Sorry, I'm evil for leaving it so long!
Part two of the ArtsAward update.
The main thing I was scared about was blinking.
The people doing 'Play' were also very nervous, because one thing could disrupt their entire performance, as rhythm is very important. I was then suddenly struck by another fear- falling asleep due to the rocking! And also falling out of the chair, or my feet falling off the footrest (not quite sure how that would happen).
When 'Happy Days' was being performed by Ophelia, Gracie put more powder on my face and hair and then during 'Play' we just waited on the other side of the door. We couldn't really hear what was going on, and we couldn't see anything so I had no idea if it was all going ok.
Then it was time for me and Gracie to go on stage. Even though it would be just me performing first, Gracie deided to stand in the shadows behind me to enable a quicker and smoother change-over half way through- so it could almost be incorprated into the play.
It was going very well, I did the pause, said 'More' in a good voice and (I think) managed to do the entire first part rocking in time without blinking. When the recording got to 'Time She Stopped' I stopped the rocking chair and waited my pause before saying 'More'. But then part one of the recording started playing again, rather than part two. I was quite thrown off, but managed to continue (admittedly, the rocking motion is the same for all the parts) but I think I may have said 'Time she Stopped' in the wrong place by accident, and I blinked once or twice so it wasn't very good at all.
Then it got to the time when I was supposed to change places with Gracie. I realised that I had to make a choice; stay on longer for part two, or change and let the play continue from part three. I chose the latter, because otherwise the performance would have gone on for a long time, and also because I thought I heard someone say the word 'Change' from behind me (where all the technical stuff was taking place). Looking back, I suppose the person who said 'change' could have equally been saying 'don't change' but at the time I just acted on impulse. So then I stood in the shadows behind the rocking chair for ten minutes whilst Gracie did her part, then we left the stage and went back into room 105.
I was very disappointed that it had gone wrong because I had been convinced before the performance that I'd mess up and I did end up saying 'Time she stopped' in the wrong place. I was trying not to cry but of course I ended up crying (as usual) when Dan gave me a hug. I was told that the technical error wouldn't be marked against me as it wasn't within my control, and as long as they had the recording of my voice and the recording of me in the rocking chair then they would assess me on those, but it still felt like a mistake on my behalf.
Looking back, I'm still quite disappointed I didn't do as well as I could have done, but there's not much I can do about it now and at least I got to wear a cool costume (we did look scary)!
Thursday, 26 July 2007
Wednesday, 11 July 2007
Beckett Performance
I've taken a while to update on this for the simple reason that I've needed time to calm down and think it over.
It went well, and it also went not so well. I went round to Gracie's house at 4 o'clock, with all the things we'd need such as my costume (Gracie had hers- after a wednesday rush arund every charity shop in eastbourne in search of a black dress), the powder for our faces and the recording. We decided to aim to be at school by quarter to six, as we needed to be there by six at the latest. We changed into our costumes, and then Gracie did my hair by putting water in it, pulling it into a bun (painful) and then putting powder in it to make it look grey. Then she did the same to her hair, and it came out looking more grey because my hair is too dark to turn properly grey. We put powder on our faces to make ourselves look paler, which was quite dificult to do because I either ended up not looking pale enough, or looking like a ghost- neither of which was the desired effect. But we finally managed to get it right. Gracie then attempted to put eyeliner on me but it didn't really work so we decided it would be better not to bother incase it made me blink during the performance. I was also a bit worried about the powder because it made me sneeze and I was scared that I'd sneeze or blink in an obvious way during the performance because of it.
Getting ready actually took over an hour, and then we had a run through by playing the CD and just practising not blinking. I found that if I didn't wear my glasses or contacts then I was able to unfocus my eyes which resulted in me needing to blink less. I also managed to perfect saying 'Time She Stopped' in all the right places. We picked up Gracie's footrest for the performance and ot to school by 5:40. Some other people were already there getting ready so we didn't have to do very much except put the footrest in the performance area- seeing it all set up was rather terrifying.
Then at six o'clock Mr Sibley told us how the evening was going to run, and we looked at the running order on the board... and saw that we were last! Seeing as one of the themes in 'Rockaby' is death and the end, then i did seem fitting that we would be going last.
During the first half we got to sit in the audience area and watch 'Rough for Theatre' by Sam and Ben, 'Footfalls' by Tashi (which also had a lot of recording in it), 'Endgame' by Ben and Jo and Ben and Eve and then by Dan and Tom and 'Catastrophe' by George, Abi and Lewes. They were all really good and looked professional with all the lighting. There was also a whistling sound from where the wind was hitting the roof and windows, it was all pretty atmospheric!
Then there was an interval, and in the second half I had to stay in room 105 to wait for my performance time.
I got quite nervous whilst waiting. The main thing I was scared about was blinking...
Find out more tomorrow!
It went well, and it also went not so well. I went round to Gracie's house at 4 o'clock, with all the things we'd need such as my costume (Gracie had hers- after a wednesday rush arund every charity shop in eastbourne in search of a black dress), the powder for our faces and the recording. We decided to aim to be at school by quarter to six, as we needed to be there by six at the latest. We changed into our costumes, and then Gracie did my hair by putting water in it, pulling it into a bun (painful) and then putting powder in it to make it look grey. Then she did the same to her hair, and it came out looking more grey because my hair is too dark to turn properly grey. We put powder on our faces to make ourselves look paler, which was quite dificult to do because I either ended up not looking pale enough, or looking like a ghost- neither of which was the desired effect. But we finally managed to get it right. Gracie then attempted to put eyeliner on me but it didn't really work so we decided it would be better not to bother incase it made me blink during the performance. I was also a bit worried about the powder because it made me sneeze and I was scared that I'd sneeze or blink in an obvious way during the performance because of it.
