For making the shorts:
For 'poor' Jack's shirt:
For 'rich' Jack's suit:
Saturday, 10 January 2015
Costume Costings - Jack
Costume Costings - Red Riding Hood
I first looked at a red colour scheme. Seeing as the cape is 'as red as blood' in the script, I chose the shade scarlet for all red pieces of clothing - the skirt and cape. This is because scarlet is the shade of red which stands out the most to me, giving it that blood-like look.
Above is a blog I used to help me decide which materials I wanted to use to make my clothes. The descriptions, combined with further image research (see below), brought me to my final decisions.
After deciding on types of material, the next task was to source it. I searched 'red poplin' into Google and the first site that came up that sold it was Amazon. Amazon is a site I've used for personal shopping, therefore it is a site I trust and am happy to use for this project.
In making the skirt, it soon came to my attention that this would require elastic, for the waistband. This is what I sourced next, also on Amazon:
Friday, 9 January 2015
Styles of Script
1) TV Script - Eastenders
Main features of a TV script include the program title, scene number along with location, lighting and time. This Eastenders script opens with a simple description of the action taking place and a brief look at how the characters involved are feeling. The character names are in bold and followed by dialogue. In between the dialogue comes any stage directions. Stage directions are intended to aid the actor. In a TV script, it is easy to cut from scene to scene. A show like Eastenders is pre-recorded and cutting to different scenes helps heighten the tension for audience.
2) Film Script - Great Expectations
In comparison to the TV script above, the opening of this script is heavily detailed. Similarly, it outlines whether the scene is indoors (interior) or outdoors (exterior), the location and the time of day. You can tell it is more descriptive because it gives extra details, such as the temperature and how the scene 'fade[s] in'. The paragraph before 'The Convict' dialogue creates a strong visual image, which is probably most helpful to the set designer.
3) Theatre/Musical Script - Cats
A bold title in the script signifies a new song, so using the example below the 'Overture' and 'Prologue: Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats' are separate tracks. This will be handy to a sound technician and/or a live band. In the example below, solo characters lines are shown the same way as dialogue is in the scripts above - character name: lyrics. If more than one people sing the same line, it would either say 'ALL:' above the lyrics or a list of the different character names. The use of punctuation, i.e. the question marks, tell the actor how the lyric should be sung.
Thursday, 8 January 2015
Annotated 'Into The Woods' Script
I began by giving each character I was designing for a colour. Jack was orange. Red Riding Hood was green. Rapunzel was going to be purple. However, at home I wasn't always accessible to colours so I decided to label the initial of the character on every post-it note.
I took attention to detail particularly with stage directions and also how other characters addressed those I was designing for.
It was also important for me to understand the relationship my characters had with other people, or in Jack's case an animal.
Looking at lyrics the characters sung also helped me learn about their personality and social status.
Descriptions of the characters clothing in the script really aided me in the design process.
Red Riding Hood was a character who changed through the play. Initially appearing sweet and obedient, a bratty attitude soon develops. Seeing a change in a character made me rethink my design, to perhaps add a second costume for the character.
Props listed in the script told me what 'accessories' were needed, making it easier for me to fill in the costume plots.
Overall, annotating the script was very useful. It was through this that I was able to create my character analysis.
Tuesday, 6 January 2015
Elizabethan Theatre
Elizabethan theatre can seem stricter than contemporary and Greek. This was shown by London authorities refusing performance of plays in the city, which led to theatres opening outside the authority of the city. The first theatre was built in Shoreditch, in 1576. Before this era, plays were performed in courtyards and houses of the rich. However 'noblemen' had to act carefully about their choice of performance; anything which was seen as controversial or political could get you in trouble with royalty (the crown). In the late 1500s and early 1600s, open air playhouses opened in the London area. A famous playhouse which is still around today, but has been reconstructed since first being built is, The Globe. The theatres could hold thousands of people, most of these people would stand in the open pit before the stage, whilst the rich would watch the play on the side of the stage, in chairs. Performances were held in the afternoon, as there was obviously no artificial lighting. Women attended the theatre, however those who were more prestige would disguise themselves with a mask. Although the gender could attend the plays, they were not permitted to perform/act in them. Instead, young boys played the female roles.
Differences/Similarities:
- Current theatre - we can hold performances at night because we have artificial lighting/special effects.
