Workshop exercises and extracts
The one that was the most suited to the section was doing the extract with leading and following. The fighting over the chair I thought was really effective to show the power struggle between the two. An idea could also be about using the chair as a representation of the affection of Demetrious.
In general the exercises helped us to become more confident with using the language. Have exercise to physical iz it stops people from stressing over the words in Shakespeare. To make us move in the extract rather than over thinking it too much and not moving.
About Me
- Leah Peirson
- Honest, that's me. I'm never gonna change who I am just because of what people think. Carma solves everything in the end, watch out.
Tuesday 13 March 2012
Thursday 17 March 2011
Development of Beached by Kevin Hood
Vocal Skills
In the character description of Maria, her dad is Italian but she has grown up in Catford which is near London and speaks with a London accent. I experimented with doing a London accent but it didn't sound realistic and I wasn't sure about how to show emotion in the voice while maintaining the accent. Most importantly the goal of this monolgue for me was to be very subtle and realilstic so that the audience can relate and feel sympathy for the character, so I decided to speak in my natural accent. In the monologue when she talks about the more personal things like when she was raped the tone is very quite, slow and with no force to hint at her vulnerability. The moments of vulnerability are very subtle because the character is has a front of being tough. Underneath she has been abused and lost her mother so showing her self being soft shocks her and she tries to block it. Also in these bit's there are long pauses to show Maria thinking and reliving the event in her head making her forget about her audience and why her wall is lowered. After these pauses and moments of vulnerability she looks to the audience and tries to laugh it off so she projects her voice with a slightly faster pace to contrast with the quite vunerable moments and kind of trying to shake off the memory. Near the end she say's "that smell, them fellas" refering to the men who raped her the pitch in her voice goes very low and she very slowly spits it through gritted teeth to show her anger at what these men did to her and to draw emphasis to these words that have a great meaning to her. On feedback it was suggested for me to make even greater contrasts between the chatty moments to when she thinks back to painful memories and talks about them. On further practice having a very big contrasts between them wasn't very believable and realistic. Another comment was that the audience did feel sympathetic so I wanted the performance to seem like it was a very real person talking about an experience that happened to them, talking to someone in confidence.
Physical Skills
The overall amount of movement in this would be very slight and subtle to draw attention to the story and the character. When I experimented with pacing it was feedback to me from piers that it was harder for them to focus on my facial expression and thus connect with the character. I decided not to use at lot of gestures as the character is quite caged in and doesn't show her emotions openly. When there are the more intimate and hard things in the monologue my first idea was that I could scrunch up my face a little to show that there is a hard emotion which she tries to hide. However the option I ended up using was to be quite animated during the rest of the monologue then when she starts to think back on hard memories she stares slightly down to the corner and her expression slowly drops to make the exposure of her vulnerability seem more accidental. At first to show her character I had my hands in my pocket to emphasis how she is emotionally closed off. Her hands are hidden in her pockets like she is trying to hide her feelings. The body language of her hands in her pockets also would give the impression that she is shy which really she is though on the outside she tries to appear tough.
In the character description of Maria, her dad is Italian but she has grown up in Catford which is near London and speaks with a London accent. I experimented with doing a London accent but it didn't sound realistic and I wasn't sure about how to show emotion in the voice while maintaining the accent. Most importantly the goal of this monolgue for me was to be very subtle and realilstic so that the audience can relate and feel sympathy for the character, so I decided to speak in my natural accent. In the monologue when she talks about the more personal things like when she was raped the tone is very quite, slow and with no force to hint at her vulnerability. The moments of vulnerability are very subtle because the character is has a front of being tough. Underneath she has been abused and lost her mother so showing her self being soft shocks her and she tries to block it. Also in these bit's there are long pauses to show Maria thinking and reliving the event in her head making her forget about her audience and why her wall is lowered. After these pauses and moments of vulnerability she looks to the audience and tries to laugh it off so she projects her voice with a slightly faster pace to contrast with the quite vunerable moments and kind of trying to shake off the memory. Near the end she say's "that smell, them fellas" refering to the men who raped her the pitch in her voice goes very low and she very slowly spits it through gritted teeth to show her anger at what these men did to her and to draw emphasis to these words that have a great meaning to her. On feedback it was suggested for me to make even greater contrasts between the chatty moments to when she thinks back to painful memories and talks about them. On further practice having a very big contrasts between them wasn't very believable and realistic. Another comment was that the audience did feel sympathetic so I wanted the performance to seem like it was a very real person talking about an experience that happened to them, talking to someone in confidence.
