Week One - Week Two 2005
Week
One: Introduction to the Unit
(An eager crowd awaits the joy of participating in a Children's Theatre Production)
Children's Theatre (while demanding and time consuming) is one of the most rewarding forms of theatre you can be involved in. A unique attribute of working in this area is the knowledge that your audience will go with you on the journey of imagination - 100%. As theatre relies on the "momentary suspension of disbelief" an audience that is not afraid to imagine and to truly believe, is a rare and precious thing indeed!
To have the opportunity to witness an audience of 150 plus people being in the
moment, and fully immersed in the theatrical process, is one of the most
rewarding experiences for anyone who is involved.
But make no mistake - a child audience is not a push over! It is important
to maintain a consistent story line and to not distract your audience with ham
acting or farce. The audience can quickly lose the plot - both
theoretically and literally and many a performance has degenerated into a
yelling match with the performer losing out quite badly!!
Brien Keys
You can contact
Brien @ B.Keys@murdoch.edu.au
(Lindsay Lloyd's initial design of the backdrops for 'Captain Quokka's Adventures on the High Seas')
Children's Theatre as an area of learning
is something I am very passionate about. I have worked almost exclusively in
this area since beginning university and I now have six years experience in this
arena at the age of only 23 - including an honours degree and half a PhD (I'll
be finished at the end of next year). Each year, at the beginning of semester, I
think back on the previous years work. I remember the challenges I have faced,
the mistakes I have made and the successes I have achieved throughout my six
years work. It is this remembrance that prepares me for a new year; with new
challenges and a class full of new students. As the tutor for the unit I get the
opportunity to work closely with in excess of 50 students each year, guiding
them from the early stages of introduction and conceptuality to the end product
- a full scale professional production for children. I work closest with the
actors, as I have the most experience in voice and movement. But as I progress
as a teacher each year, I learn more about the other facets of production, and
this year in particular I have begun with an equal focus on both acting and
production.
As class began this year, I was happy to note that I felt more confident. I
looked at the student body before me knowing that I had the skills and the
ability to help them achieve their goals throughout the semester. As a tutor,
this is probably more important to me than the end product. While I do have a
large focus on helping to create the best production we can, I feel a greater
connection to the business of guiding my students towards a better understanding
of this particular area of learning. My contributions to the speech and
introduction part of the workshop are rudimentary at best. I did the obligatory
introduction then spent a lot of time listening to the other 'authority figures'
say what they had to say. My major contribution to this introduction was to let
the students know that I was there to help them in whatever way they needed. My
most important function is to guide and help the students.
Once the introductions were over, we got down to some beginning activities.
Children's Theatre as a form requires a different style of performance than that
used in more traditional forms of theatre. My objective during the first week is
to take class members back to the basics of performance so that they can begin
to understand the process of creating a character. Our exercises focussed mostly
on characterisation. By taking the elements of voice and movement we can begin
the construction of a believable character by changing those things within
ourselves and projecting outwardly a different sense of who we are. We begin
this exercise using an established character as a base, but by the end we have
created our own character (usually an animal) from scratch incorporating voice,
movement and thought. This sense of character is essential in any form of
theatre as the basis for creating an engaging performance. After all, if you
don't believe what you are portraying, how can you expect someone else to?
Darren Bilston
(Start thinking about the location and the animals in this years production. Take photo's and share them with others)
As an actor we have three main tools available to us; our minds, our voices and our bodies. The successful engagement of all three of these tools allows us to create a believable character that not only exists at the time of the play, but also outside of that time. What I would like to discuss here is the way in which movement contributes to this sense of wholeness, informing the audience about the character through non-verbal communication. Let us first consider an example. An actor is playing a frog character. The actor has two options available in regard to movement. They can: a) ignore the fact that they are a frog and move as a human; or b) employ the "body tool" and hop around like a frog. If the actor chooses option a) then they reduce the believability of their character and remove one of the tools they use to create themselves. If the actor chooses option b) then they immediately begin to create their 'frog' without saying a word. This works in two ways.
