Oppressed Forum Devised Piece

Oppressed Forum Devised Piece

Scene Description

Scene 1

This scene is set in the office with the boss, Lauren, her office stage left at the front and the main office centre stage. All actors are on stage in this scene. Lauren enters from the back and I stand up from my desk and walk in her direction holding papers. I accidently bump into boss Lauren and drop what I was holding. I apologize immediatly only to recieve abuse from her. She then continues to her office while the other office workers encourage me to make a complaint. Charlotte, who is the manager of our section, is called into the office where Lauren speaks to her very badly. She has no respect for Charlotte and she just takes it and dosnt moan. They discuss that the sales levels are low and Lauren makes a quick decision that I, the newest employ, need to be sacked. Charlotte tries to back me up and mentions I have a family and that job meant a lot to me but Lauren is having none of it. Charlotte gives in very easily and goes back to our office like normal.

Scene 2

This scene is set in the staff room which is to the stage left. It only involes 3 actors. The 2 staff members Emily and Maisie and their boss Charlotte. The main discussion, which takes place while they make hot drinks, is Charlotte telling them what was said in the meeting with Lauren. They are shocked but encourage her to sack me. They do this because they know if its not my job that goes it could be theirs.

Scene 3

This scene is set in my home. Emily and Maisie now become different characters. Maisie is my girlfriend and Emily is our child. I arrive home to recieve a warm welcome. Me and Maisie talk about how our days were and she then asks me for some money for a shopping spree with a friend. I agree and this leads her onto mentioning how much more stable and happy we are with money now. This tells the audience that we must of had a time in past where we struggled with money. Emily enters with a list of new things she needs including a new bag and new fairy lights. I dont even question saying no which shows again that we are well of with money. This scene concludes with Maisie saying how happy she feels now.

 

 

Scene 4

This is the firing scene. Its set the same as scene 1 apart from its Charlottes office rather than Lauren and Lauren isnt in this scene. Charlotte enters and asks how everyone is, she then calls me into her office. I walk in intrigued as to what she is going to say. She begins with mentioning my sales are down but I back myself up with the fact I havnt been working there for long and am still training. However obviously her decision is already made because she cuts straight to the point in saying im sacked. I argue my point by mentioning my family and depending on the money however because of what my character is like I dont make a fuss and just walk out. My exit leaves Maisie and Emily wondering if im ok.

Scene 5

 

 

This is the final scene. It is set in the same place as scene 3, my home. And the characters are the same as scene 3. It is a few months later this scene. Its showing the affect me being sacked has had on my familys life. It begins with me talking to Maisie who makes it very clear she is in a bad mood with me. We have a very heated disucission in which we speak about the fact I havnt managed to get a job yet. We disagree on the fact whether I have been trying or not. Maisie then makes a quick decison that she is moving out and taking Emily. Emily enters crying about her boyfriend problems which makes Maisie even more angry. She then marches off taking Emily with her.

THE END

Character Analysis

My character is called Abi. She lives with her girlfriend Maisie and daughter Emily. Abi recently got a job in a office where they sell things which pays very well. As a family they havnt had the best of times. Money has been a huge problem but finally now Abi has this job they feel stable and happy.

She works hard at her new job and gets on well with Maisie and Emily who work in the same office as her. She sees Charlotte who is in charge of her section as a friend and looks up to her. But she dosnt like Lauren who is in charge of the Company. She thinks shes rude and dosnt appreciate the staff.

Abi appreciates her job to much to make a fuss. Lauren gets very angry at Abi easily but she finds it easier to take it and ignore it rather than moan or answer back as this could loose her the job the means the world to her.

She is very relaxed and easy going until someone does something that will hurt her family. They mean a lot to her and she makes this clear by the effort she puts in to make sure they are happy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What relaxation exercises are used by the actors in 'An Actor Prepares' What are the benefits of learning to relax while performing? 

 

An exercise not only used in acting is about relaxing your whole body while lying down. You have to relax every muscle in your body. Think of every muscle that is unnecessarily tense and relax it. You will most likely find that the only muscles left tense will be your shoulder blades and the base of your spinal cord. This is because you are bearing the weight of your body. If you manage to even relax these muscles then staying in this position for up to an hour will completely refresh you just as good as a night sleep would. It is commonly used with people who don't have the time to sleep as long as they may need. If an actor is having a very busy period they will use this technique to ensure when on stage they are focused and refreshed. The benefit of this is to ensure you are relaxed and refreshed.

 Another exercises which the director uses makes the actors aware of the fact that on stage there are three moments they go through.

