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Cimmunity Arts Self Assessment

Community Arts Self Assessment

I feel like I did really well with the community arts project. During this project I was able to stay in character throughout, I remembered the times I went on stage and where I had to go off. I sang and danced with confidence especially when I had to interact with the audience members and tried to get them up dancing. I work really well on stage, I was smiling has loads of energy and I remembered my blocking.

My weaknesses are that I could’ve been better with the dance ‘night fever’ I didn’t put much effort in because I didn’t have much space to dance because I was at the back of the group, but even though I thought people couldn’t see me, they may have been able to see me, also with the moon landing scene I didn’t really interact with it, I should’ve been acting shocked and surprised with what was happening but I felt as though I look as if I was disengaged.

I thought I used the space well, I didn’t slip up with any of the routines I was in and I was always ontime to stage.

Commedia Dell’Arte Self Assessment

What do you find most interesting about your physical performance?

What is found interesting about my physical performance is that I was able to keep my posture when I was Dr Graziano, I was able to follow my belly when I was acting in the difference scenes and I was able to uses my hand gestures in the appropriate places.

When I was acting as Tropolino, I was able to keep a straight posture and also use my gestures properly.

How could they/you experiment more with their movement?

I feel as though I could’ve moved around the stage more than I did. My character could’ve been abit more forward with the audience instead of being afraid to get too close to them. I should’ve been able to move more freely around.

What was good about their physicality?

my physicality was really good when I was Dr Graziano because I had to stand in a position which could’ve affected the state of my back but I held it out and stayed in that laid back position and with Tropolino, I just had to have an upright position, which was pretty easy to keep up with.

Have they remembered their blocking and movement?

I remembered blocking in most of the scenes, but the scenes like returning from the hunt, I forgot when I had to shake my fist at Pantalone. Fro the DR TRIPPING scene I used the blocking I remembered to some extent because I was speaking to the audience but I didn’t go right up to them so they could understand my frustrations with the fact that the undertaker was expecting me to pay for the funeral.

I also didn’t remember my lines for RETURN OF CAPTAIN SPAVENTO. So my blocking completely failed during this scene

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

Throughout the performance I feel like I did use the appropriate gestures and facial expressions. For scene 7 ARRIVALS I used expressions well because I said to Tartaglia “how did you come to be in this trussed up condition” and when I said that I crossed y hands together and face the audience with a funny face. I also used gestures and facial expressions when I was doing the DR TRIPPING scene, flinging my arms around to show how outraged I was and frowning all the time.

What could be improved ‘even better if……’

I need to improve on my confidence on stage, I need to make sure I have an accent and stick to it and I also need to make sure that I remember all of my blocking from rehearsals.

Characterisation

Are they using appropriate acting techniques ?

Yes, you could tell I had a lot of status because of the way I was talking to the other characters, I had to boss my servants around. I was walking around with my head held high as if I own the place, using my hand to shoo people away from.

Is this an appropriate portrayal of the Character?

Yes, because it showed that I was a character with a lot of power, how I didn’t care about other people. I just wanted my own way and for people to do stuff for me from the get go.

Think about Age; status; power in relationships; personality and attitudes;

Can you identify their levels of tension? Do they show their feelings physically?

Used good levels of tension, I used passionate. Especially with the arrival of Spavento scene, I had to get angry as the character of Tropolino with Padella, to make sure he did what I said to do.

I also used a Passionate tension when I fell over the body and the undertaker tried to persuade me to buy packages for the body when I didn’t want to.

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

I feel like as Dr Graziano my character objective wasn’t very clear, I feel as though the audience would’ve just seen me as a fat man who bosses people around and not a character who has status, money and someone who is very smart.

My character of Tropolino I felt may have come across clear because I felt as though even though I was bossy, I would change when the Captain Spavento came around. I would be bossy and rude to the other characters when he wasn’t around but when he came I would listen to his every word and follow orders without fault, also my body language changed when he was around because I would stand in a certain way which was up tall with my hand on the side of my forehead to show that he was superior to me.

