Character Profile - Sister

Full Name- Undecided

Age- Between 17-23

Where do you live? – With the witches, we move around but I think we are somewhere in Scotland at the moment. Scottish Wastelands.

Family?- Taken from my family when I was little, I think I remember having a sister and kind of remember my mum and dad but the witches have taken me in as my family died so they are my family now.

Job/Occupation?- I work for the witches in return for them taking me in and giving me a home. I clean, cook and look after the house, they also use me as their guinea pig for spells and potions sometimes.

Person closest to you/Love the most and why?- I still love my sister even though she is lost or dead as I remember us playing and having fun and I know we were very close so I miss her a lot.

My enemy and why?- The witches say that the outside world is my enemy as the want to exploit my kindness and caring nature. They say I must never go outside without them only to do chores and must not stray too far or I will end up like my family, dead.

Who is my friend and why? I see the witches as my friend’s just people who look after me because sometimes they are really horrible to me especially when some of the spells don’t work.

What is my goal/ ambition?- My goal is to final move out from the witches and have a house of my own, I want to start and family and have someone to call my own and love me as I have never really felt love and compassion.

What am I good at?- I am good at cleaning and keeping everything in order. I am also good at looking after people even if they are mean to me. I think I am good at being compassionate and loving.

Three major events in my life?- Losing my family, I can’t really remember this as it is very hazy but I kind of remember their faces. Being taken in by the witches as or else I would have probably died, well that’s what they say, they raised me as one of their own and I am thankful for that. The last event is probably when the witches started casting spells on me as they felt horrible, uncomfortable and even painful at times but this happens so often now that I’ve become accustom to the pain.

What frightens you?- I am frightened of the witches spells as I have nightmares about them as they cause me so much pain, I am also frightened of the outside world as the witches have told me so many horrible stories about the people and the wild however I would love so much to venture out there on my own. I am also frightened of having no love in my life as I know the witches don’t show any compassion for me but im sure they just doing that to toughen my up.

Happiest time of my life?- I have a very vague and blurry memory of me and my sister playing together when we were little and I remember being so happy and loved in that moment.

Saddest time?- waking up and realising my family was gone and not knowing what was going to happen to me, but luckily the witches took me in and raised me.

My secret?- I still have a teddy that me and my sister used to share hidden under my bed, the witches hate it because they destroyed everything from my old life, they said it was to help me move on. This teddy is the only thing that keeps me from not forgetting my sister and the memories that this teddy holds.

Three words to describe myself?- Lost, dedicated, and compassionate

Favourite object?- Again this is the teddy that me and my sister shared together as it is how I remember her.

My favourite place?- my window sill and it helps me escape from my life with the witches and means I can dream of what the outside world is life. 

Inspiration/people to look at-

• Cinderella
• Rapunzel from Tangled 
•   

The Witches

The witches

1. The three witches/ weird sisters/ weyard sisters/ the fates- Clotho, Lachnesis, Atropos
2. They are old and even predate the gods (we have no age, we are not young but not yet old, we are time itself)
3. Wastelands of Scotland
4. No biological family, just the sisterhood (lost family? This made them who they are?)
5. Power of deciding man’s destiny, whether they are good or evil and deciding how long the live
6. They love no one, yet have a strong bond with their sisters (love is a disgusting thing that weak men possess)
7. Our enemy is anyone who seeks to take our power or control us
8. Closest thing they have to friends are the other sisters

http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/macbeth/canalysis.html

http://www.greekmythology.com/Other_Gods/The_Fates/the_fates.html

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

 The Fates

The Fates were three mythological goddesses and may refer to:

• Moirai, the Fates of Greek mythology
• Parcae, the Fates of Roman mythology
• Sudice (mythology), the Fates of Slavic mythology
• Norns, numerous female beings who determine the fate or future of a person in Germanic paganism
• Three Witches, characters in Shakespeare's Macbeth
• The Fates, characters in Disney's Hercules
• Fates (album), a 2006 album by Erik Mongrain

http://youtu.be/MzaW3qGDONw?list=PL0DCD43F4E01356EF


Moirai


From Greek mythology, known as in English as the Fates. They were white robed incarnations of destiny (Roman Equivalent). Their number became fixed at three: Clotho (spinner), Lachesis (allotter) and Atropos (unturnable). They controlled the metaphorical thread of life of every mortal from birth to death. They were independent, at the helm of necessity, directed fate




They were independent, at the helm of necessity, directed fate, and watched that the fate assigned to every being by eternal laws might take its course without obstruction. The gods and men had to submit to them, although Zeus's relationship with them is a matter of debate: some sources say he is the only one who can command them (the Zeus Moiragetes), yet others suggest he was also bound to the Moirai's dictates.^[1] In the Homeric poems Moira or Aisa, is related with the limit and end of life, and Zeus appears as the guider of destiny. In the Theogony of Hesiod, the three Moirai are personified, and are acting over the gods.^[2] Later they are daughters of Zeus and Themis, who was the embodiment of divine order and law. In Plato's Republic the Three Fates are daughters of Ananke (necessity).^[3]

Shakespeare Re Imagined- Making Decisions

What I Like About Each Play-

King Lear
Relationships within the play
Fight For Power
Honestly and Lies
Humiliation

Midsummer Night's Dream 
Magic
Deception
Mixed Up Love Triangles 
A Higher Power Controlling Things

Macbeth
Power/Ambition
History (Gun Powder Plot/King James)
Interesting Characters
Setting 
Supernatural 

The Tempest 
Magic
Betrayal and Forgiveness  
Spirits

Rank Order 
#1 Macbeth  
#2 Midsummer Night's Dream
#3 King Lear
#4 The Tempest

I think that Macbeth is probably my favorite choice have i have a wide range of ideas that i can develop from the original play. i also think that the characters are so interesting and unique with some strong female characters such as the witches and Lady Macbeth as there is a lot of strong female actors in our group. i think that i am mostly attracted to the history side of Macbeth and how it was influenced by the Gun Powder Plot and King James fascination with Witches. 

