rehearsal room implies an ethical relationship
- Acting can blur boundaries between self and character - can cause emotional distress
- Dangers of Stanislavski technique - using personal experiences/life history to create characters - can create unhealthy working conditions for an actor without the tools to identify or manage boundaries

Exercises to use

Adam Noble asks actors to communicate "no-fly zones", or physical boundaries, to their partner choreographing a scene of intense physicality. This process can be used by scene partners even if the scene does not require physical touch, to encourage communication about touch and consent. - goal is to ensure that contact is consensual - reinforces respect for the individual actor

Theatrical Intimacy Education recommends the use of a verbal self-care cue that actors can use “to stop the action when the actors feel there may be something amiss in the choreography or if the actor needs a moment for mental self-care.

allows for the company member to have brief time for emotional self-care, addressing potential triggers in the moment instead of waiting until rehearsal is over, and without needing to give detailed explanation to others in the room

Use of place-holder choreography if required

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As only one of my actors is available, I have adapted the rehearsal accordingly

- Getting the thought right before learning the lines is important. The actor identiﬁes facts and events then ‘ evaluates ’ them through improvisation and discussion on the improvisation, focusing on interactions with the other characters - I plan to utilise this notion within the rehearsal

- Exploring given circumstances through Stanislavski - mindmap per character

Meisner - listening and responding, the reality of doing, achieving with your partner, crafting speciﬁcally, and working spontaneously.

- Explore early staging and blocking

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6/2/23 Blowback character mindmap utilising given circumstances

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6/2/23 Blowback character mindmap utilising given circumstances

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Within the 6/2/23 rehearsal, myself and the actor playing the character of Blowback in my performance looked at the characters given circumstances, focusing on relationships between characters, facts about the character and themes present - all discovered through utilising the Stanislavski technique work regarding script analysis from last rehearsal

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6/2/23 Units overview, facts and events task

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6/2/23 Units overview, facts and events task

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Within the rehearsal, myself and the actor playing Blowback reviewed the units created within the last rehearsal and used them to create an overview, including the facts and events of each unit. This then helped with the evaluation through improvisation and discussion task

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Looked at given circumstances of characters, looked at facts, events and themes - used these in an improvisation task - scene partner said that she felt that it was effective as it allowed a deeper exploration of the character, their motives and their attitude

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Within the rehearsal, I also undertook the boundaries task with the actor, who appreciated my effort to obtain her input and provided her opinion. I feel this will better inform the acting within the scene as boundaries have clearly been set and will be maintained throughout the rehearsal process

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Description - I held my second rehearsal with one of my actors, focusing on the character's given circumstances, facts, events and themes and utilised these within an improvisation task. I also undertook the no-fly zones/boundaries task with my actor.

Feelings - I feel more confident in this rehearsal as I felt better focused on what I wanted to achieve. I also felt more confident due to the progress made on the scene.

Evaluation - I feel the rehearsal went well and progress was made regarding the scene, even without knowing the script. I felt this demonstrated that the tasks undertaken were effective and purposeful. I also feel both myself and my actor know the characters better as a result.

Analysis - From what was achieved in the rehearsal, I feel I now know what the next step of progression is for my scene with the actor, as well as what will be effective in my next rehearsal with my other actor.

Conclusion - In addition, I feel I could have brought more elements of physicality into the rehearsal, which I will discover through further independent research.

Action plan - Moving forward, I feel my reflection will positively impact the structure of my next rehearsal with my second actor. I will implement what I have learnt during my next rehearsal process and undertake this reflection process again to reflect on the impact

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I joined Tamarah in a technical meeting with Chris Bowler, the campus technician. He showed us how to use the lighting desks and its capabilities. I plan to use this knowledge, along with research, to plan out how to implement lighting effectively within my piece

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Prompted by Pam within an MP7106 lecture, I have started to consider how I am going to film my pieces. I feel that the pieces should still feel like they are being viewed from a theatre audience perspective, opposed to a film. Therefore I feel a wide static long shot (similar to the style utilised by Abbas Kiarostami) will aid this, allowing the audience the autonomy to choose how they watch, much like they would in a theatre setting. Filmed theatre is a relatively new concept that can now be considered as a its own art form (Castell, 2014). As noted by Buhowski (2020), there is often a discrepancy between film and theatre, making it challenging for the director filmed theatre, since in some cases they have to make a choice between being faithful to the nature of theatre or using the advantages of cinematic close-ups. In this case, I am choosing to be faithful to the nature of the theatre for the purpose I am using it for. Therefore, to me I am not focusing on screen work but acting technique. Kiarostami's concept of not breaking the rhythm of the piece through using continuous shots also resonates with me, as I feel it will aid the tension and mood changes in my scenes and allow the flow (Dibazar, 2017).

https://www.arttouchesart.com/the-challenges-of-filming-theatre-productions

https://www.theguardian.com/culture-professionals-network/culture-professionals-blog/2014/jan/31/filmed-theatre-genre-arts-stage

Dibazar, P. (2017). Wandering cars and extended presence: Abbas Kiarostami's embodied cinema of everyday mobility. New Review of Film and Television Studies, 15(3), 299–326.

