Performing Arts Student

Musical theatre is my life!

[bethysmith33]

rent blog 6

Physical

What do you find most interesting about your physical performance?

I feel that personally with my physical performance i made sure that it was relevant to the emotions that my character was feeling and expressing when singing. I feel like i did show a clear difference between both of my characters as a homeless woman and a bohemian because even though i do have bold makeup on for my bohemian and i just change clothes for my homeless characters i felt like that wasn’t noticeable because i became a complete different person for both of them. I felt like i had a strong performance for my character as a bohemian because i made sure that every movement i did was strong and powerful and had a purpose i didn’t just do it for the sake of doing that movement. I made sure that i stood with pride and that all my poses in rent was matching to what my characters personality was like for example i leaned on my hip a lot, i put my hands on my hip i didn’t just stand straight with my arms by my side. I also made sure to add levels in when i was performing to show more emotion through my physicality in my body like going down to the ground and holding my arms in a certain way showed my character being passionate and strong. I feel like my homeless person was quite different physicality wise i made sure to slouch and not stand straight i made her walk with a bit of a waddle so that she wasn’t like the rest when walking away it made her different and added to her personality. I made sure not to always fold my arms i moved my hands together to show myself trying to warm myself up or even holding my scarf closer to me to emphasise how cold i was. Also i made sure that my facial expressions for each character were different because my bohemian character was more passionate and happy where as my homeless person was more pissed off and angry but also at times sad and scared and i really had to use different facial expressions to show myself as a complete different character to the other. I made sure to use bigger adnd happier facial expressions for my bohemian character to make her seem ecstatic and energetic to the audience where as my homeless character my face was scrunched up and squinting out. 

How could you experiment more with your movement?

I felt like maybe i could experiment more with my character in christmas bells because even though i am homeless i also am up there to help sell T shirts with my friend and i feel like i could have experimented more with the way trying to sell the shirts to people or even with how i put the T shirts up to hang on the railing. I feel like i did struggle with trying to different things with my character in experimenting with her because i just do the same thing as alwasy with putting the shirts on the railing to sell and then holding a couple out to the people to sell, but i feel like because we are up on the balcony it was hard to interact with a lot of people because you’re higher up than them and you also have to stay within that space you can’t really walk down the steps to walk back up it wouldn’t look right so i feel like i need to improve by using different gestures when she’s trying to sell the shirts so i’m not just stood there wafting them around hoping for someone to notice. I feel like i could experiment more with how i moved around the space getting to places instead of just walking there or for example in rent when we run to ifferent places i feel that maybe i could experiment with doing different movements to get that space other than just running to it maybe interact with someone else or just do a spin so that it’s different each time. 

What was good about your physicality?

I think what was good about my physicality is that i made sure that my posture was string whether i was standing right our slouching with a bad posture i didn’t do it half halfheartedly and i made sure to make all of my movements strong and with purpose so it didn’t looking i was just throwing my hand up in the air for no reason. I think as well i did good in showing a difference in physicality for both my characters as they both were so strong and i feel that it matched the emotions of what i was singing and how i was expressing myself. I feel like the gestures i did was strong and relevant to what i was singing so it didn’t look weird and also so that it showed the passion my character had for what she was singing. I feel like i didn’t make it looked forced it seemed to be quite natural and flowed and i managed to keep my physicality consistent throughout the performance so that it didn’t drop. 

Have you remembered your blocking and movement?

I feel like i have remembered all of the blocking that we have been taught in all of the scenes, i’ve found through doing dance that i do have very good movement memory and choreography retention when learning something it sticks with me. I remembered where i had to stand in places when i came on and when i came off, i remembered where i had to move to and i also remembered all of the dancing that we did for example Santa Fe after practising it a few times on my own. I remembered all the movement we did in La Vie Bohem and where i had to re position myself in different parts. I made sure to pay attention and stay focused on the notes and the direction that we had been given when blocking and changing things around that weren’t right or felt like needed changing. 

Do you use appropriate gestures and facial expressions? If so when where and how effective are they?

I felt like for my homeless character i did use the appropriate facial expressions and gestures as i made sure to scrunch my face up and roll my eyes showing that i was fed up, angry and annoyed i squinted out to the audience when making eye contact with them to show more emotions of being angry and sarcastic about things. For my gestures i found what was appropriate to show the right emotions for my character was folding my arms but also pointing to the audience when i was singing certain lines to show my resentment and sarcasm about the words that i am singing. I feel like it’s effective because then it shows how angry my character truly is a homeless person because they aren’t sad about being homeless they’re angry with being homeless and having no where they are fed up of the characters who are happy and have a good life. 

I feel like i did good facial expressions for my bohemian character because i wanted to show her as a strong willed character who stood for what she believed but was also emotional so for some songs i made her smile and happy laughing and high fiving dancing around with other characters however in rent i made her come on with a strong facial expression frowning showing that she wasn’t happy with the situation and she believed in what she was singing for. However in more emotional songs like i’ll cover you reprise i made her look out to the audience with soft eyes and a sad expression just because it showed her more raw and emotional side as a character and i feel like all these expressions had a good way of making the audience really feel for your character and actually connect to them on a real level like they weren’t watching you act they were watching you as your character and i feel like my facial expressions helped to do this. 

What could be improved “even better if……”

I feel like i could have been even better if i had interacted even more with other people around me because i feel like that would have made such a good impact of the characters interacting with each other for instance if i interacted more with the principles to show we a relationship between us. I also think that when performing in christmas bells it would have been ever better if i did bigger movements when trying to sell the t shirts and also when i was singing at the beginning to show how annoyed i was but also in Finale A i feel like if i did that because it’s a year later it would have made a better effect of showing how times haven’t gotten better for me and i’m still in no better living conditions. 

Charcterisation

Are you using appropriate acting techniques ?

I feel like i have used the correct acting techniques for example i have researched into bohemians and things like austerity marches to really understand what my character would have stood up for in the play. I have also watched real life documentaries on homelessness in New York but i have also looked around me at the homeless people i walk past every day in the street and i looked at how they held themselves and how their faces looked when they looked at you and i feel this really helped me to emotionally connect with my character on a high level. I made myself think how i would feel if i was in both of these situations and i think it helped me really connect with portraying a character real to life. 

Is this an appropriate portrayal of the Character?

I feel like because of this it did help me to give an appropriate portrayal of both of my characters because you could tell i had really looked into it and made my characters look as real to life as possible and natural for the audience to watch so they felt like i wasn’t just acting i wanted them to feel like i was that person. 

Can you identify your given Circumstance? Do you believe in it?

I feel like i could identify my given circumstance for my character the best i have with any characters i have played. I feel like because i am not homeless it was hard to set myself into that kind of environment to fully put myself into that character was a real journey for myself because i had to take in things that i would normally just walk straight past or not notice. I feel like the bohemian characters given circumstance even though that is closer to who i am it still opened my eyes to different things and learning about new things that i didn’t know about until i researched into them and i feel i did truly believe in my characters that i was them when i was performing. 

Are your characters objective clear in each scene? If so what is it? (I want to…)

Bohemian character scenes:

Rent – I find in this song my characters objective is to rebel against Benny because i haven’t paid rent and i haven’t got a way to pay it. I feel like my characters standing up for something and rebelling with everyone else in the scene. 

La Vie Boheme – I feel like my characters objective within this scene is to stand up for AIDS and make people aware of it but also to ruin Benny’s night because he’s so smug about calling the cops in on Maureen’s protest. 

Seasons of love – I feel like my characters objective within this is to show how happy with life she is and reflecting on all the good times and making people think back to good memories with people they love. 

I’ll cover you (reprise) – I feel like my characters objective within this song is to show raw emotion to the audience of the feeling of losing someone you loved and how it really makes you feel. 

Finale – I feel throughout the finale my character is showing how she is celebrating friendships she has grown and how there’s so much positivity and that you have to keep your friends close to you. 

Homeless character:

Will I? – My objective in this song is to show how vulnerable my character really is even though she acts angry and hard she really is afraid and scared.

Christmas bells - My objective within this is to show how bad homelessness is and how the homeless feel when they are surrounded by so many people but get so unnoticed. 

Finale A – My character is still homeless i want to show how bad homelessness is and how much worse it’s gotten. 

Is the acting technique appropriate to the style of the performance

I feel like it is appropriate because the show has a lot of emotions in it that you have to make sure you show properly for the audience to understand what is happening but also to get them to connect with all of the characters on an emotional level. 

Do you react to other characters on stage?

I do react to a lot of characters on stage especially in La Vie Bohem when the principles were singing and this was just to make the song feel more natural and like we weren’t waiting for the lines we actually had to make it look like it was the first time hearing these things that were being sang. I also made sure that me and other people did things in the background so we weren’t just stood there doing nothing and it made us look more engaging and not isolated out of the scene. 

What could be improved ‘even better if……’

I feel like the character reactions would have been even better if everyone got involved and didn’t just focus on reacting to one person because i feel like it would look a lot more effective reacting with everyone not just a few people to show all the characters had a relationship between each other. 

Grade the following vocal skills out of 10 and give reasoning

Projection, Timing, Inflection, Emotion, accent, diction and pitch 

Projection – 9 

I feel like at the start of rent i could never really belt out or sing very loud i was always too nervous however with working in rent i have found that i can actually push my voice more than i thought originally and my belting has improved so much and i feel like it is from the songs being so powerful and having to push yourself to keep up with everyone and give that strong performance. 

Timing – 8

I feel like i did have very good timing and i listened out for my que in the music when to sing however i still feel like it could improve as i feel i could have been more confident in knowing when to start as i did doubt myself sometimes. 

Inflection – 7

I feel like my inflection has improved to what it has been however it is still one of my weaker areas when singing that i feel still needs working on more. 

Emotion – 9

I feel like i have put so much emotion into when i have been singing and i think this is the most emotionally invested i have ever got into a show and characters. I feel like i really did put the right amount of emotion into my voice when singing the songs and it matched the tone of the songs that we were singing and the subjects we were singing about however i know that it is not perfect and can still be improved on. 

Accent – 8

I feel like i had a strong accent as i made sure i didn’t slip into my normal accent and i consisted with my American accent when singing however at the start i know it was a little weak and it did improve but i still feel like there’s room for improvement for this as i know it wasn’t perfect. 

Diction – 9

My diction used to be one of my weakest points when singing but i feel because of rent and you have to make sure you pronounce every word clearly and correctly it has improved so much especially from songs like La Vie Bohem that had real tongue twisters in it. 

Pitch – 8

I feel like i have a strong pitch when singing as i don’t go out of pitch and i feel like i have pushed how far i can go pitch wise with my chest voice as i haven’t really used my head voice much in rent, however i still feel like it needs to be improved further before i can say i am really good at it. 

Set three action plans to improve weaker areas for the performance

I will work on my reactions between other people and not just between a few people so that it shows more relationships around the ensemble than just a few. 

I will work on my breath capacity as i know there are a lot of long notes that i have found myself run out of breath on and i know if i keep working on my breathing exercises it will improve but also breath in in plenty of time before going for the long notes. 

