During our lesson on the 4th December I delivered an exercise on the practitioner Mike Alfred's.
Overall I was really pleased with the exercise I delivered. It was a written exercise, exploring the contextual and uniting of the text. I made the cast do several exercises within the texts, all taken from Mike Alfred's own workshops.
The cast all gave really good feedback and the assessor praised my efforts. I put a lot of work into planning the exercise so I was glad it paid off in the end.
Friday, 6 December 2013
Declan Donnellan
During our Declan Donnellan lesson we spent the time exploring his 'target' exercise.
Declan believes that in theatre and performance, there i always a target and an obstruction.
The target is on the outside of the actor, so instead of focusing on the inside, you have to focus on the outside. For example, if you are playing Juliet, your target is Romeo. Declan Donnellan believes that Juliet will give a more honest performance if she shifts her focus onto her target rather than thinking of herself. It is not about what the actor is doing, but what the target is doing and making you do. He prefers the concentration/attention to be on the target and not themselves. Whatever Juliet wants, it will always be out of her reach (going on a quest for her target), and it can get better or worse/you can win or lose.
He also believes that when the stakes are high in a play, the action speeds up. For example in Our Country's Good, when everybody finds out that Liz Morden is going to be hanged, the speed of the action increases.
Donnellan quoted, "Every living moment has an element of quest" (but you don't necessarily achieve it.)
He believes that you should play your objectives in performance as though you don't know the outcome of them. For example we have to play the uncertainty, we don't necessarily know if Liz Morden will be hanged or not, so we have to play it as if it could go either way. The situation could get better, or it could get worse. Keep it honest and play the situations realistically.
In Our Country's Good, Caesar target has two outcomes. His target is to join in in The Recruiting Officer - the first outcome could result in him getting caught and taken for a whipping, and the second resulting in him being allowed to perform in the play.
Donnellan says there is always something to be lost and always something to be won. A target always divides into better or worse outcomes.
Here is an example of my 'better or worse' target exercise.
1. Convicts = I might get food today, I might not.
2. I might escape and grow old in Devon, I might not.
3. I might be allowed a role in Lieutenant Clark's play, I might not.
4. Mary might hate me for selling her, she might not.
5. I might be punished by Robbie Ross for being disobedient, I might not.
6. I might find out Liz will be hanged, I might not.
7. Mary could leave me alone in the women's quarter while she stays with Ralph, perhaps not.
8. Will I learn my lines, will I not.
Declan believes that in theatre and performance, there i always a target and an obstruction.
The target is on the outside of the actor, so instead of focusing on the inside, you have to focus on the outside. For example, if you are playing Juliet, your target is Romeo. Declan Donnellan believes that Juliet will give a more honest performance if she shifts her focus onto her target rather than thinking of herself. It is not about what the actor is doing, but what the target is doing and making you do. He prefers the concentration/attention to be on the target and not themselves. Whatever Juliet wants, it will always be out of her reach (going on a quest for her target), and it can get better or worse/you can win or lose.
He also believes that when the stakes are high in a play, the action speeds up. For example in Our Country's Good, when everybody finds out that Liz Morden is going to be hanged, the speed of the action increases.
Donnellan quoted, "Every living moment has an element of quest" (but you don't necessarily achieve it.)
He believes that you should play your objectives in performance as though you don't know the outcome of them. For example we have to play the uncertainty, we don't necessarily know if Liz Morden will be hanged or not, so we have to play it as if it could go either way. The situation could get better, or it could get worse. Keep it honest and play the situations realistically.
In Our Country's Good, Caesar target has two outcomes. His target is to join in in The Recruiting Officer - the first outcome could result in him getting caught and taken for a whipping, and the second resulting in him being allowed to perform in the play.
Donnellan says there is always something to be lost and always something to be won. A target always divides into better or worse outcomes.
Here is an example of my 'better or worse' target exercise.
1. Convicts = I might get food today, I might not.
2. I might escape and grow old in Devon, I might not.
3. I might be allowed a role in Lieutenant Clark's play, I might not.
4. Mary might hate me for selling her, she might not.
5. I might be punished by Robbie Ross for being disobedient, I might not.
6. I might find out Liz will be hanged, I might not.
7. Mary could leave me alone in the women's quarter while she stays with Ralph, perhaps not.
8. Will I learn my lines, will I not.
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