The Last Day Of 'The Cinderella Pantomime'

The day began with warm-ups in order to prepare us for the performance ahead. One exercises we participated in involved us squeezing our bottoms in and tucking in our tail bones. This automatically allows you to keep your stomach muscles engaged, which helps you to project your voice across the stage. We also did some tongue twisters to aid us in improving our articulation (the formation of clear and distinct sounds in speech) and sung to warm up our vocal chords.

For the first performance I thought that I put a lot of energy into the dancing, singing and acting. I was confident as I applied all of the technique that I had learnt and put in all the energy I had to give. I was extremely confident with my characterisation by this point and decided to use only the best reactions that I had come up with in previous shows, as well as some more imaginitive reactions. In order to improve on my singing and dancing even further, I practised in front of a mirror in my free time. I also made sure that I practised my chorus reactions in the mirror to see how I appeared onstage.

The last ever performance, I felt, was one of my best in regards to the dancing, but not so much for the singing and the acting. I was unable to sing as loudly as I have in the other shows, as my throat became soar. I could have done some extra vocal exercises previously in order to prevent this. I feel that my movements could have been sharper when reacting and I could have made greater use of 'The Tonic Body'. However, everyone gave their all and made this show a fantastic ending to a wonderful show.

 
Here is a photo of my friends from college and I in our Act One Costumes for Panto.

Friday's Matinee And Evening Show

The day began with some warm-ups to help us to release tension in our bodies and to make us feel like we had more energy on the stage. We sung songs, while engaging our diaphragms and opening our mouths wide to make sure that  our voices projected across the stage. We also stretched and hummed in order to warm up our voices. When humming it is important that you feel the vibration in your lips, so that you know that you are using the correct technique and you should engage your anchoring muscles, which include the diaphragm, abdominal muscles and the back muscles.

During the Matinee, I found that we had less space on the stage as extra rows of seats were added. In the dances I had to make some of my movements a lot smaller, in order to avoid falling into The Audience. I felt that I concentrated heavily on the acting, rather than both acting and dancing. I felt that my dancing lacked energy and I found myself focusing on the dance moves more than the singing as I haven't been able to go through each dance 20 times a day, as I did before the shows began. Therefore, during my free time I went through each dance twice in the mirror, until I was satisfied with the energy I was putting into them.

During the evening show I concentrated on the acting, dancing and singing equally. Although there was a mishap during 'Let Me Entertain You', where most of the Chorus Members (including myself), missed our cue, I put more energy into the dances than in any other show so far. I need to make sure that I aim to put this amount of energy into every dance in future shows. However I do need to work on my breath control when dancing (especially in the final number). I can achieve this by doing breathing exercises before each show and in silence backstage.

This Week So Far (Including The Dress Run and The First Set Of Shows)

On Saturday we helped to Set Build. This is part of our course as it helps us to understand the hard work that goes into creating an appropriate atmosphere for a show. It is also a new skill for us to learn. Here is a photograph of The Set by the end of Saturday.

 

On Monday, we continued Set Building and later participated in a tech rehearsal (a rehearsal that focuses on the technological aspects of the performance, in theatrical, musical, and filmed entertainment). We went from cue to cue, so that the Davinci Students knew when to use what lighting effect. It was the longest tech rehearsal I have ever done, which is likely to mirror the length of tech rehearsals in professional theatre. The lighting changed the mood of the performance and made it feel more like an actual show.

 

This web page explains what a Tech Rehearsal is in detail:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technical_rehearsal

 

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On Tuesday we did a dress rehearsal (a full rehearsal, in costume, where you are expected to give a performance at the same level as you would a show), as The Director made last minute changes. Then we did another Cue to Cue. However, this time it involved the Davinci Students figuring out what music and sound effects to use and when. The music changed the atmosphere incredibly and it especially aids the actors in getting the response they hope to receive (e.g. funny music helps to make the audience laugh at the funny characters). Also, some changes had been made to the opening and closing numbers' dances. Therefore, I must do my best to learn this choreography at a much faster pace than usual. Practising the new steps when ever I have time, will help me to achieve this.