I will Work on doing different gestures when in christmas bells so i’m not repeating the same ones over and over again to make my performance look more interesting to watch. 

[bethysmith33]

rent blog 5

What have you completed this week? If rehearsing what scenes did you work on?

This week we have completed all of act 1 and act 2 leaving us plenty of time for rehearsing with costume and props before show week so we can see how the costumes look, practice quick changes with the principles and also making sure people know who are taking and bringing things on and off of the stage. We have worked hard and thoroughly through all of the scenes in rent because we have finished all of them and now we are polishing them off to make sure that we can identify problems with plenty of time to fix them before show week. 

What went well with the scenes? What do you need to improve for next session? What do you need to improve for next session?

I think this week what went really well was the fact that we all had came prepared knowing all of the songs and all of our parts within the scenes. Another thing that i found went well was the fact that we also remembered the harmonies that we have done with Jonathon throughout the whole of the rehearsals so we haven’t had to go back into doing them again. I think for the next session i need to improve on my reactions during the songs to show my characters thought process to what is happening within the scenes and then using these to emphasise my characters emotions to the audience. Another thing to improve is also the pace of the scenes and not taking forever to get to places or getting on and off of stage, making sure that we are on stage at the right time and not forgetting to take things off stage and remembering to bring them back on at the right time as well. Also I think contact is something that really needs working on because it is such a hard song to do with getting the right message across to the audience in the right way, I feel like when we are dancing it isn’t really as sexy as it should be or strong as we are still a bit in our own shell with being really close to each other when dancing and this needs to be fixed quickly and we all just need to be professional and get it done so that the dance and the scene looks good and not awkward. 

What songs/ dances have you worked on? What went well? What didn’t go well?

Well we have worked on all of the songs in rent but the main one i feel we spent on with the ensemble was contact because we ended up changing around dancers and making changes to the dance to make it look more sexy and just trying to make it look better than it did before. We also went back to La Vie Bohem to put Sam into his place as he was playing Mr Grey so that he knew what he was doing but also we had to work on looking at where he was now that he was in the scene because we hadn’t had him before that. I feel like what also didn’t go right is that we are still not giving our 100% everything into it and the characterisation is still dropping at times and it needs to be consistent however i do feel that we have all got our heads down adn really worked as a team and communicated about how we can improve the performance even better. 

How are you developing your character?

I feel like i am really being able to get into my character as a homeless woman because before i go onto the scene i make sure to get myself into character so that i am walking on as her i have also thought about the small things that i can be doing to show her personality through to the audience so they don’t think that i am just another homeless woman that they are watching in the scenes. I feel like for my bohemian character i am really improving on showing her passion for what she stands for in rent as i am giving as much energy as i can and making sure that i don’t just throw my arms around i do gestures that are relevant to what i’m singing and that match my emotions that i am portraying. 

What ideas have you got for your role and the overall performance?

I have had the ideas of making my own little scenes with the other homeless people when i am on in ‘on the streets’ so i’m not just sat awkwardly with April, we interact with each other and then when we are walking around in ‘santa fe’ or are stood still who ever i am stood with i make sure to look like we are talking about something just so that it makes us look more realistic as homeless people so we aren’t stood looking into space until our next bit. 

What feedback did you receive from your director/ peers? what did you think of the feedback?

The feedback that we got given was to make sure that we brought that energy and thought about all the messages we were trying to show throughout all of the songs we in and making sure that we did things for a purpose not just because we had been told to. We also got told that we need to make sure that our characterisation stays consistent when on stage because if it drops the whole atmosphere that we have created drops with it. 

What are you going to do in the next rehearsal to improve on the feedback?

I am going to make sure that i stay aware of my characterisation so that it doesn’t drop when i am performing and not let myself get distracted when i am on the stage performing because it is noticeable, I am also going to think of how i can bring more energy into my performance and into my character. 

Strengths:

Team work i feel was a strength because we all communicated on how we can improve the scenes and making sure we all knew who was doing what in quick changes and also bringing props on and off of stage. 

I felt like my projection when singing has been a strength because i have made sure to open my mouth and make sure that i am singing with power and pushing out so that it gives a powerful performance. 

Dynamics i feel like i have gave really good dynamics when dancing and using my movements, i feel like i have made them flow nicely together and made my performance look stronger when performing. 

weaknesses: 

I need to work on my movement and dancing in La Vie Bohem and make sure that i am not losing my face when swapping the tables and benches around I need to make sure i stay in character so that the atmosphere doesn’t drop. 

Work on consistently staying in character when i am on stage even when i am not doing anything because anyone could be watching me and they will notice it if my characterisation drops and comes back when i am performing.  

I need to make that i am providing a lot of emotion into the songs that are meant to be very emotional like ‘seasons of love’ ‘i’ll cover you reprise’ ‘finale B’ 

Action Plan:

I am planning on making sure that i really connect my character emotionally to the songs because then it gives a stronger performance and makes the audience connect with the story line and message a lot more. 

I am also planning on making sure i stay in my character and don’t let myself drift off until it’s my part again and when it comes to transitions i am going to make sure that i keep my facial expressions at the same level as they were before the transition. 

[bethysmith33]

