Performance Blog #1

10/24/2016

I learn a lot from the presentations that we have been working on these days. Different theorists usually have distinct techniques to help the actors to act, but most of them pursue a kind of naturalism and realism of performance. Take Constantin Stanislavsky, as an example. He insists actors should “soak themselves into the play”, which basically means that actor should really feel how that character feels, channelling real emotion into the scene, in order to perform much more natural. 

10/25/2016

Today, we start our staging rehearsal. For the first day, I and Marinda mostly focus on memorizing those “obscure” lines on the first page (4 pages total). Shakespeare’s language is absolutely very hard both for pronunciation and understanding. In order to be familiar with it, we read it over and over again, and try to memorize a small part like about 6 lines. It’s absolutely very important to memorize all the script, because while we are actually performing on the stage, any mistakes about the script will have huge impact on the others’ performance, and eventually, even ruin the whole play. Thus, in order to act on your feet while facing something unexpected happens, you have to get used to that character including the ways they are talking, and really become that character first. Finally, according to Lee Strasberg, we won’t need to follow every single line; we are able to think on our feet. 

10/27/2016

For the second day practice, our main work is still on reading the difficult script. However, different with yesterday practice, despite for solely reading the script, me and Marinda started to use the video in the ebook, which surprisingly helps us a lot. By following with those actors in the video, we not only find out some mistakes we made about the pronunciation of some words the other day, like “thy” should sound as ðaɪ, instead of ði, but also get noticed about something that we haven't considered about such as the rhythm, tempo or tone of speaking. Take my character Juliet, as an example. Her mood was kept very emotional throughout the whole scene while facing the despairing situation. From what the actress portrays in the video, she is always like shouting, yelling or crying. Thus, while she is talking, there are some points that she might pause, or choke with emotion. Those all are the things that me and Marinda did not take care about. Therefore, instead of purely reading the script, we try to add some feelings into it, making the conversation more vividly. 

10/28/2016

As our rehearsal goes on further, our focus makes a transition from the reading toward acting. We search many videos on Youtube. Through watching others’ performance, our world of play is somehow gradually built up. We kind of have a general idea about what our product should be. More than that, in order to be more prepared for our final staging, we start to add some “movements” while we are reading the scripts. We try to imitate those actors “physical actions” in the video. For example, from the video in the ebook, when Juliet says “if in thy wisdom …”, she would pause at the “if”, and angrily points her finger toward Friar, or when she says “Do thou but call my …”, she would take out her knife. I have added all these simple actions while reading the lines, which actually makes my reading more natural and fluent. Except for these basic practice, we also decide to apply some of those theories from different theorists in our future rehearsal such as some improvisational games created by Viola Spolin to eventually achieve that “realism” and “naturalism” of performance. 

In class writing

    From the presentations about different theorists or actors we have been doing for a few days, I did learned a lot of techniques or theories that we can apply in the preparation for our own performance. Take Constantin Stanislavski, as an example. He is the one who insists actors should "soak the self into the play", which basically means that while you are acting, you need to really feel the feelings of how that character feels, and channel your real emotion into the scene. Thus, while I am portraying Juliet in the Act 4 Scene 2 where she goes to ask Friar for help right after Roemo leaves, I need to think about something really sad or despair like my favorite pet dies to achieve that kind of feelings, so that I can act more realistic. Most of the theorists all are pursuing this kind of naturalism and realism like Constantin Stanislavski. The only differences between them would be the techniques used to reach this "naturalism". Like Uta Hahen, the way she creates to help actors act more realistically is to let the actors do many researchs before acting, and create an actual staging to really imagine every detail. I also can use this way in our performance. Thus, I can do many research about Juliet, and really get to know this person. After I have been familiar with her, then I can really be her.

Blog #5

  I will act Juliet in Act IV Scene 1 with Marinda who is going to portray Friar Laurence. In this scene, my character, Juliet, shows the audience many significant changes within her personality. In order to highlight this kind of transition, we cut out Paris’ scene. And in the following paragraphs, I would like to analyze her personality as well as her motivation more detailed, which is related with the ways of how to portray Juliet. 