 

During the dress rehearsal, I made sure that I warmed up backstage, chewing and massaging my face in order to loosen up the jaw area and the face. This would make it easier to make huge facial expressions and also, I tend to have a lot of tension in my jaw area, which can prevent me from singing to the best of my ability and make me sound strained. I hit my marks, which was necessary, in order to avois complications with lighting effects.

 

I put as much effort into this Dress Rehearsal, as I would of done in an actual show. I smiled consistently and made varied, but big facial expressions. I remained focused and in character, even as I exited the stage. I also remembered all of my cues. I put as much energy into the singing and dancing as I did the acting and made a conscious effort to project as much as I could, as it it were an actual show. 

 

I took careful consideration in to keeping the correct posture throughout the songs and the acting scenes. I remembered some of the improvisation that I had previously done with my character and tried to apply some of theses details to myperformance for a greater variety of reactions. I also adopted, 'the tonic body', so that  my movements were sharper, clearer and bigger, so that they would come across more to an audience.

 

I remembered to engage my diaphragm as I sang and danced for better control and I remembered to put as much energy into the dances as possible, as I find that my dancing improves quite a bit, when I do this. As always, I remembered to dance on the balls of my feet, to spot as I turned and also to point my feet where appropriate.

 

 

 

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Wednesday was the day of our first show. Again, my lack of nerves affected my energy as I had no adrenaline rush. Although I generally perform better when I have an adrenaline rush, I could warm up backstage to gain as much energy as possible. Therefore I did silent warm ups, including 'pretend chewing'  and stretching to release tension in my whole body. I could of performed better in the first show as my reactions were not the best I have made.

 

In the second show, I performed worse than the first show, as my reactions were not as big as they had been in the past. By The Opening of The Second Act, half of The Audience members (school children) had left, as their coach was ready to leave. However, I still gave applied the same level of energy to the performance as I did prior to the first school's departure. Half way through the second act, the other school had to leave (the other half of the audience), due to their coach arriving to pick them up. We were left with one audience member, but we all pulled together to give her as good a performance as a full crowd and continued as normal.   

 

However, the last show, I felt, was the best performance yet for me as my reactions were bigger. They were more varied and I was more focused than in the first two show. The audience were the most vocal yet and were enthusiastic about getting involved. I believe that this helped me a great deal, as performers tend to feed  from the energy of their audience. Though it is important to put all of my energy into every show, no matter how little the audience participate, as they are probably enjoying it, but are less vocal about it.  

 

 

 

These Pictures were taken during our first set of shows. I thought that my shocked reactions were suitable for my character during the entrance of The Baroness, as Veronica (my character) is quite overwhelmed my how horrible she is and always overreacts in such situations, due to her lack of intelligence. I feel that my reactions could have been bigger and more varied, in the show these pictures were taken during. However, in future shows I did put a lot of effort into making my reactions more varied, yet still appropriate for my character.

 

 

Today during the Matinee (a showing of a theatrical performance in the afternoon) we were faced with a difficult audience, which is something I've experienced a few times before. As I have done in previous performances, I decided to treat this performance like any other, and not to hold back in fear of what audience members might shout out. My reactions were much more spontaneous and in- character than those which I had demonstrated on the previous day.

 

Today's evening show, I felt, was my personal best performance yet, as I found new reactions for my character, which were sharper and bigger than before. I am setting myself a personal goal to make sure that I aim to continue perform at this level at the very least, but that I keep trying for better. Also the final dance was the best it has been yet and so I must push myself as an individual to make this dance the best it can be in every show.

