Costume Improvements -

Layer more - I could improve this by adding maybe a jacket or long socks, but pushing it down to make it look messy.

- Different Hairstyle - I shall put my hair in pig tails to make it look more innocent.

Focus on creating Internal Monologue - Actioning/Objective.

Godspell - Winter Showcase "We Beseech Thee"

 

This was a rehearsal for the Winter Showcase which happens the week commencing the 16th of December.

Improvements:

• Stamina - I can work on this by going to the gym and jogging.
• Energry from "By the gracious saving call etc" the energy drops, along with tuning, because of the lack of stamina we have
• Personally - Making sure I know the movements - I can improve this by going over it with Emilie who knows the movement
• Characterisation - Bigger Facial Expressions - I can improve this by coming more confident with my performance, and practising infront of the mirror. Analysing the words to gain a greater understanding.

29/11/13

Walking around the space : As self/character

This is a useful warm up for getting into character and making sure there is a different between yourself and the character.

B-B-B-B- exercise with actions, helps build stamina and articulation

The Thesaurus is the best acting tool - I can use this to find objectives for my characters and better words such as "Happy" - "Ecstatic"

Paralanguage - (Audible breathing, mmmm, coughs etc" - Need to improve on

Continuity of Energy need to be improve on - analyse script.

21.11.13

Warm Up - Got into the centre, Humming - matching the same picture as Chris followed by an "A" resonation exercise - we do this because this is warming our voice up for rehearsals

Blow through lips and Chew exercise - Warms up Mouth, got the circulation going and improves articulation.

Act Like Animals -

• Cheetah 
• Dinosaur 
• Eagle 
• Ant 
• Mouse 
• Chicken 
• Kangaroo 

People 

• Toddler
• 9 Year old 
• Upper Class British 
• French Man 
• Black African 
• Chav 
• Japanese 

This Exercise was useful because we where able to think about how vocally and physically we can create other characters such as a Cheetah - I got on my hands and knees and moved really fast with little sound. Where as a Dinosaur I was on my tiptoes with my arms belt at the elbow and I created a "Rawing" sound. 

Additional cast members - 

Emma - Robin 

Lizzie - Peggy 

Herb - llama 0 Split between Niall/Dan 

Prepare Ye -

Character are spirtually lost with no faith and frustrated with life. No point to it. John the Baptist is offering a way out.

Initial Ideas- My character is harder to convince, scared and stubborn. React with others

After Baptism - my character finds hope

To do - :

Rehearse "Beesech Thee"
Create Through Lines
Development of Relationships.

Production Roles

Stage Managment

Everyone

Set and Props

Sarah + Hannah

Admin

Niall
Dan
Lizzie
Molly
Emilie

Costume

Emma
Shannon
Lauren
Sarah
Lizzie

Choreography

Emma
Shannon
Lauren
Dan
Kathy

12.11.13 - Prepare Ye Review

We had Good Energy

Improvements -

Tuning on end note focus on Vowel Shape, Breath Support and Ending Constonants.
Clapping in time
Everyone needs to match the level of hannahs vocals - this will be done by being confident in what I am singing.
Making sure we are being blessed in different body parts to show contrast. I will do this by being blessed on my finger, to show feeling nervous. I'll extend my arm and little finger however while walking leaning away from Molly.
Audience Interaction - By engaging more with the audience.
More Facial Expression - singing while looking in the mirror.
Individualise the style of claps - I will do this by doing my claps to the floor left  - right side and then upwards left - right.
Improvisation - Being more creative and not feeling scared to go crazy.
More Energy
Onset
React Earlier - Make it seem fresh

We Beeseech Thee -

Don't rely on others - I will do this by learning the dance with another member  of the cast

+ Bring Costume next lesson so Chris can have a look.

Vaudevillian patter/comic duos

A comic duo otherwise known as a double act sees the features of two artist - one who is more serious and the other who is more comic. The contrast between the two characters is what creates the humour. Famous pairs are such as "The Two Ronnies" and "French And Saunders" 

Ronnie Corbett is more serious which contrasts against Ronnie Barker (The Liberian) because he's making a joke out of a stereotypical library. 

