10/01/17-Single

This lesson was spent in the hall today. It was time to start staging the play on the actual stage we are going to perform on. The stage in the hall has a lot more space than the drama room we are currently rehearsing in so this will give us more space to play around with. We built the wagon out of a wooden car and sheets so it looked like the ones you pull along. Loads of tat was placed on it to make it look like Mother Courage had things to sell. We then got blocks out so we could create levels along the bottom of the stage, this is just to break the staging so it doesn't get boring for the audience.

As the staging to quite awhile to set up we was only able to get up to Scene 5.

Scene 3-The Quartermaster

Physicality 
As we was in the hall, I think this gave me sense of realness as to what it will be like on the night of the performance. I think that this made me get into character more, it almost in a sense made me put more effort into my portrayal of my character. The body changes I have given The Quartermaster such as Tension in his muscles and fidgeting all conveys the idea that he is nervous/anxious. This is something I have worked on a lot in my spare time as I want to highlight to the audience that he is nervous. I want to make them question whether my character (as he only appears once in the play) survives the war or not. I would like the audience to have a sense of sympathy for my character as he is living an awful lifestyle, however it is down to how they interpret my character. Some may consider him to be lucky compared to other characters in the play and others may feel for him as he is living in a time of war which no one should go through. As the performance night is only a couple of days away there isn't really enough time to develop anything physicality wise for The Quartermaster. My final target is to make sure I use what I have developed for my character effectively.

Voice
So far I have developed multiple areas of my voice such as projection, articulation, pace and diction. I am really happy with how my character sounds vocally. I have been able to apply an accent that distinguishes him from the rest of the characters and the other 2 characters I also portray  and my projection is loud enough that i can be heard yet still being able to convey a mousy kind of tone to his voice which shows his soft side. I think that The Quartermaster has other intentions rather than just selling bullets for money, perhaps he wanted money for something else. There is just something really odd about him which I find mysterious in some way. Sometimes I do question whether I am portraying him correctly but this is the way I have interpreted him as a character so I am going to stick with it. I have come across many difficulties with The Quartermaster's voice, like for instance when I first started playing this character my tone of voice made the character sound like he was just someone who was looking for a deal not desperately needing money to survive kind of voice.

Sub-text
There has been a lot of sub-text I have delved into for this character. For The Quartermaster, I have mainly focused on his backstory as I feel this has helped me with my characterisation. By looking into his backstory, I was able to gain an idea of his current feelings and thoughts as well as his past thoughts and feelings. I have used the clapping game, in my own time, to try and interpret how The Quartermaster says things in the way he does and what thoughts 'could' be running around in his head. For example. When he says "The colonels been on a two day bender celebrating with his staff". Perhaps there could be a sign of jealousy . Obviously he wasn't allowed to celebrate as he states 'with his staff' this excludes him from the 'bender'. When portraying The Quartermaster I have tried to add a subtle bitterness to this line to show that he is somewhat jealous of the life the colonel lives in time of war. Whether the audience catches onto it I won't know until the night. I think this is something I can work on quickly to make sure the audience will hear it in my voice.

Scene 4-The Clerk

Physicality
As previously stated, I am limited in my physicality as The Clerk as he is sat down for the entirety of the scene. I am limited to the top half of my body. This has been very difficult as I am used to having the whole body to use to immerse myself in a character. Also as this scene is extremely short I have little time to make The Clerk memorable to the audience. I have tried to make The Clerk quite an angry character as if he's one of them receptionists who hates his jobs and customers, I have used body language to highlight this. When Mother Courage is talking to me i am going to get up in her face by leaning over the desk slightly. This creates the sense that he has quite an intimidating demeanour to him. 

Voice
I wanted to give The Clerk a posh accent and make him really snobby. I find the best way to learn and adapt to accents is to watch and listen . I searched YouTube for a good video that can teach me how to speak really posh. I came across this girl who has videos in other accents too and they sound really authentic so i thought i would give it a go. She explained how posh British people enhance every T, so I decided that I would try it. I went over some of my lines exaggerating my T's. Low and behold I sounded like the queen in 5 minutes. I think this accent gives a sense of authority to The Clerk as many posh people are of higher status to people with other British accents. I also delved into projection with this character as he needs to be angry, I always use projection when a character is angry as it shows heightened emotion. I think projection is one of the skills I have improved upon the most in my development.

Sub-text
There isn't really much sub-text to delve into for The Clerk as he has few lines however I have managed to find out and interpret his current thoughts and feelings. During his line 'Be my guest', I think we understand how much The Clerk hates his job, he becomes this ignorant/rude person towards the people who are making complaints. This is where i derived the idea that he should come across as angry because he is miserable in his job. This is the only information I have been able to find out about The Clerk due to his lack of lines in the Scene. However I still think he could react to other people in the scene. I think this is going to be my final target which is to try and see where The Clerk can react to others in the scene.