The particular aspect that i would like to explore is the history behind Macbeth and how it was written to celebrate King James who had just ascended the throne. i think that i could change this and make it more modern but still have the idea of power, monarchy and over throwing. 

I found interesting research into the Gunpowder Plot and Shakespeare, here are some links to them-

http://www.shakespeare-online.com/biography/gunpowderplot.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/higher/english/macbeth/background/revision/1/

http://resources.mhs.vic.edu.au/macbeth/historical/gunplot.html

Shakespeare Re imagined - King Lear

Synopsis 

Lear, the aging king of Britain, decides to step down from the throne and divide his kingdom evenly among his three daughters. First, however, he puts his daughters through a test, asking each to tell him how much she loves him. Goneril and Regan, Lear’s older daughters, give their father flattering answers. But Cordelia, Lear’s youngest and favorite daughter, remains silent, saying that she has no words to describe how much she loves her father. Lear flies into a rage and disowns Cordelia. The king of France, who has courted Cordelia, says that he still wants to marry her even without her land, and she accompanies him to France without her father’s blessing. Lear quickly learns that he made a bad decision. Goneril and Regan swiftly begin to undermine the little authority that Lear still holds. Unable to believe that his beloved daughters are betraying him, Lear slowly goes insane. He flees his daughters’ houses to wander on a heath during a great thunderstorm, accompanied by his Fool and by Kent, a loyal nobleman in disguise. Meanwhile, an elderly nobleman named Gloucester also experiences family problems. His illegitimate son, Edmund, tricks him into believing that his legitimate son, Edgar, is trying to kill him. Fleeing the manhunt that his father has set for him, Edgar disguises himself as a crazy beggar and calls himself “Poor Tom.” Like Lear, he heads out onto the heath. When the loyal Gloucester realizes that Lear’s daughters have turned against their father, he decides to help Lear in spite of the danger. Regan and her husband, Cornwall, discover him helping Lear, accuse him of treason, blind him, and turn him out to wander the countryside. He ends up being led by his disguised son, Edgar, toward the city of Dover, where Lear has also been brought. In Dover, a French army lands as part of an invasion led by Cordelia in an effort to save her father. Edmund apparently becomes romantically entangled with both Regan and Goneril, whose husband, Albany, is increasingly sympathetic to Lear’s cause. Goneril and Edmund conspire to kill Albany. The despairing Gloucester tries to commit suicide, but Edgar saves him by pulling the strange trick of leading him off an imaginary cliff. Meanwhile, the English troops reach Dover, and the English, led by Edmund, defeat the Cordelia-led French. Lear and Cordelia are captured. In the climactic scene, Edgar duels with and kills Edmund; we learn of the death of Gloucester; Goneril poisons Regan out of jealousy over Edmund and then kills herself when her treachery is revealed to Albany; Edmund’s betrayal of Cordelia leads to her needless execution in prison; and Lear finally dies out of grief at Cordelia’s passing. Albany, Edgar, and the elderly Kent are left to take care of the country under a cloud of sorrow and regret.

YouTube Summary-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptXr7LKylpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DD-PQPOw5cU

Character

• Lear, King of Britain
• Goneril (sometimes written Gonerill or Gonoril),

eldest daughter of Lear

• Regan, second daughter of Lear
• Cordelia, youngest daughter of Lear
• Duke of Albany, husband to Goneril
• Duke of Cornwall, husband to Regan
• Earl of Gloucester (sometimes written as Gloster)
• Earl of Kent, often appearing under the disguise of Caius
• Edgar, son of Gloucester
• Edmund (sometimes written Edmond), illegitimate son of Gloucester
• Oswald, steward to Goneril
• Fool, Lear's fool or court jester
• King of France, suitor and later husband to Cordelia
• Duke of Burgundy, suitor to Cordelia
• Curan, a courtier
• Old man, tenant of Gloucester
• A Doctor
• An Officer employed by Edmund 
• A Gentleman attending on Cordelia 
• A Herald
• Servants to Cornwall
• Knights of Lear's Train
• Officers
• Messengers
• Soldiers
• Attendants

Themes

• Appearance Vs Reality
• Justice
• Compassion and Reconciliation
• The Natural Order
• Blindness
• Parent/Child Relationships 
• Betrayal
• Madness

Previous Productions

Shakespeare Globe 2008

http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/education/discovery-space/previous-productions/king-lear-1