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13/2/23 Willing suspension of disbelief in theatre research 

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13/2/23 Willing suspension of disbelief in theatre research 

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The “willing suspension of disbelief” or “dramatic illusion” describes a state of mind in which the reader or spectator voluntarily relinquishes his usual propensity to judge in terms of possibility or reality. Whatever is presented to him must seem, therefore, to be probable while it is before him. - Griggs

‘imaginative joining-in’’ is therefore necessary to enable the drama to take life in the soul of the spectator  - Pullman (2004, cited in Reason, 2010, p. 15)

Bond (2012) believes that drama offers possibilities to understand ourselves and society because “the audience do this under the protection of fiction, in ‘the suspension of belief’”. There is also a very conscious play between reality and fiction in Bond’s plays that aims at questioning how real is what we consider to be reality.

Narrative story plays a key role in helping us reflect upon the moral life (Winston, 2005)

Coleridge - https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/3/article/218923/summary?casa_token=m_B4Z72tL9oAAAAA:i_bu0ezE5aTWdgOSj4DF3DUVBf7Q93P7m1watQZrkILn_FIiArtHh5Cg-SEo_LlLaEoJQysH2g

Griggs, E.L. (1945) “The Willing Suspension of Disbelief.” In G.F. Reynolds. (Ed.) Elizabethan Studies and Other Essays. University of Colorado Press 272–285.

Reason, M. (2010). The Young Audience: Exploring and Enhancing Children’s Experience of Theatre. Trentham Books Ltd.

Bond, E. (2012) A Short and Troubled Essay on Being Human. [Unpublished essay] (Personal communication 22 August

Winston, J. (2005) Between the aesthetic and the ethical: analysing the tension at the heart of Theatre in Education, Journal of Moral Education, 34:3, 309-323, DOI: 10.1080/03057240500206147

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14/2/23 Theatrical framing - Jackson (2007)

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14/2/23 Theatrical framing - Jackson (2007)

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Jackson, A. (2007). Theatre, Education and the Making of Meanings. Manchester University Press.

Goffman (1974, cited by Jackson, 2007)
Allows the audience to decipher codes of behaviour or rituals being enacted before them - aids in the creation of aesthetic distance
- A boundary line (visible or invisible) drawn around the piece of experience that the theatre practitioners deliberately want to highlight for the audience or want the audience to examine.

Representational frame
- Within this frame, the action represents 'real-world' events that are enacted by actors in role - characters as in conventional play - is often naturalistic but may be stylised or 'epic' - audience are onlookers and are fully conscious that they are watching from a distance

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As only one of my actors is available, I have adapted the rehearsal accordingly (similar exercises to previous rehearsal)

- Getting the thought right before learning the lines is important. The actor identiﬁes facts and events then ‘ evaluates ’ them through improvisation and discussion on the improvisation, focusing on interactions with the other characters - I plan to utilise this notion within the rehearsal

- Exploring given circumstances through Stanislavski - mindmap per character

Meisner - listening and responding, the reality of doing, achieving with your partner, crafting speciﬁcally, and working spontaneously.

- Explore early staging and blocking

- Theatrical intamacy exercise - Adam Moss

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17/2/23 Mush character mindmap utilising given circumstances

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17/2/23 Mush character mindmap utilising given circumstances

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Within the 17/2/23 rehearsal, myself and the actor playing the character of Mush in my performance looked at the characters given circumstances, focusing on relationships between characters, facts about the character and themes present - all discovered through utilising the Stanislavski technique work regarding script analysis from last rehearsal

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17/2/23 Units overview, facts and events task

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17/2/23 Units overview, facts and events task

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Within the rehearsal, myself and the actor playing Mush reviewed the units created within the last rehearsal and used them to create an overview, including the facts and events of each unit. This then helped with the evaluation through improvisation and discussion task

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17/2/23 Rehearsal footage - boundaries task

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17/2/23 Rehearsal footage - boundaries task

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17/2/23 Rehearsal footage - given circumstances improvisation task

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17/2/23 Rehearsal footage - given circumstances improvisation task

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Description - I held my third rehearsal with one of my actors, focusing on the character's given circumstances, facts, events and themes and utilised these within an improvisation task, followed by implementing the script. I also undertook the no-fly zones/boundaries task with my actor.

Feelings - I felt confident in this rehearsal as I was familiar with the structure as it was similar to the previous. I also felt more confident due to the progress made on the scene, especially as script was implemented as well.

Evaluation - I feel the rehearsal went well and progress was made regarding the scene, as we were able to experiment with blocking and script. I felt this demonstrated that the tasks undertaken were effective and purposeful. I also feel both myself and my actor know the characters better as a result.

Analysis - From what was achieved in the rehearsal, I feel I now know what the next step of progression is for my scene with the actor, as well as the piece as a whole.

