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.

Theatre For Children: Lesson Thirteen

Tuesday 9^th December

We had a speaking workshop where we learn tongue twist which was

“All I want is a proper cup of coffee, Made in a proper copper coffeepot. You can believe it or not I want a cup of coffee. In a proper coffeepot. Tin coffeepots or Iron coffeepots, they’re no use to me. If I can't have a Proper cup of coffee.  In a proper copper coffeepot, I'll have a cup of tea!”

Which we had to think of a scene we could do so my group choose a film set. This helps because we had to pronounce which word so I feel I pronouns every word and made it clear what I was saying. I think this help with the saying my words when we did a run the later that afternoon. I really like doing the speaking workshop as it help me understand what way words should be said. It also help we knowing what’s good for my throat and what is not as we did this in group.

We did a run though in the afternoon. It went well in some scenes but I got worried about when I need to be on. I ask for a run though list so I could focus on my acting and lines. The feedback we got from the first run though was that the toys were good but went we sung “Do You Want to Build a Snowman”  we had to act like a girl band and really dance and sing it because we just sang our lines with feeling but we just look at each other when they sung it. The feedback I got was that I need to not apologise when I'm delivering my lines. After hearing this I felt I did because I was worried that I would get it wrong. I was too worried and I felt didn't let just go for it and the kids not know what I get wrong and what I do get right so it doesn't matter if I change my lines every performances because I forgot what I said in the last performance.

The other comments we got was that in our dance piece at the beginning we look bored. When we should look excited because it’s Christmas morning. We also were told to learn our lines from the poem which I have been but I find when I'm there trying to remember it goes out of my head. I have keep going through it and now know it off by heart so hopefully I will remember the poem on Monday when we had a dress rehearsal.

When we did other run though we make an improvement to the first run though, as we used all the comments we were given. We work to really show our excitement on our faces. I feel I did better as I just let the scene roll and not worry about messing up and I didn't really mess up I just got baby and Barbie the wrong way round which I think I'm trying to get the next line ready in my head and I forget the other before it.

My strength from this lesson was that I know all my lines but my weakness was that I didn't get them all in the right places and was more worried about getting it wrong.

My target for next run though is that I worry less and just try to get all my lines in the right place.

Theatre for Children: Lesson Twelve

Wednesday 3^rd December

We didn't have performance workshop because we went to see a show which was created by Chicken Shed Company. The show was Peter Pan, this was a musical adding people of all ages and abilities. I wanted to talk about the show we went to see as it was aim at year 2s ages 6-7.  They made the show watchable for all children, like having a signer for deaf children on all the time, but it was just a signer who would stand at the side of the stage wearing black, this signer was part of the show by being a maid or a shadow of Peter pan. They also had children in wheelchairs, who were part of the cast, made look involved instead or not having them because it because difficult and awkward. They use the wheels to make different levels. They connected with  the audience well by talking more to them as they were just part of the group and part of the world the actors were creating instant of watching the scene. I think watching this play as giving me some really good idea to help engage the children watching our show.

Theatre for children

In the lesson this week we work on our ending of the show which went well apart form most people including me were not putting 110% in to it. after hearing the music we were putting our dance to the music it felt as we all really had a fresh new of energy. We had to come down in to the middle in our character groups to bow, we need to come up with a some movement we could do to remind the kids who we were, my group were slow at thinking up something and we thought we could use binoculars , that we would past down the line and look thought but it had taken a little long so we were thinking we would come up we a short dance routine to do while sing “Do You Wanna Build A Snowman?”.

I feel as though my strengths was not much as my brain was in gear in this lesson and I feel I did poorly because I had trouble getting the dance movements and not giving enough energy went practising.

I’ve started on my costume. Well I have all my parts of my costume and I just need to add the finishing touches to my bag and socks and shoes. I’m feeling better about my costume then I did before as I was worried that I would not look right or the children would know who I was but know having my costume. I feel I can really become Dora the exloper.

