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As a director, I am keen on improvisation games, I believe they will help actors develop an instinctive response, spontaneity and the confidence they need to build when improvising. When actors are confident it can be an excellent tool to develop acting skills and can help generate creative material. The Internal development of actors is vital, working on objectives, relationships, back story, learning lines and blocking to make the most of the piece.
Drama games as a whole are a great tool to allow actors to get to know each other and work collaboratively throughout the whole production.

When actors develop work together, they create a much pleasant environment in the working process and improve the way their characters appear to an audience. Therefore, I would use drama games such as Park Bench which is based around the characters actors might meet Mouse and Lion, Enter the Scene and Tongue Twisters to improve clarity and pronunciation. When rehearsing I would focus on pace to avoid leaving a gap between lines. Actors should ensure hitting on queues so that we keep the play naturalistic. When blocking, I would ensure that actors are standing at positions where the audience can see what is going on, on the stage. Some stage shapes such as the trust stage which we are using demand more movement around the space to ensure that the whole audience feels included, consequently I will make sure actors are allowing that to happen when blocking all parts of the scene.
To allow more character development I would ask actors to concentrate on ''Drawing out the characters from the words'' even in their first read through by discussing their thoughts and feelings towards the play and potential ideas of characterisation .

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Light
At the beginning of the performance, the stage should be lit by different lights such as pink, yellow and green. The use of gobo lighting is preferable because it will make the stage more exciting. The flashing lights then snap to natural light wash and the dialogue between the two characters begins. There is a projection of coloured in bright pink throughout the performance.
After the last line, lights slowly fade into a blackout. End of scene.
Sound
Together with the flashing lights, there is a 20 seconds soundtrack; ‘Eric’s Trip’ by Sonic Youth. The lights snap at the same time with the music.
Set
Three tables with two chairs each, would be equally spread along the stage. In downstage right there would be a plastic bin, a coffee table should be if possible located centre stage and all the other sets placed around it.
Set needed:
• 3 tables
• 6 chairs
• Whiteboard
• Coffee table
• Bin
• Cups
• 2 school bags
Costume:
• Girl school uniform consisting of a skirt, blazer and a tie.
• Boy school uniform – trousers blazer and a tie.

If costume cannot be found, actors would only have the same ties to symbolise and imply the setting they are in.

I have chosen my set to be like this because I would like to create a naturalistic feel. When directing a short scene with only two characters I believe there shouldn't be any distractions of an elaborate set and props, the actor’s performance takes centre stage and charcterisation would be most important. Therefore set and props should be minimal. Creating this atmosphere from naturalism would make the audience feel more engaged and the performance - more believable.

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After selecting the appropriate script, I have slightly reshaped it by cutting out the monologue for one of the characters. In my opinion, this was important in terms of sticking to the time required for the production, helping actors with line learning and making the piece more engaging to the audience. The piece was set in an intimate space, therefore  a monologue about a third person who was not included in the scene could brake the closeness of the characters.

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In order to effectively work on the script and ensure progress in every rehearsal, I the theatre director have created a rehearsal schedule. I have divided the text into rehearsal sections as I believe this would help the actors to focus on specific parts of the script and give them enough time to block and rehearse before we move on to the next section. Considering the fact that we only have 4 weeks and 4 rehearsals to put the piece together, a schedule is significant. Having it all planned makes our goals more realistic and achievable.
For the first week, after thoroughly selecting my cast  I have planed to hand the scripts to the actors and ask them to have a read through together. In my opinion this would benefit in getting to know the characters and create a free discussion where we can exchange ideas among ourselves in terms of blocking and the diversity of ways to bring out character's emotions and feelings.
In the beginning of each session, I would always ensure that a warm up is performed before the actors start working on the play so that they are fully ready to concentrate  and run over the same scene without any boredom and weariness. Examples of warm up techniques we might use are ''Enter the Scene'' an improvisation exercise which opens up the actor's imagination, vocal exercises like practising different accents, tongue twisters and physical games such as ''Mouse and Lion''.
After each session I would ask actors to learn the lines of the section we have worked on so that next rehearsal we can directly focus on the next part of the play. This would speed up the rehearsing process and we would collaboratively work for our final goal, the production.
At the end of week 4, we would leave some time to run through the whole performance and ensure all blocking and characterisation have been kept in mind and the actors have taken responsibility and ownership for the development of their characters.

