Section B
The students have seen various live productions throughout the year. They should choose one or two productions to complete their Performance analysis notes.
They are limited to ten sides of A4 both sides.
The specification requires students to:
Evaluate how characters, narrative and ideas were conveyed through the performance
Page one and two: Details of some of the notable performances in the production. Take one or two actors performances and analyse their use of practitioner’s techniques to convey the directors vision. Give specific examples from moments in the play and QUOTE from the PLAY! And analyse. Give quotes from practitioners to back up your points and analyse.
Page 3: Notes on the plot and subject matter of the play. Give quotes from the play and analyse moments that move on the plot.
Page 4: Theatrical devices and conventions that were used in the production?Analyse the style of the piece. Which practitioners does it reflect? Give examples from moments in the play, quote from practitioners and analyse, then quote from the play and analyse to back up your points.
Recognise the contribution made to the theatrical experience by directors, designers and performers.
Page 5: Notes on the overall impression of the production. What was the director trying to convey? How successfully did he/she do it? Analyse moments from the play and which practitioners they used to communicate their message. Quotes from practitioners and analyse and then quotes from the play and analyse to back up your points.
Page 6 and 7: Notes and sketches on the design elements and how they worked in the production.
Apply a knowledge and understanding of the social, cultural and historical background of the play to the performance under review.
Page 8 : research notes into the social, cultural and historical background of the play
Page 9: Notes on the influences apparent in the production. How were they used? Did they work? Give examples and analyse!
Page 10 What was the production saying about society/ culture/history? How was the production relevant to a modern audience.
Thursday 29 March 2007
Tuesday 27 March 2007
Year 12 Revision Unit 3 Section A The permanent Way
Year 12 Revision notes Unit 3 written exam
For Unit 3, students are able to prepare 2 sets of notes to use as reference material in answering 2 parts of the question paper.
In section A, students are required to demonstrate their understanding of the context surrounding the production of the play they took part in for unit 2.
So this year it is “The Permanent Way” by David Hare.
The specification requires the students to :
Analyse how characters, narrative and ideas are conveyed through theatrical presentation.
Page 1and 2: details of each character in the play and how they were interpreted. Comment on individual performances. Discuss how you used practitioner’s techniques to develop your characters and give specific examples from moments from the play to back up your points. Quotes must not be given without analysis.
Pages 3and 4: Examples of how the ideas were put across to the audience. Comments on the way the audience responded. You must analyse specific moments from the play to back up your ideas and again quotes from practitioners on the techniques used to communicate your ideas and quotes from the play and analysis to back up your points. Theatrical devices and conventions used to put across the play to an audience. Again look at the choices you all made as a group on moments from the play and also the overall vision you had. What response did you want from your audience at specific moments in the play. Were these different at different moments in the play? How did these choices come about in the rehearsal process? Discuss and use specific examples and quotes from the play.
Quotes must not be given without analysis
Interpret and evaluate a text as directors, designers and performers
Page 5: Notes on the concept for the production. What was the ruling idea? The directors vision. Analyse how this was accomplished, through style choices and acting and set. Quote from directors vision and analysis, quote from practitioners and analyse, quote from the play to back up your points and analyse.
Page 6: Notes on how the design elements reflected the ruling idea and contributed to the overall interpretation. Draw a small set to clarify the ideas, discuss and analyse which practitioner this reflects and why, quote and analyse. The same applies to lighting/ sound and costume. Which practitioner did this reflect and why and how effective was it in conveying the ruling idea. Give specific examples from the text.
Page 7: Notes on what worked and what did not work and why in the production. Give specific examples and quote from the text and analyse.
Consider the social, cultural and historical background of a text and its relevance to a contemporary audience.
Page 8: rationale for putting on the play- What does it communicate about the time it was written or the time it was performed? Why are we doing it\/ what does it mean to us as a group. What relevance does it have? Give specific examples from the text to back up any point you make and analyse.
Page 9: Summary of research notes into the social, cultural and or historical context of the play. Notes about the playwright and /or the first production of the play. Notes about other productions of the play.
Page 10: How did the audience respond to the play? What did it mean to them? Was this response expected? Did it differ from the play’s original reception?