Firstly from the audience perspective. The use of movement in characterisation
allows the audience to identify with the character as soon as they enter the
world of the play. Using our earlier example, as the 'frog' hops onto stage the
audience immediately begins to make decisions regarding that character based on
how the movement is informing them. The hopping motion, and by extension the
squatting stance, are a stereotypical interpretation of how a frog moves. The
audience identifies straight away that the character that has just come on stage
is a frog. It's that simple. The second way in which using movement helps to
create a character is from the actors perspective. Keeping our example running,
we see again our actor playing a frog. By adopting the hopping motion and the
squatting stance, the actor is continually reminded that they are in fact
currently a frog. This continual reminder allows the actor to remain in the
correct mind space throughout the performance.
The workshop on movement that we held in the second week of semester is designed
to allow students to explore more fully the different ways in which they can use
their body as an actor. The exercises are designed to extend a performer beyond
the normal movement of every day life and to encourage the development of
control over the body in the performance space. This then allows an actor to
employ these skills when working on their own characterisation.
Darren Bilston
(Improvisation develops skills and ensemble awareness)
Safety in
the early stages of the Children's Theatre process is very important.
Rehearsals start early in the morning and an actor's flexibility and vocal
strength are usually not at their best. Warming up is imperative - as is
an awareness of not pushing the limits prematurely.
As in any other theatrical environment there are also the usual safety concerns.
A theatre is a three dimensional space and it is important to be aware of what
is going on around you. There may be musicians rehearsing in the hallway -
who will not appreciate a door being smacked into them at high speed as you rush
to the toilet. Or a lighting technician working above you with high
voltage electricity (not to mention the heavy light they may drop!).
Maintaining an sense of awareness, of focussing on your environment is something
that all participants need to remember the whole time they are involved in the
Children's Theatre program.
Brien
Keys
Please
feel free to check out the Nexus Theatre website @http://nexustheatre.murdoch.edu.au
(Lindsay Lloyd's finalised design of the backdrops for 'Captain Quokka's Adventures on the High Seas')
The first few weeks of Children's Theatre
were based around easing students into the concept of Children's Theatre, which
is at first hard to adjust to, as the course is like no other I have personally
been involved in. Time was spent giving an overview of what is required and
ideas as how to get the costuming side of things well organised.
Approaches as to how we can gather concepts for costumes are important. I
bought in several books on: pirates, animal costume ideas and sea side themes,
to gleam some ideas from. Some students have already commenced researching
special characteristics of rats, seagulls and fairy penguins, etc.
Time has been spent liasing with the student(s) who will be coordinating the Ed
Pack. I felt they needed to be aware of what we are doing, as our research
may be included in the Ed Pack. Close liaison must be maintained with all those
involved in the production from Jenny to Darren, to Brian and Val the stage
manager. I emphasise often to students that, for this project to go off well,
effective collaboration is the key to its success.
Jenny Lees
Captain
Quokka’s
Adventures on the High Seas
Synopsis
It’s early in the 17th Century and Spice Traders from Europe, in their tiny ships, are looking for the magic passage that will take them across the oceans to a fabled land of unrivalled riches at the edge of the earth. On an outcrop of limestone rocks, just west of the Great Southern Land, Captain Quokka prepares for a dangerous mission. He and his friends the Sea Lions, the Fairy Penguins, an aged Turtle and a ditsy Dugong (on holiday from the North-East) must face a fiendish enemy: the Pie-Rats of the North. These creatures under their cruel leader, the Pie-Rat King, are bent on pillage and plunder and will stop at nothing to gain the gold bullion that lies deep in the holds of the Traders’ tiny ships. All that stands between them is our young hero who faces his darkest hour as the Pie-Rats descend on the good ship, Courage.
This production for children in the primary school offers that blend of historical fact and fiction for which Children’s Theatre at Murdoch is renowned. Travel with the characters back to a time where, to the sound of the waves and the clash of steel, courage and fortitude battle to maintain their ground against the forces of evil. In 2005 we offer once again a musical theatre performance that will educate as it entertains.
Jenny de Reuck
View other Notice Board entries... Week One - Week Two Week Three - Week Four
Week Five - Week Six Week Seven - Study Break: Week One Study Break: Week Two - Week Eight
Week Nine - Week Ten Week Eleven - Week Twelve Week Thirteen Week Fourteen
View other 'Quokka' production extras... Draft Music - Act One Music - Act Two
Script and Music - Act One Script and Music - Act Two Photo Gallery Production Wrap-up Cast and Crew Party
Go to Children's Theatre: My Journal History Notice Board Your Work
Contact Andrew @ thechaseison@optusnet.com.au
This page last updated: 22nd December 2005