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Rent costumes, Gordon, James Yanston (Homeless man), Mr Jefferson and a bohemian

Rent Blog 6- Self Assesment

What do you find most interesting about your physical performance?

What I find most interesting about my physical performance is mainly how much it helps makes my character more detailed and realistic in my portrayals, although one may think when listening to “Rent” for the first time that compared to say something in the realms of physical theatre such as slapstick comedy or pantomime, it would come across as much less reliant on an actor’s physicality and more on their characterization and singing skills. However this is actually very untrue as I have learnt from my time working on the show, to begin with I knew it would be needed but I imagined it wouldn’t be as pivotal as other techniques but I have discovered that it really is quite a prominent part in our production and I feel that without it the audience wouldn’t be fully drawn in to the action.

For my own physical performance what I have found interesting is how much consideration needs to be taken into it and also how drastically it changes throughout since I am playing a wide vary of characters, e.g. I could either be playing my homeless character James and show a slouched posture and have to think about how I move myself across the stage to show both his aggression, suffering and misery, my facial expressions showing bitterness and anger but when I am playing Mr Jefferson this changes altogether and I have to give myself a more elegant and reserved physical form with a straight, refined posture and no slouching, my hands either tucked behind my back or clenched together at the front and a straight almost expressions look on my face.

How could you experiment more with your movement?

There are a number of ways in which I could try to experiment with my movement; I have wondered whether or not I should make James’s movement during “Christmas Bells” faster paced and brisk to show both the busy atmosphere that’s happening around but also to show his irritation and distain of being outside in the cold with disease, no job or money, very little to keep him safe and warm apart from an old coat, hat and scarf. But taking the various illnesses into account I may have to show this by showing more weakness in my movement and moving at a slower pace regularly stopping in pain. I had been more set on this second form of movement to begin with but I feel that it wouldn’t go well with what was going on around me and also it may be seen as over the top and give the wrong idea to the audience, from watching the musical it seems more evident that the homeless on the street are ill and weak but if anything much more angry and fed up about their way of living.

What was good about your physicality?

The good thing about my physicality is that it has surprised me, I am much more capable of performing physical then I realised. To begin with I thought my strengths revolved around characterisation and vocals but it seems that from performing in “Rent” I have been able to discover an extra performance skill that I will be able to put good use towards my future in the performing industry. I discovered this during “la vie boheme” when it is needed most, I put myself out there, I give it all and I’ve found myself improvising my own dance moves such as when I leap of the bench a number of times during the transition and when we all begin to dance around the table in a circle I begin to spin and moonwalk and even try to drag Mark (Jacob) into the dancing.

Have you remembered your blocking and movement?

In all honesty in terms of my understudy role of Collins I have not been able to come to terms with act 1 fully yet I know his blocking and movement throughout act 2 since it’s those scenes I have usually ended up working on when Jordon isn’t there. However for my own characters I have been able to remember my blocking and know my place on the stage, I only try to improvise and add some of my own elements when suitable and have made sure to stay where I am needed and remain in character.

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

When my homeless character (who I have named James) appears for the first time to sing “Christmas bells” I have decided to maintain a forced and almost sarcastic smile while I am singing but when the music suddenly drops at “somewhere else, not here” I show a stern, un-amused and irritated look on my face. I find it is effective as it adds comedy into the piece but it also adds more to my characterisation but showing the irony behind what I am singing and that it is evident to the audience that I don’t believe in a single word I’m saying.

When I play Mr Jefferson I have a more varied use of both expression and gestures I am using both my hands and face to show my thoughts and feelings regarding the circumstances, for example after I finishing buttoning up my coat on the line “I’ve tried you at the office, and they said you’re stage managing or something” I pull a rather confused looking face and gesture my hands in a manner that shows I am questioning what I’ve heard as it doesn’t seem right for an ivy league daughter of mine to be doing something like “stage managing”.

What could be improved “even better if……”

I feel that to improve for one I need to be louder and clearer with my Jefferson voicemail as there are some pivotal points that are spoken from this one scene that the audience need to hear to help move the story along but I also think that I need to be more consistent with my gestures and try make better use of my hands to make certain points in the voicemail stand out more clear and maybe even add that comedic feel of a typical strict, sophisticated father. Along with this I feel I must show more interaction between my wife to give that element of naturalism.

Charcterisation

Are you using appropriate acting techniques ?

I’ve discovered more about the art of different acting techniques from my time working on the musical for example when I’ve performed the role of Collins I discovered ways to use emotional memory as my main characterisation method and while I found it rather uneasy and uncomfortable to begin with it did help with improving my performance and I can appreciate why it is used so often by acting professionals. I would say emotional memory and naturalistic acting have been the main methods I’ve used to shape my roles in the musical due to the tone and complexity behind everyone’s role, the only time when I have been more comedic, physical and over the top has been during “la vie boheme” when I have played as a vivid lively bohemian, however for roles such as Gordon in life support more time has to be spent working on the emotional state and the frame of mind of the character. When I have performed I have used very little to no gestures at all, relying only on my projection and expression to perform the role also taken into account his given circumstances e.g. how having AID’s effect his outlook on life, will he continue to feel this way, what was he like before he was diagnosed etc.

Is this an appropriate portrayal of the Character?

I feel that these techniques are the right way to portray this role as even though he only appears in two scenes of the show he is still a deep, complex role and a significant contribution to the plot but without me looking deeply into the role and putting myself into his perspective then the character’s will just go by unnoticed and no one in the audience will understand why he is there.

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

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

I play a number of roles but each of them vary so much in terms of age and status and from playing them and being able to understand just how much the differentiate as rehearsals continue which helps to strengthen my beliefs. E.g. it’s clear that Mr Jefferson has a high upstanding status and is much more wealthy and formal compared to both my homeless character James and Collins.

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

I have been able to think about the given circumstances of the my four roles to help make my objectives clearer, when I play Mr Jefferson I want my daughter Joanne to follow in our footsteps in the law profession but I fear that she is spending too much time with her girlfriend Maureen who seems to end up either leaving her either frustrated or upset when Maureen begins to flirt, personally I see Maureen as an obstruction towards Joanne’s potential.

Although he won’t admit it Gordon is scared, he claims it’s all part of living in New York and that he’s used to fear but deep down he is afraid and confused he just wants an answer as he feels he should have died a long time ago even more so since the reduction of T- cells to fight off disease.

Is the acting technique appropriate to the style of the performance

Considering the themes and issues that represent this musical in particular, naturalistic acting and stanleski method are what help most with giving a clearer representation and making the audience understand as Rent is also musical with a plot that requires a lot of attention to follow.

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

To meet Mr Jefferson’s objective I will make sharp and snappy gestures towards the end of the voicemail almost in the same style of a teacher pointing and telling a pupil off for naughty behaviour this will represent both the age and status of the character but also the power that he holds and how important it is for him to get his point across.

