Final Performance Evaluation

Today we completed our final political play performances. Our production was still quite raw with strong ideas that needed to be work-shopped further, nevertheless we managed to pull off an insightful and at moments poignant piece about state sanction torture and certainly got the audience thinking. In this evaluation the key areas I will be focusing are; The artistic achievements we made; the level of professional execution; strengths and weaknesses and the future potential of the piece as a theatre product. This term has been a really big learning curb about the power as theatre as a tool for change and how to make an audience really watch the play, deeper messages and all. 

The motif of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves was really effective on the night. They provided a brilliant element of spass and cause the audience to question their laughter. As the audience came in they were greeted by these weird clown figures dressed all in white. This straight away applies the verfremdungseffekt as they step into a room and are already being interacted with. I felt like this was  effective because it instantly set up tense atmosphere and made them start asking question. Another way in which alienated the audience as they came in was with the "Barney song". This was another Brechtian technique we applied (song). This was enhanced by adding gesture and blank facial expressions. The fact we were standing behind the audience and they had no choice but to sit in front of us. I feel like this was a representation of the dark, looming, ever-present torturer figure. 

This would have put the audience right into the victims shoe's. The theatrical configuration (traverse) help to add another element that made the audience feel on edge. They could always see other audience members and the ensemble. This would have made them feel very aware that they were sitting in a theatre; it would also make them conscious of their own reactions instead of being lost in the narrative. Also because it was a small audience there was a sense of hyper awareness of everyone around them. I feel like this was a positive and a negative because they felt like they couldn't laugh. Most of the funny parts were met with half-assured laughter which meant that they felt the subject material was too dark to laugh at which was one of our main aims.

I feel like we executed the performance with a high level of professionalism and commitment. For a lot of us the piece was a bit of an endurance test. My section wasn't until right at the end which meant I had to stand for about 45 minutes moving a minimal amount and keeping that "I've been lobotomised"essence going for the entire duration. This was made even harder by the feeling that an audience member could look at you at moment. Some feedback I got from one of them was that most of us seem to just stare at one spot for the whole piece which was really effective and maintain that atmosphere. However not everyone could keep this focus. I feel like this could be solved by having a moment when the ensemble changed sides and look at the audience; this would also apply the V effect and give us an opportunity to stretch our legs. Another example of where we showed excellent professionalism was when the tech went wrong. The video didn't play on cue for the "I'm in Guantanamo get me out of here". There was a long pause but after a little wait the action continued regardless and they managed to re-work it without causing too much disruption to the audience. It was great to always find new things in a performance. I found myself looking at the back of the person's head in front of me. I thought this was effect because it would make the audience on the other side think they are being watched. 

Our biggest strength was our acting and our aesthetic approach. I spoke to one of the audience members (Mr. Worden)  and he said that the play really got under his skin. He was later on watching a music show but he was still thinking about the piece in the back of his mind. I think our application of Brecht's techniques was very strong however I feel like I could have used the V effect more. When I leant back on my chair and said "We're all in this together, you see". I made eye contact for a brief second with a few audience members but that was it. I could've improved this by physically pointing and getting in their faces. A weakness of our production was the fact we didn't provide a solution to our message. We presented our problem but we didn't solve it. In order to improve this aspect of the piece I would add petitions as the audience leaves or even during the performance. That would really bring that out of the narrative. Sharply. 

As a theatre product I feel this piece has a lot of potential. With a bigger audience the jokes would resonate more, a higher budget we could have higher quality projections and a bigger cast we could add more ensemble spass scenes. I think this piece would be suited in a Fringe theatre like the cockpit. The intimate space would mean that the alienation and creepy atmosphere would remain but our message would reach a wider audience. We could even transfer it to a non-theatrical space like a train station waiting room. I think that the simplistic set would mean that the piece could be profitable and we could donate the proceeds to amnesty international.

In conclusion, our political piece was a success as we managed to do the hardest thing within theatre; get the audience think about the issue even after they left.

Make-up for Political piece

I covered my eyes with dark black paint and had white and black arrows pointing towards them. This was to represent how my character had "seen a lot of things". It was also a way of "hypnotising" the audience and other characters into looking into my eyes. A lot of torture is physiological and the dark patches could be interpreted as sleep deprivation. This was another way in the piece we applied the V effect. 

SINGIN' IN THE RAIN Song Lyrics

---

I'm singing in the rain
Just singing in the rain
What a glorious feelin'
I'm happy again
I'm laughing at clouds
So dark up above
The sun's in my heart
And I'm ready for love
Let the stormy clouds chase
Everyone from the place
Come on with the rain
I've a smile on my face
I walk down the lane
With a happy refrain
Just singin',
Singin' in the rain

Dancin' in the rain
Dee-ah dee-ah dee-ah
Dee-ah dee-ah dee-ah
I'm happy again!
I'm singin' and dancin' in the rain!

Notes from Director

Be on the cues - in order to make the scene more sharp and comedic we must come in with our lines a tiny bit before the last person speaks; however we must not speed up or interrupt each others lines. This is difficult because it's hard not to rush your lines when your trying to hop on your cues. I need to make sure I know my lines inside out in order to prepare for vocal production.

"It's the act of animal, that" - I need to borrow speech patterns from northern dialect in order to say the line right. 