Physical Skills
The overall amount of movement in this would be very slight and subtle to draw attention to the story and the character. When I experimented with pacing it was feedback to me from piers that it was harder for them to focus on my facial expression and thus connect with the character. I decided not to use at lot of gestures as the character is quite caged in and doesn't show her emotions openly. When there are the more intimate and hard things in the monologue my first idea was that I could scrunch up my face a little to show that there is a hard emotion which she tries to hide. However the option I ended up using was to be quite animated during the rest of the monologue then when she starts to think back on hard memories she stares slightly down to the corner and her expression slowly drops to make the exposure of her vulnerability seem more accidental. At first to show her character I had my hands in my pocket to emphasis how she is emotionally closed off. Her hands are hidden in her pockets like she is trying to hide her feelings. The body language of her hands in her pockets also would give the impression that she is shy which really she is though on the outside she tries to appear tough.
Wednesday 16 March 2011
Development of Waking up by Dario Fo and Franca Rame
Vocal Skills
The main factor of this monolgue is the switching from being in the scene with the husband and adressing the audience directly. To this affect when I am in the scene I project my voice mainly towards the chair which is where the husband would be sitting. When I'm talking to the audience I project my voice out to the audience to show that I am talking to them as in a monologue. I have pauses inbetween the changes so that it is clear that I have finished my line in the scene before changing. I did this because it was feedback to me by my piers that the character switching from addressing the audience to re-enacting the scene was confusing for the audience to watch. The tone I use when in the argument scene is very shap and agresive with a quick pace to contrast with a very calm and slightly sarcastic tone when adressing the audience. She is calm and witty to the audience so that those lines are more conversational to relate and form a friendly relationship with the audience. However during a moment in the scene when talking intimatly about how they as a couple should communicate and to be happy, she lowers the tone and speeks slowly as this is their slightly touching moment in the argument which creates a more 3D effect to the character. When she talks to the audience at the end about the argument getting caotic the pace of the words quickens and gets louder to build to the breaking point when she leaves Luigi. During the argument she repeats "me" when making a point of how much work she does and how little Luigi does. All of the "me"'s are empasised and I change "me,me,me" to "me,me,bloody me" to give it even greater emphasis and it is also inkeeping with the working class persition of the character. For a line in the monolgue my character impersonates her husband and as she see's him as a slob I dicided that he would have a bit of a slang accent and I also lowered the pitch of my voice to stereo typically show that I was playing a guy for comic effect.
Physical Skills
The movement during the argument is orientated around a chair which represents where the husband is seated. When I performed this to Sian the feedback I received was that I was looking at the actual chair and my eye line didn't match an imagined person sitting in the chair. I then asked a fellow drama student, Taran (I thought it was important that the measurement was based on a male) to sit in the chair and I noted that his eyes can about a foot above the chair. It took a lot of practice to stop myself looking at the chair and to make sure that I imagined a person sitting on the chair instead. This was only improved through practice and to break the habit. When my character addresses the audience directly I decided that to create a firm contrast my head and shoulders should be turned to face the audience. On feedback I found out that when I spoke to the audience after doing an impression of Luigi my manor isms were still manly. Manly in more detail is that my shoulders were slumped and my legs were apart with a very strong stance. After this I then worked on coming out of the impression and be lighter on my feet and upright straight away and for the rest of the monologue. To show that the character was very strong and confident she would hold herself very upright and to be very expressive and open with her gestures. Her movements are over exaggerative for humor when she is taking the mikky out of footballers when she runs across the stage pretending to kick a ball and blow a whistle. The facial expressions are still quite subtle so that the character is realistic to the audience as the it is the characters actions that are funny and not her character.