To show Gordon’s objective I have portrayed him as someone quiet and emotionless, he doesn’t react to the other’s characters around him and doesn’t care for Mark’s abrupt entrance either. He secludes himself from the outside as he is seen by society as contagious and also because he will never be settled until he can find ways to get through the rest of his life with this disease. To show his apparent lack of emotions I don’t use any gestures and remain stood in a blank emotionless state it is only when I start to question Paul’s method of teaching that I show my inside emotion I become louder and show in my expression despair and grief as I am longing for a way out but I know it’s inevitable and Paul won’t even admit it.

Do you react to other characters on stage?

If I don’t react to those around me then it will come across as lazy and possibly even arrogant giving the impression that I don’t want to be the show and honestly I feel I have gained some insightful experience from Rent and it will be a opportunity that I won’t forget for a very long time, in other words I have always made sure to react to other characters on stage either through gestures and expressions or sometimes even verbally by improvising. E.g. when Rodger pathetically attempts “musetta’s waltz” on the guitar I’ve decided to be that obstructive rude guy in the audience who says it how it is.

What could be improved ‘even better if……’

I think for overall improvement I need to find ways in which I could make all of this much more prominent and clear, there are points in big numbers such as “Christmas bells” where I feel I end up subconsciously breaking out of character due to only singing in particular parts of the song, I need to remember that even if I’m not speaking the audience are still watching everyone and if I suddenly break out of role it will affect the piece and they will instantly notice.

Grade the following vocal skills out of 10 and give reasoning

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

Projection 8- My projection has come on strongly over my time at Chesterfield College, it used to be a main issue of mine but now it feels more like a strength I think this could be due mainly to my increase in confidence.

Timing- 6 My timing isn’t a big problem but there are points where it can falter when I am having an off day and it becomes more noticeable. It’s more of a problem in the beginning of songs I sometimes have that struggle with knowing when exactly I need to come in.

Inflection-7 I have an ear for understanding the rhythm in when it comes to vocals and found in rent there are many different lines and verses where I can put inflection into good use and emphasize those words strongly. E.g. when they act tough you CALL their bluff.

Emotion- 8 I love adding emotion to my vocals and it doesn’t seem to be much of a challenge in songs such as “Rent” I get a good deal of aggression and passion out of it and in “seasons of love” I feel a mixture of nostalgia, sadness but also hope.

Accent 10- I have always had a love for voice accents and trying out different accents so performing RENT have given me a chance to have fun and try out a huge vary of American which has been a delightful opportunity.

Diction 3- Diction is a particular problem for me when I am under stress or pressure, when I am in one of those moods I end up rushing and my words come out unorganized and slurred which in turn makes me look ridiculous on stage.

Pitch 5- most of the time I don’t have a big issue with pitching but I have noticed that it seems to be at it’s worse during “will I” for some reason.

Set three action plans to improve weaker areas for the performance

1. Find a number of methods to improve on my diction, either through tounge twisters or riddles or even slowly singing the words without the music

2. When the band come in for tomorrow (19th of June) I am going to record my parts and listen out for when I seem to have issues with the timing

3. Work on “Will I?” on my own so I can hear my own voice better and pinpoint exactly where the pitching is going wrong.

Final Budget for Rent

Contingency plan

We are already funded by the college's own private funding however there is minimal for the arts but to raise more money for our 2016 production of "Rent" we have already raised money through a number of advertising and plan for some more in the future for potential productions

At present we have already helped raise money for charity by helping customers with packing their bags at Morrison's. Students from both "Rent" and "one man two guvnors" took part and both groups took turns with two jobs. These were either working at the check out to help customers with packing their bags and then offering them a flyer promoting the show while encouraging them to come and watch while others were stood outside the supermarket giving out flyers and promoting in the same way however they also had charity buckets for people to make an optional donation towards charity and production funding.

#business

Rent Blog 5

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

This week we began our first rehearsal at Chesterfield studios, Jonathan has been kind enough to let us use this space in the run up to the show in a few weeks. Since we are now on the final week we have been using our time for full run through as opposed to just picking out particular scenes that need work, we have gone through every single one as though it was a performance to a live audience and once that is finished we then look back at what was good and what needs improvement and if we have time then we go over the scenes that need improving.

What went well with the scenes?

I feel that overall the scenes have been fantastic; you can tell that everyone in the group understands how close we are to the final performance as they have been showing much more commitment to their roles and more energy and stage presence when performing. Scenes such as Rodger and Mark’s argument in “goodbye love” are very emotional and convincing along with Collins’s loss of Angel, there were many off stage that were crying from what they saw and although this is kind of upsetting to see it is still a good sign that the production is getting stronger by the day.

What didn’t go well with the scenes?

The main flaws that I noticed was the transitions between scenes, they are still a bit too slow. It’s most obvious at the end of “over the moon” when we all have to quickly arrange the tables and benches, there is still a lot of hesitation on when to move and it doesn’t feel as smooth as it should do. Also during “la vie boheme” when we all rearrange the same items to the front of the stage, again it doesn’t feel quick enough and sometimes they aren’t even moved in time for when Jacob starts to sing again, by then we should all be in our places and joining in.

What do you need to improve for next session?

I feel that I am guilty of not always moving the props as fast as I should do so I feel that for next session I too need to be fully alert and aware of what is going on around me.

What songs/ dances have you worked on?

Today may have been a full run but the songs that stood out the most for me were “seasons of love” and “rent”

What went well?

In “seasons of love” I am the male soloist but for ages I have found myself struggling to hit the very last note in my solo as it quite high for my range and I need to hold and there has been many times when I have ended up going into falsetto instead, to begin with I thought that I may not be capable of hitting that note which then started to make feel more nervous whenever we sung seasons of love. Of course being nervous didn’t really however with encouragement from Tyler and Chris I’ve had more confidence in myself and with strong use of my diaphragm today I was able to hit the note on more than occasion so for me I feel that was my main achievement today. I was pleased with myself and the group during “will I?” I feel that there is more naturalism from everyone and you can feel the grief and fear in their posture, gait and face and there is more emotion behind what they are singing showing that they truly understand the meaning behind the words

What didn’t go well?

The only things that didn’t go well for the songs today were during “contact” as it clear that people still didn’t know when to start saying their parts or when to stop and made the number overall look messy and unprepared, with the performance getting closer none of us can afford for this to happen, along with this I was worried about “seasons of love B” for almost the same reasons, we all seemed unsure of when to begin and how to finish.

How are you developing your character?

Today I focused on the development of my homeless character James during “Christmas bells”, I considered why he was out there at this exact time of night, and decided that he was there to steal from the nearby stall as he had been seeing somebody for a month now and thought it right to get her a present to celebrate and also it would be a way of wishing her merry Christmas but he has no choice but to steal giving the financial situation he’s in. Unfortunately he is caught and is violently thrown out, with that he sits down at the sidewalk cold and angry drowning his sorrows and chewing on some old chicken he found in a paper bag nearby, a little while later he sees what looks like old band mate arguing with what looks a puny high school geek. Initially he is shocked to see Rodger and can’t quite believe it’s him and is more angry to see him doing so well for himself (the irony being that he has no clue about Rodger’s aids) and swiftly takes another big swig of whisky.

