22|1|14 - Site Specific - Trees

We decided after last week, we needed to create more development of visuals of the script and story in order to create a more in depth piece of theatre that manipulated the surroundings. So for this, we studied '                  ' a piece of Greek Theatre. We did workshops such as freeze framing 3 points within the first part of the story, developing our understanding of character relationships and effectors. 

We were then lead to our site, which used a part of the tree and land section in our school's playground. He gave us a coil of string which we then had to use somehow. By looking at the site we were told to consider the audience and what we'd want them to see. We took pictures of our section of trees and moved back to the drama space. We used chairs to represent trunks of the trees. 

Our group used to the string in order to bind people to the trees and show the spirally downfall and effects that this one event caused. Our ability to use the setting was a struggle at first as we found finding a connection between the story and the surroundings hard to make, so instead we had to focus on the visual impact we could make with story. What we tried to focus on was that the trees were really trees, we did this by making Richard run through the forest, as scripted, as if hiding or getting away from something, the physical interpretation came in to Me Chris and Kelly who were able to play the characters he affected. Every time he passed a trunk, he was holding the ball of string and he could then unravel this as he met characters, there we could do a tiny piece of physical theatre showing the small story they have together, and how they would then get wrapped up into that string. 

By doing this we were able to incorporate the surroundings with our performance and by engaging the fluently we could give a short physical synopsis of the character and his effect on other people. 

As this site specific piece would be held outdoors there are many factors that we would have to consider in order to pull of a strong performance. 

There would be wind that could obstruct volume and effect the movement of props. 

There is also the unpredictable nature of the weather, that could effect the audience, the surroundings and difficulty to move. 

Health and Safety, if the weather effects natural lands and grassy hillsides, slipping may become an issues for both cast members and audience. 

This is where we were told about the legal sides of Site Specific Theatre, and the considerations into Health & Safety that would be necessary.