Make sure you use your actors workbook to help you in giving specific examples from moments in rehearsals which can be quoted and analysed.
The key to good notes is lots of quotes and clear analysis.
Now do some exam questions which are at www.edexcel.org.uk. The link is at the side of the blog. Go to the Theatre studies AS level and look for exam questions section 3.
For Unit 3, students are able to prepare 2 sets of notes to use as reference material in answering 2 parts of the question paper.
In section A, students are required to demonstrate their understanding of the context surrounding the production of the play they took part in for unit 2.
So this year it is “The Permanent Way” by David Hare.
The specification requires the students to :
Analyse how characters, narrative and ideas are conveyed through theatrical presentation.
Page 1and 2: details of each character in the play and how they were interpreted. Comment on individual performances. Discuss how you used practitioner’s techniques to develop your characters and give specific examples from moments from the play to back up your points. Quotes must not be given without analysis.
Pages 3and 4: Examples of how the ideas were put across to the audience. Comments on the way the audience responded. You must analyse specific moments from the play to back up your ideas and again quotes from practitioners on the techniques used to communicate your ideas and quotes from the play and analysis to back up your points. Theatrical devices and conventions used to put across the play to an audience. Again look at the choices you all made as a group on moments from the play and also the overall vision you had. What response did you want from your audience at specific moments in the play. Were these different at different moments in the play? How did these choices come about in the rehearsal process? Discuss and use specific examples and quotes from the play.
Quotes must not be given without analysis
Interpret and evaluate a text as directors, designers and performers
Page 5: Notes on the concept for the production. What was the ruling idea? The directors vision. Analyse how this was accomplished, through style choices and acting and set. Quote from directors vision and analysis, quote from practitioners and analyse, quote from the play to back up your points and analyse.
Page 6: Notes on how the design elements reflected the ruling idea and contributed to the overall interpretation. Draw a small set to clarify the ideas, discuss and analyse which practitioner this reflects and why, quote and analyse. The same applies to lighting/ sound and costume. Which practitioner did this reflect and why and how effective was it in conveying the ruling idea. Give specific examples from the text.
Page 7: Notes on what worked and what did not work and why in the production. Give specific examples and quote from the text and analyse.
Consider the social, cultural and historical background of a text and its relevance to a contemporary audience.
Page 8: rationale for putting on the play- What does it communicate about the time it was written or the time it was performed? Why are we doing it\/ what does it mean to us as a group. What relevance does it have? Give specific examples from the text to back up any point you make and analyse.
Page 9: Summary of research notes into the social, cultural and or historical context of the play. Notes about the playwright and /or the first production of the play. Notes about other productions of the play.
Page 10: How did the audience respond to the play? What did it mean to them? Was this response expected? Did it differ from the play’s original reception?
Make sure you use your actors workbook to help you in giving specific examples from moments in rehearsals which can be quoted and analysed.
The key to good notes is lots of quotes and clear analysis.
Now do some exam questions which are at www.edexcel.org.uk. The link is at the side of the blog. Go to the Theatre studies AS level and look for exam questions section 3.
year 13 revision section B
Section B
This part of the exam requires students to see one live performance of a play. This year it is A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream at the Roundhouse Theatre, Camden.
Then compare it with 3 other contexts drawn from secondary research sources.
The periods should cover the following periods:
Consideration of the original 16th/17th century performance conditions
Consideration of 18th/19th century
A production of the play in the 20th century
A contemporary production of the play seen as a live performance.
The notes should be as follows : pages 1-4 on the contemporary play
Pages 5-6 20th century production details
Pages 7-8 18th/19th century
Pages 9-10 16th/17th century
So what should be placed in each of the pages?
Historical/social/economic situation of the time.
Acting style
Staging
Theatre layout
Visual elements
Practitioners
Moments from the play including textual analysis
Language/text
Quotes from research/ and the play to back up your points
Class structure
Actor/audience relationship
Then practice exam questions on edexcel website again.
This part of the exam requires students to see one live performance of a play. This year it is A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream at the Roundhouse Theatre, Camden.
Then compare it with 3 other contexts drawn from secondary research sources.
The periods should cover the following periods:
Consideration of the original 16th/17th century performance conditions
Consideration of 18th/19th century
A production of the play in the 20th century
A contemporary production of the play seen as a live performance.
