Thursday, 14 January 2016
REVIEWS 3:
1. Analyse the suitability of chosen audition material for audition context. Give an account that shows how you chose your audition material. In this case your "Five finger exercise" speech. You should relate your choices to your own vocal and physical abilities. Give details of the speeches that you dismissed and reasons why you dismissed them.
Pamela's character is a fourteen year old girl who is being taught by her tutor 'Walter' who is now living with them. So even though I am 17, Pamela's character is only three years younger than me. I remember what it was like when I was fourteen so I feel like it was easiest to relate too her out of all three of my monologues. I found the script at college and found the monologue first when she is telling Stanley about the dream her brother Clive always has about Stanley, then Olga told me I would need to read the play because when I read it out in class she said I needed to know the story and work out a way to deliver it because I was clueless on that at first. I feel like Pamela was describing the dream using arm and hand gestures a lot so I decided to place that into the speech as much as possible.
Other speeches I dismissed was 'Valerie from The Weir' which is an Irish woman called Valerie who tells two men at a pub about a ghostly experience she had with her daughters passing. I did really like this one because I felt it was really strong and would be a challenge for me but Olga mentioned it may not be the best pick for me as she is in her thirties but could still work if I really cannot find anything else. I dismissed it because I found Pamela's one which is younger than Valerie's and Pamela didn't have an accent where as Valerie was meant to have an Irish accent which I cannot do.
I also dismissed 'Paulina' which was one that Olga gave to me to try out, I hadn't read the play so quite frankly the monologue made no sense to me anyway but also I felt a little uncomfortable because she starts talking a little personal about things so it made me feel a little uncomfortable so this is why I decided to dismiss it.
2. Write a synopsis of the play from which your speech comes from.
http://www.enotes.com/topics/five-finger-exercise / this is a link which has the full synopsis of the play.
3. How did you prepare for your audition? What did you do to interpret the speech and respond to the style of the audition text?
I constantly went through it in my spare time to learn it, I read the entire play. I developed the character in my own way but with some help from what I gained off Pamela's character after I had read the play. I interpreted the speech by telling the story of the dream in the monologue in the way I would have told someone when I was fourteen years old so I could get into Pamela's character more and be her instead of myself.
4. How do you feel that you have demonstrated effective and confident vocal and physical technique in an audition situation? Give examples, in reference to your text if possible.
I had a clear voice and was sure of what I was saying and I really think I put an image in Olga's and Ella's heads for when I was describing the dream to them. I felt like I emphasized the words well and I really went for it. Originally I wanted to sit down because she is sitting down in the play so I tried something different by standing up. When she describes that Stanley is walking down the garden which is covered in snow and she says 'crunch...crunch...crunch', before, Olga told me that she couldn't hear the snow and that she could hear leaves so I really emphasized it more this time and felt like I made it come across more that it was snow and not leaves.
Pamela's character is a fourteen year old girl who is being taught by her tutor 'Walter' who is now living with them. So even though I am 17, Pamela's character is only three years younger than me. I remember what it was like when I was fourteen so I feel like it was easiest to relate too her out of all three of my monologues. I found the script at college and found the monologue first when she is telling Stanley about the dream her brother Clive always has about Stanley, then Olga told me I would need to read the play because when I read it out in class she said I needed to know the story and work out a way to deliver it because I was clueless on that at first. I feel like Pamela was describing the dream using arm and hand gestures a lot so I decided to place that into the speech as much as possible.
Other speeches I dismissed was 'Valerie from The Weir' which is an Irish woman called Valerie who tells two men at a pub about a ghostly experience she had with her daughters passing. I did really like this one because I felt it was really strong and would be a challenge for me but Olga mentioned it may not be the best pick for me as she is in her thirties but could still work if I really cannot find anything else. I dismissed it because I found Pamela's one which is younger than Valerie's and Pamela didn't have an accent where as Valerie was meant to have an Irish accent which I cannot do.
I also dismissed 'Paulina' which was one that Olga gave to me to try out, I hadn't read the play so quite frankly the monologue made no sense to me anyway but also I felt a little uncomfortable because she starts talking a little personal about things so it made me feel a little uncomfortable so this is why I decided to dismiss it.