National Theater 

http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/king-lear

Shakespeare Re imagined- Midsummer Night's Dream

Synopsis
Lysander loves Hermia, and Hermia loves Lysander. Helena loves Demetrius; Demetrius used to love Helena but now loves Hermia. Egeus, Hermia's father, prefers Demetrius as a suitor, and enlists the aid of Theseus, the Duke of Athens, to enforce his wishes upon his daughter. According to Athenian law, Hermia is given four days to choose between Demetrius, life in a nunnery, or a death sentence. Hermia, ever defiant, chooses to escape with Lysander into the surrounding forest.
Complications arise in the forest. Oberon and Titania, King and Queen of Fairies, are locked in a dispute over a boy whom Titania has adopted. Oberon instructs his servant Puck to bring him magic love drops, which Oberon will sprinkle on the Queen's eyelids as she sleeps, whereupon Titania will fall in love with the first creature she sees upon awakening. Meanwhile, Helena and Demetrius have also fled into the woods after Lysander and Hermia. Oberon, overhearing Demetrius's denouncement of Helena, takes pity upon her and tells Puck to place the magic drops upon the eyelids of Demetrius as well, so that Demetrius may fall in love with Helena. Puck, however, makes the mistake of putting the drops on the eyelids of Lysander instead. Helena stumbles over Lysander in the forest, and the spell is cast; Lysander now desires Helena and renounces a stunned Hermia.
In the midst of this chaos, a group of craftsmen are rehearsing for a production of "Pyramus and Thisbe," to be played for the Duke at his wedding. Puck impishly casts a spell on Bottom to give him the head of a donkey. Bottom, as luck would have it, is the first thing Titania sees when she awakens; hence, Bottom ends up being lavishly kept by the Queen. Oberon enjoys this sport, but is less amused when it becomes apparent that Puck has botched up the attempt to unite Demetrius and Helena. Oberon himself anoints Demetrius with the love potion and ensures that Helena is the first person he sees; however, Helena understandably feels that she is now being mocked by both Demetrius and Lysander (who is still magically enamored of her).
Finally, Oberon decides that all good sports must come to an end. He puts the four lovers to sleep and gives Lysander the antidote for the love potion so that he will love Hermia again when they all wake up. Next, Oberon gives Titania the antidote, and the King and Queen reconcile. Theseus and Hippolyta then discover Lysander, Hermia, Helena, and Demetrius asleep in the forest. All return to Athens to make sense of what they think is a strange dream. Likewise, Bottom returns to his players, and they perform "Pyramus and Thisbe" at the wedding feast (which has since become a wedding of three couples). As everyone retires, fairies perform their blessings and Puck delivers a tender epilogue soliloquy.

http://www.bardweb.net/plays/dream.html

Youtube summary of the play that i have watched 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1wMfOwlAZ8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdcKPQY8b2U

Characters

• Theseus, Duke of Athens
• Egeus, father of Hermia
• Lysander, in love with Hermia
• Demetrius, in love with Hermia
• Philosrate, Master of the Revels
• Quince, a carpenter
• Snug, a joiner
• Bottom, a weaver
• Flute, a bellows-mender
• Snout, a tinker
• Starveling, a tailor
• Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons; betrothed of Theseus
• Hermia, in love with Lysander
• Helena, in love with Demetrius
• Oberon, King of Fairies
• Titania, Queen of Fairies
• Puck, or Robin Goodfellow
• Peaseblossom, a fairy
• Cobway, a fairy
• Moth, a fairy
• Mustardseed, a fairy
• Other Fairies, attendants to Oberon and Titania
• Attendants to Theseus and Hippolyta

Themes

• Love
• Marriage
• Order and Disorder 
• Appearance and Reality 
• Nature
• Sleep and Dreams
• Magic
• Blind Love

Ideas

• Magic
• The Play in the Wedding
• Love Triangle 
• Higher Power Controlling Things

Previous Productions 

 

Royal Shakespeare Company 

http://www.rsc.org.uk/explore/shakespeare/plays/a-midsummer-nights-dream/

Deafinitely Theatre

http://www.deafinitelytheatre.co.uk/index.php?plid=114

Shakespeare Re imagined: Macbeth

Macbeth

Synopsis 

The play opens as three witches plan a meeting with the Scottish nobleman Macbeth, who at that moment is fighting in a great battle. When the battle is over, Macbeth and his friend Banquo come across the witches who offer them three predictions: that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland, and that Banquo's descendants will become kings.

Banquo laughs at the prophecies but Macbeth is excited, especially as soon after their meeting with the witches Macbeth is made Thane of Cawdor by King Duncan, in return for his bravery in the battle. He writes to his wife, Lady Macbeth, who is as excited as he is. A messenger tells Lady Macbeth that King Duncan is on his way to their castle and she invokes evil spirits to help her slay him. Macbeth is talked into killing Duncan by his wife and stabs him to death. No-one is quite sure who committed this murder and no-one feels safe, but Macbeth is crowned king.

Now that Macbeth is king he knows the second prediction from the witches has come true, but he starts to fear the third prediction (that Banquo's descendants will also be kings). Macbeth therefore decides to kill Banquo and his son, but the plan goes wrong - Banquo is killed but his son escapes. Macbeth then thinks he is going mad because he sees Banquo's ghost and receives more predictions from the witches. He starts to become ruthless and kills the family of Macduff, an important lord. Macbeth still thinks he is safe but one by one the witches' prophecies come true, Lady Macbeth cannot stop thinking about Duncan, becomes deranged and dies. A large army marches on Macbeth's castle and Macbeth is killed by Macduff.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english_literature/dramamacbeth/1drama_macbeth_plotrev1.shtml

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkBp-2fAbiU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFtCYESosDw

i found this website helpful as not only did it tell me a detailed synopsis and explained the characters in an interesting and detailed way but it also gave me some history about Macbeth and why it was written which i found insitful and sparked some ideas for a piece of theater that we could create. 

http://www.macbethonbroadway.com/macbeth-synopsis.html

Characters 

Macbeth A captain in Duncan's army, later the Thane (Lord) of Glamis and Cawdor. When Three Witches predict that he will one day be king of Scotland, he takes his fate into his own hands, allowing his ambition and that of his wife to overcome his better judgement. His bloody reign culminates in a battle against Malcolm and the English forces.