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

Well initially James has been my main focus this week, I have created long backstories for most of my character so that I can actually get more of an understanding myself of the lifestyle back in 1980’s New York but also so that while I am in the background of numbers such as “Christmas bells” I am not just sitting there as myself even if it’s little things that the audience may not even notice it can still go a long way. Originally I had decided to go up to Chris and pretend that I am sharing cannabis with him before going away to hide from the police and then I roll myself up another joint once they had gone but Kerry suggested that I try using the paper bag and bottle which I must admit is probably a better idea as I can create a better story with those two items.

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

The main techniques which I used for today’s sessions was given circumstances so that I could help create myself a backstory and develop characterisation and also emotional memory for numbers such as “I’ll cover you” and “seasons of love” to help enhance the meaning behind them

What feedback did you receive from your director/ peers?

We received vocal feedback from both Jonathan for “Rent” and Becky regarding “seasons of love”, initially Jonathan emphasised the importance of knowing when to stop and to refrain from holding notes for longer than needed, on the actual performance he will be conducting both us and the live band and will make it clear when to start and stop through gesture but it’s important we all pay attention.

For “seasons of love” Becky said that the song did sound powerful overall but there isn’t enough thought into the lyrics and it feels as though the song is sung almost sub concisely and people aren’t showing the emotion needed.

What did you think of the feedback?

I understand and appreciate the feedback, I think as students we take the criticism on board in general but even more than ever now as the show gets closer.

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

When I am performing I will still maintain the same level of eye contact with my audience but I will also try to pay more attention to Jonathan playing in case I end up missing any cue signals that he gives and for “seasons of love” I am going to put some thought into the lyrics and decide which parts mean the most to me and use them as my main focus.

Rent Blog 4

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

This week Christmas Bells have now been fully blocked which has now given us the time to move on to blocking “la vie boheme” along with this on the Monday when I filled in for Jordon again I worked with Lucy, Ben, Jasmine, Jacob, Chris and Chloe on the opening to “Goodbye Love” and then on Friday afternoon we began rehearsing a full run through of the show.

What went well with the scenes?

Goodbye love stood out for me this week in terms of my own emotions and the suburb acting from everyone else within that scene, along with I’ll cover you it’s one of the saddest and most tense scene in the musical so there is much demand from the actors emotionally as I was soon to discover. Kerry gave us time to build on this and get into character before performing, during this time I remembered the Stanislavski method in which an actor focuses on emotional memory which they use to convey the way their character is also feeling and give much more of naturalistic performance. Admittedly I had very rarely used the method before, and if I had it would usually be without realising, for the first time ever I sat down by myself away from everyone else making sure that I wouldn’t be distracted and I slowly began to think of past memories that had made me feel emotional pain e.g. family funerals, arguments, fear, break ups. As more of these came back to me I kept quiet and focused solely on them and nothing else, nothing that would break me out of it and before knew it I was in the scene feeling a mixture of anger and grieving, I was angry at my friends, I couldn’t believe they could be this selfish even on today of all days and of course I was grieving Angel more than ever now, I had to sit down it was too much to take in at once.

Once I was out of role I felt over all pleased with how the scene had worked out but for some reason I was also surprised, I hadn’t expected it to be this emotional but I suppose in the world of acting, I’m bound to learn more about the importance of different methods and probably make some more discoveries on the way.

As for Christmas Bells I have noticed that the timing is beginning to improve rather well and vocally people are remembering their cues and putting more power into their vocals and characterisation.

What didn’t go well with the scenes?

I can safely say that the main thing that lets Christmas bells down is the lack of energy, the setting is supposed to be within the loud, busy, bustling population that is New York City and quite honestly, I still feel like I’m in the dome, I’ve found a similar problem in “La Vie Boheme” to begin with there were many people that were sitting there doing what they had been told to do but that was about it, no characterisation and again lacking energy but that being said it is beginning to slowly improve but the only problem now is that people are become more conscious about how they set themselves on stage but at the same time it still feels very forced and you can tell it’s just what they’ve been told to do. They’re cheering and shouting but it’s very repetitive and sometimes just that bit too loud. Because it’s so loud there are many lines and phrases from the main characters lines that are pivotal to the plot and they end up being missed out so overall in my opinion that is the only current and rather irritating problem we have with “La vie Boheme” at present.

What do you need to improve for next session?

A problem of mine that needs improvement is spatial awareness and in a song like “La Vie Boheme” with a lot going on it can be quite irritating for other actors if I am in the way and they need to be over at their part of the stage, the thing I do know my blocking and after being at college for so long now I have developed more of an understanding for acting in a stage space but what I believe is that the overall problem is that this song requires so much enthusiasm and excitement from everyone and through this I end up getting carried away and can end up forgetting where I am.

What songs/ dances have you worked on?

Another song that we moved on to and have been going for the past few weeks is “Contact”

What went well?

I think physically and taking into account everyone working as a group it went surprisingly well, I thought that I would end up being terrible with this particular dance but I found myself enjoying the nature behind it and had fun putting my physicality to the test. Which brings me on to characterisation I found that very strong from most of the group for a song such as this everyone needs to be confident and out of their comfort zone to make characterisation like this successful.

What didn’t go well?

The main downside that springs to mind is vocals, everything else for the song I feel is pretty much there but it is vocals that let it down. Not everyone seemed completely confident with the lyrics which meant they would either come in too early or late for their cues which would ruin the overall flow and made it annoying for those that did.

How are you developing your character?

This week when I played as Collins I found myself using emotional memory which I found developed my portrayal for him significantly as the rehearsals continue I begin to find myself understanding his pain more and more whereas for my character in “La Vie Boheme” I have still been wondering whether or not I should use already two existing characters James (homeless guy) or Gordon from the life support group but putting things in perspective I don’t think the paranoid and eager to please waiter would let James in and Gordon is a similar if not worse situation to Rodger he probably wouldn’t have the courage or need to go out as sad as it sounds. So the overall solution is to create my own true bohemian for “La Vie Boheme”.

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

Regarding the role of my bohemian the main ideas I had for his character would first off be that his name is Maxwell and he specialises in free lance street art and you can usually find him near Soho outside clothing stores and subway stations trying to sell his drawings to tourists, he has quite the talent and so he makes a substantial profit from his sales but he has a very care free attitude and doesn’t really put the money to much else but booze for his parties and colours for his painting kit. Well he seems to consider himself talented but the main reason for his success is mainly because he is a smooth talker and a bit of a flirt in the day he comes across as polite, well mannered and respectful but at night he goes absolutely wild, dancing with and kissing whoever he finds be it boy or girl. I have made elements of his night time characterisation clear in “la vie boheme” when he has found a lover on his lap he begins to make waves but to his horror before he can go any further she has moved on to try it out with the crazy moon lady (Maureen) after that he joins with the rest of the party as he had that much to drink but he begins to moan about his loss to Mark who unfortunately can relate only too well.

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

The main technique that I have used this week which I found significantly beneficial was Stanislavski's system for “Goodbye Love”. The main reason I decided to use it was for emotional effect and essentially make my performance stronger.

What feedback did you receive from your director/ peers?