Conclusion - In addition, I feel I could have brought more elements of physicality into the rehearsal, which I will discover through further independent research.

Action plan - Moving forward, I feel better equipped to progress with my first actor and focus on physicality and blocking, in preparation for my filming.

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In preparation for my next rehearsal, I decided to research more into physicality and how to implement it within rehearsals and scenes

Alfreds, M. (2007). Different Every Night – Freeing the Actor. Nick Hern Books.

Whyman, R. (2013). Stanislavski: The Basics. Taylor and Francis Group.

Hagen, U. (1973). Respect for Acting. Wiley Publishing.

Grotowski, J. (1975). Towards A Poor Theatre. Methuen Drama.

Adler, S. (2000). The Art of Acting. Applause Books.

Cuthbert, L. (2016). Jacques Lecoq and States of Tension. Innervate, 9(1), 173-176.

Alfreds (2007) - actions are what characters do to try to achieve their objectives; therefore actions are the actor's main task. … actions are what characters carry out to try to get what they want – to change their current situation, to improve or rectify it … Therefore to achieve the desired change, characters have to eﬀect a change in other characters . Which means that actors have to eﬀect a change in other actors . They can only achieve this by pursuing actions. (2007: 65)

- Actions have to be directed towards other people and they have to be precise, logical and sequential. Perhaps you have to carry out an action that must be completed at a certain moment in the dialogue, maybe putting some ﬂowers in a vase then turning as someone speaks to you. If you rush the action in order to be on time to turn, the action will not be precise or logical; the character would not rush and the rushing spoils the sequence of actions.

Whyman (2013)

- pg.81 - "the actors improvise a scene, working from the score of actions, drawing on whatever knowledge they have of the play and the roles at that time.... Then take a section of text and play the physical actions. In order to do this you will need to think about the given circumstances and use your powers of invention for those you do not know. Use your own words. You may not be able to remember the lines exactly. You learn as much from seeing what is not there, what you don ’ t know about the role, as from what you do know. You are working at getting the thought right and testing it out and it is a way to draw out the emotion in the role."

-Active analysis - "Getting the thought right before learning the lines is important. The actor identiﬁes facts and events then ‘ evaluates ’ them through improvisation and discussion on the improvisation, focusing on interactions with the other characters."

- "The method of physical actions and active analysis enable the actor to develop understanding of the play as a whole, to work at understanding the thought behind the text, the author ’ s intentions, the supertask . The exercises lead the actor to a deep understanding of the text, hopefully preventing them from developing a mechanical way of saying the words that lacks depth."

Hagen (1973, p.71)
- physicality and actions linked to given circumstances - purposeful and focused - "Physical actions are the necessary balance for verbal actions"

Grotowski (1975)
Contact
Contact is not just  eye contact or staring fixedly at your partner. Contact is to really see. If you really see and listen to your partner, there is a natural adaptation which occurs. You must adjust what you are doing because today, even though you and your partner are following the same score of actions, there will always be slight differences. True improvisation happens on this level of seeing, listening, and adjusting—to be present and alive on stage is to be in contact and this contact results in harmony between you and your partner. You are both together in the same moment—seeing, listening, and responding.

Adler (2000)
- Importance of embodying the physicality of a character. Some playwrights write vivid stage directions with physical descriptions and mannerisms already present in the text that help capture something of the essence of that character. Actors therefore must do the work of creating a physicality for a character when the playwright hasn’t explicitly described it.

Lecoq (cited by Cuthbert, 2016)

7 levels of tension - Exhausted or catatonic (no tension in the body at all - movement and speech is an effort), Laid back (casual, relaxed, carefree), Neutral ( present and aware -no story behind your movement), Alert (Aware and indecisive), Suspense or the Reactive (All the tension is in the body, concentrated between the eyes), Passionate (Tension is difficult to contain and control) and Tragic (Body can’t move. Petrified. The body is solid tension.)

Lecoq’s recommendation to “begin with silence” and allow speech when “silence becomes too highly charged,”

Tension states may also be used to heighten a contrast on stage, and exploit it for dramatic effect. States of tension may be another means of approaching naturalistic performance. Crucially, tension states possess the fluidity to be applied to different modes of performance. Lecoq’s principle, to “offer… a method of working” and allow the actor to apply it however they wish, underlines this.

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Everett, L (2008) Moving Bodies: Jacques Lecoq and Drama Education in Australia

Lecoq, J. (2000). The Moving Body. Methuen.

Varela, F.J., Thompson, E. and Rosch. E. (1991) The embodied mind: Cognitive science and human experience. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press

Bowman, W. (2004). Cognition and the body: Perspectives from music education. In Bresler, L. (Ed.) (2004). Knowing Bodies, Moving Minds: Towards Embodied Teaching and Learning. Kluwer Academic Publishers

emotions and physical movement co-extend, in that the inside and the outside take parallel paths - Feelings, states and passions are expressed through gestures, attitudes and movements similar to those of physical actions (Lecoq, 2000:71).