2. Write a synopsis of the play from which your speech comes from.
http://www.enotes.com/topics/five-finger-exercise / this is a link which has the full synopsis of the play.
3. How did you prepare for your audition? What did you do to interpret the speech and respond to the style of the audition text?
I constantly went through it in my spare time to learn it, I read the entire play. I developed the character in my own way but with some help from what I gained off Pamela's character after I had read the play. I interpreted the speech by telling the story of the dream in the monologue in the way I would have told someone when I was fourteen years old so I could get into Pamela's character more and be her instead of myself.
4. How do you feel that you have demonstrated effective and confident vocal and physical technique in an audition situation? Give examples, in reference to your text if possible.
I had a clear voice and was sure of what I was saying and I really think I put an image in Olga's and Ella's heads for when I was describing the dream to them. I felt like I emphasized the words well and I really went for it. Originally I wanted to sit down because she is sitting down in the play so I tried something different by standing up. When she describes that Stanley is walking down the garden which is covered in snow and she says 'crunch...crunch...crunch', before, Olga told me that she couldn't hear the snow and that she could hear leaves so I really emphasized it more this time and felt like I made it come across more that it was snow and not leaves.
REVIEWS PART 2:
1. Analyse the suitability of chosen audition material for audition context. Give an account that shows how you chose your audition material. In this case your "A doll's house" speech. You should relate your choices to your own vocal and physical abilities. Give details of the speeches that you dismissed and reasons why you dismissed them.
A doll's house is by Henrick Ibsen and the monologue I took from it was one from Nora's character when she plucks up the courage the tell her husband Torvald how she really feels. Again Olga told me to look at this play. I couldn't find it to read it but I did watch a version on YouTube by a university. I think I do suit the character, it is very different for me. I think I suit Nora because even though she is in her thirties, she seems very young still because she depends on everyone to do things for her and she doesn't do much for herself and gets carried away with money and so on so I feel like I could still get away with a monologue. I am a young girl so I could get away with the physicality of the character.
2. Write a synopsis of the play from which your speech comes from.
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/dollhouse/summary.html / This link includes the full synopsis of the play.
3. How did you prepare for your audition? What did you do to interpret the speech and respond to the style of the audition text?
I used my spare time to learn my monologue and watch the play. I used the time to research the synopsis and the characters in the play. I interpreted the speech but saying it as I would say it if I was in the situation that Nora is in to make it seem more real for me.
4. How do you feel that you have demonstrated effective and confident vocal and physical technique in an audition situation? Give examples, in reference to your text if possible.
I feel I demonstrated effective and confident vocal techniques because I think I came across like I really meant what I was saying. I feel like I really made the characters feelings come across. I didn't do much physically but I used more hand gestures to make it seem more like I was standing there making my point to whom I was speaking too. When it says in the monologue 'You are the reason I have made nothing of my life' I used a lot of hand and arm movement.
A doll's house is by Henrick Ibsen and the monologue I took from it was one from Nora's character when she plucks up the courage the tell her husband Torvald how she really feels. Again Olga told me to look at this play. I couldn't find it to read it but I did watch a version on YouTube by a university. I think I do suit the character, it is very different for me. I think I suit Nora because even though she is in her thirties, she seems very young still because she depends on everyone to do things for her and she doesn't do much for herself and gets carried away with money and so on so I feel like I could still get away with a monologue. I am a young girl so I could get away with the physicality of the character.
2. Write a synopsis of the play from which your speech comes from.
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/dollhouse/summary.html / This link includes the full synopsis of the play.
3. How did you prepare for your audition? What did you do to interpret the speech and respond to the style of the audition text?
I used my spare time to learn my monologue and watch the play. I used the time to research the synopsis and the characters in the play. I interpreted the speech but saying it as I would say it if I was in the situation that Nora is in to make it seem more real for me.
4. How do you feel that you have demonstrated effective and confident vocal and physical technique in an audition situation? Give examples, in reference to your text if possible.