'first: superfluous tenseness which comes necessarily with each new pose taken and with the excitement of doing it in public'

'second: the mechanical relaxation of the superfluous tension, under the direction of the controller'

'third: justification of the pose if it in itself does not convince the actor'

 

A final exercise is when the director insists that each pose should be controlled by self observation but also be based on an imaginative idea and strengthened by given circumstances. You have to believe in the fiction and immediately a lifeless pose will become real with an actual objective. You need to feel the truthfulness of what your doing.  The benefit of this exercise is it will get rid of superfluous tension and when performing you will be able to use this technique without the interference of thinking about it.

 

The benefits of learning to relax while performing is it will enhance your performance if you can start from a point of relaxation and calmness. It also makes the whole practising and performing period much easier and less stressful if you can lay all your other problems aside using these technique's and just focus of your acting.

 

 

What sensory exercises does Stanislavsky use? Why is it important not to rush when working through sensory exercises?

 

A sensory exercise he uses is about your 5 senses. Sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. He gets you to imagine something like a place or an object. He then gets you to go through things like how big is this object, or what does this place smell like. By going through your senses it gets you to create a much more realistic look and imaginable performance.

 

Its important not to rush when working on sensory exercises because they are very important details. To get to the big conclusion you need all the little details and these are the sensory things. If your on stage acting like your in snow you wont be able to just do this immediately and it look and feel real. You need to take time to work on the small details.

 

What are the Given Circumstances of a play? Why is it important that an actor understands the Given Circumstances in a play? 

Given circumstances in a simple explanation are the details that make up a situation. They are decided by the playwright and told to the actor to ensure the actor gets across exactly what they want. This will tell them details including the 5 senses which will ensure their performance is believable to an audience.
 
Its important an actor understands the given circumstances in a play because they will make a huge difference in the way you may perform something. If the playwright has written out and decided things like the setting and what can see and smell then you  HAVE to go along with this. If the playwright has asked you to play this character as if your in a boiling hot desert then you cant come on stage and create the character in a freezing condition country. It will effect the story and ruin the character the playwright has created.

Thursday 16th Jan

Rehearsal Diary (16/1/14)

 

*What did you need to change about yourself to achieve your characterisation?

(Vocally & Movement)

I don't feel I changed myself in an extreme way. My character was very easy going and relaxed about things, this is similar to how I am anyway. I wish now I had taken on a role that was very different to how I am naturally. I held myself not like I owned the place but also not like I was shy and scared to be there. I was a very mixed character. My voice changed throughout the piece. At the beginning I was very relaxed and my voice was similar to how it is naturally, just calm. But nearer the end as things get more and more stressed and heated I start raising my voice more and you can hear more of an angry tone to my voice.

*Did the audience react in the way you expected?

There wasn't many points in our piece that were very shocking or unexpected but there was funny parts. The conversation between Lauren and Charlotte which shows how strict and rude Lauren can be made people laugh and they were also probably surprised as she didnt act in a way a boss would normally. People acted shocked when Lauren entered and her reaction to me bumping into her. She was extremely rude and this wasn't what the audience were expecting.

 

*Describe three moments from other groups that really worked? and why?
The first moment is from the group which has Polly, Max and Amber in. They explore the idea of a male playing two girls and confusing their emotions. The change made was Polly not going back to Max's with Amber. This worked well as it was on the oppressed person and it changed what happened to make it better.

The second moment is from Megan, Joe and Bens group.  They look at the idea of peer pressure and drugs. The change made was at the beginning when Ben enters. The reaction to Ben changed, Megan and Joe had to instead of being excited for him to come over they were not so interested and encouraged him to go away. This stopped anything bad happening e.g. the drug taking.

The final moment was from my favourite group. Emily, Beth and Matt got the biggest reaction from the audience. They went along the theme of rape which is a large theme in Bad Girls. The change made was  Emily not going back to Matt's house. This would of stopped the raping from happening.

 

 

Tuesday 14th Jan

Rehearsal Diary (14/1/14)

Today we.....

We worked solely on our devised pieces.

Created 5 scenes. 

Began getting into more of a character.

I built confidence working with other people. 

Ran it with props and set. 

Worked out that there is obvious times were the audience can give feedback and make changes. 

 

*Explain who is oppressed and potential changes the audience may suggest? (Boal Research & Example from Lesson)

 

 I think there is a few people who may be oppressed in our piece. I think my character is oppressed because although I seem happy I have had a very tough time recently with money. I am the only one working in my family meaning I need to bring in all the income which covers the house, food, family needs ect. 
I think a potential change that they might make will be my reaction to Lauren when we bump and she goes mad at me. I accept how she treats me but the change that will be made is me reacting back to her and treating her badly like she treated me. This will change the dynamic of this scene and also will change how easily she decides to sack me.

