Workshops
I really enjoyed the objective and obstacle workshop we did this week and I'm very proud of myself for volunteering to go up and have a go. We also used this to see what our characters objective is during the play. For example I think Holly's objective is to finally make something of her life but her obstacle is Mark, money and her past. Mark is her obstacle because he's become very attached to her and won't stop contacting her and leaving her alone "You haven't answered my calls. You're here every day. I see you on my lunchbreak. Going around with a your clipboard. Why didn't you get back to me?". Money is a big issue because she doesn't have any which is why she was sleeping with Mark and getting paid for it in the first place. "fucked up family with no money" The workshop where we pretending we were on a plate and had to balance it out on both sides which was good because I can see us using that throughout the performance.
Presentation
I did a PowerPoint presentation with Phoebe this week on morals and politics within the play '13'. We got good feedback from Karen. She did say that we explained our slides well and that we kept referring to the play and had good use of whiteboard. The only thing she said we need to do is become more confident speakers and read off of cards next time to prevent always looking at the screen and not making eye contact. We also needed to come away from the screen and go to the front to explain to the audience better.
Character Profile
I started to find out a lot about my character this week and I also got some input from other characters in the play that Holly is close to so I could find out their view on her. For example I spoke to Matt and Frank who play the character of John and they said that Holly is "Desperate and lost in finding her passion". I find that their opinions towards my character are correct as I also feel she is trying to find her way in life and is trying to find her purpose in life. She starts this by helping John, he helps her out of the dark and into the light and makes her feel as if she has a purpose in life.
I've also discovered that Holly sleeps with Mark for the money so she can pay for university "And I'm not liking university because I haven't got any money or well friends." However throughout "13" she goes from being scared of Mark to fearing him. He's let his emotions get between business and it's very unprofessional to get into a relationship. I find him very creepy and awkward to be around as he makes me feel uncomfortable. I have no sympathy for him even though he struggles in life because of the way he treats me and acts around me.
Blocking
When we experimented with blocking the Alpha group scene we decided to set it out like a group session by sitting us on chairs in the shape of a circle. At first I was at the end on the right side and Hannah who played Sally who is the leader of the group was sat in the center. Whilst we played around with it we realized that it was coming across funny. For example when Terry spoke about his ex girlfriend my character Holly would always interrupt's him. Then we notice Sally is a very emotional character so she starts to cry because Holly is sharing her opinions, thoughts and in some ways trying to take charge of the group. This scene helps me a lot with developing Holly's character vocally because after reading what she has to say, to me she would say everything quite harshly and with an attitude. I'm also experimenting with it because I don't think she'll have an attitude with everyone she speaks to, for example she wouldn't have an attitude with her Gran. Karen also pointed out that she see's Holly using a lot of hand gestures so I began practicing talking with my hands since I don't use hand gestures myself so it's also taking it away from me.
Goals
For next week I need to go even deeper in finding out more about my character and talk to other characters that interact with Holly to find out their views on her and to find out how they met. I need to focus on my character on stage for example I need to find out how she speaks and acts around certain people. Then I need to make sure I remember and have all of act 1 sorted and then learn my lines for act 2.
Sunday, 19 October 2014
Thursday, 9 October 2014
Week 2
Greek Tragedy
Is a form of theatre from Ancient Greece and Asia Minor. It involves suffering and human tragedy based on our flaw world full of suffering from our own actions.Greek plays are tragedy, comedies and satyr plays.Greek tragedy's were only performed by men and only men watched the shows. They would do big actions and wear masks to hide their identity and enabled you to change characters. It was also a religious ritual so they wore the masks because of that too. The chorus is the hardest and most challenging. The chorus makes it dramatic when arguing and they speak together but don't think together. The plays were performed in a theatre that was in the shape of a circle with no roof.
Is a form of theatre from Ancient Greece and Asia Minor. It involves suffering and human tragedy based on our flaw world full of suffering from our own actions.Greek plays are tragedy, comedies and satyr plays.Greek tragedy's were only performed by men and only men watched the shows. They would do big actions and wear masks to hide their identity and enabled you to change characters. It was also a religious ritual so they wore the masks because of that too. The chorus is the hardest and most challenging. The chorus makes it dramatic when arguing and they speak together but don't think together. The plays were performed in a theatre that was in the shape of a circle with no roof.
My character
Since I play the character if Holly I decided to find out more about her and try to figure out what I should wear. I figured due to Holly's look on everything and her attitude that a leather jacket, black skinny jeans, any top and black ankle boots should create her character perfectly. I also saw that Lara Rossi who played Holly at the National Theatre wore the black leather jacket and black skinny jeans as well. I have also been looking into Holly's relationships with each character she interacts with to help me understand her a bit more.