The notes should be as follows : pages 1-4 on the contemporary play
Pages 5-6 20th century production details
Pages 7-8 18th/19th century
Pages 9-10 16th/17th century
So what should be placed in each of the pages?
Historical/social/economic situation of the time.
Acting style
Staging
Theatre layout
Visual elements
Practitioners
Moments from the play including textual analysis
Language/text
Quotes from research/ and the play to back up your points
Class structure
Actor/audience relationship
Then practice exam questions on edexcel website again.
Year 13 revision part one section A and exam practice
A guide to Unit 6 Section A
Annotated scripts: What should I write?
The Social, cultural and historical context surrounding the writing and performing of the play and its relevance to a contemporary audience.
For example:
The Greeks reasons for having plays performed.
The function of plays and characters within the plays.
The themes of the play and communicated through the language and plot.
The history behind the plot of the play.
The ways in which the playwright has structured the play and uses plot, language, forms, characterisation and stagecraft to communicate ideas to an audience.
For example:
Function of chorus
Soliloquy
Theatre space
Role of men and women in the play
Movement
Language/dialogue
Direct address
The proposed production methods being used to communicate the directors ideas to an audience.
Theatre space
Themes
Actor/audience relationship
Language
Characterisation
Setting
Lighting
Costume/props
Structure of scenes
The performers and/or designers contribution to the realisation of the scene in line with the overall production concept.
For example:
Acting style: What style should you use and why?
Design: For a production and /or a particular scene in the play, including diagrams
Overall production concept; What are you trying to say?
The development and shaping of an original production concept for the play as a director.
Take your overall production concept and discuss how you would communicate that to an audience through acting style/ theatre space/costume design and structure and how you would realise it through rehearsal techniques.
The planning and communication of ideas to members of a design team.
Notes outlining what themes and practical needs do you have to communicate your production concept to an audience. How will design and costume and lighting help?
The planning and structuring of a rehearsal based on characterisation.
Rehearsal techniques for particular characters
Key scenes: identify what are the key scenes
Acting style: work on voice and movement and language and communication of themes.
The planning and structuring of a rehearsal based on the exploration of meaning
Communication of ideas/themes/character objectives
Acting style/voice/movement always thinking of themes, ideas, objectives within the scenes. Again identify key moments from the play to work on.
THE MAIN RESEARCH AND NOTES SHOULD CENTRE ON AN OVERALL CONCEPT OF HOW YOU WOULD DIRECT YOUR OWN PRODUCTION OF TROJAN WOMEN AND HOW YOU WOULD WORK ON IT.
Some practice questions:
See Edexcel website : http://www.edexcel.org.uk/home/ and look at drama theatre studies a2 exam papers and mark scheme
There are several practice exams and questions for you to try out.
Annotated scripts: What should I write?
The Social, cultural and historical context surrounding the writing and performing of the play and its relevance to a contemporary audience.
For example:
The Greeks reasons for having plays performed.
The function of plays and characters within the plays.
The themes of the play and communicated through the language and plot.
The history behind the plot of the play.
The ways in which the playwright has structured the play and uses plot, language, forms, characterisation and stagecraft to communicate ideas to an audience.
For example:
Function of chorus
Soliloquy
Theatre space
Role of men and women in the play
Movement
Language/dialogue
Direct address
The proposed production methods being used to communicate the directors ideas to an audience.
Theatre space
Themes
Actor/audience relationship
Language
Characterisation
Setting
Lighting
Costume/props
Structure of scenes
The performers and/or designers contribution to the realisation of the scene in line with the overall production concept.
For example:
Acting style: What style should you use and why?
Design: For a production and /or a particular scene in the play, including diagrams
Overall production concept; What are you trying to say?
The development and shaping of an original production concept for the play as a director.
Take your overall production concept and discuss how you would communicate that to an audience through acting style/ theatre space/costume design and structure and how you would realise it through rehearsal techniques.
The planning and communication of ideas to members of a design team.
Notes outlining what themes and practical needs do you have to communicate your production concept to an audience. How will design and costume and lighting help?
The planning and structuring of a rehearsal based on characterisation.
Rehearsal techniques for particular characters
Key scenes: identify what are the key scenes
Acting style: work on voice and movement and language and communication of themes.