Addition French And Saunders 

In this case French and Saunders work together against other characters (The Serious People) to create the comedy. 

I think The Two Ronnie's is a good example of how Jesus and Judas act throughout the Musical specifically during "It's All For The Best" because Judas is more Serious and Jesus tries to lighthearted which makes it funny to the audience because of the different rhythm of each characters solos. I think this idea should be incorporated between these two characters throughout the play. 

Performance Roles

Jesus - Hannah
Judas - Molly

Targets - To Improve focus in lesson

Today - We learnt and blocked "Prepare Ye The Way Of The Lord"

Gym

I went to gym again today, I was able to run for 7 minutes without getting out of breath, I rested for 30 seconds then did another 4 minutes before I needed to stop. I have improved by being able to run for a longer amount of time. I shall continue doing this to help build stamina.

Gym

Today I went to gym, I went running for 5 minutes then power walked for 1 minute then ran for another 6 minutes to help improve my stamina. I also went on the bikes for 8 minutes to help burn fat.

Beatitudes

The beatitudes are from the book of Matthew. They describe those that are faithful to god even though sometimes bad things may happen to them and the rewards they will receive such as heaven for being this way. The last one is appropriate because in the script Judas says "Blessed Are You" to Jesus because he is persecuted to bring forgiveness on the rest of humanity and his reward is the kingdom of Heaven.

Choreography of Motown boys and girl groups

As you can see through the videos of "The Temptations" "Tina Turner" and "The Supremes." Motown choreography can either be quite full on or chilled out however they're all quite heart felt and link with the idea of the song. All three artists connect with the music they're singing. This style of choreography would be appropriate for "O Bless The Lord" especially for the chorus sections. 

Today we cut Godspell down - see Script
last for 22 minutes without songs

Philosphers

Godspell in 4 minutes

As a task set in the initial research stage, to show our understand of Godspell we where asked to create a cut down version in an hour - to 4 minutes.

We Picked out the major parts such as the arrival of Jesus, the Baptism, The major morals of teaching what is good and what is bad as well as beatitudes and the crucifixion.

I found the exercise really useful because now when we come to perform the actual play, I'll know what sections of the work should be more dominant than others and emphasized to a younger audience.

I've watched Fragments of this production to help get a visual look at Godspell. I particularly like there take on "It's All For The Best" because of the use of Puppets is different.

Initial Research

Godspell

• Godspell is a book written by John-Michael Tebelak and was made into a musical by Stephen Schwartz.
• It was First Performed on Broadway in 1971
• -The structure of the musical is in a series of parables based on the Gospel of Matthew
• -The songs are or have been adapted by hymns sung is church. 

Characters 

- The names of the characters are taken from the actors who performed it first and it is mainly an ensemble work.

- John The Baptist doubles as Judas; this is interesting as John baptized Jesus and therefore is seen as a fairly good character where as Judas was the one who ultimately betrayed Jesus which allows the actors who portrays the character(s) to show the contrast between the two personalities. 

Society At The Time (America)

In 1964 Birth Control pills where made legal as was abortion for cause e.g Rape. This was controversial with in a Society that was heavily Religious/Christian because abortion was seen as murder one of the 10 commandments and Birth Control was seen as stopping the act of God.

Much of the younger generation turned from Mainstream protestant to mystic eastern religions such as Zen Buddhism and Transcendental Meditation.

The Hippie movement promoted Drugs, "Free Love", Rock Music, Mystic Religions and opposed violence. 1969 saw the moon landing. Society was changing drastically and it was seen as a new age. Into the 1970's they begun gay rights marches, and anti-war marches. 

People where still coming to terms with the Vietnam war that lasted for over 18 years. At the time The Musical war performed it was coming to the end however it did not finish until 1975.

I will use this research to apply context to how the original cast may have felt at the time and how I could also apply it to my character(s) as like Americans at the time; the characters are looking for faith and hope in something as well as experimenting with new religions/views in life.