https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71JjDx5BvGo - Wednesday Evening P.1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2zNPgv556I - Wednesday Evening P.2
Tuesday, 6 January 2015
Electra - My Production Role
My production role for Electra will be lighting. I will be working on this with Sophie. To fufill the production role, we will take notes during rehearsals and focus particularly on the chorus as they are onstage the whole duration of the play and constantly travelling. The travelling of all characters is important for me and Sophie to acknowledge because we need to know what areas of the stage are used and how they need to be lit. By taking on the lighting, we will be attending the technical rehearsals to assist with activities, like rigging. One main responsibility we need to take care of is giving the caretakers notice of the smoke machine. To receive approval for the use of the smoke machine, we will need to visit the college's head of premises.
Our lighting aims for Electra is to use autumnal colours, this means oranges, browns, greens and yellows. The autumnal colors will be most suitable when the tone of the piece is at it's calmest. For example, the beginning of the play, when Electra and the chorus are miming conversation sat downstage right. However, we also want to add a blue jel in the lighting, which will enforce a cold mood (eerie atmosphere.) I believe the blue jel would best fit the ending of the play, as the audience see Electra with her mother's corpse - a disturbing image, after learning their hatred for eachother throughout the play. A final additional colour we would like to use is red, it is a good colour for representing anger and death - two main themes within Electra. The use of red lighting would be suitable for Clytemnestra's 'dead' entrance, when she is being carried out from the house by the Old Man.
Electra Staging
We had our audience on three sides. In Greek and Elizabethan theatre, the audience were sat all around the stage.
Electra - Introduction To My Acting Role
In Electra, I am playing one of the four chorus members. As I have mentioned in a previous post, the chorus members are Electra's imaginary friends in our interpretation, therefore we began by assigning each friend with a different approach to Electra.
I will be the vengeful friend, who enjoys plotting. I volunteered for this role because I haven't played a devilish (dark) character before. I thought by choosing a role which I have no experience playing would be beneficial so I can progress as an actor. Sax will be my chorus partner, playing the 'kickass' (angry) friend. We have matched up as a pair because our similar negative mood will help us bounce well off of eachother in rehearsal and performance. Whereas, Lauren and Ellie will act as a contrast to me and Sax. They will be playing the 'listener' and 'nurturer' to Electra, having a softer approach towards her. The contrast between a soft and harsh approach is effective because it reflects Electra is torn between two minds, therefore showing that the chorus are symbolic of her mental state.
Monday, 5 January 2015
Modernising Electra
Aegisthus still remains the enemy of our story. In modern times, he is the stepdad who has a creepy prescence who has moved into Electra's home. His creepy prescence makes those around him feel highly uncomfortable.
The character of the Old Man needs to show his support for the idea of murdering Clytemnestra and Aegisthus.
There will be 3 Electra's, differing in mental stability. One Electra will be breaking down, the other optimistic, and the third will be death-orientated. The traditional chorus will become gothic imaginary friends of Electra's. There will be 4 chorus members who will approach Electra in different ways:
1) Be supportive/encouraging
2) Be practical
3) Be loving/gentle
4) Be vengeful
Having 4 different mindsets to listen to will keep the audience on their toes, not knowing which friend to side with. This enables an audience member to change their opinion constantly, in following the conflicting points brought up throughout the play. This also means that they will have successfully been drawn into the play, despite the classical language being a barrier for some. Orestes will speak comfortably to the chorus, whereas Clytemnestra won't understand them and therefore will act uncomfortably.
It has been decided that the scenery of the play will be similar to the Old Vic's interpretation - outdoors. To make it outdoorsy, stones and rubbish will be planted on and around the stage. I like the outdoor feel because it reflects Electra is a character who has been rejected by the place and people she comes from.
Finally, the main goals for our play is to keep the audience suspicious and make the whole thing from Electra's point of view.
The character of the Old Man needs to show his support for the idea of murdering Clytemnestra and Aegisthus.
There will be 3 Electra's, differing in mental stability. One Electra will be breaking down, the other optimistic, and the third will be death-orientated. The traditional chorus will become gothic imaginary friends of Electra's. There will be 4 chorus members who will approach Electra in different ways:
1) Be supportive/encouraging
2) Be practical
3) Be loving/gentle
4) Be vengeful
Having 4 different mindsets to listen to will keep the audience on their toes, not knowing which friend to side with. This enables an audience member to change their opinion constantly, in following the conflicting points brought up throughout the play. This also means that they will have successfully been drawn into the play, despite the classical language being a barrier for some. Orestes will speak comfortably to the chorus, whereas Clytemnestra won't understand them and therefore will act uncomfortably.
It has been decided that the scenery of the play will be similar to the Old Vic's interpretation - outdoors. To make it outdoorsy, stones and rubbish will be planted on and around the stage. I like the outdoor feel because it reflects Electra is a character who has been rejected by the place and people she comes from.
Finally, the main goals for our play is to keep the audience suspicious and make the whole thing from Electra's point of view.
Chorus Workshop
In this workshop, we explored the techniques - shoal of fish and round-by-through. Shoal of fish is where a group travels collectively in a tight format. The sudden change of directions as a whole group is effective because the movement performed appears slicker and has more of a pace to it. Round-by-through is also group movement, in which you move the people you're working with, in
order to get through the space yourself.
We applied the techniques above to a short fairytale performance task. The task was to pick a fairytale and make it into a tragedy. My group chose Sleeping Beauty. The round-by-through technqiue was effective each time the narrator changed. Similarly, shoal of fish was good for when there was a change of events:
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful Princess named Aurora
--------------(dashes repesent changing direction in a group - S.O.F)
But her beauty wasn't enough to save her from an evil spell *round-by-through performed by the narrator*
--------------- (S.O.F)
She was cast asleep forever *round-by-through repeat*
Adavantages of the two techniques were that they created comical moments when wanted, but also dramatic, providing a clear and strong contrast in dynamics. Watching other groups, I spotted another advantage of the techniques, which was that they maintained the attention of the audience because the movement is both unusual and interesting.
Disadvantages of shoal of fish was that it was easy to lose the tight formation. I think it is a technique which needs to be practiced, to be polished. A disadvantage of the round-by-through is that it can
prove difficult to move around your fellow actors, to the extent which you look uncomfortable on stage.
Chrous Workshop Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZ7_EG7F-Do
order to get through the space yourself.
We applied the techniques above to a short fairytale performance task. The task was to pick a fairytale and make it into a tragedy. My group chose Sleeping Beauty. The round-by-through technqiue was effective each time the narrator changed. Similarly, shoal of fish was good for when there was a change of events:
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful Princess named Aurora
--------------(dashes repesent changing direction in a group - S.O.F)
But her beauty wasn't enough to save her from an evil spell *round-by-through performed by the narrator*
--------------- (S.O.F)
She was cast asleep forever *round-by-through repeat*
Adavantages of the two techniques were that they created comical moments when wanted, but also dramatic, providing a clear and strong contrast in dynamics. Watching other groups, I spotted another advantage of the techniques, which was that they maintained the attention of the audience because the movement is both unusual and interesting.
Disadvantages of shoal of fish was that it was easy to lose the tight formation. I think it is a technique which needs to be practiced, to be polished. A disadvantage of the round-by-through is that it can
prove difficult to move around your fellow actors, to the extent which you look uncomfortable on stage.
Chrous Workshop Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZ7_EG7F-Do
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