*Provide a clear guide to your scenes - with titles. (Example from lesson)

Oppressed Forum Devised Piece

Scene Description

Scene 1

This scene is set in the office with the boss, Lauren, her office stage left at the front and the main office centre stage. All actors are on stage in this scene. Lauren enters from the back and I stand up from my desk and walk in her direction holding papers. I accidently bump into boss Lauren and drop what I was holding. I apologize immediatly only to recieve abuse from her. She then continues to her office while the other office workers encourage me to make a complaint. Charlotte, who is the manager of our section, is called into the office where Lauren speaks to her very badly. She has no respect for Charlotte and she just takes it and dosnt moan. They discuss that the sales levels are low and Lauren makes a quick decision that I, the newest employ, need to be sacked. Charlotte tries to back me up and mentions I have a family and that job meant a lot to me but Lauren is having none of it. Charlotte gives in very easily and goes back to our office like normal.

Scene 2

This scene is set in the staff room which is to the stage left. It only involes 3 actors. The 2 staff members Emily and Maisie and their boss Charlotte. The main discussion, which takes place while they make hot drinks, is Charlotte telling them what was said in the meeting with Lauren. They are shocked but encourage her to sack me. They do this because they know if its not my job that goes it could be theirs.

Scene 3

This scene is set in my home. Emily and Maisie now become different characters. Maisie is my girlfriend and Emily is our child. I arrive home to recieve a warm welcome. Me and Maisie talk about how our days were and she then asks me for some money for a shopping spree with a friend. I agree and this leads her onto mentioning how much more stable and happy we are with money now. This tells the audience that we must of had a time in past where we struggled with money. Emily enters with a list of new things she needs including a new bag and new fairy lights. I dont even question saying no which shows again that we are well of with money. This scene concludes with Maisie saying how happy she feels now.

Scene 4

This is the firing scene. Its set the same as scene 1 apart from its Charlottes office rather than Lauren and Lauren isnt in this scene. Charlotte enters and asks how everyone is, she then calls me into her office. I walk in intrigued as to what she is going to say. She begins with mentioning my sales are down but I back myself up with the fact I havnt been working there for long and am still training. However obviously her decision is already made because she cuts straight to the point in saying im sacked. I argue my point by mentioning my family and depending on the money however because of what my character is like I dont make a fuss and just walk out. My exit leaves Maisie and Emily wondering if im ok.

Scene 5

This is the final scene. It is set in the same place as scene 3, my home. And the characters are the same as scene 3. It is a few months later this scene. Its showing the affect me being sacked has had on my familys life. It begins with me talking to Maisie who makes it very clear she is in a bad mood with me. We have a very heated disucission in which we speak about the fact I havnt managed to get a job yet. We disagree on the fact whether I have been trying or not. Maisie then makes a quick decison that she is moving out and taking Emily. Emily enters crying about her boyfriend problems which makes Maisie even more angry. She then marches off taking Emily with her.

THE END

 

Character Analysis
 

My character is called Abi. She lives with her girlfriend Maisie and daughter Emily. Abi recently got a job in a office where they sell things which pays very well. As a family they havnt had the best of times. Money has been a huge problem but finally now Abi has this job they feel stable and happy.

She works hard at her new job and gets on well with Maisie and Emily who work in the same office as her. She sees Charlotte who is in charge of her section as a friend and looks up to her. But she dosnt like Lauren who is in charge of the Company. She thinks shes rude and dosnt appreciate the staff.

Abi appreciates her job to much to make a fuss. Lauren gets very angry at Abi easily but she finds it easier to take it and ignore it rather than moan or answer back as this could loose her the job the means the world to her.

She is very relaxed and easy going until someone does something that will hurt her family. They mean a lot to her and she makes this clear by the effort she puts in to make sure they are happy.

Thursday 9th Jan

Rehearsal Diary (9/1/14)

We started the lesson by doing some class warm up games. The first one was good for making you think and remember and notice things. We was split into 4 groups and had 4 chairs. We was given a theme to create a freeze frame to and had to then choose a group to go and recreate their pose.

Explain the purpose of the two short practical exercises and how effective they were? (Boal)

We played Cat and Mouse. This is a game that can be played in many ways but we played it as a class. We were in groups of 4's all linked arms and there was 1 cat and 1 mouse.

Research at least four ways of staging Bad Girls - Analyse how well each one worked (include pictures) (Youtube/Google images/theatre co websites)

The first way I am looking at it being staged is like this.

 

They have 2 levels. The top back bit is mainly where the prison guards stand. The main bit of the stage is where everything happens. It is used as a cell room, canteen and office. The back of the stage is lined with cell doors. I think the set is clever and effective but the lighting isnt as strong. They have a random square of light that is like the shadow created through the prison bars. This is clever but the place it is positioned dosnt make sense.

I think overall this idea and look is very clever but the weakness we would have trying to create this is they exit both stage left and right but we dont have an easy exit stage right that is easy to use.

 

The second way im looking at it being staged is like this.