  Many changes were made by Juliet throughout the whole play, and Act IV Scene 1 is presented as a crucial point for Juliet’s transition. Before that, the image she builds up is an innocent and obedient girl, who never rebels her parents or makes any decision by herself. However, within the process of falling love with Romeo, she was “forced” to mature. Blinded by her passionate love, she secretly marries Romeo, and openly disobeys her father despite his threat to disown her. Her growing maturity was acted in a rapid pace. And, in this scene, her mature figure was completely created: her own decision to accept Friar’s “unknown” vial at the risk of her life highlighting a brave Juliet, who is willing to defy her family and taking the responsibility for the person she loves. Nonetheless, under the strong exterior Juliet has been trying to become, her fears about following Friar’s plan also was described as her saying, “Give me … O, tell not me of fear” (4,1,121)!, and “Love give me strength! And strength shall help afford” (4,1,125). Since Romeo is far away from her at that moment, and he cannot figure out a solution with Juliet together without knowing the upcoming marriage, Juliet has to meet those struggles alone. Thus, her inner world is indeed very complicated while facing such severe situation that forces her to make a decision. 

  In order to portray Juliet’s “mature” personality more vividly, I would like to exaggerate her body language, and make full use of any props. Be more specific, I would magnify my feelings through actions from the beginning — “knock” at the door. Instead of a “knock”, I would make it like a “bang”. Because Juliet must be on the verge of collapse at that given moment. She is in total isolation; everyone is trying to persuade her to marry Paris even the Nurse. All those anxious, helpless and despair feelings could be reflected from her, and those will directly lead her to be in panic which would be displayed through her behaviors. And then, her feelings would gradually reach a climax when she becomes suicidal and says “be not so long to speak, I long to die, if what thou speak’t speak not of remedy” (4,1,67). At this moment, I will not only point my knife to myself but also to Friar in order to exaggerate Juliet’s feelings and portray a more emotional side of her, which is what I learn from the 1996 adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. Until the end, the instability of her mood was still kept when she describes her fear, even though she might tries to persuade herself to be brave within her minds. For the last sentence, “love give me strength! And strength shall help afford” (1,4,125), I can say this like whisper, encouraging myself to face the struggle. 

  All in all, the character Juliet not only experiences complex transition but also enormous mood swings within this scene. In order to vividly portray a Juliet, I would tell the audience her feelings through “exaggerate” or “emotional” actions with the best use of props. 

Viola Spolin

Viola Spolin

                 Who is she?            

                - an American theatre academic, educator and acting coach

                - mother of improvisation for her development of Theater                  Games (directorial techniques to help actors to be focused in the present moment and to find choices improvisationally)

                - published the book Improvisation for the Theater (including those techniques, her philosophy, teaching and coaching methods) —"bible of improvisational theater"

                 Some Spolin Games Used in Performance: 

                - Emotional Symphony: 

                  Each player is assigned an emotion by the audience. The ensemble is then conducted through an opening "overture". 

                - Gibberish Relay: 

                  The entire cast immediately as the play in the middle must translate back and forth between players on wither side who speak in gibberish. 

                - Animals: 

                  After the audience assigns each player an animal, the players must explore the animal physically, verbally, then interact with each other as animals, and finally bring the animals up into human forms with attitudes and traits intact. 

                - Camera: 

                  As two players do a scene of the audience's choosing, a third player calls out "camera" alternating between giving full mental and physical attention, like the lens of a camera, to each other. 

                - Contact: 

                  Players do a scene in which dialogue can only occur when some form of physical contact is made. 

                - Who am I: 

                  A player is sent out of earshot and upon his return must interact will fellow players until he is aware of the famous or occupational identity the audience has chosen for him. Who am I?               

    

                - Transformations: 

                  Two players begin a physical activity of the audience's choosing. Through a series of movements, changes, verbal, and non-verbal interactions with each other and other players who join in, they eventually transform their activity into a group involvement, which the audience has also chosen.             

                

                  

   

 

Quiz Acts 4 & 5

A) Compared with the image that Juliet has built up in the previous acts, she makes a lot of changes approaching the end of the play. When she first shows up in the play, her mother and the Nurse suggests her to marry Paris, she responds that “I will look to like … but no more deep … than your consent gives strength to make it fly” (1,3,97). She is still an obedient girl, doing whatever pleases her parents. And then, after she falls in love with Romeo, she starts rebelling against her parents: from she secretly marries Romeo till openly disobeys her father despite of threat to disown her. Juliet, however, begins to make her own decisions instead of just submitting. As the play develops, her transition from an adolescent to a mature adult becomes more and more obvious. After Romeo leaves her and flees to Mantua, and she falls out with her family, she takes more decisive actions to pay for her love with Romeo while facing the despairing situation: she takes an unknown vial and risks her life. In contrast with her, Romeo does nothing but just wait for their messages in Mantua. Juliet absolutely grows more than Romeo: her courage, loyalty and efforts. Shakespeare sets up an intriguing contrast here: in comparison with the former part of the play, the majority is focused on Romeo’s actions and thoughts, and Juliet just stays at her room. In Act 4, it is all about Juliet’s physical and mental activities. 

