States of Tension using your body and physicality. The meaning behind the words that lie under the surface, i.e. 'I did tell Jackie', and the tension in Scene 5, 'Mother'
If it isn't right in the actual speech it isn't going to be convincing.
Learning the dialogue - intricately linked you have got to listen to what is being said.

Hold on to Jackie with my arm to her arm 'Jackie'. At the point she says, 'I didn't break her', i go to hold her and comfort her then I say 'ssh', and Jackie breaks free.
I then get up to say to Margared angrily, 'If you hadn't been so hasty. . ' 'That's for Jack....'
My tone and meaning is motherley and comforting towards Jackie when I state 'Jackie'

I am beginning to imagine the scenes and how it feels to be in them instead of just speaking our lines through.

One of the challenges is to get the feeling of the connection between the four of us as well as continuity. I hope we can achieve this. I am sure we will.

Although initially i felt it was quite a complex play I think we can bring out the playfulness within it and make it fun. I am aware that I need to feel relaxed with Doris age 5 and 61, and having observed the habits and characteristics of those ages I feel more able to adapt them to Doris and carry it through to performance.

Jill showed us a film that was in Berkhovian style, and I made notes on the following -

Physicality -

Use hands and bodies to demonstrate what they are saying. Not naturalistic acting, not a direct interpretation of acting.

People at the back are the'chorus' adding to the main piece. They went out, had a fight and now they are talking about it. It's very stylised, physical theatre. A stylistic way of acting. The guys use different eye levels. They were using narrative in their dialogue. Plays looks at life and those characters in them. Exaggerated facial expressions, eyes always have a very distinct focus.

Task -

Go over a scene and adopt a Berkovian style - Steven Berkhov is a very distinct style of theatre. Brecht wants aduience to believe they are in the theatre. Berkhov uses alienation as if the audience aren't in the theatre.

Berkhov in our scene, chorus commencing at the back, stylised gestures that are big and exaggerated.

I have been reciting my lines over half term and when I am not thinking too much I remember them!!

I think once we are in our chosen dresses etc in our rehearsals it will start to feel more real and therefore likely to be able to get more absorbed in to our chosen character's.

I am hoping that I will be able to feel relaxed in my character once I am confident with my lines.

I feel quite excited by the challenge and I would say the only thing I feel I am not quite so confident about is the physicality of 'Doris' particularly when she is aged 61 in Scene 5 and that is what I still need to work on.

11February 2010 -

Michele and I concentrated on power point today as we were not all present to rehearse our play so we went to the library and came up with some visuals for the wasteland in scene one. We managed to find a garden scene and a picture of the family home that we felt resembled the feeling of the house in the play together with an opening picture of a photograph depicting 'My mother said I never should'.

We were planning on timing our lines but there wasn't time today. We are going off timetable for the next two weeks in order that we can focus on our dress rehearsals completely. Over the half term I am going to focus on reciting my lines.

Peer Observation worksheet - 8.2.2010

Feedback from fellow students -

My vocal when I was a child in the first scene was kept well and consistent all the way through. It was suggested that I should soften the tone of my voice when I say, 'Push, its like doing a big poo'.

I dont need to shout but instead project my voice but also soften it.

Re: Positioning of our characters
To lie down more central to the stage instead of at the back.

Re: Characterisation
During scene 5 there is no need to shout although my intention of doing that was initially that I was aware I had to shout over the sound of a lawnmower in order to be heard.

2.2.2010

Absent in this session due to my daughter's ill health.

1.2.2010

Absent in this session due to my daughter's ill health.