The main factor of this monolgue is the switching from being in the scene with the husband and adressing the audience directly. To this affect when I am in the scene I project my voice mainly towards the chair which is where the husband would be sitting. When I'm talking to the audience I project my voice out to the audience to show that I am talking to them as in a monologue. I have pauses inbetween the changes so that it is clear that I have finished my line in the scene before changing. I did this because it was feedback to me by my piers that the character switching from addressing the audience to re-enacting the scene was confusing for the audience to watch. The tone I use when in the argument scene is very shap and agresive with a quick pace to contrast with a very calm and slightly sarcastic tone when adressing the audience. She is calm and witty to the audience so that those lines are more conversational to relate and form a friendly relationship with the audience. However during a moment in the scene when talking intimatly about how they as a couple should communicate and to be happy, she lowers the tone and speeks slowly as this is their slightly touching moment in the argument which creates a more 3D effect to the character. When she talks to the audience at the end about the argument getting caotic the pace of the words quickens and gets louder to build to the breaking point when she leaves Luigi. During the argument she repeats "me" when making a point of how much work she does and how little Luigi does. All of the "me"'s are empasised and I change "me,me,me" to "me,me,bloody me" to give it even greater emphasis and it is also inkeeping with the working class persition of the character. For a line in the monolgue my character impersonates her husband and as she see's him as a slob I dicided that he would have a bit of a slang accent and I also lowered the pitch of my voice to stereo typically show that I was playing a guy for comic effect.
Physical Skills
The movement during the argument is orientated around a chair which represents where the husband is seated. When I performed this to Sian the feedback I received was that I was looking at the actual chair and my eye line didn't match an imagined person sitting in the chair. I then asked a fellow drama student, Taran (I thought it was important that the measurement was based on a male) to sit in the chair and I noted that his eyes can about a foot above the chair. It took a lot of practice to stop myself looking at the chair and to make sure that I imagined a person sitting on the chair instead. This was only improved through practice and to break the habit. When my character addresses the audience directly I decided that to create a firm contrast my head and shoulders should be turned to face the audience. On feedback I found out that when I spoke to the audience after doing an impression of Luigi my manor isms were still manly. Manly in more detail is that my shoulders were slumped and my legs were apart with a very strong stance. After this I then worked on coming out of the impression and be lighter on my feet and upright straight away and for the rest of the monologue. To show that the character was very strong and confident she would hold herself very upright and to be very expressive and open with her gestures. Her movements are over exaggerative for humor when she is taking the mikky out of footballers when she runs across the stage pretending to kick a ball and blow a whistle. The facial expressions are still quite subtle so that the character is realistic to the audience as the it is the characters actions that are funny and not her character.
Monday 14 March 2011
Waking up by Dario Fo and Franca Rame
Brief plot synopsis
It is part of a one woman show and at this point she is reliving a fight she had with her husband. She is raving at him about how lazy he is, how he never makes an effort and how he doesn't even talk to her anymore.
Where did you get them from? E.g. from the internet
This monologue was recomened to be from a friend who is in th same drama society as me out side school. She sent me a selection and someof which she used herself for her LAMDA exams.
Why did you considered the piece?
The words not necessarily have a great deal of meaning and there are mainly mad ramblings. I could also work alot of movement into the piece with pacing an exagerated movements.
How does it show your strengths as a performer?
In the monolgue when she gets really mad I can create a really fierce expression. I also add in loads of moments within the monolgue where she could just be soo mad she pauses to show her trying to calm herself.
Were there any draw backs from choosing this piece?
The piece is like a crazy rant so there are alot of lines to learn and focusing on the might distract me from actually performing.
