'Another Day' is number between my character of Roger and the character Mimi (played by Meg) after an attempt seduction towards him and also to get him out the house. Within the number it is clear that Roger is definite about staying in and not ever starting anything with Mimi in his attempt to push her away out of fear and loneliness. He desperate to tell her that he is HIV positive to justify his depression but simply cannot bring himself to.
In order to portray all of this effectively, meg and i worked very closely together on creating this scene/number. It was apparent to us that we needed to show more of an effort being made by Mimi, so in order to capture this we made a decision ofr Meg to sort of take charge in setting this number - walon with my contribution. Doing this really worked effectively, as there were definitely points where she would suggest something and i not be all for it - strongley mirroring this relatiohship between Roger and Mimi.
Exploring into the script and looking at the lyrics of the song, Roger is desperate to push her away and get her out of his sight - to a point where he is actually angry with her. Mimi's words, however, are exactly the opposite where she devotes a clear love and attraction to him that she can't let go of. Within a section of the song, I manually move myself around the table to get away from sitting next to Meg and trying to prevent any connection with her, but she will simply not let Roger go - and we end up playing a sort of cat and mouse stylistic game around the table.
We workshoped the idea of most of the movement throughout the song should come from my character - him being the one trying to get away from her. Whereas Mimi would often stay planted, in order to get across her constancy toward Roger, and the fact that she is not leaving.
Thursday, 22 October 2015
Thursday, 15 October 2015
Working on 'Tune Up #1' and 'Tune Up #2' and the opening number of 'Rent'
The numbers 'Tune Up #1' and 'Tune Up #2' are the opening sections and set the settings and context of the show. The accompaniment is the tune of my character of Roger tuning up his Fender guitar that he hasn't played in a year, and the numbers are presented as a sort of narration by the character of Mark where he puts the characters, setting and lifestyle in context. From the number, we find out a close friendship between apartment room mates Roger, Mark and Collins, who used to live with Benny and Maureen; until Benny got married and became the landlord, and Maureen turned a lesbian. They struggle to pay the rent every year which Benny would normally let slide but it has got to a point where Mark and Roger need to pay up. All their electrical appliances are plugged into one thick extension cord, meaning the power often blows, leaving them freezing with no heat, and no electricity to do anything at all - so they are forced to live like survivors, burning posters - advertising Roger's rock gigs - and screenplays to create fire for a source of heating.
As these introduction numbers are the audience's way into the context of the story it was important that its told clearly but still has that opening-a-show factor to them. The numbers involve the art of speak singing, where some lines are sung and some vocally spoken in time with the rhythm. This technique was very favoured throughout the cast in the sense that singing isn't a common strength within the cast - some being singers and some not - and for a show that is a libretto (sung the whole way through), this was very much liked.
The way we have set these two intro numbers to have a table near enough centre stage to represent Roger and Mark's apartment and around this table, industrial looking objects (e.g. step ladders, lights, bins etc.) to contribute to this impoverished setting. We discussed the idea for the character of Collins to be on a platform on his own, perhaps amongst the audience, at the purpose of drawing them in and making them feel more involved. Having decided to us the stage and an steel decking, there is that slight separation between the action and characters on stage, and our audience, so we are constantly workshopping different ways to bind the audience, and the story and characters, together - forming emotional attachment, and full engagement and involvement.
The big opening number of 'Rent' follows after these two introduction numbers. Within this number, the whole cast is involved creating and presenting the lifestyle these bohemian-type characters live and it really gets catches and sustains the audiences attention and enjoyment. I had the idea of inducing a somewhat chaotic flair to this number where, all though movements and actions were set or choreographed, it needed to look rather messy, untidy and a bit mad. My reasons for this were that considering the sort of rock-style and daring edge to the show, the choreography and blocking needed to match that live up to our, as a cast, understanding of Rent. We want to go for that sort of gritty feel about it. Within the number, there is a slight section of what some might call 'dance' but I would refer to it as more movement that adds to our aim and content, which I personally put together with the inspiration of a clip from the Broadway musical of Green Day's American Idiot - which actually has a very similar feel and theme as Rent.
We also had the wacky idea of taking advantage of the camera that Mark has on his person throughout the show in the hope to make a film about the life and friends around him - hopefully putting him back on top - and live streaming on stage the footage that he films (e.g. Roger's guitar solo in the instrumental of the song etc.).