After “Goodbye Love” we all received positive praise from Kerry and Georgie on the way that we used our emotions. A few peers also admitted that watching it had made them feel quite emotional too but later on in the week for “Christmas bells” and “la vie boheme” Becky made it very clear that these two songs were not up to the same standard in terms of characterisation.

What did you think of the feedback?

Initially I was quite pleased with the feedback, it was rather touching to see that the scene had that effect on others and although having to use the emotional memory did hurt at some points, it was lovely to see that the effort paid off.

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

I have now created my own bohemian character Maxwell, I am going to make mannerisms and aspects of his role much more apparent next week as the more effort I put in although it may not seem like a lot but the audience will always notice and if you aren't showing any indication to your role then it looks incredibly lazy and stupid.

Rent Blog 3

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

The best way for me to describe this particular week would be that there were a mixture of scenes that were completed and scenes that had only just begun and required a good deal of attention to be specific, carrying on from the previous blog “Christmas Bells” is initially blocked now but there is still overall room of improvement and time has been spent polishing and tweaking parts of the number here and there e.g. timing and characterisation. Monday was beneficial for me as I found myself with a number of responsibilities; firstly as it was the Monday I was filling in as Collins for Jordon, I promised I would do this for him on Mondays while he has work matters to attend to. Essentially it’s my job to play Tom Collins for the day, make note of any direction or blocking from the tutor, possibly film the scene I have been working on for the day and then report back to Jordon whenever I next see him giving information on whatever he may have missed out on. This particular scene was “You Okay Honey?” where Angel finds a injured, coat stolen Collins for the first time, initially the two of them begin to fall in love and discover that both are infected with aids upon finding this out Angel insists they are bound to get along and offers to take him back for a drink and make a night out of it along with inviting him down to the local life support meeting.

The next two roles I worked on have been coincidentally the very first Christmas bells with my homeless character (who I have named James Yanston, an ex worker at one of the famous New York toy stores) and also voicemail #2 as Mr Jefferson with Charlotte playing my wife Mrs Jefferson.

What went well with the scenes?

I feel “you okay honey?” was my most successful scene today as I feel that I surprised myself when adapting to the role, initially I thought that I was going to end up feeling uncomfortable with having to be so intimate with Tyler but since him and Kerry were kind and easy going it made feel a bit more calmer and settled which in turn helped me to get into role and actually create a sweet scene between the two of us. To help add more naturalism into the scene Kerry stopped us and said that instead of singing the lyrics the two of us should stop, act out the scene again but this time speak the lyrics instead as though it was a regular scene being acted out and I feel that this worked as it helped with putting more meaning into what we are saying and also helped to make sense of what was actually happening throughout that scene.

What didn’t go well with the scenes?

Unfortunately I feel that both voicemail #2 and the first Christmas bells were initially unsuccessful as I didn’t seem to be able to sustain that same level of characterisation that I had for “you okay honey” I think it was mainly down to the fact that I had to change back and forth between Collins and two pretty different characters throughout so I didn’t always have time to slow down and get myself into role along with this “voicemail 2#” and “Christmas Bells 1” took place in studio 2 which is obviously small and compact, nowhere near as big as the dome and Georgie was the only person watching which made me realise I had to focus and listen to any advice or feedback whoever I felt my nerves kick in which made me end up thinking too much about getting the lyrics right which in turn stopped me from adding any character and making it look flat.

What do you need to improve for next session?

I need to remember for next session that although we are still in college and performing an amateur production, I must still behave as though I am already in the industry and give full attention and dedication to all of my parts and not just the one that I “enjoy playing the most”, it is immature and won’t get me anywhere in the real world.

What songs/ dances have you worked on?

The week we have worked on “Christmas bells #2” but we have also began to look at “seasons of love” and “finale B”

What went well?

Vocally seasons of love sounds beautiful, it’s one of the numbers I feel that represents that we’re a group that can create some amazing stuff when we all work together I would like to say that the soloists showed some excellent vocal skills but I think that it’s only fair to give praise to everyone in the group as to me it represent the meaning behind the song in that so much can slip by in a whole year without half of us even realising and I’ve got a feeling that if people sustain this passion for the show then it will be an emotional and powerful way to end our two years at college.

Even “Christmas bells” is improving nicely, I noticed that is a bit more level of the right kind of characterisation from a few in the group it shows that people are beginning to understand more about the meaning and how it must be shown from us all vocally, physically and facially, also in my opinion this one of the most complex numbers in the whole musical and there are all these different parts that are being sung and performed all at once so everyone on stage needs to know their cues without any hesitation and all their words fluently. In terms of physical blocking I admit there are improvements to be made (which I will mention in the next question) but vocally it’s all coming together nicely.

What didn’t go well?

While Christmas bells is quite impressive vocally as it builds up, blocking wise there really needs to be some improvements. I have noticed that the tutors will say what each part is supposed to be doing but then during the run they will either forget when they’re supposed to be there or come on in completely the opposite way they’ve been told too which gives me the impression that they either haven’t been listening, don’t quite understand what is happening (I admit when I first started acting I found myself easily confused when it came to blocking) or will be too busy chatting as if they have “better things to do” than listen to what is being told.

I thought finale B was surprisingly weak, surprisingly mainly because it is a much less complex song than Christmas bells as both girls and boys parts repeat the same set of lyrics up until the end for nearly a whole duration of the song but to me it sounded a weak and didn’t have that same depth and projection that an audience usually expects from a closing number.

How are you developing your character?

On Monday morning me and the other “RENT” 2nd years have had tutorial with Kerry who has helped us to develop our roles by finding ways to research into both the lifestyle of a bohemian and their culture but also aids in America in the 80’s and the effect on people both socially, mentally and physically. When doing some research I came across this particular article written by author Edmund White who was diagnosed with HIV in 1985

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/05/25/edmund.white.hiv.aids/

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

This week to help me get into role I have become focused on my costume and how I present, I have found clothing and items that will be beneficial to both my role as a bohemian (such as lacy skinny jeans and a colourful alternative 90′s style t shirt) and previously I had considered shaving for my roles but then I thought playing both a homeless person and someone with a bohemian way of living then having a beard might make more sense.

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

When I performed “you okay honey?” I didn't use full emotional memory but I certainly thought about naturalism so as to make the scene more convincing and effective, I think Kerry getting us to speak the words instead of singing them helped with this because both me and Tyler had a stronger understanding of our given situation.

What feedback did you receive from your director/ peers?

Overall I received positive feedback from my peers who were watching nearby, they mentioned that they could believe the chemistry between me and Tyler and loved the way that me and him naturally responded to each other

What did you think of the feedback?