Could you find a solution to the issue
The main solution is just to learn quickly and practise alot to that the words are in my memory and re-enforce
it with actions for specific lines.
Why did you eventually choose or not choose this audition piece?
I chose this to perform this monolgue because of the movement I can put into it it is more about acting that the lines.
What would be the contrast between this piece and others you have chosen?
The female character in this is very strong and opinionated whereas in other monolgues the characters are vulnerable in some way. The story is about a womens relationship with their partner/ husband and the other I chose is about the relationship with her farther.
Discuss at least two contrast options and what skills these might show at an audition
Text style - versitility if you can perform Shakespeare as well as modern and contempary.
Accents - If you can pull off accents and maintain them.
It is part of a one woman show and at this point she is reliving a fight she had with her husband. She is raving at him about how lazy he is, how he never makes an effort and how he doesn't even talk to her anymore.
Where did you get them from? E.g. from the internet
This monologue was recomened to be from a friend who is in th same drama society as me out side school. She sent me a selection and someof which she used herself for her LAMDA exams.
Why did you considered the piece?
The words not necessarily have a great deal of meaning and there are mainly mad ramblings. I could also work alot of movement into the piece with pacing an exagerated movements.
How does it show your strengths as a performer?
In the monolgue when she gets really mad I can create a really fierce expression. I also add in loads of moments within the monolgue where she could just be soo mad she pauses to show her trying to calm herself.
Were there any draw backs from choosing this piece?
The piece is like a crazy rant so there are alot of lines to learn and focusing on the might distract me from actually performing.
Could you find a solution to the issue
The main solution is just to learn quickly and practise alot to that the words are in my memory and re-enforce
it with actions for specific lines.
Why did you eventually choose or not choose this audition piece?
I chose this to perform this monolgue because of the movement I can put into it it is more about acting that the lines.
What would be the contrast between this piece and others you have chosen?
The female character in this is very strong and opinionated whereas in other monolgues the characters are vulnerable in some way. The story is about a womens relationship with their partner/ husband and the other I chose is about the relationship with her farther.
Discuss at least two contrast options and what skills these might show at an audition
Text style - versitility if you can perform Shakespeare as well as modern and contempary.
Accents - If you can pull off accents and maintain them.
Beached by Kevin Hood
Brief plot synopsis
Maria who is seventeen is telling the story of when she was thirteen, got drunk and was had by a load of men. She broke out of the house one night because her dad locked her in the house to ironically protect her virginity. Maria is described as small, smart, streetwise and working-class with little sense of self worth.
Where did you get them from?
I found this monolgue in "The Methuen Drama Book of Contemporay Monologues for Women" which is a collection of stage monolgues from the past thirty years.
Why did you considered the piece?
The character in the monologue at first appears quite happy and confident but then we listen to what happened and how vunerable she is. It is also written finetically with an accent which would be interesting to try and would contrast to another chosen second piece.
How does it show your strengths as a performer?
To perform the piece effectively I need to create a 3D character with depth which I believe I can do well.
Were there any draw backs from choosing this piece? Could you find a solution to the issue
The use of the accent could be dificult and may distract me from the performance if I focus on it too much. The main solution is to practise the accent everytime I read or pactise it so that it becomes automatic without me needed to think about it.
Why did you eventually choose or not choose this audition piece?
I chose to do this monolgue becuase of the unusual relationship that she has to her father and other men. It is open to interpretation if she was hurt emotionally when she was "had" or if she is only worried about what her father would do to her if he knew.
What would be the contrast between this piece and others you have chosen?
This piece uses an accent which would separate it from the second piece. This is also contempary so to contrast the second could maybe be a classical monologue. The subject is also one of vulnerability and abuse so anothe could be happy, optomistic or light hearted.
Maria who is seventeen is telling the story of when she was thirteen, got drunk and was had by a load of men. She broke out of the house one night because her dad locked her in the house to ironically protect her virginity. Maria is described as small, smart, streetwise and working-class with little sense of self worth.