 

This is a very simple set design. Its cheap but can be effective. The only set they have is a bed and silver cell door. This is good for a budget show but dosnt give a very interesting look for the audience. The emptiness of the stage is effective for scenes based in the cells but scenes supposed to be in the canteen which is a very busy place dosnt suit the empty stage feell.

 

The third way I am looking at it being staged is like this.

This is very different from the other staging as this is set on a rounded stage. This dosnt give a very prison like feel as prisons are normally all very square and sharp edges. The lighting used dosnt have the dark and unfriendly feel of a prison. It is very bright and happy. The back staging isnt very clear what it is but it does have the busy feel it needs for a canteen. The way they use tables and chairs is very clever and feel this is something we may steal to use in ours.

 

This is a rough set design we created as a class.

The prison cells are all lined up diagonally on the back of the 2 levels of staging. We will use the black stage blocks to show different cells. The top level is where the gaurds will stand when looking down on the prisoners. Having the height will give them a more powerful look. The centre of the stage will be used as an office, cell and the canteen. As a class we are really happy with this design.  

What works/presents challenges when it comes to the set we designed in class? (lesson on Bad Girls set)

What worked well about the set was the overall look of it. The diagonal the 2 levels of staging are on give the audience a good view of it. The size of the staging works very well for not taking up the whole stage area. A problem we have at the moment is for the top level staging there needs to be a bar along the front of it and the back for safety. But at the moment we only have bars along the front. Another problem we have is where to have the exits. There needs to be a way to get up to the top stage blocks from the back. There also needs to be a way of getting onto the bottom blocks.

Research Women's prisons and find out what a typical day might be like? (Bad Girls TV series website)

There are only 18 prisons which hold females in England and Wales. There are some prisons which hold both males and females but they dont have any contact with eachother while in prison. Some of the female prisons are Victorian style prison wings. Others are old country houses that have been converted with some added wings and buildings. Some prisons have a mother and baby unit. This is a seperate area of accommodation which allows mothers to have their children with them whilst in custody. To be able to get a place on the mother and baby unit they have to be able to prove that this is whats best for the child. Also its important that the Mother dosnt use this as a free child service, she still has to do all the day to day caring of her child. At the moment there are only 7 prisons which have Mother and baby units.
A typical day in a prison starts quite early, 6/7am, this is when they are given breakfast. There isnt much choice in food, you eat what your given. The meals are eaten all together in one big hall. In the day they are sometimes given the opportunity to go to the exercise yard which enables them to do some physical things and also get some air. Not all prisons are the same but some have

 

 

Tuesday 7th Jan

 

Rehearsal Diary (7/1/14)

♥Wrote out rules for the term and signed to say we agree to this - all on same understanding of what is right and wrong, will make term easier and more enjoyable.
♥Spoke about Bad Girls show dates - people needed to know dates to ensure no one is gonna be busy on the day of a show, if was doing a proffesional show you would be told before auditioning so is keeping it more professional.

♥We discusses staging - this allowed us to have the chance to put across our ideas and also made everyone aware of the current plan.

♥Chose production roles - everyone needs to have a production job, its important everyone knows their roles asap so can do as much work as possible on it.

♥We had a short intro into Boal - we will be doing a assesment task to do with Boal so its important we start research into who he is.

Why is it important to share a disciplined approach to performance work?
By discussing as a class discipline rules it means everyone is on the same wavelength of what is right and wrong. When doing a performance there is a long rehearsal process leading up to it in which it can get very stressful. By ensuring everyone is being disciplined in the same way it helps the process. Everyone knows that you should always have scripts, turn up on time, concentrate. All these things are very important to do.

What do you think are your main challenges? (skills & behaviour)
My main challenge is simply being more confident in the tasks we do. Very often I worry about the lesson and what we are going to do. I want to be able to feel confident about whatever happens in the lesson, even if im out of my comfort zone. Another challenge is to focus and talk less. I know I talk too much and get distracted too easily so I want to work on focusing more and overcoming this challenge.

Why were you interested in the production role you have selected?
The production role I have selected is Advertising, specifically the poster and programme. I am interested in this as its something I havnt worked on before. In previous shows I have focused more on makeup so I like having the challenge to work on a different production aspect. Also I like working on this because every show I go to this is something I see and look at, I dont see all about the backstage aspects or designs of costumes or lighting, but I buy a programme and look at the poster. A programme tells the audience a lot and is a important aspect. I look forward to doing this.

What would you like to achieve in this production?
In this production I would like to achieve the ability to act a character in a way that touches the audience. My character is very emotional and distressing and I want to be able to make the audience go through what my character is feeling. I feel acting is one of my weaknesses and I want this to change from this production.

Who is Augusto Boal?
He is a activist, director and artist from Brazil who developed a set of techniques and theoretical framework called Theatre of the Oppressed.