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A Mother's Voice - a dramatic ensemble play about the disappeared (chrisowenonline.co.uk)

Argentina and “Los Desaparecidos” – International Federation of Social Workers (ifsw.org)

Weekly Dose: cocaine, the glamour drug of the ’70s, is making a comeback (theconversation.com)

Terrorism and Drug Trafficking at the South American Borders: [Essay Example], 1663 words GradesFixer

8 Countries that Produce The Most Illegal Drugs in The World - Insider Monkey

Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - Wikipedia

A mother's voice is a tragedy genre play that is based on the real story of one woman, called Constantia, who intricately describes her personal journey of being innocent and wilful to the patriotic society that she is living in, to the horrifying experience that she had suffered from when having her eyes-opened to the traumatic events that had been surrounding her. Prior to her husband's sudden disappearance, Constantia had refrained from involving herself in political issues and had mainly focused on comforting her family during this difficult era. This female character is the mother to four young daughters and the wife to her husband, Ramone.

The precise character immerses herself in her domestic wifely duties in an attempt to prevent reality from setting in i.e. drug trafficking/political and societal issues. As this performance also fixates on the era revolving around a patriotic society, women were not allowed to have an opinion and if they were to have one, then women would be punished. This is why Constantia had kept to herself so that she could remain respectable in the eyes of society and stay with her family / her home.

The play is based around a fictitious state in South America in which there are many references to drug trafficking that then refer back to the contextual factors of this specific continent during the era of the 70s where it was marked as a commonly well-known area that had distributed drugs such as cocaine, marijuana, heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other prescription pills. The country, Colombia, has been ranked 2nd out of eight countries in the world for the biggest production of illegal narcotics in which UNDOC [ united nations office on drugs and crime] had stated in 2014 that the cultivation of cocaine had drastically jumped to 69,000 hectares, which was approximately a 44% increase from 2013. 70% of cocaine production is controlled by the revolutionary armed forces of Colombia/ FARC-EP [a group that focus on continuing the Colombian conflict that had started in 1964]. This group are labelled as terrorists from their use of military tactics to torture/frighten innocent victims and to raise their power and establish their role within society [getting people to respect them and join them out of fear]. The group is funded by kidnapping victims, illegal mining, ransom, taxation, and extortion. This is similar to the play due to the fact that when researching into the justice system of the patriarchal society, I had found out that the men in power were involved in Operation condor which had included right-wing dictatorships that had assassinated anyone who had different views on the justice system [ the patriarchal society that had purposely fed on the fear of the population as a form of power] , this had been done to ensure that nobody takes a stand against/ form a revolution against the government/officials. This had consisted of the murdering of nuns/priests, students/teachers, union and peasant leaders, leftists, and dissidents. These victims had also been kidnapped in order to send a message to society that if they were to have a different perspective on how the country is being run, they will be tortured/punished due to them 'dis-honoring' their country and the people that run it.

By doing this, it then refers back to Ernesto and Ramone, who were both activists , and this is precisely why they were both tortured and murdered in the play, as they had decided to take a stand against the justice system and demand certain human rights that would threaten the power of the domestic rulers [ government and officials]. Another country in South America that had reached the list of top eight countries for drug production, is Peru. In 1992, this precise country had produced over 60% of the world's cocaine and the production of this narcotic had reached around 340 tonnes annually. However, in 2014/2015 with more enforced laws about drugs and production of narcotics, there has been a percentage decrease in the amount of production of cocaine within the country. Finally, another country within South America, Bolivia, had ranked 7 on this list with them being one out of three major producing countries for the narcotic. Since the year, 2003, Bolivia has produced approximately 23,000 hectares annually.

Cocaine is the most produced drug in this continent and this is mainly due to the fact that the plant is native to South America. Before it had become a high-class narcotic, cocaine had been used by local inhabitants to make tea and it was chewed. This was because of the sudden energy that the plant had provided for the person's mind and body. The active ingredient that was discovered by a German chemist, Albert Niemann, had officially named it cocaine. The drug was identified as an illicit stimulant with the chemical name actually being called ' Benzoylmethylecgonine' however, it had various street names such as c, coke, cocaine, blow, white lady, snow, nose candy, toot, white dust, Charlie, and stardust.  The purpose of the drug was to give people a euphoric sensation with side effects such as hallucinations and hyper-sensitivity,  which would leave people paranoid.

During the 1800s, Sigmund Freud [ an Australian neurologist who had founded psychoanalysis, which was used to help people who were in mental distress]. He had found that cocaine was beneficial for overcoming morphine addiction and treating depression. Cocaine had first been used as an anaesthetic for a patient that was suffering from glaucoma. This had been used by a Viennese ophthalmologist, Carl Kroller, and after using this stimulant, cocaine had been used  as a local anaesthetic in the medical industry. However, this hadn't lasted long as many practitioners who were experimenting with the drug, had found that due to  cocaine being of a high concentration, it had led to approximately 200 cases of intoxication and this had led to 13 deaths. In the year 1912, cocaine [along with heroin] was labelled as a problematic substance and it had been banned as a local anaesthetic permanently.

The recreational drug is used by snorting, injecting, swallowing, and smoking the powder. A person that has cocaine in their system can experience a high of between 15-30 minutes if it is a small amount i.e. 10mg-120mg. Lower doses of cocaine can have life-threatening side effects such as a person suffering from increased heart rate, higher body temperature and a higher blood pressure. However, higher doses can cause sleep deprivation, anxiety, hyper-vigilance, and paranoia. This substance is highly addictive and withdrawal symptoms from the drug can last up to a week. In countries such as Colombia and Peru [within the continent, South America] people that possess small amounts of cocaine for personal usage are de-criminalized.

An example of drug references in the play is when the first thought that everyone had regarding Ernesto's death, was whether or not he was killed because he was associated with narcotics. Alongside the knowledge that the audience has of Ernesto being an activist, it then implies that he is more likely to indulge in illegal acts to antagonize the hierarchy based on the fact that he is purposely refraining from the set rules that had been placed for society to follow on a  daily basis. This links back to the justice system within the performance due to the fact that the government/officials create their power by frightening the population with punishments in the foreseeable future if the rules aren't followed. For example, when discussing the plot of the play, the author states that Constantia's husband, much like Ernesto, was also an activist and he had suddenly disappeared with no reasoning as to why and the men in a higher power had refused to help search for him. By doing this, it had then linked back to the Los Desaparecidos, where various people would suddenly go missing and not return and as many people had referred this act back to operation Condor, that was run by these higher men in power, they became fearful and refrained from voicing their opinions / standing up for themselves [ activists] in case they were the next people to go missing. The references to drug trafficking in this play had referred back to the contextual factors of South America and the various issues that the continent has relating back to the production/use/trafficking of narcotics [typically cocaine] and this is usually transported by extremist groups [ terrorists]. An example of the  terrorist groups in South America are the Muslim extremists that had resided in Pureo Iguaza [ Argentina], Foz Do Iguacu [ Brazil] and Ciudad del Este [ Paraguay] and Al - Qaeda [ an Islamic militant fundamentalist group]. These terrorist groups were associated with the illegal drug trafficking within the center of the tri-border. In order to supply more drugs, Al Qaeda had developed relationships with many Colombians/ Bolivian/ Peruvian drug traffickers, which had made it easier to create fake passports and illegal documents to bring across more illegal activity.

Themes within this play :

. Feminism/ Perseverance - The play establishes the growth of female independence when the main character, Constantia, begins to form a group of all-female protestors called ' Madres de la plaza de mayo' and this was towards the end of the play when Constantia is eagerly still searching for her husband and daughter, alongside helping other concerned mothers and grandmother's to find their loved ones. The audience members are able to notice how the character develops this trait when she slowly begins to move on from her domestic duties and ensures that the female voice is heard when being determined to find her missing loved ones. This had been done by  Constantia creating the group, Madres de la plaza de mayo, and had continued the search for her daughter. The characteristic of feminism is created by her instinct as a mother where the fear of something happening to her child overtakes her and she will do whatever she can in her power to prevent her child getting injured. Naturally, mothers are extremely protective over their children and this is why Constantia refuses to back down from her search for Baptista, especially as that is her first child [ the person who made her a mother].

Death - As the main topic of the play fixates on Los Desaparecidos, innocent people who had been forcibly disappeared/kidnapped, it entails to the audience members that as these people had faced death as they do not return for the rest of the performance and are presumed 'missing'. In the play, however, the theme of death is clearly presented when one of the main male characters, Ernesto, gets gunned down by two men who emerge from the shadows after he proposes to Baptista, Constantia's daughter, and this makes it clearer to the audience members to that death is a re-occurring theme within the piece and how it links back to the stereotype of bureaucracy in which men manipulate their power in the justice system in order to get what they want i.e. murdering Ernesto with no intentions. There is no disclosure to the audience members as to why Ernesto had been murdered which further portrays how the justice system had been corrupted to benefit the higher men in power and restore fear in the country so that the rules that they had created remain intact. Each death within this performance indicates torture rather than a peaceful demise. For example, Constantia sees her husband's body when it is dragged out of the lake after the festival dance  and it is battered, and whilst the audience members hadn't viewed this happening to him, it was clearly linked back to the men in power and how they thrive on violence as an opportunity to ensure that society follows the rules that they had put in place otherwise, they face severe consequences. It's effectively a way of sending a message to not deceive these men.

Justice/Injustice- This specific theme directly links back to the character's gradual rise in feminism from when she is taking justice for her missing family members into her own hands whilst also being unaware of the consequences that she faces from the government/ higher men in power. Constantia had given herself justice by standing by her morals and refusing to stop her search for her loved ones whilst also encouraging other mothers/grandmothers to search for theirs and when doing this, she successfully is able to violate the rules that have been put in place by these domestic men in power and therefore, forming a revolution against them to fight for a voice that refrains from being put into an unfair system. When her husband was missing, Constantia wallows in despair and uses prayer as a way to bring Ramone back home safely. This is due to the fact that without a male present within the family, Constantia is unsure of how to cope as she has always been used to having a man within the home and is not used to this lifestyle when Ramone goes missing. However, she begins to gain more confidence when fighting for a voice as she is searching for her daughter and this is due to the fact that as a mother, she has an instant urge to protect her child regardless of what stands in her way i.e. the dangerous punishments that she could face for deceiving these higher men in power. This theme is the most valid as it refers directly back to the title of the play ' A mother's voice', in which Constantia directly voices her opinions on the justice system and how corrupt it is which then also influences her place as a mother and the need to protect the younger generation from the dangers that she had faced beforehand. The character wants a better life for her child and tirelessly fights for this right despite the refusal of help from many officials as she is on the search for her daughter, Baptista.

Inequality/Equality- With these two themes, I have decided to compare and contrast my own view on how the male and female characters are stereotypically represented within the performance and how this establishes the lifestyle that is inflicted on both males and females by society. For example, every male within the play immediately is more powerful due to the patriarchal society that the play is set in. From a personal perspective, I had linked this back to the ways in which terrorists [ specifically the Taliban] have a specific set of rules in which each person must follow otherwise, they will face severe punishment and these are mainly directed at women due to it being a patriarchal society. An example of this is women not being allowed to have an education. This strict rule is enforced to belittle the female gender and have them relying on males for all of the knowledge which then plays into the domestic power that men create to hold their dominance over women. Similarly, the play also demonstrates how women are belittled in the sense of them having to stick to their domestic duties and provide a nurturing atmosphere for their children and partner within the household. Another example within the play is when the factory women are complaining about the working conditions and in order to change these, the women result to flirting with Ernesto [ the factory supervisor]. This conveys that rather than having a simple conversation with Ernesto to have the changes made, the females must use their wit and charm to captivate his attention to the situation at hand. By doing this, there is a clear portrayal of how not only is a woman's voice not being heard but also, they have to use stereotypes and lowering their standards to satisfy a man into the agreement of the topic at hand. Whilst it is portrayed as light humour for the audience members, there is a darker meaning behind it.

Family- This theme is quickly represented at the beginning of the performance when the main character, Constantia, is preparing dinner for her family and lighting a candle for her husband, Ramone. By doing this, it clearly establishes that Constantia is a caring mother and devoted to her duty of ensuring that her family are well-looked after. Due to the fact that Constantia had put the title of mother above everything else, she consistently revolves her life around protecting her children from reality and shielding them from the dangers of society by not allowing reality to set in and carrying on with her daily tasks so that she doesn't have to allow in the feelings of despair and grief. In this play, when Constantia is dreaming, she has various flashbacks of her family all together before her husband had gone missing and she clearly portrays to the audience how she craves for these moments again. The main moment in which she establishes the role of a mother within the play is when her eldest daughter, Baptista, suddenly disappears and is not heard from for a long period of time. As Constantia was already aware of what happens to people that go missing from what she had witnessed when seeing her dead husband's battered body, she immediately fears for her daughter and is determined to find her. This mainly comes from her maternal instincts where she is hopeful that Baptista is being held at a detention center rather than being tortured/murdered. This conveys that despite Constantia struggling to cope with the demise of her husband, Ramone, as a mother she is determined to ensure that her children are well and safe.

Humanity- In this play, there is a clear lack of humanity from the severe punishments that are inflicted on innocent victims by the male hierarchy for the purpose of having everyone following the rules that had been put in place to ensure that the population is controlled. The corrupt justice system treats society like cattle, in the sense of making sure that they follow the same day-to-day regime and failing to do so, they are given cruel punishments. The main moment that I had witnessed a lack in humanity was when Constantia had been searching for her daughter, Baptista, and no matter how many officials she asks, they refrain from giving her any information so that they can entertain themselves by tormenting a desperate and grieving mother so that she feeds into the hands of their domestic power and relies on them to keep her safe yet, Constantia, of course, takes the law into her own hand after this. When looking into the plot, I had found a quote that conveys how the justice system in the play are in-humane from the lack of empathy that they have for grieving members of society who have lost their family members and they rather than helping these people, they had turned them away. " Why is Constantia bothering them - doesn't she know she can get in trouble asking these questions!". This quotation discloses that the author is trying to present the initial thoughts that the audience members would have when  emotionally indulging themselves in the storyline of the play where they fear for the widowed mother, Constantia, after witnessing how the justice system had treated previous loved ones that the character  had [Ramone/Ernesto/Baptista] and as the audience members have witnessed Constantia's persona evolving against the rules that the patriarchy had put into place, there will be more tension created in the atmosphere which contributes to the split view that many people have at this moment, some believe that she should be quiet and preserve her own opinions in order to stay alive, whereas other people believe that she should defend herself and the honour of her husband and daughter. By doing this, it will then cause the audience members to fixate on the reactions of these men in power/ officials and to view the amount of humanity that they have when listening to the saddening story of how the character had lost her daughter.
From the use of the exclamatory sentence, it then suggests that whilst the audience members and author are already aware of what is happening to the characters from watching them be tortured/murdered by mysterious people [ the scene where Ernesto dies and Baptista is kidnapped , they have now developed an emotional connection with Constantia based on the amount of trauma that she has endeavoured whilst still trying to fight for her rights and this is why the audience members fear for her safety and feel guilty for being prevented from helping the character. This theme will also represent modern society issues that still occur relating back to people being in-humane and this includes terrorism groups and them committing the acts of murder/torture on innocent victims.

Love- Whilst this theme is conveyed between Ernesto and Baptista for a short while before their deaths in which they share romantic interactions and a passionate kiss with each other, the theme of love is derivative from Constantia's urge to search non-stop for her daughter and husband after they suddenly go missing. Another moment in which the theme of love is presented is between Ernesto and Baptista when the two of them are forming a relationship however, the couple's storyline is shortened when Ernesto is murdered and Baptista is kidnapped and tortured. For me personally, I had also viewed the theme of love at the end of the play when Constantia is still fighting to find her missing family members and this is due to the fact that whilst she is consciously aware that they have potentially been murdered, she still holds on to the memory of them both and her love for her family strives her to continue the search for Ramone and Baptista. Love is also afflicted with grief in this play, as Constantia is seen clinging onto the hope of her husband returning at the beginning of the play and whilst she holds onto fond memories to keep his spirit alive with the love that she has in her heart for him, grief begins to overcome her with her being in the first stage of grief, denial. This is presented when the daughters are laying the table and discuss whether or not they should set a place for Ramone, when hearing this Constantia is insistent that he has a place as well. By doing this, it clearly reveals to the audience members that the character is refusing to accept the face of reality where she is knowingly aware that her husband is not likely to return home.

Faith - This specific theme is mainly represented by Constantia at the beginning of the play when she is committing certain acts such as lighting a candle for her husband and setting a place for him at the table. When researching into South America, I had found out that the biggest religion that is used within the continent is Christianity/ Roman Catholicism, and this links back to the performance when the audience members view the character praying at the candle in the hope that her husband, Ramone, will return home safely. Candles are a common object that is used in Catholicism due to the fact that it is a religious belief that they represent Jesus Christ and the spiritual energy and therefore linking back to faith. This is also conveyed when the character is constantly praying, which represents her refusal to give up hope that her husband is still alive.

Social Class- In the play, Baptista reminisces about when she was younger and she had interacted with a poor eleven year-old street boy on a regular basis when she had taken the bus in the mornings. When telling this story, she had also mentioned that when a rich man's son needed a surgery to re-gain his eyesight , this is where the poor had been taken advantage of in order to benefit the upper-class society. The poor young boy had his eyes taken away and could only recognize Baptista by the sound of her voice. This story is a clear representation of how many people are treated depending on their financial income and their status within society, which is also why men in higher power are not held responsible for the cruel actions that they take against innocent members of the public for their own pure enjoyment.

A mother's voice is represented as a dreamscape in which Constantia has re-occurring dreams of what her life used to be like before her family members had disappeared. By doing this, the audience members are able to interpret how the character's persona has changed based on the surroundings that have impacted her lifestyle i.e. how Constantia had acted before her husband had gone missing in comparison to the independent woman that she has become whilst creating her own justice system. By doing this, it then establishes how impactful a mother's instinct is where beforehand she was a widower that was grieving and concerning herself on how to support her family members due to the fact that she was living in a patriarchal society and there was a severe amount of inequality as the man was known for being the main provider of the family, whereas, when it had come to her daughter missing, Constantia's body had been overtaken by the maternal instinct to stop at nothing when searching for Baptista.

This feeling is derivative from the amount of love that Constantia holds after having her first child [ it is scientifically proven that maternal instincts are formed when a woman becomes a mother from when she first meets her child, it is effectively a feeling of another part of your soul in a different person and when something is wrong, you will have a gut feeling]. This is what had allowed Constantia to strive in the search for her daughter and refuse to wallow in despair as she had for her deceased husband, Ramone. The use of dreams allows the audience members to further interpret the stage of grief that Constantia is currently in and how this then contributes to her road to recovery when finally facing reality [ her husband is gone and there is nothing that she can do to change it].

These dreams also loosely disclose the background story of the family and Ramone, which can help the audience members to gain further knowledge on how his sudden disappearance i.e. possible reasons why he was taken [ like Ernesto, Ramone was an activist]. By doing this, it clearly links back to the main purpose of the piece which was to portray facts about Los Desaparecidos and how the corrupted justice system in South America had refrained from  helping grieving family members from finding their family members and as suspicions had risen , the Madres de la playa de mayo had been created as an all-female group to take the law into their own hands by searching for their family members when the government/officials had refused to.

The play starts with three ghosts that consistently remain on-stage throughout the entire duration of the performance and these characters represent the theme of death which links directly back to the disappeared, as many of them had been missing for a long period of time and were presumed dead. Many people were aware of this from how the government had dealt with the news of the disappearance of these individuals and how officials had refused to help. This is clear from when in the plot, the author discusses the interactions that Constantia has with these higher men in power as she is searching for her daughter. An example of this is in the breakdown of the plot where the author includes: "As Constantia is pushed from office to office by faceless officials and tied up by senseless beurocracy,".This quotation conveys that there is a clear lack of humanity purely from the fact that the author uses the word 'tied up' which then suggests that Constantia is in-trapped in the corrupt justice system where she is not free to voice her human rights [ reporting a missing person and finding out any information about them]. This is also clear from when it is included that she is pushed from office to office which clearly represents the decreased empathy that each man in power had felt when hearing Constantia's story and the neglectful emotions that she had experienced when recognising that the justice system had been manipulated by these higher men in power so that they gain money and power and yet, refusing to help the population with their urgent matters. However, this ends up becoming beneficial for Constantia as it is what pushes her to become more independent when searching for her daughter, Baptista and when doing this it conveys to the audience members how it links back to the title of the play where the main character establishes that despite her being a widowed mother, she still deserves a voice to speak her mind without suffering from the consequences provided by the patriarchy.

By using faceless officials it then discloses to the audience members that there is a lack of sympathy in which both the characters and audience members are interpreting the emotional status of the official from the facial expression that is used when hearing the news of another person who has disappeared. It also portrays how the officials have one prime motive, to gain power by using forms of punishment/torture to frighten the population of the fictitious state. This then plays on the emotions of the audience members and how they have developed a specific connection with the main character, Constantia, when viewing her life story and they are then able to understand how impactful a mother's connection to her child is from the gut feeling that many mother's have which indicates to them that something id wrong [ it is scientifically referred to as a maternal instinct where the bond between a mother and her child is so strong from the moment that a child is born that a mother can sense if something is wrong].

The purpose of the three ghosts in the play was to help the dead move onto the spirit world. They represent the three deaths that are revealed to the audience and this includes:
. Ramon [ Constantia's husband]
. Baptista [ Constantia's eldest daughter]
. Ernesto [ Constantia's almost son-in-law]
I personally believe that there are only three ghosts on-stage as they are looking into the main character's life, Constantia, and as they had held personal relationships with her prior to their deaths, to the audience members it is a resemblance of how the deceased are still looking down on their loved ones. Effectively, I believe that these ghosts are a visual representation of a guardian angel where they help guide the deceased to the spirit world and ensure that Constantia is able to keep fighting for her family/herself and gain justice for her husband and daughter, alongside other mothers/grandmothers.

Despite the genre of the play being tragedy, there is a joyous event that begins to lift the saddening atmosphere that both the characters and the audience members are experiencing. However, this is also the highest moment of tension where it is perceived as a moment in which the characters can return back to their normal lives and that is until the wild village dance is finished by a person urgently calling Constantia to the river, which is where she finds her missing husband but, his body is battered and he is found dead. There is a short moment of enlightenment before the character finds her husband so that the audience members' reaction to the news  genuinely matches the character's as it is unexpected and can then immediately change the previous perception that the audience members had for the outcome of the performance.

There are comical moments within the play, such as when there are a group of gossiping females that work at the factory and whilst there is only a short moment of humour from when they collide and are whispering, they also entail to the audience members of drastic events that are occuring. An example of this is when they are all gossiping about the blossoming relationship that is developing between Ernesto and Baptista. This is formed when Ernesto asks Baptista to attend an activist meeting with him and she agrees. This is an alarming moment in the play as it also links back to the reason behind Ramone disappearing [ he was also an activist against the justice system and higher men in power] which is why the gossiping character's stare at Constantia with disdain, as she is not paying attention to what her daughter is doing and this is because she is still grieving for Ramone and hoping that he will return soon. If Constantia was to abruptly prevent this from happening, then Ernesto could possibly be alive and Baptista would be safe but due to her involvement with the romantic activist [ Ernesto], Baptista also suffers the consequences. I personally feel that this is also what benefits Constantia's feministic approach to the search for her daughter, as she believes that her un-attentive behaviour had contributed to this event happening and due to this, Constantia challenges the extreme feeling of guilt that she has into finding her child. When she hears the news that Baptista is apparently being held at a detention centre, this is where Constantia goes to many offices to ask if there has been any information regarding Baptista in this center.

Despite the previous themes that I have discussed when referring back to the plot of this play, the plot is deliberately based on the context of Los Desaparecidos and bringing awareness to this event in history and how it had led to more independence taken by society i.e. the all-female group Las Madres de la playa de mayo and their determination to search for missing family members and loved ones, rather than relying on higher men in power who would provoke the population by the lack of information that they had provided for these missing people and the amount of money/power/manipulation that would be used to ensure that nobody had stood against them.

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In the second week we began to shape and form the play still further whilst rehearsing scenes we had now written out. About half way through this second week we had a full script - all that was left was to rehearse and perfect this for performance!

In the third week we presented four performances of what had now become "A Mother's Voice".Working in this intense fashion produced a remarkably powerful performance that moved and affected all who saw it. Many left the theatre in tears.

It was a remarkable experience for all concerned. The process of rehearsal produced a real sense of engagement and involvement from the students and many found a depth to their performances that they had not tapped before. It was a great way for them to finish their course.

Of all my plays, A Mother's Voice , is the one that I am most pleased with to date. It does, however, require more than a simple translation of the script from page to stage in order to make it work. As a final performance piece I had to ensure there were opportunities for students to explore their "specialisms". Therefore, aswell as characters to develop, there are many opportunities for movement, music and dance along the way. On the page the script can look a little stark - it is only through performance that the full richness of it can be discovered. The expression is poetic at times and the action moves from the realistic to the surreal. The characters are emblematic rather than fully rounded - though the performance of the central characters requires considerable commitment and understanding if the emotional core of the piece is to be exposed.

There are some terrific theatrical moments in the piece - such as the bringing in a the father's body held high above the heads of the crowd; Constantia's dreams of the land of the dead; Baptista and Ernesto discovering each other as the washing lines lift to become the flags at the festival and the search of the mother for her missing daughter mirrored by scenes of what her daughter is enduring. And yes - even in all this - there is still room for comedy in the gossiping of the villagers and the taunting of the local heart throb by the more knowing factory girls!

A Mother's Voice can be set anywhere in the world but was originally written against a quasi central/south American background. The breathy Andean pipe music certainly added to the haunting quality of the piece.

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A Mother's Voice - a dramatic ensemble play about the disappeared

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In the second week we began to shape and form the play still further whilst rehearsing scenes we had now written out. About half way through this second week we had a full script - all that was left was to rehearse and perfect this for performance!

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Katie Mitchell - Selecting a practitioner - Edexcel - GCSE Drama Revision - Edexcel - BBC Bitesize

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Katie Mitchell is an English multi-media director who focuses mainly on the theme of feminism in her performances and she is also well-known for incorporating opera into many of her pieces. During her career, Katie has been recognized for her adaptations to plays and scripts from various playwrights, including:
. Anton Chekhov [ Russian playwright / comedy short-story writer]
. August Strindberg [ Swedish playwright/ used the technique of expressionist drama from a combination of naturalism and psychology]
. Euripides [ an Ancient Greek famous tragic dramatist and playwright]

She had also used Stanislavski's technique of naturalism as an inspiring method on how to create a character. Multi-media is used to help support the set design of her performances which had conveyed to the audience members the similar connection between the world and the ideas of a play. Multimedia is also used to act as a live participant, therefore having an almost equal status to the character's on-stage. The purpose of using multimedia is to have the audience members view the facial expressions that the character on-stage is portraying and how this may specifically link back to the scene/plot of the performance. Katie Mitchells plays consist of an innovative/contemporary style and this has led her to become one of the UK's leading names in this specific style of performance.

Mitchell incorporates technology into her performances in order to allow the audience members to clearly understand how intricate details in the character's facial expressions are what indicate certain things that will play out within the piece and how this could potentially affect the emotional connection that the audience members have formed with the character's on-stage. It is also used as thought tracking, a clear representation of what the character is thinking about/ what is going on in their minds.

This practitioner's technique is ideally going to be portrayed within this final performance so that each individual within the group can use a real story of a person's disappearance in order to bring awareness to this sensitive topic and how to help prevent this happening i.e. immediately contacting the police if seeing the missing person/ providing any helpful information, etc.  This will be presented by each character sitting directly in front of a camera with a neutral background in order to keep the audience member's focus on the information being conveyed and there has been a decision to have these stories be from the modern-day in order to symbolize the seriousness of this drastic event and how it emotionally impacts society as a whole [ stories from people who are missing in local areas such as Corby/ Northamptonshire].

By doing this, we will also be able to successfully link this back to the purpose behind the play, A mother's voice, which was to educate audience members on what Los Desaparecidos was and how it had affected the continent, South America, which had then led to the creation of the all-female group Les Madres de la playa de mayo which had consisted mainly of mothers and grandmothers who were intent on searching for their missing family members rather than relying on the corrupt justice system.

In the year 1990, Mitchell had founded and developed her own theatre company called ' Classics on a Shoestring' where she had directed various highly acclaimed productions. An example of this is her take on the House of Bernada Alba [ a play about a widowing mother who forces herself and her daughters to remain in the house for seven years after the passing of her husband. This play fixates on many different themes such as: sexual repression, violence, and inheritance amongst three generations of women in Spain].
and Women of Troy [ previously named The Trojan women that had been written by Euripides, one of Katie Mitchell's greatest inspirations for her works, the play is based on one main character, Hecuba, the wife of King Priam and a Queen in Greek mythology, amongst the other women of Troy independently rise after viewing their city in ruins and they collectively wonder what will happen to them when being punished by their Greek masters, suggestions of possible enslavement. The themes included in this play are the following: tragedy, war, dignity in defeat, need for information, feminism, and the effects of war on women and children].

Within the next few years, Mitchell had expanded her work with famous theatre companies such as the Royal court Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, and the National Theatre. Whilst employed at the Royal Shakespeare Company, Katie was responsible for programming at the black box space which was referred to as, The Other Place. This is also where she had held her performance, The Phoenician Women [ another adapted play from the original written by Euripides. This play is a take on of the story of  Seven against Thebes which was a play based around the Greek mythology of seven champions who were murdered after fighting against Thebes, which was a city in Greece, and this had occurred after the death of the king of the city, Oedipus. The themes within this play include Defiance, Betrayal, and Sins of the father]. After this performance, Mitchell was awarded the Evening Standard award for the role of Best Director.

She had various theatre credits and these had included:

. 2071 - A play that is portrayed as a dramatized lecture and it had highlighted the importance of climate change. The play was an adaptation from the original writer and climate scientist, Chris Rapley, and the playwright, Duncan Macmillan. The purpose of the play was to create a piece where the characters were dramatically explaining the contextual factors of climate change in an attempt to educate the audience members whilst keeping them fixated on the performance as a whole. [ performed at the Royal Court Theatre]

. Night Songs- This play is about a couple who have recently had their first child together. The father has been struggling in his career of being a writer due to many rejections from various publishers, and his wife has grown tired of the repetitive situation that they are stuck in whilst also trying to adapt to the new lifestyle: parenthood. This performance had also been made into a film and it was created in 2004 by  Romuland Karmakar, a French director/producer/screenwriter. Mitchell had directed this play for the Royal court theatre.

. The cherry orchard This is the last play that had been created by Anton Chekhov [ A Russian playwright who Katie Mitchell had used as one of her inspirations for the plays that she had written]. This play is actually a true story based on an aristocratic landowner called, Ranyevskaya, who returns back to her family estate in order to sell her ancestral home [ this house had also involved a large cherry orchard tree]. The cherry orchard tree is a representation of Russian society, therefore referring back to the main character, in the concept of the upper-class society that she belongs to and how it beings to crumble around her as her fortune decreases i.e. having to sell her home. It was performed for the Young Vic.

. The trial of Ubu- A comedic play that purposely interrogates the assumptions of a jury court, that plays on the realistic struggles of coping with defendants who are opposed to the principles of law, whilst also exiting in a different dimension of morals altogether. Mitchell and Stephens [ the creator of this play]. Katie is involved with this play from her role as a director and comparing ideas with how to bring the play to life with playwright, Simon Stephens. The concept of this play revolves around the use of comedy to engage audience members in the absurdity of the international justice system.

. Henry VI Part III- The tragedy genre play written by Shakespeare, was also another piece that Mitchell had directed, and this had been the only performance of Shakespeare's works that she had produced onstage. Throughout her time working with the Royal Shakespeare Company [RSC], Katie had held the performance in this theatre. A brief summary of this play is, the Earl of Warwick had been holding the position of authority when a dispute had occurred between the Duke of York [ Richard], and the reigning king [ Henry VI]. After this dispute ends, Henry agrees to make the Duke of York his heir, if anything were to happen to him during his time of reign i.e. death/horrible accident, then Richard would become the new king.

. A Woman Killed with Kindness- Directed and produced by Katie Mitchell in the National Theatre, this play is based in the early nineteenth century where there is a houseguest called Wendoll that takes advantage of the character, John, hospitality. This had been done in an attempt to seduce the character, Anne. The two characters, John and Anne, are a married couple who have opened their home to Wendoll in his time of need. The actions of Wendoll are what allow the audience members to understand the reason as to why the play is based on the genre:  domestic tragedy, in which he tries desperately to seduce Anne, despite acknowledging that she is already betrothed. This play had been created by an English playwright/author/writer, Thomas Heywood.

. The Seagull-Another play that had been directed by Katie Mitchell and performed in the National Theatre, ' The seagull' is a play written and produced by Russian playwright and dramatist, Anton Chekhov, and it had been first created in 1895 and was later produced in the year, 1896. This play is referred to as being the first of Chekhov's four major plays throughout his career and this is due to the fact that it involves both romantic and artistic conflicts between the four main characters, Boris Trigorin [ famous story writer], Nina [ ingenuine/authentic], Irina Arkadina [ an actress that is fading from spotlight], and Konstantin Treplev [ the son of Irina and, symbolist playwright]. The entire cast is ensemble in the performance in order to relate back to all of Chekhov's other full-length plays, and it contradicts melodrama in the sense of not disclosing any lurid actions onstage for the purpose of comically entertaining the audience members. Subtext is used within this play as a form of communication that is shared between the cast members in an attempt to discreetly avoid the issues that many characters have, rather than having them addressed/addressing them in a direct approach.

Throughout her broad career in the performing arts industry, Katie Mitchell has also experimented with and directed opera when working with companies such as Royal Opera House and English National Opera. Aside from her works involving naturalism and using intensive emotions in her plays to form a sense of realism for the audience members to gain a sense of empathy for the characters onstage and the relationships shared between them, Katie has also worked with film/Tv by directing work including:

. The widowing of Mrs. Holroyd- Directed in 1995 by Katie Mitchell, the basis of this tv series revolves around the novels of D.H Lawrence and his plays. This tv show is an adaptation of one of his early plays, which focuses on a married woman that wished her husband was dead after falling in love with another man. When the wife's dream becomes a horrifying reality, her entire life begins to change in many ways that she had never anticipated. This Tv series stars Zoe Wannamaker Colin Firth.

. The turn of the screw-The version of the BBC film of Benjamin Brittney's dramatic opera on the turn of the screw [ previously based on the novella by Henry James] had been adapted into an on-screen television show by the director, Katie Mitchell. The novella is set in 1898 and the genre is horror. It fixates mainly on a governess who is taking care of two children at a private estate, later on, she begins to discover that the grounds are actually haunted.

A significant moment in the practitioner's career had been when she, alongside Leo Warner [ a founding director who has produced approximately fifty-nine productions]. This had been created in the year, 2011, and the video was called 'Five Truths', which was an immersive installation piece that fixated on various schools of acting and directing that portray the 'truth' through performance, which revolves around the five greatest theatre directors of the latest century. The final piece in this performance was a multiscreen video installation piece that also links back to the same concept. This then refers back to Katie Mitchell's technique of using multimedia as another form of engaging the audience members in performance. This had been performed in the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The first piece of multimedia work that Mitchell had experimented with was called, Waves, which was a stage version of Virginia Woolf's novel [ an English writer who was also considered one of the earliest twentieth-century authors]. This piece had been formed around the year, 2006, and the plot focuses on the very act of creativity itself, what tools are used to create art i.e. live theatre performance. This relates back to Virginia Woolf's experimentation of struggling to bring her novel into the twentieth century. Together when creating this piece, Warner and Mitchell have been able to successfully portray their own interpretation of what it means to have theatre and film working together equally in the industry rather than competing for the attention of the targeted audience members.

Mitchell had not only worked with British companies/audiences, but she had also expanded her work broadly in continental Europe, such as France and Germany. During this time, she had also presented an opera-based performance of the original story by Neil Gaiman, Coraline, the story of a young nine-year-old girl who visits a parallel universe where she meets another version of her parents, who end up being antagonists i.e. the other mother. During this time, she had also created two onstage versions of two separate novels by Romanian author/novelist/poet/recipient/essayist, Herta Muller, and a re-telling of Shakespeare's play, Hamlet, but from a feminist perspective. This refers back to Mitchell's works of using the theme of feminism in performance [ mainly from Ophelia's perspective].

I have personally viewed this practitioner's technique when watching the last year two acting groups' retelling of the performance: The love of the nightingale, by Timberlake Wertenbaker. Whilst the entire cast had portrayed the exact storyline of the play, the set had consisted of a huge screen and a camera that had been used when various characters would sit in front of it whilst remaining in their role. At first, I was confused as to why this had been included within the piece, but, after researching into this practitioner's technique I was able to understand how the use of multimedia was used to allow the audience members to view certain characters in a particular aspect when being able to clearly see the facial expressions that they portray. From a personal perspective, when seeing the character [ the captain] on this screen, I had anticipated that he was frightened, despite the fact that his facial expression remained neutral, when looking specifically at his eyes, it had felt as if he was discreetly foreshadowing an upsetting event that is likely to occur later on within the play. This is why when I had researched into this practitioner, I had immediately become interested in her technique when using multimedia, as it allows the audience members to notice every intricate detail of the character closely, and their perception of each character could gradually begin to change, depending on the facial expression that is used in a specific scene.

# data[].attributes.body
South America (worldatlas.com)

List of Countries in South America – Countryaah.com

What are South America's most positive and negative features? - Quora

The Many Languages Spoken in Peru (tripsavvy.com)

Brazil | History, Map, Culture, Population, & Facts | Britannica

85 Interesting Facts About Colombia - The Fact File

What Languages Are Spoken In Argentina? - WorldAtlas

Who was Christopher Columbus? - BBC Bitesize

Iguazu Falls in Argentina & Brazil – All You Want to Know

Top 9 Things Chile Is Famous For | Trip101

What Languages Are Spoken In Ecuador? - WorldAtlas

What Languages are Spoken in Bolivia? - WorldAtlas

Paraguay - Home (weebly.com)

Suriname country profile - BBC News

What is Uruguay Known For / Uruguay Famous For? (layerculture.com)

South America is a continent that is in both the west and south hemisphere, with a small piece also in the North hemisphere. The continent is bordered on the west, by the Pacific ocean, and on both the North and East, by the Atlantic ocean. It consists of a 17,840,000 square kilometre area. During the year, 2018, the estimated population for the continent was 423 million people. It is ranked fifth in the population for the continents and it is also ranked as fourth in area size of all the continents. Western South America is dominated by the Andes mountains whilst the Eastern parts  of the continent are in the highlands and lowlands such as the amazon river. Most of the continent is tropical. This continent is comprised  of twelve countries and these are :

. Peru - The capital of this country is called Lima and it consists of 32,971.865 people. It is located in western South America. It is the nineteenth largest city in this world to this day and it is the third-largest within the continent. The country's official name is '  Republic of Peru'. Peru is commonly most well-known for Machu Picchu, which is a fortress that was built in the 1400s by the Incas [ an ancient civilization that had originated from the Peruvian highlands]. There are four languages that are commonly spoken in Peru and these are :

. Spanish - The most common language which is approximately 84% of the Peruvian population. It is the main language used within the Peruvian government, the media, and the education system ,[schools/colleges/universities]. This language had originated from the Iberian Peninsula in the late third century, BC.

. Quechua- The second most common language that is spoken in Peru however, it is only spoken by approximately 13% of the population, mainly in the central and southern highlands regions of the country. Many people who speak this precise language find it difficult to communicate with other Quechua speakers in other regions. Quechua had originated from the central coast of Peru in the 14th century.

. Aymara- Precisely 1.7% of the population in Peru speak Aymara and yet it is the nation's third most spoken language. The number of people that speak this language decreased throughout history when struggling to speak either Quechua and/or Spanish. This language had originated from the people of the Bolivian Andes [ the longest continental mountain range in South America]. It is an official language that is spoken in both Bolivia and Peru. The language was first created in 1567.

The other indigenous languages that are spoken by Peruvians are approximately less than 1% of the population and these include:
. Aguaruna
. Ashaninka
. Shipibo
These languages are spoken primarily by the indigenous people of the Peruvian jungle and they refer back to their true historic nature.

The majority of the population are bi-lingual and speak both Quechua and Spanish and this is beneficial for the country altogether as people are easily able to communicate with one another depending on what language they find easier to speak.

. Brazil - The capital of this country is called Brasilia and it consists of approximately 212,559,428 individuals. The official name for this country is ' Federative Republic of Brazil'.  Brazil is the largest country in both Latin America and South America. For tourists, the country is ranked as the sixth most popular in the world, and its most commonly visited city is Sao Paulo, the fourth largest city that had been ranked by popularity and it is the most popular city in the Western and Southern hemisphere and the 12th most popular on Earth altogether. It is also the biggest city for speaking Portuguese. Brazil contains most of the Amazon river basin, the largest river system in the world, along with the most extensive rainforest. There are three prominent languages that are spoken in this country and these are :

. Portuguese - This is the most common language spoken in the country with approximately 97.9% of the population speaking the language. This language had originated from the Western Iberian Peninsula during the third century BC. It is spoken by 211 million people to this day.

. German - This specific language is the second most common language however, it is approximately only 1.9% of the population that speak this language. It had originated in the 9th century and this was in Central Europe. To this day 1.5 million people in the country speak German.

. Indigenous Languages - Approximately 0.2% of indigenous languages are spoken within the country, Brazil. This includes the 160 Indian languages that are spoken to this day in Brazil.

. Columbia- The capital of this country is Bogota and the population consists of 50,882,902 people. The official name for this country is ' Republic of Colombia'. This country is most well-known for it's nutrition. For example, they are famous for their caffeine production and distribution and dishes such as arepas. Colombia is the only country in South America that has a coastline on both the Caribbean sea and the pacific ocean. Bogota is the second largest capital city entirely in the continent with approximately 11,344,312 individuals as the population. Colombia is home to the largest amount of Spanish speakers. There are over 100 languages spoken within the country, however, there are three prime languages that are used include :

. Spanish- This is the common language that is used in the country with approximately 99.2% of the population using this language to communicate in all aspects i.e. interacting with other people/ social media, jobs, etc. It is the official language spoken in the country and is mandatory to use for educational purposes within schools/colleges/universities. Spanish slang is also commonly used in Colombia by the younger generation through the use of social media and radio. In the Paisa and Medellin regions, this Spanish slag is referred to as ' Pariache'.

. Amerindian languages- This refers back to indigenous people that originate from America. Sixty-five Amerindian languages are used in Colombia to this day and these are usually grouped into twelve language families including:
. Arawakan
. Cariban
. Quechuan
. Tupian

. Creole languages - This links back to the mixture of various languages. The main two creole languages that are spoken in Colombia are Palenquero and Vlax Romani. Creole is defined by the website, dictionary.com as "  a creolized language; a pidgin that has become the native language of a speech community"  (Definition of Creole | Dictionary.com, 2022). The word 'pidgin' is defined as a simplified form of language i.e. English/French, etc, and elements that are extracted from other languages to create an entirely new language. This is effectively used as a way to communicate with people whilst not sharing a common language.

. Argentina- The capital of this country is Buenos Aires and the population in this country is 45,195,785 of people. The official name for this given country is called the  ' Argentine Republic'. There are many things that the country is known for and this includes:
. Lionel Messi - This famously well-known footballer's name is similar to the sport that refers back to the Argentinian culture.
. Buenos Aires- This capital city is popular with tourist attractions in which a grand range of people from all over the world visit this city annually, which is approximately 2.36 million people. The city is known for its vibrant culture.

. Iguazu falls- This grand waterfall is located in Argentina and it is referred to as ' one of the seven natural wonders of the world' due to its picturesque views that many tourists also view annually and this is approximately 1.064.731 people.

There are many more examples of what makes this country well-known aside from these examples that have previously been listed. There are 15.1 million people that live in the capital city, Buenos Aires. Approximately 42 million speak the first language of the country, Spanish. Whilst this is the first spoken language and it is the official language of the country. However, Italian is commonly known as the second most common language that is used in Argentina.

. Venezuela- The capital of this country is called the city, Caracas and the country contains around 28,435,951 people in the country. The official name for this country is simply called 'Bolivian republic of Venezuela' and it is located on the southern coast of Argentina. The country is commonly most known for its natural habitats and sceneries. For example, Iguazu falls is based in this country and it is a grand waterfall that is located on the border of the Argentine province, Misiones [ one out of twenty-three provinces in the country, Argentina] and the second largest river in South America, that is based in Brazil called Paraná. A total of 40 languages are used to this day in this specific country. However, the three most common languages that are spoken in Argentina are:

. Chinese- approximately 400,000 people speak this language in the country.

. Portuguese- an approximate number of 254,000 habitants speak this language in the country.

. Italian- Around 200,000 people speak this language in Argentina to this modern day.

.Chile- The capital of this country is called Santiago, and the country holds 19,116,212 habitants to this day. The given name for this country is called ' Republic of Chile'. It is located in the Western South of America. It is the longest country in the world and consists of many famous landmarks/buildings/etc. In Chile, Spanish is also the most common language spoken in the country, and there is a fact of around 8,200 Chileans that speak Chilean Quechua, which is apparently identical to South Bolivian Quechua.
. Easter Island: This island is most famous for its nearly 1000-year-old monumental statues, which are called moai [monolithic human figures] which had been created by the early Rapa Nui people. The original name for this island is called Rapanui, it was named in honour of the Christian holiday, Easter, by Jacob Roggeven [a Dutch navigator].

. San Alfonso del Mar Resort: A famous hotel located in Chile that is renowned for its grand swimming pool that is as outstretched as the beach view that is viewed from each and every hotel room. Many influencers visit this location on an annual basis and therefore bring more awareness to this resort.

. Gran Torre : This is a  Great tower in the capital of Chile, Santiago, and it is a sixty-two grand tall skyscraper, which is also the second tallest tower in Santiago, Chile, after Mexico's T.Op tower. It is also often referred to as Torre Gran Costanera.

. Ecuador- The capital of this city is called Quito and it is a country that holds approximately 17,643,065 habitants. The given name for this country is called the ' Republic of Ecuador'. There are twenty-four languages that are spoken in this country and the main language that is spoken is Spanish, which an approximate percentage of the country [93%] speaks. Whilst this remains as the principle language in the country, there are also International relations to the Ecuador's nationality such as Kichwa, which was a Quechuan language that includes mixed varieties of Quecha from both Colombia and Ecuador, as well as more extensions into the country, Peru. Another international language is called Shuar, which is a language used by the indigenous civilians of Ecuador and Peru. Aside from this, there are also eleven Indigenous languages that are still used to this day and this includes Tetete, Waorani, Záparo, Colorado, Siona, Secoya, Emberá, Achwa-Shiriwa, Cha’palaach, Awa-Cuaiquer, and Cofán. To this day, the main language that is used in Ecuador is Awa-Cuaiquer, in which only 13,000 native people speak this language and within the community, it is usually men in these indigenous tribes who are bi-lingual whereas women and children only speak Awa-Cuaiquer. UNESCO had labelled this language as endangered and severely damaged. This country is most known for the flower, Orchids. In Ecuador, there are more than 6000 varieties of this flower being discovered to this day and it is referred to as the capital of the world for Orchids.

. Bolivia- The capital of Bolivia is La Paz, Sucre and the country has approximately 11,673,032 people living in this country. The given name for Bolivia is ' Plurinational state of Bolivia'. In 2012, the country had recorded that around thirty-seven languages are spoken, however, the most dominant language is called Castilian [ a form of Spanish language]. Other languages include Aymara, Uru, Leco, Kallawaya, Tupian, Arawakan, Cayubaba, Yuracaré, Araona, Puquina and, Movima. Bolivia is a landlocked country that is located in western-central South America. This country is most known for :
. Natural sceneries: Salar de Uyuni, which is one of the most famous landmarks in the world for being the largest salt pan in the entire world. It is elevated above 11,995 feet of sea level and the salt flat is approximately 4,000 square miles. It is famous for its reflective abilities.

. Lake Titicaca: This is the largest lake in South America with 12,507 feet and a square mile of 3,232 area. It is located by both Peru and Bolivia. It is acknowledged for being the highest navigable lake in the entire world. Lake Titicaca includes various islands around the lake.

. Oruru carnival: This town in Bolivia is famous for its annual festivals held that celebrate traditional and pre-Colonial dance eras. This is celebrated by more than 28,000 dancers across the entire town and 10,000 musicians. These performers show their talent in the streets when performing to the community/tourists. This festival begins with the most famous dance to the locals, the devil dance. It is attended by 400,000 people and it lasts for approximately 20 hours.

. Paraguay: The capital of this specific country is Asunción. This country has 7,132,549 habitants living in it and there are 19 languages to this day that are spoken in Paraguay, the two principal languages that are spoken are Spanish and Guarani. Spanish is spoken by 87% of the population whilst Guarani is spoken by more than 90% of the country's population. It is a bi-lingual country that has these two prominent languages to this modern day. Some of the minority languages that are spoken in this country include German, Italian, Japanese, Ukrainian, Arabic, Chinese, etc. The given name for this country is called ' the republic of Paraguay'. Paraguay is most known for being the country that has the largest navy, therefore, also having the greater amount of naval power. Aside from this, it has been consistently referred to as ' the heart of  South America' for its location between Brazil, Argentina, and Bolivia.

. Suriname: The capital of this country is Paramaribo. The country holds around 586,643 and the given name for Suriname is ' republic of Suriname'. It is well-known for being the smallest country in the entire continent, of South America. It is located in the northeast of the continent between both Guyana and French Guiana. The prominent language that is spoken in this country is Dutch, however, there are still fifteen languages that are spoken to this modern day. Suriname is most well-known for its Dutch sugar plantations and this is called ' Pepper Pot Plantations'.
It is also known for being the only country that widely speaks Dutch in South America and it has one of the most protected areas of rainforest in the world.

. Uruguay: The capital of this country is called Montevideo. Uruguay has 3,473,741 habitants currently living within this country. The official name for this country is called the 'Oriental republic of Uruguay'. Similarly to most of the countries, Uruguay's most prominent language is Spanish, alongside this other languages including English and Dutch are commonly spoken in this country. Uruguay is famous for having the longest national anthem in the world and it is approximately six minutes long. The capital of this country, Montevideo is a famous tourist attraction that is visited worldwide with an annual rate of 33.3 million individuals. This is due to the fact that it is one of the most privileged cities in this country. Marijuana is also legalized in this country, which is another main reason as to why many tourists visit this country. This had occurred in 2013 in order to make it so drug traffickers would be pushed out of the market as the drug was made more affordable.

South America was first discovered in the year, 1492 [ in the fifteenth century] and it had actually been founded by mistake by Christopher Columbus, who was a sailor. During his first voyage, Columbus had his ship attacked and this resulted in him having to swim to land in order to stay alive as pirates had set the ship alight. He is commonly well-known for being an explorer in the Americas and being the person who had founded it, whereas in true fact there were already people living there when he had found the land. However, this land had also been found purely by accident due to the fact that he had actually been searching for a way to get to the country, China, from India. Columbus was his given English name however, he was born in Italy in 1451 thus his real name being Cristoforo Colombo. He had nearly resulted in starvation on the island, of Jamaica, and this is because his crew had left him to die whilst the indigenous people of the island had also refrained from providing Columbus with any food.

I have also included the best and worst factors of each country so that I can represent how these culturally affect the stereotypes of the entire continent and also potentially refer back to the context used within the script for the play, A mother's voice. From looking into the website, Quora, I have been able to provide a simplified structure of the best and worst facts based on the continent, of South America. This includes:

. Positive:
- Families in South America normally hold close bonds as families and as a community, this is mainly due to the fact that the continent has been stereotyped as impoverished/ working class and how the social class system was corrupt in the sense of wealthier people who remained detached from their family members as they have businesses to run whereas, poorer families held closer relationships due to their involvement in keeping the household together. This refers back to the play as the main family, mainly consisting of Constantia and her daughters [ Francisca, Baptista, Maria, and Isabel] in which they all attend to their domestic duties of what women were expected to do in the eyes of society/ the patriarchy. An example of this is in the second scene: Absence and loss, where Constantia asks her daughters to lay the table, and her younger daughter, Isabel is tending to supper by cooking one of her mother's recipes. By doing this, it reveals how Constantia is abiding by what society expects of females, in which they look after the household and are able to provide for their family members.

- There are various referrals to South America being the main continent that is well-known for partying. For example, there are many contextual references to Brazil, the biggest country in South America, which put on world-renowned festivals such as, Carnaval, where up to 400,000 people worldwide attend this festival due to its vast cultural and traditional appreciation for the country, Brazil. This is represented through the vibrant colours of blue, white, green, yellow, and black that are presented on the country's flag in which performers incorporate this into their dances/songs/costumes/appearance etc, to reveal their appreciation for Brazil. This relates back to the play in the sense of the scene : The festival, in which the audience members are able to view how even in their darkest hours, the community are still able to liftin each others spirits through the use of dance and singing in an attempt to also protest against the hierarchy. Throughout this scene, whilst the main family grieve for Ramon, they are able to finally engage in an entertaining and fun atmosphere where they can finally feel a sense of joy and independence.

- South America is well known for it's scenic locations across the entire continent and whilst this does not necessarily refer back to the script itself as the play is set in a simple village to represent the social class of the cast being of a working-class standard, the contextual factors that are discreetly mentioned behind the dialogue i.e. referrals to Madres de la playa de mayo which contextually speaking, had been created in Argentina, and this is why I have researched into this country to see if there are any scenery that is commonly well-known. When doing this, I have found that the tourist attraction, Iguazu falls, is a grand waterfall that is located on the border of the Argentine province, Misiones [ one out of twenty-three provinces in Argentina] and the Brazilian state of Paraná [ a river that runs through the entirety of South America and, it is the second-largest river in South America, after the Amazon river].

- Women are normally stereotyped as warm and beautiful in Argentina. In my opinion, when viewing this fact, I had linked it back to Constantia from the research page that I had looked into regarding the cast in which it discloses that Constantia is a widowing mother to four daughters and as I was already aware of a mother's role in society from my previous research when looking into the online website about the plot. After doing this, I had found that society had expected mothers to tend to their domestic duties of consistently being grateful for their lives and being happy whilst taking care of the household and looking after the children i.e. this applies back to Constantia as the plot mentions that 'she immerses herself in her domestic duties' and of course, this then links back to the character having a warm nature as a woman [ Argentinian woman].

-Many countries are bi-lingual in South America, mainly due to the fact there is an increased amount of tourism within the continent. This applies to the performance, whilst it does not refer back to the dialogue used, it still applies to the notes by the author, Chris Owen, where he has disclosed that whilst the setting of the play is in South America, resulting in the actors using a Spanish/ Argentinian/Brazilian/Peruvian, etc accent, he didn't want to use any foreign accents in the piece as, and I quote, "I think this is a dreadfully old fashioned technique. Within a country there are regional accents and dialect is used" ( chrisowenonline, n.d.). This quote represents how my group and I will be able to perform this piece using our own accents from the justifications that the author has included in which he states that the continent, South America, is not purely based on one language, rather there are various languages used within the continent and from researching into this, I have found that English is also quite common in South America due to the amount of tourism.

- Living is cheap, depending on the area where people reside within this continent, and the cost of a person's lifestyle can be cheap with a full diversity of nutrition i.e. fruits/vegetables/etc. I was able to link this fact back to the previous research that I had looked into regarding the themes of the play, and when I had looked into social class, I was able to interpret that the main family are of a working class/ standard. When doing this, I had researched into what working-class homes had looked like across South America during the 70s [ the era that I believe the play is set in] and when doing this, I had seen how poorly constructed these homes were due to the residents living hand to mouth and potentially not being able to afford new renovations. From this, I had then applied the fact to my perspective of the staging in the play, where the author discloses that the setting is minimalistic and only consists of a table and chairs in the first scene with Constantia in it. However, I had also viewed this as the character being unable to afford any other furniture, therefore resulting in the financial issues that she has endured when her husband, the main breadwinner of the family, had suddenly disappeared, therefore her and her children living cheap [ in the concept of living from hand to mouth].

Negative:
- In South America, corruption is a big issue! When reading this note, I had immediately linked it back to the main theme of the play, which is justice/injustice, in which the patriarchy had controlled the entire community i.e. how they acted/the lifestyles that they had led. I had found this from when the author mentions in the plot "Why is Constantia bothering them - doesn't she know she can get in trouble asking these questions!". This quote clearly reveals that the higher men in power manipulate their status and authority by reusing to give Constantia any information on her missing daughter, which is why she is more intent on asking more officials and this is why she might get into 'trouble' as she is differing from her domestic duties that she had to abide by when following society's image of the 'perfect' woman, and as she is gaining her independence and striving in the sense that they believe she is protesting against what is expected of her, the officials torment her with the lack of knowledge on Baptista so that they can further control her lifestyle her and belittle the character into remaining in her place.

-Corruption brings a sense of consequences and informality in which it makes it more difficult for people to gain justice. This personally relates back to Constantia as I have previously mentioned, she is trying to gain justice for her daughter after being made aware of what had happened to her husband, Ramon [ the higher men in power torturing her husband and then dumping his battered body in the river]. At the end of the play, Constantia seems to gain a sense of independence when remaining intent on finding Baptista despite the various warnings that she had received from these exasperated men in power [ they feel threatened as there is a member of the community who is standing against their morals]. An example of this in the plot of the play, on the main website for ' A mother's voice', where the author says 'She joins with other mothers and wives and they dance alone in protest at what is happening'. This quote discloses the contextual factor of Madres de la playa de mayo, where grieving mothers would join in the town centre in a form of protest against the corrupt justice system and they would use dancing as a way to liftin their spirits in the hopes that they can keep their loved one's spirits alive/ retain faith that the mothers would be able to find these people. The use of the word 'difficult' from the fact about South America previously mentioned refers back to the harsh journey that Constantia takes to keep her faith that Baptista is still alive and her journey to find her daughter.

-Masculine pride is strong in South America and is even accepted due to traditions that have been followed throughout the years in which the male is almost always considered more dominant. This applies to the dominant men in power [ the faceless officials and gunmen in the play] and how they use manipulation/ aggression and violence in order to get what they want. For example, after Ernesto is murdered by the two gunmen, there is another brief description in the plot that says 'they assault Baptista and carry her off - tormenting her by warning her of the "fun" they are about to have.' This then reveals how the male characters result in mentioning cruel insinuations of sexual assault/rape to further frighten Baptista as she hadn't obeyed the rules of society.

- People are extremely distrustful of others in this continent due to the increasing amount of crime that occurs on a regular basis. Whilst this is a common fact that is used in many stereotypes of film/tv when portraying the continent, of South America, this fact links back to Constantia's distrust in the corrupt justice system as whilst they apparently have no knowledge regarding the disappearance of her daughter, and forcefully encourage Constantia to stop searching, she still holds out the hope that her daughter is out there and continues the search for Baptista, which would be considered almost as dangerous as committing an illegal activity, therefore leading to the officials setting out in preventing any more people from gaining any independence. The use of street smart had first been applied to the character, Baptista, in which she had secretly attended activist meetings whilst appearing devoted to society in which she follows the average domestic duties that a woman should apparently have.

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Madres De La Plaza De Mayo and Abuelas de plaza de mayo 05.03.22

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Madres De La Plaza De Mayo and Abuelas de plaza de mayo 05.03.22

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The Story Behind Madres de Plaza de Mayo (vamospanish.com)

40 years later, the mothers of Argentina’s 'disappeared' refuse to be silent | Argentina | The Guardian

Isabel Martínez De Perón Biography - Childhood, Life Achievements & Timeline (thefamouspeople.com)

People's Revolutionary Army (Argentina) - Wikipedia

Montoneros - Wikipedia

History | Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo

This title translated into English is simply called ' the mothers of the Plaza de Mayo' which is an organization that has been formed in 1977 and they were dedicated to protesting against the corrupt justice system in the name of Los Desaparecidos, and supporting other grieving mothers who were still searching for their missing children/loved ones. This is contextually relative to the play, A mother's voice, as towards the end, the main character, Constantia, is seen joining these mothers in the town square to dance for her husband [Ramon] and her second-eldest daughter [Baptista]. This is also what women would do in this group to liftin their spirits whilst coping with their grief and also allowing them to retain their faith that their loved ones are still out there. The purpose of this group is to stand against the dictatorship and to also gain independence.

Madres de la plaza de mayo had been formed in the year 1977, when a group of fourteen women had confronted the dictatorship on the whereabouts of their missing loved ones. To this day, after approximately four decades and 2,037 marches, later on, mothers still march to commemorate Los Desaparecidos and the independency against the corrupt justice system. As a part of the group's devotion to the cause behind the group, every member had worn a white headscarf to symbolize the courage that had been taken when the women had decided to take a stand against the patriarchy. There had been many targets that the group has wished to achieve throughout the years to further accomplish the goal of independence and this had included, in the year, 2016, when over 1,000 of the members in this patriarchy who were involved in the torture and murder of Los Desaparecidos, were tried and sentenced to seven hundred years in prison.

Every Thursday at approximately 3.30 pm, restless mothers, and grandmothers would meet in the Plaza de Mayo, which was in front of the Presidential Palace, where the government had resided, and they had demanded information on where their missing loved ones were.

During the reign of the presidency of Isabel Perón [ the former president of Argentina], a militant group had been formed called AAA, which was a group dedicated to kidnapping, torturing, murdering any protesters/activists against the corrupt justice system, which the dictatorship had referred to them as the "subversives". This had linked back to specific groups that had included:
. Worker's unions
. Student  organizations
. Social activists
. Progressive academics
Society had been attacked further by guerrilla groups such as, ERP [ people's revolutionary army that was a military branch of the Communist worker's revolution party in Argentina] and, Montoneros [ a left-wing guerrilla group that was based in Argentina] and this was due to their fight against the armed forces, which had resulted in them committing acts such as kidnapping multiple executives and demanding that they were paid large amounts of ransom which was money that was necessary for the community which had included the distribution of food, educational necessities, clothing, and providing medical supplies for families that live in slums/poverty.

E l Día de la Memoria is a national holiday recognized by the entire continent of South America. This is set on the 24th of March, which marks the first day that mothers had searched around and asked for information on their missing loved ones. During this date, in the year 1976, there had been three armed force branches that had joined together to take the government over forcefully. The two guerrilla groups previously mentioned, were the excuse that the dictatorship had used in order to declare a 'war against terrorism, which was used to distract from their own crimes committed and to make the community blindsided by believing that they must rely on the government to protect them. These dictatorships had created remote detention centres where the 'subversive' individuals were taken to be tortured and killed. People who were not killed and had withstood the torture that they had endured, would be released, at the cause of a price that would be provided by family members, if they would not be able to afford this then the individuals would remain held within the prison and continued to be tortured.

After many mothers were busy trying to find their missing loved ones, they had run into each other and then declared that they were going to get together and demand information from the dictatorship on the whereabouts of their loved ones. Since it was considered illegal for more than two people to speak in public as it was considered in the eyes of society as a 'meeting', these mothers had used the smart tactic of walking in pairs of two's whilst holding up photos of their missing loved ones to see if anyone has seen them. This was done when they were marching around the Plaza de Mayo [the town centre] in protest and therefore these mothers were given the title: Les Madres de la plaza de mayo. The group had been formed out of fear, desperation, and love, which they had indulged in these feelings to gain the confidence to stand up to the patriarchy. Sadly, some mothers had suddenly disappeared after joining in these marches, and this had included two of three mothers who had been deceived by a secret military ambush by a priest at a church, who was claiming to stand with them as a protestor against the corrupt justice system.

The Abuelas de plaza de mayo, which was a group that had associated with the Madres de la plaza de mayo in the same concept of protesting against the dictatorship for the disappearance of their loved ones. The women in these groups were originally a part of the Madres group, who had fought to find their pregnant children who had become a part of the disappeared. These women would question not only where their children were, but also where their grandchildren were being held. It was later revealed when the dictatorship had ended, that as soon as pregnant women had given birth, they were instantly killed. The children were given to friends that were close to the dictatorship or to families of the military personnel. This group had managed to successfully find 100 of these disappeared children through adoption agencies mainly. Many of these Abuelas had taken the adoptive parents to court to gain full custody of the children, or they would simply remain in contact with them throughout the years.

" People were scared. If I talked about my kidnapped son at the hairdresser or supermarket, they would run away. Even listening was dangerous"- Gastelú, age 88, reminisces about the powerful hold that the patriarchy held over the entire community and how people were too afraid to take a stand against the justice system to help find the missing loved ones within the community. This quote represents just how much power was held over the entire population based on the forceful use of violence and aggression.

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'Ghost Dances' - Christopher Bruce - Houston Ballet - YouTube

Ghost Dances - Rambert

“A story I wanted to tell”: Christopher Bruce and Ghost Dances - Rambert

Joan Jara - IMDb

Pinochet coup: The Chilean exiles who escaped to Scotland - BBC News

In my opinion, I view the ghosts as a form of foreshadowing as the ghosts remain on stage for the entire duration of the performance, , they clearly are able to establish their relationships with certain characters on-stage to indicate the tension-rising moments that are about to occur. An example of this is when Ramon's body is finally found by Constantia and at this precise moment, she is feeling a great amount of grief as she has to finally open her eyes to the reality that is surrounding her, therefore making it the most impactful moment that has been portrayed due to the fact that prior to this scene, the character has been in a consistent stage of denial and retaining her beliefs that Ramon will be returning home at any given moment. After she finally accepts the fact that he is dead in this scene, the ghosts then proceed to carry Ramon's body off-stage, therefore resembling to the audience members that his spirit has finally been taken by the ghosts and that he is to permanently reside in the land of the dead alongside these characters.

Similarly, this also occurs towards the end of the play when Baptista is being held captive in a remote area and after being tortured by the higher men in power, her life begins to ebb out of her body, and whilst this is happening, the ghost characters begin to move closer to her body, therefore indicating to the audience members that she is about to die and her spirit is going to be taken to the land of the dead, and she can finally reunite with her father, Ramon.

Whilst they are at first perceived as the main antagonist in the play [ from the sense of discomfort that is created in the atmosphere as the characters enter and exit the stage, also with the slow and strange repetitive movement that they use whilst remaining connected to one another], the ghost characters are actually trying to help Constantia/ Dream Mother to view the reality that is surrounding them and allow it to seep in, rather than indulging in the consistent dreamscapes to retain the faith that Ramon is alive. These ghost characters are gradually able to guide Dream Mother and Constantia to a final stage of acceptance in the play, which then also contributes to the independence that Constantia gains to join the group, Madres de la plaza de mayo, which had been dedicated to bringing awareness of the patriarchy's acts [ murdering/kidnapping their loved ones] and they had shared photos of their loved ones just in case anyone has seen them and they had also danced to liftin the spirits of the community in order to retain their faith that their loved ones are still out there].

The ghost characters play a narrative role in the play when explaining the grief and trauma that is affecting the main character, Constantia, after losing her husband, Ramon, due to the corrupt justice system. They use short sentences within their dialogue and I believe this is due to the fact that they do not want the audience members to form any sort of connection with them which leads them to fixate on these specific characters throughout the duration of the play, and rather they want to appear as emotionless as possible so that they can still develop a tension-rising atmosphere but, to also allow the audience members to indulge in this atmosphere so that they have a sense of what it had been like for people during the 70s that had to abide by the corrupt justice system and the fear /discomfort that they had felt on a regular basis when having death be a repetitive cycle in their day-to-day lives.

This piece of choreography had first been created in 1981 and it revolves around the style of contemporary dance in which non-verbal speech is used to engage the audience members. This is specifically to allow them to feel a sense of discomfort when they indulge in the eerie atmosphere as they view the opening scene when the ghost characters are creeping onstage. The physical representation of this choreography also links back to Latin American holiday's such as the Day of the Dead, in which people celebrate their deceased loved ones through dance, decorating the towns with vibrant colours to liftin their loved one's spirits, and using prayer to dedicate their faith and gratitude to their loved ones. These characters dance to traditional folk music when using this choreography to link it back to the contextual factors of the continent in which the community had used this folk music to dance in celebration of their loved ones and to help liftin each other's spirits despite living in the patriarchy.

The ghost dance is a physical representation of the political oppression that had occurred in South America. It is essentially a tribute to the victims of this oppression, that had begun due to Los Desaparecidos, in which the government had kidnapped/ tortured/ and murdered protestors and activists who had stood against the corrupt justice system. The choreography physically resembles how the dancers intervene in the ordinary people's lives from their constant presence on stage which leads the audience members to believe that death is constantly surrounding the characters and the terrible lives that they are forced to endure by being controlled by the domestic patriarchy. The structure of this choreography had been simplified, along with a naïve style, so that it had more of an effective impact on the audience members.

It explores the themes in relation to the plot of the performance, A mother's voice, of love and death. This is clearly resembled in the play from the connection that Dream Mother and Ramon share as they express their love for one another through the various physical interactions and embraces that occur throughout the duration of the play. Alongside this, death is a re-occurring theme that is portrayed as it is contextually relating back to the concept behind A mother's voice, which is to represent how the corrupt justice system in the 70s had impacted the community i.e. protestors and activists mysteriously disappearing and not returning.

This is represented quickly in the opening scene when the ghost characters enter and they are creeping around the stage in order to have the audience members perceive them as the main antagonist in the play from the eerie atmosphere that they have immediately been able to create and due to the costume that is worn [ mainly consisting of dark shades] this then further enhances the theme of death as the characters are approaching and then pushes the audience members to perceive this as the ghost characters being demonic, alongside the fact that they are able to associate the name of these characters with the stereotype in modern society of ghosts being evil [ as shown in many entertainment sources i.e. horror films]. The main reason as to why the theme of death is linked back to these precise characters is because they reside in the land of the dead and this is why they are trying to allow characters such as Ramon, to finally be at peace rather than fighting to stay alive for Constantia and his family when he is ensuring so much pain.

Ghost dance had originally been inspired by a letter from the human rights activist, Joan Jara [ a British-Chilean activist, dancer, and a widow of the folksinger and communist, Víctor Jara]. Her husband had been tortured and killed by the Pinochet group [ Pinochet and a group of officers had decided to for a military mission to participate in the organization of the war academy of Ecuador in Quito].

The costume of the ghost dancers represents the terrifying oppression that had occurred in South America that had led to thousands of people being murdered in this continent throughout the years. It had a large impact when this choreography was first staged. Christopher Bruce had stated that "The ghost dancers are about celebrating the dead and I combined that idea with the image of Indian tribes who would grind the bones of the dead after the funeral pyre is out and make a soup from the remains. When the soup is drunk, in a sense, the dead live on in the living". This links back to the concept behind Ghost Dances due to the fact that the dancers are able to resemble how despite the fact that they are dead, the purpose of their appearing on stage is to guide other spirits and souls to the land of the dead so that they can finally experience peace and tranquillity in the afterlife.

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Project Disappeared - Argentina (desaparecidos.org)

Coalition Against Impunity - Disappeared in Germany (desaparecidos.org)

Equipo Nizkor: Trials for the Disappeared Spaniards in Argentina. (derechos.org)

Equipo Nizkor: Trial in Italy for the Disappeared in Argentina (derechos.org)

Presentes in Argentina (desaparecidos.org)

Gallery of Argentinian Torturers and Killers (desaparecidos.org)

Disappeared: Documentation on the Disappeared in Argentina (desaparecidos.org)

Project disappeared is a worldwide project that is formed of various human rights organizations and activists against injustice. Their main purpose is to represent the memory of what had happened in Argentina [Dirty war] and how this had led to a united fight against impunity. This website link discloses all of the factual information in a chronological fashion, that allows the readers to understand how this trauma had gradually been inflicted on the innocent population and how the higher men in power had asserted their power and dominance through the use of aggression/ forms of manipulation/ and violence. On there, it lists those who were responsible and the individuals who were involved in some of the most violent acts, and by doing this, it has allowed families who had lost their loved ones during this time to also finally find some closure and gain justice for these demised loved ones [ Los Desaparecidos].

I found this website greatly beneficial when learning about the backstory of the corrupt justice system and how it had been enforced by the domestic patriarchy, and this is due to the fact that I had more of a gradual understanding on the emotional trauma that would be impacted onto the characters in the play and how they would act around the mention of political issues, due to the fact that women were not permitted to involve themselves in these type of issues otherwise they would face severe consequences, and as the play focuses mainly on the character, Constantia, it reveals how distraught and miserable her life was when being forced to tend to her domestic duties as a mother and wife, whilst still waiting on her husband, Ramon, to return back to her after he had 'mysteriously' disappeared.

This then resembles the realistic traumatic lifestyles that these women had led during the 70s when Los Desaparecidos had occurred. Constantia is a physical symbol of all of the women that had to be controlled by the higher men in power and how they were not able to gain any independence until Madres de la plaza de mayo had been formed an all-female group that was dedicated to standing united against the corrupt justice system in protest, whilst also helping other grieving mothers/grandmothers to find their missing loved ones, alongside opening the public's eyes their reality of living in fear of the higher men in power due to them being the superior gender. This group had helped many women to gain independence and had also encouraged to them to fight the higher men in power on information about the whereabouts of their missing loved ones.

The website is categorically separated into four different sections and these include:

. Presentes- This section discloses the context of Los Desaparecidos, when specifically including the approximate number of people who had mysteriously disappeared, alongside this, it also mentions a famous landmark that tourists can visit for a more in-depth feeling and experience of the lifestyles that these Los Desaparecidos had led in the time of their kidnapping [The wall of memory]. During the time of Los Desaparecidos (1976-1983), approximately 30,000 individuals had disappeared in Argentina, in the course of the 'dirty war'. This section is effectively an online homage to the Disappeared and their purpose is to get people worldwide to still remember what had happened during the 70s and the innocent lives that were lost for many family members. The purpose of the wall of memory is to allow people to envision the lives that these missing individuals were forced to lead i.e. the torture that they had to endure, how long they were separated from their family members, etc. There is a hope that people would recognize the individuals in these photos, therefore publicly bringing more recognition to the concept behind the wall of memory, which will lead to more people joining the fight against the corrupt justice system, and finally bringing these torturers to justice. over 1,300 images of the disappeared are presented on this wall, it is also commonly referred to as Visita el Muro de la Memoria.

. Torturers- During the year, 1976, there was an increased amount of military repression that had been inflicted on the entire population and this was caused by the 'war against subversion' which had consisted of the higher men in power that had kidnapped/murdered/ tortured the activists and protestors who had stood against the corrupt justice system. Approximately thirty thousand individuals had been taken by these higher men in power from 1976 to 1983. These victims had been kidnapped and then blindfolded, therefore awaiting their sentences and torture that they were going to endure, purely due to their beliefs in gaining independence and destroying the corrupt justice system. This section has been specifically dedicated to publicly exposing the transgressors involved in these acts of terror and finally getting justice for the victims and their family members that had suffered from these acts and had faced multiple forms of trauma due to this. The page is used to also represent to the public the acts of injustice and multiple violations of human rights that had occurred during Los Desaparecidos. There is a list of many offenders on this website section who were particularly involved in the kidnapping/torturing/ and murders of innocent victims. The list has been put into chronological order for the purpose of easily representing the full names of these offenders and the acts that they had committed in contribution to the inflicted torture on the population and the families that have struggled to cope with the loss of their loved ones. Aside from this, there was also a separate list that had been created for the members of the military that had committed violations of human rights and by doing this, the public are able to clearly comprehend how the domestic patriarchy's use of aggression was able to force many of these victims to succumb to many forms of torture and inflicted pain.

. Documents - This section of the website stipulates justice for the innocent victims and their family members and this is done by intricately describing the facts on the dirty war that had occurred in Argentina and how this had affected the population and further damaged the lives of these members of society and how they had lost their independence due to the control of the higher men in power. The section clarifies to the public the horrifying details that led many people to consistently live in fear and misery. For example:
. For memory, Truth, and justice: This information discloses the specific people who had been prosecuted by the abrasive officials and officers of the government. It includes trial dates and supported evidence [via the use of quotes from these victims] in order to further emphasize on the multiple human rights that had been violated by these higher men in power. The website is also effective for the use of a chronological time order that represents the gradual process of what these victims had to go through in order to finally be heard and gain validity. It is broken down into four categories:
. bibliography on the disappeared and the dictatorship in Argentina [ this specific part of the website I had fixated on as it serves a purpose of relating back to the context behind the play, A mother's voice, and how it describes in detail how people were personally affected by the ruling of the government and how they controlled the population, therefore providing me with more of an insight on how to develop an emotional connection with my character in which I will be able to create a sense of realism for the audience members as myself in this role].

. bibliography on the disappeared and the dictatorship [ this section differs from the previous piece of information as it is set out as a list of those who had been affected by the acts of aggression and injustice that had been created by the higher men in power and how they were able to remain in authority by inflicting this on the entire population. It includes precise dates to provide its readers with insightful information which might lead them to further research into the history of this event. Many people who were involved in the traumatic event have been individually listed to allow the readers to witness how it had personally affected each person and what they had lost because of this i.e. Abuelas de la plaza de mayo, an all-female group of females who had lost their children in Los Desaparecidos due to the hands of the corrupt justice system, and when coming together, they had protested against the government for their grandchildren and children to be returned back to them, therefore inflicting more emotional trauma onto them as they have been separated from their loved ones and hadn't even been given the chance to get to know their grandchildren, as they had been snatched away immediately after birth].

. bibliography on state terrorism in Argentina [ this part of the website is mainly fixated on the context behind the corrupt justice system and how the government had planned to deliberately violate many human rights and to commit illegal acts in order to seize more power and remain in higher authority, as they had feared if the population were to gain any sense of independence, then they would attack the corrupt justice system and the government. To combat this, they had formed the dirty war, in which Los Desaparecidos had begun, where protestors and activists against the justice system had been kidnapped, tortured, and murdered purely because they were refusing to abide by society's expectations of them, and they had wanted to break the cycle of control that the government was inflicting on the population.

. Videography on the state of terrorism in Argentina [this piece of information differs from the rest as it is evidential proof of the pain and misery that many people had witnessed and experienced when living in this era and how their lives had been brutally controlled so that they were not permitted to do anything that had differed from the rules that had been set for both genders by society, and if they were to do this, they would suffer severe consequences i.e. if anyone was to protest/ be involved with protestors/ even be suspected of being a protestor, they would be kidnapped and taken to a detention centre/ remote area, in which the members of the government [officers and military] would use forms of torture in order to get many people to confess to their crimes and they would be punished for affronting their motherland.

This website also provides the readers with information about other involvement, including The Church, and how they had been affected by the traumatic events that were occurring in Argentina during this era [ therefore partially relating back to the reason as to why Christianity is the most common religion that is followed/practiced in South America]. This information includes links to books that had been written in relation to the place of the church during this time and lists of the religious members of society i.e. priests etc, and how they had been detained, murdered, and tortured based on their beliefs and how they had disagreed with the government's political views, therefore them being suspected of committing illegal acts i.e. standing against the corrupt justice system and encouraging others to do the same. There is a link that mentions the guerrilla group and how they had been involved in inflicting pain on individuals and victims, however, it also discloses the members of the military groups that had been murdered in the combat of the dirty war.  A specific religious race that had been targeted during this time was the Jews. During this time. they were forced to do a self-critical analysis. This is mainly due to the fact that during the time in which the members of the patriarchy would be asserting their authority through violence, the military Junta had kidnapped and murdered eight Jewish scientists, who held high positions at the National Atomic Energy Commission ( Slutzky.M, n.d. Argentine Jews would have to do critical self-analysis. Online. Available from: www.derechos.org/nizkor/doc/judos.html). This was due to the fact that the Junta did not want them in any strategic positions. This had also included testimonies and documentation to further exemplify the faults of the military Junta. Aside from this, there is also a few links in relation to the CONADEP [ national commission on the disappearance of persons] and they discuss multiple lists of those who were detained, tortured, and murdered whilst including the names of these individuals for more in-depth knowledge on the backstory of the lifestyles that each of these persons had led. Information on detention centres has been disclosed so that readers have an insight on the whereabouts of these missing people and how far away they were kidnapped from their homeland. In relation to the reason for groups such as: Madres de la plaza de mayo, and Abuelas de la plaza de mayo being formed, there had been a list of missing children that was created so that people could find their loved ones after them being taken away for so long. Whilst there had been many forms of injustice in Argentina during this time, there was also a great amount of impunity in which mainly members of the government [ military, officers, officials, etc] would be exempt from any charges of illegal activity, due to the fact that in the eyes of the law, they are serving their country and protecting the motherland / the population from apparent 'danger' [which they had inflicted].

. Voices- This section is entirely dedicated towards the actual people that had been murdered, tortured, and kidnapped from the year 1976 to 1983. In this, there is a certain amount of information that is dedicated for the purpose of revealing the violations of human rights that many people had endured. For example, female protestors that had been kidnapped would frequently be raped by officers/ guards/ and officials, and this would lead to them becoming pregnant during their time of being detained, and immediately after giving birth to their children, the women would be murdered so that they wouldn't be able to track down and find their babies. These children would be given to members of the government, friends, and family of government members, therefore leading to groups such as Madres and Abuelas de la plaza de mayo being formed. In this section, images are included so that people have a clear perspective of these being actual victims in the world and to further educate people on the inhumane acts that had occurred during the 70s/ early 80s in South America.

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Christopher Bruce (1945-) (rambert.org.uk)

BBC Two - Bitesize Secondary, Dance - Choreography, An insight into Christopher Bruce's 'Ghost Dances'

Biography of Christopher Bruce - WriteWork

Graham Technique (dancespirit.com)

Christopher Bruce is a commonly well-known choreographer that had created the physical theatre piece ' ghost dance' for the play, A mother's voice, in which the ghosts represent three relationships that Constantia had held close to her [her husband, her daughter, her ' son-in-law']. The purpose of these ghosts in the play is to resemble the theme of death that occurs on a repetitive basis throughout the duration of this performance and the use of their choreography that is portrayed in A mother's voice, the use of slow pace and distorted body language [to have a sense of realism for the audience members as the ghost characters actually being dead], this also then creates more of an eerie atmosphere in which the audience members feel a sense of discomfort from the staggering movement that intensifies when the ghost characters all join together, and the tension is then increased with the traditional Andean pipe music, so that it is contextually relative to the site-specific area of where the play is set [South-America].

Whilst these ghosts are first presented as the main antagonist, I feel that this is so that the audience members can perceive this in similarity to Constantia's mindset, in which the ghosts are considered evil for trying to separate her and Ramon from each other. However, it is later on revealed that these characters symbolize the reality that Constantia has been desperately trying to prevent from seeping in as she had wanted to remain in a stage of denial while believing that Ramon will return back to her soon. This is precisely why these ghost characters use a slow movement around the stage, to then intensify the emotions of the audience members and allow them to contradict their views on the ghosts, depending on who they interact with on stage and the atmosphere that is created within that point.

This choreographer's career had first developed when he had attended the Rambert school and studied the Rambert ballet to pursue his admiration for dance and choreography. During his time there, Christopher had established his interest in this career pathway from his dedication to being the leading male dancer [a role which was given to him quickly]. The commonly most known works that Christopher had appeared in, include Don Quixote [ a ballet performance based in Birmingham, which focuses on the story of an aspirant knight, Alosono Quixano, who forcefully drags a farmer, Sancho Panza, along various adventures in order to restore the idea of chivalry], and Coppelia [ a comical style of ballet, which is based on an android that develops artificial intelligence]. This company had eventually developed the Martha Graham technique [which was based on a practitioner who had created approximately 181 ballets, and this technique consists of a modern dance style and pedagogy]. The moment where Bruce had been acknowledged for his independent skillset approach to the style of dance, is when he had performed the role of Pierrot Lunaire [ a famous composed piece that had been created by Schoenberg. ]. During his time in the role, Bruce had been described as " dominating everything- practically living the part" ( Kagglez, 2004).

When working with famous choreographer, Glen Tetley [ an American ballet and modern style dancer], Christopher was able to discover the " the motive for the movement comes from the centre of the body... from this base, we use classical ballet as an extension to give wider range and variety of movement" ( Kagglez, 2004). In the year 1977, Bruce had been given the role of director of this company, Rambert ballet, and alongside this, he had also been appointed as the associate choreographer from 1979 to 1987. During this time, he had devised over twenty pieces of choreography for the company. In the years, 1986 to 1991, he had also acted as an associate choreographer for the company, London festival ballet, then onto the English National ballet, and he had become the resident choreographer for Houston ballet in the year, 1989.

During his work, Bruce is still able to asset his political views on the worldwide issues that he had come across i.e. using ghost dances as a form of representation for death, therefore relating back to Los Desaparecidos, which was the name that was given to the missing protestors and activists who had mysteriously disappeared after standing against the corrupt justice system, and it was later revealed that these higher men in power were kidnapping/torturing/murdering these individuals for their beliefs and gain in independence. The main music that this choreographer incorporates into his dance pieces is from artists such as Bob Dylan and Rolling Stones. The productions that Christopher Bruce has created include the following: Cruel Garden (1977), Ghost dances (1981), Swansong (1987), and Rooster (1991).

When devising his work, Christopher had purposely included social and political themes to further educate audience members by allowing them to emotionally indulge in the movement of the performers on stage and how this connection shared between them symbolizes the issues that are occurring worldwide. This is then also portrayed as a reflection on Christopher's personal views toward these types of issues. Whilst these abstract pieces are created as a form of entertainment in which the audience members indulge in the naturalistic flow of the performers' dance movements, they are also educated on the lifestyles that many people led during the time of these social and political events i.e. how the characters in the piece, ghost dances, are purposely used as a reflection on the injustice that many of Los Desaparecidos had suffered from due to the fact that they hadn't gained any independence and how they were forced to endure many forms of torture, which had eventually led to their death, therefore linking back to the ghost characters, as they are also dead. Aside from this, Bruce also integrates poetry, literature, music, and newspaper articles, into his work.

Christopher Bruce's personal views that he includes in his work mainly revolve around the charity organization, Amnesty International, which he is a great supporter of. Through the various use of choreography that Bruce creates in his performances, he still raises awareness to the societal issues that have occurred to this modern-day i.e. the human rights that many people haven't been allowed to possess due to the higher members of authority controlling their lifestyles.

Throughout the 1970s, Bruce had mainly prioritized his attention on South America and the work of Pinochet when he was in a higher power, controlling the population of this continent. Christopher Bruce had actually ended up meeting  Joan Jara [ British/ Chilean activist], and how he had learned about her impacted trauma from these higher men in power i.e. she had been tortured and murdered by the Pinochet forces. This is what had led Bruce to develop the ghost dances, and the main inspiration for this piece was the Latin celebrated holiday, day of the dead. This had then referred back to the symbolism of the theme, death, and how these dance movements convey the difficult lifestyle that many innocent people were forced to endure in  South America. Ghost dances had served as a purpose of representing the oppression that these people had suffered from, and this is portrayed through the ghost character's figures. With these performances, it had provided Bruce with inspiration in how to present the theme of human rights through choreography.

Ghost dances- The style of this choreography is contemporary ballet and South American folk dance and it was created in the year, 1981. This then clearly refers back to the historical context of the continent, South America, and how historically accurate the dance is in terms of using this genre of music to represent the social class of people within this continent. By doing this, it then also links back to the social class of most of the cast members and how they had used music as a form of enjoyment to escape their miserable lives that were controlled by the patriarchy. The setting for this style of dance then contributes to the eerie atmosphere due to the fact that it is based in an Andean location [representing the mouth of a cave]. This is also portrayed from the drab colours that are used in the backdrop for the performance i.e. the use of blue, green, and grey shades. The lighting of the set is purely white as it symbolizes the state of the afterlife and the clear contrast on the staging of the performance [reality-where Constantia acts in the play, and land of the dead- where Dream Mother acts in the play]. With the opening scene, the dancers enter the scene and are immediately linked to the eerie atmosphere from their physical appearance i.e. wearing clothes that appear disintegrated and having a skeletal figure to resemble how these characters have died. These characters, and the ghost characters, use a slumped posture and angular body language to further represent the lack of energy that they have to survive in the land of the living. These dancers move collectively in unison to refer back to the effect of them all being dead. In contrast, the ghost characters use a graceful flow of movement to then contextually link back to the traditional Chilean style of folk dance.