'The Cinderella Pantomime' At The Gordon Craig Theatre

Last week Saturday we went on a trip to watch 'The Cinderella Pantomime' At The Gordon Craig Theatre, in Stevenage. We watched the show in order to observe the way in which The Actors performed, so that we could creatively interpret some of their ideas into our own performance. It also gave us a greater insight into the atmosphere created in Pantomime.

I had to observe The Chorus. The Dances were well executed, which is something that I must remember to improve on myself. Also, they smiled virtually all the time, and they showed that they were listening to what the main characters had to say. From this, I realise that I need to appear to be an extremely happy character, no matter what my reaction may be (i.e if I have to be horrified, I still need to look like a nice character, who is horrified) and I need to make sure that my focus is on the 'speaking character', which I can show more clearly, by leaning in at times (as The Chorus did at The Gordon Craig) and moving my head slightly to turn towards the person who is speaking.

Here is an image of a promotional poster of 'The Cinderella Pantomime' at The Gordon Craig Theatre.

 

 

 



Dress Rehearsal Of The Cinderella Pantomime And Dance Practice

Today we did our first dress rehearsal and we ran through all of The Dances in The Panto. The end of The Dance to 'I Gotta Feeling' has been changed, so it is important that I go through this at home. I made mistakes in all of the dances, so I will run through them during the weekend at least 5 times a day, so that I will be very confident with all of them.

Here is a video of The Dance to 'I Gotta Feeling'. I am definitely more confident with this dance than I was a few weeks ago. My movements are sharper. However I need to make sure that I bend down straight away so that dancers can jump over me. Also, this video demonstrates my improvement in getting into the correct position, as previously today I was not in line with the other dancers.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIXx9P3xQ30&list=UUsc6As_10ht676BbLjDH3iQ

Here is a video of me dancing to 'Reach'. I have improved since the first time we did it, as it took me a long time to learn the correct choreography. However, i need to go over some of the movements to make sure that they are the same as everyone elses. I also need to work on my timing for this dance. I can watch this video back, so that I can learn the exact movements and timing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_YMQWYHYwc&list=UUsc6As_10ht676BbLjDH3iQ

Here is a video of me dancing to 'Let Me Entertain You'. I also need to go over some of these dance moves to make sure that they are the same as the other dancers'. The end of the dance has been changed, so I must remember not to get it confused with the previous ending. In addition, I need to work on my strut at the beginning, as it isn't sharp enough.

Here is a video of me rehearsing the dance to 'You Can't Stop The Beat'. I need to work on my timing for this dance and I also need to make sure that I am doing the correct movement especially the first time we sing 'And if you try to hold me down, I'm gonna spit in your eye and say....', as I am definitely dancing that part incorrectly at the moment, so I will go through it during the weekend.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEnmUqqHAvk&list=UUsc6As_10ht676BbLjDH3iQ

Then, we did the dress rehearsal of Act One and Act Two of 'The Cinderella Pantomime'. During the first run, I didn't make as many facial expressions as I usually do and I made mistakes with the dances. However, in the second run of Act One I made more facial varied facial expressions. It is important to use the energy that I used in the second run in every run through, so I need to warm up backstage, if that is what is necessary for me to give 100% every time.

Running Through 'Cinderella Act One And Act Two Without An Interval

Today we blocked Act One and Act Two of 'The Cinderella Pantomime'. This way, The Director was able to make final changes and adjustments to the scenes. Then, we were given time to rehearse the dances in The Dance Studio, which allows us to look at ourselves dancing in front of a mirror. I need to be careful of my foot placement, as they are often too far apart and I must apply the same amount of energy to every dance rehearsal, for the best results.

Later, we ran through Act One and Act Two of 'The Cinderella Pantomime', without an interval. I need to work on hitting my mark straight away in the opening number of The Panto. Now that I have a prop (a serving tray and some metal cups), I must adjust my reactions, so that I do not move so much, otherwise I may drop the cups. I also need to change the position of my hands, so that both are holding the tray. I was given feedback that I was 'doing good', so therefore it is important that I apply this amount of energy to every rehearsal and performance. I will also keep a smile on my face, virtually all the time (with the exception of reacting shocked/ puzzled), so that I appear to be a happy villager in Merrivale.

