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