Rent textual analysis

RENT TEXT ANALYSIS 1. Which genre does the piece fit into? Rent is a musical in the genre of a rock opera based on the opera La bohem written in 1896 and set in the 1830's 2. Where is the play set? Immediate location and the wider location. It's set in America, East village, New York City 1989-1990s 3. What is significant and/or important about the locations? In New York City there was a lot of homeless people around that time meaning that a lot of the characters aren't really wealthy because of where they live. Homelessness was a big problem during these times due to people becoming alcoholics and crack addicts making life hard. 4. When is the play set? Rent is set during 1989-1990 5. Are there any specific references to day, season or year? Rent takes place over a year so it's going to be all the seasons however during Tune up #1 Mark says 'December 24th' which means it's Christmas Eve meaning the season is winter and in Christmas bells the line 'and it's beginning to snow is used regularly meaning that that is another reference to it being winter. When we get to the finale mark sings 'December 24th 10pm I can't believe a year went by so fast' meaning that it's winter again and making it obvious that it's the next year from the start. 6. How much time passes during the play? We know that the show begins 24th December 1989 at 9pm and ends on December 24th 10 pm meaning that a year has passed over the space of the show. 7. How is the passage of time represented? There isn't really a clear narration of how much times passes aside from mark in tune up #1 and a finale other than that there is no clear narration of how passage of time is represented. However In the song happy new year we know that's it's the new year through the song title and what goes on in the song other than that there isn't any proper information on how much time goes by. 8. How wealthy are the characters? The characters are all poor aside from Benny who we know has money as of the way he dresses but also when he offers to pay for mimi to go to a clinic. We know that roger and Mark are poor as they can't afford to pay rent, also roger uses the line 'zoom in on my empty wallet' and Mark comments back touché, as well as this we know in la cue bohem the waiter says 'you couldn't pay' and Mark responds 'oh yeah' showing that they obviously don't have the money. Joanne is a lawyer meaning that she has obviously got money from her well paid job, Maureen isn't that well off to the other characters either. We know that Angel is sorted for money because he helped a woman kill Evita Bennys dog meaning he got paid $1000 in which he shares with Mark, roger and Collins. Collins is looked after by Angel until Angel passes and he finds his own way of getting money. 9. Is there a hierarchy? There is a hierarchy in which Benny is at the top at, the homeless people at the bottom and the other principles in the middle of it. 10. How does their wealth or lack of it affect them? Mimi's lack of wealth has affected her by meaning she has to work at 'the cat scratch club' which we learn in light my candle. Roger tends to never go out because he has no money and Mark joins in when there is fun with other people even when he can't pay. 11. What are the social environments of the characters like? All the characters live in the rough area of New York East village. It's a place full of homeless people and druggies. 12. Are their differences in the social backgrounds and current environments? We know that mini has a different ethnic background from when her mother calls in voicemail 6 speaking in Spanish in the phone which means Mimi has came over to America to live life. Mark seems to be the only one who keeps in touch with his parent as we see from the voicemails she lives however it gets more apparent that he doesn't speak to them as much in voicemail 6 as his mum sounds worried for where he is. There are a lot of homeless people in rent and also bohemians, goths and rockers which shows a variety of different social backgrounds. 13. How will this affect how the characters will interact with one another? I don't think it really affects them with How they interact as the principles do interact with the ensemble, however when it comes to sections with the homeless in Angel seems to be the only one who really cares for them and wants to do something for them. 14. Are any of the characters influenced by events/beliefs? From Rodgers girlfriend April killing herself because she had AIDS and leaving him a note about it, this influences how is towards Mimi because he doesn't want to relive that event again he feels he can't love her because he has is AIDS and doesn't know that she does until la vie bohem. When he finds out from mimi's pager going off for the AZT break. They're relationship moves on from there. 15. What effect does this have on the way the characters behave? Rodger isolates himself from people and doing anything he became chronically depressed. He was scared to get close to Mimi because of his AIDS he pushed her away and was mean to her until he found out she had it as well. 16. What clues are there to the past lives of the characters? Rodgers is really the only character who has a clear past of what's happened to him in his life with his girlfriend. We also find out that Mimi was involved with Benny when he confronts her in la vie bohem and she cuts him off because she loves Rodger which showed us how she was connected with Benny. 17. How will their past affect their futures? Rodger feels as though he has no future and can't love another girl again because of having AIDS. Mimi's trying to be with Rodger gets messed around with by mimi's ex lover Benny. 18. Are there any references to key events prior to the play? There is a key reference to Rodgers girlfriend April slitting her wrists in the bathroom leaving a note saying that they have AIDS and this is told by Mark to the audience before the song one song glory in which Rodger reflects on time running out and finding his song before he goes we know this by the lyrics 'find the one song before the virus takes hold' we really get to see how that event has effected Rodger. 19. Do any of the characters carry scars or memories from past events? Rodger is the main one who carries the memory of his girlfriend killing herself he has to carry that weight around and the fact the he has AIDS. 20. How does this affect them now? It effects him in the way he is toward Mimi at the start with not letting himself love her and keeping her at a distance until he finds out she also has AIDS. He's also determined to write his one song before he dies from the disease. It effects him and his relationship with Mark as we see in goodbye love when Mark says at least he's the one of them to survive showing that how Rodgers been since having AIDS has effected Mark deeply and Rodger doesn't realise because he is so caught in in being depressed and feeling sorry for himself. 21. Are their conflicts of tension between what the characters want? There is a conflict between Mark and Rodger in goodbye love when he lets Mimi go and he decides to sell his guitar and move away, Mark is angry at him for letting Mimi go and the fact that Rodger doesn't seem to care causes a huge tension between the characters because Mark is fed up of Rodger running away from everything since his ex girlfriend killed herself. There's also tension between mom and Rodger when she ends up breaking up with Rodger and being with Benny again, Rodger never really trusted Benny around Mimi and Benny played on that causing huge tensions between both of Rodger and Mimi. Lastly we know there is tension between Maureen and Joanne because Maureen flirts with other women and Joanne hates it hence what the song 'take me or leave me' is about in the end we know all Joanne wants is commitment and Maureen doesn't seem to learn that lesson until she loses Joanne. 22. Do the main characters want to change their situations? I think they want to change the situation of having AIDS because it's the fear of when they are going to die who do have AIDS, and the people who don't have to prepare themselves for that downfall. 23. Is there a difference in what the characters say they will do and actually do? Benny says to mark and Rodger he will let their rent slide because they were room mates but then he wants his own studios and to convert his building into more modern buildings to make more money however this doesn't happen as he leaves them to stay and live in the apartment. 24. How does morality or upbringings affect the characters actions? It's obvious that Mark has morals for things as he tried to make things right for everyone that he can and he is always there for Rodger no matter what happens he is there to help him and he tries to give him advice. I feel that Angel also has the right morals and upbringing because he tries and is the one thing to keep the family together and when he dies that is when everything goes wrong. 25. Are there direct references to the characters appearances? In another day Rodger makes a remark about Mimi having brown eyes which is obvious about her appearance but also we find in goodbye love that Mark is telling Rodger how thin and pale Mimi looks which is another reference to how Mimi looks when she becomes getting seriously ill. 26. Are there any connections between how a character looks and behaves? I think that the police officers have different connections with how they behave to how they look as they are meant to be protective and look after you however in on the street they beat the homeless people up which is strange because they should be protecting them from danger not enforcing danger on them. I think the homeless people as well have a different attitude to how they look because they are homeless they look defenceless and lonely however when they are singing they are sarcastic and annoyed with everything whereas usually they're just known for begging. 27. What is the significance of the title? (Metaphoric or literal) Rent Is a literal title for the show because Mark and Rodger cannot pay rent that's the start of the show and what causes problems. 28. Are there any key lines or speeches that summarise or capture the mood of the play? I feel like the line 'no day but today' is sang quite a lot in rent and I think it does suit the mood of rent because you don't know what will happen in life anything could happen to you and the day your living in there is no day like it and I think that's the line that really summarises the musical. 29. What is the main plot and how does it develop? The main plot of rent is about the main characters living their life in New York City during the AIDS epidemic. It's set in 1989-1990 the span of a year from winter in 1989 to winter in 1990. Throughout this year we see the characters grow and what problems arise and how they find solutions to them. 30. Is there a sub plot? I think the sun plot is the story with Joanne and Maureen that's happening all at the same time, Maureen is marks ex lover and Joanne's current lover. Even though he knows Maureen left him for Joanne he still offers to help Maureen with her problems and actually grows a strong friendship with Joanne. 31. How can the shape of the play be best described – a story? Episodes? A journey? As a diagram or map? I feel like rent is a journey that shows you how all the characters develop and it's basically a journey of their life's a it's not finished like a story and it doesn't have a definite end to it, it's left to carry on at the end and we see how the characters grow throughout a year together. 32. Which scenes are the most important? Why? For me I feel like every scene is so vital within this musical because there are so many themes and problems that happen within every scene that need to be shown to the audience. 33. Which scene is the least important? Why? I don't feel that any scenes aren't important or are least important because like I said they hold themes and issues within the play that need to be shown and if one wasn't included it wouldn't look right because they all link together. 34. How important to the piece is the set/lighting/costume/props/sound? The costume is important to show off the characters personalities with what they wear and their fashion style. The set is important to show where they are however it is quite simplistic and can be used for just about anything the only thing that gets changed in the set is the tables everything else remains the same. The props are important in showing the time difference back then for example they didn't have smart phones they either had a pay phone or were lucky enough to even afford some sort of mobile phone. The lighting is vital for the atmosphere and setting the mood within the scenes. 35. What is the climax of the play? Are issues resolved at the end? How much direction is given by the playwright in terms of stage directions? I felt like the climax of the play really was after Angel died because after we thought relationships and problems were solved, everything broke apart and the family they had become was torn apart from angels death. By the end the issues are resolved and they become an even closer family than they was to begin with. 36. Which character is the antagonist? (Opposes the main action) The antagonist I feel is Benny because he evicted mark and Rodger and caused massive problems between Mimi and Rodger he used his power and money to rule his life and ruin his friendships. 37. Are their other protagonists or antagonists? I feel that throughout the play Mark is the protagonist as he is the one from the start that tries to keep everything calm and collected and right the way through the musical he is the one there for everyone trying to fix issues and problems. 38. Do any of the characters change from one to the other? I feel like Benny was a protagonist because he used to be room mates but then he married Alison and all he's bother about now is money and not friendships. 39. How formal is the language used by the characters? The language isn't formal it's quite common because they are in the East village New York squatting in an apartment and they aren't really wealthy even Benny isn't really that formal with his speech. I feel that Joanne may be slightly formal with how she speaks because she is a lawyer. 40. What is the level of education of the characters? I feel that Joanne and Mark have the highest level of education out of everyone because Joanne's a lawyer and Mark knows all the tech side of everything as we learn in tango Maureen he is a smart character. Mimi is bright she isn't as well educated as she's 19 and works at the cat scratch club. I feel that Maureen is the least educated but she stands up for what she believes in. Rodger I feel is educated but he wastes everything from being depressed after finding he's got aids. I feel that Collins is quite an educated character because he was a tutor at nyu teaching computer age technology. 41. Do the characters use certain phrases or words or ways of speaking? Maureen used the phrase 'pookie' very often and we hear characters connect the word 'pookie' to Maureen so we know that whenever that is said its to do with Maureen. 42. How is the speech structured? (Monologue, dialogue, duologue, triologue, short sentences etc) I feel that there are monologues throughout the song for example one song glory and Halloween however they're sang because it's a rock opera, there are a few spoken parts but mainly everything is sang. 43. What kind of imagery is used? I feel that emotional imagery is used because we get the audience so attached to what we are singing that they feel it is real and they can have sympathy for the characters and see the characters really showing true emotions for the audience to just have that imagery in their head. For example when Mimi sings without you it is such an emotional song where she reflects on a lot of things using imagery whilst singing and it helps the audience paint a picture in their mind with what she's singing. 44. What is the objective of each scene/unit? What is the super objective of the play? I feel the objective of each scene is for a new theme or issue to pop up whilst the audience are watching it and to make them think about what is happening. They are also used to make people aware of homelessness and AIDS. The super objective of the musical is to educate everyone In the audience how living with AIDS or someone with AIDS can affect you or your friendship group. 45. What are the characters motivations and do they change in each scene? Mimi’s motivation is to get Rodger to love her like she loves him and that to me doesn't change in any scene she's always trying to win his love. Mark Rodger and Collins' motivation I feel throughout each scene is to just survive and keep themselves going finding a way to live and finding a way to solve problems that are arising. 46. How important to the piece is the set/lighting/costume/props/sound? Everything is vital for the performance the costume shows the characters personalities, the lighting sets moods and atmospheres, props shows the time era to the audience and how things are so different back then.

[bethysmith33]

Rent movement analysis

What mood are you aiming to create? Describe the skills you use to create this mood.

With the mood for rent we are aiming to create quite a fierce and united atmosphere of all the bohemians, goths and rockers coming together to refuse paying rent. We use the skills of facial expressions and body language making sure that we look angry and mad by frowning or scrunching our faces up, rolling our eyes anything that related to setting that kind of mood we all made sure to do. For my character i made sure to scrunch my face up and frown at the audience, i threw my arms about and kneeling to the floor making sure to use different levels within the scene. 

Were you successful in creating the atmosphere for this scene?

I think we were successful in creating this kind of atmosphere to the scene because we were all interacting with each other dancing around and using different levels to try and get in the audiences face making it a powerful performance seen as it was the opening number. 

What do you need to do to improve your contribution to this mood?

I feel like i needed to improve on interacting with people because we are all scattered around and i was mainly focusing on the audience and i think it would make a good contribution to the mood if i interacted with someone and maybe we got in each others ace and then turned to sing out to the audience i feel like this would have made me look more fierce when performing the song. 

What message does the song send to the audience? How do you enhance the message within the dance? What skills do you use to share this message with the audience? What could you do to improve your contribution to this message?

We’re sending out the message to the audience of being rebellious and sticking together all uniting to stand up for something that we all relate on. I feel like because everyone used the characterisation and physicality within the dance that this did enhance the message as we looked around at each other and made space for one another if we were moving showing a sense of team work and that no one was more dominant than the other. Like i said before i feel like i should do something with someones to make it look like we are riling each other up for the song. 

Where does the dance take place? Describe how you show this in the dance. Describe how this effects your movement.

The dance mainly takes place in Roger and Marks apartment but i also feel like some of the other people are spaced around in different places outside of the apartment. We show this by using all of the space around us and going up the stairs, this effects movement because throughout the song we have to run to different places so we have to be aware of each other space wise but also quick in moving to where we need to go so that we got there in time to freeze. 

Describe how your character feels within the scene. How do you show this in your movement? For example how does this effect your facial expressions and dynamics of the movement.

My character is feeling angry and wound up in the scene I feel like i show this in the scene with my movement by using different levels so that sometimes i am standing tall and then other times i’m leaning down looking at the audience to get into their face. The dynamic of the movement is sharp and fast i make sure to hit all my moves with power and strength and i feel this enhances my characters emotions of being angry because you wouldn’t move slowly and softly. 

Describe three points in your dance which are good and explain why they are effective.

The poses that we did when we run to different places i felt like i hit them all sharp and froze in time and on beat with the music i managed to stay completely still and my facial expressions didn’t drop either i stayed in full focus making sure my eyes didn’t drift or move around. 

When shouting ‘rent’ and moving into another space so that i’m not standing in the same spot all the time, I feel like i walked over with a lot of power not like i was just dawdling around to get there i showed i had a purpose for walking over to another spot and performed as i was walking. 

I feel like i used levels really well when performing so that i wasn’t stood up all the time i felt like it made me look more fierce and angry and helped me to really show my characters emotions. 

Target three areas of the dance, which need improving.

Interacting with other people that are around me, i feel like i can improve this by seeing who's around me and seeing if they’d like the idea of doing something together so that it shows us interacting with each other and riling each other up in the song. 

I feel like i need to step up the energy that i bring to the song because i fee like i’m not giving it the whole 100% that needs to be brought to it and i feel like this stops me from fully reaching my potential of showing my characters emotions i feel like if i fully let go and just really o for it, it’s going to improve my characterisation massively. 

Running into different places i feel was a bit of a mess because i was bumping into people who ran a different way than before or they were just to slow moving out the way which made the moment transitions look a bit messy. 

[bethysmith33]

Santa Fe movement analysis

What mood are you aiming to create? Describe the skills you use to create this mood.

Within Santa Fe there is me and three others who are the homeless dancers during the song. The mood that we are aiming to create a simplistic and solemn mood throughout the song and not draw too much attention to ourselves as we are more in the background to the principles who are singing. We use different dynamics in the choreography so that it flows with ease and suits the beat in the music and the rhythm. I think using our facial expressions also was a good skill in making the mood seem solemn and this is because we were looking into the audience and just above to show ourselves reflecting on the past and then out to the distance to show we are thinking towards the future and dreams of not being homeless. 

Were you successful in creating the atmosphere for this scene?

