Evaluation

Evaluation Essay Question

Discuss your exploration and development of TTWCTT taking into consideration key factors and relevant ideas and input you to the process.

Evaluate the skills and techniques in used in rehearsal and discuss how you responded to direction and feedback to develop work.

During term 5 at the Brit school, to give back to the community the school does work, and on one specific day (Little peoples day), uses it's facilities to put together a piece of child's theatre involving students from all the strands within the school, for the entertainment of children from the local nurseries. This year the performance was to be based around the story of ' The Tiger that came to Tea'.

Children's theatre is theatre that specializes in plays aimed at young audiences. Children's theatre most commonly uses children literature, real life issues, fairy and folk tales to educate as well as entertain an audience of underlined morels or subjects that could possibly give them a greater understanding or knowledge of the world the live in.

In order to be good children's theatre performers, skills such as being able to keep the attention of our audience through the energy in our movement and speech where things that needed working on for us to be successful. The 7 states of tension was one of the techniques that allowed us to practice these skills. Ranging from one to seven, with one being the level using the least amount of energy and seven using the most, we went up and down the scale each time increasing or lowering the amount of energy portrayed through our movement. This technique was helpful in teaching me how to access the different levels of tension and energy, so when performing I was able to portray my characters energy suitably for the audience and the characters purpose. After practicing this I was able to see that for this specific performance, to keep the attention of our young audience from drifting, the levels of tension would need to be ranging between 5 and 7. At these points the high intensity of the energy and fast paste presence of each cast member would help to keep the audience infused and exited about the show.

Another aspect of children’s theatre that needed to be worked on and utilized was the use of our voices.  For this the way in which I projected my voice needed to change so it sounded enthusiastic and would help engage the audience. Slimy Frog was an exercise that involved us repeating the words slimy frog, while exaggerating the way we pronounced them and moving our body’s in time with the words, in a way we felt represented the way we where saying them. This meant that when the technique was put into practice, I was begging to be able to us my voice and body in synchronicity, moving around the space in different directions and speeds with my words and movement as one. Also when practicing this exercise, we where given a chance to show the rest of the class our attempts and in doing so gain feedback that was useful in helping me to see what things could have been worked on.  

After practising these vocal techniques we where then introduced to the song 'Tiger' by William Blake, as this was the song that we would be incorporating into our performance. When we origanlly heard this song it was in the style of singer Patty Smith. Patty Smiths rendition portrays this song in a way which is quite gloomy and depressing, so after origanlly learning and putting the song into practise in Pattys style we dicided that because it wasn't working or suitable for this type of theatre or our audience we where left with the options of scraping this song intierly or adapting the tune to fit what was needed. Eventally after diciding that it would be best to change the tune and Kitty kindly offering to do this we where able to come in the next day and learn it. The new tune was a lot more upbeat and happy sounding, meaning it was more suitable for its purpose and as we where already familiar with the lyrics we picked it up quite quickly meaning not much time needed to be spent learning it, so we could get straight into rehearsals. 

The space where this performance was to take place was in a theatre with three sides. To keep the audience engaged at all times, it was important that in every part of the theatre we where able to be seen and heard clearly. When entering the space, in order to be fully engaged in the surroundings we had to become not only physically but mentally present, this allowing me to be fully aware of my presents in the room in what was almost a state of meditation. After getting to know the space, we where then introduced to an exercise called the sword and dagger technique. This exercise thought us how to have either our face or body constantly facing the audience. This exercise involved us having to pretend that we where swordsmen, imagining we had a sword in one hand and a dagger in the other. So like swordsmen we had to make sure we where completely aware of everything and everyone in the space, ready to attack. If I was unable to be looking at all sides of the space, turning the rest of my body in the opposite direction to the way I was facing opened me up to all of the audience, keeping me visable and able to engage the audience throught out. This taught me how to address the entire audience, making them feel like they are being spoken too directly and stoping them from loosing concentration and becomeing board.

When it came to rehearsal day although we where in our costumes and where able to do a dress rehearsal allowing myself to get used to the space and become more comfortable in a room I hadent performed in before, we did not have the technical support we where expecting. A technical rehearsal means that all technical aspects of the show can can be put to practise so when it comes to the day of the actual performance any errors that may have occurred during the rehearsals will have been solved and will not be a problem. So for example as we did not have this support until the day of the show certain things like the lighting in performance that was need did not happen or came in too late. To make sure this is not to happen in the future a full technical rehearsal will need to take place to insure mistakes like this are not to happen. 

After giving and completing my performances for little peoples day I feel I was able to successfully use my voice delivering my lines with clarity and volume and using my movment in an energetic and inthusiastic way, incorporating techniques lernt through out the term to keep the young audience engaged and enthused from start to finish. On the other hand I still feel like I was not fully allowing myself to let go and not think about how I may be being viewed on stage. For example I should have pushed myself to use the full capacity of he stage, not just sticking to the back of the stage and coming forward to be see by the whole audience. Another thing I felt could have gone better was the song, I felt I was not projecting my voice enough when singing to fill the room and to be heard clearly by all. I believe if we had more time to practise and learn the song as a group we would have been more comfortable with performing it. Although these aspects did improve when it came to the next showing as I became more confidant if I came to the performance better prepared and rehearsed, able to let myself to performe without caring so much about making a fool of myself I think things would have been a lot smoother. But apart form that I really enjoyed the experience and feel the objective was completed successfully, putting on a good show for the children and giving them a good day out.

 

Review of Beautiful Thing by Jonathan Harvey

The play Beautiful things  follows the life of 15 year old Jamie, living in Thamesmead, a working class part of East London in 1992. Jamie lives with his single mother Sandra on a council estate where along with his friend and neighbour Ste, Jamie is keeping a secret from his mum and the people around him.

I found this peace very moving but although this performance touched on topics that may be seen as quite sensitive, such as child abuse and being able to come out as gay being a teenager, it managed to make a very humours and funny performance.

The performance started rather steadily by at first slowly establishing each of the five characters and their relationships with each other and within the location. The play is set in an estate so the use of end-on staging and a very simplistic, dull and grey set created a realistic atmosphere for the location that was wanted. The characters spend most of their time during the performance in what is meant to be seen as some sort of court yard, where they interact and socialise with each other, wether that be while hanging out the washing or relaxing in the sun. The space was used effectively by using the front and back of the stage to distinguish the different moments and convosations amongst the characters.

The costume that the characters were dressed in played a big role in creating a feeling of the 90's which is the period where the play is set, by presenting the sort of clothes that would have been worn at that time. Not only that, but it also helped to express each characters personality, for example Jamie is someone who is not very keen on football and sport so his school uniform is neat. Unlike ste who loves football and sport so his uniform is quite scruffy and dirty.

Lighting in this performance meant that the set and scene transitions could be effectively and easily done. Spot lights where used to draw attentions towards a specific character or part of the stage, so all concentration could be on that point while a change in the set is made. Lighting also enabled different times of the day to be shown in the performance with darker lighting showing its night and so forth. 

There aren't many aspects of this performance that I felt needed changing, apart from maybe a few things like how the fight scene between Jamie and Samdra was choreographed as it could have been a bit more realistic looking. But over all I really enjoyed the peace and I felt constently engaged with the performance through out. Sooth quick transitions meant I never really felt a lull in the energy and  I also thought there was a good mix of the more serious subjects and comedy so it never became to intense or boring.