Lady Macbeth The devilish wife of Macbeth, whose ambition helps to drive her husband toward the desperate act of murder. Subsequently, her husband's cruelty and her own guilt recoil on her, sending her into a madness from which she never recovers.

Banquo A fellow-captain and companion of Macbeth, who also receives a prophecy from the Witches: that his children will one day succeed to the throne of Scotland. This information is sufficient to spell his death at the hands of the resentful Macbeth, who is later haunted by Banquo's ghost.

Duncan King of Scotland. His victories against rebellious kinsmen and the Norwegians have made him a popular and honored king. His decision to pass the kingdom to his son Malcolm provokes his untimely death at the hands of Macbeth.

Fleance Banquo's son, who, by escaping Macbeth's plot on his life, will go on to be father to a line of kings.

Donalbain and Malcolm Duncan's two sons. Fearful of implication in their father's murder, they flee Scotland, Donalbain to Ireland and Malcolm to England, where he raises a large army with the intention of toppling the tyrant Macbeth.

Macduff A thane (nobleman) of Scotland who discovers the murdered King Duncan. Suspecting Macbeth and eventually turning against him, Macduff later flees to England to join Malcolm. When Macbeth arranges the murder of his wife and children, Macduff swears personal revenge.

Lennox, Ross, Menteth, Angus, Caithness Thanes of Scotland, all of whom eventually turn against the tyrannical Macbeth.

The Porter, the Old Man, the Doctors Three commentators on events, all of whom have a certain degree of wisdom and foresight. The Porter hints at the Hell-like nature of Macbeth's castle; the Old Man associates the murder of King Duncan with the instability of the natural world; the Doctors recognize disease and disorder even though they cannot cure it.

The Witches Three agents of Fate who reveal the truth (or part of it) to Macbeth and Banquo and who later appear to confirm the downfall and tragic destiny of the tyrannical Macbeth

Themes 

• Ambition
• Kingship
• Fate and Free will
• Appearance and Reality 

Reccuring elements or patterns

• Nature and The Natural World
• Light and Darkeness
• Children 
• Blood 
• Sleep Visions

Ideas

Gun powder plot 

'It is known that Shakespeare wrote Macbeth partially as a celebration of King James, who had just ascended the throne in 1603. King James had a great fascination with witches, and the witches of Macbeth were likely inspired by his interest. In addition, much of the plot of Macbethis surmised to have been inspired by the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, when a group of English Catholics attempted to assassinate King James of England, as well as King James VI of Scotland.'

Nature/Setting

Set the play in one setting

• The woods in which the witches met
• Lady Macbeths Room

A Curse

• Sleepover Horror Story
• Ghost Hunt 

Previous Productions 

Bell Shakespeare 2012 

http://www.bellshakespeare.com.au/whatson/past/2012/macbeth

National Theater of Scotland

http://www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/content/default.asp?page=home_Macbeth 

Shakespeare Reimagined: The Tempest

The Tempest 

Synopsis 

Prospero, a sorcerer and the rightful Duke of Milan, dwells on an enchanted isle with his daughter, Miranda. Twelve years earlier, the duke's brother, Antonio, and Alonso, the King of Naples, conspired to usurp his throne. They set Prospero and Miranda adrift in a boat, and they eventually found themselves marooned on the island. Prospero is served on his island by Ariel, a spirit who he freed from a tree with magic, and Caliban, son of the witch Sycorax. When magic reveals that a ship bearing his old enemies is sailing near the island, Prospero summons a storm to wreck their ship. The survivors make it to shore in scattered groups. Among these is Ferdinand, the son of Alonso. He is lulled to Prospero's abode by the singing of Ariel; there he meets Miranda, who is enthralled with the young prince.

Meanwhile, Antonio, Alonso, Sebastian, and Gonzalo wander the island in search of Ferdinand. Antonio now plots with Sebastian to murder Alonso, but this plot is thwarted by Ariel. Elsewhere on the island, Stephano and Trinculo encounter Caliban. After sharing a few drinks, Caliban tries to enlist the two in a plot to kill Prospero and rule the island himself. He even promises Miranda to Stephano. Ariel, however, reports all these goings-on to Prospero. In the meantime, Miranda and Ferdinand pledge their troth to each other.

Prospero isn't finished with his sport of Antonio and Alonso, either. He creates a magical banquet for the two men that vanishes whenever they try to eat. He also sends Ariel in the guise of a harpy to hound them for their crimes against Prospero. Later, at a masque to celebrate the upcoming marriage of Miranda and Ferdinand, Prospero remembers Caliban's plot and abruptly calls the revels to a halt. He sends Ariel to punish them as well; the spirit does so by first luring them with some fancy clothes, then setting other island spirits upon them in the shape of hunting dogs that chase them around the island.

