CHARACTER: Week 5

Today we completed another section of "Loves Labours Lost" and received feedback from the rest of the class during our sections. Below is some of the feedback we received:

FEEDBACK

1. Bigger physical movement and characters to draw out the intensity of the scene
2. Respond to each other more
3. Know and understand your lines as it will allow you to convey the meaning of the lines to a modern audience who aren't well versed with old English
4. Hit the verbs to convey meaning
5. Make sure there is a reason for your movement
6. A personal note-  work on the relationship between me and Daisy so we have similar intentions when in the scene as we are playing the same character

RESPONSE TO FEEDBACK

1. To get bigger physical movement I believe that I need to use the beginning tasks that Sarah runs throughout the rehearsal so I stay in character. For example a very helpful task today was to imagine my character (The Princess) as an animal. We gradually transformed ourselves into the animal adopting characteristics, till we were complexity 100% the embodiment of our character as an animal. I chose a gazelle  

• Gazelle's like the Princess are very alert and sharp but they are also beautiful; striking even 
• They are also still very elegant creatures even though they move so quickly
• their main defence is their alertness, much like the princess who's sharp and witty retorts derive from her high intellect that allows her to always be aware of the situation at hand. 

2.  The way we could possibly respond to each other more is through eye contact, I think that is something we are lacking a lot of right now as many of us are looking down at our scripts for the next line or to follow the scene and aren't living the circumstances or the moments. To improve we all as a cast need to have learnt our lines so we can keep the pace up and work on our on stage dynamic.

3. Knowing and understanding lines http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/labours/section1/page/2/
I have gone through my entire play after reading the scene by scene synopsis and connecting the descriptions of the scenes to our abridged version, I now believe I understand the gist of all my speeches in the performance, I will later have to go through the play adding circumstances and actions to my speech to act on the lack of physical character mentioned in no1.'s feedback.

4. I have gone through my play and highlighted all the active verbs, having said the lines with emphasise on the verbs I now notice that the meaning I'm trying to convey is now more easily understood.

WEEK4: THEATRES, ACTORS AND ACTING IN SHAKESPEARE’S TIME

What were the theatres or ‘playhouses’ of Shakespeare’s time like and how were plays staged in them? 

Playhouses
What were the theatres or ‘playhouses’ of Shakespeare’s time like and how were plays staged in them? 
The first playhouse opened was called the Red Lion, opened in 1567 by John Brayne in Stepney, just outside of London's borders. The next theatre built by Brayne and James Burbage was called the "Theatre". It had a simple structure much like what the globe would be like, with an open space in the centre of a walled of space, with seats in shaded tiers around the central performance space. The cheapest tickets were standing in the space surrounded by the walls,

 By 1595 Shakespeare had joined an acting troupe called the Lord Chamberlains, and was performing at the theatre. But the two founders of the space lost their lease and so began a two year building process of what would become the Globe. The Globe was also partially owned and funded by 5 other actor associations/ actors and Shakespeare was one of them.

Even though there were large unprotected parts for the audience to stand and watch the performances they would still carry on regardless of the weather. Indoor theatres did exist, but they were much smaller than your usual sized  Playhouse and were perfect for the colder months when the English weather could get the best of an Open air theatre.
The audiences would be quite loud and rowdy in comparison to modern day audiences, so actors had to make sure they grabbed the attention of the audience who would frequently be drinking and talking to one another.

The stages in Shakespearian theatre were frequently bare and did not have much more on the stage than the odd required prop and the scenery was minimalist and only there if necessary. The stage entrances and Exits were visible to the audience and there were too other more over the top ways of entering such as using the 'hell' entrance (the trap door) and the 'heavens' (from above the stage).

 Who were the actors of Shakespeare’s plays and how did the experience of being an actor differ from the experience today?

at this time women were not allowed to perform in the theatre, so boys, mainly pre pubescent boys would dress as women, wearing heels and full make up to portray female characters. Also acting in this time was mostly melodramatic. In the case of older more comedic female roles such s Juliet's nurse, they may be specifically reserved for older well versed Comedians, Actors or eve Clowns. 
The actors of Shakespeare's time were not only astounding at keeping an audience's attention but they were extremely skilled in stage combat, with many having to dual on stage live, with skill and precision. Other talents the actors would require, were like a singing voice, as on stage choral singing was often a requirement in a show as well as play songs and dance with fervour without getting fatigued.

The main actors frequently wore extravagant clothes once owned by real life noble men and women as costumes were an important part of creating the spectacle of the theatre. 

WEEK 3 - SHAKESPEARE’S LONDON AND ELIZABETHAN AUDIENCES

What was London like in Elizabethan times 

Here is a video describing the situation of England during the time of Queen Elizabeth and Shakespeare, from 2:21, the video describes the situation art was in during this period.

http://study.com/academy/lesson/queen-elizabeth-i-and-englands-golden-age.html

London during the Elizabethan Era was a hot bed of art, development, poverty and disease. The upper classes were thoroughly educated and catered for, caring about appearances art and social ranking. Where as the lower working classes were mostly concerned with the matter of not catching a disease, dying or putting food on the table. The working classes worked laboriously and did jobs that didn't require much school teaching.There was mass ignorance spread in the working classes even shown in their news publications. The city was busy and full of people trying to get somewhere be something and just live. The river was a way of transportation via boat taxis and the streets were littered with excrement and refuse due to the fact chamber pots were regularly emptied into the streets.

• London was the first home of permanent playhouses due to its affluence, frequently companies would not have one fixed performance space but would instead take their performances 'on the road' on tours

who were the people attending the theatre?

The theatre was a pass time that people of all classes enjoyed and partook in, the diary entries of one man "Dr Simon Forman" who was a teacher who studied disparagingly at Oxford and soon left his studies to take on the profession of Teacher in Salisbury, discontent there also he changed his profession to study Physic and magic but the small town he lived in did not allow him to fulfil his true calling, so he left, and like many before him, flocked to London for opportunity. He was a man of meger standing and attended the theatre. Where crowds at Shakespeare plays were described as ‘a gang of porters and carters’ (the working class every day man) but also royalty frequently visited The Globe and several of Shakespeare's other theatres to enjoy his work.

• Many noblemen and members of the royal family became patrons of theatres all over London and King James even loved Shakespeare's work so he would request to see plays or attend shows.

CHARACTER WORK: Hip-Hop & Shakespeare? Akala at TEDxAldeburgh

Reaction

After watching this video I feel like I am more connected to the work of Shakespeare as it put the iambic pentameter into a context that I am familiar with. Though I have always enjoyed reading Shakespeare's plays in the past due to the sheer poetic and rich language he uses in every play, I feel that now putting into a modern context, to music that is around now allows the youth to have a deeper understanding of the art that is Shakespeare's writing. 

In reference to how this has affected my character, I find it much easier to read the text, and find the rhythm and emphasise in my speeches that are longer. I feel like even the princess of France could be a grime artist.