Embodiment - ‘integration of the physical or biological body and the phenomenal experiential body’ so that instead of a separation of body and mind there is a ‘matrix of body/mind worlds, a web that integrates thinking, being, doing and interacting within worlds’ (Varela et al., 1991)

the mind is in the body, the body is in the mind and the body-mind is in the world. This view positions all knowledge as being incorporated and embedded in biological and cultural activities, which profoundly shape all our experience (Bowman, 2004:29- 50)

Lecoq method is often seen as more accessible - less abstract and more practical in comparison to Stanislavski

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Stanislavski noted the importance of creating the life of the character in the imagination, ‘Otherwise you won ’t get a continuous “ life of the human spirit ” in a play from the actor, you ’ll be dealing with isolated scraps ’ (Stanislavski 2008b: 288). He added that even with more naturalistic plays, the author will not provide much detail of the characters ’ back histories, events before the play begins or what the future will hold for the characters (Stanislavski 2008b: 62).

Whyman (2013) - Stanislavski considered the key to be the creation of images that the actor accesses in the course of playing the role. If we have a particular view of a place or connect it with past experiences this will colour our expression of what we are imagining in what we say or do.

Mitchell (2009, pg. 23) - The actor must have a picture in their head for every place their character talks about or listens to – both near and far. If they see the place in their mind, then they will adjust their tone of voice and bodies accordingly. The audience will then have the impression that they are referring to real places.

I undertook this through researching the settings of the scenes, which I feel will aid me in my performance and characterisation.

This will also aid physicality - Whyman (2013, pg. 92 ) Developing fully rounded characterisations will place a demand on your imagination and may take some time to develop. If you are playing a character who is much older than you, or you are a female playing a man, for example, rather than settling for an external portrayal of age or gender, seek to bridge the gap between yourself and the character by working on what they are thinking, using your imagination to ﬁnd age, or masculinity.

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Alfreds, M. (2007). Different Every Night – Freeing the Actor. Nick Hern Books.

Alfreds (2007, p.56): ‘ It is the character ’s essential plotdrive through the play. In the Aristotelian sense, this is what gives the drama its cohesion – the character ’s pursuit of an all-encompassing goal, which they may (comedy) or may not (tragedy) achieve ’

Through reading the whole play, I feel I have a better sense of Maja's through-line in the play, in which I feel her main goal is to achieve her supertask of escaping the life she's trapped in. I feel escapism is the central theme for Maja, and within all three scenes she is trying to escape the situation she is in. I feel this informs the physicality of the character, as she is uncomfortable and at unease, but she gains more confidence to ultimately escape the situation.

Whyman (2013) writes that the mental images imagined by the actor and the actions will all have the through-line in mind his mental images and actions, all have that aim in view. The character's supertask may conflict with others. This is true in my piece, as Blowback's aim is to make sure Maja is safe and doing what she is told, whereas Mush wants to be in control of her and her to be submissive within the situations. Therefore, these clashes between the supertasks drive the plot.

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21/2/23 Embodiment of the role & solo rehearsal planning

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21/2/23 Embodiment of the role & solo rehearsal planning

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Whyman, R. (2013). Stanislavski: The Basics. Taylor and Francis Group.

Chekhov, A. (2004). A Life in Letters. Penguin Classics.

Toporkov, V. (1998). Stanislavski in Rehearsal. Routledge.

Characterisation is a kind of mask that allows the indirect revelation of personal aspects of ourselves. - Whyman (2013)

a small, peculiar feature of the character … a typical movement, a characteristic manner of speech, a recurrent habit, a certain way of laughing, walking or wearing a suit, an odd way of holding the hands, or a singular inclination of the head and so forth. (Chekhov 2004, p.83)

As for outer characteristics, they appear as a result of a deep penetration into the inner world of the character. These special outer characteristics will be more easily found by the actor when the logical line of the behavior of the character has been assimilated, has become his own. The outer characterization completes the work of the actor (Toporkov 1998: 202 – 3)

Looking to work on outer characteristics - accent, mannerisms, use of pauses - how does the character speak and how does the character move? What gestures or actions might typify the character?

Accent - The voice of each of the characters indicates their identity: their class and background and their attitude to life.... The development and work on accents has to be rooted in the understanding of the class and background of the characters and what it means to adopt a new way of speaking. Accents must be justiﬁed. (Whyman, 2013) - Liverpuddlian, lower class

Looked at monologue subtext

Costume - The use of costume and props in rehearsal is very helpful in developing the external elements of characterisation, as is rehearsing with the set in the space you will perform in, or whatever is as close as possible to this. Rehearsal clothes are important. (Whyman, 2013)

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Within my solo rehearsal, I looked at the monologue and decided to experiment with different styles of blocking and tonality to see how it affected my characterisation. Once I have watched each of the four takes back, I can see elements that I like in each. However, I am aware that my interpretation is subjective (Martens, 2011), therefore I am going to see feedback to determine how to progress further.

