Actors, Directors, Scripts and Styles

To start joining all the concepts that we have studied about theatre so far, we will start performing extracts from different plays. After reading through the three extracts as a class and commenting them, we made different groups in class to perform them. Oda, Felix, Shari and I decided to do the extract from "The Caucasian Chalk Circle" by Bertolt Brecht. Shari took the role of Grusha, Felix took the role of the singer and I took the role of Simon. Oda would be directing us.

The first task for us to do a good job performing is to analyze the extract clearly. We did the activities on the worksheet as a group:

a) Briefly summarise the plot/storyline of the scene in a few sentences in your journals or in the space below:

• Simon and Grusha, Simon's fiancé, meet each other after a long period of time. Simon is a member of the army.

b) Identify and write in your journals or on the lines below, the main meaning or message of the scene (sometimes called the super objective - more on this when we study Stanislavski). Basically, what is the point or purpose of the scene?

• The purpose of the scene is to show the deception that Simon has after seeing the possibility that Grusha has forgot about him. I think this scene is used in the play to present a problem: somebody of power and high status has just been dishonoured. This might be the whole problem in the play so I think this is generally what the purpose of this scene is.
  

c) Identify broadly, and record in your journal or on the lines below, the kind of theatre that you think your scene is closest to (e.g. Comedy, tragedy, realistic etc.)?

• I would say our scene is closest to a realistic one. The scene can also seem like a tragedy but the reason I think it is closer to a realistic scene is that the events here are not overly exaggerated. The language they use is not very dramatic, it is a realistic conversation.

d) Outline your action plan to help you prepare and realise (perform= the extract. Consider the following possibilities to include in your action plan, some of which you MUST show evidence of in your journal....

• Simon is a paymaster, a highly respected person. He shows a lot of status at the start of the extract, since he has just returned from war. However, when Grusha talks to him his status lowers a lot because he feels like she lied to him.
• To show his high status at the start, I am going to use some of the techniques we learned at the workshop: standing straight, eye contact, relaxed position with almost no movement. However, when his state drops, I should look away, start walking around and speak not as eloquently as before.
  
• To memorise my lines, I recorded myself and played the file once and once again while doing other activities. Later, when grabbing the script and reading through the lines it was a lot easier to remember which line came after which one.
• To dress as a soldier, I am going to wear black pants and an army shirt. This might not be the costume that was used in the setting of the play but the general image of the character will be conveyed.