Blocking Through Act One of 'The Cinderella Pantomime' again

Today we took part in set designing (scenic design is the creation of theatrical, as well as film or television scenery), which is part of our course. It enables us to understand the work that goes into building a set and props.

Then, we blocked (blocking is a theatre term that refers to the precise movement and positioning of actors on a stage in order to facilitate the performance of a play) through Act One of 'The Cinderella Pantomime' again in order for the director to make final changes, adjustments etc. This did not include the dances, but I did run through these during my free time at college.

I found that I was more conscious of my facial expressions and therefore, I barely ever had a neutral face, which makes me look moody and miserable. If I open my eyes wide and lift my eyebrows, my character appears more friendly. I also put a greater level of energy into this performance, than in the past, so it is important to keep this energy consistent.

Rehearsing During Parents Evening

Today we watched East 15's perform a modern twist of Shakespeare's Richard The Third. East 15 is A Drama School, which made the performance even more compelling, as it shows the level of skill that you can gain from training at Drama School. The modern twist made it easier for the audience to relate to, but they still spoke in Shakespearean language. I think that putting a modern twist on a well known period piece, is an idea that I could use, if I have to devise my own performance.

Afterwards they held a Q&A (Questions and Answers), where they explained to us how they went about rehearsing, developing their characters and speaking Shakespearean. They mentioned how important it was for them to understand what they were saying. Also, in the case of The Actor who played Richard The Third, he explained that he wanted to show that his character could justify (to himself), the reasons for his actions. If I am to play a villain, it is important to remember that (with the exception of Pantomime Villains), people don't necessarily go about trying to be evil. They believe they have a good reason for everything that they do and this should be seen by the audience when portraying an villainous character.

Here is a link to East 15's website:
http://www.east15.ac.uk/index.asp

Later we rehearsed the first few scenes from Act 1 in front of peoples parents for Parents Evening. It was the first time we had performed in front of an audience from outside of college. However, I find that I don't seem to get nervous anymore, which is not necessarily a good thing, as I don't get an adrenaline rush. Therefore I lack energy. In the past, I performed with much more energy when I was nervous and so I feel that I need to 'hype myself up' more, before performing in front of an audience.I needed to put a lot more energy into the dance at the beginning and also, my face was neutral countless times, which makes me appear moody, so it is essential that I either smile or look shocked/puzzle at all times.

Peer Feedback 2 and Running Through Act 2

We began the day by performing Act 2 of 'The Cinderella Pantomime' to The Year 2s and The Level 2s. I was given feedback, where I was told that my face looked very moody. Therefore it is important that my face is never neutral. I need to be smiling or shocked/ puzzled at all times, otherwise I will look moody. I also think I need to vary my facial expressions more and make them bigger. In addition I should vary my movements more and make them bigger.

Here are some images that portray the facial expressions that are  suitable for panto:
These facial expressions are suitable, for when my Panto Character is happy or excited.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Reaction is suitable for when my character is shocked (e.g. when The Baroness makes her entrance)

 

 

This facial expression would be useful for when my character is intrigued.

 

At lunch time I practised all of the dances in Act 2 in front of a mirror, with other chorus members, which helped me with timing. I also took some time to practise my facial expressions and reactions in the bathroom mirror. I found this very helpful, as it gave me a better idea of what I look like on the stage.

I was given feedback that my dancing was okay, so I need to make sure that I dance with this level of energy at all times. Practising each dance 20 times a day over the weekend helped me to improve dramatically, as on Thursday I could not remember which move came after the other. Therefore, whenever I have to learn a dance I must spend extra time rehearsing in front of a mirror and recording myself to see what I look like.