- Greek theatre - weren't afraid of the controversial plays, in fact they were celebrated.
- Greek theatre - did not permit female performers either.
- Current theatre - celebrate females in theatre.
Final Questions - Unit 12 Classical Theatre
Q1) What social, cultural and political themes are contained in the plays? Are they meaningful to both current and original audiences?
A1) The social themes in Electra are family issues and mental illness. In Electra, we watch a family which is broken, due to their father's death. Instead of acting rationally and resolving the problems, the play exploits extreme brutality - a brother and sister murdering their own mother and stepfather. The social theme of mental illness is treated both sensitively and harshly in the play. The sensitivity is shown by Electra's supporters: Orestes, Chorus, Old Man. The harshness is shown by Electra's rejecters: Clytemnestra, Aegisthus, Chrysothemis (occasionally).
In a contemporary mindset, family issues are still very much existent, like how a mother and daughter would bicker, however it is rare for an argument to end in either person inflicting physical pain on the other. This means a current audience would most likely find this shocking, whilst an original audience would find it fairly normal. The original audience of Electra would have witnessed many other tragedy plays, like Medea - another play which involves family murder. Furthermore, myths were also popular in Ancient Greece, which are often of a dark context. Mental illness is something which is becoming increasingly aware to the public in modern times, meaning a current audience would find it hard watching the harsh characters lash at Electra. On the other hand, for an original audience, they would have had no knowledge of the illness and therefore almost accepts Clytemnestra's attitude and behaviour towards her daughter.
The main social theme in Dr. Faustus is that the protagonist goes against the 'norm' (society) in his belief that religion is essentially a myth. Another social idea within the play is the superiority of figures, this being the voice of God through characters like the Old Man and the voice of a devil in Mephastophilis. For a modern audience, Dr. Faustus' daring ways would be supported by some; atheism has become a more popular belief, meaning people no longer fear not having a faith. In contrast to this is the original audience. In a time where religion rules society, the people watching would have lent to disliking Faustus purely because his belief would not have matched theirs.
The cultural theme in Electra is mainly Orestes following tradition. In Ancient Greece, it was the son's responsibility to avenge for their father, hence Orestes' actions in the play. A modern audience could understand this by relating it to the mafia. Similarly, the original audience would have understood Orestes' actions. The cultural theme in Faustus is his astonishing intelligence and supposed 'magical powers'. For both audiences, his magic would have been enticing.
The political themes in Electra is the way genders are presented. Sexism is tackled in the play as Electra cannot carry out her mother's murder, due to her gender - women weren't allowed to avenge in Greek times. From a modern audience member perspective, I personally think if Electra wants to commit murder she shouldn't have to rely on her brother to do her dirty work. A political theme in Faustus is his and the overall conflict between good and evil. In 21st century terms, it is a play which shows the battle between head and heart.
Q2) How did you tackle the play's language practically?
A2) I tackled the language practically by working close with my chorus cast members, figuring out as much as we could alone. Otherwise, we asked Rachel or used the internet. To break down the language, we attempted to translate it to modern day language, in hope of getting a better understanding and therefore produce a more confident delivery of dialogue. I found doing Faustus beforehand helpful because I had gained some familiarity with the classical language. Also, my studies in English Literature have assisted me in tackling the dialogue as I have analysed it and gained a depth understanding.
Q3) What did you do to ensure you were fully appreciating the context of the plays?
A3) To show my appreciation for the context of the plays I paid close attention to the performance of Electra at The Old Vic, by making notes. By paying close attention, I was able to find traits in the actors which I would want to include in my own interpretation. As well as this, I thoroughly researched both plays and their time periods.
Q4) What vocal and movement skills did you use to create your performance?
