Performance day/Evaluation

We had our final dress run and things went considerably smoother than our first time in the theatre but there were still points for improvement, these were:

• Exits: When we exit, we dropped our physicalities and became ourselves, it let down all the hard work we put in. We have to wait until we are offstage to become ourselves again. It's also the same for when we come onstage, we come onstage and then become our characters when we should already be our characters by the time we come onstage.
• Opening scene: Once again, I was too quiet with the commands and we missed the first cue to fall over and the stage was imbalanced; too many people were on one side. There was a tech error where the lights weren't going out and we stopped screaming because our scene was meant to have finished. It turns out they missed the cue which was someone's line, this was a clear example of how much louder and clearer we needed to be but in some instances, people were being too loud and the cue wasn't heard
• Project: This was a note for everyone. Projection was an issue and we needed to be so much louder or the audience wouldn't be able to hear us and would get bored.

We were all needless to say, jittery before the performance, but that soon dissolved when we got on stage.
I feel that the performance went very well. We got loads of laughs, moments of applause and a standing ovation at the end. There was an immense sense of pride amongst the cast, the crew behind the scenes, Jack and our audience. We knew everything about our play and it showed through our acting and the reaction we got from our audience. I personally feel like I did very well; I rooted my breath when I spoke, I went to everyone and shouted commands and I remembered the cues. As a spirit, I didn't go unnoticed. I interacted with the audience who were shocked by my blue makeup, I didn't hold back on my physicality and I used my face to show expressions. I made my physicalities for Master of the ship and Bubbles very different and the feedback I got back from member of the audience were very positive regarding my stage presence.
Things I feel I will improve on when I go to Brighton is that this time I will use my whistle that I neglected and I should be shouting more commands and doing more in general in the beginning scene. I felt that in that scene I could have done so much more with myself.

Life at Sea

One of my roles in the play is the master of the ship. My given circumstances are that I live aboard this ship with my crew and I am in charge of everything that goes down. All the lives of those aboard my ship are in my hands and everyone has a great deal of respect for me but as the Royals are aboard my ship, I have to swallow my pride and respect them. To gain a better understanding of my character's background and given circumstances, I will research what it would have been like to live at sea.

When a man went to sea, he was leaving behind the life he knew and was about to venture into a whole new lifestyle nobody could prepare for. A sailor could be at sea for a few weeks, months, years, it was uncertain. Their pay was extremely poor, the food was stale, they drank alcohol as it's the only thing that gets better over long periods of time, their living quarters were cramped and the punishment was considered a form of torture.

Let's start with punishments and healthcare. A seaman's life wasn't easy and he had to be tough, so discipline was harsh to stop mutiny's from happening and to keep everyone in place. Methods of punishment were:

1. Keelhauling. This was when an offender would be tied onto a rope and dragged under the haul of the ship. Sometimes the person would drown or the barnicles on the side of the ship would cut into the skin and cause serious infections to the wound.
2. Mast-heading. This punishment was where an offender would be sent to the top of the mast until the captain or officer told them to come back down again. This was a minor punishment for the younger seamen and they could have been up there for days with no food in stormy weather, but not long enough to die.
3. Flogging. This was the worst punishment you could endure. This was where a seaman was whipped using the cat-o'nine-tails; a whip especially designed to inflict pain on the person. This whip had nine lengths of cord with each cord containing up to three knots and when someone was whipped with it, the knots would immediately cut their skin inflicting excruciating pain on the victim frequently causing them to pass out. They could be whipped up from 5 to 100 times depending on the punishment and this often took place in front of the whole crew
4. Hanging. If a seaman was found guilty of leading a mutiny or murder, he would be hanged from the yard arm.

Say if a sailor had an incurable, festering injury on their leg, that leg would be amputated. The method in doing this was to get that sailor as drunk as possible (or hitting them around the head so they passed out) because anesthetics didn't exist and proceeding to saw that leg off. no matter how drunk this person was, they would always feel the unbearable pain and scream and struggle but they were held down. The amputated limb would be disposed of by being thrown overboard or burnt and the sailor would be left in his bed to recover. His wound would be sewn and dipped in salt to disinfect and dry the blood, this was also very painful. Survival chances were slim because of the amount of blood lost.