C) Consider the ending of the play. Is it a tragedy even though the city's natural order is restored by the ending of the feud? Were the deaths worth it?

It is a tragedy. Firstly, the story ends up with a tragic ending that most characters die including Mercutio, Tybalt, Romeo, Juliet and Lady Montague. Secondly, the whole play exactly shows the audience how fate and partly Romeo and Juliet’s own decisions lead them toward their destruction at the end. Although Romeo and Juliet does not have a usual pattern like most of the other Shakespeare’s tragedies: there is always a tragic hero who has a high status, whose decisions have large impacts on the others, whose tragic flaws lead himself toward the destruction, there are also some similarities. The two protagonists do have a higher status: both of them are the only child of two famous households. Their own decisions also partly contribute to their final downfall. Despite their destined identities, it is their own wills to marry each other. Besides, their tragic flaws also somehow promote their tragic ending. Romeo is still an impulsive young man. If he does not kill Tybalt without consideration, their destiny would be entirely changed. As well as for Juliet, she has been forced to become mature too quickly; if she is still an innocent obedient girl, maybe the ending also will change. Even though the tragic ending is very sad, we should be grateful of how the death these two star-crossed lovers finally make these two families reconcile, otherwise, it will be more lives to pay for their long-existing feud. 

F) Claire Danes’ portrayal of Juliet in the film nearly prefect restores every characteristic that Shakespeare builds up on Juliet. She successfully shows the whole transition made by Juliet from a quiet and obedient girl to a “mature” adult who makes her own decisions. However, the director also makes some slightly change in the movie: Juliet’s emotional side was magnified. For example, when Juliet goes to ask Friar Laurence for solution after Romeo leaves Mantua and she was forced to marry Paris, instead of trying to suicide with holding a knife in her hand, she points her gun to Friar Laurence, and “threatens” him to help her, otherwise, she would die with him. I think the little adaptation made here by the director is pretty understandable, and somehow makes me more empathize with Juliet. It not only emphasizes the significant transition made by Juliet: she is now a brave and strong-minded person, but also portrays her loyalty to her love Romeo: how desperate she is if she cannot be together with Romeo. 

Blog #4

Thus with a kiss I die

Romeo and Juliet, a play wrote by Shakespeare, tells a story about two star-crossed lovers whose deaths bury the strife between their two families. Baz Luhrmann’s version of Romeo and Juliet is one of the most classic adaptation. Various approaches were adopted in his movie to depict this beautiful tragedy more vividly. In the following, I will take a closer look at those differences especially from the Act 4 to the ending between the movie and the play. 

First of all, the original text has been edited a lot toward the end of the story in the movie. Even though Luhrmann’s version of Romeo and Juliet is a modern adaptation, it near perfectly restores every single scene that exists in the play in the former part. However, the film’s pacing gets quicker approaching the end, when I discovers that the duration of efficacy of the vail that Juliet uses to pretend to be dead was changed to “four and twenty hours” instead of “two and forty hours”. Then, from Act 4 Scene 2 to Act 4 Scene 5, most text was cut, and it directly goes to Juliet’s death, which also completely changes the relationship between Paris and Romeo. In the original text, Romeo kills Paris before he dies. Nonetheless, in the movie, Paris is the person who delivers the message of Juliet’s death to Romeo, and helps him to take one last look at Juliet. The bold revision made by Luhrmann here actually surprises me. I was afraid that the large amount of cuts would make the following plot become vacant, but later, I realize how the tense pacing of plots makes the tragic ending more prominent and shocked. Despite these obvious changes, some delicate changes set up by the director also bring the movie to life. For example, when Juliet goes to ask Friar Lawrence for solution to the contemporary severe situation, instead of trying to suicide with holding a knife, in the movie, Juliet points her gun to Friar Lawrence, and “threatens” him to help her, otherwise, she would die with him. Thus, Juliet was depicted more emotional in the movie adaptation, which is pretty effective. Because, the emotions added to the character makes me more empathize with Juliet and feel the extreme desperation within her situation. 