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Thrust or Proscenium Stage
The greatest advantage provided by a thrust stage is the space between actors and audience. The action of the play set on a thrust stage moves forward into the audience, not back and forth in front of it. In this stage configuration, the audience can even feel as though it is included in the action on the stage. Instead of viewing the action from a flattened-out perspective like on a proscenium stage, audience members attending a performance on a thrust stage watch the action in three dimensions. Actors walk past the audience, sometimes entering and exiting from among the crowd and have the possibility to interact with the audience. Actors are not standing side-by-side, slightly "turned out," so that they can be seen having an intimate conversation, as they would be on a proscenium. On a thrust stage, actors are able to face each other directly. Each audience member is seeing a slightly different play due to the angle they are watching from, depending on which side of the stage they are sitting. However on a proscenium stage the audience is only watching the performance from one angle. Therefore, the proscenium stage is not seen as flexible; it cannot provide intimate contact with the audience, or give a different stage orientation.

Considering all advantages and disadvantages of the different types of staging, I have decided to use a thrust stage because I believe the space would be used more effectively being aware that my cast is only formed of two actors. Thrust stage would ensure that wherever the audience sits, they can see what's going on. This type of stage would also make the space more intimate and would add to the character relationship. Adding plenty of movement throughout would also be an advantage so that the audience  get a fair share of what is happening onstage.

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In pre-production, playwrights include stage directions. The stage directions are of importance, they illustrate the manner in which the actors are to move and perform in the play. They explain in which directions characters should move, what facial expressions and they should assume. Stage directions can also be of some advantage to the reader because they provide specific details and description of characters' actions. Stage directions are also useful because they give the reader a better understanding of the storyline and most importantly what the character is feeling.
Stage directions could be important in terms of blocking a play. Blocking is the theatre term for the actors’ movements on the stage during the performance of the play. An important aspect of stage directions tells the actors their locations on stage. It is significant that actors are familiar with these movements because when the director instruct they must be able to follow. This would also ease the process of blocking and make it quicker.

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The sound designer is responsible for how a production sounds beyond the noise the actors make. He plans and provides the sound effects in the play, including music from existing sources. All the music and/or effects in a play considered as a whole make up the "soundscape." Likewise to this play the sound designer might use music or abstract sounds to support the drama.
The lighting designer creates the lighting, atmosphere, and time of day for the production in response to the text, while keeping in mind issues of visibility, safety, and cost;
Creating effects that can be changed at will to match the mood of the action. Stage management is the practice of organizing and coordinating a theatrical production. It includes a variety of activities, such as organizing the production and coordinating communications between director and backstage crew, or actors and production management.

Why are these roles important?
Lighting designers know how to make the best use of the subtle and powerful medium of light, creating effects that can be changed at will to match the mood of the action,  highlighting key moments of action and directing the audience’s focus. At its most basic, stage lighting functions to make the actors and their environs visible to the audience. They are an important part of the theatre production because they make the play more believable and engaging for the audience. Moreover,  the audience should be able to see exactly what the director wants them to see, or not see those things that should remain hidden, for instance the change of set between scenes. Sound designing is a process that greatly influences the outcome of a production. Sound is the secret emotional messenger in portrayal. However, to fully influence the perception of the audience, sound and visuals need to work together in a symbiotic relationship, where each element benefits from each other.
The Stage Manager is a key position in any successful theatre production. The role of the stage manager is especially important to the director in rehearsals. Here the director and the stage manager work side by side, with the stage manager recording the director's decisions about blocking and notes for the actors, keeping track of logistical and scheduling details and communicating what goes on in rehearsals to the rest of the team. This enables the director to concentrate his or her full attention on directing.