Is the acting technique appropriate to the style of the performance. Entrances/ stance/ exit/audience interaction

Do they/you use a range of emotions and actions used to meet their characters objective? (So I will….)

Yes, I used emotions on stage, I made sure that my anger and bossiness came out because those were the main emotions my characters used throughout the performance.

Dr Graziano is quite a bossy character, likes to get his own way and I feel like I portrayed that throughout.

And Tropolino is a bossy character when Captain Spavento isn’t around because Tropolino likes to think that he is superior when he’s not serving the Captain.

Do they/you react to other characters on stage

Yes, I actshocked to when the understaker expects me to pay for the body and I also act shocked but not fazed when Padella tells me that he won’t have the Captain stay in the inn

What could be improved ‘even better if……’

What could be improved was that I moved closer to the audience more, so if I was struggling to project my voice they still would’ve heard me, also I needed to work on my movements because the definitely needed to be abit bigger and over the top.

LIST OF FURTHER SKILLS TO CONSIDER

Vocal Skills – grade from 1-10 Ten being excellent

Then describe what is good and what needs improving bellow each skill.

Vocals

loudness; 6

inflection; 5

Emotion tone; 5

Pace; 7

Rhythm; 5

pausing; 7

accent/dialect; 6

diction; 5

pitch; 7

Fluidity? 7

Comedy/ timing; 7

vocal idiosyncrasies; 6

Action plan

I need to make sure that I work on my voice more and make sure that when im acting I stick to it and don’t fall into the habit of speaking in my own voice. I also need to make sure that I project my voice more so that the audience can hear me loud and clear.

I need to work on my body expressions and gestures so they are clearer and I need to interact with the audience a lot more.

Movement; 7

posture; 8

Facial expression; 7

gesture; 8

use of tension; 6

openness/ confidence; 5

use of space; 6

eye contact; 6

energy; 5

Spacial awareness; 7

Audience interation 5

Timing; 7

Memory; 8

Action plan

I need to make sure that I have a lot more energy on stage, I need to be confident in rehearsals so that is portrays in the actual performance and I definitely need to make sure that I interact with the audience more instead of just performing to them.

Commedia Dell’Arte Review for Nathan

Community Arts Blog 6

Community Arts Blog 6 During this lesson every one went off independently to practice their performances. I went off into the green room with Leah to work on the harmonies for White Cliffs Of Dover, because the harmonies at the full chorus was very off. We practiced the song a few times to make sure that we were in timing with each other, next I practiced with Liam because we wanted to make sure that the song and the blocking that we had done together was good enough to perform. The whole class got together as a group to help discuss he strengths and weaknesses of each of the performances, we each got feedback from the teachers and the feedback that I got was that I need to be more energetic during Boogie Woogie and I need to smile more, for White Cliffs Of Dover, I need to project my voice more & lastly for Let's Call The Whole Thing Off I needed to interject with Liam more because the song is a couple duet. I needed to not be near Liam all the time as well. My targets for next lesson is to make sure that me and Leah have a decent harmonies for the chorus. Me & Liam interact more on stage and during boogie woogie, I need to have loads more energy.

Community Arts Blog 2&3

Community Arts Blog 2 & 3 Blog 3 In this lesson as a group we talked about what we would like to include in the time capsule performance. We concluded that we were going to start in the 1920's and end it in the 70's and we were all given a specific era to work on. I was given the 50's era to research and find information on. I found some songs from the 50's e.g. Jail House Rock - Elvis, Mr Sand Man - The Chordettes. MASA was established in the 50's. The structure of DNA was discovered.. In the end I ended up getting to sing a duet of Let's Call The Whole Thing Off with Liam and White Cliffs of Dover with Lizzy & Leah. With Lizzy & Leah we listened to some backing music from YouTube to hear how fast the song would be but we didn't like how slow it was, and josh was able to play the song on the piano and speed it up, so we practiced with josh and his version and tried to figure out good harmonies, which lizzy and Leah was doing. I was singing the main tune of the song. Kerry helped us find Lets Call The Whole Thing Off, Liam & I thought it was a really fun song. So we took it away, printed off some lyrics and learned the song for the next lesson. Community Arts Blog 2 7th Oct During this day we decided to get together as a group and plan ideas for our time capsule performance, just to make sure we knew what we were going to perform to the Dementia/Alzheimer's audience. We planned out performance in a way that could help job old memories of these people from different eras, this included different songs and dances, even a few stories. The eras would start in the 20's right up to the 70's. We were all given an era to read watch and find some information about them so that we could use them in our performances. Most of this lesson was based on us all putting forward our ideas!