More than that, the strong ironic tone added in the movie is totally unexpected. It can seen from three specific details. Firstly, the letter sent by Friar Lawrence to Romeo instead of be delayed by the outbreak of plague in the play, it was returned because no one in the room. However, the ironic thing is that when the postman knocks at the door, Romeo is just standing a few miles away. But, the fate of the tease, Romeo just passes by the opportunity to be with Juliet. Secondly, the gun used by Juliet at the end to suicide was brought by Romeo. In the original text, the prop Juliet uses is the knife which was left by Paris or Romeo after their fight. However, there is a scene in the movie, after Romeo ascending the stairs to where Juliet lays down, he directly puts the gun next to Juliet’s left hand. If he does not bring a gun there, maybe Juliet would not die because there is not any other weapon in the church. And the most impressive and ironic scene that Luhrmann adds to the play is the last conversation between Romeo and Juliet. Originally, Romeo dies without knowing the great tragedy. Nonetheless, Luhrmann’s version lets Juliet wake up before Romeo dies, watch him drink the poison, and call him. But, when Romeo realizes that Juliet is still alive, it is just too late. He has drunk the poison, and the consequence is unrecoverable. The ending that Luhrmann recreates in the movie — Romeo just stares at Juliet, weeps and says “thus with a kiss I die” —  actually touch me more deeply. He now dies with despair for the ridiculous fate. The magnified irony highlights the great tragedy of their life, and makes me realize that how fragile we are while facing the unpredictable fate. 

From what I have been discussed above, Baz Luhrmann really builds up an effective and impressed version of Romeo and Juliet in a cinematic format. His choices of unexpected cutting and editing successfully depict a kind of emotional and ironic adaptation. 

Blog #3

 Ask Questions

      Elinor Fuchs describes the world of a play as a “planet”. Before exploring the depths of this planet, “we must ask questions”. Through out a week of study, we have answered many questions, from the figure, setting, time, sound, language, image, change, to the pattern. However, out of these elements that make up a complete play, I have a different point of view on the “pattern”. Like what Elinor Fuchs points out, all the characters fit the patterns, and there is nothing occurred by chance. There are also some fixed patterns that were hidden in between the text in which promote the plot development.

      The first pattern which Shakespeare delicately sets up in the play is as what Romeo says, “More light and light: more dark and dark our woes” (3,5,36). The brighter the light, the more darkness comes. Romeo uses this light metaphor for Juliet throughout the whole play. From the beginning, when Romeo first meets Juliet at the party, he says, “she doth teach the torches to burn bright” (1,5,43) And later in the following act, he compares Juliet to “the sun” who “kill the envious moon” (2,2,2). He keeps praising the brightness of Juliet, and appreciates the light that Juliet shines into his world. However, the most significant moments they have been spending —  first encounter, exchange of their pledge and devotion — is in the evening. It is pretty ironic to see how bright the power is inside their love, but the reality is that once their forbidden love was exposed to the air, it would lead to darkness: their death. It is just like the time that we have discussed during the class. The whole setting about time is against the nature: the daytime when the most conflicts occur seems go faster than the nighttime in the summer. As well as for the pattern, light symbolizes the tragedy rather than the coming of bright future. The dazzling light of their love is leading them toward the destruction. 

      In addition to that, another patten that I discover is how fate and free will always follow each other. I do not totally agree about what we have discussed during the class about that there is always something right happening next to something wrong, like Romeo and Juliet’s marriage is something right, and right after that, Romeo was banished from Verona. In my opinion, how the whole things operate are instead related to fate and free will. Some things are meant to happen following the path of fate, but some things were caused by choices of people. From the beginning of the play, just before Romeo goes to the party, he has a sense of feeling that “some consequence get hanging in the stars shall bitterly begin his fearful fate … by some vile forfeit of untimely death” (1,4,111). Fate has somehow foreshadowed his tragic future, but it is his choice to still go to the party. Then, the fateful thing happens: Romeo and Juliet fall in love with their first sight at the party. However, it is their free will that promotes them to be together even after knowing each other’s “identity”. Next to their marriage, in the afternoon, Romeo stabs Tybalt without consideration, and he was banished from Verona. Nonetheless, facing with the urgent situation, Juliet chooses to take Friar’s plan: drink the vial, pretend to be dead, and wait for Romeo. Unfortunately, fate stimulates the outbreak of plague, and delays Friar’s letter to Romeo, which causes Romeo’s death. At the end, it is Juliet’s free will again — choose to suicide. It is pretty clear of how the fate and free weave the pattern. 

      From what we have been exploring during the class, I have a clear concept of how the whole play was built up by many distinct components. And, I also come up with some unique points of view about the pattern that is hidden behind the text. But, the most important thing I have learned is being curious about everything that is related to this planet before making any further step into it.

Notes of Act 4&5

Act 4

 Scene 1:

    - setting: Friar Lawrence’s cell

    - character: Friar Lawrence, County Paris, Juliet

    - plot: 

         - Paris is planning to arrange the wedding on Thursday, and Friar tries to persuade him to delay the wedding. 

         - Juliet arrives at Friar’s cell, and tries to avoid Paris’s compliment. 

         - Juliet asks for privacy to talk to Friar, and Paris leaves. 