The planning and structuring of a rehearsal based on the exploration of meaning
Communication of ideas/themes/character objectives
Acting style/voice/movement always thinking of themes, ideas, objectives within the scenes. Again identify key moments from the play to work on.
THE MAIN RESEARCH AND NOTES SHOULD CENTRE ON AN OVERALL CONCEPT OF HOW YOU WOULD DIRECT YOUR OWN PRODUCTION OF TROJAN WOMEN AND HOW YOU WOULD WORK ON IT.
Some practice questions:
See Edexcel website : http://www.edexcel.org.uk/home/ and look at drama theatre studies a2 exam papers and mark scheme
There are several practice exams and questions for you to try out.
Tuesday 20 March 2007
year 7 set designs for Bugsy Malone
The year 7's have been designing their own box sets for a production of BUgsy Malone. These are photos of the work in progress. Look out for the finished designs.
Monday 19 March 2007
Year 9 60 second films assessments
Our project for this term is to film a 60 second horror movie on our phones. At first we shot it in frames and then went on to film it. It was different to acting out a scene because we had to think about camera angles. It took a while to plan the angles, because we had to see what worked best.
The first stage of making a short horror movie was planning the first four stages of the film. As the film would be 60 seconds, we estimated there should be 30 stages, each being 2 seconds. This was hard to do, because the timing was so precise.
We then drew every stage of the movie, so when we came to film it, we would know what we were doing. Drawing every stage took a long time- but in the end it helped us a lot in the filming process because it was a guideline.
Following the drawings from our storyboards, we took the pictures of them. This was relatively easy because the 30 pictures were exactly the same as the drawings. From there, we knew the camera angles we wanted to use and the timing of our movie.
Then we went on to filming our horror movie. We discovered that filming, while keeping in time, was really difficult. We decided to shoot in 5 or 10 second groups and then put them all together. This was easier because we would only be doing 3-5 stages at a time.
The camera angles we used differed from long shots to close ups. We shot the movie in black and white, to give the movie a spooky, mysterious element.
It was hard to film the movie on our phones, because the screen was so small- so fitting a lot into one stage was difficult. However, it was interesting to see how it worked on a phone and also how filming a 60 second short film is difficult, although fun and interesting at the same time.
Rosie Green
This term we have been working on creating 60 second movies using our mobile phones. Our storyline was a kidnapping of a little girl whilst on the swings with her friend. It was quite a long process. First we created our idea, then we made the first four frames which led onto drawing out our storyboards which brought us to our next step, taking photos of our short film. This step led us to the step that we have just finished, actually filming the clips.
We chose to make our film in black and white. We felt that this gave our film an old fashioned and slightly spookier twist. We didn't use quite as many close -ups as we perhaps could have as we felt that it would be scarier using more imagery rather than concentrating on facial expressions and emotions.
For our set we used the swing in the school by the gates. This was initially not our first choice as originally we had wanted the double set of swings but as we thought about it we realised that the single swing would work better as it would be easier and more realistic for the girl to disappear behind the swing.
I think we could have improved it by concentrating on our characters. Although I thought it was quite successful as it was clear as to what was going on. All in all I found this project very fun and educational.
Kate Eringer
The first stage of making a short horror movie was planning the first four stages of the film. As the film would be 60 seconds, we estimated there should be 30 stages, each being 2 seconds. This was hard to do, because the timing was so precise.
We then drew every stage of the movie, so when we came to film it, we would know what we were doing. Drawing every stage took a long time- but in the end it helped us a lot in the filming process because it was a guideline.
Following the drawings from our storyboards, we took the pictures of them. This was relatively easy because the 30 pictures were exactly the same as the drawings. From there, we knew the camera angles we wanted to use and the timing of our movie.
Then we went on to filming our horror movie. We discovered that filming, while keeping in time, was really difficult. We decided to shoot in 5 or 10 second groups and then put them all together. This was easier because we would only be doing 3-5 stages at a time.
The camera angles we used differed from long shots to close ups. We shot the movie in black and white, to give the movie a spooky, mysterious element.
It was hard to film the movie on our phones, because the screen was so small- so fitting a lot into one stage was difficult. However, it was interesting to see how it worked on a phone and also how filming a 60 second short film is difficult, although fun and interesting at the same time.
