HOLIDAY REHEARSAL. 30|5|13. 'Berkoff - Lunch'

During this holiday rehearsal, we knew it was less than a week away until the final performance. So we came in and worked on the piece directly. We had already blocked half of it and now we wanted to complete it, and make some of it smoother.

Here is an over-vlog of a run through we did halfway through the day. We know it wasn't to a quality standard, but it was a run through where we wanted to not stop a re-do anything and instead continue if we got it wrong. This could then help us for the last half of the day so we know where to focus are attention.

LESSON NINE - 22|5|13 - 'Berkoff - Lunch'

Today's lesson focused on adapting the script, so I thought you easy way to tell you about the thought process behind this would be though this vlog. 

After doing an out of lesson rehearsal to keep up with our schedule, we managed to complete a few more pages. The section we worked on was finding out about Thomas's job.

When I say 'you're not on holiday, what do you do?' I am bringing forward the fact I've taken into account his appearance, which is clearly office wear. Jake creeps out from Matt, and slides to either side whilst saying his lines, walking his fingers down my arm for one of them, and brushing up my leg on the other, and then whispering 'birthday present' to him, I am in a freezefram, to show that this is the thought before Matt's immediate reactions. Matt's reaction is to spurt out 'selling mostly'. This shows how he doesn't like his 'sleazy' side and is trying to cover up Jake's attempt of sexualising the job.

Throughout the section, the action for 'space' is a physical representation, where we make define a square in 2 movements and repeat them in synchrony. Matt jumps up onto the bench and I move forward as if I am imagining the amount of space.

LESSON EIGHT - 15|5|13 - 'Berkoff - Lunch'

At the beginning of this lesson, Ciara discussed how she felt uncomfortable continuing with the script. We came to the arrangement that she would do the beginning part of the script with us but then we would diminish her characteristic and continue the play with 3 members of the cast, and she would be doing a monologue instead.

Although this does cause an issue as we now have to rethink previous idea's we had involving four members, we will be continuing and I will have to show hints of the suppressive emotion at times it is necessary, but I will focus on the confident aspects of my character.

We are now looking at the part where the character are communicating. This is where we have decided to push Ciara out as it shows that once the man has started talking, my main worry is over. This could show that the woman's only fear was if the man felt the same attraction she did, and once that feeling was reciprocated she no longer felt need to be shy or restrict herself, and therefore I could continue talking for myself. By me physically pushing Ciara out of the picture it shows the audience how I am now the superior train of thought and the doubt remains out of sight for now.

While doing the naturalistic talking about how it's a lovely day, Jake and Matt have a choreographed conflict where Matt is trying to be polite and Jake just wants to sit down next to me. I don't make any reaction to this movement as the battle is happening inside the man's head and I want the audience to understand that the woman is only really seeing what the man is saying, rather than the dynamic battle of the thoughts. To show this, I stare forward instead of at him, this removes the possibility of confusion within the audience as they understand I cannot see the physical battle, this element also creates humour as I am unaware of the constant battle the man is going through.

We struggled with thinking of a way to split up the 'overlapping' analysing each other, so are first step was to divide the lines so we knew who was saying what and the queue for their next line, so the order we came up with was..

Jake: Blue eyes
Me: Blue eyes (changed as both Jake and Matt's eyes are blue)
Matt: Nice
Me: Nice
Matt: I like that
Me: Hair dark soft
Jake: Fullness in lips
Matt: Soft
Me: Hands, strong, big
Matt: Legs crossed
Jake: Skirt shirt
Me: Worrying thoughts, eyebrows, nose
Jake: Darker recesses leading to the various succubi and incubi swarming in her panties
Me: Mouth avaricious, devouring
Matt: Those gardens of cotton roses
Me: Like to be - now

Jake: A child wandering through hot gardens
Me: who is he - what does he - how does he
Matt: those smelling summer times
Me: Bird-like - hawk-like predator
Matt & Jake: I love her

My tone when saying 'worrying thoughts' should be different from when I say the lines about attraction. As I'm saying it as if I notice him looking at the show of my legs whilst crossed. This gives the audience I chance to see that I still have traits of the submissive characteristics even though Ciara has left the stage.

Before Matt and Jake say 'I love her' we all move our heads in synchrony to the top of DSL to show a possibility of further chemistry after analysing each other.

