Monday started off with us handing in our annotated bibliographies, which served as our research task, and I realized that mine was roughly 3x the size of everyone else’s. Other than the obvious fact of how long it took me to write 3,000 words it annoyed me that this was the “odd one out”, I’d simply done what was required. I didn’t go over the top, I actually have the minimum amount of sources plus the answers to the questions about each source. I suppose since this was an individual task it doesn’t really matter, but I don’t like the feeling that just because I actually do what is asked it makes me the over-achiever…Anyways, the rest of Monday lesson we went into the studio and started working on the opening scene. The most important thing we worked on was the ENTRANCES of the characters. Because we are meant to be caricatures it is necessary that the audience immediately recognize us and then can start forming connections in their own mind. In order to achieve this we started with the zanni coming from the audience and then play fighting on stage. Then as Il Capitano I come out to push them aside. This was all we got to on Monday, so I thought things were going to go okay.
However, then Wednesday rolled around! Wednesday was an intensive rehearsal and I felt that it was pretty much on my shoulders. Originally, in our rough version, Il Capitano just walks by the zanni and insults them but on Wednesday we started to develop this scene more. I think it was an important lesson to learn that things are constantly changing and in order to get the best story possible you need to be adaptable and willing to test out new things. Some of the physical changes that Mr. F proposed helped to establish the characters. Even if we don’t use masks, we have to constantly show our faces to the audience and use slow and deliberate movements. Personally the physical aspects came naturally to me, but the challenge came in improvising the script. I suppose part of the problem was the “cop in the head” that makes me feel self-conscious, but on the other hand it wasn’t as if I had lots of ideas that I then suppressed, I just completely drew a blank. I felt like I had to lead the whole play just with that scene and I felt abandoned and quite helpless. On reflection I see that since improvising isn’t my strong suit I should come prepared with some ideas that I can then develop into script. Mr. F said that playing and improvising should be fun, however there lies the problem, I don’t find it fun. But I also don’t like improvising in dance, which is strange because I love dancing and am a trained dancer. I think its just one of those things that I need to grit my teeth and do because I know in the long run it is very helpful to my studies as a drama student. I will try to be more accommodating in class and not have any more breakdowns; it will just be something I need to constantly be aware of.
The next day we only had an hour but ended up getting the same amount done as Wednesday! We worked on the guitar scene and it first it was hard to get Abby to let go and sing, BUT then she found it and sang perfectly! (Perfectly in the form of loudly and badly for her character) Throughout much of this rehearsal Axel and I were at the front, which made it easier to give constructive criticism and see how the whole piece looked. Also because we were in the audience it gave Bekki and Lydia the opportunity to play with the audience. Thursday was a little easier for me, because even though this might be tough to hear, I found it easier without Mr. F there. I think Wednesday was an extremely helpful lesson because we got the experienced and outside input from Mr.F, but I think creatively as an ensemble we got more done on Thursday. Therefore I propose we keep this balance, so much of the improvising is done as an ensemble and the refining and perfecting is done with Mr. Fearnehough.
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