Thrust Staging

Thrust Staging is the type of staging we will be using for "DNA"

An advantage of using this type of stage space is the 3D- effect and the different perspectives each audience member will receive. The audience will instantly feel more involved in the play as the communication between the actors and audience is less distance.

An disadvantage of using this type of stage is the actors at constancy moving to different sides, so you won't always see the front of them. 

  

As an actor the challenges would be using the space, not just facing one direction the whole time, facing the three sides during the performance. 

ers we would play. We observed our class mates read lines from the dialogue of the characters they had chosen. We would then decide who played their selected character the best and write a  points why.

Workshop

For our up-coming performance "DNA" we participated in a workshop to determine which characters we would play. We observed our class mates read lines from the dialogue of the characters they had chosen. We would then decide who played their selected character the best and write a  points why.

It was a pleasant experience participating in the workshop purely because it was such a relaxed environment to be in. I read in for Jan, who was a character that interested me. Before my reading I studied her lines and felt I could do a lot with her. I included a sense of innocent within her character and also confusion. I wanted to play her because I enjoyed her witty personalty and the fact she couldn't quite get to the reality of Adam's death. The character Mark manages to preserve with Jan and get her to face the reality which she often refuses to belief.  

Observing the workshop was entertaining and captivating for me. From observing my class mates I learnt how I could improve my overall performance (voice projection, facial expressions, body language etc). 

I particular focused on the girls going for the same part as me so I could create a similar but different way of playing Jan. It was fascinating how every girl going for Jan created almost another Jan in the way they delivered their short scene. 

I was impressed by Daniel because he adapted well to all the parts he read for. He was an all rounder which defiantly shone throughout the workshop. He suited many of the characters within DNA. He was emotional and powerful particularly with scene of Adam's. His body language and voice projection where clear. Sonia also impressed me. She delivered Jan well. Her facial expressions were shown clearly. She put her own twist to Jan which was effective. 

Stanislavski- Fact file

Stanislavski- Fact file

Born- January the 17th-1863

Died- August the 7th- 1938 

Bit of extra information.

He was a Russian actor and theater director. 

He was best known for developing what is called the "Stanislavski method" which is famously known for today as a theatre gender (Naturalism). He was the founder of Moscow Art Theatre. He also wrote 7 books which are still read today. 

Subtext

Q- What is subtext?

Subtext is the thoughts and feelings behind the dialogue spoken. What the character is really saying beneath what is actually said. Subtext is a way of getting a clearer insight into how the character thinks and feels beyond the words. How the words spoken may say something completely to what they actually mean. Subtext is experienced by the audience and the actors. Subtext can be communicated by tone of voice and body language.  

This is a "Monologue" spoken by Leah , which my partner and I analyzed and created a subtext for-  

Non-verbal communication

Q-What is Non-verbal communication?

Non-verbal communication is communication without using any form of speech. It includes body language and facial expressions. Non-verbal communication is often more powerful than words. Words are shown through your face and body language. 

Q-What scene did you create using non-verbal communication and who did you work with?

Me and my partner Ella created an emotional scene about out-breaking to someone that a close family member had died. It was a simple scene which was extremely moving. It seemed even more powerful using non-verbal communication. Body language and Facial expressions created the scene. Eye contact and pauses made it more emotional. 

What made our scene more truthful was the music played while we performed. From the music I started to believe it was real that I was out-breaking to someone that a close family member had died. This was the song-                                                          

I don't believe you

I selected Skye who took part in the game "I don't believe you" The situation was just discovering he had been diagnosed with cancer. This was a challenge as he would have to make it as realistic as possible, if someone didn't believe him they would shout out "I don't believe you" we played this game to look into the further truth of a character, to really see whether they're believable to the audience.Skye was able to show the truth well. He walked in slowly and just sat in silence. The silence was what showed truth within his character. Non-verbal communication was used particular well by him, which made me feel emotionally attached to how he must of been feeling. He was extremely successful to creating a truthful performance because of his facial expressions and body language. He looked down at the floor to show he was distraught and shocked. 

Truth on stage

By creating truth on stage the audience becomes more emotionally connected to the characters and the story. Once they are emotionally connected they are more likely to be interested in what the characters are saying. In this way truth on stage causes the audience to connect with the emotional and intellectual levels. If we create truth in our production it will be so much more believable for us and the audience. For actors truth on stage can help them develop their character more deeply, but really gets them absorbed into the characters ways of thinking,feeling and responding.