Where did you get them from?
I found this monolgue in "The Methuen Drama Book of Contemporay Monologues for Women" which is a collection of stage monolgues from the past thirty years.
Why did you considered the piece?
The character in the monologue at first appears quite happy and confident but then we listen to what happened and how vunerable she is. It is also written finetically with an accent which would be interesting to try and would contrast to another chosen second piece.
How does it show your strengths as a performer?
To perform the piece effectively I need to create a 3D character with depth which I believe I can do well.
Were there any draw backs from choosing this piece? Could you find a solution to the issue
The use of the accent could be dificult and may distract me from the performance if I focus on it too much. The main solution is to practise the accent everytime I read or pactise it so that it becomes automatic without me needed to think about it.
Why did you eventually choose or not choose this audition piece?
I chose to do this monolgue becuase of the unusual relationship that she has to her father and other men. It is open to interpretation if she was hurt emotionally when she was "had" or if she is only worried about what her father would do to her if he knew.
What would be the contrast between this piece and others you have chosen?
This piece uses an accent which would separate it from the second piece. This is also contempary so to contrast the second could maybe be a classical monologue. The subject is also one of vulnerability and abuse so anothe could be happy, optomistic or light hearted.
Sunday 13 March 2011
Can't stand up from falling down
Brief plot synopsis
The monolgue I have chosen is one that Lynete performs in the play. She has resorted to locking herself in a room to protect herself from Roy's angry fits. Roy smashed everything in the kitchen and she tries to tidy it up but she cuts her hand. Roy and Lynette have a confrontation which ends in him hitting her. She then stop's talking about the meory and lets out about how she honestly just wishes him dead.
Where did you get them from? E.g. from the internet
Iwas first introduced to the play when our GCSE watched it performed by an older group of students. I re-read the script as an option to use in my as my GCSE performance. I read it again recently in a collection of female monologues folder and then chose this particular monologue.
Why did you consider the piece?
I was familiar with the play and the backstory to Lynette's character and how trapped she is. There is also a moment when she turns into Roy and acts his part of her story which creates a dynamic within the performance.
How does it show your strengths as a performer?
I think that I have a strength of being able to quickly snap between different characters and creating that imediate contrast. I also think that I would be able to adapt my voice to appear shaky and scared as she is in most of the piece.
Were there any draw backs from choosing this piece?
Suddenly changing into the character of Roy may be challenging to make sure there is still a serious tone and it doesn't turn into humour and wreck the dramatic effect.
Could you find a solution to the issue
The main solution is to make sure that I perform Roy's character with conviction and so feirce to that they don't dare to find it funny.
Why did you eventually choose or not choose this audition piece?
I chose not to do this monolgue because of how well known it is and I didn't want to run the risk of performing a monolgue that the viewer would be bored of watching.
What would be the contrast between this piece and others you have chosen?
Lynette is abused, fragile and vulnerable to a contrast would be a strong, independant character. The subject matter is also about an abusive husband so a contrast would he a happy relationship or a relationship with someone else.
The monolgue I have chosen is one that Lynete performs in the play. She has resorted to locking herself in a room to protect herself from Roy's angry fits. Roy smashed everything in the kitchen and she tries to tidy it up but she cuts her hand. Roy and Lynette have a confrontation which ends in him hitting her. She then stop's talking about the meory and lets out about how she honestly just wishes him dead.
Where did you get them from? E.g. from the internet
Iwas first introduced to the play when our GCSE watched it performed by an older group of students. I re-read the script as an option to use in my as my GCSE performance. I read it again recently in a collection of female monologues folder and then chose this particular monologue.
Why did you consider the piece?
I was familiar with the play and the backstory to Lynette's character and how trapped she is. There is also a moment when she turns into Roy and acts his part of her story which creates a dynamic within the performance.
How does it show your strengths as a performer?
I think that I have a strength of being able to quickly snap between different characters and creating that imediate contrast. I also think that I would be able to adapt my voice to appear shaky and scared as she is in most of the piece.
