JORDAN: Yeah i wrote …… in my vineblog
ME: Vineblog? I haven’t done one of those in ages
COOPER: Yep, I noticed thats why I dropped your mark
ME: WHAT?! Awww, dammit!

So here I am again writing about myself(which I so love to do very often…not) and informing the internet community about whats happening in my Theatre Studies journey.

OK, so over the holidays I attempted to read my monologues and decide on my favourite 3 choices. As i did not have any of the scripts that I wanted I settled with what I already knew and read the monologues I had borrowed. My 3 choices were
1. Tom,
I first chose Tom as it looked very open and challenging.But Once I started thinking about me performing it I couldn’t really get much out of it and I actually started to get bored and stagnant with it
2. Jason,
was a choice as there were not many choices for boys to do. I only chose Jason,honestly, because he was a male role and I had read the play over the holidays
3. Defoe,
Now became my primary choice. Today as we did the MTC excursion my ideas really developed on Defoe. I saw doing him traditionally and darkly.
My only concern is, sorry Jarrod dont take it the wrong way, but that Jarrod is doing the same monologue as me. I think to be able to perform Defoe to my full personal potential I wont be able to watch him perform his interpretation of Defoe.

Now, also today i found out about a monologue I had never thought about before which I will read tonight - the Dolly’s House male role. I will post future notes about this.

I think for now my thoughts are really developing on Defoe and I am started to write them down…slowly. The MTC meeting helped me to develop my characer with the Laban system which will really help. My first meeting on Monday with MR Cooper went really quickly, I got through stuff but I dont think its going to be enough so I think I will book you for a regular performance rehearsal, Mr Cooper.

Ok, so i think thats everything so far i will write again weekly now
JOsh

Well since 100 we’ve been extremely busy with exams(I have at least) and doing our folios (which were a load of fun…not) and now we’ve just started reading through our monologues for next term. I think some really good ideas have already arose out of some of the pieces we read yesterday. Some dont interest me at all. For the moment though I have no idea or opinion on things because I only read through like one or two yesterday. So we will just have to wait and see…

 Holidays are just on the brink so cant wait for them. When there’s a will, there’s a way… keep this in mind for monologues…

MondayWe bumped in. We started the process of painting everything. We started rigging lights and learning how the audio works. The day was long, I was there painting until 9pm. We rehearsed a run of the show without costumes. This experience gave us a lot of insight into the open space we could now perform in compared to the tiny drama room we had been living in. 

Audiowise, we realised the problem that there was only one Cd player at the theatre and we needed another one to overlay two tracks playing at once. (EG Alex’s memory) So I brought in my DVD player the next day. For audio, this was the day we really used all of the edited audio. Both me and Jarod were 80% happy at what it all sounded like. All it needed was a few tweaks with levels and cues. 

Acting, since Saturday was the first time we had ran through the whole show I didn’t really know what to expect. But, after two whole runs on Monday I realised that the theatre gave me so much more focus and characterization. It gave atmosphere and I soon liked the fact that I lost track of what time or day it was. When we were in the theatre it was like a world of its own.  

TuesdayWe had school in the morning then at 12.30 we left for MIPAC. We had lunch and then went into a stop-start run to plot the lights. I had to set up the DVD player, which I wasn’t very good at! I then learnt then how to turn everything on- by the amps. (You learn something new everyday!) After the stop-start run we had a continuous run without costumes for the lighting-Bethany. By that time it was 7.00pm, some people left. I stayed behind to help people finish painting the back walls and stuff.

WednesdayWe left

Aitken
College at around the same time as yesterday. We had a full run in costume and with lighting and audio. This was the day that I started to get confidence in what I and everyone else was doing. We had lunch and did whatever it is that we do and then we listened to notes. We finished painting the little bits and pieces left to do while Cooper went to pick up Burak. We got some notes and did some characterization one-on-one with Lisa. Our characters developed and it got us thinking about our motives to react in a certain way or why we do a certain action or line. What that line would really mean to our character. We then used these notes to focus in our next dress-rehearsal. This would be the last rehearsal before Opening Night. I was confident that we were ready for what was to come, maybe it hadn’t hit me. We finished up and took the decision to paint the stage black. We later realised it was the wrong paint but it gave the stage a matt plain black. I think it looked better than the glossy paint, because our paint absorbed the light giving the effect of the void that we wanted. The glossy paint reflected the light.

ThursdayWas OPENING NIGHT!! Nerves and butterflies had suddenly hit me. I now realised it was the best feeling for me. Those nerves helped me to focus and take that extra step to get into character. What I was most scared of was that every other day we had rehearsed two runs together in the one day. On this performance we were going straight into it. But it paid off. Overall it was a fantastic performance. There was still room to improve but it left the audience thinking about what we had performed, which is the purpose of Non-Naturalistic theatre. You don’t have to get it, but we want the audience to think about it.   Improvements, for me, could have been:

·        The fact that my friends were sitting in the front row one metre away from me didn’t help. I had to tune out every time they laughed or moved in their seat.

·        There were 2 second gaps between everyone’s lines. For me it was because I would get so into what others were saying that I would have to snap back and realise what I had to say.   

FridayAnother day, another show. We started the day as a normal school day. Then at 6.00pm we arrived at the theatre. Firstly, I have to admit that the quality of this show decreased instead of improving. It was because, for me, I noticed that there was a smaller audience. Therefore my focus declined and we all got comfortable with what we were performing. Scotty came to assess us, we all got extremely nervous and feared Scotty. This affected our performance.