I feel I demonstrated effective and confident vocal techniques because I think I came across like I really meant what I was saying. I feel like I really made the characters feelings come across. I didn't do much physically but I used more hand gestures to make it seem more like I was standing there making my point to whom I was speaking too. When it says in the monologue 'You are the reason I have made nothing of my life' I used a lot of hand and arm movement.
REVIEWS :
1. Analyse the suitability of chosen audition material for audition context. Give an account that shows how you chose your audition material. In this case your 'After Juliet' speech. You should relate your choice to your own vocal and physical abilities. Give details of the speeches that you dismissed and reasons why you dismissed them.
I feel that Rosaline's character in 'After Juliet' is still quite young but not my actual age of 17. I feel like she comes across as a jealous girl at the age of her early twenties and maybe at a push late teens. I didn't go out of my way and choose this piece I was actually given it to me at random by Olga. I stuck with it for a very long time and never thought about cutting it as it is a very long monologue but I feel like I drifted from it for a long time. I actually forgot I had it and remembered when I was really struggling to find a classical monologue to stick too. I feel that I suit the character of Rosaline, this is because everyone knows what rejection feels like and what it feels like to be replaced or to lose someone or to be incredibly jealous of someone. I feel I can relate that I just mentioned everyone has felt it at some point. It was difficult in the way I had to pretend I was standing over Juliet's grave but I feel like Rosaline never felt brave enough to tell Juliet too her face because she was too scared too. Rosaline does say during the monologue "Later still you stole my love, and didn't know you'd done it" proving that maybe she felt silly to confront Juliet while she was still alive.
Other speeches I dismissed included 'Emilia' from Shakespeare's 'Othello', I tried to stick to it but at the time I never knew about the play and the version I watched of it was not including the monologue and for some reason I just really didn't understand the piece. I didn't know how to act because I was not really sure what Emilia was talking about. I also wasn't really sure on the character.
2. Write a synopsis of the play from which your speech comes from.
I feel that Rosaline's character in 'After Juliet' is still quite young but not my actual age of 17. I feel like she comes across as a jealous girl at the age of her early twenties and maybe at a push late teens. I didn't go out of my way and choose this piece I was actually given it to me at random by Olga. I stuck with it for a very long time and never thought about cutting it as it is a very long monologue but I feel like I drifted from it for a long time. I actually forgot I had it and remembered when I was really struggling to find a classical monologue to stick too. I feel that I suit the character of Rosaline, this is because everyone knows what rejection feels like and what it feels like to be replaced or to lose someone or to be incredibly jealous of someone. I feel I can relate that I just mentioned everyone has felt it at some point. It was difficult in the way I had to pretend I was standing over Juliet's grave but I feel like Rosaline never felt brave enough to tell Juliet too her face because she was too scared too. Rosaline does say during the monologue "Later still you stole my love, and didn't know you'd done it" proving that maybe she felt silly to confront Juliet while she was still alive.
Other speeches I dismissed included 'Emilia' from Shakespeare's 'Othello', I tried to stick to it but at the time I never knew about the play and the version I watched of it was not including the monologue and for some reason I just really didn't understand the piece. I didn't know how to act because I was not really sure what Emilia was talking about. I also wasn't really sure on the character.
2. Write a synopsis of the play from which your speech comes from.
The play centers on Rosaline, Juliet's cousin and Romeo's ex-flame. Ironically, Rosaline had been in love with Romeo, but was playing hard to get. Tortured by the loss of her love, Rosaline has become a sullen, venomous woman. She actively seeks to be elected the 'Princess of Cats' and run the Capulet family.
Meanwhile, the Capulets and Montagues have obeyed Prince Escalus and called a truce. The treaty quickly descends into a farce as both sides continue to rage against each other. Amid the turmoil more doomed love springs- between Benvolio Montague and Rosaline. Benvolio is warned by Valentine (Mercutio's twin brother) to stay away from her if he knows what's right.