Marten (2011) https://online.ucpress.edu/ncl/article/66/2/195/94120/Dramatic-Monologue-Detective-Fiction-and-the

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Description - I held my fourth rehearsal. It was originally going to be with one of my actors, but unfortunately they were unavailable at short notice. Therefore, I utilised the time to focus on my characterisation through monologue work, looking at different blocking and styles.

Feelings - As the rehearsal schedule changed quite quickly, I felt a little unsure of how to best utilise the time. However, I feel I adapted quickly and made the most of having space by myself to focus on my characterisation.

Evaluation -I feel the rehearsal went okay considering the ad-hoc nature of it. I feel that I have been able to experiment with with I have learnt through my research and see what feels appropriate for the character. I feel I could have had a backup plan in place in case this situation had occurred sooner, but I feel I've learnt from the experience

Analysis - From what was achieved in the rehearsal, I feel I know my character and how I embody it better, which will benefit the next rehearsal with both my actors.

Conclusion - In addition, I feel I could have experimented more with physicality in the rehearsal, which I feel didn't occur as I was unsure of the script. Therefore, I feel being more confident with the script will allow this to occur.

Action plan - Moving forward, I feel better equipped to progress with physicality with my actors and focus on physicality and blocking, in preparation for my filming.

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In discussion with Pam, we spoke about my progress on my project and what next steps I should take in my research

Pam suggested that I am looking focally on where the naturalism is in applied theatre, looking at the balance between believability and applied - duality between applied and natural

She suggested that I now focus my research within the applied field - looking at how to engage with audience in the scenario, and how the TiE actor is a vehicle of storytelling

We also spoke about the contact sections of scene 3, and Pam suggested the use of staging to suggest the action without it actually happening - will look at this within the next rehearsal

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24/2/23 The Performer in TiE - Cooper (2013)

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24/2/23 The Performer in TiE - Cooper (2013)

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Cooper, C. (2013). The Performer in TiE. In A. Jackson and C. Vine (Eds.), Learning Through Theatre : The Changing Face of Theatre in Education (pp. 131-141). Taylor and Francis Group.

Bondian acting technique - enactment

In the enactment of a play, then, the actor is a mediator through which the play needs to speak and through which the audience speaks to the play. It ’s not a question of ﬁnding the inner motivations of the character but playing the character on the site of the play, playing the play.

Start to lay bare the processes which enable, or deprive us of, our humanity ’ (Davis 2009: l).
Acting closes down meaning, enactment opens meaning up and the world becomes an open question.

Looking at the themes/concepts of the centre of the play and what feeds them

Use of drama events - played without comment from the en-actor and allow the audience to question why the characters are doing what they are doing, if they could see themselves as the character and question what they would I do in their situation. The actor leaves the answers to the audience/participant. The audience are forced to decide because the reason for what is happening has not been interpreted for them.

The audience don't experience second hand in the Drama Event but ﬁrst hand, they don't echo the characters ’ emotions, as in realist drama, but, imaginatively seeking reasons, and generate our own emotional response ’ (Davis 2005: 210).

For Bond, characterisation is not the starting point; it can only be created through exploring the centre of the play and understanding the situation. Through this the actor comes to know the characters in a much more profound way because playing the situation isn't just about grasping the social but also the particular psycho-social dimension, the human dimension. The actor has to react or respond creatively to the situation the character is presented with - The emotion that characters express in the site is not cathartic or manipulative but precise and appropriate. Through enactment, the actor experiences the play and creates the means by which the audience come to recognise themselves in each character in each particular situation.

Bond's enactment and sites (Bond, 2000, pg.10)

Site A – the social sites, our era.

Site B – the speciﬁc sites of the drama/play through which the story is told.

Site C – the action, images and objects that activate sites A and B in site D.

Site D – the audience/participant as the site of the imagination – the source of human value and meaning, humanness.

Each site is speciﬁc and in playing the play it is the responsibility of the actor to resist both generalising joy, anger or fear, and commenting on the situation they are enacting.

Within my piece, site A is the modern day UK, site B is a Merseyrail Train travelling from Liverpool to Bangor, and a old, damp farmhouse in Bangor, site C is the dramatic action, images and object within the scenes, and Site D is the site of the imagination, actively engaging with the other sites in order to make meaning and become a source of value through what Bond calls the gap (Cooper, 2013).

The Gap

Bas and Hankins (2005) - the gap is the space between the material world and the self. It can be contaminated or corrupted, but also has the authority to produce Value and Meaning, to be the site of Humanness.

Cooper (2013) suggests that this can be achieved by shifting from a transmission or message-based paradigm to using the dramatic art of theatre to explore the human condition so that we come to know ourselves and the world we live in better - exploring situations that aren't 'black and white'

The Centre

Cooper (2013) notes that the task for the actor is to stay in the logic of the situation (the site) and create the gap for the audience to inhabit.

Cooper (2013) suggests that this can be done through establishing a centre for the production - the core of what the production, and programme as a whole, are exploring and creating with the audience/ participants.