Workshops
For workshops this week Karen put us in to four corners with the people we interact with most during the play and had us work to four different points in the room and to remember them. We then started going to these points in different ways and pastes and sometimes on our own. Once we had done this we had already thought we could use this during the crowd scenes in the play. We also did chair duets where we were in pairs and we had to do three different moves but interacting with the other person every time until we got to about 18 moves altogether. Then we did one based on Greek Tragedy with all the big movements and facial expression for every emotion for example for scared I hid under my chair. We decided to use this workshop in Ruth's speech scene in order for the audience to see everyone's big reaction to what Ruth has to say. The workshops have really helped me to realize how the simple things like the four corners can really make a scene so much better and have more affect. In my opinion I think all the workshops are amazing because they each have their own great affect on the different scenes that we choose to use them in.
Blocking
We blocked bit of act one this week and Karen added me into other scenes as an extra like the riot scene and Stephens speech where I walk past whilst talking on the phone. I also learnt to play the drums this week for Ruth's speech and during this scene everyone did their chorus movements like happy and sad. We also did mine and Milo's scene with everyone joining in as the crowd and did the four corners and the chair duets. This has a good affect on the scene because by using different things without it looking messy you get the park scene effect. I really like this scene because I think Holly's feelings towards Mark and what they've been doing really comes out. You also see why Holly is scared of Mark because is angry side comes out. I also sat and watched as Karen blocked other scenes so I could have a rough idea on how to block my scenes so it would be easier for Karen.
'13'
This week I actually found out a lot about '13' and what could of influenced Mike Bartlett to write this play. I think it's based around war and politics around that time which was 2010 because England was unsure whether to go to war with Iran as there was a theory Iran had nuclear weaponry and it was obviously down to politics if they did or not. We also believe it is related to the Bible as a prostitute named Holly just like my character is in the Bible. We were also able to relate John to the Bible as Jesus.
Goals
My goal for next week is to learn all my lines, start coming up with my own ideas for the scenes that I am in or help contribute to others. Volunteer myself during workshops and start answering questions even if I'm not sure if it's right. Work more on my character and the way she acts and speaks and start to use more gestures when speaking. I also need to slow down when saying my lines and show more expression.
Tuesday, 7 October 2014
Week 1
'13'
When Karen told us that we were going to be doing the play '13' written by Mike Bartlett and let us have a read of act one I was already excited. I liked the fact that is had many characters and not just a main one and how the characters cross paths because they all have the same dream. The play is set in London during 2010. It has the themes of death, issues and morals and it is believe that Mike Bartlett was influences by public opinions, the news and the Bible. It also seems to be about politics around 2010-2011. I think it's going to be interesting to perform as Mike Bartlett said it should be performed in a circle so we're going to have to come up with some ideas on how to do that.
My thoughts/ finding my character
Once I had read act one and had read as Shannon and Alice, I wanted to read more. I read through the whole play to see which character I wanted to try and which character I was more like. The first character I liked was Ruth because I knew it would be a challenge for me to learn the lines and she is nothing like me so it would of been good to go deep into her character. My seconds character I like was Rachel because she showed a lot of emotion to the audience that at the moment I can't do so it would be another great challenge for me. My last character was Holly, I liked Holly because of her whole background and the fact that she is opinionated and rude but it's because she's been through a tough life "Why would God let me be born into a fucked up family with no money and a shit life". I also felt as I was more like her in the way of her being a student with no money and going through a rough time.
Casting
When it came to casting I decided to go up for the roll of Holly since I thought she was the better option for me and I could relate to her more. I did various scenes with Brandon and Milo who were going up for the character as Mark. Once Karen told me she has gave me the roll of Holly I was thrilled and wanted to start finding more about her to help me develop her character more.
Behind the scenes/ my character
After been given the roll of Holly I decided to read through the scenes Holly is in to try and find out more about her attitude to certain things and the way she acts. I also searched up the women who played Holly in the performance at the National Theatre which was Lara Rossi. We also had to change the characteristics of my character. When we blocked the first scene with Holly in Karen explained that I needed to act the way Holly would and not act as I would. I began thinking of how Holly acts to certain characters in the play for example Mark. Holly has been sleeping with Mark for a long period of time, she now wants it to stop but is scared to tell him because of what he might do "What we do. I don't like it". She acts very differently to Mark then she does with the rest of the characters. She comes across very rude, opinionated and horrible but then when she is with Mark she doesn't stand up to him because she is scared of him "and then - she - Holly said I was scary". She also acts nice and sweet when it comes to her grandma Esther even though she easily takes money off of her "Thirty?".