The food aboard ships were mainly salt beef or pork, cheese, fish, ale and sea biscuits. The quality of the food deteriorated because of storage problems, lack of ventilation, and poor drainage. It was also eaten by rats and other vermin on board which caused foods to become infected quicker. Biscuits were often filled with maggots and weevils, a type of beetle. Many ships' suppliers were dishonest and sent stores that were already rotten before they were taken on board.Some foods were cooked by crew members who were unfit to work or on the rare occasion of having a woman aboard, she would cook as well as fulfill other duties (both sexual and normal ship duties).

As well as the cook, special jobs were carried out by the parson, surgeon, master gunner, boatswain (in charge of the sails), carpenter and quartermaster. Other members of the crew would carry out all the duties, including keeping watch, handling sails, and cleaning decks. An interesting fact is that the names for jobs of men responsible for working a ship (boatswain, coxswain – even seamen) are of Anglo-Saxon origin whilst those of officers (Captain, Lieutenant, Admiral) are of Norman-French origin. This is an indication of a class distinction between roles on board.

My character would have most probably been French (which is a coincidence because I just so happen to be French) and I wouldn't have had to endure punishments as most sailors would, in fact I would inflict them.

This is a photogrid of me in my pirate costume. I'm wearing baggy jeans, a long leather jacket which was the only one to be different from the others aboard the ship. the mask is covering my spirit makeup but also adds to the punky aesthetics of the punk theme.

Outside Run

We did a run of our play outside to get a feel for what it would be like when we perform in Brighton and Jack was hoping that this would help us with our poor vocal volume.

When we were doing the run we had somewhat of an audience; people passing by were intrigued by what we were doing and stopped and watched for a short while before walking away. We also got a few disapproving looks from people who didn't know what we were doing which makes you feel slightly self conscious, but I think this is a taste of what to expect from our audience at the Brighton Fringe. When I watched a few of the scenes it became apparent to me how low our volume can be. We have been rehearsing in a normal classroom so volume has never been too much of an issue for us but when we move to the theatre, we will have to be so much louder and fill the space but we will have to be careful no to shout or it ruins everything.
I also learnt what it was like to rehearse with no set or props (apart from swords) which is what we will be dealing with in Brighton. I think we have to make sure we don't get too reliant on our set and props but through performing at Brighton I think we will have more of an understanding of what it was like to be an actor in Shakespearean days.

Spirit development

My spirit isn't named, I'm just a sideman in the spirit clan along with jack but we are still important. We come in to complete the dances and add to the atmosphere. I have no dialogue whatsoever as a spirit so if I want to make an impact of any kind, I need to use my physicality to speak. I decided that naming my spirit would help me build some kind of relationship and visualise her more. So her name is Bubbles. I didn't choose the name because she's bubbly, but because the colour of the glitter on the costume is a blue/green which reminds me of water. I would drown underwater and all the air in my body would escape in bubble form. So Bubbles was her name.

At first, I didn't know how to move as a spirit. I didn't know whether to be spooky, jolly, floaty or glide, I had no clue. After a workshop with someone who was an experienced Shakespearean actor and I found out that Shakespeare would have wanted for the spirits to never be still, so even when we are standing, we must still be moving. Spirits are never still. Spirits are also meant to be sexy, seductive and arousing beings and I looked at mainly catwalks for inspiration. I noticed that when models are on a catwalk their heads are lowered (to eliminate double chins for pictures and to make the eyes pop) they walk in a strait line, one foot in front of the other and their posture is straight. I've taken these qualities from them and will use them for my spirit. I need to take my time in walking and with each footstep, my foot will be slightly pointed so that my footsteps aren't heavy. It looks graceful too. Walking slowly makes me look more like a spirit and I can also take my time. My knees need to be slightly buckled and I should explore levels when I move because it's not a human thing, nor am I meant to be a human. Eye contact with the audience is a must; it adds to seduction, breaks an interaction barrier and I can acknowledge them, it will make things interesting for them. A modern audience won't be expecting that. I may also make physical contact with them but not too much. To my spirit self, they are strange beings and I have never seen anything like them before
, so I can look at them as much as I please but as a spirit I should be wary about touching them. What would happen if I touch them? Would I burn? Would they expel a sticky residue from their skin causing me to be stuck whilst they eat me? Will the break? Bubbles doesn't know. That's why touching is a very quick action.