Rosie Green
This term we have been working on creating 60 second movies using our mobile phones. Our storyline was a kidnapping of a little girl whilst on the swings with her friend. It was quite a long process. First we created our idea, then we made the first four frames which led onto drawing out our storyboards which brought us to our next step, taking photos of our short film. This step led us to the step that we have just finished, actually filming the clips.
We chose to make our film in black and white. We felt that this gave our film an old fashioned and slightly spookier twist. We didn't use quite as many close -ups as we perhaps could have as we felt that it would be scarier using more imagery rather than concentrating on facial expressions and emotions.
For our set we used the swing in the school by the gates. This was initially not our first choice as originally we had wanted the double set of swings but as we thought about it we realised that the single swing would work better as it would be easier and more realistic for the girl to disappear behind the swing.
I think we could have improved it by concentrating on our characters. Although I thought it was quite successful as it was clear as to what was going on. All in all I found this project very fun and educational.
Kate Eringer
Thursday 15 March 2007
year 8 Mobile phones 60 second film assessments
This term we have been working on short horror movies. THis is quite an interesting project as we are using very primative technology to make them with. By using mobile phones to create our movies it makes us be alot more creative in the way we film it. I really like this because if we were using something like final cut pro to edit we wouldn't necessarily as creative in our film making. Horror movies are also a very good genre to be working with as it takes alot of thought , creativity and good filming to make it interesting, thrilling and scary. As we only have basic scenery available to us (the school) we are trying to be alot more inventive in the way and where we film than we necessarily would be with proper sets.
We have been working on drama techniques such as flashbacks, cross cutting and close ups, medium shots and master shots which all enhance our horror stories. Creating movies is alot different to plays as we use alot less dialogue and tell the movie mostly in pictures. We have put alot of thought into exactly what all of our shots are going to look like and exactly how long they are going to be. We did this by using a storyboard as it is much clearer to us exactly how we are going to film.
Our film is very complex and we hope to be able to pull it off on phone cameras. We have used alot of flashbacks to make the film more interesting. We have tried to work with suspense, by having the murder at the beginning ( the end) and then it slips backwards and forwards in time. This makes the film more interesting as you discover more and more as the film progresses. We have also tried to make this horror movie look quite home made rather than polished as it makes it more believeable and realistic. We got the idea from the Blair witch project.
Jake Elwes
In our year 8 lessons we have been making 1 minute horror movies. We started off with a storyboard and we made 4 key scenes to draw and write down. Next we drew a real storyboard and drew what would happen in every 2 second frame. Then we filmed our storyboard. Next we started filming. We have a few problems here, since we are only allowed to film in the Arts and science block. So we do not have all the venues to film. Luckily we are managing. During our film we are using close ups, medium and full on shots. These are important since we tell most of the story through pictures. The concept of making our own movies was enjoyable and different from anything else we've done. Hopefully next time we can make our movie longer and use proper filming equipment.
Matt Fallon
We have been working on drama techniques such as flashbacks, cross cutting and close ups, medium shots and master shots which all enhance our horror stories. Creating movies is alot different to plays as we use alot less dialogue and tell the movie mostly in pictures. We have put alot of thought into exactly what all of our shots are going to look like and exactly how long they are going to be. We did this by using a storyboard as it is much clearer to us exactly how we are going to film.
Our film is very complex and we hope to be able to pull it off on phone cameras. We have used alot of flashbacks to make the film more interesting. We have tried to work with suspense, by having the murder at the beginning ( the end) and then it slips backwards and forwards in time. This makes the film more interesting as you discover more and more as the film progresses. We have also tried to make this horror movie look quite home made rather than polished as it makes it more believeable and realistic. We got the idea from the Blair witch project.
Jake Elwes
In our year 8 lessons we have been making 1 minute horror movies. We started off with a storyboard and we made 4 key scenes to draw and write down. Next we drew a real storyboard and drew what would happen in every 2 second frame. Then we filmed our storyboard. Next we started filming. We have a few problems here, since we are only allowed to film in the Arts and science block. So we do not have all the venues to film. Luckily we are managing. During our film we are using close ups, medium and full on shots. These are important since we tell most of the story through pictures. The concept of making our own movies was enjoyable and different from anything else we've done. Hopefully next time we can make our movie longer and use proper filming equipment.