I was content with this feedback and pleased to hear that performance had that effect, something that I wasn't expecting

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

I only usually play Collins on a monday but after receiving that feedback I am going to keep in mind the techniques and acting style that I used to give that enhanced performance and use it for the rest of my roles

Rent- Blog 2

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

I feel that in terms of rehearsal time I have had a rather busy week, Friday being one of them, when Jonathan arrived to play the piano and direct musically we went over numbers that are either still in the process of being choreographed (Christmas bells being a particularly big one) and some that had never really been touched on before (la vie boheme) I now know the lyrics fluently as I had been practising it a few times before the rehearsals began full time however I feel that this has been my only achievement this week unfortunately most of the time I have been on the stage rehearsing and filling in for absent roles. Although that being said , on the Monday beforehand “voicemail 2” was choreographed by Georgie and Kerry for me and Charlotte, overall I was happy to be able to finally have a full understanding and confidence for this scene as it is very fast paced with many long words and vowels so diction and clarity is a must, not to mention there is no accompanying music and the number is sung entirely acapella but judging from the advice I got from tutor and overall feedback I could tell that it was finally coming in fruition.

What went well with the scenes?

Like I say with “Christmas bells” it was only partially blocked but I found that vocally a lot of us are now reaching our full potential, there is a good level of projection and lyrics are being remembered as well as clear pronunciation. I find pronunciation particularly important because while knowing the lyrics is obviously essential if someone isn’t speaking each phrase or words clearly then there is isn’t much point and key points that might have something to do with the plot will be missed out, however I have found that week after week everyone seems to be getting louder which seems to be very promising especially towards the end of the song when everyone across the stage space is blasting out their parts one by one and beautifully intertwining into this musical sound of powerful noise right up until the final line of “SNOW!!” I can picture this bringing the house down on the first night before we’ve even reached the interval. Speaking of which although the scene isn’t fully blocked yet I am already impressed of the potential that has been shown, as an individual and also while I’m singing in a group I can picture myself in this atmosphere of the hustle and bustle of a new York street market with protests erupting and sellers on the street giving their all to get rid of the stinky clothes clogging up their flats along with those on the street stricken from poverty and disease all though I must admit I don’t quite feel like I’m in New York yet (believe me I’ve been there) but I am now confident that we are on the right way for creating the right sort of atmosphere.

What didn’t go well with the scenes?

If I’m being honest there isn’t anything exactly wrong with the scenes themselves from what I’ve noticed but I think my only negative point would be the lack of energy and attention to detail and characterisation I’m not blaming everyone as even I have my off days and there are many in the group who are committed individuals

What do you need to improve for next session?

I have been able to think more about my characters mentally as the rehearsals have gone on, I have considered their clothing, back stories and their current situations depending on the nature of the scene they are in however as I have also mentioned they are days when this level of focus admittedly slips. Usually it will happen during “la vie boheme” when I have a particular line or action to say that stands out and of course there are parts where me and the rest of the company are full of energy but when it focuses on just the main cast all that energy disappears and I go back to just sitting there “as tom”, I have many ideas on how to make a good character and I feel the determination to make this musical a success but next session I need to keep this attitude constant even if it feels like I am not doing much in-between or on stage if anyone in ensemble isn’t giving it there 100% then the audience notices and the show can be deeply affected.

What songs/ dances have you worked on?

This week we have finished off and improved both “rent” and “Christmas Bells” and we have also started to move on to “la vie bohemme”

What went well?

I feel that Rent is becoming more powerful vocally, I could feel the passion from everyone today and as a company it’s very satisfying to be able to perform a number like this successfully. I think this is mainly down to people in the group that personally enjoy the song (it’s a favourite of mine) but also those that realise the potential that our group for performing a musical like “rent”, for Christmas bells we were all split in different vocal groups for our characters (e.g. homeless, policeman, clothes vendors) and quite honestly arranging everyone into these different groups was much easier than I thought it would be, people were cooperative, focused with what was happening and seemed to be able to pick up their different parts with ease.

What didn’t go well?

In terms of myself I found the beginning of “La vie boheme” didn’t go well at all, it was my fault as I found myself struggling with the part of the life cafe waiter I had never done it before and I couldn’t come to terms with the timing or the lyrics although Jonathan assured me that it wasn’t bad considering it was the first time I did it I still found it to be a nuisance and it’s slowed down the overall running time and confused everyone else mainly those who I am supposed to be briefly interacting with in that scene.

How are you developing your character?

Most of the focus for characterisation has been a developing a character for “Rent” who I would probably use for “la vie boheme” I did wonder about giving myself this one character for all my ensemble but I now feel that if I were to do that I wouldn’t be giving myself much of a challenge within the show and it could even possibly become boring if I was on stage with the same style, outfit and mannerisms and along with this I wouldn’t be using my acting skills to the full potential so I have decided that I will be same person in “la vie boheme” and “rent” (possibly even “will I” but I am beginning to wonder if I should use the character I play in “life support” for that particular number as it will be more significant for his story and situation) while in Christmas bells I will give completely different name and back-story to my homeless man.

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

I have considered possible backstories for both these characters and thought about how they would work to help me with my characterisation which in turn would develop more of a scene for the audience. For my homeless man I have considered that he may not have always been homeless, in fact he probably had what should have been a well earned job but he was being severely underpaid by his boss and due to economic downfall and spending cuts he was eventually made redundant.

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

Depending on the scenes I have found many of my techniques have been vocally this week, for La Vie Boheme there are many phrases and icons mentioned within the lyrics that are considerably important to the plot and need to be heard many of them having a hidden meaning and so for the this number my main focus has been clarity and diction making sure that none of my words are slurred and adding some sharpness and meaning behind what I am saying. In terms of effect I find that it helps with representing the fast pace and aggression behind the song.

What feedback did you receive from your director/ peers?

I haven’t received any personal feedback yet but we are all told as a group that while the songs are improving vocal there still needs to be energy from everyone otherwise it will flop and look absolutely ridiculous from an audience member’s perspective, along with this there was also from feedback from Jonathan for vocals relating to the level of diction in “Christmas Bells” as some parts were weaker than others and didn’t have that right level of power behind it.

What did you think of the feedback?

I will admit I can understand why feedback can sometimes be hard to hear and even upsetting but sometimes the truth does hurt and I believe that in the circumstances of performing arts it’s even more important to be honest on whether they are things in a production that either need tightening or are just plain bad, regarding the feedback this week I agree with there being a lack of energy from some of those within the group no matter how big or small a role is if any in that role isn’t interested then unfortunately they are going to stand out.

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

For the next rehearsal I am going to continue to strive to do my best and remember that every role counts, I will treat every song and scene as though it’s the real performance and give it my all and if there are any alterations to be made I will be respectable and listen to what needs to be done.

Dance Analysis 3- La Vie Boheme

Dance Analysis 3- La Vie Boehme

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

I am aiming to create a mood that represents both a lively party atmosphere but I also want to be able to show that I am embracing my culture and making it clear that I am retaliating against authority. The main skills I have used to create this mood have been clear characterisation for my own benefit as I am using to make myself that I would actually be at a bohemian gathering e.g. how am I there, why am I there etc, but I have also taken into consideration what my gestures and whether or not I would be make them big and obvious to show I am proud of who I am and happy to rebel against the stinky sell out Benny. Or maybe I would be more reclusive, as in I am a bohemian I do indeed think La Vie Boheme however I may not be a true bohemian and still have a paid job to keep me going and if I have that to commit I might not want to make myself completely known at riots or gatherings at the risk of me loosing it.

2- Were you successful in creating the atmosphere for this scene?