Strengths/weaknesses
At the moment my weaknesses are sharing ideas with the group and involving myself when we are discussing ideas. I need to focus more on developing my character and showering the audience Holly and not me. I need to think back on previous workshops to see if they can be used in any of the scenes to help them become more interesting. I have been helping out people develop their characters personalities and what I think they should wear. My personal aim is to find out more about my character and see how I can develop her further.
When Karen told us that we were going to be doing the play '13' written by Mike Bartlett and let us have a read of act one I was already excited. I liked the fact that is had many characters and not just a main one and how the characters cross paths because they all have the same dream. The play is set in London during 2010. It has the themes of death, issues and morals and it is believe that Mike Bartlett was influences by public opinions, the news and the Bible. It also seems to be about politics around 2010-2011. I think it's going to be interesting to perform as Mike Bartlett said it should be performed in a circle so we're going to have to come up with some ideas on how to do that.
My thoughts/ finding my character
Once I had read act one and had read as Shannon and Alice, I wanted to read more. I read through the whole play to see which character I wanted to try and which character I was more like. The first character I liked was Ruth because I knew it would be a challenge for me to learn the lines and she is nothing like me so it would of been good to go deep into her character. My seconds character I like was Rachel because she showed a lot of emotion to the audience that at the moment I can't do so it would be another great challenge for me. My last character was Holly, I liked Holly because of her whole background and the fact that she is opinionated and rude but it's because she's been through a tough life "Why would God let me be born into a fucked up family with no money and a shit life". I also felt as I was more like her in the way of her being a student with no money and going through a rough time.
Casting
When it came to casting I decided to go up for the roll of Holly since I thought she was the better option for me and I could relate to her more. I did various scenes with Brandon and Milo who were going up for the character as Mark. Once Karen told me she has gave me the roll of Holly I was thrilled and wanted to start finding more about her to help me develop her character more.
Behind the scenes/ my character
After been given the roll of Holly I decided to read through the scenes Holly is in to try and find out more about her attitude to certain things and the way she acts. I also searched up the women who played Holly in the performance at the National Theatre which was Lara Rossi. We also had to change the characteristics of my character. When we blocked the first scene with Holly in Karen explained that I needed to act the way Holly would and not act as I would. I began thinking of how Holly acts to certain characters in the play for example Mark. Holly has been sleeping with Mark for a long period of time, she now wants it to stop but is scared to tell him because of what he might do "What we do. I don't like it". She acts very differently to Mark then she does with the rest of the characters. She comes across very rude, opinionated and horrible but then when she is with Mark she doesn't stand up to him because she is scared of him "and then - she - Holly said I was scary". She also acts nice and sweet when it comes to her grandma Esther even though she easily takes money off of her "Thirty?".
Strengths/weaknesses
At the moment my weaknesses are sharing ideas with the group and involving myself when we are discussing ideas. I need to focus more on developing my character and showering the audience Holly and not me. I need to think back on previous workshops to see if they can be used in any of the scenes to help them become more interesting. I have been helping out people develop their characters personalities and what I think they should wear. My personal aim is to find out more about my character and see how I can develop her further.
Friday, 3 October 2014
Portfolio Vocal Organs
The Lungs
Speech requires some sort of air source. We produce a majority of speech sounds by forcing air upwards from the lungs, an action that is used in normal breathing. Of course just forcing air out of the lungs does not result in speech sounds. After all, when we want to blow out candles on a birthday cake, we force air out of the lungs, but this is not speech. To produce a speech, sound the outward moving airstream must be modified by manipulation of the larynx and articulators in the oral and nasal cavities. The ways in which the airstream is modified is the focus on this module.The central organs involved in the production of speech sounds include: the lungs, larynx, and vocal tract (the oral cavity, nasal cavity, and pharynx). While each of these is used for normal physiological processes involved in breathing and eating, they also function in the production of speech.
The larynx ("voice box") containing the vocal folds and the glottis
The Vocal Folds
There are two thin sheets of tissue that stretch in a V-shaped fashion from the front to the back of the larynx. These are called the vocal folds. (You'll often hear vocal "cords," which is doesn't accurately convey the way the muscle works.) The space between the vocal folds is known as the glottis. The vocal folds can be positioned in different ways to create speech sounds. Air passes through the vocal folds. If the vocal folds are open and air passes unobstructed, the vocal folds do not vibrate. Sounds produced this way are called voiceless. But if the vocal folds are held together and tense and air doesn't pass unobstructed, the sounds produced this way are call voiced. Voicing is an important concept because it helps us to describe how consonant sounds are made. Understanding voicing can help you to sound like a native speaker as you learn languages. If you plan to be a language teacher, coach, or therapist, voicing will become one of the tools you'll use to help your students, patients, and clients with their speech.