Swansong- This piece had been inspired by political prisoners and it had been created in the year, 1987.  The style of this performance was based on contemporary ballet. The backstory behind this performance is that it relates back to the prisoner's need to escape after being held hostage for so long by the higher men in power of authority. It is purposeful for developing a disturbing atmosphere in which it fixates on a victim who had been tortured, however, there is no actual use of violence on stage, there is only indications of it throughout the entirety of the piece. This piece involves interrogation, brainwashing, and, humiliation, which serves as contextual relation back to Los Desaparecidos and how these political prisoners had been forced to endure multiple forms of torture, i.e. physical, emotional, and mental torture. Swansong also includes vaudevillian humour, contemporary dance expressionism, and balletic virtuosity. The costume for the characters purposely resembles the set in order to allow the audience members to clearly understand the relation that the performers have with the context behind this physical movement. For example, as these political protestors were of the lower social class standard, it was unlikely that they would wear any fashionable clothing [it was all very simplistic], which had led the dancers to wearing plain t-shirts and jeans. However, the official characters had worn items of clothing that were of a militaristic style i.e. khaki trousers and short-sleeve tops, which then resemble the higher authority roles such as policemen, guards, and officers. The audience members base the roles of the characters on their interpretation, and this is due to the fact that it isn't clearly written into the audience's programmes, so that it is based on how they view the movement and physical appearance of the characters. The prisoner character moves in a very graceful form, which then represents their innocence to the current situation that they have been imprisoned for i.e. protesting for their own independence and human rights. Contrary to this, the officer/guard characters portray more of a camp manner [sharp movement] to further present the contrast in terms of justice and authority between these characters, in which the higher men in power are able to portray their domestic power through the use of physical movement. The setting of this performance then contributes further to the political/social divide of the characters by using a dark stage, which resembles the painful lifestyle from the perspective of the prisoner. The prop of the wooden chair reveals the remote area of where political prisoners were held to be tortured and tied up against by chairs to interrogate them. Altogether, there are seven separate sections in this play, that include different themes and styles which still refer back to the injustice that these innocent victims had suffered from.

Rooster- The inspiration for this performance had been based on the context of music and it had been created in the year, 1992. The style of this dance is a contemporary ballet which is also combined with modern dance in order to suit the music genre that is used within the performance. The setting of this performance is naturalistic to not differ from the main concept behind the play, the contextual factors behind the music. There are separate costume choices for men and women, in which the females would wear black skirts, black tops, and black tights. However, men would wear black trousers and a black skirt. The style of music used within this piece is rolling stones music. The genres of music that are resembled in this performance, are effectively used as a reflection on each of the characters and the dance that is used in the piece. Due to the fact that these dances are not linked, it then creates an intermittent structure, and the tempo of this music then dictates each style of dance in the performance. All of the fast pace music tracks in this piece are of a contemporary/modern style whereas, the slower tempo pieces are of a balletic style. Whilst there is not as much emotional involvement within the storyline of the performance, it represents the historical context behind certain genres of music and dance. Each part of the performance i.e. characters, dances, etc, are controlled by the style of music that is being played.

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The Vanished Gallery: The Desaparecidos of Argentina (yendor.com)

The Victims: Abducted, Tortured, Vanished (yendor.com)

Argentina military junta members top officers and ministers (yendor.com)

The National Commission on the Disappeared (CONADEP) (yendor.com)

Terrorism, Subversion, Dissent, Innocence (yendor.com)

Desaparecidos: How Many ? (yendor.com)

TIME magazine: Argentina: Waves from the past (yendor.com)

Secret Detention Centers (yendor.com)

Secret Detention Centers - Map (yendor.com)

Argentina military junta members top officers and ministers (yendor.com)

List of repressors cited in Italian Court case (yendor.com)

Military Pressure and Uprisings (yendor.com)

Secret Detention Centers - General Information (yendor.com)

Secret Detention Centers - Living Conditions (yendor.com)

Bussi elected as governor of Tucuman (yendor.com)

The Promotion of Alfredo Astiz (yendor.com)

Jorge Acosta and The murder of Dagmar Hagelin (yendor.com)

Dagmar Hagelin: a Swedish Teenage Girl (yendor.com)

Argentina military junta members top officers and ministers (yendor.com)

Uki Goñi (yendor.com)

Astiz in June 1999 (yendor.com)

BBC NEWS | World | Americas | Argentine general jailed for racist remarks

Sgt. Victor Ibanez's Testimonial (yendor.com)

Another torturer reveals horrors of the Dirty War in Argentina (yendor.com)

Recommendations of the National Commission on the Disappeared (yendor.com)

Argentina: She walks alone (yendor.com)

Tina Rosenberg (yendor.com)

The website, Vanished gallery, is dedicated to revealing all of the information in regards to Los Desaparecidos, a traumatic event in which many victims and protestors/activists have been imprisoned, tortured, kidnapped, and murdered from 1976 to 1983 in South America. This is due to the fact that the members of higher authority and the government has felt threatened by the increase of the population's sense of independence, which is why any known activists and protestors had mysteriously 'disappeared' and would be held in remote areas in which they would be consistently tortured/punished due to the fact that they were purposely disobeying the rules that had been put into place by the patriarchy, where they were apparently 'disrespecting their motherland, which meant that they must suffer for their illegal acts. Approximately 30,000 people had gone missing from 1976 to 1983 due to the patriarchy and in this time, many of them were not found, and to this day people still look for their missing loved ones in the hope that they are alive and are retrieved home.

The vanished gallery is separated into eight different sections in order to create a chronological structure in regards to how this event had occurred, who was involved, the impact it had on the entire continent, lists of victims and family members, charities, and organizations that have developed because of this, and so on. The website is effective in educating the world on the acts of injustice that had occurred which had resulted in many family members, to this modern-day, still not being able to find the remains of their missing loved ones and not being able to mourn and grieve them.

I have found these links beneficial in terms of my understanding of the concept behind the performance, as it also helps me to comprehend how the cast would be affected in more of a traumatic aspect and the emotions that must be presented in order to provide more of a realistic atmosphere for the audience members in the suffering and pain that many people had endured when living in years of fear from the aggressive patriarchy and how the population's human right's had been minimalized for the main purpose of allowing these domestic men in higher authority to dictate the lifestyles of these victims and gain more power over inflicting violence on the population, therefore making them too afraid to stand against the government and the corrupt justice system.

This had also helped me to grasp the main character's place in society and the realistic point of view of what it must have been like for women to live in this world, in which they were not permitted to involve themselves in political issues and had to tend to domestic duties such as bearing children, cooking, and caring for the household. To this modern-day, in most terrorist groups, this still applies to women, in which as they are viewed as the 'lesser' gender, they do not receive education and instead must be taught the ways of a housewife, and if they are to not abide by this lifestyle, the women suffer many severe consequences i.e. sexual assault/rape, murder, etc.

This then links back to the military junta as they had asserted their authority through violence and due to this they were greatly recognized as a right-wing terrorist group. Los Desaparecidos had mainly consisted of males as many women were afraid to stand against the patriarchy as they feared that they would put their families in harm's way, and as they had been brought up in a society that had inflicted that females were purely recognized as the 'lesser' gender in which they hadn't believed that they were confident enough or worthy to stand against the corrupt justice system, as they were labelled as weak for many years.

During the year 1976, this is where the military had seized power of authority over the country, Argentina, and this was done so that they could destroy the campaign of left-wing terrorism, as they were encouraging many people to stand against the domestic patriarchy, which had led to the mass murder of many innocent victims at the hands of these higher men in authority so that they could establish the amount of power that they heled, in which they were technically 'above the law'. Not only protestors and activists of this movement but those that were associated with them would also be detained, in an attempt to apparently keep the community 'safe'.

In the year, 1983, the organization CONADEP [ the national commission on the dissapeared] had been formed in order to help the victims of this terrorist-inflicted event gain justice and retribution for the loss of their loved ones and the trauma that they had endured for many years when Los Desaparecidos had occurred. Their mission had been to investigate each case of every individual that had disappeared and the family members that had been severely affected by the loss of their lost loved ones. These cases had been documented and written in detail on the basis of the torture that these victims had endured, the disappearance and details of the victims' abductions, and the executions that had been carried out dated back from 1976 to the end of this saddening occurrence, 1983.

In order to restore human rights for the population and to create a new justice system that serves the purpose of punishing those that have actually committed illegal acts rather than punishing many innocent victims, a new government had been formed, in which they had immediately carried out hearings to penalize the offenders that were involved in these illegal acts i.e. kidnapping, torturing, and murdering many innocent victims for the sheer pleasure of gaining more power and an increase in social status in which these people would also receive more money for the cruel acts that they would commit.

The next slide on the website concludes with a list of all of the individuals/groups responsible for the additional trauma that many people had endured and the fear that they had felt on a regular basis. This slide has been sectioned into four categories in order to reveal exactly how they had contributed to the violation of many victims' human rights and their involvement in the disappearance of 30,000 people. It also includes the remote areas in which secret detention centres had been created for where these victims were held and detained for a long period of time, there are many links that focus on the perspective of many offenders who feel guilty for the pain that they had caused, and it also reveals more personal information on the whereabouts of these people to this day. For example:

. Junta members [political/military groups], the top officers, and ministers of Argentina: This page has individually listed many of the assaulters, their place in society, their involvement with the government/higher men in power, and how they contributed to the death of victims. An example of this is a military navy officer, Adolfo Francisco Scilingo, who had confessed the following: "They were unconscious. we stripped them, and when the flight commander gave the order, we opened the door and threw them out, naked, one by one. That is the story, and nobody can deny it" Gray, P. (1995) Argentina: waves from the past (online)available from: www.yendor.com/vanished/junta/scilingo.html

This quote reveals the cruel and inhumane acts that many military members of society had committed to appease to the domestic patriarchy gaining more power and restoring the image of fear and violence onto the members of the community. This offender was reminiscing about this particular event in order to link it back to the dirty war that had also occurred in Argentina. This name was given for the domestic men in power that had violated the justice system and the military junta's involvement in terrorism when kidnapping, torturing, and murdering over 30,000 victims. The dirty war had been created to appeal to Operation condor, which was a campaign that had been backed by the United States to increase political oppression and make the population become submissive to the higher men in power, which would lead to them gaining more authority and control over these people's lives, in which they could dictate how each and every person had lived their day-to-day lifestyle i.e. creating a set of rules that people were forced to abide by.

. Repressors, abductors, torturers: this group had typically been formed in order to commit all of the illegal activity so that the higher men in power i.e. members of the government, could keep their pristine image and to not get blood on their own hands. Effectively, they were giving the orders to this precise group of men in authoritative power rather than running their own reputation by getting involved. This section involves an alphabetical order of the individuals that were labelled as a part of this precise group and it also lists the following for each person:

- a code name/nickname that was given to a person so that is would be easier for them to go into hiding if found that they had violated the system of the law [from international government members and organizations].

- a rank of importance that they had in terms of relation to the domestic men in power and the social status, income, fame, and recognition they would get depending on how high they had ranked in this system.

- the affiliation/ military unit that these people had belonged to i.e. army, navy, etc.

- a position or role that they had held within these military units, therefore also contributing to the ranking that would be viewed by society and the population i.e. a corporal, officer, etc.

- a location where this person was mainly active when tending to these inhumane acts i.e. a specific detention centre that they would remain in.

- a precise number of testimony files in which the person's name had been mentioned within hearings so that the victims could gain justice for what had happened to them.

The repressors, torturers, and abductors would usually place a hood or blindfold on the victims before kidnapping them and taking them to the remote detention centres where they would be held for a long period of time, with no information on how long their sentences would be until the eventual time of their release. If they had asked the names of their abductors, the higher men in power would usually use nicknames so that they could not be traced back to the illegal activities that they had committed when detaining and torturing many victims.

. repressors cited in Italian court case: The prosecutors and human rights activists that were based in Italy in the year 1996,  these people had focused on the attempt to bring around thirty-seven Argentine repressors to court in order to bring these offenders to justice. These repressors have been accused of being involved in torturing and kidnapping the victims of Los Desaparecidos who were Italian but who were living in Argentina during the years 1976 to 1983. On this slide, there is a list of the approximate number that records the amount of Italians that were living in Argentina in the time of their disappearance. Here, it also lists their personal details such as their name, place of birth, and date of birth. For example:
Name- Pedro Alberto Duran Saenz
Place of birth- Buenos Aires
Date of birth- 27/06/1939

. military uprisings: In the year, 1930, the first military coup had been created for the purpose of protesting against the democratic-elected government of Hipólito Yrigoyen [ an Argentine politician and two-time elected president of Argentina]. When the legal proceedings had begun to take place, after the CONADEP had provided final documentation in regards to all of the trauma that the victims of Los Desaparecidos had endured, there had been an increased amount of pressure inflicted on the military as they were suffering from many lawsuits and legal action to ensure that everyone involved in Los Desaparecidos was brought to justice, and this had also led to the pressure inflicting the democratic government in terms of the political decisions that they had made which had contributed to the control over the population's independence and human rights. In 1986, after many military officers had been sentenced to prison after their illegal acts which had been committed from 1976 to 1983, a new law had been established, which was called " the final point", and it had stated that those higher people in authority who have not yet been charged with their illegal acts committed in the years 1976 to 1983, would not be included in the juridical process.

After witnessing the trials and the imprisonment sentences for each of these offenders, many extremists who were a part of the right-wing terrorist groups had created multiple uprisings that were used to protest against the Alfonsín government and their superiors, who had cooperated with the newly elected democratic parties. Many of these extremists had resulted in barricading themselves in military bases in an attempt to put a stop to the trials of their colleagues, of who were not involved under the final point law. These groups were referred to as the " Carapintadas" [the painted faces] and this is due to the fact that their trademark was smearing black paint on their faces along with bitumen.

The first up rise that this movement were involved in, was led by Aldo Rico [ a lieutenant colonel] and it had taken place in the year, 1987. This had started when Mayor Ernesto Barreiro had refrained from making an appearance in court, which had led to the Carapintadas invading the school of Infantry, where this movement had taken place. As the group were not appeased by this act, they had decided to revolt again in 1988, in the city of Monte Caseros. However, the members of this movement had been defeated after a few days of fighting. Those who were still standing on 17th January 1988, had surrendered and were then arrested, approximately 300 of them were imprisoned and sentenced.

When imprisoned, the Carapintadas were permitted free phone calls, and they were treated in comfort when awaiting trial/ to be released. Whilst this had occurred, a third party of this group [the more extreme faction] had caused a third up rise which had taken place in December, 1988. This movement had begun with the defection of approximately fifty-four members of a coast guard squadron [ Albatross unit] and they had continued in the military barrack 'Villa Martelli' in which they had reappeared. This up rise had been led by Mohammed Ali Seineldin [ a colonel and leader of the Carapintadas]. Unlike the two previous revolts, this up rise had proved to be successful with only the outcome of only two arrests being made. Many of the demands that Seineldin had made, had also been met.

In October 1989, the newly elected president [Carlos Menem] had signed four amnesty degrees, which had permitted around thirty-nine of convicted offenders in the 1976-1983 repression era free, along with those individuals that were convicted of negligence during the Falklands war, 164 members of the Carapintadas, the Albatross unit, the Air force, and the members of the military intelligence who had contributed to these up rises. Over a year later, a fourth up rise had occurred in December, 1990 and led again by Seineldin, from his prison cell, with the help of the Navy commodore, Luis Fernando Estrella. This revolt had failed with around 600 arrests being made, and this rebellion had actually led to a great amount of deaths, therefore decreasing the popularity of the Carapintadas as a group and further diminished their appeal.

In December of 1990, the Mayor had completed an appeasement policy that had given amnesty to all of those who were involved/ that had contributed who were responsible for the Falklands war, However, in March 1992, there had been news of a bomb explosion located in Buenos Aires which had killed approximately 29 people and caused sustained injuries to 252 people. In 1944, a seven-story building in Buenos Aires had been destroyed by 660 pounds of explosives, which had resulted in the death of 86 people and 120 people had sustained injuries. The cause of this event had been traced back to members of the Carapintadas and members of the police. Some of the witnesses, including Emilio Morello, had been pardoned six years earlier by president Carlos Menem.

The Buenos Aires police that were involved in this event, were also famously well-known for their contribution to the repression era ( 1976-1983) in which they had involved themselves in many persecutions of human rights, in which they would assert their dominant power over the population by relying mainly on control and violence.

. Falklands war: This was an undeclared and traumatic event that had lasted for around ten weeks. The war had occurred between Argentina and the United Kingdom in the year, 1982. This war had taken place over two British-dependent territories: the Falkland Islands, and the South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands. In this section of the website, there is a detailed chronological timeline that gradually discusses each perpetrator's involvement in the Falklands war and the outcome that it had led to altogether. The result of the Falklands war was that the British were the victors.

. Secret detention centres: Throughout the repression era, 1976 to 1983, around 340 detention centres had been created and operated throughout the entirety of Argentina. The higher men in authority had established their own legal system for these prisons in which they had determined their own prison sentences for the victims that they had detained, and as many of these individuals were innocent of the crimes that they had been charged with, they were still forced to endure more torture in the prison for a long period of time. These detention centres were commonly referred to as 'Prisoner assessment centres'. The main purpose that these prisons had was to hold and detain over thousands of Los Desaparecidos victims and to be re-educated into modern society, in which the military dictatorship had consistently tortured the prisoners due to the fact that they had disobeyed the rules that society had put into place and therefore, disrespected their motherland, so they had to be punished.

As these detention centres were not legally a part of the prison system and the higher men in authority had established their own control in these buildings, many illegal activities had been committed such as torturing, kidnapping, and murdering innocent victims of the population and they had further diminished them in an attempt to abolish their human rights and independency. The dirty war had linked back to the reason behind the creation of these detention centres, as it had also formed a clearer image to the population of what tends to happen if you do not abide by the rules, therefore having many people refrain from trying to gain any independence and to allow their lives to be controlled by the patriarchy, in which they had experienced misery and violence on a regular basis. These detention centres were commonly filled with trade unionists, human rights activists, priests, nuns, physiologists, journalists, students, dissidents, pacifists, pupils, teachers, actors, workers, housewives, parents, spouses, and anyone who was suspected of the conspiration in undermining the 'Western Christian way of life'.

The first detention centre was transformed from a deserted rural school which had held up to forty prisoners and this was created in the province:  Escuelita de Famaillá in Tucumán. This detention centre was created purely as an experiment in order to allow the higher men in authority to view how they will punish those that had stood against the corrupt justice system and to ensure that they are held in an area where nobody will be able to find them. Many of the secret detention centres were usually in small houses and cellars in order to remain as remote as possible and throughout the years, they began to become situated in areas such as old and run-down building structures. It was ideal that the chosen areas were not renovated in order to ensure that the detainees live in as much squalor as humanly possible and to ensure that nobody will bother to look in these areas.

Adjustments made to these areas had included setting up cells and installing torture rooms. Two types of cells were made, 'the lion cage' which could consist of multiple prisoners, and the 'individual' cages which held only one person usually. The higher men in authority had made it their main priority to ensure that the prisoners are held in the most inhumane and uninhabitable areas in order to drive them to a further state of misery and depression. This had included:
. basements
. attics
. sheds
. huts
. vacant garages
. stables

Each detention centre had been run by members of the military junta, police force members, and Gendarmeria personnel [ the armed boarder place that were situated in remote areas]. The task forces had controlled the secret detention centres and they had dealt with topics such as:
. intelligence- using interrogations which had involved multiple forms of torture in order to get the victims to confess, these were called intelligence units.

. logistics/operations [which also include the financial administration of the task force and the maintenance of each task force]

These secret detention centres had included private sections for the purpose of allowing the military officers and those in higher authority that had run these centres, to have a comfortable environment where they have all necessities at their disposal in order to tend to their duties 24/7 in which they could inflict more pain on the victims. The officer's quarters had included a dining room, showers, dormitories, a kitchen, an infirmary for all prisoners that were ill and badly injured prior to their interrogation, a photographic and fingerprint laboratory, and an X-rays office. Whereas the prisoners were allocated a minuscule area of the detention centre, in which they would be living in squalor.

Living conditions of secret detention centres: Each detention centre had been designated multiple torture rooms that had been used to interrogate many victims of Los Desaparecidos into submission of providing useful information on the movement of the protestors and activists against the corrupt justice system. These rooms had consisted of an iron table, an iron bed, a tub filled with water, a battery-operated telephone, wires/electrical prods that were the main instrument used to torture these victims and these were set at two different intensities: first= 125 volts, typically causing pain all over the body, and 220 volts, used to induce vomiting due to the extreme amount of pain being inflicted onto the body and leaving ulcerations in the skin. In these interrogations, the victims had been completely stripped until they were nude and they were also blindfolded so that they could not remember any physical details of their abductors, in case they had escaped and wanted to report the perpetrators.

Torture: Many prisoners had died due to the extreme amount of torture that had been inflicted onto them, and occasionally had visited these torture rooms to officially declare the deaths of many of these individuals. Another form of torture was called 'submarino' in which the officials would drown the victims into submission of information and as this water was particularly unhygienic, it would also impact the victim's health further until they were no longer strong enough to deflect from the patriarchy's crave for information in regards to the up rise of the protestors and activists.

In terms of torture with electrical prods, these wires would be placed on more sensitive parts of the body in order to make the interrogation more impactful in terms of pain level. For example, they would be applied to teeth, temples, ears, gums, genital areas, and breasts. Aside from this another form or 'submarino' had been created, which was called: dry submarino, in which officials would suffocate the victims with plastic bags until they were on the brink of death due to the lack of oxygen. Another effective form of torture was called 'burial' where the officials would force the victims to be completely naked and they would then proceed to bury them until only their heads were above ground, and they would be left without food and water for a matter of days. The final and most impactful form of torture was when the officials had forced the prisoners to witness the torture of their loved ones, and this was most effective in terms of getting the prisoners to confess.

The victims were forced to remain hooded throughout the entire time of their abduction and they were permanently handcuffed for the majority of their prison sentences. These officials were so built up on de-humanizing these victims to ensure that they are miserable and in a great state of depression, that they were not even permitted to turn their heads unless they had been ordered to otherwise they would face multiple forms of torture that could be on-going for hours/days/weeks. No talking or discussions were permitted amongst other prisoners as this was suspected as the victims forming a plan to apparently overthrow the government and standing united together within the detention centres. These officials had wanted these prisoners to let go of their grasp on hope so that it was simpler to gain more information from them. The prisoner's hoods were only lifted at mealtimes so that they were able to eat and drink. Victims were even forbidden to use their own names so that they were demoralized further.

A meal that many prisoners would be forced to eat in order to retain strength for their next interrogation would include a boiled mate drink [that hadn't included any milk or sugar], boiled cornflour, soup, and a piece of stale bread. They were only fed once or twice a day, and if they were to not abide by the rules of these detention centres, then they would be starved. Sleeping schedules had differed, in which many prisoners would be forced to wake up in later hours of the night/ early hours of the morning to be interrogated and tortured, and even murdered. Many prisoners would be woken up by the officials raping them, beating them, filling the cell with a great amount of chilling water and the same situation in regards to the prisoner's mattresses.

Negligence of the officials towards the prisoners had mainly applied to the hygiene of each victim being held in the detention centres in which the prisoners were forced to remain in the same items of clothing for a long period of time, which had further enhanced their depression whilst being held hostage, and these clothes were filled with sweat,  vomit, blood, and urine [ many people weren't permitted to use the toilet at any given time, which had led to them defecating and urinating onto themselves/ in their cells]. These prisoners were not often permitted to use the shower, and rather than this, the prisoners would be grouped together and then hosed down. They were only allowed to use the toilet twice a day, in which they would also be closely supervised.

This negligence had also applied to pregnant women in which they were kept in the same captivity of officers inflicting pain on them and not permitting them to have any sort of medical attention when in labour. These women had to give birth in the most un-hygienic areas such as shabby infirmaries, kitchen tables, or on corridor floors. The hood was not permitted to be removed at any time of the woman giving birth and after bearing their children, these women would tend to be murdered by the officials so that they could not search for their babies after finishing their prison sentences. These babies were then illegally adopted by members of the higher patriarchy, they would be gifted to close friends and family members of the domestic society/ military junta.

Many executions were committed in these secret detention centres in which innocent individuals were forced to engage in the horror of standing directly in front of a firing squad, and many of them were also led to believe by the officials that they were going to die at that very moment, and whilst a great amount of prisoners were, this was used as a tactic in order to enforce them to reveal any information in regards to the protestors and activists aims on overthrowing the government. Various groups of the detainees that were no longer of sufficient use to the task forces would be 'transferred' and this word was used as a façade to cover up the fact that the officials would then murder these innocent victims. These prisoners, a great variety of them being sedated, would be transported in trucks to unknown locations, awaiting their prison sentences and deaths. Nearly  30,000 men and women had been 'transferred' during the repression era. There had been a variety of techniques that had been used to cover up the mass murders of these innocent people and this had included the following:
- prisoners were shot and then the bodies had been burnt
- prisoners were narcoticized and flown over the ocean, in which they would then be thrown [still alive] out of the plane and they would drown
- bodies of the prisoners would be disfigured so that it was made impossible for people to identify them and trace them back to the illegal activity of the patriarchy

However, there was some luck for certain prisoners in which they were released as the same as they were abducted and they would only be released in the terms that they had agreed on in which they do not tell anyone about the torture that they or anyone else had endured whilst being held captive in these secret detention centres, and after this, they were transported to a remote area in a car and then dropped off onto a discreet street corner in which they were un-cuffed and had their hoods taken off. The prisoners were not permitted to turn around and look at the officials as they were told if they were to do so, they would instantly be shot.

On this page of the website, there is a detailed list that includes every active secret detention centre throughout the years in which Los Desaparecidos had occurred and these have been put into order of area and year of creation of each detention centre. This information consists of thirteen pages and also includes a map in order to provide a clearer perspective of how many detention centres had been placed around the entirety of South America.

Where are they today?:

- Antonio Bussi wins Tucuman governor race: A retired general of the political right-wing party had won an election for the role of Governor on 2nd July and this was for the small state province 'Tucuman', located in Argentina. 43% of Bussi's votes had derived from preliminary unofficial projections and  27.9% of the votes had arrived from the Jusicialista party. 22.3% had differed from the UCR, and 1.7% of the vote had come from the left-wing association, FREPASO. Despite running for this political role, Bussi had been convicted of directing the torture and disappearance of over 500 victims of Los Desaparecidos, when the dirty war had occurred in Argentina. Writer, Ernesto Sabato, who had led CONADEP during the 1980s, had stated that Bussi's election was a 'horror' as if it wasn't for the final point law being implemented, this governor would still be in jail for his crimes. To which Bussi had then responded that Sabato was abusing "the freedom of expression that cost the country so much blood." Reuter (1995) Antonio Bussi Wins Tucuman Governor Race (online) available from: www.yendor.com/vanished/junta/bussi-elected.html

The promotion of Alfredo Astiz: After expressing a sincere amount of regret towards the military's use of torture and murder that had been inflicted on the leftist community due to their political beliefs, Astiz had then praised the morality of a member of the navy and his title of most famous 'dirty warrior', in which Astiz had then stated that he could be promoted. During the repression era, Alfredo had kidnapped and murdered two French nuns along with also kidnapping and murdering a teenage girl. Despite being referred to as the 'blond angel', Astiz had gained access to human rights groups such as Madres de la plaza de mayo, and due to this he had been wanted by the members of the French democratic society for the disappearance of nuns 1977. The Swedish government had also linked him back to the death of Dagmar Hegelin, a Swedish teenage girl who was kidnapped and murdered alongside many of the missing protestors and activists in Argentina.

- Jorge Acosta and the murder of Dagmar Hegelin: In the year, 1977, this Swedish teenage girl had been shot by Acosta in Buenos Aires, in a military extermination camp. She was still alive after this had occurred, yet severely wounded. Dagmar had been kept in ESMA, in which it was typical for prisoners to only survive around 10 to 20 days and during this time, many of the prisoners had endured a great amount of torture, which was covered as an 'assessment' as to the behaviour of these people and whether or not they were willing to succumb to the authoritative power of the officials and provide information on the recent movement of protestors and activists against the corrupt justice system. This was also applied to Hegelin, who was kidnapped by mistake and forced to experience the same miserable lifestyle as these other protestors, and this was purely due to a misidentification. However, after realising this, Acosta had stated "Letting her free is out of the question, we must not give in to public opinion. We must appear strong". Torbiörnsson, P. (section E, page,4) (1996) Almost after twenty years: Dagmar's murderer exposed. Retrieved from: www.yendor.com/vanished/junta/acosta.html

This had then led to Acosta murdering Dagmar so that she wasn't able to spread the news of what pain she had endured and bared witness too when being abducted, as he was fearful that the public would then try to overthrow the government and that these officials would be given prison sentences for their multiple violations of human rights. Due to the impunity of higher men in power such as Acosta, being viewed in the perspective of the government as him 'protecting the country', he wasn't given any jail time and was allowed to resume his normal lifestyle.

Argentine general jailed for racist remarks: Guillermo Suarez Mason was charged with racial discrimination when making comments in a magazine in the year, 1996. In this, he had stated that he does not trust Jews at the time of the dictatorship that left thousands dead and missing. BBC News Channel (2003) Argentine general jailed for racist remarks (online) available from:news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3019090.stm

Suarez has been accused of violating multiple human rights throughout Argentina's Dirty war, which had occurred in the dictatorship of the domestic patriarchy from the year 1976 to 1983. For example, In Germany, he is a wanted man due to his cruel act of murdering a German student, Elizabeth Kaesemann, and he had also abducted her in the year, 1977.

Aside from this, he has also been convicted of kidnapping and murdering approximately eight Italians during Argentina's military regime. After this, he had been sentenced to life in imprisonment. In order to try and resolve this and defend his status in the process, Suarez had said "Jews are Argentines but in a different group". Since this, he has been put on house arrest in Buenos Aires, after being charged with the kidnapping of many children throughout the Dirty war. It is thought to be that around 300 children had been stripped from their mother's arms and then given to families that were associated with the members of the patriarchy and those who were also put up for adoption in the political system [where they were given to families that had right-wing beliefs/ supported the right-wing associates.

Mothers of Plaza de mayo: In order to support those who had lost their loved ones, and in the process also stand against the patriarchy in order to support the protestors and activists that have been lost after they had mysteriously disappeared at the hands of the domestic men in power through the use of aggression and violence. This all-female group had been formed of grieving mothers and grandmothers who had set out to find their missing loved ones, after they had been missing for a long period of time. Gradually, the women who had gained independence and stood united together, were able to become a public symbolization of both courage and human rights activism.

These women had worn black in order to resemble their grief of losing their missing loved ones and the mourning that they had endured as their families had been torn apart, along with the misery inflicted on the members of the public from the aggression used by the domestic members of society. These grieving women had spent every Thursday protesting in the area, Plaza de Mayo, in order to gain information on their missing loved ones and relatives. Each member of the Madres de la plaza de mayo had used white handkerchiefs that had imprinted the names of these mothers' disappeared sons and daughters, and these were then placed around their heads, in order to bring more attention to the whereabouts of their missing children.

Alongside this, they had also carried around images of their children in order to bring the public's attention to how the patriarchy had been brainwashing the entire population and to stand united against these higher men in power. As a result of these women protesting against the patriarchy, along with their leader who had formed this female group, Azucena Villaflor de Vicenti, many of these women had disappeared and weren't found for a long period of time, some even to this day.

# data[].attributes.body
Human Rights Watch | Defending Human Rights Worldwide (hrw.org)

Human Rights Watch (HRW) » ngomonitor (ngo-monitor.org)

Robert L. Bernstein Wiki, Biography, Age, Career, Relationship, Net Worth & Know About Everything (wikitrusted.com)

Aryeh Neier - Wikipedia

BLM – George Soros (Open Society Foundations) – 9/11 Reckoning (wordpress.com)

American Civil Liberties Union (aclu.org)

Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) - InfluenceWatch

League For Industrial Democracy | League Industrial Democracy | Technology Trends (primidi.com)

BDS Movement |

Oxfam Novib » ngomonitor (ngo-monitor.org)

Rockefeller Brothers Fund » ngomonitor (ngo-monitor.org)

Sarah Leah Whitson - DAWN (dawnmena.org)

The Goldstone Report "Reconsidered"- A Critical Analysis » ngomonitor (ngo-monitor.org)

Kenneth Roth | Human Rights Watch (hrw.org)

International Criminal Court - Wikipedia

Hamas - Wikipedia

Omar Shakir | Human Rights Watch (hrw.org)

Defense for Children International - Palestine » ngomonitor (ngo-monitor.org)

American Friends Service Committee | Quaker action for a just world (afsc.org)

Israel: 50 Years of Occupation Abuses | Human Rights Watch (hrw.org)

Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict – Children and Armed Conflict (un.org)

Bed and Breakfast on Stolen Land: Tourist Rental Listings in West Bank Settlements | HRW

israel0518_reportcover_8.5x11_HIGHRES (hrw.org)

Occupation, Inc.: How Settlement Businesses Contribute to Israel’s Violations of Palestinian Rights | HRW

A Matter of Civil Rights | HuffPost The World Post

The purpose behind the human rights watch is to stand against acts of discrimination and injustice. This group upholds political freedom, protects humans from inhumane conflict during wartime eras and, brings offenders to justice. The human rights watch is intent on researching into and exposing the human rights violations and applying this to the abusers held accountable for these certain acts. This group had first been founded on the first of January in the year, 1978 and it is mainly based in New York [due to the headquarters being there]. Human Rights Watch was originally co-founded by Robert L. Bernstein, who was a human rights activist and an American publisher, and Aryeh Neier, is a human rights activist, who had also served as the President of George Soro's open society institute philanthropy network during the years 1993 to 2012, and he has also been recognized as the National director of the American civil liberties union during the years 1970 to 1978. Finally, he had been involved in the creation of the group SDS, which had stood for, students for a democratic society, which was the new left student organization that had existed from 1960 until 1969. It was originally created for the purpose of being a LID [ league for industrial democracy], which was a strict-ridden anti- communist socialist labour organization.

Human Rights Watch deliberately challenges governments and those higher in authority and they also respect the international human rights law. The group enlist the public and the international community in order to support the cause of the human rights law. The Human Rights Watch group is formed of independence and is greatly recognized as a nongovernmental organization which is then supported by the contributions from companies/ foundations and the public. The group do not accept no governmental funds, both directly and indirectly. This is due to the fact that in previous years, the government had covered for these inhumane acts on victims and the community, which is precisely why this founding group do not indulge in the finance of the government, as it is effectively viewed as 'blood money'. This group's website page essentially brings awareness to the inhuman acts that occur worldwide and how it is possible for the community to involve themselves by educating everyone on what is occurring / donating a charitable fund to help these people, and to recognize the injustice that is being created. This is supported by video evidence of what is happening across the world and how it is affecting the public, families, etc.

This specifically applies back to the contextual factors behind the play, A mother's voice, as the Human rights watch group had protected the people of Los Desaparecidos [ a group of victims who were known as 'subversives' whereas they were protestors/activists who were kidnapped, tortured, and murdered, by the patriarchy due to them refraining from abiding by the rules that society had put in place so that the domestic patriarchy can remain in power and prevent the population from gaining any sense of independence as individuals as it would decrease the power of authority that these members of the hierarchy had]. This had been done when the group were able to successfully track the evidence that will help these victims to imprison their offenders and also to offer these victims compensation for the pain and trauma that they had endured. Whilst this is not necessarily portrayed in the play, when linking the involvement of Los Desaparecidos in A mother's voice [mainly resembled through the characters Baptista and Ramon], this then directly links back to the historical context of what had occurred during the 70s when the government had been caught committing these inhumane acts that had involved kidnapping, murdering, and torturing innocent people.

The facts in relation to who/what company and foundations fund this organization are included in the following:

. Throughout the two years, 2019&2020, there had been a large income of approximately 75.9 million American dollars that had been distributed to this organization, the total expenses had included at least 89 million dollars, and 5.9 million dollars of this had been contributed towards the Middle East and North Africa.

. The Human Rights Watch had dispensed multiple charities that was purposeful for providing 'partnership and support'. This had then included, the open society institute [ a network that had supported civil society groups and had also financially supported them], ford foundation [ a private foundation that had become dedicated to advancing human welfare in the entire world], Oak foundation [ another foundation who focus on addressing worldwide issues such as global/ societal/ social and environmental concern], and so forth.

. During an entire decade, from the year 2008 to 2018, there was a total expense that had been distributed to the Human Rights Watch organization of 641 million American dollars.

. There was criticism that had been been inflicted onto the group due to their main rule, of refusing to accept government funds, both directly and in-directly. This was from the confederation, Oxfam Novib, which had taken care of seventeen organizations that had been networked together in around ninety-two countries. HRW had responded with " we accept no government funds from these private foundations, only privately sourced revenues".

. From 2015 to 2020, within these five years, the Human Rights Watch organization had received 4.5 million American dollars from the Ford foundation.

. In the year 2017, the Rockefeller Brothers foundation [a philanthropic foundation that had originally been formed by various members of the Rockefeller family], had distributed a sum of ten thousand American dollars to HRW, for it's Israel-Palestine programme.

. HRW had held a fundraising dinner during the year, 2009, which was in Saudi Arabia and it had used anti-Israel bias from HRW's perspective ,and the member who had supported pro-Israel pressure groups, which had solicited funds from prominent members of Saudi Arabian society. In this event, the director of the Middle East and North African division, Sarah Leah Whitson [who was an executive director of  Human Right's watch, alongside this title], she had boasted that the allegations of HRW's human right's violations had been instrumental for the Goldstone investigation during 2009, which was a United-Nations fact finding mission on the Gaza conflict, a war that had been started when Israel had launched a large military campaign.

. During the year, 2020,it had been revealed that the human rights activist, Ken Roth, had accepted a donation of 470,000 American dollars  in 2012 from a Saudi Arabian estate tycoon. This had been done in order to have people not support advocacy in the LGBTQ community within the Middle East and North Africa. In response to this, the Human Rights Watch had returned the full donation of this back to the original disposer of the sum. During the month, December, of 2020, HRW had then published a statement that disclosed that they will not accept any government funds, and this was due to this previous event that had occurred. They have also disclosed that they would refuse to support any organizations that would compromise what this group stands for.

These are the activities that this group has orchestrated throughout the recent years in modern society include:

. The systematic non-government organization monitor had demonstrated that HRW disproportionately focused on the condemnations of Israel, along with the publications in relation to Israel, which therefore had lacked in credibility. This group also promoted an agenda that had purely been based on the narrative from the Palestine victims and the aggression of the Israeli's.

. There had been a distorted legal rhetoric which had repetitively accused Israel of their apparent war crimes. This had included, serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, along with collective punishment, and adopting a culture of impunity. This then applies the standards of Israel as a part of it's boarder delegitimization campaign.

. The HRW had promoted a right of return for the Palestinians , which had then put a decision into effect, of which had effectively meant the elimination of Israel, as the national state of the Jewish people.

.  Many Lobbies, the International criminal court, and various other frameworks had promoted false/ distorting and unverifiable allegations that had been put against Israel had played a major role in creating the discredited Goldstone report, therefore submitting numerous statements on the commission of equating Israel to Hamas [a Palestinian fundamentalist, militant, and nationalist organization] which had then led to the false accusations of Israel 'willing fully' murdering many civilians.

. During the year 2021, in June, the Human Rights Watch organization, along with the Palestine director, Omar Shakir, had both taken participation within a conference called : Challenging Apartheid in Palestine- Reclaiming the narrative, formulating a vision,  which had also been sponsored by multiple people that had included: it was hosted by Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University, alongside various conference organisers and sponsors, and many participants that had been linked to many terror groups that had included: Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the popular front for the liberation of Palestine, and Hezbollah.

. Also in January 2021, HRW had published a press release that had stated Israel will " provide covid-19 vaccines to more than 4.5 million Palestinians that had been occupied in West Bank and Gaza strip". According to HRW, the Israeli and Palestinian director, Omar Shakir, had stated that "Nothing can justify today's reality in parts of the West Bank, where people on one side of the street are receiving vaccines, while those on the other do not, based on whether they're Jewish or Palestinian... The virus does not discriminate in who it infects, but the government of Israeli discriminates in who it chooses to inoculate against it".

. This group had falsely acclaimed that Israel had legal obligations in order to ensure that the covid-19 vaccines would be provided for the Palestinians, which left to them ignoring that as the Palestinians had resided in Jerusalem, in which they were a part of the Israeli health care system: that underneath the Oslo Accords, it then states that the PA is actually responsible for the health care of the Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza, and for themselves, the PA had proceeded to adopt it's own vaccine policy for the population.

. During December, 2019, the Human Rights Watch organization had published their own report, which was called "Born without civil rights", this had discussed the deprived generations of Palestinians that had resided in the West Bank  of their basic civil human rights. The report had mis leaded multiple people as it shortens the duration of quotes along with the withheld information that had focused mainly around the whitewashing of terrorism. The main examples in this had included various individuals who are members of worldwide recognized terrorist organizations or/and groups that have been closely linked to these type of organizations, also including people who have been linked to acts such as incitement, membership in terrorist organizations, and terror financing.

. In the year, 2019, during March, whilst their was an occurrence of violence on the Gaza border, the research assistant: Abier Almasri, had stated that Israel had 'repeatedly fired' on protestors that had posed no threat to life, no pursuits to expansive open-fire orders from senior officials that contravene the International human rights law standards. This precise assistant had blatantly ignored the violent nature behind the protests, and this would have considered of an organized armed attack on the Israeli boarder, along with the various attempts to destroy and breach the boarder fence, sustained arson, rocket, and mortar attacks on the Israeli civilian communities.

. In June 2017, Omar Shakir had spoken at the UN committee on the exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian people. In this meeting, he had made a statement on Israel which disclosed " how effectively it has turned Gaza into an open air prison".

. He had also spoken at a hearing in congress, during the year, June 2017, on " how persistent human rights violations, systematic impunity, discrimination and a hyper-militarized environment affect the lives of the Palestinian children growing up under a military occupation with no end in sight". This event had then been sponsored by Defence for children International-Palestine[ DCI-P], which is a child-rights organization that is dedicated to defending and protecting the rights of children that live in the West Bank. Alongside this, there was also the organization that had supported this congress meeting, called American friends service committee, which is a religious society that had been dedicated towards peace and social justice for the United States, that would be recognized worldwide.

. The Human Rights Watch organization had released a statement , in June 2017, that was called " 50 years of occupation abuses" which had been focused on how Israel had occupied the West Bank and Gaza strip and how they had controlled these areas with repression. This statement had linked back to the accusations of the Israeli's major violations of international human rights law and humanitarian law, alongside the war crimes that had apparently been committed by these people. This statement mentions the International Crime Court [ICC] and their involvement when talking about the  crimes that had been committed in both Israel and Palestine.

. During March 2017, Jo Becker [ the children's rights advocacy director] had spoken at a press conference that was created to launch a policy note by Watchlist on children and armed conflict, a security council working group. This group had urged the UN security general  to include "Israel Defence forces" and add this to the list of "parties known to commit grave violations against children".

. In the year, 2015, the Human Rights Watch group had led a  concerted, yet failed non- government organization campaign which was used to include the Israeli army on the list of parties that were recognized for committing violations against children.

. HRW had published a report in December, during the year,2010, that was called "Separate and Unequal" which had accused Israel of discriminating against the Palestinians in the West Bank, based purely on race, ethnicity, and national origin.

. The Human Rights Watch group was actively a participant during the 2001 Durban  conference, which was a meeting that had consisted of the United Nations fight against racism. This conference had solidified the strategy of delegitimizing Israel as a supposed "apartheid regime" throughout international isolation which had previously been based on the South African model.

The American blog, Lawfare, have included this information ion their website to bring more attention to the cause behind Human Rights Watch:

. The Human Rights Watch organization had led an investigation, along with ICC [ International Criminal Court] that had targeted the saddening military event that had occurred in Israel. This had then promoted an agenda that had pushed the PA to ascend to the ICC, which had lobbied the prosecutor of this criminal court, and had then published reports with conflicted arguments which had included alleged Israeli violations of international law.

. During March, in the year 2021, human right's activist [Ken Roth] had decided to follow along with the court's reason to launching a formal investigation in the alleged war crimes that had been committed by Israel in the state of Palestine, this activist had then  proceeded to tweet the following: "The international Criminal Court wouldn't need to investigate Israeli and Palestinian war crimes if Israeli and Palestinian authorities had been prosecuting their own war criminals. They haven't been. At all".

This is a detailed list of all of the activities that the human rights organization, located in Palestine [BDS] which is similar to HRW in the concept of protesting against injustice:

. The Human Rights Watch group had lobbied an intensive amount of support of the UN discriminatory database, therefore operating across the 1949 Armistice line, which was aimed at bolstering the BDS campaigns against Israel. The group, HRW, had signed many letters to the UN, which had called for the database to be executed without any further delay.

. During the year, 2016, in the month, November, Bashi had sent a letter to the UN's high commissioner for Human Rights, which had praised the most recent efforts, which had then established a UN boycott of Israel, and therefore offering three precise companies, which were to be included on a UN blacklist.

. In 2017, HRW had released a press statement which had applauded the database for building pressure on various businesses.

. In 2016, Human right's activists, Omar Shakir and Ken Roth, had met with the UN high commissioner, Michelle Bachelet, to assist the compiling the database.

. During April 2021, the Human right's group had published a report that had denied Israel's legitimacy as a Jewish state and this had been done by alleging that Israel had committed crimes of the apartheid and it had reduced all of the security policies in terms of 'demographic objectives'. The report had recommended that ' imposing targeted sanctions, including travel bans and asset freezes, against entities and officials'. Aside from this, they have conditioned arm sales and military and security assistance towards Israel.

. In December, 2018, in cooperation with the Israeli  non-government organization, Kerem Navot,  HRW had published a report that had been titled: bed and breakfast on stolen land. This had mentioned  the culmination of a two-year long BDS campaign that had purposely targeted air bnb. The report had consisted of numerous false claims and allegations in regard to the legal and  human rights responsibility of Air bnb, which had led to them allowing Israeli's from the West Bank area, so that they can list their properties.

. During the year,2018, in June,  the Human Rights Watch group had  issued a statement that had accused Israel of 'apparent' war crimes located in Gaza, during the Great March of return. This statement had inquired that " third countries should impose targeted sanctions" against the senior Israeli officers.

. In 2017, within the month September, HRW had published another report on "Israeli law and banking in the West Bank settlements" which had called for banks to 'comply with their own human rights responsibilities by ceasing settlement-related activities'. This would be done by 'providing services to and in settlements, which are illegal under international humanitarian law, alongside partnering with developers in new construction projects, and Israeli banks that make the existing settlements more sustainable, therefore enabling the expansion of the built-up area and then taking over the Palestinian land.

. According to the statement of Sari Bashi [a special advisor to the Programme office at the Human Rights Watch organization], she had said that " There are many, many steps banks can and should take to at the very least reduce their involvement in settlements, if not stop it entirely...if they choose not to take the steps, institutional investors who care about their own human rights activity should take action".

. During, 2018, in May, HRW then had issued another publication that had targeted Israeli banks. This was called " Bankrolling Abuse: Israeli Banks in West Bank settlements" alongside this, there was also a video with infographics. This report had made multiple false accusations and invents international law.

. Within the year, 2016, HRW had initiated a failed public campaign , and alongside this, with the Palestinian efforts, calling on FIFA to take certain measures against Israel and apparently "require the IFA to stop holding games inside the settlements and to stop allowing fields and halls in the settlements to be used for official competitions".

. In 2019, in the month of January, HRW had published a report on Occupation Inc, that was used for businesses to cease operations in Israeli West Bank settlements. Concurring with HRW's publication, one of the co-chairs of the Middle East North Africa advisory committee, Kathleen Peratis, had penned as a pro-BDS article in Ha'aretz.

These are key notes from the founder of HRW in which he highlights the ignorance of certain people within the organization for ignoring severe human rights violations:

. Due to the failures within the organization, one of the co-founders of the Human Right's Watch group, Robert Bernstein, had published an article in the New York Times, which had stated his strong criticism for the organization ignoring severe human right violations within closeted societies, and this had of course linked back to the anti-Israeli bias, along with "issuing reports.. that are helping those who wish to turn Israel into a pariah state".

. Bernstein had then expanded his knowledge with the ideas of a lecture in the University of Nebraska, located in Omaha, and this had noted that " Human Right Watch's attacks on almost every issue have become more and more hostile toward Israel".

Here are a variety of Key staff in this organization who have gone out of their own way to bring a higher amount of awareness to the Human Rights Watch organization and to further educate the public on the inhumane violations of human rights that occur on a regular basis worldwide:

. Ken Roth:
- In the Gazar war during 2014, Roth had made a tweet in reference to the conflict that had been occurring. This tweet had then been characterized by high levels of sarcasm, deep-seated hostility that had been directed at Israel, and vitriol.

- During July 2006, in response to a critique of the Human Right's watch organization report of the Lebanon war, Roth had proceeded to state the following: " an eye for an eye-or, more accurately in this case, twenty eyes for an eye- may have been the morality of some more primitive moment. But it is not the morality of international humanitarian law". This statement had then been decried by the New York Times as a "slur on the Jewish religion itself that is breath taking in it's ignorance. To suggest that Judaism is a ‘primitive’ religion incompatible with contemporary morality is to engage in supersessionism, the de-legitimization of Judaism, the basis of much antisemitism".

Omar Shakir:
- During October 2016, HRW had hired this human rights activist to serve as it's 'Israel and Palestine Country director'. He is a consistent supporter of a one-state framework and advocate BDS campaigns against Israel. During February 2017, he was denied a work visa by the Israeli government, however this did not prevent him from being permitted to enter Israel. However, in 2018, due to his ties with BDS, the ministry of  Interior had chosen not to renew Shakir's visa.

- In November, in the year, 2019, the Israeli High Court had rejected Shakir's appeal and had upheld the ruling of the Lower Court that his work visa wouldn't be renewed. During 2019, Shakir had finally left Israel.

Sarah Lee Whitson:
- This Human rights activist had served as a director in the Middle East and North African division throughout the years 2004-2019.

-During the year,2009,Whitson had visited Libya, claiming to have discovered a 'Tripoli' spring. She had praised, Sief Islam, as a leading reformer and when he had created an 'expanded space for discussion and debate'.

- During January 2020, the law professor, Eugene Kantorovich, had published an op-ed that had revealed the hypocrisy of Whitson, due to her being an active supporter of groups that had supported Armenian settlements in the Nagorno- Karabakh regions of Azerbaijan.

- She had published an op-ed in 2011, on the Huffington post " A matter of civil rights" that had abused the legacy of the US civil rights movement which had advanced the hatred towards Israel. In her op-ted  Whitson had mentioned: " We do not honour to Dr. Martin Luther King's legacy by supporting policies that promote racial discrimination and segregation".

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Music used in A mother's voice play 06.03.22

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Music used in A mother's voice play 06.03.22

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All you need to know about Andean Music | Pura Aventura (pura-aventura.com)

Pan Pipes of the Andes [Full Album] - YouTube

The music that is used in South America refers back to the traditional culture of the continent in order to provide the audience with more of a realistic feel that will allow them to indulge in empathetic connections with the characters and educate the audience members on the context behind South America and how music had been used to lift people's spirits.

Andean music is the main style that is used within this play as it relates back to the contextual factor of the Andean indigenous civilization that had first appeared within South America. They had originated in coastal deserts and river valleys of Peru and they had then adapted to Southern Colombia, Chile, and to Northwest Argentina.

When listening to this specific style of music, I had quite contradictive opinions on it due to the fact that I had first perceived it as quite interrogating from the slow rhythm that is used, alongside the choreography of the Ghost dancers, that had made me indulge in the eerie atmosphere of the entire play, and with this as well, how the community had acted when physically interacting alongside the ghost characters, where whilst they appear naturalistic, much like the ghost characters they also appear as if they are dead. This is due to the fact that they are miserable from the lives that they lead underneath inequality, the patriarchy, and the corrupt justice system. By doing this, it then contextually links back to how the community was treated underneath the higher men in power when Los Desaparecidos had occurred throughout the years 1976-1983. However, the use of panpipes in the music had interested me as it had also educated me on the context behind the continent and how music had adapted throughout the years mainly from the traditional instrument, panpipes.

There are approximately five pieces of music that are used throughout this entire performance and this includes the following:

. Doina Cestriana- This is the first piece of music that has been used in the opening scene of the play, A mother's voice, in which this piece immediately creates an eerie atmosphere from when all of the characters enter using a slow choreography to make it appear as if the entire cast are all 'dead' from the theme [death] in the play which then links back to the ghost characters and the site-specific are at the beginning of the play, the land of the dead, in which the audience members are able to develop a sense of empathy for the cast as they live under cruel rules from the domestic society that controls them. The piece of the song matches in the exact time of the pace of the choreography which then conveys a realistic atmosphere for the audience members where they can easily focus on how these precise dance movements then link back to the backstory of the scene [the representation of death for the main character, Constantia, and how she experiences grief from losing her husband, Ramon]. This piece then is effectively impacting a dramatic atmosphere.

. Sikuriadas- This is one of the most contrasting moments in the performance, due to the fact that the audience members have witnessed many moments of tension from the main genre in the play, tragedy, in which they view re-occurring themes of death, mainly revolving around Ramon and his fight to live or to die. This piece is used in the scene: The festival. At first, the pace of the music begins quite slowly in order to lead up to the upbeat tempo that is gradually introduced. Whilst this occurs, the characters also use clapping as a way to also involve themselves in the tempo.

. Reunion- Regarding this specific piece of music, it is crucially important to the storytelling of the plot due to the fact that it represents the purpose of the main character's [Constantia] journey in the performance, which was to finally reunite with Ramon, and whilst she had imagined it under extremely different circumstances, in which he was alive and the family was whole again, she was able to finally able to allow reality to set in and this is revealed when she lets out a scream of his name to convey the emotional grief that she has been burying for a long period of time. This piece of music is powerful as it completely changes the atmosphere at a fast pace in which the audience members were feeling a sense of joy and happiness and how it had quickly turned to a feeling of empathy and despair as they had to bear witness to the realization of Ramon truly being dead. This then leads the audience members to perceive the character, Constantia, in a different aspect, in which prior to this scene they might have had contrasting views on the character altogether, however, they all feel a great sense of sympathy for her as she cradles Ramon's body in her arms.

. Dolencias- This piece of music has a significant importance behind the rhythm as it is used at the end of the play, when the female characters are viewed by the audience members, dancing to this slow song to bring awareness of the loved ones that they have lost. This moment is crucially important as it reveals how Constantia had developed an independent persona and she had confidently decided to take a stand against the domestic oppression that she was living in. This scene is contextually relative to one of the most important facts which is during the 70s in South America when the all-female group Madres de la plaza de mayo was created. This group was idolized for their strong united stand against the patriarchy in which they had used dancing as a form of protest to encourage others to fight against the corrupt justice system. These women had also done this to liftin each other's spirits and to emotionally support one another when searching for their missing loved ones i.e. Los Desaparecidos.

.  Dawn at Vilcabamba- This piece of music had effectively been used to create a clear contrast in which the audience members are able to separate reality and the land of the dead as the characters are entering and exiting the stage. Unlike most of the songs used in this play, this piece of music has a consistent slow rhythm that again, creates an eerie atmosphere in which the audience members are then automatically able to realize that the ghost characters will be featured in that specific scene, therefore the scene being mainly based in the site-specific area, the land of the dead. This piece of music is used to underscore the dialogue that the ghost characters use throughout the duration of the performance. Dawn at Vilcabamba involves a combination of both traditional Andean music and Argentinian guitar music.

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Performance hints:

The performance hints mainly refer back to the language that is used in within the play, A mother's voice, due to the fact that it can be portrayed in the site-specific area, South America, without having to use the actual language in the countries as to allow various actors to perform this piece without having to learn the accent. This language had been written in a formal structure where actors would be able to avoid the contractions of the dialogue.

The fictitious state in which A mother's voice had been based in was purposely made so that there was no indication as to what the actors may have been trying to perform and so that, the audience members wouldn't link it back to any countries within the continent. The author had wanted to keep the use of language as vague as possible in order to link it back to all of the disappearances that had occurred worldwide rather than simply in one country i.e. Argentina, where Madres de la plaza de mayo had been formed. There was no link to foreign accents within the dialogue as again, the author had wanted to refer it back to Los Desaparecidos occurring worldwide. This drastic technique of accents being used in vocality had made the author question whether or not the audience members would focus on how the dialect being used was referable to the setting of the play, which is precisely why this hadn't been included in the portrayal of this piece, so that the audience members could engage with the characters on a more emotional and empathetic basis in which they can fixate on the gradual build-up of tension and how it affects each character in the play.

The use of the playwright's specific writing style had led the actors to rehearse their lines more effectively in order to still establish to the audience members the culture and heritage of their characters in the play, without necessarily having to deliver this in a vocal aspect. However, the most challenging moment through the rehearsal process when using this dialogue was to be able to deliver the speech naturally without slipping into using contractions such as 'didn't' rather than 'did not'. The playwright had stated that the technique for circling around this issue, was to approach the discipline that would be used in the role of the character that each character was playing, and by doing this they would then successfully be able to create more of a sense of realism whilst in their role.

The festival:

This specific scene in the play is crucially important as it represents the climax of tension for the backstory of A mother's voice, in which the audience members will witness the change of light-heartedness and joy that is then turned into darkness, which then plays on the different themes in the play i.e. at first the audience members are indulging in the festival dance scene when the community are coming together and the atmosphere then changes to match the happy energy that is being portrayed on-stage in which the audience members had not necessarily experienced due to the play's genre being a tragedy and conveying multiple moments of trauma, which is precisely why they would be oblivious to the next scene, in which it is finally revealed where Ramon has been all of this time. During the next scene, Ramon's body had been found, battered and dead, after witnessing Constantia approach him, the entire atmosphere quickly shifts to the audience members developing a sense of empathy as they have created bonds with these characters in the play so far, only to have their hopes of Ramon returning home, destroyed, which then causes them to also view the situation from Constantia's perspective, in which she feels despair and sadness when finding Ramon like this.

The importance of this dance signifies a change in the characters' day-to-day lifestyles in which they are forced to abide by society's laws underneath the aggressive male patriarchy, however in this specific moment of time, they are free and are able to control their lives however they please without the fear of the domestic men in power trying to obtain this. Alongside the atmosphere changing, it is made clear that the characters' moods have adapted to an upbeat standard in which they choose to celebrate this through the use of dance/ singing/ playing instruments, etc. It essentially represents a form of celebration where the characters can gain their own independence for that one moment.

This precise scene begins with a single person starting off a traditional dance, which then gradually leads to an entire group ensemble to further represent the community coming together and standing against the patriarchy by protesting through the use of dance. The character, Ernesto, is the person who starts this and at first, whilst he is reluctant to be the centre of attention and protests against it, however when this has caught the attention of the rest of the characters, along with the tempo being introduced, they all gradually begin to join Ernesto in the choreography. As the music increases more, Ernesto stops and looks over to Baptista, he then proceeds to take her hand and they dance in the centre together. As soon as they physically interact with each other in a closer proximity, the crowd begins to cheer and the pair then re-start the same sequence again as portrayed at the beginning of the movement. Soon after, other characters join in this movement in straight lines behind Baptista and Ernesto.

The music then increases further to increase the joyful atmosphere that is formed by the entire community as they dance together, and the lines then break apart to form a big circle where the dancers are all holding hands together. The group move in one direction at a fast pace, and then in the opposite direction. This continues repetitively as the pace of the song gets quicker. Eventually, the song finally reaches it's peak, and the couples in this group separate from Baptista and Ernesto gradually. The final embrace between these two characters after they finish dancing then leads to a passionate kiss that is shared between the two of them. This draws the attention of the audience members for a few slight moments until their attention is then drawn to the finding of Ramon's body.

Staging hints:

Prior to any adjustments being made, the setting of A mother's voice play had been made in a theatre in a round style so that the audience members could witness the play from different angles, which could then initially change the audience member's perception of the play as a whole. This had then added to the involvement of the audience and how from their physical interaction shared between one another, is then also used as a form of symbolizing the community and how they had stood together united as one against the corrupt justice system within the play. This style of seating was also beneficial for spatial awareness within each of the dance sequences, and there was also an ability in performing the play as a promenade piece or a transverse piece. From the spatial awareness that had been concocted between the audience members and the characters, it had then made it easier for the audience members to indulge in the lifestyles of each character on stage, therefore also forming relationships with them throughout the duration of the play.

The previous hope in this play was to use the panoramic image behind the stage in order to portray shapes and shadows, with whispers outlined on them [to represent the characters in the land of the dead: the ghosts and the voices] so that it could link back to the trauma that the main character, Constantia, has endured, in more of a creative aspect than simply relying on the vocal traits of the character to portray this to the audience members. However, this previous idea that the playwright had anticipated to use, was later scrapped due to the short amount of time that had been used to prepare it.

The washing lines that will be used in the scene: the festival, which includes a creative transition that will link the previous scene with this one, in which beforehand the fishwives are doing their washing together, this then leads to the washing line being lifted into a form of bunting that then represents a party to the members of the audience. The washing line bunting will be used by having pulleys at each end of the stage. These ends then reach the entirety of each wall and are tied to cleats, in order to make sure that they are completely secure. The members of the cast in the scene: fishwives, who aren't using any dialogue at a precise moment, will be exiting off-stage to lift up the washing line in preparation for the next scene.

The washing line is lifted at the exact moment that both Baptista and Ernesto enter on stage. However, at the end of the scene, which then follows in the next scene: the river of death, the washing lines are then dropped onto the floor in order to symbolize the end of the joyful atmosphere being created in the festival scene, which is then quickly cleared up by the cast. The falling of these items then also symbolizes the denial that Constantia has faced when coping with her husband's death, in which she is finally able to drop these feelings and finally have a sense of reality, where she can accept the fact that Ramon is dead and develop a sense of independence.

The stage layout of this scene at this precise moment also allows the actors to enter on stage from all of the four corners, which then leads the cast to be able to circulate more efficiently. In one of the final scenes in the play, where Constantia is seen searching for her daughter, Baptista, the officials had been placed in each of the corners to further symbolize how the patriarchy had consumed the community over their ruling with the use of aggression and violence and had determined their lives when enforcing them to abide by the rules of society. Her daughter, Baptista, is placed directly in centre stage to signify the importance of what is about to happen to her life i.e. her eventual death after being kidnapped and tortured by the higher men in power, due to the fact that she was associated with the activist, Ernesto. When this is occurring, Baptista is also blindfolded and her arms are tied back to also represent that she is being held against her will.

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Constantia: What Is The Meaning Of The Name Constantia? Analysis Numerology Origin (whatisthemeaningofname.com)

Baptista - Meaning Of Baptista, What Does Baptista Mean? (ourbabynamer.com)

Francisca: Name Meaning and Origin - SheKnows

Maria: Name Meaning, Origin, Popularity (verywellfamily.com)

Isabel - Baby Name Meaning, Origin, and Popularity | Nameberry

This play consists of one main character, Constantia, and the story of her rise in feminism and independence after searching for her missing husband, Ramone, and her missing daughter, Baptista. In the beginning, it is made clear to the audience members that despite her husband missing, Constantia is sticking to her domestic wifely duties and is in denial from reality as she sets the table for her husband and lights a candle for him in prayer almost consistently. When doing this, it reveals the gender roles that had been established by the government in which women were expected to cook/clean/look after the household whilst the males were the breadwinners of the family. This links back to the enforced view that terrorist rulers of the fictitious state have inflicted on the two genders, in which women were not permitted to voice their opinions/ had to stick to their duties of ensuring that they remain in line and do not go against the regulations that had been put in place by higher men in power, otherwise, they will face severe consequences.

Whilst the play revolves around Constantia and her emotional journey throughout the duration of the play, which then links back to the contextual factors in relation to the setting of the performance, which is South America, the rest of the cast is mainly revolved around large female roles and this had been done in order to link it back to the main event that occurs at the end of the play, which is when Constantia joins the all-female group, Les Madres de la plaza de mayo, to dance in protest against the corrupt justice system, for her daughter, Baptista, and her husband, Ramon, whilst also helping other grieving mothers/grandmothers to cope with the loss of their loved ones. The original cast for this play had consisted of only three males, that was if the actor who was performing the role of the father had also multi-rolled and also performed the role of Ernesto. Out of the entire cast, there are only four male roles available and this is due to the fact that the concept behind the play is to relate back to Madres de la plaza de mayo, an all-female group, and how they had stood against the corrupt justice system to avenge their missing loved ones [Los Desaparecidos]. The body of the father had originally been cast for a female due to the fact that weight-wise, she was lighter and therefore had made it easier for the ghost characters to drag off-stage and the villager characters to bring on stage at the beginning of the scene: The river of death. This cast had purposely been made in a flexible matter in which there are multiple chances for people to develop their skill of multi-rolling when performing as many of the extra characters i.e. factory girls, fishwives, the gossips, as these characters are normally seen in the play as formed groups.

Whilst the entire play reveals the view of how the Madres de la Plaza de Mayo had been created, it fixates on one main family and how the mother of that family [Constantia] and how she gradually derives from her domestic duties to create a voice for women, in which she establishes the power to deliberately derive from society's rules for this gender and she is inventive on finding her husband, Ramon, which is why at the end of the performance, the audience members witness Constantia joining Les Madres de la plaza de mayo, as they all dance in protest against the corrupt justice system and to liftin each other's spirits when grieving for their loss loved ones [ Los Desaparecidos].

For me personally, when viewing this character, I felt that she portrayed the well-known moral of a ' woman who can do it all' in which she portrays the love that she has for her family and their wellbeing when ensuring that the home is kept safe and that there is food on the table which reveals the first side of her persona, in which she is a traditional woman who is dedicated to caring for her family and providing for them. However, the audience members are also able to witness this character gaining independence towards the end of the performance when coming to the realization that the patriarchy's use of violence and aggression is what had led to her husband's eventual death and that they were responsible for killing him, which is precisely why when her daughter suddenly disappears, Constantia is more intent on searching for her. The name Constantia is defined as someone who is steadfast, and this refers back to the character from her gaining independence towards the end of the play as she is assertive on searching for her daughter, despite having to abide by the rules of society to remain in their image of the 'perfect' woman.

The character, Ramon, who is also referred to as 'the body of the father', and 'dream father', whilst he is not necessarily included in many scenes of the play, he still expresses his devotion as a father and husband from when he is interacting with Dream Mother and trying to embrace her despite being in so much pain. This represents to the audience members that the character is selfless as he is still able to take care of his wife whilst he is coping with his own anguish, and whilst he wants to finally live in a state of peace/tranquillity, the character refrains from doing this until he is sure that Dream Mother will be able to cope with the fact that he is dead and indulges in the reality that is surrounding her. He is also represented as a good father from his involvement in the children's lives by ensuring that they are looked after and content [specifically in the scene: the picnic in the hills where he is playing around with all of the girls as the mother is setting up the picnic].

Constantia is the mother to four daughters and they are called:
. Baptista- This character suddenly disappears towards the end of the play and faces the same fate as her father when being kidnapped by the higher men in power and being tortured and eventually dying, due to the fact that ,unlike her sisters, she was associated with a protestor/activist that was referred to as a 'subversive' and in the eyes of the government, these people were considered 'dangerous' [this was an excuse that had been used for the government to ensure that they are still able to remain in power and by using forms of manipulation, they were able to create more fear for the community, therefore leading to them being reliant on the government].
. Francisca
. Maria
. Isabel

There are various meanings behind each main character's name and this is what reveals the personality traits that they display throughout the duration of the play. I had found this when researching into each name separately to find the origin behind it. This had included:

. Baptista- A definition that I had found that relates to the contextual factors of the site-specific area, South America, is that Baptista is simply defined as ' one who baptizes'. This is in relation to the fact that the most common religion in this continent is Christianity/ Roman Catholicism [ with approximately 90% of the population being religious / practicing this religion]. This refers back to the play due to the fact that the theme of faith is used repetitively used in the play to portray how certain characters retain their beliefs [mainly linking back to Los Desaparecidos, specifically Ramon]. For example, despite her being in a state of denial, Constantia still keeps holding onto faith that Ramon is alive.

. Francisca- This name is defined as 'free one' and I feel that this links back to this character's name due to the fact that she is the oldest sibling and she has moved out of the house. She feels free from her mother [Constantia] and the beliefs that she has inflicted on her children. An example of this is in the opening scene when the main family are all having dinner together and Constantia is asking why Ramon's place isn't set, as whilst he had been missing for a long period of time, Constantia still insists that Ramon's place be set so that she can hold onto her stage of denial, therefore also enforcing this emotional negligence on her children, in which she refuses to believe reality and, yet Francisca is free from this as she no longer lives with her mother and their sisters.

. Maria- I had found that a definition for this name is contextually linked back to the name Mary, which I believe then also relates to the fact of the site-specific area, again of the most common religion that is followed and practiced, which is Christianity. I believe that this also suits the entire family due to the fact that from the plot of A mother's voice, it is made abundantly clear that Constantia is a prominent and traditional woman who physically resembles society's image of the 'perfect' woman at the beginning of the play, where she is also dedicated to being a devoted Christian and this is why I believe that these names for her daughters have purposely been chosen so that the meaning behind them can signify her strong traditional values as a Christian. The name Maria is extracted from the English name, Mary, which could refer back to Mary the Virgin, therefore representing the family's Christian beliefs.

. Isabel- Finally, regarding this character's name, I had found that one of the main definitions behind the meaning of Isabel is that it is originally "pledged to God". I feel that this fits the personality of this specific character very well, as in the opening scene when the all of the sisters, except Isabel, are voicing their opinions on their father's whereabouts, in which they all believe that he will not be returning home any time soon, that he had been murdered, as Isabel is quite young and looks up to her mother as she is quite naïve and believes everything that her mother teaches her about what it means to be the 'perfect' woman in society, which is why much like her mother, Isabel refuses to accept the fact that her father is dead and lays Ramon's setting at the table in the hopes that he will return. This, much like the other sister's names, then refers back to the contextual factor of Christianity being the most common and traditional religion that is used in South America, in which Isabel still pledges her beliefs to God when she is retaining her faith that her father is still alive.

The character, Dream Mother, is a past representative of the main character, Constantia, and this precise role is contradictive in the sense of her hysterical manner in which she clearly expresses the stages of grief that she is feeling when trying to cope with losing her husband, Ramon. The purpose of this character's journey in the play is to represent the five stages of grief that Constantia endures gradually throughout the play. When viewing this name, I believe that the term 'dream mother' also links back to the children's thoughts on their mother's behaviour and how she is emotionally negligent at moments in the play which result in her daughters having to take care of her, rather than her taking care of them. This is why I think that the daughters imagine their mother from their own perspective i.e. how she had acted prior to their father missing, in which their mother had tended to her domestic duties of caring for her family and providing for them.

As the play is portrayed as a split stage, to represent the land of the living and the land of the dead, in which the characters are all contrasted to further represent the contextual facts of the site-specific area, this then conveys that the characters in the land of the dead are technically in a dreamscape of the main character, Constantia, and she is in the land of the living, alongside her four daughters. This is precisely why the character, Dream Mother, is referred to as being younger and beautiful, as she represents to the audience members the life that Constantia had led years ago when her family was all together and this is when Constantia reflects on a time in which she is able to imagine how she will re-unite with Ramon and reminisces about the strong bond that her family once held together.

The main antagonist in this performance is the two shadows [gunmen] and the government officials. This is due to the fact that they are a representation of the domestic patriarchy that had ruled over South America in the 70s, during the time of Los Desaparecidos, and the up rise of Madres de la plaza de mayo. During this time, the government had used violence and aggression to rule over the population and to feed on the fear of each individual so that they could develop their domestic authority, in which people would be too afraid to overthrow them. These higher men in power were spiteful and malicious as they were forcing people to abide by a set of rules in which they were forced to lead miserable lives for the pure entertainment of these men. If anyone was to step out of line and stand against these men and what they had believed in, then they would mysteriously disappear [ be tortured/ kidnapped and murdered] due to the fact that this domestic patriarchy had feared that if one person had developed a sense of independence, then more people would stand united against the justice system in an attempt to overthrow the government and in order to prevent this, they had resulted in kidnapping these activists and brutally torturing them and murdering them as a form of punishment for abandoning their traditional devotion to the motherland. This is precisely why in the play these characters use crude language and assert their male dominance over characters such as Constantia, in an attempt to make them stop asking questions and to remain fearful of the patriarchy.

Whilst they are originally portrayed as the main antagonists from the eerie atmosphere that is created as they appear on stage when using slow movements, the ghost and voice characters are actually beneficial for their involvement in the main character, Constantia, life as they are forcefully trying to push her to witness the reality that is surrounding her rather than consistently indulging herself in a state of denial. This is why at the beginning of the play, the characters create a close amount of spatial awareness where it is represented to the audience members as if they are trying to surround her in an attempt to separate her from Ramon, whilst they are actually trying to detach her from the denial that she is facing in order to get her to witness moments such as Baptista involving herself with Ernesto [ a crucially important moment in the play as much like Ramon, Ernesto is an activist and this was considered illegal which is why so many people, including Ramon, had mysteriously disappeared due to their beliefs in overthrowing the corrupt government].

Extra characters including the fishwives, the gossips, and the factory girls, usually consist of a group of people that appear on stage, and whilst the main genre of this play is a tragedy, in which the audience members indulge in many tension rising moments that help to educate them on what life was like for the people residing in South America during the 70s, they portray comical moments to highlight how people would try to liftin each other’s spirits in such drastic times and whilst doing this, they discreetly refer back to themes in the play of real issues that they had faced as women in a domestic male society. For example, the fishwife Catalina talks about how nobody will reach peace until the afterlife due to the injustice and inequality that the community faces when having to tend to their domestic duties otherwise they would face severe consequences from the patriarchy.

Ernesto is also another main male role, who I personally believe is a younger representative of Ramon, as in a similar aspect he is also an activist who had stood against the corrupt justice system and due to this, he had been murdered by the government [ the exact same situation that Ramon had put himself into and the reason behind his death]. In the play, Ernesto is also portrayed as a feminist from when he chooses to listen to the women's concerns about the working environment [factory girls], and whilst he is intent on helping them, he is aware that the higher men in power will not do anything to help them. This particular character expresses a developing romantic bond with Baptista, so much so that before his death, he asks Baptista to marry him. He retains his interest when Baptista talks about her opinions on the domestic society that they live in, and he also supports her choice to join the activist group, which reveals to the audience members that unlike the historical context of men being controlling during this era, Ernesto encourages Baptista to speak her mind without the fear of what anyone else might think.

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The Power of a Mother's Voice | Psychology Today

maternal instincts - Maternal Instinct: Does It Really Exist? (healthline.com)

From a personal perspective, when I had first seen this title, my first intentions were that the play was based around themes of women who's lives were based around motherhood and what it is like for them from a personal perspective. After researching into the plot of the play, I was more interested to find that the play revolves around the character, Constantia, who holds the title of Mother and Wife, in which she represents how assertive she is to find her daughter, Baptista, towards the end of the play, specifically when learning about the corrupt justice system and how the patriarchy had been responsible for the death of her husband and soulmate, Ramon.

It has been scientifically proven that a connection between a mother and child is a type of bond that is unbreakable and in this, a mother will easily risk her own life for her child in order to protect them. This is called a maternal instinct. It is disclosed in the second website link above when Dr. Catherine Monk explains how this connection is created in the body of a woman. In this, she says, "The word instinct refers to something innate — inborn or natural — involving a fixed behavioral response in the context of certain stimuli" ( Linberg.S, 2020). From the use of this quotation, it clearly reveals how the word 'instinct' in terms of relation to a mother and her connection to her child, it is completely natural for this parental figure to have a gut feeling of something that could possibly be putting their child in danger. This refers back to the play from when Constantia refuses to believe that Baptista, despite the fact that nobody has heard of her whereabouts and she has been missing for a long period of time [ which had also happened to Ramon, and Constantia had found him dead in the scene, the river of death]. This is precisely why Constantia is able to gain more confidence and independence as a single mother and widow when approaching the higher men in power, as she is determined to protect her child no matter what.

The initial words that come to mind when I think about this title include:

. nurturing- This mainly refers back to the domestic duty that both Dream mother and Constantia hold, which is taking care of their children by ensuring that they are all well provided for and taken care of. With Constantia, this is not revealed on an emotional aspect when she finally bonds with her children, until the end of the play when she apologises to Francisca for not being able to support her and Constantia’s three other daughters whilst she was grieving for Ramon, she also says that she will be using this as a chance to become a better mother when on the search for Baptista and this leads Constantia to join Les madras de la plaza de mayo. With Dream mother, this is represented in the scene, the picnic in the hills, when she is ensuring that her children are well fed, yet she uses a playful tone to still appear nurturing and fun, which then links to her joining in the game of catch with Ramon and their daughters.

. devoted- I feel that this mostly applies to when both Constantia and Dream Mother from how they consistently follow their domestic duties whilst urging Ramon to return back to reality with them. For example, Constantia represents her devotion to her husband from when she is repetitively witnessed by the audience as discreetly searching for him whilst also using prayer to retain her faith in God that he will bring Ramon back to reality so that him and Constantia can reunite with each other. With Dream mother, she also represents her devotion when embracing Ramon to help him feel a state of peace/ comfort as he is in constant agony from the fact that his spirit is gradually seeping out of his body and shifting over to the land of the dead . By doing this, Dream Mother is also asserting her domestic duty as a wife, where she is caring for her husband whilst he is in pain.

. caring- This is again represented by both Constantia and Dream Mother in the play [due to the fact that they are effectively the same person ] in which specifically in the scene: the picnic in the hills, Dream Mother asserts her role as a caring mother from when she is joining in a game of catch along with Ramon and her daughters whilst still ensuring that her children are well fed from the picnic that she has provided for the family. This trait applies to Constantia more so in the festival scene, where she is leading the girls to their friends so that they are able to have a moment of peace and enjoyment , aside from all of the trauma that they have endured.

. forceful - I feel that this specific word is important in relation to the title due to the fact that a mother is well-known for being strong when protecting her child and I feel that this is greatly represented in various aspects [specifically in tv/film when a mother is referred to as being a 'Mumma bear' and this is due to the fact that much like the animal, a mother will portray more dominant tactics to protect her children from harm's way i.e. the most common one being shouting and this is when the term of Mumma bear is commonly used as the mother's emotional state immediately shifts to the point when she is frustrated and begins to raise her tone. This applies to the play, from when Constantia is remaining independent whilst searching for Baptista, and whilst she is remaining polite to the officials, in the fear that she may be accused of being a subversive, Constantia still sticks to her intentions behind arriving at the offices, which is that she was searching for her daughter that had mysteriously disappeared. This is not necessarily portrayed by Dream Mother, as she is the past representative of Constantia, in which she tends to her domestic duties and refrains from involving herself in any political issues, she remains in the place that society deems 'appropriate' for women.

The meaning behind this title also refers back to the character, Dream Mother, in the concept that whilst she only interacts with Ramon throughout the duration of the performance, my character still creates a voice for her children when conveying to Ramon how detached the entire family is without him in their lives to keep them content. For example, in Dream One she says the line " Where are you going Ramon? Come back to me. Come back to us. We need you, Ramon". By using this quote, I have been able to portray how whilst this character is still in a clear state of denial as she refuses to believe the fact that Ramon is dead, she still speaks on behalf of her children to reveal how whilst she has been coping with her own grief, the mother has noticed that her children are also emotionally reliant on Ramon as he is a big part of their lives and now they feel lost without him.

However, this could also be perceived as Dream Mother manipulating Ramon with the fact that he had abandoned his children and wife in their time of need, causing him to feel guilt-ridden and return back to reality with Dream Mother, despite the fact that he is living in agony. By doing this, the audience members can then have contrasted views on whether the character is emotionally negligent from the lack of effort that she is putting into caring for her children due to the amount of grief that she is feeling towards the loss of her husband [ as she is supposedly a traditional and prominent woman who abides by society's rules of being a mother i.e. caring for the children, etc]. On the other hand, she could simply be portrayed as a mother that is concerned for her children's well-being without their father as another parental figure in their lives [due to him also being the superior gender in the household, meaning that everyone had relied on him].

A contextual reference that is presented in this play, is at the end of the play when Constantia joins the Madres de la plaza de mayo group, which was an all-female group that had protested against the government in the names of their missing loved ones and they had used dancing as a way to peacefully protest without committing any acts that were deemed illegal by these higher men in power. This group had also held photos of their missing loved ones in the hope that someone might have seen them/ know of their whereabouts. They were primarily focused on helping each other to find their missing family members whilst also standing united together against the corrupt justice system, to also gain justice for their loved ones and anything that may have happened to them during the time of their disappearance. By doing this, the group had aimed to forcefully gain information from the patriarchy on the whereabouts of their children/missing loved ones and to also publicly represent to the community on the dangerous and controlling lifestyle that the patriarchy has inflicted on the entire population.

These specific words I had found also resemble the persona of Constantia [ the main character] during mainly the first scene and towards the end of the play as she is coping with the five stages of grief in the play after losing her husband, Ramon, and it had seemed to me that for quite a lot of the time that the character had appeared on-stage, she was emotionally negligent to her children, as it seemed more like they had been caring for her and ensuring that she was okay, rather than Constantia tending to her domestic duty as a mother and doing this for them. I believe this is precisely why the play title has more of a significant meaning as towards the end of the play, the audience members are able to witness how gradually, Constantia has been able to allow reality to seep in, and after coming to the realization that she has been blindsided by society and her own grief to obey the patriarchy, the character decides to finally raise her voice for her daughter, who hasn't got her own voice to defend herself against these higher men in power.

It represents Constantia's maternal instinct to also become a better mother, as when having her eyes opened to reality, she also reflects on how she had acted towards her children whilst grieving for Ramon and holding out hope that he will return, in which she had also inflicted on her children, which had led to them all becoming distant with each other, Constantia feels guilt-ridden for this and believes that she is the one at fault for Baptista's disappearance and so, with the love and admiration that she has for her children, the character is constantly searching for her daughter, unaware that she has already passed away.

Essentially, it is also a form of foreshadowing, in which the audience members are taken on an emotional journey of Constantia slowly being able to create a strong bond with her family again, despite all of the trauma that they have all endured, and this is conveyed at the end of the play when the character finally gains her independence and creates a voice for both herself, and for Baptista, so that she can bring more attention to the corrupt justice system and how speaking from a mother's perspective, Constantia is able to also help other grieving mothers in the search of finding their missing loved ones.

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A little bit about me! (chrisowenonline.co.uk)

Chris Owen Online Homepage

The Last Resort - Plot summary (chrisowenonline.co.uk)

Introduction to Bridges - a play about young male suicide (chrisowenonline.co.uk)

Jabberwocky (chrisowenonline.co.uk)

Children of the Blitz (chrisowenonline.co.uk)

'The Play's The Thing': Meaning & Context✔️ (nosweatshakespeare.com)

Books | Hachette UK (hodder.co.uk)

Your council - Hillingdon Council

These specific website links convey a brief description of the author of this play and the inspiration that had been created from his personal perspective and how his views on the context of South America had impacted this emotional play, A mother's voice, which is a tragedy genre piece.

Aside from this play, this playwright had also created the plays that include the following:

. The last resort - this is a play that fixates on various stories, which fixate on the day that unfolds at the setting, Ferry ton on Seas. The play is a comedy genre and resembles the hilarious moments that are shared between the cast members throughout a day out at the beach. The main style of theatre that is included in this piece is Physical theatre, which is portrayed by amateur companies and senior students. This play consists of multi-rolling characters in order to further develop a sense of hilarity from the perspective of many characters in the storyline of the play. It had been referred to as a "cast of thousands". The play is mainly suitable for students in year 9 and above.

. Bridges- this is a play that had been written from the perspective of the fact that for every woman who commits suicide, ranked in the ages 16-24, there is an equivalence of four young men that commit the same act. Bridges revolves around the meaning behind the difficulty with subject matter and how to encourage people to open up and discuss their feelings. This involves audience participation when emotionally connecting them with the idea of discussing feelings with each other. The play is effectively related to the educational purpose of having teachers and youth workers understand the importance of mental health and how impactful it is for young males when coping with suicide. Many workshops had also been included in order to further involve the audience members and have them gain a gradual understanding of how this is a saddening event that occurs annually and how to prevent more people from committing suicide each year. Helpline telephone numbers had been offered to audience members at the end of the play so that they have further support if necessary. These had been from organizations that had been focused on helping people in distress. Whilst this play is mainly focused on the suicide of young men, it also applies to the other sex, in which the performance provides activities that support both genders.

. Jabberwocky- This is a play that consists of three acts and it is based on the Lewis Carrol Poem, which had been used in Alice through the looking glass. The play is of a comedic/fantasy genre standard and it features a large cast, which also consists of a greater amount of choreography throughout the duration of the play. The play is simple and includes fewer constructed setting elements. The play is fixated around a young boy called 'Ned' who doesn't know what he wants to be, when having to live underneath his feuding parents, his father that wants him to be a dragon slayer, and his mother had wanted him to be a court poet. After becoming frustrated with living this way, Ned decides to run away and gets lost in the forest, and when doing this, he strolls upon a wise man who sends him on a quest to find a sword that is protected by a hideous monster.

. Children of the Blitz- The play is contextually relative to the period, 1938-1943, during the time of World War Two. The play is fixated on the evacuation of the children from cities and towns [mainly located in London] and what they had experienced from being separated from everything that they know i.e. their parents, family/ friends, etc, and how they were forced to adapt to new lifestyles which had endured traumatic moments for them in years to come. With this, the play represents a contrast in the children of the country and the children of the town and how they had to force themselves to adapt to new settings. Conflict had been commonly acted out between evacuees and their hosts due to the abandonment issues that many people had faced after leaving everything that they had once known. Social change had greatly been affected by this movement and it was a common factor that many children who were living in poverty, had resided with wealthy families, whose social status had lowered after people heard the news of them taking in a child that had belonged to the impoverished class. Whilst this play focuses on the contextual aspects through the eyes of a child living in these circumstances, it also includes a brief amount of humour, stoicism, and drama. In order to further mirror the period that these were set in, music from this period had been included for a greater sense of realism that the audience will get to experience.

He had also adopted many plays from the inspiration of historical playwrights, which had included William Shakespeare, and this had mainly revolved around 'the plays the thing', which is written from Hamlet's perspective, and regarding this, the play had various different meanings behind it. One of the main examples of this is particularly when Hamlet tries to discover whether or not his uncle Claudius had actually murdered his father or not.

Chris Owen had begun writing as a playwright when he was at his first teaching post, and this was at The Blue School, located in Wells. Regarding the performance of this specific secondary school on the basis of the author's full-length plays, the students mainly focus on acting out Jabberwocky, the play's the thing, It came from somewhere else, children of the Blitz, and stars in their eyes. This is mainly due to the fact that they are age-appropriate for this type of age group as a targeted audience, rather than a Mother's voice that fixates on the demeaning patriarchal society and how they had controlled the population through the use of aggression and violence.