         - Juliet begs Friar for giving her solution to the current situation. 

         - Friar gives her a vial containing a kind of sleeping portion: once Juliet drinks, she will appear to be dead. Then, people would think that she is dead, and take her out to the family cemetery. But, he will write a letter to tell Romeo their plan. And then, as Juliet wakes up after 42 hours, Romeo can take her to Mantua.

         - Juliet agrees and leaves with the vial. 

Scene 2:

   - setting: a hall in Capulet’s house

   - character: Capulet, Lady Capulet, Nurse, Servingmen, Juliet

   - plot:

        - Capulet is planning the details of the wedding.

        - Juliet returns home, asks a pardon for her disobedience, and tells Capulet her agreement to marry Paris.

        - Capulet is so happy, and moves the wedding to tomorrow.       

Scene 3: 

   - setting: Juliet’s chamber

   - character: Juliet, Nurse, Lady Capulet

   - plot: 

        - Juliet asks Lady Capulet and Nurse to leave her alone, so that she can pray. 

        - She takes out the vail, but hesitates to drink. She is afraid if the plan not work: she wakes up alone in the cemetery, and Romeo hasn't come to save her. But, she eventually drinks the vail and lays down. 

Scene 4: 

   - setting: a hall in Capulet’s house

   - character: Lady Capulet, Nurse, Capulet, First Servingman, Second Servingman

   - plot: 

        - The whole Capulet family is busy preparing for the wedding. 

        - Capulet hears the music that signals Paris coming, and he asks Nurse to call out Juliet. 

Scene 5: 

   - setting: Juliet’s chamber

   - character: Juliet, Lady Capulet, Capulet, Friar Lawrence, County Paris, Musicians, Peter

   - plot:

        - Nurse discovers Juliet is “dead”, and she cries out in pain.

        - In response to the Nurse’s cry, Lady Capulet, Capulet, Paris and Friar all come. 

        - People all start to mourn for Juliet, while Friar attempts to comfort them by saying Juliet is in the heaven.

        - All the preparations for the festival turn to the funeral. 

        - In contrast with the previous sad things, this scene ends with a comic interlude between Peter and the musicians. 

Act 5

Scene 1: 

   - setting: Mantua, a street

   - character: Romeo, Balthasar, Apothecary

   - plot:

        - Instead of getting some good news as what Romeo expects, Balthasar tells him the news about Juliet’s death.

        - Romeo is overwhelmed, and plan to return to Verona tonight.

        - He illegally buys a mortal poison from a poor Apothecary, and hopes to reunite with Juliet by using it. 

Scene 2: 

   - setting: Friar Lawrence’s cell

   - character: Friar John, Friar Lawrence

   - plot:

         - Friar Lawrence let Friar John to send the letter to Romeo, explaining their plan. 

         - But, the letter was not successfully delivered, and quarantined because of the plague outbreak. 

         - Friar Lawrence then realize that Juliet may wake up alone without Romeo’s coming; he orders Friar John to get a crow bar; he hurriedly goes to the tomb. 

Scene 3:

   - setting: a churchyard; before a tomb belonging to the Capulets

   - character: Paris, Page, Romeo, Balthasar, Friar Lawrence, Juliet, Page, Firs Watchman, Second Watchman, Third Watchman, Prince, Escalus, Attendants, Montague 

   - plot: 

         - Paris arrives at the tomb, lays flowers, and mourns for his love to Juliet. 

         - Romeo appears with Balthasar, and he opens the tomb by using the mattock and the wrenching iron in order to see Juliet one last time. 

         - Paris sees, and thinks that Romeo who kills his cousin comes to desecrate Juliet’s dead body. 

         - They fight; Paris is wounded and dead. 

         - Romeo’s page sees the fight and goes to call the watchman.

         - Romeo fulfills Paris’s wish: put him next to Juliet into the tomb. He kisses Juliet, drinks the poison and dies. 

         - Friar Lawrence arrives and discovers Romeo and Paris dead bodies. 

         - Juliet awakes, asks Friar where is his Romeo, then, she finds out their dead bodies. 

         - Friar hears the approaching sound of the watchman, and tries to persuade Juliet to leave, but she refuses. He flees. 

         - Juliet finds that there is no poison left. She kisses Romeo, and stabs herself to death. 

         - The watchman and the Prince arrives at the tomb with Capulets and Montagues. 

         - Lady Montague died of grief. 

         - Friar Lawrence tells the all things happen; he admits the whole thing was caused by his negligence, and he is willing to be punished by law. 

         - The Prince instead blames the deaths for the permanent feud between two households. 

         - Finally, two families reconcile.