The video above shows some of the best models from a Victoria's Secret catwalk. I've used this kind of thing for inspiration minus the fast pace, smiles and heavy walking. I won't be as raunchy either.

 This is my spirit costume. As you can see, it's quite see through and was made of the material tights are made of so I had to be careful not to let it rip. I also had problems with the top coming down and showing my bra but I resolved this by taking a pin and pinning the bra and costume together. This worked because it didn't fall down.

The rest of us spirits :)

Cues

Boatswain's line: "down with the topmast!" All look up at topmast
Lights out: offstage

Scene 2 act 1
When caliban exits, spirits enter exploring the audience and stage. When ariel starts singing to towards Ferdinand. Song finishes form a semicircle around him. When ariel starts singing we sing with her (loudly) and circle around Ferdinand. Prospero enters and we leave soon after.

Scene 1 act 2
When everyone starts falling asleep, bring on savannah for the outfit change. Watch in spirity fashion from behind as dee changes the outfits. Take crystal offstage.

Scene 3 act 2
Music cue to come on
Prospero: praise in departing (vanish to the edge)
My cue to change the cloaks is a visual one. When Raphael gives jack the stick, go over to take the cloak but he should turn to me or lift his arms. I will tell when he wants me to change them.
Thunder sound we vanish.

Scene 1 act 3
Iris: you nymphs called naiads (enter and start circling around the bush)
Exit when Miranda says " we wish your peace"
Next part
Prospero: Fury, fury! There, tyrant, there! Hark! Hark! We enter as dogs and chase trinculo and caliban and stephano off. Exit at entrance D. Go straight to entrance A.
Prospero: "you elves of hills, brooks...." He will point at me and I come onstage. Bow to him.
"Set roaring war..." Start circling around him
"have I made shake" start shaking
"by the spurs plucked..." Stumble
"graves at my command have waked their sleepers" look at the audience like they're the walking dead
"but this rough magic" stop and look at prospero
"There stand for you are spell stopped" go fetch Tyler (Alonso) from entrance A
After ariel's line, exit and get changed.
" look sir, here is more of us!" Come on with jack (boatswain) and stand to the centre. After jack's line turn to the others and have a conversation. When caliban, stephano and trinculo enter,everyone should look at them disapprovingly.
Prospero: sir I invite your highness and your train to my poor cell (exit to entrance D)
Lights out at the end of prospero's final monologue. Line up whilst it's still dark and bow when lights come back on.

Fin.