The play also contextually links back to traumatic moments through history in South America, which were Los Desaparecidos [ individuals who were activists and protestors that were kidnapped/tortured/murdered due to their strikes against the corrupt justice system] and Madres de la plaza de mayo [ an all-female group that had acted in retaliation to the officials and the corrupt government who had kidnapped the various protestors and activists, Los Desaparecidos, this had been done through peaceful protest of dancing to also help each other liftin their spirits and faith in the hopes that they would get justice for their loved ones].

A mother's voice had been one of Chris Owen's first published plays by Hodder and Stoughton, a publishing place that had been located in London. The last resort had also later on been published by this company, in which Owen was able to commission the production of his script, Bridges.

The school that Chris Owen had taught in is located in Somerset, which, during his time there, he had also gained the role of Head of drama at the secondary school, Priory, located in Weston-Super-Mare, and during this time, he had also created the Priory Theatre. After teaching there, Chris had then moved out to London, where he had also gained the role of Senior Youth Arts Development Worker, alongside the Hillingdon council [ a public service and government agency]. Owen had created the theatre company, Magnetic North Youth Theatre [ now based in Edinburgh]. After a few years, Chris Owen had then moved again to Amersham to work as a director in the BTEC National Diploma course, located in Amersham and Wycombe college of further education.

Years later, after having his own family, Owen had moved back to London again, where he had gained the role as the head of the drama department, at St. Laurence school, which is located in Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire. He had set himself the timeline goal of remaining in this role for approximately three years, until leaving to write as a playwright full-time. However, this timeline had later been adjusted with an addition to three more years until he was ready to leave this role. When creating the decision to remain as a stay-at-home father and playwright, Owen was still concerned about his financial issues, and this is precisely why he had taken work in Bristol and Trowbridge as a theatre teacher. After working in this last role, Owen had decided that he was more suited for his stay-at-home fatherly duties, including cooking/cleaning, DIY, etc.

After witnessing both of his daughters get through University, it had encouraged this playwright to also attend University and when doing this, he had worked in the course: MA in writing for Young People. During his time there, Owen had successfully achieved a distinction in the course. He had attended Bath Spa University.

During his lifetime, Chris  Owen had gained multiple roles within the performing arts industry, and this had included the following:
. Playwright
. Director
. Lecturer
. Workshop leader in Theatre and Stage performance.
Aside from this, he had also created theatre in many education pieces for various professional companies. The aim of this was to create challenging and entertaining opportunities that were aimed at people ranked in the age group from 11-21. Most of the plays that have been used within this age group, had been performed in the UK. However, they have also been performed on many other continents [all except for The Arctic and Antarctica].

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Argentina | History, Facts, Map, & Culture

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Argentina in the ’70s: | De-Brainwashing (wordpress.com)

Argentina | History, Facts, Map, & Culture | Britannica

The Technology of Terror – South America in the 70s and 80s | Association for Diplomatic Studies & Training (adst.org)

Operation Condor: Landmark human rights trial reaches finale - BBC News

Argentina Declassification Project - The "Dirty War" (1976-83) | CIA FOIA (foia.cia.gov)

Gender Equality in Argentina - The Borgen Project

Due to the fact that this play ends with the main character, Constantia, forming the organization ' Madres De La Plaza De Mayo' which was a female group human rights association that had primarily focused on helping mothers to find their family members/ significant others as they had mysteriously disappeared [ referred to as Los Desaparecidos] and after achieving this, they had intended on finding the culprits responsible for this violation/ these violations and having them sentenced in court. The group is in response to the national reorganization process which was the Argentinian military who were seen as corrupt and refrained from helping those who had lost their family members. They had thrived on dictatorship which had resulted in hostility of the population in which mainly the female gender were belittled and revoked from certain human rights that the male gender was permitted i.e. any occupation was allowed for men as in the eyes of society they were considered as the more 'powerful' of the two genders and this is why this era was referred to as the patriarchy in which males had established their dominance through over-powering women.

In the eyes of society, women were viewed as fragile and worthless except for the use of producing children and keeping a household clean for their husbands. The national reorganization process had consisted of males only and believed that they were more superior which is why they had resulted to using strict punishment for anybody who had favoured revolutionaries against the government i.e. members of Madres De La Plaza De Mayo had to meet in secret to avoid imprisonment/other punishments from the men within the organization [  national reorganization process]. This directly links back to the plot of the play due to the fact that it represents the main character's objective, which was to bring awareness of the disappeared individuals despite facing the consequences that would be inflicted on her i.e. imprisonment for standing up against then government/torture due to the fact that she was leaving behind her domestic duties and was defending herself, etc.

When researching into this organization, I had found out that it had originally been formed in Argentina and this is how I had linked this contextual fact back to the play as it had also involved the exact drastic themes i.e. societal issues such as drug trafficking and crimes involving kidnapping and murder. The purpose of the group also links directly back to the concept of the performance which was to find the disappeared [ loved ones who had mysteriously vanished and were no longer heard of].

During the 70s, there was kidnapping occurring on a regular basis in the streets and this had then linked back to ' the disappeared and this title had been created on the basis of how often this crime was happening whilst many official people i.e. military/government, etc, had ideally stood by and allowed it to happen. Approximately 11,000 innocent Argentines had been kidnapped between the years 1976 and 1982, which is when the title ' the disappeared' had been created. Anybody who had opposed to the government and was involved in revolutionaries that directly focused on standing up for human rights / against the government had faced arbitrary arrest, this had also included anyone that was suspected of favouring the revolutionaries. The prisons were inhumane with the overflow of how many inmates were kept within each cell and torture was often used. Due to the government overtaking the labour unions, there was no legal process / no trials/ etc. Over 30,000 people had died during this period, many of them had died/ were murdered in Argentinian concentration camps [ these had been modelled after Nazi concentration camps]. Torture in these camps/prisons had included :

. experimented on with tranquillizer darts

. they were tortured with cattle prods

. the soles of the prisoner's feet had been beaten with batons regularly

. Metal buckets were placed on their heads and then hammered

. Electrical wires had been applied to sensitive areas such as the breasts, vagina, anus, penis, tongue, other body parts.

. Various prisoners had their stomachs cut open and they were then thrown into the river to be ' fish food'.

. Some of the prisoners had been thrown out of aeroplanes whilst being fully conscious.

Non-physical torture techniques that had been included were :

. Prison guards staging fake escape scenarios and executions in an attempt to frighten the prisoners

. Various prisons would play songs by the artist Julio Iglesias [ a Spanish singer, songwriter and former professional footballer] to further deepen the prisoner's mental health which had worsened their depression

. The only source of entertainment that prisoners had within the prison was the books in the library that had been written prior to the French Revolution. There were no newspapers and no radios permitted in the prison/camps

. Their prison sentences were distributed with a random time length and had nothing to do with the apparent 'crime' that they had committed

There were specific rules that the prisoners had to follow to ensure that they did not get a lengthened prison sentence / so that they were not tortured. These had been done to further torment the innocent individuals and to effectively brainwash them from standing up for what they had believed in [ agreeing with the views that the government had]. This had included :

. Prisoners were not allowed to lie down on their cots during the daytime hours [ the strain from this had caused paralysis or atrophy, wasting away of a body part, in the legs

. Contact with family members and/or friends was not allowed [ this had also included letters which were usually seized by censors/ prison guards and they would be destroyed]

. As a prisoner would be moved out of their previous cell, they would have to keep both eyes staring straight ahead and if the guards had spotted even one glance over the shoulder, had meant the loss of their privileges and would also possibly mean torture for them within the upcoming time as they were being transported to a new cell.

. Due to the prison sentences being completely arbitrary, either the prisoner themselves or the prisoner's family members would have to pay for the cost of their imprisonment to the state otherwise, they wouldn't be released.

There were two main extremist groups during the 70s and 80s in South America. These two groups were identified as terrorists from the drastic lengths that they had gone to when purposely inflicting both mental and physical pain to innocent individuals/protesters and the foreign service officers who stood in their way. The two groups were called :

. The people's revolutionary army [ ERP] - This army had been formed of communist  [ dirty war]

Operation Condor was organised by South America and it was a campaign of state-sponsored terror created by dictatorships in this continent during the 1970s. United States government had plotted to kidnap, hunt, and murder political opponents across South America.

Gender Roles - This country was always referred to as a  patriarchy from the men being in power regarding rules and regulations for the entire population and country. It wasn't until the year, 1983, in which women were finally able to play a role in the politics and they were symbolised as influential for their domestic, political, and social participation in their country. Despite this, there are still many rules followed to this day in an attempt to force women back to their domestic duties so that males can gain more of a dominant role again. This had included:

. There are a majority of views in South America that suggest women have the duty of staying at home and keeping their household tidy and producing next of kin whilst their husbands remain the breadwinner of the family. Early marriage was quite common so that women could financially provide for their families and when doing this, they were only necessary for attending to domestic jobs within the household. It was typical that women would have to marry older gentlemen who were more wealthy. if not married, women aged around 15 to 24 years old were still in charge of the household and could not attend education. To this day, women who live in poorer sectors of Argentina still struggle to find education.

. Early childbearing is common and results in women struggling to find an education that would accept them. Women who are living in squalor/poverty,  have little knowledge on pregnancy and struggle to come to terms with early motherhood plans.

. Women are often discriminated against for their lack of education and knowledge after living in the cycle of poverty and early on-set motherhood. This had considered them as the 'weaker' gender and made it beneficial for men to become more dominant and rule over these women. To this day, the Argentinian workforce still does not equally pay both men and women from their cultural beliefs based on the history of the country.

These facts link back to the play ' a mother's voice' due to the fact that the main women in the play are only permitted to attend to their domestic duties and they were prevented from working as this was typically a role for men in which they could hold their domestic title of 'breadwinner'. Before the ending of the play, there are many references to gender inequality such as the description of the mother, Constantia, who is the mother of four daughters and the wife to her missing husband, Ramone.  (A Mother's Voice - The Story, 2022). Prior to her husband missing, Constantia had refrained from involving herself in politics and had stuck to her wifely duties i.e. cleaning the household and producing children. This was until both her daughter, Baptista, and her husband, Ramone,  in which she had formed the organization of Madres de la plaza de mayo so that she was able to find her missing loved ones and when doing this, she had taken a stand against society and the government regulations of speaking her mind whilst empowering other females to do the same in protest.

The dirty war had linked back to Los Desaparecidos as the government had formed a plan to murder any opponents/leftists/activists who protested against the patriarchy. This links back to the play in the concept of Ramon and Ernesto being activists in which they had clearly established the issues that they intend to bring forward and change as a united front, however, the audience members are then clearly able to view the contextual factor of how the patriarchy would deal with these type of people if anyone was to stand against their rules that they had put in place for the community to follow. As this war had occurred, approximately between 10,000 and 30,000 individuals had been murdered due to them being a part of the protestor group, associating with these protesters, etc. The military junta, who had outed President Isabel Peron during the year 1976, they had confronted an urban leftist community that had been gradually intensifying due to the struggles that they have endured throughout many years of being forced to abide by society's laws. In order to gain retribution for the pain that had been inflicted on them, this group had set out to murder, kidnap, and torment government targets. The Junta had sorted to ban the national legislature, they had imposed censorship and they had banned trade unions. They had also brought the state and municipal governments under military control. In order to further decrease the activism of the left-wing guerrilla groups, the Junta had created the Process of National Reorganization [ which was a dictatorship that had been formed in 1976 and had lasted until 1983].

The purpose of this reorganization was to create 300 prisons that would store the protestors/activists when they had been kidnapped/ had suddenly disappeared and these prisons consisted of a mass amount of torture that had been inflicted on these individuals. These had been presented as a form of protection for the community against educators, trade unionists, artists, students, writers, journalists, members of the clergy, left-wing activists and those who associate with these activists, along with and including family members, including Los Desaparecidos. At the beginning of this new creation within society, many Argentines had agreed with the purpose that it had served [protecting society from these apparent 'dangerous' people]as it had restored order in the community. However, after people had witnessed the human rights violations that had occurred in these prisons, they had revoked their support to the government's methods used in these prisons to punish the activists for their battle against the corrupt justice system.

By the year 1980, most of the activity that had occurred within these detention centres/prisons and in this year, the effects of the dirty war, along with number of Los Desaparecidos, had decreased gradually which had then caused the Argentine government to severely struggle in terms of their international standing being threatened. To restore the legitimacy in the system, the Argentine government  had tried to seize the Falkland Islands from Great Britain. However, this attempted campaign  had failed which had then discredited the regime further and it had eventually fallen in 1983. In December of 1983, a new government had been formed, called the National commission on the Disappearance of Persons , also referred to as CONADEP. The purpose of this was to retrieve evidence on the ‘dirty war’ that had occurred in which the perpetrators who had violated the human rights act during the time of Los Desaparecidos (1976-1983) we’re eventually brought to justice underneath a decade long-process from forming all of the evidence collected , together.

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Audio File: National anthem of Argentina

population:

(2023 est.) 46,655,000

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currency exchange rate:

1 USD equals 349.988 Argentine peso

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form of government:

federal republic with two legislative houses (Senate [72]; Chamber of Deputies [257])

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Argentina, country of South America, covering most of the southern portion of the continent. The world's eighth largest country, Argentina occupies an area more extensive than Mexico and the U.S. state of Texas combined. It encompasses immense plains, deserts, tundra, and forests, as well as tall mountains, rivers, and thousands of miles of ocean shoreline. Argentina also claims a portion of Antarctica, as well as several islands in the South Atlantic, including the British-ruled Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas).

Argentina has long played an important role in the continent's history. Following three centuries of Spanish colonization, Argentina declared independence in 1816, and Argentine nationalists were instrumental in revolutionary movements elsewhere, a fact that prompted 20th-century writer Jorge Luis Borges to observe, "South America's independence was, to a great extent, an Argentine enterprise." Torn by strife and occasional war between political factions demanding either central authority (based in Buenos Aires) or provincial autonomy, Argentina tended toward periods of caudillo, or strongman, leadership, most famously under the presidency of Juan Perón. The 1970s ushered in a period of military dictatorship and repression during which thousands of presumed dissidents were "disappeared," or murdered; this ended in the disastrous Falklands Islands War of 1982, when Argentina invaded the South Atlantic islands it claimed as its own and was defeated by British forces in a short but bloody campaign. Defeat led to the fall of the military regime and the reestablishment of democratic rule, which has since endured despite various economic crises.

The country's name comes from the Latin word for silver, argentum, and Argentina is indeed a great source of valuable minerals. More important, however, has been Argentina's production of livestock and cereals, for which it once ranked among the world's wealthiest nations. Much of this agricultural activity is set in the Pampas, rich grasslands that were once the domain of nomadic Native Americans, followed by rough-riding gauchos, who were in turn forever enshrined in the nation's romantic literature. As Borges describes them in his story The South, the Pampas stretch endlessly to the horizon, dwarfing the humans within them; traveling from the capital toward Patagonia, the story's protagonist, Señor Dahlmann, "saw horsemen along dirt roads; he saw gullies and lagoons and ranches; he saw long luminous clouds that resembled marble; and all these things were casual, like dreams of the plain....The elemental earth was not perturbed either by settlements or other signs of humanity. The country was vast, but at the same time it was intimate and, in some measure, secret. The limitless country sometimes contained only a solitary bull. The solitude was perfect and perhaps hostile, and it might have occurred to Dahlmann that he was traveling into the past and not merely south."

Despite the romantic lure of the Pampas and of vast, arid Patagonian landscapes, Argentina is a largely urban country. Buenos Aires, the national capital, has sprawled across the eastern Pampas with its ring of modern, bustling suburbs. It is among South America's most cosmopolitan and crowded cities and is often likened to Paris or Rome for its architectural styles and lively nightlife. Its industries have drawn colonists from Italy, Spain, and numerous other countries, millions of whom immigrated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Greater Buenos Aires is home to about one-third of the Argentine people. Among the country's other major cities are Mar del Plata, La Plata, and Bahía Blanca on the Atlantic coast and Rosario, San Miguel de Tucumán, Córdoba, and Neuquén in the interior.

Which Country Is Larger By Area? Quiz

Land

Argentina is shaped like an inverted triangle with its base at the top; it is some 880 miles (1,420 km) across at its widest from east to west and stretches 2,360 miles (3,800 km) from the subtropical north to the subantarctic south. The country is bounded by Chile to the south and west, Bolivia and Paraguay to the north, and Brazil, Uruguay, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Its undulating Atlantic coastline stretches some 2,900 miles (4,700 km).

Argentina's varied geography can be grouped into four major regions: the Andes, the North, the Pampas, and Patagonia. The Andean region extends some 2,300 miles (3,700 km) along the western edge of the country from Bolivia to southern Patagonia, forming most of the natural boundary with Chile. It is commonly subdivided into two parts: the Northwest and the Patagonian Andes, the latter of which is discussed below under Patagonia. The North is commonly described in terms of its two main divisions: the Gran Chaco, or Chaco, comprising the dry lowlands between the Andes and the Paraná River; and Mesopotamia, an area between the Paraná and Uruguay rivers. The centrally located plains, or Pampas, are grasslands subdivided into arid western and more humid eastern parts called, respectively, the Dry Pampa and the Humid Pampa. Patagonia is the cold, parched, windy region that extends some 1,200 miles (1,900 km) south of the Pampas, from the Colorado River to Tierra del Fuego.

Relief

The Northwest

This part of the Andes region includes the northern half of the main mountain mass in Argentina and the transitional terrain, or piedmont, merging with the eastern lowlands. The region's southern border is the upper Colorado River. Within the region the Andean system of north-south-trending mountain ranges varies in elevation from 16,000 to 22,000 feet (4,900 to 6,700 metres) and is interrupted by high plateaus (punas) and basins ranging in elevation from about 10,000 to 13,400 feet (3,000 to 4,080 metres). The mountains gradually decrease in size and elevation southward from Bolivia. South America's highest mountain, Aconcagua (22,831 feet [6,959 metres]), lies in the Northwest, together with a number of other peaks that reach over 21,000 feet (6,400 metres). Some of these mountains are volcanic in origin.

To the southeast, where the parallel to subparallel ranges become lower and form isolated, compact units trending north-south, the flat valleys between are called bolsones (basins). This southeastern section of the Northwest is often called the Pampean Sierras, a complex that has been compared to the Basin and Range region of the western United States. It is characterized by west-facing escarpments and gentler east-facing backslopes, particularly those of the spectacular Sierra de Córdoba. The Pampean Sierras have variable elevations, beginning at 2,300 feet (700 metres) in the Sierra de Mogotes in the east and rising to 20,500 feet (6,250 metres) in the Sierra de Famatina in the west.

The western sector of the North region, the Gran Chaco, extends beyond the international border at the Pilcomayo River into Paraguay, where it is called the Chaco Boreal ("Northern Chaco") by Argentines. The Argentine sector between the Pilcomayo River and the Bermejo River is known as the Chaco Central. Argentines have named the area southward to latitude 30° S, where the Pampas begin, the Chaco Austral ("Southern Chaco"). The Gran Chaco in Argentina descends in flat steps from west to east, but it is poorly drained and has such a challenging combination of physical conditions that it remains one of the least-inhabited parts of the country. It has a subtropical climate characterized by some of Latin America's hottest weather, is largely covered by thorny vegetation, and is subject to summer flooding.

East of the Gran Chaco, in a narrow depression 60 to 180 miles (100 to 300 km) wide, lies Mesopotamia, which is bordered to the north by the highlands of southern Brazil. The narrow lowland stretches for 1,000 miles (1,600 km) southward, finally merging with the Pampas south of the Río de la Plata. Its designation as Mesopotamia (Greek: "Between the Rivers") reflects the fact that its western and eastern borders are two of the region's major rivers, the Paraná and the Uruguay. The northeastern part, Misiones province, between the Alto ("Upper") Paraná and Uruguay rivers, is higher in elevation than the rest of Mesopotamia, but there are several small hills in the southern part.

Pampa is a Quechua Indian term meaning "flat plain." As such, it is widely used in southeastern South America from Uruguay, where grass-covered plains commence south of the Brazilian Highlands, to Argentina. In Argentina the Pampas broaden out west of the Río de la Plata to meet the Andean forelands, blending imperceptibly to the north with the Chaco Austral and southern Mesopotamia and extending southward to the Colorado River. The eastern boundary is the Atlantic coast.

The largely flat surface of the Pampas is composed of thick deposits of loess interrupted only by occasional caps of alluvium and volcanic ash. In the southern Pampas the landscape rises gradually to meet the foothills of sierras formed from old sediments and crystalline rocks.

This region consists of an Andean zone (also called Western Patagonia) and the main Patagonian plateau south of the Pampas, which extends to the tip of South America. The surface of Patagonia descends east of the Andes in a series of broad, flat steps extending to the Atlantic coast. Evidently, the region's gigantic landforms and coastal terraces were created by the same tectonic forces that formed the Andes, and the coastline is cuffed along its entire length as a result. The cliffs are rather low in the north but rise in the south, where they reach heights of more than 150 feet (45 metres). The landscape is cut by eastward-flowing rivers-some of them of glacial origin in the Andes-that have created both broad valleys and steep-walled canyons.

Patagonia includes a region called the Lake District, which is nestled within a series of basins between the Patagonian Andes and the plateau. There are volcanic hills in the central plateau west of the city of Río Gallegos. These hills and the accompanying lava fields have dark soils spotted with lighter-coloured bunchgrass, which creates a leopard-skin effect that intensifies the desolate, windswept appearance of the Patagonian landscape. A peculiar type of rounded gravel called grava patagónica lies on level landforms, including isolated mesas. Glacial ice in the past extended beyond the Andes only in the extreme south, where there are now large moraines.

Drainage

The largest river basin in the area is that of the Paraguay-Paraná- Río de la Plata system. It drains an area of some 1.2 million square miles (3.2 million square km), which includes northern Argentina, the whole of Paraguay, eastern Bolivia, most of Uruguay, and a large part of Brazil. In Argentina the principal river of this system is the Paraná, formed by the confluence of the Paraguay and Alto Paraná rivers. The Río de la Plata (often called the River Plate) is actually the estuary outlet of the system formed by the confluence of the Paraná and Uruguay rivers; its name, meaning "River of Silver," was coined in colonial times before explorers found that there was neither a single river nor silver upstream from its mouth. Other tributaries of this system are the Iguazú ( Iguaçu), Pilcomayo, Bermejo, Salado, and Carcarañá. Just above its confluence with the Alto Paraná, the Iguazú River plunges over the escarpment of the Brazilian massif, creating Iguazú Falls -one of the world's most spectacular natural attractions.

Aside from the Paraná's main tributaries, there are few major rivers in Argentina. Wide rivers flow across the Gran Chaco flatlands, but their shallow nature rarely permits navigation, and never with regularity. Moreover, long-lasting summer floods cover vast areas and leave behind ephemeral swamplands. During winter most rivers and wetlands of the Gran Chaco dry up, the air chills, and the land seems visibly to shrink. Only three of the region's numerous rivers-the Pilcomayo, Bermejo, and Salado-manage to flow from the Andes to the Paraguay-Paraná system in the east without evaporating en route and forming salt pans ( salinas). The region's largest rivers follow a veritable maze of courses during flood season, however.

In the Northwest the Desaguadero River and its tributaries in the Andes Mountains water the sandy deserts of Mendoza province. The principal tributaries are the Jáchal, Zanjón, San Juan, Mendoza, Tunuyán, and Diamante. In the northern Pampas, Lake Mar Chiquita, the largest lake in Argentina, receives the waters of the Dulce, Primero, and Segundo rivers but has no outlet. Its name, meaning "Little Sea," refers to the high salt content of its waters.

Rivers that cross Patagonia from west to east diminish in volume as they travel through the arid land. The Colorado and Negro rivers, the largest in the south-central part of the country, produce major floods after seasonal snow and ice melt in the Andes. Farther south the Santa Cruz River flows eastward out of the glacial Lake Argentino in the Andean foothills before reaching the Atlantic.

Soils

Soil types in Argentina range from the light-coloured saline formations of the high puna in the Northwest to the dark, humus-rich type found in the Pampas. Golden-brown loess soils of the Gran Chaco are sometimes lighter where salinity is excessive but turn darker toward the east in the Mesopotamian border zone. These give way to soils ranging from rust to deep red colorations in Misiones. Thick, dark soils predominate in the fertile loess grasslands of the Pampas, but lighter brown soils are common in the drier parts of northern Patagonia. Light tan arid soils of varying texture cover the rest of this region. Grayish podzolic types and dark brown forest soils characterize the Andean slopes.

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Argentina | History, Map, Flag, Population, Language, Currency, & Facts

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Argentina, country of South America that covers most of the southern portion of the continent and has Buenos Aires as its capital.

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Meaning of The Day of the Dead (dayofthedeadnyc.org)

Traditions and Customs of Día de los Muertos (aesu.com)

List of 13 Popular Day of the Dead Symbols & Colors | Cake Blog (joincake.com)

I have written about this holiday as when looking into the story of A mother's voice, I had seen that the ghosts used within the piece have the purpose of helping the dead family members/loved ones on their way to the next spiritual life, and I had connected this to the holiday due to the fact that they both have the same idea of bringing peace to a person who has died. From a personal perspective, I had viewed the ghosts as the three characters that had passed away in the play, who held close relationships to the main character, Constantia, and this is why whilst they do not have any dialogue, they follow the heroine character to represent that they will always be there with her in spirit, especially during the difficult times.

This also represents the concept of the holiday, Day of the dead, where loved ones who had passed away are able to share the day with their family and see what has changed/ how everyone has changed and grown and physically be there with them in spirit whilst noticing what occurs in everyone's life i.e. these ghosts are eagerly watching as Constantia gradually becomes more independent and fights against the government in protest to find her daughter and husband , amongst many other mothers/grandmothers.

There is more of a clear representation that the ghosts are actually these three characters from when the text also refers to when Constantia's kidnapped daughter, Baptista, is dragged away by a ghost as her life withers away. For me personally, when reading this, I had instantly thought that the ghost was preparing to be taken over by Baptista's spirit as she was the third person to die after Ramon and Ernesto and I had then linked these deaths with the ghosts and it was made clear as to why the ghosts had remained on-stage for the entire time. Another moment in this text that had furthered my first interpretation of the ghost characters was when the author is talking about the ending of the piece, in which the ghosts join Constantia and they are each holding a candle. This object had clearly symbolized the living spirit of each departed character and by doing this, it had referred back to Constantia at the beginning of the play and her beliefs that by lighting the candle her husband would return to her, the light of the candle had symbolized Ramon's heart still beating. However, when the three ghosts extinguish these candles, it is immediately made clear to the audience that these characters have been murdered/died after disappearing and this is where reality for Constantia begins to set in more. Effectively, the candles are a visual representation of life.

The purpose of the ghosts dragging off each dead character's body is to resemble how the deceased person's spirit has now taken over the body of the ghost. Whilst the audience members only notice this from when Baptista's body is dragged off-stage,  they are able to then clearly link this back to the other two ghosts. The usage of only three ghosts also suggests this further. The deaths are in chronological order. For example:

. As Ramon goes missing first and is presumed dead, he remains on-stage at first for the whole piece and looks in on how Constantia is coping. Later on in the play, when Constantia sees his battered body, a ghost then arrives on-stage to drag his body off. This then entails that Ramone's spirit has been taken over by the ghost.

. In the description of the story, it then refers back to Ernesto's death when he is shot down by two men who had emerged from the darkness. This is done after Ernesto proposes to Baptista and she begins to hesitate.

. The third ghost clearly drags Baptista's body off-stage when she dies and this then establishes the relationship of the two characters, in which as her life is being drawn away, Baptista is going over to the spiritual side.

I believe that this play is set near the time of this specific holiday due to the facts revolving around the spirits only allowed to be present with their family members on October 31st- November 2nd which is why the ghosts are able to follow along with what happens with Constantia in the play. This holiday is also clearly represented through the use of candles, as a way to guide loved ones home and to keep their spirits alive in a warm and comfortable atmosphere. Finally, the third symbol of this holiday is the festival dance where the entire community created a livened atmosphere in order to derive from the issues that they had been facing [societal/political referring to the disappeared] and this had involved everyone coming together and dancing for hours as a form of celebration. The use of the word 'festival' directly refers back to the holiday from the description of it being a 'three-day festival'.

Historically speaking, this precise holiday is celebrated across South America on the 31st of October and it lasts until the 2nd of November. The entire holiday is a celebration of those who have passed away and a tribute to their lives and what they had accomplished within their human life. On this holiday, many people decorate their loved one's grave with colour and momentums in order to keep their spirits alive and when doing this, they believe that these deceased loved ones are able to come back for one evening in order to be reunited with their families. This holiday has many different names such as All Saints Day, Day of the dead, and Día de Los Muertos. Prayer is a big role within this  holiday as whilst it is a three-day festival that celebrates deceased people's lives, it is a Catholic holiday that focuses on also wishing the loved one peace and prosperity in their next life.

It is a Latin holiday that had been created several thousand years ago by the Aztecs, Toltecs, and other Nahua people [ cultural groups from 1300 to 1521]. Day of the Dead had started as ceremonies performed by the Aztecs and it had gradually evolved into a celebration of life in central Mexico. This holiday is celebrated in various countries [ many of them in South America] such as Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras, El Salvador, Peru, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.

The multiple ways in which this holiday is celebrated include:

. Ofrendas- participants of this holiday will create an altar within their households to honour their loved ones in a comfortable space. Ofrendas are offerings to the deceased person, specifically items that they had favoured in their past life i.e. toys/devices, etc. These altars are decorated in hues of orange and purple, the colours that are typically used within Halloween. Various candles are used as a form of light to create more of a welcoming atmosphere. This specifically refers back to the play from when it is noted within the story that Constantia lights a candle for her husband and prayers for him to return home safely whilst refusing to believe that he has become one of the disappeared and still setting a place for him at dinner.
"As she lights another candle her convictions seems to shake a little" ( A mother's Voice, n.d.). This quotation discloses that Constantia refuses to let reality set in and continues to follow her daily routine of completing her wifely duties i.e. setting the table for her husband despite the fact that she is aware that he will not be there, no matter how much she hopes he will. The ofrenda is used to allow each loved one to directly get back to their household and food is also included to further comfort the spirits and give them memories of their past life i.e. eating specific dishes / favorite foods. Every alter is unique and special to the deceased loved one. Each Ofrenda includes the four elements, fire/water/earth, and wind. For example :

. Fire- This element is represented through the use of candles that link back to the 'light' of the departed loved one and how it helps to guide the spirit back home.

. Water- This element is represented through a pitcher in order to help the spirits quench their thirst and feel more fulfilled when visiting the household.

. Earth- This element is represented through the use of food on the ofrenda and this commonly includes items that specifically represent the holiday, Day of the dead, such as sugar skulls and Pan de Muerto [ a soft bread that has the design of bone shapes at the top of the food].

. Wind- This element is represented through participants using  Papel Picado,a traditional banner that is used within this holiday to announce the celebrations of the spirits coming back and reuniting with their families.

. Mexican Marigolds- It is a strong historic belief that the participants of this holiday believe in which these bright flowers are used as a way to guide deceased loved ones back to their homes to be reunited with their family. This is why the Ofrendas and the household are decorated with these specific flowers. They are also seen as good luck due to the fact that they only flower in the rainy season, making them rare and special.

. Sugar Skulls- These are decorative treats that are also used to welcome departed loved ones and they are made entirely out of granulated white sugar and then pressed into skull moulds. After these dry, they are covered with coloured foil and decorated with icing. They are then used as decorative foods for the Ofrendas.

Contrary to what people may believe, Día de Los Muertos is not the Latin version of Halloween, whilst it celebrates spirits or 'ghosts' and welcome them back to Earth on the 31st of October, it is a catholic holiday that has the purpose of using prayer and having an upbeat festival to celebrate deceased family members and this is done by using many offerings to guide the spirits back home. Whilst in the traditional holiday, Halloween, spirits are warded off and they are presented as frightening, in day of the dead these spirits are recognised as departed loved ones and they are welcomed home for the three day period that the festival goes on for [ 31st October- 2nd November]. Day of the dead uses humour to further entertain the participants of the holiday and make light-heartedness to not dwell too much on the idea of death, but to celebrate these loved ones. This is done by many people painting their faces as skulls and wearing bright costumes to match to the atmosphere of the holiday. These people commit acts to make people laugh such as : drinking, dancing, and celebrating the holiday. Another main tradition of this holiday is for people to write ' calaveritas' which are short and funny poems that are used to explain the death of a loved one and funny memories that people remember when their loved one was alive. These are often privately shared between family members and close friends, however, some people take it a step further and have them posted in local newspapers to humour the public.

There are specific colours used in the day of the dead festival to symbolise how they link back to the concept of the holiday, which was to honour departed loved ones in a form of upbeat celebrations. These include :

. White- This colour symbolizes purity , hope, and innocence. It is used in the festival to represent the participant's beliefs that each spirit is given a new slate and their sins that were used in their human life are forgotten about [ they are given a new chance to change their lifestyle in the spirit world]. This colour is represented through white decorative flowers that are used on Ofrendas and graves , white banners are also used in villages and towns.

. Yellow- This colour commonly refers back to the holiday flower, the marigold, and its vibrant hue that draws the spirits back to their homes. This is done by the family members creating pathways leading it to the ofrenda in the household, where the spirits are welcomed back with many fond momentums and gifts to make them feel comfortable. Yellow represents light, this is according to the Aztec tradition. - Relating to the various usage of candles in A mother's voice. [ trying to find light , happy moments and holding hope whilst in a dark place].

. Orange- This specific colour is similar to the concept of using the colour light, however, it also represents the sun. Again, various shades of orange are presented in the flamboyant flower, marigold, so that the spirits can be easily guided back home on their journey. This colour is used in the holiday when people create monarch butterflies [ hand-crafted / painted].

. Black- Whilst this colour is commonly well-known for representing death, black is also used to help highlight the brighter colours used within the festival i.e. essentially pointing out the good memories about the deceased loved one rather than dwelling on the thought of death. It is a pre-Columbian symbol that has been used throughout the years to the present day.

. Pink- This colour stereotypically is presented as joyous from its bright various shades. It contributes to the positive and fulfilled atmosphere that is created within this three-day festival and enhances the lovely qualities of the holiday [ honouring a loved one through celebrating their lives]. This is usually represented through colourful costumes that many participants wear during the holiday, mainly women wear this colour on their dresses, and this is also used in many decorations for the festival.

. Purple- With this colour, it represents the saddening aspect of the holiday, participants re-calling the death of their loved one and how it had affected them. It presents the themes of grief, pain, and suffering. This balances out the emotions of each person where they can celebrate their loved ones' life whilst also respecting their death. It links back to the religion of Catholicism in which it symbolises death and mourning. Many families often light purple candles to acknowledge the feeling of loss and grief.

. Red- This colour refers back to Christianity, in which celebrants of this faith notice the colour as the spilled blood of Jesus Christ, and it simply links back to life and the circulation used in the bodies of humans and animals to keep them alive.

Traditionally, it also believed that the spirits are represented through many animals such as monarch butterflies and dogs. For example, with the butterflies, as they only arrive annually on the 1st of November, people had taken this as the sign that the butterflies carry the souls of the deceased loved ones who are returning to visit their families. Many decorative butterflies are used on Ofrendas to represent this belief. With dogs, they are used as a symbol of the holiday's culture in which they have been thought to help guide spirits  to their final resting places. This belief is represented through hand-crafted skeletal dogs that are placed on graves and ofrendas.

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The Five Stages of Grief (verywellmind.com)

I have decided to research into the five stages of grief due to the fact that it directly links back to how the main character, Constantia, is represented when revealing the storyline for the audience at the beginning of the play. By doing this, the audience members are instantly able to interpret the genre of the piece as a tragedy from the character's emotional status i.e. Constantia is wallowing as she prayers and lights a candle for Ramone in the hope that he returns home safely and soon. This discloses to the audience members that the character is struggling to cope with her husband's disappearance and as it is revealed at the beginning of the performance, it clearly shows that it refers back to the main concept of the piece and plays a bigger role in the storyline, where the audience members are also able to perceive their own interpretations of what has happened to Ramone whilst being informed of small details that link back to this before they are shown what has actually happened. When doing this, the audience members are then successfully able to remain engaged in the piece and fixate on certain moments within the play that serves as relevance to the disappearance of Ramone.

Due to the fact that this play is also presented in a patriarchal society, it had instantly referred back to how impactful this had been on Constantia where she had felt a massive loss from not only losing her husband but, technically she was now labelled as the 'breadwinner' of the family and as this was typically the man's job role in the family, it had made it more difficult for Constantia to financially support her family members whilst also coping with the emotions of grief and loss. This had greatly impacted her mental state where the character was constantly on edge as she had believed that her husband would return if she was to try harder in using prayer to bring him back [ this then refers back to the context of religion in South America where many people are Christian/Roman Catholic] and it had led to her day-dreaming about fond memories that she had of the family all together with Ramone. This had kept Constantia distracted from many problems that were approaching in the storyline i.e. where Ernesto asks Baptista to attend a meeting [ referring to activists against the government/ officials].

This reflects on the death of Ramone as he was also an activist and he had ended up suddenly disappearing. This juncture is effectively a moment of foreshadowing where the romantic bond created between Ernesto and Baptista will greatly affect their lives in a short amount of time to come , where it is later revealed that possibly due to Ernesto being an activist, unfortunate events occur where he is murdered and Baptista is tortured for her involvement with Ernesto. This links back to the five stages of grief as it includes intricate details that link back to Ramone's disappearance and the aftermath that had occurred when Constantia was coping with his death, in which similarly she is facing the stage of denial, firstly where she had lit a candle and prayed for her husband's safe return and still insisted that a place is set for him at the table and also, where Constantia is still seen at the end of the play searching for her daughter, refusing to believe that she is dead.

These two situations are similar, however, slightly contrasted in the sense of gender where Constantia was in the stage of denial when her husband had disappeared and due to the fact that he was the superior gender within the family i.e. the provider of the family, seen as the 'stronger' gender and has more knowledge, etc, she had found it more difficult to cope with his loss alongside having to financially provide for her family despite living in a patriarchal society. This is why she had consistently used prayer in the hopes that the family will become whole again and also so that the family will be provided for. However, when Baptista dies in the play and is taken away by the ghosts on-stage, as Constantia has not yet found her, she still searches for her eldest daughter and holds onto the hope that she is still alive and this comes from her maternal instincts rather than the use of prayer [ that she had used for Ramone]. Whilst Constantia had indulged in the first stage of denial in an unhealthy manner where she had refrained from allowing reality to set in, when she is searching for her daughter, the stage of denial is used in a more positive aspect where she follows her maternal instincts to keep hold of the hope that Baptista is still alive.

1. Denial - This is clearly resembled in the play when Constantia insists on having her daughters set the table and set a place for her, missing husband, Ramone. She is insistent that he is not dead and tries to keep herself busy with her domestic duties to further distract herself from reality sinking in. This also occurs in her dreams, where Constantia is urging for him to return safely and as soon as she wakes up, she believes that by lighting a candle and praying again, that he will return. I believe that Constantia also uses manifestation when doing this so that she can convince herself that by simply committing this act after dreaming/ thinking about Ramone, he will certainly return and this is then what leads to her mental health state worsening.

2. Anger- Whilst it only discloses in the description of the plot of this play that Constantia simply dismisses her daughter's arguments, I personally feel that if portrayed on-stage, the character would be angrier when dismissing her daughters as they are distracting her from the domestic duties that help her to differ from reality, in which she can forget about her husband's disappearance and simply keep herself busy, however, when hearing the girls argue about setting a place for their father, Constantia immediately feels loss and grief from realistically knowing that her husband will not return and sit at the place she has set for him.

3. Bargaining- Constantia urges for Ramone to come home and dismisses the ghost's warnings as they are trying to rest his spirit. She consistently calls out his name in the various dreams that she has at the beginning of the play and uses prayer to hopefully bring him back home safely. Whilst there isn't necessarily a great amount of bargaining included in the play, I feel that by consistently using candles and prayer, Constantia is trying to bargain with God to bring her husband back whilst dedicating herself to the use of consistent prayer and worship.

4. Depression- This stage mainly occurs when Constantia is drifting off into yet another daydream and fails to notice the developing the blossoming relationship between Ernesto and Baptista, and whilst she is aware that Ernesto is an activist [much like her deceased husband, Ramone], Constantia is too blindsided by this stage of grief to prevent this moment from occurring, which then leads to saddening events [Ernesto getting murdered and Baptista disappearing]. When researching into the mental health disorder, depression, I had found a sign that relates back to this specific moment in the play and it is: trouble concentrating/focusing where this is one of the first signs of someone getting symptoms of depression yet it is not as noticeable.

5. Acceptance- This final stage of grief is portrayed when Constantia says farewell to her husband in her final dream after viewing his battered body being pulled out of the lake at the festival dance and whilst she was shocked/grieving,
she consciously knew that she no longer had to rely on her concerns of him missing/being held hostage/hoping that he will arrive home after every time that she prayers and lights a candle for him. This stage of grief had helped her to also overcome avoiding reality and to have her eyes opened to what was occurring around her i.e. Ernesto and Baptista developing a relationship. After seeing his battered body, Constantia's dreams of her husband and their life together before his disappearance had stopped as she had a final embrace with him. This conveys to the audience members that Constantia is at peace as she knows what has happened to her husband and whilst she is still upset, she can let her husband go in peace and defend his honour when voicing her rights and tearing down the patriarchal society amongst other grandmothers/mothers who were also searching for their disappeared family members [which is when Constantia had formed the group, Madres de la plaza de mayo].

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PEST analysis of site-specific area [South America] 12.03.22

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PEST analysis of site-specific area [South America] 12.03.22

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Salvador Allende - Quotes, Chile & Socialist - Biography

Augusto Pinochet | Biography, General, Dictatorship, & Facts | Britannica

Patricio Aylwin | Register | The Times

National Reorganization Process - Wikipedia

25 Interesting Facts about South America - Swedish Nomad - This website link is beneficial when creating a research-based analysis of the continent as it includes various facts that directly link back to each factor of South America and how these could potentially affect the character's in the play ' A mother's voice'. These facts have been categorized into the following:
Political
Environmental
Societal
Technological

By doing this, it then represents presents my knowledge that I have been able to successfully link back to the play and why I personally believe this would impact the character's lifestyles and the events that will occur throughout the duration of the performance.

Political: South America Political & Social Issues - HubPages - This website includes various tabloids of political and social issues in South America throughout many years and how they have impacted the population i.e. financially/emotionally/mentally etc. I have selected the most valid political points that I believe best relate to the concept behind the play, A mother's voice.

. Los Desaparecidos [ an article that discusses the random disappearances of various family members/ loved ones that have occurred between the years 1976-1983]. This article discusses the disappearance of people in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and it also discusses the uprise in mothers and grandmothers who had formed the group, las Madres de la playa de mayo, which was a group that had been dedicated to searching for missing family members. In the year 1976, Buenos Aires had been ruled over by the dictatorship and a military junta and coup. In retaliation of this corrupt justice system, leftists and communist sympathizers had printed out photos of the community's loved ones in brochures to bring more attention to Los Desaparecidos and the moral of standing united against the justice system to decrease their power. Approximately 30,000 people in their 20s/30s had been kidnapped, tortured, and killed. To keep the hold of their power, the junta had labelled these missing people as 'subversive' terrorists' and this had been done so that they could represent the hold that they have on the community by blindsiding them to what was really happening i.e. innocent individuals being murdered for what they believed in. Around 30% of the people missing with the Los Desaparecidos, were women who had been snatched alongside their small children and 3% of these women were pregnant or became pregnant during their time in the detention centre due to the rape at the hand of the torturers and officers. These women were kept alive until they had given birth and then, they were immediately killed. The Process of National Reorganization had wanted to create " authentic Argentines" which is precisely why these children were given away to militant family members who were associated with the dictatorship/ friends of this dictatorship. However, these children of the detained were viewed by society as 'seeds of the tree of evil' in which they were considered an abomination to society from the views that their parents had on the justice system.

. Redeeming military dictatorships in Chile and Argentina [ an article that had discussed the imprisonment of the Chilean dictator General Augusto Pinochet]. Both Argentina and Chile had to cope with the fight for human rights in which they were able to redefine each country's views on the justice system, through the shape of democratic, social, and economic institutions, of the two South American nations. Despite Argentina being in a vulnerable state, it was able to clearly address society's demands for redemption rather than Chile was able to. The difference being that Argentina's military dictatorship had been consequential with political and economical issues, whereas Chile, had opted for  a smoother and positive economically beneficial environment, therefore leading to a political tradition towards democracy. During the year 1974, Argentina had ceased to have a strong general amount of power, which had then led to acts of terrorism and political issues: which was all connected to the dire economic conditions within the country i.e. the patriarchy inflicting violence on the community. This then had led to the military being able to take action against the Peronist government. With an increased amount of inflation and budget deficits, it had left the economy to wonder if the populism [ a political approach that helps to appeal people who feel that their concerns have been overlooked by elitist groups] that had been distinguished by Juan  and Eva Peron would endure. It was then when the military underneath these two people had managed to stage a coup against the movement of Isabel Peron during the year, 1976, which would then rise the brutal military dictatorship which had lasted until 1983 [ linking to Los Desaparecidos]. Aside from this, in Chile, they were able to contain some issues that had been formed by Argentina's rise to military dictatorship and up to this point, there had been no issues with infringement and constitutional issues. The first issue in this country had been a clash of ideologies between the first socialist leader of Latin America, Salvador Allende [ a Chilean physician and socialist politician] and his political/economical opponents. His nationalization to the key industries, including mining and the banking industry, had permitted Chile to default on it's debt, which had then led to opportunities for many individuals who had normalized free-market economics and liberalism and to abide by them in order to discard actions against the socialist experiment, in the time of the Cold War. In similar aspects to Argentina, Chile's community had also suffered from high inflation, social unrest, and mismanagement of deficits. However, it had differed from Argentina's issues in the sense of Allende's populism as a socialist had drawn the attention of enemies within society, including:
. Political right-wing groups
. Businesses
. The military
. Catholic church

The Chilean military had then executed a plan to stage a coup at the Presidential Palace on the 11th of September in the year, 1973, this had led to the alleged suicide of President Allende and it had then created the abuse of civil human rights underneath the new power of commander, General Augusto Pinochet, a Chilean dictator who had ruled over the county from 1973 to 1990, in which he was also given the title of the leader of the Military Junta of Chile. This country had opted for a reliance that focused on the public institutions in order to address the social demands for reconciliation and justice, in which the new democratic governments at this time were still continuing to invest in the institution-building for Chile. It had taken many years for justice against the individuals that had been responsible for the abuse of human rights during the military regime, which had also include Pinochet. Whilst Argentina had a strong fight against democracy for a few years, it had still managed to pull the necessary things out of civil society so that the people involved in ' El Proceso' [ the military dictatorship that had been responsible for the disappearance of activist's/protestors who were referred to as 'subversives' by these members, this dictatorship is commonly well known as the National Reorganization Process] would finally be brought to justice, and the victims would have compensation and would be redeemed in society. The transition for Chile to transition into a civil democracy, they had to undergo the process of balancing out the acceptance of reality in a political aspect and coming forward to the expectations of the leadership in the country. When Pinochet had lost his legitimacy as a political figure in Chile, his command power in the military hadn't left the political and economical circles that controlled the country. Despite his regime being rejected, the Chilean political elites had continued to carry on the same liberal market economic policies that had been used during the Pinochet junta rule. When he had stepped down however, the centre-left candidate, Patricio Aylwin [ a Chilean politician and a part of the Christian democratic party. He was also previously a senator, an author, lawyer, and professor. He became the next president of Chile after Pinochet], had become the new democratically elected president. He had managed to oversee the more controversial issues of justice in an economical and political environment, whilst still ensuring that they had been dominated by the elite-led right-wing politicians.

Environmental:

. There are approximately twelve countries within the continent and these include- Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Guyana, Ecuador, Paraguay, Suriname, Peru, Venezuela, and Uruguay. Within these countries, there are three territories which include:
. Falkland Islands [ United Kingdom]
. French Guiana [ France]
. South Georgia
. South islands [ United Kingdom]

. The amazon rainforest is the most biodiverse place in the world with it being home to about 40% of the planet's animals and plants. However, it is also commonly suffering from mass deforestation and the illegal pet trade.

. 550 million years ago, it is strongly believed that South America was connected with other continents such as Africa, Antarctica, and Australia. Alongside this, it was thought that it was also connected with the Arabian peninsula and the Indian subcontinent. These two had then formed the super continental area, Gondwana. However, 180 million years later, the continents had all separated from each other.

. South America is the home to the driest location on Earth and this is the Atacama desert, which has no records of rain whatsoever. For the last 40 years, there has been no precipitation of rain.

. Brazil is known for being the largest country in South America with a 47.3% coverage of the continent. It is the largest by area and population. It has up to 210 million inhabitants and is listed as one of the largest countries in the world.

. South America's smallest country is called Suriname and it has had approximately 596,831 inhabitants since 2022. The country is around 163,821 km2 in area.

. La Paz [ the capital of Bolivia] is the highest capital in the world with an approximate elevation of 3,640 meters and it is 11,942 ft tall. Some people who travel to La Paz need a few days to adjust to the higher elevation.

. The mountain ' Aconcagua' which is located in South America stands at 6962 meters, which is above the sea level of Argentina.

. Angel falls, which is a waterfall based in Venezuela, stands at a staggering height of 979 meters. It is famously well-known for being the tallest waterfall in the entire continent.

. More than 20% of oxygen is produced in South America with approximately 22% belonging to the forests, mainly the Amazon rainforest. This is why this specific rainforest is most protected from deforestation, as it is a natural resource for humans worldwide and it is where 20% of the world's oxygen is created and provided for people all over the world.

. Resources such as silver, petroleum, gold, and iron can be found on this continent. Silver mainly originates from South American countries such as Bolivia and Peru. Whilst iron originates mainly from the continent, Asia,  yet it was mined in parts of Australia and Brazil [ still linking it to South America as Brazil is the largest country within the continent]. South Africa is also commonly well-known for being the continent where gold had been founded and is famous for being the biggest provider. Finally, Petroleum originates from Africa where this resource was mainly founded in the country, Nigeria.

Societal:

. Christianity is the main religion that is used in South America with approximately 90% of the population being Christian whilst over 80% of the population consider themselves Roman Catholics.

. Certain indigenous tribes have no contact with modern civilization and this is due to the fact that they live deep in the Amazon rainforest and they are in hiding to protect their land.

. Approximately more than 300 languages are spoken on the continent of South America. This includes Spanish and Portuguese being the main language that is spoken, along with Quechua [ 8.9 million people speak this language], Guarani [ 4.9 million people speak this language], and Aymara [ 2.8 million people speak this language].

. There are various groups of civilization. This includes the commonly well-known group of people called the 'Incas' [ a civilization in South America that was formed by ethnic Quechua people. The group were archaeologists and they were believed to develop the narrow coastal plain of the Pacific Ocean.  ],

Chavin people [ commonly referred to as the pre-Colombian civilization. They are known for their archaeological work and the artifacts that they had created. The group had existed from 900 BCE to 200 BCE. ]

Paracas people [ an Andean society that was formed in 800 BCE and had existed between 800-100 BCE, the group was located in Peru like the Inca group. This group were known for their complex work of textiles.]

Nazca people [ a civilization that had been created in c. 100 BC and had mainly existed until 800 AD. The group was strongly influenced by the Paracas people and much like the Pacaras , the group is known for their creation of complex textiles].

Technological: Technology Facts Latin America | Americas Market Intelligence (americasmi.com)- This is the most relevant website link that I could find when referring back to the contextual factors on the technological development within the continent of, South America. This includes:

. Latin America is known for being the third-largest internet market in the world that is in the terms that the users of this continent use the most amount of internet, behind Europe and Asia. There are approximately 385 million internet users in this precise continent and 10.3% of the world's internet users live in Latin America.

. Out of the ten Facebook markets in the world that are most visited, two of them are located in Latin America, in the two areas: Brazil being rated the third out of ten markets, and Mexico is the fifth out of the ten markets.

. In 2019, 245 million people had been using smartphones which had then increased the amount of smartphone users in this continent by 63 million, which had then amounted for the amount of people in the year, 2016.

. Three out of ten countries that hold the title for the amount of time spent online by internet users in Latin America, include: Brazil being ranked second, Mexico being ranked the sixth, and Argentina being ranked the seventh.

. There are 147 million tablet users in Latin America [according to the year: 2020]. This had been an increased rate of 36% from the amount of users that there had been in the year, 2016, which was approximately 108 million.

. Three of the top ten countries in time spent most online in Latin America include: Brazil being ranked the second, Argentina had been ranked the third, and Mexico had been ranked the fourth.

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audition roles / first table read 17.03.22

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audition roles / first table read 17.03.22

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roles I was interested in when reading through the script :

. Dream mother
. Baptista

In today's lesson when first reading through the script, I was more drawn to these specific characters due to the fact that they each establish the different traits that refer back to the concept of the performance, which was to reveal the corrupt justice system within the patriarchal society and how it had impacted women, who were also coping with the loss of male figures within their lives. I was interested in how there was a clear contrast in the two characters which still links back to the themes that are represented in the play [feminism/ in-equality within the patriarchal society].

For example, the dream mother presents society's ideal image of what they expect a woman to be, and that being that she provides children whilst ensuring that her household is clean and that her family is happy without complaining. Whereas, the character Baptista is portrayed as assertive and whilst following the rules that the justice system has imposed on society, she still voices her opinions and human rights to those people that she holds close relationships with. For example, when attending an activist meeting with Ernesto, she says " I can not watch what is happening and do nothing". This quote conveys that despite the character having a slight moment of insecurity from when she is worried if she had embarrassed both herself and Ernesto, Baptista still asserts her rights in the hope that other people will indulge in these meetings so that they are able to notice how the corrupt justice system is treating society and how to prevent this from occurring any further, for people to also gain more independence in their lives rather than having to live by certain rules. This also represents how Baptista stands out amongst the female members of her family members, as they stick to their domestic duties and have thoughts of marriage/children, whereas she is inspired by her father's actions and opinions, where he was also an activist for protesting against the corrupt justice system.

These specific characters each interpret traits that link back to the concept of the piece, which was how the corrupt justice system that had been put in place was responsible for Los Desaparecidos [many people who were presumed dead from how long they had been missing for]. For example, the dream mother denies all knowledge of her husband missing and tries to ignore reality, which then discloses to the audience members that the character is suffering from the first stage of grief, which is denial. Contextually speaking, this then links back to the emotions of the mothers and grandmothers who had to cope with the grief and loss of their loved ones during the years 1976 to 1983, which then creates more of a genuine emotional impact for the audience members where they are educated on how much of a damaging effect Los Desaparecidos had on the entire continent, South America, whilst also witnessing the different stages of emotions that occur when experiencing a certain amount of grief i.e. for Constantia she had experienced mainly the first stage of denial and the fourth stage, depression.

Whereas her daughter, Baptista, mainly reveals the stage of acceptance in grief, as her personality revolves around her being a realist where she can no longer deflect from the fact that her father is not going to return and that he is dead, of course, she is still distraught and upset about the loss of her father, but she refuses to dwell on the fact that he may be presumed 'missing' still and she would  rather fixate her attention on creating a voice for people who have experienced the un-fair treatment by the justice system and how she plans to overthrow these higher men in power/ seek for new government that does not indulge in controlling the population by use of violence.

There are a few insinuations of rape / sexual assault in the performance such as when Baptista is being carried off by the two men who had murdered Ernesto. When witnessing this, I was able to view how this is a clear representative of the un-fair treatment that many people who are involved with activists tend to suffer from, as the patriarchy use violence to keep control of society and if anyone is to threaten this lifestyle, the higher men in power will tend to them in ways that will ensure that people do not speak up for themselves again. For example, after Ernesto is murdered by one of the men in the shadows, they then drag Baptista off-stage and say the line " and now we have some fun together eh!". By using this quote, I have provided evidence of how these higher men in power had used rape/sexual assault as a form of torture and manipulation to teach women to remain in their supposed place of keeping the household clean/ bearing children, and finding a husband that will provide and will not go against the justice system.

The dream mother is a past maternal role of the main character 'Constantia' and when on-stage, she interacts with the children [ when they were younger] and her husband, Ramon. By doing this, the audience members are able to clearly view how this is a memory that Constantia holds onto when thinking about her husband and when he will return. She reflects on these moments typically at the beginning of the performance in order to symbolise the first stage of grief which is denial, in which the dream mother says the line "It's all lies, I will not listen to the lies". By using this quote, I am able to represent how the character refuses to let reality set in and this is why the dream mother serves as a purpose of denying the truth where she desperately tries to turn time back and feel young again whilst having reality seeping in. By refraining from listening to the ghosts, this character also challenges the events that will occur in the future, and in doing so, this then results in terrible outcomes for the main character, Constantia, and her family members who will follow the same path as their deceased father i.e. Baptista involving herself in politics with Ernesto and then developing a romantic relationship with him whilst they are comparing their political views.

Baptista is one out of Constantia's four daughters. It is made clear in the script that this character is not the eldest sibling from when Constantia says the line " you should be like your big sister here. If she can find a man then so can you". The use of the word 'big' clearly establishes that Francisca is the oldest our of the four daughters, however, before reading the script I had presumed that Baptista was the eldest sibling from the mature lifestyle that she had led and her confidence when voicing her opinions and rights to her family members. Also, I had interpreted that she was the eldest sibling from how much she had been mentioned in comparison to the other siblings in the description that the author had provided on the main website.

As marriage is brought up in the play, I had previously assumed that the character was the second oldest out of her three siblings and this is from when Constantia says "find a man". This short quote conveys that whilst she loves her children, Constantia still follows society's aspect of the 'perfect' woman which was that she had stuck to her domestic duties and she had married a man that could provide for her and in doing so, the female would provide children and keep the household clean to please her husband. This is precisely what I enjoy about the character, Baptista, as she does not concern herself about finding a husband and would rather involve herself in the politics of creating a more beneficial justice system. I personally believe that this is a better quality to have as it represents that the character is ahead of her time, which then refers back to the change in independence that the characters will face when other countries hear the news of Los Desaparecidos. I personally view this character as a feminist, as she establishes many traits that this precise type of person has i.e. standing up for what's right/ having a leadership role/ voicing opinions without the fear of what other's think, etc. Whilst it is not specifically just for women, Baptista still fights for inequality as well and how females and males are treated within the justice system and this is what makes me feel extremely interested when reading about this precise character.

When reading through the script, I had found a few quotes that I personally believe had greatly resembled the persona of each character and how this relates back to the storyline of the main character [ Constantia] and when doing this, I was able to imagine how I personally would approach the quote whilst in the role of the character. I had also experimented with certain vocal traits in my spare time when reading through the script and saying these lines. This had been done in order to see what extent I could go to with my current skillset to realistically portray myself as either of my chosen characters and this had also helped me to create a confident atmosphere in preparation for the auditions on Tuesday.

In order to prepare me for the auditions on Tuesday, I intend on creating two mind maps revolving around my two chosen characters so that I am aware of how to approach the roles in a different aspect which will then represent my creative perspective of how I view each role and interpret how to present these character traits in a vocal and physical aspect. By doing this, it will benefit me by reflecting on my first interpretation of each character and how it will apply to future rehearsals and if I were to not get either of these roles, I can see how I would be able to apply my research and adapt certain skills of physicality/vocality to still create a sense of realism as my character in the entire performance.

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I have created this word document to portray my general knowledge and creative insight that had been taken into consideration when researching into this specific character and how I believe I would suit the role in preparation for the auditions for this final major project on 22nd May.

I had taken an interest to this precise character when reading through the script due to the fact that she is a clear representation of the main character's past life and when revealing to the audience members the story of Constantia's life, there are various hints of how the traumatic events that had affected her, had also led her to strive in becoming a voice for the people and standing up against the corrupt justice system, which had also referred back to the contextual factor of the play's storyline , Les Madres de Playa de Mayo. Whilst Constantia is presented as this, the character, Dream Mother, is represented as what society had expected of women during this time in which they attend to their domestic duties and refrain from involving themselves in political issues, otherwise they will face severe consequences i.e. punishments leading to extreme lengths such as prison sentences, torture, etc. The purpose of this character's persona is to reveal how she had acted before her husband had disappeared, where she had attended to her domestic duties and had ensured that she stir away from any political and societal issues. Dream Mother's purpose is to represent to the audience members of the five stages of bereavement journey that Constantia endures whilst coping with the disappearance of her husband and this is clearly portrayed throughout the various quotes that Dream Mother says throughout the duration of the play.

Despite this character being a past version of Constantia, there is still a clear contrast between the two of them throughout the play, and this is mainly referring to how the characters cope with the death of their husband, Ramon. Whilst they are similar at the beginning of the play in which the two character's are pleading for Ramon to return home, the Dream mother is able to deflect from reality further when interacting with her family in a fond memory [ the picnic in the hills] and she is presented as quite hysterical at the beginning of the play when trying eagerly to cling onto her husband and refraining his spirit to be at peace as she selfishly needs him so that, she can retain his love and go back to her old lifestyle.

When creating this document, I had taken it upon myself to include key quotes that I believed had best revealed the personality of the character and I had then linked this back to the list of traits that I had found whilst reading through the lines that this role had used within the script that had linked back to the purpose for her journey, resembling the five stages of grief that Constantia is suffering with. Each quote that I have selected refers back to the stages of grief that are clearly represented by this character to the audience members. For example:
. "Then let me hold you, tend to you, love and comfort you"- whilst in this quote the character establishes her nurturing as a wife to commit to her domestic duties of caring for her husband, she also clearly represents the stage, bargaining, where she promises that she will complete this acts of devotion in order to have him still stay with her and to not return to the land of the dead with the ghosts.

. "Where are you going Ramon? Come back to me, come back to us. We need you Ramon". The trait that I have used for this specific quote is the character being vulnerable, where she is reliant on her husband to complete their family and to return back to the old lifestyle, in this specific moment within the play it had also seemed to me that the character is struggling to keep the title of mother where she can care for her children whilst trying to cope with the extreme grief that she is facing and again, relies on her husband to help her raise their children and ensure that they remain in a safe environment. The stage represented from this quote is depression, in which the character is not able to emotionally cope with the fact that her husband is not in her life and she is hysterical at this point as she is trying to physically bring him back to reality with her. Dream Mother represents many common signs of depression in this quote such as:
. helplessness
. intense feelings of guilt [ relating back to the fact that she cannot care for her children by herself whilst in this poor mental state]
. being constantly tearful and having moments of great sadness

." Will this be enough for our picnic"-  In this quote, I was able to clearly witness how the Dream Mother is devoted as a parent and wife when worrying if she has provided enough for her family members. However, this entire scene is a form of deflection where the character uses a fond memory to remain in the state of denial where she can assure herself that her family will be like this again and she can return back to her domestic duties without having to concern herself with the political issues surrounding both her and her family member's lives. However, this fond memory is also presented as a form of bargaining for Ramon to manipulate him into coming back to reality where he can be surrounded by his loving family and they can recreate moments such a this.

. " It's all lies. I will not listen to the lies". I have included two quotes relating back to denial as this is what the audience members will view when being introduced to this specific character at the beginning of the play, where she is in a consistent stage of denial whilst trying to find her husband and bring him back to reality with her. The purpose of this is to reveal how impactful this specific stage has been on the character and how it links back to the moments of denial that Constantia also uses to keep the spirit of her husband alive in the hopes that he will return soon i.e. in the second scene where she has a place setting put for him at the table as she hopes that he will come through the door and be surrounded by her and her daughters. The trait that I had used for this quote was hesitant and this is due to the fact that the Dream Mother is clearly forcing the warnings of the ghosts away so that she can remain hopeful that Ramon will return home with her, thus conveying that she is in denial from the reality of what is happening in her current life.

Finally, I have also portrayed my own personal perspective on the entire character and what skills I believe would set suit the role when imagining the development of the role within the rehearsal process. For example, I had included how I would approach the role of the character from a vocal aspect i.e. using a soft tone to convey the Dream Mother's femininity as the 'perfect' resemblance of how a woman was supposed to act in the eyes of society, that being to ensure they remain polite and perfectly content when attending to their domestic duties. This would be specifically portrayed in the scene, The picnic in the hills, where the Dream Mother is spending time with her husband and children as they all play games and dance together. I believe that by using this vocal trait, I would be able to link the character back to the trait, nurturing, where she remains as a parental figure in the children's lives and ensures that they are entertained and well-fed. I had also included my own perspective on how I would approach the role physically in the concept of using a slow/smooth pace whilst embracing her husband to convey the close connection that she holds with him, which will then create a sense of realism for the audience members where they will believe that these two characters are truly affectionate of each other from how the Dream Mother approaches Ramon. Aside from this, I also believe that this character would use the same physicality trait when interacting with her children in the scene, The picnic in the hills, where she plays a game of catch with them and both her and Ramon are entertaining their daughters whilst creating a fond memory.

In my opinion, I also feel that the title of this character serves two purposes, one being simply the name of the character and what her place is within the play i.e. the use of the word 'dream' clearly revealing that she is a figment of the  main character's imagination as she is recollecting memories of both herself and her husband together before he had disappeared. However, it is also a slight play on the emotions of the character's daughters where they express their concerns for their mother as she is the first stage of denial at the beginning of the play when trying to understand how to cope with the disappearance of her husband and the daughters portray their opinions on this when interacting with each other whilst setting the table in preparation for dinner. For example, on page 10 of the script, scene 2: Absence  and Loss, the eldest daughter, Francisca, says "She has to stop punishing us all like this, Baptista, do not lay Padre's place tonight". This quote clearly discloses how the children are aware that their mother has been neglectful as a form of their mother punishing them by not being able to take care of them properly whilst trying to cope with her grief, and this is why the daughter decides to take matter into her own hands by forcing her mother to face reality rather than forcing everyone to live in the same daily cycle of pretending that their father/ her husband will return if they remain hopeful and commit certain acts such as setting his place at the table. When first viewing this quote, I had perceived it as Francisca not mentally able to cope with her mother's acts of denial no longer and the emotional pain that the children have endured which would have caused them to have certain thoughts such as how they would like to have the memories of their mother back, how she used to act before Ramon had gone missing. This is precisely why I had anticipated that the children also relate to the Dream Mother, as she is what they need currently, a selfless and determined parental figure that provides for them all whilst remaining content with her lifestyle and also giving emotional support to the children when trying to cope with the loss of their father.

Dream Meaning of Mother - Dream Interpretation - I have looked into this website link in order to have a further insight as to why the Constantia had specifically dreamed about herself with Ramon rather than simply dreaming about just her husband and her children together. When doing this, I was able to find facts that relate back to the role of the Dream Mother, such as a new start and this could refer back in the play where this specific character is eagerly trying to have her husband return back to reality with her, rather than having him remain in the land of the dead. ' A new start' could also be referring to when Dream Mother is intent on creating new memories with her husband to replace all of the despair and anguish that she has endeavoured for the time that Ramon had been missing. This is what Dream Mother craves the most and as she is represented as a hysterical woman at the beginning of the play where she searches tirelessly for Ramon and when interacting/embracing with him, the character displays more of a vulnerable state where she is not mentally able to have a reasonable conversation where she must let go of her husband's spirit and allow him to finally be in peace. A specific quote that the character says in the play, " whatever it is I will forgive you, whatever I have done I will put right" clearly reveals how she is willing to put the past behind her so that she can make amends and focus on the new memories with her family when reuniting everyone together again, therefore clearly disclosing that she wants to have a new start and then linking back to the reason as to why Constantia is dreaming about herself when she was younger as a wife and mother.

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character role for FMP.docx

This word document has been created in order to reveal how I have viewed this character in my own perspective and how I have linked the specific characteristics that are portrayed in the play back to the historical context of the setting of the play. An example of this is when I had included the quote of Baptista talking about her certainty that her missing husband was with the Desaparecidos, and that he will not be returning anytime soon. This immediately refers back to the context of Los Desaparecidos, which is the fixated topic of the plot in the play, where there are real facts that are portrayed about this event that had occurred during the years 1976-1983 in the continent, South America, where various protestors/leftists/ anyone supporting these protestors, had mysteriously disappeared and many of them were held in detention camps/tortured/sent to prison or they were murdered straight away.

This then refers back to various scenes in the play, but it links directly back to Baptista from the scenes towards the end of the play where she is being tortured by the higher men in power after being kidnapped by them and this is clear from the details that she includes that insinuate certain forms of torture that they have used on her as she had been associated with an activist/protestor [ Ernesto]. An example of this is when she says the line " And they laugh. Laugh as they hurt me. Laugh as they touch me. Feel me. Ask if I like what they do". From this quote, it is clear that there are a few insinuations of sexual assault/rape when the character is being tortured and as it is made clear prior to this scene, the male patriarchy uses violence and manipulation as a way to pursue thier 'duties' to society and to ensure that they gain more power based on fear. I am assuming as well due to this character being in an extremely vulnerable state, they were more likely to commit such vulgar acts to silence her further and to make sure that she does not disrespect the rules put in place for society, as she has seen the consequences that can happen if this were to happen again.

By doing this, it then educates the audience members on the political and societal issues that had resulted in many casualties and traumatic events, however, it had also caused an up rise in independence when the group called Las Madres de la Plaza de Mayo which was an all-female group  formed mainly of grieving mothers and grandmothers that served it's national purpose of searching for their loved ones who had gone missing over the years. This of course then relates back to the end of the performance where Constantia says that she will be attending the group in the town that night after saying the line" I must be a mother to the world first". This quote clearly implies that the character is aware of her emotional negligence to her children during her time of grief and after losing Baptista, as well as Ramon, I personally feel that Constantia had become inspired by Baptista's traits of being assertive and realistic, to stand against the justice system in protest for her family.

This then reveals that when a mother's love for her child is affected, she will do everything in her power to ensure that she protects her child from harm any further and whilst Constantia had grieved for Ramon, she had only known of her place in society where she was the lesser gender [female] and she was only good for committing her domestic duties i.e. keeping the home tidy, having a providing husband with a stable job, bearing children and raising them. Whereas, when she becomes a mother, Constantia had been responsible for raising, comforting, teaching her child and the bond between a mother and child is so strong that a mother has a maternal instinct when something is wrong and this is precisely why Constantia was aware that she should go searching for Baptista as soon as she hadn't returned for a while. From a personal perspective, I also feel that this is built up on a sense of guilt, where Constantia was too concerned with her grief for Ramon that she could not notice that Baptista was involving herself with an activist, Ernesto, and after already being aware of how dangerous it is to be a leftist in society, Constantia had feared for Baptista too late and she may feel that she is the cause for her daughter's disappearance. At the end of the play, the audience members view Constantia still searching for her daughter and in my opinion, I view this as her still circling the same five stages of grief, however, as she had grown more independent, the character had remained more self-assured in comparison to how she was portrayed at the beginning of the play.

I had created a list of traits that I personally felt had benefitted the persona of this specific character and when researching into the meaning of the character, I had decided to use the website, urban dictionary, in order to view the name in more of a personal detail and to see if it had matched to the brief description of the character. On the website, it had described her personality by saying: "Baptista is quite mad so you start getting rude to her, she will bug out very easily". I had personally linked this quote back to the persona of the character as whilst she does not necessarily raise her opinions at anyone in higher authority, in the scene titled: Baptista and Ernesto, when he tries to imply that she may not yet be ready to join the activists group as he wants to protect her frim any harm, Baptista immediately retaliates with the line " I think we live in a dangerous world Ernesto. I cannot be like my mother". This quote then conveys how the character is intent on refraining from her mother's trait of pretending that her problems aren't there and remaining in a pit of denial whilst refusing to create a voice for herself. This also reveals how, much like her father, Baptista is headstrong in her decision to join the activists and refuses to let anyone tell her anything differently. When reading into this quote, I had recognized how Baptista's persona had then referred back to the theme in the play, feminism, where she stands for what she believes in and will not let anybody else change her mind, whilst she also justifies her own reasons as to why she wants to be involved.

After looking into the in-depth description of the meaning behind the character's name on the website, I had then researched into the percentage of people in South America who have black hair and brown eyes. I had done this in order to see how common it is and then directly link it to the character so that I can create an image of how the character is expected to look in the play. When viewing this from a personal perspective, I was able to picture how I would compare and contrast my own features with this specific character to physically present to the audience members the sense of realism of myself in the role of this character. I have not yet focused on the costume / hair of the character as their are no hints of what the specific age group that Baptista is in [ 15-19] wear in the play, which is why if I was to be given this role, this is what I would prioritize whilst expanding on my research throughout the rehearsal process. Before reading the script, I had initially believed that Baptista was the eldest of the four daughters from the mature attempts that she takes in ensuring that people can gain a voice in society without the fear of the higher men in power from using violence and manipulation to put people back in their place. However, Baptista ensures that this confidence is well hidden from her family, as they disapprove of her attendance to these meetings due to the fact that they fear for her safety, and that it is also hidden from the patriarchal society, as if they were to find out then she would suffer severe consequences.

I personally believe that the character has purposely been represented as a younger female version of her father to convey to the audience members of the storyline that he had when apparently going missing, and the traits that he had are now represented in his daughter, Baptista, where she is also brave due to the fact that she attends these meetings full-well knowing that it is dangerous and could result in severe punishment. Baptista shares her father's headstrong quality of wanting to make a difference and defend the population so that everyone has the opportunity of deciding how they want to live thier lives without the restrictions enforced by society.

The main reason that I had become interested in this precise character was due to her traits of being confident and assertive. Despite living in a patriarchal society, in the script, Baptista voices her opinions to characters that she holds close relationships with in order to establish her opinion on the corrupt justice system and how to encourage not only herself, but other people to take a stand against this harsh behaviour that is being inflicted on them by these dominant men in power. An example of this is where Baptista says "what about a protest then-or a petition? If we all sign a petition then they might listen". This tactical quote reveals how the character wants to ideally find a way in which she can ensure that the demands of the factory girls are met whilst also being careful that she does not stand out amongst society as a protestor and get herself caught. Alongside revealing the trait of being assertive in this quote, their is also a clear representation of her intelligence from when she changes the plan to saying petition as she is fully aware of what will happen if there was a protest that was going to occur. When doing this, it also reveals how caring the character due to the fact that she wants to make sure that  everyone is safe when committing this act to make changes in the workplace.

In this document, I have represented my personal thoughts and knowledge about the character in a vocal and physical aspect and how I believe I would approach these certain skills personally whilst in the role of this character. An example of this is if I were to perform in this role, I would use a harsh tone to refer back to the main trait that I had noticed for Baptista, which was unlike the other female characters, in which she remains respectable to the close bonds that she holds with people in the play i.e. her mother, Constantia, despite the two of them having contradictive views on how to live in society, Baptista still remains respectful to her mother and refrains from directing any of her personal opinions on how her mother copes with her father's disappearance i.e. praying for him and setting the table for him whilst remaining in denial that he will come home.

Finally, I have selected specific key quotes that I believe best represent the traits that I have formed around the persona of this character. For example:

. "what about a protest then-or a petition? If we all sign a petition then they might listen"- This reveals that the character is assertive from her peaceful attempt at trying to make better changes in the corrupt justice system rather than resulting to violence and facing harsh consequences i.e. physical torture from the higher men in power.

. "He is with the Desaparecidos Ernesto. The missing, I am sure of it. He will not return. My mother cannot accept it." - I have selected this precise quote to represent the character's trait, realism, where she is aware of the real world that she lives in and how she eventually refrains from believing in what her mother is inflicting on the family at home when desperately waiting for Ramon's safe return. This had been done by the children and Constantia holding a prayer for Ramon at dinnertime whilst having his place set at the table, despite the fact that he will not be returning. When saying this quote, Baptista still establishes how aware she is of her surroundings [ the corrupt justice system from how confident she is in the answer of where her father is] whilst also allowing herself to indulge in a moment of vulnerability with her love interest, Ernesto, which then clearly reveals to the audience members that she is allowed to be her true self when she is with him and the audience members can bare witness to her opinions on the depraved society that she is living in.

." I always gave him something- some food at least"- Again, after a vulnerable encounter with Ernesto, Baptista shares a personal story about how she had known a young boy who was impoverished and she had frequently given him food when seeing him at her bus stop, whilst the two of them were unaware of each other's names, their bond had been formed on an account of kindness. However, when she had found out that there was a wealthy man who was in need of his son to have a surgery for his eyes, the impoverished boy had his eyes removed and was blind. This was due to the mass difference in social class, where the higher men in power had taken advantage of those living in poverty to suffice the upper-class society and so these men could gain more power and financial status. This quote had been selected to represent how caring Baptista is as she makes sure that he was still well fed / provided for and I believe this is what had started her choice to protest against the corrupt justice system, after coming to the realization of how cruel the society she is living in truly is.

." Your speech helped a lot. You spoke with passion. It made people want to do something". The specific trait revealed in this quote is the flirtation where the character uses flattery to grow closer to her love interest, Ernesto, and so that the two of them can compare and contrast thier personal thoughts on the same concerns that they share about the justice system. I have chosen this specific quote as I personally believe that it represents the moment in which the audience members are able to bare witness to Baptista in her true element and perceive how head-strong and assertive she truly is when being encouraged by people, such as Ernesto, to speak up for what she believe in. I grow very fond of this specific bond as it represents how this male figure in Baptista's life had helped her to reveal her true self without the fear of rejection for what she truly believes in. Ernesto and Baptista are respectable to each other and are seen constantly supporting one another in the script, and it is clear that he cares deeply for her when ensuring that she is aware of the position that she is putting herself in [ joining the activists group] and not forcing her to stop her decision.

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What "Rio" Means to Brazil Movie Makers (forbes.com)

Carlos Saldanha - Biography - IMDb

Brazil's widespread wildlife trafficking - Wildlife Trade Report from TRAFFIC

Christ the Redeemer - History and Facts | History Hit

Tourist Attractions and Things to Do in Rio de Janeiro (tourbytransit.com)

CARNIVAL OF BRAZIL - February 17, 2023 - National Today

Los Desaparecidos and the Pinochet Regime | Forging Memory

Living on the Streets: The Street Children of Brazil - Inquiries Journal

10 Facts about Brazilian Slums... and Specifically Rio de Janeiro (borgenproject.org)

Sugarloaf Mountain - Things to do - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Journey Latin America

Brazil Football: Things to Know About Soccer in Rio de Janeiro - Travel Deeper with Gareth Leonard | Tourist2Townie.com

I have researched into this film due to the fact that it is based in the continent, South America, and whilst it is a child-friendly animation film, it still discloses various details that refer back to the contextual factors of what the continent is commonly well known for i.e. tourist attractions/ the history of South America, etc. This precise film links directly back to the play, A mother's voice, as they are both set in the same site-specific area, and it also relates back to many facts about South America that are represented as themes in the play.

An example of this is the tourist attraction, Christ the Redeemer, which is a grand statue that stands on top of Mount Corcovado and this represents the most common religion in the continent which is revealed in the play, Christianity. This is presented in the second scene of the play: Absence and Loss, where the main character, Constantia, is praying for her husband's safe return alongside her daughters i.e. " Dear God. As we settle to this meal, we pray for Ramon, a good husband, and father". This quote clearly reveals that Constantia retains her faith in God and her religion as a traditional and prominent woman to her motherland, South America, therefore remaining in society's image of what it means to be a 'perfect' mother and wife. In this film, there are many geographical tourist attractions that are revealed in certain scenes, and this had been to highlight the most common reasons for people visiting this country annually.

The comedy genre film is situated in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, which is also the largest country in the continent, of South America. The plot of this play revolves around the main character, blue, who is a rare breed of bird left on the planet and he must take a long journey from Minnesota to Rio to meet the female bird, Jewel, who is also the same breed as him. The purpose of their meeting was to provide children to prevent the breed from going extinct. The title of the film is also recognized as the clearest link back to the continent, South America, as the word 'Ro' is short for Rio de Janeiro, the capital of South America's biggest country, Brazil. Throughout the duration of the film, there are clear facts about the country that are perceived as discreet and child-friendly so that it is still appropriate for the target audience. These include:

.  Sugarloaf mountain[ cable car]- This clear attraction refers back to the setting of the film, Rio, as it is in Brazil, the largest country within the continent of South America. This is a location that is visited annually and cable cars are used as a form of transportation to visit this specific area. Sugarloaf mountain is a national landmark that overlooks Rio de Janerio. The name for this area differs from the 19th century, in which the outline of the mountain portrays a form of refined sugar that had been created during this era.

. Christ the redeemer [ relating back to society's popular religion of Christianity]- This relates back to one of the main themes within the play, which is faith, this is applied back to my character, Dream Mother, as she is a traditional and prominent throughout the duration of the play and consistently tends to her domestic duties as a mother and wife. Even despite her being in a hysterical manner at the mere  thought of losing Ramon, Dream Mother still retains her faith as a Christian that her husband will return back to reality with her.

. Missing Desaparecido [ blue poster of macaw]- When the main character, Rio, his owner, Linda, had found out the Blue and the other macaw, Jewel, had gone missing, they had printed blue posters of the birds and labelled Missing Desaparecidos in order to reveal to the public that they are desperate to find their birds. This contextually refers back to the fact in the 70s, Los Desaparecidos where activists/protestors against the corrupt justice system in South America, had mysteriously disappeared, and posters such as these in the film, had been created to bring awareness of their loved ones whereabouts.

. bird trading- [ presented as a child-friendly version of illegal activities that occur in the continent i.e. animal trafficking. This fact relates back to the illegal animal trafficking that is highly common in Brazil as on an annual basis, approximately four hundred species of birds are impacted by this illegal activity. It is precisely songbirds and Parrots that are hunted for the most and that they are ranked as highly expensive in the illegal animal trafficking trade. During the year 2015, around three million birds had been registered through counterfeit practices in order to launder illegally traded birds.

. Rio de Janeiro festival- [ relating back to the festivities in the play where the characters do popular dances] This festival is one of the most common reasons as to why people visit Brazil on a regular basis, as it celebrates the culture of the country and the traditions behind it throughout the years. In this, many colours including the shades of the country's flag, are used to attract more people to the joyful atmosphere that is endured when celebrating this event. The festival consists of traditional dancing, music, historical dishes/beverages, costumes, etc. In the film, Rio, whilst Linda and Julio are trying to find their birds, they involve themselves in the carnival to have a better insight as to where they are, after Linda had briefly spotted Blue in the distance. This is where they are both dressed up as dazzling blue macaws and use dancing to enhance the attention of the audience members/ carnival operators, which had then led to many diversions in the main antagonist being able to escape with the birds.

. football- this is one of the most common attractions in Rio de Janerio, where it is home to many famous football clubs. It is revealed in the film when the characters are all too fixated on watching the football game to notice that the birds had made their escape and they consistently distract themselves with the entire game, therefore leading blue and jewel to plan an easier escape. This is due to the fact that football or soccer, as the Brazilians normally call it, is in fact a beloved tradition and has been throughout the years.

One of the purposes for the movie director, Carlos Saldanha, creating this child-friendly film was so that he could discreetly highlight the issues related to this specific country i.e. animal trafficking. This is seen when the main antagonist of the film, Marcel, has kidnapped Jewel and blue [the two main characters] due to the fact that they are a rare breed of bird, therefore making them extravagant in price.

The director also represents the high levels of poverty that are in Brazil to this day, and this had been portrayed from the landscape scenes that fixate on details of the slums that many of the habitats of this country live in. These are commonly referred to as 'favelas and this area had grown when migration had increased at a further rate throughout the years. People who reside in these favelas are often impoverished and can barely afford clothing and food on a regular basis and there is a high amount of criminal activity in this specific part of the country due to the fact that the residents are unable to afford anything out of their own pocket. Approximately 6% of Brazil's population reside in these favelas. There are around 1,000 people who live in Favelas are located in Rio, and 1,600 people live in Favelas in Sao Paulo. These favelas consist of issues with electricity and plumbing due to their weak infrastructure.

This is precisely why I believe when viewing the character, Fernando, a parentless boy in his pre-teen years, is troubled and turns to various acts of crime to support himself. For example, prior to meeting Linda and Julio, Fernando kidnaps the blue macaws for the antagonist, Marcel, in order to get a fair amount of pay and to be surrounded by other people in his life so that he isn't lonely. However, after coming to the realization that he had taken someone's beloved pet, Linda's macaw 'blue', Fernando feels a sense of guilt which results in him helping Linda to get them back.

When doing this, another act that had been committed was when he had stolen the motorcycle with both Julio and Linda to escape Marcel's bird, Nigel, who was also intent on making Jewel and Blue suffer as they had tried to escape on multiple accounts. Fernando's physical appearance is quite skinny and this contextually links back to the malnourishment that many people had suffered from due to the fact that they were too poor to afford anything i.e. this is why he is seen sitting at the top of the Favela and drinking a stolen takeout beverage. The clothing that this precise character had worn also refers back to people living in favelas wearing second-hand items of clothing due to their for lack of money.

There is a high increase of disease in Favelas due to the lack in sanitation. These health risks differ from overcrowding, a lack of waste disposable systems, and pollution. With this, the life expectancy of the average person is, forty-eight years old. However, the national age that had been most recorded is an individual who was sixty-eight years old prior to their death. Drug trafficking is highly common in this area due to the amount of poverty that is endured and the poor living conditions in which people aim to gain more money [therefore resulting in illegal activity]. These illegal activities typically involve young boy teenagers, in which it is more common for them to die before the age of twenty-one. Due to this activity, there is also more conflict that involve civilian deaths.

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I have created a diagram of all of the characters within the play, A mother's voice, so that I can simplify the relationships that are shared as these character's interact with each other throughout the duration of the performance. When doing this, I have also dedicated a specific colour to each relationship shared  to ensure that there is a clear link between these roles that refers back to the storyline of the play. For me personally, this has helped me to notice the significance of the bonds that are shared between various character's and how they then reflect on the main themes of the play. For example, when putting the character's: dream mother and Father at the top of the tree, I have used two colours from the colour tree to explain how they link to each other whilst also sharing relationships with the other characters i.e. the light blue colour represents the past life character's and their is a clear purple arrow that is pointed between them which represents the romantic relationships within the play. By doing this, I have been able to successfully establish the relations that these two roles share and how it links back to themes such as love/despair and death.

For example, the colour of the antagonists is dark blue, and it is clear from reading the script that the main antagonist is the men in charge of the justice system [ the two shadows and the five office officials]. I have linked these characters back to the main roles, Constantia and Baptista. This is due to the fact that the two female characters both share terrifying interactions that then represent the impacted trauma that is forced onto society as these men are brought further into power and manipulate/control the people for entertaining/dominant/financial purposes. This then refers back to the safety of the two female character's as it is a patriarchal society in which these men in power had found it entertaining to take advantage of vulnerable women. An example of this is in the script where , after murdering Ernesto, Baptista is being dragged off-stage and the government character's say " and now we have some fun together eh!". From the use of the exclamation mark, this suggests that the shadow character has a heightened sense of emotion and after murdering someone, I believe that the character would be exhilarated/angry as they hold no responsibility for their actions and it is highly unlikely that they will have any criminal charges put against them, as they are higher men in power.

They abuse their power in the younger generation as they are in more of a vulnerable state whereas when Constantia interacts with the antagonists, they simply use verbal abuse to frighten the character and to belittle her further as she is desperately searching for her missing daughter and is simply seeking for help from a higher authority. Whilst Ernesto also plays a big role in the portrayal of the government's deceit, as the audience members are able to notice the extreme lengths that the men in power are willing to go to and he is the only male that is murdered on-stage. There is still a clear contrast in gender roles regarding these men in power, as they intend on punishing any left-wing associates that stand against the justice system by murdering/torturing them. However, with women, in the script, there are many insinuations that the men sexually assault/rape women who are involved with this movement/ these people and this is because they are referred to the weaker gender and men can assert their dominance through their strength i.e. using violence to force women to succumb.