cloverperformingarts-blog

- Transitions and tech list for Time Capsule performance

Community Arts Blog 4

Community arts blog 4 In today's lesson we starting off by rehearsing our different tasks. I went off into the green room to practice Lets Call The Whole Thing Off, Boogie Woogie and White Cliffs of Dover on my own whilst Elise, Gabbie, Leah & Liam were practicing their other performances. After they had finished the first person I had got together to practice with was Liam because we have a little acting to do whilst singing. Together we blocked where we're were going to be stood singing and how we were going to interact with each other on stage due to the fact that it's a couples song. We were told that we need to move around each other more instead of just staring side by side. I then got with Leah and tried out different movements whilst singing so we didn't look boring on stage just stood in one position. Leah and I asked Jacob and Chloe if they could do a short seen together before the song started, where they would meet up and hold hands and then start dancing together, whilst getting the audience members up on their feet to dance too. Lastly I got together with Elise and Gabbie to practice boogie woogie and different movements on stage, bubbly upbeat movements because the song is quite fast paste, we also blocked where and how we were going to stand on stage because there is a dance going on behind us and we don't want to get in the way of the dancers. We need to be in a position we're we can move freely whilst singing because it takes a lot of strength to do both, without going flat. Towards the end of the day the whole group decided that we should start working on Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher from Billy Elliot. This scene was set in a pub where we are all playing drunk characters who are having a laugh and essentially taking the mick out of Margaret Thatcher. We don't need to take it seriously when we are singing the song because we are drunk we have to shout the song more than sing it. We all have to be bubbly, dance around the stage using all the space.

Project introduction research

- -Research a minimum of two contrasting community arts companies

Faceless Arts & Community Arts North West

- -Find and watch example videos/footage of their work

https://youtu.be/0jOwSZIGGLs - faceless arts

https://youtu.be/MhvXviQ56iA - community arts north west

- Explore the purpose of the work for example to raise awareness of a cause,

community cohesion, to inform or celebrate diversity

The purpose of faceless arts is to help communities become more confident and proud of who there are and where they live. “Faceless Arts Bring Art & People Together”

The purpose of Community Arts North West is that they facilitate cultural expressions and visibility for the many complicated and diverse communities. They work with divers communities and artists to create access to cultural production for people who are excluded from or on the fringes of mainstream.

- The themes and issues within the work such as political or social

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- The types of venue they work in for example schools, festivals or art centres.

Faceless Arts they work in parks, shopping centres and public events as they are aces for creativity and social gathering

Community Arts North West work in a community arts centre.

- The types of community project they do for example community, young

people, the elderly or the unemployed.

Both Faceless Arts & Community Arts North West work with people of all ages, their aim is not to discriminate but to invite everyone in to feel wanted and to enjoy the activities they both provide.

- The types of performance used for example dance, drama, music or workshops

Faceless Arts tend to use more dance, music and workshops

Community Arts North West use dance, drama, music and workshops

- What are your thoughts on the work from the two companies chosen?

I think the work of both of the companies are great, they are giving people a chance even if their are not musically able or they are not confident or good with drama, and they don’t just have a certain type of audience, they go out in the community and find people of different types.

- Compare and contrast the work of both companies

Faceless Arts get the community involved by going out directly to them, they don’t wait for people to go to them

Community Arts North West have people come to them in a more private setting and gradually help build up their confidence behind closed doors but around people who they have learnt to know and get along with.

