4|2|15 - Directing Unit - "DNA - Final Performance"

Preparation 

We used two sets of lighting, one for the higher level and one for the group scenes on ground level. On the ground level we set cans and leaves around to get the atmosphere right. 

Evaluation 

- I felt that when Rachel and Lea posed as a 'head off' on the crate it looked to awkward due to the height of the crate. When done more aggressively and when the correct stance is made with the body it was very hit and miss to get the correct result and we didn't get the result in the actual performance. 

- We'd always had in that Cathy occupies herself while Rachel and Lea have it out with each other, she used to set to look through cans. Although, I feel this did look like an add on rather than something developed. 

- I feel we should have reminded the cast about the length of the stage, they remained very cramped and centered. We managed to fix this during one rehearsal but in a different space and I think due to nerves they forgot to check their spacial awareness. 

- I did like the fact that with the raised stage for scenes where the audience were meant to reflect were used and the intense group scenes the floor was used to make the audience feel like they were on the same level. 

- There was a lot of significance with Phil's 'no', as this is the only line he says within the scene, I wanted it to show the difference between Lea and Phil's thought process and I think that carried slightly. As Phil didn't need to justify himself, or appeal to Lea's thoughts, he thought was he thought. 

- Reflecting on the performance I wish I could've created a smooth way to transition between scenes without the use of blackouts. This is because the cast found it hard to transition with little light, and it often looked clumsy. I would've liked to do a clearing and entrance to each scene to make it feel like everything was happening chronologically to fit into a naturalistic style. 

- I feel that near the end the cast started to overlap their lines a little too much. We warned the cast that although they needed to have speedy entrances with their lines to not drop pace they shouldn't cut the other person off unless it has a purpose. 

- I feel like the cast didn't react to the slap as much as they had done in rehearsal, or as much as I would've liked from them which meant that the impact and realisation of Cathy's change in persona was not as clear. 

Here is a video of my discussing the directing process and evaluating more aspects of the final performance with Mr Chipp: 

26|1|15 - Directing Unit - "DNA - Week 12"

Over the past week we have done smaller rehearsals working on either the Lea and Phil, Rachel and Phil or Jan and Mark scenes. During these we have gone over the direction we have handed them in preparation for the full run.

Lea + Phil - "Deja Vu" monologue: 
This monologue captures Lea's desperation to gain Phil's attention. Although not as dramatic as the strangling in scene 1, we see Lea almost boasting at how well she knows Phil. Part of me feels she is slightly taking the mick because of "doing nothing" is all Phil ever really does. But then from that I thought it was interesting if we made Lea naive to this, as if she see's Phil to be a lot more interesting that he really is. Once failing to correctly predict the birds landing, she changes the subject. (We have cut the discussion about the sky) As she questions the possibility to change things, we see Lea digging metaphorically on ideas within the play. Changing "one thing" being Adam, and "the world" being the group of friends we follow in the play. Phil disagreeing with Lea is the first time that we see the contrast between the characters. This is where I identify Lea as the moral conscious of the play as even Kelly himself see's "If you can change one thing, you can change the world" as the heart of the play. This conflicts with Phil's 'logical' and 'analytic' way of thinking and dealing with situations. 

Lea + Phil - "I'm Going" monologue: 

This is yet another desperate cry for Phil's attention. I do think, in this monologue, we see Lea start to stand up for herself, as realization or perhaps acceptance of Phil's ignorance which is why she might bitterly admit "I admire you so much" as she feels that herself could never be that ignorant if he showed the same desperation towards herself. Phil is provided as a comic relief in both of these monologues as the play deals with panic and chaos, the underlying tone of comedy helps to ease tension. I also think with it being Phil that supplies the unintentional comedy it shows how is detached from the situation and only see's it as a problem that has to be solved, but not necessarily have an emotional attachment or concern with them. Obviously, there is the consequence of prison which is why he will probably continue to help. This can make Phil appear self centered, which is also shown in the scene where he decides how to deal with Adams return. 