Were there any draw backs from choosing this piece?
Suddenly changing into the character of Roy may be challenging to make sure there is still a serious tone and it doesn't turn into humour and wreck the dramatic effect.
Could you find a solution to the issue
The main solution is to make sure that I perform Roy's character with conviction and so feirce to that they don't dare to find it funny.
Why did you eventually choose or not choose this audition piece?
I chose not to do this monolgue because of how well known it is and I didn't want to run the risk of performing a monolgue that the viewer would be bored of watching.
What would be the contrast between this piece and others you have chosen?
Lynette is abused, fragile and vulnerable to a contrast would be a strong, independant character. The subject matter is also about an abusive husband so a contrast would he a happy relationship or a relationship with someone else.
Camille by Pam Gems
Brief plot synopsis
Marguerite is a high class courtesan and the monologue is about when she was thirteen and the events which lead to her career chose. It isn't a classic story of a vulnerable girl she gets abused but she becomes fierce and takes control of her life. Her story and determined attitude in the monologe is very impowering and in the end she achieves her goal. She states the abuse as fact an doesn't dwell on it or show any real emotion to it.
Where did you get them from? E.g. from the internet
I got this monologue from " The Methuen Drama book of Modern Monologues for women" which is a collection of stage monologues from 1950 to 1970.
Why did you consider the piece?
The character is so strong which contrasts to women being shown a fragile a femine. She is not only a coutesan but also a loving mother of a son who she lives for. They wat that the monologue is written is sounds like natural speech to help with a realistic performance.
How does it show your strengths as a performer?
I think this piece will use my strength of making events in the charactes life real in this case by not over playing it. Instead I need to use subtle changes in the tone, volume and rythem of my voice to show the emotions aswell as facial expressions.
Were there any draw backs from choosing this piece?
The character is so unusual in her thinking about some fairly bad things that happened to her. The challenge is getting the emotion almost numb and covering any regret or vulnerability.
Could you find a solution to the issue
When talking about being raped and being taken to bed by her master she throws the words out with no emotional responce.
Why did you eventually choose or not choose this audition piece?
I decided not to do this piece because I know that the character is numb and is very factional. The persons veiwing it may just think I am not having an emotional responce and that I'm not acting.
What would be the contrast between this piece and others you have chosen?
This character is strong, independant and determined where as many of the other female monolgues are about vulnerability.
Marguerite is a high class courtesan and the monologue is about when she was thirteen and the events which lead to her career chose. It isn't a classic story of a vulnerable girl she gets abused but she becomes fierce and takes control of her life. Her story and determined attitude in the monologe is very impowering and in the end she achieves her goal. She states the abuse as fact an doesn't dwell on it or show any real emotion to it.
Where did you get them from? E.g. from the internet
I got this monologue from " The Methuen Drama book of Modern Monologues for women" which is a collection of stage monologues from 1950 to 1970.
Why did you consider the piece?
The character is so strong which contrasts to women being shown a fragile a femine. She is not only a coutesan but also a loving mother of a son who she lives for. They wat that the monologue is written is sounds like natural speech to help with a realistic performance.
How does it show your strengths as a performer?
I think this piece will use my strength of making events in the charactes life real in this case by not over playing it. Instead I need to use subtle changes in the tone, volume and rythem of my voice to show the emotions aswell as facial expressions.
Were there any draw backs from choosing this piece?
The character is so unusual in her thinking about some fairly bad things that happened to her. The challenge is getting the emotion almost numb and covering any regret or vulnerability.
Could you find a solution to the issue
When talking about being raped and being taken to bed by her master she throws the words out with no emotional responce.
Why did you eventually choose or not choose this audition piece?
I decided not to do this piece because I know that the character is numb and is very factional. The persons veiwing it may just think I am not having an emotional responce and that I'm not acting.
What would be the contrast between this piece and others you have chosen?
This character is strong, independant and determined where as many of the other female monolgues are about vulnerability.
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