Firstly, the vocal and movement skills we applied were very current.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF-GvT8Clnk&list=PLbNPljg6lLxl88Xof1YlOWCgev0gvVsi- - Opening Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6Z_YXajCgY
Moon Asked The Crow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqKcW8t0lLM - Closing Song
Above are the links to the songs which were performed by the chorus in Electra. Due to the weird genre of music, the songs were hard to grasp initially. Singing through 'Glory Box', we found that the key was challenging for us all, which led to us singing it through acapella. This proved a lot better for us all as we were able to rearrange the key and also add harmonies. This song opened the show and I think the song being acapella made it an effective opening to a play. The chorus members sat with the audience and walked out of this position as the song progressed. This was good because I think it made the audience feel more involved, which in consequence made them more interested in the piece. The second song - 'Moon Asked The Crow' - was when the play took a dark/creepy turn. Like 'Glory Box', the original recording of the track was difficult to adapt. In this case, we whispered and sang. The whispery tone of our voices added to the discomfort we were trying to get the audience to feel. This song also contained the most movement, which mainly consisted of crawling and swaying - acting slow and controlled. The last song closed the show. I came up with a harmony on the chorus, which was higher than the tune, which gave it a kick, hence a gloomier atmosphere.
The main key for our movement was to keep it slow. Holding tension was a challenge because it felt like it may have bored the audience or appeared overly exaggerated. A lot of the time, the chorus improvised, following Electra and interacting with the audience (me and Sax at the start of Act 2.) Nevertheless, we still gave ourselves set sections onstage - a corner each. This was good for when we weren't the sole dialogue. From the chorus workshop, we incorporated the shoal of fish technique, which proved effective when gossiping or panicking as a whole group.
Q5) What were the intentions for your character?
What I had to keep in mind was that I was the stubborn and openly honest friend of Electra's. This was difficult because Electra endures so much despair, making you want to comfort her. There were obviously moments of comfort I participated in but I sometimes found myself confused of whether I should be supportive and friendly or cold and brutal. A main intention for all chorus members was to creep the audience out. This evolved as the play went on and Electra got madder.
Q6) Did you tackle your role with confidence?
I believe that I did tackle my role with confidence, despite the amount of obstacles. The main obstacle was how choppy my lines were. This was challenging because I had to learn a lot of cues from all the different characters. To make sure the lines were nailed, the Chorus rehearsed with Electra alone and also the Sisters. Furthermore, I found it difficult to understand what my dialogue meant; it felt like some of my lines were plucked out of nowhere, in the middle of scenes. On the other hand, I was confident in my ability to balance my individual moments of madness and numbness. An example of a numb moment is the aftermath of the news of Orestes' death, my line came after Magic's long speech, which I delivered softly yet in a stutter type fashion. This shows my vocal skills because in later on Act 3, I quickly shouted at Electra 'Haste with what speed ye may, stand on the doorway' and acted instructive.
A1) The social themes in Electra are family issues and mental illness. In Electra, we watch a family which is broken, due to their father's death. Instead of acting rationally and resolving the problems, the play exploits extreme brutality - a brother and sister murdering their own mother and stepfather. The social theme of mental illness is treated both sensitively and harshly in the play. The sensitivity is shown by Electra's supporters: Orestes, Chorus, Old Man. The harshness is shown by Electra's rejecters: Clytemnestra, Aegisthus, Chrysothemis (occasionally).
In a contemporary mindset, family issues are still very much existent, like how a mother and daughter would bicker, however it is rare for an argument to end in either person inflicting physical pain on the other. This means a current audience would most likely find this shocking, whilst an original audience would find it fairly normal. The original audience of Electra would have witnessed many other tragedy plays, like Medea - another play which involves family murder. Furthermore, myths were also popular in Ancient Greece, which are often of a dark context. Mental illness is something which is becoming increasingly aware to the public in modern times, meaning a current audience would find it hard watching the harsh characters lash at Electra. On the other hand, for an original audience, they would have had no knowledge of the illness and therefore almost accepts Clytemnestra's attitude and behaviour towards her daughter.
The main social theme in Dr. Faustus is that the protagonist goes against the 'norm' (society) in his belief that religion is essentially a myth. Another social idea within the play is the superiority of figures, this being the voice of God through characters like the Old Man and the voice of a devil in Mephastophilis. For a modern audience, Dr. Faustus' daring ways would be supported by some; atheism has become a more popular belief, meaning people no longer fear not having a faith. In contrast to this is the original audience. In a time where religion rules society, the people watching would have lent to disliking Faustus purely because his belief would not have matched theirs.
The cultural theme in Electra is mainly Orestes following tradition. In Ancient Greece, it was the son's responsibility to avenge for their father, hence Orestes' actions in the play. A modern audience could understand this by relating it to the mafia. Similarly, the original audience would have understood Orestes' actions. The cultural theme in Faustus is his astonishing intelligence and supposed 'magical powers'. For both audiences, his magic would have been enticing.