Rachel + Phil - "Come Back to Us" monologue: 

We see Rachel attempting to replace Lea, she mimic's patterns of Lea's monologues, such as looking out into the distance, the need for a reaction of Phil. We wanted to see a slight shift in Phil's attitude at this point. We wanted to see him angry at Rachel for trying to replace Lea, causing her to feel uncomfortable, therefore feeling unable or awkward to sit on the crate in which Lea used to occupy. With Phil being upset, it shows that there is no way to handle a situation completely based on logic, there has to be a moral influence on decisions as well, which is why Lea and Phil were together, as a balance. When Rachel says "there are more stars in the sky than grains of sand on Brighton beach" we want to see Phil put his head in his hands, this is because Lea would've said stuff like this, such as "if you can change one thing you can change the world". It is this reminder of Lea's company reflected in Phil, that makes Rachel feel so uncomfortable she's got to go. Phil will retrieve a star burst, a running item that is the idea of connecting logic and emotion, Phil's 'bargaining tool'. He then places it on Lea's crate before leaving the scene. 

Today's plan is to do full run through's of the performance. We video'd our first tech/run which was the first run through with all the staging, props, costume and lighting. Here is the video of the first run, it cut out so the last few scenes are in separate videos: 

Me and Alex then gave our feedback. These are the notes I wrote, in italics I will explain why I wanted to make these changes if necessary.

Scene 1 
- Lea's we heard, takes hold of Phil's hand- subtely

showing straight away that they come as pair, as much to Rachel's annoyance.

- closer together around Cathy
after being spread out, becomes more intense on her mistake. 

- go over lines Lea Rachel Cathy section 

-Brian's enterance, more shock. 

group reaction is a key, it needs to look naturalistic not as if it was set for him to come in then.
-Rachel line in quicker "you dick"
- Brian looking at the group when talking about crying 

shows that he is looking for reassurance and group support 
- mark and jan closer to Brian's stool 

so that when they move away afterwards it's a bigger reaction to Phil
-" mark & jan " move further behind lea in Phil's thing about grille
- Phil. more aggressive second "rachel will take you"

to show an underlying 'aggressive' nature as he is very direct
- Rachel's exit quick and more stroppy 

as she feels that the leadership of 'her' group is slipping from her
- interaction with each other at the end

>lines Rachel
>either side of Cathy - not too for forward
>Rachel more assertive
>Brian sit up more with the sweet (happier)
> reaction to Phil telling Brian what they'll do to him

Scene 2

- more of a let down when the starling doesn't appear, slump back to the crate

- pause before "change one thing" out of annoyance
the change line is one of the most important lines as it captures a lot of what the story is about. 

>more sure a bird is gonna land

Scene 3

- mark louder, more definite with a variety of tones

Scene 4

- Lea move arms more to not look so static or stiff. Need to look comfortable with Phil.
- pull the suitcase "right fucking now"
-genuinely think about the monologue and what's it's saying - easier to learn & you'll create more tone
- Phil don't leave the sight of your plate or pack away til they've left stage. Stay happy for a couple seconds after they've gone so the focus is on you
Phil is the character that can create humour 
>more aggressive and annoyed yeah everyone's happy 

phil isn't engaged by emotions, which upsets you
>sigh when Phil doesn't answer and decides to spread more

Scene 5 
>complete constrast between Brian and Cathy,.
shows the changes within the group and how they have become drastic over time. 

-Cathy lines come in quicker after Brian's, almost overlapping the end his lines

- more shock from the group at Cathy's violence (especially the slap)

she used to be the 'wannabe' of the group and show now holds the power of the group. 

- Lea think about the meaning of your lines, and how you'd actually say them

- Rachel, more distraught about the situation (head in hands) "fucked" a lot louder

- everyone think about your own fear in Brian's monologue. And use that as emotional memory, imagine hearing your best friend telling you go through all of that and how it would hurt. Adjust your body language throughout, don't be scared to move. Use your hands to show shock and worry and how you feel uncomfortable. Facial expressions try and show you imagining (confused, scared, worried shocked) - you got a while to display all these so just mix about with it with your character in mind

- Lea walk with disgust and shock at what Adams been eating

- Adam louder in singular lines

- Rachel look more worried at Phil when telling you what to do. Also look back when you walk off at Cathy (she's taken your place)

-more distress from Lea as soon and jan mark and Rachel have left. Urgency.