The roles in a production team can vary in terms of the scale of a production. There is a range of roles within theatre design which can cross over. There may be a team of designers working on a large scale production whilst smaller productions would only require one set designer. The Technical crew can change significantly depending on the nature of an event, and often evolves as the production does. In a small scale production, the technical crew might consist of a single person, operating the lights and controlling the volume of the sounds and music. In a large scale productions, the technical crew can consist of dozens of different departments and may run into the hundreds of individuals. This is done in order to ensure that the performance runs smoothly and safely.

Bibliography:
http://www.vls.com/functions-of-stage-lighting
https://dspace.sunyconnect.suny.edu/handle/1951/58385
https://theatre.uoregon.edu/production/sound-designer/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technical_crew
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/guides/z39x34j/revision

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Punk Rock

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William Carlisle: a cheerful, 17 years old teenager, hoping to get into Oxbridge who falls with the new, mysterious girl, Lilly Cahill. However, she is falling for someone else. He is highly articulate and fast-talking. William is very smart, enthusiastic and confident. As exam pressure builds up, anxiety flashes into aggression creating an unpleasant and terrifying atmosphere for the sixth formers when William breaks.

Lilly Cahill: the enigmatic new girl, who seems mysterious and puzzling for all the other characters in the play. She mainly keeps herself to herself making her a more superior character. She doesn't seem to be that involved in the group and only fully interacts with William and Nicholas. When speaking to William, we establish she is a brave and self-involved character, sassy and fearless.

Themes explored within the play:
The play is set in a school, where a group of young adults are preparing for their final exams and finishing off UCAS forms. In many of the scenes, it is clear that the characters are feeling nervous and stressed about the exams, as this is what they mainly talk about in the common room, where most of the scenes are set.  The playwright has reflected on the fact that over-focus on exams is causing mental health problems and self-harm among students.

In scene 2, Lilly and William get to know each other better. William comes across like a dark student, however, him and Lilly still find things to talk about and do get freely engaged in their own conversation. As the end of the scene approaches, William asks Lilly to go on a date which leaves them on a state of utter disagreement as Lilly does not accept the request.

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Mike Leigh's Process and Techniques

Mike Leigh began as a theatre director and playwright in the mid-1960s. In the 1970s and 1980s his career moved between directing theatre and making films for the BBC, many of which were characterised by a gritty “kitchen sink realism” style.

Kitchen sink drama is a term used to describe a British cultural movement that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s also described as ''angry young men''. It used a style of social realism which depicted a domestic situation of working class.

Improvisation is the key that unleashes the sort of unforgettable performance typical of Mike Leigh’s films Secrets and Lies, Naked and Life Is Sweet. But how does he do it?

His unique style of devising, creating and directing has produced numerous film, theatre and TV classics since the early 1970’s. He has been nicknamed ‘the bard of bleakness’ but he has certainly established himself as one of the most controversial and uncompromising British dramatists and filmmaker. He has tackled some of the most thorniest issues of class, race, politics and sexuality.

Leigh uses a rehearsal space full of actors as his medium and therefore as his inspiration.The finished outcome is never really planned beforehand, it evolves and builds as Leigh and his actors work together. Unlike other films, his stories not always have a ‘beginning, middle and end’ which can sometimes leave the audience a little perplexed as the films can be left ‘open ended’. But that’s good for Leigh.

The director always begins his project without a script, he usually starts from a basic premise or storyline which is developed through lengthy improvisation by the actors. He begins working with each actor on a ‘one to one’ basis. The actor is then asked to create a list of people who he or she knows or has known. They can be close acquaintances or people that you have met briefly. This list is then whittled down and shortlisted and eventually a new character is formed using various characteristics, vocalisations and mannerisms from this chosen bank of people or even from one individual.

It can be a long process, as the character changes and manifests itself into a unique, one off character which has been based on realism and truth. Over the next month, the actor, with the help of Leigh, builds an elaborate alter ego, mapping out the character’s life in fine detail, down to even how their parents met, and exploring every nook and cranny of his psyche. All this is scrutinised by Leigh and the process is a very private affair between the actor and the director himself.