In the end I decided to go with the first option of being very flamboyant and proud of myself and that has worked much better than the second option, it’s one of those pieces where everyone has to be 100% and even if only one person isn’t giving it there all it still makes everyone else looks ridiculous whether it’s part of their character or not.

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

To improve I feel that I have got the right ideas but I need to make sure that I am not just adding to the mood from my facial expressions and characterising, it needs to be shown from my movement and how I place myself on the stage. Along with I need to make sure that I never lose that energy and end up looking, I must maintain the focus at all times.

4- 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 that is being sent to the audience is essentially a mash ups of different breaths of life and culture that make up bohemia (artistic subculture) along with NYC’s east village as a whole. I think to make the message to the message more apparent we have already had different characters split up to say particular words that go well with their origin background and who they are as people, for example Angel and Mimi mention many familiar Mexican dishes which references to their Hispanic origins e.g. curry vindaloo and huevos rancheros (whether angel is part Hispanic or not is mere speculation but can be assumed from anlysising the song and taking into account many of his traits throughout the musical). The same can be said for Maureen and Collins, the two of them have very similar personality traits and flaws and I feel that is made clearer to the audience when the two of them basically sing these parts of their personalities together “emotion, devotion, to causing a commotion” Devotion is key for Collins as he devotes himself to Angel with the time they have left together and “causing a commotion” is a prime example of Maureen’s character as she loves to be the centre of the attention and it has been her that’s planned many riots and protests against Benny’s development of cyber studios. To make represent both of these parts through dance they are paired together to perform some very expressive and symbolic, raunchy movements. The rest of us as a group needs to react accordingly to this but in a natural and believable way making it clear to the audience that this is what we believe and this is how we live, the same generic level of cheering from everyone will look lazy and just won’t work and the audience will not be convinced.

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

The audience takes place within a New York Restaurant, the life cafe to be exact, this represented by the way the stage space in the dome has been constructed with four long benches and four tables connected up together, to show this atmosphere we all stay sat down to be begin and the action begins to take place at the table with the only movement coming from our shoulders, heads and arms this effects the movement as even though it is limited in a setting such as this it still needs to look energetic and convincing to an audience.

6- 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.

There are parts of the scene where my character is feeling on top of the world and I show this in my movement by making very sharp gestures and frequently throwing myself across the stage without a care in the world, essentially letting myself go crazy. My facial expressions also change quite vividly as there is a part where I am kissed by a “lucky lady” nearby but by the expressions I pull the audience can instantly see that I am in fact the lucky one until... she becomes just that bit luckier and locks lips with the famous moonlady herself, Maureen Johnson from that point on I am at a loss for words and the audience see my jaw drop instantly for the rest of the piece this is going to be hard to sustain as I still want to remain energetic with my movement but I will need to still have less happy/ care free looking expressions than I did in the beginning of the song.

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

Projection- as a group where are all getting considerably louder and it’s important most of the all for this number as there are many words and phrases that will end up flying by unheard unless spoken clearly and pronounced.

Characterisation- as a group most of us are beginning to mould our own characters and this is a key part of the process as it makes the piece just that bit more enjoyable for the audience overall

Coordination- there is a lot going on in a short space so everyone needs to work together and be comprehensive with what is happening and what may need to happen, I feel that week by week we become stronger as a team which in my eyes is very effective and promising for a successful show

8- Target three areas of the dance, which need improving. For example timing , facial expressions and dynamics. List and describe the moments you need to work on and film yourself improving these areas.

Energy- It is slowly improving but there are still areas in the song where energy just drops all together and it is left to the main cast to provide the entertainment in a song like “La Vie Boheme” we can’t be having that and all of us need to pull together otherwise we will look ridiculous to an audience.

Timing- there is a main part in the dance where we suddenly move all the tables and chairs to the other side of the stage together, it still doens’t feel completley smooth and needs looking at.

Spatial awareness- This is a common weakness that I have always had when I am on stage I don’t always seem to realise the space around me and can end up hitting other cast members

Dance Analysis 2- Contact

Dance Analysis 2

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

I am aiming to create a sexual and high tensioned, physical atmosphere and from doing this I have found the skills needed are flexibility and controlled vivid movement to represent the sexual nature and a good use of facial expressions will help to set the scene for the audience.

2- Were you successful in creating the atmosphere for this scene?

If I’m being honest I still thinks more work needs to be put in from both me and the group to make this scene work, I think the reason we haven’t been successful is mainly due to the nature of the scene and some people end up feeling uncomfortable with having to act it out and make close contact with one another. While I can understand this feeling we need to find ways to look past the fear for the sake of a good show.

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

I think to be able to input my contribution to the mood I may have to use one of my characters, some of which have back stories which would make people wonder where and why he would be having sex, I think it would still be beneficial for me as an actor though as I would be to think of another part of my character’s journey as to why he has ended up here e.g. found success got his job back and decide to celebrate, gets drunk and eventually brings a girl back or still living on the street and has become bitter to the extent where he begins to either “sell himself” or find someone that is willing. As horrible as it sounds this will help me more with getting in role thus creating a convincing performance.

The song is essentially a representation of sex and death and this is mainly shown through the choreography, the dancers at the far ends of both sides of the stage represent a pulsating heart beat while the ones at the centre of the stage show the audience the dark and promiscuous side of sex. The main characters (apart from mark) all surround a table and they are there to show the audience the sexual side of a partner relationship bearing in mind Maureen and Joanne along Rodger and Mimi both have particularly dysfunctional relationships. Another key point of this piece is that it is Angel’s final moment giving a clear representation of the death side of the piece, it is symbolic because as an ensemble the core reason of why he’s on his deathbed in a dark but truthful manner giving the harsh sides of reality. As an ensemble my main concern is to make this message as clear as possible to the audience by either adding hints of aggression and forcefulness in my movement but also showing hints of apprehension in-between as though to show that my character could be slowing down to think about the risks behind what he is doing before suddenly being dragged back into it again without much time to make a clear decision.

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

It’s hard to say exactly where the dance is set but I think for the main cast it is clearly set inside each of their bedrooms however for the ensemble there are number of places where the dance could take place I think it is generally up to an actor to decide which setting they think would work best for them so for me I’m going to say that for me it would take place within a nightclub possibly near the bathroom to symbolise the forthcoming. To show this though dance I am obviously going to have to be very confident and fast paced to represent this choice of setting but I think to make it clear that I am at a bar I might show from my movement that I’ve been drinking and this will considerably effect how I move myself across the stage space as every step is going to have to look stumbled and unorganised making it clear that I am intoxicated and not thinking straight and that my mind is probably focused on only one thing.

6- 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.

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

Vocals- with the correct level of projection and commitment to maintaining it from everyone, there is a good potential for this song to be very powerful vocal which make it just that more effective as it will also add that extra boost to adding diction and clarity which in turn makes the meaning behind the song much more clear.

Characterisation- amongst most of the people in the group there is a good level of characterisation and it feel that more people (including myself) are beginning to realise the importance behind it as without it the scene will look stale and unprofessional. It is characterisation which helps to liven it up and add realism for an audience but also shows that the actors are taking the time to consider their roles and are not just standing there.