The climax of the play comes during an election to determine whether or not Rosaline or Petruchio (Tybalt's brother) will succeed Tybalt as Prince or Princess of Cats. The election fails to have any results and the fate of the truce is left open ended
3. How did you prepare for your audition? What did you do to interpret the speech and respond to the style of the audition text?
I prepared by every night and any time I could I would learn my lines. I also read the plays and watched the play of one of my monologues and read the others, I took as much time as I could to research anything I could to help me with information about the plays. I interpreted the speech by not changing my voice to sound like a 'classical' actress because I still felt like I could do it with my own voice. Even though it was classical I was not being too over the top with my voice or my gestures and all that, I felt like that was not needed.
4. How do you feel that you have demonstrated effective and confident vocal and physical technique in an audition situation? Give examples, in reference to your text paper if possible.
With 'After Juliet' I showed the fact that I was standing over Juliet's grave and sitting by it/on it instead of just facing forwards to Olga and Ella. I say in the monologue 'Press your ear against the Earth so that I know your listening', and then I lowered more as I say my last goodbye as it is not very nice. I knew the words so I felt confident with that but I showed emotion with what I was talking to Juliet about, I felt like I knew exactly what I was going to say to Juliet in that character. I felt Rosaline's play because I always wondered what happened with Rosaline in 'Romeo and Juliet' because Romeo loves her at first and you never seem to know about her but then in this play you find she is actually quite angry/upset about it all. I think the way I demonstrated the monologue in an effective way because I showed them that I was at a grave and not just talking forwards.
Tuesday, 12 January 2016
FIVE FINGER EXERCISE:
I have been reading the play of five finger exercise by Peter Shaffer. By reading it, it has made me have a more clear image in my head about how to do my monologue and it makes more sense.
So I have found that the play is about a family who used to live in London but now live in the countryside, Pamela is fourteen and is being taught by her new tutor who is now living in their house called Walter who is a German man. He is teaching her to play the piano and is teaching her French. Louise; the mother, is from a French background and her husband Stanley seems to be very moody. Clive; their son is currently at University at Cambridge. I feel like because the play relates to the piano a lot, that is why it is called 'five finger exercise'.
Clive does not seem to be keen on Walter, and if he is he has a weird way of showing it. There is one night when Clive gets so drunk and calls Walter an immigrant and starts opening up about the relationships in the house. Later on Clive and his father Stanley have an argument and Clive is still very drunk. Clive saw Walter and Louise hugging earlier but told his father they were more intimate then that which I think later on Stanley will believe that. The family does not seem to have a great relationship.
So I have found that the play is about a family who used to live in London but now live in the countryside, Pamela is fourteen and is being taught by her new tutor who is now living in their house called Walter who is a German man. He is teaching her to play the piano and is teaching her French. Louise; the mother, is from a French background and her husband Stanley seems to be very moody. Clive; their son is currently at University at Cambridge. I feel like because the play relates to the piano a lot, that is why it is called 'five finger exercise'.
Clive does not seem to be keen on Walter, and if he is he has a weird way of showing it. There is one night when Clive gets so drunk and calls Walter an immigrant and starts opening up about the relationships in the house. Later on Clive and his father Stanley have an argument and Clive is still very drunk. Clive saw Walter and Louise hugging earlier but told his father they were more intimate then that which I think later on Stanley will believe that. The family does not seem to have a great relationship.
Sunday, 10 January 2016
After watching 'A Dolls House' :
So I watched a performance from an acting course in an university that was done many years ago but based on the same script. The girl who played 'Nora' played her very well. I don't know if it's in the play or if it's the university's interpretation but in the three acts, for every act the set changed and got more modern every time and so did the costumes. It started with a very Victorian based set and costumes/hair styles and so on and by the end of the play it was much more dated.
By watching the play it gave me a much more clear idea of what was going on as I didn't know that much about the story when I was just reading the monologue to myself.
Nora's character is originally in her thirties, the girl playing her came across a lot younger...of course she is anyway as it is a university piece but the way she walked and presented herself she at least looked her early twenties and at a push...possibly her late twenties. The fact that her character had three children made her seem older.