- Would this be a type of theatre that would interest you in your own career

Community Arts North West would be because it’s the environment I would like to teach in, in front of people from different ages and cultures

Week 1 Theory

What is community arts? Community arts is artistic activities based in a community setting. Have you taken part in any community arts projects? Yes What does community arts benefit? Promotes interaction in public places. It's can also help to engage youth in the community. How can community arts benefit? Engagement in community activities can help personal and social development, help people to feel better with hint themselves and also to build new skills and knowledges. It can help to improve on communication, planning and organisational skills. Describe 2 contrasting community arts projects ????

Week 1 Workshop

Week 1 workshop Can you create a story for 5yr old children? Yes What do 5yr olds find entertaining? I think children of that age enjoy any type of story with an evil villain or with a beautiful king or queen. They would enjoy stories or films that they can copy e.g. They can dress up as the different characters. If the story is being told vocally the children would enjoy something with body movements so that they can get some sort of vision of what is happening in the story and then they can use their imagination. What did you like when you were 5yrs old? My favourite child hood movie was sleeping beauty. I liked the vibrate colours throughout the whole film and the fact that there was a villain who I hated. I liked stories with a good story to it so that I could get a good understanding of what was going on. What skills do you have to include in the performance? You need to make sure the audience know you their even if your playing a small role. When you are performing you need to keep your energy up throughout that whole performance because if you being flat and not bothered then the audience will disengage. Your vocal skills need to be very loud and clear, need at one point should the audience not be able to hear you. Movements need to be BIG, SHARP & OVER EXAGGERATED! Facial expressions need to be BIG, SHARP & OVER EXAGGERATED! Gestures need to be BIG, SHARP & OVER EXAGGERATED! And lastly, you need to be confident in what you're doing, you want the audience to follow your performance, you want them to enjoy it and if you're not enjoying it then they certainly won't Can you name 3 techniques the professional storyteller performer uses? Technique 1 - storytelling Technique 2 - narration Technique 3 - exaggeration

Plague Evaluation

1. Explain your choices for physicality of the character in your performance. ( gestures, facial expression, posture, body movements, pace)

- My choice of physicality for my character (Mrs Thorpe) I used facial expressions to show the pain of my child (Thomas) being ill, and dying. I used facial expressions to show my worry and this changed the way I was breathing because of the feeling I had about this disease when I was talking to my friend (Mrs Hancock), I wanted the audience to see how worried I was for the other villagers. I also used hand gestures to put emphasis on what I was saying to the other characters & whilst I was talking and feeling emotional about the plague spreading, it changed how fast I was speaking, I sped up my words because of the panic I was feeling.

- For my other character (Dorothy) the body movements I had used were having a hunched over back when I stood up to show the audience that I was playing the role of an old lady, I would walk very slowly and rub my face (some of the women I have watched playing old women, would rub their face) I used hand gestures to put emphasis on the story that I was telling about the plague, the pace of my voice was slow and clear so that the audience and the characters I was telling the story to (Susie & Carol) took the information in well. This character was sat down for all of the play.

What was good?

- The things that was good was the fact that we were able to act natural in the first scene between (Dorothy, Carol & Susie) & throughout the whole play, the actors/actresses played it natural. We were able to get through all the scenes and improvise if we needed to. We were able to used facial expressions with each other and also used close proximity, e.g. a hug and a kiss on the cheek when my “granddaughters” came to visit me. We never delayed on the scene start, always made sure that everything we needed was on stage when we had to change scenes.

Was there anything you think didn’t work? Why?

- Something that didn’t work were some of the props that was being used on stage were too heavy for one or two people to move, we needed to have more than 2 people on stage helping to remove the props we had used for the previous scene.

- I also thought that some of the background slides didn’t work because I, personally didn’t understand what they were for.

How could you develop your physical performance if you did it again?

- I would make sure that I used my body more other than just standing in one place, I could move about more, improve my posture. I did this as the grandma but I didn’t aa the character, Mrs Thrope. I would make sure that I walked around the stage, curled into myself or move my body in a certain way to show I am distressed.