Matt Fallon
Wednesday 14 March 2007
Year 13 Dumb Waiter rehearsal photos
Nick Prasaad and Pip Jones are creating an exciting and innovative production of The Dumb waiter by Harold Pinter.
Nick and Pip's Vision:
Our vision for the Dumb Waiter is to bring Pinter's play into the modern 21st century, exploring themes such as surveillance, paranoia, control and oppression within the criminal underworld.
We are working systematically through each scene blocking out the foundation of the play using the Stanislavski system. We hope to achieve a skeletal structure of the piece by Easter. We will then build upon the structure in later rehearsals.
Joyce Henderson (Complicite theatre company actress) and film actress
Joyce Henderson who has just appeared in the film, "The Queen" directed by Stephen Frears worked with the year 12 on their production of the Permanent Way. It was an inspiring workshop using Le Coq techniques.
Year 12 and 13 theatre trip to the Round House
As part of unit 3 and unit 6 of the AS and A2, theatre visits are analysed in terms of style and staging and actor audience relationship, to fit the criteria of each of the exams. Visit the Roundhouse website linked to this blog to find out more about the play. Check out their video clips of the show and directors account of the making of this show.
A theatrical event like no other, this incredible spectacle combines the astonishing skills of actors, dancers, martial arts experts, musicians and street acrobats from across India and Sri Lanka.
Two years in the making, the show (commissioned and presented by the British Council) caused a sensation in
India where it played Delhi, Mumbai (Bombay), Chennai (Madras) and Kolkata (Calcutta). A sell-out run at the RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon followed, and now finally in 2007, London audiences can experience this
breathtaking production prior to a UK and World Tour.
The Roundhouse plays host to Tim Supple's acclaimed Indian production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's dream for a strictly limited 6-week season from 8 March 2007. This is the first play to be performed in this landmark venue since its magnificent redevelopment.
Click here for more info and downloads
"Stunningly beautiful, sexy, and delightfully funny" Independent
"This is the kind of dream that leaves you rubbing your eyes and wishing that you never had to wake up" The Times
£15 two course dinner in the Roundhouse Café
(available from the Box Office 0870 389 1846 when booking tickets for the performance)..
Download Seating Plan
Running Time: 2h 20min (1h 15min,20min interval,45min)
A theatrical event like no other, this incredible spectacle combines the astonishing skills of actors, dancers, martial arts experts, musicians and street acrobats from across India and Sri Lanka.
Two years in the making, the show (commissioned and presented by the British Council) caused a sensation in
India where it played Delhi, Mumbai (Bombay), Chennai (Madras) and Kolkata (Calcutta). A sell-out run at the RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon followed, and now finally in 2007, London audiences can experience this
breathtaking production prior to a UK and World Tour.
The Roundhouse plays host to Tim Supple's acclaimed Indian production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's dream for a strictly limited 6-week season from 8 March 2007. This is the first play to be performed in this landmark venue since its magnificent redevelopment.
Click here for more info and downloads
"Stunningly beautiful, sexy, and delightfully funny" Independent
"This is the kind of dream that leaves you rubbing your eyes and wishing that you never had to wake up" The Times
£15 two course dinner in the Roundhouse Café
(available from the Box Office 0870 389 1846 when booking tickets for the performance)..
Download Seating Plan
Running Time: 2h 20min (1h 15min,20min interval,45min)
Friday 9 March 2007
Year 12 Rehearsal for The Permanent Way
The year 12 have been rehearsing for their exam production of The permanent Way. They are using a variety of techniques including Epic Theatre techniques. They will encorporate the Le Cog use of the levels of tension favoured by Complicite Theatre Company.
Simon McBurney
MASTER CLASS NOTES
Use of Space
In 18th/19th century theatres were at the centre of towns and going to the theatre was as much about social standing and a social experience as much as about the play itself. Often through positioning of seats and lighting on the audience everyone could see each other. People went to the theatre to be seen.
2003 Theatres are on the edge of town. There are marginalised. They are not as central to society as they once were.
So now we ask what is theatre’s place?
