Week 8 - 21st March to 23rd March

This was our first week back after a two week break, over the break I did work on my lines and learnt then all ahead of consistent running in the final term leading up to the show. I did accent work also picking apart my lines and fine-tuning my vowel sounds, as that was the main thing I was struggling with. Not knowing lines at this point of the rehearsal process would really hold you back in rehearsal and not allow you fully access your character. The plan of action for the first week back was to continue blocking through the final scenes of Act 2. We made a really interesting discovery of a motif through doing Chantel's scene. In Act 2 Scene 1 Chantel picks apart a pillow and a bunch of feathers fall out, the Nelly's pick up the feathers and put them in our apron pockets. We then tried the idea of possibly releasing some of these feathers for each death that happens in the play, to make the deaths that happen off stage more clear to the audience that they have died. We haven't been able to try with feathers yet so we are not too sure how it look on stage just yet but it is important for there to be a motif that links all the deaths and makes the deaths clear visually. A problem we faced this week was time and focus, getting through some scenes took longer than it should because of not everyone being focused and present on stage. However, this could be just a product of us spending two weeks apart and not completely in tune with each other so we have started doing a new warm-up game. The game is where we have to keep the ball up in the air by volleying it and you can only hit it once before it goes to the next person, the goal is to get to a hundred, it requires focus and a connection among the ensemble and is becoming quite effecting in sewing up the holes created by the two weeks apart.

Spending time apart from my cast and time away from my character was useful in terms of discovering new material, as I found myself before the break staying a 'safe zone' with Nelly and just repeating what I know works. But also through learning my lines over the break I was able to find more in the text and coming back I am excited to merge my discoveries of the text with my physical discoveries in the room. We have continued to implement moments where the Nelly's continue to shadow each other and their movement to create more cohesion among us particularly because Tash and Lizzie have switched. This week we also got to see elements of the set for the first time and take up the rock that I sit on for majority of the play, this is very useful as we are able to adjust to the shape and level of the rock. Having elements of the set also allows you to emerge yourself into the world of the play and establish proxemics.

It is incredibly interesting to see how the small model we saw weeks ago has translated into functioning props and is so useful as actors to see this process so we can really begin to emerge ourselves into the world of the play. Our set isn't very naturalistic, as furniture is made from scenery you might find on the moors such as rocks and withered trees. The rocks act as beds, sofas and shelves and the tree takes form of a bookshelf. We also were able to bring over the hand held windows to the rehearse with, the hand held windows have tracing paper as the panes so Cathy's arm can break through in A1 S2. As well as rehearsing with some elements of the set this week we also started wearing rehearsal skirts. Wearing long skirts that are similar to our costumes in rehearsal allows you to adjust physically as it really affects the way you sit and walk. I have tripped a few times because I am not used to wearing such long skirts and is affecting my physicality in how I get up from sitting and how I walk. Also from wearing the skirts you naturally adopt particular physicality's, like picking up my skirt when climbing on rocks.

We also this week had out first session of intimacy training with Christina and went over the information Sarah had already talked us. The main aspects of the training that Christina went through:

• better is better

• passion fades, choreography forever

• boundaries for boundless creativity

• context, consent, communication

• boundaries are the statement, consent is the conversation

With the people we share intimate moments with we created check-ins that we do before each rehearsal to establish what zones are green, amber or red. Doing intimacy training made me realise that 'intimate' moments on stage aren't always just kissing or fights, but could simply be when you touch someone's arm. So regardless of hoe big or small the intimate moment maybe it is important to check in and establish boundaries so none are crossed. I need to do some further research into intimacy training and how it works in the rehearsal space and how it is all choreographed, as I don't have any intimate moments I won't know how it is staged and choreographed.