Lets Dance

Learning the dance did pose some serious obstacles however it also helped me realise some characterisations I could use for Alexander. 

The style of dancing we are attempting is called Baroque which was the precursor to modern ballet and was the fashionable music and dancing of the time. I looked on YouTube at some videos of Baroque dancers to get an idea of the way in which it was meant to look. Here is one of the videos I watched. 

The Character

One thing that I immediately realised was the graceful nature in which they dance, it is light and smooth. The difference in the sexes is minimal they are both as light and bouncy as one another. I also thought about the upright nature of which they were standing, this was also pointed out by Josie, the lady who taught us the dance. The 21st Century posture is very different from the 18th Century one and this is something I not only have to take into consideration for the dance but also the characterisation of Alexander. Letting my posture slide would brake the illusion, it would pull the 18th Century world we create straight back to a group of modern actors trying to act like they are from the 1700s. 

The Dance

Learning the dance and getting it right was also a challenge, as a group we went through all the steps and practiced them over and over again. One way that helped me remember what to do was create a chart of all the moves. This is shown below.

As a group of non-dancers it was definitely a challenge and finding my graceful side was not the easiest thing. However, by practicing it with cast members and asking them for advice I believe that my posture is sliding in to place. Repetition and the chart helped me memorise the moves and although I was nervous at the start I am beginning to grow more confident with this section of the play. 

Creating Character

In the past rehearsals I have tried to look into greater depth at my character and his physicality.

I started to think about the differences between how I stand and Alexander stands, how I talk and how Alexander talks. Alex is Upper Class, although he ran away he has still been raised in a family from the landed aristocracy. This is somewhat different to my middle class upbringing. This makes me walk more upright, talk with complete clarity and have certain traits. For example, he will always feel a sense of being higher status then most other people. Although he denounced his role in the aristocracy he still has that upbringing which makes him slightly look down on everyone in a subtle way. This made me think about an upright posture, with my neck stretched and my head tilted down. I discovered this when doing and exercise in which we exaggerated out character from one to ten. This allowed me to realise exactly what my character was doing, such as the head tilt.

Character in the scene.

When running the second scene I was in I found it difficult to juggle lines, character and to lift the scene. It became slow and monotonous, this had to be changed. The director told us to look at the script and find points when things change and react to them. This really helped me, by acting on impulse and standing and moving when it feels right the scene transformed.

The main thing that I believe is necessary to do within the next week is to learn lines and become confident with them. This will allow me to really engage in the character without holding a script.

Character Journey

I Sing in the cathedral choir -> I am happy, I am respected by my peers and noticed as talented by the conductor.

I am not allowed to continue singing ->  I am angry, I feel as if no one understands anything about me except those with musical talent such as my friend Thomas. I will do anything to carry on with my music.

My voice brakes -> I am embarrassed. I made a fool of myself, I want to cry.

I am denied access to musical instruments -> I can't take it, the only thing that makes me happy has been taken away from me and I cannot see my future in a house in which I am denied access to the one thing I love.

Melissa shows me a secret instrument -> There is hope, Melissa has given me hope and it feels like she understands how I feel. I love her.

The one instrument I have left is broken -> I cannot believe my father would do such a thing, without this I cannot survive, I must leave, leave this house and leave Melissa. I am sorry.

I move to Switzerland -> I am lonely and poor, I do not like it here and want to move as soon as possible.

I go to Germany -> I feel Handel, his passion is amongst the other musicians here but I want to go home.

I move to London -> I am so close to home, I long to be with my family. After meeting Handel I feel happy but this is false, I thought music could bring me everything I could want from life. But it is nothing unless you have people to share it with.

I hear Thomas' name -> My mind jumps straight to Melissa, whenever I think of home I think of her first. This is my opportunity, I must take it.

I meet Thomas and we talk -> I am happy to see him, my old friend but the only thing I can think about is Melissa, I want to know how she is, what she is doing and whether she is with another man.