Finally, Prospero confronts his brother and Alonso, revealing his true identity as the rightful Duke of Milan. He demands that Antonio restore his throne; he also rebukes Sebastian for plotting against his own brother. To Alonso, he reveals Ferdinand alive and well, playing chess with Miranda. As a final act, Prospero abandons his magic and releases Ariel and Caliban from their servitude. From Ariel, Prospero asks for one last boon: calm seas and favorable winds for their trip back to Naples.

http://www.bardweb.net/plays/tempest.html

I have also watched a few videos on YouTube to help further my understanding on this play the most helpful was this video- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOlJpXa8qoQ

Characters

• Alonso, King of Naples
• Sebastian, his brother
• Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan
• Antonio, his brother; the usurping Duke of Milan
• Ferdinand, son of the King
• Gonzalo, an old and honest councilor
• Adrian, a lord
• Francisco, a lord
• Caliban, Prospero's slave
• Trinculo, a jester
• Stephano, a drunken butler
• Master of a ship
• Boatswain
• Mariners
• Miranda, Prospero's daughter
• Ariel, an airy spirit
• Iris, a spirit
• Ceres, a spirit
• Juno, a spirit
• Nymphs
• Reapers
• Other Spirits; attendants to Prospero

Themes of the Play

• Loss and Restoration 
• Power and Control
• Magic and Illusion
• Betrayal, Revenge and Forgiveness 

Previous Productions of the Play

Royal Shakespeare Company  2012

This production of the play seems to be a more modernized version of Shakespeare original play,  having more of a simplistic approach to the story while still maintaining the themes and truthful relationships that Shakespeare intended.   

http://www.rsc.org.uk/explore/shakespeare/plays/the-tempest/tempest-david-farr-2012.aspx

http://www.rsc.org.uk/explore/shakespeare/plays/the-tempest/tempest-2012-mini-documentary.aspx 

Cheek by Jowl 2011-14

http://www.cheekbyjowl.com/the_tempest.php

Actors CV

Annabel Smith

Contact Details

Email:AnnabelKateSmith@gmail.com

Phone: 07885828287

Personal Details

Location: Burgess Hill

Height: 5’3 (160cm)

Playing Age: 13-18

Eye Colour: Hazel Green

Hair Length: Long

Hair Colour:  Dark Brown

Nationality: White English

Training

Hayward Heath College (2013-2015)

Credits

Role                              Production                                     Director

Di                                  Di, Viv and Rose                             Jonathon Goodwin

Felicity                          Habeas Corpus                              Rick Harwood

Ralph                            Lord Of The Flies                   Jamie Bannerman

Skills

Accent and Dialect: RP English

Dance: Grade 4 Tap, contemporary, ballet and street training

Music/Singing: Mezzo-Soprano

Performance: Improvisation, Musical Theatre, Physical theatre, Devising

Sports: Cricket, Rounders, Stoolball, Cycling, Swimming

What i have learnt

i have learnt that picking a monologue is very important and need to works exactly with your casting. i think i liked doing glass eels better than twelfth night as i think Lily worked better with my casting meaning i could relate and work with it better. you also need to be interested in the monologue as you have to work on it a lot and if you don't like it you wont bring something new to it and push it to be its best rather than leave it in its simplest form. it also needs to have a emotional journey throughout the piece to show off the diversity of your acting style. research is a key element as it can unlock knowledge about the monologue that you might not have be able to get from just the monologue which may totally change the whole performance. it is also really important to know what has happened before in the play as this influences the outcome of the piece. for me personally it was really important to get feedback from other people as they can see it from an audience point of view and this means i can adjust my body language if it isn't right, my eye line, gestures, the way i say a line and any part of my performance because of the feedback.

Making Decisions and Feedback

Making Decisions

Viola
I divided my monologue up into sections and labeled them with the emotion i thought went with that section this helped me to show a journey  of my monologue and work on the progression. i started with being confused and looking after Malvolio who has just given me a ring. As the first line has a question in it, it helped me to work out the thought process of the character, my next section was slowly working out what has happened, i increased pace on my lines as it shows the penny dropping in Viola;'s head, sharp intakes of breath then a slower line show how the thought build up to a conclusion. the next section after the realization and thinking why this happened which i wanted to make slower in contrast to the previous section. Final  i am thinking about what will happen and how the situation will turn out, which at the end is a desperate and angry plead to time to help her.

Feedback

My feedback on my Shakespeare is to make the beginning more powerful as at the moment i am doing it quite girly which is not what Viola's character is, she is quite tomboy and a strong, independent character. this means i have to be more strong with the beginning, still being confused but projecting my voice and having power in it. this means that when i get to the middle when i'm taking about why women fall in love so easily i can become more girly and sensitive which opposes to the beginning and then i can build to the end.


Glass eels

i made many decisions for glass eels, i decided to make the beginning quite light, girly and innocent to contrast the rest of the monologue. then as i talk to Kennith i make it quite bossy yet still playful as it show that i have a childhood innocence but am still quite strong person with maybe boyish characteristics that have been rubbed off from living in a household of men. as the monologue turns serious i loom away from Kennith and sort of glaze over and look upwards as i am thinking. however when i talk about peeling the sheet back and sneaking down i giggle about it as i find it cheeky, i took inspiration for this from the you tube video i watched when i did my research. as i reach the climax of my monologue i display both sadness and hurt, especially when i talk about my dad hitting me, at this point my speaking will get faster as i am panicky from remembering what has happened. the final line i turn back to Kennith and are almost neutral as i am trying to forget the things that have happened but i still have an underlying sadness and i bring back the some innocence as well to bring the monologue in a full circle and show her character stripped down.

Twelfth night Research

Shakespeare-

William Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English Language and dramatist. He was born and brought up in Stratford-upon-Avon. Shakespeare wrote plays in 3 genres, tragedies, histories and comedies. Twelfth night is a comedy which is believed to be written around 1601-2.