The main colour that is revealed on this page is pink and in the key, pink represents the extra characters within the play and how they link back to the main characters as they interact with each other. An example of this is the fishwives [Catalina, Juanita, Dolores, and, Carmen]. Whilst not all of these characters necessarily interact with the main roles [Constantia and her family] there is still a clear link of Constantia familiarizing herself with this group as in the script, she is speaking to one of the fishwives, Catalina, in a heated discussion where Constantia suddenly realises that Baptista is interested in an activist [ like Ramon] and she begins to worry for her daughter's safety as she is aware of how dangerous it can be for people to be involved with these leftists.

I have put the voices and the ghosts together at the top of the character tree because they share relationships with all of the cast as they hold the title of the narrator in which they briefly explain how certain characters are connected to the land of the dead. An example of this is at the beginning of the play where the dream mother [ Constantia when she was in her prime] and is searching for her missing husband, Ramon, whilst in denial of him being dead, as he had suddenly disappeared for a long period of time. As the story begins with these narrator characters, they automatically serve as a purpose in relating all of the characters together and having the plot gradually play out whilst referring back to  the theme of death and how important it is as the audience members witness Constantia's personal life falling into this theme i.e. at the beginning of the play when she is trying to cope with the news of her husband's disappearance and trying not to worry whether or not if he is dead / when she finds his body at the festival dance/ when Baptista goes missing and assumptions are made that she is presumably dead by various people that Constantia interacts with.

The use of short sentences that are said by each ghost narrator then further suggests that they have a lack of empathy for the character's in the play as they are dead and therefore no longer function with an emotional status which then allows the audience members to develop a sense of sympathy for the characters in the play as whilst these sentences are short, the words are impactful enough for them to understand how this is emotionally effecting each character. An example of this is on page seven of the script where the narrator, Ghost 1, says the line "And her life will be filled with a dark, dark light". The use of repetition then further implies the drastic outcome that awaits the character [ Constantia] which also is used as a form of foreshadowing in which the character suffers another great loss, her daughter Baptista, towards the end of the play and it then links back to how important the ghosts are, as Constantia had refrained from listening to them and becoming aware of what was occurring in reality as she was primarily focused on finding Ramon, she was not able to prevent her daughter from making the same mistakes that Ramon had made. I feel that this quote also refers back to the prop that Constantia uses during the entire performance, a candle, which is a symbol of faith that her family members will return to her as she prays by it. Candles also refer back to the theme of faith in the play, wherein the continent, South America, approximately 90% of the population are Christians.

Separate notes have been included to further explain my reasoning for linking certain characters together and how they reveal the gradual storyline that is represented in the play. For me personally, this has helped me to keep up to date on the relations shared amongst the entire cast of A mother's voice and the amount of importance that they represent such as Constantia and Dream mother, where whilst they are technically the same person, they represent different qualities that affect the storyline of the play i.e. the dream mother is both concerned about Ramon's safety [ like Constantia] however, there are many moments where the dream mother is able to interact with Ramon and her daughters again. Whereas Constantia does not get to embrace Ramon again until she finds his dead body, and with her children, the character seems partially estranged from them at the beginning of the play as she is differing from reality whilst fixating all of her attention on waiting for her husband to return and it is not until one of the fishwives [ Catalina] updates her on her daughter's intentions with Ernesto, that Constantia begins to come back to her real life and feels guilt for her lack of duties as a mother.

Each colour from the key symbolises a theme within the play and the relevance it serves to the traits that each character holds. For example:
. purple= romantic relationships [ the theme of love in the play]

. light blue= past lives [ the theme of death in the play/ also linking back to religion as there is a clear portrayal of Christianity in the play and this refers back to the spirits of a Christian's loved ones surrounding her].

. green= children/siblings [ the theme of family in the play, which typically revolves around Constantia's relationships with her children after the loss of her husband]

. pink= extras [ the theme of justice/in-justice as whilst many scenes that involve the extra characters are of a comical standard, there are many political issues that are mentioned where women are struggling to provide for their families. The theme of in-equality is also discreetly mentioned as the factory girls must result to flirting with their male supervisor in order to have changes made to make the workplace safe and they must lower their standards to get him to listen properly rather than simply explaining about the issues that they have noticed].

. Yellow= narrators [ the theme of death is the most relevant for this key colour as the narrators are the ghosts and voice and they are situated in the land of the dead where people such as Ramon and Baptista, the main character's family members, are living after being murdered by the members of the corrupt justice system. The narrators have been placed at the top of the tree in order to symbolise the amount of importance that they hold throughout the entirety of the play].

. dark blue= antagonists [ the theme of justice/injustice is represented through these characters from their part in manipulating the power that they hold over society to ensure that people suffer i.e. physically/emotionally/mentally. These precise characters demonstrate a lack of empathy for Constantia when she is searching for her daughter and this also is applied to Baptista as she is begging to be left alone as the men have kidnapped her and are continuing to torture her until she eventually dies towards the end of the play].

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This video evaluation has been created to simply break down what I personally believe had gone well when auditioning for the two character's in the play, Baptista and Dream mother, and what I also believe I need to improve on in certain areas when using my physicality and vocal skills in the role of a character. Also, I have justified my reasons for choosing specific scenes that I believe would best suit the skills that I had intended on using whilst portraying these two character roles.

In this video, I have included details that I had portrayed whilst in character in order to convey my knowledge of the role's backstory and how this may be interpreted in a physical sense. I had also benefitted from the stage directions that I had highlighted in the script so that I was aware of how each character acts prior to using any dialogue. For example, when auditioning for Dream Mother, I had seen the stage direction  'the father catches hold of the mother and picks her up in his arms', and this is before he says the line " I will carry you to my castle Sweet Damsel". By noticing this, I was able to prepare myself for the shocked reaction that my character would have at this precise moment whilst also physically preparing myself to be lifted up.

I have also highlighted my areas of improvement whilst in these two roles and how I will benefit from my own self-reflection and notes when developing my skill set as an actor further whilst also researching more into the character's so that I am aware of how to approach the role I am given in the play instantly and I won't need to concern myself with more research [ unless necessary] and I can focus on the practical development of my given role.

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During today's lesson, I had auditioned for the two roles, Baptista and Dream Mother. The two contrasted characters had been portrayed throughout the duration of the audition in which aside from speaking the dialogue in the script, I had also demonstrated my clear understanding of what is expected of each character in the scenes that I was performing. This had been represented from when I had read the stage directions within my chosen scenes to ensure that I was aware of the physicality that the characters use before/during and after their scenes, before speaking any dialogue.

An example of this is in my Baptista audition where I had noticed the discreet stage direction, ' she quickly kisses him' and I feel that this is a specific moment in which the audience members can clearly see how the blossoming relationship between Ernesto and Baptista has formed from the interests that they share with each other. Whilst the stage direction only lasts for a few seconds, I feel that it is impactful on the perception that the audience members have on these two characters' bond as it hadn't been previously made clear that both Baptista and Ernesto share the same feelings for each other prior to this scene and they merely flirt/ tease one another, which isn't brought to much attention as the other factory girls also flirt with him in order to have changes made for a better work environment.

The first role that I had auditioned for was Baptista, and for this precise character, I had decided to perform the scene on page 18 of the script, titled: Baptista and Ernesto. The scene is set in the characters walking together after an activist meeting and as they both disclose their opinions with each other, they are able to convey their vulnerability to the members of the audience from the amount of trust that they have for each other as their bond begins to blossom into a romantic relationship. I had wanted to disclose the development of this bond, and I had done this by using a fast pace whilst saying the line " the answer is yes Ernesto".

This had been done in order to convey Baptista's change of heart and her heightened emotions when interacting with this specific character. I also believe that this clearly establishes to the audience members of the romantic feelings that Baptista holds for Ernesto, as she had previously used a slower pace whilst walking home and the use of a faster pace immediately is interpreted as the character being excited. This had then referred back to the flirtatious trait that I had viewed for this character when creating a mind map on her in preparation for today's audition, which had also made it simpler for me to feel prepared for the scene and to ensure that I differ from my own personality traits and fixate on the persona of the character.

Aside from the research that I had looked into regarding the character, Baptista, I had also revealed my creative perception of the character from when I had changed the tone in various moments whilst reading through the dialogue, and this had been done in order to insinuate her emotional status when talking about certain matters. For example, at the beginning of the scene, Baptista is content when expressing her gratitude to Ernesto for taking her to the meeting and her thoughts about it. I was aware of this from the line " I did. Do you think I said too much, Ernesto? I couldn't help it. The words just flew out of my mouth before I could stop them". This quote also implies that Baptista is experiencing a stereotypical emotion that many females have, which is insecurity, and this is due to the fact that she had been brought up in a society where women were told to stick to their domestic duties [ providing children and finding a good husband / keeping the house clean] and to refrain from voicing their opinions.

Alongside this, as her family do not support her choice to attend these meetings and to have these certain views, Baptista may feel the fear of rejection from people to who she feels close to and she may be worried that she has frustrated them with her opinions. I had wanted to present that the character was expressing her concerning feelings and this had been done by me decreasing my pitch slightly to entail to the audience members that the character's negative thoughts are beginning to seep in and whilst beforehand she had a higher pitch from how exhilarated she had felt when attending the meeting, the character has her opinions welcomed rather than shut down, and as she is not familiar with this feeling, the character automatically believes that she should be apologetic. However, after saying " Do you think I said too much, Ernesto?", I had raised my pitch again to reveal that Baptista is reflecting on how happy she had felt that she had made the decision to attend the meeting and to create a voice for herself rather than allowing society to determine her lifestyle.

The moment in which I felt the change in tone had been most beneficial was when Baptista begins to talk about her father and this is due to the fact that whilst the character is realistic and believes that her father is dead, she still grieves for him as he was one of the people that she was closest to, and I feel that this is one of the main reason's that Baptista involves herself in these political debates, as her father was also an activist who had fought against the corrupt justice system. One of the traits that I had included when researching into Baptista was that she was caring and this is applied to when I had lowered my pitch as, of course, the character would be upset/distraught when having to come to terms that her father is not going to return and how upsetting it is for her to consistently see her mother hold out hope and differ from reality.

When saying the line " My father used to come to such meetings I think", I had ensured that I had changed my pitch to represent the character's sadness from remembering that her father is dead and whilst she misses him, the character as a realist, refuses to dwell too much on his demise and rather acts more frustrated at the fact that her mother refrains from facing reality and emotionally inflicts her false beliefs on her children, which result in them having to take care of their mother rather than having her take care of them. By doing this, I have been able to portray how Baptista has formed a sense of resentment against her mother for the emotional neglect that she and her siblings have endured from when Ramon had first disappeared and the ongoing daily activities that would be used to lift their faith that their father would return soon, such as in the play, where Constantia asked Baptista's younger sibling, Isabel, to fetch a place setting for their father's seat.

When auditioning for the character, Dream Mother, I had been asked to perform the first scene at the beginning of the play where the character is desperately searching for her husband and ignores the voice that follows her. I personally had enjoyed this scene as I was able to present how Dream Mother acts when interacting with different characters depending on the bonds that she holds with them i.e. with Ramon she is in a vulnerable state as she relies on her husband for everything, as he is the main provider for the family and the love of her life which is why his death is so emotionally impactful on her and she grieves constantly in the play. However, when interacting with her children in the dream, the character is affectionate and strong-willed in order to present her motherly duties whilst entertaining her children. By doing this, it shows how the dream mother lays her priorities out depending on certain family members i.e. as society had dubbed women as useful for providing children,  which is why the dream mother [ Constantia's past life] is strict yet also fair so that she can create a respectful bond with her children to grow closer to them.

In this scene, the character herself holds resentment against the voice character and the ghosts for taking her husband away from her, which is also why she retains her faith in the hope that he will return and ignores their warnings of leaving Ramon to be in peace and this is also used as a form of foreshadowing in which the ghosts are aware that this creates more tension throughout the duration of the play where more tragic moments are bound to occur [referring to Baptista's disappearance and death]. In this scene, I was able to instantly reveal the character's stage of denial where she says the line " I am not in the land of the dead" and during this line, I had emphasized on the word 'not' to represent the character's form of reassurance where she is still in the first stage of grief and feels that by securing her husband's spirit, she will be able to force him back to reality along with her and not have to only see him in her dreams.

In this first scene, I had chosen to use a fast pace again when reading through the dialogue as the character is speaking to the voice, and this was so that I could represent how eager the Dream mother is to have her husband return to her and to further convey how shocked she is that he is standing in her presence. I feel that by using a faster pace, it then is portrayed to the audience that the Dream Mother is fearful of how long she will have with Ramon as she is still trying to cope with the fact that he had gone missing in the first place, which would have traumatically impacted her, and the character may develop abandonment issues from this which is why in the dialogue, she is reliant on Ramon to come home and she desperately tries to convince him to return to reality.

In this precise scene, I should have used more of my body language to represent how vulnerable the character is right now when finally finding her husband after he has been missing for a long period of time and by doing this, I believe that it would have created a sense of realism in which the audience members would be emotionally involved with viewing the two characters reuniting and this could also be presented through the use of gestures/mannerisms that will be used when the dream mother is closely interacting with the father to convey that she relies on him and as he hasn't been in her life for a while, she wants to cling onto him as much as possible so that he doesn't leave again.

When auditioning for this role, I had also taken it upon myself to act out the scene titled: The picnic in the hills. This is due to the fact that when looking at the scenes for the role, Dream Mother, I had initially wanted to focus on a scene that creates a joyful and engaging atmosphere and this is due to the fact that, as the play is based on the genre: tragedy, it is highly unexpected for the audience members to witness this specific character in a happy element and this may cause them to perceive this moment as a re-occurring situation where they will be able to again view the character as happier despite the upsetting situation that she is facing [the element of surprise]. I was specifically interested in this scene as it easily twists a happy moment where the father, Ramon, is viewed as a joyful family man, and then it suddenly turns into him being imprisoned by the corrupt justice system and this had made me feel more drawn as it plays on the tension that the audience members have endeavoured so far in the play, where they have only witnessed moments of despair, and when viewing a scene like this, audience members may interpret it as a change of pace where the characters finally find a moment of peace. I also highly enjoy the portrayal of dream mother and father being in a loving relationship where they can represent the close bond that they hold dearly with each other, which then contributes to the realization of how truly hard it is to lose a loved one and the impacted stages of grief that both the Dream Mother and Constantia are enduring.

When presenting this scene, I had ensured that I kept a high pitch to insinuate that my character was over-joyed with the dream and the fact that she can interact with her husband and their children. This is mainly implied when she says the line " Sweet Damsel! Put me down Ramon". From the use of the exclamation mark, it is deliberately made clear in the dialogue that the character's emotional status has increased and she is exhilarated by her husband's unexpected uplifting mood. I wanted to convey that the character was deeply in love with her husband which is why I had also used a discreet laugh when saying this line to imply that the two characters are both of a child-like manner where they mess about and enjoying of each other's company. Aside from the gradual development of the Dream Mother interacting with her husband, this scene had also been used to reflect on how she used to act around her children before Ramon had disappeared. I wanted to convey the contextual side of what was expected from women at this moment, which is why when Ramon was entertaining the children, I had decided to also take part and engage in the game to represent the trait that I had researched into when looking into this character, which was that she is caring and this applies to providing a fun life for her children.

I had kept a high amount of energy throughout the entirety of this scene to match to the atmosphere being created and to derive from the first time in which the audience members had first met my character so that they are able to understand that the main purpose for my character's journey is to go through the five stages of grief so that they can physically see how these stages affect a person. For example, in this precise scene the character is still in denial where she is often dreaming about the way her family once was and she still thinks that Ramon will be coming home soon. However, I had also viewed this moment as the stage of bargaining where it had seemed that the dream mother was trying to provide Ramon with all the happy things that he had in his life [ fond memories] to further convince him to return home and by reminiscing about this specific memory, it would make it more difficult for him to refrain from the Dream Mother's pleads, especially as the children are so young during this scene and it plays on the emotional status of Ramon where he could possibly be fearful of missing out on his children growing up i.e. giving him more of a reason to return to reality.

After this audition, I had found that I was more drawn to the role of Dream Mother as she reminisces about the fond memories of her relationship with Ramon and her family together. For me, I was interested in creating a contrasted emotional character where I could convey how the themes that are revealed in the play can greatly affect the characters and when performing in the role of Baptista, I had felt that she remains assertive for most of the play and she clearly establishes her thoughts and opinions on her surroundings i.e. mentioning to Ernesto how none of her family members are understanding of her interest in creating a change against the corrupt justice system.

However, my perspective may have changed on this character if I was to also experiment with scenes towards the end of the play where Baptista is being tortured before her eventual death and this is due to the fact that in this precise moment the character is in an exposed state where she no longer holds the trait of being assertive. This development of the character had interested me as it reveals her as a contradictive role where the audience members can understand how the main concept of the performance: exposing how corrupt the justice system is, can then affect the main characters of the play and also educate them on the extensive methods that had been used to put political activists into their place and how the higher men in power [patriarchy] intend on using violence to create more power where they can control the population. When witnessing the character in this state, the audience members would then be able to reflect on the character's previous decisions and they can then perceive this as either brave or dangerous, in which they can decide an outcome for Baptista i.e. she should be freed and attend to her domestic duties / she should die for what she believes in, etc.

By getting this role, I would also be able to deflect from the feministic trait that I believe I would have used when developing the character, Baptista if I were to have been given her. During last year's FMP performance, I had performed as a young upper-class feminist whose views were not welcomed in society and, I feel that by getting the role of dream mother, I would be able to portray more of an innocence and sense of vulnerability which will contribute to my skill set as an actor where I am able to establish the contrast in women [ where some of them are independent individuals whereas many rely on a man and are quite vulnerable]. This role will also give me the chance to experiment more with my preferred genre to act in, which is tragedy, and this is so that I can portray more of a realistic atmosphere in which the character uses naturalism to create an emotional connection with the audience members that is based on sympathy from them witnessing how much the dream mother has had to cope with.

Altogether, in order to improve in both of these roles, I feel that I should have taken more of an advantage with the space provided so that I could clearly represent the traits that each character holds. This could have been done specifically when I was auditioning for the dream mother in the scene, as she is reminiscing about one of her favourite memories [when the family were having a picnic around festival time] and as this consists of an increased amount of energy from all of the fun activities that each character is enduring in, I feel that it would have been more beneficial to portray the character as a fun parent which will then convey to the audience that she holds a close bond with her family members where she tends to involve herself in certain games/ activities to also tend to her domestic duty as a mother of caring for her children.

By using more space, the character is also able to represent the slight contrast between herself and Constantia [towards the end of the play], where Constantia gains more independence and derives from her domestic duties to support her family members and bring awareness to Los Desaparecidos, where she becomes more intelligent and independent. Whereas, the Dream mother character is a representative of the standards that society has inflicted on women in South America, where they must keep up on their duties whilst ensuring that her husband and children are happy, whilst also ensuring that she doesn't complain/remains happy, and this is precisely why I believe that the character should use a great amount of stage to convey her enhanced energy when reminiscing about happier memories of her family i.e. the picnic in the hills scene.

I also feel that taking advantage of the space when auditioning for Baptista would have been beneficial to portray the blossoming relationship that is beginning to occur as the characters spend more time together. For example, as Baptista is a refined character that remains assertive, I do not believe that she would intentionally indulge in a close flirtatious proximity until she is also aware that he shares the same feelings and it is appropriate to.
From looking at the dialogue in the script, it also seems to me as if the character is also too nervous to make any physical movements at first, however, when the character begins to go on a tangent of why she wants to join the activist's group, I feel that the assertive trait would be revealed physically as the character uses gestures to present her growing frustration with society and the corrupt justice system and how it has personally affected her [ losing her father / her mother falling into a pit of depression due to his disappearance and her disapproving of any political issues where people want to gain independence].

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my character.docx

The role that I have been given is the Dream Mother, who is a younger representative of the main character, Constantia, and she presents the domestic duties that a woman in South America must hold to satisfy the higher men in power. Dream mother is also an effective physical representation of how people cope with the five stages of grief and this is due to the fact that she portrays how Constantia is gradually coping with the loss of her husband and how this has been presented in chronologically ordered scenes. An example of this is in the first scene, The Ghosts, where Dream Mother denies that she is in the land of the dead as she is also trying to differ from the sense of realization where she will consciously become aware that her husband won't be returning home.

By doing this, the audience members are able to understand that this precise coping mechanism that the character is using is actually the first stage of grief, denial. It is also clear from the fact that she can only ever embrace her husband within her dreams and as she imagines the land of the dead with her husband appearing amongst the dead creatures, it then further conveys that there is a part of the Dream Mother's mindset that is aware that Ramon is dead yet she doesn't want to realize it, therefore she is in denial of the knowledge of her husband's demise and creates assumptions as to why he has disappeared and during this time, she also feels a sense of guilt when debating whether or not she is at fault or him suddenly leaving. An example of this is from the line "Whatever I have done I will put right".

From the use of this quote, it is clear that Dream Mother is struggling to come to terms with why her husband had suddenly disappeared without any warning and so, she results in a feeling of guilt that she was the problem and this quote is also contextually accurate as the play is set in a patriarchal society where it was highly common that men had jurisdiction over women/children and males were considered dominant and due to this, they had used manipulation and often violence to gain more power which is why women were reluctant to believe that they were not the cause, as they were also less educated than men/less strong/etc.

I have created this mind map to establish my own interpretation of the character when first learning of the purpose that she serves in relation to the concept behind the play [ revealing how impactful the justice system had been on society and relating back to the how the higher men in power were responsible for Ramon's disappearance]. By doing this, I am also able to develop my own intentions for the character for future rehearsal purposes and how I believe it will be in the best interest of the persona of this role from the research that I had done prior to making certain decisions about the character. When doing this, I will also be able to reflect on the mind maps that I have created which convey my ideas and how I have provided both evidence and justifications to develop a sense of realism in the role of this character, and how during the rehearsal process I intend on referring back to these mind maps as helpful notes of how to gradually improve on my skillset whilst in this role.

When looking into the meaning behind Dream Mother, I had found a variety of sources that had mentioned that if a person is viewing this type of paternal role in their dreams, it could suggest certain things such as, a new possibility of life, and when looking into this, I had linked it back to both the Dream Mother's and Constantia's desperate hope for Ramon to return back to reality and as he is currently in the land of the dead, however when returning back to the real world, it will give Ramon the possibility to re-start his life as a human , husband, and father, rather than a fading body.

In this mind map, there are approximately six different categories that describe how I am aware of the context
behind the play and my knowledge of how this is applied to the role that I have been given. Alongside this, I have been able to form my own interpretation on the character's persona and how I believe she would appear from various details included within the script. For example:

. Scenes I am in - In this section, I have discussed what purpose my character serves through the four scenes that she is in within the entire play and how these scenes play out whilst referring back to the concept behind the play. During each scene, I have mentioned what is occurring and how it specifically involves my character. When doing this for each scene breakdown paragraph, I had also been able to support from my own perspective on the script and the research that I have incorporated to provide valid reasonings for each scene that my character appears in and how it links back to the main character, Constantia. Each scene discloses the stages of grief that the Dream Mother is in when having to cope with the news of her husband's disappearance.

. Interpretation of costume- When first reading about the character in the script, I had immediately interpreted that this role would be wearing the colour, white, in order to clearly symbolise to the members of the audience that the character is in a state of peace/tranquillity and mindfulness. This is from the use of the word 'dream ' in the title of my character in which I immediately think of heaven and refer this back to how many people dream about this type of place and how it is  thought about being a place of constant peace and calmness. This is why I have linked this back to the costume, along with the fact that the character is based in the land of the dead within the play. From researching into this character, I have found various sources in other films/TV series that would technically label this character as a ‘ghost’ from how she is only presented when Constantia is an unconscious state when imagining her reunion with her husband, Ramon. Whilst this character does not emotionally relate to the outfit in most scenes as she feels a sense of despair from trying to bring her husband back to reality and failing on multiple attempts, there are discreet details in her dialouge that convey moments where she is in a peaceful state [ The picnic in the hills] and this is a specific moment where the character is not able to feel concerned about her husband and she can endeavour in a sense of happiness with her family.

. Purpose of my character- I felt that this was necessary to write up about as it clearly entails how the character refers back to the concept of the performance when revealing her involvement with the main character, Constantia. Within these notes, I have included how my character is presented within each of our scenes and how I have interpreted her in a vocal and physical aspect when reading through the script and how there are multiple hints that Constantia and Dream Mother are linked together from the situations that they are both facing i.e. trying to get Ramon to return back to the land of the living. This specific character faces the journey of revealing the five stages of grief and how it links back to Constantia in a dream state where she can imagine her husband in the hopes that he will return to her. It is made clear to the audience members that the stages of grief are in chronological order also from how Constantia is coping with her husband's dissapearance. An example of this is in the beginning scene where Dream Mother says " I am not in the land of the dead" and this is similar to when Constantia lays the table for her husband and refuses to gelieve that her husband is dead after a heated argument with her eldest daughter, Fransisca.

. Hair and Makeup- This piece of text had been written to disclose my own perception of how I personally believe the character would physically appear and comparing my own features with this character from the research that I had used to imagine how I believe I would physically appear whilst in the role of this character. My intentions on makeup have been included to reveal how I have taken into consideration the age of the character and how common aging is when becoming a parent due to the amount of care that is necessary for young children however, I have ensured that I mention how Constantia talks about being younger in her dreams so that, I contrast my views on how to appear. An example of this is where I mention the excessive amount of blush that I would ideally want in order to represent how young she is. Regarding my hairstyle, I have contextually researched into the most common hair colour of women in South America so that I have a general idea of what is expected when linking my appearance back to the context of the play. There is the issue of my hair colour being brown and I don't know whether or not if I might need to have a discussion about the possibility of wearing a wig as I also need to ensure that both my character and Constantia are similar in appearance to represent to the audience members that they are the same person.

. Outcome of my character- Similarly to the piece of text mentioning about what purpose my character serves to the play, the outcome is also quite important as it signifies the big moment where Constantia is finally able to overcome the final stage of grief and Dream Mother represents the moments in which Constantia is in certain stages i.e. the first scene at the beginning of the play where Dream Mother is in the stage of denial and refuses to let go of Ramon and this is similar to when Constantia is setting place for him at the family table whilst also denying that he is dead. My character's role ends at the River of Death scene, where Constantia finds her husband's demised body and she can finally come to terms with the fact that Ramon will not be returning home and, this is where Dream Mother says the line " I will miss you Ramon" which shows how she is not fighting to keep onto him anymore and she will let his spirit finally be at peace. This then links back to my perception of the character's costume, where I feel the white represents peace/tranquillity and at this specific moment in the play, Dream Mother is able to also feel at peace as she will no longer have to fight with desperation to cling onto her husband's lifeless body and bring him back to reality.

. Characters that Dream Mother interacts with- I have decided to mention the characters that my role engages with throughout the duration of the play as I feel that by doing this, I have been able to establish how my role fits into the plot of the play. For example, as Dream Mother interacts with her husband, Ramon, mainly throughout the duration of her time in the play, this conveys her vulnerable state of relying on her husband for protection/love/financial and political issues, etc. However, in the scene The picnic in the hills, it conveys the Dream Mother's dedication to portray a strict yet fair parental role in which she reveals how she follows her domestic duties and how she remains in society's perspective of the 'perfect' woman.

In conclusion, I had found it beneficial to create these six different categories as it perfectly explains how I have been able to form my own perception of the character from the knowledge that I have gained when reading the script and, the contextual factors that I have researched into when looking into the plot of the play and by both comparing and contrasting my views from a personal perspective on certain facts, I have been able to form an idea of how I intend on developing this character further in the future rehearsal process in both a physical and vocal aspect in which I can also gradually build up a realistic atmosphere whilst in the role of this character, and I can increase my confidence when differing from my own personality traits so that I can assure myself that I am comfortable in immediately stepping into the role of my character.

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https://bedfordcollege-my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/632216_student_tresham_ac_uk/Ef3-5M75HyRBt-4eAdratRoBKDhKXHpkPkrPho6WWrYEwA?e=Nl89aV

In this video evaluation, I have discussed the layout of today's rehearsal and how I believe I was able to gain a sense of my character from blocking the opening scene: The ghosts.

I have mentioned how I have been able to successfully refer back to my own self-reflection on how I had presented my role in two contrasting moments, where the Dream Mother is interacting with the land of the dead and what her thoughts might be at that specific moment and the moment where she is embracing Ramon after not seeing him for a long amount of time. Throughout this video, I have also referred back to the notes that I had made when mentioning the development of the character that I intend on following throughout the rehearsal process to ensure that I can portray my character to my best ability and developing a sense of realism for the audience members to indulge in.

During this video evaluation, I have mentioned what I personally think had gone well whilst rehearsing in this role whilst also examining how I could have improved in certain aspects of the scenes that we had gone through in the lesson. I have reflected on the vocal and physical traits being used and what notes I had taken into account from my assistant director and lecturer.

Finally, I have also mentioned my personal thoughts on the setting of the scene and how it creates a precise type of atmosphere for the audience members to endure and how it will apply  back to the gradual portrayal of my character within this scene so that the audience members will be able to have a clear perception on the character and how she links back to the play. I have also establishes issues and problems that had occurred in the blocking lesson. This had been done so that I am aware of what needs to be improved on for the purpose of the next rehearsal when going through this specific part of the play.

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During today's rehearsal, the entire class had begun to block the first and second beginning scenes of the play, as we are developing our characters in the scenes in a chronological order to gain more of an understanding of the concept behind the performance and how it reflects on the main character, Constantia. The purpose of the first scene of the play serves as a purpose of revealing the different worlds that Constantia lives in, the real world where she is in denial of her husband's death, and the land of the dead where she is able to interact with her husband and embrace him.

A decision had been made by my lecturer and the assistant director to have the staging of the scene represent the land of the dead from the voice character's using physicality to represent the theme of death and to easily portray the world that the character is currently in. However, this will be recognizable as a split stage towards the end of the first scene where the Dream Mother says the last line "No, no!" and as the voices begin to surround her and remove Ramon from the stage [ to symbolize that his spirit is being taken by the dead individuals and how close he is to permanently remaining in the land of the dead. From the use of the exclamation mark, I was already aware that this part of the text would be the moment in which the character had created more tension due to the fact that her emotional status has quickly shifted into a state of concern when her husband had been taken away from her yet again.

The performance begins in the land of the dead, where Dream Mother is desperately searching for her missing husband. When first devising this, aside from myself, and my peers that perform the roles of Constantia and Ramon, the rest of the class had been given the character 'voices' in which they serve as a purpose of frightening Dream Mother whilst trying to get her to face the realization that her husband is dead. This had been physically portrayed when the voices are using their body language to convey to the audience members that they are in the land of the dead , alongside this, the voices had also used sounds of screeching and groaning in an attempt to make the audience members feel concerned for them and the character's that will enter this scene later on. This sense of discomfort then matches to the eerie atmosphere where I will enter on-stage  and interact with these voices in a frightened and confused manner.

I had approached this scene whilst in the role of my character, Dream Mother, when using a slow pace to convey how she is extremely confused as to why these voices are in her dreams when she is trying desperately to search for Ramon and remaining in the first stage of grief, denial, where she refuses to listen to them and their various warnings to leave her husband and return back to reality. I had done this by also using small steps to build more anticipation of the character trying to take in all of her surroundings and this had also been done by the Dream Mother using direct eye-contact with the voices and staring at all of them in an attempt to understand why they have suddenly appeared.

Within this scene, I had also made sure that my character was cautious of her spatial awareness and tries to keep a slight distance from the voices to interpret to the audience members that she has a sense of fear against them and what they might represent for what she is searching for/her future. I had been asked to walk backwards during this scene by my lecturer so that I wasn't able to see where the character, Ramon, was standing at the opposite of the room as it would prevent the scene from playing out where my character is not yet aware of where her husband is which is precisely why she moves through these voices in the hopes that she might find him amongst them. A moment that I had found was most impactful in the beginning scene had definitely been when the voices echo the name 'Constantia' after Ramon says her name as well and this is due to the fact that it clearly symbolises that the husband is slowly turning into one of the voices and his demise is increasing more whilst he remains in the land of the dead. This refers back to  my character as at this point  she is in more of a vulnerable state where she is eagerly trying to bring Ramon back whilst being in a terrible mental state of grief and refraining from facing reality which is why she is more dependent on Ramon deciding to come back to reality as her strength is not enough to bring him back.

Throughout the rehearsal process, I had become specifically interested in  the transitions that occur between each scene to create a visual representation for the audience members of how certain characters are involved with each other. For example, during the first scene when I say my last line in the role of my character, I then place both of my arms around my body to reveal how the character is using her body as a sense of comfort that her husband will return whilst also remaining devastated that he had been snatched away from her. After doing this, in order to have the flow of the storyline remain naturalistic, the audience members now view Constantia in the same stance , with her arms wrapped around her body as well and as my head falls, Constantia's head rises. By doing this, it then symbolises how the next scene is starting and how the two characters are linked together in the concept of one representing all of the past memories and how she had acted before her husband's disappearance [ Dream Mother] in comparison to how she acts in the present where she is striving for independence and protesting for Los Desaparecidos [ Constantia].

Regarding my character's vocal skills, I had used a harsh tone when saying my first line " I am not in the land of the dead". This had been done to imply to the audience members that the character is in a clear stage of denial and how she is focused purely on one main goal, finding her husband and bringing him back to the land of the living. I had also ensured that I keep pace when talking throughout the entire dialouge that I have within this scene to further reveal how the Dream Mother refuses to accept the fact that she must let go of his spirit and as she continues to plead for him to return back to her, I increase my pitch slightly to also convey the character's femininity in which she reveals how she is weak without him in her life and at this stage she feels more exposed to her cruel surroundings and relies on Ramon to protect her from these dangers and keep her attending to her domestic duties as a wife and mother. Alongside this, I have included moments when interacting with the voices, where I am breathing more heavily to convey to the audience members that my character is on the verge of mentally panicking as she does not understand the reason as to why these voices are surrounding her and wonders whether or not Ramon has been taken away/ her worst nightmare coming true of him being dead which is why when I say the line " Ramon. My sweet Ramon" there had been a slight sound of desperation in my tone to imply that the character is grateful for her husband being alive whilst still remaining fearful of why he is with these frightening voices.

My personal objective for this lesson had been to develop more of an understanding on how to approach the character, Ramon, and what my physicality in the role of Dream Mother will entail to the audience members. I had initially wanted to experiment with various gestures/mannerisms whilst physically interacting with the character so that, I was able to have a general idea of what is expected of my character at this precise moment to form a sense of realism where the audience members can have a sense of empathy for the grieving wife/mother. After being given a brief description and physical presentation by my lecturer, I had approached Ramon when desperately clutching onto him as he is trying to leave and remain in the land of the dead and of course, as my character would be devastated to hear this news and refusing to believe what he is saying, this had given her more reason to cling onto him as he is trying to slip out of her reach. I had found this difficult at first due to the fact that I was unsure of how to multitask in remembering what lines I needed to say in the scene whilst ensuring that I hold onto Ramon's body as much as possible and when reflecting back on my physicality, I didn't feel that there was much of  a clear representation of the Dream Mother's desperate attempts to get her husband to stay with her for the sake of the love that she holds for him, as it was quite un-coordinated and it had seemed messy, however, as this was only the first rehearsal of this movement I have now recognized the adjustments that I must make to convey more of a realistic affectionate bond between these two characters for future rehearsal purposes.

In the the rehearsed scene, Dream One, I had prioritized my physicality in the role of this character as prior to blocking this specific part, I had read through the text and it had indicated that Dream Mother is struggling to cope with the fact that her husband is still yet to return with her to the land of the living and when Ramon says " But you must Constantia. You must let me go". Dream Mother then acts in retaliation of clinging onto her husband with a strong grip to clearly resemble her desperation to keep him close to her as she is fearful of surviving in reality without him by her side and she is not ready to let him go in peace. This is where I had continuously moved my body back onto Ramon's body after he had tried to detach himself, to reveal how my character is not yet ready to let him go. During this scene, aside from my physicality development, I had relied more on the vocal trait, intonation, to reveal how the character's voice rising and falling is used to imply the despair that she is feeling when remaining confused on why Ramon has decided to leave her and the children. As the audience members have also recognized how mentally unstable the Dream Mother is when having to cope with the loss of her husband, I feel that the use of intonation then keeps them remaining emotionally invested in the scene as it reflects on the powerful strength that marriage has on two individuals and how this realistically occurs for widows/widowers in the modern day when they are struggling to cope with the fact that their soulmates, who they have created a strong bond with for a long period of time, have left them alone in the world.

My pitch had varied in this scene as at first, Dream Mother had anticipated that Ramon was returning home after both her and him had strongly embraced each other, in which my character began to feel safe and content again as she was convinced that he was coming back with her and whilst she is reflecting on the safe atmosphere that she is in i.e. when she says the line " When you hold me Ramon, I want to never let you go". This quote clearly reveals how suddenly relaxed and calm the character feels after finally being able to have a moment of normalization in her life again, in which she can bring her family back together and have none of them feeling any grief again. Whilst this is portrayed to the audience members as the character's desperation to have her husband's love back in her life again, the character is clearly representing the affects of the first stage of grief, denial, where she deliberately has avoided the mentioning of the voices and asking any questions as to why Ramon was in the land of the dead, due to the fact that she will then be allowing reality to set in and remain in a conscious state where she will have to feel despair again, which is why she indulges in this moment and lists all of the things that she loves about her husband so that she can focus on something different, aside from the reality of her husband being dead.

In order to improve on this rehearsal, I must ensure that I am able to portray a realistic bond of both my character and Ramon being in an affectionate relationship and when doing this, I must also use my physicality to my best ability to convey that the two characters are reuniting after being separated for a long period of time and to represent the closeness that they hold with each other in their marriage. I will do this by experimenting with various gestures that I believe will convey my character's love for her husband and by doing this, I will be able to resemble a sense of realism where the audience members indulge in this specific relationship and are fixated on the outcome of the bond that Dream Mother and Ramon share. These gestures will be recorded in a video along with my own explanation of what each gesture represents and how it links back to both the development of physicality that I have used recently throughout the rehearsal process and why I believe these specific movements will best represent the traits and persona that my character portrays in the performance.

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I have created this PowerPoint collage in order to represent the photos that I feel best resemble my role, Dream Mother. When researching behind the role, I had found that as she is also effectively the same person as Constantia and due to the fact that they share the same storyline, it is simpler to research into the site-specific area [ South America] alongside the traits that this character portrays and how they link back to the current mindset of the main character, Constantia.

There are various photos that best resemble the character, Dream Mother, from how I have personally interpreted her along with the contextual factors that are revealed in the script. The photos serve as a purpose for how I view the role as a whole after researching into the character and this includes:

. First photo= woman in white dress: Alongside the woman wearing white to symbolize peace, the use of fogginess then further insinuates that the character is in a dream from the use of the shades, white and grey, and the hue of each of them formed together to differ from reality. The amount of white conveys that the woman is possibly in a peaceful trance/ reaching for a moment of peace. This refers back to my character as I also believe that when looking into this role, as the character is usually involved when Constantia is dreaming, the dream mother would wear white to symbolize the state of peace that she intends on reaching with her husband, Ramon, who had gone missing in the real world, whereas his spirit is also trying to find peace in the land of the dead.

. Second photo= Marriage: This photo represents the main relationship that my character portrays with the character, Ramon. This has been done to clearly state that the dream mother leads the same life as Constantia, prior to her husband missing, where she has attended to her domestic duties and ensured that her marriage was successful/ that her family was content. Similarly to Constantia at the beginning of the play, the Dream mother is longing to find Ramon and desperately pleads for him to come home whilst also embracing him almost consistently. This conveys that the father and Dream mother [ past lives of Constantia and Ramon] have a strong marriage and try to push through challenging events i.e. bringing Ramon back to reality and trying to convince him to stay clear of the land of the dead. Despite the fact that the father is slowly dying, he still expresses his affection for his wife, Dream Mother. I had selected this specific photo as the rings are intertwined with each other which I believe best symbolizes how strong the marriage is, despite the fact that Ramon is missing and the Dream Mother is still grieving for him and wanting him to return home with her, the portrayal of the couple embracing then further reveals that they still remain closely attached to each other and the marriage is still strong.

. Third photo= Mother and child: This precise photo symbolizes the bond that the Dream Mother holds with the children as in the scene, The picnic in the hills, there is a clear portrayal of the mother being slightly strict but also caring towards her four daughters [Francisca, Baptista, Maria, and Isabel] as they are all preparing for a celebratory picnic during the festival time. In this scene, she expresses her strict side when ensuring that enough food has been provided and that her children eat before attending to any other activity. By doing this, she establishes the domestic duties that a mother must provide in the patriarchal society to ensure that she follows with the idea of a 'perfect' woman where they bear and raise children whilst also keeping the home clean. This photo is also a reflection on how Constantia had lost this specific bond with her children as she had portrayed signs of emotional neglect in the play where the daughters must care for her whilst she still differs from reality and is grieving for her husband, Ramon. The Dream mother still holds a close bond with her children as well from how she entertains them, alongside Ramon in the picnic in the hills scene where they all play a game of catch and there is a high amount of energy to keep everyone happy where the Dream mother gets involved in the game with her daughters. However, this image also represents how protective the Dream mother is of her children's emotions relating back to the disappearance of their father and her husband, and whilst they grieve, both the Dream mother and Constantia assume that it is bigger than what it actually is, which is why in the scene, Dream one, my character says the line " come back to us we need you" and whilst she is mainly referring to how she personally feels about his disappearance in this scene, she feels that also by including how the rest of her family are feeling [vulnerable due to the fact that their father has disappeared and they rely on him the most as he is the man of the house] and this is done in order to convince Ramon to change his mind and return to the family.

. Fourth photo= stages of grief: I have included this photo to represent the purpose of my character's journey in the play, where she purposely represents the stages of grief in chronological order, and by doing this, it directly links to the main character, Constantia's, outcome of finally finding some independence and creating a voice for herself amongst other grieving mother's/wives/grandmothers, etc. This independence trait had been formed from each stage of grief in which there is a clear portrayal of how Constantia/ Dream Mother begins to come back into reality and notice how depraved society is from the higher men in power using violence and manipulation to gain more authority. This relates back to the Dream Mother from the first stage that she clearly reveals in the beginning scene where she is in denial. This is clear from when she says the line, " I am not in the land of the dead" and "no" in which she refuses to believe that her husband is still alive and therefore is deflecting from reality. However, the later stages such as anger are portrayed chronologically in the play, also in this scene where the Dream mother says " Get out of my dreams. You don't belong here. I don't want you here". This quote clearly reveals that the character is gradually developing a sense of frustration against the warning signs that are being inflicted on her as she still wants to remain in the mindset of believing that her husband is alive. In the next scene, Dream one, it revolves around the character forming the two stages of grief [ Bargaining and Depression] together in order to reveal her desperation to bring her husband back as her mental state also begins to decrease in the sense of her differing from reality. This is revealed when the Dream Mother says " Then let me hold you, tend to you, love and comfort you" and this clearly represents that the character is bargaining with her husband in the sense of using her domestic duty as a wife/mother to care for her family where the father would find it more difficult to resist and so she can convince him to return to reality. Whilst there is not necessarily a sign of depression written within the quote, I would approach this line of text with a high tone and pitch combined together to imply that the character is close to tearing up as she is in a state of depression where she is still grieving for her husband whilst also trying to reassure herself that he will return, which then pushes her to take a turn for the worse [ her mental state impacting her lifestyle with her children]. In the final scene, The river of death, this is where the audience members finally recognize that the Dream Mother has reached the final stage of grief, acceptance, where she says the line " I will miss you Ramon" which then implies to the audience members that she has prepared herself for his spirit moving onto the land of the dead where he can reach peace and tranquillity.

. Fifth photo= South America: This photo has been included to refer back to the site-specific area in which the performance is being portrayed and how it is revealed in the dialogue of the script and whilst my character does not necessarily mention any lines relating back to the continent, as she is technically known for being the past life of Constantia, and as this character does include references to South America, I still believe that it serves as a relevant purpose when talking about the development of my character, Dream Mother. For example, at the end of the play, Constantia says " I have met so many other women: wives, mothers, even grandmothers who have suffered as we have". This quote is a clear reference to the Madres de la playa de mayo, where it was commonly known that the all female group had been formed in South America as a form of protesting against the corrupt justice system for refraining to help grieving family members to find their loved ones [ Los Desaparecidos].

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What is your name?  - My character's name is Dream Mother. The reason for this simplistic name is to relate it back to the main character, Constantia, and I am merely a representative of this character when she was younger to convey how much time has passed since the father's [Ramon] disappearance. Technically in the script, my name is Constantia, and this is due to the fact that the father in the land of the dead actually refers to my character by this name when he says the line "Constantia". From this simplistic quote, it is immediately made clear to the audience members that Constantia and Dream Mother are the same person, but in two different worlds[ past and present].

How old are you?- I am aware that my character is young from when Constantia says "It is strange, but in my dreams, I am always young again". This quotation clearly implies that Dream Mother is of a younger age [ possibly young 20s/early 30s, a respectable enough age group to be married and to become a mother].

Where were you born? - Whilst the script is reluctant to mention the birthplace of Dream Mother, as she is technically a figment of the main character's, Constantia, imagination, and whilst there is also no indication of where she was born, I have assumed that she has always lived in South America from the domestic duties that both herself and Dream Mother consistently follow. As Constantia also presses these duties onto her children, from when she is teaching her youngest daughter Isabel how to cook, I believe that she does this from a personal perspective where she had been taught the same duties at her children's age. From the scene: the picnic in the hills, when Dream Mother and Ramon are dancing together to the traditional music being played in the background, this indicates that they are aware of their nationality and traditions [ historically using dancing as a form of celebration] therefore presenting their roots to their country.

Were you well off? Middle class? Impoverished?-  Whilst there are no quotes that necessarily mention the social class of the Dream Mother, I feel that my character is definitely of the working class and this is from the fact that there are various mentions of people who have been worse off in the family other than them, such as the young boy that Baptista would give food to on a daily basis. For example, when she says the line " A street boy, When I got off the bus in the mornings he would be there, playing his flute, begging for money". By using this quote, I have been able to reveal how not only Baptista, but her entire family were of a higher social class than this boy due to the fact that she had enough money/luxury to afford the bus, however, it also represents how Baptista is only just above in the social class system, the working class.

What is your life like at the moment? - Currently, my character is in a terrible state where she is trying to cope with the five stages of bereavement as she is hopeful that her husband, Ramon, will be returning back to reality with her. However, she is severely distressed to find out that he wants to remain in the land of the dead and repetitively tries to convince him to come back home. This is done by using forms of manipulation/bargaining such as " Come back to me, Come back to us. We need you". From a personal perspective when viewing this quote, I felt that the character was at the stage of grief [ bargaining] where she purposely mentions how reliant their children are on Ramon to come home so that the family is complete. By doing this, she expects him to have a feeling of guilt for abandoning his children at such young ages. At the beginning of the play, she is in a constant stage of denial and resorts to using anger when trying to prevent herself from listening to the ghosts/voices who are trying to force her to see reality and not cause herself any more pain by differing from what is clearly in front of her eyes. This is where she says the line: "it's all lies. I will not listen to the lies". This quote clearly conveys that the character is wanting to retain hope that her husband will be returning back to her and how she depends on the state of denial to prevent her from the heartbreak of reality [ her husband is dead]. My character is able to represent the true emotions that the character, Constantia, buries down so that she can focus on her domestic duties. Towards the end of the play in my character's final scene: The river of death, Dream Mother says "I will miss you Ramon". This short quote conveys that the character is at the final stage of grief in which she can accept the fact that Ramon will not be returning back to reality with her and whilst she is still grieving for him, she is no longer hesitant and in conflict with keeping him with her. This also then links to when Constantia begins to gain independence as a widower/single mother when searching for Baptista, therefore fixating on a new type of grief [ the loss of the bond between a mother and her child], in which Constantia refuses to stand down as she did with Ramon when he had gone missing.

Are you married, single, or in a relationship? - It is made abundantly clear from the opening scene that my character is in an affectionate marriage with her husband, Ramon. For example, when she says the line " Ramon, come home soon. I'm waiting for you. I love you Ramon. Whatever it is I will forgive you, whatever I have done I will put right, just come home soon".
From the use of the word 'home' it immediately indicates that the characters are a couple as it was highly uncommon for men and women, who weren't family members, would be living together without committing the sacrament of marriage and the house is created into a home when the characters create a family together, therefore making it seem as if the home is not complete without him there which is why Dream Mother is begging for him to come back. Of course, the other clear hint that the couple is married is from when my character says " I love you" which again, was uncommon to say unless directed at close family members and this character is truly expressing her affection for Ramon.

What is that person’s name and occupation?- In the play, it is immediately made clear in the opening scene where my character says the line " Ramon. My sweet Ramon" that her husband's name is Ramon, and whilst it is not necessarily mentioned by my character of his occupation, the character, Catalina, says the line " she takes after her father that one" in the scene: The fishwives. This is of course in reference to Constantia's daughter and prior to this quote, the fishwives are discussing Baptista's involvement with Ernesto, who they are aware is an activist from when the character, Juanita, says " mixing with a boy from the town is not good. There will be trouble there". When Catalina discloses that Baptista takes after her father, she is speaking in the sense of how assertive she is when voicing her opinions and standing up for what is right as her father had before he had disappeared, and due to the fact that they live in a patriarchal society with a corrupt justice system, it was extremely dangerous for people to stand against what society had inflicted on them from the severe consequences that would be put into place [torture/death/other forms of punishment] so that the patriarchy can keep their power in place. This is made clear when Dolores says " He stood for what is right. But he should have been more careful". This clearly reveals how Ramon was one of these activists against the patriarchy and how he had been caught, which had led to his sudden disappearance and death.

How are things going with him or her? - At the beginning of the play, whilst my character is grieving for Ramon and wondering when he will be coming home, she is hesitant to believe what the ghosts/voices are saying as they are urging her to view reality, therefore Dream Mother forcing herself to remain in a state of denial where she is seen consistently embracing Ramon in the fear that he will be taken away from her. For example, in the opening scene: The ghosts, Dream Mother says " the whispers mean nothing. I'll not listen". This short quote resembles how intent my character is to distract herself from facing reality and in response to the end of this quote, Ramon flatly says " Constantia" and by doing this, he reveals how grateful he is to see his wife, despite slowly losing the essence of his body from the stage direction that is included [flatly] where he can barely express any emotion as his spirit is slowly departing the longer that he remains in the land of the dead. Whilst at the beginning, it is perceived as if the ghosts/voices are forcefully taking Ramon away from Dream Mother, they are trying to have his body put to rest so that he can finally feel peace. This is not represented until the scene: Dream one, where Ramon says " I have another path to tread now Constantia. A path I must tread alone". This quote clearly resembles how Ramon has finally accepted his fate and is urging Dream Mother to do the same so that, he can be in peace knowing that she is also in a state of peace knowing that his spirit has been freed.

Where do you live now? - I believe that my character resides in a working-class village in Argentina as from my research when reading into the script [ contextual facts such as Madres de la playa de mayo- which was first created in Argentina and links back to the end of the play where Constantia mentions her plan to her eldest daughter, Francisca, to join with other grieving mothers in the town square and dance in a form of protest against the patriarchy]. I also believe that the characters live in a poorer household as whilst they are not impoverished, I personally believe that the minimalistic set of a table with a few chairs does not necessarily imply that they are of a higher social class. I believe that they are working-class from how Baptista talks about the upper social class when saying the line " A rich man in the city". From this short quote, it is clear that the family is unable to afford the luxuries of living in the city as she does not refer to it as the place in which she lives, and from the use of the adjective 'rich' , it resembles that Baptista is portraying his social class in comparison to hers as if they were of the same social class she might've said something on the lines of ' a man in the city/ or a man in the village'. When researching into the working class within South America during the 70s [ specifically Argentina], it was more common for the working class to live in villages which is what had led me to suspect that this is where my character lives / where her family lives.

What are your physical surroundings like? Are they comfortable, safe, or dangerous? - The main surrounding that clearly makes my character feel uncomfortable is the land of the dead, in which she feels that she cannot escape reality and as the ghosts/voices are portrayed as antagonists who are frightening Dream Mother, realistically they are trying to help her but she cannot see reason and results to using the emotions of anger and despair in a hysterical aspect to forcefully push them away from her main goal, staying with Ramon. This is made clear in the opening scene when she says the line " No. I will not listen to you. Get out of my dreams. You don't belong here. I don't want you here. The whispers mean nothing. I'll not listen". This quote conveys how the character is gradually developing tension in the scene from the anger that she feels towards these characters as she believes that they are trying to take her husband away from her, whereas they want to ensure that he is put to rest and that she can face reality.

How do you feel about the place where you are now? Is there something you are particularly attached to, or particularly repelled by, in this place? - My character is attached to the spirit of her husband mainly and throughout the play, he is the only thing that she will allow herself to prioritize and fixate on. For example, when she says the line "no stay here. Stay with me" in the scene: Dream one, where Dream Mother is intent on staying with her husband and she does not necessarily care at this point where they are, just as long as she can be with him and feel him embracing her as they haven't been able to touch since he had disappeared and she feels safe when interacting with him. Another example of this is in the scene: Dream one, where Dream Mother voices how safe and attached she is to the feeling of her husband's embrace, this is when she says " When you hold, me Ramon, I want to never let you go". This quote resembles how attached to her husband, Dream Mother is as he is seen as the only person that can stop her hysterical emotions.

Who lives with you? - Technically as my character is in the land of the dead, Dream mother lives alone whilst she searches for Ramon. However, when finding the quote “Come back to me. Come back to us” this implies that Dream Mother is referring to Constantia's home where she lives with her and Ramon's four daughters: Francisca, Baptista, Maria, and Isabel. As my character is the past representative of Constantia this clearly links how Constantia feels towards the disappearance of Ramon, not only in the concept of how much she misses him but also in how incomplete the family is without him and how their children are coping without a male parental figure in their lives.

How do you get along with them? If you don’t get along, what is the source of conflict? - Dream Mother is definitely portrayed as a character that gets along with her husband and this is from the repetitive amount of times that she is embracing him and conveying her affection for him as she is fearful that he will leave her as his body is no longer functioning properly and his spirit begins to seep out of his body. My character is desperate to keep him in her life which is why at some points, mainly in the scene: Dream One, Dream Mother results to forms of bargaining/manipulation, mentioning how her children need their father in their lives and speaking on behalf of them to make him feel guilty for not being their lives, in order to have him return with Dream Mother to reality. Even when Ramon is passing, he still retains his love for Dream Mother and an example of this is in the scene: The picnic in the hills, where [ due to it being where Constantia is reminiscing about a fond memory], Ramon has more energy and is acting like himself again, the atmosphere has been lifted and the family are all together and when Ramon says " I will carry you to my castle Sweet Damsel" , he picks up my character and carries her in a playful manner which represents to the audience members that the character shares a close bond, in which my character responds with " Sweet Damsel! Put me down Ramon" and as she is saying this, the character playfully hits Ramon to further represent the banter that they share as not only husband and wife, but also as close friends.

Do you have children?- It is clearly revealed in the scene: The picnic in the hills that Dream Mother is a parent to her four daughters Francisca, Baptista, Maria, and Isabel, and this is from when my character says the line " of course Isabel. It is not until later on. But first we eat". Here, my character establishes her domestic duties as a woman in society where she is slightly strict as a mother but it is done in a necessary way to ensure that the children are provided for and here she still remains content, also linking back to the domestic duty as a mother/wife in which women were not allowed to complain and had to be constantly grateful for the family that they had as this is the standard that society had expected women to follow.
Whilst there are indications of my character having children, aside from the word mother in her name, in the scene: Dream one she says " Come back to me. Come back to us". Whilst this quote clearly refers back to the rest of the people in the household, it does not necessarily entail that it is referring to their daughters. The scene: The picnic in the hills, however, presents the bond that my character has with these children, and this is clear from when I had looked at the stage direction ' the others follow closely behind. Isabel holding the Dream Mother's hand'. From this stage direction, and from the audience members witnessing this clear interaction being shared between the two characters, Dream Mother and Isabel, it is made clearer that she is the mother to these four girls, and whilst it is only a dream, this scene is a specific memory of Constantia's when everyone in the family was younger, which is why she is holding her youngest daughter's hand.

Do you have love in your life right now?- Dream Mother's soulmate will always be Ramon and he is the constant love of her life as witnessed in the dialogue of the play. For example, in the final scene: The river of death, there are multiple quotes where Ramon reveals his affection for Dream Mother and this includes when he says " I love you, Constantia". Prior to this scene, it had always been Dream Mother who has expressed her affection in the marriage first i.e. when she runs to embrace him and says quotes such as I love you, first to also increase her vulnerability where she relies on Ramon's emotional support to also come back to reality with her and to comfort her as she journeys through the five stages of grief. Aside from this, there are many times in which the couple embrace, and Ramon console Dream Mother as she is acting hysterically due to the overwhelmed emotions that she is feeling from each stage of grief that is endured throughout her time onstage. For example, in the scene: Dream one, Ramon says the line " But you must Constantia, you must let me go. I cannot bear to see you in such pain. And your pain is my pain. Your despair is my anguish". This quote then implies that the characters hold such a deep connection with one another that they are physically able to feel each other's pain from the love that they hold in their marriage. Whilst Ramon wants to feel peace/tranquillity after being in pain for so long, he refrains from leaving Dream Mother until she is prepared to say her final goodbyes and this reveals how much of a supportive and devoted husband he is, even in his final hours.

How do they feel about you?- It is clear that Ramon holds strong feelings for his wife, Dream Mother/Constantia as whilst he is in pain and wants to remain in the land of the dead so that he can finally be at peace, he refuses to leave my character until she is able to accept the fact that they must depart. Ramon is viewed as playful and devoted mainly in the scene: The picnic in the hills, where the audience members view him playing with his children and establishing a fun parental role in the children's lives, and whilst doing this he picks up Dream Mother and says " I will carry you to my castle sweet damsel".  When doing this it reveals how close the two characters are and how they had still intended to have fun in their younger years. He is invested in the marriage as a devoted gentleman where whilst he is expressing how much pain he is in from continuing to force himself to live for her until she is ready to reach the final stage of grief; acceptance. He is protective of her when he says the line " You did not want to know Constantia. Your world was the house and the children. You were happy". When he says this line in the scene: The river of death, it is made clear that Ramon had always wanted to ensure that the only way to keep Dream Mother safe from danger and from being caught by the patriarchy [ as anyone who was believed to be associated with these activists, would suffer severe consequences, as portrayed when Baptista and Ernesto had been founded and Baptista had been kidnapped after Ernesto was murdered] was to keep his business as being an activist hidden from her. Ramon clearly establishes how he was always looking out for his wife and family when he mentions how Dream Mother's life was fixated on her domestic duties, therefore revealing how he was watching how she was with the children and always checking on her to make sure that they are all provided for and that they are happy.

. When is the last time you saw them?- In the scene: The river of death, it is the last time that Dream Mother and Ramon are able to embrace each other as they embrace for one final time as my character accepts the fact that Ramon wants to be laid to rest after enduring so much agony from the patriarchy as they had tortured Ramon before murdering him and dropping him in the river. It is clear that this is the last moment that the characters are together as Ramon says the line " I will not be coming home, Constantia". This quote clearly reveals that Ramon is ready to feel peace and be in a state of tranquillity, and at this moment he lets Dream Mother know of his intentions so that he can push her to see the reality that she must end up facing. At this moment, Dream Mother responds with the line " I know Ramon". This quote then entails to the audience members that the character is at the final stage of grief: acceptance, in which she is prepared to bid farewell to her soulmate.
It is also made clear that they are departing from each other when both of the characters say "goodbye" at the end of the scene and as this occurs, it also represents how Constantia has been able to finally accept the fact that her husband will not be returning and she can stop punishing herself with guilt for feeling that she was the cause for his death and move on to focus on being there for her children.

What is your religious belief currently?- It is clear that the character is Christian from the quote in the scene: Dream One " I will have faith, Ramon. I will not listen to their whispers. Come to me soon Ramon. Do not slip into their.."
This then contextually links back to the fact that approximately 90% of the population to this day in the continent, South America, are Christian. Whilst this quote resembles the character retaining her faith and abiding by her mainland of being Christian, Dream Mother is still clearly experiencing a state of denial where she proceeds to ignore the voices and ghosts, who are trying to get her to see reality where she can be aware of her husband's death and accept that he will not be returning. This then links back to the use of the prop, candles in the play where characters use candles whilst praying to ensure that their prayers are answered by God.

Do you still practice the religion of your youth, or have you left it behind?- It is clear that the character still practices as in the previous quote that I have mentioned regarding Dream Mother still retaining her faith when praying that Ramon will return back to reality with her. Also, as my character is still a past representative of the character, Constantia, this then links the two of their personalities together. For example, in the second scene: Absence and loss, Constantia is seen praying at the dinner table alongside her daughters and she says " Dear God, as we settle to this meal, we pray for Ramon. A good husband and father. Tend to him and comfort him. Hasten his return and give my children the strength and faith to sustain them in his absence". This quote clearly reveals that along the years, Constantia/ Dream Mother has remained faithful and used prayer to enhance the miracle of Ramon returning home safely.

How do you handle conflict with someone else? Do you avoid fights, or are you aggressive? Or are you passive-aggressive and only give the appearance of cooperation?- As my character mainly interacts with her husband, Ramon, her emotions toward the conflict that is created between the two of them varies as she is coping with the five stages of grief and during this, she cannot accept the fact that he wants to be put to rest, which is precisely where the conflict between them begins to grow, in which Dream Mother is still respectable towards her husband, but still voices her opinions. For example, in the scene: Dream One, after Ramon expresses his intent to depart from Dream Mother and remain in the land of the dead, she responds with " no stay here. Stay with me". From the use of this short quote, it implies how assured the character is that what she thinks is best and believes that it is Ramon who is not in the right headspace to be making decisions and whilst it does not necessarily represent that the character is gradually growing frustrated at the fact that Ramon is refraining from returning home with Dream Mother, I intend on approaching this moment of the play with more of a sharp tone that reveals how the second stage of grief [ anger] is setting in along with my character's denial.

What is the most pressing problem you have at the moment?- My character's biggest problem at this current moment is having to cope with the loss of her husband, Ramon, as whilst in the scene: The river of death, she has accepted that he will not be returning home with her, she still says the line " my heart breaks Ramon", which conveys that she will continue to struggle mentally when coping with the fact that he will not return back to reality with her and as this is the last moment in which the audience members see Dream Mother, it could lead them to possibly wonder the outcome of this character and leads them to question if she ever actually disappears or if she returns to the land of the dead.

What was your life like when you were younger?- As Dream Mother clearly portrays the domestic duties of a woman growing up in society from when she is reliant on Ramon for most of the time that she appears onstage in certain scenes including the opening scene and Dream One, here she exemplifies how women were expected to act towards their husbands and remain respectable which is why when Ramon wants to be laid to rest, whilst my character is hesitant she refrains from causing any conflict. In scenes with Constantia and her daughters, she teaches them the domestic duties of what makes a good mother/wife, so that can prepare them for society's perspective of creating the 'perfect' woman. By doing this, it also reveals how this had been taught to her when she was of a younger age, in which she had aimed to be the 'perfect' mother/wife that she could possibly be [ due to the fact that she hadn't thought of anything else as society had inflicted this idea on women for many years].
An example of my Dream Mother's domestic duties is when she says the line " then let me hold you, tend to you, love and comfort you". This quote here conveys that my character is sticking to her domestic duty of ensuring that her family is well looked after and provided for, in the sense of comfort as well  I believe that this also links back to what Dream Mother had been taught from a young age, where she must put her family members above herself and to be compassionate when someone in her family is experiencing any pain/discomfort/emotional difficulties.

Character Biography- From researching into and creating my own perspective on the character, whilst I am aware that she is a combination of the figment of Constantia's imagination and also the past representative of what her life used to be like, Dream Mother portrays the hysterical emotions that Constantia is secretly feeling and whilst she urges for Ramon's safe return home, my character is also in despair whilst trying desperately to push reality away in a forceful manner, that is until the last scene that Dream Mother appears in, The river of Death, where she can accept that Ramon will not be returning back to reality with her and whilst she still feels grief, she is able to open her eyes to reality in confidence and allow herself to feel this pain in a healthy way. The purpose of my character's journey in the entire play is to gradually represent the five stages of grief that Constantia is suffering from as she tries to keep up with her day-to-day lifestyle and proceeds to bury her deep emotions about her husband's disappearance, there are only a few moments in which she discloses to the audience members how she is truly feeling. Dream Mother is contextually a portrayal of how women were expected to act in South America when being ruled over by the patriarchy, in which they had to tend to their domestic duties and ensure that they do not involve themselves in political issues, otherwise, they will end up with severe consequences i.e. torture/other forms of punishment/ potentially even death. From reading into the script, I have found that my character is quite younger than Constantia and this is from the description in the second scene: Absence and Loss, where Constantia and Baptista are talking about the soft skin and long flowing hair Constantia had when she was younger and what she now pictures in her dreams.

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Before looking at my character's dialogue, I had already interpreted that she would have involvement with the main character, Constantia, due to the fact that it is clear from her name ' Dream Mother' which then establishes the fact that she also holds the role of mother. As I am also aware that Constantia is facing the various stages of grief when waiting for her husband to return, due to him mysteriously disappearing, this is what the purpose of Dream Mother is [ to represent her journey in the play as overcoming the five stages of grief]. I had perceived this role as a relation to theme of death from my knowledge of the play being a tragedy and when I had seen that my role was called 'Dream Mother', my first initial though had been that Constantia had dreamt about being the perfect parent to her children as she has been negligent lately due to the fact that she is in a terrible mental state when trying to come to terms with the news of her husband disappearing.

Aside from this however, I had also anticipated prior to reading the script that the Dream Mother may have been a fantasy character that had been created by Constantia's children in order to allow them to reminisce about how a mother should act towards her children and their duty to be involved within the children's lives. I had thought of this because of the use of the word mother in the title of the name and I wasn't sure whether or not Constantia would refer to herself as a mother i.e. she might have said something such as a past life, and as I was already aware that her husband was missing, I knew that this would have drastically affected her day-to-day regime and she would become distant whilst awaiting his return which is precisely why the children would dream of a parental figure that would be able to care for them during this difficult time rather than their mother being dependent on them.

I had the general understanding that this precise character was what society had expected of women during this era, due to the fact that she is referred to as a 'dream' from the title of her name  which means that she is able to abide by the rules that were set in place by the patriarchal society whilst also attending to her domestic duties of looking after the children and keeping the home clean. I had thought about these domestic duties from when I had researched into Los Desaparecidos where it had disclosed that there were higher men in power that had controlled the population and as they were right-wing associates, if any protestors had tried to advocate for more independence/human rights rather than relying on the democratic justice system, they would mysteriously disappear and would not return.

This piece of research had helped me to realize that society was being controlled by violence and manipulation, which had led me to research into South America timeline, to see if there were any facts relating back to the justice system and a woman's place. This is when I had found the fact about Argentina during the 70s where Los Desaparecidos was highly common and there was also mentions of concentration camps and prisons where leftists were sent , if they hadn't already been murdered, and when looking into this further I had found the context behind a woman's place in this specific continent and I had then applied this to all of the female characters in the play, specifically the Dream Mother, so that I was aware of the traits to include when creating a mind map based on this specific role i.e. devoted would be a trait as the character is aiming to be the perfect example of what society expect from females, that they refrain from involving themselves in politics and that they are able to bear children/find a husband and keep the home tidy. After researching into this, I had referred it back to the word 'dream' in the name title of this role as it links back to the character's persona of being a devoted parent and member of society which she is mentioned as a 'dream' rather than 'perfect'.

For me personally, at first I had assumed that the character was more reliant on physicality to portray the storyline of how she links to Constantia rather than dialouge  and this is due to the simplistic name that I felt had stripped the character of any true backstory which would imply to the audience members of how she serves as a purpose of portraying the plot of the play. However, after I had recognized that the Dream Mother represents Constantia, this theory was useless. I was able to ink the two of them together from the fact that the play is based mainly on Constantia's family and their suffering, and due to the fact that Constantia is a mother, it had made more sense that the Dream Mother would also have a close relation to the main character.

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When annotating my script, I have categorized the notes that I rely on when developing my character, into six different sections so that it is simplified and easy to follow with what I need to portray when reading through my lines for certain scenes that I am in.

These include:
Light blue: Notes/ Context of play
Purple: Physicality of my character
Yellow: Scenes that I am in
Green: My lines
Neon pink: Stage directions/ notes from the lecturer and assistant director
Neutral pink: Vocality of my character

The most noticeable  colours on this specific page are purple and light blue. This is due to the fact that I have included research notes that I believe are important when being aware of the contextual side of this play and how it would possibly affect the characters in a specific scene. An example of this is is in the upper right corner where I have talked about the purpose that the ghosts serve as they narrate each scene whilst also symbolising death and how impactful it is on the main family. I have included my own perception of these characters and how I believe that by appearing in each scene throughout the duration of the play, they are clearly foreshadowing the events relating back to the theme of death, that will appear later on the play. This is clear from when the ghosts are warning Dream Mother to let go of Ramon's spirit and I believe this when Ghost one says " And her life will be filled with a dark, dark light". For me, when viewing this quote I had interpreted that it would be related to death due to the use of the word 'dark' which is usually in relation to sad emotions such as despair, anguish ,grief ,anger, etc, and I feel that the word when used in the context of this sentence, directly refers back to how Dream Mother is mentally coping when having to deal with the news of her husband's disappearance. Also, there is a clear contrast from the use of the words 'light' and 'dark' where the first word typically relates back to happy emotions/ healthy mindset i.e. a feeling of joy, empathy, content ,etc and this would also refer to the themes in the play such as family, love, and faith. Whereas, the word 'dark' relates to the themes such as death and justice/injustice.

When annotating this page , I had taken into consideration the notes that my lecturer and assistant director had given me when doing the first rehearsal on 24th May, where everyone in the class had started to develop the first scene in which my character reunites with her husband in the land of the dead. This is due to the fact that we are blocking the play in chronological order to physically portray the gradual build up of tension as the main character, Constantia, is coping with the five stages of grief when her husband had disappeared. This is beneficial for the development of our character's, as it will be made clear the moments in which the tension begins to gradually rise and how this may affect the lifestyle of each role. An example of this is during the first scene where my role, Dream Mother, is searching for her husband and differs from the voices as she refuses to face reality at the beginning of the scene and the tension begins towards the start of the second scene where my character says the line " No, No!". From the use of the exclamation mark, it is made distinctly clear that the character is expressing more of the darker emotions that have been previously discussed i.e. despair and anger, as she doesn't want to have to come to the realization that her husband is dead. This is also made clear from the stage direction in between the two 'no' words where it says , more firmly. By doing this, it then reveals that the character is determined to fight for her husband to return back to reality and she desperately clutches onto him in the hopes that the ghosts and voices will leave her alone so that she can have her life back, yet, this then is portrayed to the audience members as the Dream Mother being in denial.

I have ensured that the stage directions are highlighted in a neon pink colour so that I am clearly aware of what I need to be able to portray whilst in the role of Dream Mother, before I enter on stage. This has benefited me during the first rehearsal as, alongside the notes that I had added from my lecturer whilst in the role of my character, I was able to clearly notice what the author's general idea for the approach of this character's physicality was at the beginning of the play. An example of this is where it says ' The Dream Mother enters at one end of the arena space and stops'. This stage direction, whilst quite simplistic, it briefly explains how the character enters and after this first rehearsal, my lecturer had made the decision to have my character entering on-stage however, when interacting with the voices, she will be walking backwards so as to not quickly see her husband, Ramon, and this refers back to the original stage direction as Dream Mother stops and this is specifically when she is interacting with the voices in the land of the dead.

Finally, I have used stars as symbols on this page to highlight important notes that I believe are most relevant to the entire scene as a whole. By doing this, I have been able to portray my own general understanding of the script and how the characters within the play relate back to the main concept, revealing how corrupt the justice system is in relation to the Los Desaparecidos cases. For example, I have fixated on the ghost characters when first reading through the script as I had noticed that they serve as a purpose of foreshadowing the future events that will occur without hinting too much to the audience members and still keep intact the element of surprise.

In order to improve on my annotations when continuing to add notes to the rest of my lines in the script, I will ensure that these notes are clear to read and that they are separated so that it is simpler to notice how I am linking my information back to the dialouge that my character is using, rather than just adding my information everywhere on the page as I don't want to get confused with what I need to do at a certain moment within the play. Another area of improvement is I could have highlighted my lines in a brighter colour, such as yellow, so that it is easier to notice what I must say within certain scenes and so I don't confuse myself with the notes that I have made around the lines.

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Physicality mind map of my character 28.03.22

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Physicality mind map of my character 28.03.22

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This mind map has been created to briefly explain how the physical movements that I will be adapting to the development of my character in future rehearsals in an attempt to further experiment with my own creative interpretations of the role, Dream Mother, will be able to help me gradually differ from my own day-to-day use of physicality. My notes on this role are what I had first interpreted when reading through the dialouge in the script and how I had escalated it further in the sense of how I imagine I would physically represent what my character is saying.

In this mind map, I have included the following:

. Pace- I have stated that my character's pace will vary, depending on how emotional she is within certain scenes. An example of this is in the opening scene, where the character will be at first using a slow pace to convey her confusion as to why she is suddenly in the land of the dead whilst searching for her missing husband, Ramon. Her fear begins to set in whilst the voices surround her more and I believe at this precise moment, she is also frightened for Ramon as she is slightly aware that reality is beginning to set in as the ghosts/voices speak to her, which is why the character fixates on staying in denial. However, as soon as Ramon says the line " Constantia" for the second time, as the voices depart so that she can see him, Dream Mother then turns around quickly and uses a fast pace to embrace her husband. By doing this, it portrays to the audience members that the couple has reunited after being apart for so long and this is due to the fact that it is a sudden movement in which Dream Mother immediately uses a fast pace to reach Ramon.

. Traits in relation to physicality- This specific subtitle that I have included is in referral to the traits that I have found when first developing this character and when doing this, I have been able to link the persona of Dream Mother to how I feel she would physically represent this to the audience members. For example, a common trait that the audience members view when watching my character is that she is vulnerable for most of the time that she is on stage and is reliant on her husband, Ramon. This is because Dream Mother is coping with the five stages of grief whilst also eagerly trying to bring Ramon back to reality despite, him being hesitant and wanting to remain in the land of the dead. At the beginning of the play, the character is in the first stage, denial in which she uses spatial awareness to try and depart from the voices/ghosts, however, after seeing Ramon, Dream Mother remains in close contact with him and is consistently embracing him until they are separated by the ghosts and voices taking Ramon off-stage. I have made notes on each of the character's traits and how I would ideally present them in a physical aspect so that, I am able to convey to the audience members of the creative research I have applied when developing this role.

. Warm/ nurturing- This is revealed specifically in the scenes: The picnic in the hills, and The river of death. The first scene where this trait is revealed is where Dream Mother is playing a game of catch with her children and husband. In that scene, the atmosphere is joyful and the audience members can view Dream Mother in her element of being a nurturing mother. This would be physically shown when the character is frantically waving her arms about and gesturing over to her husband and using a quick pace, alongside her children who are also playing, in order to make sure that she doesn't get caught. In the second scene that I have mentioned, this trait would relate back to when the character is cradling Ramon's head as he is asleep and she is trying to wake him up. During this scene, I believe that I would use gestures to imply that Dream Mother is preparing to say goodbye to Ramon for the last time. This will be presented by the characters embracing each other when my character says the line " My heart breaks Ramon" and during this moment I would hold onto my heart with my head slightly hung to reveal that she has finally allowed reality to set in.

. Vulnerable- This specific trait is represented in moments such as when the character is embracing her husband, Ramon. I feel that the moment in the play where this trait is most applied to the character's physicality is in the scene: Dream one. I have chosen this scene especially due to the fact that it is clear from the dialogue used that my character is in a terrible mental state. An example of this is where she says "No stay here. Stay with me". For me personally, when viewing this quote, I feel that I would be clinging onto Ramon more forcefully to imply that her stage of denial is beginning to overpower reality and, how the character believes that by physically embracing him, she will be able to persuade Ramon to return back to reality with her.

. Devoted- I believe that this trait would be mainly represented in the scene: The picnic in the hills, in which the character establishes her motherly duties when caring for her children. As this is not necessarily represented in the other scenes that my character appears in, due to the fact that there is only one scene where Dream Mother is with her children, I feel that the character would clearly represent her domestic duties as a mother to the audience members so that it is clear that she is abiding by society's perspective of what a woman should be/ how they should act in civilization. For example, the stage direction where my character enters, it says that she is holding onto Isabel's [the younger daughter] hand and this immediately conveys to the audience that she is tending to her duties as a mother. I feel that at this point, my character's posture would also remain straight so that she can reveal that she is confident in the role that she plays within the family. Also, when saying the line " Maria we will never eat!", my character would gesture over to her daughter, Maria, that they must eat before playing any more games. By doing this, it also reveals that the character is firm but fair when raising her children as she wants to ensure that they are provided for before tending to any activities i.e. eating some food.

. Hesitant- This trait is quickly represented in the opening scene where Dream Mother is refusing to accept the fact that her husband is dead and this is where she says the line " It's all lies I will not listen to the lies". During this quote, I feel that the character would be placing her hands over her ears to portray her hesitation to set into reality and to understand that her husband is in truth, dead. At this moment, the character would use proxemics in an attempt to bring Ramon closer to her. By doing this, it will convey to the audience members that the character is completely reliant on her husband for all of her needs, including comfort from what she fears most. This will then reveal that Dream Mother is the exact image of what society expects from women, that she is the 'lesser' gender and is dependable on males for everything.

. Body language- This character's body language I feel will be a comparison of how society ideally wants to portray women due to the fact that the past life of Constantia is a devoted mother and wife who abides by her domestic duties without involving herself in any political/societal issues and, also how a widow would act when facing the five stages of grief. For example, the body language of a 'perfect' woman in society, would be that she has a straight posture with her shoulders pushed back and that her facial expression is consistently smiley, to insinuate that she is a parent that never complains about the lifestyle that she must lead to remain in society's perspective of how a woman should act, especially as a mother.

Regarding the scene: The picnic in the hills, Dream Mother's body language will consist of her having a straight posture, strong stance, and fair gestures to imply her kindness and gratefulness towards her children and her husband. However, the character's body language will shift when she is reuniting with Ramon, such as in the scene: Dream one, where the character is more forceful in trying to bring Ramon back to reality, as the character is also becoming more emotional after hearing that Ramon is preparing to remain in the land of the dead, her posture will change to having an arched spine, and hunched shoulders. This will convey to the audience members that the character is trying to find a way to comfort herself whilst shutting out reality and trying to come up with a different way of getting Ramon to return back with her. An example of this is when the character is saying the line " Where are you going Ramon? Come back to me. Come back to us. We need you, Ramon.". This quotation conveys that Dream Mother is gradually struggling to cope with the reality of losing her husband which results in bringing up the fact that their children are also dependent on having their father in their lives. As the character is saying this line, I feel that she would be using hysterical mannerisms to imply that her mental state is worsening as she cannot imagine living her life without her husband.

. Posture- Dream Mother's posture is one of the beneficial part of the character's physicality in which she can portray to the audience members how she is emotionally coping with the traumatic events that occur throughout the duration of the performance [mainly the disappearance of her husband]. For example, I feel that the character's posture when appearing onstage for the first scene: The ghosts, will immediately be presented that she is frightened from her back being slightly hunched as the character is curious as to why she has suddenly entered this strange area [the land of the dead] and she is afraid that she will not find Ramon, or that she will and he will not be returning home with her. By physically representing this in my character at the beginning of the performance, the audience members are immediately able to perceive this moment as tension building from the fact that the atmosphere has completely changed in which Dream Mother clearly does not feel safe in her surroundings. Ideally, I also want to have the audience members have a feeling of discomfort at this point so that, they can create more of a sympathetic connection with the character and to understand how she must be feeling at that point within the scene.

. Spatial awareness- My character's spatial awareness will vary depending on the characters that she interacts with. This is due to the fact that Dream Mother clearly struggles to come to terms with reality in the play which results in her being vulnerable with Ramon as she embraces him, therefore both of them being at a close proximity. However, with her children, Dream Mother abides by society's rules of what it means to be a mother, nurturing and helpful. In the scene, The picnic in the hills, Dream Mother still establishes her parental duties by portraying a relationship with her children where she still uses close proxemics to reveal how close the family is. This is due to the fact that the character is not reliant on her children as she is on Ramon, which is precisely why she can enjoy fun activities with them, such as the family game of catch that is portrayed onstage at the end of the scene. When Dream Mother says the line " Ramon come home soon, I'm waiting for you. I love you Ramon. Whatever it is I will forgive you. Whatever I have done I will put right. Just come home soon". As this character is clearly in a vulnerable state, she remains in close contact with her husband as a way to try and reveal her eagerness to bring him back to reality with her and the true affection that she holds for Ramon. This also refers back to the difference in gender within the play in which females would be reliant on male figures in their lives for all of their needs, including emotional, which is why Dream Mother is enduring this vulnerability in which she is physically clinging onto Ramon's body as a way of securing her hope that he will be home with her soon.

. Levels- Whilst this physicality technique is not necessarily represented as much as these other methods, I feel that I should experiment with including it in certain moments when Dream Mother is interacting with Ramon in order to reveal whether or not the character's vulnerability in waiting for her husband to return is increasing or decreasing. This could then reveal to the audience members that her desperation is gradually worsening as she is not used to the feeling of being a single mother due to the fact that men were always the head of the family and they made the important decisions and suddenly without ant male presence in the home, Dream Mother begins to panic on what to do and the lifestyle that she should lead without her soulmate by her side. Levels could also apply to when Dream Mother is playing the game of catch in the scene: The picnic in the hills, in which her body language varies in an attempt to make it more difficult for Ramon to catch her out in the game. By doing this, it also represents how the character used to act before her husband had gone missing and, it links back to the trait of her being devoted as a mother and wife in which she fills her family's lives with laughter and joy as they create fond memories where they all had enjoyed each other's company and how Dream Mother has provided entertainment to further enlighten her children's lives.

. Facial expressions- This type of physicality is extremely important regarding my character as I must express to the audience members that she is facing each of these stages of grief in certain scenes and I also want to ensure that this is done in chronological order to reveal the purpose that Dream Mother serves throughout the duration of the play, especially when linking back to the current events that the main character, Constantia, is suffering from [ coping with the disappearance and death of her husband, Ramon, the corrupt justice system, etc]. As this is also what the audience will be witnessing through the use of multimedia from the practitioner that we have focused on [ Katie Mitchell], the audience members will have a clearer view of my character's facial expressions and what they may interpret for the scene depending on how it comes across to the audience members, alongside the type of atmosphere that has been formed in the play so far.

. Gestures/ mannerisms- I feel that this is definitely one of the most important parts of physicality that I must prioritize throughout the rehearsal process as it entails the coping mechanisms that Dream Mother uses to further deflect from reality in an attempt to force herself to believe that Ramon will be returning home with her soon. I feel that by using these gestures/mannerisms, there is more of a realistic build-up for the audience members where they are able to witness Dream mother in her element of naturalism where she expresses the true emotions of a widow who is going through the stages of grief in the real world. An example of this is in the five stages of each scene that Dream Mother appears in:
1. Denial- During this specific stage, the character is more dependent on the physical attention of her husband, Ramon, after being separated from him for a long period of time. She physically clings to him more after fearing that the ghosts will be taking him away from her. A gesture that would be included here is when she is holding onto Ramon's face in disbelief that he is actually in presence with her. By doing this, it will convey that the character is shocked that her husband has returned to her yet, she is also grateful as she expects that this is a sign that he is alive. This would be where Ramon says the line "Constantia", in which my character suddenly turns around and quickly embraces Ramon by holding his face, clutching onto his arms and shoulders as she looks into his eyes.

2. Anger- This stage is also represented in the opening scene of the play where the character is feeling enraged of the fact that there are obstacles coming in the way of her reuniting Ramon back with him family in reality. This is clear from when she says the line " No. No!". From the use of the exclamatory sentence, I had immediately interpreted that the character is exasperated by the fact that she is again being separated from Ramon. During this moment, I feel that the character would be reaching to grab Ramon consistently whilst trying to push the voices and ghosts out of the way as they begin to surround her and as she feels more frightened by these creatures appearing in her dream, Dream Mother results in trying to comfort herself by placing her arms around her body in the form of a self-hug. By doing this, it may also interpret by the audience members that she is doing this so that she can imagine that it is Ramon who is comforting her, and as the character wallows in despair from her husband being taken from her arms, Dream Mother will then drop her head to imply that she is also feeling guilt-ridden and angry at herself for allowing the ghosts to take Ramon away. The mannerisms that would be used at this point involve Dream Mother also holding onto her body repetitively as a sense of comfort to calm her mindset after she and Ramon have yet again been parted.

3. Bargaining- From a personal perspective, I had viewed that this stage is represented when Dream Mother says the line: " Then let me hold you, tend to you, love and comfort you". This specific piece of dialogue is used to convey that my character is purposely offering her domestic duties as a wife to her husband so that he is reliant on her to seek comfort and she then is able to make it easier to bring Ramon back to reality. Whilst my character is saying this line, I feel that she would be trying to help Ramon by clutching onto his waist to forcefully move him back into reality with her and having her head press against his to show her devotion to helping him.

4.  Depression- This stage is revealed more so in the line "Perhaps I should've been less happy and known more". This quote reveals that Dream Mother is feeling guilt-ridden from the fact that she was unaware of what acts Ramon was committing before his sudden disappearance and along with the vocal trait of emotional range, where she begins to tear up at the fact that she didn't do anything to prevent this.  At this moment, the character would be burrowing her head more, too afraid that she has disappointed Ramon in her domestic duties and cannot bear to look him in the eye as she believes that she is the cause for his death and this point, the character will be repeatedly clutching onto her own arms to represent how she is again trying to desperately to comfort herself after facing more tragic news. By doing this, it also links back to a  technique for people with grief depression, where they isolate themselves and rely on using their body as a security blanket, in which they try to comfort themselves to calm down and contain themselves.

5. Acceptance- I had noticed that this certain stage occurs in the scene: The river of death, where Dream Mother allows Ramon's spirit and body to finally be at rest. I am aware of this from when she says the line " I will miss you, Ramon". This quote conveys that the character, despite still grieving for her husband, is ready to allow reality to set in rather than carrying on the course on differing from the fate that lies ahead for her. At this moment the character will be gesturing her hands out to Ramon for a final embrace that interests the audience members as this is a powerful moment in which the couple portrays their strong affection for one another.

In order to improve from this mind map throughout the rehearsal process of this role, I will be including video evidence of these physicality traits so that I can reflect on how they personally affect my character and provide the audience members with the knowledge of Dream Mother gradually facing the five stages of grief. By doing this, I will  be able to portray my own knowledge of how grief physically changes a person in each stage and how to notice this in a person. In these videos, I will be discussing various research websites/recordings that I have found in relation to grief and how some tactics used in tv/film , have helped me to have more of a creative insight on how to approach the role of Dream Mother when she is physically interacting with Ramon.

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Vocality mind map of my character 28.03.22

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Vocality mind map of my character 28.03.22

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I have created this mind map to combine my own ideas of how I intend on portraying this character with the vocal skills I believe will best convey the traits of the Dream Mother's persona alongside how I will be able to adapt my skillset of vocality from what I have previously learned so far throughout these two years in the acting lvl3 course and applying it to this role.

