Theatre For children: Lesson Fourteen

Tuesday 16^th December

We had a dress rehearsal on Monday and we all lack energy and we didn’t give it our all. I feel I could have done better with building on my character and doing the dance at the beginning. I should of do my best so I would felt better if have some more practise for the performance the next day. I mess up on the end poem which was really disappointing as I was trying really hard to get it right and practising all weekend to get it right. I think I mess up the poem was because I was trying to get to my place and stay in time with everyone.

After doing the performance for the children, I feel I understand more of what it take to make a children show .e.g. having lots of energy, not dragging the scene out, making sure my voice doesn't sound patronising. I want to learn more about children shows.

My evaluation of the performance was that the first show we did went ok because we had energy and we were really using our faces. I believe that having an audience help build our energy so we could put on a good show. The second show was better because we had a felt for the stage, we knew what it was like to performance to children. I feel I could have more fun on stage and really go for the character because in the first show I was worried that I look stupid.

My character was good fun to play as I could be a little childish but I would need to be grown up when we were trying to catch action-man. I like that my map fell out of my bag as I had to work with it and plan something to say, I find that it just give me more confident to build on my character and I pull it off and no one seem to noticed.

If we did a Christmas show again, I think the first dance I would change it to a feel good song so it would get the children excited to watch the show but I wouldn’t change anything else because I really like how everything came together.

My strengths from the shows were that I remember the poem and didn’t mess up as badly as I did in the dress rehearsal this give me confident for the other show. I feel I really said my words with gusto, I was trying really hard to work my face all the way thought the show. My last strength for the show was went the children came out to see us and go back to school. I stayed in character.

My weaknesses in the shows were that I keep coming out of character because I was watching and waiting for my next scene or movement. I think I could of work my face more. And turn to the audience more so the audience would feel more involved. Doing the first dance piece in the beginning I keep looking at someone to know when to come in because I didn’t want to come up to early or later.