13/02/17- Monday, hour lesson
Today, we reviewed and added to a scene that we had already visited before in earlier rehearsals. In this scene, I am a member of the greater chorus and become a guard that mocks Antigone.
I think that this particular scene- getting it right- is important because it requires the complete focus of everyone in the scene, or else we may seriously hurt someone. Antigone especially, has to remember to step forward then swing the machete, rather than just swing randomly. This sequence seems to be working, it's simple and allows enough time for the chorus members to get out of the way, so no one should get hurt.
Although the machetes are not sharp anymore, Mr. Chipp, sanded down the edges, the points of the machetes are still quite sharp and could definitely hurt someone if it hit their eye or throat. It worries me a little bit because I would prefer not to have anyone killed, and the wild waving of the sword by Antigone seems dangerous because of the nature that she's swinging it in. But this is also a good thing because we want the audience to be tuned into this scene and a little bit shocked at what is going on. I'm certain we'll get a few gasps from the audience when it happens.
We worked a little bit today on hiding the mechanics of how Antigone withdraws (steals) the machete from the guard's side because it seems that the audience would be even more surprised by her getting the machete if they didn't see how it was done, it just happened. How we solved this problem was by having Antigone face her back to the audience when she goes to withdraw it, hiding the machete with her body until it is out of it's sheath. I think that this will work effectively in this movement because it makes it seem more sudden that she suddenly has gotten hold of the machete.
I think that this particular scene- getting it right- is important because it requires the complete focus of everyone in the scene, or else we may seriously hurt someone. Antigone especially, has to remember to step forward then swing the machete, rather than just swing randomly. This sequence seems to be working, it's simple and allows enough time for the chorus members to get out of the way, so no one should get hurt.
Although the machetes are not sharp anymore, Mr. Chipp, sanded down the edges, the points of the machetes are still quite sharp and could definitely hurt someone if it hit their eye or throat. It worries me a little bit because I would prefer not to have anyone killed, and the wild waving of the sword by Antigone seems dangerous because of the nature that she's swinging it in. But this is also a good thing because we want the audience to be tuned into this scene and a little bit shocked at what is going on. I'm certain we'll get a few gasps from the audience when it happens.
We worked a little bit today on hiding the mechanics of how Antigone withdraws (steals) the machete from the guard's side because it seems that the audience would be even more surprised by her getting the machete if they didn't see how it was done, it just happened. How we solved this problem was by having Antigone face her back to the audience when she goes to withdraw it, hiding the machete with her body until it is out of it's sheath. I think that this will work effectively in this movement because it makes it seem more sudden that she suddenly has gotten hold of the machete.
15/02/17- Wednesday
Today, I worked a bit more on my chorus speech at the beginning of the play. Since I have learnt the whole thing by heart, it's all about making it my own now. It's the longest speech in the play, but that definitely means it is not the most boring. I need to work on how I preform this speech so that I will engage the audience for the full seven and half mins that it is. It's not just about saying the lines, it about feeling and thinking them, acting them.
Today, I worked a bit more on my chorus speech at the beginning of the play. Since I have learnt the whole thing by heart, it's all about making it my own now. It's the longest speech in the play, but that definitely means it is not the most boring. I need to work on how I preform this speech so that I will engage the audience for the full seven and half mins that it is. It's not just about saying the lines, it about feeling and thinking them, acting them.
Things I was told I need to work on still with this speech:
-need to get out of the habit of talking quite slow and putting too much emphasis on everything. I need to pick and choose what I emphasise.
-I need to pick up the pace. Yesterday, I started writing out my speech from memory, and I finished it in class today. The phrases that I've underlined are phrases that I think I need to speed up.
-I need to pick out the words that are the most important, so I can emphasize upon them more. The highlighted words are words I think I should emphasize more than the others. I talked a little bit about which words would be most important with Miss. Starbuck and we decided that any words that have to do with this being a play, or the characters playing their parts, should have more weight.
We also looked at the "thousand arms" sequence, otherwise known as "The Tumbril", where Ismene is trying to convince Antigone not to bury their brother Polynices and to choose life over death. She is scared of the consequences of what burying Polynices and desperate not to be left alone in her decision, she wants her sister to live because she cares for her.
Every time I watch "Ismene" and "Antigone" react to each other, I think of my own sisters and some of the fights that we have. Many of them are pointless, no where near as important; regardless, I would still try and prove my point no matter what...because I want to be right. And if the argument did involve death, I know that I would be right. So my argumentative nature would turn from sarcasm and selfishness, to pure desperation. Since Antigone and Ismene, were having a sister bonding moment beforehand, I wouldn't be surprised that Antigone refuses to listen to Ismene -as Antigone is still very much a child and will still be selfish and sarcastic in her ambitions. She will not back down, simply because she wants to be right: she believes it is her destiny to die.
We also looked at the "thousand arms" sequence, otherwise known as "The Tumbril", where Ismene is trying to convince Antigone not to bury their brother Polynices and to choose life over death. She is scared of the consequences of what burying Polynices and desperate not to be left alone in her decision, she wants her sister to live because she cares for her.
Every time I watch "Ismene" and "Antigone" react to each other, I think of my own sisters and some of the fights that we have. Many of them are pointless, no where near as important; regardless, I would still try and prove my point no matter what...because I want to be right. And if the argument did involve death, I know that I would be right. So my argumentative nature would turn from sarcasm and selfishness, to pure desperation. Since Antigone and Ismene, were having a sister bonding moment beforehand, I wouldn't be surprised that Antigone refuses to listen to Ismene -as Antigone is still very much a child and will still be selfish and sarcastic in her ambitions. She will not back down, simply because she wants to be right: she believes it is her destiny to die.
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