The political themes in Electra is the way genders are presented. Sexism is tackled in the play as Electra cannot carry out her mother's murder, due to her gender - women weren't allowed to avenge in Greek times. From a modern audience member perspective, I personally think if Electra wants to commit murder she shouldn't have to rely on her brother to do her dirty work. A political theme in Faustus is his and the overall conflict between good and evil. In 21st century terms, it is a play which shows the battle between head and heart.
Q2) How did you tackle the play's language practically?
A2) I tackled the language practically by working close with my chorus cast members, figuring out as much as we could alone. Otherwise, we asked Rachel or used the internet. To break down the language, we attempted to translate it to modern day language, in hope of getting a better understanding and therefore produce a more confident delivery of dialogue. I found doing Faustus beforehand helpful because I had gained some familiarity with the classical language. Also, my studies in English Literature have assisted me in tackling the dialogue as I have analysed it and gained a depth understanding.
Q3) What did you do to ensure you were fully appreciating the context of the plays?
A3) To show my appreciation for the context of the plays I paid close attention to the performance of Electra at The Old Vic, by making notes. By paying close attention, I was able to find traits in the actors which I would want to include in my own interpretation. As well as this, I thoroughly researched both plays and their time periods.
Q4) What vocal and movement skills did you use to create your performance?
Firstly, the vocal and movement skills we applied were very current.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF-GvT8Clnk&list=PLbNPljg6lLxl88Xof1YlOWCgev0gvVsi- - Opening Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6Z_YXajCgY
Moon Asked The Crow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqKcW8t0lLM - Closing Song
Above are the links to the songs which were performed by the chorus in Electra. Due to the weird genre of music, the songs were hard to grasp initially. Singing through 'Glory Box', we found that the key was challenging for us all, which led to us singing it through acapella. This proved a lot better for us all as we were able to rearrange the key and also add harmonies. This song opened the show and I think the song being acapella made it an effective opening to a play. The chorus members sat with the audience and walked out of this position as the song progressed. This was good because I think it made the audience feel more involved, which in consequence made them more interested in the piece. The second song - 'Moon Asked The Crow' - was when the play took a dark/creepy turn. Like 'Glory Box', the original recording of the track was difficult to adapt. In this case, we whispered and sang. The whispery tone of our voices added to the discomfort we were trying to get the audience to feel. This song also contained the most movement, which mainly consisted of crawling and swaying - acting slow and controlled. The last song closed the show. I came up with a harmony on the chorus, which was higher than the tune, which gave it a kick, hence a gloomier atmosphere.
The main key for our movement was to keep it slow. Holding tension was a challenge because it felt like it may have bored the audience or appeared overly exaggerated. A lot of the time, the chorus improvised, following Electra and interacting with the audience (me and Sax at the start of Act 2.) Nevertheless, we still gave ourselves set sections onstage - a corner each. This was good for when we weren't the sole dialogue. From the chorus workshop, we incorporated the shoal of fish technique, which proved effective when gossiping or panicking as a whole group.
Q5) What were the intentions for your character?
What I had to keep in mind was that I was the stubborn and openly honest friend of Electra's. This was difficult because Electra endures so much despair, making you want to comfort her. There were obviously moments of comfort I participated in but I sometimes found myself confused of whether I should be supportive and friendly or cold and brutal. A main intention for all chorus members was to creep the audience out. This evolved as the play went on and Electra got madder.
Q6) Did you tackle your role with confidence?
I believe that I did tackle my role with confidence, despite the amount of obstacles. The main obstacle was how choppy my lines were. This was challenging because I had to learn a lot of cues from all the different characters. To make sure the lines were nailed, the Chorus rehearsed with Electra alone and also the Sisters. Furthermore, I found it difficult to understand what my dialogue meant; it felt like some of my lines were plucked out of nowhere, in the middle of scenes. On the other hand, I was confident in my ability to balance my individual moments of madness and numbness. An example of a numb moment is the aftermath of the news of Orestes' death, my line came after Magic's long speech, which I delivered softly yet in a stutter type fashion. This shows my vocal skills because in later on Act 3, I quickly shouted at Electra 'Haste with what speed ye may, stand on the doorway' and acted instructive.
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