2. Explain your choices for your vocal performance – did you use any voices/accents or change your voice for the character/s you portrayed and why

- Yes I changed my voice to fit my characters. For my character (Dorothy) I had to change my voice to a higher pitch than my own and I also had to change the tone to make it sound a bit more croaky but soft, and slightly more posh, by pronouncing my “T’s” and saying “yes” instead of “yeah” etc.. I changed the way I spoke because my normal voice doesn’t really doesn’t like an old lady and I had to portray an old lady through my voice as well as my acting.

- For my character (Mrs Thorpe) I had to speak more posh, by pronouncing all my “T’s” and saying “yes” rather than “yeah”. I also tried not to slur my words because with my normal accent I slur some of my words, but I remembered to speak mo0re slowly and clearly so that the audience could understand me.

3. Explain your role in the whole rehearsal process – what did you do to help create this piece? E.g.: writing scripts, being professional – turning up on time, attitude to work.

- The role that I played during the whole rehearsal was sorting out the props that we needed for the show, I went around and asked the group what they needed for the different scenes and I even had to paint a box to make it look like old wood. I feel that throughout the whole rehearsals I acted in a professional manor and had a good attitude towards all the work, I thought I really tried my hardest in the rehearsals to make sure the performance was great for the audience and ourselves.

4. If you took part in this process again what would you do differently?

- If I took part in this process again I would make sure that I knew my lines and that I was confident on stage.

- I would make sure that we all were able to sort out scene changes without messing about on stage and delaying the scene from starting. I would like more people on stage to help with moving the props.

- I would also try and get in more full run trough’s of the play’s with all of the characters because it will help with us knowing what to do and where to stand without other people filling in their positions when they’re not there.

5. How did you interact with your audience?

- I interacted with the audience by giving them eye contact sometimes, for example I say in one scene “I agree, I am just as worried as you are! I want my children safe”, when I say “I agree” I look at the audience so they can get some sort of understanding of how worried I am & I also in5teract with the audience towards the end where I say “that’s the end of my story, I think it’s time for my nap” I look at all the audience members and talk to them so that they know that it’s the ending of the play.

6. What did you want your audience to feel/react like in your performance?

- Be specific – did it work? How do you know this?

- I wanted the audience to feel the hurt and worry that the characters were feeling because the people from Eyam in 1665 genuinely felt the pain that we were trying to portray. I wasn’t expecting the audience to act in a specific way but I just wanted them to feel the emotion of the characters.

7. How did you show your focus and concentration on stage? Do you think you focused well?

- I don’t think that throughout the whole play I was focused and I think that’s because I was sat down throughout half of the play and I can’t sit still for long periods of time, I also wasn’t focused during some scenes because I would prompt Anna for some help on what I would say if I had forgotten.

Overall I think my concentration wasn’t too bad but I feel I could’ve done better, just in case I distracted the audience from what was going off center stage.

8. What did the audience think about your own performance?

- They thought I used great characterization but I was a little quiet at some points.

- I was a good story teller.

- I had great body language, I used good facial expression but I need to show more emotion

9. What did the audience think about the whole performance? Eg the plot/technical elements, script etc?

- They liked the transitions between the scenes. They thought the slides needed to be more organized instead of skipping through loads before they got to the right slide.

- They enjoyed the poet/mother – Athena & Anna

- The preist spoke very clearly and projected his voice well.

- They liked the way the story came together

10. What elements in the performance worked well? Why?

- What I worked well was the different scenes and how they got put together to make a story, I also think the characters costumes worked really well together. I think the lighting on the different characters and the dancers worked extremely well because they had one specific light on them and around the light was darkness, which probably made the audience just focus on the show that was going on, on stage.

11. What could you improve on?

- If I had the chance to do it all again I would make sure that I learnt my lines fluently and that I was confident with them on stage. I would also try and make sure that scene changes were more fluent so that it didn’t delay the start of the next scene.

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