- definition and defiance from Cathy, you're now in charge of the group.

- create a build with the bag being over the head to allow the audience to be shocked

- Brian bend over and mean on knees "that was great"

- move closer to Phil body wise

- Brian take suitcase off back of stage

Scene 6

- no matter how it falls. Look disgusted

Scene 7

- mark look shocked as well, you're just as shocked you just know it's a fact and are annoyed that jan doesn't believe you... Again

Scene 8

- script down.
- look out on "Brighton beach" quote (like lea)
>keep the pace fast - you're mimicking lea's monologues

14|1|15 - Directing Unit - "DNA - Week 11"

Meeting

For the first rehearsal back, we thought it would be ideal to run through the scenes as we will have had the holiday. We wanted to make sure the use of scripts was abolished and so the focus was on the physical element. 

Rehearsal

We spent the first 20 minutes doing a solid line run. This is where I was able to direct their tone, as it was clear they knew the lines but didn't fully understand why they were saying these lines. Inputting the context that influences their line or reminding them of their character and Stanislavsky's "what if?" they were able to find a tone that created the correct delivery to make the scene flow and make more sense. You could they started to grasp how to do this independently as they started thinking about their lines whilst the scene carried on. The energy within the piece was raised due to this and I hope this continues when they have the concept of their physical movements.

The second time we went through, I gave characters key movements to match specific tones of voice, for example, when Cathy starts to get angry and I want her to have a venomous tone, I have made her cross her arms. I have done this for various characters throughout the group scenes. Specific actions to remember to help them remember their characters traits and stay closely to 'becoming the character' something Stanislavsky aimed to do.

After doing this for both of the group scenes, I decided to give them my notes on costumes so they had an idea of what I wanted for their character and why. 

Technical Aspect (Costumes): 

Lea: 

-Hair tied into two plaits, less messy, "controlled"
-Knee length skirt, more 'nerdy'. This will help establish the difference between Cathy and Lea
-Blouse/shirt
-Cardigan
-Shoes in which the character think fit the best. 

Phil
-Shirt, rolled up sleeves, top button undone reflects relaxed nature
-Sweatervest, implies the more nerdy side of his character
-Jeans, simple wear
-Black shoes, simple

Jan
-Hippy top - the idea of questioning and thinking
-A jacket - Jan is outside a lot
-Baggy "mom" jeans - constrast with the rest of the group, her "no" remarks against Brian 

Mark 
-Your average teenager (jeans & shoes) 
-Hoodie - the connotations of hoodies imply youth and 'chav' - outside 

Rachel 
-Ripped jeans, rough leader of the pack. 
-Large hoodie - again the connotations of this will imply a gang effect 
-Hoodie taken off to reveal floral top, this is to mimic the change that is imposed on the group, as the tough leader we now see her as more feminine and keen for Phil's attention. 

Brian
-Scruffy clothes, jeans, t-shirt, hoodie. Messy mimicking his mental state.
-Scruff up and gel his hair to make it look messy and odd. 

Cathy 
-School girl appearance for the first group scene.
-Shirt, tie, short skirt, fishnet tights, cardigan (don't care attitude) 
-Second scene, the tie is removed along with the cardigan. the sleeves of the skirt are then rolled up. This is to mimic the transformation she goes through to becoming rough. 

Adam
-Polo top (not fancy) with a pair of ripped jeans. These will then be coated in mud. We have applied mud pre to the performance and then just before the performance we will apply mud and fake blood so its a constant of being in the woods. We will have blood in his hair that appears dried but he can still feel it. 

I want the costumes to feel realistic for an area that suffers with gang trouble, the stereotypical council house area. The idea of them being in school or just finishing school comes through Cathy being in school uniform, and the state of the school will also contribute to the ideas of the society they're from. There is meant to be a contrast between Lea and Phil with the rest of the group, this is because Lea and Phil have been brought in from a higher society to help. Due to this, the characters costumes may have an emphasized stereotype effect, but without a budget getting the exact costumes I want is unachievable.   