We also went through transitions and black outs in between certain scenes so we know what is happening to staging and characters. Overall, I think this was a really productive lesson not only as a group but in the personal development of my characters.

9/01/17-Single

This lesson was spent trying to go through a full run through of the play. However, lots of people kept on forgetting their lines which made them really stressed out. Specifically Taylor, where she has so many lines to remember she was getting muddled up and lost with her lines. It was then decided by our teacher that we was going to a full speed run through of each scene. This meant that we would speed up our pace so we can get through the play quicker. As it was a speed run we was allowed our scripts with us. As we was completing the speed run, we found that this gave everything more humour and energy. I found that it made it more enjoyable to perform as everyone was putting effort into it and it didn't feel tedious like most times we are performing the play. The speed run allowed us to keep up the energy in the play, I think this made it engaging and enjoyable to watch for the people who weren't in particular scenes. I think we need to adapt this energy from the pace of the speed run to the pace we perform at normally. This will improve the quality of the play by miles.

Scene 3-Speed run
When portraying The Quartermaster during the speed run I feel as though i was more in character than I have ever been. The pace of the speed run allowed me to be over top in my characterisation which made him more funny to the audience (cast members who weren't in particular scenes). This made it enjoyable to play The Quartermaster as I knew people enjoyed watching the character.

I think where I was being over top in my characterisation my voice went over the top as well. I found that I used more tone of voice during the scene as the pace allowed me to show more emotion to The Quartermaster, even though we went through this part of the scene very quick. My projection was okay however where i was looking at my script i wasn't looking in the Audience's directions so i couldn't be heard at points, but this was only for the speed run.

Scene 4-Speed run 
I think the speed run really benefited me in the portrayal of The Clerk. Where the pace was sped up, the sass that i have been trying to use with the character was noticeable to the audience. This engaged them as they found my character funny. As the audience was laughing it made performing more enjoyable which in turn, I put more effort into my characterisation of The Clerk.

I am really comfortable with the lines The Clerk has so i didn't need to look at the script, this improved my projection as i was projecting my voice outwards to the audience. Also, I was able to create more of an aggressive tone to my voice, I don't know whether this was because the pace was sped up or if it was the spur of the moment. I think where my projection had increased i was able to use it more effectively.

Scene 11-Speed run
As the scene was sped up it gave the scene much more chaos as it became a lot busier than it was before. Interruptions between certain character's lines were executed more precisely. This meant that the scene ran more smoothly and overall was of better quality.

For The Farmer's son, I think that the speed worked really well. The speed at which i was speaking at really enhanced the panicky vibe that I was going for. I think I could try and maybe adapt this pace in my voice to the real performance, in fact I think the whole scene should be done at this pace as it would influence the anxious atmosphere the scene has. However, this is down to whether other cast members would be okay with this.


Brecht Techniques 
When completing this speed run I found that Brecht techniques were much easier to use. Comedy, almost came somewhat naturally to me, I dont know how to explain it but it just felt easier to place the comedy in my lines. I think that I should practice this speed run at home. However, where i place the comedy in the speed run, I need to adapt it to the pace we are originally going for. This is something I am going to work on in my own time and hope to do for next lesson.

5/01/17-Single

This lesson we staged the very first song in the play, there are only 4 in total, however we haven't looked at songs yet. Being so close to the night of our final performance, it is imperative that we start practicing these songs in order. Prior to this lesson Cameron had created a backing track to the first song in the play. I think Cameron has done a great job at composing the backing track, the rocky edge to it gives it the energy we need to start off the play As this is a really rocky song it needs lots of energy otherwise it will not engage the audience. We decided that we should just dance during the part that Mother Courage is singing. I didn't really know what to dance like so I just started to bob my head to the music and then soon got into the rhythm. However I did think that I looked really stupid, my teacher did say the the stupider you look the funnier and more energetic the song will be. After this, we performed the song again and I just went for it. I think what my teacher was true I felt that I did exert more energy into the song which made it enjoyable and I didn't really care what I looked like in the end. As I am actor, I need to get out of this habit which is caring what people think of me. This habit has definitely affected my acting in the past as I worry if i'm doing a good job or I am rubbish. This self doubt & consciousness has always messed up my confidence which I do find i struggle with. I would really like to work on my confidence more over this course. 

After practicing it for a while we decided we would run through scene 1 along with the song as well. I think the scene went really well, the song adds the extra energy to it which it has been lacking recently. One thing i would say is that when we all dance in the song we end up forming a clump in the middle of the stage and the rest of the stage was empty. I think if we was dispersed all over the stage this would make it look more busy so it will engage the audience a lot more. However this is only my thought so it depends if it would  work where the microphones are placed so they can pick up our singing.

19/12/16-Single

This lesson we completed a full run through of Mother Courage

The Quartermaster.