The vocal tract with the nasal and oral cavities
Speech requires some sort of air source. We produce a majority of speech sounds by forcing air upwards from the lungs, an action that is used in normal breathing. Of course just forcing air out of the lungs does not result in speech sounds. After all, when we want to blow out candles on a birthday cake, we force air out of the lungs, but this is not speech. To produce a speech, sound the outward moving airstream must be modified by manipulation of the larynx and articulators in the oral and nasal cavities. The ways in which the airstream is modified is the focus on this module.The central organs involved in the production of speech sounds include: the lungs, larynx, and vocal tract (the oral cavity, nasal cavity, and pharynx). While each of these is used for normal physiological processes involved in breathing and eating, they also function in the production of speech.
The larynx ("voice box") containing the vocal folds and the glottis
The larynx, more commonly known as the voice box or the Adam's apple, is crucial in the production and differentiation of speech sounds. The larynx is located at exactly the point where the throat divides between the trachea (the windpipe), which leads to the lungs, and the esophagus (the tube that carries food or drink to the stomach).Over the larynx is a flap called the epiglottis that closes off the trachea when we swallow. This prevents the passage of food into the lungs. When the epiglottis is folded back out of the way, the parts of the larynx that are involved in speech production can be seen.
There are two thin sheets of tissue that stretch in a V-shaped fashion from the front to the back of the larynx. These are called the vocal folds. (You'll often hear vocal "cords," which is doesn't accurately convey the way the muscle works.) The space between the vocal folds is known as the glottis. The vocal folds can be positioned in different ways to create speech sounds. Air passes through the vocal folds. If the vocal folds are open and air passes unobstructed, the vocal folds do not vibrate. Sounds produced this way are called voiceless. But if the vocal folds are held together and tense and air doesn't pass unobstructed, the sounds produced this way are call voiced. Voicing is an important concept because it helps us to describe how consonant sounds are made. Understanding voicing can help you to sound like a native speaker as you learn languages. If you plan to be a language teacher, coach, or therapist, voicing will become one of the tools you'll use to help your students, patients, and clients with their speech.
The vocal tract with the nasal and oral cavities
When the air passes up through the vocal folds, it is expelled through the mouth (oral cavity). Here is a cross view of a human head, looking to the left. The tongue, lips, teeth, and various regions of the mouth constitute points of articulation in the oral cavity. We'll explore more about sound production in the oral and nasal cavities in an upcoming lesson. In oral sounds most air is expelled via the oral cavity (mouth). Typically the velum is raised at the back of the mouth to block the passage of air into the nasal cavity. In nasal sounds, on the other hand, the velum is lowered, to allow airflow through the nasal cavity. In English, nasal consonants are accompanied by the blocking of airflow through the oral cavity.
Course option 3
London South Bank University - Drama and Performance BA (Hons)
3 years full-time
UK fee: £9,000
This course will help me explore new ways of thinking about myself as a creative performer and practitioner. Over three years I will study various practical and theoretical approaches to Drama and Performance. I will be encouraged to develop awareness of academic thinking and critical theory behind performance practices, becoming a confident critic and commentator. You'll explore a variety of approaches to practice including improvisation, live art, political threatre, physical theatre and site-specific performance.
Before applying to LSBU you need to have:
3 years full-time
UK fee: £9,000
This course will help me explore new ways of thinking about myself as a creative performer and practitioner. Over three years I will study various practical and theoretical approaches to Drama and Performance. I will be encouraged to develop awareness of academic thinking and critical theory behind performance practices, becoming a confident critic and commentator. You'll explore a variety of approaches to practice including improvisation, live art, political threatre, physical theatre and site-specific performance.
Before applying to LSBU you need to have:
- All your exam results
- Already applied with UCAS
- Know the course your interested in studying - complete a course search
As well as applying through UCAS, international students (non-EU) may complete the LSBU Direct Application Form (DOC File 316 KB) and email it, along with scanned copies of supporting documents, to:international.admissions@lsbu.ac.uk. We need to be emailed scanned copies of the following documents with your application:
- academic certificates and transcript
- English Language qualifications (if applicable)
- passport (photo and ID page)
- copies of all UK visas (if applicable)
I want to do this course because it will help encourage me to get out of my comfort zone and do things that I never thought I'd be able to do. It will also give me a variety of approaches to practice.
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