Week Nine - Week Ten 2006
Week Nine
Click here... Suicide Run to view photos from the rehearsal (Note - A 'Suicide' Run is a full rehearsal of the play, from beginning to end, without interruptions or stopping from the Director)
I suppose the major accomplishment this week for me has to do with the ed pack. Andrew and I spent all day Friday (and I mean all day - 9:30-5:30) getting the activities portion of the ed pack in some semblance of order to see what we had covered and what still needed to be done. We wouldn't have been able to accomplish as much as we did if Andrew's friend Tiffany (she's a primary school teacher) showed up. We were having a hard time figuring out which activities went where because we are trying to make a direct link to a specific outcome in the learning areas. With Tiffany's help (thank you, thank you, thank you!) we did exactly that.
I must admit that putting the ed pack together this year is VERY different from
putting it together last year. When I was doing it by myself I knew exactly what
information I had, what I still needed, and where I needed to go. This year,
because we actually have an ed pack committee, everybody's kind of gone and done
their thing and now we have to put everything together to find out where we're
at. It makes life a bit more difficult, but in the end I think it is a much
better way to go because the learning areas have been covered a lot more in
depth and this year I think we actually will be able to make the links to the
outcomes. Doing it by yourself, you just don't have the time to do it all - it
was my aim to do last year to link the activities to specific outcomes, but I
didn't quite get that far. As proud as I am of Captain Quokka's ed pack, I am
equally impressed and pleased with the Snottygobbles ed pack this year. I can't
wait to see the finished product!
Nicole Pfeiffer
I thought the suicide run was awesome! I
mean we all still needed to improve on our lines and timings, but for a 1st run
I thought it went well! It was great to have a sense of where we were at in week
9 and I think with everyone's hard work, we'll be able to put on a GREAT show
come week 14!
Carol Li-an
Movement was again the key theme of today’s workshop, and Salmiyah’s warm-up was based on the motions of the four elements, namely Earth, Air, Fire and Water. Each element had its own distinctive movement, from the floating nature of air with its emphasis on the head and arms, to the flowing motion of water, to the grounded actions of Earth, where the balance and centre of gravity is transferred to the hips and legs.
I found this exercise to be quite valuable in developing the character of Sarki. The movement of the Snottygobbles I believe would be very grounded and earthy because, as members of the goblin tribe, they are in essence ‘of the earth’. However, when in camouflage mode they would probably flow like water. When thinking in these terms it becomes apparent that an individual character would nearly always have a combination of different ‘elements’ effecting their movements, with some obviously more dominant than others.
After the workshop we worked a further 1-½ hours with Salmiyah, blocking Scene 3 where the Snottygobbles make their first appearance on stage. It is vitally important that this scene be performed well as it incorporates both Water and Earth movements, which must be seamlessly integrated if they are to be believable.
As the essay / report assessment is due this week, I think it is appropriate to look a little further into the issues of Theatre in Education and the messages conveyed by this year’s production. One of the key tenets of T.I.E. is that it contains subjects that are socially significant. On the surface, ‘The Secret of the Snottygobbles’ is a simple two-act play for young children, the primary purpose of which is to entertain. However, if we take a more critical view it is possible to see many deeper issues embedded within the text.
Of course, the overarching theme is the triumph of good over evil, and the warnings against hubris that accompany the downfall of Caballus, but there are also the issues of alienation, felt most keenly by the Snottygobbles who have been ostracised through their physical differences. It doesn’t take a great leap of the imagination to realise the connection between this situation and racism. Status is also dealt with on several levels. While Caballus is able to bully his underlings with impunity and Sarki overtly bullies his troops, especially the young Sarama, the play also highlights a social pecking order in which Puck has status over Muck and Lizzie over Bizzie etc. Through this hierarchical structure, children are likely to identify with the predicament of certain characters, thus forming a bond with them.