Saturday Our last show, for me was really sad. Each time we performed a scene I thought…”aw, the last time we’ll do that” other times I thought…”Yay!”Now reflecting on the events of the week we all really grew and learnt amazing experiences out of 100. Audiences had the chance to reflect on their own lives, and so did we. We bumped out and got back to unload everything at Aitken. The season of 100 was officially over

This week a lot of tension and arguments were present between All of us. Just remember we’re gonna get through this together guys as a team. We may not agree on things but “we can all make a pledge that the whole human race will become…what we want it to be”

Audiowise, me and Jarod had HUGE telephone debates on finalising the audio. We listened to the possible songs and Fx for 2 hours every single night of the week. I’d also like to commend Jarod for doing all of the editing, a big task-thanks. We recorded the french (an interesting experience thanks to Carrick). So officially all of the audio has been finalised and set in stone, all ready to be used. Phew!

This week we had our first whole run through. It made such a difference. Saturday was also the best rehearsal we had, we’ve never been so focused before. While we’re all really nervous about this week i think we are going to be so focused and determined as a team, we are gonna kick ass! I need to concentrate on learning my lines and my intentions clearer. A couple of times Cooper showed me how a line was meant to be taken. We had the same intentions but the way i acted it out made me look different. (if that makes any sense)

It’ll come together guys,u just gotta have faith in urselves!

Production week of Fame was a ball. Had a great time overall and I guess things were out of my hand but in the end i learnt to just accept it.

Me and Jarod learnt a fair bit from this week. We learnt the importance of how good (and bad) audio can affect a scene.  The cast also learnt  the importance of having a 19 year old audio technician around as well. lol

  We couldn’t really do much about Audio and Acting because I was absent…sorry!

But Fame was a memorable and unforgettable experience. Thanks Coops! =D

Gotta love actors who complain.

This week we had cadfuffles about stagecrafts between eachother but we r all still cool. I think that things will come together and what i’ve been saying is that we rehearse acting in our classes because is the only time when all of us r all together. I had my audit which i actually thought i went better than i thought i would. Soon we’ll have everything set in stone by next week.

Jared and I have listened to all of the character’s songs and have pretty uch decided what’s what.

So yeah, i dont really have much to say this week. But next week am really pumped so until then

PEACE

Last week many things were achieved…not! Just kiddin’

Ok, so this blog is a bit late but now there’s more information to write about so…

Firstly, I just booked my second audit(AAARRRRRRGGGHHH) which is scary stuff if we look at last time. “This time I plan to be much more focused on my work.” I’m going to do whatever I can to do my best for the audit. Will we get one of those question sheets like last time?

 

I’ve also just finished my SAC. I have no idea what to expect of it as I just wrote whatever I could. I have no clue if I’ve actually answered the questions. So hmmmm.

It was difficult.

 

Last week we didn’t really get much done. And I regret that we did waste time. We lost a period due to the SAC but we had the double on Tuesday. This did make a huge difference. But like Coops said it’s actually now a matter of going over everything (in this case physically) that has been blocked. Lines are the easy part to go over but using the example of Tuesday it took us a whole period to go over two or three of the physically challenging memory scenes.

 

Audiowise

I’ve been bringing the CD’s to school but because we have been rehearsing I haven’t had a chance to really put them on. I think it’s time that by the week after Fame Jared and I should have everything set in stone. Which I can see is possible.

 

Now all me and Jared have to focus on is getting the little sound cues and effects.

 

That’s all I’ve really got to say. So cheerio =P

Sorry for the late blog entry. BUT wow!!!! wat a weekend.

Firstly (rehearsal wise)the week was quite uneventful except for the lesson we actually rehearsed. It makes such a difference when we know our lines but it breaks the focus and energy so much when somebody forgets their lines. This week I have to work on internalising my lines. I think we need to concentrate on the physical scenes now EG burak’s and GEmmas.

Macbeth. The acting side of it was meh. But what really interested me about it was the techinical side of it. The crafts like set, how the actors used the props, the choreography, the lighting and sound used. They ways these were used really made the performance worthwhile. I guess in the scenes that were boring I had a granny farting next to me. (UGH) Great huh?

Top Acts. Wow. That blew my mind away. My mum ended up telling me that the long nose guy went to the school my mum works in. Interesting yet useless piece of information huh? It was reaaly good to debrief. But that day really gave me a reality check at how much I would have to put into this subject-blood sweat and tears.

Well audio news is that we should start playing stuff in rehearsals. I’ve brought possible cd’s but…

Anyways i gotta end this now until next week =D

ok we have now blocked the whole 100. And now we have begun the process of running through the whole thing/bits and pieces/fine tuning. This is a good step. This week I have tried to keep focus. In the process of doing this I now know what to do to avoid laughing. Before some of my fellow actoirs starts laughing you can tell when they hold it in by the fact that their nostrils flare out. All i have to do is avoid eye contact and look away.

On Tuesday we blocked the bed scene. Boy was that awkward, we also had an audient in the room. I have to get over my immaturity and start acting. What I also need to do is not “act” as Coops would say just act. I have to really go over what makes Alex move somewhere, or make a decision. Why he would say what he has to say or why he cant say somethingEG why he cant come up with a good enough memory. Friday was also not Tasha’s best day as we stopped the class just for her, coz she’s so special-she’s Tash =D . On Friday we then started a run with no scripts. This is where I’m starting to feel pressure. Everyone blew me away! Now over the whole holidays I’m going to be learning my lines.

AUDIOWISE

I’ve now noticed thanks to Jarod’s advice that i need to do a bit of work on audio. Over the weekend i’m hoping to write out my possible soundscape.