I think we were successful in creating the atmosphere because the main focus was set onto the main characters who were singing and we were in the background doing subtle movements which i feel made the scene feel serious and hopeful. We’re all in time with each other and aware of each other especially with the spacing as we don’t have a massive part of the stage to use for the dance. I think we also interacted with each other quite well as we showed that even though we were homeless we know each other and stick together. 

What do you need to do to improve your contribution to this mood?

I feel like to improve further with my contribution i need to make sure i do the movements all the way through and not rush them otherwise the movement gets unfinished and it will be noticeable to anyone who might be paying attention to me when i’m  dancing. I think also i need to be more confident with the movements. 

What message does the song send to the audience? How do you enhance the message within the dance? What skills do you use to share this message with the audience? What could you do to improve your contribution to this message?

The message through the song is about dreaming of opening up a restaurant in Santa Fe and living a better life than they have right now. I feel like we did enhance the message by having us on stage as the homeless dancers it enhanced the whole message of having a better life and also about having hopes and dreams. I think we showed this through the movement and connecting it with the song but also reacting to what was being sang as well as we did join in so it made us relevant to be there. 

Where does the dance take place? Describe how you show this in the dance. Describe how this effects your movement.

The dance takes place on the street. We show this through the dance by getting into our postions in the scene before called ‘on the street’ It sets up the scene for Santa Fe. When Collins begins to sing certain words at the beginning of the song that is when we get up on individual words we have worked out together to get up on. This affects my movement because we have to watch out for other people but also we need to make sure we remember we are outside in the cold because it’s winter so when we are walking or at points where we aren’t dancing we need to make sure we show that we are cold to the audience. 

Describe how your character feels within the scene. How do you show this in your movement? For example how does this effect your facial expressions and dynamics of the movement.

My character feels hopeful that one day she will pack up all her bags and have a home to go to she feels passionate with the song as it gives her hopes and describes for her how she feels and that other people feel the same as her. I show this through making my performance strong and being passionate when dancing so that it doesn't look like i’m just dancing. I use the dynamics in the song to make it flow with the songs and build up the movements to the chorus so then the movements look bigger and more passionate. 

Describe three points in your dance which are good and explain why they are effective.

I feel like the very beginning where we all get up individually and walk around is good in the dance because it shows difference and it is different to dances that people would feel normal seeing where everything's in sync whereas with the beginning the audience were left in a wonder of what we were all doing when we got up individually they didn’t really know what was going to happen. 

When we start to dance on the ‘save our grace we’’ll’ part this is where we started to sing as well as dance and i feel like the dancing is so in time with each other and it flows so nicely that it is effect because you have two dancers doing a jump and the other two doing a more simpler move which made it look well coordinated because even though we did different movements they’re in time and it gives a strong performance for when the homeless people are building up the tension in the song because there is just this power in the movement as there is in the lyrics making it look like we’re getting more passionate about our hopes as the song went on. 

When we do a movement in canon I feel like this is a good and strong section of the dance because we are all stood neutral as the first person does it and then it just canons with people join on at different sections which makes me think that this could have the effect of one person having a dream and then other people following that person and making their own dreams, like some sort of chain effect. 

Target three areas of the dance, which need improving.

Making sure that i finish all of my movements and lines with my arms and commit to them with a lot of strength and power behind them. 

Interact with each other more when we aren’t dancing and are just stood in one place so then it doesn’t look like we stick around the same people we are interacting all the way around with each other. 

Make sure that we are singing at the right times whilst dancing don’t forget to sing, make sure that we know when we have to come in, what the lyrics are and that we project so we can be heard as well. 

[bethysmith33]

rent song analysis

Make a copy of the lyrics to the song.

How do you document real life When real life's getting more like fiction each day? Headlines, bread-lines blow my mind And now this deadline, eviction or pay rent

How do you write a song when the chords sound wrong Though they once sounded right and rare? When the notes are sour Where is the power you once had to ignite the air?

We're hungry and frozen, some life that we've chosen How we gonna pay? How we gonna pay? How we gonna pay? Last year's rent?

How do you start a fire when there's nothing to burn And it feels like something's stuck in your flue? How can you generate heat when you can't feel your feet? And they're turning blue

You light up a mean blaze with posters and screenplays How we gonna pay? How we gonna pay? How we gonna pay? Last year's rent?

How do you stay on your feet when on every street? It's trick or treat and tonight it's trick Welcome back to town I should lie down Everything's brown and uh-oh, I feel sick

Where is he? Getting dizzy How we gonna pay? How we gonna pay? How we gonna pay? Last year's rent?

The music ignites the night with passionate fire The narration crackles and pops with incendiary wit Zoom in as they burn the past to the ground And feel the heat of the future's glow

How do you leave the past behind When it keeps finding ways to get to your heart? It reaches way down deep and tears you inside out 'Til you're torn apart, rent

Ensemble 

How can you connect in an age Where strangers, landlords, lovers Your own blood cells betray?

What binds the fabric together When the raging, shifting winds of change Keep ripping away

Draw a line in the sand and then make a stand Use your camera to spar, use your guitar When they act tough, you call their bluff

everyone

We're not gonna pay, we're not gonna pay We're not gonna pay, last year's rent This year's rent, next year's rent

Rent, rent, rent, rent, rent We're not gonna pay rent 'Cause everything is rent

What is the song about? Describe the scene. What happened before this scene to lead to this moment?

This is the opening song for the entire musical. The scenes set in Roger and Marks apartment. In the song we meet all of the principles and learn that they haven’t paid their rent and the song describes how they have managed to survive in the apartment so far. 

What is the purpose of this song?

The purpose of the song is to open up the show with all of the cast, it’s also there to show some of the problems and issues that are going to happen during the show. It also shows Roger and Marks passions of what they want to do but how they are struggling to get anywhere with it. 

Where does the song take place? How does this affect your singing, movement? i.e in a car

The song takes place inside of Mark and Rogers apartment, this affects me movement wise because i have to be especially careful with my spacial awareness and making sure that i keep an eye on people that near me when we move on different sections so that i don’t bump into them. When singing i am very powerful and we are all united singing about the same problem of rent and not paying it. I find myself singing and i know that my character is angry because of Benny and what he’s doing to the homeless and everyone else. 

Who are you singing to?

During this song i am singing out to the audience and also i make contact with the other people that are around me when we all come together as the ensemble. 

Who or what are you singing about?

In rent we are singing about how we aren't going to pay rent from last year, this year or next year, in the part where i am singing we mention how strangers, landlords lovers our own blood cells betray, this connects with Benny being the landlord and he is betraying Mark and Roger by making them pay the rent he ‘let slide’ so we are singing about being betrayed and the issues that are going to come with not paying the rent. 

How do you feel during the song? Plot how the emotions change on your lyrics.

During the song my character feels betrayed by Benny from what he’s done but i also feel like my character would be angry as well. 

When i sing ‘how can you connect in an age where strangers landlord lovers your own blood cells betray’ throughout this section of the song it’s when i first start to sing and my character is quite angry as it mentions being betrayed by people you know and trust. 

‘what binds the fabric together when the raging shifting winds of change keep ripping away’ throughout this line we all come in as one big ensemble and i still feel the same anger i felt to begin with but i also feel more powerful and passionate. 

‘When they act tough you call their bluff’ I feel like this is aimed at Benny because he is acting tough and we want to call his bluff for if he’s going to evict us. I feel like this has a sense of foreshadowing in the musical because we call his bluff and he does evict people, then in the end he gives the place back. 

‘we’re not gonna pay, we’re not gonna pay, last years rent, this years rent, next years rent, rent, rent, rent, rent, rent. we’re not gonna pay rent, cause everything is rent.’ when we sing this bit i can feel that my characters emotions are building up from the start of this section because we start off quiet and begin getting louder, my character feels tense when singing this building up the tension in the scene, till the last bit where we are all riled up with adrenaline. 

What are the inner/outer feelings of the character in the song?

Inner - my character feels worried because she doesn't know how to pay off the rent to Benny that she owes. She also feels angry because Benny goes back on his words and isn't a very nice person to any of us. 

Outer - Angry and riled up because we aren't going to pay rent to Benny and as a big group we are a big team, i’m also angry he doesn't give you chance to collect the money for the rent as well. 

What facial expressions will you use to show what your characters are thinking or feeling in the song?

My facial expressions throughout this song are quite angry i make sure that my character is frowning and my eyes squint. 

What gestures will you use to show what your character is thinking or feeling in the song?

When performing rent and i start to sing i point my finger to the audience when i sing ‘your own bloodcells betray’ for my character to show how passionate i am i throw my arms to the side and dance around when we sing ‘ rent, rent, rent, rent, rent’ I also kneeled down and leant my arm onto my knee to use a different level than everyone else. I nodded my head at other people when i looked at them to show interaction with the other cast to show that we noticed each other. 

[bethysmith33]

seasons of love song analysis.

Make a copy of the lyrics to the song.

ensemble

Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes Five hundred twenty five thousand moments so dear Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes How do you measure, measure a year?

In daylights, in sunsets In midnights, in cups of coffee In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife In five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes How do you measure a year in the life?

How about love? How about love? How about love? Measure in love

Seasons of love (love) Seasons of love (love)

Soloist

Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes Five hundred twenty five thousand journeys to plan Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes How do you measure the life of a woman or a man?

Soloist 2

In truths that she learned Or in times that he cried In bridges he burned Or the way that she died

Ensemble

It's time now to sing out Though the story never ends Let's celebrate Remember a year in the life of friends

Remember the love Oh, you got to, you got to remember the love - soloist  Remember the love You know that love is a gift from up above - soloist Remember the love Share love, give love, spread love - soloist Measure in love

Measure, measure your life in love - soloist 

Seasons of love (love) Seasons of love (love) Measure your life, measure your life in love - soloist 

What is the song about? Describe the scene. What happened before this scene to lead to this moment?

This song is the opening song for act 2. The song is about reflecting on your life and holding everything that happens close to you. Within this song we are all stood in two rows the principles at the front and some ensemble and ensemble on the back line. Nothing happens in the song other than us singing so that the audience can connect to the song. 

What is the purpose of this song?

The purpose of this song is to show the cast as one big family and how they are reflecting on life, they also open the song upto the audience asking them ‘how do measure, measure a year?’ and i feel like this asking the audience what do they do to make their year count, the answer that we give is ‘measure your life in love’ I feel like this will show to the audience that there is a lot of love in this musical and passion and to make them think about how they measure a year. 

Where does the song take place? How does this affect your singing, movement? i.e in a car

The song doesn’t take place anywhere we are all stood in two rows singing together as a big family to open up the second act. we have a 4 bar count for us to all walk onto stage into our places before singing, within this time i walk slowly my place and wait to start singing. When we start singing we are all stood still for the entire song aside from when we sing ‘ It's time now to sing out, Though the story never ends, Let's celebrate, Remember a year in the life of friends, Remember the love, Remember the love, Remember the love, Measure in love’ I feel like when we are stood still together this gives us chance to use our facial expressions clearly and show that we are reflecting on things in life. When we get to the part where we move we are stepping side to side and clapping in time with the music. I feel like this gives the song energy and builds up emotions within the song in making it a really happy song for the start of act 2 and it really get the audience in a good mood. when we sing ‘measure in love’ just before the soloist sings we stand in place together and finish off the song. 