I am told the Coram Choir will perform at Ashbrook -> I am delighted but not convinced, my father still hasn't agreed and he is the one who ruined everything, he smashed my instrument.

The Coram Choir sing -> I am in my room at an inn and pacing, I am nervous for the children and thinking what my father may do.

I am allowed back -> I cannot wait, my limbs feel unsteady the thought of seeing them all is overwhelming. But the first thing I have to do is talk to Melissa, she has to know how I feel and I have to know if I have the slightest chance to be with her.

I am told I had a child -> I feel even worse then when my voice broke. I am embarrassed for being so childish and not facing my responsibility, I want to make it up to Melissa, do something, anything.

I realise -> Everything fits together, Mr. Gaddarn, the children, my child. I am angry, furious but I have to make sure my accusations are true before I jump to conclusions.

I find my son with Otis -> I am scared, this boy who i have never properly met before makes me want to risk my life for him. But I do not hesitate, I have to save him.

I recover from injuries -> My wounds are not bad, not like Thomas' but I have the emotional pain of loosing a son who I didn't even know. I felt worse then ever before, the only thing keeping me together is Melissa, we are dealing with it together.

I am reunited with my son -> This moment, right now is the best moment of my life. Nothing before it has even come close. I am surrounded by the people I love and we are happy.

Notes


Directorial notes can be very useful but they only aid a performance if one is able to take them on board and react accordingly. I believe on most occasions i was able to do this. Notes ranged from practical ones such as, 'when taking the boxes off use cloths' to far more difficult emotional ones such as, 'knowing exactly what your character wants at any given time.' As a result of this note I decided to do even greater work on character and the text. Really stripping back each line and working out what Alexander wants and why he is saying and doing what he is doing. I also looked into the given circumstances, so when I went back to my old house I thought about its size and grandness but also its mixture of new but also very familiar. The first time I did this I did not think about it enough and didn't go in to enough depth, however, I believe I righted this after the feedback.

We also received group feedback at points, the most prominent was volume. The rehearsal space was relatively small in comparison to the stage space. The Obie Theatre is an unforgiving space for un-amplified voice and I had to really think about projecting my voice so that it would not be lost.

Enter Alexander!

Over the past few rehearsals blocking has begun for Act Two, the act Alexander (my character) enters. This has thrown up more challenges, with more things to do and the difficulty of starting to develop a character. 


Blocking


Learning where and when to enter and exit will be a challenge, the stage consists of seven entrances and exits. This process started with me writing down all blocking notes in my script. Eventually this should become second nature, I will learn the pattern of the piece and know when and where to enter and leave. However, learning both this and the lines for the play will take difficult. If I start now, everything should run smoothly.

Blocking is vital, it gives the piece shape and allows all the characters to exist throughout the play in a harmonious manner. However, the blocking also allows one to begin to develop a character and discover the relationships characters have with one another.

Character

Alexander is a happy child, he finds joy in God, music and his family. When he is asked to choose between music and his family he becomes angsty and eventually runs away. When he reenters the play eight years later, he has grown and matured, he becomes shy and reserved. He feels that he is not happy, he has gained everything he ever could want from music but without his family, without Melissa he can not find joy. This relays to my characterisation as it makes him kind and loving but held back, not willing to show everything. When he first meets Thomas after years of absence, he does not hug him straight away but waits for his response. He is almost frightened when he meets the people of his past.

Costume

We have also received the costumes for our characters which helped me enormously with visualising exactly what Alexander will look like and some of the mannerisms he may have.

This is a picture of the costume...

The red shows his passion, he has passion for music and Melissa, he is the type of person who does things one hundred percent or not at all. The costume also allowed me to think of the time period and the way in which that will effect the way he walks and talks. He will not have the modern teenage way of standing and is unlikely to slump in his chair, he is from the landed aristocracy, after all.