17|12|14 - Directing Unit - "DNA - Week 10"

Meeting

For this rehearsal no matter who turns up we want to do a full run through, with the rest of the cast watching when they are not in. This means they can see their queues for entrances and how the energy needs to contrast with the end of the scene previous to pick up the pace. We are also saying that it has to be script down, we will allow them to look at scripts when off stage, and we will prompt them. We know that in the future rehearsal we will do a full run where we treat it as if we have an audience, there will be no prompt and we will see how they deal with it. But this will be the first time without scripts, so we feel allowing prompting will be helpful. 

Rehearsal

Again, the only people unable to make it were India and Freya, so again me and Alex stood in for those. We decided to skip past the Lea and Phil scenes as it would be unproductive to continue with those. 

We finished the blocking of scene 5, we wanted to show the end result due to the chaos and question how much it takes to change a person. It is throughout the play that each individual goes through a struggle and become a different person. 

This is shown in Rachel's monologue where she explains what everyone has become. Rachel has changed person, this is due to Phil's presence & since Lea has left, Rachel now feel's he is able to pursue Phil. We see a softer side of her due to this as she attempts to connect with Phil. We see that Phil has truly realised what he had too late when Lea leaves, this is shown through the placement of a starburst on Lea's seat. 

Taking into consideration the transformation from violence to passive within Rachel, we see the opposite take place within Cathy. We previously see her as quite niave, self obsessed, at the end we see her violent streak grow and her become a more authoritative figure. So it was key throughout the end of scene 5 to show Cathy's new status by her directing threats towards Brian, and it is her that now babysits Brian instead of Rachel. 

Brian's character is shown to have finally hit the rock bottom of his mental state, becoming highly dysfunctional is shown through his lines already, we wanted to reflect this in his personality, his mood being able to flip through the simple production of a sweet, and then being returned to a hysterical mess when told he must go into the police station.  

I want scene 5 to really encase the change that has happened to the group due to the chaos. I feel like Phil' character is the only person who notices this, due to his analytical traits, meaning he knows who he can depend on. Lea also hasn't necessarily changed, the thing that happens with Lea, is that she loses hope. The joke of leaving becomes a reality, her morals can be seen as more than her affections towards Phil.

1|10|14   - Week 1 - introduction - quick fire workshop

8|10|14   - Week 2 - workshop - read through - look at script

15|10|14 - Week 3 - work on script sections

20|10|14 - Week 4 - work on script sections

5|11|14   - Week 5 - work on script - fully blocked (group scenes)

12|11|14 - Week 6 - duologue blocking 

26|11|14 - Week 7 - duologue blocking

3|12|14   - Week 8 - develop duologues, revisit group scenes

10|12|14 - Week 9 - script down - develop tone and body language

17|11|14 - Week 10 - script down - tidy

14|1|15 - Week 11 - script down, full run through, dress?
21|1|15 - Week 12 - dress & tech rehearsal, no script/prompt. two run throughs?

10|12|14 - Directing Unit - "DNA - Week 9"

Meeting

Me and Alex were aware that the year 11's were preparing for their mock exams and therefore, Freya, India and Daisy wouldn't be attending the rehearsal. This meant that we knew we couldn't do the Lea and Phil duologues, and we have decided that we will do these out of n2c time in order to have more focus on them. Instead, we want to go over the group scenes and develop the tone and confidence of their placing. 

Rehearsal

We started the rehearsal discussing the closing deadline for the performance, telling them we wanted to do a full run through of the play next week so they could get an idea for the structure and when they are on. We then started to carry on with the rehearsal, fortunately Daisy turned up, this meant that me and Alex could fill in for Lea and Rachel. We went through the scenes multiple times, saving the feedback until the end of the run through so we could start to get a smooth flow. 

Confidence in their lines was the main fault, the lack of confidence in their delivery slowed the pace of the performance. We told them that the best way was to learn their queues so that they could make their line instantaneous, this will help to develop the atmosphere of panic and urgency within the scenes. 

The delivery of the lines is becoming more definite, they are all showing a large improvement with the understanding of the context of the play. As they grasp the purpose and reason for their lines they are able to add more characterisation to it, which gives the scene depth over all. 