After a while, they go out on the streets to interact with other characters and the unsuspecting public, while Leigh looks on from a distance. The late Katrin Cartlidge, who appeared in Naked and Career Girls, once described him to me as "like David Attenborough and his gorillas".

The whole process takes about 6 months.

Exercises: you give him a list of people you know of your gender and roughly your age. Obviously some people you know well and you talk about them at length. The director keeps a notebook but you're not allowed to write anything down at all.

For actors the workshop has particular value in:

•        Building depth to a character

•        Using spontaneity in performances

•        Finding a new perspective on scripted material

•        Increasing knowledge of the character

•        Assisting with preparation for auditions

•        Adding complexity to performances

•        Improving communication with the Director

Reference:

http://www.actorhub.co.uk/383/mike-leighs-process-and-techniques

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/starsandstories/3672279/The-Mike-Leigh-method.html

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/film-rehearsing-for-another-life-working-on-a-mike-leigh-film-can-be-dangerous-for-your-state-of-1463896.html

http://www.16thstreet.com.au/classes/mike-leigh-method-of-character-based-improvisation/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitchen_sink_realism

Jerzy Grotowski Poor Theater

Grotowski was an innovative Polish theatre director and theorist whose approaches to acting, training and theatrical production have significantly influenced theatre today. He is best known for his intense actor training process in 1960s to 1970s.

Grotowski invented the term ‘poor theatre’, defining a performance style that rid itself of the excesses of theatre, such as lavish costumes and detailed sets (hence ‘poor’). Poor Theatre pieces’ center on the skill of the actor and are often performed with only a handful of props.

As a director, Grotowski preferred to perform works in non-traditional spaces such as buildings and rooms, instead of mainstream theatre houses with traditional stages. Typically, the audience was placed on many sides of the action or in and amongst the action, itself.

Acting in the style of Poor Theatre places emphasis on the physical skill of the performer and uses props for transformation into other objects, sometimes of great significance.

Using Scripts

•Grotowski sometimes experimented with classic works, changing their setting for contemporary relevance.

Poor Theater is non-commercial theatre. This form of theatre emerges because of a process of reduction, with the theatre performance cleansed of all unnecessary elements. Ultimately, the only crucial components of the theatre appear to be living people – the actor and the spectator together with that which takes place between them.

Acting & Characterisation

•on occasions, performances used no ‘real’ props, but employed actors as props instead

•actor training was intense over long periods of time

•actors with egos had no place in Grotowski’s theatre

•aim was for acting to be authentic, akin to Stanislavski’s system (but more physical)

•Grotowski used a variation of Stanislavski’s emotion memory technique with his own actors

Space & Actor-Audience Relationship
•traditional theatre spaces were ignored by Grotowski in preference for rooms and buildings

•he saw little need for a traditional stage dedicated to acting or a purpose-built theatre for performances

•Grotowski’s work involved an intense exploration of the relationship between participant and observer

Grotowski wanted to strip everything back to what Theatre naturally was. He didn't believe in over the top lighting - set design nor costume - just an actor and an audience.

http://www.thedramateacher.com/poor-theatre-conventions/

http://www.grotowski.net/en/encyclopedia/poor-theatre

http://www.dramaonlinelibrary.com/genres/poor-theatre-iid-21665

http://fresques.ina.fr/europe-des-cultures-en/fiche-media/Europe00064/jerzy-grotowski-on-the-notion-of-poor-theatre.html

http://werejustexperimenting.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/mini-workshop-exercise-jerzy-grotowski.html

Augusto Boal & Theatre of the Oppressed

Boal believed that people can use theatre to challenge the oppression they face in everyday life. Through techniques such as Image Theatre, Invisible Theatre, Forum Theatre and techniques like Cop in the Head and Rainbow of Desire, participants learn to use theatre to confront and challenge oppressive behavior. Boal’s practice and theories are now very much part of theatre practices across the world.

