Week 1!
So it all begins this week! We have all met up as a group and heavily discussed our ideas, after a year group meeting with our lecturers, it was established that we would need to collaborate as a group and create a proposal form of what we want to achieve/create in this project.
To begin, as a group we came across our first issue this week, which was the number of members in the group. In this project we aim to multi role throughout, with the constant character of the barista/owner of the coffee shop "Sally". Because Beth is the Director, she would not be able to heavily involved as a actor in this piece, which she would be required to do if there was only 3 of us. So we made a decision as a group to recruit a new member of the group, who happened to be looking for a group to work with in the first place, Beth Dickinson. I believe it will be a lot easier having 4 members of the group, as myself and Beth D can multi role as the different couples/individuals that come into the coffee shop, Cat can remain as Sally throughout, and Beth L can direct with a small role maybe towards the end of this piece. I am excited to work with Beth D, as I have never worked with her before so it will be a positive experience, as well a valuable learning curve for me to work with somebody new.
As a group we discussed at great length what we wanted to achieve in regards to the process and the final product. In my eyes I see the piece to be like a play within a play, so the audience know that they are watching a piece of theatre, and because our piece reflects on relatable elements of witnessing characters and relationships in a cafe, they can find themselves almost feeling somewhat close to the characters. Additionally I think that it may work well if we make it obvious that Beth L is the director, as we could have her at the side of the stage, almost correcting us at certain moments, which I believe will make the audience feel more included. I would want the audience to know that we are actors, so in between scenes I think it would work well if we have Beth D and I changing the set and perhaps having moments of confusion and idiocy, to create laughs and make the audience wonder where we will go next. Additionally we are hoping to explore this idea of highs and lows throughout the piece, so that the audience find themselves on this roller coaster journey experiencing all of these characters. As well as drawing from William Shakespeare idea of creating "Something for everyone" within a play, so having a moment of tragedy but then a couple of scenes before or after there would be an aspect of comedy.
In regards to the practitioners in which we wish to explore, I believe that they will compliment each other well. As Berkoff and Brecht are similar in regards to creating a empathetic reaction from the audience in regards to the characters reflected onstage, with the use of physical movements and the Verfremdungseffekt (alienation effect) to provoke us as Actors to destroy all realms of naturalism by addressing the audience, as well as other conventions such as women playing men. Berkoff uses the alienation effect throughout his plays, for example in East, where the fourth wall is broken down, similarly to how Brecht practiced, and intended for audiences to draw on issues that are arisen in his plays.
I have found whilst doing some research, that in the modern day directors are reflecting this idea that Brecht and Berkoff work well together. As for example in this play (youtube clip down below) the play starts with an introduction that is highly phyicalised to introduce the characters that are soldiers. The director achieves this idea of soldiers through the way in which the soldiers move across the stage, with their body language reflecting a well framed posture and strict and restricted movements, such as marching across the stage.
Additionally Berkoff is stimulated by Brecht's work in that, he reflects the style in which he dressed the stage. The stage is always bare and minimalistic as a way of "preventing the audience from experiencing a detailed illusion of reality, of some fictional dramatic location." There is always this aspect of the knowledge that you are indeed watching a play, so for Brecht when staging a play, the back wall would often to exposed as was the way lighting was generated so the audience could see the atmosphere directly being created.
In our piece I feel as though Berkoff's techniques in regards to physical theatre can help us to create certain characters in the end product of our piece. Physical theatre will help in the story telling in our piece as it is important to be able to differientiate between the different characters and their relationships. I believe that physical theatre is a great way to almost narrate the piece as we can use our bodies to reflect character and status through gesture, mime and repetitive movements.
Beth L has asked me to be stage manager for this piece, which I am more than happy to do. I have never been a stage manager before, so it will be a new and positive experience for me, that I know I will learn a lot from. It will mean that I will be in charge of booking rooms, liaising with lighting and sound and keeping on top of what props we may want to include in the piece. Realistically I need ensure that I support the rest of the group with their technical roles to make sure that the piece remains organised.
Bibliography
1. HSC Online - Topic 5: Brecht. 2014. HSC Online - Topic 5: Brecht. [ONLINE] Available at:http://hsc.csu.edu.au/drama/hsc/studies/topics/2758/Brecht.htm. [Accessed 29 October 2014].
BA3 Theatre / Comedy Projects 2013-14
Proposal Form
Submission Deadline – Thursday 26th September, 4.pm. Submissions to be sent electronically to t.l.crossley@salford.ac.uk
Company Name: The Life sized Puppets
Student Names (& pathway):
* Bethany Leitch- Drama and Theatre
* Lorna Jones- Drama and Theatre
* Beth Dickinson –Drama and Theatre
* Catherine Hallas – Contemporary Theatre
Working Title: Café a la Sal
Project Description: An immersive piece of theatre which shows the audience that people can come from anywhere and have anything happening in their lives. This piece will have similar energy to kneehigh’s production of “The umbrellas of Cherbourg”. The practitioners we are following for inspiration are Berkhoff, Brecht, Godber, Meisner. Berkoff and Godber for their work on physicality for example Metamorphosis and Bouncers. Brecht for his multi-role play and Meisner for his work in the moment.
(Ideas/Themes): Relationships bad/good, the butterfly effect, Love, lust, anger, domestic issues, the morning after, alcohol, loneliness
Project Aims:
* Don’t judge a book by its cover
* Audience feeling empathy towards characters
* The uncertainty of meeting a stranger and the impact you will have on their life.
* To create a piece with highs and lows- delving into the sincere emotions of each character and situation
Suggested Performance Location:
* Black box
Technical/Production requirements:
* Projector?
* Camera, mic
* Lighting
* Sound
* Chairs and tables
* A bar?
* Coffee cups
* Coffee bean bag
Initial Bibliography:
* Kneehigh. (2014). Umbrellas Of Cherbourg. Available: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNRnZptvqjE. Last accessed 26/09/2014.
* Berkoff. (2004). Metamorphoses (2004) Full Play . Available: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fX-uPAFpaJc. Last accessed 26th Sept 2014.
* Godber. (2012). John Godber's Bouncers - National Tour 2012.Available: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMqZFXfaknA. Last accessed 26th Sept 2014.
* Brecht- Bertolt Brecht The Laramie Project. (2014). Bertolt Brecht The Laramie Project. . Available: http://sites.duke.edu/dukeinlaramie/tag/bertolt-brecht/. . Last accessed 26th Sept 2014.
* Meisner. (2014). What Is The Meisner Technique?. Available: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dgje3PtoQXg. . Last accessed 26th Sept 2014.
No comments:
Post a Comment