Unit 8: Task One

Stuff Production Diary

Audition

My audition for “Stuff” was very exciting! When we had initially read through the script a month before, I really enjoyed the play and the ideas behind it. I found the play to be very funny and interesting. This was in great part due to all the different characters, how they interacted together and how their characters developed as the play went on. Each and every one of them had their own secrets and stories to tell. However, there was one character that did stick out to me and that was AJ. AJ was a 16-year-old boy, who was quite a handful. Horrible to some and always getting into trouble, but he also had a very sensitive side to him. This was shown in the play as he was gay,yet hadn't told anyone and liked someone in the group (namely Matt) who was not interested in AJ in that way. 

From the first reading of the performance, I knew who I wanted to audition for straight away. So, I immediately started  reading AJ's lines trying to figure out how I would portray this character. Trying to understand him as a person, especially his sensitive side as that is a big part of the performance and makes his character well rounded. The two different sides to him is what makes the character very unique and interesting. The same two sides of AJ that need to be highlighted in the performance and that is hard to do. 

Later on, we were finally given the audition sheet with our monologues for each character in it and I gravitated towards AJ's. Luckily for me AJ's wasn’t too long, I could learn it really easily. I could focus more on actual character development and making this scene come to life, in what I think would be AJ. I also tried think of the actual scene I was in, the people I was talking too, as well as  the scene around me to try and bring it to life in my head.

The day of the audition arrived and we were allocated our time slots. We were all sitting, waiting around for our turns to come. At the same time we were also helping each other to prepare and help the nerves to go away. Then, it was my turn and I felt fine no nerves, I was ready. I went in there and gave it my best shot. Initially I was a bit nervous when I started saying my lines and running through everything I had practiced, but I seemed to do well and follow through on all my preparation. My mind did not go blank nor did I forget any lines. In my opinion my audition went well. At the end of my performance I was asked why I wanted to play this character? In my response I explained that I thought I could relate to AJ and therefore play the character really well. To me AJ is one of the first roles I felt confident with and that I could have loads of fun creating a character with lots of depth and nuance.

 The following Tuesday, the casting notice came out. I was given the part of AJ, the character that resonated with me the most. I was so happy and excited to be able to play the role. I felt like I was on cloud nine, the relief was unbelievable. The role that I had worked so hard for! I had a good feeling about this character and could play him well, whilst also challenging myself to be a totally different person to who I am. 

Later on in the day, we were split into different casts to work on each of our performances; how to stand; to get a rhythm and a bond going with each of our characters and the rest of the cast members. Now, in real life we of course have a bond. As a class we have all known each other for nearly a year, so that wasn’t too hard to accomplish. This familiarity with each other, I feel will allow us to perform and communicate effectively. Nevertheless, this time did allow us to start to develop our character and see how we were going to play them. We spent the rest of that day running through the script with Kane, with him helping us with blocking and postdating throughout the script.

Thursday had Kelly help us dive into our characters. How we could try and make our characters stand out and develop them, so that they all managed to stand out in their own way. For example; Kelly told me how she thinks some of my lines should be, in order for them to make more sense and for my character stand out more. Kelly helped me too understand my character further. Why he does the things he does. The reasons behind his actions. Yet I needed to make sure I didn’t forget any lines that were key to the performance. For instance, the lines that referenced 'Harry Potter', which are key in the play but I missed a couple when going through it. Finally I know that when I come onto that stage I need to bring 1000% to my performance. I need all the attention to be on me at all times because this is my entrance and it needs to be big. I need to make a impression on the audience.

The next week we couldn’t work as a full cast, as some of the class were helping the second years to perform their play 'The Musicians'. Due to this our two different casts came together so we could rehearse as one. To me this really highlighted how even though we were split into two casts, we were still one class creating a piece together. The previous commitments some of us had required us to communicate with each other and our teachers in order to figure out a way to rehearse effectively. If we didn't do this the play wouldn't have been ready for opening, only through working together as one could we be ready to perform.  I found this particular day helped me to remember what my lines were for each individual scene.  I find it quite difficult to both read and act at the same time. Therefore, learning my lines quickly is very important to me and it truly helps my overall performance whilst rehearsing if I can be rid of the script. Furthermore,  when it comes too blocking it would be really helpful to be rid of the script as it would help me get into my head where I am meant to be. While also making it feel natural to the audience, so that they wouldn’t even know that's where I am meant to be positioned.