The only thing that I feel needs to happen is a full run through with everyone there, this will help link all the scenes together. I also need to hold a rehearsal with just India and Felix to go over Lea's monologues. Doing this separately will ensure that we don't waste time when the whole cast is there. It also allows me to engage with them more, focusing on how the context effects their character and why I am directing them to do the things they way I do. 

3|12|14 - Directing Unit - "DNA - Week 8"

Meeting

Looking over what me and Alex have left to do, it is still only the end of scene 5 and the Lea and Phil scenes that need completing. We also want to work on the thought behind lines, we feel this will help with the expression of the lines including their tone. With the Phil and Lea scenes we want to show the developing corruption of Lea's faith within Phil. This happens in the scene where there is actually no talking. 

Rehearsal

The cast members that play Cathy and Lea were not at rehearsals due to other commitments, this meant it was hard to complete what me and Alex wanted to do as both carry major roles within the parts we still have left to block. We didn't want to do the group scenes and have us stand in for them as they we didn't feel the cast would benefit from this as they are the ones that carry the scene. Instead, we decided to do a workshop revolving around their characters tone. 

We sat in a circle and one by one I asked them to choose five of their lines from various points within the play. This was a great way to see who also felt most confident with their lines. I then sent them to separate parts of the room so they could go over those fives lines. I then told them to remove context from the line, take them a way from the situation that they are actually from and think about how that might change the way they are said. For example, one of Phil's lines is 'do you want to go?' - in context he is referring to where Adam would like to be, it is a serious question that carries a lot of consequence. If we replace this with a different context, such as, asking a girl to come home after a night out, the tone and delivery of the line would be very different.  We then re-grouped, and I told them to go round saying one line at a time, and changing the tone for each one. I then set up a line of chairs, I then gave them numbers and switched so that when they said their lines in the number order or would come from a more interesting pattern then one after the other in a line.
I then videoed this. 

To develop it into something more interesting to watch we added actions to mimic each tone or line, this meant exaggerated the feeling within the delivery. I felt that this was a successful way to get the cast to think about the meaning and motives behind there lines. This will mean that they will be able to get a more realistic delivery. I think this will  help when we go back to running through the scenes as they will be able to take that knowledge and bring it through the rest of their lines. 

26|11|14 - Directing Unit - "DNA - Week 7"

Meeting 

Looking at our schedule, we realised that we were unable to block the Lea and Phil scenes due to India's absence, so we thought we should get started with one of those. The one thing we both think is missing from the scenes is the intensity of worry, fear and concern, therefore Alex said he would do some developing work on the rest of the cast until I've blocked one of Lea and Phil's scenes. I told Alex my plan of direction, how it would be simple staging and I will mainly be focusing on Phil's reactions and how Lea conveys herself. 

Rehearsal

We felt the cast had a good energy and focus and therefore we felt that if we started a game they may feel liable to get too hyper and less focused. I took Lea and Phil away, as I felt it worked really well with Felix and Freya to explain the context of the scene I decided to do the same with this scene. This meant me telling them how Lea could be seen as the 'moral voice' within the play, showing glimpse of hope within each scene of how they can resolve the situation. The scene concludes on a key moment when Lea asks "If you can change one thing, you can change the world?" Dennis himself felt this moment might well be the heart of the play. I agree as I feel the play deals with the effects a situation has on a group and the consequences it has on the individuals, and although this is just a on a group, we could see the group metaphorically represent a country. I wanted to make Lea understand it's Phil's intelligence and control and how he isolates himself that she finds attractive. They are the balance of each other, where Lea's overriding confidence to talk and display any of her thoughts, Phil is analytic, concise with words and speaks when only he finds necessary. 

We then decided to go through a run through of scene 5. I wanted to bare in mind context, the only points of feedback of the group is to understand what their characters are feeling at this point. The situation is growing more and more difficult and the characters are becoming more desperate in finding a way to resolve the situation. I also want to make it clear of Cathy's growing violent streak and the status she is receiving in the group because of this - maybe having some sort of action between Rachel, the previous clique leader, would show this. Showing Cathy as violent makes it a clear choice for Phil to choose her to carry out the violent plan at the end of scene 5 which is not yet blocked.