The centre of a text is reﬂected in the play ’s main metaphors, similes and metonyms. Its patterns or structures are extended from the centre and contained within all the sites. The centre is deﬁned and tested and redeﬁned throughout the process. - I feel that the centre of my piece is the notion of feeling trapped, power vs. lack of, and naviety vs. experience - following Maja's development in these areas

There is an overall centre but also the centre of each scene and central images, actions and objects - these have been found through the processes of uniting, looking at character objectives, superobjectives and obstacles

Having a centre aids actor characterisation as it allows the actor to explore the character's relation to the whole site and the centre being excavated within it. The actor focuses on how the centre is reﬂected in what she is doing.

Cooper (2013) - the site provides the speciﬁc logic of the situation while the centre provides a thematic, conceptual or ontological framework for the actor. Together they provide the basis of the play in order to connect with the audience and create space for them to engage in ‘ their play ’ – their life experience and the meaning of what occurs on stage for themselves.

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24/2/23 Bondian Acting Technique/Theory research

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24/2/23 Bondian Acting Technique/Theory research

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Bond, E. (2012a) The First Word. Unpublished Essay. Available at: http://www.edwardbond.org/Comment/thefirstword.doc [Accessed 6 November 2014]

Bond, E. (2012b) A Short and Troubled Essay on Being Human. [Unpublished essay] (Personal communication 22 August)

Bond, E. (2014a) Email to Xia Yanhua. [Email] (Personal communication 1 November).

Cooper, C. (2013b) The Performer in TIE. In: A. Jackson and C. Vine, eds. Learning Through Theatre: New Perspectives on Theatre in Education. 3 rd edn. London: Routledge, pp. 131-141.

actors need to be present in the fictional situations - Bond felt that human presence was a core element of drama. He says that “when actors can't bring the human presence on stage, but instead produce a manufactured style that apes it, then drama is impossible - Bond (2012a, p.2)

Bond (2012b, p.9) believes that drama offers possibilities to understand ourselves and society because “the audience do this under the protection of fiction, in ‘the suspension of belief’”- duality between reality and fiction in Bondian plays that aim to questioning how real is what we consider to be reality

Bond (2014) uses the term ‘enactment’ when he discusses the actor’s task in performance. Cooper (2013b: 136) compares enactment to simply ‘being’ in the situation, he says that “it’s not a question of finding the inner motivations of the character but playing the character on the site of the play, playing the play”

Does does not mean that emotions are absent from the characters but needs accurate breaking down of the situation and the actions. Enactment requires that the actor is present and creating and concentrating on the situation rather than the character.

Allows contradictions within role to be played with as the tendency with both character and emotional acting is that they explain the action of the role rather than make them contradictory

what Bond calls Enactment “is not about acting at all” but more about “excavating” how their role relates to the Centre of the drama and the whole site. Cooper (2013b: 138) states that It is important not to determine how the actors respond to each other in advance, but let the logic of situation dictate this. There is no blocking, the actors need to find the topography of the situation. We used the sites and the centre as a guide to break the situation down precisely to avoid generalisation. In rehearsal it is very important not to make decisions on what is ‘right’ too soon and fix things, only to eliminate what is not reflecting the centre. There are virtually limitless possibilities for exploration that, if properly centred and sited, can continue to be unearthed in performance

Drama Events, referred to as Theatre Events in Bond’s writing from before this distinction, are crucial in creating the possibilities for the audience to ‘find society in themselves’ by understanding how the culture they live in is present in their thoughts and actions.

Bond argues that the audience should not be alienated, but should be allowed to engage in the dramatic situation, they should be drawn into it so they can imagine being in that fictional setting. He claims that without being involved in this way they cannot understand the situation and the actions of the characters. This way the audience can reason about motives and causes imaginatively, and they can respond individually and creatively to the ‘human paradox’ presented on stage.

Bond aimed to engage his audiences in situations that resonate the problems of their era and situation. He aims to present moments within the narrative developing on stage that demand that the spectator create her own response to it, because that is how she will form her self.

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24/2/23 Considerations to TiE research - Goffman and Jackson - framing

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24/2/23 Considerations to TiE research - Goffman and Jackson - framing

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Jackson, A. (2007). Theatre, Education and the Making of Meanings. Manchester University Press.

Frames - Goffman (1974, cited by Jackson, 2007, p. 161-166)

frames allow the deciphering of behaviour of individuals or social rituals being performed

the boundary line (visible or invisible) that theatre creators place around their pieces of experience that they wish for their audience to observe or examine

the boundary line allows practitioners to craft action in specific ways that allow their vision to be achieved

Versions of 'real-life' can then be portrayed - either in a naturalistic or stylised manner - utilising conventions and willing suspension of disbelief

Allows theatre practitioners to consider how their work is being perceived by the audience

Jackson (2007)

Different frames can be utilised throughout a TiE performance

Cultural/Pre-theatre Frame - preparation for the drama doen by teacher/actor out of role/facilitator - may be curriculum orientated - may be in or outside of performance space and may occur just before or several days prior to performance