Who are you singing to?

I am singing out to the audience and occasionally looking to the side of me to the other people in the ensemble smiling to show that we are interacting with each other as well as the audience. 

Who or what are you singing about?

I think we are singing about being friends and about your relationships with people whether it be friends or lovers in your life. We are singing about holding onto the memories and making the days count in a year because anything could happen and most importantly i think we are singing about how you should cherish life and everything good that comes you way and give so much love to people that you care about because that is the way to measure your year. 

7- How do you feel during the song? Plot how the emotions change on your lyrics.

At the beginning when we are singing ‘Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes, Five hundred twenty five thousand moments so dear, Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes, How do you measure, measure a year?’ we’re openly asking to the audience about how they measure a year and making them think. When singing this my character is feeling happy 

When we sing ‘In daylights, in sunsets, In midnight’s, in cups of coffee, In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife’ I think that my character is being reflective when singing these parts because they are things that you find happy and most often will reflect on things at these moments. 

‘ In five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes, How do you measure a year in the life?’ here we repeat the question and my character is still feeling happy and reflective. 

 At the part where we sing this ‘It's time now to sing out Though the story never ends Let's celebrate Remember a year in the life of friends’ the mood lifts even more to being ecstatic and so happy being surrounded by people that you love at this point my character is feeling hopeful, ecstatic and very happy when singing. 

At the end of the song the mood comes back to being calm but you can feel in the atmosphere of the room the positivity that the song brings to everyone and the audience, it makes you feel good and at the end my character feels proud to be among friends and very content with life as it is. 

What are the inner/outer feelings of the character in the song? Inner -The inner feelings that my character has is pride and happiness but also i think she feels upset because her partner passed and she remembers a lot of good memories with him so it upsets her when thinking but then she is overcome with happiness and being content with how her life seems right now. 

 Outer - My character on the outside is beaming with happiness and excitement, she’s feeling proud and positive of the people she’s surrounded with. 

What facial expressions will you use to show what your characters are thinking or feeling in the song?

Throughout the song my character is smiling my eyes are looking out to the audience making eye contact with them, as the song picks up with the pace i feel like my character gets a lot more enthusiastic and energetic. My character is mainly just smiling out to the audience because the song is so positive and happy. 

What gestures will you use to show what your character is thinking or feeling in the song?

When we get to the part of singing ‘It’s time now to sing out’ we start clapping to the beat and stepping side to side in rhythm together. other than that I mainly look at the other ensemble members and i also at times held hands with people that were at the side of me to show we are united and a family to the audience. 

[bethysmith33]

I’ll cover you reprise song analysis

Make a copy of the lyrics to the song and enlarge

Collins Live In My House I'll Be You Shelter Just Pay Me Back With One Thousand Kisses Be My Lover And I'll Cover You Open Your Door - I'll Be Your Tenant Don't Got Much Baggage To Lay At Your Feet But Sweet Kisses I've Got To Spare I'll Be There - I'll Cover You I Think They Meant It When They Said You Can't Buy Love Now I Know You Can Rent It A New Lease You Were, My Love, On Life All My Life I've Longed To Discover Something As True As This Is Joanne & soloists So With A Thousand Sweet Kisses I'll Cover You With A Thousand Sweet Kisses I'll Cover You With A Thousand Sweet Kisses I'll Cover You With A Thousand Sweet Kisses I'll Cover You collins If You're Cold And You're Lonely You've Got One Nickel Only When You're Worn Out And Tired When Your Heart Has Expired

Company Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Moments So Dear Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred- Measure A Year Oh Lover I'll Cover You Oh Lover I'll Cover You Collins & company Oh Lover I'll Cover You Oh Lover Collins I'll Cover You Company Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Seasons Of Love Collins I'll Cover You

What is the song about? Describe the scene. What happened before this scene to lead to the moment?

This song is right after contact in which Angel appears before dying, and then leads on to the principles talking about their memories with Angel and paying their respects to him. In this song Collins is singing and expressing his emotions towards Angel’s death. Within the scene it just starts with Collins singing and then it opes up towards the whole ensemble who are singing backing for him. 

What is the purpose of this song?

The purpose of the song i think was to show all the characters as one big family mourning over the death so that the audience actually understood what had actually happened to Angel. I think it also sent out the message to the audience to cherish moments with your loved ones because you really don’t know what is going to happen, and i think the fact that Angel and Collins’s relationship brought so much light and happiness into all the characters lives that it’s then hard to see Collins suffering like he is in this song. 

Where does the song take place? How does this affect your singing, movement? i.e in a car

I think that song is based at Angels funeral However when i enter i am up on the balcony so i think all the ensemble may be in different places and even though they are singing about Angel we are also singing about our loved ones that we have lost. I walk to my place when Collins is singing ‘i think they meant it when they said you can’t buy love, now i know you can rent it, a new lease you are my love, one life, all my life’ I have this long to get to my spot on stage, even though it is a black out i still have to move in character and i do walk slowly in time with the music until i get there. When i get to my spot i am stood still singing which means this enables me to put so much more emotion into my singing. I think because the set is so simplistic for this song it helps to show how raw and emotional the song is when we are singing making the audience focus on the words we are singing and the emotion getting put into it. 

Who are you singing to?

I am singing out to the audience during the song so that they can really connect to my character and what is being sang. I think my character is also singing to her partner as well who she lost to from AIDS and because Collins has lost Angel the love of his life she can really relate to how Collins is feeling from losing her partner. 

Who or what are you singing about?

I am singing about my partner that i lost due to him having AIDS and losing after years of battling his fight, even though my character doesn’t know what it feels like to have AIDS she has seen it’s effect on her partner and the struggle of living with him trying to stay strong and hopeful for him. After he died she was left alone and trying to live without him and fixing herself from watching him suffer so she is singing for him. 

How do you feel during the song? Plot how the emotions change on your lyrics.

I enter when Collins begins to sing ‘I think they meant it, When they said you can’t buy love, Now I know you can rent it, A new lease you are my love, One life, all my life’ For then i am not singing but i walk to my pace slowly and looking down at the ground. 

I am stood with Amy up on the balcony as she is my friend who has supported me from losing my partner and we sing ‘oooooo’ when Collins sing ‘i’ve longed to discover’ i am looking out to the audience with a sad facial expression my eyes are soft and i’m not smiling because that wouldn’t suit the emotion at that time. 

When Collins sing ‘ something as true as this is yeah’ I am singing ‘ooooo’ again but i let the emotion of sadness grow on my face by looking down and holding Amy close to me. I then sing ‘525600 minutes’ and still remain looking down from the audience. 

Then we sing ‘525600 moments so dear, 525600 minutes, 525600′ I’m singing this throughout whilst Collins is singing till he sings ‘when your heart has expired’ when i am singing these bits i want to show to the audience that i am thinking back to the times before my partner died and the good times that we had that i do hold so dear to myself. 

We then all come together when singing ‘oh lover, i’ll cover you’ i feel that my emotions grow stronger with everyone to make the audience really feel the emotion that everyone is putting into the song. 

we sing again ‘oh lover, 525600 minutes, 525000 seasons of.... love’ I feel that on this part we all come together and it’s still powerful but it shows us all coming together at this part as one big family and i feel my emotions are proud but also sad missing my partner. 

What are the inner/outer feelings of the character in the song?

Outer - I feel like my characters outer feelings are sad and on the brink of tears when singing because she is feeling so much emotions through this song.

Inner- My character i feel on the inside is feeling a mixture of emotions from, love to sadness and happiness because she is thinking of all the memories together that she had with him in the good times and then the memories of him through his bad times when he was suffering, i feel like she gets a bit of anger thinking of when he died because she lost him. 

What facial expressions will you use to show what your characters are thinking or feeling in the song?

Throughout the song i am going to make eye contact with the audience but i am also going to put my eyes down to show how sad i am, i’m not going to smile throughout the song because it is a sad song. I’m going to make my eyes seem softer than they have been throughout all the other songs to show my character is hurting and sad. 

What gestures will you use to show what your character is thinking or feeling in the song?

My character doesn’t really use much gestures however because i am stood with Amy i can hold her closer to me and lean my head onto hers to show moments of comfort that i need during the song. 

[bethysmith33]

character sheet physical profile.

I’m going to base this on christmas bells for my homeless character. 

Describe your physical stance, posture, sitting position etc.

For the beginning of the song i am singing with a bunch of other homeless people, my stance is hunched over with a slouched posture i don’t hold myself up properly and i have my arms crossed to show how annoyed and angry my character is, because she’s homeless i didn’t think that if i stood with a straight posture it would look right i also added into my stance my character having one leg bent to the side and putting my weight on one hip as i found this suited her and made me look more annoyed and that i couldn’t stand up on my own straight. when i get up to the balcony to start hanging T shirts, the way i walk is quite fast because i’m trying to get to where i need to be in time but also to make it look like my character just wants to get to places quickly, i also thought it might look like she’s trying to keep warm if she moves around quite quickly because it’s winter and she is freezing. When i am selling the T shirts i sometimes lean over and look at everyone whilst singing to show how fed up i am but also it shows that i’m trying to look for customers to buy our shirts. . 

How do you travel across the space? Consider speed, emotion, movement etc. How is the audience able to ‘feel’ something for the character through what you are doing?

When traveling to my next space i make sure that my character moves quite quickly because she’s trying to get upto to her stall but also i’m moving quite quickly to keep her warm because it is the winter. As i’m walking i have a frown on my face with saddened eyes to make the audience feel sorry for me because even though i am angry i am also afraid to be surrounded by so many different people, I’m scared of when i will next get mugged so i hurry away from people and try to avoid them. When selling the T shirts my movements are urgent and frantic i am rushing to get the T shirts set up so people will buy and i am franticly showing them to people in hopes that they will buy i am trying to show the audience that my character is desperate to sell the shirts so i can get money for food, i want them to feel bad for me through watching all of this take place. 

In other parts where we are all singing different parts (druggies, homeless, police etc) when i am singing with the other homeless people i make my emotions in my face look more angry and agitated because i haven’t been able to sell anything to anyone, i want them to understand how what i’m singing annoys me because it is privileges that we can’t have being homeless and the fact no one can buy the t shirts is also annoying me as i’m singing. 

Discuss your facial expressions at particular moments – what message do you hope to send to the audience through the use of these?

I feel like the main facial expression that my character has throughout christmas bells is a scrunched up face with eyes squinting and rolling and this is because i am angry and annoyed and i feel like this is the best way to express that emotion to the audience so they get the message that i am a homeless person who is annoyed and fed up with christmas already. 

I’ve found also when i am selling T shirts my eyes are quite wide because i am frantic trying to get people to buy the shirts we are selling and i feel like that facial expression is a good way to show this to the audience. 

What gestures are you using and what do these tell the audience? What are you doing with your hands?