Twelfth Night-

Synopsis
Set in Illyria, the play is centred around twins called Viola and Sebastian who are separated by a shipwreck. The play follows Viola as she disguise herself as a man. Many confusions occur such as Viola falling in love with her master, the count Duke Orsino, the Duke being in love with the Countess Olivia and Olivia falling in love with Viola. There is much riotous disorder as the plot draws together towards the ending of the play.

Characters-

Viola

• Sebastian's Twin Sister
• Shipwrecked at the begging of the play
• Young
• Heroine
• Disguised herself as a man named Cesario
• From Messaline
• Likable

Sebastian

• Viola's twin brother
• Supposedly drowned in a shipwreck
• Visiting Illyria

Duke Orsino

• Duke of Illyria
• In love with Olivia
• Hires the disguised Viola

Countess Olivia

• A wealthy countess
• Refuses to see any suitors until 7 years have passed of her fathers and brothers deaths
• Falls in love with the disgusted Viola

Malvolio

•   Steward in the household of Olivia

Maria

• Olivia's gentlewoman

Sir Toby Belch

• Olivia's uncle

Sir Andrew Aguecheek

• A rich man who Sir Toby brings to be Olivia's wooer

Feste

• A clown/jester in the household of Olivia

Fabian

• A servant and friend to Sir Toby

 Antonio

• A captain and friend to Sebastian

Valentine and Curio

• Gentlemen attending on the Duke

A Servant of Olivia

Captain of the wrecked ship

• Friend to Viola

Viola-

Character Analysis

Viola, like most of Shakespeare's heroines, is a very likeable figure. She has no serious faults, and the audience can easily brush off her decision to dress like a man as it sets the whole play in motion. she is the character whose love seems the purest, as the other characters passions are fickle. Only Viola seems to be truly in love as opposed to being self indulgently lovesick. I think this make the audience actually sympathise with Viola. However the main problem in Viola throughout the play is identity. this is because as she is disguised she has to be both herself and Cesario. This mounting identity crisis reaches its climax in the final scene when Viola finds herself surround by people who each have a different idea of who she is and are unaware of who she actually is. It is interesting to look at why Viola disguises her identity, on one hand we can say that it is because she is not able to face the world without her brother. on the other hand Viola's decision to cross dress is a her decision to take control of the situation, this proactive decision makes her defiant and bold as she is willing to face whatever comes her way.

• likeable
• caring
• passionate
• true
• blurred identity
• devoted
• bold
• brave
• self sufficient
• independent
• level headed
• practical
• resourceful
• quick witted
• native intelligence
• charming
• loyalty
• skilled in music and conversation
• simple
• straightforward
• good humoured
• honest

What happens in the scene before my monologue?

Viola has just visited Olivia to try and charm her for the Duke. She listens to Viola and falls in love with her. When Viola leaves Olivia sends her servant Malvolio to give her ring to Viola and say it was the Dukes. This means that Viola has to return.

Just before the monologue Malvolio catches up with Viola and asks if she was just with Olivia, she responds that she was. Malvolio then give her a ring and tells her she should have taken it herself to save him the trouble of running after her to find her. Viola says that she didn't give Olivia a ring yet Malvolio doesn't listen and throws the ring back at her and turns and leaves. This leave Viola in a state of confusion unable to work out what has happen, which is when the monologue begins.

I have found a translated version of my monologue-
http://nfs.sparknotes.com/twelfthnight/page_64.html


VIOLA

I didn’t give her any ring. What’s she trying to say? I hope she doesn’t have a crush on me! It’s true she looked at me a lot, in fact, she looked at me so much that she seemed distracted, and couldn’t really finish her sentences very well. Oh, I really think she loves me! She sent this rude messenger to tell me to come back, instead of coming herself, which would be indiscreet. She doesn’t want Orsino’s ring! Orsino never sent her a ring. I’m the man she wants. If that’s true, which it is, she might as well be in love with a dream, the poor lady. Now I understand why it’s bad to wear disguises. Disguises help the devil do his work. It’s so easy for a good-looking but deceitful man to make women fall in love with him. It’s not our fault—we women are weak. We can’t help what we’re made of. Ah, how will this all turn out? My lord loves her, and. poor me, I love him just as much. And she’s deluded enough to be in love with me. What can possibly fix this situation? I’m pretending to be a man, so my love for the Duke is hopeless. And since I’m a woman—too bad I’m a woman—Olivia’s love for me is hopeless as well! Oh, only time can sort out this mess. I can’t figure it out by myself!

This gives me an understanding of any parts of the monologue which I didn't understand. this will help me as if I get stuck on intention or what Viola is thinking I can look at this and it can better my understanding of the monologue.

Glass Eels Research

Nell Leyshon
Glass Eels was written by Nell Leyshon who is a British dramatist and novelist who was born Glastonbury, England and lives in Dorset. She writes regularly for Radio 4 and 3. This means that her plays are descriptive so that the audience can hear the text and build the images in their head. Some of her plays include; The Farm, Glass Eels, The house in the Tree, Solider Boy, War Bride, Sons and The Iron Curtain.

Glass Eels written in 2003, is the second in a planned quartet of plays that are based around the seasons. Glass Eels being based around the summer. It is set on the Somerset levels in August, most likely on the River Parrett. It is the story of one young girl's sexual awakening and her acceptance of past loss, and contains the running theme of eel fishing and a dying rural way of life.