So when start to make theatre he asks the most fundamental questions
Is it necessary?
Is it boring?
Beginnings
When watching a play the visuals come first.
The presence of a human body in space
Eg. A man walks on an empty stage.
Immediately a story begins ( This is like The empty space Peter Brook)
The person has a physical presence, there is a tension in which he holds himself. He has a rhythm and weight. So through observations a director or deviser can create a language through the body more clearly. Showing the qualitative differences between each person.
The human body is as much a text as words of a play.
A play which uses on definition of which character is speaking is Martin Crimp “Attempts on her life”. Which makes the actor and director have to make choices and show through the body language as well as the text the clarity of the story and characters.
The Neutral mask
The neutral mask was created by Jacque Le Cog and Sattone as a means to show what the body is thinking. As you take away the face you bring up the volume on the body.
Tiny movements will change what the body says
eg. If the feet are pointing outwards it suggests vulnerability and naivety.
Jacques Le Coq
There are three masks: The one we think we are, The one we really are, And the one we have in common."
(From, The Moving Body (Le Corps poetique) Jacques LeCoq with Jean-Gabriel Carasso and Jean-Claude Lallias. © Copyright The Estate of Jacques Le Coq, Jean-Gabriel Carasso, Jean-Claude Lallias 1997. Translation © Copyright David Bradby 2000. Routledge 29 West 35th Street New York, NY 10001 ISBN0-878-30140-2 (Hb)
"The Jacques Lecoq School, founded in December 1956, is an international professional school of Mime and Theater based on movement and the human body. As a school of dramatic creation, it relies on knowledge of the organic and emotional dynamics of man and nature. It is primarily directed towards Theatre and a Mime that is renewed and broadened by each creator."
The basis of all theatre are these small changes in body language. McBurney calls this minute shifts of architecture.
To help create a common frame of language for a group of actors McBurney uses a scale of human tension.
1 Catatonic State
Taking out all tension in the body. (End up on the floor)
2 The Relax
Very relaxed but can walk and talk but like on a beach.
3 The Neutral
extremely economic movement , it is a state that really doesn’t exist, but always on the search for neutral. Always the right amount of energy to do each action no more- but not a robot.
4 The Alert
A little more tension. Alert energy, ready.
5 The Suspense
More tension, the reactive. You take an in breath eg like a bird. Fight or flight.
Eg. Melodrama.
6 The Passion
Extreme level of passion, add passion to suspense emotions connect- expressing to audience this is how the body tells the story of feeling. This is hard to sustain eg. Kabuki for the body, opera for the voice.
7 The Tragic
No movement possible eg. Petrification . A place where no movement, an extreme of feeling.
• Although this a mechanical way of creating tension and language it gives a common frame of reference.
• It is Architecture of theatrical expression
• it contrasts the body and the voice
• the actor is a story teller and uses his body and voice in the space to tell that story.
Theatre only exists in the audience’s imagination. When theatre creates a collective imagining (as see the same Thing). At that moment, when our internal lives cross over into our outer lives, this moment tells us we are not alone.
Complicite
Founded in 1983 by Simon McBurney, Annabel Arden, Marcello Magni and Fiona Gordon, Complicite is a constantly evolving ensemble of performers and collaborators, now led by Artistic Director Simon McBurney.
Complicite's work has ranged from entirely devised work to theatrical adaptations and revivals of classic texts. The Company has also worked in other media; a radio production of Mnemonic for BBC Radio 3, collaborations with John Berger on a radio adaptation of his novel To The Wedding for BBC Radio and The Vertical Line, a multi-disciplinary installation performed in a disused tube station, commissioned by Artangel.
Always changing and moving forward to incorporate new stimuli, the principles of the work have remained close to the original impulses: seeking what is most alive, integrating text, music, image and action to create surprising, disruptive theatre.
Simon McBurney
'Over the time that I have been working with Complicite what happens in the rehearsal room has changed enormously, yet certain elements are always present. The constant fooling around; the immense amount of chaos; pleasure as well as a kind of turbulent forward momentum. Nothing is off limits apart from not turning up.
It is often extremely unstructured, though paradoxically quite disciplined.
The room is crammed full of stuff; on the walls pictures, text, photographs,
videos, objects, clothes and paper everywhere… But this is by no means a consistent picture.