I think for gestures with my characters i have my arms folded quite alot to show how annoyed i am and fed up i am. Also when i am singing at the beginning about ‘ no sleigh bells, no santa claus, no yule log, no tinsel, no holly, no hearth’ i shrug my shoulders and shake my head to show to the audience that i am fed up and annoyed with these things. when it gets to the part about ‘ rudolph the red nose reindeer’ i look at the man saying it and then clench my fists to show my anger of being homeless and it being christmas.  At the end of my bit where we sing ‘ no room at the holiday inn, oh no’ i’ve found that for my character i can shake my head and fold my arms again and on the ‘and its beginning to snow’  section i am putting my arms around me to warm myself up and i pull my hat over my head further. 

What eye contact do you have with (a) other characters (b) the audience? When and why?

I have eye contact with the audience when i am singing in the first section of christmas bells as a homeless character because i am looking at the audience and singing that section out to them, i am also making eye contact with the other homeless people that i am singing with to show that we are interacting with each other and it just adds to the effect of the homeless people being angry and annoyed. I also make eye contact with the other characters when i am trying to sell the T shirts to try and show my urgency of them being bought by someone. 

What emotions are using and how are these portrayed? Do you change emotion at different points?

I am using a range of emotions, from angry, annoyed to urgent and frantic. All of these emotions are portrayed throughout by my facial expressions and body language i ensure that the audience can see my face and if anything changes for instance if i scrunch my nose up, frown, sigh or roll my eyes. 

Think about your line delivery. How are lines delivered? Why are you doing it that way? What variation is there in your line delivery?

Throughout christmas bells i just sing the homeless parts in the ensemble and when i do i make sure to deliver them powerfully and with alot of emotion with anger and agitation i want the audience to understand that i am fed up with being homeless and christmas i am not a happy cheerful person and christmas is my least favorite thing. 

[bethysmith33]

character sheet- christmas bells (homeless, t shirt seller)

Imagination and belief-

Who am I?

In christmas bells i am an homeless person called Annie who is 21 both of my parents died in a car crash and the house was left to me, i couldn’t afford the rent as i was a student at the time and my parents had alot of debt meaning it got passed onto me. I couldn’t afford all the bills and paying off the rent so they took everything and now i am left on the street fending for myself helping my friend to sell T shirts at the market to try and earn a little cash together. 

Where am I? To begin with i’m stood in the street with other homeless people and then we disperse into different places, i then go up onto the balcony to join my friend and start hanging up the T shirts, trying to sell them to others that are on stage. 

What am I thinking/feeling?

I am am thinking about where my next meal is going to be coming from and if we are actually going to be able to sell any T shirts to anybody. I think my character is feeling quite disheartened because it’s christmas time and I don’t have my family to be around with me to celebrate the season. I am also feelin quite weak because i haven’t eaten within the past 3 days so i’m hoping to sell some T shirts for money to get some food. 

Who Am I with?

At the beginning of christmas bells i am stood at the front of stage with some other homeless people and then i move off to go sell T shirts with my other homeless friend, I don’t really hang around anyone else because i am quite scared of people from what i have experienced on the street however i know i can trust my homeless friend that i am selling T shirts with because she helped me when i first became homeless. We tend to stay away from everyone else unless we are trying to sell them T shirts. 

How do I feel about them?

I feel quite sad and angry when i am with around the other homeless singers to begin with because they are all angry as well and some of them can be really nasty and mean to you, however when i am with my friend selling T shirts i feel happy about them because at least i have that one friend to be around who makes me laugh the odd times. I feel that i can trust her to have back and that she will look after me like i will for her. 

Objective of the scene-

What do I want? How will I get this?

The objective for me in the scene mainly is to show at the beginning how bad homelessness is and how we are seen to the audience however when i then move upto the balcony to sell T shirts to my friend the main objective there is to try and sell T shirts to anyone who will buy because i want money to get food, i feel like to get this objective my character has to be quite urgent and quite forceful when she is trying to sell the T shirts to people, but also i need to be careful that no one takes me for granted with how desperate i am for the money. 

Where am I going to?

After singing in the beginning of the song i am going to set up the stall with my friend to sell the T shirts to people on the street. After the scene i will be going back to my spot under a shop doorway so that i can get comfortable for the night without getting mugged or my space taken by another homeless person. 

[bethysmith33]

Dance movement analysis - Contact.

What mood are you aiming to create? Describe the skills you use to create this mood.

I think that the mood we are trying to create is quite passionate, intense and also a bit sexy. The skill that we’ve used to create the passion and intensity of the scene is dynamics we made moves fast and sharp but also slow and soft to show contrast and make the choreography flow better. I also found that i used my facial expressions quite alot to show the intensity between me and my partner that i’m dancing with. 

Were you successful in creating the atmosphere for this scene?

I think i was successful in creating the atmosphere as i feel that me and Charlotte had good chemistry together when dancing because we understood the atmosphere that we needed to create and we took a mature attitude towards it in making the dynamics in the movement look sharp and smooth, fast and slow. I think because we interacted with each other with our facial expressions it helped add to the atmosphere of looking sexy and passionate. 

What do you need to do to improve your contribution to this mood?

I think i need to make sure that i keep my focus on my characterisation when dancing because i’m focusing so hard on all the movements that i did loose focus on making sure my characterisation was consistent throughout the entirety of the song. I also think i need to make sure that i bring enough energy into the choreography and hitting the dynamics correct. 

What message does the song send to the audience? How do you enhance the message within the dance? What skills do you use to share this message with the audience? What could you do to improve your contribution to this message?

I’m not really sure that contact does have a very clear message for the audience to understand because we are dancing and saying words like ‘hot hot sweat sweet, wet wet red heat’ so i think they will understand that the message in he beginning is different couples who are intimate and dancing whilst singing. I think that when Angel comes in singing ‘take me the audience may get confused because he is singing it passionately towards them, I don’t think they will understand something other than something big is going to happen. 

Where does the dance take place? Describe how you show this in the dance. Describe how this effects your movement.

I think when we are all in our pairs dancing and singing we are in different places like apartments or hotels or somewhere else compared to each other i don’t think that we are all in the same place until we crowd around the table ready for Angel to come up onto the table to sing. 

Describe how your character feels within the scene. How do you show this in your movement? For example how does this effect your facial expressions and dynamics of the movement.

I think that my character is feeling passionate within the scene and i show this through my movement and dynamics but also with my facial expressions keeping eye contact with my partner and interacting with her. 

Describe three points in your dance which are good and explain why they are effective.

Stepping up onto the balls of our feet and then walking slowly around each other to then start the sequence again. I feel like this is a good part in the dance because it does show he contrast in our dynamics, because the step up is fast and sharp however when walking around each other in a circle we walk slow and smoothly which makes it seem like an intimate moment between a couple.

when we all come into a group together and did the dance movements as one big group to cover up Angel coming up onto the table. I feel like this is good because it shows us all coming together and the movement is strong and in time with each other. 

i feel like the dynamics in the entire of the song and dance was one of the strongest points for us because it helped us to set the atmosphere of passion and intensity in the song. 

Target three areas of the dance, which need improving.

Rhythm - I feel like even though it was good the rhythm was still a bit off at parts and people were doing different rhythms than others so it seemed a little off, we can improve this with more rehearsal time. 

Characterisation - i know that i had a strong character however i feel like it wasn’t consistent all the way throughout the dance i can’t look to concentrated on my dancing because then my facial expressions will drop. 

Timing - I feel like we all have got different timing and we need to work on time with the beats in the music and this will improve rhythm as well i think. Me and Charlotte both need to practice the dance with timing as sometimes we are one step faster or one step slower and we need to agree on the timing for it to be correct. 

[bethysmith33]

rent blog 4

What have you completed this week? If rehearsing what scenes did you work on?

This week we have rehearsed all the scenes from act 1 that we have already blocked out and then also the majority of act 2 with just the finale to work on.  We’ve learnt the choreography for contact this week and played around with ideas for what we could do, I’m paired up with Charlotte as my partner for contact. We have spent time learning the dance first so that we can get the sequences into our head ready for the singing. On the friday we then sat with Jonathon for him to go through all the parts we were singing in contact and he also helped the principles with their parts in the song and the timing. 

What went well with the scenes?

What went well for me in contact was that i could pick up the choreography really quickly and that gave me and Charlotte more time to practice the dance. What also went well in the scenes is that we have remembered the blocking for the songs that we have done so far. we only really for ensemble have the finale to do. Also what went well today is that everyone was getting on with tech and we were sorting out the costumes and bringing together everyones final costumes.

What didn’t go well with the scenes?

I think what hasn’t went well this week is that the contact is the worst song that we have been trying to work on so far because the rhythm is off when we are dancing some poeple are doing it faster or slower compared to others, we then also have to add the singing in and people are forgetting, saying the wrong words or cant get the timing right but i think this will progress over the next few rehearsals.

What do you need to improve for next session?

To improve next week we need to come prepared knowing the contact dance and lyrics so that we can sharpen it up ad polish it off. I think next week we also need to come in with our costumes all ready so that Becky and Kerry can decide whether they like it or not and so they can see us all together as the ensemble. 

What songs/ dances have you worked on?

We have mainly been working on contact as the other songs in act 2 that we have already done and learnt are quite simple and straight forward songs so far that we walk into place and sing as they are the more emotional ones, whereas contact has to be done right as it is Angels death. 

What went well?

I think what went well was that we all were willing to work as a team and we listened and took the choreography maturely and understood what we had to do in the song. 

What didn’t go well?

I think what didn’t go well was that we were nervous about this song and it showed for us all as we were quite shy with the choreography and because we all didn’t really know each other it kind of had a wall infront of us from moving on and making it look good and like we weren’t being awkward. 

How are you developing your character?

For my character i am trying to develop her more emotional side throughout the songs in the second act and this is mainly because this is where the cast kind of breaks apart and becomes more raw until it all fixes back together it is alot more tender and emotional than the first half was. so i am trying to make my character seem more emotional than she was in the first act. 

What ideas have you got for your role and the overall performance?

for my role and overall performance i just want to portray a different type of personality with my characters and show the different lifestyles that they live. I want to give an engaging performance to the audience so i need to make my performance more captivating for them to watch. I’m working more on my characterisation every week so for contact i know that it has to be more intense and a more sexy facial expression than a blank face or anything like that we have to get across to the audience the meaning of the song and do it justice but we also need to remember our characters in it and that we stay in characterisation when dancing, so we don’t look bored or uninterested. 

What techniques have you used in the session? What effect did you use them for?

Again we have used the technique of dynamics in the choreography for contact as some movements have to sharp and executed with speed but then other movements have to be performed slower. I think this gave a good effect of making the piece more intimate and interesting to watch making the choreography flow without looking choppy and unpracticed. 

What feedback did you receive from your director/ peers?

The feedback was to make sure that we put real emotion into the songs that needed to have it like ‘I’ll cover you reprise’ and the seasons of love A and B we needed to sing with expression and again think about what we were singing. We also got told that we need to look more comfortable around each other in things like La Vie Bohem and contact so that then we don’t look too awkward when performing them. 

What did you think of the feedback?

I think that the feedback is true i know that for the first couple weeks i felt awkward in La Vie Bohem with some things that we sang or when we had to dance around close to each other but after a while i have gotten used to it and been more comfortable around everyone and the same goes for contact. I agree that we all need to also invest more emotion into the songs within act 2 as they do get more emotional. 

