CAS Reflection #3: Candide (Creativity)

Candide, the Grade 11&12 play I have a part in is performing on late November to early December. As it is on quite soon, we’ve been very busy. This was the first school production I am part of, so this experience is new but very rewarding. I have made many new friends, most of those who are in Grade 12 and also doing the Theatre course. This has turned out to be very helpful, I learn so much from them; from their acting, performance, contributions, and conversations. They give so much advice and support. Support is the emphasis here. Their support is phenomenal, not only in Candide, but in Theatre too. They give great feedback and, as a plus, they have a brilliant sense of humour and unity. Overall, collaborative with them not only performance-wise, but also creatively has been an amazing experience. I really get the sense that these kids know what they’re doing. Ms Bye is also an amazing director. What I love about her is that she’s straightforward and she gets what she wants done, and when she wants it done. It’s not super easy, but she is a surefire way to a brilliant production, I know it. Overall, this creative journey has me; 1. very excited for the run-throughs, as the rehearsals we’ve been having so far are for blocking and line-learning purposes, 2.Very excited to be working collaboratively with some of the best drama students in our school and learning from them, and 3. Put on a wonderful and enjoyable performance for friends and family, all with the help of our wonderful director, Ms Bye.

#LO1 Awareness:

• What previous experience have I had with an activity like this?
  • Although I wasn’t in any school productions before, I have been involved in drama and theatre collaborative work and performances through two years of GCSE Drama and the first few months of IB Theatre, including the NIDA trip to Sydney. These experiences definitely helped my confidence in this environment, because every person around me is extremely talented. If I hadn’t had these experiences, I know I wouldn’t have felt as comfortable and in the end, have given worse contributions and a worse performance, so I am very grateful for the skills I’ve picked up in the past two and a bit years.
• What am I good at? What are my strengths?
  • My strengths are more on the collaboration side, as I like group work and devising. Gratefully, Ms Bye has given the case quite a few opportunities to independently come up with an idea for a scene, or something to create in upstage, while she was directing something downstage. This way, I have been able to help direct backstage mini scenes in Scene 3 and Scene 5 with Sophie’s family cast and the Cunegonde cast respectively.
• What would I like to improve? How has my involvement in this activity made me aware of my strengths and areas for growth? Have I improved and in what areas? How do I know?
  • I would like to improve my performance and characterisation. This is something I know I already have a basis in, but not enough for me to settle with. I know how to characterise theoretically and practically, and I know how hard it is through GCSE Drama Unit 3 experiences, but I also know that even though it takes a lot of thought, experimenting and time, a good performance is a performance that was worth it. I am willing and optimistic about this one, especially because I have already started experimenting and trying quite a while back, and although at first, during the first two rehearsals (the read-through and the initial blocking of Scene 2), I needed a lot of Ms Bye’s guidance. But now I feel comfortable enough to continue characterising by myself
• Why have I struggled in some areas?
  • The reason I have struggled with my performance is lack of confidence. I haven’t had a lot of experience with performing onstage, despite having done it before. I feel like the more I dive head in, the easier it will be for the confidence to come to me, and I know that the more confident I am with myself and my abilities, the better my characterisation and performance will be.