Development Process

• In the development process, I contributed to my group by giving multiple ideas. I put forward the thought using the drums to make the scene richer, the idea of knights walking down the stairs to use the space as much as possible… All of our groupmates contributed in costume and prop selections.
• I collaborated with my ensemble member very well. I am responsible for my part; I memorized the lines (although I do not have much) very quickly. We respected each other’s ideas and try to do imply most of them in our performance. There were some difficulties such as memorizing lines and actions, but we all supported each other. Every ensemble member was very focused and stayed on task, this gave us opportunities to run through our performance multiple times.
• Some of the successes in this process: we have limited time, but we all worked really hard to make it the best that we could. The props and costumes are limited, so we have to make them as similar to the story as they could be, and we succeeded. We were not able to rehearse in the actual space many times, but in the actual performance, we were in the right spot because we have collaborated in our practices; we reminded each other during rehearsals

Performance and Reflect

• When I was performing, I was very nervous because I don’t know how the audience would react. Since the audience is little kids, I “expect” them to be very supportive, and will be very energetic to give responses. However, in the actual performance, they were mostly silent during the main part of our story. I felt really nervous; I reflected on my performance in the first part of the story, and I tried to be more energetic and act with more exaggeration during the second part of the performance. In the end, I was surprised that the kids actually responded very well and laughed at the scene where the king was chased by the dragon.
• Through this experience, I learned that we should never “judge” or “expect” our audience to react in a way we want. My performance should always be engaging and filled with energy, no matter who I am performing it to. Also, something that I realized was most kids really enjoyed the performances even though they did not react very actively.
• Some useful tips I gained for future theatre projects:

1. Practice is the most important thing!! If there is a limited time, try to use rehearsal times efficiently. ACT, don’t think.
2. Music! Music can really add another layer to the performance. Use all five senses. (If possible!)
3. analyze your audience; think from their perspective. What do they like?
4. use up the SPACE. It is always a good technique to stand in different positions, walk around during the performance, especially in special stages. They grab the audiences’ attention
5. Energy! Engage and interact with the audience to make them more connected to the scene.

Constantine Stanislavski:

• Born in Moscow, Russia in 1863
• An actor and moved on to become a director and teacher
• parents did not indulge in his passion for theatre, so he changed his name
• he developed a new approach to acting
• it took years of experimenting to get to what is known as the Stanislavski System

The work that Stan “the man” did help to create what we recognize as ‘good acting’ today. We even give awards to actors who can create the best characters.

Five elements:

1. Relaxation: learning to relax the muscles and eliminate physical tension while performing
2. Concentration: learning to think like an actor and to respond to one’s own imagination
3. Observation: discovering the sensory base of the work: learning to memorize and recall sensations, often called “sense memory” and/or “affective memory”; learning to work from a small sensation and expand it, a technique Stanislavski called “spheres if attention”
4. Communication: developing the ability to interact with other performers spontaneously, and with an audience, without violating the world of the play.
5. Imagination: – the more fertile the actor’s imagination, the more interesting would be the choices made in terms of objectives, physical action, and creating the given circumstances around the character. – There is no such thing as “actually” on the stage. Art is a product of the imagination, as the work of a dramatist should be to use his technique to turning the play into a theatrical reality. In this process, the imagination plays by for the greatest part.

In the past few weeks, we focused on the idea of “improvisation”.  One activity I remembered was: we formed a circle, and we could do anything inside the circle, as long as the circle’s not empty. Even though it was voluntary,  everyone stepped into the circle. As the times we went in the circle increases, everyone formed their tiny scene. One of the important concepts about improvisation is taking risks. In this activity, taking risks means stepping inside the circle and performing the scene. After that, a new component was added to the activity. When a person goes inside the circle, another person goes and supports the scene. The second person needs to think fast and continue the scene without changing settings/characters/… The scene is not required to have dramatic plots that could make the audience laugh–it could just be a simple talk with the other person.

Before practicing improvisation, I used to think stepping out is quite an awkward and embarrassing moment. However, during these classes, I felt supported. When I do something, no one would laugh at me; when people see me struggling to think of new concepts, they would help me and support me. Now, after learning about improvisation, I feel more comfortable and more willing to take risks.

I think the biggest takeaway is to never say no; say yes, and add on. Making a scene to work is not all about funny jokes, dramatic changes, strange characters; it’s how the second person agrees on the setting by making it logical. Saying “yes, and…” really helped me on continuing the scene. Also, something important is never to be afraid to take risks. Every time I felt nervous, I remind myself that this is a safe place to express my ideas.

Take risks. Say YES!

1. Risk-taker (willing to be open-minded to new things/ideas)
2. Positive and energetic (have a good attitude towards everything)
3. Aware and in control (observe how your actions impact other people)
4. Focused (concentrate on what you’re doing)
5. Active listener (find out how you can cooperate with other people’s ideas into yours)
6. Cooperative and collaborative (work alongside your peers)
7. Efficient (use your time wisely)
8. Leaders and followers (knows when it is your turn to step up or step back)
9. Positively critical and able to act on that  criticism (constructive criticism/positive feedback)

Things I need to work on: risk-taker & leaders and follower. I seldom take risks. I sometimes felt scared to accept new things. What if it does not work out well? I always say to myself. This year in drama, I hope to be more open-minded. Sometimes, taking a risk means that you learn new things. Not all risks result bad. You wouldn’t know if it goes wrong or right if you never tried it. My first goal was to try to be a leader. I am always the follow

My journey in drama started not long ago.

I chose the Drama course for 8th grade as my elective. Last year was a dramatic year due to covid, I thought we would not be able to have a play; however, covid-19 had made our class the luckiest. We had many performances: a play for the fringe festival, a performance during the middle school grade parent coffee… And my first experience was the play “All I Really Need to Know from Being a Zombie”.  I think I am very lucky because plays at the fringe festival were usually hard to get a chance to perform. But this year, everyone in the Drama class was able to join a play.

In the beginning, we had an audition. We got the script and tried for different characters. In the end. I was a character from an ensemble. Although I did not get the main role, I still felt happy. This was my first time; I wanted to start from a small role.  I worked with my group collaboratively, and we used our spare time to practice. Our whole class was able to have a workshop with Matt, a friend of Ms. Northcott.  We all learned how to look more like a zombie; acting almost “dead” but also bring positive energy to the audience. Matt also directed our scene; he gave brilliant suggestions and ideas to our scene.

Finally, the performance day came. We all went to school early and did zombie make-ups. Everyone looked funny and “dead”.  The play was very successful. There were a few accidents but everyone cooperated very well. I did not feel nervous during the performance. After I performed, I also had a chance to reflect on my performance. I watched the other drama class perform the same play, but everything was different. I did not feel bored even though I had watched the play many times and read through the whole script.

I think I improved on my vocal skills a lot. Before this play, my voice was low and my words were unclear. I practiced a lot of vocal exercises on my pace, pitch, and volume. Not only did my speaking skills, but my physicality also improved a lot too, now I could express myself through actions better. I  also felt more confident in myself. The most memorable/best part of this play was defiantly when the audience clapped. I felt all my hard work and time was worth it. Most importantly, I can bring joy to the audience.

That is why I also signed up for Drama in 9th grade; I hope I could learn more skills and improve myself into a more confident person.