Drama

ZenZenZo is a physical theatre group that came to work with us for two sessions. Their main ideas were the 4 viewpoints (ensemble awareness, spatial awareness, audience awareness, energy awareness), the Suzuki method and the Butoh which is a traditional form of Japenese theatre. We mainly focused on the physical side and explored the Suzuki method of training. One of the things I found difficult was keeping the same level of energy and effort when we were stomping our feet. It felt physically straining when trying to lead with our center of gravity as well as maintaining our stomps, especially when it came towards the end as I fund myself slacking off a bit. This also relates to us as performers. When was working on my scripted piece and my monologue, it was very common that I would lose a bit of energy and focus when it approaches the end. It showed me that it’s really important that we keep our focus at 100% throughout the whole piece. Another thing I found a challenging was when we were doing the rock garden activity. Even though I found it challenging I really enjoyed it as there were no specific instructions. There was just a set of movements we could do and we were given the space to do it however we wanted. I liked it a lot as I had to use my instincts rather than wait for a cue. It was challenging because I had to rely on my peripheral vision and I was afraid of doing something wrong or walking into someone else.

Some key takeaway from the sessions would be how we use energy in our performance and the proxemics on stage. I remember Alice talking about going past the line and using a fierce rugby player as an example. When we step on stage we should be hungry to perform and give it our all. I think it’s really important to keep that mindset in drama. Keeping that energy level 5 or 6 on stage keeps the audience engaged in the performance. Something that really stuck in my mind is the way Alice showed us how important the space we leave between each other can interpret different meaning. I think it’s something I always overlook, but now I know how much of a difference it can make.

I also learned that it’s really important to rehearse if you are performing. As Alice stated, the stress level an actor has before performing matches that of a fighter pilot before going into a war which is very high in my opinion. I think Suzuki’s method of training which is to rehearse under high-pressure conditions is very crucial. Overall, I really enjoyed the sessions and I’m glad I got the opportunity to learn from ZenZenZo.

On Thursday the 26th of April, I went to see the play 1984 at the Esplanade Theatre. It was a huge theatre and the stage looked very professional. The play was set in a strict dictatorship country where people were controlled by a dictator called Big Brother. Big Brother was only interested in power and didn’t care about the people. The people were brainwashed and fed with propaganda. Love was forbidden and people had to dress a certain way. Winston Smith, the protagonist rebels against Big Brother by falling in love and seeking other rebels. In the end, he gets tortured and forced to believe in all the lies fed by Big Brother. Overall I think the play was very well performed with a lot of thought behind every move they make. I think that the set was very effective in terms of the many ways it was interpreted. It started off as Winston’s desk, then a dining table and even a train at one point. As an audience member, I enjoy it when I imagine the set and try to imagine what it would really be like. In the scene where Winston was in the yard, there were shelves and books in the background, yet I still knew Winston was outside the house. They also displayed good use of repetition to show Winston’s perspective on the party. It pointed out how boring and repulsive his life was. I also noticed how everyone on stage had a part to play. I liked how all of their actions linked to one another. Even a pause was used to make the next movement significant and make it count.  I also found the use of props very interesting. Especially the bloody scene where Winston was getting tortured. It looked very realistic and was very visual. Overall I really loved the play and would love to watch it again if I get the chance.

Last week, we had to perform our story to the first graders. After about 8 weeks of preparation both during class and outside of school, I’m sort of relieved that it was over. I feel like this is the first step of my drama career in high school. The main challenge we had was the lack of energy and we tried to overcome it by adding the snake scene. I feel like I had the easy part, because my part was sorted out pretty well. I wish I could be more involved from the beginning because I realised that I wasn’t very confident to contribute because I was scared that it would sound stupid. Towards the end of our preparation, I decided that I should contribute a bit more and I tried to do so. The only reason I wasn’t feeling confident was because in my old school, people would laugh at each other in drama whenever they’re in character so I expected the same. Working on the storytelling piece totally proved it wrong. It showed me that I’m in a community where people accept you and help you grow as a drama student. I know I stuttered a bit with my lines, but as the performance went on I became more calm, until towards the end (Sofia and I kind of rushed over our bits at the end). I think overall it was a decent performance and I look forward to many more.

This is the photo of my ATLS. I wrote about my strengths and weaknesses there. I think my self management and collaboration is clear and I’m showing some indication in terms of communication. When I’m in class, I keep being afraid of saying the wrong thing so I don’t speak as much. I should not be afraid to speak up and I think I would be more confident as the year goes on. The goal I would like to set is to be more prepared for class. I think I can do this by taking care of all the things I need to remember the night before class. I think this would make my class time more productive.