The play also promotes positive attitudes. The themes of friendship and cooperation against adversity are emphasised, which along with audience participation, are likely to effect a change in attitudes and behaviours (McCaslin, 2000), a key tenet of T.I.E. Positive reinforcement and encouragement, and the notion that it is the young who can change the world, may also lead to increased self-confidence and awareness of social issues in younger children.
Julian Hembrough
I love the Children's theatre website, it's
amazing. Especially loving all the photos of me!
Miss you guys all heaps, I'm way jealous of you all having so much fun. I wont
even be able to come and see any of the shows, I'm going on a cruise at the
exact time of the performances, including the night rehearsals...I'm devastated.
Just wanted to let you know the effort in the website is
appreciated...especially by sad people like me, who for some bizarre reason,
wish they were still at unit. Can you pass on my love, hugs and best wishes to
everyone. Enjoy the process, I'm sure it will prove to be the best show yet.
Jessica Brockwell
Week Ten
Click here... Costumes to view photos from the costume fitting
Week 10 saw us costume girls pop into costume stores all over Perth. Bad and
good, big and small. We finally settled at Apparitions in Claremont that worked
with us in the previous production and did they have plenty of costumes for us
to look through. I reckon its so important to be able to touch, see and feel all
the cossies in a shop becos u never know when something obscure may be creative
enough to be churned up on stage.
A harem girls outfit was the initial idea for Titania's 1st dress. A cave man
tunic is used for the Goblins and a smoking red satin jacket is used for our
ring master. Someone's wedding dress from the 80s is now refurbished to be
titania's gown.
We have to mix and match ideas to get what we want. Picking out a typical
fairy, goblin and ringmaster outfit would have made our job easier, but its the
obstacles we must go through that pushes our puny minds into creativity. A small
budget does the job as well.
The enchanted fairies are being hand made with petal skirts and strips plus
different flowers/seeds added on for their character. Here are 2 sketches drawn
up for Fairies.
So far everything is going on as planned and I cant wait to see the actors
spring board into characters once the costume goes on. Its always amazing to see
how a feeler, wing, or even tail can add so much more to an actor's character.
Samantha Bounaparte
Click here... Dance to view photos from the Dance Workshop
Little different and more introspective this time round I decided, just to keep
it interesting:
Oberon and Titania's new romantic reconciliation scene this week has gotten me
thinking.
The concept of love has always been connected with acting with me. When I first
started in high school, I didn't join the drama class because I was interested
in acting, I didn't do it because I enjoyed acting, and I certainly didn't do it
out of any love for the theatre - I joined because I had the biggest crush ever
on a girl who just happened to be in the drama class. It was then a forum for me
to generally try and look hot and impressive, and in doing so, managed to pick
up some acting ability along the way. No greater motivation then love really. In
the end I managed to look very impressive, but learned an important lesson in
regards to love - if they're not attracted to you, it doesn't matter how great a
Shakespearian reading you do or how innovative your Brechtian play is, they're
just not attracted to you.
The last girl I was in a relationship told me "You live your love life like a
character in a movie." This was after she broke up with me, and thus a criticism
(and a pretty stinging criticism at that - not the force of the punch but the
accuracy, right on the button). What I took this to mean was I tend to get over
dramatic, and indeed, seek out drama with everything love related. It's a little
self-destructive for a relationship really, because though it brings some great
romantic moments, it also brings in a lot of shit neither of you really need to
deal with but is only there because you like "drama" and really want to be
entertained.
I've been playing out a fair bit of anger as Oberon. Overall I think this has
made me a calmer person in my day to day life. I got to wondering if playing out
these dramatic relationship scenes in a safe context make me less melodramatic
in regards to my real life love life. I certainly feel less melodramatic, but
I'm not sure if I'm just making strides as a person rather then relying acting
as some sort of external outlet. I'd really far prefer the former rather then
the latter, as I hate a reliance on things. I could really see myself becoming
reliant on acting to effect my personality in a certain way though, so it's more
then likely the former.