Theatre for Children: Lesson Eleventh

Tuesday 25^th November

This week we work on the set out of the play again. This was helpful as we could add the improved part of our scene. I found it easier this week as I remember most of what was said last week and we also work on our arrival on stage which was is look really effective as we run on and do cartwheels and jumps over each other. I think we need to work on it as we need to do make it flow in to one another, we have starting to do it remember and come in at the right places but we had to rethink the arrive as one member will not be there so we just change who was doing what. This work as we the arrival was simple and any one could do which was handed. 

Running thought our scene with the new part made us all feel like it was smoother and we practice the plan of catching action man work well. Our teacher said that it would be a good idea to add different level when we talking about catching action-man, she always said to come up with a script that will make it quicker as we take a lot of time to discuss catching action-man and Dora would take charge at this point to help it more faster so the children would get bored. This is my script for the second section of our scene: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ql1ql38e8fshvzg/Catching%20Action-man%20script.docx?dl=0

I was thinking about my costume and I thought that I need to be exact with my costume but I was talking to mum and she was saying that if I have the same clothes like shorts, t-shirt, socks and trainers and I think the most important item is Dora backpack that has the eyes and mouths with a map pointing out of the top. So I have found most of the items and I've got some felt to use for eyes and mouth.

my strengths was that I remeber want happen last week and know when we had to come in. my weakness what not given it my all. so next time I will ush my acting skills and just go out and do my best instead of worrying what I look like,

Theatre For Children: Tenth Lesson

Tuesday 18th November

Performances workshop

We didn’t performance workshop this week so we had storytelling all afternoon, we work on our set out of our play. Which was good as we all got to see when went need to be on and where. I feel that I have trouble remembering but I remember some sections and placements but I didn’t want to get it wrong so I didn’t say anything. Which I feel was a little silly but I think next time if it happening again I'm going to speak up, that was one of my weakness from this lesson.

We change some sections in out scene because we were going too slow with getting out of the sack and action-man moving the toys, so we come out of the sack we move quicker and we use more moving in the sack and dialogue. We also change when we are frozen in our places and action-man changes our positions, our teacher thought it would be better if we would change on our own and action-man would just doing movements so it seem like he was moving us. We also need to think up some more ideas to catch action-man because one of our classmate isn't here, so we thought we could add “do you want to build a snowman” because all the kids know where comes from and it also means the children can relate to the phase.

Theatre for Children

We finished are dance piece which is good because we can focus on our last dance section which will include bow for the end of the show, we add a Mexico wave down the line which we reveal Santa and then we will run in to 5 group which two of the groups will open around of the toys and the other groups will become a tree or look up to the tree and open a present. I really like this because it feels like if we really saw excitement in our face we can really give the feeling of excitement at Christmas. We can get that excitement all the way though out the show, the children will really enjoy the show. Strengths was that I develops the unwrapping of presents, I develops the presents but going in close together so that when pop out it so it was more opening, than just throwing you arms in the air. Weakness I find to stay in  time with the dance piece because I am confused and how many counts we wake up to?

Theatre For Children: Ninth Lesson

Tuesday 11^th November 2014

Performance workshop

This week we focused on our entrance to the stage as we need to go on to the stage in a sack shape. So we figured out that we thought about how the sack would move on the back of someone.  We thought about bobbing up and down which would give the effect  that we were on Santa’s back, we need to get in are starting positions which we start our scene in. so we ask our teacher and she said we could move and go under and over each other which will hopeful make the audiences see the sack shape we are  trying to creative. I think we need to work on our ending, and try and figure out how we are doing to we are going to all get  back in the sack and I was thinking that maybe we would sing a song (which was molly’s idea) and say that action man needs to go in first so he doesn’t get lost again. Each one of us would go in to the sack like in the sound of music song “so long farewell” and we would learn the dance and the baby would go last. We also start to learn the end of the poem in storytelling, and workout how we were going to set it out of stage, our teacher Emma which we would come on in groups and watch Santa fly off as with looking in pure wonder.  We would join in reading the poem at different times this is the order it goes in mice, reindeer, children, toys. We were put in to groups and ask to make a cluster of different levels and shapes.