These vocal traits I have based mainly on how the character is first perceived to the audience members at the beginning of the play i.e. vulnerable due to the fact that she is searching eagerly for her husband and the character becomes frightened after suddenly entering the land of the dead, where she is still set on trying to bring Ramon back to reality with her.

In this mind map I have included the following:

. Projection: I have decided to prioritize this specific trait in this final project when performing as the Dream Mother so that I am realistically able to portray to the audience members how the character remains in a heightened emotional state due to the fact that the purpose of her journey in the play is to resemble the five stages of grief that Constantia is currently experiencing after losing Ramon [as Dream Mother is the past representative of Constantia]. By enhancing this projection more so at certain points in which my character begins to portray a change in emotional status, not only will the audience be able to clearly understand what my character is saying, but they will also be able to comprehend how the character is feeling a great amount of despair, and potentially putting themselves into the character's shoes and imagining how they would feel if they were in the same position, thus forming a bond with Dream Mother on the basis of an empathetic feeling, which could also link back to a sense of guilt for not being able to help her.

. Traits that character has in relation to vocality: I have created this technique for the development of my character's vocality throughout the rehearsal process and how these traits directly link back to the personality traits that I have included below. By doing this, I am able to justify how the vocal traits that I will be using exactly apply back to the persona that I have created for my character based on the dialogue that I have read through, therefore helping me to gain more of a perspective on the purpose that Dream Mother serves throughout the play in relation to linking back to the main character, Constantia, and her journey in the play. As these two characters are effectively the same person, but in different time settings, I have taken into consideration how I need to vocally present the similarities and differences between these two roles in order to clearly resemble to the audience members the relationship that these two characters hold:

. warm/ nurturing- This would be applied mainly through tone when my character is representing her domestic duties to her husband in an attempt to bring him back to reality with her and their children rather than him drifting off to the land of the dead. Aside from her clear heightened emotional state at the beginning of the play in which she is experiencing grief and mourning at a rapid pace from the fear of losing Ramon, the character appears to be nurturing when saying "then let me hold you, tend to you, love, and comfort you". By saying this, the character is effectively using a form of bargaining of using her domestic duties as a wife to comfort him. However, in the scene: The picnic in the hills, this is precisely where my character asserts her roles as mother and wife in a clear perspective for the audience members of how the character remains traditional in the eyes of society by abiding by her domestic duties and ensuring that the family are well provided for, therefore appeasing to the personality trait of nurturing, especially when she says " Of course Isabel. It is not until later on. But first we eat". By using this quote, I have been able to exemplify whilst the character is feeling content from the joyful atmosphere that had been created as the family is together, she still manages to prioritize her role as a mother, which she ensures that her children are all well fed and provided for before tending to any more activities. Whilst the first line where she interacts with Ramon, the character will be hysterical as she cannot cope with losing her husband and being alone, the second line will contradict this emotional state by having the character remaining content and including a slight giggle in her tone to insinuate that whilst she is ensuring that her children are provided for, Dream Mother is finally feeling a sense of joy.

. vulnerable- I personally feel that this would mostly apply to the scenes: Dream One and The river of death, as whilst the character is at two different standpoints of emotional range, in which within Dream One she is still in a state of denial and is blindsided with her own grief to realize that Ramon is in a great deal of pain and wants to be put to rest. During the Dream One scene, I feel that I would prioritize the vocal trait, pitch, at this point to further convey to the audience members how Dream Mother is emotionally reliant on her husband, mainly revolving around her emotional needs, and as she is vulnerable from this point where she begins to panic on how she is going to look after her family and losing her soulmate, there is no reasoning with her and by the pitch gradually increasing, it will be easier to convey how this is beginning to mentally affect the character, in which her subconscious is aware of the reality surrounding her, which is why the character become more emotional as she is trying to fight this off by staying in denial in the hopes that she can return back to her normal lifestyle. On the contrary, she resembles this vulnerable state in the final scene that Dream Mother appears in: The river of death, where at this point she is finally accepting of Ramon wanting to lay to rest and have his spirit be free in the land of the dead, therefore meaning that Dream Mother and Ramon must depart for the final time, however, she is facing a different kind of vulnerability in which she remains calm but needs to feel the comfort of her husband in order to remain in her own sort of bubble, in which she is able to differ from reality and her surroundings and focus on one main thing, Ramon. This sense of vulnerability conveys the true close bond that the characters have shared in their close marriage, in comparison to how vulnerable Dream Mother was at the beginning of the play, where she uses her own selfish reasons to cling onto Ramon i.e. she didn't want to be alone in the world without him and therefore refused to have his spirit free.

. Devoted- for this personality trait, I feel that It would mostly apply to when my character is representing her loyalty to her husband in the final scene: the river of death, and during this moment the couple reminisce about their life together and express the closeness that is shared in their marriage from when they say they love each other and will miss one another. My character at this point I believe will use the vocal technique, intonation, and this is due to the fact that I feel whilst my character is clearly in a state of despair from having to come to final terms that she will not see her husband again, she still wants to try and stay content for him so that he has a peaceful send off and does not have to concern himself with protecting Dream Mother’s feelings ( as that is the entire reason why he was fighting to stay alive, to ensure that his wife would be alright when he is ready to have his body laid to rest in order to have his spirit be free).

. Hesitant- this is definitely represented at the beginning of the play and in order to establish my characters state of denial in which she retains the faith that Ramon is alive, and I feel that the vocal technique that would be used in this precise moment is pace and this is due to the fact that reality is completely surrounding Dream Mother at this point, therefore making her feel suffocated by having to combat reality seeping in and remaining in a state of denial so that she can be content for the return of her husband, Ramon. By using pace, my character will be able to develop a sense of gradual tension as she isn’t able to mentally cope with the fact that Ramon is being kept from her and when doing this, the character also raises her tone to further insinuate how serious she is in regards to protecting her marriage from the main ‘antagonists’ , yet she is only destroying her mindset as she refrains from viewing the reality that is occurring around her.

. Pitch: This will be the technique that vastly changes the most throughout the play in order to give more of an indication to the audience members on how much the traumatic events that are surrounding Dream Mother have finally affected her and begin to seep in, along with reality. During the beginning of the play, as my character clearly presents to the audience members how she is in a state of denial from the loss of Ramon and how she is determined to push reality as far away as possible, as the ghosts begin to again take her husband away from her, Dream mothers concern grows rapidly and her pitch increases to further represent her vulnerability at the mere thought of losing her husband. On the contrary, towards the end of the play, the characters pitch remains neutral as she bids a final goodbye to her husband and the two of them are in a calm mindset where they can reminisce about their life together as a married couple.

.Diction: In regards to this technique, it applies to my character more so at the beginning of the play, as she includes more of a tearful tone to indicate to the members of the audience that she is feeling a great amount of despair towards the disappearance of her husband, Ramon. I feel that it would be beneficial to use this technique mostly in the scene: Dream One, as from looking into my character's dialogue in this precise scene, I have been able to witness how she gradually begins to develop a fear in the detachment between her and Ramon's bond, which leads to her becoming more emotional and reliant on him i.e. at this moment, the character even tries to offer her duties as a wife in an attempt to get him to stay. When my character says "no stay here, stay with me", I feel that this would be the moment that she can truly feel the despair seeping through and she begins to choke up at the mere thought of losing Ramon as he has made this conscious decision without even considering how Dream Mother would feel about it, and she could even feel at this moment dis-trust, as Ramon hasn't been completely honest with how much he is struggling until this very point, which then also adds onto Dream Mother's feeling of guilt as she is clinging onto Ramon in the hopes that he will stay alive and come back to reality however, she also believes that she is the cause for his pain and as she is not able to prevent it from occurring, the character feels that she has failed as society's image of the ideal wife, therefore leading to her choking up and getting upset.

. Emotional Range: This is specifically one of the most important notes that I have included due to the fact that the audience members view Dream Mother in a state of vulnerability from her interactions shared with her husband, Ramon, who has mysteriously disappeared and as the character seeks for his return back to reality, which is why she is in more of a vulnerable state and consistently begs for him to come back with her so that they can return back to normalization. This is witnessed more so at the beginning of the play in which Dream Mother clearly expresses to the audience members that she is in a state of denial and differing further from the reality that is desperately trying to seep into her life i.e. the opening scene: The ghosts "I will not listen to you. Get out of my dream. You do not belong here I do not want you here. The whispers mean nothing. I'll not listen". This quote exemplifies how my character is deliberately trying to block the reality from seeping in further and this is done by also increasing her tone at this precise moment in an attempt to frighten these ghost characters from making her open her eyes to the truth that has been surrounding her i.e. that Ramon is dead.

. Intonation: I have found that this specific trait is dependent on the emotional state that the character is in within each scene that she appears in throughout the duration of the play, and as she is consistently portrayed as desperate/vulnerable from the lack of her husband's appearance in her life, which is why her voice begins to rise and fall in order to represent how she is on the verge of tears constantly because she is fearful of the choice that Ramon is going to make, that being whether he will return with Dream Mother to reality with their children, or if he will return to the land of the dead and depart from his love and his family.

. Tone: For me personally, I believe that this is the most important vocal trait in regard to my character and this is due to the fact that is contributes to her emotional status throughout the entire duration of the performance and how the character is gradually able to cope with the fact that her husband is dead and will not be returning back to reality with her. Whilst she is clearly in a state of denial at the beginning of the play, I intend on presenting this with quite a low tone to reveal the amount of despair that Dream Mother is feeling when being confused as to why she is suddenly in the land of the dead and then immediately concerning herself on the whereabouts of Ramon. Nonetheless, this will change in the scene: The picnic in the hills, as my character is quite content in this scene and represents this from the close bond that she shares with Ramon, specifically when he picks her up and my character laughs as she says the line “sweet damsel. Put me down Ramon”. At this point in the play I believe that my character would use a high tone to convey her femininity at this moment of being a devoted wife and spending time with her husband, whilst also representing the sudden amount of joy she feels after Ramon and her are able to fool about with one another, a moment where Dream mother can forget her current troubles and invest time in making memories with all of her family.

. Pace: This trait would be dependent on the atmosphere of the scene that the character is involved in. For example, at the beginning of the play, as there has been an eerie atmosphere that has been formed from the appearance of the land of the dead characters creeping onto the stage, along with the ghosts, my character immediately fears for the safety of Ramon and is confused as to why she is suddenly in this setting, therefore contributing to the fear that Dream Mother feels towards the land of the dead of the characters which will cause her to feel very overwhelmed and speak at a fast pace in order to reveal to the audience members that she is not able to think clearly and her emotions are overtaking her judgment and mindset. Whereas towards the end of the play, as a sense of empathy is created in the atmosphere from the audience members witnessing Constantia finally finding Ramon's body and as my character is able to come to terms finally that her husband wants to be put to rest, I believe that Dream mother would use a slower pace to savour her final moment with her husband and reminisce about their life together before finally having to say goodbye to each other.

How do the five stages of grief apply to my character in the sense of vocal traits? - I believe that this is mostly in relation to the trait, of emotional range, due to the fact that the audience members will be able to emotionally indulge in the character's persona throughout the entire performance when witnessing how she is coping on an emotional perspective and gradually beginning to accept the fate that is laid out in front of her, therefore allowing reality to set in. By doing this, the audience members will also be able to grasp a clearer understanding of how Dream Mother and Constantia are linked in terms of their feelings towards the loss of Ramon, and as my character represents Constantia's buried emotions on Ramon's death along with her subconscious state of how she would cope with his loss if she didn't have to prioritize her role as a mother first.

1. Denial: During this precise stage, my character will be mainly using tone in order to represent her seriousness toward the belief that Ramon will be returning back to reality with her and alongside this, she will also be using diction, to convey how truly frightened she is of losing him and how guilt-ridden she is feeling from the fact that she hadn’t acknowledged what Ramon was actually doing and how Dream Mother believes that she is the reason for his death.

2. Anger- this mainly applies to the pace in which my character will be saying her dialogue to further insinuate to the audience members how she creates a grand amount of tension in the atmosphere due to the fact that she cannot cope with the loss of her husband and is completely  intent on bringing him back to reality with her, no matter who gets in her way. This is clearly conveyed in the opening scene where the character is gradually combatting her fear of the land of the dead characters with her anger at them for trying to separate the couple and destroy their chance of reuniting again.

3. Bargaining- with this stage of grief, my character offers her domestic duties to her husband in exchange for him returning back to reality with her so that she is also able to tend to her domestic duty as a wife of ensuring that her husband is taken care of. For this, as my character clearly exemplifies a sense of desperation, I feel that I would use the technique, pitch, to convey to the audience members how reliant the character is on the comfort of her husband to help her see things in a real perspective, and when Ramon announces that he wants to be laid to rest in the land of the dead, my character begins to panic in the fear that she will no longer be able to cope without Ramon in her life as without him she is simply the ‘lesser’ gender and this is what leads her to increase her pitch.

4. Depression: in regards to this stage of grief, I  personally feel that my character would use the technique, diction, to further present how much the loss of her husband  has dramatically impacted her entire lifestyle, to the point where Dream mother feels that she can no longer be a mother to her children and she cannot exist without her husband by her side as he is a part of her. With this technique, I will also try to include emotion memory for more of an emphasis on how heartbroken the character is at the loss of her soulmate.

5. Acceptance- finally as this scene is the moment in which the audience members are able to perceive Dream Mother in an entirely different aspect , I believe that I would use the technique, tone, but I would use a neutral tone to convey that my character is in a state of peace and tranquility as she is able to come to terms with the fact that her husband is dead and whilst she still feels a sense of despair from losing him forever, the character has been bald to allow reality to set in, and therefore she has relieved herself of more emotionally inflicted pain.

In order to improve on the role from this mind map throughout the rehearsal process, I intend on fixating more on the emotional range of the character, and this will lead me to prioritize traits such as pitch, intonation, and tone so that I will be able to successfully be able to portray to the audience members how the purpose of my character's journey in the play is to clearly represent how Constantia is able to overcome the five stages of grief when mourning for Ramon and then eventually gaining a sense of independence, and whilst my character does not necessarily follow the same path, she still begins to get curious about Ramon's involvement in the political activist movement to overthrow the higher men in authority, therefore representing how like Constantia, Dream Mother begins to differ from her domestic duties and is no longer brainwashed by society's perspective of the 'perfect' woman. I believe that by focusing on the three vocal traits that I have previously listed, I will be able to present to the audience members, in a chronological order, how my character emotionally copes with the loss of her husband and how she is able to gradually differ from a state of denial and become a new woman, despite losing her husband.

For example, at the beginning of the play, I still want to represent my character as an emotionally reliant and incompetent wife that struggles to cope with her life without her husband by her side, as he is the 'superior' gender and she completely relies on him, to then represent her as this strong and brave individual towards the end of the play when, whilst she is grieving for Ramon and she is feeling a great amount of loss and despair, Dream Mother is willing to accept the fact that Ramon will not be returning to reality with her.

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second rehearsal evaluation 31.03.22.docx

In this evaluation, I have ensured that I discuss how today's rehearsal, which had consisted of choreography, was still able to apply back to my character due to the fact that whilst she will not be appearing in the Festival dance scene alongside the other characters, I will still be using choreography whilst in this role for the end scene, when the entire cast dance for Los Desaparecidos and also she dances in the scene, The picnic in the hills when Dream Mother and Ramon romantically dance together.

I have also mentioned my initial ideas regarding my costume choices for Dream Mother and how these will be affected by the colour of the lighting that will be used, alongside the contextual factors that will be discreetly revealed in the play. For example, I have mentioned how my intentions with the colour white, for Dream Mother's skirt, refers back to peace/tranquillity and when thinking about this, I had then linked these words to the idea of heaven, and as my character remains in the land of the dead, it had made more sense to have this specific colour for my character's physical appearance. Alongside this, with the colour of the lighting being blue, it will then make the white skirt appear blue to the eyes of the audience members, and when researching into this in relation to how this shade symbolizes mourning, and when finding this out, I felt that it had benefitted my character due to the fact that throughout the entire play she is mourning her husband, Ramon, and urging for him to return back to reality with her.

I have also listed how the purpose of my character's journey and how it links back to certain scenes in the play. For example, I have included how the five stages of denial i.e. denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance, chronologically affect my character throughout her time within the performance, therefore linking back to the main character, Constantia, and how she is coping with the loss of her husband, Ramon.

Finally, I have included the two improvements that I need regarding the rehearsal process for my character, Dream Mother, where first I have made a note on the choreography that my character will be used in certain scenes of the play and how to improve on my foot coordination in order to develop a realistic atmosphere, and I have also included the improvement of ensuring that I practice my lines without the requirement of my script in the rehearsal process on stage.

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The Traditional Latin America Dress. History, Styles and More. (vamospanish.com)

Traditional Argentinian Clothing | VisitArgentina.net

(3) Pinterest

I have used this website link to research into what had commonly been worn by women throughout the timeline of fashion within South America and how this refers back to the play, A mother's voice, in the concept of how traditional my character, Dream Mother, is in which she represents the past life of Constantia, where she would ensure that she would tend to her domestic duties as a wife and mother, where she had prepared food and entertainment for her children and had put their happiness above her own, and regarding her husband, where she had provided for him as well by keeping the household clean and how she had remained reliant on him for all of his support. By doing this, it links back to how Dream Mother has abided by society's rules of what it means to be the 'perfect' woman.

I have also looked into clothing items linking back to Argentina as I believe that this is the area that the play is based in [ from the contextual factors including Madres de la plaza de mayo, which was an all-female group that had first been created in Argentina]. When looking into the research behind this specific continent, I have taken into consideration that traditional clothing would be worn by both the characters, Constantia and Dream Mother, due to them being representatives of society's image of the 'perfect' women in which they refrain from involving themselves in any political issues and they provide a happy environment for their children and husband, Ramon. These two characters establish how they follow their domestic duties from the mentioning of the task of cooking in which in the second scene of the play: Absence and Loss, Constantia says the line: " She is too modest. I only helped a little. My Isabel is an excellent cook". This quote reveals that Constantia is content with reassuring her children and helping them to learn the ways of what society expects of women i.e. that they follow domestic duties as both a wife and a mother, which is precisely why she refers to the duty as a mother of keeping her children happy and helping them to learn the ways of being a respective individual in society, also she links back to the fact that she is tending to her duty as a wife, in which she sticks to the task of cooking for her family and even for Ramon, despite the fact that he hasn't returned back to her. Another example of this, is Dream Mother in the scene  The picnic in the hills, in which she says the line: "Now enough of this nonsense. Will this be good enough for our picnic?". In this quote, it represents how my character is tending to her duty as a wife in which she is emotionally reliant on Ramon [ her husband] to assure her that she has provided more than enough food for the family and allows them to remain content. In this quote, it also discloses that she is trying to be a good mother by ensuring that she has provided her children with as much as possible to keep them content.

Argentinian clothing is normally connected to the traditions behind the land of folklore, dance, and music. Much of the attire for Argentinians strives from common traditional facts about the country such as the Tango, which consists of grand flowing skirts and off-shoulder blouses with many patterns. Similar to this style of dance, the Chachera dance also has a similar style costume in which there is an off-shoulder flowing top and a knee-length skirt. Typical pieces of Argentinian clothing/patterns differ from Gaucho [skilled horsemen figure] in which these horsemen had emerged in Argentina during the 17th century when the Spaniards had introduced the horse to the New World. To this day, this is symbolized in clothing to represent Argentinian folklore. It is a national symbol of pride in both genders, male and female. The term 'gaucho' is thought to link back to the word 'hauchu' in the Quechan language, and it typically means orphan/vagabond. Whereas, many other people believe that this word derives from the Arabic word 'Chaouch' which translated means, herder of animals i.e. a reference to horsemen. The style is greatly recognized across the entire continent of South America as a type of semi-nomadic cowboy from mainly the plains area in Argentina and including different regions including Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivian Chaco, and Southern Brazil.

For males, it is traditional for them to wear a pair of black trousers, a white shirt, and above this, an open short jacket. This is done in order to physically represent the first form of the 'gaucho' look. The main accessory that is included is a red handkerchief that is usually tied at the front of the neck. More accessories include:
. A brown sash
. Brown/black boots
. bombachas - a loose-fitted style of cotton pants
. Red beret
. brimmed hat
. Poncho [ specifically used in the winter]

For females, they are usually referred to as “paisana" which is the most popular term used in Argentina to describe the woman's role of accompanying the male style 'Gaucho' with a traditional dress that is worn. This precise item of clothing consists of a long ankle-length skirt, no petticoat, and a long-sleeve jumper that reaches up to the neck. When researching into this, I have been able to link it back to the ideas that I have been forming for my character's costume in which I am already aware that she is a traditional woman from reading into the script where it discusses how she abides by society's laws of being the most 'perfect' mother and wife that she can possibly be. This is why I have found that an ankle-length skirt would benefit my character's physical appearance as it then links back to her loyalty to her husband of refraining from revealing too much skin to the members of the public. A paisana wears alpargatas as her footwear, which is a style of shoe that is made from a canvas with a rope sole. The word that is used for this is also espadrilles, which in Spanish means honesty, and by finding this, I feel that it greatly resembles the point that I have previously made of my character, Dream Mother, being an obeying wife and mother in the eyes of society and how she would physically represent this to fit in society's image of the 'perfect' woman. The national flower 'ceibo' is used as a pattern for decoration on many items of clothing. When researching into costume items to purchase for my character, I intend on looking specifically into the style of this flower or the colour of it so that I am able to contextually refer back to the traditions in which my character is abiding by as a woman living in a domestic society within South America.

Apron-like garments are also typically worn by males. This is due to the fact that they are protective and functional for work. They are of a long length and are kept up-held with a buckle belt. Men also wear rolled-up white sleeve shirts along with this apron.

Woollen ponchos are worn collectively by both men and women. This is due to the fact that it is a unisex item of clothing and it is not typically common for two genders to share the same items of clothing which is why these ponchos are precisely unique. There are no arms for this item of clothing and it rests on the neck of the person wearing it, with the length of the attire covering the entire upper half of the body. This attire is usually worn in the winter.

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The Traditional Latin America Dress. History, Styles and More.

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The traditional dress in Latin America is so much more than just a costume. It provides a link to the region’s history, as well as a portrayal of each countries’ national identity. Furthermore, most of Latin American countries shares cultural Spanish (or Portuguese, in the case of Brazil), Indigenou…

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Hairstyles  in South America [the 70s] 02.04.22

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Hairstyles  in South America [the 70s] 02.04.22

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(17) Historical Braids: Ancient South American Hairstyles from the Inca and More - YouTube

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.buzzfeed.com/amphtml/danielacadena/see-100-years-of-argentine-beauty-in-just-over-one-minute

Who were the first people to live in South America? (askinglot.com)

Whilst this specific hairstyle refers back to the indigenous tribal women, I had found that the braid image is quite a common hairstyle that is used to this day in South America, and specifically, when researching into the country, Argentina, regarding the fashion that they use to this day i.e. when talking about the item: poncho, it also discloses that women wear this with two braids as a hairstyle. This leads me to believe that these women are typically traditional and prominent in this day, which then links back to my character on a more personal basis due to the fact that she is portrayed as traditional with the customs that she sticks to throughout the duration of the performance i.e. abiding by society's rules of following her domestic duties as a mother and wife.

Specifically with the country Argentina, as one of the main traditions that had been created in this country had been the dance and music, tango, in which many women would wear vibrant dresses and have various specific hairstyles to perform. Not only have these hairstyles been used onstage, but it was then made into a popular style in which many individuals had worn these type of hairstyles to represent how traditional they were in the eyes of society.

I have used the 100 years of beauty website link so that I can also represent how females' hair had changed over the years, specifically in Argentina as I believe this is the country where the play is set, and when looking into this I had found that many of the women had their hair styled into buns to also refer back to a grand tradition in the country, which is Tango. The photo in the top left corner is also an image of what hairstyle women would commonly wear during the 70s [ the time period in which A mother's voice is set in] and I have also chosen this specific image due to the flower that had been used, which I personally believe represents the national flower of Argentina, the 'ceibo' which is completely red. By incorporating this flower as a pattern/ some other form that links back to my character's physical appearance, I will be able to represent how Dream Mother is strict on remaining traditional to her motherland country and abides by the physical appearance of what is expected of women.

When looking into the hairstyle in the video, it was a very frizzy appearance and I do not necessarily believe that this will suit my character as from what I have read into regarding the dialogue, it appears that she would want to appear as 'delicate' and 'polished, to further entail how she is a representation of what it means to be the perfect 'woman' in the eyes of society. I had found when researching into social class in South America, that people had found that appearance was crucially important as it had determined the amount of a person's importance within the social hierarchy and whilst my character is a part of the working class, I still feel that as she is quite feminine, my character would put a lot more effort into her physical appearance to please her husband. Also as she has to complete many chores and tasks on a regular basis as a mother/wife, I feel that it would be more beneficial to have her hair tied up or tied back. By doing this, it will also make it easier for the audience members to view the facial expressions of the character throughout the entire performance rather than my hair being down and them not seeing how Dream Mother is reacting to certain moments within the play.

Altogether, for Dream Mother, I feel that I am more drawn towards the braided hair photo as it is the first hairstyle that had technically been worn by women in South America, from the first people that had originated in this continent, the Arawak [ a group of indigenous people that were the first group of peaceful people who the founder of South America, Christopher Columbus, had interacted with when discovering this continent]. When further researching into the women of this tribe, I had found that men would normally have two-three wives and they would also tend to the same domestic duties of providing for their husband and family. I also looked into various images that revealed these indigenous women wearing braids for a hairstyle to also refer back to their dedication to the traditions of the continent/tribe.

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Elvira García y García - Wikipedia

The Emancipation of Women - PHDessay.com

Bertha LUTZ (scientificwomen.net)

How Latin American Women Fought for Women’s Rights in the UN Charter | Inter Press Service (ipsnews.net)

Julia de Burgos | Poetry Foundation

Luz María Umpierre - Wikipedia

ANDREA ARROYO - Cartooning for Peace

Rosario Ferré | The Modern Novel

Yasmin Hernandez - Art, Culture - Remezcla

Lucila Godoy Alcayaga | Oxford Lieder

Gabriela Mistral | Poetry Foundation

Biography: Felisa Rincón de Gautier (Doña Fela) (womenshistory.org)

María Jesús Alvarado Rivera and Evolución Feminina (wooster.edu)

Chapter19_Framing.pdf (usip.org)

Declaration of the Assembly of Social Movements – World Social Forum 2015 (cadtm.org)

A Timeline of Women’s Rights in South America - The Borgen Project - I have used this specific website link to understand how female independence has adapted throughout the years and whilst it does not specifically refer back to the time that the play is set in, it still reveals how women were able to slowly derive from what society had expected from them, in which they had to stick to their domestic duties and refrain from involving themselves in politics. I have looked into women specifically due to the fact that my character Dream Mother, as the past representative of Constantia, tends to these duties and she represents to the audience members how women had relied on men a great amount during this time period in which they would be completely vulnerable and not understand how to live their lives without it being controlled by a man/ without the presence of a man in her life. Whereas Constantia slowly begins to build her independence up against the patriarchy towards the end of the play when she is intent on finding her daughter after becoming aware of the government's involvement with Los Desaparecidos. This website link discloses the following:

. 1883: The Peruvian feminist and educator, Elvira García y García, had founded the pioneer's all-female school Liceo Peruano, which had been dedicated to educating girls only mainly due to the fact that there was a lack in their learning due to society's expectations of women learning the ways of what it means to be a mother and wife so that they were familiar with what to do when raising their own family and they would stay home and learn to cook/clean, etc. This specific feminist had encouraged over hundreds of girls to obtain their education rather than following the path of what society had expected i.e. them tending to their domestic duties as devoted women to their country.

. 1919: In this year, the organization, League for the Intellectual Emancipation of Women, which was founded by Bertha Maria Júlia Lutz, who was a Brazilian politician/zoologist/ diplomat,  and it was dedicated to the addressing of a woman's inability to vote. Amongst many other women, Lutz had fought for voting rights and the right for women in Brazil to work without the un-necessary authorization of their husbands. The right was not obtained until the year, 1932. When further asserting her rights to the world and bringing women together as a united front, Lutz had worked to claim international woman's rights at the U.N Charter located in San Francisco during the year, 1945.

. 1938: Puerto Rican writer, Julia de Burgos, had released a variety of poems that fixated on social justice issues. These poems had discussed slavery, woman's rights, and colonialism in South America. After the first publication of these poems, Burgos had went on to write about the feminist theory. In this, she had written about motherhood and womanhood and how women should not be defined from just these titles. Some of her work had even managed to inspire many American Latin feminists such as Mariposa, Luzma Umpierre [ a Puerto-Rican human rights advocate, poet, scholar, and New-humanist educator], Andrea Arroyo [a Mexican-born actress], Rosario Ferré [ a Puerto Rican poet ,writer, and essayist] and Yasmin Hernandez [ an artist located in Brooklyn].

1945: The first Latin American woman to win a Nobel prize was  Lucila Godoy Alcayaga [ a humanist, poet-diplomat, and educator. However she was of a Chilean ancestry] and,  Gabriela Mistral [ a Chilean humanist, educator, and poet-diplomat]. They were both up for this Nobel prize for literature.

. 1946: Felisa Rincón de Gautier, who was the former mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico, she had become the first mayor in one of the capital cities in this precise continent. She had fought for woman's rights in South America with the strong belief that all of women should have the opportunity to be involved in politics and the right to vote, alongside men. Even at the old age of 95, she had still engaged in women's rights campaigns.

. 1969: The first woman of 'champion of women's rights' was called María Jesús Alvarado Rivera [ a Peruvian feminist, educator, journalist, social activist, and writer]. She fought for women's rights in South America and this was done by educating the public on women's rights. She also worked hard to ensure that education was permitted for all girls across the country, in order to allow them to obtain their rights to learning rather than having to tend to domestic duties and grow up feeling less important than men in terms of knowledge and self-worth.

. 1999: During this year, the Venezuelan government had created a new constitution that had followed along a majority of republics in the Western hemisphere. This constitution had conveyed that all citizens [ no gender aside]  are permitted to have social, political, and economical rights. The Assembly of Social Movements had also addressed the issues of domestic abuse, sexual harassment, and discrimination. Since this, more women have come out of fear and hiding from the patriarchy and they have been given the human right to speak their mind without the concern of not being listened to or something bad happening if they were to truly say how they feel. More confidence and independence has been developed because of these women standing united together along with these groups and movements that have helped them to realise their self worth.

I have researched into this in order to see how much women have been able to adapt throughout the years after such a long period of time being ruled over by the male patriarchy. This has been done so that I could also witness the moment in which females had begun to grow their independence and determine their own lifestyle without the fear of the consequences that may be inflicted on them.

Prior to women gaining any human rights, they were identified purely by society and the rest of the population as only being useful for bearing children, taking care of the household [ cleaning/cooking, etc], and remaining loyal to their husbands. They were referred to as the 'lesser' gender purely based on the fact that men were proven to scientifically be stronger, therefore them serving more of a purpose in life than women. This is why it had been easier for men to gain power and take control whilst also giving women orders to abide by i.e. taking care of children and their family without complaining, and not involving themselves in anything that could decrease the male's power and authority. This links back to the play due to the fact that when looking into the plot of A mother's voice, I had found that it mentions how Constantia, [ the main character] had refused to involve herself in any political matters, due to the fact that she was aware of the consequences that she would face, i.e. torture/kidnapping from Los Desaparecidos [activists/protestors who had stood against the justice system and they had been caught and then 'mysteriously' disappeared].

40 Basic Rights Women Did Not Have Until The 1970s (historycollection.com)- I have selected this website link so that I can highlight certain rules that had still applied to women within the play, A mother's voice, as one of the ways in which the higher men in power had established how they enforce power, was specifically through the use of violence, so that people would be too afraid to stand against them and they can remain in power. An example of this is in the play, where Baptista is being tortured towards the end of the play in the scene: The search/ The prison, in which she says the line " Please leave me alone. Don't touch me. Please. Please. I am hurting so much. Is there anyone there? Is there anyone the". This quote clearly discloses that the character is now enduring physical pain and sexual assault from these higher men in power [ it was a common fact when women who were a part of Los Desaparecidos had gone missing, they were frequently raped/assaulted by the officials and higher men in power]. Prior to her kidnapping, Baptista is portrayed to the audience members as assertive and opinionated, in which she had joined in many activist meetings to voice her thoughts on the corrupt justice system and how she intends on standing against it to gain her independence, however, after the higher men in power result in using other methods to make her regret her choices in the lifestyle that she had led, the character then derives from her previous lifestyle and results to begging in order to gain sympathy from them so that she will be left alone, this conveys that the character has now become weak and agrees to abide by society's rules in order to be freed. Sadly, this is an actual representation of how women who were a part of the activist groups/ associated with these types of people, were treated in South America and the pain that they had to endure during their lives when they had been caught i.e. the previous fact that I had mentioned earlier where women who were incarcerated would frequently be reaped by the higher men in power so that they could assert their dominance further as the 'superior' gender. A few of these rules that relate back to the play include:

. Females couldn't receive an equal education- whilst there is no insinuation as to whether or not women had received a great amount of education within the play, the female characters still establish the inequality that they suffer from due to the fact that they are the 'lesser' gender from the decreased amount of education that they had received to actually learn the ways of the world rather than learning how to be a good mother/wife.

. They couldn't have thier own mind- This clearly applies to the concept behind the play from how the higher men in power had controlled society, mainly women, as they were told to stick to their domestic duties in order to be good wives and mothers and therefore serving their purpose within society and being a representation of the 'perfect' woman. This is certainly why the audience members can view Dream Mother in such a dreary and vulnerable state, due to the fact that when Ramon was alive, she was reliant on what he thought so that she can follow his orders as an obeying wife and after losing him, Dream Mother had struggled to understand what to do in her life, which is why she had become more hysterical when coping with the five stages of grief. This also applies to Constantia when she is drifting off into her own world of imagining what it will be like to re-unite with Ramon and when doing so, she differs from reality as she cannot be a supportive mother without still relying on Ramon and what he might think of her as a single mother.

. Women weren't allowed to join the military/ weren't permitted to involve themselves in any political matters- This refers back to the play due to the fact that if a woman was to involve herself in these type of situations, she would suffer the same consequences as Los Desaparecidos as she would be viewed as a 'subversive' in which she was considered an activist/protestor against the justice system and for this, a woman could be tortured/murdered/kidnapped. This realization had been represented through various female characters in the play when mentioning their own personal views on the corrupt justice system i.e. when Juanita says " You have to be careful what you say. A word these days and you can wind up". In this line, the character proceeds to draw a finger across her throat to signify death and this also conveys how she is abundantly aware that if she were to stand against the patriarchy, Juanita could endure the same fate, which is why she only talks about it with the other fishwives s they talk about how miserable they are. Also, as the audience members witness the all-female group , Madres de la plaza de mayo, at the end of the play when Constantia dances in protest alongside other grieving mothers/grandmothers. This links back to them due to the fact that if more than two women were walking together, it was considered a political meeting, which is precisely why these women had decided to hold photos of their loved ones and dance only in pairs of two, so that legally they were not differing from the rules that the patriarchy had enforced yet, they were able to voice their rights and opinions on the corrupt justice system discreetly.

. Women weren't allowed to have a high title in a company/ place of work- This refers mainly back to the factory girls due to the fact that they had to rely on Ernesto for voicing their concerns about the unfair working conditions that they were enduring and as they had already been considered the 'lesser' gender, it was more difficult to get their point across and for the patriarchy to actually pay attention to what was happening without them turning a blind eye, as they typically did not care of the workplace standards, just that nobody was to take this concern to a higher standpoint in which they choose to strike/revolt against the patriarchy until they have thier demands met, as whilst the higher men in power wanted to appear assertive and dominant, they had still also feared that the community were going to try and gain independence and stand against them , which is precisely why they had kidnapped, tortured, and murdered anyone who dared to stand against the justice system, whether this be in peaceful protest/ activist meetings. Also, anyone associated with these protestors and activists would also potentially suffer from the same consequences. This is due to the fact that the government wanted to restrict anyone's idea of gaining independence so that they wouldn't be overthrown and they can still obtain their amount of power over the community.

. Females couldn't vote: This was an extremely common rule that had been set during the 70s, and whilst nobody votes in this play, I still feel that it links back to the idea of nobody was allowed to take stand against the patriarchy / demand new government members, and this form of voting I believe had been taken by the activists/protestors as they were fighting against the corrupt justice system and specifically, women were not permitted to join in these type of meetings due to the fact that it was extremely dangerous and that they should tend to their domestic duties. This is specifically revealed in the scene: The river of death, where Ramon says the line " you did not want to know Constantia. Your world was the house and the children. You were happy". This quote, whilst seemingly being portrayed as Ramon trying to be protective of his family and his wife, also reveals that her husband was sexist due to the fact that he had made the assumption that the life that Constantia was forced to endure was something that she had consistently enjoyed, rather than being informed what her husband was doing that could lead to her becoming a single mother, and as a woman she didn't get a vote in the matter, she had to agree with Ramon's choices of lifestyle.

. They couldn't protect themselves against sexual harassment/assault- This is mainly pointed to Baptista as in the scene: The search/ The prison, she had been seen by the audience members as being tortured and assaulted and whilst this was occurring she had asked people in the distance for help i.e. other officers, and when doing this, she had come to the realization that nobody was going to help her due to the fact that the higher men in power believed that by using violence, specifically enforcing it onto women, will get them to refrain from standing against the patriarchy and sending a message that if they were to even try to, then these consequences will be put into place to enforce them to abide by the rules more. This is contextually relative to the female protestors and activists when Los Desaparecidos had occurred in the 70s, in which women were raped and sexually assaulted to get it across to the rest of the community to not stand against the patriarchy. Shortly after, if women were then to become pregnant, they would then be murdered after the baby was born. For females rape and sexual assault was a form of torture that was consistently used, as seen in the play where there are multiple references to Baptista being touched without consent.

In the play, A mother's voice, whilst many women have been employed in the factory [ the factory girl characters, which includes Baptista], they face injustice from the lack of human rights that they receive from the government when bringing up the fact that they have to work in poor conditions. Many of them result to flirting with Ernesto and joke about his 'machinery' in an attempt to get him to pay attention to them.  From a personal perspective when viewing this, I had thought that these women are lowering their self-worth and forcing themselves to result to flirt with Ernesto so that he will listen to their concerns. This is mainly due to the fact that during that time, men had already considered themselves of a higher importance than women and would refrain from concerning themselves with what women had to say due to the fact that they were the 'lesser' gender and therefore anything that was said, people did not really pay attention. However, in this scene, Ernesto is viewed as more of a feminist when standing with the ladies in their agreement of the justice system being corrupt and this is due to the fact that he himself was an activist against this particular issue. For example, in the scene: The factory girls, Ernesto says the line " They do not care about you or me. They care about only money. If you want them to listen then you must take action". This quote to me entails that the Ernesto is trying to bring more people forward in the protestor/activist meetings as he s urging them to take a stand rather than relying on a man to sort their issues for them. However, these women are smart in their knowledge of what were to happen if they were to carry out this act i.e. 'mysteriously' disappearing like those before them. This is precisely why Baptista then says " what about a protest- or a petition? If we all sign a petition then they might listen". Here, Baptista is trying to protect Ernesto's image as he is currently facing the most blame for not being able to help the factory girls with their issues and concerns, however, she is also aware of what could occur if they were to all stand against these higher men in power, which is why she pauses and changed her mind to everyone signing a petition, so that it is a form of peaceful protest in which the higher men in power cannot ignore them but, they cannot also arrest them, therefore allowing them to stay safe from the patriarchy's threats of violence and aggression. This is why when creating a mind map on Baptista, I had included that she is assertive due to the fact that she thinks clearly about how to act in order to still appear that she is abiding by society's rules whilst also confidently voicing her opinions to those that she is close to.

The 1960s-70s American Feminist Movement: Breaking Down Barriers for Women | Tavaana - whilst this website link is not necessarily referring back to the continent, South America, it still discloses the fight that women had to take to gain independence, and whilst doing this, they had endeavoured a great amount of inequality. I have linked this back to the play as this is also a common theme in A mother's voice in which men assert their power to try and control not only women, but the entire community. However, the dialouge in this play represents a clear contrast in how these two genders are treated through the eyes of society, in  which those males who are not considered 'subversives' [ relating to activists/protestors]  are greatly acknowledged and respected from the power of authority that they hold. Whereas not only Constantia and the main family, but characters such as the fishwives and the gossips disclose to the audience members how they are treated unfairly and how they are miserable in the lives that they lead due to the patriarchy enforcing their violence onto the entire population.

For example, in this website link it states ' A woman was expected to follow one path: to marry in her early 20s, start a family quickly, and devote her life to homemaking'. This clearly links back to the backstory of both Constantia and Dream Mother in the play as they both feel obliged to tend to their domestic duties without complaining as this is the life that they have both been taught to endure from a young age by society and so they believe that by achieving this lifestyle, they will both remain in society's image of what it means to be the 'perfect' woman, in which they refrained from involving themselves in any political matters, as this was a place for a 'man' and they continued to bare children and teach them the ways of what it means to be a woman in society.

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A Timeline of Women’s Rights in South America - The Borgen Project

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This timeline of women’s rights in South America explores the most pivotal moments for it during the past 150 years. Before even having the

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Mood board of characters that fit the description of Dream Mother

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inspiration for the role of Dream Mother 04.04.22

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inspiration for the role of Dream Mother 04.04.22

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Bridgerton season 2: Edmund Bridgerton’s tragic death explained | Metro News

Jen Harding from Dead to Me | CharacTour

Lydia Riera | One Day at a Time Wiki | Fandom

The Cultural Significance of “One Day at a Time” – Dork Daily

Julieta Madrigal | Disney Wiki | Fandom

Alma Madrigal | Disney Wiki | Fandom

I have decided to look into these various characters that I have witnessed in TV and film so that I have a general idea of how to approach my given role in the play, A mother's voice. When doing this, I have also created a mood board to represent the research that I have looked into regarding each role and how their personality links back to the role, of Dream Mother. By doing this, I have been able to successfully represent how I intend on including contextual relevance in the portrayal of my character and how she is directly linked back to the continent, South America. These specific characters have been chosen for different purposes that refer back to the mind map that I had created for Dream Mother when auditioning for this role.

For example, I had first looked into Violet Bridgerton as I am aware of her persona as in the last year's FMP I had to research into her for 19th century context, and when doing this in this year's FMP, I was more aware of how she acts around the theme of death and the feelings of grief. This is applied when I had watched the second season of this regency television series, in which I had watched flashback scenes of Violet Bridgerton coping with the grief of losing her husband, Edmund. When witnessing this, I had immediately applied it to my character's purpose that she serves in the lay i.e. representing the five stages of grief that widows go through.

After this, I had researched into Latin American tv shows and films so that I was able to link the contextual factors of the play, A mother's voice, to these chosen sources of entertainment and represent how Dream Mother fits into the description of these other characters. Another example is the character, Julieta, from the child-friendly film 'Encanto'. This precise film is set in Colombia and focuses on themes of justice/injustice which links back to the main theme of A mother's voice, and this character [ Julieta] portrays the same traits of my character, in which she is tending to her domestic duties where she cooks and provides for her family. Whilst this refers back to the gift that she is given by the magic candle to serve the community through the use of creating healing foods, there is a scene where she makes a traditional South American dish: Arepa, to heal her daughter's hand. This then reveals that Julieta is tending to her domestic duty as a mother, in which she protects them and takes care of them, similarly to Dream Mother in the play who ensures that her children are taken care of when laying out the food for the picnic in the scene: The picnic in the hills.

. Lady violet Bridgerton- I have chosen this precise character mainly based on how she is presented in season two, in which there are various flashbacks of how the character copes with the aftermath of her husband's death [Edmund]. For example, when finding his body lying on the floor, Violet proceeds to cradle his head whilst sobbing consistently as she begs him to stay awake. When viewing this specific moment, I had linked it back to the scene: Dream One in the play, in which my character says "no stay here. stay with me" which is also similar to when Violet says " no no no stay with me, Edmund". In a contextual perspective, these characters are both also similar in the domestic duties that they tend to, in order to ensure their place within society and the happiness of their family. With Violet, she asserts the duty of protecting her younger children from seeing their dead father's body, whilst she wallows in the loss of her husband, she demands that the oldest child [Anthony] leads them back into the household. I had linked this back to my character in the scene: Dream One, where whilst their children are not present within this moment of the play, Dream Mother says the line "Come back to me. Come back to us" and in doing so, it reveals how she is protecting the emotions that her children are feeling about the death of their father by begging for him to return so they can have their lives go back to normal and become a close family once again. At this moment, Dream Mother is nurturing as she is trying to help improve her children's lives by getting rid of the loss that they are feeling. After his death and whilst pregnant with her eighth child, Violet decides to name her Hyacinth, after the final act that Edmund had committed prior to his death [ picking hyacinth flowers for his wife and children]. Throughout more of the flashbacks, this character is viewed as having repetitive hysterical breakdowns where she begs for her husband back by screaming his name often. By doing this, it then relates back to the opening scene in A mother's voice, called The ghosts, where Dream Mother increases her tone and pitch to ward off the ghosts/voices from taking Ramon away from her. For example when she says the line " No [more firmly] No!" this reveals that my character is in a state of denial where she is clinging onto Ramon's body as much as she possibly can, before being separated by the voices. This is similar to when Violet is in a state of denial whilst in labour with Hyacinth, where she says" Edmund is his lordship!", in which she goes into a state of denial for a few minor seconds whilst still grieving for the loss of her husband, in the episode; A bee in your bonnet.

Symbolism of Color: Using Color for Meaning (incredibleart.org)- I have used this link when researching into the character, Abuela, from Encanto due to the fact that I was curious to see whether or not the colour of the costume that the character wears, also symbolizes her persona in the play. Throughout the entire film, Abuela establishes a prominent sense of matriarchy in the household where she only portrays her pride to the children with gifts and how well they serve the community, which is precisely why Mirabel and Abuela have an estranged relationship with each other [due to Mirabel not serving a purpose of helping the community as unlike the rest of her family, she does not have a gift]. From this link, I had found that red in South America links back to religion, as it represents the blood of Christ and in this film, there are multiple indications of the family being Christian. For example, when Abuela is asking Pedro for a sign of what is wrong with the Casita, as it begins to fall apart, she holds a candle when talking to him and in Christianity, candles are used to ensure that people's prayers are answered and in this precise moment, it is clear that Abuela needs a sign as she is vulnerable due to the fact that she is not aware of what is happening.

. Netflix television show- One day at a time: This show has been selected as firstly, due to the fact that it is historically accurate when relating back to the continent, South America, in which audience members view a Colombian family that celebrates their culture and heritage in their own ways. The character that I believe is most similar to Dream Mother, is Lydia, who is the grandmother of the family and the mother to the main character, Penelope. Similarly to Dream Mother, Lydia is intent on following her domestic duties of ensuring that her daughter finds a man to provide for her family, as they are more dominant out of the two genders. In the tv show, she is portrayed as 'set in her ways' and this descriptive implication refers back to Dream Mother as both her and Lydia have been taught from a young age of what society expects of women and the duties that they must follow in order to ensure that they live a content life whilst taking care of the household/ the family. Whilst Lydia is perceived as independent and a comical character, there are many moments in which she is vulnerable. For example, when she suffers from a stroke [ the episode: not yet], Lydia imagines her husband dancing with her as the two of them talk about their daughter, Penelope, and the affection that they also have for one another. However, when Pedro asks if Lydia is ready to join him in heaven, she responds with " not yet mi vida" and returns back to reality with her daughter. This then follows the same concept as Dream Mother, in the final scene: The river of death, in which she reflects on her life with Ramon and the talk about their children. For example, Dream Mother says " the girls are playing in the field. They will be exhausted after today". I have chosen this quote as it represents my character being devoted as a patriotic woman in society, where she is taking care of her children.
In the tv show, Lydia favours her grandson, Alex, and whilst it slightly appears to the audience members that this is jokes about favouritism for the relationship of grandparents and their grandchildren, the reason as to why she is so close to Alex is because he is technically the 'man of the house' and Lydia had always been taught to respect men in the household, due to them being the superior gender which is precisely why it is rare that she judges/tells him off as he is a male and therefore more important than her. Whereas with her granddaughter, as Elena is a feminist and is also a part of the LQBTQ+ [ lesbian] she differs from the teachings that Lydia is trying to inflict on her i.e. cooking/being respectful to men and lowering her intelligence/stubbornness so that she is able to find a worthy husband who will provide for her. This is precisely why Elena objectifies against the lifestyle of Lydia's and they fire quick remarks at each other on a regular basis to critique each other's way of living.
In the episode, No mass, the scene opens with Lydia clearly waking up early [ from the great yawn that she portrays whilst still in her loungewear] and she immediately listens to some traditional Cuban music whilst tending to her domestic duty of providing for her family [ making them breakfast, which also contextually refers back to some facts of South America such as the specific coffee, café Bustelo a famous brand of Cuban coffee, that she uses as culturally speaking, this continent is greatly known for its mass produce of coffee beans]. As soon as she opens the kitchen drawer, the character begins to dance to the music in the background and this includes historically accurate dance movements such as her using her nightgown as a skirt and swaying it about [ relevance to the most common dance in her native country, Cumbia]. Here, the character also puts up a photo of the pope and by doing this, she expresses her affection for the religion: Christianity. This one scene discloses the very stereotype of what it had meant to be a woman in South America as she is abiding by all of the rules that society had inflicted on her gender.
In this episode, Lydia is also seen cutting off Elena's important story about her history project, so that she could re-tell Alex's apparent 'funny' lesson in chemistry class. For me personally, when viewing this matter, I had interpreted it as Lydia favouring the gender of men due to the fact that she is a patriotic woman who sticks to the traditions of remaining the lesser gender as men are considered more dominant.

. Netflix show- Dead to me: This original Netflix show is set in more of a modern aspect, yet it still proceeds with the same storyline, of a widow who is trying to cope with the sense of loss and the five stages of grief that she must endure whilst also raising her two boys alone without a male figure in their lives. However, this character is more intent on finding her husband's murderer as time goes on within the television series, whereas my character refrains from involving herself in anything related o her husband's death as she is fearful of what may happen to her i.e. the higher men in power punishing her through the use of torture/sexual assault/rape/murder. The character's mindset [ Jen] follows the same concept of Dream Mother's in which she is not able to cope with the loss of her husband and tends to consume alcohol as a form of preserving the memory of her husband and forgetting the entire situation. This is similar to Dream Mother, except for the fact that she reminisces about interacting and engaging with her husband [ without the use of alcohol]. They both express the same pain of what it means to become a widow and the five stages of grief that occur. Dream Mother clearly establishes that she is mainly in the stage of denial and this is clear in the opening scene: The ghosts, where she says " It's all lies. I will not listen to the lies". This quote reveals how the character is forcefully pushing herself away from reality in an attempt to remember her husband and bring him back to reality. Contradictory, Jen fixates on the stage, anger, when exhausting herself trying to find her husband's killer. However, the two characters both still express their love for their children whilst coping with this grief, whereas Jen's is a reality and in the scene in the play, The picnic in the hills, Dream Mother is not grieving as she is reminiscing a fond memory of her family all together. For example, Dream Mother says " Of course Isabel. It is not until later on, But first we eat". This quote reveals that my character cares deeply for her children's well-being and wants to ensure that she tends to her duty as a mother of providing for them. Similarly, in this tv series whilst she is clearly still grieving after three months of her husband's accident, she proceeds to comfort her youngest son by stroking his hair and laying with him in the bed until he falls completely asleep. This then reveals that Jen is also sticking to her duty as a mother of ensuring that her children are emotionally provided for.
In the third episode of the first series, the title is called: it's all my fault, in which the audience members view Jen as feeling guilt-ridden and believing that she is the cause of his death after the two of them had an argument, prior to her husband's death that same evening. As it also marks the date of Ted's [ her husband's] 50th birthday, Jen begins to develop this feeling more as she also struggles to interact with her mother-in-law. Similar to this character, Dream Mother also has an impactful sense of guilt in the scene: the river of death, where she is finally saying goodbye to Ramon, and when doing this, she says the line " Perhaps I should have been less happy and known more". At this point, my character feels guilt-ridden as she was not able to witness what Ramon was doing [ joining activist groups despite acknowledging the consequences that the patriarchy will inflict on him if they find out], and she blames herself for distracting her mind with her household duties and taking care of the children.

Encanto- When viewing this child-friendly film, I had perceived mainly the characters, Julieta [ the main character's mother] and Abuela [ the main character's grandmother] as conveying traits that are similar to the development of my character, Dream Mother. As my role is the younger version of Constantia, she is more invested in the children's lives and this is where she establishes her domestic duties of caring for the children in the scene: The picnic in the hills, where Dream Mother is preparing a picnic for her family and ensures that everyone is well looked after when saying the line: " now enough of this nonsense. Will this be enough for our picnic?". This quote clearly reveals that Dream Mother tends to her domestic duties of ensuring that her children are provided for and looked after. Whilst the characters, Julieta and Abuela, have magical powers that allow them to provide for the entire community, they both follow the same storyline as Dream Mother in the concept of following their domestic duties. I believe that my character most relates to Abuela and this is why:

. In the film, Encanto, audience members have viewed Abuela endure a traumatic experience whilst clinging onto their three newborn babies, in which them and her husband, Pedro, have had to flee their own home due to Capitalism, and when doing this, they are joined by many fearful community members who are also fleeing. Whilst the three men are following after these innocent individuals, Abuela's husband turns around and tries to stop them by sacrificing himself to ensure that all of the people are safe from harm. However, when this occurs, he is murdered and Abuela witnesses this injustice moment, she proceeds to fall to the floor in tears of grief and mourning. This is similar to the first scene where the audience members meet Dream Mother as she is in a state of denial where she is grieving for her husband and feels at a loss with herself. This is physically represented as the character is clinging onto herself for a sense of comfort, that was once offered by her husband and this is similar to when Abuela is lying on the floor and wallowing as she has just lost her husband.

. Both Abuela and Dream Mother are patriotic women who abide by their domestic duties of providing for their children and keeping their household intact. For example, Abuela sets jobs for everyone that has a gift and ensures that their family name is lived up to. Alike this character, Dream Mother [despite severely suffering with the five stages of grief], sticks to the domestic duty of caring for her children by protecting their emotions towards their father dying, by telling Ramon how by him missing from their lives, the children are no longer content in their lives and this is purposely done in an attempt to get Ramon to return back to reality i.e. " Come back to me. Come back to us. We need you, Ramon". From the use of the word 'we' it immediately insinuates to the audience members that Dream Mother is talking on behalf of her children, therefore tending to her domestic duties as a mother in which she protects them and their emotions.

. Dream Mother and Abuela turn to prayer to retain their faith when speaking to their husbands and whilst the main difference between these two characters is the fact that Abuela has acknowledged the fact that her husband [Pedro] has died and Dream Mother still believes that there is a chance that Ramon will return back to reality with her, both of them use candles to contextually refer back to the fact of Christians using candles to better the chances of their prayers being answered. For example, when Abuela is in a state of vulnerability from the casita falling apart and the rest of the family pressuring her to find out why this is happening as she is the head of the household, she turns to her husband, Pedro, for advice and uses the candle to ensure that he can send her a clear sign. Whilst Dream Mother does not use a candle, she voices her prayer out loud to also represent how she is still in denial i.e. " I will have faith Ramon. I will not listen to their whispers". This quote reveals how the character, despite suffering from grief as a widow, keeps hold of her faith as a Christian, therefore resembling how traditional she is as a woman in South America.

. Abuela and Dream Mother are both the head of their households as historically speaking, the only form of power and authority that women had in South America was that they were in charge of the house and what occurs with in it due to the fact that they were the ones who had cleaned/cooked for everyone within the household.

Dream Mother and Julieta are similar in the concept of tending to their domestic duties, where they both express their affection for their children and ensure that they are taken care of. For example, with Julieta, she had used her gift as a person, who created food to heal people, to heal her daughter's hand [ Mirabel] and in doing so, she gives her daughter an inspirational speech to cheer her up after Abuela had been so cruel to her. Much like in this situation, Dream Mother had ensured that her children are provided for and well-looked after i.e. the picnic in the hills scene, where Dream Mother is concerned whether or not she has prepared enough food for her family, which secretly leads her to panic if she is tending up to her domestic duties as a mother.

I have also laid this mood board out in a chronological fashion of the facial expressions my character will be using in the play to represent the stage of grief that she is currently indulging in. For example:

1st photo - denial/anger - from when Dream Mother refuses to believe the ghosts as she is saying "it's all lies I will not listen to the lies" in the opening scene. This image represents a general shocked face and from my perception of the character, I also believe at this moment that she is frustrated, which then applies to the growing tension that Dream Mother is creating in the opening scene as she does not want to be parted from Ramon again.

2nd photo- denial - This stage of grief still applies in the scene: Dream One, where Dream Mother is again differing from reality and trying to comfort Ramon by tending to her domestic duties. Here in the photo, there is a gesture being used, whilst in the context of the character dancing, I had viewed it in the purpose of my character purposely trying to block out reality and the ghost characters as she says the line " I will have faith Ramon. I will not listen to their whispers".

3rd photo- depression/ bargaining- Again, these stages apply to the scene, Dream One, where my character says "no stay here. stay with me". This quote reveals that the character is in such a vulnerable state of relying on Ramon to come home and fix her life back together again,  by having her soulmate by her side. In this photo, the character resorts to consuming alcohol to try and overcome this stage of grief but as the depression sinks further in, the character wallows and reminisces about the life that she had with her husband.

4th photo- acceptance -This photo refers back to the last stage of grief, acceptance, where whilst the character is aware of the reality that her husband is dead, she still forces herself to reminisce about fond memories that she has with her husband so that it will be easier when the time comes for them to part ways. This is in the scene, the picnic in the hills, where Ramon suddenly has more energy and the family is all together. During this scene my character says " sweet damsel! put me down Ramon" and I feel that when she is saying this, she would be smiling as both of them are being playful at this moment.

5th photo-acceptance- Unlike the other photo, this smile would be used in the final scene that my character appears in, the river of death, where she is happy as she is currently at a state of peace with Ramon as at the beginning of the scene they are both reminiscing about the amazing day that they had together as a family. When Dream Mother says the line "I love you" I feel at this moment, whilst she is in despair as she is aware that these are the last moments that she and Ramon will be sharing together, she would still smile in response to Ramon saying the line ' I love you' as she feels comforted by his words and the strong bond that they hold with each other.

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https://bedfordcollege-my.sharepoint.com/:v:/r/personal/hmillier_bedford_ac_uk/Documents/Microsoft%20Teams%20Chat%20Files/video-20220331-091528-ebef2ba3.mov?csf=1&web=1&e=q8QAz1 - First dance

https://bedfordcollege-my.sharepoint.com/:v:/r/personal/hmillier_bedford_ac_uk/Documents/Microsoft%20Teams%20Chat%20Files/video-20220331-102724-3e4a9c5f.mov?csf=1&web=1&e=NOXaTg- second dance

During today's rehearsal, we had mainly prioritized the festival dance scene so that everyone was aware of the simple choreography that was to be used to portray an uplifting atmosphere that derives from the previous tragic moments that the audience members have indulged in. Despite the fact that my character is not involved in this specific dance, I felt that it would still be beneficial for the choreographed movement that I will be learning whilst in the role of Dream Mother, in which she dances with Ramon in the scene: The picnic in the hills, and how this will contribute towards the joyful atmosphere that is created within this scene, therefore contradicting the audience members perception of my character as prior to this scene, they have witnessed her in a heightened emotional state and whilst she is content during this precise moment in the play, there are potential darker themes at play, in which Dream Mother could be creating a façade of being happy so that she can remain in denial and further differ from the drastic reality that she must face.

In the first video, I feel that this is where I was specifically able to develop more of a sense of the foot coordination due to the simplified and repetitive movements that are used throughout this dance, and when learning choreography, this is typically an issue that I tend to struggle with. I had felt more comfortable in terms of fitting into the role of a village character as the atmosphere being created within this scene had resembled the exact idea that my lecturer has in regards to this scene i.e. having a community come together for a joyful event. This had been mainly implied when everyone forms a chain and begins to spin together, during this moment everyone was smiling and laughing, which had made it simpler to indulge in the role of my character. It was definitely beneficial to practice this dance in the long skirts as it provided the cast with a general idea on how to approach the choreography when they are also in their costume so that it is simpler than being concerned on how to follow along with certain movements whilst wearing these items of clothing.

However, in the second video as I wasn't able to catch up on the gradual increasing pace that was being used within this dance, I had struggled with my foot coordination and I didn’t   necessarily  feel that I was able to create a realistic atmosphere as myself in the role of my character due to the fact that I was trying to prioritise my time of rhythm to fit the pace of the music rather than fixating on the main point behind the scene: to portray that my character is having a joyful time and that they are happy to be surrounded by the rest of the community, despite leading a miserable life underneath the aggressive patriarchy.

Aside from learning this choreography, I had also made some crucial decisions regarding my character's costume for the play. This had mainly revolved around researching into the theme of death, mainly due to the fact that the setting that my character appears in, is the land of the dead, and the purpose that Dream Mother serves in relation to the concept of the play's storyline is that she represents the five stages of grief that Constantia is experiencing [yet this is revealed in a more emotionally heightened aspect as Constantia tends to bury her emotions in order to retain her faith that Ramon will return]. My main inspiration for my costume had differed from my first interpretation of the land of the dead, and due to the fact that my character still remains a devoted mother and wife despite the fact that her husband is gradually beginning to leave her as his spirit is seeping out of his body, I had imagined that this setting would be a final state of peace for both Dream Mother and Ramon, as whilst it is first recognized as a frightening area from the eerie atmosphere that had been created by the ghost characters and the movement that they use onstage in an attempt to make the audience members feel a sense of discomfort and perceive them as the main antagonist of the play, this is purposely done in order to guide the audience members through the emotional journey of how death had affected these innocent victims during the 70s due to the fault of the patriarchy and how these people had to lose many loved ones. The moment in which my character lets Ramon’s spirit go so that he can be at rest in the land of the dead, is the final scene that she appears in: the river of death, where Dream mother also finds a sense of closure, which then links to Constantia gaining a sense of independence after coming to the realisation of her husbands death and how the patriarchy was responsible for this. From a personal perspective, I feel that by using a white skirt as part of my costume, not only would I be able to foreshadow the moment in which my character is willing to accept the death of her husband and find peace knowing that he is at rest, but it also reflects on the restoring of peace that the community intend on creating when towards the end of the play Constantia joins the group, Les Madres de la plaza de mayo, an all-female group that help grieving mothers and grandmothers to find closure in the death of their loved ones and to bring awareness to the faults of the patriarchy and the corrupt justice system.

Ideally, I would want a contrast in my outfit that would still resemble the traditions that my character follows as a prominent woman in South America’s society perspective of the ‘perfect’ woman. I also want to have more of a clear physical representation as to the contrast between Constantia and my character, which is why I feel that I should wear a black top (as it symbolises death) and I personally believe that this will be beneficial for my character as she is viewed as grieving for Ramon throughout her entire time on stage and it will also contribute to her surroundings, therefore linking to the staging of the play, in which the audience members will be able to comprehend that my character is based in the land of the dead throughout the entire duration of the performance.

When going through the scene: The river of death, as this is also the climax point of tension within the script from when Constantia and Dream Mother are both able to find closure after bidding Ramon farewell, I felt that it was beneficial to run through this precise scene as I was able to gain more of a general understanding of how impactful my character's emotions are transferred onto Constantia, as she finally portrays all of the feelings that she has desperately tried to bury, and by doing this, it then links back to the purpose of Dream Mother's journey in the performance, which is to represent the five stages of grief that Constantia feels towards the loss of her husband, Ramon.

During this scene, I was successfully able to present the contrast between the two characters [ Dream Mother and Constantia] when finding closure, where my character, whilst grieving for her husband and still in an emotional state, is accepting of the reality that she must face and allows him to finally be at peace, whereas Constantia finally portrays a great deal of emotional pain when having reality instantly seep in and she can no longer hide behind the stage of denial as she cradles her husband's dead body.

I feel that this is beneficial for the audience members as they are able to witness how Dream Mother is a state of Constantia's subconscious, as throughout the play my character portrays the emotions that Constantia is also feeling but refusing to let out as she still wants to retain her faith for both herself and her children, which then appears as if she is emotionally neglecting their need to grieve their father, because Constantia refuses to come to terms that Ramon is dead, and this then drastically impacts the bond that the family has. This subconscious state is still intact as whilst Constantia grieves for Ramon and is devastated at the loss of her husband, she is accepting of the fact that his spirit must be laid to rest so that he is no longer in pain, which is then presented by Dream Mother, specifically when she says the line “I will miss you Ramon”, as this indicates to the audience members that after her battle with reality throughout the performance in which dream mother wants to remain in a state of denial when believing her husband is alive, my character is finally able to recognise that Ramon will not be returning to the land of the living with her.

Throughout the staging of this play, I had become specifically interested in how the stage will be split in two two different ‘worlds’ where Constantia and dream mother reside. This easily represents to the audience members the land of the dead and reality, in which these two characters are contrasted in the sense of how they deal with the disappearance of Ramon , where Dream mother is able to act more vulnerable and emotionally reliant on her husband as she is envisioned by Constantia in a dreamscape (the land of the dead) where she is able to reveal her true emotions on his whereabouts I.e. fearful of whether or not he is safe, if he is returning home or if he has left the family, etc. This split stage is an effective way of physically portraying how Constantia and Dream Mother act differently, depending on the setting that they are in. For example, as Constantia is in the real world, she is not able to indulge in these buried emotions, due to the fact that she wants her children to also retain their faith that Ramon will be returning home, and when doing this she obtains their right to grieve for their father. However, when she dreams about Ramon, she also imagines herself when she was younger (in order to restore her fond memories of what her life was once like before her husband had involved himself in any activist/protestor business) and by doing this, as she is able to interact with her husband, it allows the character to become more emotionally reliant on Ramon for support, therefore no longer having to contain her feelings and allowing herself to feel vulnerable.

I had been given a note from my lecturer on how to control the tone that I am using whilst in the scene: The river of death, where I must convey to the audience members that my character is feeling guilt-ridden as she feels that if she was aware of what her husband was doing in relation to standing against the patriarchy, then she would have been able to prevent his death from happening. When self-reflecting on my performance in this scene, I had realized that I had used quite a stern tone to imply that the character is more frustrated at Ramon rather than feeling guilty and this was not beneficial in terms of my character's persona, due to the fact that she is more reliant on her husband and as she is a traditional mother and wife of South America, she knows her place as being the 'lesser' gender, therefore making it highly unlikely for her to raise her voice at her husband. This is at the specific moment where my character says the line "perhaps I should have been less happy and known more".

In order to improve on this scene, I intend on learning my lines for this precise scene as this is the exact moment where the audience members focus their attention more carefully on Constantia and Dream Mother [due to it being the final moment where the two female characters are able to bid Ramon a final goodbye and for them to both find closure]. This is due to the fact that as I was practicing through this scene today, I didn't feel that I had necessarily created a sense of realism in the role due to the fact that I had to repetitively refer back to the script so that I was aware of what my character was saying at a specific moment, rather than enhancing the close romantic bond that is shared between Ramon and Constantia , which would allow the audience members to then develop an empathetic connectionon with both Constantia and Dream Mother as they are both losing their husband [which could then reflect on the audience members thoughts of how they would react in this situation]. I will complete this by repetitively rehearsing these lines during the Easter break so that I am confident enough to not rely on my script and to develop a sense of realism as myself in the role of Dream Mother.

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emotion memory graph of my character 01.04.22

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emotion memory graph of my character 01.04.22

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character emotion memory graph 01.04.22.docx

I have created this character emotion memory graph to represent a simple breakdown of the emotional status of my character, Dream Mother, within each scene that she appears in throughout the duration of the performance. By doing this, I have been able to view how the tragic events that my character endeavours, then also affect the timeline of her moments in the play and how she is perceived by the audience members at the beginning of the play in comparison to the end of the play.

For example, in the opening scene, she is witnessed grieving for her demised husband and here she is in a vulnerable state from the fact that she is used to the lifestyle of committing her domestic duties whilst her husband provides for her and she is now left alone without the knowledge of how to support her family. However, in my character's last scene, whilst she is still grieving for her husband, she has finally reached the end stage of grief, which is acceptance, in which she responds to Ramon saying: " Now I can be laid to rest and go with them". Dream Mother then says " I will miss you, Ramon". This then reveals to the audience members that the purpose of the character's journey was to represent each stage of grief and the build-up to the independence that Constantia gains when accepting that her husband is now dead.

In the first circle, I have briefly discussed the opening scene of the play: The Ghosts, where Dream Mother is clearly feeling a great amount of bereavement and this is revealed in the amount of denial that she projects onto the voices when saying lines such as " No I will not listen to you. get out of my dreams. You don't belong here. I don't want you here. The whispers mean nothing, I'll not listen". During this specific moment, the character is hysterical with her emotions and uses physicality such as placing her hands over her ears to further deflect from the truth and preventing reality from setting in as she does not have the mental capacity to cope with the fact that her husband will never be returning back to reality with her.

In the second circle, whilst the character is still grieving for her husband and cannot accept the fact that he is gone whilst trying to bring Ramon back to reality, as soon as he is taken away by the ghosts, Dream Mother says the line " I will have faith Ramon, I will not listen to their whispers". This quotation reveals that whilst the character is still feeling hysterical from the fact that she is losing her husband to the land of the dead and she cannot process it as she has differed from reality for too long, she is still clinging onto her hope and faith [ which is also referring back to the strong beliefs of Christianity in South America] which suddenly begins to relax her. By doing this, it links back to the saying of faith having healing powers and in the concept of this scene, it is being used to make Dream Mother remain in a state of calmness rather than begging for Ramon to return.

This is precisely why I have only slightly lowered the emotional status point of the character at this moment as in this scene: Dream one,  Dream Mother expresses her state of denial and refuses to let reality set in. This is clear from when she says the line " then let me hold you, tend to you, love and comfort you". By using this quote, I have been able to establish how the character results to providing her domestic duties for her husband in order to convince him not to leave and, this is the precise moment in which she becomes more fearful as reality begins to set in, which is why she tries to offer her affection. This circle has been placed in the exact place where I can represent Dream Mother's contrast in mental state, in which she is experiencing both denial and faith.

The third circle is the moment in which the tension that has previously been formed within the play, begins to rest when the audience members are able to witness a fond memory that Dream Mother holds onto in which she is completely invested in spending time with her husband and children. This scene: The picnic in the hills, is a moment in which Dream Mother no longer pleads for Ramon to return back to reality with her, and that is due to the fact that she is no longer in the right state of mind, as she believes that she is currently with her family [ whereas it is only Constantia holding onto a fond memory of how close the family all once were].

It is not until the end of the scene, where Dream Mother and the children depart in the game of catch, that Ramon suddenly falls to his knees with his hands tied at the back in order to convey to the audience members that he is being tortured from the people that had taken him.  This scene, however, is not necessarily from Dream Mother's perspective where she is expressing her grief, but it is from Constantia's where she is reminiscing about the family together and that is why my character is quite content within the scene and expresses her devotion to her husband from when they begin to dance together and embrace one another, due to the fact that she can not tell the difference between reality and a dream anymore.

An example of this is when the character says the line "Sweet Damsel! Put me down Ramon". I have used this quote as it establishes a different kind of emotional state that the character is experiencing in comparison to when she had last used an exclamatory sentence  [ In the opening scene where she was refusing to listen to the whispers, that were trying to get Dream Mother to experience reality and to not differ in grief]. By placing this circle towards the bottom, I have been able to represent how the character is able to tend to her domestic duties and portray the contrast between her and Constantia [ where Constantia has gradually been able to gain more independence after the disappearance of her husband, whereas Dream Mother relies on Ramon for everything after how society has raised her to believe that women must be reliant on their husbands for everything due to them being the breadwinners of the family].

The fourth circle is the moment where Dream Mother is still experiencing the same amount of grief from when she was at the beginning, however, she is able to finally accept the fact that Ramon will not be returning back to reality with her. For example, when the character says the line " my heart breaks Ramon" this clearly conveys to the audience members that Dream Mother is not ready to depart from Ramon as they hold a close bond of marriage and she feels that she will not know how to carry on living without him in her life. However, when she also says the line " goodbye" after this moment, it also reveals that she is prepared to let reality set in, and whilst she is fearful of how it is going to affect her, Dream Mother is aware that she can no longer carry on with how she has been acting. It also conveys how the character has already retained some reality [ the knowledge that her husband will not return] and no longer is trying to fight for Ramon to stay in her life as she now understands that he felt that he could not leave her until she was ready to accept the truth.

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https://open.spotify.com/track/5R4OT4k0S0jT1XsSWu3xLO?si=d9pZtOPUS3GN-aoodnIe7w&utm_source=copy-link&nd=1

https://open.spotify.com/track/6RLWrKm9pDSRHe1GcVKfVv?si=gaFdXzH0TM2HWHat0Oh6Xw&utm_source=copy-link

These specific songs from Spotify have been included in the play by my lecturer for the purpose of using these songs throughout the duration of the performance, especially in scenes such as, the festival dance, in which there is a sudden change in the atmosphere being created for the audience members, where they can unexpectedly experience a moment of joyfulness before witnessing the sudden tension of Constantia finding Ramon's dead body.

I have found that these music links are beneficial for my character as whilst I will not appear in various choreographed dances, Dream Mother still appears in the final dance when Constantia declares to her eldest daughter, Francisca, that she will be attending the group: Madres de la playa de mayo, so that she can dance amongst other grieving mothers/grandmothers who are still searching for their loves ones and use dancing as a way to liftin their spirits and their confidence, so that they are able to stand against the corrupt justice system. This specifically applies to my character as I will be dancing at the end of the performance as each of the cast mention a person in the world who is actually missing in order to educate the audience members from a real perspective of how common missing people are in today's modern society whilst also allowing them to gain a sense of empathy on the concept behind the play: how people were effected by Los Desaparecidos and what it meant for society i.e. damaging mainly working/middle class and impoverished people as the patriarchy had targeted protestors and activists against the corrupt justice system in these social classes.

These  songs are able to introduce new moments of tension for the audience members in which they are able to emotionally invest themselves with the characters that interact onstage whilst this precise music is being played and what it could mean in relation to the characters. For example, at the beginning of the play where the ghosts are being introduced, the second song from these two links will be played in order to form an eerie sort of atmosphere in which there will be a clear portrayal of the difference in the real world and the land of the dead within the play.

From a personal perspective, I feel that this song is definitely suited for the ghost characters as to the audience members they are perceived as the main antagonist due to the fact that they are taking Ramon's spirit and body away from Constantia/Dream Mother and not allowing him to return to reality. I also feel that due to the fact that the musical piece impacts the physical appearance of the ghosts, it will also refer back to the stereotype that the audience members will interpret, which is that these characters are evil due to their interference with the living i.e. Constantia and taking both Ramon's/Baptista's body off-stage. However, the ghosts whilst portrayed as antagonists, are actually guides that want to help my character overcome the bereavement that she is endeavouring when losing Ramon.

Music that is used within this performance also contextually refers to the set that the play is based in, South America, in which the type of music: folk music had commonly been listened to by the working/middle class. I know this from researching into the definition behind folk music in which it discloses that it is often referred to as the music of the people and is mainly used on special occasions in which people share ideas of sentiment. When finding this out, I had applied it to the scene in the play : the festival dance, where the community come together in a joyful event to liftin their spirits after the traumatic events that have occurred within society and the fear that everyone had endured from the higher men in power. During this scene, each character establishes the close bond that they hold together as a community and this refers back to the context of folk music bringing people together in high spirits. I feel that this would also apply to one of the final scenes in the play: The fight goes on, where Constantia says to Francisca : " Yes-dance, my sweet. I will dance with Ramon and Baptista. But I will dance alone. I will remember them, and help others not to forget".

This quote clearly links back to the main character joining the group, Madres de la playa de mayo, which was an all female group that would join on a weekly basis in protest to help mothers grieve for the loss of their loved ones and also to help others search for their loved ones. During this time, they would dance to keep high spirits and their faith remaining intact whilst helping others. This is why I believe folk music would be used in this scene and the next scene: They dance alone, as it represents to the audience members how the community are coming together for the purpose of following the concept behind this type of music: for people to share ideas of sentiment. This is made clear as on-stage all of the characters join hands in unison and begin to spin whilst laughing and smiling, therefore representing the bond forming where all of them can help each other to lift the atmosphere in a more positive light.

For future rehearsal and research purposes, I will be researching into the context behind various types of music used in South America and the specific countries that they originate from, so that I have a general idea of how they link back to the contextual events that occur within the play, A mother's voice. For example, I intend on focusing mainly on the music that originates from Argentina, as from the research that I have looked into regarding the contextual factors that I have read in the script [ Madres de la playa de mayo being created in Argentina and this is revealed when Constantia says at the end of the play that she is going to the town square along with other grieving mothers to dance for their lost loved ones]. By doing this, I will be able to look into the songs that will be used throughout the play and see how the tempo/rhythm/instruments contextually link back to the music that is used in Argentina, which will then further portray my belief that whilst the play is based in a fictitious state, it is definitely set in Argentina.

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overcoming challenges when developing the character

practical and theoretical improvements and issues

talk about it in the concept of an action plan where you talk about what you had done wrong and what you are intending to do in order to improve

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your first intentions when researching from South America and how this has been applied when being given the role of your character

The setting of the play
meeting aims about the information to develop role more
do not use research
talk about how you had applied it to the play
include quotes from the script for the context journey

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timescale

set myself targets and achievements

physicality and vocal development

what I need to do to achieve my goal

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During my Easter half term, I intend on perfecting all of my lines without the requirement of a script so that I am able to completely invest myself in the role of my character, Dream Mother. I will do this by structurally breaking down my dialogue into separate sections and in chronological order so that I am aware of how the character's storyline is gradually portrayed to the audience members within the storyline of the play. I will then record myself using this technique in order to see how much I am able to remember without relying on my script.

By achieving this goal, I will be able to focus all of my attention on how to incorporate the vocal traits that I want to use for my character and I will then be able to experiment with different approaches to this in order to develop a sense of how the traits of Dream Mother can be presented in a vocal aspect i.e. the use of a higher tone could suggest to the audience members that the character is how society has idolized women, in which they present a certain level of femininity. I believe that this goal will only take me the first week to complete due to the fact that I am already proficient in memorizing my lines from adapting this to my skillset in last year's FMP when playing the role of Emma Woodhouse and I feel that it will be simpler to complete.

A scene that I specifically need to remember is the second scene that my character appears in, Dream one, and this is due to the fact that I must immediately start speaking my lines after Constantia says her last line " When I close my eyes I can". This must be done in order to convey to the audience members that my character is the past representative of the main character, Constantia, life. I want to ensure that this is presented in a naturalistic perspective and so when rehearsing through my lines I will also say this line so that I can then prepare myself for immediately saying the dialogue within this scene.

After completing this goal, I will be revisiting the mind map that I had created based on the vocal traits that I have intended to use for this character in the next week when I set a new goal. I will do this by  recording myself discussing why I had made certain decisions on this mind map from how my character's dialogue had come across to me personally and how I intend on experimenting with these certain vocal traits to gradually create a sense of realism as myself in the role of Dream Mother.

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 problems to overcome this week 31.03.22

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 problems to overcome this week 31.03.22

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Due to the fact that my peer, Alex, who plays the role of my character's husband, Ramon, in the play A mother's voice was unable to attend this week's lesson, I was unable to rehearse properly as my dialouge relies on the presence of Ramon because  Dream Mother uses physical interaction when saying the lines to convey to the audience members that she is in the cycle of grief as she is trying to bring Ramon back from the dream world into reality.

In order to solve this problem, I had taken it upon myself to ensure that I reflect on last week's blocking lesson where both Alex and myself were performing the scene, The ghosts, in which my character had embraced him consistently to convey that he has been missing for a long period of time and this is the first moment in which Dream Mother was able to physically interact with him again. When doing this, I had included annotated notes on this scene so that I was clearly aware of what I must physically portray when coming back from the break and performing this scene again with Alex to ensure that we are able to create a believable bond formed on the affection that the characters feel for one another.

However, an improvement that I also could have made during today's lesson was if I had rehearsed through my own physicality so that I could get a sense of what is expected of this role when going through it in a run-through. This could have been done by me referring back to the research that I have looked into regarding this character and then physically applying it to my dialouge by using certain gestures/mannerisms that convey Dream Mother's stage of denial in the opening scene. An example of this, is when my character says the line " it's all lies. I will not listen to the lies" and during this moment, I believe that my character would place her hands over her ears to deflect further from reality and remain in denial that she believes her husband will be returning home with her.

A theoretical issue that I have has throughout this past week was my lack in ability to complete some research that was on my to-do list so that I could then prepare myself for the rest of the information on my padlet page that I must keep up within the few days to come for Easter break, where I will be prioritizing my practical column and rehearsing in the role of my character so that I am prepared to create a realistic atmosphere whilst in the role of my character during the rehearsal process when I arrive back at college. In order to improve on this, I will be setting time aside each day to complete a small achievement of being able to finish at least two pieces of research during each day of the Easter break so that I am able to remain focused and keep a repetitive plan of updating all of my recent work.

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Context on colour of lighting [ referral to character's costume] 31.03.22

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Context on colour of lighting [ referral to character's costume] 31.03.22

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When finding out how the lighting links back to the context of the play, A mother's voice, I had initially researched into the colour blue [ the shade that is being used throughout the duration of the performance] and what it specifically represents in the continent, South America [ where the play is set]. From doing this, I had found out that blue is associated with the expression: mourning. This refers back to the purpose that my character, Dream Mother, serves in the performance when physically representing the stages of grief that the main character, Constantia, is enduring as she searches for her husband, Ramon.

Color Symbolism in Different Cultures Around the World - Color Meanings (color-meanings.com): From using this website link I have been able to find that not only does blue portray mourning, but it is also viewed as a sign of spirituality. When researching into this, I had linked it back to the strong Christian beliefs that are followed in South America due to the fact that Christianity is a religion that is followed by 90% of the population. After finding this out, I had looked into the script and I had found references relating back to spirits being at peace, such as when Ramon says the line " Now I can be laid at rest and go with them". This quote discloses that Ramon is referring to his spirit and body being taken by the ghosts so that he can finally be at peace. My character's response is then " I will miss you Ramon" which then conveys that she is in the final stage of grief, acceptance, and she has allowed faith to be restored in her life when moving on from the mass amount of grief that she has endured. This then represents to the audience members how Christian spirituality has been represented through the use of the ghosts taking Ramon's body away, which resembles that his spirit is remaining in the land of the dead [ an alternative to heaven] where Ramon no longer has to fight to stay alive and is able to spend eternity in peace with the knowledge that Dream Mother/Constantia will also finally be at peace as well.

The use of this specific lighting is an advantage for my character specifically due to the fact that the purpose of her journey in the play is to represent the five stages of grief, and the audience members can clearly view that Dream Mother is in mourning constantly throughout the play and despite the fact that she accepts that his spirit needs to move on, she still says “my heart breaks Ramon” in which the quote relates back to mourning where the character still feels a great amount of loss where she is greatly missing her husband. The audience members will then be able to reflect on my character from the beginning of the play, up until this point and come to the realization that some moments of short dialouge had represented what stage of grief she is currently in.

By doing this, it also links back to a re-occurring theme in the play which is death, which then also relates back to the land of the dead, where my character remains throughout the duration of the play as when Constantia is dreaming about Ramon, she consistently finds herself re-visiting the land of the dead. From using a white skirt as my costume, I will be able to convey that my character is a physical representative of Constantia's past and that she has no involvement with the present world. However, when including the lighting when wearing this costume, it will create more of an emotional impact for the audience members in which they are able to view from the dialouge and lighting being formed, that Dream Mother is clearly in mourning.

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https://bedfordcollege-my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/632216_student_tresham_ac_uk/EUOR-2-gV7JErZhzQ-cLNW8B8rvO9FAz-IQ6MiUe-skpUA?e=v2sqQb- I have created this video to portray the technique that I have used in order to memorize my lines in a simpler perspective so that I am prepared for rehearsing my dialogue after the Easter break is over. When doing this, I still intend on also applying it to the rest of the rehearsal process so that I am able to remain confident when portraying the role of Dream Mother.

Alongside this, I am also going to ensure that I skim through certain lines that I am struggling with before going on stage and performing my scene, so that I am refreshed on what I am saying and can prepare myself vocally in the role of my character. For example, a line that I have recently been struggling to remember is in the opening scene: the ghosts, when Dream Mother says " Ramon come home soon. I'm waiting for you. I love you Ramon. Whatever it is I will forgive you. Whatever I have done I will put right. Just come home soon".

The reason for my difficulty saying this line is due to how similar parts of it sound to a line I say as well and I tend to mix them both up i.e. " Ramon when are you coming home? Come home soon Ramon. I miss you so much". In order to improve on this, I intend on recording these two lines separately and listening back to them so that I am able to familiarize myself with the different words and perfect them for the next time I run through this scene and so that I am also able to remain in the role of my character when saying these lines.

I have briefly explained what I have learned in previous rehearsals before this break and how I have been able to apply it to my character's dialogue so that, I am able to develop my character's vocal traits further in order to create the appropriate emotional response to the text, which will then convey to the audience members the gradual emotional journey of my character and how towards the end of the play, she is finally willing to accept the fact that Ramon is in pain and needs to be laid to rest. A point that I have included which has mainly helped me to memorize lines was my annotations that I have made in the script, and that I have used a bright colour in order to make my lines more noticeable and easier to rehearse so that I am gradually able to move off-script in the rehearsal process.

My objective for this piece of practical work is to include videos of myself in the next few rehearsals memorizing my lines without the requirement of my script to reveal how intent I am on creating a realistic atmosphere as myself in the role of Dream Mother and to also be able to multitask physically and vocally to contribute towards the sense of realism for the audience members as myself as this specific character, and representing how her emotional journey links directly back to the main character, Constantia.

https://bedfordcollege-my.sharepoint.com/:u:/g/personal/632216_student_tresham_ac_uk/EU8vy9QtEHpFuIZvzFgcL5gB0RHKnAKefq2d31wwfE7fdg?e=kdfQPq- this voice memo has been created in order to focus on the one scene, Dream One, where the audience members are able to witness the climax of tension in which Dream Mother is not able to cope with the fact that her husband will not be returning back to reality with her. In this video, I have mentioned the issues that I have coped with in previous rehearsals and multi-tasking with remaining intact with my physical and vocal skills to contribute to the emotional status of my character. When doing this, I have ensured that I create a structural breakdown to explain the vocal traits that I have been using for each piece of my character's dialogue within the scene: Dream One, and this has been done so that I am able to prioritize how to indulge in my character's emotional mindset in this scene and gain more of a realistic atmosphere as myself in this role during this scene. When doing this, I have included what my intentions are behind each piece of dialogue and how I believe these will best represent my character's emotions.

In this video, I have discussed the techniques that have helped me to understand how to approach my character's dialogue and I have also included the website links for these specific techniques so that I am able to provide evidence when justifying my reasons behind using these techniques. Personally, for me, I was quite interested in how well-known actors prepare themselves when learning their lines as they have a lot of dialogue to learn and this is why I was fixated on Bill Nighy and his approach to memorizing lines, which I had found was beneficial for me as I had used a similar technique prior to this performance, but as I am currently struggling to remain off-script during the rehearsal process, I have carefully looked into his technique in order to see if it will help me to feel confident in the role of Dream Mother without relying on my script.