Anyway, that is what I've been thinking about this week.
Kita Iqbal
(The following is a further reflection from Julian's observations from last week) Although this is only Week Nine, the pressure is starting to build on the Children’s Theatre participants. The onus is now on every cast member to have learned his or her lines and actions, and to be working as a part of a coordinated team effort.
To assess the level that the actors had so far attained, Jenny had organised a ‘suicide run’. Essentially, a suicide run is a total run through of the play with scripts down, under what might be termed as ‘performance conditions’. At this point the play consists of dialogue and action only, and is not accompanied by music, costuming, lighting or detailed choreography. It serves an important function nonetheless, as it allows the performance to be timed, identifies any weaknesses in the script or blocking, pinpoints cast members who are having difficulty with their lines or roles, and acts as a barometer for the development of the production in general. Any problems that become apparent in the suicide run can then be addressed before they become major crises.
I had thought that the workshop might end in tears, as to my untrained eye chaos seemed to reign over each scene. However, when the moment of truth arrived, everyone got on with the task at hand and the result was surprisingly successful. It was interesting to note how far the characterisation had developed in the last couple of weeks, especially the characters of Grime and Grot, who nearly stole the show with their Goblinesque antics. The Snotties are progressing well too, and I think that the character of Sarama is a standout. As for my part, Sarki has benefited from several old episodes of ‘The Goodies’ on DVD, particularly the vocals and facial expressions (Thankyou Tim Brooke-Taylor). These will come more into play when I actually remember to use them, as I have my hands full with remembering lines and blocking (and of course overcoming the blind terror of actually performing). Who would have thought that watching television could be so educational?
My final observation from this week’s workshop regards the success of the casting. I am sure that Jenny must have some kind of telepathic ability in uncovering latent abilities when selecting roles for people. Quite frankly, I was a little puzzled at a few of the choices earlier on, but now most of the cast appear to be born to their roles.
The importance of casting and characterisation was really brought home to me this week, and deserves further reflection here. I believe that the purpose of Children’s Theatre is to both entertain and inform. Characterisation therefore, is extremely important in engaging children with the action. The more developed and credible the character, the more involved children are likely to become with the production. McCaslin (2000: 331) states that the best characters “…are those in whom the audience can believe, whether or not they are real.” This is especially true of ‘The Secret of the Snottygobbles’ as the play is largely based around mythical creatures.
An example of good characterisation is the young Snottygobble Sarama who undergoes fundamental changes as the result of events in the course of the narrative. She is shown to overcome her initial shyness and gullibility to find inner strength and bravery. It is possible that some audience members may see themselves mirrored by that character and come away with a more positive attitude and increased self-esteem.
Julian Hembrough
View other 2006 'Notice Board' entries... Week One - Week Two Week Three - Week Four
Study Break One - Week Five Week Six - Week Seven Study Break Two - Week Eight
Week Nine - Week Ten Week Eleven - Week Twelve Week Thirteen Week Fourteen
...or view other 'Snottygobble' production extras... Julian's Drawings One Julian's Drawings Two
Circus Skills Photo Gallery Mel's Acting CV Geoff Glencross Theatre History
First Draft Second Draft Final Script - Act One Final Script - Act Two
Samantha's Costume One Samantha's Costume Two Paul's Unbanned Suicide Run Costume Fitting
Dance Workshop Darren's Character Profile First Dress Rehearsal One First Dress Rehearsal Two
First Dress Rehearsal Three First Dress Rehearsal Four Jamie at the Final Dress Rehearsal
Final Dress Rehearsal One Final Dress Rehearsal Two Final Dress Rehearsal Three
Final Dress Rehearsal Four Pre-show Make-up Wrap-up
...or view other Notice Board entries... 2005 Children's Theatre Notice Board
Go to Children's Theatre: My Journal History Notice Board Your Work
Contact Andrew @ thechaseison@optusnet.com.au
This page last updated: 30th June 2006