I really feel this show is coming together; I need to be more confidence with saying the poem which I think I can do which I have learnt it. I think I give lots of ideas and help with other people understanding if they are confused about how we should stand or do.

Theatre for Children

We carried on with our dance piece and we brought in out PJ so we could take pictures and see if we would do the moves in our PJ. After last week went we had to walk round in 8 steps and do a greeting to another person we find it hard to find someone so this week we choose 3 people that we would greet too and it was so much easier because we were going somewhere on stage, last time I felt we were just walking and seeing where we would end up and half the time we wouldn’t have any one to greet.

I felt this week most of the class were focus and we got quite a bit of work done than last week. I think next time we should aim to complete the dance so the following weeks we can touch up of different sections.

Theatre For Children: Eighth Lesson

Tuesday 4^th November

Performance workshop

We were given the running order of the show this week, which is

1.    Toys – in entrance looking for action man

2.   Mice – part 1

3.    Dance –  waking up on christmas day

4.    St. nick

5.    Reindeer – part 1

6.    Toys – part 1 up to losing Mel

7.    Mice – part 2

8.    St. nick

9.    Toy – part 2

10. Reindeer – part 2

11. End everyone on stage

I think is running order is really good because  you not just have one section after other it becomes flowing and you become hooked on what the going  to happen in the section part of each section. We were also linking the work as well which means we are getting a story line for our short scene so they all flow in to one another.

We were given feedback as well for out scene from last term, we were told we need to go in to the audience more like action man need to go under chairs in and out the aisle, she also said that we need to have action man doing push and other exercise in Santa’s sack.

We also had to do  a workshop on Thursday for a group of year 2s at the Crescent primary school, which help because we did our first section of out scene and ask them for feedback which was all the naught bits like the robot being moved by action man to touch his butt which they laughed at, one of the assistance said that when the robot tries to flirt with Barbie they didn’t find it funny so maybe we should have that bit but have something funny instead so the children would laugh. We play a game where the children had to change one of the classmates in to a funny position, we got a couple of ideas from this as when one of the children put his class mate on one foot he feel straight over so we could use that idea when everyone freeze in out scene action man could put one of us on one leg and when we unfreeze that person falls over.

In storytelling we were setting out where everyone would come on stand on stage. The toys start our scene in a heap so Emma our teacher thought we could us physical theatre to come on stage like folding over each and making shapes which would imply we were in a sack on Santa’s back.  We would also be on stage in our heap as Santa come down the chimney in other scene happening and when Santa throws the sack on the floor we would fall out of our heap which would imply that we were being move and tangled up. I feel this is a really good idea as not all the scene start on stage but I’m feel that maybe in our toy scene we are going to find it difficult to put the physical theatre piece together as we are having difficulty with being in a sack so hopeful we will have help and we’ll be able to set it out.

Theatre for Children

We were carrying on we our group dance and if looks really good. We’ve added more so it now 2 minutes long.  After waking up in cannon we wake up in a Mexica wave type style, we use the idea we had in the group I was in, which we wake up in steps so we use the step

1.    Sleeping

2.    getting out of bed

3.    yawning while standing up

4.    standing up rubbing your eyes

the last group would wake the next group up then so on till everyone was a wake then we would walk round for 8 counts the for 2 counts we would do one of our three greeting that we did in early lesson.

I need to come up with three actions as I change my character which is Dora the explorer

 Here are the three greeting

1.    holding a map looking at it

2.    saying ihola

3.    holding one hand on my backpack and the other looking out in to the distance

 I feel this really shows who my character is; I found it difficult to come up with actions as when we had Anaish Nathan Parmar he said the children can tell straight away if the character is real or not so I’m have been looking at Dora the explorer TV show to get some ideas to help me get in to character.

After watching some episode I find that she use the Spanish words as well as using the English word so I have look up the Spanish words for the objects I pull out the bags to try and caught action man with:

Rope – Cuerda

Cheese – Queso

Net – Neto

Shoe – Zapatoo

Wig – Peluca

I am going to try and learn these words so I can pull the objects out the bag I can say it in Spanish and English, I can also get the children in the audience can get learn the words too.

Till next time