(25) How Bill Nighy learns his lines - YouTube- This is one of the most helpful videos that I had found regarding how to learn lines to develop a character due to the fact that this actor structurally breaks down the techniques that he uses in a simple manner to encourage other aspiring actors to create a relaxing atmosphere before learning any lines as it is beneficial for memorizing text, and after this he had said to look at certain lines and repeat them around 18 times so that it sticks more to the actor's mindset and they are confident in saying that precise line. After this, he has then said to attach this line to the next one in order to create more of a naturalistic and easy learning flow in which the actor will be able to pick the dialogue up without having to struggle on one line. The cycle continues but with these lines both being said around 19 times, in order to further build that confidence and taking into consideration the entire text rather than prioritizing one part. He has highlighted the importance of taking gradual breaks in order to not overthink all of the lines and become too stressed to the point where it will be difficult to memorize everything that has been previously rehearsed. He has mentioned that this is a week-long process, that typically includes a self-reflection in the morning to immediately help the actors with remembering the points that they have reached within the script, and how crucial it is to not have distractions such as phones/ television, etc.

Regarding each scene that my character appears in, I have found areas of improvement that I need to focus on in order to deliver a realistic performance whilst in the role of Dream Mother, where audience members will be able to develop an empathetic connection with her based on the vocal traits that are portrayed, in which link back to the emotional journey of my character and the five stages of grief that she is gradually enduring whilst trying to bring Ramon back to reality with her so that the family can reunite.

One of the scenes that I am currently struggling with for this character's dialogue is the last scene: The river of death, and this is due to the fact that I haven't been able to rehearse through it properly yet which is why I feel less confident learning these lines, as I am not aware of how to vocally approach the role and whilst I have a general comprehension of my character's emotional status during this particular moment, as I haven't rehearsed through the tender connection being shared between Ramon and Dream Mother, I don't understand how to portray how sentimental and vulnerable my character is at this point when saying a final goodbye to her husband. In order to improve on this, aside from running through the rehearsal, I need to ensure that I am developing an intimate bond with Alex [who is playing the role of Ramon] so that we are able to create a realistic image for the audience members of the couple both being heartbroken from having to depart from each other after being together for so many years.

A personal technique that I had adapted to when memorizing my lines for this character's dialogue is that as I am glancing through the text, I fixate on the stage directions of what the character is doing at a certain moment so that I have a general idea of how to vocally approach the next line. For example, in the picnic in the hills before saying the line "not so little now Ramon", the stage direction discloses that my character walks on stage whilst holding Isabel's hand, and this has helped me to recognize how I would then say my lines as at this precise moment, my character is nurturing due to the fact that she is looking after her children and wants to ensure that they remain content and happy. This is precisely why at this moment I would be using a soft tone whilst saying this specific line.

An area of improvement which I need to focus on is that  I need to assure myself with more confidence when approaching these lines as in these two practical videos, I had barely represented the skills that I have used to adapt more to my character's vocality. To combat this, I plan on recording myself in the rehearsal process when going through certain scenes so that I am able to reveal how I have acknowledged certain lines that I have struggled with, if I am able to memorize certain lines, and whether or not I am adapting to the vocal traits that I have listed for this character to reveal how her emotions contribute to the purpose that she serves in the play i.e. portraying the five stages of grief that Constantia is enduring when trying to find her missing husband, Ramon.

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Subtext: Definition and Examples | LiteraryTerms.net

I have found certain quotes within the script relating back to the role of my character, Dream Mother, where I have witnessed certain themes that are used in specific pieces of text/ conversations shared between the two characters, Dream Mother and Ramon. Subtext is defined as the meaning behind a piece of text that does not explicitly reveal any underlying messages to the reader/ audience members. The purpose of Subtext is to provide the reader/ audience members with information about the plot, context, character relationships, etc.

My character as a whole, Dream Mother,  is not necessarily revealed to the audience members that she is in the land of the dead and that she is the past representative of the main character, Constantia, until later on when Constantia appears on stage. There are various referrals of my character being called Constantia which then leads the audience members to suspect that I am this character, whereas in true fact I am only the younger version of her.

An example of this is in the opening scene when I say the line " Ramon. My sweet Ramon" and he responds with " Constantia". From this response that Ramon uses, it allows the audience members to interpret that my character is actually Constantia and it is not until I say the line "no, no!" after where my character places her arms around her body for a sense of comfort, that my peer who is playing the role of Constantia, also appears on the other side of the stage, using the same physicality to convey to the audience members that we are the same person. The audience members then understand that I am the Dream Mother from when Constantia says the line " It is strange but in my dreams I am always young again".

An example of subtext  is in the first scene, the ghosts, where the character says the line " I am not in the land of the dead" and whilst the audience members can only view this as the character possibly being confused, they are not yet aware that at this specific moment in the play, Dream Mother is currently experiencing the first stage of grief, which is denial, in which she deflects from reality by thinking only of her one goal: bringing Ramon back to reality with her.

It is never disclosed clearly to the audience members that my character's purpose is to physically present the five stages of grief in a person, and so it is left up to their interpretation of the character when first meeting her and viewing how she acts, to perceive their own ideas based on the storyline of Dream Mother. By doing this, the use of subtext is clearly revealed as it has not conveyed anything in relevance to the audience members and the information still remains intact in which the audience has to look into in order to make sure that thier perceptions of the character are correct.

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Due to the fact that my character is in the land of the dead and is portrayed as the younger representative of Constantia, the main character in the play, I had interpreted that I would wear white in order to symbolize the afterlife i.e. heaven= peace and tranquillity. Whilst my character represents the cycle of bereavement, I feel that the state of peace/tranquillity links back to the final moment in which Ramon and Dream Mother depart, where my character is accepting of her husband's spirit being free and his body being put to rest. Contextually speaking, this also refers back to the religion that is most common in South America, which is Christianity.

This is also a big theme that is represented in the play, which is faith, in which both Constantia and Dream Mother use prayer in the hopes that Ramon will return back to reality and the family will once be whole again. An example of this is when my character says the line " I will have faith Ramon. I will not listen to the whispers". The quote discloses that whilst the character is hysterical from her husband leaving her alone in the land of the dead, she still holds onto hope that he will return to her and this is what pushes the character into the next stage of grief. The use of the word 'faith' clearly conveys to the audience members that the character is a religious woman and that she is contextually linked back to the factor of most of the population for this continent being Christian.

I have created this mood board so that I have a generalized idea of how I want my character to be portrayed in the play and to ensure that whilst I am able to reveal a clear contrast in the present life and the past life [ which links back to the two character's being the same person but in different timelines, Constantia being in the present world and Dream Mother being in the past, land of the dead]. By doing this, I will be able to still clearly combine my  own intentions of Dream Mother alongside the contextual facts that I have found when researching into the role. An example of this is the research that I have looked into regarding the patterned outfits that women wear in South America and how I have selected specific images on this that I believe my character would wear from how she is presented through the use of dialogue in the play.

When having a discussion with my lecturer on the lighting of the play and how it will personally affect my character, as blue in South America represents mourning, which then links back to the purpose of my character's journey, which is to represent the five stages of grief physically in a person. I had decided that it may be best to have my character wearing white so that it still reveals to the audience members that I have differed from being too similar to Constantia [who potentially will also be wearing blue] which will represent the different worlds that these two characters live in.

By using white in the role of my character, I will be able to convey to the audience members that my character is in the land of the dead [ relating back to the state of peace and Ramon's spirit being put at peace when the ghosts eventually take him away in the scene: The river of death]. Aside from this, I have also mentioned how a black off-shoulder blouse with embroidered flowers would be efficient to also represent the character as a contradictive role of the past [the land of the dead] and her link to the present world through the main character, Constantia. The colour, black, also represents death and by showing both black and white, it reveals that Dream Mother whilst dead, is also still being kept alive through the dreams that Constantia has whilst she is searching for Ramon consistently.

In this mood board, I have included photos that refer back to the contextual side of fashion throughout the years in this specific continent, mainly linking back to the 70s due to the fact that I believe this play is set in this time period from the ending of the performance when Constantia talks about attending a group of grieving mothers/grandmothers who are also searching for their missing family members. This is of course referring back to Madres de la playa de mayo, which was an all-female group of protestors that was formed during the 70s when people were going missing consistently, and these females would help one another to grieve whilst also holding out hope that their loved ones were still out there.

This is made clear in the script when Constantia says "Tomorrow I will go to the town square and join with other mothers and wives of the missing. And we will dance". This quote clearly relates back to the context of Madres de la playa de mayo, as when I had researched into this group, I had found out that on a weekly basis this group would meet in the town square and they would do many activities such as dancing as a way to liftin everyone's spirit and to keep the memories of their loved ones alive. When also researching into this specific group, I had found that it was formed in Argentina, which is why I have also included photos of fashion culture in this country as whilst the script states that the play is set in a ' fictitious state', I feel that it is based around this specific country.

Finally, I have used photos from the well-known holiday, Day of the dead [ or de Los Muertos] which is a Latin American holiday that is celebrated from 31st October- to 2nd November. I have included pattern details from this holiday as it relates back to the fashion culture throughout the years within this specific continent. From researching into the fashion culture, I have found that typically women throughout the years would typically wear pieces of clothing that were embroidered with flowers and, when researching into this specific pattern, I had found that they had been used to symbolize respect in mourning, which is beneficial for the role of my character due to the fact that she is also in mourning for her husband, Ramon, that she is longing for.

Typical Latin American Dress (usatoday.com)- This website link has been included so that I am able to understand the context behind the fashion in Latin America and how far fashion culture has developed to this modern day. This link has helped me gain more information on how this clothing is affected not only by the culture of each country but how it also links back to matters such as social class. This is beneficial for me when devising my character further as I am already aware of the character being in the working class/ middle class from the costume that Constantia wears, which is a dress that includes pockets and an apron to suggest that the character is of a less fortunate standard. I have found that this link has helped me to search through the types of clothing that mainly women would wear during the 70s, and this includes dresses with mainly vibrant colours within the intricate details of the outfit  i.e. the flowers that I had previously mentioned that were commonly used on females outfits.

Website links for photos:

. black embroidered dress: Premium Photo | Young beautiful woman wearing traditional mexican dress on the city street (freepik.com): This photo has been used as a similar reason to the black styled top photo, to link back to the social class of my character, Dream Mother, and researching into the contextual factors that discuss how society had been presented depending on the clothing that each class would wear. For example, when researching into this piece of costume, I had found that people who were in the middle class/ working class, women would commonly wear black and use the pattern of embroidered flowers.

. white ruffle skirt: SHEIN Ruffle Hem Drawstring Waist Skirt | SHEIN UK: This is a personal decision that I had made regarding my character on the basis of what I have researched into contextually in which women would commonly wear long skirts during the era that the play is set in, and it was highly fashionable in South America for these women to wear such long skirts that were flamboyant in colour and pattern. However, as I want to represent that, unlike Constantia, my character is in the past life, I have chosen to use white to represent the peace/tranquillity that Ramon and Dream Mother can finally endure as my character allows his spirit to be at rest as the ghosts take him away in the scene: The river of death, and she is also at peace when she accepts that he will not be returning back to reality.

. woman carrying a basket and a woman wearing a sombrero: (16) Pinterest: These two drawings have been used to refer back to the historical context of what women were expected to wear if they were typically in a lower social class i.e. the working class. They represent the common outfits that women would wear when tending to their domestic duties i.e. the first woman holding onto a basket whilst wearing a patterned skirt to refer back to her country's culture.

. black peasant embroidered top: https://www.sirensirensiren.com/shop/new!-embroidered-peasant-tops/marina-peasant-blouse/la-marina-embroidered-mexican-style-peasant-top--black: I have used this image to refer back to the clothing that people in more of the working class/impoverished social class would commonly wear as it was all that was affordable, material-wise. I have already previously stated what I believe this specific pattern represents from when I was talking about the first image, the black patterned dress. This top is simply a shorter version of this dress and it still conveys the same concept of referring back to the social class that I believe my character would be in.

. white dove [ peace symbol]: Premium Vector | White dove holding green twig, international peace day concept (freepik.com): This peace symbol has been used to refer back to the reason behind using the colour white in my character's skirt, as she is finally able to be at a state of peace/tranquillity after grieving for Ramon from the beginning of the play right until the scene, The river of death, where she is also at the final stage of bereavement, which is acceptance, as she bids farewell to Ramon one last time. This image also links back to the site-specific area where Dream Mother remains, which is the land of the dead, and my first intention of this had been that due to the fact that my title has the word 'dream' in it, it would appear as if the character was in heaven i.e. white clouds/angels/etc.

In the next few weeks, I will be looking in stores to find the items that I believe best represent my character from the research that I have found. After doing this, I will be taking photos of the items and showing them to my lecturer and the assistant director to decide whether or not it suits the role of Dream Mother.

Traditional Argentinian Clothing | VisitArgentina.net- This website link has been extremely useful when researching into the historical facts behind what clothing stands for in Argentina, due to the fact that I have established my belief that the play is set in the country, Argentina, and when seeing that floral patterns are quite common in the country for females to wear, I was able to link this back to the mind map of the images that I have looked into and I then applied the context of this fashion to my character in order to see whether or not it had fitted the description of Dream Mother.

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Encanto: 10 Real References To Colombian Culture You Might Have Missed (cbr.com)

I have chosen to research into yet another child-friendly film as it clearly discloses various contextual facts relating back to the country, Columbia, which is based in South America. The plot of this film revolves around the main character, Mirabel, who lives in a family of gifted people where they each received a specific power to help the community grow. This begins with the oldest character, Abuela, who was forced to flee her home with her three newborn babies and husband, alongside many of the other villagers. As they are all escaping Capitalism [ which is represented through the shadow figures of three men on horses], Abuela's husband tries to stop them and ask for mercy, in which this event leads to his death.

After witnessing this, Abuela had fallen into tears whilst holding onto her children and after this had happened, the candle that she had previously held had begun to develop magic, and the sanctuary for the village was created in which Abuela and her triplets moved into their new casita. Years later after her children had grown and had their own children, each family member had been gifted with a special power to help take care of the community and new village as a thankful reminder of what the magic had done for the family. When it had come to Mirabel's right of passage to gain a special gift, she wasn't able to access a door and she didn't receive any powers, therefore disappointing her family, This is why she is seen in the film as constantly being perky and trying her best to help as she wants to gain that love and pride from Abuela, which does not occur until the end of the film. This falls into the same issue with Bruno, Abuela's second oldest child, where his power was mistaken by the community as 'cruel' and so he had decided to leave in order to bring no shame to his family's name, however as the family refuses to talk about him and Abuela has lost her love for her child, she has the same expressed feelings of disappointment to him as she does Mirabel and I believe this is specifically why those two characters get along more. The family consists of:
. Abuela
. Pepa
. Julieta
. Bruno
. Felix
. Augustin
. Dolores
. Isabel
. Luisa
. Mirabel
. Camilo
. Antonio
The Spanish word 'Encanto' translated into English is 'charm' and this refers back to the Madrigal's home which conveys the magic of the household and the reason for its charm is the magic that had been created to keep the family safe. The home comes to life on a regular basis to help the family with their day-to-day lives, i.e. including comfort and entertainment. The home is used as protection to help the family keep their gifts and from any dangers [ relating to Capitalism as witnessed in the past].

In the film, there are also clear references that I can easily link back to the development of my character in the play, A mother's voice. An example of this are the costumes that these female characters wear, in which it refers back to the contextual factor of women historically wearing long skirts throughout the years in this continent as women had to remain respectable and hide their ankles whilst following tradition in a fashion sense, which is precisely why the legs of these characters are barely noticeable.

The age difference is also applied in this concept where older characters such as Abuela, Julieta, and Pepa wear long skirts due to them being respectable women who are at a mature age to abide by society's rules and when being married/widowed in South America, women would hide their legs to remain loyal to their husbands. However, as Mirabel is of a younger age [15] and is not betrothed in the film, she wears a shorter length skirt that further presents her level of maturity in terms of how society views her age group and in doing so, she can remain respectable but not have to abide by the same fashion rules as her maternal figures in the household. Another fashion statement in this film is the floral embroidery that is used on the clothing of the females. This is contextually accurate in the sense of women wearing this pattern to firstly, represent their femininity and place in society of having the role of mother/wife and tending to the domestic duties that women had to follow according to what society had expected of them.

This specifically applies to the costume ideas that I have for my role, Dream Mother, due to the fact that she is the past representative of the main character, Constantia, and she consistently remains in society's perspective of the 'perfect' woman in which she is obedient as a mother and wife. This is established when the character remains vulnerable to Ramon and asks him to return home repetitively, so much so that she uses her duties as a wife to comfort Ramon in the attempt to bring him back to reality with her, and as a mother when she makes sure that everything is provided for her children i.e. the picnic in the hills scene, where Dream Mother says " now enough of this nonsense, will this be good enough for our picnic?". This character's traits represent her devotion to society as a woman, therefore referring back to my reason for using the pattern of flower embroidery in my character's costume which will represent the research that I have looked into regarding the backstory of Dream Mother.

When looking into this website link and the plot of the film, I have selected certain facts that serve as a relevance as to the concept of the play, A mother's voice, and how I can also apply these facts specifically to the development/storyline of my character:

There is a comical young boy in this film who is witnessed on more than one occasion drinking caffeine, despite his young age. This contextually relates back to what Columbia is commonly most known for, their production of coffee beans, and this is also represented in one of the final scenes when the cast sing " all of you" in which the boy drinks coffee and then is seen using a hammer to put himself to work in helping to re-build the Madrigal's casita. Whilst it is funny for the target audience, this also links back to the fact that children in the working class during the 70s were expected to start work, if they were fit enough to, at the young ages of 6 and 7. When noticing this, I had linked it back to the lifestyle that is led by the main family in the script in which from young ages, their mother, Constantia, has taught them the value of hard work as a mother/wife where she teaches them the domestic duties that they must follow in order to remain 'perfect' in the eyes of society. For example, when Constantia says the line "A good man does not want a wife who shrieks so!". This quote reveals that the mother has raised her children in the same lifestyle that she had led from their age in order to ensure that they are well provided for, meaning that she is teaching them how to be respectable ladies who are also aware that they are the 'lesser' gender where they will remain reliant on male figures consistently in their lives.

Whilst it may appear that she is being helpful when inflicting this life on her children, I had personally viewed it as patronizing as if to say that there is no other life to lead other than this one and whilst she wants to make sure that her children are safe and abide by society's rules, she doesn't give them the free chance to have their own opinions on their lives. Another example of this is when Francisca is disappointed by Baptista's choice to attend activist meetings against the corrupt justice system and her family have clearly voiced their disapproval of her opinions on the justice system, whilst this is mainly due to the fact that they are fearful of what will happen to her if the higher men in power find out that she has been attending this meetings [ the consequences that she will face], they prevent Baptista from allowing her to speak her true mind/ be herself.

When Abuela has a flashback to when both her and her husband, Pedro, along with their three triplets have to flee their home country due to the capitalists attacking their village, Pedro then sacrifices himself for the safety of the community and his family which results in the magical candle helping Abuela to have a new home [ casita] that will help her to care for herself and her children. This scene contextually refers back to the history of Colombia in which millions of individuals have had to flee their homes and villages due to the rise in wars occurring between parliamentary groups, guerrillas, the Colombian army, and drug trafficking groups. In this specific country, many habitants have had to flee from these groups for over sixty years.

Abuela is the head of the household and controls the family's lifestyle by determining the day ahead for them i.e. how can they help the villagers/ keep the village intact. This contextually refers back to the matriarchy that had occurred  in South America, in which the only authority of power that women had was to their domestic duties in which they were responsible for taking care of the household [cleaning/cooking] and looking after the children. Along with the help of the casita, Abuela reveals this in the scene in this film where she is carrying her children and walking into their new home. Alongside this, there is still a representative of how Abuela has inflicted this lifestyle on her two daughters, Julieta and Pepa, in which their powers typically revolve around them tending to the domestic duties that are represented in the play, A mother's voice, such as:
. Pepa - having to constantly remain grateful and happy for her husband and children which refers back to the domestic duties in the70s where women would have to remain warm-hearted and nurturing for their family, without any complaining.
. Julieta- her power is using cooking to heal people and this then links back to the domestic duty of women providing for their family, including nutrition. For example, in the second scene of the play: Absence and loss, Constantia is cooking supper with her youngest daughter, Isabel, By doing this, it links back to Julieta as she is tending to her domestic duty of being a wife [ the lifestyle where she provides for the family] and a mother [ teaching her children the domestic duties that they must abide by]
These two children of Abuela coincidentally also have powers that refer back to the domestic duties that women had to follow in order to remain in society's image of the 'perfect' woman, in which Pepa uses her emotions to express how she is feeling i.e. she feels joy when around her children and husband, much like the women during the 70s, Pepa is reliant on her husband, Felix, for all purposes such as emotional support when she begins to get angry/frustrated/upset and he is seen comforting her in which she immediately becomes calm whilst remaining vulnerable on him for emotional support. Julieta sticks to the domestic duty of providing for her family by cooking for them and tending to them when they are injured, this is noticed when Julieta prepares an arepa for Mirabel to cure the cut on her hand.

One of the main themes in the play is faith, where many characters represent the contextual factor of ow Christianity is the main religion that is followed in the continent, South America. I have witnessed this when reading through the dialogue for my character, Dream Mother, as she retains her faith in the belief that Ramon will return back to her after his sudden disappearance for a long period of time. The line in the play " I will have faith Ramon. I will not listen to their whispers. Come to me soon Ramon. Do not slip into their..". This quote discloses that whilst my character is in denial, she still holds onto her Christian beliefs by forcing herself to believe that her prayers will be answered soon. Christianity is greatly represented in this film, even through costume, where Abuela wears red, which in the bible discloses that red represents religious practices, and this is conveyed when Abuela is seen praying to her husband, Pedro. However, her costume also refers back to the blood that had been spilled for Colombia's independence. By doing this, it discreetly links back to the Capitalism that is presented in the flashback scene of when Abuela was younger and had lost Pedro when he had sacrificed himself for his family. The higher men in power had used violence and aggression as a means to prevent anyone from gaining any independence. This then links back to the main theme in the play, justice/injustice where the patriarchy had refrained from allowing anyone to voice their rights and if they were to do so, then it would result in serious consequences i.e. violence/torture/ even murder. This is precisely why my character, Dream Mother had stuck to her domestic duties and refrained from involving herself in any politics, from the fear that she would suffer these consequences.

Even props that are used in this film relate back to A mother's voice. For example, when Abuela loses her husband, Pedro, to the guerrillas, the candle that she is holding suddenly becomes magical and provides her, the triplets, and the rest of the community with sanctuary to protect them from the patriarchy. The 'magic' links back to the Christianity religion in South America where people use candles as they pray to bring good faith in the hopes that their prayers are answered. There is a precise moment in the scene which is exactly similar to a scene in A mother's voice, in which Constantia is praying by a candle in the hopes that Ramon will be returning back to her. In Encanto, whilst Abuela is aware that Pedro is dead, in her time of need/ vulnerable state she turns to prayer to comfort the concerns that she is feeling and relies on a sign from her husband to help her recognize what is happening. Similarly, when Constantia is praying for Ramon's safe return, she says " I know you are there Ramon". These characters both talk directly to their husbands in the hopes that they will respond to reveal that they are still there for emotional support. When researching into the purpose of a candle, I had found that it is an effective way of ensuring that the prayers are sent to wherever they need to be/ that they are carried out. This is why Abuela uses the magical candle when talking to Pedro, as she is relying on him to send her a sign and with Constantia, she uses the candle to send the prayer to Ramon in the hopes that he will be returning back to reality at any given time.

The main difference between these characters is grief, in which Abuela clearly reveals that she is upset when reminiscing about the spirit of her husband and having to result in relying on him sending a sign to know what is wrong however, she is still aware that he is dead whereas, with Constantia she still prayers to Ramon whilst in a vulnerable and reliant state however, she is in the state of denial where she believes that he will be returning home soon.

On multiple accounts, Mirabel experiences emotional neglect from her grandmother as she,  unlike her family members, has not been gifted with any powers, therefore making her useless in serving a purpose to society and preventing from gaining a sense of pride from Abuela. This type of relationship links back to Constantia and her daughters, as whilst she still cares for her children and expresses her love for them, the character is too overcome with grief to support them emotionally and whilst she is physically there, her mindset has drifted off and this is from when the character dreams about reuniting with Ramon again. Much like the ending of the film however, Constantia is able to face reality and develop that connection with her children again, which links to Abuela and Mirabel finally having a loving connection.

Every family member experiences generational trauma from Abuela as she grieves for her husband, Pedro, after he sacrifices himself to the guerrillas [ the equivalent to the mafia in South America in which they resort to violence as a form of getting what they desire i.e. entertainment from seeing someone in pain/ money/ etc. This trauma is created by Abuela enforcing pressure on each gifted child to perfect their lifestyle by serving the community i.e. helping them with certain issues such as when Luisa helps to move the church building using her strength gift. However, this trauma is revealed when Luisa confides in Mirabel through the song 'pressure' , where it is abundantly made clear to the audience members how this character is mentally coping with having to live up to the idea of being perfect all of the time.

By doing this, it refers back to the enforced ideas that the patriarchy had on how women should act and they are able to keep these females in line from the use of aggression and violence. Similarly to the mental state of the character, Luisa, Dream Mother feels demoralized from struggling to cope with the five stages of grief that she endures whilst trying to bring Ramon back to reality and she pressures herself to still be the perfect wife and mother whilst burdening herself with guilt as she believes that she is the reason why Ramon had disappeared and becomes extremely vulnerable when interacting with/embracing him in the fear that he will leave again and will not return to her which is why she says lines such as " then let me hold you, tend to you, love and comfort you" therefore portraying the pressure that she has put on herself to tend to her domestic duties of caring for her husband in which she then pushes her mindset into a further stage of denial and believes that he will return back to reality soon. By doing this, the character also enforces this pressure on the character, Constantia, in which she then also believes that he will come back and feels the pressure to try and train her mindset to recognize the difference between reality and the dreams that she is experiencing.

Here, Luísa discloses that she never feels she is doing anything right/ she isn't good enough and for me personally when viewing this, I had linked it back to the stage in grief that both Constantia and Dream Mother experience: Depression. In this stage, both of the characters blame themselves for the cause of Ramon's disappearance and death and this then leads to Constantia becoming negligent to her children as she is building up a state of emotion where she differs from reality. For example, in one of the scenes where Baptista and Ernesto are interacting, the gossips are judging Constantia for allowing Baptista to involve herself with an activist as they are aware of the fate that will lie for Baptista and they use facial expressions to convey their disgust at the lack of Constantia's parental skills as she drifts off into another dream, unaware of what is occurring between Ernesto and Baptista.

For Dream Mother, she blames herself towards the end of her journey in the play when she is putting Ramon's spirit to rest, in the scene: The river of death, where Dream Mother says " Perhaps I should have been less happy and more and known more". When saying this line, the character feels a sense of guilt for not being aware of what was occurring and she puts the pressure on herself for not tending to her domestic duties as a wife/ mother of protecting her family and taking care of them, which is why in this moment the character begins to become more tearful.

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This unseen scene has been created as a representation of how the Dream Mother has accepted that her husband is gone and how she is willing to cope with this when portraying Constantia's inner thoughts of Ramon's funeral. I have decided to present this scene as a monologue so that it could be interpreted as a eulogy, which is usually a piece of text or speech that praises a person i.e. usually read at funerals. I have created this scene for the sole purpose of also presenting how guilt-ridden Dream Mother is feeling when she believes that if she had paid more attention, then she could have prevented this event from happening. If this scene was to be portrayed, it would be after the scene in the script: The river of death due to the fact that it would be Dream Mother's final moment of closure after saying goodbye to her husband for the last time.

[ Dream Mother enters on-stage by herself and she stands at the exact place where she has said goodbye to Ramon for the final time]

Dream Mother: This does not feel real. It cannot be real. Ramon, why would you do this to us? To me? Why would you not tell me? It was dangerous and thoughtless and I hate you for leaving for me. Do you hear me? [ raises voice] I hate that I have to raise our children alone, I hate that I miss you every second of every day. I hate that  I am the cause for your death [ moment of silence]…
How could I not know? It was so clear and I still couldn't see it. I was thoughtless and selfish with my own needs to notice what was happening. If I paid attention I could have stopped this, I could have.. [ begins to tear up] .My arms feel empty and my heart feels as if it will never repair. I mourn with despair constantly, the pain that I feel when not holding you is unbearable, moments when I can no longer see your beautiful smile and hear your voice, make me physically ache. There is this void in my life. I no longer feel like a wife, a mother, I feel empty without you. You lit up my world and made me who I am, and not having you in my life, it is as if my soul has been crushed permanently. Waking up feels pointless now when there is only a shadow of where you used to lie in our bed. It hurts to look at our children because they are the best of you, they have your obnoxious laugh, your beautiful eyes, your kindness [ crying loudly whilst holding hands onto heart]. It isn't fair for them to lose their father like this. It isn't fair for them to have a distant mother in their time of need. But what can I do? I can barely mention your name in the house without breaking down. I feel like God is punishing me Ramon like this is some cruel trick of faith as if I have sinned. It’s like he is laughing at me.

The house is no longer filled with laughter, only with anguish and silence. Without your presence, it does not feel light. It is not a home. You were the light in this family. My love, my happiness and joy, my sweet Ramon. I will eternally miss you and please God let you be at peace. We will reunite soon my love, I promise you. I love you always.

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So far when devising my character, I have made certain decisions on what vocal skills I intend on including when completing my task over the half-term of learning my lines and being able to memorize them without the requirement of my script. This has been done when I had created a vocal traits mind map to disclose my own intentions when approaching the role of Dream Mother and how I believe it will affect the atmosphere of the scene so far. For example, in the opening scene: The ghosts, at first my character is confused as to why she has suddenly entered the land of the dead and as her fear begins to grow, along with her confusion, the character will raise her tone to try and ward off any unwanted characters and this will mainly be as she fears of what is to come yet, she is still trying to appear strong. When my character says the first line " I am not in the land of the dead", I have made a note in my script that her pitch would also rise at this point to indicate to the audience members that Dream Mother is in the first stage of grief: denial, and as she tries to force the ghosts/voices further away in her head during this scene, the tension begins to increase more also due to the fact that my character is desperately trying to convince her husband, Ramon, to return back to reality with her.

In the line learning video, I had established this when approaching my character's dialogue in different attempts by changing the tone and pitch of how it is spoken so that I was able to experiment with how I felt my character would say certain lines, depending on the stage of grief that she is in. For example, as she is in a great state of denial from keeping hold of her faith that Ramon will return back to her, when other characters try eagerly to get her to allow reality to set in, Dream Mother becomes hesitant and reluctant in the scene and sets out to find Ramon instead of listening to reality and preventing any traumatic events that will occur throughout the duration of the play [ Baptista being kidnapped and her eventual death].

As Dream Mother is also reliant on Ramon for all of her own needs [ a supportive husband and father that can provide the family with everything necessary, emotional support as well for the mother as she is the lesser gender and depends on her husband to help her with all the issues that women may struggle with due to their lack of education and tending to domestic duties], it makes more sense for her to raise her tone when becoming fearful that Ramon is becoming a member of the land of the dead and, Dream Mother then fears of the real world that she must eventually face without the love of her life by her side.

This is why I have disclosed in the video of my reason for using intonation, where my character's voice gradually falls and rises so that she can reveal how vulnerable she feels with Ramon as they embrace each other and how safe she feels as the character can differ from reality completely when achieving the goal of finding her husband, where Dream Mother believes that from this encounter that Ramon is alive which is why she can rest assure that the voices/ghosts are lying to her in an attempt to frighten the character. However, I have also decided to include emotional range at this point when my character says: "Ramon when are you coming home? Come home soon Ramon. I miss you so much". At this point the character establishes her vulnerable state whilst embracing Ramon and whilst she feels safe as she finds him, Dream Mother is also fearful that he will not be returning home from remembering what the whispers have said to her: " he is one of us".

I have taken into consideration the notes that my lecturer and assistant director have given me so far when blocking specific scenes that I am involved in so far, such as the opening scene: The ghosts, and the scene: Dream one. When rehearsing through these two scenes, I am able to understand the importance of my character's build-up of tension in her vocal traits. For example, in the first scene, Dream Mother is hesitant to let go of her husband as she is in a vulnerable state and relies on him to help her have stability in her life once again by returning to reality with her. In the moment when my character says the line " Then let me hold you, tend to you, love and comfort you", I had been given the note by my assistant director of remaining in centre stage for more of a dramatic impact where all of the audience members are able to witness the tension physically building between both Ramon and Dream Mother as she fights to cling onto him and not allow him to return with the ghosts, whilst he is fighting against her to finally be at peace.

After rehearsing through this scene, I was in agreement with the note made by my assistant director to remain in centre stage as myself and my peer who was playing the role of Ramon[ Alex], had kept moving off to the side of the stage and if we were to do this in the performance, then the dramatic atmosphere that is intended for this scene to further indulge the audience members in the performance, would be lost.

From a physicality perspective however, I feel that there are greater areas of improvement that I must prioritize in order to create a sense of realism for the audience members as myself in this role, where I can easily portray how each stage of grief that my character faces, then matches to the atmosphere that has been formed depending on my approach of the dialogue. For example, in the scene: Dream one, it is made abundantly clear that Dream Mother is distraught in her bereavement from when she is saying lines such as " No stay here. Stay with me". This quote clearly represents Dream Mother's desperation to refrain from allowing reality to set in and that Ramon is the only hope that she has to restore the balance in her life and prevent herself from feeling any heartache, rather than noticing what is happening and allowing it to take it's  course so that she can eventually build her life together again. When portraying this in a physical aspect, I want to represent how compassionate my character is feeling of the love for her husband, which is why I will ensure when Dream Mother is embracing Ramon in this scene, I will keep a tighter grip and use a quicker pace to reveal how desperate my character is to have her husband back in her life.

In order to further develop the vocality/physicality skillset of my character, Dream Mother, in more of a realistic perspective, I will ensure that I make self-reflection notes on what I believe I should include when rehearsing through certain scenes in this role and I want to highlight my areas of improvement in clear detail so that I am perfectly aware of what my main focus will be for the next rehearsal and what objectives I must set myself in preparation when asking for feedback from both my lecturer/assistant director and my peers. By doing this, I will be able to compare how the objective that I had set for the rehearsal had matched to the feedback I have received, or, if there are more areas of improvement that I should prioritise for the next time I do a run through of a specific scene.

Regarding my character's appearance, I have also decided to make a note on the staging that will be presented in this performance, where the audience members will view a split stage to convey the contrast between reality and the land of the dead. Whilst my character, Dream Mother, is based in the land of the dead when Constantia is dreaming of her one day reuniting with Ramon, in the hopes that he is also not dead as she retains her faith that he will return soon, I feel that
she technically is also based in reality due to the fact that she is linked to the main character, Constantia, as Dream Mother is the past representative of how Constantia used to act as both a mother and wife when tending to her domestic duties whilst Ramon was still in the family.

In order to present these thoughts to the audience members, I had looked into the contextual fashion of South America throughout the years, and the traditional patterns that they would used to also establish what social class they had belonged to i.e. embroidered flowers were a common pattern that were used to reveal that women were of a middle-class standard and to further convey their femininity. I had found that floral patterns are traditional in Argentina for women's clothing, as it also links back to the national flower, ceibo, being used as a pattern heavily in clothing within this country. This is also where I had taken into consideration the staging, where I had formed the idea of having the top half of my costume be black to refer back to one of the themes in the play: death, as this is a common referral of the meaning behind the colour and it will link back to the despair that the character is feeling after losing Ramon i.e. in the scene: The river of death, Dream Mother says, " my heart breaks Ramon" and this quickly conveys to the audience members that whilst my character has accepted that she must let go of Ramon's spirit to be at peace, she does not hide how deeply it has affected her on an emotional level, where she feels the same grief as in previous scenes. On this top, Ideally, I would also want to have an embroidered floral pattern so that, I can successfully link my character's appearance in a contextual matter back to the fashion that had been used during the timeline of when this play is set [ I personally believe it to be the 70s from the research that I have found focused around the play and how it links back to the facts within it]. With the bottom half of my costume, I feel that I would wear a long white skirt, again, to refer back to the historical context of fashion in South America where fashion for women mainly involved wearing long skirts with plain colours [ normally white].

My intention for this piece of costume is for it to be white, also because it will link back to where my character is set [ the land of the dead] and when I think about this specific area, I picture heaven/ a state of peace and tranquillity, which I had found also refers back to the final scene that my character appears in which is , The river of death, where Ramon's spirit is finally at peace when his body is put to rest, and, this is the moment where my character faces the final stage of grief: acceptance, in which she can finally notice the reality that she is in and have her own type of feeling peace, where she is still in despair from losing Ramon, but, she is able to cope with it in a better mental state and surrounded by her loving children.

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I have selected these three black blouses when trying to decide on my character's costume and after researching into what was commonly worn by women in South American culture, I had found that embroidered flowers was a famous pattern that many females would wear. As I have also  previously discussed, by using a black top and a white skirt as costume for my character, there will be a clear contextual link back to what women would wear in Argentina, alongside the representation of a contrast in life and death which also represents the emotional status of Dream Mother throughout the duration of the performance [ white skirt-representing peace and tranquillity, the moment where Dream Mother feels peace in the scene, The picnic in the hills, where she is reminiscing about her family finally all together. Whilst the black top represents my character's reality, which is that she must grieve the death of her husband and allow him to move forward in peace, it also links back to the context of what women would wear, specifically those who were in the middle class/impoverished. The black top also links back to Dream Mother personally as she is constantly in the land of the dead and so there is more of a contrast in Dream Mother and Constantia].

Floral Embroidery Ruffle Trim Blouse | SHEIN UK- This is tin the website link from the first photo. All of these pieces of clothing are on the online clothing website, SHEIN.

Off The Shoulder Embroidery Blouse | SHEIN UK- This is the website link for the second image [ off-shoulder top with pink/blue/orange flowers]

SHEIN Floral Embroidery Off Shoulder Blouse | SHEIN UK- This is the final website link for the third photo, the black off-shoulder top with red embroidered flowers.

Out of these three tops, I feel that I am more drawn to the third photo due to the fact that the colour is what best links back to the traits of my character, in which she is devoted, and whilst I had linked this back to her commitment to her domestic duties towards her husband and their children, it also represents her religion, and I found this in the script when she says the line " I will have faith Ramon. I will not listen to their whispers". By using this quotation, there is also a clear link back to when Constantia is praying for Ramon's safe return and making her children set a place at the table for him, despite them all being aware that he will not return.

However, both this quote and this moment in the play where Constantia is also presenting her faith, it also conveys that they are both in denial and this is clear from when Dream Mother says " I will not listen" which implies that she is further deflecting from reality seeping in. Similarly, Constantia results to prayer so that she can still have a small amount of hope that Ramon is alive. This blouse has been chosen as the colour red as it is recognizable for its religious practices in Christianity as it links back to the blood of Christ.

This of course relates back to the most common religion in South America being, Christianity, which is represented through my role in the play. When looking further into the meaning of red in this continent, I had found that it also symbolizes passion and emotion and, I had referred this back to my character as I have included in the mind map that I had created of her, that she holds the trait of being hesitant, which is mainly revealed at the beginning of the play, as she is trying to bring Ramon back to reality and when doing this, the character establishes that she is in a clear emotional state. An example of this is when she says "No stay here. Stay with me". This quote reveals that Dream Mother no longer has her domestic duties within her best interest as she is abundantly ignoring her husband's wishes, for her own selfish reasons, and she is resulting to using her passion for her husband in an attempt to bring him back to reality and differing further from reality whilst doing so.

When arriving back from the Easter break, I am planning to have a discussion with my lecturer and assistant director on the clothing pieces that I have found and how they both creatively and contextually link back to my character, Dream Mother. I want to do this to ensure that they are in agreement with this costume decision and also believe that it will benefit the portrayal of my character and how there will be a clear contrast in both my role and the character, Constantia. However, If there are any other ideas that they may want to incorporate, I will be able to add these onto my research rather than purchasing my costume too soon.

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Currently this week, I am quite concerned that I haven't caught up on all of my theoretical work and I have left some parts uncompleted due to the limited time that I have had that day to finish all of the tasks that I have set for myself on Padlet. Regarding time efficiency, I have previously struggled with setting time aside for each piece of work, as I have prioritized other columns that have needed to be completed such as, Practical and Evaluation/reflection. When doing this, I gain a feeling of concern that my performance in theory work isn't at the standard that it needs to be and this results in me assigning myself more targets than necessary.

I have written about this precise issue so that I am able to form a routine for myself during this half-term and familiarize myself with it for when I will be attending college again and restarting the rehearsal process for the play, A mother's voice. By doing this, I will be able to overcome the repetitive sequence of setting too many targets for my theory work and, I can learn to set time aside within the day for each of the columns on this FMP padlet page. When doing this, I also intend on researching into tactics of how to remain in a routine of staying on-track with tasks so that I am able to prioritize my time wisely rather than overcompensating specific pieces of theory work throughout the day. For the purpose of this, I will be looking at YouTube videos of people giving advice of what has personally helped them to allocate their time properly and by doing this, I will be able to gain a sense of knowledge of how certain techniques work for different people and I intend on trying out some of these techniques to see what will benefit me personally.

A practical issue that I have recently struggled with during this week is the concept of adding video evidence that justifies my reasoning for writing up specific notes and self-reflections on my current development of the character, Dream Mother. This is due to the fact that I have remain fixated on ensuring that my theoretical work is all up to date and by doing this, I haven't been able to convey how I have taken notes from my lecturer and assistant director in previous rehearsals into consideration when applying them to the development of this role, as there are no videos on this FMP Padlet page of me spending my own spare time devising my character further with the decisions that I have made for Dream Mother along with discussions on how the notes from my lecturer and assistant director have helped me when performing in this role so far.

In order to overcome this precise issue, I have decided to take a day out of the week where I focus on uploading all of the videos of my character development so far [ also including the self-reflection evaluations]. By doing this, I want to assure myself that I am able to provide physical evidence of how I have also taken my own creative intentions into consideration when devising the character, Dream Mother. I also intend on including discussions in these videos where I mention what I am doing whilst going through the character's physicality/vocality/dialogue so that, I can clearly refer back to the research that I have made regarding these character decisions, therefore, also relating back to the context of the script [plot/concept/etc]. An example of this will be in a video that I have previously created but not yet updated of when I had been using the character's physicality [gestures] where I had mentioned why I decided to include this specific movement in the scenes that I was going through and how it links back to the persona of my character and the purpose that she serves in the storyline of the play i.e. representing the five stages of grief that Constantia is enduring when coping with the loss of her husband, Ramon.

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Aside from dedicating my time to learning and memorizing my lines in time for devising in rehearsals when I arrive back at college after the Easter half-term, I also want to ensure that I dedicate my time wisely to completing some of my theory work as I feel as though I am behind and I do not want to concern myself with this when starting the rehearsal process again as it will be too difficult to balance theoretical and practical work the further that I develop my character in the rehearsal process as I also want to ensure that I prioritize the practical side of the development of this role when I come back from the half-term break so that I am able to physically reveal how I have developed this character further, with the skills that I have researched into regarding Dream Mother i.e. how I would represent why this character follows her domestic duties as a mother and wife.

By achieving this goal, I will be able to focus all of my attention on prioritizing my character's vocal and physical development and ensuring that I go over scenes that I do not necessarily feel completely confident in. When doing this, I will also gradually be able to build up a sense of realism in the role of this character in which I can feel assertive when differing from my own persona to fit the traits of Dream Mother. Initially, I want to do this as soon as possible due to the fact that in the rehearsal process I want to reveal how committed I am to portraying this character and, I want to educate myself on how these traits then link back to the contextual factors within the themes of the performance i.e. I know that from reading my character's dialogue in the script, she is religious, and whilst she is in a stage of denial from losing Ramon, she says " I will have faith Ramon". When finding this, I have been able to then link it back to the context of South America having over 90% of the population being Christian , therefore making it the most popular religion that is practiced and used within the continent.

I plan on completing at least two pieces of theoretical coursework on a daily basis so that I am able to keep up with devising my character throughout the rehearsal process and when doing this, I also intend on including research and contextual factors to the performance of the role, Dream Mother, so that I have a generalized idea on how I should approach this role. For example, after looking into the plot of A mother's voice, I had found that Constantia tends to her domestic duties and refrains from involving herself in politics due to the fear of the domestic men in power, and when finding out that my character is the past representative of Constantia, I had initially intended on following the same thought process as Constantia at the beginning of the play, in which she primarily focuses on being a good mother and wife by tending to her domestic duties. When finding this out, I had researched into the contextual side of women in South America during the 70s, and how they had barely any human rights due to the fact that the upper-social class had consisted of dominant males and at this time, the continent had been controlled by the patriarchy, which had fed on violence and aggression in order to make people more reliant on them. I will ensure that I stick by this task by creating a checklist for all of the columns on this padlet page and setting myself two goals on a daily basis that I need to complete for a specific column and what I may need to follow up on. In order to achieve these goals on a daily basis, I will also be turning off my phone so that I can focus purely on my work and I will also be giving myself short breaks so as to not overwork myself and prevent any work being caught up on throughout the day.

After completing this goal, I will be able to tend to more important matters regarding the physical appearance of my character and how this links directly back to the realistic atmosphere that I intend on creating whilst in the role of Dream Mother. For example, I want the costume to fit the description of this role and how it also applies to the ways in which she physically/vocally acts i.e. a traditional skirt that will resemble how the character is prominent when tending to her domestic duties within her day-to-day life and how this would then cause her to act differently to how people act in modern society to this day, due to the fact that she has no independence and is reliant on the patriarchy/society to help her control her life, in which she would physically represent this with traditional items of clothing that will convey how she abides by society's rules of remaining respectable and loyal to their mother country.

This is why I have set this as the next goal that I wish to complete so that I can remain on schedule for what I need to accomplish for this precise role along the rehearsal process i.e. getting my costume sorted as soon as possible so that I don't have to concern myself with purchasing the items last minute and wondering whether or not if they will show up on time for the day of the performance. For this set goal, I will be referring back to the costume decisions that I have thought about based on the persona that I have created for my character in combination with the research that I have found regarding how she acts within the play. By doing this, I will have a better sense of what the audience members should expect from my character from the use of her dialogue in the play.

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Diagram on Constantia and Dream Mother 09.04.22

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Diagram on Constantia and Dream Mother 09.04.22

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similarities and differences between Constantia and Dream Mother.docx

This diagram has been created so that I am able to clearly represent the differences and similarities that are shared between these two characters and how these refer back to the contextual factors within the script. These notes have been highlighted in vibrant colours to represent the importance of the contrast and combination of these two characters' personalities i.e. green represents the differences and orange represents the similarities.

By creating this diagram, I have been able to convey how my character relates back to the main character, Constantia, by being the past representative and the storyline that she reveals to the audience members as physically revealing how the five stages of grief affect a person. By doing this, the audience members can view how Dream Mother then impacts the emotional status of Constantia as this main character refrains from being at the same emotional level as my character until the end of the play when she reveals how deeply she has buried her grief [ The river of death scene: Constantia screams " Ramon"].

The two character's main contradiction is that Dream Mother acts in more of a hysterical manner when expressing her emotions towards her losing Ramon in her life, whilst Constantia remains refined and only slightly discloses her stages of grief without resulting to heightened emotions and this is due to the fact that she is trying her best to prioritize her role as a mother where she does not allow her children to see truthfully how much she is struggling to cope with the fact that Ramon has suddenly disappeared out of her life. This is why the character is mainly seen being in denial, so that she can forcefully objectify to anyone's thoughts of him being dead and stay in a constant mindset of believing that Ramon will return soon.

From the beginning of the play, Dream Mother is the character that clearly represents her inner thoughts and emotions in a somewhat hysterical manner as she cannot cope with the fact that Ramon is not returning back to reality with her. Whereas, Constantia simply buries her emotions to try and retain her domestic duties of ensuring that the children are well looked after and provided for i.e. including emotionally when they are trying to cope with the disappearance of their father. Constantia tries eagerly to put them ahead of herself and her emotions, but, this ends up still effecting the daughters as they clearly notice that thier mother is no longer herself and they can no longer rely on her support when she can not support herself.

A simple key has been created so that people that view this diagram can notice how I have structured my notes to benefit both characters and the portrayal of their personality traits throughout the duration of the performance. These notes have been created in a pattern so as to not confuse what my intentions are when resembling both vocally and physically how Dream Mother relates back to Constantia and how she is also viewed in a different aspect. These two colours used to highlight my notes have benefitted me personally when rehearsing in my role, Dream Mother, as I can clearly see the moments where I must portray my character differently to convey how much her persona has affected her lifestyle and judgment i.e. Dream Mother acts in a hysterical manner when repetitively trying to bring Ramon back to reality and this is mainly as she feels guilt-ridden that she is the cause of his disappearance.

One of the clear differences that I had found to portray on-stage whilst in this role, is the fact that Dream Mother consistently abides by what society expects of women in which she is a devoted and kind mother/wife. She refrains from involving herself with any political and societal issues and is constantly reliant on her husband for all of her needs/support. An example of this is where I have put in my character's column a brief description of the first note on Dream Mother where she tends to her domestic duties of being a good wife and mother. This is revealed in the play where my character ensures that the children are entertained and provided for [ the picnic in the hills scene where she is playing with her children and she makes sure that there is enough food for everyone in the picnic] and also where she tends to Ramon as a loving wife by embracing and comforting him [ the scene, Dream one, where she offers to help him when he says that he is in a great amount of pain].

However, Constantia is different in the sense that towards the end of the play she discloses to Francisca that she is intending on joining with other grieving mothers and grandmothers in the town square to dance and remember the loved ones that they had lost [ clear reference to Madres de la playa de mayo, where the purpose of doing this in the town centre was to deliberately create a message of standing against the corrupt justice system who had created a certain amount of rules for the population to follow].

This has made it simpler for me to still portray how my character links back to the storyline of the play, in which she presents the past role of Constantia and the devoted duties that she tends to in each scene that she appears in, therefore also representing how Constantia links back to the main theme in the performance, injustice/justice, where she begins to become more confident as a single parent and opens her eyes to how destructive society had been on the entire community i.e. preventing people from grieving for their loved ones, the un-fair treatment in the social class system, etc. After her daughter had gone missing, this is where my character no longer appears in the performance due to the fact that Constantia is more able to take control of her life and does not rely on the presence of Ramon on in her life, and whilst she misses him terribly, the character begins to become fixated on one prime goal: gaining independence and standing against the members of the justice system to find the truth out behind where her daughter had disappeared to.

I have included key quotes so that I am able to provide evidential proof of how these characters are linked together within the script and how this dialogue serves as a purpose in which the audience members can easily understand how both Constantia and Dream Mother share the same emotions within certain scenes. I have also included short subtitles next to each key quote in order to present the emotional status that each character is in, therefore linking to the same consistent thought that they both share but take different journeys experiencing: ' When will Ramon be returning home?'. For example, I have included two quotes that I believe fit the first stage of grief, which is denial, Where Dream Mother says " No I will not listen to you. Get out my dreams. You don't belong here". This is referring back to when my character is talking to the voices who are trying to get her to see reality and to not differ in denial otherwise she will suffer serious consequences i.e. foreshadowing what will happen to Baptista later on in the play. There is a similar moment for Constantia in the play where she says the line: "Do you think I would not know if your father was dead?". This quote is similar to the example that I have used for my character due to the fact that it also represents how Constantia has forcefully pushed herself away from reality, despite knowing what happens to many people who have gone missing within the community, as they no longer return, and I feel that she also denies all knowledge of Ramon being dead in a way to protect her heart and her children from the truth which they all know, therefore still tending to her domestic duties as a mother.
Both red and yellow colours have also been added to ensure that these quotes are separated and people are aware of who says what within the script.

In order to improve on the development of my character from this precise diagram, I will be applying the notes that I have made to my annotated script so that I am able to successfully disclose to the audience members how whilst the two characters are technically the same person, they have different mindsets when viewing the corrupt justice system and therefore reveal to the audience members how far Constantia has been able to grow as an independent female from the trauma that she has endured when grieving for her husband, Ramon, and the contextual references that Dream Mother discloses when revealing how women had acted within society and the domestic duties that they had to follow whilst being controlled by the higher men in power/ the patriarchy i.e. how mothers/grandmothers had acted in South America when Los Desaparecidos was occurring and how they managed to cope with the grief of losing loved ones.

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The Most Quintessential Music of Each South American Country (theculturetrip.com)

Chamamé - intangible heritage - Culture Sector - UNESCO

guarachas: meaning, origin, definition - WordSense Dictionary

What is Merengue (Music, Dance, and History)? - 2019 - MasterClass

Latin Dances List: 15 Popular Styles, Names & History | DanceUs.org

What Does Cuarteto Stand For? Cuarteto Meaning Of Name (meaningslike.com)

Top Five Argentina Dances | VisitArgentina.net

Gabino Ezeiza, Payada Musician born - African American Registry (aaregistry.org)

Andrés Chazarreta - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

La Nueva Canción: The New Song Movement in South America | Smithsonian Folkways Recordings (si.edu)

Mercedes Sosa - Biography - IMDb

Atahualpa Yupanqui - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Carlos Gardel music, videos, stats, and photos | Last.fm

Chile's National Dance: The Cueca - Pepe's Chile (pepeschile.com)

Daniel Alomía Robles - IMDb

Who is Tom Jobim - A Dica do Dia - Learn Brazilian Portuguese for free (rioandlearn.com)

I have decided to research into the common types of music that originate from each country in South America. By doing this, I will also be able to reveal my knowledge of the context behind the specific country that is slightly disclosed in the play, Argentina, and how the type of music used in this country is also included within the music playlist for the purpose of the performance. An example of this is in the scene: The festival dance, in which an original folk song is played to represent the social class of the characters in which people of the working class/middle class would listen to traditional music to liftin their spirits after having so many people mysteriously disappear from their community.

Instruments such as: acoustic guitar, pipes, whistle, accordion, flute, mandolin [ a musical instrument that belongs to the family of lutes], melodeon [ a small accordion that originates from Germany], tenor banjo, and harmonica. I have listed these instruments due to the fact that when I have listened to the instrumental pieces and songs that will be used for certain scenes in the play, I have fixated on specific instruments and how their tempo of them affects the atmosphere being formed for the audience members. For example, the song that is used at the beginning when introducing the ghosts uses pipes at a slow pace to match to the slow choreographed movement that these characters use.

When witnessing this in previous rehearsals, as an audience member, I had felt indulged in an eerie atmosphere where I could clearly link the characters back to the setting of the opening scene: the land of the dead, where it is stereotypically portrayed as a sort of 'nightmare' in which it then links back to the inner thoughts of the character, Dream Mother, where she feels frightened/curious as to why she has suddenly entered this set and as she is searching for her husband, Ramon, she remains fearful that his soul and spirit has been taken away and that his body has been permanently laid to rest here, meaning that she must come to terms of the reality that her husband is dead. Folk music is often played in groups which is why it makes more sense that this music applies to the scene : the festival dance, as the community has all come together and involved themselves in a joyful atmosphere where dancing and music occurs to convey to the audience members that the characters are still able to find a light within the darkness that they live in and they refuse to remain in a state of depression due to their lifestyles being controlled by the patriarchy.

There are various famous types of music that are still used to this modern-day and some examples of this include:

. Argentina and Uruguay [ Tango]: Whilst tango had originated in these two countries previously listed in the title, this specific folk music had gained its popularity more so during the 19th century when it had been used by the middle-class in their dancing halls. This had occurred in Buenos Aires and Montevideo. The smooth tempo of the tango had been used as a form of seduction in these dances. It is believed by many people that tango may have originated in Buenos Aires, specifically in brothels where prostitutes/call girls had invented risqué movements to perform on their clients when they had attended these places. Carlos Gardel, who was a French-born Argentine singer/composer/songwriter/actor, was most known for creating the sophisticated reputation of Tango from when he had exported the folk music genre to France, and from there Por un Cabeza had been created, [ a tango song written by Carlos Gardel and Alfredo le Pera].

. Chile [ Cueca]: This type of traditional folk music refers back to the Chilean's national identity, in which the society of this country is combined of both being multilingual and multicultural. For example, whilst a great variety of Chileans have Spanish as their first language and Christianity as their first religion, they do not compare their nationality with the ethnicity that they have, therefore meaning that they pledge their allegiance and citizenship to Chile. Whilst it is not necessarily made clear of the origin of this style of music, it is thought to have evolved from the countryside during the 19th century. Other variations of this folk music still exist across the country, this includes the urbanized version: Cueca Brava, a national courtship dance in this country that is used to celebrate Chile's independence. This dance consists of movements such as repetitive use of circles, moving in semi-circles with the dance partner back and forth, and turning towards the partner and turning away. The dance begins with a promenade in which a man offers his hand for a woman to dance with him and this occurs whilst the instrumental piece of the song is first being played. Each couple remains three feet apart and before the song begins, every couple claps their hands to the rhythm of the instrumental piece. These movements then refer back to the storyline of the dance which is, a parody of a courtship between a chicken and a rooster in which both dance partners amply wave their handkerchiefs above their heads whilst dancing. This prop is used to symbolize the feathers of the chicken [for women] and the rooster's comb [men]. This dance had been declared an official dance of Chile during the year 1979. This type of folk music usually involves traditional Andean musical instruments such as panpipes and tubas.

. Bolivia and Peru [ Folklorico]: This type of folk music is usually vibrant and upbeat, and there are multiple styles that include different costumes and dance movements. A highly common favourite dance movement in both of these countries is the up-tempo Morenada, which is a traditional folk dance that is only mainly practiced in Bolivia, alongside Peru. This choreography is derivative from African and Indigenous elements. Morenada had originally started when African slaves had worked in the mines of Potosi [a city in Southern Bolivia]. Costumes would include contextual references such as black face masks and bells on their shoes. This is used to represent the historical context behind this storyline i.e. the black masks represent the ethnicity of people during this time [ the slaves] and the bells on the shoes represent the chains that slaves were forced to wear. In Peru, the traditional Andean music is used through dance and the genre: folk music, where historical instruments such as panpipes and rhythmic charangos [ a small Andean stringed instrument that belongs to the lute family] this is so that it links back to the timeline of how music has been developed so far in the country and how it's been adapted throughout the years. Peruvian music is similar to Bolivian music in the concept that Caporales is adored by both countries. In Peru, El Condor Pasa, is internationally recognized for it being an orchestral music piece that had been adapted from zarzuela El Cóndor Pasa [ a Peruvian music play] and created by the Peruvian composer/ethnomusicologist, Daniel Alomía Robles. He had created this folk music song in 1913 for a part of his play.

. Brazil [ Bossa Nova]: The most common styles of music/dance in this country include:
. Choro- a Brazilian dance band and a musical piece that refers back to the genre: Folk music.

. Samba- Music that had originated in Afro-American communities and is commonly noticeable across the world as a traditional piece of Brazilian music. It is rooted back to Brazilian folk traditions. It involves a lively dance which has been historically used in the country, Brazil, after it had been created.

. Brazilian Rock- This genre of music, rock, in Brazil, is often sung in Portuguese. This had been developed during the 1950s. There are many origins relative to this specific genre such as: Rock, roll and roll, blues, and Brazilian folk music.

However, Brazil is most known for Bossa Nova is a combination of jazz fusion and a slow samba beat. It had originally been created during the year 1950, in the capital of Brazil, Rio De Janeiro. It is usually defined as a style of Samba and there is a characterization of an altered 'different beat' within harmonies so that it differs from the original genre. The Brazilian composer/guitarist/arranger/pianist/songwriter/singer, Tom Jobin was responsible for creating the song Garota De Ipanema, which briefly translates to the girl from Ipanema [ a city in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil]. It was so popular that there were covers created by the likes of Frank Sinatra, a well-known American singer, and actor. Bossa Nova still includes an innovative syncopation of traditional samba, so that it directly links back to the historical context of the creation of classic Brazilian music.

Traditional / folk music of Argentina - Information and songs (folkcloud.com)- This website link has been used to specifically link back to the country, Argentina, so that I have a better understanding of the type of folk music that originates from this country and how it links directly back to the choreographed dances that will be included in the performance along with the tempo soundtracks being used throughout the duration of the performance. For example:

. Tango: The most commonly-well known type of folk music that is played across Argentina. Both the rhythm and music of Tango, actually originate from the roots of Africa. Despite it being further developed in Uruguay and Argentina, there is evidential proof of styles of tango being used in Cuba and Spain during the 19th and early 20th centuries. The afro rhythms used in the instrumental tango pieces originate from the first European immigrant who visited Argentina and Uruguay, which then developed the music style further in these countries. Tango is often performed on the acoustic guitar at first, which is then associated by a guitar duo, and finally, an ensemble is included within the playing of the music. The ensemble is often referred to as Orquesta típica which consists of instruments such as: violins, flutes, and bandoneóns [ a type of square free-read musical instrument that belongs to the family, accordions/harmonicas]. Throughout the years, the piano has also been adapted into the creation of the music. The reason behind playing tango music is the original focus to have it as a simple tune to dance to. However, musicians such as Carlos Gardel, Edmundo Rivero, etc, who had adapted tango music into lyrical style folk music. Many people believe that the word 'tango' is derivative from Yoruban [ a West-African religion] the word 'tano' which had been used by many slaves to communicate where music was being played and when they had identified their own drums. However, a vast majority of people also believe that it derives from the Portuguese word 'tanguera' which translated means: to play. Many people also believe that the word 'tango' had actually been used to describe places where native drumming would occur and where dancing had been performed. After developing in Argentina and Uruguay, tango music had been adapted further with different styles of common folk music. An example of this would be, Payada, a type of traditional folk music that is native to Argentina and Uruguay. The very first performance of tango music, whilst being well-known for being played on acoustic guitar, had actually been performed on both the violin and the clarinet. The violinist who had performed this was called Casimiro Alcorta, an Argentinian musician who was referred to as one of the fathers of tango music. The clarinet player who had performed this was called  Sinforoso, another Argentinian musician who was referred to as the other father of tango music. The first time that tango music had been performed was in the year, 1889, and the piece was called 'La Canguela" however, the author of this musical piece is still unknown.

. Chamamé: Unlike tango consisting of various musical instruments, this type of original folk music is accordion-based and it is commonly referred back to the North-eastern region, territories such as Corrientes[ the capital city of the province of Corrientes, Argentina], Formosa [ the capital city of the province Formosa, Argentina] and Misiones [ a rugged province in Argentina]. These are only three out of three provinces within the country. Immigrants from Poland, Germany, and Austria had brought the accordion to Argentina and when doing this, they had used this musical instrument with other European folk music styles, including Polka, Waltzes, and Mazurkas. To create this style of folk music, the immigrants had experimented with and combined African rhythms and local folk music with the other styles that they had already played. Whilst Chamamé was first only accordion-based, it had later been adapted throughout time to include other musical instruments such as, guitar and bass guitar alongside accordion. The importance of this type of folk music usually revolves around roles in social class and how this music is applied to most family gatherings, religious celebrations, and community festivities. This is why I believe this type of music is also used in the songs for the play, A mother's voice, due to the fact that it is a symbolization for a community coming together/ close bonds being held through a joyful atmosphere of song and dance i.e. The festival dance scene. The dancing that is involved for this type of music usually involves two people who are cheek to cheek in an embrace. Chamamé is described as a form of cultural expression.

. Cuarteto:  Aside from the other types of folk music previously mentioned, Cuarteto is actually based on a musical genre of dance. This type of folk music had first originated in Córdoba, Argentina[ a city in central Argentina]. The roots of this folk music have been adapted into original Spanish and Italian dances. Cuarteto is performed usually as an ensemble and, it consists of one solo singer, alongside the use of musical instruments: piano, accordion, and violin. Throughout its time, this type of folk music has been incorporated into Colombian guarachas [ a genre of music that had originated first in Cuba and contains a rapid tempo to match to the comical lyrics], Dominican merengue [ a traditional Caribbean style of dance, highly popular in Latin America], and Latin salsa [ a commonly well-known type of dance in Latin America which has been heavily influenced by Afro-Cuban traditions]. The translation for the word 'Cuarteto' , means quartet and it resembles practicality, realism, sincerity, discipline, experience, and reliability.
The dance for this folk music revolves around people moving in a big circle counter-clockwise to the rhythm called Tunga-Tunga.

. Payada: As previously mentioned in this piece of research, this type of folk music originates from both Argentina and Uruguay. The first person who had performed this folk music genre was called, Payador and this applies to anyone to this modern-day that still plays the music 'Payada'. Despite the other music genres consisting of music sheets in preparation to perform the styles of folk music, Payada is a completely improvised verse that is accompanied by the main musical instrument in this style, which is the guitar. This folk music is normally performed as a duet, in which two performer payadores will complete a verse that is a combination of poems and duel singing where the performers purposely include questions with answers within this style. An example of famous singers that had used Payada as their chosen style of folk music to sing/play, was  Gabino Ezeiza [ an African-American Argentine musician who became renowned in both his native land and Uruguay for being one of the greatest performers in the art of the Payada and after he had shared an interaction with the Oriental Payador, Juan de Nava. Whilst other folk music styles are played as a form of celebration and bringing people together, Payada is used for the purpose of competitiveness where singers/performers battle against each other when improvising and composing on a verse to represent their talent as a musician. Argentina holds an important date [ 23rd of July] for its referral to ' Day of Payador' where people reminisce about the two famous musicians, Juan Nava and Gabino Ezeiza, who had competed against each other.
A brief description of payada is ' an improvised gaucho folksong'.

. Chacarera: Separately to the rest of these folk music examples, this type of folk music is also accompanied by folk dance. This style of folk music had originated in Santiago del Estero [ the capital of the Santiago del Estero province in Argentina]. Chacarera is usually performed in an ensemble and involves voice, violin, guitar, and bombo drum[ a type of Latin American instrument that is derivative from the European bass drum]. The repertoire of this precise style of folk music had traced back to the 1920s sheet music of  Andrés Chazarreta, the very first disseminator of Argentinian folk music and he had collected classics of Argentinian folk music. The most that this style of music can be dated back to is the beginning of the 20th century. This is due to the fact that there are no clear records of the history of Chacarera before the recording of folk music that had begun in Argentina. The definition of the word 'Chacra' briefly translates to the word 'farm' and this refers back to the social class system of people being rural [ middle class but residing in the countryside], and Chacarera had been danced to in the rural areas within Argentina. The folk music is portrayed as a product of the romanticized construction of national identity in Urban cultural situations. Alongside small ensembles, contemporary soloists/musicians also perform this music.

. Nueva canción: Aside from the rest of this music originating mainly in Argentina, this style of folk music had actually started in Chile during the era, of the 60s.However, during this timeline, it had managed to adapt to the continent, South America. The translation for Nueva canción means 'new song', which is an Argentinian tradition that is held in the culture to this day. The backstory of this specific folk music relates back to topics regarding society/politics/human rights. It is a common style that is associated with left-wing associates [ which could also link back to the play, A mother's voice, in the sense of political issues where Ramon, Baptista, and Ernesto were clearly representatives of being leftists when protesting against the corrupt justice system that had controlled the community. I personally believe that this music would apply to the last scene in the play titled: They dance alone, where Constantia has stated that she intends to dance with other grieving mothers in the town square to keep the spirits of their lost loved ones alive. This is a clear link back to the Madres de la play de mayo, an all female group during the 70s that had protested against the patriarchy in response to their grieving for their lost loved ones. These women would dance to liftin the spirits of everyone who had lost someone in their lives due to the higher men in power using their dominance as a form of manipulation and this is specifically why I feel that this folk music links back to this scene as it is contextually accurate in the sense of disclosing topics of politics/societal issues [ corrupt justice system] through the use of movement [ dancing as another form of protest]. There is also another matter of this music relating to political topics, as
Nueva canción is also the name for the left-wing social movement that had been formed in both Latin America and Iberian Peninsula. This movement is commonly recognized for its role in pro-democracy social disruption in Spain, Portugal, and Latin America during the 1970s and the 1980s. This was one of the most popular socialist organizations within the region. There are a variety of musicians that perform this folk music in relation to the topics that have been previously mentioned, however, one of the most commonly well-known performers is Mercedes Sosa , she was an Argentine singer that stood for the purpose of using her voice for many people that couldn't use theirs to voice their opinions. Sosa was also an advocate for the Nueva canción movement and this was mainly due to the roots that she had held with Argentine folk music. This left-wing associate would perform songs by Latin American songwriters who were too afraid to use their own voices to express their opinions in the fear of retaliation from the higher patriarchy. Another performer that is greatly recognized across Argentina is Atahualpa Yupanqui, who was a singer/guitarist/writer/songwriter. To this day, he is considered to be the most important Argentine folk musician and this title was awarded to him in the 20th century.

An introduction to: Folk music | Making Music- I have selected this website link to further disclose how the music genre, folk music, applies to the middle/working class in the concept of how the definition for this genre of music refers to the joyful atmosphere that is created as close bonds are formed between members of the community as they listen to upbeat rhythms to deflect from any negative aspects that they may be facing in their lifestyles i.e. in the play, dancing is used as a form to protest against the corrupt justice system in which members from the working class fixate on happier moments to gradually gain their own lifestyle back, rather than being controlled by society's aspect of what it means to be the perfect 'man' or 'woman' within the community. Folk songs commonly use an upbeat tempo for the sheer purpose of raising  people's spirits which is precisely why the characters in the festival dance are able to express their sheer joy when differing from the trauma that they have recently endured i.e. losing loved ones/ Los Desaparecidos / the corrupt justice system.

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Argentina and Uruguay - Tango

First gaining popularity in the middle-class dance halls of late 19th century Buenos Aires and Montevideo, the smooth and seductive sounds of Tango are a true hallmark of the region. Perhaps more famous for the accompanying dance, Tango is actually thought to have originated from the seedy brothels of Buenos Aires where late-night call girls invented the risque moves. Tango legend Carlos Gardel exported the genre to France in the 1920s where it earned a more sophisticated reputation, partly thanks to his uber-elegant classic Por un Cabeza.

Chile - Cueca

Although Chileans enjoy a number of traditional and contemporary musical genres, it is the upbeat Cueca which resonates most closely with their national identity. The music's origin is somewhat unclear, although it is thought to have evolved in the countryside sometime during the mid 19th century. Variations of Cueca exists across the country, including a more modern and urbanized version known as Cueca Brava which has done away with traditional Andean instruments such as panpipes and tubas. The accompanying dance of the same name was declared Chile's national dance in 1979 and is characterized by flirtatious courtship with ample waving of handkerchiefs.

Bolivia - Folklorico

Bolivia is home to a dizzying array of vibrant folklore music, each style with its own unique costume and dance. A favorite among many is the uptempo Morenada, a joyful genre that encapsulates the essence of the nation. Morenada comes from the days when African slaves worked the mines of Potosi, a fact evident by the dancers' black face masks and the bells on their shoes which clink like chains. A number of Morenada tracks have found success on the local scene, one of the best of which is Maria Juana's Idilio.

Peru - Folklorico

With a large region covering a myriad of climatic zones, Peru has a huge number of traditional musical genres including Huayno, Criolla and Chicha, to name just a few. But it's their Andean folk music that best represents the nation, beloved for its melancholy panpipes and rhythmic charangos. Peruvian folk music has much in common with that of Bolivia, with some genres such as Caporales equally adored in both countries. As for quintessential tracks, it's pretty hard to go past the internationally revered and instantly recognizable El Condor Pasa.

Brazil - Bossa Nova

Mammoth Brazil makes up almost half of South America, both in size and population, so it's no surprise these fun-loving people have contributed plenty to music over the years. Choro, Samba and Brazilian rock have all made their mark, but it's Bossa Nova that really put Brazil on the map. Best described as a jazz fusion with a slow samba beat, Bossa Nova was born in Rio in the 1950s and took off internationally when Tom Jobim released Garota De Ipanema, a timeless classic that has been translated into English (The Girl From Ipanema) and covered by the likes of Frank Sinatra. Keen to hear more Bossa Nova goodness? Mas Que Nada is another one for the ages.

Ecuador - Pasillos

Although enjoyed throughout the continent, Pasillos is regarded as the national genre of Ecuador and forms an integral part of their cultural identity. Originating sometime during the 19th century, this downtempo style is influenced by the European Waltz and other more local tastes. Hugely sentimental, the genre is characterized by poetic lyrics alongside melancholic guitar and flute melodies. The king of Pasillos is no doubt the legendary Ecuadorian Julio Jaramillo, a man widely regarded as one of Latin America's best singers.

Colombia - Salsa

Salsa was actually invented by migrant Latino communities in New York during the '60s. Colombians have certainly taken a liking to it though, forming their own fun-filled fusion of Cuban, Puerto Rican, Afro-Percussion and North American Jazz influenced Salsa which has taken the country by storm. Cali is at the heart of the Colombia's scene, a city where all-night clubs attract scores of salsa veterans almost every night of the week. Grupo Niche, one of Colombia's favorite salsa bands, pay homage to the Cali scene in their smash hit Cali Pachanguero.

Venezuela - Joropo

Ask a Venezuelan about their country's most typical music and they'll tell you about Joropo, an uptempo genre that embodies their collective identity. Derived from the word 'party', this fast and fun music originates from the countryside and has European, African and indigenous influences. A traditional dance similar to the Spanish Fandango complements the harps, guitars and maracas with plenty of turns, shuffles and spins. So ingrained is Joropo in Venezuelan society that its most famous song, Alma Llanera, is passionately referred to as the second national anthem.

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The Most Quintessential Music of Each South American Country

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Argentina and Uruguay - Tango First gaining popularity in the middle-class dance halls of late 19th century Buenos Aires and Montevideo, the smooth and seductive sounds of Tango are a true hallmark of the region. Perhaps more famous for the accompanying dance, Tango is actually thought to have originated from the seedy brothels of Buenos Aires where late-night call girls invented the risque moves.

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social class in Argentina and South America 13.04.22

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social class in Argentina and South America 13.04.22

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Social stratification | What is, types, outstanding theories, examples, classes (euston96.com)

Argentina - The Elements of Power

Argentina social structure by Angel Montiel (prezi.com)

Latin America Social Hierarchy Chart-Hierarchystructure.com

I have chosen to research into the social class of Argentina specifically, due to the fact that from the research I have looked into regarding the site-specific area that the play, A mother's voice, is set in this country i.e. the main concept behind the play [ aside from Los Desaparecidos] which is Madres de la plaza de mayo, which was an all-female group that had first been formed in Argentina. Whilst it discloses in the plot that the play is based in a fictitious state, it does not necessarily reveal what country it is set in which is what leads me to believe that it is based in Argentina. However, I have also looked into the social class of South America as an entire continent so that I have a better understanding of how this links back to the corrupt justice system in the play that favours certain classes, along with the patriotic hierarchy, and how this also links back to Los Desaparecidos occurring across all of the countries in this continent, due to the corrupt justice system.

In South America, the social class system has been separated into six different sections ranking in chronological order from the highest importance to the lowest. This includes the following:

. Peninsulares- This is the highest social group and is actually for people who had originated from Spain rather than South America [ also referred to more commonly as Latin America mainly due to the fact that Spanish is the most common language that is spoken within the continent]. These people are considered true-blooded Latin American's due to their heritage. This social class is the highest in importance due to the place that they hold in society which is to have power and authority over the community. They had controlled the government along with the economy and had access to political powers that controlled the lifestyle of the population. This specific class refers mainly back to the characters in the play, the officials , in which they had manipulated their power of authority by using violence to entertain themselves/ portray the dominant power that they hold over the vulnerable characters who fear these people [ Constantia/Baptista]. An example of this is in the scene:  The search/ The prison, where the officer says "You're one of these traitors who wants to betray our president. Betray your own country. Your mother country? Is that who you are? Is it?". This quote clearly implies that the officer is asserting his dominance as a person of higher importance by interrogating Francisca and Constantia with multiple questions and assumptions all at once in an attempt to frighten them and ensure that they abide by society's rules and that they still remain respectable. This specific class is a representative of the highest social class that people can be a part of within this continent.

. Creoles- I believe that this specific social class is applied to the characters, the two shadows [ the gunmen who murder Ernesto Ortega] purely based on the fact that this social class consists of people that whilst these people are not true-blooded Spaniards, they still belong to the Spanish ancestry, therefore making them of a higher importance to the Peninsulares group, as they do not hold the same authority of making important decisions for the government where they can control the community, yet they of use when covering for these government official characters by completing their illegal tasks i.e. kidnapping Baptista and murdering Ernesto, as these gunmen can be linked back to a hitman, in which people who are wealthy [ the officials] can hire these people to commit illegal acts in order to let the wealthy people still retain their social status without getting their hands dirty. This social class had enjoyed the nobility over other social classes in South America. This relates back to these characters in the sense of them believing that they hold the same amount of importance as the officials due to the acts that they commit in the name of the law, and in doing this they are able to act how they please whilst appearing 'noble' to society for disposing of these 'subversive' people. For example, after murdering Ernesto and kidnapping Baptista, the gunmen proceed to say " Shut up you Bitch!". This quote clearly demonstrates the gunmen asserting their dominant power over a weak woman, due to the fact that firstly they are the superior gender, and secondly, in the eyes of the law they believe that they are not doing anything wrong due to the fact that they are preventing anymore 'dangerous' people from committing crimes.

.Mulattoes / Mestizos- Whilst this social class does not refer back to any of the characters within the play, A mother's voice, it still entails the significant amount of importance that could possibly lead to people within this class, gaining their way to Peninsulares. This is because this social class belongs to members of the lower class that were married to people in the Creoles group. The children that the couple would bear, would then be classified as Mualettoes and Mestizos. I believe that this links back to the missing children of Los Desaparecidos, where the pregnant women who went missing, would give birth and these children would be given to members of the patriarchy and people who were close to the members of this domestic society i.e. the people of Creoles social class group were friendly to the patriarchy, therefore them being given the missing children to raise as their own.

. Indio- This is the social class of that belongs to the characters in the play, including:
. Constantia
. Dream Mother
. Francisca
. Baptista
. Ernesto
. Maria
. Isabel
. Ramon
. The gossips
. The fishwives
This social class is formed of people who are for starters, typically indigenous. Also, these people were provided with fewer rights and had to stand by the authorities of society. This refers back to the previous characters listed due to the fact that they have all shared interactions in some way or other with the higher patriarchy in which they had faced social injustice. For example, Constantia faces social injustice when desperately trying to find her daughter, Baptista, and this is where she says the line " will you tell us". Here, she is remaining emotionally reliant on the dominant males [ which is precisely what society had expected of women to do when interacting with males, that they remain respectable and vulnerable to the more 'superior' gender]. Whilst Constantia has gained more independence at this point, she still remains fearful of the government and results to begging in order to gain some sort of sympathy from these officials where they will eventually cave and give her some useful information on the whereabouts of her daughter.

Another example of social injustice in which these characters are expected to abide by the rules and they are provided fewer rights is Baptista, who had been kidnapped by the two shadow figures who had murdered her love interest, Ernesto. As this had occurred, in the play there are more insinuations of rape and sexual assault at the end of the play from where the character is being held and she is also resulting to begging in order to suffice the minds of these higher men in power so that they stop hurting her. At this point in the play, it is made abundantly clear that she has her human rights taken away as she is being physically/mentally/emotionally injured by these men in higher authority. This is clear from when Baptista says the line " And they laugh. Laugh as they hurt me. Laugh as they touch me. Feel me. Ask if they like what I do. They are coming again. I want to die". This quote clearly implies that the character is suffering in a great deal of pain from her consent being withdrawn as she is restrained for the entertainment purposes of the higher men in power, in which they can inflict their power that is created on fear. This precise character has barely human rights as a woman already due to the fact that society had expected them to tend to their domestic duties as the 'lesser' gender in which they had to live up to the title of mother/wife, in which they are used for the main purpose of bearing children and keeping the household tidy, all without complaining and consistently remaining content in their lives.

Ramon was another character that had faced a lack of human rights from when he had been kidnapped and murdered by the higher patriarchy, alongside Ernesto, Ramon was also an activist against the corrupt justice system and as he had been founded out, the higher men in power did not want him to inflict any of these ideas on the rest of the community as they feared that they would then gin more independence and try to overthrow the government, which is precisely why they had begun to murder and kidnap anyone who was associated with these protestor/activist groups [ which is one of the main reasons as to why Baptista had been kidnapped, due to her involvement with Ernesto]. Whilst it is not technically revealed how the hierarchy had been treating Ramon when he had been incarcerated, the audience members are able to witness from Constantia's point of view how she believes he is being treated from her knowledge of the corrupt justice system and just how truly shady the higher men in power are. This is resembled in the scene: The picnic in the hills, where at first the audience members are at ease as they are witnessing a moment in which there is no tension and the characters are creating a joyful atmosphere by spending time together as a family. However, as this is only when Constantia is reminiscing, after thinking about the game of catch, in which Ramon is wearing a blindfold, her mind then differs to him in a different area where he is being held hostage and he says the line " Constantia! Constantia! Constantia!". From the use of exclamation marks, it had immediately indicated to me when reading through this scene that the atmosphere had changed as the character is expressing a sudden feeling of pain/despair/anger and when seeing the stage direction 'screaming', it was made clearer that Constantia had been trying to imagine what was happening to Ramon, where he was, and that her mind has clearly spiralled which had led her to feel in a more vulnerable state when trying to contain her emotions and hope that wherever he is, he will return soon.

The gossip characters and fishwives, whilst represented as the comical roles within the entire performance, they also convey how they are treated unfairly by these higher men in power from when they are discussing how Constantia is coping with the death of her husband and whilst they are witnessing this, they also reflect on how their lives are controlled by these higher men in power, that commit awful acts such as murdering Ramon, and they know this from the missing people that had suddenly disappeared for no reason, yet when asking around for them/information on them, the higher men in power turn a blind eye and refrain from helping anyone, which is what had led the community to suspect that it is the hierarchy is at fault for these disappearances. These characters whilst comical, also focus on the realistic side of the lives that they lead within society. An example of this is in the scene: The fishwives, where the character, Catalina, says " For us Carmen, it doesn't. The world is as it is. We cannot change it. For us there will always be peace in the next world, but this life is to be endured". I have used this quote in order to represent how the characters are well-aware of their place within society and how men assert their dominant power over them due to them being a part of the higher social class, and women being referred to as the 'lesser' gender. This character clearly expresses her views on  the current life that the women lead and how she is clearly aware that society's expectations have been put into place in order to refrain women from leading an independent life and so that they can endure a life that still permits men to control them in whatever way they please. Catalina, however, also represents her faith that in the afterlife, she will finally reach a state of peace/tranquillity in which she can live her life in whatever way she pleases without the fear of consequences from the hierarchy being enforced onto her.

. Negro- This social class is not represented in the play as the characters within A mother's voice are all mainly a part of the Indio group, where they were of a standard working class and they had to abide by society's rules in order to remain alive. However, this type of social class mainly consists of people who belong to an African ancestry, have a black skin appearance, and people from black ancestry. These people were also commonly descendants from African slavery social class. Throughout the years, these people were taken advantage of due to them not appearing 'right' in the eyes of society and mainly as their skin was different and nobody liked the fact that they looked different in comparison to the rest of society i.e. black people were thought to apparently carry diseases, etc.

. Slavery- These people were not freed and they were slave laborers to the highest class, Peninsulares, in which they would force these people to complete chores around the household i.e. cleaning, cooking, etc. These people were treated the same as the social class, Negros, in the sense that they were treated as if they were an abomination and were called many racial slurs, and also thought to be carrying diseases, etc. These slaves were relinquished of their human rights and were treated extremely poorly. These people had led miserable lives and often had suicidal thoughts as they would have rather died than live another day in their lives.

The Argentine social class begins with the government, which is the highest authority in the entire country, and this refers back to the play, as there is a clear portrayal of the hierarchy ruling over the entire community by using violence and aggression to make the community too fearful to stand united against the corrupt justice system. By doing this, the higher men in power were able to retain their power via using aggression and manipulation to remain dominant. The top three power rankings that this government use in order to remain in charge are reputation, expressiveness, and network. There are three primary roles that they use to assert their power within the community and these consist of information, roles, and resources. This democratic government is positively Catholic. The social government uses influential techniques, including:
. Socializing
. Appealing to relationships [ relating to family]
. Logical persuading
. Consulting
. Appealing to values
. Alliance building
. Exchanging
. Stating
. Modeling
. Legitimizing

More sources that are used by this government include:
. Character [ how people in the society should be expected to act and abide by the rules that have been set in place for them]
. Attraction[ the physical appearance of the community and how they represent their social class through clothing i.e. it was more common for women to wear embroidered flower patterns on their clothing if they were a part of the working class/middle class].
. History [ the contextual factors of how society had been led in previous years]

The social class system in Argentina is an exact representation of the structural breakdown that I have already written about regarding the South American social class system, however, this specific country is extremely dedicated to having the government as the top of the social classes due to the fact that the community favour regulations, rules, traditions, controls, and standards. This is mainly due to the fact that there is a greater group of Argentines who have voiced their opinion on valuing certainty and stability, therefore them speaking for the entire country. This specific group, much like the higher patriarchy in the play in terms of people gaining independence and standing against the corrupt justice system, they don't like change and refuse to accept it. People within this country value family and social relationships. Loyalty is an extremely important trait to have within this type of social class and this instantly refers back to my character's place within society in the play, as society holds a high expectation of women to be loyal to their husbands and family and refrain from disobeying their domestic duties and the rules set in place otherwise they will suffer from the consequences. Social classes in this country matter due to the fact that it affects the status of family relationships in which they must present power and social order to further represent their position in the eyes of society, in which they all abide by the rules set in place.

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The 10 Argentine traditions that will impress you - Exoticca Blog

Flag of Argentina: Meaning of Colors and History | Life Persona

Who created the flag of Argentina? – Easierwithpractice.com

Festivals in Cordoba | Spanish Fiestas (spanish-fiestas.com)

In order to gain more of a sense of the traditional background that my character, Dream Mother endeavours, I have decided to research into the traditions of Argentina so that I am able to link these back to the site-specific area, South America, where the play is set, specifically in the country, Argentina, and how these traditions are revealed in the play i.e. kissing strangers/family/friends as a form of greeting and linking this back to the play where Baptista and Ernesto kiss each other goodbye before establishing their relationship. By creating this piece of information, I have also been able to view how these facts relate back to the main family [ including my character, Dream Mother] and how by following some of these traditions, they express their admiration for their country, whilst, at the beginning of the play for certain characters, abiding by society's laws.

The Argentinian flag is a general representation of the sky with its pale blue and white tone stripes, and the celestial sun referring back to clear skies. This flag is one out of three national symbols that convey the Argentine Republic at an International level. This flag had been created by Manuel Belgrano, an Argentinian lawyer/ politician/ journalist/ economist/ diplomat/ and military soldier. It had been inspired by the colours of the rosette, which had been worn by army officers. This flag had first risen on the 27th of February in the year, 1812, in the city of Rosario which is one of the provinces in Santa Fe. These flag colours relate back to the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception [ a belief of the Roman Catholic church that Mary the virgin was free from sin due to her miracle conception]. This links back to the continent of South America due to the fact that it is known for having Christianity as it's highest religion with approximately 90% of the population being Christian and practicing this religion.

An example of an Argentinian tradition that I found in which I believe relates back to the play is that Argentinian people will commonly greet people by kissing them. For me personally, I had linked this back to the scene: Baptista and Ernesto, in which Baptista says the line " the answer is yes Ernesto" and after saying this. she quickly kisses him. Whilst this refers back to the blossoming relationship that is gradually being formed between these two characters, it also directly links back to the Argentinian tradition of greeting people with a kiss, and it is not only for friends/family, this tradition also applies to strangers.

