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for our final project, we are performing in a production of the famous musical, 'Be More Chill' written by Joe Tracz (the book written by David Levithan and Ned Vizz) which came to theatres in 2015. Be More Chill is about a teenager, Jeremy Heere ,who's biggest goal is to be popular in his new jersey high school, and he finds a pill (the Squip) that promises just, that. this musical explores themes like romance, teenage life and social standards creating a production every teen can relate to in one way or another.

relevance

this musical is relevant for our cast as we are all late teens and have been through aspects of the show. whether that's insecurities or a complicated friendship/relationship, etc.

Action plan

watch the musical on Youtube

read the script

listen to soundtrack

highlight script

research the characters and their traits

completed

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for the audition, i listened through the soundtrack of the musical to choose the song i felt was the right fit for my vocal range and vocal capabilities which in my case, i went for Michael in the bathroom. Once the song was decided, i did research on that song specifically by watching youtube videos of the original singer, George Salazar performing it. By doing this, i got inspired with his facial expressions, certain points he sounds more anxious and breathy than others and also movements he does. for example, when he sits on the edge of the bathtub and picks at it a few moments before then during the line "and picking at grout as i softly grieve.". This research made me feel a lot more confident in the audition as I felt like I didn't have to stress about if I wasn't moving enough, it was boring or if I looked awkward. I definitely will be using this technique in future auditions. After I had decided on my song, I went with a monologue I was already comfortable with, a monologue a past character I have played has which was Leah from DNA. This was a massive help as I already knew the American accent would be a huge challenge for me and I haven't got much experience with acting with an accent, so knowing and being comfortable with the monologue was beneficial and meant I could focus my attention on the accent.

relevance

I believe my audition went pretty well in comparison to any past audition I have done as I tend to get quite nervous which stops me from performing to the best of my abilities, however, I feel as if I managed to keep my confidence up throughout the audition process this time around.

action plan

Next time, I would definitely like to prepare my monologue more because although I was comfortable with the words from performing it before, I did find myself getting too focused on the singing aspect of the audition due to it being a musical.

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after the cast list came out, we received the scripts and so I went through and highlighted my characters lines, also writing notes next to them for ideas I have for my character as far as tone and facial expressions. This usually helps me to feel more connected to my character and in general feel more prepared for taking on the role.

relevance

For me, highlighting and annotating my script is super important as it benefits me in rehearsals, it means I dont have to waste time searching for scenes, its one less thing to worry about and it also helps me become more familiar with the script overall.

action plan

During the rehearsal process, I will continue to highlight any new lines I could be given, harmonies and anything relevant to my contributions to the musical.

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advanced research on characters and the plot 

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advanced research on characters and the plot 

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I went into this musical not knowing anything about it, never hearing of 'be more chill' so I made sure to watch it, read about it and try get a basic understanding before auditions. Now we are further into the process, I have found myself researching character analyses as I want to feel I have a deeper understanding than just what its about and who the characters are.

relevance

Personally, the more research I have done, the more excited I become to see this production come to life, it has been super beneficial to my motivation which I feel is really important during the process of creating a production.

action plan

I will continue to do my research on the characters and especially try to observe the relationships between the characters more clearly.

completed

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I have been given the opportunity to be apart of the marketing team so will be helping with promoting the musical. this is super important for a production because with no promotion, there is no ticket sales. it will also be important we try target be more chill at the target audience which for the most part is teenagers as a theme this production largely covers is teen life and the struggles that come with that.

relevance

As I have got a character that means I can spend time focusing on other aspects of this musical, this gives me the opportunity to make those whose characters are more work lives easier and this is certainly one way I can do that.

action plan

Firstly, we will set up the social medias. social media is such a powerful tool when it comes to promoting shows as it means you can spread the word in an area it can reach ab far greater audience than just posters locally.

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To prepare, I have watched the original cast of be more chill performing the scenes that are currently known to be relevant to my character and noted down certain qualities I would like to take inspiration from for my character. I have become familiar with my character and any singing aspects they are included in as well as a couple of the lines at this stage.

relevance

For me, I find preparing for rehearsals to be very helpful as it means you can go in there confidently, you can focus without stressing you don't know the scenes you are in enough and you can take on board and give your attention to what notes are being given easier.

action plan

I will continue to go over my characters lines and sections the song no matter how confident I feel with it, this will also help me remember the smaller details which I can tend to forget about if I don't feel confident enough with a character.

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When we start rehearsals, we will be blowing the opening song which is called 'More Than Survive', this will be a huge task as it is a long opening and the whole cast will be involved including the ensemble. This will requite a lot of focus and attention as it is what will capture the audiences interest and will set the tone for the rest of the show, it will also excite the audience and make them ready for more.

relevance

I believe that blocking the beginning of the musical first is a really nice idea as it will also excite us, the cast, for what's more to come.

action plan

to focus, take feedback on board and make sure to come prepared with my script and something easy to move in as requested by the director.

ongoing

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During the process, I think it is important we document and update the marketing social media accounts with pictures, videos, etc of the rehearsal process. whether this is on instagram or TikTok.

relevance

I think it will keep anyone who views them excited and more inclined to buy a TikTok and come watch if they like what they see.

action plan

To record, take photos and create posters for the social medias when we have spare time.

ongoing

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as a smaller character, this means I will be included in the ensemble singing, which will mean I will be singing harmonies that must be. learnt and picked up quickly to help the rehearsal process smooth.

relevance

I think it will be really enjoyable and I am excited to be given the opportunity to be apart of ensemble sections of the songs.

action plan

highlight my script and make notes on what harmonies I am apart of and where. I will also record the harmonies and listen back to them to keep them fresh in my mind

completed

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For the final preparations leading up to the show days, we will doing dress runs which is rehearsals and run throughs of the musical but with everybody in their costume and makeup.

relevance

Personally, I really enjoy dress runs as it helps me feel more like my character and I believe it definitely does affect my acting in a positive way.

action plan

I will make sure to have all my costume and props as well as makeup I will be using. I will also have my script for backstage in case anyone needs to look at it.

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the 18th and 19th of June are the days everyone's hard work will be shown off. For show day, if necessary or the director feels it will be beneficial, we will ave another dress run as the final touches are made or certain things could be cleaned up.

relevance

Show day are the most fulfilling days throughout the process for me as you finally get to hear and see an audience's reaction to everyone's work. I believe a final dress through can definitely be helpful and sometimes necessary, however, I know some productions can be over rehearsed if all energy is put into that rehearsal.

ongoing