Outer theatrical frame - Establishment of theatre space and conventions being utilised - usually undertaken by first actor on stage - use of lights, music - clear signally of transition to a different reality

Inner frames - Narrative, Involvement, Investigative and Representational (see below)

Closing Frame - formal end of the theatre event - clearly signalled through a return to the outer theatrical frame

Narrative Frame - recount of events, background and issues being utilised/included in the drama by a narrator or facilitator through storytelling - may involve direct addressing of the audience by the characters to advance plot

Investigate Frame - Events may happen in real-time with students observing action or be represented through evidence analysis and discussion through methods such as scene replays, interrogation of characters or forum theatre - utilisation of facilitator or 'joker' to initiate and link

Representational frame - Use of events representing real-life enacted by actors in role - utilisation of traditional theatre conventions and typically naturalistic acting style

Involvement Frame - Interplay between characters and characters and audience as events unfold - often naturalistic and in real time

Theatregoer vs. onlooker - Goffman (1974, cited by Jackson, 2007)

social role and semiotic codes

Within TiE, this role may evolve as the performance goes on - begin as theatregoers and become onlookers once action begins and audience are engaged

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25/2/23 Planning for rehearsal 5 - full rehearsal

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25/2/23 Planning for rehearsal 5 - full rehearsal

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Lecoq - levels of tension - experiment with these to see what level is right for each character - use of silence

Use of Uta Hagen theory - physicality and actions linked to given circumstances - purposeful and focused - "Physical actions are the necessary balance for verbal actions"

-Use of gestures - start of physicality exploration - Identify and perform possible ways of reaching main objectives. Physicalize the text in simple actions. Create an authentic emotional life through physical actions. Connect to the text internally.

Grotowski - contact exploration

Adler - exploration of how to embody the physicality of the character - mannerisms - clues in text

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27/2/23 Lecoq Physicality Levels Task - Scene 1

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27/2/23 Lecoq Physicality Levels Task - Scene 1

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Within the rehearsal we experimented with Lecoq's (2002) levels of tension, looking at and testing out different levels to see what level is right for each character, along with use of silence. Within this scene, I felt my character was at the alert level of tension, whereas Rebecca (playing Blowback), felt her character was more at the laidback level of tension, allowing a contrast to be seen between the two characters.

Jacques Lecoq, The Moving Body (Le Corps Poetique) trans. by David Bradby (London: Methuen Drama, 2002). p. 29/30.

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27/2/23 Lecoq Physicality Levels Task - Scene 2

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27/2/23 Lecoq Physicality Levels Task - Scene 2

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Within the rehearsal we experimented with Lecoq's (2002) levels of tension, looking at and testing out different levels to see what level is right for each character, along with use of silence. Within this scene, I felt my character was at the suspense level of tension, whereas Bekah (playing Mush), felt her character was more at the neutral level of tension, allowing a contrast to be seen between the two characters.

Jacques Lecoq, The Moving Body (Le Corps Poetique) trans. by David Bradby (London: Methuen Drama, 2002). p. 29/30.

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27/2/23 Lecoq Physicality Levels Task - Scene 3

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27/2/23 Lecoq Physicality Levels Task - Scene 3

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Within the rehearsal we experimented with Lecoq's (2002) levels of tension, looking at and testing out different levels to see what level is right for each character, along with use of silence. Within this scene, I felt my character was between the passionate and tragic levels of tension, whereas Bekah (playing Mush), felt her character was more at the Suspense level of tension, allowing a contrast to be seen between the two characters.

Jacques Lecoq, The Moving Body (Le Corps Poetique) trans. by David Bradby (London: Methuen Drama, 2002). p. 29/30.

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Description - I held my fifth rehearsal with my actors, focusing on physicality within the performance, looking at Lecoq's levels of tension, as well as gesture and actins linked to given circumstances (linking back to my first full rehearsal)

Feelings - I felt excited for this rehearsal as I felt like I was equipped to make progress towards the final end product.
After the rehearsal, I also felt more confident due to the progress made on the scene and how to finalise the scenes.

Evaluation - I feel the rehearsal went well and progress was made regarding the scene, as we were able to experiment with physicality and find what works for the characters. I felt this demonstrated that the tasks undertaken were effective and purposeful. I also feel both myself and my actors know the characters better as a result.

Analysis - From what was achieved in the rehearsal, I feel I now know what the next step of progression is for the scenes, as well as the piece as a whole.

Conclusion - In addition, I feel I could have had my lines learnt to enable further progression to be made.

Action plan - Moving forward, I feel that once lines are learnt that the scenes can be finalised ready for filming on 13th March.

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As this will be the final rehearsal before filming (at the moment), I have planned to finalise the scenes with my actors who have now both learnt the lines for their respective scenes. Therefore, I plan to finalise the scenes in terms of blocking and physicality, as well as using the appropriate props and set where appropriate

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Within this rehearsal, we finalised blocking ready for filming and recapped any elements that we felt appropriate. We were also in full costume for this rehearsal and used any props that were appropriate.