As these introduction numbers are the audience's way into the context of the story it was important that its told clearly but still has that opening-a-show factor to them. The numbers involve the art of speak singing, where some lines are sung and some vocally spoken in time with the rhythm. This technique was very favoured throughout the cast in the sense that singing isn't a common strength within the cast - some being singers and some not - and for a show that is a libretto (sung the whole way through), this was very much liked.
The way we have set these two intro numbers to have a table near enough centre stage to represent Roger and Mark's apartment and around this table, industrial looking objects (e.g. step ladders, lights, bins etc.) to contribute to this impoverished setting. We discussed the idea for the character of Collins to be on a platform on his own, perhaps amongst the audience, at the purpose of drawing them in and making them feel more involved. Having decided to us the stage and an steel decking, there is that slight separation between the action and characters on stage, and our audience, so we are constantly workshopping different ways to bind the audience, and the story and characters, together - forming emotional attachment, and full engagement and involvement.
The big opening number of 'Rent' follows after these two introduction numbers. Within this number, the whole cast is involved creating and presenting the lifestyle these bohemian-type characters live and it really gets catches and sustains the audiences attention and enjoyment. I had the idea of inducing a somewhat chaotic flair to this number where, all though movements and actions were set or choreographed, it needed to look rather messy, untidy and a bit mad. My reasons for this were that considering the sort of rock-style and daring edge to the show, the choreography and blocking needed to match that live up to our, as a cast, understanding of Rent. We want to go for that sort of gritty feel about it. Within the number, there is a slight section of what some might call 'dance' but I would refer to it as more movement that adds to our aim and content, which I personally put together with the inspiration of a clip from the Broadway musical of Green Day's American Idiot - which actually has a very similar feel and theme as Rent.
We also had the wacky idea of taking advantage of the camera that Mark has on his person throughout the show in the hope to make a film about the life and friends around him - hopefully putting him back on top - and live streaming on stage the footage that he films (e.g. Roger's guitar solo in the instrumental of the song etc.).
Tuesday, 6 October 2015
Working on 'La Vi Boheme'
At the commencing for Rent rehearsals, the first song we've started working is 'La Vie Boheme' which takes place just coming up to end of act 1 where the whole gang are together at somewhat café - obviously a regular place. The number really gives the actors a chance to be free with no boundaries, really portraying the strong bohemian to this group of characters. In context, Benny critisises Maureen's protest and the group's bohemian lifestyle, therefore edges Mark and the rest of the group to rise up and oppose to this by celebrating it. To really get the right feel to this song when working on it, we all though that once learned the song, the blocking of it should be improvised and free to do what the actors feel so we can really catch this care free and unrestricted element to the setting of the song. I must say, doing this was great fun because it gave chance for to put in there own individual ideas and visions that all combined together and it strongly helped with bohemian nature of the song. Obviously we couldn't leave the song at that because there were bits where set choreography would work really well.
Being at a long table opened and sparked many ideas for choreography where we could all use the fact we were behind a big long table - rather than it look like a dead weight in the scene. We came up with set movements that we would all recite perform as one - with the purpose of creating a community and unit amongst this unusual group of characters that carry the show. There is also a drumming section that cannons from one end of the table to the other, and heavily requires on timing in order to work effectively. I struggled with this mostly due to the fact that a weakness of mine, as a performer, is timing and rhythm of a song - especially when singing. To overcome this struggle it is just a matter of listening to that section of the song over and over to make sure I get my drum pattern correct.
However, the majority of the song is improvised and not choreographed which in my opinion works absolutely brilliantly in the sense that it really conveys the freedom and spontaneity of these characters together.
I think a strong target for all the cast in regards to this number is to just be confident and free, and have no hesitations and no care of how you may look. Go for it with all your heart!
Being at a long table opened and sparked many ideas for choreography where we could all use the fact we were behind a big long table - rather than it look like a dead weight in the scene. We came up with set movements that we would all recite perform as one - with the purpose of creating a community and unit amongst this unusual group of characters that carry the show. There is also a drumming section that cannons from one end of the table to the other, and heavily requires on timing in order to work effectively. I struggled with this mostly due to the fact that a weakness of mine, as a performer, is timing and rhythm of a song - especially when singing. To overcome this struggle it is just a matter of listening to that section of the song over and over to make sure I get my drum pattern correct.
However, the majority of the song is improvised and not choreographed which in my opinion works absolutely brilliantly in the sense that it really conveys the freedom and spontaneity of these characters together.
I think a strong target for all the cast in regards to this number is to just be confident and free, and have no hesitations and no care of how you may look. Go for it with all your heart!
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