Physicality.
In terms of physicality I think I have come along way for The Quartermaster since the start. I am now portraying The Quartermaster as a nervous character. I think I have used pace effectively, I am not speaking too fast so the audience can't hear me but just the right speed that it shows he is anxious. I'm going to try and not make eye contact with Mother Courage but with the audience. I researched that people who are nervous usually do not make eye contact with what they are nervous about. As for The Quartermaster, he is nervous about whether Mother Courage is going to buy the bullets or not. I think this will also make it easier for the audience to understand how The Quartermaster is feeling.

Voice 
For The Quartermaster, I think I have honed this skill. I am really confident in my voice. I have found an accent that suits this character and I have found it easy to use tone of voice with this accent, which I have found difficult with other accents. I am very confident in my projection of the character as well. I think where I have focused on this character the most compared to my 2 other characters. This is why I am really confident with this skill than the other. The reason I have focused on this character the most is because he is my first character and I would like to make a good impression for the audience.

Sub-text
Over the course of rehearsing Mother Courage I have delved into sub text a lot with The Quartermaster as I was confused as to what the character was about and what he had in connection with Mother Courage. After looking into my lines, I found that although he is nervous he is also very persuasive and eager with what he wants, this is money for the bullets so he can buy alcohol for the colonel. He tries to persuade Mother Courage to buy the bullets. I think this has helped me with my characterization although it is quite challenging. I need to make The Quartermaster nervous yet very eager in his interaction with Mother Courage, kind of like the people who always try and sell you things when you are on Holiday. You could even say he his is a bit like Del boy from 'Only fools and horses'. I think I am going to use Del boy for future inspiration for The Quartermaster as it may help give me more ideas on how portray his eagerness.

The Clerk

Physicality
As The Clerk is sat down for the whole scene there isn't much i can do with physicality apart from using my top half of my body. This, so far, has been challenging as there isn't really much I can do with my top half, only my arms and head. For The Clerk, I think he is quite calm and laid back in his actions as he is one of the receptionists who just doesn't care about what any one is going through, only himself. I also want to give The Clerk some sass to him, I think giving him some sort of sass towards others will create comedy in the character as it could make the audience laugh. I am going to practice this over the Christmas half term.

Voice 
I think this is one of my strongest skills with this character, I am having no problem in not being heard using my projection and I feel as though I am portraying the right kind of tone of voice for the character. I am using quite an obnoxious tone of voice. Like the stereotypical posh people who are usually described as 'stuck up'. I want the audience to create a kind of love/hate relationship towards this character. As I only have one scene to do this, I need to make sure that I make an impact to the audience's relationships with the many characters in the play.

Subtext
There isn't really much subtext to delve into with The Clerk as he has few lines after his interaction with Mother Courage at the start of the scene. However, I was able to analyse the first part of the scene where I analysed his interaction with Mother Courage. This is where I discovered the obnoxious side of The Clerk. One of The Clerks line is as follows, 'Listen to what I am telling you'. This line highlights that The Clerk is quite authoritarian over Mother Courage, it gives the impression that he knows what he talking about which is where i derived the idea that he could be obnoxious. I think subtext so far has helped me develop The Clerk as a character  


The Farmer's son

Physicality
For the farmers son, I think Physicality has been the easiest skill to adapt to this character. As The Farmer's son is in a very sticky situation in Scene 11, I've decided that The Farmer's son is going to have two transitions in term of physicality. At the start of the scene he is very timid in his actions however when he returns after being taken by the soldiers and is handed the axe, I feel as though the axe should highlight the change in confidence The Farmer's son has when he is wielding the axe. He somehow grows up in the space of 10 seconds. I need to show this change in confidence through his physicality as well. For instance, as The Farmer's son is very Timid/shy in his physicality i could portray this by him cowering whenever he is threatened  by a soldier. However as soon as he grabs hold of the act, if he is threatened he will stand up to the soldier instead of backing down. I am going to try these things out over the half term to see if these ideas work out.

Voice
I feel very comfortable with my voice as a whole skill for the Farmer's son however i am still having issues with the couple of lines when he is attacked by the soldier at the very start. The lines are "Don't" and "What do i do?". These lines are meant to show the despair of The Farmer's son however I am still unsure whether I am doing this. I don't think I am using the right tone of voice. This is also down to the accent that I have tried to put with the character, It is restricting me portraying this emotion with the Farmer's son.

Sub-text
The most obvious piece of sub text i found with The Farmer's son is his anger. Towards the end of the scene before Katrrin dies, he tells her to keep on drumming. This line has a "!" at the end of the sentence, which most likely highlights that here he becomes consumed by some sort of anger. I think I need to look more into subtext of The Farmer's son as I dont fully understand him as of yet. I am going to focus on the start of the scene as this is where i am confused with his intentions.

Brecht Techniques
So far I think using Brecht Techniques has been really challenging. I am really used to Naturalistic acting like Stanislavski, so the drastic change at the start of the year really impacted the way I act. Trying to add comedy into my acting has been really hard for me as I'm not sure where to place it. I feel really awkward whenever I try to make my characters funny. I think I am going to work on my comedy with all 3 of my characters  over the Christmas break.