Tango is the most common style of both dance and music in this country, Argentina, where it had been first created. Dance and music had been used to liftin people's spirits when having to life within the set rules enforced by the patriarchal society. Whilst it is not the specific style of dance that is represented in the performance, it still applies to the joyful atmosphere created in the scene of the script: The festival, in which the main family, alongside other villagers, dance together in celebration to help one another have a sense of joyfulness in their lives after having to endure painful memories, mainly revolving around the higher men in power who had kidnapped mainly innocent protestors/activists due to them taking a stand against the corrupt justice system. In this scene, the characters all dance together to deflect from the violence/ manipulation of the power of the patriarchy. Dance and music is also used at the end of the play, in a more sentimental aspect where every character dances for a missing person. By doing this, it links back to the Madres de la plaza de mayo, an all-feminine group that had danced for their missing loved ones in order to remember them and retain their faith that their loved ones are still alive.

It is highly common for people in Argentina to barbeque together and this is to further represent the strong bonds that the community has with one another whilst also expressing their adoration for meat. This specific fact refers back to the play in the sense of the community all forming together to express their despise against the corrupt justice system and their opinions on the patriarchy. For example, in the fishwives/ gossip scene in the play, they all comically gossip about dead husbands, until they mention Constantia and her misfortune of losing both Ramon and Baptista, where they then all slightly go silent and reminisce about how unfair the higher men in power are with how they manipulate their power.

Football is the strongest sport that Argentinians follow and it is almost as if it is a religion to them. However, it is celebrated differently in comparison to how other people celebrate it. Buenos Aires is the place in South America that holds the most football stadiums in the entire world and it also is home to one of the most rivalries of the sport, the Argentine Superclásico [ an extremely popular match that occurs on an annual basis] and  Boca Junior vs River Plate [ an intense sixteen round match between two of the most popular rival teams]. Whilst this serves as no relevance to the play, A mother's voice, it still expresses the admiration that people  in this country have for certain events i.e. possibly relating back to the festival scene where the community come together for the sole purpose of lifting each others spirits.

Share mate, a common tribute in Argentina in which the community has a specific drink that is traditionally made in the morning. This drink, again, also relates back to the community coming together, in the terms of the title referring back to the bonds created when drinking this type of beverage. The person who is nominated to drink the share mate first [cebador], it is tradition for them to drink out of it first as it is good manners and they are able to sense if it is too strong and/or too cold.

Argentines talk about politics in every conversation, no matter what conversation is brought up, they will indulge in political debates. I believe that this is specifically based on human rights that  the Argentines had gradually been given over the years from the patriarchy decreasing after the loss of their power from when the world had learned of Los Desaparecidos, in which the higher men in power had manipulated their power to kidnap/torture what they called 'subversives' which were activists/protestors against the corrupt justice system, and this had led to people refraining from involving themselves in any political issues, due to their fear of being kidnapped/tortured/ murdered by these higher men in power. However, after many years had passed and these people had gained independence, they are now free to voice their political opinions/views and will proceed to in any conversation possible.

Empanadas are a common dish that had first originated in Argentina. It is essentially a pastry turnover that is either baked or fried and filled with a great variety of different savoury ingredients. A common filling for an empanada is cheese. This relates back to the play, A mother's voice, in the concept of both Constantia and Dream Mother tending to their domestic duties as mothers in which there are references from both of these characters regarding food and due to the fact that they are both traditional patriotic women in this play, I believe that it is highly likely that they would be preparing a traditional meal, which will then link back to how obeying they are of society's rules in which they abide by their domestic duties. For example, whilst in the scene: The picnic in the hills, Dream Mother refers to the picnic food, it does not necessarily convey in the dialogue what type of food it might be. Similarly, with Constantia in the second scene: Absence and loss, she helps Isabel to prepare dinner and whilst there is a hint of comical effect in which they discuss how the meal had nearly burned, there is also no insinuation to what the dish actually is.

Alaforjes are a common sweet that is beloved by many young people in this country. It is a dish that consists of two circular cookies that are made with wheat, flour, and butter. The centre is then filled with a sweet caramel paste.

People in Argentina traditionally eat dinner at midnight and this is due to the fact that they lead hectic lives during the day in which they have many tasks/errands to complete before allowing themselves to have a moment's rest. This relates back to A mother's voice in the concept of the second scene: Absence and loss, in which this is the only moment within the play where the audience members witness the main family sharing a meal in the evening and I believe that this is a significant moment as it also represents how the family as a whole are coming together to support their mother, Constantia, whilst she is in denial and stress from the lack of presence from her husband, Ramon, as he had gone missing. Within this scene, whilst Francisca begins to cause an argument with her mother, it shortly is cut as the family is praying for Ramon to come back home safely.

Finally, in Argentina, it is highly common for many festivals and carnivals to occur. An example of this is Córdoba, a city in the centre of Argentina that holds various festivals including the following:

Semana Santa- this is a festival that is dedicated to Holy Week. The sacraments usually take place every evening in the week that leads up to Easter Sunday in which the entire city join together. It is a religious affair that is also an annual attraction for worldwide visitors.

Cruces de Mayo-  at the beginning of may, large crosses that are decorated completely with flowers are placed in the squares of this city in which a temporary bar that includes loud speakers is also put up. Sherry, beers, and tapas are made and shared amongst the entire community where they all dance to Sevillianas music.

Fiesta de los Patios- Also at the beginning of may, there is a competition to see and find the city’s most beautiful and picturesque patios which also offer tourists and visitors the chance to visit private courtyards of some of the contestants in this competiton.

La Feria de Córdoba- This festival occurs at the end of may in which people visit ‘casetas’ which are open to the public. The venue for this precise festival is a grand fairground which is located next to the El Arenal football stadium. This event is focused on Sevillanas music, flamenco dancing , tapas and various different wines.

Festival de la Guitarra- this festival occurs on the first fortnight of July and it is an international guitar festival which is highlighted as one of the most important events to attend on the city’s summer events calendar. Aside from songs being performed by well-known artists, there are also training courses offered for guitar lessons and flamenco dancing lessons.

This specific fact is important due to the fact that it relates back to the scene: The festival, in the concept of how these specific parties are created to have a sense of fulfilling people's lives with joy and fun and to differ from any past trauma or pain. This relates mainly back to Constantia as she had attended the festival, alongside her family, in the hopes that Ramon would show up and they would be reunited with each other, however in this scene, she also dances alongside her dances and for a few seconds, she appears happy once again and she is able to derive from the fear of the patriarchy and the hold that they have over the community by manipulating their authority in power with the use of violence and threatening. In this moment, the community is united together and they are able to help each other forget any negative feelings/thoughts and to truly indulge in the joyful atmosphere.

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Recently, I have been researching into the type of costume that I believe will best suit my character from the research that I have looked into regarding the context behind my character, Dream Mother. I have then applied this to the lighting that will be used within the play and discussed potential options with my lecturer, Emma. When doing this, we have found that the shade white might not be the best option due to the fact that it will not necessarily convey the meaning that I had intended to display in relation to my character.

For example, I initially want to reveal how the colour white reflects on the peace and tranquillity that Dream Mother is able to finally feel after indulging in the reality that she has tried to push away for a long period of time, and by doing this it has also helped to comfort her with losing her soulmate, Ramon. I thought that this would also be effective in foreshadowing the final feeling of peace that both Dream Mother and Constantia are able to feel after allowing Ramon to be put to rest. This is due to the fact that at the beginning of the play, these two characters are presented as being in a state of denial and further differing from reality in order to retain their beliefs that Ramon is still alive.

In order to solve this issue, I am intending on looking into different kinds of intricately detailed pattern skirts so that I am able to represent the context behind the fashion of what women would wear in South America during the 70s/80s, and this would be so that I am able to portray to the audience members how my character's physical appearance clearly refers back to the perfect 'image' that society had expected of women, in which they would wear off-shoulder tops and long skirts.

This would then also clearly link back to Dream Mother's persona, of appeasing to society's expectation of women holding onto their traditional values of respecting their motherland and wearing traditional clothing to further establish this [therefore also linking back to the domestic duties that my character follows on a regular basis as both a mother and wife]. Ideally, I would look for something that includes a repetitive floral pattern as this was a common style for women's fashion in South America in the 70s, as it would also convey more of their femininity. I will also take into consideration how this will effect the blue lighting that will be used in the land of the dead scenes [where my character is based for the entirety of the performance].

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After having a brief discussion with my lecturer on the items of clothing that I had selected for the purpose of representing the persona of my character in the play, A mother's voice, we were in agreement of not having white be a part of this due to the fact that blue lighting will be consistently used throughout the time that my character is on stage and this will greatly affect the colour and make the white appear blue, therefore no longer serving the purpose in relating back to my characters traits.

However, when researching into colour representation in the continent, South America, I had found that purple is more noticeable as the theme of death and if the blue light was to reflect on these three chosen skirts in the image above, it would simply make it appear purple. By doing this, it links back to my character's purpose within the play, which is to physically represent the five stages of grief that Constantia is suffering from when searching for her missing husband, Ramon. This is beneficial for the development of my character, as it will convey to the audience members that she is unable to mentally and physically cope without the presence of Ramon in her life, therefore linking back to when Constantia is dreaming about reuniting with Ramon in her dreams, and in doing so she is differing from reality further and allowing grief to consume her. The audience members will be able to recognize the connection shared between Dream Mother and Constantia from this colour as it will refer back to the land of the dead  [ where the dead/ Los Desaparecidos/ ghosts reside] and as purple represents death, there will be a physical contrast that separates the personalities of Constantia and Dream Mother.

These three skirts have been selected on the basis of the length, in which it is contextually relevant to the fact that married women/widows would wear ankle-length skirts to remain respectable in society and to be devoted to their husbands, as to make simply clear that their body belongs only to their husband's. Secondly, these skirts include the colour, blue, which I had found resembles mourning in South America, and in the same aspect of the use of the colour purple, it resembles my character's great despair when trying to cope with her grief as she desperately tries to bring him back to reality with her. However, the colour blue is different in the concept of Dream Mother mourning for Ramon on multiple accounts whilst also trying to believe that he is alive at the same time [ two different parts of her mindset functioning at the same time i.e. reality trying to get her to recognize that Ramon is dead, and the other side getting her to retain her faith that he is alive]. For example, when she says the line " where are you going, Ramon? come back to me. come back to us. We need you Ramon" in the opening scene, this conveys that whilst the character is holding out hope that he will return home with her, Dream Mother has already started mourning for him as she relies on him comforting her so that she can remain in a clear mental state and at this point, the character begins to get more hysterical as she cannot mentally cope with losing him again and she is then resulting to mourning for him in the hopes that he will return back to her.

I have purposely selected these skirts that include a pattern due to the fact that from the previous contextual research that I have found regarding traditional clothing that, typically mothers would wear in this continent, it relates directly back to the idea of my character being the 'perfect' image of how society had expected women to act in which they are very feminine [ hence the history of embroidered floral patterns] and that they tend to their domestic duties and abide by society's rules. With these particular patterns, they follow the same concept of using the pattern of floral embroidery patterns, to make women appear more feminine and further represent the social class of these characters.

I still intend on wearing a black embroidered floral top so that I can relate this back to the social class of my character, in which people who were typically of lower classes such as working-class/impoverished would have embroidered floral patterns on their clothing to convey their femininity. By using black, I also feel that alongside the colours of purple and blue, I will be able to clearly reveal that Dream Mother is merely a figment of Constantia's imagination and that she is not associated with reality, in which she remains in the land of the dead. The style of the top that I  want to wear for the purpose of this role [off-shoulder top] is also historically accurate for women in this continent, as it was a traditional style, typically for women in their 20s/30s [ around Dream Mother's age in the play], alongside they would wear this with a long skirt and brown sandals.

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Rendition (2007) - Plot Summary - IMDb

(21) Rendition Trailer [HD] - YouTube

(21) Rendition - Ending Scene (HD) - YouTube

Kidnapped by the CIA: The case of Khaled el-Masri | Highlights | DW | 06.04.2022

Rendition Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

Story Types, Plot Types, Themes, Genres & MORE | Script Mag - Script Magazine

This 2007 Drama/thriller genre film, whilst not based in South America, follows the same storyline of both my character, Dream Mother, and the main character, Constantia, in the concept of Isabella Fields [ the main female lead of the film] desperately searching for her missing husband, Anwar, who was trying to journey back to his family on a plane. However, as he tries to board the plane, two mysterious men with black masks on, seize him and he is kidnapped and taken to a remote area where the audience members witness him being tortured due to these higher people in power suspecting him of being a terrorist, mainly from the discreet phone calls that the people had tracked from his phone for a matter of months.

The reason for his kidnap is due to the fact that there were assumptions from the higher authority individuals that he was the reason for the bombing in South Africa that had killed an American messenger/representative. This links back to Anwar due to the fact that it was believed to be an Egyptian act of terrorism and as he was prepared to board a plane as soon as this event had occurred, the American C.I.A operatives had immediately made the assumption that Anwar was hatching his escape plan, whereas in true fact he had been returning to his family in the U.S. from a conference in Cape Town, Africa [ where the bombing had occurred]. During the time of his kidnap, he is consistently observed by an American C.I.A operative [ Douglas Freeman] where he debates whether or not to keep Anwar hostage due to his true story about what he had been doing at the time of the terrorist event and why he was in Cape Town. However, this operative also views this as Anwar creating a realistic storyline so that he is able to escape from the law and commit more dangerous acts as a terrorist. This is precisely why Anwar is held hostage for longer, as this operative cannot decide what to believe and resorts to more extreme measures to search for the final truth i.e. torturing Anwar to get him to tell the honest truth. The target of the terrorist bomb attack was Abasi, [ the main interrogator] yet he was left unharmed. The reason behind the telephone calls that had been tracked on Anwar's phone was because of a known terrorist called Rashid, who had placed several calls to his phone, and when viewing this, the America C.I.A had assumed that the two of them had implemented a plan to commit this act of terrorism together. However, it is later disclosed in the film that it was highly common in South Africa for people to pass phones on within drug trades/guerrillas/etc, and whilst Anwar is not aware of these phone calls being sent to him due to his phone being turned off, the C.I.A. still keep him hostage with the knowledge of this fact.

When Isabella, Anwar's pregnant wife, gathers that something terrible has happened from when she is waiting for her husband at the airport with their young child, she begins to feel more concern as she sees everyone else who had boarded the plane, leave the airport, and he is still nowhere to be seen. A few hours/days pass and as her concern begins to grow further, Isabella reaches out to the senator to find the whereabouts of her husband. When doing this, she finds out that he is being held just outside of the U.S. in a remote location and that they are doing this because they believe he is involved in terrorism/ that he is a terrorist. Heartbroken after this tragic news, Isabella sets out and is determined to bring her husband back after deriving from these false accusations and demands that this act of social injustice is stopped whilst she repetitively asks where her husband is. This is similar to A mother's voice, in the concept of Constantia asking the officials where her daughter Baptista, is being held and unlike her, the officials could not care less about a missing person's report due to them being the pure reason for the Los Desaparecidos.

Rendition is defined in the eyes of the law as the surrender by a state of a fugitive to another state and charging said fugitive with a crime. This applies to Anwar specifically due to the fact that he is thought to be a potential fugitive if admitting what the American C.I.A had thought he had done i.e. that he was the terrorist who had set off the bomb. This  is precisely why they are interrogating him in a remote area so that they can inculpate Anwar with the charges that would be held in this situation.

This film is based on the true story of Khaled El-Masri, a German citizen who was kidnapped by the C.I.A. This individual had been kidnapped from a bus stop near the Macedonian border and was flown to a prison near Kabul, Afghanistan. This had been due to the fact that the C.I.A had suspected that he was a member of Al-Qaeda [ an Islamic military fundamentalist group]. However, this was actually a mistaken identity. After he had been released from his kidnappers, Khalid had gone public with his personal story, and thanks to him sharing this,  the U.S. intelligence community's post- 9/11 rendition program had come to light. Years after his kidnapping, El- Masri had demanded an apology for the pain that he had endured and to be able to restore his dignity. Both of the U.S. and the German governments had refrained from addressing his allegations. El- Masri becomes an arsonist after the trauma that he endures and he is sent to prison for a total of five years, after committing the illegal act of beating the mayor of Neu-Ulm. After finishing his sentence, he leaves Germany. In the year, 2012, December, the European court of Human Rights, located in Strasbourg, El-Masri's  performance to the C.I.A as a violation of his human rights. Macedonia had been ordered to pay 60,000 euros as compensation for this individuals pain and suffering.

The main themes in this film include:

. injustice - This is mainly applied to the male character [ Anwar El- Ibrahami] when he experiences injustice from the fact that he has been held hostage and physically abused by the American C.I.A due to them suspecting that he might be the terrorist who had orchestrated the attack in Cape Town, Africa, after suddenly trying to board a plane to the U.S.A and after supposedly being in contact with a well-known terrorist, Rashid.

. Terrorism- This, alongside the theme of injustice, is one of the main themes within the play where based on one cruel act in which there is a bomb explosion, Anwar faces the punishment for this action as he is suspected to be the person who had orchestrated the attack, whereas in true fact he was trying to return home to the family that was waiting for him at the airport, after a conference in the same location where this saddening event had occurred Cape Town, South Africa. In the play, there are repetitive references to Anwar being a terrorist and the C.I.A are conflicted on whether he is telling the truth or not.

. Family- This precise theme is presented when Isabella is portraying the purpose that she serves in the film, where she is independently searching for her husband and demanding answers from the C.I.A about his whereabouts/ if she can contact him/ how long they are holding him for, etc. She fixates on reuniting her family altogether and making sure that her children have a father, and her newborn baby still has that parental role as a part of her life. Isabella holds a close relationship with her husband and refrains from refusing to back down the fight of trying to find her husband.

. Retribution- This theme links back to the theme, of injustice, in which the interrogators had used various forms of torture and punishment to get Anwar at a vulnerable point where he will be forced to reveal the apparent 'truth'. This is a main theme due to the fact that it represents how cruel the justice system had been when immediately resulting to accusing Anwar of acts of terrorism rather than allowing him to explain his situation, as he had immediately been kidnapped from the airport rather than simply restrained and he was prevented from entering the country that his wife lives in.

The main key factors that separate and compare this film from/to the play, A mother's voice, include:

. Separate: Towards the end of the film, the audience members witness Anwar reuniting with his wife and their children after a CIA agent helps him to discreetly board a ship that was heading to the U.S. Whereas in the play, A mother's voice, Constantia is not fortunate enough to reunite with her daughter or her husband as she has already found Ramon [ her husband] dead, in the scene: The river of death, in which she screams his name and begins to mourn him and let her buried emotions out. With Baptista however, she is still holding onto her hope by consistently searching for her and believing that it is possible that she might be in a detention centre [ due to the fact that she was aware that anyone who was associated with a protestor/activist i.e. Ernesto, would most likely be sent here].

. Similar: In this film and the play, A mother's voice, Isabella and Dream Mother are both mothers who are trying to reunite their families once again whilst asserting their mindsets in searching for their husbands. Whilst Dream Mother is reliant on her husband for all of the support due to him being the superior gender and the most respected member of the family [ as he is the man of the house], this precise character is in a vulnerable state for the most time that the audience members watch her in specific scenes and this is also due to the fact that Dream Mother is a patriotic woman who still tends to her domestic duties whilst her husband is missing. However, on the repetitive times that both she and Ramon embrace and reunite, Dream Mother urges him to return to the land of the living with her so that they can be a close-knit family once again. Aside from this, the character, Isabella, is more independent [ due to the film being set in modern society and women having more rights in comparison to the play, A mother's voice, in which men were still held at a higher importance than women] and asserts herself in ensuring that her husband is brought back safely.

. Separate: In this film, Isabella can not see her husband and embrace/feel him until the end of the film when he is finally able to return home after the long journey that he has experienced to escape from his hostages. This is what allows her to feel more dedicated to finding him, as she is filled with anger and despair at the loss of his presence in her life and her children's lives. However, as Dream Mother is able to interact with Ramon, vocally and physically, she relies on him more to return back to reality with her, and when he tries to explain that he plans on remaining in the land of the dead, this character begins to act hysterically at the thought of losing Ramon permanently and having to face reality finally.

. Similar: Both Isabella and Dream Mother, grieve for their husbands as they wait for the moment in which they can embrace them and become a family again. Whilst Isabella does not necessarily go through the stages of grief, she grows more emotional as she can not have her husband there with her in her time of need [as she is pregnant with their second child whilst having to look after their first child alone] and she can sense the pain that he is feeling from being detached from his family due to an act of social injustice. This character clearly establishes the stage of anger where she directly speaks to the American C.I.A and demands to know where her husband is. Similarly, in the opening scene of A mother's voice, the tension begins to grow at a rapid pace when Dream Mother portrays how she is in a state of denial and refuses to believe that her husband is dead, and when the voices/ghosts try to make her see the reality of the situation, the character proceeds to get more frustrated, an example of this is when she says " No I will not listen to you. Get out of my dreams you don't belong here. I don't want you here. The whispers mean nothing, I'll not listen". This quote links back to Isabella in the concept of the character talking directly to the main antagonist whilst in a state of anger.

. Separate: Whilst this film is set in different site-specific areas including South Africa [ where Anwar is being held captive] North America [Washington where the family all live together]. In contrast, A mother's voice has only one constant location, which is South America [Argentina].

(21) Electric shock in interrogation! Whether Anwar would confess everything - YouTube- This moment had particularly stood out for me the most as these cruel forms of torture that were used to get Anwar to tell the truth on his whereabouts at the time of the terrorist attack. During this, he endures manly painful forms of punishment inflicted by the main interrogator, including being electrically shocked, so that they are able to torture the pain out of Anwar and get him to admit the apparent 'truth'. When doing this, as Anwar is in a vulnerable state from the amount of pain that he has experienced, he opens up about the chemical composition that he had apparently discussed with a supplier that was arranging to meet him after his conference. When viewing this scene at first, I felt that Anwar was lying for the sake of letting the interrogator hear what he wants to know and not what had actually happened as in true fact, Anwar's phone was off, and did not contact anyone when this was occurring and he was actually attending a conference on his job as a Chemical engineer.

Contextually speaking, this refers back to the domestic patriarchy in Argentina during the 70s in which they had  created prisons/detention centres to hold activists/protestors/ those associated with these types of people, etc who had taken a stand against the corrupt justice system, and in doing so, they had decreased the power of authority that was used by the higher men in power. This had been done so that it was made impossible for these people to encourage others to take a stand against the patriarchy and therefore, the rest of the community had resulted to abiding by the rules that society had inflicted on them, as they were fearful of what could potentially happen to them if they were to take a stand against those in higher authority. The people who were imprisoned had greatly suffered both mental and physical abuse in which they had endured many forms of punishment, which also link back to what is happening to Anwar in the film. This had included:

. Electrically shocking inmates to get information on the other activists/protestors that they know who are possibly in hiding. To reveal future plans and intentions against the patriarchy, etc.

. Physical abuse would be used also for the same reason as electrically shocking the inmates, however, the higher men in authority would indulge in abusing these individuals for the purpose of their own amusement and to increase the image that they hold of violence/power.

. Personal belongings and items of clothing had been physically torn apart/cut up to further depress the inmates and to cut of their ties with their own personalities and the connections that they had held to reality.

. Inmates had been repetitively malnourished with the lack of food that they had received and they had also been severely dehydrated due to the inhumane acts of the higher men in power. There would be times when there was no reasoning behind this act, it was simply for the sheer pleasure and entertainment of the men witnessing these inmates struggle.

I believe that these factors also refer back to the play, A mother's voice, as whilst not all of them are necessarily represented in the dialogue, there are various indications of Baptista having to endure certain types of punishment similar to these when she is kidnapped by the two shadow men characters and taken to a remote area in which she is simply being left to die after all the torture that she has suffered from. By revealing this, I am able to connect the storyline of the film with the play in regards to the context behind the torture that Anwar endures and also what Ramon/Baptista/Ernesto experience at the hands of the higher men in power. For example, towards the end of the play, Baptista says the line " oh my lord, help me. Bring me to my mother's arms. To my love's sweet embrace. I am hurting. God I am hurting. I hurt so much". This quote has been extracted from the scene: The search/ the prison, and it reveals how Baptista is in physical and emotional pain as she reminisces about the affection that she had once shared with her soulmate, Ernesto, prior to his death and the longing urge to be protected by the one parental role that is alive and that has always ensured that she is kept out of harm's way when she was growing up i.e. her mother Constantia. From another quote in this scene, where Baptista says "Please leave me alone. Don't touch me. Please. Please, I am hurting so much. Is there anyone there? Is there anyone the...". This quote then is used as a form of justification to represent how not only is the character emotionally hurting from the loss of Ernesto and the need for her mother, but she is clearly in physical pain that has been inflicted by these officials as prior to her being kidnapped, there was no disclosure of Baptista being in pain at all, therefore representing how she had succumbed to the same forms of punishment as Anwar. This is also represented in the stage direction where the quote stops and Baptista then screams in pain, which will entail to the audience members that the character is suffering from physical pain that is being enforced by these controlling higher men in power.

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This week, I intend on finalizing my decision for my costume choices and I plan  on sharing them with my lecturer and assistant director to gain confirmation on whether or not they also believe that it will benefit the persona of my character and how her traits will refer back to the physical appearance of her and how the audience members will then view this.

Prior to this set goal, I have created a mood board on the basis of what I believe my character would wear, due to her being the past representative of the main character, Constantia. In this, I have also included the contextual history of fashion that was commonly worn in the continent, South America, and when doing this I have found descriptive information that relates back to the lower classes, and what they had worn in order to appeal to society's image of being an 'advocate' for the population and motherland.

For example, women who were a part of the working class would sew embroidered floral patterns onto their drab pieces of clothing, and whilst this is due to the fact that they were living a hand-to-mouth lifestyle and could not afford any expensive materials, these patterns were still used to resemble the femininity of the women and their dedication to their lifestyle as the 'lesser' gender. I would ideally want to include this in my costume due to the fact that not only does it represent how my character is a traditional woman and abides by the rules that society has set for this gender, but it also conveys the social class that she belongs to in the performance.

By doing this, I have been able to apply this research towards the goal that I hope to achieve this week by recognizing the types of patterns I would incorporate into my character's costume in order to further resemble her personality. An example of this is from the traditions that I have found in the country that the play is based around  [Argentina], where the traditional flower is called a 'ceibo' which is a red shade. From looking into this, I feel that it would be beneficial for this pattern to be presented on my character's costume to further resemble just how dedicated she is to her motherland as a mother and wife when tending to her domestic duties.

To achieve this goal to a higher standard, I intend on discussing costume ideas in terms of similarities with my peer Mia, who is playing the role of Constantia, so that we can both represent to the audience members the link between Dream Mother and Constantia, which is that my character is the past representative of Constantia, in which she represents the emotions that the character has buried when trying to cope with the grieving of her husband, Ramon. Dream Mother's journey is in relation to the five stages of grief that she must cope with to face reality and then allow Constantia to accept the fate that lies in front of her i.e. putting Ramon's spirit and body to rest. Prior to this set goal, I have already had a discussion with my lecturer in terms of lighting for the play, and this is that where my character is based [the land of the dead] onstage, will have blue lighting in order to resemble mourning and the grief that my character feels when trying to differ from reality. In terms of this, I have already thought about using white for my character, in order to reflect on the blue lighting and to then make it appear blue to the eyes of the audience.

After completing this goal, I plan on setting myself the new task of choosing hair and makeup to also fit the description that I have created for my character's physical appearance. By doing this, I will be able to create a physical representation of my character and then have an easier understanding as to how her appearance will clearly give the audience members an indication of the traditional values that she holds throughout the duration of the performance.

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Shoe ideas for my character's costume 16.04.22

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Shoe ideas for my character's costume 16.04.22

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ASOS DESIGN Wide Fit Florentine woven leather sandals in tan | ASOS

Cuccoo Open Toe Strappy Sandals | SHEIN UK

Leather 2 Part Sandals | Boohoo UK

Buy Friends Like These Leather Toe Post Flat Sandal from the Next UK online shop

For my character's costume, I have decided to create a mood board on a few shoe options that I have chosen specifically for my character as I believe that they are able to represent discreet details on the persona of my role [ Dream Mother] and her relation to the character, Constantia. For example, prior to creating this piece, I had written up some research on how I personally believe Constantia and Dream Mother are representatives of the lower class and I have found this from the staging that is used within the play to resemble the site-specific area in which the characters are acting in. Also, I have previously used a key quote that Baptista [Constantia's second-oldest daughter] had used in a scene when talking with Ernesto on the issues surrounding the corrupt justice system, in a piece of my research work to further justify my belief in the character's entire family being of the standard working-class standard, just simply from this character's point of view as she states that she was able to provide an impoverished boy with food on a regular basis before/after getting the bus, which then reveals how her family had enough money just to keep them above the line of poverty, and this is where I had assumed that they would be living in a hand to mouth lifestyle in which they had become a part of the working class. When researching into this, I had then looked into the clothing that had been worn in South America, specifically to this social class group, so that I could create a generalized image of how I want to portray my character, Dream Mother.

Whilst it is unlikely that the audience members will witness this specific piece of costume due to the fact that I will be wearing an ankle-length skirt to refer back to the contextual information on the continent, South America, in which it was common for women to traditionally wear these skirts to remain respectable in the eyes of society and as to not be distracting and disobeying to the superior gender, males.

When researching into the context behind women's fashion in South America, I had found that it was highly common for people in the lower class to wear sandals, due to them not being able to afford any other type of shoe, except for a woman being able to purchase some worn down flats possibly, and I believe that these sandal options will benefit me when picturing the whole attire put together for my character as I am already aware of her personality from the research that I have found regarding the role and I have noticed in the script that she is quite a traditional woman due to the fact that she abides by society's law of completing her domestic duties on a regular basis [ this is represented in the scene, the picnic in the hills, where Dream Mother is caring for her children whilst entertaining them and ensuring that everyone is taken care of, whilst also putting their emotions above her own willingly]. As she is also a mother, I have researched into what females who hold this title within the working class would wear [ footwear wise] in South America.

This is why I had looked into sandals that have a simplistic appearance, so as to not also distract from the other main parts of the costume, including the skirt which links directly back to the social class of the character [ from the embroidered pattern] and what my character represents [ in the sense of using red for my skirt to link back to Dream Mother retaining her faith as a Christian that her husband will return back to reality with her and the blue lights that will affect this costume, therefore turning it into a purple shade to the eyes of the audience members and by doing this, it will refer back to the contextual fact of purple being a representation for death in South America, which relates to my character as the purpose of her journey is to overcome the five stages of grief and allow her husband to be put at rest in peace].

I have selected a brown colour to link back to the simplicity of this part of my character's costume and by doing this, I can then allow the audience members to fixate on the meaning behind the patterns that will be revealed on my final chosen top and skirt for the role of Dream Mother. Many of the selected shoes have a different style so that when I decide on what skirt and top to wear whilst in the role of my character, I am able to compare these shoe options with the outfit in order to see how it all fits together.  I do intend on having a buckle strap type of shoe so that I can assure myself that it will remain secure throughout the duration of the performance and still allow me to present my character's physicality with a strong grip on the feet. Finally, I have looked into a low price range of under/at £20 so that I am still also able to purchase the other items necessary for the physical appearance of my character i.e. the top and skirt.

For me personally when looking through all of these images, I am more drawn to the gladiator style brown sandal as I feel that it greatly represents the image that I had created in my head for my character's costume in which Dream Mother is similar to Constantia in the sense of being a part of the working class. When looking into the meaning behind this type of shoe, so that I cold have a further insight of how it links back to my character, I had found this website: What Are Gladiator Sandals? – Slippers Owner which states that this precise style of shoe represents courage and strength.

I feel that this applies to my character as she is gradually portraying her acceptance with losing her husband, Ramon, as she copes with the five stages of grief throughout the duration of the play. By doing this, it portrays the strength that Dream Mother has to accept the fact that she is now a single mother, which meant that she would be looked on down by society and she had differed from the lifestyle that she had been taught to live from a young age, it also reveals how courageous she is as it was highly uncommon for a woman to raise children as a single mother, due to the fact that they were viewed as the 'lesser' gender and how reliant they were on men. In the scene, The river of death, after Ramon says the line "I will not be coming home Constantia", my character then proceeds to respond with " I know Ramon", which then further elaborates on the strength that she has built up in comparison to how the audience had first encountered Dream Mother in the opening scene of the play, in which she had remained in a hysterical and vulnerable state when differing from reality and trying to keep a hold of her husband's spirit.

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Due to the fact that my character, Dream Mother, is minimalistic as she is the past representative of Constantia, and in the script she is seen mainly embracing one character, her demised husband, Ramon, there is certainly a lack of use in props for this specific character as I am more reliant on the physicality/vocality of this role to convey to the audience members the purpose behind the role of Dream Mother within the storyline of the play.

However, as my character appears in the scene 'The picnic in the hills', there are a few lines in this part of the play that clearly represent the need for props in order to develop a sense of realism for the audience members that the characters are in true fact, having a picnic together as a family. For example, as my character says the line "Now enough of this nonsense. Will this be good enough for our picnic?". From the use of the words ' will this' it is made clear that my character will be gesturing over to an item/prop to enhance the sense of realism within the scene in which Dream Mother is concerned and asking for reassurance from her husband on whether or not she has brought enough food to provide her family with. By doing this, it then clearly establishes her being a traditional woman in the eyes of society, in wish she tends to the domestic duty of providing for her children whilst also still relying on a male to ensure that she is living up to her duty as a mother.

In this scene, myself and the other characters acting in this part of the performance will need the following:
. Picnic blanket
. Cutlery
. Picnic basket
. Food [ I am not too sure whether or not this will be important, but, I have researched into types of traditional food in South America so that I could further establish how Dream Mother intends on remaining in society's image of the 'perfect' woman, in which she remains traditional and tries to further perfect her domestic duties as a mother of preparing a great amount of food that will be sufficient for her husband and children. This is why I had used this link: An Introduction to South American Food (thespruceeats.com) , just in case it would be beneficial for the scene.

Also, to represent that my character is married to Ramon, I will be needing to find a ring in order to disclose to the audience members the relationship that they share with each other in the play and how this links directly back to the dialogue that is shared between them in the scenes where they embrace with each other and interact. For this prop, I will be looking mainly on the website, SHEIN, which sells low-priced jewellery, including rings, and from looking onto this website for my character's costume, I had found that there are also various options of rings that I feel would again represent the social class of my character, in the sense of the family not having enough money to afford any grand pieces of jewellery. Previously, I have found simplistic rings on this website that I believe would suffice the image that I have created for the physical appearance of my character.

Rhinestone Decor Cuff Ring | SHEIN UK- I personally like this specific piece of jewellery as it is quite simplistic and would not distract the audience members from the main parts of the costume i.e. the patterns of the skirt and top. Whilst it is a small part of my character's costume, I still feel that it highlights the importance of Dream Mother's backstory, in which she is experiencing the five stages of grief as she mourns her husband, Ramon, in which she would still cling onto objects such as this to retain her faith that Ramon was still alive i.e. clinging onto her stage of denial as she did in the first and second scene.

Regarding the props that I have previously listed, I plan on discussing with my lecturer if all of these props are necessary/ what to add if anything is missing, and how I have been able to link it back to the social class of the characters that will enhance the realistic atmosphere for the audience members when watching this specific and scene in which they will indulge in the happy and joyful relationships being shared between the entire family, which will then differ from the points of tension that the audience members have witnessed prior to this scene.

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When researching into the beauty standards of this specific continent throughout the years, I had found that due to the fact that the first people who had first resided in South America were that of indigenous tribes, it is highly common that tribal makeup is worn and this is due to the traditions of the indigenous tribes and the meanings behind them I.e. how certain patterns defined each group.

In celebrations and festivals, such as La Carnaval, an annual festival that occurs in South America's largest country,  Brazil, makeup is worn excessively along with jewels and accessories to represent the tradition of people's gratitude to their motherland. The colour, red, has been used in many of these tribal makeup looks in the mood board above, as this precise colour represents faith and religion in South America, which is crucially important for this continent as over 90% of their population is religious, with the main followed religion being Christianity/ Roman Catholic.

(25) Argentina (Mariela) | 100 Years of Beauty - Ep 24 | Cut - YouTube -I had found this specific website link that portrays the makeup that women in Argentina had worn throughout the years. This had mainly consisted of women wearing bold red lipstick which was a common makeup look that was used for tango dancers, and as this dance is one of the most common styles of entertainment that had originated specifically from Argentina. When looking into the 70s ( the time era that the play is set) I had seen that the women was wearing a pale blue eyeshadow and a pale lip colour. Whilst this is contextually the look of what women would wear during this time period, I do not think that this is best suited for my character as I have been developing her persona throughout this rehearsal process and she is clearly traditional in her abiding by society’s rules, which mainly includes her domestic duties as a mother and wife, which is why I feel she wouldn’t waste her time with a makeup look such as this and she would much rather wear traditional clothing to represent her dedication to society as representing their image of the ‘perfect’ woman.

Whilst I am not specifically interested in having my character wear these tribal patterns with her makeup , I have still created this mood board to represent the context behind the original makeup that had been used in this specific area. Regarding my character, as I have previously looked into the character’s dialogue and I am aware that she is both a mother and wife, I feel that she would have a neutral makeup look to reveal that she is more naturally content on providing for her family rather than wasting her time on applying makeup to her face. However, in the second scene of the play: Absence and loss, as Constantia is talking to Baptist’s about the dreams that she has been having, she refers back to the description of Dream Mother, as her always being young and having soft skin. In order to present to the audience members that both Dream Mother and Constantia are the same person, I intend on having more of a natural makeup look to also portray this description in a physical aspect. By doing this, it will also allow the audience members to focus on what the pattern behind my characters costume entails and how it is contextually relative to the backstory of the play.

October is also a common time in which many individuals wear makeup in South America to celebrate the Day of the dead, a Catholic holiday that is usually celebrated in Latin America in which people honour the memory of their deceased loved ones. This holiday is celebrated as a festival as to liften people's spirits and as to not dwell too much on death, whilst still remaining respectable and understanding what death means and also ensuring that they celebrate that. It is used to celebrate the lives of their loved ones. This is why people typically dress up as skeletons by wearing decorative face paint to also relate back to the traditional patterns in this continent I.e. using flowers on clothing and makeup. Jewels are also included to bring more attention to this precise style of makeup.

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Context behind the theme of faith 14.04.22

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Context behind the theme of faith 14.04.22

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As I had researched into the plot of the play, A mother's voice, to understand the concept of what it is specifically about in regards to the site-specific area, South America, I had found that there are various hints of the theme: faith, that is used within the play. When finding this out, I had researched into contextual factors of the continent to get a more in-depth understanding of how this is historically accurate, and whilst I was doing this, I had found the fact that over 90% of the continent's population follows the religion, Christianity.

When viewing this, I was able to establish how this then links to the domestic duties that my character follows as she is consistently wanting to appease to society's image of the 'perfect' woman, in which she respects her motherland and the history of the continent, South America, by also ensuring that she abides by the patriarchy's rules that they have set in place so that she is able to still remain the 'lesser' gender, mainly due to the fact that she lives in fear and misery of the pain that the patriarchy has inflicted on the population as they had kidnapped many protestors and activists.

My character, unlike Constantia, is completely oblivious to how she's been brainwashed by the domestic patriarchy's beliefs and fixates more on clinging onto Ramon until he eventually departs from her in the scene: The river of death, and the reason for this is due to the fact that my character has been so impacted by the rules that she was forced to abide by, in which Ramon is the 'superior' gender, that she finds it even more difficult to be able to accept his death.

This applies back to my role, Dream Mother, due to the fact that in my previous notes I have disclosed my knowledge on the fact that this character is religious from the quotes used in the script in which she retains her faith whilst waiting for her husband, Ramon, to return back to reality with her. For example in the scene: Dream One, my character says the line  "I will have faith Ramon. I will not listen to their whispers. Come to me soon Ramon. Do not slip into their darkness".

By using this quote, I have revealed that my character, whilst grieving for Ramon, is still retaining her faith as a traditional woman in which she remains in a great state of denial to further enforce herself in this first stage of grief so that she can idolize the idea of Ramon returning home back with her so that the entire family is able to reunite with each other again and form the close relationships that they all once had, prior to Ramon's disappearance.

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https://bedfordcollege-my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/632216_student_tresham_ac_uk/ES15JLrLA2FImhd5zACDjWMBWhnjnGG0xIYF4Uk_QYlmNA?e=JUArfY

For this video evaluation, I have intricately discussed how I have been able to memorize the blocking of the scenes in that my character has appeared in and how I have adapted the previous notes that my lecturer and assistant director have given me in previous rehearsals and been able to incorporate them into the development of myself becoming the character, Dream Mother.

During today's lesson, we had done an entire run through that had led up to the scene, The picnic in the hills, and this had personally benefitted me due to the fact that whilst Dream Mother is recognized as remaining in a state of denial/ a severe emotional state, this is the moment in which the audience members contradict their views on her from what they have previously witnessed i.e. Dream Mother being in an emotional state from losing Ramon in comparison to her in this scene conveying her joy and gratitude for her family, therefore tending to her domestic duty as a mother and wife of being nurturing by providing for her family and ensuring that they are all entertained.

By going through this scene, I was able to portray an entirely different aspect of the character to ensure that she is not only recognized by the audience members as a devoted yet emotionally reliant wife, but also to be resembled as a caring mother to then clearly refer back to the main character, Constantia, therefore representing how these two people are effectively the same person but in two different settings.

In this rehearsal of the picnic in the hills scene, I was able to adapt more to my character's physicality as a devoted and nurturing mother by using gestures such as handing out sandwiches for the family and this is to provide more of a realistic sense of the setting in which the performers are acting in, where the audience members will also be able to view how this precise event links back to the personality that Constantia used to have prior to grieving for Ramon and then becoming detached from her children. I had found it simpler to use physicality in this scene from the research that I have looked into regarding the relationships that my character would typically present in order to reveal the similarities between her and Constantia i.e. them both being caring and providing for the children, representing the affection that the characters have for their husband Ramon and the strong amount of grief that they are feeling when losing him, etc.

An improvement that needs to be made in terms of my vocal portrayal of the character in emotional scenes, is that my pitch and tone need to stop rising as it makes it more difficult for the audience members to understand what Dream Mother is saying at this precise moment, and in order to create a build-up of the character's emotion, I have been told to lower my pitch whilst making it seem as if Dream Mother is beginning to choke on her tears in order to portray how difficult she is finding it to hold back her emotion and the reality that will be seeping in whilst also focusing on remaining in the first stage of grief, denial, in which she will be able to stay with Ramon and embrace him for as long as possible.

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In regards to my previous problem-solving write-up, after researching further into different colours and their meaning in South America, I had found that blue actually symbolizes mourning and due to the fact that I had chosen a white skirt for this role [to initially link back to the state of peace/tranquillity that my character will finally reach], I have found that this would reflect on the blue lighting, making it appear blue to the eyes of the audience members. When coming to this realization, I had found that it would actually be beneficial for my character's emotional journey throughout the play due to the fact that her purpose is to represent the five stages of grief that Constantia is enduring whilst desperately trying to find Ramon.

Through the use of dialogue, it is clear that my character is in a massive amount of distress from not being able to reunite with her husband in the land of the living, and this results in her mourning him more as she begins to develop more overwhelmed emotions. By doing this, the use of blue as mourning, is also used as a form of foreshadowing in which it represents how Dream Mother takes a different approach towards the end of the play whilst still mourning her husband, in which she acknowledges the fact that he is in pain and she is aware that she must allow his body to be put to rest. To be able to represent this clearly to the audience members, I have made the decision to still wear a white skirt in order to resemble how the use of blue lighting will enhance my character's emotional attachment to her husband, Ramon.

In terms of hair and makeup for Dream Mother, I want to ensure that my character is still represented as a traditional and prominent woman through the use of physical appearance so that this then links back to the persona that I am portraying on stage. This is due to the fact that I want to ensure that I am also presenting the contextual relevance of how women would change their appearance to appease to society's image of the 'perfect' woman, during the 70s in South America.

As I have been struggling with what look to create and I do not necessarily feel confident in doing my own hair and makeup for my character, I plan on asking the production makeup artist, Katy, to have a discussion on the recent looks that I have found and to see whether or not they will suit my character. I also intend on asking her if it would be possible to do my hair and makeup for the day of the performance to ensure that the ideal image I want to have for my character's appearance, is created perfectly.

Along with this, I plan on asking her if she is also able to do Mia's hair and makeup, and this is due to the fact that both myself and Mia are effectively performing the same role, yet my character is the past representative of her's, and in order to clearly resemble the similar appearance that they share [to make it clear to the audience members that they are the same person in different time frames], I will be discussing with Mia as well what hair/makeup choices will be suitable to create this image for the audience. Due to the fact that my character is younger, I want to still portray the age difference through makeup as well, but possibly to keep the hairstyle the same in order to signify that the characters are the same person.

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For practical work, I want to dedicate my spare time into learning my lines for the last scene: the river of death, so that I am able to portray the emotional heartache that my character feels when having yo come to the realization that she must depart from her loving husband, Ramon, for the final time.

This is due to the fact that previously when rehearsing through this particular scene, I have struggled to develop a sense of realism as my character being intimate with Ramon and feeling a collaboration of both despair and acceptance when interacting with him in the scene as I wanted to prioritize what my character was saying so that I could emotionally emphasize on this text on the difficult approach that my character takes when trying to accept the fact that Ramon is dead.

By completing this goal, I will be able to assert myself in a state of comfort where I am able to enhance the romance in the bond shared between Ramon and Dream Mother, and this will also include my fixation on the vocal skills, tone, and intonation, in which I will be able to present how my character is struggling to allow reality to set in as she feels the emotional pain at the loss of Ramon. This will then create more of an empathetic connection between my character and the audience members in which they will then recognize how my character's main purpose in the play is to represent the five stages of grief that Constantia is enduring when also having to cope with the loss of Ramon.

After completing this goal, I plan on searching for my character's costume in preparation for the rehearsal process in which I will be able to wear my costume to then help me get into the role of my character more and feel confident whilst in my role as Dream Mother when expressing her personality traits through physical appearance, and how this will then apply to the emotions used in my character's dialogue.

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Throughout the duration of this lesson, the entire class had collectively gone through the recent blocking scenes that we had all performed, before the Easter break, so that we could refresh our memories of what had been devised for each character so far within the rehearsal process. I was successful in memorising  the staging of each scene that I have worked on so far when blocking the play and I had ensured that I refer back to the annotations made in my script before performing any scenes to ensure that I was remaining up to date on the vocal and physical changes made to my character. However, I am still struggling on developing more of a comfortable state as myself as Dream mother in more of a physical aspect.

When doing this, I had found it beneficial when creating a gradual sense of tension in the role of my character whilst she was in a heightened emotional state as it resembles her concern as a traditional wife in South America of ensuring that her husband is safe and well looked after, which is precisely why when she finds Ramon, she refuses to leave his arms.

In this rehearsal, I feel that the scene: picnic in the hills, has been the most successful in terms of representing the family reuniting and having strong bonds with one another. This is due to the fact that is also will allow the audience members to perceive my character in a different aspect in which she changes her emotional status to match to the atmosphere being created within the scene. For example, prior to picnic in the hills scene, the audience members view my character acting in an overwhelmed and hysterical manner due to the fact that reality is seeping in at a rapid pace and dream mother is fearful of having to live in a world without her husband ( as he is also the superior gender and she has grown up in a society where she believes she deserves less in the world due to the fact that she is a woman).

Whereas, in the scene: the picnic in the hills, my character remains content as Constantia is reminiscing about her family when they were all younger and so her perspective has immediately  changed to another form of denial, in which she focuses on the memories so that she does not have to indulge in the reality of what has happened to Ramon. By representing the change in my characters emotional persona, this then also allows the audience members to change their interpretation of my character from when they had been first introduced to her, in which they could also begin to realise the purpose that dream mother serves in the play and the relevance to Constantia.

When rehearsing through the scene, dream one however, I had really struggled with multi-tasking my characters dialogue and trying to consistently cling onto my partner who is playing the role of Ramon, Alex, as I was concerned with how to vocally approach the role of dream mother during this point and how it would affect the body language of my character. When noticing that both myself and Alex were stuck on what to do next as it had appeared more so that we were fighting rather than it being a tender moment in which Ramon is trying to easily push dream mother to open her eyes more to reality.

I feel that at this moment I panicked as I could feel myself differing from my characters personality traits as I was now focusing on the messy choreography that Alex and I have created and how I didn’t believe that it best resembled the romantic bond that is conveyed between Ramon and dream mother, and I feel that this is what had led to me increasing the tone and pitch of my voice in order to reveal how emotionally reliant my character is on her husband as she had previously stated that she feels safe in his arms and I believed that this would add more of an emotional affect on the realism of married people that become widows and widowers in which they are in a consistent state of grief and denial as they want to believe that their loved one will protect them and take care of them, which then adds to more of an overwhelmed emotional state as they must bring themselves back to reality. However, when increasing these vocal traits, it had made it too difficult for people to understand what my character was actually saying in terms of the dialogue in the script.

An improvement that I feel I need to make in terms of vocality for my character is to ensure that I keep my tone and pitch only slightly altered to make it seem as if Dream mother is chocking up on her tears, in order to contribute to her remaining in a state of denial in which she pushes down her true feelings in an attempt to differ further from reality , whilst still making it appear as if she is on the verge of crying due to the fact that she is in a vulnerable state from losing her soulmate.

In terms of physicality for improvement, I feel that I definitely need to prioritise my pace as that is what usually contributes to the emotional status being represented to the audience members, therefore also linking back to the stage of grief that my character is currently in. For example, at the beginning of the play whilst my character does need to use a fast pace to represent her fear setting in as she is overwhelmed and believes that Ramon is in danger, therefore physically representing these emotions in a clear aspect to the audience, however, when rehearsing through this scene, I’m not always able to reach the final point in which my character embraces Ramon and this is because I am playing more on how I believe my characters emotions would then contradict her physicality to resemble how overwhelmed she is feeling. In order to improve on this, I intend on incorporating a slower pace in which I will stare at the land of the dead characters  in fear as dream mother is unaware of what they are and wonders why they are hear, and this will then help me to contain the pace that I can then use more quickly towards the moment in which my character embraces Ramon.

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In today's rehearsal, we had fixated mainly on the last scene, The river of death, in which my character finally bids farewell to her husband, Ramon, as she is ready to open her eyes to reality. This is a split scene that is shared between Constantia and Dream Mother and the different approaches that they have to the stage of grief: acceptance. However, the contrast in this is the fact that prior to this scene, so far Dream Mother had acted hysterically as she was fearing the loss of her husband completely, whereas Constantia is in denial and retains faith that Ramon is alive, which is precisely why when she finds Ramon, she is in a great amount of emotional agony and lets out a scream whereas, Dream Mother is willing to let him go and have his spirit rest as she has been wallowing in despair for most of the performance and has eventually come to accept the fact that Ramon will not be returning back to reality with her.

A moment that I was personally interested in during the River of death scene, was when the two characters kiss each other and this is due to the fact that at this precise moment, the audience members are able to bear witness to how my character still abides by her domestic duties as a wife where whilst she is embracing her husband to reveal the love that they hold for each other. The domestic duty that is revealed in this precise moment is devotion, in which Dream Mother helps Ramon to lift up his head so that they can kiss, due to the fact that he is weak from his spirit leaving his body to join the land of the dead.

By doing this movement, Dream Mother is contextually revealing how devoted women were to caring for their husbands during this era that the play is set in, which then further impacts the close bond that Ramon and her share with each other. An area of improvement for this moment in the scene that I believe will create a sense of realism for the audience members, is to have an intimacy lesson on kissing, due to the fact that before this performance, I haven't used kissing in any other roles that I have portrayed and I want to be able to ensure that I can fit the description of my character, in which she is deeply in love with Ramon.

Prior to this FMP, during the first year as we had already gone through intimacy training, I had felt more comfortable when physically engaging with Alex during this scene and I had also felt a strong sense of determination specifically for this scene as it is the climax tension moment where my character finally accepts the fact that she must let go of Ramon one final time, therefore signifying their physical interaction throughout this scene as very tender, which will contribute to the audience members feeling a sense of empathy for the couple as they are being separated and they will also reflect on the realism of what it means to be a widow/ widower. For example, at the beginning of the scene, my character has Ramon lying in her lap and, when being asked to stroke Alex's face in order to reveal the affection that Dream Mother had for her husband, I had actually felt very determined to represent the love that the couple share and I had remained in a comfortable state when physically interacting with Alex, which had also helped me to gain more confidence at the moment where Ramon and Dream Mother kiss.

My objective for the lesson was to rehearse through the scenes: The picnic in the hills and the river of death [as that is where we had led off from yesterday's rehearsal] was to perform in these scenes without the requirement of a script so that I am able to endeavour myself in the role of Dream Mother completely and whilst I had felt confident memorizing my lines throughout the half-term, I had still concerned myself with forgetting some of my character's dialogue with this precise scene, and this is because there is an important significance where the audience members witness the character finally coming to terms with accepting the fact that her husband is dead, and this also concludes my character's journey in the play, at the end of this scene, where she must convey to the audience how she feels a great amount of despair when having her husband not return to reality with her, and when using my script, I do not feel as if I am in that element of emotional portrayal for this role, due to the fact that I am consistently looking back at what line I am saying next. In order to improve on this, I intend on primarily focusing on learning the lines for this final scene as before today, I hadn't properly run through it and as it is a crucially important moment [when Ramon's body is finally found], I want to be able to adapt to my character's persona for more of a realistic atmosphere in the play.

The use of the intricate gestures that had been displayed within this scene is beneficial in the portrayal of the close bond that Dream Mother and Ramon share as soulmates, in which they share a close proximity and feel safe in the presence of one another. This is also contextually effective as it then links to the fact of women during this era, who relied on men due to them being the superior gender. When portraying this in the scene, when my character says the line "perhaps I should have been less happy and known more". As Dream Mother says this line, she has her head laying in Ramon's hand and she is directly and desperately staring into his eyes at this point. When doing this, I was successfully able to reveal how Dream Mother again is still tending to her domestic duties as a wife, where despite her accepting the fact that he will be moving on without her, she still remains reliant on him in an emotional perspective, where Dream Mother physically interacts with Ramon to feel a sense of safety.

I feel that a technique that I would also try in order to further emphasize on how much my character is grieving for the loss of her soulmate, is to use emotional memory to also develop a sense of realism for this specific scene, as it is the tension climax point in the play, in which Constantia must come to terms with the fact that her husband is dead and will not be returning to reality with her. This is also a significant moment for my character as it represents the purpose of her journey in relation to the concept of the play, in which she portrays the five stages of grief that Constantia is enduring whilst waiting for her husband to return back to her, and it fixates on the realistic perspective of how people, such as widows/widowers, and how they come to terms with acceptance of their partner's death. By using emotional memory, I want to initially establish the true despair and grief that a person feels when losing a loved one that was close to them, and by doing this, I will be able to indulge the audience members more in the emotional journey of this character and also allow them to perceive this in their own personal view i.e. if that was them who was having to cope with the loss of a loved one, therefore developing more of an empathetic connection between the audience and the character.

Another scene that we had gone through was the picnic in the hills, and during the run-through of this precise scene, more changes had been made to better suit the dialogue that is going to be used, and along with this, I have been able to adapt my physicality within the scene to portray how my character abides by her domestic duties. For example, as Ramon says the line " A monster is it", my character will proceed to prepare the picnic by having her children play with their father, and whilst I am standing it out and using a simple gesture at this moment, it still conveys more of a sense of realism in terms of my character's purpose, as she is wanting to provide for her family and she is dedicated to ensuring that they are all properly taken care of. For this scene, in terms of theory work, I have also made sure that I  keep up to date on the annotations in my script, so that I am able to see what I need to portray within the scenes that were rehearsed today, along with ensuring that I say my lines at the right time. I felt more assertive when rehearsing through this scene today as I am more aware of how to use my physicality whilst my character remains separate from the rest of the family members as she tends to the domestic duty of preparing food for her family.

However, I feel that a specific moment that I need to improve on in regards to this scene, is the moment where Ramon is asking for Dream Mother's hand in a dance, as whilst I have no dialogue at that specific moment, the mannerisms that I had been told to include by my lecturer must appear more realistic to reveal how at first my character is hesitant as she has prepared the food for her family and wants to ensure that the children eat and are content, however, she is immediately won over by her husband's charm and so she agrees. During today's rehearsal, I had repetitively paused as I wasn't sure what kind of gesture I had wanted to portray, which had decreased the realistic atmosphere for myself in the role of my character. In order to improve on this for the next time that I rehearse through this scene, I will have experimented with various gestures that I believe will be suitable for this precise moment i.e. Dream Mother wiping her dress down as she is eating before being offered a dance. For this, I will be referring back to the physicality mind map that was created for my character and how the precise gestures that she uses then link back to her traits as a prominent and traditional mother and wife in South America.

In order to improve on this scene, I need to ensure that I increase my projection so that the audience members will be able to clearly understand how my character is feeling in an emotional perspective at this moment. This is mainly due to the teacher feedback that I had received, in whilst this is an intimate and tender moment being shared between Dream Mother and Ramon, I must still be loud enough for the audience members to be able to hear the dialogue, and therefore understand the outcome for these two characters. To achieve this, I will be rehearsing through the dialogue that my character uses in this scene, during my spare time and I will record this so that I am able to play it back and see that it is projected enough yet, also making sure that I don't deliberately shout these lines and lose the vocal traits that I am using for this role.

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I have created this video evaluation to describe the layout of today's rehearsed scene: The river of death, in which I was able to portray a tender moment in which Dream Mother and Ramon finally embrace before he leaves her permanently. In this precise moment, I have been able to represent the character in the final stage of grief, acceptance, where she still is able to express her emotional attachment to Ramon and convey her vulnerability when having to eventually cope with the loss of her husband, however, at this point whilst my character is still grieving for him, she remains calmer and prepares for him to finally be at peace, in which she is also able to finally be in a state of peace and tranquillity when opening her eyes to the reality that had been surrounding her.

In this evaluation, I have disclosed the strengths that I have endeavoured during this scene, especially the development in the bond being created between Dream Mother and Ramon and how I have been able to recognize more of an understanding in the meaning behind my character's dialogue, particularly when embracing Ramon, and how I believe I would then vocally approach the text depending on my perception of Dream Mother's emotional mindset.  However, in this video, I have also conveyed my contrasted opinion on my physicality development whilst in the role of this character and the difficulties that I have faced when rehearsing through certain scenes i.e. how I have struggled to adapt to certain gestures for the river of death scene that are able to represent the close relationship that Dream Mother and Ramon have.

The main issue that I had in terms of this rehearsal was developing an intimate bond with my peer, Alex, who is playing the role of Ramon and this is due to the fact that as we do not necessarily share a close bond in our day-to-day lives, it immediately makes it more difficult to present our characters as soulmates as they tend to use a great amount of physical interaction i.e. embracing/kissing, etc and I currently feel slightly uncomfortable as I am not used to being this intimate with another actor. However, to combat this I will be doing some intimacy training with Alex so that we are able to move at a pace that is comfortable for the both of us which will help us to gain confidence in the scenes where we must represent our characters' romantic bond.

A note that I have made in terms of improvisation is to be able to use more projection when using dialogue in the performance so that the audience members can clearly understand everything that my character is saying, but not so much that I am shouting my lines out to the audience, to be portrayed naturally. This must especially be used in the river of death scene as I am directing all of my speech in Ramon's face due to the fact that my character is saying her final goodbyes to him and whilst both Alex and I are at a close spatial proximity during this moment, I still need to ensure that the audience members are able to hear me whilst keeping hold of my character's vocal traits that convey her sentimentality to losing Ramon and reminiscing about the memories that they have shared together.

When reflecting on today's rehearsal, I feel that by incorporating the emotion memory technique into my dialogue will be able to help me emphasize more of a realistic portrayal of how heartbroken the character truly is when having to cope with losing the person that she was most close to, therefore revealing to the audience the realistic perspective of the life of a widow and the steps that they must take to acceptance. My objective for this scene is to create a connection between the audience members and the character in which they experience the same emotions as Dream Mother the more that they tend to fixate on her journey through the performance and how this will lead to them imagining themselves in the role of that character and what they would do if they were in the same position.

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https://youtu.be/S7kQEiB24TA - first half of discussion

https://bedfordcollege-my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/632216_student_tresham_ac_uk/EdvU7o_nn4BDqx-_HzZeIawBaELyZUfUa_2C3Edj2BJ-uA?e=SADmY0 - second half of discussion

In today's lesson, my peer, Mia, and I had been placed together to interview one another on the progress of each of our characters and this is due to the fact that in the play, we effectively play the same person [Constantia], however, Mia represents the present life of her role whereas I portray the past life/ dreamscape of Constantia, prior to her rise of independence. This had been beneficial for the both of us as whilst it had allowed up to acknowledge the similar traits that Constantia and Dream Mother share with one another, Mia and I were able to go into detail when explaining how the main contrasting moments between the characters will be presented in a clear aspect to the audience members.

Two separate discussion videos have been created as there were some technical issues with the video recordings on each of our phones. In these videos, we have established how by incorporating certain costume choices we will be able to not only resemble the connection that these two characters share in terms of physical appearance, but we will also be able to link this back to the emotional journey that the characters both endure in relevance to their grievance towards the loss of their husband, Ramon. We have ensured that we both include details on certain physical and vocal traits that will be used in order to differentiate the character's emotional mindset throughout the play and how this applies to the character's close-knit relationship to Ramon.

For example, I had stated that I will rely on certain vocal traits such as tone and intonation to convey to the audience members that my character's main purpose is to resemble the five stages of grief that Constantia is also enduring when trying to retain their faith that Ramon is still alive and will return back to reality at any given moment, rather than having to allow reality to seep in and have to cope with the pain of losing their soulmate.

These videos also highlight many important matters that need to be clearly distinguished to refer back to the personality traits that Constantia and Dream Mother, and how these are both compared and contrasted in certain scenes. An example of this, is when both myself and Mia had mentioned the bonds that our characters have with Ramon and their children and how this then impacts the decisions that Dream Mother and Constantia must make to benefit their emotional journey.

This is revealed when I mention how I have personally viewed Constantia as emotionally negligent to the children as she is still grieving for Ramon and is so overcome with various rapid emotions in concern of his whereabouts, that she loses focus on other important matters such as Baptista forming a relationship with Ernesto [despite Constantia's knowledge of what were to happen if she were to mix with men from the town i.e. a higher chance of the patriarchy coercing Baptista as she would be disrespecting her motherland by involving herself with people like Ernesto].

In contrast to this, as Dream Mother is the past representative of Constantia, where she exemplifies the domestic duties that Constantia had followed prior to Ramon's disappearance, and this is due to the fact that in the scene: picnic in the hills, Mia's character is reminiscing about a fond memory when all of the family were happy together. As this is the only scene in which Dream Mother engages with the children, I have stated in the video that I want to portray the traits of my character being devoted and nurturing to the role of being a mother, in order to then link this back to the character being a traditional and prominent woman in the eyes of the patriarchy, where she abides by the rules and is aware of her place in society i.e. being the lesser gender and ensuring that her children are raised in the same manner to carry on this cycle.

Within today's lesson, we had also run through the scene: The News, as I am multi-rolling within this performance I had found it beneficial to familiarize myself with the role, gossip character, in which I am able to comprehend the  reason behind my character's dialogue and how this refers back to the current moment in the storyline of the play, and with this precise scene, as it includes more of a rapid pace which then increases the interest of the audience members, in which rather than having to feel empathetic towards the loss of Ramon, they are able to indulge in the exciting yet intrusive gossip on what has happened to Baptista.

For me personally, I have taken a great interest to my role in this scene as it completely differs from the skills that I have relied on for Dream Mother, which are used in order to form a connection with the audience members on a sympathetic basis, and I am able to develop more of a mischievous agenda in which this character doesn't establish the rules that she abides by as a woman in society, which then differs from Dream Mother's state of using overwhelmed emotions to reveal how she cannot function without Ramon in her life. By doing this, it then also resembles the two types of women within society during that era, in which many females would be reliant on their husbands and they would ensure that they are able to appeal to all of their needs, whereas people like the gossip characters, would rather indulge in other people's personal business and spread rumours in order to differ from the miserable lives that they lead.

Two exercises that were run through today that I had found beneficial for me in terms of adapting to my skillset for remaining confident in the roles of my characters is firstly, the game zip-zap-boing, however, there was more of a personal twist in which each member of the cast had to use three of their quotes in the script when playing the game. I was particularly engaged in this exercise as it had helped me to memorize my lines as a simpler alternative than having to read through my script constantly and this is why I had picked three quotes that I was particularly struggling with so that I could get myself into the habit of remembering them for the next rehearsal.

The next exercise that the cast had run through was used in order to develop the skill of projection as we have all recently been given the feedback that we are too quiet when saying our character's dialogue on stage, and in order to combat this everyone had been put into pairs and separated onto opposite sides of the classroom and when doing this, each pair had to say the line "hey that's my bike", but to be careful as to not shout and to naturally project. By doing this, I feel that I was able to gain more confidence in approaching my dialogue for the scene: river of death and ensuring that I project, as whilst this is a tender moment between Ramon and Dream Mother and they are in a close intimate proximity, I need to make sure that the audience members are able to hear what my character is saying so that they are able to understand what is happening in this scene.

An improvement that needs to be made in terms of the development of my role, gossip character, is that I need to experiment more with the physicality in order to ensure that I match to the atmosphere of the scene, in which it is quite frantic to reveal how the characters are indulging in more rumours and gossip to differ from their own miserable lives . I will do this by experimenting with various mannerisms whilst rhubarbing with the other characters in order to suggest to the audience members that my character is in an exhilarated mood from the amount of rumours that are being spread, which will then contribute to her physicality in this scene, in which I will use a frantic pace to represent how my character is deceitful when spreading various amounts of gossip depending on the people that she holds closer relationships with.

For example, at first when interacting with the entire gossip group, my character appears as sympathetic to the struggles that Constantia is going through, however, when talking with Lexie's character, my role instantly changes to spreading gossip on Ernesto, and this is when Lexie calls my character over in which I then proceed to use a fast pace to indicate that my character holds a closer bond with her as I instantly move over to talk to her and also change the tone in my voice in order to resemble how my character enjoys to indulge herself in the more juicy gossip.

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In this video evaluation, I have established my personal views on the two characters that I have been given by my lecturer to perform in the play, aside from Dream Mother being my main role. As I will be multi-rolling as both a gossip character and an official,  I have made notes in regards to these two characters' personalities that are based mainly on the lines that I will be saying within the performance.

I have mentioned the structured approach that both myself and Mia had taken when discussing the comparison and contrast between our two characters, Dream Mother and Constantia, and how we plan on portraying this to the audience members in the performance. When doing this, I have also included the character decisions that I have made so far for my character [costume/props, etc], how the two roles are related in terms of personality [the mothers being selfless/selfish], how I have anticipated certain scenes from the research that I have found for my character along with the context on South America, and finally I have mentioned how the backstory of my character is represented in the play i.e. a chronological portrayal of the five stages of grief and how this refers back to Constantia in a more personal aspect.

For this rehearsal, I had simply read through my new lines so that I had more of a general understanding of what is occurring within the new scenes i.e. The News and The search. By doing this, it had felt easier to begin to mentally create the backstory of my characters and how they are portrayed on-stage, which then link back to the main focus of the play i.e. representing how the higher men in authority were at fault for Los Desaparecidos and how their acts had led to many deaths of innocent victims who were protesting against the corrupt justice system.

For example, whilst The News scene is comical as all of these characters are spreading rumours on the recent events that have occurred i.e. Ernesto being murdered and Baptista being kidnapped, it still discreetly plays on the emotional suffering that Constantia is feeling from the loss of her loved one, therefore contextually reflecting on the emotions that many family members had to endure in South America during 1976-1983 when their loved ones had mysteriously 'disappeared'. The gossip characters are typically nosy, however, when they hear the news on Baptista, they express their sympathy for the family members through the use of gestures i.e. holding their hands to their hearts, sighing, comforting one another, etc.

In this rehearsal, we had also experimented with a few exercises in order to practically explore how to use certain skills that must be incorporated into the growth of our character's personalities and how they will portray this vocally. For example, we had played a game of zip/zap/boing but the twist was that we had to ensure we had three different quotes that each character uses in the script. By doing this, I feel that it had benefitted the cast into tactically thinking on how we would use certain skills such as tone and diction/intonation to convey to the audience members the emotions that each character is feeling, thus allowing them to interpret the persona of the role and how it links back to the storyline of each scene in the play. Also, we had focused on an exercise that was implemented for the purpose of improving on projection and this had been simply done by saying the line "hey that's my bike" and projecting it across one wall of the room to the other whilst adding some emotional emphasis i.e. change in tone to indicate that the person is sad/frustrated/concerned.

I have included the main improvements that I must apply towards my next rehearsal so that I am more aware of the targets that I need to achieve which will help me to remain on task and to develop my character further in preparation for the final performance. For example, in order to fit into the role of both official and gossip character, I must ensure that I create a backstory for them to portray more of an emotional structure for each of them and their exact reason for being on stage so that it appears natural to the audience. I also intend on learning my lines for these characters so that I can find it easier to focus on the point of the scene and how my dialogue contributes to this, rather than simply relying on my script and not being able to create a sense of realism as myself in the role.

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Costume for Gossip character mood board 21.04.22

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Costume for Gossip character mood board 21.04.22

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CLOTHES FOR RICH AND POOR IN ANCIENT TIMES (womeninthebible.net)- I have selected this website link so that I could understand how these colour shades represent the social class of my character, as being part of the group of gossiping members. By doing this, it then contextually refers back to the timeline of fashion, in which dark colours had been commonly used mainly by the impoverished and working classes, as it was the most affordable colour for clothing and it was easier for the people who had to work, as the stains would appear less clearly to the public i.e. oil spilling on clothing from workhouses, etc. These shades were also commonly worn by people who had resided in villages, due to the fact that this was mainly the common area in which the people from these social classes had resided. I feel that this had also greatly reflected on the glib lives that these people had led, especially when having to live underneath the rules by society and the upper-class system. This applies back to the play due to the fact that most of the cast that reside in the village along with Constantia and her family [also including the land of the dead characters] are forced to abide by society's rules and to tend to their domestic duties and refrain from involving themselves in any political issues, therefore leading these people to live in fear from the higher patriarchy using aggression to control them and their independence being destroyed.

https://api-shein.shein.com/h5/sharejump/appsharejump?lan=en&share_type=goods&site=iosshgb&localcountry=gb&currency=GBP&id=8901552&url_from= [ Khaki long sleeve dress in image one]

https://api-shein.shein.com/h5/sharejump/appsharejump?lan=en&share_type=goods&site=iosshgb&localcountry=gb&currency=GBP&id=8900872&url_from=GM7239782998318084096 [ rust brown long sleeve dress in image two]

https://api-shein.shein.com/h5/sharejump/appsharejump?lan=en&share_type=goods&site=iosshgb&localcountry=gb&currency=GBP&id=1509156&url_from=GM7239782836753494016

Due to the fact that I have been cast as a gossip character, as well as an official and my main role in the play is Dream Mother, I have decided to research into the types of clothing that I believe would be suitable for this role. By doing this, I am also able to sort this costume out in time and then proceed to save up for Dream Mother's costume throughout the next few weeks [as these are the main items of clothing that I need for my main role].

Regarding the gossip character's costume, I have chosen these drab shades mainly due to the fact that they resemble the social class that the gossip characters belong to, as similarly to the group of fishwives and Constantia, they live a hand to mouth lifestyle. This is contextually relative back to the social class system as females who lived in an impoverished state/ working class would wear these types of shades in their clothing as they couldn't afford anymore materials that normally had a vibrant colour [as wealthy people would commonly wear these colours in their clothing to express to the public what social class they had belonged to i.e. the hierarchy which had normally consisted of the government, the military junta and their families, etc].

I have chosen three different styles of dress so that I can gain more of a suitable perspective of what is expected for this role, as whilst this character is involving herself within a comical atmosphere, she, much like the other female characters in the play, abides by society's rules of what the ideal image of a woman should physically look like and how this refers back to their loyalty to the patriarchy, which was crucially important as they had ruled over the population and effectively controlled their lives, and if people were to disobey these rules, then they would suffer serious consequences i.e. use of violence/kidnap/torture, etc.

Aside from these costume options that I have selected, I have decided that it will be in my best interest to keep the same shoes as when I am in the role of Dream Mother, as firstly, the audience members will not see these shoes due to the long length of my character's clothing, therefore making it a simpler decision, and I can stick to the financial budget that I have created for myself in regards to purchasing the costume for each of my characters [aside from the official], and this item of clothing will still reflect on the social class that the gossip character belongs too i.e. the working class.

The length of this costume has been carefully selected so that I am able to resemble how women in South America [during the 70s] were made to wear 'respectable' clothing that would refrain from having them reveal too much skin, therefore them not remaining loyal in the eyes of society and to their husbands/family. This is also specifically why I have also chosen a square neck design as it perfectly hides the character's upper-chest area, whilst still establishing the physical representation of my character being respectable.

Finally, as I am multi-rolling in this play, and aside from the gossip character that I will be playing, I have also taken on the role of an official, which will simply require me to wear a long sleeve shirt and a tie to represent the formality of the role, which will further symbolize the place that the members of the government had in the social class system, which was them being a part of the social hierarchy due to the fact that they had controlled the entire population, which had resulted in them gaining an increased amount of power from the fear that had been created as they had used aggression towards the population [both physical and emotional].

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For today, I intend on purchasing my costume for the gossip role that I will be performing in the play, and my main role's costume, Dream Mother so that I can ensure that they arrive in time for the performance, which will also help me to focus on the physical representation of my character and how this will apply to the backstory of Dream Mother for the performance i.e. I have chosen to wear an off-shoulder blouse with a floral embroidered pattern due to the fact that it's contextually relative to how my character is represented as a prominent and traditional woman, as many women who lived in the working class had worn this type of pattern and the specific flower on this top, I believe also resembles the traditional flower of Argentina, ceibo, which is also red, therefore further conveying how my character tends to her domestic duties as a traditional woman in the eyes of society.

After making a decision in regards to a part of Dream Mother's costume, I have decided that I will keep the white skirt to further resemble the contrast in my character and Constantia, as it reveals to the audience members how my character is simply a figment of Constantia's imagination as there are various dreamscapes in which she and Ramon reunite with each other and due to it not being real, I feel that this will greatly signify to the audience members how much grief Constantia is feeling as she repetitively dreams about Ramon coming back into her life and the constant battle that she has when trying to bring him back to reality with her.

In terms of the blue lighting that was previously recognized as an issue from how it would reflect on my character's costume when previously researching into what the colour means in South America, I had found that it represents mourning, and this contributes to my character as the purpose of her journey in the performance is to portray the five stages of grief that Constantia is facing when trying to cope with Ramon's disappearance, and when doing this, the audience members are first introduced to Dream Mother in the opening scene when she is acting in a hysterical manner due to her fear of losing Ramon and at this point, she is in a great state of denial, where she is already mourning for him as her heart breaks at the mere thought of not embracing and reuniting with her husband.

This relates back to the costume as the blue lighting will make my white skirt appear blue to the eyes of the audience, therefore also linking to the character's almost repetitive emotional state in the play, where she is feeling despair. With my top and how this will affect the lighting, as I have red flowers for the pattern on this blouse, with the lighting being blue, this will appear to the audience members as the pattern being purple, which then links back to the historical factor of purple representing death in South America. This of course applies to my character as firstly, she is based in the land of the dead for the entire duration of the performance, and it also refers back to the main relationship that she shares with another character, which is her and her husband Ramon, whose body is decomposing as his spirit gradually begins to drift further with the ghost characters. This also link back to one of the main themes in the play, which is death.

So far, I have found a dark shade dress for the gossip character to still refer back to what was commonly worn by the working class in South America during the 70s, as many people couldn't afford vibrant colours and instead, would wear dark and drab shades. I have also had Dream Mother's costume finalized for a few weeks so, this will make it simpler for me to purchase these items and have them in time for the performance. Aside from this, I have also found a pair of shoes that I intend on wearing for both gossip character and Dream Mother due to the fact that again, they represent the hand to mouth lifestyle of the working class where they were too poor to afford any fashionable footwear/ anything that was comfortable.

I have decided not to choose any of the red patterned skirts as a part of my character's costume and this is because I feel that the use of patterns would be too overwhelming in terms of distracting the audience members with how the physical representation of Dream Mother links back to her persona. An example of this is the fact that I had used the colour, red, to symbolize how my character is Christian, and this then links back to the factor of over 90% of the population in South America being Christian / practicing this religion. She resembles this at various moments in the play when trying to retain her faith that Ramon will return back to reality with her i.e. " I will have faith Ramon"- Dream One Scene. I still want to ideally represent how my character follows these historical traditions in her home country, which is why when I had found the off-shoulder blouse with the red flower decoration, I felt that this would be more appropriate for my character as whilst it still links back to her being religious and prominent, the details are still intricately revealed to then relate back to her being a part of the working class, in which she had to wear drab clothing.

Whilst my intentions behind the use of the red skirt were contextually relative when portraying my character's persona, I felt that the use of the white skirt would be more beneficial in terms of Dream Mother's emotional state throughout the entire play. When speaking with my peer, Mia, who will be playing the role of Constantia, yesterday we had both discussed how we intend on wearing blue to symbolize the comparison between the two roles and this is why I feel that by using the white skirt, not only am I able to link this back to the setting that my character resides in [the land of the dead], but I am also able to foreshadow the reason behind my character's mourning [ which links to Ramon's eventual death when Constantia finds his body in the scene: The river of death, in which Dream Mother also finally says goodbye to him].

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FMP_project_proposal.docx

For this proposal form, I have ensured that I answer the feedback that had been provided by my lecturer and when doing this, I was able to also gain a new skill in terms of theoretical work that is beneficial for my university work when having to remain in a specific word count when writing up theoretical work. After reflecting on the feedback that I had received from my hand in on the draft of my proposal form, I have been able to successfully shorten each of the sections whilst still ensuring that I provide the essential information required to track my personal achievements in terms of the development of my character in the play and how I plan on adapting to the role throughout the entire rehearsal process, leading up to the final performance on the 26th of May.

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https://awarewomenartists.com/en/magazine/ecritures-de-la-subversion-les-arpilleristas-chiliennes/

In reference to the reason behind women who were a part of the working class group wearing drab colours due to the lack of wealth that they had to afford any vibrant colours/materials, this link has been used to represent the perspective of various anonymous women who had stood against the patriarchy via using thier domestic duty of sewing as a tactic to protest against the social hierarchy. This relates back to the play, specifically in the end scene and this is from when Constantia is discussing with Francisca on her plans of avenging Ramon and Baptista against the domestic men in power. This is disclosed when she says " Yes- dance, my sweet. I will dance with Ramon and Baptista. But I will dance alone. I will remember them, and help others not to forget". From the use of this quotation, I have been able to portray the comparison of this research to the play when the character also uses dance as a form of peaceful protest [like these women who use sewing], therefore bringing more attention without the use of aggression to the issues that had occurred within society. With this, the females are purposely using their domestic duties to their own personal advantage of outmanoeuvring the patriarchy in order to get justice for how they have drastically affected the females' lives.

Also, this is similar to the play due to the fact that these women were referred to as 'subversives', which is revealed in the play when the official character is interrogating Constantia as he immediately assumes that she is a subversive [which was what the patriarchy had called protestors and activists against the corrupt justice system] and that they were viewed by the population as the main antagonist, rather than the higher men in power who had used violence to manipulate society into believing that they are superior in creating a safe environment for the continent, rather than them increasing their power through dominance and violence.

During September 1973, Augusto Pinochet had officially taken power as the main dominant leader within the corrupt government system. The purpose of this was to establish a military dictatorship that had remain consistent in dominance for over seventeen years. In this month, there had been a suppression of the population's individual rights, both politically and socially, in which people were forced to abide by a certain lifestyle that society had deemed respectable i.e. so that it was effectively easier for the government to control the entire population. The main leader of this Chilean activist group was Isabel Morel Letelier, and she had argued that the military dictatorship was trying to accompany the normal patriarchy that everyone had been used to.

This government system had enforced the rule that women should abide by their traditional role of praising their spiritual values [Christianity] and putting them above the rest of their daily needs. This applies to my character, Dream Mother, and this is due to the fact that she portrays her retaining of faith in God and Christianity whilst also remaining in denial that her husband will return back to reality with her and this is specifically revealed in the scene: Dream one when my character says, "I will have faith Ramon. I will not listen to their whispers". This quotation conveys that whilst Dream Mother is refusing to allow reality to set in, she still tends to her domestic duty as a woman in society's image of what it means to be the 'perfect' woman when she is praying out loud for his safe return and therefore, putting her trust into God's hands.

By doing this, it also relates back to the comparison between Constantia and Dream Mother where they are both grieving for the loss of their husband Ramon, and the main difference being on how they are both coping with the emotional journey of waiting for Ramon to return i.e. Constantia remains mainly in a state of denial and buries her true emotions in order to take care of the rest of her family, whereas, Dream Mother acts in a hysterical manner as she repetitively mourns Ramon due to her fear of him not returning back to reality with her.

During this time, the women who had resided in poor neighbourhoods, who belonged to the impoverished social class [ commonly referred to as pobladora] were the main females that had been targeted by the male hierarchy due to the apparent rumours of them being 'subversives', therefore these women also becoming a part of Los Desaparecidos. These women had all tended to their domestic duties, despite having their lives being surrounded by mass arrests, acts of aggression, and their missing family members. Lisa Baldez had stated, “The recession thrust many working-class families below the poverty line and forced women to find alternative ways to provide for their families" [Roberta. G,2019]. This quote clearly portrays the struggles that many women had to take when having their families destroyed due to the government kidnapping/torturing/murdering many of the subversives [Los Desaparecidos], which had led to some women having to become the head of the family as their husbands/fathers, etc had joined activist groups that had focused on destroying the corrupt justice system.

When this had occurred, many community initiatives had been created by the protective wing of the Church to provide these families with sanctuary after losing their loved ones, and to help these families with supporting each other through the difficult times that they were all experiencing. The main organization was called Agrupación de Familiares de Detenidos Desaparecidos [ translated into English meaning, Associations of relatives of disappeared detainees]. This organization had been formed in the year, 1973, by the committee of cooperation for peace in Chile. This had then eventually been replaced by the Vicariate of solidarity during the year, 1976. The first arpilleras workshop had opened in 1974 and they were introduced by the artist, Valentia Bonne. The idea for the use of patchwork designs to get their constructive views on the corrupt government across to the public had originated from the use of mola patchwork [ which had been created by indigenous women in the gunadule communities, that were based in Colombia and Panama]. After being degraded by the dominant society and the economy, many women had found it difficult to obtain their self-awareness to the problems at hand. This is why these women had forced themselves to acknowledge the active political subject that was taking place within society on a regular basis, along with the relationship that had been shared between the political issues and how they had been inflicted on the population i.e. Los Desaparecidos, people who were consistently being kidnapped from their homes on a regular basis.

These arpilleras had first originated first in the 1960s when Violeta Parra had created woollen embroideries that were placed onto large canvases or wood. The embroideries were effective in illustrating the repetitive lifestyle of both herself and her people. In regards to this, it had led the female fishermen in Isla Negra to execute these embroideries further. This was then admired by the author, Pablo Nedura, who had also written about this fashion in his book ' Para Nacer He Nacido'. The purpose of these embroideries was to directly attack the military dictatorship by representing the women standing united as a community and in solidarity, rather than living under the control of the patriarchy.

These arpilleras were handcrafted from various colourful scraps of fabric, bags of flour, sugar, and potatoes. These then contributed to the images of social injustice and political/economical struggle. This had been realistically presented through the imagination of these women [arpillestras]. Each organization that had created these arpilleras had ensured that they are profitable [ in order to financially help family members who had lost their loved ones due to the corrupt members of the government, typically people who had lived in poverty]. Whilst most of this money was provided to the families as redistribution due to them being the creators of these arpilleras, a small amount had also been re-invested into the workshops so that they could continue to exist and bring more attention to the public. The embroidered patterns had helped women to find a sense of independence and self-control.

Along the timeline in the creation of these arpilleras, they had been recognized by the public as highlighting many social/political issues such as unemployment, hunger, exile, and health. These subversive objects had applied to two major political events. This had included firstly, the opening of the Galería de Arte Paulina, in 1975. In the year, 1976, the gallerist, Paulina Waugh, had funded a promotional project on the sale of arpilleras, which had been produced by the Zona Orienta workshop. During this time, three exhibitions were held that had offered the interaction of various professional artists with arpillestras [the woman who had created these embroidered patterns]. However, on the 13th of January 1977, the gallery that held these exhibitions was burned down, supposedly due to the group:  Central Nacional de Informaciones [ a political police group that was a part of the right-wing association, along with the military junta, and the government]. Many of the arpilleras had been destroyed in this time. Another event that had occurred was in relation to the discovery of arpilleras that had happened outside of the national territory. A great variety of these fabrics that had been used to create these arpilleras, they had been shipped with exiles, which had then contributed to the activation of a network that had been used for the purpose of supporting the fight by the Chilean people. When becoming aware that these embroidered pieces of art had violated the patriarchy's idea of humanity, the arpilleras had attained a global community, and they were considered illegal. They were repetitively reported to the police as 'Anti-Chilean' due to the apparent acts that were committed against the traditions of the motherland. There were many other titles aside from this which had included:
. subversive propaganda
. tapestries of slander

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Nostalgia for the Light (2010) - IMDb

(34) Nostalgia for the Light - trailer - YouTube

This is a video documentary that discloses the two different searches that had been conducted within the Chilean Atacama desert. One of the searches had been discovered by astronomers that had been looking for answers on the history of the cosmos, and the other searches had been discovered by a woman who was seeking for the remains of her loved ones that had been killed by Pinochet's regime.

The chosen video for the Cannes film festival that had been created in 2010 focuses on the aftermath of Pinochet's rise in power, which had resulted in many deaths of the subversives. It briefly discloses the contextual factors of his time in power at the beginning of the video, and this is from when the video includes the information that throughout the seventeen years of his reign, Pinochet had assassinated and buried the bodies of political prisoners. Mothers and grandmothers to this day take spades to the desert and spend countless hours trying to dig up their loved ones for a final sense of closure, and so that they can demand an answer from the people that had been responsible for the disappearance of their loved ones.

The video reveals multiple photos and short clips of the bonds between mother and their children and this was discreetly used as a visual representation of the bonds that a mother and their child share with each other and how this compassion is what strives these women to go out to the desert on a regular basis in the search for the remains of their loved ones. This is similar to the concept behind the Madres de la plaza de mayo, in which these groups of women are both confident in the search for their missing loved ones whilst also intending on gaining justice for them and restlessly fighting for this every day. When interviewing one of the women who visit this desert whilst searching for their missing loved ones, she says ' I wish the telescopes didn't just look into the sky, but could also see through the earth so that we could find them'.

When saying this, she is referring back to the remains of her family members and from viewing this video, it is clear that the woman is emotional as she wants to find comfort in knowing that her family and loved ones are finally at peace and no longer have to struggle with resting due to the trauma that they had endured when being murdered and buried by Pinochet and his military.

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About Amnesty | Amnesty International UK

What We Do - Amnesty International

Similar to the Human Rights Watch organization, this collective group is fixated on bringing more attention to those in the world that suffer from injustice and lack of human rights. This charitable organization consists of over ten million people, and these people investigate and expose to the public many forms of abuse that various individuals are forced to endure on a regular basis. Whilst this is saddening, it is used to educate the public on these issues that are happening worldwide and how to stand united to create a safe environment for these victims where they can escape these dangerous lifestyles. Amnesty International has received a Nobel peace prize for its life-changing work  in helping people to find safety and closure so that they can lead happier lives. This organization has been running for fifty consecutive years after being created by the founder, Peter Benenson, who had started Amnesty international after learning of a tragic and unjustified event in which a few students from Portugal had been imprisoned for seven years after they had simply celebrated a toast to their freedom.

