Evaluation

I thought a lot of the performance ran smoothly and the energy throughout was consistently up-beat as rehearsed and hoped to be. Personally, I liked that the play offered the class members a chance to portray difference styles of characterization throughout; wolf physicality in motifs, individual caricatures and experiment with psychical theater even being part of the set like my role in the fire imagery for example.

If I were to make improvements I think I would take a bit more time to gain the confidence to go even further with my Mrs Brisket caricature and push myself into learning lines and blocking so that I could perfect my character more once I was familiar and comfortable with lines, transitions and blocking.

Rehearsal #5 | Blocking Mrs Brisket & Simon Scene

In this session Jay and I spent some time practically working on our scene, focusing on blocking, line delivery and the timing of it all. We wanted the scene to be eccentric and full of energy so we practiced our physicality to fit around the lines. We were directed by Jill for Mrs Briskett to grab Simon as she whispers to him which would hopefully evoke laughter from the audience when Simon's expression is the only thing exposed to the audience at a certain point. I feel after a few more run throughs of his scene we can create something that offers comic relief to the audience at this point in the play.

Rehearsal Update #4 | Blocking my scenes

Since I have a few lines in the play which I say off stage it was important that vocalization has to be a big factor in my performance. Physically I wanted to show the mistreatment of the orphans through nuances throughout, so we blocked separate gestures in the narration explaining punishments.

The cheese scene in the play highlights the theme of greed that I think Mrs Slighcarp, Mr Grimshaw and Mrs Brisket are all accountable of being. We decided to line up the orphan and  for me as Mrs Brisket to pinch, push and pull the hair of them. This would hopefully show how they are mistreated inferno of the inspector further showing how she uses them to only get what she wants, her constant motivation being to live a life of leisure and having the orphans work for her.

Rehearsal Update #3 | Placard Projections & Fire Physicality

I like the design idea of having placards construct different images and settings throughout the play from windows, wolves, trees, geese etc. and it gives the actors a chance to play with their physicality whilst creating a 'manmade' almost puppet like staging for the play which I think could reflect themes of teamwork whether it be the group of orphans in their escape or the villainous adult characters.

 Daniel, Zoë and I got assigned to create a fire through physicality of being neutral on our knees side by side under a stage block, using only our arms to create flames by clicking with a tempo depending on when Mr Grimshaw 'pokes up the fire'.

'Once Upon A Time That Never Was...' #3 | Treatment of Women and Hunting

Treatment from Women

In terms of social normality in the time of this play's setting and other than exceptions within working situations- generally women would not be so outspoken and dominant to men as Mrs Slighcarp is. By the author exaggerating the social tolerance men had for women (Mrs Slighcarp and Mr Grimshaw's relationship) and by intensifying the female status this way (which by enlarge would not commonly exist) it allows her character to seem more villainous which of course makes the narrative more interesting for readers and audience members.


Hunting

Hunting was very popular among the social classes that a lot of the play’s characters fit into yet hunting is not mentioned in the book or play which is most probably done because otherwise it would affect the plot, i.e.  the wolves would be hunted and killed which would diminish the plays sense of danger.

Rehearsal Update #2 | The Figure

One of my parts in the play is to be the figure that approaches Sylvia and Bonnie as they're skating, I did this by walking behind the set in a long black cloak as described in the narration which are lines that I have. It creates quite a sinister, out of charcater scenario because I am revealed to be Mrs Brisket instead of Miss Slighcarp and that links with the theme of Appearance being deceiving. However more so because I shift from being a figure representing Mrs Brisket in the distance to 3rd person narration directing the audience breaking down the fourth wall instantly, which adds to the sinister sense of the scene.

I really enjoy doing that kind of shift on stage and playing with split characters and voices in a sharp way. I decided I wanted it to be fast paced and for the shift of presence to spark from a sharp head lift. What's also interesting and fun to experiment with it creating the physicality of then another fast movement 'as she gave them an angry look' and mixing the two; 3rd person narrative with the almost possessed physicality of the figure I am talking about.

Character Developing | Mrs Brisket #3

After being given the part of Mrs Brisket, and when beginning to form any character I tried to come up with a particular accent for that character. I do this because I feel it gives me a 'starting point' and something to allow me to experiment with mannerisms, forms of expression and body language- when I am satisfied with all of those characteristics I associate that persona with the accent and can then ease myself into that persona through using that accent. I understand that an accent is not the most important feature of acting and that this is not the way everyone may approach developing a character but for me; it's a way of committing to a character, especially when it's a bold caricature such as the ones in this play.

The character interested me because she has a large contribution to the themes of injustice and mistreatment to the orphans which could be fun to play. There is also a point in the play though when she puts on a flamboyant act for the school inspector's visit which, again reinforces the theme of appearances being deceiving and gives the actor that plays her a chance to shift out of her true character and toy with the impression she might give at that moment in the play.