Augusto Boal was a Brazilian theatre director, writer and politician. He was the founder of Theatre of the Oppressed, a theatrical form originally used in radical popular education movements. Theatre of the Oppressed describes the bond of audience and performer, exploring complex issues around isolation and oppression. Its key aim is to energise the participants so they become more than spectators, exploring and transforming the reality in which they are living. Boal was influenced by the work of the educator and theorist Paulo Freire. Boal's techniques use theatre as means of promoting social and political change.

Theater is emphasized not as a spectacle but rather as a language accessible to all. More specifically, it is a rehearsal theater designed for people who want to learn ways of fighting back against oppression in their daily lives.

In what Boal calls ‘’Forum Theatre’’ actors begin with a dramatic situation from everyday life and try to find solutions—parents trying to help a child on drugs, a neighbor who is being evicted from his home, and individual confronting racial or gender discrimination, or simply a student in a new community who is shy and has difficulty making friends. Audience members are urged to intervene by stopping the action, coming on stage to replace actors, and enacting their own ideas.

The actors and spectators both observe, and engage in self-empowering processes of dialogue that help foster critical thinking. The theatrical act is as experienced as conscious intervention, as a rehearsal for social action rooted in a collective analysis of shared problems.

Popular Exercise:
Name & Gesture

A group of actors stand in a circle. The leader begins by introducing herself by her first name accompanied by a physical gesture. The whole group repeat the name and gesture. The process works around the group until everyone has said their name and performed a gesture. This process is then repeated but without the name this time. Then anyone who wishes takes a step forward and the rest of the group must say his or her name and perform the person’s gesture.

http://www.mind-the-gap.org.uk/stories/augusto-boal-theatre-oppressed-founder/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augusto_Boal

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatre_of_the_Oppressed

https://brechtforum.org/abouttop

http://organizingforpower.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/games-theater-of-oppressed.pdf

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In order to understand how the diversity of staging effects a performance, we worked through a script. This was very helpful because we had to make strong decisions and consider different aspect of the play to ensure the stage we choose is most appropriate and effective for it. We discussed the advantages and disadvantages of using a specific type of stage and how it would affect the performance. Subsequently, working in groups, we put the script on its feet in front of our classmates  and received feedback, if in their opinion the stage has made it more believable or did not fit particularly well to the performance.

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What is Directing? Introduction to the Unit

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What is Directing? Introduction to the Unit

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Directing is the art of leading dramatic performances on stage or screen. The theatrical director is in full charge of all the creative aspects of a dramatic presentation.
As a director, I would like to collaboratively work with the actors and exchange ideas.
As a director, I would take responsibility to assess and analyse every aspect of the play: plot, character, mood, rhythm and style. I would review and provide feedback on the proposed production schedule to ensure we are keeping on schedule. I will rehearse and prepare the actors and work within the budget provided from the theatre company.

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When devising a piece of theatre, a director should think about how to stage a performance, and what type of stage would be most suitable to use.

Types of Stage

In-the-round/Arena stage

An in-the-round stage is positioned at the center of the audience – for instance, there is audience around the whole stage. This type of stage creates quite an intimate atmosphere, and is good for drama that needs audience involvement.

’’Theatre-in-the-round has its roots in rituals such as those performed by the ancient Greeks, which evolved into classical Greek theatre. It was used again in medieval times, especially in England.

Pros: An intimate and exciting atmosphere. Audience feel included.

Cons: Sight lines can be very tricky.

Traverse stage

A stage where the audience sits on two sides is called a traverse stage. Again, this type of stage is good for creating an intimate atmosphere.Depending whether the seating is raked or not, sometimes props need to be small and set pieces are often hung from above instead of being placed on the stage. Most of the audience is either going to see actor profiles or backs much of the time.

Pros: The audience on either side can clearly see work that happens at two sides. The audience can see each other, creating intimacy.

Cons: The opposing sides of the audience might see two entirely different shows and sight lines are still an issue.