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Description - I held my final rehearsal with my actors, focusing on finalising the scenes and experimenting with blocking, in preparation for filming next week.

Feelings - I felt apprehensive prior to the rehearsal as I was aware that it was the final rehearsal prior to filming next week. After the rehearsal, I felt more confident as the scenes are now near enough complete ready for filming.

Evaluation - I feel the rehearsal went well and progress was made regarding the scenes, as the lines were more secure and therefore we were able to experiment with physicality and blocking. I was pleased as well as prior exercises undertaken allowed the scenes to still work even when lines had been forgotten, demonstrating that the tasks undertaken were effective and purposeful.

Analysis - From what was achieved in the rehearsal, I feel we are ready to film the scenes next week.

Conclusion - In addition, I feel I could have prepared more accurate props to be used in the scenes.

Action plan - Moving forward, I feel confident in regards to filming the scenes on the 13th in terms of acting, so I need to look at appropriate sound and lighting for similar types of scenes so I can utilise them in the filming session, as well as contacting Steve Allen regarding filming.

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9/3/23 Consultation with Steve Allen (Technician)

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9/3/23 Consultation with Steve Allen (Technician)

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I had an online consultation with Steve Allen, one of the university technicians, regarding the filming of my performance extracts. Regarding filming, he recommended a Sony Z90 camera, for sound he recommended radio mics as myself and my actors were moving around the space, and as the lightning I required was only basic I did not require any additional lightning than the equipment within the 007 performance space. I will now hire out this equipment for the day of my filming and contact Steve if I require any further assistance.

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On 13th March, I filmed my performance extracts. I filmed 3 scenes and a monologue in CKW007, with radio mics and theatre lighting to enhance the aesthetic and ensure a high enough quality for filming. However, I kept the tech minimalistic in nature, as I am aware that this is also common within TiE, as well as fitting well with the naturalistic acting techniques used.

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Description - I held my filming session with my actors, in which the scenes were performed and filmed with lighting, microphones and within a theatre space on campus

Feelings - I felt confident but slightly apprehensive prior to the filming as I was aware that one of my actors was struggling slightly with some of her lines. However, after the session, I was really pleased with what had been achieved.

Evaluation - I feel the session went really well and the footage filmed demonstrates the culmination of the rehearsal process in a positive way. I feel I maintained a professional manner throughout the process and utilised the time and space well, especially as it was my first time undertaking something like this.

Analysis - Now that the footage is filmed, I can implement this within my lecture demonstration this week.

Conclusion - In addition, I feel I could be utilised more props or added sound/music, but I was aware of the conventions of TiE and wanted to abide by these.

Action plan - Moving forward, I feel confident in regards to creating my lecture demonstration and utilising the footage filmed within the session.

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Bruner, J. S. (1966). Toward a Theory of Instruction. Harvard University Press.

Sweller, J. (1988). Cognitive Load during Problem Solving: Effects on Learning. Cognitive Science, 12(1), 257-285.

Bloom, B.S. (1956). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Handbook: The Cognitive Domain. David McKay.

For the creation of my lecture demonstration, I revisited the learning and knowledge gained from my undergraduate and Primary PGCE degrees. I utilised elements from Bruner's (1966) Concrete Pictorial Abstract theory, as I wanted to allow my audience to visually understand my process and how it progressed.

I also was aware of my audience's cognitive load. As described by Sweller (1988), an individual's working memory has a limited capacity, therefore instructional methods should avoid overloading it with additional activities that don't directly contribute to learning, otherwise it will be forgotten or disregarded. Therefore, I structured my lecture demonstration in a way that was easy to understand and utilised videos to break up large chunks of auditory and visual information.

I was also aware that my audience my have different levels of understanding of the concepts I was exploring. Therefore I utilised Bloom's (1956) taxonomy to ensure my lecture demonstration was accessible at these differing levels.

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22/3/23 - Dress Rehearsal of lecture demonstration - feedback from Pam

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22/3/23 - Dress Rehearsal of lecture demonstration - feedback from Pam

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After presenting my lecture demonstration in its current format to Pam today, I received feedback. I will now utilise this feedback to improve my lecture demonstration ready for the assessment day on 30th March.

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Description - I gave my lecture demonstration on campus for an audience as my assessment

Feelings - I felt confident in my presentation content but slightly nervous as this was the first time presenting as myself, not as a character. However, I was proud of myself once complete and feel I did the best I could have.

Evaluation - I feel the demonstration went really well and demonstrated the process I have undertaken through this project in a holistic way. I feel I conducted myself in a a professional manner throughout the presentation and I was as prepared as I could have been.

Analysis - I have now reached the natural conclusion of this project. However, I will be utilising the knowledge and experience gained within my upcoming major practical project.

Conclusion - To improve, I feel I could have not used a script on stage or only used cue cards to prompt me. I also could have ensured that I had a clicker to present or enlisted help from a peer and not had to use the computer, as I feel this restricted my presenting style.

Action plan - Moving forward, I will be using the knowledge, experience and skills gained in the project in my major practical project and beyond.