A significant character

A significant character in DNA is the postman. Important and key to the play. All part of a plan. The “group” decide to blame Adams death, on a man that doesn't exist. 

“A postman with bad breath, large and brown teeth”. 

"The group" terrified of getting caught report this to the police. A man is found of this description. A innocent postman being arrested for a murder he never did. How would the postman feel about this? What about his family? His children? These where questions about this character I asked to my-self. The postman's respect he had would be lost. How would he prove it wasn't him? Would anyone ever believe him?

Some characters in DNA feel guilt towards the postman, while others take no pity. All in all "The gang" brush it to the back of their minds and just get on with life.

I feel distress and misery for this hopeless character who is totally innocent but accused anyway. The postman never says a single line in the DNA but is extremely key within it. Visualizing how confused and distraught this man must feel is upsetting. I take pity on him and am effected by hearing what position he must be in: innocent but not able to prove it. How must that feel?

Roll-on-wall and Brians backstory

We created Roll-on-the-walls to develop a clearer understanding of our characters. Our group came out with a clearer understanding of Brian. We studied Brian's lines, and tried to look for characteristics within them. What feelings he showed when he spoke the lines? We copied down quotes of Brian's and linked them with feelings. Throughout doing this activity, I defiantly learnt more about Brian as a character. How he is even taken advantage of by his peers but just laughs about it.

Click the link for the link for the video- 

http://year10actingup.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/lesson-2-15th-november-2012.html

For Brian we linked his emptiness and madness into a snapshot of his world. Our ideas where thrown together. We particular focused on the relationship of Brian and his father. The neglect he received and responsibility he was expected. Brian was treated as an out cast and bullied by the rest of his siblings. We showed how Brian's nurture effected him as a person. He traits are clearly the opposite of what his father wanted him to be. What draws me to Brian is how remarkably interesting he is. How he approaches things and deals with certain situations. He advertises himself as childish and naive. A dreamer that doesn't seem quite with it."D'you ever feel like the trees are watching you?" from this quote I feel he's slightly mad, what Brian says can be out of the blue and confusing. Brian will always keep the audience questioning. 

A group that particular kept me intrigued was the backstory of "Leah"  

The group was effective, cause they showed different stages of Leah being ignored by her family and friends. This created sympathy towards her and lead the audience to question why her family and friends payed no attention to her? The neglect she received and love she never got. There piece showed emotion and frustration within Leah. It stood out to me and caused me to dwell on how her nurture impacted her nature, making her insecure about herself.

Brian's song

This song is emotional and strange. Two things that I feel resemble Brian. The song is also quite cold and doesn't have a clear message within. It's puzzling and you want to know why the words in it are being said. 

This song is deep and slightly creepy in a strange sense. But overall I feel this song gives similar messages to what I thought of Brian.

First Response

We read a play called DNA by Dennis Kelly. From the first view words of the play I was immediately drawn in. Dennis kept me questioning throughout the play, keeping me on edge the entire time. The play kicks in with the word "Dead”, short but extremely effective. Later on we start to un-ravel the mystery of Dennis's play.

Dennis's informal writing style kept me focused because I relate to the language used. I understood the story-line and the charters in it. In the play we discover one of the characters "Adam" who has been harassed and teased by a young group of teen-agers. We find out that Adam has supposedly fell down a grille after the teenagers had been tormenting him. We realize that Adam was taken advantage of and he was just used to be laughed at.

I was attracted to certain charters more than others. On in particular was Leah, she appealed to me because of how desperate she was, which made her character effective and stand out. I felt sympathy for her because of the attention she craved but never got from Phil. Leah rambled on to Phil, getting nowhere and beginning to make herself feel frustrated and ramble on further. Phil starts to agitate and annoy the audience by saying nothing. Phil particularly intrigues me. His character is puzzling and you want to know the reasoning to why he takes no notice of Leah's attempts to get his attention. Phil is not a character that appeals to me because of his unsettling personality. 

We do eventually discover that Adam has survived and has been living in the woods surviving on leaves. At the very end of the play Dennis creates a cliff hanger that leaves your mind spinning. Overall Dennis is an extremely talented play writer that has written a play using characters that are a similar age to us.