From watching the play what I have got from it is that Nora's character has always been told what to do because it seems by the end of the play she does not really know anything or what to do on her own. She is constantly asking for people to do her favours during the play and never seems to do anything alone apart from departing at the end and even then she relies on her friend to take her in. By the end of the play she does pluck up the courage to tell her husband (Torvald) that she wants to learn about life on her own and that she does not know how to be a wife or a mother. She had to wait for the truth to come out about her taking the money to get the confidence to tell her husband she does not want to be with him anymore. She has realised that she has made nothing of her life herself because she's always had other people making her life for her and she was being controlled quite rightly as she describes herself as a 'Doll'.
In one of my feedbacks from Olga she asked me what I thought about the play itself and whether I think I suit the character of Nora. Originally Olga gave me this monologue to help me find one for my contrasting monologues. I personally like the play, I like the way how it could still be something that happens in today's age such as controlling relationships, forceful parents...etc. Some of the comments such as when Nora's husband makes it clear that she cannot do anything for herself as she always does something wrong and makes a mess of it can come across quite aggressive to a audience of today. Also, at the beginning of the play it is clear that Nora constantly asks her husband for money and he gives it to her...he lets her get on with it and gives her a list so that she does not buy the wrong things comes across as her being a child and not being able to make her own decisions.
I do think I suit the character, although she is in her early thirties. I feel like I could because in modern days this is happening to younger girls and not just older women. I feel like she is very quiet and is constantly being shut down which I feel I can relate to in some circumstances. I think Nora's character is a great character. I really like her personality. She seems very vulnerable and naïve sometimes and I feel like that is what most girls/women would feel like in her situation.
By watching the play it gave me a much more clear idea of what was going on as I didn't know that much about the story when I was just reading the monologue to myself.
Nora's character is originally in her thirties, the girl playing her came across a lot younger...of course she is anyway as it is a university piece but the way she walked and presented herself she at least looked her early twenties and at a push...possibly her late twenties. The fact that her character had three children made her seem older.
From watching the play what I have got from it is that Nora's character has always been told what to do because it seems by the end of the play she does not really know anything or what to do on her own. She is constantly asking for people to do her favours during the play and never seems to do anything alone apart from departing at the end and even then she relies on her friend to take her in. By the end of the play she does pluck up the courage to tell her husband (Torvald) that she wants to learn about life on her own and that she does not know how to be a wife or a mother. She had to wait for the truth to come out about her taking the money to get the confidence to tell her husband she does not want to be with him anymore. She has realised that she has made nothing of her life herself because she's always had other people making her life for her and she was being controlled quite rightly as she describes herself as a 'Doll'.
In one of my feedbacks from Olga she asked me what I thought about the play itself and whether I think I suit the character of Nora. Originally Olga gave me this monologue to help me find one for my contrasting monologues. I personally like the play, I like the way how it could still be something that happens in today's age such as controlling relationships, forceful parents...etc. Some of the comments such as when Nora's husband makes it clear that she cannot do anything for herself as she always does something wrong and makes a mess of it can come across quite aggressive to a audience of today. Also, at the beginning of the play it is clear that Nora constantly asks her husband for money and he gives it to her...he lets her get on with it and gives her a list so that she does not buy the wrong things comes across as her being a child and not being able to make her own decisions.
I do think I suit the character, although she is in her early thirties. I feel like I could because in modern days this is happening to younger girls and not just older women. I feel like she is very quiet and is constantly being shut down which I feel I can relate to in some circumstances. I think Nora's character is a great character. I really like her personality. She seems very vulnerable and naïve sometimes and I feel like that is what most girls/women would feel like in her situation.
Thursday, 7 January 2016
valerie's monologue - continued:
So I asked Olga if I could do the monologue in a British accent because I cannot do a fluent Irish accent. Here is the email reply from Olga:
'I am not sure if Valerie is completely the best choice for you as she is a woman in her thirties with a daughter.... But if you are really stuck I would rather you did that than nothing.'
So I took the advice and decided to go back for the monologue from 'After Juliet' which is Rosaline's monologue.
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