w/c 06/05/24

On Monday, during our devising process, we realized the urgency of advancing with our extracts as we hadn't completed the first one yet. With only two weeks until our performance, we needed to expedite the devising process. In the next part of extract one, there's a scene where the weird girl appears at the window, screaming for help and banging on it desperately. We decided to keep her scream silent to emphasize her voicelessness throughout the play. For staging, Beth and Luca would be in chairs in front of Ruby, symbolizing them sleeping, while me, Paige and Dylan would be nearby, facing away from me to signify their obliviousness. I stood on a chair behind Beth and Luca to add dimension to the staging.

We then transitioned to another weird girl scene where she brings a piece of paper to the window, which the audience couldn't read. Therefore Ruby decided to keep the same paper throughout, with "help" on one side and "HELP" on the other, visible when pulled out in subsequent scenes. We decided to end the extract there to streamline our performance.

The next extract begins with the weird girl looking out of the window with her younger brother. We decided to change the staging to accommodate the busy scene. Dylan played Weird Girls brother, and him and Ruby moved two chairs forward to create different sections of the stage. They used a technique called hymn hands to portray the relationship between the weird girl and her brother, emphasizing his disinterest and lack of emotion. This scene provided insight into the weird girl's home life and relationship with her brother.

In the following extract, Ruby is no longer the weird girl, and everyone except Paige and I are at the party. They used unison during certain lines, and Ruby decided to portray a mum during a brief switch. They then then swiftly changed back to seriousness for the dads' lines, incorporating split lines between Dylan and Luca. Ruby then moved to the weird girl's chair and stood up, looking out the window, while Paige and I performed the phone message scene. Ruby signaled each message with a "DING," emphasizing the last one with a longer ding to mark the end of the scene. In the subsequent scene, Ruby remains standing on the chair while the weird girl delivers her second line of the performance. The rest of the group forms a semicircle around her as she delivers her line about everything melting and turning to slush. Holding up the teddy bear and the note that reads "help" from earlier, she inserts the note into the bear's chest and slowly lifts it higher before dropping it to the floor. Then, I suggested creating a cannon effect where everyone gradually drops to the ground one by one until we're all lying down. After a prolonged pause, she will step down from the chair, walk forward, and arrange us into a triangle formation (triangle formation is her idea) Together, we all recite the next segment of dialogue in unison. This visually appealing sequence concludes our rehearsal for the day, marking the completion of devising for the piece. Despite not being entirely familiar with all the details, we successfully devised two and a half extracts during this session, making significant progress 

On Thursday, Paige was still absent from our group, so we made the decision to complete the devising process without her. With next week being our final week of rehearsals before the show, and Monday being a bank holiday, we realized the urgency to finish devising the extracts. On Monday, we commenced work on the very last extract, signaling that we were on track to finalize the show and our devising process. In Paige's absence, Ruby volunteered to step in for her role as Caitlin in the final scene, knowing it would be challenging due to her numerous lines and contributions throughout. After delivering our lines in unison, we dispersed to various parts of the stage, positioning ourselves accordingly. Caitlin (Supposed to be Paige) and I took our  places on opposite ends, representing a pivotal scene where weird girl's brother is taken away by "important people," while Caitlin and Cameron discover the teddy bear she had previously thrown out of the window. Paige's lines included a reference to a three-minute mime routine, which we planned to develop upon her return, albeit shortened. During Ruby’s interaction with Dylan in this scene, she portrayed Weird Girl with a display of sadness and emotion, ensuring to convey Caitlins distress through facial expressions and body language. This scene served to deepen the audience's intrigue into weird girl's life, sparking questions about potential abuse or neglect. As the scene progresses, Luca asks Weird Girl if she would like to bring her brother's belongings, to which she nods slowly and moves them to the back of the stage before settling in behind a chair at the front. Subsequently, Caitlin and I engage in a duologue, leading to the discovery of the teddy bear, which is enacted by Luca, Beth, and Dylan using the "signs" technique from Frantic Assembly. As the extract unfolds, Luca and Paige switch characters symbolically, while Beth and I do the same using the camera to represent the change. We incorporated the "hymn hands" technique during a pivotal moment near the end, contrasting the emotional dynamics between the characters played by Paige and I and Luca and Beth. With Beth and Luca representing a healthy relationship and Me and Paige representing an unhealthy relationship. This dual interpretation of characters added depth and complexity to our performance. Upon reaching the conclusion of the extract, Ruby risen from the chair and retrieved the teddy bear and camera, symbolically saying "GOT IT," a phrase frequently used by my character Cameron, directed towards weird girl. Luca and Paige deliver the final line in unison, signaling the end of our performance. We were relieved to have completed the performance today, considering our intensive efforts both during and outside of lessons to finalize the extracts. Subsequently, Liz instructed us to perform for the rest of the class and gather peer feedback. 

Feedback commenced with Liz inquiring about the frantic techniques observed in our work by the other group. After gathering input from everyone, they identified several techniques:

- Lifts: Specifically noting Lucas' flying lift and my lifting off the chair.

- Hymn hands: Recognized in the weird girl and brother scene, as well as the variation between Caitlin and Cameron.

- Fluff picking: Noted in Delisha and Tamara's "still waiting" scene.

- Chair duets: Highlighted in the first extract with Luca and Beth's "dream" scene.

I was pleased with this assessment as I believe these techniques are among the strongest and most impactful in our performance. Next, Liz sought opinions on what we did well from the other group. They praised the execution of Lucas' and Ruby’s lifts, noting their elegance and fluidity compared to previous attempts. Additionally, they commended our ensemble work, particularly during the scene involving weird girl's teddy bear drop. This consistent positive feedback reaffirmed the strength of our performance elements. Furthermore, they lauded all scenes involving the teddy bear, emphasizing their strength and effectiveness in portraying weird girl's character. Moving forward, Liz asked for areas of improvement or aspects that didn't work as well. The group suggested making our movements more pronounced throughout the performance, especially during the phone calls scene. I agreed with this assessment and recognized the need to exaggerate movements for better clarity and impact. As for personal targets for the following week, I resolved to focus on knowing my lines like they’re on the back of my hand, as I’m afraid of paraphrasing. Additionally, the group collectively agreed that we needed to ensure Paige caught up on the progress made and learned the last two extracts, as she had been absent for most of the devising sessions that week.