UNIT 8 -Collaborative performance project
Candidate Declaration - I confirm that the attached portfolio is all my own work* and does not include any work completed by anyone other than myself
For my audition I choose John Brooke to prepare for this role I made a monologue which I was told and regarded the scene which I would be performing. I went over it till it was drilled into my head and I took turns with my friend performing it till it was easy to remember and I could go over it. Additionally, to prepare for my audition I tried to get into the head-space of John Brooke by practising a posh American accent and being formal and punctual in my body language. Upon arrival for my audition I was greeted by Kelly and Kane who both judged my performance. I first started off with my monologue which was going great. The fact I slipped up on my accent a few times definitely made me go a bit off track with how smooth the audition was going I took a 1min break to get my lines remembered and breath and started again this time much more effective. Then for my scene with Meg Kane read the script and we went through it together like a duologue I demonstrated my accent of what I thought would be appropriate for John Brooke which definitely helped get into the character head-space. If I could possibly improve on anything it would be for me too remember my lines better by being more relaxed and getting out of my head-space and more into my character and learning to put the focus on my character. Eventually when the casting lost came back I was casted as Fred which is still a great character as I get to play a more easier accent and it’s not as stressful.
Task 2.1 – Review a range of research sources to support the production of a performance project.
For character Research It was a sharp contrast as for Little Women compared to The Last Resort. For Little women I play the role of Fred Vaughn so I researched heavily into British Victorian theme specially the accent and the behaviours. I picked up on how Fred is very much formal and posh in his choice of words and how he articulates and sounds when he speaks them this meaning a posh accent would be necessary to really bring out his character. Additionally, for Fred his body language is very gentleman like as is most of the male characters due to the standards of Victorian times this meant being a much more distinguished gentleman and really combining the two to show Fred’s character well. All of this helped me get into the headspace of Fred. Now moving onto The Last Resort were there is a way sharper contrast compared to Little Women due to it being based in modern times and in a theme which is not used in Little Women. Furthermore, Wayne is a chavvy character so I looked into a more relaxed and informal way of acting and speaking which was much easier and familiar as much didn’t need changing as my accent was already not posh and my body language could just be laid back. Additionally, for Wayne I looked into more slang to use to really encapsulate that Wayne is a sharper contrast than John.
I also Researched props I could use by looking into the theme of the seaside this really helped as it gave me a idea and showed what would be needed to bring out the characteristics of The Last Resorts theme out as it needs to feel as close to a seaside resort as possible. Lastly, I looked into what characters used in the last resort which really helped as it showed each characters u uniqueness.
Task 2.2 – Your production role. Demonstrate the ability to contribute to the planning, organisation and development of a collaborative performance.
Me, Taron and Bailey all worked as a trio to gather props for The Last Resort we all researched into key themes such as seaside and beach themes and got many things like spades and buckets and beach towels then I came up with the idea to highlight all props in the script to make it easier for us. We found way more things than we thought we needed which was so useful as it really helped elevate the themes on the stage and bring out the theme of The Last Resort more. Additionally, we looked on Amazon and online for certain stuff as there was more unique things we needed like an inflatable banana for that Wayne’s scene we found some for cheap online and got them. We all made a prop box and put everything for The Last Resort in it which helped so much with managing props and keeping it all organised. Also we worked with others as it required many people such as costume and stage design people we came together at times as a lot crossed over and we could tell one another what fits with each other and what we need. For example sunglasses were a concern till we asked costume who cleared it was our job. Working in a union allowed the job to get done quicker and easier and allowed for a stress free time which gave the show a much better and sophisticated look as we worked as a team rather than being confused and separate working as a team also helped us get everything and make notes for one another when needed. Too manage all these things we made a prop list on our phones as it was just a reach away and was convenient and made things much simpler for us to use as seen below is the one we created. This was useful as it helped us know what we did and didn’t need as we could check it off without the hassle of going around keeping tabs on people. Certain things like beer problems were a problem as Bailey and I are under the legal age to buy alcohol. We left this on Taron as he is 19 meaning he can get those for us. Lastly we worked with the art department for certain props such as ice cream and a dead fish which was useful as these props would be hard to get and especially maintain on stage considering ice cream melts and the dead fish would smell and rot eventually.
The prop list:
Task 2.3 - Interpret research to develop ideas and effectively communicate creative proposals.
As a performer I used my research to better my performance and confidence upon acting my scenes. For example in little women I showed my posh British accent and formal tone of voice and language and complimented this with gentleman like posture and body language which really brought out my character and thus showed my skills getting into the headspace of Fred and how my research helped me with going into that character. Additionally, using more diction defiantly helped as it gave a sense of being well established and being a distinguished gentlemen which pushed the aura of Fred much more. Whereas in The Last Resort I Used my accent in a more relaxed less informal way and used much more calm and docile body language as compared to Little Women this gave both of the performances a sharp contrast as I had to put up with the sudden changes of characters. Additionally, with Wayne due to him disliking his family I had to show a sense of hate towards his family and peers which definitely took the gentleman factor away from me and really pushed that chavvy, Brash and informal personality out there. Giving the sense that Wayne is a chav and and a docile and when it comes to the way he presents himself he is very nonchalant. As my role in production as part of the prop team for The Last Resort we put the props upon the stage and I playing Wayne popped the inflatable balloon on stage which was important that we just stool to a cheap one that we wouldn’t mind popping. In addition to this we placed the props in a very seaside like fashion which brought out the character of the stage more and showed the audience they were watching a performance based at the coast. This solidified the theme and really brought that energy to the stage and pushed the theme more.