Somerset Levels-
Coastal plain and wetland area of central Somerset, in South West England. The landscape is dominated by grassland which is mostly used for pastures for dairy farming. From January until May, the River Parrett provides a source of European Eels (Anguilla anguilla) which are caught by hand netting as this is the only legal means of catching them. A series of eel passes have been built on the Parrett at the King's Sedgemoor Drain to help this endangered species which migrate upstream in their 10,000s in a single night.

Bridgwater is a market town in the center of the Sedgemoor district and is a major industrial center. With a population of 33,698, it has major communication routes through South West England. It is situated on the edge of the Somerset Level, along both banks of the River Parrett and 10 miles from it mouth.

I couldn't find anything about death rates on the somerset levels and how many are due to drowning as it is a highly water populated area with rivers that are known for flooding.

Glass Eels-

Glass Eels are a development stage in an eels life where is it is at the transition between ocean and freshwater. The skin of the eels is still transparent and the red gills and the heart are visible. Glass Eels typically refers to an intermediate stage in the eel's complex life history.

I think that the Glass Eels are a representation of Lily as a character, this is because a glass eel is in the development stage of its life, or teenage stage between being a child and an adult. i think it is important to note that this is when the eels cross between the ocean and freshwater suggesting that this the time that Lily will 'fly the nest' or is wanting to leave with the glass eels but cant as she is trapped. the glass eels are transparent suggesting that Lily is easy to see through and easy to read or that as you can see the eels heart suggesting that she is very open and is starting to struggle with factors like love, heartbreak and loss in her life. 

Glass Eels - The Play

First performed at The Brewhouse Theater, Somerset in June 2007. The Brewhouse Theater is next to the River Tome which joins the River Parrett not far up the River. i think she choose to have it first performed here as the play is set in that area so people will be able to relate and she wanted to bring it back to its roots and what inspired her to write this play. 

Characters -

 Lily

• 16
• Lost her mother at a young age (7/8)
• Jealous of her dads new girlfriend 
• Longing 
• Want comfort 
• Likes to hold onto things (physically and meteorically)
• Yearning
• 'Gawky,jug-eared charm and expressed sexual frustration' http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2007/jul/10/theatre

Mervyn

• Lily' Dad
• Has a new girlfriend
• Undertaker
• Stern
• Blank expression

Harold

• Lily's Granddad
• Retired Undertaker
• Bossy
• Mean
• Food Obsessed
• Moody

Kenneth

• Family Friend
• The only person Lily can make a connection with
• Quiet
• Empathy with Lily

Julie 

• Mervyn's Girlfriend 

ive have read through review about Glass Eels and tried to pick out things about Lily's character and how she acts and other crucial thing i need to know.

http://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/glasseels-rev
http://www.whatsonstage.com/west-end-theatre/reviews/07-2007/glass-eels_20807.html
http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2007/jul/10/theatre
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/drama/3666439/Glass-Eels-a-whirlpool-of-emotion.html

Why did i choose my monologues? - Viola, Twelfth Night

i found a Shakespeare monologue harder to find. this was because i needed a piece that contrasted my contemporary monologue, which was quite girly yet sad and innocent.

i decided to choose Viola from Twelfth Night

Viola is a young woman which covers a broad age range however i thought it would fit with my casting and playing age. i related to this piece as i already know Twelfth Night quite well and really liked Viola as a character, so reading through the monologue i understood it well. i also think the themes in this piece had similarities and differences to my contemporary. this piece has an interesting emotional journey running through it as this piece is all said to herself with no other characters on stage, this means that they are realizations being said, it goes from confusion through shock then understanding and sympathy and finally ends with being worried or fearful. this has a massive range of emotions but i also have to show my though process as well which makes this monologue challenging however it pushed my acting skills. this will push me to think about my movement and how i use stillness to my advantage. i will also have to work on my pace to keep up the energy of the piece. i will also need to look at the range in my voice and how i can use it to my advantage. in my initial research i recapped my knowledge of the play and what happens in the scene before.  

Why did i choose my monologues? - Lily, Glass Eels

To pick our monologues we had to sort through a number of monologues to narrow down to ones that would work with our casting, i manged to get them down to 6 that i liked and from there made notes of each one and compared them. I final made a decision by doing some initial research on each one.

The monologue that i picked  was Lily, from Glass Eeels

I choose to do this monologue as the age of the character is 16 which works with my casting as my playing age is 13-17. I also related to this piece as the character is a young girl going through the struggle of being a teenager but also is trying to find herself. i could also relate to the age of the character. i have experienced the loss of someone close to me so i thought i could bring this emotion to life using emotional memory. while reading this piece i found it quite shocking and interesting in terms of depth of the character and the story and emotions behind it. it is also very engaging and draws me in and wants me to find out more about the characters story and about her. there was an emotional journey throughout this piece, it started by being quite a comfortable atmosphere almost light and cheeky then moved through into innocence and finally ending with sadness. i think i am able to play these emotions and really become the character which on my part would show a really good emotional range. this piece is going to move my acting skills forward as i will need use my imagination to create the stage around me, a river bank, river and the other character on stage. i will have to also work on putting in the right amount of pause as to long or short could dramatically impact the overall performance of this monologue . one of my weakness is showing my though process through my acting which is something this monologue will help to pull out of me. i will also need to think about the staging of my piece and will push me to think of how having my body or face facing a different way can have a huge affect on the performance as it could not only change the atmosphere of the performance but could make the audience not able to see my face or eyes.  my initial research into the play helped me to gain an understanding of the character, i looked at some reviews and the synopsis to see what the play is about and also watch a youtube video of someone performing part of the monologue.