Strengths:

Dynamics - I feel like i have done well with establishing the dynamics in the movements and remembering the choreography so that i didn’t have to keep asking to remember it and then it gave me and Charlotte time to practice it together in our spare time. 

Choreography retention - I’ve remembered everything that we have done for all the songs so far where i have to come on, when i have to come and then also my ques when to get off and on. As well as this i’ve remembered the choreography for the big numbers that included dancing for example Santa Fe, La Vie Bohem, Rent and now contact. 

Team work - I’ve found that i’ve worked well within my tech group and been able to make a list of clothes and things that i can bring in for people that i have found at home for example a band t shirt for jasmine and a red jumper for chloe. 

Weaknesses:

Facial expressions - I need to really work on my facial expressions within contact so that it matches up with how strong my facial expressions have been with everything else. 

Energy -  I need to make sure that my energy within rehearsals is consistent and doesn’t drop at any point throughout the whole of act 1 and act 2 and also throughout the songs if we have to stay still whilst something else was going on i need to make sure i don’t look bored or my energy levels just completely drop. 

Body language - I need to work on my body language and make sure that it remains consistent throughout everything and that it doesn’t drop so that my characterisation doesn’t lack. For example in rent when we run and then have to freeze i don’t want to be stood froze and my body language drop to then pick up again when we move because then i feel like it doesn’t look right and it does need to be consistent to make it believable. 

Action Plan:

The action plan i want for this week is to make myself be more energetic when performing and make sure that it doesn’t drop when we are performing and make sure that it stays consistent otherwise it just doesn’t look right. I think i need to meet up with Charlotte to rehearse contact to make sure that we can work on our choreography together and also work on facial expressions so we don’t look zoned out when doing it. Finally for the body language in everything i do i need to make sure that it remains consistent and that i don’t zone out and forget my body language or move positions and be aware of how i am standing or moving around. 

[bethysmith33]

Rent blog 3

What have you completed this week? If rehearsing what scenes did you work on?

So far we have managed to block all of act 1 and everyone knows the songs that they’re in, we’ve been running act 1 and all the songs and scenes and spending a lot of time of the songs so that we really connect with what we are singing and how our characters would feel during the songs. We have then moved onto working with act 2 and making sure that we knew the songs so that we could start working on these scenes and blocking them out which we have managed to do. 

What went well with the scenes?

What went well was that people were remembering blocking so there was no going over it again and again, everyone is also starting to develop their own characters and thinking for themselves on what they can do and how their characters personality may come across to the audience. 

What didn’t go well with the scenes?

What didn’t go well i think was in the big christmas bells with everyone in theres so much going on but everyone looks like they don’t really know what to do or we don’t look busy enough when we are in our groups for example i hang up t shirts to sell with Kerry - Anne and we were stuck on what to do when Ben and Jacob where stood where our stall was so we had to brainstorm ideas together and we were also told we didn’t look like we knew what we were doing and we weren’t hanging things up as quick as we should have. I also feel in La Vie Bohem it’s still a little messy with changing things around but also we were still not looking correct when we were dancing, as well as this we found that we could only have a few people making noise because if we all did it was too loud and you couldn’t hear the principles when they were singing and we had to cheer them on. 

What do you need to improve for next session?

I think i need to improve on my homeless character in christmas bells and my facial expressions because i don’t want to look sad i need to look pissed off and angry when singing. I think i also need to think of what me and Kerry can do whilst Ben and Jacob are singing in the space we have to move for them to get to. I also need to improve in La Vie Bohem so that when moving the bench i was still in character and also when we weren’t included in parts i need to improve on my characterisation. I also think we should come with ideas for act 2 songs so we can put some imput into the songs.

What songs/ dances have you worked on?

We’ve worked on All the songs from Act 1 and then seasons of love, then seasons of love B, sorting out the songs and where we stand in what order in the line, the ensemble were then left to sorting our tech stuff whilst Becky and Kerry were working on songs with the principles. 

What went well?

I think what went well was the act 1 songs we all knew and remembered the blocking and what we had to do. I feel like both seasons of love A and B went well because it was quite simple blocking and we had to remember mainly where to stand. I think the fact that we also listened to Jonathon for the harmonies that they went well too. 

What didn’t go well?

I don’t think anything didn’t really go well except from the lack of energy in the songs we need to pick it up in the next rehearsal. 

How are you developing your character?

I’ve been developing my idea as a bohemian and whether or not my character has AIDS or if they have family or friends they are having to support with AIDS. The reason why i’ve been thinking about this as a development is because we had a discussion together in class on how this would affect our characters emotionally within rent and the songs like La Vie Bohem and seasons of love showing the emotional journey throughout the song and reflecting on the words that i’m singing. 

What ideas have you got for your role and the overall performance?

The idea for my bohemian character is that she is out going and a positive person, who is coping with her sister who has AIDS and when i feel like i can connect this to when we sing in ‘i’ll cover you reprise’ because that is an emotional song for after Angel has died and i feel like i could use my character background to add to the song and emotion. I feel for my homeless character i’ve got ideas for her being angry in christmas bells when singing because i’m singing about christmas and i’m homeless so i’m not going to be cheerful about all these things like - santa claus, sleigh bells, yule log. All these things i want to show i’m not happy about because i don’t get them and i’m fed up of being homeless. However in ‘will i’ i want to show the more emotional side of my homeless character to the audience, that i’m scared, cold and lonely. 

What techniques have you used in the session? What effect did you use them for?

From the sessions throughout this week i’ve really focused on my characterisation with my physicality and also my facial expressions i wanted to have the effect of showing both my characters emotional journeys and show the contrast of my characters and how their lives, personalities and emotions are so different. 

What feedback did you receive from your director/ peers?

Within christmas bells i need to look busier and then listen out for when the musics pace changes for when i should slow down with Kerry hanging the t shirts. 

Within the seasons of love at the beginning of act 2 i need to show that i am reflecting on the words that i’m singing and not look like i’m zoning out or bored in the song. 

What did you think of the feedback?

I feel like it has gave me a boost to think n with both of my characters to show the contrast with them and their emotions and lives and how different they are. I do feel like i need to become more energetic when i am doing songs like rent, la vie bohem. I feel like overall i need to be more energetic and enthusiastic in rehearsals adn really show my characters clearly to the audience. 

Strengths:

Facial expressions - I feel like i have really used my facial expressions this week because of my two different characters i needed to show the contrast between their personalities as my bohemian with happy and and excited and soft facial expression compared to my homeless character who is sad, angry and annoyed facial expressions. 

emotion - i feel like this has been a strength for me because i have been working on my emotional journey for my character and how they would be feeling in each song depending on which character i was playing. 

reactions - I think that my reactions have improved especially in La Vie Bohem because i make sure to show that i am watching what’s happening and not making it seem like i’m waiting for the next part of the song. 

Weaknesses:

energy - I feel like i haven’t been giving as much i could have gave into rehearsals this week i could have given alot more energy and this is what i need to do to make the performances look alot more interesting and fun to watch. 

spacial awareness - I’ve noticed that within La vie Bohem it’s really hard ensuring that we have all got enough space and i ended up bumping into alot of people or getting pushed around or off the bench so this is something we need to discuss with each other on who goes where without making it look too staged to avoid these problems.

Action Plan:

For my action plan this week i’m going to come into the rehearsals and give all the energy i can to each one and then for my spacial awareness i’m going to keep an eye on where people are when in an enclosed space where everyone is grouped together so for example in rent, make sure i don’t bump into anyone on the runs and then in La Vi Bohem i have to make sure to talk to people and confirm with them where i am so they don’t try sitting on me or messing up my bit. I find these action plans are helping me to keep a focus on something to do every week. 

[bethysmith33]

character sheet 1

Love:

 Because i’m homeless i love to sleep under the same doorway that i have slept under for the past 2 years whilst being homeless, the reason i love this doorway is because the owner keeps the light on for me so that i’m not in the dark and it makes me feel less scared. 

I love the daylight hours because i get mugged less because everyone else can see whats happening, the daylight makes me feel safer.

Hate: 

I hate the people that walk past with pure ignorance or call names at me. Bohemians are the worst because they have families that they can live with and who love them but they choose to squat elsewhere. 

I hate the night because that’s when all the druggies come around to mug or violate me and no one is around to help me.

I hate the police because they beat me whenever they walk past me to try and move me on from where i am resting.  

I hate my life and my past and present situation being homeless is the worst thing that’s happened to me and i can’t see life getting better. 

I hate not knowing when i will next eat or where my next meal is coming from. 

Hopes:

I hope to live a better life someday and not be homeless.

I hope for my living situation to improve even if i never get out of being homeless i want to at least be in a safer and more secure environment.

I hope to find someone to fall in love with and who will love me for who i am and who will put my past aside. 

Fears: 

I fear that i will be homeless for the rest of my life and things will never improve.

I fear for my life on the street from all the druggies and mugs on the street that attack me, i fear that one day no one will be there to help me. 

I fear dying alone with no one around who cares about me. 

Dreams:

I dream to have a family, a husband and some children. A family of my own to love.

I dream to not be homeless and have somewhere to go home to every night away from the cold, rain and snow. Away from all the bad people out to hurt homeless people like me. 

I dream to not worry about food and clothing or having heat when it’s cold. 

Ambitions:

I want to get a job that is secure and gives me enough money to live. 

I want to have my own house that i can call my own away from the street.

I want to set up my own homeless shelter to help others who are like me, i want to help them and give them hope that their life will get better someday like mine will. 