Task 3.2 – Carry out your production role fully ensuring you communicate at all times with other team members and ensure everything works smoothly together. Ensure you evidence your role fully throughout your blog.
TASK 4.1 - Write a detailed evaluation on your personal journey throughout this project demonstrate your ability to communicate and collaborate with their peers and professional staff to bring a professional level project to life.
For little women I played Fred So a lot of the times I had scenes act 2 scene 5 and 10 with Miss March which were my biggest scenes scene eight was entirely ours meaning communication between me and the person who played Miss March (phoebe) was key. We both took time out to rehearse our two scenes together and worked and helped each other. We did this by firstly blocking we’re I would come in from and the positioning of were I would talk and perform We then went through our lines We both worked on our accents specifically mine as my diction and accent for Fred was quite inconsistent as a posh British accent was my weakness eventually we overcame this and we were able to rehearse smoothly. This definitely helped my personal journey as a Actor and peer as it boosted my confidence and skills in terms of Communication and rehearsing with others and gave me a sense of accomplishment and really allowed me to know that I could go on stage confidently knowing that I’m able to perform well. Another key scene which I did was Act 1 scene 10 which was the scene in which Ned (Will) , Fred (me), Belle (Emily) and Sallie (Laura) were all in. Whenever we found time that the whole cast was in we ran through the scene and properly communicated blocking as that was the foundation of the scene otherwise it would’ve went wrong. We spoke to one another before we went on to assure we knew what to do. For example Will reminded me of were I spit water from the cup upon Meg March’s arrival which really gave the scene more character and fire. We all lined up before going on Ned carried Sallie on stage and I accompanied Belle we all knew were to stand so we could all be seen and heard as organised from before and so we were confident upon getting on the stage. I told the the three of them that I would spit out water just so they could get ready as I wouldn’t wanna spit it all over there costumes. Then At the end in scene 11 had a line were I walked out with Ned, Belle and Sallie again preparing for this was easy as it was one line but we had to make sure we had right timing for upon arrival onto the stage otherwise it would’ve looked off so we lined up behind Sallie and got ready. Overall, Little women has improved my skills to communicate not only too peers but too the audience as knowing that I’ve went over it with others makes me feel confident knowing I know what do too on stage. Communication overall has improved a lot and my growth as a actor has gotten better as I can see from this personal journey which has progressed my skills.
TASK 4.2 - Write a detailed evaluation on your final performance and the journey you have been on to meet the requirements of the play. Comment on both your work and also the work of the ensemble
For little women I played the role of Fred Vaughn which was both a fun and challenging character I enjoyed the aspect of playing a posh and insolent character who also had a sense of rich and power to him. Playing such a character really allowed me to step out of my mind as an actor and really get into the headspace of a posh British man. I felt confident in how well I did this and how well I pushed myself to perform as him. It was difficult at first as my posh British accent was difficult to pick up and mannerisms had to stick to a gentleman order combining to the two was difficult as we all use a more informal and relaxed tone and movements in modern day. Learning the accent was challenging but in the end proved worthy as it really pushed my character of Fred out there and made the audience really get an essence of who this bloke is. Furthermore, playing Fred was very collaborative so we worked as an ensemble this helped so many times as we could cue each other on and really work together which really boosts your confidence working as that character. Working as a ensemble also helped as we would regularly have run through rehearsals which helped drill in the character of Fred. Delroy helped so much when it came to my cues and when to go on as Fred. Throughout my journey of little women I definitely progressed as a actor pushing boundaries I setter and breaking the constructs of groups of usually rehearse with this all helped so much with boosting my confidence with acting as Fred and playing in a collaborative piece such as Little women and definitely pushed my confidence and self esteem as a actor as a whole. I feel like improvements could be my diction as it’s my weakest point at times when I tend to rush lines but I’ve realised this and will strive to improve all my mistakes as a actor as little women was definitely humbling but it helped boost my skills as a actor and self confidence and working as a ensemble. Lastly I feel like the character of Fred was definitely accentuated to the max and showed as the cocky character he is this gave the audience the sense of who I was playing from being a creepy and strange character with Miss March to being a rude and insolent brat at the party I definitely feel like I showed the qualities of Fred. Overall, I am pleased with how well I got into the headspace and improved my posh British accent as well as gaining more confidence to work in a ensemble knowing I have those who can help me and better my character. Also My Esteem and assets as a actor definitely improved and I feel like I can always do better but I am still pleased with my progress.
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