We then wanted to move the movement further, and we thought that Jake should take over the speech, but we wanted to remove Matt so he was where Jake was behind the both of us. Having the characteristic that's not at the surface of the person behind and in the middle of the man and the woman, allowed them to easily interject and terminate the conversation or attraction that starts to happen, or if it is Matt (suppressive) that is at the surface Jake can take over and bring the attraction back with ease.

So whilst Matt says 'the sea is calm today', in synchrony we move our arms across the horizon as if we're pointing at the sea, and Jake can then push Matt off the seat and take his place. We then end with our faces only inches from each other, showing the attraction, clarifying Jake taking over the position in order to pursue the woman further.. I then use my next line to break the tension and discuss something else.

The next page we want to continue using synchronised movements in order to add movement that isn't to visually distracting but still adds the physical aspect that fulfils the traits of Berkoff's method. But we are thinking of adding these in during the holiday rehearsal, and moving on with the script and adapting it by cutting large chunks out of it.

LESSON SEVEN - 8|5|13 - 'Berkoff - Juxtaposition in Script'

Within the script we juxtapose between speaking our thoughts, and speaking to one another. This lesson we wanted to establish how we would differentiate between the two.

As my characteristics are ones that follow the dominate side, I want to show the clear contrast between mine and Ciara's characteristics, as although we want to show that she is eager too, mine she's the more 'active' character, and hers the submissive. To show this through my thoughts, I will be adjusting the tone dependant on the thought, but the pace will probably be faster as I am excited and eager to talk the man and I want to reflect that in the thoughts by putting forward the honest persistence she has. The tone of this is key, as Ciara is also persistent so retract herself away from the situation, she will also have quite a fast pace, but she will use a more downhearted tone as she thinks she's stupid for thinking about him. He persistence is not aimed at talking to him, but aimed at stopping me. This is where humour can be produced for the suppression and ignorance I have of Ciara's characteristics shows the audience where the story is going to lead.

As I am talking, I will slow my pace down to seem more calm and collected in order to show how I am building a façade for the man. This becomes ironic when later on I say I don't want my name to be printed so men can imagine me, because I'm allowing myself to be imagined by the man to be something I'm not. Such as, interested: 'please do' (when he asks to sit down), and by showing that, I make myself appear available when later, it's discovered I'm married. By adding this flirtatious and eager side to the character it shows how the events following aren't necessarily harassment as she wanted attention from him from physical attraction. Using the calm voice also provides the contrast between the spoken thoughts and dialogue with the male making it easier for the audience to establish what the characters know and the extra information they are being told by a specific character. 

LESSON SIX - 1|5|13 - 'Berkoff - Duality'

Duality is presenting conflicting emotions, characteristics or feelings of one person through the use of multiple people. This is an element that will be included in 'Lunch' to help add physicality to the performance.

First we had to create 3 movements in which we get over each other, so we had created me doing a leap frog jump of Emily, Ciara cartwheeled over Emily, the last is where I fireman lift Emily over Ciara as she is curled on the floor.

We then had to create 3 movements to get under one another, so one move was where Ciara pulls Emily out from in between her legs. The second, Ciara walks towards me and weaves around mine and Emily's hands that are held together creating a 'spiral' effect. Then the final is where Emily sat on my side and as I role one direction she goes over backwards and Ciara steps over me and ends up in between myself and Emily.

Then, we had to combine the two sets of movement in a way that was fluid. Then, we had to add dialogue and create a two sided argument and use facial expression, tone and body language to show conflicting personalities. We decided to focus on 'agoraphobia' which is the fear of going outside. Here is the video of the end product:

I like the fluid style of movement, and I think that in small doses it will provide a aesthetically pleasing performance, as at times the language in 'Lunch' needs to be focused on rather than the movement, so finding times where the movement won't be as much of a distraction will allow the audience to see a less static performance.

Me and Ciara decided to incorporate a battle of emotions through movements at the very start, she wants to leave and I want to stay to see if the man will talk. We create a short running & pulling sequence and used the weaving motion while the boys have lines about not wanting us to go. As this is fairly near the start it gives something interesting to see straight away, and gives them a chance to realise the performance is a constant battle of emotions. It also provides humour in a very visual way which is different to the Stanislavsky style we did for 'The Pillowman' which was through the witty humour and by using humour based through the 'what if' rather than physical attributions that Berkoff provides in 'Lunch'