Often we reach a moment when there must be nothing in the room at all.
It has to be bare, empty and uncluttered.
So when rehearsing a piece I do not have a method, no single approach.
Ultimately the material dictates each rehearsal.
People often ask where we begin. We always begin with a text.
But that text can take many forms - I mean it can equally well be a visual text, a text of action,
a musical one as well as the more conventional one involving plot and characters.
Theatre, says Aristotle, is an act and an action. Action is also a text. As is the space,
the light, music, the sound of footsteps, silence and immobility. All should be as articulate
and evocative as each other.
I have often heard people say that as a company we are fascinated by action and image.
But that is only because what people DO must be as clear as what they SAY.
I do not mean that what they do must copy language. But just as poetry is central in much
of the theatrical cannon, so what people DO can also be couched in its own poetic transformation.
In The Three Lives of Lucie Cabrol we were encountered the problem of the representation
of the protagonists, Jean and Lucie, making love in a barn. All our solutions were either
embarrassing or clichéd, until under the pressure of the final weeks we suddenly seized
the planks we were holding to represent the barn they were in, and started to fling them
around the rehearsal room. The wall came apart and planks flew across the stage and we
found the dynamic of love making transposed into the explosion of the space and the movement of the objects.
This is an example plucked at random from years of graft. Most of the time such moments
of revelation or discovery are rare. And there are more weeks of despair than seconds of elation.
In such moments I long to be told what to do. Or to disappear down the corridor and play with
the curtains or dive into the makeup box, and let someone else decide for me. A piece of theatre is,
ultimately, in the hands of those who are performing it. The actors. It is they not the director who
must have the whole piece in their every gesture, hearing the meaning in each word. And to do that
I think, as an actor, you have to feel that you possess the piece. And to possess the piece you
have to be part of its creation. Involved intimately in the process of its making.'
Simon McBurney
The students will have a workshop from Joyce Henderson next week, a founder member of Complicite.
Also Max Stafford Clark will give the students a workshop on his techniques and how he worked with the actors on the original production in April. Exciting times for the year 12's.
Thursday 8 March 2007
year 10 Drama Youth Crime Scheme of work
The year 10 have been studying the issue of Youth Crime and have had to devise a short play exploring Youth Crime. To help them learn how the examiner assesses their work in lessons; we filmed a lesson and then the students filled out a peer assessment using the GCSE criteria.
One of the students James Spiro told me how he felt about the experience.
" As Debby switched on the dreaded camera to record our lesson, it became evident that we no longer needed to act for tension and fear, we were genuinely scared for our lives! No more playing around, no more joking in lessons because not only were we being recorded, we were going to watch it on Thursday!
Our Friday lesson was recorded to show us how our exams will work next year. At first I was very hesitant to be myself, constantly trying to be on my best behaviour. It was only around half way through when everyone calmed down and started enjoying it! Everyone felt that it stopped them from playing around- exactly what is keeping them from their prized A's . We got down to it and worked harder than we ever had before.
So did it work? My group certainly worked harder in creating trealistic and stable stories in our 50 minutes. I think- although it was very daunting at first- the use of the camera helped tremendously. We were all very surprised by the outcome of our work and are looking forward to watching ourselves next week.
Take a look at our video and watch out for the final plays performed in class.
One of the students James Spiro told me how he felt about the experience.
" As Debby switched on the dreaded camera to record our lesson, it became evident that we no longer needed to act for tension and fear, we were genuinely scared for our lives! No more playing around, no more joking in lessons because not only were we being recorded, we were going to watch it on Thursday!
Our Friday lesson was recorded to show us how our exams will work next year. At first I was very hesitant to be myself, constantly trying to be on my best behaviour. It was only around half way through when everyone calmed down and started enjoying it! Everyone felt that it stopped them from playing around- exactly what is keeping them from their prized A's . We got down to it and worked harder than we ever had before.
So did it work? My group certainly worked harder in creating trealistic and stable stories in our 50 minutes. I think- although it was very daunting at first- the use of the camera helped tremendously. We were all very surprised by the outcome of our work and are looking forward to watching ourselves next week.
Take a look at our video and watch out for the final plays performed in class.
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