 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQ9d-WJuTuI

Viola

For my Shakespeare piece, i have chosen Viola's speech  from Act 2, Scene 2 of Twelfth Night. i went with this monologue as i know Twelfth Night having studied it previously and seen many different versions of the play, i also enjoy this play so this will help me to explore and have fun with my monologue which should help produce a better performance.

This monologue also contrast to my contemporary as it is humorous, a slightly older age, the character is more sure of herself. In Viola's speech there are themes of love, fondness, affection and confusion which don't appear in my contemporary.

Things that have happened before Viola's monologue;
-She was shipwrecked
-Disguises herself
-Becomes page boy for the Duke, Orsino
-Falls in love with the Duke
-Duke is in love with the Countess, Olivia
-Viola is sent to try and win Olivia over for the Duke
-Olivia falls in love with the disguised Viola
-To ensure the disguised Viola will return, Olivia sends her steward, Malvolio, to give Viola back her ring which Viola allegedly delivered from the Duke.

So at this point Malvolio has given back the ring and left the confused Viola alone on stage. At this point she had the sudden realization of the awkward situation she has found herself in.


After reading through the speech several times to get and understanding and feel of the monologue which then meant i was able to start breaking down and analyzing the speech. i started with looking at words that i didn't understand. This is a really important thing to do as it means your understanding of the monologue in creases but it is also an essentially thing to know as it could pivot the whole underlying meaning or emotion of that sentence or section. I underlined the words that i didn't understand and then looked at the definitions of these words, some i had to look at Shakespeare translations to work out what they meant, others i found the definition in a dictionary.
http://www.shakespeareswords.com/Play-Definitions.aspx?IdPlay=21
http://nfs.sparknotes.com/twelfthnight/page_64.html
http://nfs.sparknotes.com/twelfthnight/page_66.html

Starts distractedly- she was distracted which meant she seemed to stumble over her words and not be able to pronounce the properly.

Churlish- Rude, in a mean spirited way.
she sends me this rude messenger (Malvolio) to tell me to come back rather than coming herself

Waxen- having a smooth, pale, translucent surface or appearance like that of wax.
Referring to women's hearts and how they so easily fall in love with someone.

Frailty- the condition of being weak and delicate or weakness in a character or morals.
Referring to how weak women are to fall in love so easily, also linking to waxen hearts.

Fadge- Turn out, end up
How will this turn out?

Dote- extremely fond of
she is fond of me, attracted to me

Thriftless- useless, unprofitable, worthless
Olivia's love for me is hopeless

Sarah Daniels

Sarah Daniels

 Sarah Daniels said the motivation for the play was to give a voice to the women of history that were forgotten. This play highlights a period in Deptford’s working class history and is why it was written in order to attract working class Londoners to the Albany Empire in which it was first performed. Sarah Daniels was asked to write this play by Teddy Kiendl the director at the Albany Empire theatre and because of its close proximity to the old Foreign Cattle market gutting sheds, Kiendl asked Daniels to write about the girls who worked in them, known locally as ‘the gut girls’. He wanted Daniels to write about what happened to them when the sheds where forced to shut down because of new technology at the start of the century. Sarah Daniels also wanted to include the efforts of Duchess of Albany who at this time was setting up a school for these women in order to lure them away from this kind of work as she found it revolting. The Duchess of Albany wanted to take these women and train them into servants as this was a high ranked job for the working class at this time. Kiendl encouraged Daniels to base her characters on the actual ‘gut girls’ and the Duchess of Albany but left the structure and narrative of the play to her own imagination.  Interestingly Daniels found it hard to research much about the women who worked in the gutting factory; this was because at the time being a gut girl was one of the lowest social statuses,

‘There’s only one thing worse than being a gut girl and that’s being a whore’, people were also frighten of ‘the gut girls’ which made Daniels researching even harder. Her research into the Duchess of Albany was a more successful with Sarah Daniels being able to track down the Duchesses diaries.  While most of Gut Girls adds to the basic story that Kiendl outlined, Daniels wanted to keep a historically accurate account in her dramatization of the social atmosphere and period detail. This meant she included references to things like clothes and recent develops that would be happening at that time. I like that she really wanted to keep it true to the period and do the story of these women justice, I also agree that as a writer if they are basing it on a certain period they must do really in depth research about the subject area to make the story believable and relatable to the audience. Being relatable to the target audience was a massive factor for Daniels as she was writing this play for the working class in 1988 about the working class in 1900s, this meant it was so important to get the atmosphere and social aspect perfect or it wouldn’t work at all.

 

As a running theme in Sarah Daniel’s work I have discovered that she likes to explore the idea and periods when women are regarded as social outcasts. This rings true for her other plays such as the group of women in Byrthrite (1986), Claire and Val in Neaptide (1986), and Yvonne in Masterpieces (1983/4). We also see in Gut Girls the themes of female solidarity and community, mother-daughter relationships, female friendships and how the forms of patriarchal oppression, meaning oppression by men in the underlying bias of society, surround the women’s lives. Gut Girls is very similar in structure to the play Byrthrite which Daniels also wrote, they both highlight the importance of laughter and humor as the way of the women surviving and getting through life. Again in both of these plays they follow a reverse pattern.  In Gut Girls the main driving force for the play’s action is economic oppression, throughout the play Daniels continues to show how economic oppression is linked inextricably with class oppression, they both form the central focus of play.

 

Inextricably- so entangled or intricate it is impossible to detach or untie.


Information and research taken from this link. For information on The Gut Girls go to page 109


http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/1835/1/DX193021.pdf