The tech run

The tech run was exciting, confusing, slightly unnerving and a learning curve. We started by walking around backstage, seeing which exit was which and how to get to them. Then we got changed into our costumes and got to our backstage starting positions. We started the movement sequence and repeated our movements for about 20 seconds until everyone who wasn't in the opening scene left the stage. Now here's what confused me slightly: when we rehearsed this scene we went straight into dialogue when everyone was offstage, but the music continued for slightly longer and I was started to think if this was where I was meant to start it off but I knew that until the music stopped, we were still doing our movements. I sensed slight awkwardness amongst the rest of us onstage because I think we we all thinking the same thing and I looked at jack and telepathically asked him if I could start but then I remembered I was wearing a mask and it wasn't going to work. Anyway, the music finished and the scene started (I just hope that they cut that down for Thursday). Our scene went ok, I shouted orders but apparently not enough and I moved around telling people what to do and helping them out, but the mask is something I need to get used to. I can see through it fine but I can't see where my feet are going so that is something I need to be wary of. The falling was pants; it was quite fake and the second time around I was kicked in the mouth whilst falling (I bled but I was ok, thanks for asking) and some of us forgot which way to fall. I think we would all fall better if we had more self-assurance that nobody will get hurt. If someone does get seriously injured, we will have to get on with it and they can pretend that's part of the whole thing, but I think injuries is a concern to all of us. When the end came we didn't all scream and shout like we were meant to, this was upsetting to jack, but at least we got off at the assigned exits.
I went straight to the changing rooms to change into my spirit costume and  after our physical part around the tree, I quickly discovered that a few movements make the front come down and show my bra. This isn't something I would cry over because my underwear is nude, but I've become worried that if it happens in the performance it will be noticed and god knows what events would follow.Most of us spirits had this problem and covered it up with our hair so for the performance I will most definitely need my hair straightened and can't cut it drastically short between now and then. As the run carried on, it became apparent to me that I really need to refresh myself of my cues because I knew roughly when I was meant to be on and off but I didn't have a script on me and I needed to make quick trips to the changing room (I had a cold and I can't carry tissues around with me). Entrance A is the entrance I use quite a lot and the door is right by the stalls. I got to my entrance quite early and I have to stay there until I'm next meant to be on. I can't stand outside the dot and listen in because the open door will let light and noise in and that will distract members of the audience. My concern about entrance a is that when I'm there I might attract attention from the audience whilst I'm waiting to go on stage because the area isn't hidden. If the audience look to their left they can see me and I'm not the only one who uses the entrance either. I was told after the run that it will be pitch black in that area and I wouldn't be noticed, so noise coming from entrance a must be abysmal.
At the part where us spirits and ariel sing to an enchanted Ferdinand, none of us were singing loud enough and it was more of a tuney murmur than song. We all knew we were being too quiet but we were waiting for one of us to start singing louder, but none of us were so the silence continued. When we go over this again we must be louder and if it means one of us being louder than the rest for encouragement, then it must happen. Singing to an audience might throw us a bit because this is something we aren't used to at all, I think if we went over the song just us spirits it could help for assurance and confidence.
At the part where the prosperos change, I'm meant to go on and change their capes but I wasn't actually where I was meant to be because I thought I was meant to have gone offstage. Jack and I were actually meant to stay on stage and come back on when ariel monologues to the men and scares them and be devils and scare them even more. I was trying to remember which entrance I came in from but I remember now, so it's ok.
When I change to the master of the ship again, there is little I do on stage but I need to make sure I don't block myself out and stay to the side. Though I'm not talking, I need to be present during the boatswain's announcement and be more central to the stage or I just look like I'm not meant to be there.

Notes from our director were different to each individual. I got the most notes with the beginning and my speaking and I was told I don't shout enough commands. Jack was deeply disappointed in me as I was myself but I know now that I need to come up with more commands. Volume was also another issue for all of us in that scene and we need to start panicking when the ship splits but we didn't because I think we were all unsure of when we were meant to start doing that. I think that if we go over the beginning scene once or twice more we will know it better. We haven't gone over it that much in rehearsals because we're always so concentrated on the other scenes, so next week in the rehearsals when we run over it again we can polish it and we will all be more comfortable in the scene.
A note for everyone was energy and volume. The energy was quite low thus causing the volume to be lower than what it could be but the theatre isn't built to make the sound bounce back into the space. Instead, the sound is absorbed and lost so what we think is loud is actually quiet. Projecting is something we can all work on. The run could have been so much better and was quite disappointing, but rehearsals will be beneficial.

Rest of the rehearsals

The last few rehearsals mainly revolved around the other scenes that were from the middle onwards so we've been practising the scenes that I'm a spirit in more than the opening scene where I'm the master of the ship (we've been through that maybe 2 or 3 times).  I know where to come in and out but we run through one scene over and over then into the next, we haven't really made the transitions fluid or ran through the whole thing non stop yet and that is a slight concern I have for our upcoming tech run. My physicality for my spirit is pretty much sorted and I know what I'm doing in terms of cues and group work, us spirits have it nailed down.

Now that the rehearsal period is basically over, I feel that I am ready with my spirit work but the storm part needs some more work. It's a good scene and it works well, it's just that I'm meant to be shouting commands and encouragement a to my crew but I also don't want to shout over people's lines or take the attention off other people or be so loud that I get on everyone's nerves. To avoid these issues, I will shout commands but I won't be doing it all the time, just every so often. As the master of the ship I'm meant to keep the stormy atmosphere up and I'm the leader which means being loud but there's only so many commands I can say before I'm repeating myself and the audience would be like "you said that literally 20 seconds ago, shut up already".

Finally, working on our stage will be a lot different fromworking in a classroom because the theatre is meant to be a lot bigger and we haven't looked at our props yet or how they're going to be arranged but I think we will grow accustomed to the space. I look forward to getting a feel for how everything will work on the night of the performance, how to get to where and how my costumes feel. Especially the spirit costume.