When looking at the symbol for this organisation, I had interpreted that it represents  the fight to freedom, and this is due to the fact that a candle typically symbolises the light in a persons life in which they can envision how they want to lead these lives and the independence that they have to do so, however, the wire that covers this candle then implies that the individual’s life is being controlled and ruled over by the higher people in power I.e. the government, and how this is what leads to acts of injustice and violations of human rights still occur in which peoples rights are being relinquished gradually on a daily basis as the power of these domestic people in power is enforced more. This applies back to the play in the same concept of which the main family that are portrayed to the audience members, are a part of the working class, which then makes it easier for the higher men in power to take control over their lives as they are more reliant on the government for financial income, which is what they get from the limited amount of jobs that the government allow these people to have, so that they are able to provide for their families.

These higher men in power represent the control that they have over this class when they proceed to kidnap the characters : Ernesto, baptista, and Ramon, mainly due to the fact that they were all activists and had decided to take a stand against the patria that in order to gain their own  independence rather than living underneath the fear of these men in power who had used violence and aggression to retain control of the community. This represents an act of human rights being restricted and the theme of injustice coming into play, as the domestic patriarchy had no regard for these peoples lives and intended on making it miserable if anybody was to step out of line and this was done mainly with various acts of torture/ kidnapping and murder. This is viewed in the play when the audience members witness Baptista conveying her inner emotions about what she has had to endure whilst being held hostage, and in this dialogue there are a few insinuations of rape/sexual assault, which reveal that there was no consent from this character, therefore leading to Baptista being stripped from her independence and human rights.

The vibrant shade of yellow is purposely used to bring awareness to the cause behind this organisation and what they stand for, therefore bringing more awareness to the public of the acts of injustice that are occurring worldwide on a regular basis, and how these people plan on preventing this with the help of the community I.e. involving the public in political and social change, having charitable distributions for those in need, hosting events to bring more awareness, etc.

There are nineteen categories of injustice acts that the charity organization focus on in order to prevent these events from occurring any further worldwide and this includes:

. Armed conflict-  In regards to this tragic event that is repetitively happening worldwide on a regular basis, Amnesty International focus on documenting and campaigning in protest against the violations of the international law throughout the time of these armed conflicts. This organization do not fixate on the perpetrator of the conflict, or where the abuse is occurring, their main focus is on how it impacts the lifestyle of the innocent victims who are forced to experience these traumatic moments. The organization greatly encourage the survivors of these conflicts to demand that their is accountability of the perpetrator and that the victims can gain justice for all that they had lost during this time. This is directed to the national authorities, and even international institutions, which includes United Nations and the International Criminal court. Members of this precise organization involve themselves on the grounds of these armed conflicted areas and they interview witnesses and victims who were involved in these battles, and this is so they have more of a gradual understanding on how the event had been caused and any context behind the perpetrators/ those who are involved, etc. Many of the advisors identify the weapons that are used between these people at war, and this is so that they have a brief idea on the effects that this could cause on any person/group. Aside from reporting these acts of conflict, Amnesty International also include more techniques to help prevent moments like these from happening again, such as satellite imagery, and this, alongside using photos and videos of witnesses who were caught in the crossfire of these events, so that these can be more brought to the attention of the public and catch the attention of important industries that focus on human rights.

. Arms Control- Amnesty International plan on campaigning for the halt of the unregulated flow of weapons, despite the fact that they will be a combat aircraft in Yemen and/or Syria, or if it is an unregistered hand-gun that is used in the United States. The ATT [Arms Trade Treaty] is used to impose the strict rules in regulation to the right to bare arms internationally and how this has been transferred in force for over five years from when it had been put into place. However, this doesn't prevent the global amount of people that bare arms that is still increasing on a daily basis and how this then enhances the abuse of people's human rights. This is due to the fact that countries such as Russia, and USA, haven't ratified the treaty. When joining alongside a global amount of activist networks that specialize in human rights in relation to the trading of arms, Amnesty International pressurizes the government/ companies to stop  distributing and selling these weapons illegally. The weapons experts in this organization identify military weapons, ammunition, stores, and equipment. The legal team in Amnesty International organization tend to support the efforts in preventing the arms in the hands of irresponsible peoples that are supplied through the courts. The organization, alongside other human rights non-government organizations, had represented their support  for the campaign against arms trade, which was a challenge that was used to put a stop to the UK supplying arms in Yemen. During June 2019, as a result of the UK court of appeal finding that the UK's government choice to provide exports of military equipment in Saudi Arabia was 'unlawful', they had proceeded to stop issuing more licences for arms exports to Saudi Arabia.

. Child Rights- On a regular basis, children worldwide are violated daily and this is due to the fact that they are exposed to great moments of violence and aggression as they are too young to support themselves and therefore are reliant on the adults and parental figures in their lives [which is more inflicting on the trauma that these children endure]. This then increases a high amount of poverty for children, along with malnourishment and abuse, from their emotionally negligent parents causing more pain in their lives, and typically with teenagers, this also causes an increased amount of suicide. Approximately 290 million on an annual basis haven't had their births legally registered, therefore meaning that they have no proof of existence/ no identity therefore making it near enough impossible for them to claim their own human rights throughout the duration of their lives. This then leads to more drastic occurrences in the child's life i.e. not being able to attend school, get a job, or receive healthcare. Over 61 million children do not attend primary school due to this. Approximately 150 million girls and 73 million boys are sexually assaulted every year. Out of eighty countries each year, 330,000 children are held in immigration detention centres, and this is mainly revolving around the fact that they are migrants/ refugees and this leads to many families being separated for years to come. In order to further support article 42 of the United Nation convention, which is the government being asked to 'undertake to make the principles and provisions of the Convention widely known, by appropriate and active means, to adults and children alike’ ( Burton. R, n.d.). To further support this, Amnesty International, alongside Angelina Jolie, and Professor Geraldine Van Bueren QC, have created a book that is based specifically for the target audience: teenagers, which had been titled 'Know your rights and claim them'. In this, it conveys a simple guide on child's rights, represents the reality of what can happen when these rights are denied, it highlights the work of young activists who create a voice for these children that are struggling to cope with the lack of human rights that they have, it provides the readers with tools on how to navigate the law in a simplified approach, and how to further take action to claim their rights. Alongside this, Amnesty International had also created an introductory online child's rights course, which is based for the target audience: young adults and adults. This includes interviews with child activists and their personal stories on this topic, self-paced learning, and many simple ideas on how to help people take action on these children human rights.

. Climate Change- in order to assert a change in climate that will be fit the works and the next few generations of children and young people, Amnesty International had stood united for the purpose of human rights in the Paris agreement, a legally binding treaty that had been created for climate change, which would then contribute towards a stronger human rights standards in this topic. This had then led to more support in environmental groups, as they fought aside Amnesty international for these rights to be sustained. The main important role that this organisation has in terms of climate change is to help increase the human rights community, and this was by physically representing how climate change had been drastically affecting the lifestyle of young people and how it was damaging their human rights I.e familiarizing themselves with the fear of climate change increasing on a daily basis. Amnesty international is working with a variety of groups that are fixated on the same cause in other key countries, which is to pressure the government into listening to their demands on creating a safe environment for these  people by restoring their human rights in relation to the topic at hand , climate change. The organisation has focused their work on supporting environmental defenders on their work of protecting the land, food, communities against climate impacts, and extraction and expansion of deforestation and fossil fuels. There are a variety of demands that Amnesty international has listed for the government and this is so that they can provide the factual information on how climate change is drastically effecting the human rights for people, and not just how it’s affecting the planet. This list includes:

- the government can do everything that they can to prevent the global temperature from rising by more than 1.5•c.

- that they can reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions to completely zero by the year, 2050. And the organisation have noted that wealthier countries begin to do this as they have an easier access to a greater amount of funds that will be beneficial in completing this act. In 2030, global emissions must be down by at least half as much as what they were in the year, 2010.

- fossil fuels need to stop being used as quickly as possible to further reduce the impact on climate change ( coal, oil, and gas).

- an important note had been made of ensuring that the action that is done in order to improve on climate change will not violate anybody’s human rights and making sure that this also reduces the acts of inequality.

- Ensure that everyone who is personally affected by climate change and these rules are properly informed so that they are aware of what to expect. In doing this, they will also be given the opportunity to participate in more decisions and discussions that will come in the future in regards to climate change.

- an important rule of making sure that there is teamwork as a valid part of ensuring that there will be a change in climate change by people working together and to share this burden rather than enforcing it on certain countries. It has been noted that wealthier countries must provide technical and financial support for those that have suffered and lost many things due to the damages that have been caused by this climate crisis.

- To keep up to date on safeguarding the rights of those possibly at risk of displacement /displaced because of climate change.

. Corporate Accountability- Due to the operations of the company being prioritized over many human rights, as it was important on the dependency of both the companies and investors, including corruption. This had then effected the population and violated many human rights as many companies had fought against each other for the purpose of financial benefit, which had led to many forms of abuse i.e. mental abuse from bosses using crude language to further push their workers to overwhelm themselves in terms of prioritizing each and every piece of work. Many of the communities in the workplace are denied any forms of information, as they are not necessarily trusted, or for other unjustified reasons, therefore these managers/bosses neglecting their co-workers. In order to prevent this from occurring worldwide, Amnesty International create a strategic plan of pushing people who have wrongly been abused and violated, must seek justice and possibly even in certain circumstances, compensation. They adjust to the law by ensuring that it is reached across the borders of the world in order to protect people's human rights.

. Death Penalty- On a day-to-day basis, many people are executed, murdered, and sentenced to death by higher people in authority/ the government for a various forms of crime. Many people underneath the age of eighteen in specific countries, are also sentenced to execution depending on the crimes that they had recently committed. It is also used against people who are mentally and physically deficient in unfair trials. By doing this, it then violates the  standards of the international law. To combat this, Amnesty International except every single case, no matter of the reason behind said case, and they campaign consistently to abolish the death penalty as it is considered the most inhumane and cruel act. They will publicly report these trials in order to bring more attention to the acts of injustice occurring on a worldwide basis. This organization has been working for forty years in an attempt to finally abolish this penalty, and it is mainly focused towards areas such as Africa, Americas, Asia-Pacific, Central Asia region, and Europe. By doing this, with the help of the organization, Amnesty International has been able to support the adoption of resolutions on a mortarium on the use of the death penalty. Aside from this, they then pressurise many cases that include execution and by doing this, the organization support the actions in the movement of abolishing this penalty in a permanent standard. At first, when creating this movement, Amnesty International had only been able to affect sixteen counties in pushing them to abolish the death penalty. To this modern day, there are now over 108 countries that are invested in completely getting rid of this penalty for offenders.

. Detention- In regards to many people facing imprisonment, for crimes that they may or may not have committed, Amnesty International still wants to ensure the safety of these individuals when serving their prison sentences and so that their is no physical pain that is inflicted on these people whilst they are incarcerated. The organization ensures that the inmates are not put in any imminent danger. They do this both via social media and in person to further engage their target audiences into contributing to this cause and helping to prevent it from re-occurring internationally. Amnesty International also make direct phone calls to certain inmates in order to help them to open up about the trauma that they have physically endured through their prison sentence and how the offenders of these acts could even be prosecuted. For example, " The phone calls to the police during my arrest saved me from torture and rape. The police station was so swamped they stopped picking up the phone,” (Amnesty International, n.d.). This quote then reveals how many acts of injustice have occurred which are completely dangerous in terms of the inmates personal safety, and how by connecting through discussions on the lifestyle of the inmates, Amnesty has more of an in-depth comprehension on how to bring the law into these cases and to help those who have been stripped of their human rights in terms of personal safety. This organization is dedicated to helping these people and this is by calling for:
- no secret detention centres
-no forms of ill treatment and no torture that is inflicted by the people in higher authority
- Consistent access to lawyers, doctors, and family members
- An effective and fair legal process
- Independent judges
- adequate conditions for the detention centre [health conditions are all put in place and the inmates are not living in squalor]
- Independent investigations when somebody passes away in the detention centre
- Independent monitoring bodies visiting the prisons on a regular basis
- Fair trials which discloses the time of release for the inmate
- All prisoners of conscience must be released without conditions

. Disappearances- This is specifically in relation to the play, A mother's voice,  due to the fact that it refers back to the context of Los Desaparecidos, in which various people had mysteriously gone missing by the higher men in power. This is in relation to mainly protestors and activists against the corrupt justice system. During the years from 1976 to 1983, over thirty thousand people had been kidnapped in South America. In the time of their disappearance, many of the victims had been kidnapped, tortured, and murdered because of their political beliefs. These domestic people in authority segregate these protestors and activists from their loved ones for the purpose of inflicting more pain [ physically and mentally] in order to get more information on the news of the political up rise of the activists i.e. where the meetings are held, who is involved, etc. Not only does this occur in Argentina, but it has also happed in countries such as Zimbabwe, Syria, Sri Lanka, and so on. Amnesty International is dedicated to campaigning for the disappearance of these people, in an attempt to also find news in relation to the whereabouts of these missing people. The organization has made a rule that if these officials and people in authority are aware of the whereabouts of these missing people, then they must immediately be released. Amnesty had created a list in order to appeal to the members of the government:

- Investigate, and if there is a sufficient amount of evidence, the government would prosecute members that are suspected of this illegal activity and to take responsibility for their actions, therefore being sentenced to an appropriate amount of time in relation to the crime committed.

- Enforce a rule that any disappearances are put under criminal law as illegal and that it is recognized nationally a an illegal activity in which people will be prosecuted. Therefore taking into consideration the seriousness of this act.

- Apply the International Convention and then accept the jurisdiction of CED in order to receive/consider communications on behalf of the victims i.e. Los Desaparecidos/ the missing, etc.

- Ensure that the victims of this traumatic event and their loved ones are receiving compensation, rehabilitation, restitution, and a complete guarantee that this act won't occur again.

- Overall, repudiate any amnesty law , any other measurement of impunity.

. Discrimination- This is applied in many forms in which speech is directed at a certain group and  it is deliberately harmful for various reasons i.e. to harass someone, belittle them, etc. The groups that face discrimination include:
. Equality
. Ethnicity
. Nationality
' Class
. Caste
. Religious beliefs
. Sexual orientation
. Gender
. Language
. Sex
. Gender identity
. Sex Characteristics
. Age
. Health
When discrimination occurs, many human rights tend to be violated and people experience many forms of injustice. There are three forms of discrimination that include:
. Direct discrimination
. Indirect discrimination
. Intersectional discrimination

Amnesty International is calling upon the government on a list of demands to prevent discrimination from occurring any further than it already has in today's modern world:

- Getting rid of any discriminatory laws and releasing anybody who have been wrongfully imprisoned for this

- Protect anyone and everyone from the acts of discrimination and violence.

- To then introduce more laws and policies which will then promote diversity and inclusion in society.

- To take action and tackle the causes of discrimination, therefore including the stereotypes in relation to this act of violating Human Rights.

. Freedom of expression- This is focused on everybody having the human right to speak their mind without any restrictions on what they can / cannot say [within reason / on a specific topic]. This organization supports everybody's human rights and respects them for standing up for their individuality. Amnesty International defend the rights of those in higher positions of big businesses, the security forces, employers, and they also permit people to express themselves publicly. To help people to be able to express themselves, this organization has documented how many people in Poland have led to publicly voicing their opinions on the streets in order to get people to listen to their views properly. This is aside from the fact that there are many forms of harassment, political debate, surveillance, and prosecution, involved in these types of discussions. Amnesty International, since the year 2016, the organization have met with these protestors in order to have more of a perspective of what they want to fight for, how to get the public to listen to their opinions and not simply ignore them.

. Indigenous peoples- Many of these indigenous groups are discriminated against the legal system in many countries, therefore having these people feel a sense of vulnerability, and experiencing both abuse and aggression from these people in higher authority. Many people who support these groups [indigenous right defenders] are experiencing intimidation and violence due to the fact that they are standing against the higher people in authority and what their beliefs are on this specific situation. These people are also attacked and even murdered for merely belonging to these Indigenous groups. To improve this, the organization work directly with the indigenous peoples in order to further develop much needed laws that are required for these groups to gain their human rights. They have ensured that their voices are heard and that they are supported.

. International justice- This is specified for victims that will ensure that there will be some accountability for the offender's actions that were attacking many victims. This includes genocide, crimes against humanity, enforced disappearances, and torture. Many victims are denied any justice and this is due to the fact that there is an extreme decrease in political will to further look into these crimes being committed, therefore leading to the perpetrators not being prosecuted for their actions and illegal activity. Due to this, many victims are left to suffer terribly and result to consistently having to fight a losing battle for their human rights. In order to help these people further, Amnesty International have campaigned for these victims to finally gain justice, and aside from this, they have also been able to establish a worldwide system of international justice (Amnesty International, n.d.). The organization have also:
. campaigned for the establishment and operation of ICC [International Criminal Court]
. Calling states to exercise universal jurisdiction over crimes under international law
. Calling for Ad Hoc international courts to be established
. Further strengthening national, international, and regional laws that have addressed crimes underneath international law.

Other groups that Amnesty International are dedicated to protecting include the following:

- Living in dignity

-Police violence/ brutality

-Refugees, Asylum seekers, and migrants

- Sexual and reproductive rights

-Torture

- United Nations

- Universal declaration of Human rights

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top half of costume for Dream Mother 25.04.22

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top half of costume for Dream Mother 25.04.22

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This is an image of the off-shoulder blouse that I have decided to wear whilst performing in the role of Dream Mother in the play, A mother's voice. This is due to the fact that I personally feel, from the research that I have looked into regarding this specific role, that the intricate detail that is included within this item of clothing, then resembles the context behind traditional and prominent women in South America, which links back to my character specifically as she is the past representative of Constantia, in which she portrays how the character had abided by the patriarchy's enforced rules of how women should act i.e. not involving themselves in political issues, tending to her domestic duties as a mother and wife in which they look after the household and care for their children.

This links back to the pattern that is used on this blouse as the colour red symbolizes the religion, Christianity, which then refers back to the contextual fact of this religion being the most followed and practiced religion in South America, which will apply to my character as she follows the traditions of her motherland in order to appeal to society's image of the 'perfect' woman. However, another main reason why I had chosen this blouse with the embroidered floral pattern is because it also symbolizes the traditional Argentinian flower, 'ceibo', therefore discreetly resembling to the audience how intent my character is on following the traditions of the continent where the play is set, South America.

Finally, it then links back to the social class that many of the cast members are a part of in this play, the working class, and I have found this out from when I had researched into the  cruel treatment that this precise social class had endured when being controlled by the higher men in power, and this is specifically due to Los Desaparecidos, in which many of the less fortunate/working-class members had protested against the corrupt justice system for the lack of independence that they were given as a community, which had resulted in the patriarchy retaliating with kidnapping these individuals / torturing them and murdering them. As these people were unable to afford their own clothing, the women would make and sew her own and her family's items of clothing, and it was common for many women to include floral embroidered patterns to represent their femininity. I decided to have a black blouse for this character so that I am able to represent the theme of death that is repetitively conveyed through Dream Mother's dialogue ( as she is trying to prevent Ramon from joining the land of the dead and instead, convince him to return back to reality with her so that the family can all be reunited).

This also is a resemblance of the difference in Constantia's and Dream Mother's settings, in which my character's scenes are always set in the land of the dead, therefore having my character portray this through physical appearance. With the blue lighting being used throughout the performance, this will also make the red pattern appear as a purple shade, which is also beneficial for my character as contextually speaking, in South America, purple represents death, therefore also linking back to the emotional journey that my character is going through, when having to finally come to terms with the death of her husband, Ramon. As my skirt will be white as well, the lighting will make it appear blue to the eyes of the audience members, and I had found that in South America, this colour represents mourning, which also links back to my character in the concept of her purpose in the play, which is to represent Constantia's five stages of grief towards losing Ramon, and by doing this it then contributes to the hysterical emotional build-up that Dream Mother gradually creates as she forces herself into a stage of denial and differs from reality in order to believe that Ramon is still alive.

When trying on this blouse, I had also experimented with some gestures that my character uses within her dialogue and this is so that I can have more of a natural feel of how to approach Dream Mother's physicality, without having to concern myself with the amount of restriction on the sleeves of the costume. By doing this, I was also able to notice how there is a limit to the amount of movement that I can use whilst wearing this costume, and this is mainly due to the fact that it is an off-shoulder style and rests across my chest rather than on my shoulders. The top is fitted on my body but, I had found that the material is quite rough on my skin. Regarding the amount of available movement in this costume, I intend on discussing with my lecturer whether or not this is a suitable fit for my character in terms of the use of my physicality in this role, and I will also see if I can have the size adjusted in order to tell if this can help my movement in the costume. I will do this by bringing the costume in during the week so that my lecturer is able to make any changes for this piece that will not only help me to feel comfortable when wearing the blouse, but for the benefit of my character's body language that will be portrayed throughout the duration of the play.

For this costume, alongside this blouse, I intend on wearing a long white skirt so that I am able to represent the contrast between Dream Mother and Constantia's surroundings and personalities, in which my character is based only in the land of the dead and due to the fact that her purpose is to represent the final stages of grief, and acceptance being the last moment in which the audience members see Dream Mother for the entirety of the play, I feel that this would be an ideal way of revealing how my character finally reaches a state of peace and tranquillity when allowing her husband's spirit to be laid to rest, in contrary to when the audience members are first introduced to Dream Mother, where she is acting hysterical due to all of her emotions being heightened from the shocking reality of her husband being dead [therefore leading Dream Mother to comfort herself by differing from reality in order to believe that Ramon is still alive and that they can return back to reality with each other].

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For the purpose of today's rehearsal, and to allow the cast members to emotionally invest in the roles of their characters more, an exercise had been carried out at the beginning of the lesson in order to prepare the entire class for a general understanding of the personality traits of their character in the play. I had personally found this exercise helpful as it helped me to understand the description of my character and how effective it is in certain circumstances. An example of this is when I had been paired with my peer, Keira [whose character is Isabel in the play] and the situation was that these two characters were in a bank heist [one played the role of the antagonist and one as the victim]. Whilst it was portrayed in a comical aspect, due to the fact that these two characters are related and the age difference also develops a sense of hilarity.

This is mainly due to the fact that from the research that I have found in regards to my character, Dream Mother, I have found out that she is a traditional and prominent woman, meaning that she believes that she is the 'lesser' gender and must tend to her domestic duties of cooking/cleaning/caring for the household/bearing children, so that she can appease to society's ideal image of the 'perfect' woman.

I was able to present this when repetitively calling out for my character's husband, Ramon, and this is so that I can also link this dialogue back to the script, in terms of my character portraying to the audience members how she is consistently mourning her husband, which is presented in a hysterical manner at the beginning of the play as Dream Mother, similarly to Constantia, is in the first stage of grief: denial. During this improvised scene, I had used my physicality to my best ability to reveal that my character is yearning for the comfort of her husband, and due to the fact that women were typically reliant on men in terms of emotional support [especially in marriages], I had represented this as my character crying and screaming for her husband to save her.

As many of us in the class had voiced our current thoughts on the rate of physicality that we are able to portray in a realistic sense to the audience members so far throughout the rehearsal process, and of this being a poor standard, today we had all decided to prioritize the body language that we were using whilst in the roles of our characters, so that we have a better sense of how to present this to the audience members in a more natural effect and still applying this to Katie Mitchell's technique [our chosen practitioner for the performance] of hyperrealism.

I had found this extremely beneficial in terms of devising my character, Dream Mother, further in the play as I have struggled in how to approach the physicality of my role in the opening scene due to the fact that I was wanting to prioritize on the portrayal of my vocal traits when representing my character's overwhelmed emotional state, and so by not using any dialogue, it was simpler to follow through with my physicality at certain points within today's rehearsed scenes, which will then contribute to the vocal traits that I have used so far for Dream Mother's dialogue.

For example, when rehearsing through the opening scene, after being given notes from my lecturer on how my character is feeling at this certain point in the play, and after being given an example of what is expected of my role during this moment, I was able to gain more confidence in conveying the fear that my character was feeling when suddenly witnessing these terrifying creatures that have invaded her dreamscape of finally reuniting with her husband, Ramon.

I was able to adapt my character's movement in this scene when receiving feedback from my peer, who had mentioned that if I were to bump into these land of the dead characters, I could have more of an impactful reaction which will convey to the audience members that I am in a genuine state of fear, as opposed to the revelation that I am only simply acting afraid, therefore not asserting myself properly enough in the role of my character. When applying this feedback to the scene, I felt that it had definitely fitted better for the emotional status of Dream Mother at this point, and it had led me to gradually develop the tension that my character begins to feel when concerning herself with the whereabouts of Ramon.

Aside from this, I was also aware of how I was going to approach Ramon during this scene, in contrast to the previous rehearsals where I would refer back to my normal physicality as I was unsure of how my character would interact with Ramon at this point, therefore unravelling the realistic atmosphere that I was trying to portray whilst in the role of Dream Mother. However, in today's lesson, as I was mainly fixating on how the character would be presenting her emotions in a physical aspect, I had found it simpler to portray the close bond that is shared between my character and her husband. This had been done through various gestures that resemble the character's reuniting i.e. Dream Mother holding onto Ramon's arms and upper body in disbelief that he is standing in front of her after having disappeared for a long period of time.

Whilst not including dialogue was making it easier for me to focus on the physicality of my character, I had still struggled with where I was at in the scene due to me not using any of the cues that I had learned in order to know when to say my lines to then create a natural flow in the interaction between Ramon and Dream Mother. To solve this issue, our assistant director had offered to read our dialogue so that the physicality of our two characters could remain in a consistent flow without the disruption of wondering where we are in the scene. However, whilst this was helpful for the gradual development of presenting Dream Mother's emotions towards Ramon's decision to join the land of the dead, I had still struggled with the concept of physically reacting to Ramon trying to pull my character's body away from his. From my perspective, when going through this scene, I have always viewed it as too forced and aggressive rather than emotional and naturalistic, and this is precisely why I intend on asking my lecturer if she can help us run through a routine of the movement that we should ideally be used in this scene to realistically convey the close relationship that Ramon and Dream Mother have, which will then lead the audience members to develop a sense of sympathy for Dream Mother when she is begin separated from her soulmate.

In order to improve on this rehearsal, I need to prioritize time aside for myself and my peer, Alex, [who plays Ramon] so that we are able to have some intimacy training as I feel that in recent rehearsals, we haven't been able to convey the ideal closeness in the bond that our two characters share as they are soulmates and constantly in a physical embrace when reuniting with each other throughout the duration of the performance. In my opinion, I feel that this will personally be beneficial for the two of us as we do not necessarily feel confident when having to perform these intimate moments in front of the entire cast, and by rehearsing by ourselves, this will gradually form a bond in which we can establish the romantic physicality of our characters without having to refer back to our normal personality traits, and invest in the persona of each of our character's i.e. when physically interacting with Ramon, Dream Mother repetitively uses gestures to imply how devoted she is as a wife such as stroking/holding Ramon's face.

https://www.theatricalintimacyed.com/blog/2017/9/9/working-on-intimate-scenes-in-class- This link has been provided by my lecturer as a structured set of rules to follow when performing intimacy scenes in the performing arts industry and when looking into this information, I had found it comforting to have an exemplified list of how to gradually develop a sense of comfort around the other actor that you are interacting with. When rehearsing through the intimacy scenes, I will be adapting the information from this website link to my physicality process so that I can ensure that I create a sense of realism of my character's affection for Ramon, whilst also making sure that I can assure myself that I am in a comfortable state to perform these scenes without feeling awkward or concerned.

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During this week, I have struggled recently to remain off-script for my multi-rolling characters and this is due to the fact that I have only recently been given the roles and I had wanted to prioritize my main role's dialogue so that I am able to ensure that I create a realistic atmosphere as the character of Dream Mother [the main role] as it is crucially important for the storyline of the play that I represent the similarities shared between myself and the character, Constantia, and this is due to the fact that Dream Mother is the past representative of this precise character, therefore representing the five stages of grief that Constantia endures when waiting for Ramon to return home to her.

In order to solve this issue, I plan on prioritizing time on my days off from college in order to learn these lines and to apply the line learning techniques that I have found in previous rehearsals so that it is simpler for me to memorize the cues for each line, therefore, making it easier for me to remain in the role of my character when rehearsing through full run-throughs of the play. This is specifically applied towards the role of gossip character, due to the fact that in the scene: The News, there is a rapid amount of pace being developed as the characters' are spreading rumours based on the death of Ernesto and the disappearance of Baptista, therefore allowing the audience members to indulge in an unsettling atmosphere in which they will carefully focus on the dialogue of this scene to gain a general understanding of how it will affect the main character, Constantia, and the trauma that she is enduring in this precise moment and how it then links back to concept behind the play: representing how family members were affected by the loss of their loved ones to Los Desaparecidos and how they had also been affected by the corrupt justice system.

Recently, I have become an understudy for my peer's character and this is due to the fact that he hasn't been present for a few rehearsals as we are going through the full run-throughs, which has made it difficult for the cast to all remain in character as the scenes that are being carried out, now include certain pauses where my peer should be saying his dialogue. In order to solve this issue,  I plan on focusing on the physicality that is used whilst in the role of the official character so that I can ensure that I am portraying a different persona whilst in the role of these three characters [ Dream Mother, Gossip character, official] and therefore representing how I am adapting to my skill set as an actor in which I focus on the personality traits that each of these roles hold and how they are contrasted from each other in terms of the atmosphere that they create for the audience members.

Whilst this is an improvement from a practical aspect, I also plan on annotating my script for the official character for a theoretical improvement that represents the general understanding that I have in terms of this character's personality, and by doing this I will have prepared myself for the day of the performance , just in case I need to perform this role for the final performance, therefore meaning that I will understand how to approach this dialogue that matches to the atmosphere of the scene.

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https://bedfordcollege-my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/632216_student_tresham_ac_uk/EUpT6mgBlNBMiCsEtcxZmQoBNYHq_rz-18BYz0H3s2FWJA?e=ugUSNe

Throughout this video evaluation, I have discussed how the exercises that were carried out during this rehearsal had helped me to fit more into the role of my character and focus on the improvements that need to be made in regards to remaining in a realistic atmosphere as Dream Mother and not deferring back to my own personality traits. For example, in the opening scene, I still have not been able to physically portray my character's emotions as I tend to frantically freeze up and don't physically react at precisely important moments. However, I am intent on improving on this with the help from my lecturer and I will be asking her the ideal way that she wants me to approach the scene so that I am able to gradually develop that feeling of fear whilst in the role of the character.

To gain more confidence whilst in the role of our characters and to also help the entire cast to develop their character's persona without having to overcompensate certain details, a practical exercise of improvisation had been performed by everyone in which the assistant director had mentioned a certain situation and had then proceeded to bring two characters into the middle and act out the scene. I had found this extremely beneficial for the development of my role as I was able to put the research that I had found to use and then represent how this had contradicted the personality of Constantia [ as Dream Mother and Constantia are effectively the same person] however, it was also helpful to have the both of us in certain scenes as there are also some similarities that the two roles share which link back to the historical context of women's roles during the 70s/80s in South America.

The main focus for this rehearsal was to develop each character's physicality and how this will then contribute to the dialogue that is used in the script which will then create a certain type of atmosphere for the audience members in which they will be able to indulge more in the emotions that each character is feeling towards the tension being gradually created [ mainly in relation to the higher men in power and their use of aggression to remain in authority]. When attempting this, I had struggled at first as I wasn't aware of the cue to use my physicality and it hadn't appeared realistic enough and more staged due to this, yet it did help me to feel more intact with my character's personality i.e. how I believe she would use a certain amount of body language depending on the scene and how this will then link to how she is emotionally coping at this point within the play [if the character was to be more frantic with hand gestures, it would suggest that she is concerned, worried, fearful as she is in a rush and cannot contain herself].

In order to improve on this rehearsal, I believe that I certainly need to have some dedicated time to approach my character's physicality in the opening scene as I am currently finding it difficult to respond and react to the land of the dead with my body language and there is a minimal amount of gestures being used that insinuate Dream Mother's fear of these ghost characters and how she is afraid that they will be separating her from Ramon. In this particular scene, I feel that I am relying more so on my vocal traits to convey how my character is feeling about the situation that is playing out rather than resembling physically to the audience members how she is truly feeling.

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In today's rehearsal, as we had run through the gossip character's scene, the cast had mainly focused on the physicality of the gossips as we need to be able to portray to the audience members how this precise scene is an impactful moment in the development of Constantia's strive of independence and how it also then reflects on the powerful hold that the patriarchy had on the community through the use of aggression and manipulation. Whilst this scene is portrayed as slightly comedic from how frantic the gossip characters are in terms of wanting to find out the recent news and the physical representation of how intrusive they are when seeking the news straight from the grieving family, it still also highlights how these gossips would indulge in any recent scandals rather than having to face their miserable lifestyles and the constant danger that they are surrounded by.

For example, when my character says the line " perhaps it would have been better to have found her body than to have had such sad news". This quote clearly discloses that my character has gained a sense of sympathy for the family after hearing of the recent news in regards to Baptista's disappearance, however, it then also reflects on the contextual factor of how the community would cope with this type of news during the repression-era and how many families had felt an impact in their grievances when having information on their lost loved ones withheld, purely so that the patriarchy could restore their power in the social class system. During the time of Los Desaparecidos, many people could not grieve for their loved ones as their bodies would be discreetly buried in remote areas so that nobody would be able to catch on with the acts of injustice and violations of human rights that the domestic men in power had used.

Whilst the atmosphere being created in this scene reveals the exhilarated mood and frantic pace of the gossip characters that intend on spreading as many rumours as possible so that they are able to reveal to the audience members the racing traumatic thoughts that Constantia must be feeling when eagerly trying to search for her daughter, the dialogue had been spoken at too fast a pace during the rehearsal which had made it difficult for some people to understand what we were all saying. In order to improve on this, I plan on annotating this scene with pitch, pause, and  pace so that I am able to follow along with how to deliver my character's dialogue in more of a natural aspect but to also ensure that I retain the gradual development of tension being created mainly through the vocality of my role.

In terms of the moment in which Constantia appears on stage, we had been given feedback from our lecturer that during the discussion being shared between the family, the gossips need to be intently listening whilst also conveying more melodramatic reactions to some of the dialogue that the family are saying in terms of the whereabouts of Baptista and how it has affected Constantia's lifestyle, and by doing this, we can then convey to the audience members how intrusive the gossips are when trying to gain more information so that they can spread more rumours on the matter.

For example when Robyn's character says the line " a drug dealer", the entire gossip group must gasp in reaction in order to reveal that they have retained new information that can cause more hassle for this family. However, when hearing lines such as " Baptista is still missing", we all need to ensure that we use a certain gesture at this point, such as holding a hand on heart, comforting the other gossips, etc, in order to reveal to the audience members how empathetic we feel towards Constantia's great loss and whilst they have been enjoying to indulge in the recent news, they still feel concerned on the whereabouts of Baptista and the constant fear of whether or not she will be returning home, therefore for a split moment the gossips are imagining what it must be like to be Constantia and have to feel such grief and despair.

Due to the fact that I am aware of my character's persona in this scene from reading through the dialogue, I was successful in presenting certain mannerisms that best convey the purpose for my character being on stage at that precise moment and how it then also links to the rumours being spread to further increase the tension within the atmosphere for the audience members. I had done this by at first mainly interacting with my peer, Lux, in which we had portrayed many melodramatic gestures to entail how shocked our characters are feeling towards the recent news that they have heard and this had then begun to gradually increase more when the gossips had all joined together before Constantia had arrived on stage, in order to make it appear more manic to the members of the audience.

When crowding around each other towards the end of the scene, all of the gossips need to ensure that we used overlapped dialogue to then link back to our characters' overwhelmed thoughts on the predicament of Baptista. By doing this, we will then be able to allow the audience members to then indulge in the concern of this character's outcome in the play and how it will then affect the main family. I need to ensure at this moment that I am also projecting as when getting peer feedback in response to the portrayal of this scene, I had been told that not many people could hear my line " I am certain they have not found her", and whilst this is included in the overlapped dialogue, I still want to make sure that the audience members are able to hear what my character is saying so that they are able to understand the gossips reason behind having contrasting views on what had happened.

One of the main improvements to be made in terms of adapting to this character is to ensure that I create a backstory for this role and focusing on Magic IF for my role so that I am able to find a purpose for my character entering on stage and when she is interacting with different characters, to then resemble the bonds that she had formed based on the reactions that many people have had to the gossip being spread. For example, I have been asked to greet Lexie's character on stage by kissing her cheek in order to firstly refer back to the traditional customs used in Argentina when greeting people, and to then also express the close bond that these two characters share, which will then later be revealed when my character then expresses her true thoughts on the upsetting matter of Ernesto's death, in which the audience members will then be able to grasp how deceitful my character truly is.

For example, at reading through my character's dialogue, I have been able to clearly see how her main personality trait is to be deceitful in order to further distract herself from the miserable life that she leads as a woman living underneath the inflicted rules of the patriarchy. At first, my character expresses her sympathy towards the tragedy that Constantia has suffered of losing both her husband and her daughter, Baptista, however, shortly after when interacting with Lexie's character, my character expresses her true thoughts, and when doing this, it then conveys to the audience members the exact moment in which my character reveals her true personality.

However, I need to ensure that I find more of a purpose for engaging with Lexie at this moment so that it doesn't appear staged to the audience members, and how this can then link to the naturalistic flow that I intend on following whilst in the role of this character, whilst also making sure that I further dramatize my dialogue at this point in order to enhance the tension being created in the atmosphere of this scene, which will then allow the audience members to fixate more on Baptista's disappearance in relation to Ramon's death and how these similar events had then caused Constantia to take control of her life and gain more independence to eventually stand against the corrupt justice system.

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As I will be multi rolling in the play, A mother’s voice, when performing as the characters, Dream Mother, and, Gossip character, I have been asked by my lecturer to devise a backstory for this gossip character so that she has more of a significant meaning within the play. This is due to the fact that whilst my main role is Dream Mother, I have already found information in relevance to this character and how it links back to the concept behind the play, and this also refers back to the rehearsal process so far where I have prioritized my time mainly on Dream Mother.

However, whilst I have taken on the role of gossip character, I have not necessarily indulged in her personal details and to improve on this, I have gradually begun to form a backstory, with the support of how the character is presented in the script. An example of this is at the beginning of the play when she sympathizes for Constantia's family and says " That poor Constantia. First her husband and now this". At this point, the character is feeling a genuine amount of sorrow for their family and what they must be experiencing. However, later on my gossip character, when both her and another character separate themselves from the group, then says " I have heard that there were drugs involved". By doing this, it then represents the character's main trait of being deceitful, in which she reveals her contradicted views to different people within the group in order to stir up more rumours and involve people in the family's personal drama.

This is clearly for her own amusement due to the fact that the character is forced to abide by her domestic duties and finds little pleasure in her life. I believe that this then links to her marriage, which I also feel would be hapless as the gossip invests all of her energy in creating drama to fulfil her life and she tends to enjoy involving herself in other's business, which could then convey that she doesn't want to face her own issues at home i.e. her marriage falling apart, her husband becoming distant/too involved in her life, etc.

For this role, as I have looked into the social class system and the view of women as an entire gender during the 70s/80s in South America, I have more of a grasp as to the initial personality that I want to present whilst in the role of the gossip character. When doing this, I have also taken into consideration the difference in the use of language between Dream mother and Gossip character and how this then serves as a clear representation of the social class that each of these characters belongs to. From how exhilarated the character appears to be when spreading these rumours, I had personally anticipated that she was an only child and was never able to gossip with anyone as she is doing now.

For example, when the gossip character says " A brave boy. We must say our prayers for him tonight", I had perceived this as the character being of a working-class standard, and this is mainly due to the fact that these types of people were religious and had greatly sympathized for Los Desaparecidos, and this was because the disappeared had usually been kidnapped from the lower classes in the social class system, this then links back to what Los Desaparecidos had fought against i.e. inequality, injustice, etc.

Argentine names - Top 100 first names in Argentina & statistics (studentsoftheworld.info)- I have used this link for research purposes of trying to find a common girl's name in Argentina that I believe will fit my character. When choosing from this list, I had carefully researched into the meaning behind each of the female names and how this could benefit the portrayal of my character's personality. Whilst this gossip character is quite deceitful from the various opinions that she has on Constantia's situation, the character still represents her traits as a dedicated traditional and prominent woman in South America i.e. mainly through the use of religion [praying for Ernesto], which then links back to the contextual fact of this continent consisting of over 90% of the population being Christian. The name that I believe had fitted my character was 'Giovanna' and the meaning behind this name is, 'God is gracious', and this definition then refers back to my character as she represents her faith in God at the beginning of the scene when saying that the group should pray for Ernesto that night.

As the gossip characters contemplate the situation that Baptista had involved herself in, when involving herself with the activist, Ernesto, they are flourishing in the rumours and begin to question the authority of the government, and whether or not all of these talks about the government being corrupt is true or not, or whether it was Ernesto who was a convict. By doing this, it then links back to how impactful the patriarchy is on the population, as the gossips exasperatedly spread negative rumours of Ernesto, who was one of them and who they had suddenly turned against due to the brainwashing that the higher men in power had inflicted on the population through the use of force.

Due to the fact that my character still resembles her values as a prominent woman in society, she will of course be married and have children. For this specific character, as most of her enjoyment seems to revolve around the rumours being spread, it would suggest that she uses social situations to her best advantage to find some enjoyment in her life, as most of her daily lifestyle involves caring for her husband and their children, and having to repetitively tend to her chores to ensure that she pleases both her husband and society's expectations of a woman during this time.

In terms of politics, I feel that my character would be subconsciously debating on what party to vote for and this is mainly as the patriarchy had inflicted their aggression and domestic power over the community, therefore making them become fearful if anyone was to dare make any new changes that would result in them losing their will power. However, she also takes into consideration her family and the life that she has created for herself and, after witnessing all of the kidnappings and murders that had been consistently occurring as people had tried to stand against the higher men in power, my character had feared for the safety of her family and children. I believe that this is why she would vote for the conservative party so that she can propitiate society's image of the 'perfect' woman whilst ensuring the safety of her family and preventing anything from changing their lives.

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I have created this video evaluation to establish how I plan on fitting into the role of my character, gossip character, in the scene: The News, and creating more of a realistic standard in which I am able to differ from the traumatic events that I have endured as my main role, Dream Mother, and immediately develop a difference in the current atmosphere, where the gossip characters are able to comically appease to the audience members perception of the play so far, and to allow them to have contradicted views on the scene entirely as whilst the gossip characters are rapidly spreading rumours in a hasting and funny manner, they still also institute their empathy for the Diaz family when hearing the recent news on the whereabouts of Baptista.

Throughout this scene, I was able to clearly represent my character being nosy from the repetitive use of mannerisms that had been used when rhubarbing that had clearly conveyed how my character was creating more rumours for the purpose of investing her time in forming more drama and having something for the gossips to consistently talk about. By using these, I was also able to portray how my character is also listening in on other conversations and expressing her opinions on them, which then link together when all of the characters join together towards the end of the scene to find out more information from Constantia. When doing this, I had also included more gasps and shocked sounds so that I could represent to the audience members how my character is beginning to feel more excited at the amount of drama that is occurring whilst also feeling sympathy for Constantia's family, which is later revealed at the end of the scene when my character says "perhaps it would have been better to have found her body than to have had such sad news".

I have been given notes by my lecturer to become aware of my spatial awareness whilst in this scene as I am moving away quite a lot of the time which makes it appear as if I am giving people their space to talk, and as the main purpose of my role is to involve herself in situations which are none of her concern and she tends to eavesdrop on multiple accounts, it simply makes no sense for me to stand away. The entire gossip group has also been asked to remain in a clump when Constantia comes to talk with them and this is so they can overcrowd her with their questions and rumours which will then allow Constantia to feel conflicted on the whereabouts of her daughter and her intentions on finding information in relation to this. Aside from this, the entire gossip group has been asked to create a backstory for our characters so that there is a clear reason as to why they act in a certain manner and what their purpose is for entering on stage rather than simply saying the text as it will not have any sense of realism i.e. using magic IF.

The improvement that I am intending on achieving for the next few rehearsals is to  remain off-script and learn these lines without needing to refer back to a script so that I can invest all of my focus into remaining completely in the role of my character and forming a gradual build up of tension as the characters in this scene speak at a fast pace in order to convey how they cannot contain themselves with the amount of drama that is occurring and how they feel that it is in their best interest to spread these lies and rumours in order to find out the truth.

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For today's rehearsal, we were able to do a complete run through from the scene that we had last blocked throughout this recent week, and whilst we hadn't gone through the very last scene due to the fact that the entire cast needs to individually research into a missing person for the purpose of carrying out the scene, we were all still aware of how this scene was going to be portrayed in order to educate the audience members on the repression-era and how this domestic power is still inflicted to this modern-day across the world, therefore, leading to many people still disappearing at the hands of the violations of human rights.

I had definitely found it beneficial when running through the scenes that we have blocked so far as it has also helped me to develop more confidence in terms of presenting my character's physicality as this is an issue that I have been struggling to overcome throughout the rehearsal process so far, and by experimenting more with my body language whilst in the role of Dream Mother, I have been able to feel that I am creating a sense of realism as my character in which I am able to establish my character's purpose, which is to present the five stages of grief that Constantia is enduring when having to cope with the disappearance of Ramon.

Throughout this run-through, I have been able to represent the contrast between myself and Mia's character, in which whilst they are effectively the same person that shares the same emotional journey, the characters are set in two different settings and this is what pushes them to react in different circumstances to the mere mention of Ramon's disappearance. This is mainly due to the fact that my character is typically a physical representation of Constantia's buried emotions and ignorance towards the loss of her husband, which is why I deliver the portrayal of this character in a more emotionally heightened perspective in order to represent the true heartache that a widow would be feeling when having to be taken away from her soulmate.

For example, in the scene: Dream One, I represent this in a vocal aspect when using the skill of diction to make it appear as if my character is trying eagerly to hold back her tears and to try and remain in a state of denial, despite the fact that Ramon is trying to open her eyes to the reality that she must face, which is then what leads my character to act in a more accusatory tone and become emotional/slightly frustrated that Ramon won't return back to the land of the living with her.

I have been able to improve on this in terms of vocality for my role as in previous rehearsals my pitch has risen therefore making it more difficult for people to understand what my character is saying, whilst recently I have been able to control this and rather make it seems that my character is highly confused why Ramon is stating that he wants to be laid to rest. However, when saying the line "no stay here. stay with me", this is when my vocal traits are impacted more in order to reveal how vulnerable my character is as she emotionally relies on Ramon and only feels safe in the comfort of his embrace, which is why more so for selfish reasons of her own, that she wants Ramon to return back home with her so that she can re-gain the simple lifestyle that she had led whilst also reuniting the family.

In this scene, I have also been able to resemble the similarity between Dream Mother and Constantia in which they both remain in a state of denial when trying to retain their faith that Ramon is alive. This was revealed when I had said the line "I will have faith Ramon. I will not listen to their whispers. Come to me soon Ramon. Do not slip into their darkness". When saying this line, I had ensured that I change my vocality to make it seem as if my character has been able to compose herself by remaining in a state of denial, whilst also tending to her duty as a traditional and prominent woman of South America, in which she retains her faith in God to bring Ramon back to her. This then links back to Constantia from when she is seen in the second scene: Absence and loss when she says the line " I know this is a difficult time but Isabel is younger than all of you and yet she retains her faith".

By using this quote, I have been able to reveal how Constantia, much like the traditional woman she is, impacts the religious beliefs on her children, however, in comparison to Dream Mother, this is essentially done so that Constantia does not need to feel/surround herself with the grief of reality [Ramon being dead] which much like the whispers and Dream Mother, Constantia refuses to allow her children to grieve for their father so that she can remain in denial that he will return home soon.

An improvement that needs to be made in terms of this scene, is applying my character's physicality to the emotions that she is vocally portraying so that I can allow the audience members to develop a sense of empathy for Dream Mother when witnessing how heartbroken she is that she is again being separated from her soulmate, and by also adapting to my physicality more, it will allow me to feel more invested in the persona of Dream Mother, and how I believe she would physically react to this sudden news, in contrast to how I would personally react.

The picnic in the hills scene, whilst it was being vocally presented as the family all reuniting and enjoying time together, it still feels too staged and obvious to the audience members and I feel that this is due to the fact that the cues for both mine and Alex's [ who is performing the role of Ramon] also then represent the physicality that is about to be used between these two characters and in order to make it appear more joyful and realistic, we have been given the note of having Alex suddenly picking me up so that I have a genuinely shocked reaction as I won't be expecting the moment when he says the line " I will carry you to my castle sweet damsel" and I can then play off this in a humoured manner which will then convey that Dream Mother and Ramon not only have a romantic connection, but they also share banter as close best friends, therefore then contributing to the image of these two characters as soulmates.

Throughout this rehearsal, I have been able to remain confident in staying completely off-script and acknowledging my cues to ensure that I am able to prepare myself in the role of Dream Mother and to ensure that I portray each stage of grief that she is feeling throughout the duration of the performance. I had found it personally beneficial to annotate the scenes that I am currently struggling with, the night before each rehearsal so that I was able to track exactly what my character was to portray at certain moments with the dialogue used within the precise scene.

I feel that an area of improvement that I feel I need to focus on is using gestures and mannerisms to represent the similarity shared between myself and Mia, which will ten contribute to the emotional journey of both Constantia and Dream Mother. By doing this, we will both be able to successfully convey to the audience members that our characters are essentially the same person but set in different time settings, and this will then reveal how the physical representation of our characters then applies to the growth of their personalities throughout the duration of the performance and how, each in their own way, the characters are able to develop a sense of independence, which then foreshadows the final scene, in which the entire cast stands together and individually mention a missing person and their last whereabouts, therefore resembling the Madres de la Plaza de Mayo and what they had stood for [an all-female group that were formed of grieving mothers and grandmothers of the disappeared and the initiative that they had taken to bring awareness to the public on the corrupt justice system].

In order to improve for the future purposes of the rehearsal process, I need to prioritize the scene, Dream One, as this is a moment in which I feel I am lacking in creating a sense of realism in the role of Dream Mother and this is mainly due to the fact that I have always been prioritizing  my vocal traits in my character so that I could reveal the current emotional state that she is in when trying to cope with the loss of her husband, and to present this in more of a physical aspect, I have been given the note of having the proximity between the characters slowly begin to grow further apart, rather than using constant interaction in previous rehearsals as it was getting too difficult to multi-task my character's physicality with the dialogue used within the scene.

Whilst I will still be clinging on Alex to signify that my character is too hesitant to allow Ramon to be laid to rest, by gradually being separated from him, it will make it much more simpler to reveal how my character is in a terrible mental state that will cause her to feel more heartache and therefore finding it more difficult to remain in the state of denial that she has indulged in right from the opening scene.

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This video evaluation has been created to highlight the improvements that have been made in relevance to my character Dream Mother and how confident I have felt in this rehearsal due to the fact that I hadn't relied on my script for any of my character's dialogue and I was aware of the cues that were used for the moment when my character begins to speak. Aside from this, I had also felt a growing confidence in my character's vocal traits in the scene, Dream One, where my tone and pitch had remained quite low so that the audience members are still going to be able to understand what my character is saying during this moment in time and I had also ensured that at the moment when I say the line "no stay here, stay with me", that I hold onto Ramon's face and bring his waist closer to mine at this moment in order to convey that Dream Mother is reaching a moment of desperation in which she feels that she must cling onto Ramon to make him contemplate his decision to join the land of the dead and to feel guilt-ridden as he is leaving his devoted wife and young children behind, effectively this physicality is used as an attempt of Dream Mother having her own selfish reasons for keeping her husband in her life [aside from the fact that she loves him, she is afraid to cope with the life of being a single mother and widow and does not know how to cope without Ramon in her life].

The notes that I was given from Harriet today were mainly in relation to remaining in the role of my character when using physicality in my scenes and to ensure that I do not fall out of this as it then decreases the sense of realism that I intend on portraying for the purpose of linking my character's personality back to the concept behind the play, revealing the lifestyle of South America during the 70s and the control that the higher people in authority had over the population. An example of this is in the opening scene: The ghosts, where my character interacts with the land of the dead and she must physically appear fearful to not only represent how afraid she is for the safety of Ramon, but also how this reflects on the emotions that many wives/mothers had endured when not being able to find their missing love ones [Los Desaparecidos] and not being able to gain any information on them, therefore leading to them believing the worst of situations i.e. their loved ones being deceased and living in the afterlife as Ramon is.

A beneficial decision that had been made in relation to the presentation of the similarities shared between Constantia and Dream Mother, was that Mia and I are going to be working on some gestures/ movements that we can incorporate into the scenes where we are on stage together so that we are able to clearly represent to the audience members that whilst they are not in the same setting, they are technically the same person and share the same emotions throughout most of the performance in which they are grieving for their husband, Ramon, whereas Constantia buries her emotions in order to be a responsible mother and put her children first whilst also remaining in a state of denial, whereas dream mother is already aware of the fate that lies for Ramon and this is what makes it more difficult for her to comprehend why he is leaving her and so she tries to push reality away and remain in a state of denial where she begins to act in a hysterically emotional state as her state is slowly beginning to start unravel ( which is portrayed by the ghosts who take Ramon away from dream mother) and how reality is seeping in at a rapid pace.

Improvements that are needing to be made in terms of this rehearsal is the physicality that is shared between myself and Alex in the scene, Dream One, where at first we are embracing and representing how the characters share a close romantic bond, and then revealing the contrast of the characters opinions on Ramon's life, in which he wants to be laid to rest and have his spirit freed where he can live in the land of the dead, whereas Dream Mother is too overcome with her own selfish reasons for wanting him back and her overwhelmed emotions to allow him to leave her, and this then leads to the physicality between the two of these characters becoming more intense as dream mother is insistent on keeping Ramon in her life and refuses to let go of him.

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In my own spare time, I had used this exercise so that I was successfully able to understand the persona of my character and so that I am able to answer questions in relation to the role at a fast given pace, therefore implying that I have carefully researched into the character, Dream Mother, and I can instantly form her backstory from the information that I have linked back to her.

My main source for this exercise had been the dialogue that my character uses in the script, and this is because I am able to find more relevant information through the use of text that best conveys my character's emotional status and this includes helpful stage directions which disclose how I should be saying the line i.e. the opening scene when my character says "no, no!". In here, the stage direction 'more firmly' is included between the two 'no's' to vocally portray to the audience members how Dream Mother is struggling to cope with the fact that the ghosts are separating her and her husband, Ramon.

This links back to the information used in the video due to the fact that it had helped me to understand how to approach certain questions such as the are you religious question as it is clearly presented in the dialogue that my character uses throughout the entire play that she resembles her faith, mainly when staying in a state of denial and believing that Ramon will return with her back to the land of the living.

This exercise was helpful for me because it had allowed me to apply this information in a practical sense, in which I was able to clearly grasp more of an acknowledgment to the type of person my character is, and I was then able to form more of an emotional connection with Dream Mother, which will contribute to my involvement in the rehearsal process for the weeks leading up to the performance, where I can further differ from my own personality traits and fit the description of my character.

I had answered a total of nine questions within this task and each of these was significant to the background story of my character in the sense of how she is being portrayed in A mother's voice. These answers were kept short and straight to the point so that I was clearly able to establish my knowledge of the character from the dialogue used in the script. For example:

. What is your name?- I have simply stated that my character's name is Constantia, and this is due to the fact that she is clearly not aware that she is merely a figment of the main character's imagination.

. What is your relationship like with Ramon?- I have found from looking into the dialogue of that is shared between these two characters as they interact in the script, their marriage is strong and intact, and despite the fact that they are both in pain from having to cope with the reality of losing one another, the characters are frequently embracing each other to further convey to the audience members how much of a close bond they have. I have listed in my answer that not only is Ramon her husband and the father of my character's children, but he is also her best friend. I feel that in this question specifically, however, I could have listed more views that my character had on Ramon. This would be so that I could link Dream Mother's thoughts back to the ideal mindset of a woman during the 70s in South America, where they would consistently be grateful for their husbands and obey the  / cherish them [also due to the fact that they were considered the 'superior' gender, therefore making them of a higher importance].

. Do you want any more children?- This question had been answered on a contextual aspect of what women would believe as they had tended to one of the most domestic duties that society had set in place, which was that the population were religious [ which links back to the fact of South America having over 90% of the population being Christian/ Practicing Christianity]. I had answered this question on the lines of 'whatever God can provide for my family' and when doing this, I was able to clearly resemble how my character was  society's ideal perspective of the 'perfect' woman, in which she has no personal agenda on gaining any independence and control of her life, and rather she would want to appease to society's expectations of women where they can create a bigger family to carry on the traditional values that the continent holds.

. Are you religious?- For this precise question, after reflecting on the previous question, I was successfully able to reveal my character's religious beliefs and how this links back to the  factor of the continent's population being almost entirely Christian / having Christian beliefs. I had included ' I believe that God has a plan for us all' and this was purposely done in order to further stereotype the religion: Christianity, in which I could represent Dream Mother's devotion to being the 'perfect' woman in society's perspective, where she retains her beliefs and is blindsided by the trauma that is surrounding her i.e. people being kidnapped, tortured, and murdered, and my character simply believes that this is a part of God's plan for them [ if they have sinned, etc].

. What political party do you follow?- In relation to the domestic duties that women were forced to abide by during the 70s by the higher patriarchy, I had answered this question confidently in my character by clearly stating that she doesn't involve herself in anything relating to politics and that she would rather focus on caring for her family. By doing this, I was also able to link my answer back to the image of women in this era, where they were not permitted not to have an opinion on political issues [due to them being the 'lesser' gender] and would rather be concerning themselves with their chores i.e. cooking, cleaning, caring for the children, etc.

. What's your life ambition?- I have approached this question in a contextual aspect when linking back to how women during this era would specifically dedicate their lives to ensuring that they keep their families content and that their domestic duties are consistently followed, in order to appeal to society's perspective of the 'perfect' woman. With regards to this question, I have specified that Dream Mother wants to take care of her children and to also ensure that both her and Ramon lead a happy life with each other, therefore linking back to the portrayal of their close bond within the play.

. What are your hobbies?- In order to contextually refer back to the traditional values that a woman was supposed to have during the era that the play is set in, I have mentioned that my character enjoys to knit and crochet, therefore linking back to the context of what women, specifically in the working-class, would spend their time doing due to the fact that they were unable to afford any expensive materials/clothing/food for their family and would result in these type of activities to provide warm items of clothing for their family members. Aside from this, I have also mentioned how my character follows her Madre's recipes that have been traditionally passed down through the family, therefore linking back to the context of women in the household keeping traditional values in the family.

. How did you meet Ramon? - Rather than referring completely back to the script for this question, I had used contextual research on my character's gender and how they were treated during the era that A mother's voice is set in so that I was able to represent her domestic duties as both a wife and a mother and how Dream Mother was able to abide by society's image of the 'perfect' woman. For example, I had mentioned that my character had met her husband first in the town square when she was purchasing some food for her ill father. Firstly, by mentioning this I have been able to refer back to the duty that women had of caring for their families and males [due to them being the more superior gender] and learning the ways of what is expected of a woman i.e. tending to the duty of cooking to provide for the family. After this, I had also included the fact that growing up, my character was a part of the lower social class and that they were living a hand-to-mouth lifestyle, in which she was also unable to purchase the items that she had needed, mainly because the most important source of income [that had transpired from her father as he was considered the breadwinner of the family]. Secondly, I had included how generous Ramon was when he had helped Dream Mother to buy what she had needed for her family. By doing this, Ramon is still able to assert his dominance by allowing Dream Mother to be reliant on him for support, and this then further resembles the reason behind the two characters having such a close and strong bond.

. Where do you go to relax? - In regards to this question, I had referred back to the picnic in the hills scene in the script where Constantia mentions Huanos in the hills. This is due to the fact that this is a specific moment where the character is reminiscing about a happy memory, as opposed to how she has been witnessed by the audience members prior to this, when she was grieving for her husband, Ramon. By answering this, I have been able to provide a significant answer in relation to the link between my character and Constantia, therefore presenting how they are the same person, yet in different timelines. I have also included how this location was a special spot for the family and the memories that they share together i.e. the picnics that they have had together. By doing this, I have then been able to link it back to the script.

In order to improve on this further, I plan on using more intense questions that will force me out of my comfort zone whilst also tasking myself to create an answer that further elaborates on the personal details/traits that my character holds.

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This is a full image of the outfit that I intend on wearing for my role as the gossip character in the scene: The News. I have specifically chosen to have this shade of dress as it refers back to the drab shades that were used as fashionable material for women during the 70s, specifically those of the working class and the impoverished class. This applies back to the character that I have created for the scene due to the fact that from the contextual research I have found so far in the script, and alongside the fact that the characters in this scene exemplify the same traits as Constantia/ Dream Mother/ etc, my character also tends to her domestic duties as a woman that idolizes being society's image of the 'perfect' woman, and aside from this, I believe that she is also a part of the working-class. When purchasing this item, I had ensured that the style of the dress was suitable in relation to the context that I have researched into women and fashion in South America during the 70s/80s, and this was so that I could also help myself to fit into the role of the character i.e. her being a loyal woman who abides by the rules that society had put into place for women.

This is due to the fact that when researching into religion during these times, whilst Christianity was the most followed religion by the entire population, it was specifically practiced by those of the lower class as they were the victims of Los Desaparecidos and they had believed that by using prayer, God would give them a reasonable answer as to why they were being forced to endure a miserable and traumatic lifestyle. I then applied this back to my character from when she is intent on praying for Ernesto after hearing the news of his sudden death.

And, it is clear from when my character says " a brave boy we must say prayers for him tonight", it further resembles a sense of sympathy that she has for the protestors and activists against the corrupt justice system, unlike the higher members of society that hadn't cared for the wellbeing of any of these people as they were more concerned with maintaining their social status and gaining financial benefit from those that were suffering i.e. when Baptista mentions in the play how the flute player that she had befriended was made to become blind after a rich man in the city had a son that was blind, therefore representing the social injustice and the discrimination directed at the lower classes in which the higher members of society were allowed to take advantage of these victims for their own benefit purely based on the fact that they were more financially stable.

When trying this costume on, I had found that the length was quite long and when walking around in this outfit in order to physically approach the role of my character in more of a realistic atmosphere i.e. including gestures that I believe this character would use in the scene: The News. However, when experimenting with various gestures whilst also trying to walk around [ so that I am able to gain more of a sense of how my character will approach the stage when entering and exiting i.e. what is her purpose for being there and how will this link back to the scene/ the backstory of the character] I had found it difficult to walk at a fast pace due to how long the bottom of the dress is. In order to improve on this, I will be asking my lecturer to make adjustments to the outfit in time for the performance so that it is easier for me to move around in.

Aside from the dress, I have also tried on the sandals that I have chosen for my character and when wearing this outfit altogether, I definitely had grasped a sense of confidence as myself in this particular role, therefore helping me to learn my lines off-script for the gossip character in preparation for next week, when rehearsing through the entire play, the aim will be to perform my scenes without the requirement of a script.

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Missing person research for end scene 03.05.22

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Missing person research for end scene 03.05.22

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Resignation in Mexican missing girl Paulette case - BBC News

Watch The Search | Netflix Official Site

Due to the fact that the last scene in the play revolves around the female protestor group, Madres de la plaza de mayo, and how it is a realistic portrayal on what the group had stood against and supported during the time of Los Desaparecidos (1976-1983), I have read into various stories on the recent individuals that have gone missing in Bedfordshire so that I am able to gain effective information on the last whereabouts of these people and to also look into personal details that may link back to the reason behind their disappearances.

The last scene is most effective in regards to the concept behind the performance due to the fact that it reveals to the audience how we have taken our own altered approach on how Madres de la plaza de mayo had publicly announced the information of these missing people in order to successfully find anyone that knows of these people's whereabouts/ to help find these loved ones and bring them home whilst also being able to help the community understand how they have been blindsided by society's rules that have been put into place to follow [so that the domestic men in power were able to control the entire population with aggression, violence, and manipulation] and how to stand united against the corrupt justice system in order to not only gain independence for the entire population, but to also create a voice for those who had mysteriously disappeared and the loved ones that had been lost.

By researching into this specific person, I have been able to find many similarities that are shared between this situation and the context behind Los Desaparecidos, in which the main similarity was the political oppression that was involved in the deaths of many innocent people/ an innocent child. For example Los Desaparecidos had occurred due to the higher people in authority kidnapping and murdering these innocent victims based on their political beliefs and wanting to protect their own image and still ensure that they are able to gain more power from the population through the use of manipulation and aggression.

Likewise in the case of Paulette Gebara Farah, who was a four-year-old girl that was murdered, and whilst it does not necessarily refer back to her disappearance, the case still presents the same neglect that the higher members in power had asserted towards the saddening loss of victims, which was the same concept behind Los Desaparecidos. In this case, before her eventual death, the four-year-old girl had mysteriously disappeared from her home, located in Huixquilucan, a suburb in Mexico city, and after the police had found her body after approximately nine days, the investigator of this case had stated that the place in which the girl had been found, was not searched thoroughly, therefore exploiting the police on their negligence to the case.

The investigators of the death had labelled the death of the girl as an 'accident' after questioning the witnesses who were there at the time of her death. When doing this, they had then contributed to an increase in political oppression within the case as they had refrained from giving the girl's family the justice that they deserve and what the girl deserves after this unfortunate death, and rather they had taken the law into their own hands and decided not to do a proper search through for evidence, as it was simpler to label it as an 'accident'. This then refers back to how the higher men in power would purposely cover up many deaths for their own benefit and simply class that these individuals had simply gone 'missing' so that it wouldn't raise too many questions and so that these men could remain in power and feed off the fear of the community, who were too afraid to stand against the corrupt justice system as they believed that they would be the next to go missing.

I had chosen this photo for the missing person mainly due to the title that is used which allows the audience members, who read into the information on this girl, to allow them to comprehend the comparison of how political oppression had affected not only this case, but many cases of various individuals who had protested against the corrupt justice system from the year 1976 to 1983. The term 'Desaparecida/Desaparecido' was commonly used to describe a missing person, and when she had disappeared, Paulette's family had created these posters in order to make it aware to the public on the disappearance of their loved one, contact information in case she is found, and a photo to evidently reveal how she looks so that people are easily able to find her if she appears anywhere.

When researching further into this case, I had found that Netflix had created a television series based on the storyline of the disappearance and murder of Paulette and how this had fixated on political oppression whilst including the contextual factors on the disappearance of this girl in order to present the seriousness in how this had led to an up rise in Political oppression from the negligence that had been created by the higher people in authority after they hadn't thoroughly searched through the room where Paulette had died and how they had purposely labelled is as an 'accident' where it as unlikely that this was the case.

On the contrary, when Los Desaparecidos had occurred, people, especially those of lower-class [who were often the most people kidnapped and who had disappeared due to the faults of the corrupt justice system], hadn't had the luxuries of using social media platforms, as they hadn't been invented, which had led protestors and activists to create leaflets and hold up images of their missing loved ones consistently on a Thursday evening so that they were able to find anyone that knew where they might be, had any information on where they had last been seen, who had taken them and why, etc.

Alongside this, they did not have any members of higher authority that were planning on searching for these missing people, due to the fact that they were the main reason as to why all of these people had mysteriously disappeared i.e. the dirty war, and they refrained from putting themselves in a position in which they could be of actual help and service to the members of the public, as the higher men in power had fed on the fear of the community and it had benefitted them in the sense of further developing their powerful statuses.

This is some personal information based on the individual:

. Name: Paulette Gebara Farah

. Age: four years old

. Nationality: Mexican

. Status: dead

. Last known location: her family flat in Huixquilucan, a suburban city in Mexico

. Date of disappearance: 22nd of March 2010

. Social media platforms used to help bring attention to Paulette's disappearance: Facebook and Twitter, [ a large billboard was also created and placed on a motorway in order to bring more attention to this serious matter and to bring the community together in the search for this girl].

. Cause of death: Asphyxia via obstruction of the nasal cavities and thorax-abdominal compression.

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I have created this video evaluation to reveal the skills that I have recently developed during the ninth rehearsal of the play, A mother's voice, and what I have been able to accomplish whilst in the role of Dream Mother. By reflecting on the rehearsal in the video, I have been able to clearly notice what improvements need to be immediately focused on for the next few rehearsals so that I am able to deliver more of a realistic portrayal of myself as Dream Mother. When doing this, I have clearly stated what I have recently accomplished for the targets that I have set myself in previous evaluations, and I have also been able to ensure that I always set myself a goal to complete in preparation for the next rehearsal.

An example of this is the fact that I have been able to remain off-script when I am performing as Dream Mother and I was completely aware of the cues that I had memorized so that I was aware of when my character was supposed to speak next. An accomplishment that I am specifically proud of is the fact that I have been able to develop more of an intimate relationship with my peer Alex, who is playing the role of Ramon, as recently we have both struggled to feel confident as we are using a  lot of close physical interaction in our intimacy scenes to convey that the characters share a strong bond in their marriage, and in this rehearsal, we were both able to finally portray the affection that Dream Mother and Ramon have for each other through the use of gestures such as when I was holding onto Ramon's face in the scene: The river of Death.

This precise scene is crucially important for the relationship of Dream Mother and Ramon as it reveals how whilst my character is in despair from having to say a final goodbye to her soulmate and losing her husband, she is still willing to accept the fact that he is dying and in pain. The river of death is effective in creating an empathetic bond between the audience members and my character as they are able to imagine how much emotional pain she must be enduring at this specific moment, which then will link back to the tension that is created through the portrayal of Ramon and Dream Mother's relationship i.e. in the rehearsal i was able to establish how heartbroken my character was by holding onto  Alex's hand and when saying the line "my heart breaks Ramon" and then placing both his and my hand on my chest to represent how broken my character feels when having to cope with the reality of losing her husband.

Recently, I have been struggling quite a lot with the entrance of the opening scene, and whilst I have been able to comprehend the meaning behind my character's emotions in this scene and why she is feeling this way / I am aware of how I would initially approach this in a physical aspect, my body tends to freeze up and I become too anxious on how to interact with the land of the dead characters. I feel that this is because I am overcompensating too much on how I will be developing the tension for my character vocally and expressing her emotions towards this, rather than physically showing it.

An improvement that I have listed is prioritizing my physicality more in the opening scene and Dream One so that I am able to clearly reveal how my character's body is reacting to the situation, which will then convey her more intrusive inner thoughts on her surroundings and how this would then immediately represent her fear of losing Ramon.

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During today's rehearsal, I was able to grasp more of a sense of confidence in the scene, Dream One, more so with my character's vocality rather than the physicality that I use during that point, and this is due to the fact that I was able to differ from using too much of a high tone that would then make it difficult for the audience members to understand what Dream Mother is saying, and whilst I was doing this, I was also able to freely experiment with more gestures that I personally feel better suit the text that my character is conveying in the scene.

For example, when I say the line "then let me hold you, tend to you, love and comfort you". When saying this line, I had implemented that I include more physical interaction between Dream Mother and Ramon to reveal how my character is so afraid of losing Ramon to the land of the dead, that she ends up clinging onto him in an attempt to convince him to return back to reality with her.

In this, I had placed my hands on my partner's face and stared directly into his eyes, in order to portray to the audience members the increased amount of desperation that Dream Mother had as she is emotionally reliant on her husband for everything in her life, and aside from the fact that she loves him, she also has her own selfish intentions for wanting Ramon to return back to reality with her i.e. she cannot cope with being a widow and a single mother as this also destroys her dedication to representing society's image of the 'perfect' woman.

With this physicality, I had been inspired by many of the stereotypes that are used in romantic films that usually consist of a couple who confess their true feelings, despite having a moment of fear/despair. When doing this, I felt that it had applied to my character as her world typically revolves around her husband, Ramon, which had then led to her need to please him and take care of him, and her desperation also comes from a feeling of guilt as she subconsciously believes that she is the cause of Ramon's death, which is precisely why she fights so hard to keep him in her life.

Throughout the entire rehearsal, I had remained off-script and I was able to memorize all of my cues for Dream Mother's dialogue in the play without having to refer back to a script, and this was beneficial for me as it had allowed me to prioritize my focus on what physicality and vocal traits I was beginning to incorporate into my character's scenes. For example, as I was already aware of what Dream Mother was saying in the opening scene, the improvements to be made in relation to creating a sense of realism as myself in the role of this character, had then focused on the physical traits that I am presenting to convey my character's fear when witnessing the land of the dead.

So far in the rehearsal process, I have lacked confidence in this particular development of my character and this is due to the fact that I was more focused on learning my lines so that I was able to memorize them off-script in time for the performance. In order to improve on this, I have asked my lecturer to go over some physicality with me in the next rehearsal so that I will be able to differ from my own state of comfort where I use my day-to-day body language, and to better fit the description of my character in this scene i.e. having heightened emotions from the mere thought of losing her soulmate, Ramon, and the anger that she feels toward the land of the dead/ the ghost characters as they are intruding on her happiness and preventing her from having her family all reunited.

For me personally, I believe that the scene: The river of death was presented in a clear aspect where both my peer who is performing the role of Ramon [Alex] and myself were able to develop more of a sense of realism as the two characters sharing an extremely close bond, and as this is particularly an emotional scene, more of the physicality that has been discussed in relation to revealing this bond i.e. the characters holding hands when entering the stage [ a note that my lecturer had made in today's rehearsal], using gestures to convey their affection for each other, I had presented this by stroking Alex's face and looking deeply into his eyes. There is certainly improvements that need to be made physicality wise, mainly revolving around when Ramon is getting prepared to bid farewell to my character, and during moments like these, I do not necessarily know where to place my hands and I go back to using my normal physicality, therefore decreasing the sense of realism as myself in the role of Dream Mother.

Aside from this, as both myself and my peer, Alex, had noticed that our characters [ Dream Mother and Ramon] do not appear on-stage until their final scene together: The river of death, and as we are both multi-rolling as gossip characters in this play [ in the scene: The News], I felt that it would benefit us personally to perform the first dance of the festival scene and this was so that we could apply this joyful atmosphere to our characters later on, in which whilst they are both in a state of despair from having to depart from each other, the two characters also fondly reminisce about their day together and this is clear from when my character says "we did Ramon, my shoes are almost worn through", and when saying this line, I had included a slight giggle in my tone to insinuate that the character is reflecting on joyful moments that she has been able to create with her family.

By doing this, it also conveys to the audience members how Dream Mother is in the final stage of grief in which she accepts the fact that Ramon will not be returning to reality with her and how she has allowed his body to be put to rest so that he no longer has to endure any more pain. This quote also links back to the festival scene as beforehand, Ramon says the line " the procession was tremendous this year and did we dance Constantia?". When using this quote, I have been able to evidently represent how this dialogue serves as a relevant link to how Constantia and Dream Mother are the same person, and not only this but, it also refers back to how my character uses this particular moment so that she can comfort herself with the joyful memories of her family in order to make it easier on herself when having to say a final goodbye to her soulmate.

The note that my lecturer has given me in regards to the picnic in the hills scene, is that it needs to include more of a joyful atmosphere where the family is witnessed by the audience members of having a close bond. This is crucially important to Dream Mother's purpose in the performance as the audience members will be able to understand and perceive my character in a different standpoint, in which they contradict their previous interpretations of the role from how they had seen her at the beginning of the play, in comparison to how she is portrayed in this scene. When doing this, they will then be able to acknowledge how my character at first is in a state of denial where she cannot accept the fact that her husband is dead, whereas in this scene she is in her true element as a mother and wife where she tends to her domestic duties whilst still ensuring that a joyful atmosphere is created [ revealing how she is transitioning into the final stage of grief, acceptance].

In order to improve on the portrayal of my character for the next rehearsal, I intend on prioritizing the two first scenes in that my character appears in the opening scene: The ghosts, and the third scene: Dream One, as these are two of the most tension rising moments in terms of my character's emotional journey. With these scenes, I must ensure that Dream Mother's physicality is clearly resembled to match the emotions that she is feeling during a specific moment, therefore creating a realistic atmosphere for the audience members in which they are able to gain more of a personal attachment with the character based on a sense of empathy from the trauma that she has endured i.e. consistently having to fight tirelessly for Ramon to come back to the land of the living.

An example of an improvement that needs to be made, and that is crucially important, is my character's entrance to the opening scene, and for this, I also need to make sure that I match my energy to the eerie atmosphere that has been created prior to my character's appearance on-stage. When doing this, I need to make sure that I physically portray her confusion and fear as to why she is suddenly seeing the land of the dead, and how this growing fear is used as an effective way of portraying Dream Mother's worst fear: reality, which then leads to her urging Ramon to come back to the land of the living i.e. through forms of persuasion such as bargaining her domestic duties as a wife of comforting him whilst he is in pain in exchange for him reuniting with the family once again.

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In order to achieve the development of a romantic interaction being shared between Dream Mother and Ramon, as in previous rehearsals my peer, Alex, and I have struggled to create this connection in relevance to our characters bond, I plan on creating time for the two of us to have an open discussion on how comfortable we are with the intimacy moments we have performed so far and the improvements that we each believe we need to focus on.

This issue will be highlighted in a video on Mondays lesson when we both will reveal our views on the sense of realism we both believe we are creating as Ramon and dream mother so that we can also reflect on any progress that has been made and what also needs to be adapted in order to create a sense of realism as the characters sharing a close romantic bond for the audience members to witness.

An example of an area of improvement that I believe we need to also fixate on is when the two of us are salsa dancing and embracing each other in the picnic in the hills scene, and this is due to the fact that this has only recently been included and every time that we have rehearsed through that exact moment, we have both not remained completely in character. To overcome this issue , I believe that by creating a video based on our strengths and weaknesses , we will both be able to clearly reflect on the improvements that must be made when rehearsing practically through certain scenes and how this will help to improve the confidence for us both in the roles of our characters and to create a state of comfort in which we can indulge in the personality traits of our roles rather than differing back to ourselves.

This is due to the fact that recently I do not  necessarily  feel that the connection is being presented in much of a realistic atmosphere, and when realising this, I had also imagined how it might come across from the perspective of an audience member if they were to view this right now in the rehearsal process. I feel that it would benefit me personally if I were to watch some videos on the salsa dance movements being used in this scene so that I am able to familiarise myself with the movement  and to not overthink the foot movement too much in my head as that is what usually leads to me losing the rhythm of choreography, therefore preventing me from remaining in the role of my character as I am too busy too focusing on this issue. But by watching these videos, I also intend on running through my characters dialogue and multi-tasking so that I am able to prepare myself more for the scene and still keep the cues for my character’s  dialogue intact.

I am also concerned with ensuring that Alex remembers his cues for when Ramon is meant to surprise dream mother at certain moments in the scene, the picnic in the hills, specifically when the two characters begin to dance and he needs to spin me inwards and whilst my character is meant to be unaware of this and have a genuine shocked reaction, there are moments where I do have to remind Alex to quickly do this movement rather than me waiting for the cue as it will appear more staged than natural  to the perception of the audience members. In order to overcome this, I am going to try and fixate mainly on my characters reaction when saying the line “what has gotten into you today Ramon” so that I can represent my characters real emotions to this precise moment in which the two of them are in an intimate setting.

An issue that I have personally had whilst in the role of my character, Dream mother, is the fact that I have no clue how to approach the physicality of my character in the opening scene as whilst I am able to comprehend dream mothers purpose at the beginning of the play and the emotions that she has during this precise moment, I tend to freeze up and don’t use my body language to my best ability in which I need to convey that my character is afraid and so far I have only been relying on my vocal traits whilst in the role of this character. In order to solve this issue, I will be asking my lecturer to gradually go through my physicality from when I enter the scene to also ensure that I am not too abrupt with how quickly I interact with the land of the dead, as I want to still ensure that I contribute to the eerie atmosphere of the scene by developing my characters tension as she becomes fearful of Ramon’s  safety after witnessing the land of the dead characters

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Props list for multi-rolling characters 04.05.22 

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Props list for multi-rolling characters 04.05.22 

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I have created this second prop list for the purpose of following up on what props will be necessary on-stage when I am portraying the character: gossip character [Giovanna] in the scene: The News, and the role that I might be performing, as I am the understudy for the role of official in the scene: The search/ the prison. With these two characters, there is a lack of props due to the short length of each of them and more of the focus on the emotional impact that then develops into a climax of tension when using dialogue that also impacts the bonds and relationships of the characters.

However, the props that I have decided to use whilst in the role of these two characters then further emphasize their roles in society and how this relates back to the context of gender roles in South America during the 70s, and what society had expected of the community's domestic duties i.e. women being nurturing and devoted and looking after their children by cooking/cleaning and men being assertive by remaining dominant and being the main provider for their families.

For example, I will be needing a clipboard and pen for the official character in order to resemble the power of authority that they hold over the community and how they establish their dominance through aggressive tones that are used to manipulate and control people such as Constantia who is searching for her missing daughter, Baptista in the scene: The search/ The prison.

From the knowledge that I have found in regards to the official character when looking into the context behind people in authority during the 70s in South America, I had found that they would be very insistent on portraying how they were of a higher importance due to the fact that they work for the government and in order to reveal this, I would want to use the prop of a clipboard, as it would represent how insistent the character is on tending to their duties of serving for the government and the role that they are employed in [ office work for missing people].

Due to the fact that the dialogue that this character uses in the scene is quite short, it implies that they cannot be bothered to help Constantia with her missing person report, and have no intention of providing any helpful information, which is why they simply say the line " try the office down the corridor" as that is the extent of helpfulness that the guard is intending on using.

For my gossip character, Giovanna, I will be needing some shopping bags in order to further resemble the domestic duties that she will be tending to in her to day-to-day lifestyle and it then links back to her purpose for entering on stage and gossiping with the other characters involved in the scene. By doing this, I will be able to resemble to the audience members that my character is a traditional woman in South America and appeals to the society's image of the 'perfect' woman in which she abides by her duty of caring for her family by shopping for them.

Whilst the atmosphere of this precise scene is comical, I feel that by using this prop at the beginning of the scene, it will automatically imply that, unlike Constantia and Baptista who have tried to fight for their independence, my character is content in following society's rules and refraining from involving herself with any protestors/activists.

This will then also link back to how women have been viewed throughout the entire play, in which the audience members will have witnessed the poor treatment that the female characters have experienced, mainly due to their domestic duties as the 'lesser' gender, in which they are easily manipulated by the higher men in power and more submissive to their aggressive behaviour i.e. this is mainly as these officials and higher men in authority would sexually assault/ rape these women if they were to disobey their motherland by protesting against the corrupt justice system, and as many women were aware of this, they were fearful of these men. Whilst my character uses dialogue to create a sense of hilarity, I believe that she is truly frightened that she will end up in the same situation as Baptista.

By using these two simple props, they will both be able to contribute to the mass difference in gender in South America and the different human rights that people were permitted based on their sex. For example, as women were viewed as the 'lesser' gender due to the fact that they have always historically been represented as only being good for bearing children and cooking/taking care of the household, this would still be established in the play when my character is using bags as a prop when entering on stage, to imply that she has been carrying out her chores for a long time before meeting her friend, another gossiping character.

This will then link back to the context of women's lives during 1976 to 1983 in South America, where society had inflicted the image of them tending to these domestic duties in order to be the 'perfect' woman. The prop that my official character will be using, will then link back to their place in society of being dominant and ensuring that they remain assertive and inflict their manipulation of power onto the population i.e. by refraining from providing any useful information as they had feared that this would lead to people gaining their own independence and overthrowing the government.

The two props also contribute to a difference in atmosphere when I am performing both of these roles in which with my gossip character, she feels comical from spreading rumours yet also feels sentimental towards Constantia's current struggles, and with my official character, there will be an impacted amount of tension where the audience members loathe the character as they have a lack of empathy for Constantia's current situation and purposely refrain from helping her for the purpose of ensuring that this political power is kept in place, therefore contextually linking back to the higher people in power using their jobs to their best advantage in making people lead miserable lives.

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For this rehearsal, I was able to prioritize my character's use of physicality in the scene: picnic in the hills, in which I had presented Dream Mother as content and joyful, which had then contributed to the atmosphere within the scene that contradicts the perception that the audience members have had on my character, prior to this scene.

This was my first rehearsal in costume and I had found that by wearing Dream Mother's costume, it was much easier to fit the persona of the role and adapt to the personality traits that I have listed for her in which she expresses her duty as both a mother and a wife. For example, as picnic in the hills scene is the only moment in which the audience members view my character as the role of a mother to her four younger daughters, I had ensured that I present the nurturing and devoted traits of Dream Mother when speaking to each of them and using some gestures to imply how caring my character is.

Along with costume, as this was the first time running through the scene with the props, it had felt much more realistic in the creation of the setting: Huanos in the hills, and it had benefitted me personally as whilst everyone is playing the game at the end of the scene, it gives my character a purpose of still tending to her domestic duties of caring for her family. This is presented when my character proceeds to fold up the picnic blanket and pack up the picnic basket, so when the cue to leave arrives, I will be able to easily walk off-stage with a purpose and still make sure that I still reveal my character as nurturing when holding Isabel's hand off stage.

For example, as Ramon and Dream Mother are dancing together, when Isabel interrupts by asking about the procession, I have decided to slightly bend down and look at her when saying the line "of course Isabel it is not until later on. but first we eat" and this is so that there is a clearer implication that Dream Mother is talking down to her due to the fact that Isabel is the youngest of the four daughters.

I had approached this line vocally when using a soft tone and including a slight giggle in order to then link back to the duty that my character has as a traditional woman in society, in which she remains consistently content with her lifestyle and family, whilst also ensuring that the children are well-behaved and provided for. My pitch is also slightly enhanced during this moment to not only represent how happy my character feels after being surrounded by all of her family, but to also reveal to the audience members how this scene is only a fond memory of the past as Isabel, in this scene, is younger and this is what leads me to change my vocal traits when directing dialogue at her.

I was particularly successful in portraying my character's domestic duties, and this was mainly through the use of props at the beginning of the scene when I had laid out a picnic blanket and taken the picnic basket from my character's oldest daughter, Francisca, in order to prepare for the rest of the characters whilst they are being entertained by Ramon.

Throughout this scene, I had mainly struggled to remain in the role of my character when the staging had been changed and this is due to the fact that prior to this rehearsal, I have been familiarizing myself with the layout of the scene, and it had made it slightly more difficult to remain in character as there were a few moments where I was in the wrong place. In order to improve on this, I plan on walking myself through the entire scene and annotating on my script the exact places that I need to be in throughout the scene so that it is able to run through naturally rather than appear as too staged to the members of the audience.

In order to improve on this scene, I need to ensure that I time my character's entrance and exit properly so that it still retains a natural flow within the scene and so that I am able to prepare myself for when the characters are all off stage at the moment where Ramon is portraying the pain that he is in when being held captive. I will do this by including the characters, Baptista, and Francisca, to help Dream Mother set out the picnic at the beginning of the scene, which will make more sense as these are two of Dream Mother's oldest daughters, therefore representing to the audience members that my character has inflicted her lifestyle onto her children in which they are taught how to appease to society by following the rules of what it means to be a mother and wife.

In terms of the ending of the scene, I will be able to quickly collect everything together as all of the characters, except Dream Mother, are playing a game of Blind man's buff, and during this time I will be able to reveal how my character still remains content when watching her family enjoying themselves and I will remain smiling and after cleaning up these props, I will wait for each of the children and grab Isabel's hand whilst also rhubarbing with the rest of the daughters to further appease to the personality trait of my character being nurturing.