Proscenium Stage

The most common stage in purpose-built theatres, where the audience is placed on one side of the stage. The audience faces one side of the stage directly, and normally sits at a lower height.

Pros: Sight lines are excellent and work is easy to stage. The opportunity to hide performers in the wings and sets in the fly tower and wings.

Cons: The audience can feel quite removed from the action.

Example of production:‘’Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’’

Thrust Stage

The three-sided stage was the preferred option for William Shakespeare. The Thrust stage that extends into the auditorium so that the audience is seated around three sides.

Pros: The audience feel included and an intimate atmosphere is created. Having one end which is visible to all provides a ‘back’ to the stage.

Cons: Sight lines can still be an issue.

A popular production which has used a thrust stage is the powerful play Macbeth.

Raked stage

This is when the rear of the stage is higher than the front of the stage. It helps with visibility and was common in older theatres. A raked stage can have an impact on perspective because it is not level. This should be considered carefully when planning the design for a production  because it might not be convinient for every performance.

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Week 1
To begin the rehearsal process, I believed it was most important to get the characters introduced to the actors. This could only happen with a read through, therefore we sat together and the actors read through the script while this gave me ideas how some lines could be delivered and portrayed. The first rehearsal sets the tone on stage and is a very important part of the rehearsal process. After reading through, we had an opportunity to discuss the characters and their aim in the play. The actors had the chance to express opinions on the characters and their suggestions of portrayal. Subsequently, I provided actors with the production schedule so that they are aware of the rehearsing plan. We went through every step of the preparation in order to ensure success. Afterwards, we focused on the first section of the scene, page 23 to 24 and lifted the page from the text. Actors put it on its feet while we were collaboratively working to add stage directions and other theatrical conventions. The cast agreed with my guidance as I accepted their opinions and different ideas. Subsequently, at  the end of the session we had a fully blocked section of the production.
Week 2
The second hour we had on the production began with a warm up. As I only worked with two actors I picked tongue twisters to be one of the vocal warm ups which is a really effective way to improve pronunciation and achieve a clearer speech. Tongue twisters strengthen and stretch the muscles involved in speech. I believe this was a very important exercise as there are many words in the script which the actors can find hard to pronounce, such as; claustrophobic, hermetically etc..
For the physical movement of the day, I asked the actors to walk in the space and gave them directions. I instructed them that they have just got to school, it is raining very heavily outside and they are fully soaked. The time is 7:30am, they have been studying all night for an English exam and the only thing they want is to get back home where it is warm and quiet. After they responded to my guidance by the way they were moving around the space, I asked them to say good morning to each other and shake hands. Subsequently, I advised them to follow my positive instructions of a very happy, sunny day no exams nor stress, they have got a good night sleep and are ready for the school day. I asked them to greet each other again, however this time there was a big difference. With this exercise, actors had to use their creativity and imagination. I believe it was a very helpful way to start the rehearsal as the play itself is set in a school. This also builds up the naturalism in the room and is exactly what was required from the script. Once the atmosphere was set we were ready to focus on page 25 to 27, adding instructions and guidance in detail and blocking through.
Week 3
In today's session the actors were happy to go straight into rehearsal, we ran through sections one and two to remind ourselves and ensure actors recalled stage directions and guidance throughout these parts before me moved onto the new section, page 28 to 30. We attempted to get done as much as possible, knowing that next week is our last time of rehearsal before the final performance. Actors showed great commitment and dedication to the piece which made me very hopeful for the main day. At the end of our session I gave them more notes on things they should work on to ensure full  preparation for our last hour.
Week 4
Our final hour began with looking over lines and the last but longest section page 31 to 35. I did not want to put pressure on the actors and I gave them shorter parts to look at the previous weeks, however I did not realize it might make them feel even more stressed having to go through a new section of the scene and also run through all parts together as a final tech rehearsal. Nonetheless, actors were feeling very positive and had the right attitude to continue working hard and achieve success. Unluckily, we did not have the opportunity to use the stage in combination with lights and the help of technology for the tech rehearsal due to the short space of time we had to organise the whole production and the availability of room.