On that Tuesday I didn’t manage to get any reals done, due to the fact that I was filming with the film students. I was filming with Bailey, where I played a character called Max, he was a bully who had to threaten a kid who bumped into him. I found this really fun to film and I loved playing that character. I enjoyed the filming process again, it was good to remember how it was like to film and how every little thing could interrupt our filming. From people walking past, to a plane overhead, it did take us a lot longer than expected but it was still a great experience overall.  

 

Tuesday 11th April

Today we had a much longer day than usual. We spent the first half of the day practicing for the play 'Like There Is No Tomorrow'. However, I was also filming for Jack Flowers' film “Gone”, which was very fun. I was playing the role of Max, a school bully who is making one child's life hell. That day we filmed Scene 1, in which I am in throwing  paper balls at someone's head and just being a general bully, who doesn't  care. After this filming we rejoined the class to run through some scenes for "Stuff" once more. As well as work on our character development. In order to do this  we went ahead and  create our own scene for the characters to meet and we would improvise from there what we think our characters would be like and how they would be in that scene.

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday 12th April

Today we went into Room 230. Once again we only had a couple members of our own cast and had to join with a few people from the other cast. Nonetheless we had each character accounted for, so we could proceed to rehearse the play. As a cast we started off by setting up the room as we would in the actual performance. This is important to rehearse our performance, so that we can make sure we know where we are standing and that we aren't confused in our positioning. We proceeded to play some warms up games; such as splat question. This is not dissimilar to normal splat but every time you do splat someone you need to ask them a question. This question could be on any topic. After this we continued to run through the full script, trying to remember our blocking and learn our lines. This allowed us to create a good overview of how the play is coming together. 

 Monday 17th April

Today the class was delivered some feedback from Kelly about our performance. Namely, what we could improve on in some aspects in our performance. So, my personal feedback was that I needed to make my entrance bigger. I needed to make sure everyone was looking at me at all times. I need to capture the attention of the audience and my cast members. All eyes need to be on me and to give that big first impression of who I am. The big man, that I am going to be trouble and problematic throughout the play. I needed to make the audience think 'oh here we go one of these people'. Make sure that they already roll their eyes at me.  I also needed to make sure I wasn’t missing any of the line that reference 'Harry Potter', these are some of the most important and funny lines. They allow the audience too piece together AJ's and Matt's bond and how actually they are both very similar.

Tuesday 18th April

The main focus of today was with Kane. He expressed how important it is not to just act with words but also what your face is doing while your saying your lines. You have to make sure to react to what you are saying and what the other characters are saying. How you react to that can be so important, it can say more than lines can sometimes.  Especially so when it comes to my character AJ, he is being talked about and talked too a lot so I need to react to what these people are saying about me. Kane was teaching us a method to get better facial reactions out of a scene. First, we would run through a scene normally and then I needed to do the scene without saying anything, only using my body language and facial expressions. 

 

Within my performance I took a lot of inspiration from the practitioner Stanislavski whom I had researched before and realised many of his techniques would help within the performance. 

Stanislavski is a massive practitioner that most people in the acting world will know.  He is basically the godfather of naturism and that’s why I wanted to use his techniques and talk about him in relation to this performance. For instance, one of his techniques is called 'The Magic If'.  Stanislavski  tried to train actors' imaginations and worked on the principle that if the actors can't imagine the truth, it is impossible to play the truth. A basic technique he used for this was 'The Magic If': if this stage were really a trench, how would I act? It was a way of ensuring that the actor really believed in the part he was playing. It was a way of stimulating the imagination. However, 'The Magic If' would only work successfully if it was used in conjunction with Stanislavski's 'Given Circumstances'. The 'Given Circumstances' provide the answers to the Magic If, for example, they could tell an actor where the trench is, what year it is, who they are fighting for.  

At the end of the play, we use another of Stanislavksi's techniques, which is referred to as 'The fourth Wall'. The set of a realistic production will be in theory be solid and three dimensional, and most often in a proscenium theatre that enhances the sense of that fourth wall. The performers present the action realistically, without using techniques such as addressing the audience or a tableau, which immediately shatter any illusion of real life being played out. We are meant to be watching a glimpse of real life.  

I utilised this technique in achieving my objectives. For example at first my characters' objective, I believe is to impress people and to grab everyone’s attention. He wants to be known and have everyone’s eyes on him, that attention seeking side of him is showing.  This is how I made my character stand out from, I burst in with a bunch of energy, stealing the stage. Making sure even the audience is focusing on me and only me and make sure they don’t forget the character of AJ.