I have to find the balance between professionalism and concern within my character. I can do this by analysing how adults respond when confronted by a crying child that isn't their own. 

Spass

Spass literally translates from German to English as "fun". Brecht realised that whilst an audience laughs they are also thinking. Brechtian Theatre isn't all serious, comedy is integral part of engaging an audience and delivering an important messages. Spass was also a good tension breaker, if the tension got too high then the audience might start following the emotional journey of a character. Types of Spass include; stand up routines, song, slapstick, physical comedy, or even a game. It isn't just purposeless silliness however, there was a strong message behind the comedy. This is because it is used to treat a serious subject.  It's all about making the audience question why the actually laughed. They start examining their own views and whether they should laugh or not.

For example:                                          

This joke highlights disability through clever word play. Brecht might have used a joke like this if he was making a comment on the way we treat amputees. I feel like everyone has a sense of dark humour even if they won't admit to it, so spass is another effective means on holding a mirror up to the audience. 

Exercise: Servants and masters - We played a game in which 5 or so people were masters and the rest of us were servants, what the master demanded we had to supply not matter what it was, if they needed a seat you became a seat, if they wanted some water we had to get it as soon as possible. If they didn't get what they wanted the game was over. From an outside perspective this might have seen funny and could've been a social commentary on the bourgeoisie lifestyle and the way the proletariat obey every command even though they are the majority. However playing it wasn't very fun to be honest and I don't feel like this exercise helped to demonstrate an effective use of Spass.   

Gestus

Gestus is another Brechtian technique; it is a distinctive movement or gesture that highlights a particular moment of significance or an attitude in relation to theme that is trying to be conveyed. It does this however without delving into emotion or showing a character's deep psychological reaction to something. This was another way to showcase an issue with putting the audience catharsis. Brecht didn't want the actors to play characters but rather show them as a type of person. You would see him name his characters archetypal things like "The Girl" or "The Soldier". If the audience began thinking about the emotional reasoning behind the actions then he would have failed; he wished them to make judgements on the societal situation rather than empathising with them. Gestus must have social  comment paired with it. For example, a soldier saluting as he marches across a stage is a normal gesture. However if he was saluting as he marched over a stage filled with dead bodies, it would be Gestus as a social comment about the type of person he represents. 

Exercise:In this exercise we were put into groups of three and told to show three freeze frames showing; 

• Soldiers confronting each other in battle 
• Soldiers finding a dead body 
• Soldiers attitude to the dead body 

We realised that the exercises was all about the third freeze frame, so we decided to depict the two different reactions, One soldier stepping over the body (not caring at all) and one soldier looking away like it didn't happen. We were making a comment on the way soldiers are willing to step over the enemy and have no remorse. We also have the other kind of soldier, who will look away from the harm done and the destruction of human life. This exercise was effective, because it helped us find ways to portray societal attitudes through strong gestures and communicate important themes without using words. 

Uta Hagen 9 Question - Things make no sense

Who am I? My name is Detective Inspector Benjamin Brentwood, Code name B; I graduated Northumbria university with a first in criminology. I have worked for Scotland Yard for ten years and arrested over 100 felons for crimes ranging from petty theft to terrorist activity. I do not discriminate and I am not afraid to charge even children or old people. I am 42 years old, I have a wife and 2 beautiful daughters and I wish to keep the world safe for them. 

What time is it? The year is 2098, Crime rates in the last century quadruple, widespread lawlessness and looting led to social/governmental reform. We now live under a more "totalitarian" regime but it keeps us safe, it all hinges on justice and punishment keeping Britain's subjects in order. It is a Tuesday, 8:30pm, it's been a long day.

Where am I? I am in a tiny room, slightly claustrophobic, a singular light bulb illuminates a small medium size desk and not much else, there's two way glass to my left, and small recording device concealed underneath my chair, there's a metal door behind the suspect slightly to the left with a double lock on it. There is also an out of use water-cooler behind me with a filing cabinet next to it. 

What surrounds me? In front of me sits my suspect, Georgina Graeber, accused of murder in second degree outside an electronics shop, She seems unaware of the allegations but that doesn't throw me, My partner sits to my right, Angela Anderson; code name A, she's been in the business nearly as long as I have, however she has a tendency to get a little passionate about her work. 

What is my relationship to the things around me? Georgina is my naive suspect of my current investigation, she has no idea that she is actually the one standing accused of the crime; she probably considers herself a good law abiding citizen little does she know, A (my partner) is my scribe, bad cop to my good cop and my secondary in this enquiry.

What's just happened? I just tied up the case of the Zodiac Killer, turned out to be coat hanger from Slough! Who knew? I got my assistant Tina to send my paperwork down to Human Resources for approval and to send up my next suspect for questioning. 

What do I want? I want Georgina to confess to the crime, I want her to stop interrupting my partner, I want to forget the horrible images that plague my mind, I want to rid the world of unsolved crime, I want to her to see that this is the only way the system to can hold up.

What's in my way? Her perceptions of her own innocence, the fact she was in Sweden selling bottled water, the tedious process, My job and desires to do this job and a strong memory, 

What am I going do to get what I want? Simply fabricate her whereabouts, right down a false report, show her some disturbing imagery, convince her that this is the only way the world can work, show that she isn't the only one.