Timing- at the moment it feels like there is a good level of timing from all of us and nothing ever feels delayed or slows the overall pace down but this needs to be sustained throughout.

Expressions- I feel as though there are points where I lose my chosen expression because I am usually focusing too much on my movement and worrying about where I need to go next

Transition- I saw it in the first video filmed but I have also felt it myself. When I am moving across to where I am supposed to be I feel like while this happening I end up breaking out of character and worrying too much about whether or not I am going to the right place and it ends up looking less relaxed and natural.

Posture- when I have looked through videos and photos I fear that I am remained in a rather lazy and slouched position

College timetable

Monday- theory am/rehearsal pm

Tuesday- one man two guvs am/ theory catch up pm

Wednesday- maths in the morning/ afternoon catch up on theory

Thursday- rehearsal all day

Friday- rehearsal all day (during afternoon find time to do theory)

Sat/Sun- find time to work during the day along with an extra 2 hours sunday evening

Week 2

Half term

Tuesday and Wednesday- full days of theory catch up

Thursday and Friday rehearsals

Week 3

all work due by 8th June

8th-12th at john's studio

La Vie Boheme- Song Analysis 3

La Vie Boheme -song analysis

Task 4- Song Analysis- at least 3 should be completed throughout the process

1- Make a copy of the lyrics to the song and enlarge

2- THE WAITER No, please no Not tonight, please no MIster, can't you go? Not tonight, can't have a scene

3- ROGER What!?

4- THE WAITER Go, please go you- hello sir!- I said no, important customer

5- MARK What am I, just a blur?

6- THE WAITER You sit all night, you never buy

7- MARK That's a lie, that's a lie! I had a tea the other day

8- THE WAITER You couldn't pay!

9- MARK Oh yeah...

10- COLLINS Benjamin Coffin the Third? Here?

11- THE WAITER Oh no...

12- ALL Wine and beer!

13- MAUREEN The enemy of Avenue A We'll stay

14- THE WAITER Oy vey!

15- COLLINS What brings a mogul in his own mind to the Life Cafe?

16- BENNY I would like to propose a toast To Maureen's noble try It went well-

17- MAUREEN Go to hell!

18- BENNY Was the yuppie scum stomped? Not counting the homeless, How many tickets weren't comped?

19- ROGER Why did Muffy-

20- BENNY Alison!

21- ROGER -miss the show?

22- BENNY There was a death in the family, if you must know

23- ANGEL Who died?

24- BENNY Our Akita-

25- ANGEL, ROGER Evita!

26- BENNY Mimi, I'm surprised A bright and charming girl like you Hangs out with these slackers Who don't adhere to deals They make fun- yet I am the one Attempting to do some good Or do you really want a neighborhood Where people piss on your stoop every night? Bohemia, Bohemia Is a fallacy in your head This is Calcutta; Bohemia is dead

27- MARK Dearly beloved we gather here to say our goodbyes

28- COLLINS & ROGER Dies irae - dies illa, Kyrie eleison Yitgadal v'yitkadash

29- MARK Here she lies, no one knew her worth The late great daughter of Mother Earth On these nights when we Celebrate the birth In that little town of Bethlehem We raise our glass - you bet your ass to - La vie Bohème

30- ALL La vie Bohème La vie Bohème La vie Bohème La vie Bohème

31- MARK To days of inspiration Playing hookey, making Something out of nothing The need to express- To communicate, To going against the grain, Going insane, going mad To loving tension, no pension To more than one dimension, To starving for attention, Hating convention, hating pretension Not to mention of course, Hating dear old Mom and Dad To riding your bike, Midday past the three-piece suits To fruits - to no absolutes- To Absolut - to choice- To the Village Voice- To any passing fad To being an us for once ... instead of a them!

32- ALL La vie Bohème! La vie Bohème

33- MR. GREY Ahhemm

34- MAUREEN Hey Mister - she's my sister

35- WAITER So that's five miso soup, four seaweed salad Three soy burger dinner, two tofu dog platter And one pasta with meatless balls

36- ROGER Eww

37- COLLINS It tastes the same

38- MIMI If you close your eyes

39- WAITER And thirteen orders of fries Is that it here?

40- ALL Wine and beer!

41- MIMI & ANGEL To hand-crafted beers Made in local breweries To yoga, to yogurt, to rice and beans and cheese To leather, to dildos, to curry vindaloo To Huevos Rancheros and Maya Angelou

42- MAUREEN & COLLINS Emotion, devotion, to causing a commotion Creation, vacation

43- MARK Mucho masturbation

44- MAUREEN & COLLINS Compassion, to fashion, to passion when it's new

45- COLLINS To Sontag

ANGEL To Sondheim

FOUR GIRLS To anything taboo

COLLINS & ROGER Ginsberg, Dylan, Cunningham and Cage,

COLLINS Lenny Bruce

ROGER Langston Hughes

MAUREEN To the stage

BOHEMIANS To Uta. To Buddha. Pablo Neruda, too.

MARK & MIMI Why Dorothy and Toto went over the rainbow To blow off Auntie Em

ALL La vie Bohème!

MAUREEN And wipe the speakers off before you pack

JOANNE Yes, Maureen

MAUREEN Well, hurry back!

MR. GREY Sisters?

MAUREEN & JOANNE We're close

ANGELS & COLLINS Brothers!

MARK, ANGEL & MIMI Bisexuals, trisexuals, homo sapiens, Carcinogens, hallucinogens, men, Pee-wee Herman German wine, turpentine, Gertrude Stein Antoniotti, Bertolucci, Kurosawa Carmina Burana

ALL To apathy, to entropy, to empathy, ecstasy Vaclav Havel - The Sex Pistols, 8BC To no shame - never playing the Fame Game

COLLINS To marijuana!

ALL To sodomy, it's between God and me To S&M!

BENNY Waiter ... Waiter ... Waiter ....... Waiter!

ALL La vie Bohème!

COLLINS In honor of the death of Bohemia an impromptu salon will commence immediately following dinner Mimi Marquez, clad only in bubble rap, Will perform her famous "lawn chair handcuff dance" To the sounds of iced tea being stirred

ROGER And Mark Cohen will preview his new documentary about his inability to hold an erection on the high holy days.

MARK And Maureen Johnson, back from her spectacular one-night engagement at the eleventh street lot, will sing Native American tribal chants backwards through her vocoder, while accompanying herself on the electric cello - which she has never studied.

BENNY Your new boyfriend doesn't know about us.

MIMI There's nothing to know

BENNY Don't you think that we should discuss...

MIMI It was three months ago.

BENNY He doesn't act like he's with you.

MIMI We're taking it slow.

BENNY Where is he now?

MIMI He's right... Hmm, where'd he go?

MARK And Roger will attempt to write a bittersweet, evocative song. (Roger plays a solo) That doesn't remind us of "Musetta's Waltz!"

COLLINS Angel Dumott Schunard will model the latest fall fashions from Paris while accompanying herself on the 10 gallon plastic pickle tub.