[bethysmith33]

Rent blog 2

What have you completed this week? If rehearsing what scenes did you work on? This week we have been focusing on completing la vie boheme we've had to do a workshop on it so that we can really understand what we are doing in the song and what it means. We need to be singing with purpose and our movements need to relate to the song. What went well with the scenes? I think what went well was everyone seemed to already have a good understanding of the song and put in ideas of what we could all do there was a lot of team work that happened within the scene. What didn’t go well with the scenes? What didn't go well was that people were waiting to be placed into la vie bohem and were waiting what to be told what to do next and how to dance because a lot of people kept doing the same movements or just not the right style of dance that is needed. What do you need to improve for next session? Next session I need to improve my movement and reactions to what's happening and being sang at the beginning because I've found I'm just sat there not really interacting with people and to what benny is singing. I also need to improve on my movement and having more freedom and energy with it. What songs/ dances have you worked on? We've mainly been focusing on la vie bohem the meaning of the lyrics and how we want to portray them and with the dancing we've been working on trying to free everyone up because it's like they are waiting for becky to choreograph everything. What went well? A lot of people worked well with each other and didn't really shy away from it, another thing that went well was that everyone knew the song and the lyrics so that helped because whichever lyrics we didn't understand so we knew what we were singing. What didn’t go well? I think what didn't go well was the fact that becky had to keep telling us all to give it more energy and she kept having to remind us to react to things. Also the moving of the benches and the tables took a while for us to get right and just in time for the next part. How are you developing your character? I'm still developing my homeless background and my characters emotional journey throughout rent and how my position as homeless continues and doesn't improve it worsens and I have to show this in the final Christmas bells as there will be more people who've became homeless. I need to work on my character as a bohemian and research into if I know someone with AIDS if if I have got aids so that I can connect with my character better to the songs like 'will i' What ideas have you got for your role and the overall performance? For my idea as a bohemian I want to be part of a group who do austerity marches and things like that I want to show myself as someone who is really passionate for helping people with AIDS. What techniques have you used in the session? What effect did you use them for? Two techniques that we used for la vie bohem was levels and dynamics, we used levels so that we weren't all up or down we were making it look more interesting and I found that the dynamics also made the song look less staged because some people would move faster than other people, I think we did this so that it looked more free and less staged because the song is supposed to be quite free. What feedback did you receive from your director/ peers? The feedback we got for la vie bohem Was that we really needed to give it a lot more energy and also sing out louder. Another point that was given was a lot of the dancing didn't look right and that we need to be more free with it. What did you think of the feedback? I agree with the feedback because we were singing quite quietly and it needed to be a lot louder and also I do think we need to work on fiction otherwise the words all merge together. I also agree with the more free movements when dancing because a lot of people are dancing quite awkwardly. Strengths: Characterisation - I think that my characterisation has improved because as a homeless person I have more of a character background idea and how my character will act. Vocals - I feel like my vocals were a good strength because I really projected my voice and sang with emotion in Christmas bells because I'm homeless so within this song I'm quite angry and annoyed and I used my voice to show it. Whereas in la vie bohem I'm really happy for the majority of it so I made sure to show this within my voice and singing out with everyone's Blocking - I remembered the blocking for rent and Christmas bells and I also have remembered the blocking for la vie bohem every time that we ran through it this week. Weaknesses: Emotional journey - I need to show my characters emotional journey throughout all the songs especially when I'm homeless I need to show the journey that my character goes trough with my emotions and do this in the songs that I'm singing showing my character at different stages of emotions. Movement - I don't feel as though I'm remembering to move in my character a lot of the time for example in la vie bohem as a bohemian I feel like I'm not moving correctly I just feel like I am moving as me and also when we are dancing I don't feel I am Doing it right because I did struggle knowing how to dance because sometimes it wasn't right. Reactions - I still feel like this is a weakness because even when I react I have found I am waiting for the words to be sang and I'm reacting way before I should be. Action Plan: For my action plan this week I need to make sure that I am remaining in my character at all times so that I can get used to moving as my character at all times. To work on my reactions I need to make sure that I'm not reacting to the words before they happen I need to make sure that even though I know what's going to happen I need to make it not obvious to the audience.

[bethysmith33]

Rent blog 1

What have you completed this week? If rehearsing what scenes did you work on? This week we did rent and started the blocking. We have positions and different spaces to get into at particular timing. We were also put into groups of who were to sing with roger and who was to sing with mark. We worked on energy and how it should look after this we also made a start on Christmas and to start the blocking of the song and what needs to happen within the scene. As well as this Chelsea started the Santa Fe dance for the dancers to learn which includes me, we worked on something that was simplistic but related to the song. Whilst becky was working on the songs with the leads that didn't really include ensemble I made sure to go over the blocking in rent, Trying to think of my character in rent and Christmas bells. I also took the time to go over the choreography for Santa Fe ready for the next rehearsal. What went well with the scenes? I think that the blocking in rent was really good as everyone listened and remembered where they had to stand what also helped was that everyone came prepared knowing the song as well and the purpose of it which helped us to get into the feel of it. In Christmas bells everyone knew the song which was good and they also knew what characters they where which made the process easier when separating people into the groups. Within all the scenes we blocked everyone got on with each other and was focused when working. What didn’t go well with the scenes? I think what let us down in scenes was that it took us all a while to get into our characters and using a lot of energy. As well as this in rent everyone seems to throw their arms around and it doesn't look right we all need to different things. What do you need to improve for next session? By next lesson I think we all need to sort out our characters and what we are gonna do in rent and Christmas bells so that we all aren't doing the same thing or looking similar. I need to think of my character in rent and how to show how I feel within the song and the same for Christmas bells I need to show that I'm homeless and fed up with things. What songs/ dances have you worked on? The main songs that we did were rent and Christmas bells with the blocking and characterisation, and then we worked on the Santa Fe dance as well. What went well? I think what went well was that everyone knew the lyrics to the song and they also understood the meaning of the song as well. This meant that we could all really get into it and sing with purpose using our facial expressions and body language to show what we were feeling in the song. In Christmas bells it helped that everyone knew their characters in the song so they knew along the lines of how to act in the song and what emotions they wanted to show. I think in Santa Fe the fact that we all listened to Chelsea and also gave ideas to her for what we could do was really good because it showed us working together and that we could listen to what Chelsea wanted with the choreography. What didn’t go well? I think in Christmas bells what doesn't go well is that everyone doesn't know what to do and it feels a bit static with movement because people don't know what to do. Also in rent I think everyone needs to just let go and a bit more loose with themselves in the song. How are you developing your character? For my character in Christmas bells I'm homeless so I've been researching and looking into homelessness in 1989 and how this can relate to my character I've also thought about how my character would feel when singing whether I'd be angry or upset with the words I'm singing. What ideas have you got for your role and the overall performance? For my role I have started to do character sheets so that I can develop a background for my character and try to show it to the audience through how I sing the songs. I want my character to be rebellious in rent and then in Christmas bells to be quite angry because I'm homeless with nothing to my name and I have nowhere to go. What techniques have you used in the session? What effect did you use them for? Techniques that I have used is my characterisation thinking of my body language and how to level myself in rent and how I'm also going to be attitude wise in rent and in how that affects me and how I'm going to react to what roger and mark are singing about in rent. What feedback did you receive from your director/ peers? The main feedback we got from becky was that we needed more strength behind our singing and to really get into it let loose with ourselves. We need to really think about what we want to get across in the song. What did you think of the feedback? I agree with the feedback that we were given because a lot of us didn't know what to do or in for example rent we were all doing a lot of the same thing because we didn't know what to do with ourselves so I agree that we need to let loose and really connect with the song. Strengths: Choreography retention - I remembered all the blocking and where I needed to go in the songs. Timing - In the songs rent I was in time with the music and getting to where I needed to in time, in Christmas bells I know the timing that I need to say things and get to my stall at a certain time so that I can shout AZT break and start setting up the stall. I also remember the timing when to freeze and stop. Character development - I've been thinking about my character and showing my self as a homeless person, I've been looking at my physicality in Santa Fe because even though I'm dancing I need to think of how I hold myself in the dance to show I'm homeless so I slouch and also I hold my coat closed to show I'm cold, I rub my hands together and with my face I look quite angry which means I'm frowning quite a lot and I don't have a happy expression. Weaknesses: Facial expressions - I still need to think about my characters emotions in my face and showing them to the audience expressing how my character truly feels for example in the song 'will I' when it comes to doing it I need to think of how my character will be feeling in the song. Energy - I need to work on my energy in all the songs that I'm in especially rent because it's the first song that opens the show up so it needs to be full of energy all the way through. Reactions - in the songs I need to react to what's being sang and what's happening in the songs, I've found at the minute I'm not really reacting so this is something I need to work on. Action Plan: For my action plan for the next rehearsals I want to know the emotion that I want to express In each song and then I can base my facial expressions off them. I also want to work on the songs that I'm in and how I can improve my characterisation to really show my character to the audience.

[bethysmith33]

singing blog 6

1. What did you do to warm up your voice today?

Today in the lesson we did physical warm ups to do with rolling our shoulders backwards and then forwards to loosen them up and then we massaged our faces to loosen our cheeks up and our face to loosen the tension from our faces. after this we went onto the vocal exercises, we started off with our breathing exercises where we breathed in for 4 held for 4 and breathed out for 4,8,12,16 and 20. this helped us to prepare breathing in before we started to sing but also to hold onto notes for longer and learning to control our breath properly when singing so we didn’t let out too much air. we also did the humming in 3rds so that we could warm up our vocal cords and not strain them straight away, We then went from humming into ‘ar’ as we slide back down. we did some musical phrases which included ‘i like the flowers’ ‘12345′ and ‘1.121.12321.1234321.123454321.’ 

2. Describe the tasks set for the session.

within the session the tasks where to go through Gay or European and sort out the harmonies in it, so we could look into blocking it later on. We needed to make sure that we knew the lyrics and that we were getting the timing right for the solo parts and also for the ensemble parts so that we weren’t relying on Georgii. As well as this we also worked on blackbird and the harmonies at the end of that as well. 

Within Beckys lesson we needed to rehearse our solos and run through it ready for our final assessment of them, within the lesson we got told what grades our peers thought our solos were at and why and then further how to improve so that we could get the best grade possible for our assessment. 

3. Describe your rehearsal, performance and the progress you have made here.

In our rehearsal with Georgii we made progress with the harmonies and the timing of when to sing solo and ensemble parts. we’ve also progressed in the parts where we have to sing quieter/louder and properly announce the words clear altogether. In blackbird when we sang through we worked on our projection when singing and then also we worked on the harmonies for the final blackbird where we split into three groups, one group sang first then the second joined in and finally the third group. 

4. What was your feedback today from your tutor and peers?

Feedback from my solo was more confidence and think about my character in the song, what she’s feeling, what she’s singing about and the emotions behind the lyric. 

i have to be less nervous and have more fun with it. 

open my mouth more and use eye contact with the audience.

5. What exercises and songs do you plan to rehearse at home to help you to improve your vocal technique?

I’m planning on rehearsing both gay or European and blackbird for next rehearsal with Georgii, i’m also going to do my scales and the other vocal techniques that we’ve been taught to do. I’m also going to rehearse my solo for my singing assessment next week, working on characterisation and my movement. 

6. Create yourself a to do list.

rehearse vocal techniques and exercises.

rehearse gay or european and blackbird.

rehearse my solo.

7. Set yourself three S.M.A.R.T. targets for next week’s lesson.

Specific: work on breathing when singing.  Measurable: I want to improve on my breathing when i’m singing and making sure i have enough breath whilst i’m singing.  Attainable: It will be achievable if i keep on doing the breathing exercises that we have been doing in lesson and practicing taking my breaths when singing.   Relevant: It is relevant for when i’m singing so i have enough breath and i can know how much breath i need for certain things.  Timely: i would like to see my breathing improve by next week. 

Specific: performance when singing. Measurable: I want to improve on my performance when singing so i look more interesting to watch and not just stood or sat there singing.  Attainable: this will be achievable if i work on my character and performance when singing and in rehearsals and fully devoting myself to the character and performance.  Relevant: It’s relevant for my performance and showing my understanding of the song.  Timely: Again i’d like to see this improve for the next lesson. 

Specific: confidence in hitting notes. 
Measurable:I need to make sure that i am confident when hitting the notes and not letting my nerves get the better of me.  
Attainable: I think it is achievable if i get over my nerves and just hit the notes without becoming too worked up.  Relevant:This is relevant for when i’m singing making myself more reliable and give myself more chances at doing things when it comes to solo stuff in ensembles.  Timely: I’m hoping this improves in the next couple of weeks.