Getting ready actually took over an hour, and then we had a run through by playing the CD and just practising not blinking. I found that if I didn't wear my glasses or contacts then I was able to unfocus my eyes which resulted in me needing to blink less. I also managed to perfect saying 'Time She Stopped' in all the right places. We picked up Gracie's footrest for the performance and ot to school by 5:40. Some other people were already there getting ready so we didn't have to do very much except put the footrest in the performance area- seeing it all set up was rather terrifying.
Then at six o'clock Mr Sibley told us how the evening was going to run, and we looked at the running order on the board... and saw that we were last! Seeing as one of the themes in 'Rockaby' is death and the end, then i did seem fitting that we would be going last.
During the first half we got to sit in the audience area and watch 'Rough for Theatre' by Sam and Ben, 'Footfalls' by Tashi (which also had a lot of recording in it), 'Endgame' by Ben and Jo and Ben and Eve and then by Dan and Tom and 'Catastrophe' by George, Abi and Lewes. They were all really good and looked professional with all the lighting. There was also a whistling sound from where the wind was hitting the roof and windows, it was all pretty atmospheric!
Then there was an interval, and in the second half I had to stay in room 105 to wait for my performance time.
I got quite nervous whilst waiting. The main thing I was scared about was blinking...
Find out more tomorrow!
Friday, 6 July 2007
Arts Award
Last Tuesday (yes I've been lazy again)
I turned up to drama club today expecting to be able to practise 'Rockaby' with Gracie. I bought in the rocking chair that I will be using, and it has been put in the garage until it is needed for the performance/dress rehearsal. However, Gracie wasn't at drama so instead I helped Dan practise his plays (he is doing part of Endgame) because his partner wasn't there. I played the part of the servant 'Clov', as Dan is going to be performing as 'Hamm', the blind master. I enjoyed rehearsing with Dan, because I hadn't really seen him rehearsing before so it was good to look at the play.
We then all watched Becky, Sam and Ophelia perform 'Mother Figure' which is about two bickering neighbours going to visit the Mother who lives next door. She treats them like children, which causes them to bicker and then make-up in a very childlike way (basically, they become more childlike as the play progresses). It had some very funny moments, and they will be performing it to the public next wednesday (out Beckett pieces are on Thursday). I am starting to feel quite nervous, because we can't really practise until we have the CD.
This Tuesday
Gracie was at the rehearsal today, but we still don't have the CD so we read through each other's lines whilst the other practised rocking in time (quite difficult considering the rocking chair is still in the garage). We found that it wasn't too difficult to get the timing right, but it was more difficult not being able to blink. I need to practise just sitting and not blinking, and also making sure that I am completely focused on one point, because I found that I ot distracted quite a bit. The main problem seems to be that when I deliberately try not to blink, I always seem to end up needing to blink more. I have decided that I won't wear my glasses or my contact lenses during the performance, as doing so enables me to unfocus my eyes, so I dont need to blink as much. And I am allowed to blink when I am rocking backwards (as my face is only in the light when I rock forwards).
I also bought in my costume, so that Gracie has an idea of what the dress needs to look like. Its black velvet and its got a high lacy neck and these glittery bead things. I'm also going to put sequins on it, as that is what is stated on the costume description.
I turned up to drama club today expecting to be able to practise 'Rockaby' with Gracie. I bought in the rocking chair that I will be using, and it has been put in the garage until it is needed for the performance/dress rehearsal. However, Gracie wasn't at drama so instead I helped Dan practise his plays (he is doing part of Endgame) because his partner wasn't there. I played the part of the servant 'Clov', as Dan is going to be performing as 'Hamm', the blind master. I enjoyed rehearsing with Dan, because I hadn't really seen him rehearsing before so it was good to look at the play.
We then all watched Becky, Sam and Ophelia perform 'Mother Figure' which is about two bickering neighbours going to visit the Mother who lives next door. She treats them like children, which causes them to bicker and then make-up in a very childlike way (basically, they become more childlike as the play progresses). It had some very funny moments, and they will be performing it to the public next wednesday (out Beckett pieces are on Thursday). I am starting to feel quite nervous, because we can't really practise until we have the CD.
This Tuesday
Gracie was at the rehearsal today, but we still don't have the CD so we read through each other's lines whilst the other practised rocking in time (quite difficult considering the rocking chair is still in the garage). We found that it wasn't too difficult to get the timing right, but it was more difficult not being able to blink. I need to practise just sitting and not blinking, and also making sure that I am completely focused on one point, because I found that I ot distracted quite a bit. The main problem seems to be that when I deliberately try not to blink, I always seem to end up needing to blink more. I have decided that I won't wear my glasses or my contact lenses during the performance, as doing so enables me to unfocus my eyes, so I dont need to blink as much. And I am allowed to blink when I am rocking backwards (as my face is only in the light when I rock forwards).
I also bought in my costume, so that Gracie has an idea of what the dress needs to look like. Its black velvet and its got a high lacy neck and these glittery bead things. I'm also going to put sequins on it, as that is what is stated on the costume description.
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