ANGEL And Collins will recount his exploits as anarchist - including the tale of the successful reprogramming of the M.I.T. virtual reality equipment to self-destruct, as it broadcasts the words:

ALL "Actual reality - Act Up - Fight AIDS"

BENNY Check!

MIMI Excuse me - did I do something wrong? I get invited - then ignored all night long

ROGER I've been trying - I'm not lying No one's perfect. I've got baggage

MIMI Life's too short, babe, time is flying I'm looking for baggage that goes with mine

ROGER I should tell you

MIMI I got baggage too

ROGER I should tell you

ROGER & MIMI Baggage

ALL Wine and beer!

MIMI AZT break

ROGER You?

MIMI Me. You?

ROGER Mimi

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

The song begins on Benny’s arrival with his father in law at the life cafe in the aftermath of Maureen’s protest by the time they have arrived the crowd is already beginning to become more lively and rebellious and this is mainly due to Maureen’s obscure performance giving the visions on so called cyberland in a very metaphorical perspective “then a little bulldog entered, his name we have learned was Benny”. Benny has snubbed this taunting off and begins to hit back by mocking Maureen’s attempts, asking how well it went and whether or not she truly succeeded with just the homeless and bohemians on her side against huge law enforcements but then Rodger decides to ask him why Alison couldn’t be with him for dinner at which Benny reluctantly answers that “there was a death in the family” the death being their family dog Ekita. Everyone bar Benny and Mr Grey instantly realise that this was the same wealthy dog that Angel had earned money for killing. Benny soon turns to Mimi insisting that she is spending time with the wrong crowd of people who don’t keep promises and chose to make fun of the people with good intentions when she could do much better for herself, to then cause more aggravation amongst the crowd Benny slowly tells them all that “bohemia is dead” and questions their way of living at which point Mark finally makes a stand to retaliate and insists that there is still a strong sense of bohemia within him and all his friends no matter what the boring people of the outside norm may say.

3- What is the purpose of this song?

The main purpose of the song is to show that we are all proud of being different and will continue with our way of leaving no matter what society may have to say, I would also say that it is also sung as a way of showing Benny that none of us particularly about what he thinks of us.

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

The song takes place around a long dinner table within the life cafe before arriving here the protest on the street has taken place and Maureen has done a very vivid and flamboyant performance so there is already a good level of tension and excitement between us all as a group so it affects my singing as I have to make sure that I am making it clear that there is high level of passion behind my words and that I give an energetic and upbeat performance. In the beginning however apart from Mark who is standing on the table a majority of us will be staying sat down on the benches for a while but despite this I believe that a huge amount of energy must still be shown otherwise the performance will look sloppy, lazy and give the audience a completely different impression behind the meaning of the song.

5- Who are you singing to?

We are aiming the song towards Benny and Mr Grey as a way of retaliating against their beliefs.

6- Who or what are you singing about?

The song as a whole is mainly a tribute to the bohemian lifestyle and the people, movements and items that are generally associated with it, whether this be the particular items of food that spring to mind or the musicians, authors and artists that have embraced or respected the culture and made it more well known, such as Bob Dylan, Allen Ginsberg and Stephen Sondheim.

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

Personally I have much respect for Mark and admire how he was the only person to stand up to Benny and question him, it was clear the rest of us were also angry but none of us acted upon it. Being honest I am actually quite nervous to begin with as while I am in the company of relatively good friends I still have no idea how this ordeal will turn out, eventually I begin to become more comfortable with my surroundings and I begin to let out more of my true feelings and emotions and I show that I am free and loving the bohemia life. E.g. I come across a random girl not sitting too far away from me and while she seems to be a lesbian today of all days has proven that anything is possible so I make a move and success, I’m in there... that is until she gets a lucky kiss off our famous Maureen. But apart from this when Rodger shows us all the symphony he has been working on, for the first time ever I finally admit that I don’t like his music, I’ve usually been too scared too as I know of his short temper and the way he’s been as of late so I back off but today from all this excitement and being true to ourselves (although it could be some of those buds I’ve been drinking) I feel that I can just tell him there and then that I hate his music.

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

My inner feelings have started off with a feeling of anxiety and apprehension as I have been too bogged down on the “what if’s” and the risks in life but I feel eventually they change into confidence and optimism while on the outside I have given the impression that I am a joyous if not slightly arrogant but energetic person.

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

I am going to use facial expressions that represent arrogance when I am being kissed to show that my character is feeling proud of his many achievements made all in one night but when we all come together and yell “vivia la vie boheme” at the end of the song, I will show a more humble and sincere facial expression to represent how proud I am to be a part of this amazing culture and to see it grow every year.

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

Most of my gestures are going to be explicit and rude to represent rebellion and retaliation.

Character sheet 3 diary of James Yanston (a homeless man on the street)

30 years of aids in Black America

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/timeline-30-years-of-aids-in-black-america/

This article shows a timeline from the discovery up until the present day with notable events and outcomes from the disease, the main one that I want to mostly emphasize on is the views in 2004 from the New Hope Baptist Church in Birmingham Alabama who notably caused controversy by putting a sign outside their church stating “Aid’s is God’s curse on a homosexual life”

AIDS in the 80's the effects and negative outcomes "people didn't wanna kiss you on the cheek"

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/05/25/edmund.white.hiv.aids/

Chloe's first rent blog

Given circumstances happy new year A

Given circumstances Happy New Year A

Who am I?

My name is Tom Collins, I am a bisexual anachirst and expelled former M.I.T teacher, I questioned the whole theory behind new virtual reality and whether or not this was really the way forward in life, the whole idea seemed promising but I felt that actual reality should be taken in account and not abandoned completely. The professors looked down on my views with distain and I am now back teaching at N.Y.U but my ultimate ambition is to leave the hell hole that is New York with all my friends and move to Santa Fe where me and my girlfriend Angel are planning to run a new restaurant.

Where am I?

We are outside Rodger and Mark's apartment on New Year's Eve, Benny has kicked them out so we have come by to give them extra help to break in (Angel has brought along a blow torch to melt the locks) once we are in at the strike of midnight we intend to celebrate a new start together with champagne making the most of the time we have together. To add to the fun Angel and I have come along dressed as James Bond and Pussy Galore, I figured it would be a good way of enjoying ourselves and bring some humour to the party while also representing a theme that actually goes along with what we are doing (secretly breaking in)

What am I thinking/feeling?

I am a little wary about breaking into the apartment as I am aware of the dangers and possible consequences behind this but I keep this inside and try not to make this known to the other mainly because while I am oldest and the voice of reason within the group I know that they'd be too excited to listen and even I am quite excited with the plan so I am going to let it slide and hope for the best.

Who am I with?

I am with Angel, Rodger and Mimi. Mark, Joanne and Maureen are trying to find their way into the upper deck with rope.

How do I feel about them?

I am in love with Angel very, she has done more than save my life, she has helped me through with my aids simply being there for me and I know that life's too short. I have known Rodger and Mark for a long time but they're petty behaviour can get a bit much sometimes, I especially disapprove of Rodger's negativity but I think mimi will bring some good in him yet

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