Tuesday 3rd May

Today in Titus Andronicus we started with exploring the spine and the side stretch.  Comparing to week one of doing these warm ups I have improved massively. The things I have improved is my connection to breath. My body and breath are becoming which is something I have noticed a lot in my everyday life. For example, when I go to the gym I can run on the treadmill a lot longer now as my breath is in time with my running paste. As well as this, I am paying attention to detail by fully connecting to every movement by moving each muscle / ligament. I am really happy that I am starting to see this difference in the warm up as I having beginning applying to my acting. A great example of this when I am a tree and I have to move one arm on the exhale.  However the reason why I am finding the warm ups more effective is because before the lessons begin at 9 I am in a theatre room at 8:30 stretching and warm up so I am read before the lesson has begun. I am find this helpful as well and it gets into the right for the side stretch.

After the warm ups we went though the physical pieces to the play which in my opinion are the weakest as we all have to be in sync with another which is difficult. The physical moments in the play is the Haka, the love dance and the second Haka. The first Haka has come along way since we first did it and everyone has started to come out of there shell a lot by creating their warrior. The only thing I would say that I need to improve is trusting myself that I know the Haka as at times I do tend to look at what other people are doing. In the show I cant do this as the audience will notice and it just looks weak. The love dance I think is fine and nothing really improving apart from to keep experimenting with how with move our body in time with the breath.    The second Haka is something I feel like does need improving as it looks messy by the way we our positioned and we are all slightly out of time with each other. I think the bit that looks messy to me is when we use place our arms to flow as some people have their knees bent but others are moving down similar to the first Haka which in my opinion looks better. Having said this is a really easy thing to change and I think we are in a good place with the show physical movements in general. I think it is helpful as we are all starting to trust each other from where we all know each other really well now. As we all worked really hard on theses movements Ben allowed to go for an early break.

When we came back from the break we did a run through of the show. The run though went okay but it was a bit stoppy starty which lead the play to be a running time of over two hours. Which got us all quite concerned as the play is only 49 pages.  The run through went well and I feel like I used the seven states tension really especially in monologue. I think when I enter for the first time is as quite as I took detail to step I was taking before I said my line. In addition to this, as Katie is Titus I feel like we already have this sisterly connection as we have been close friends for years. This is something I picked in the first weeks rehearsal as we fight like sisters and get along like sisters. I have used the Side Stretch in my attention to detail for when walk as this is introducing my character. The section I need to improve is my second line as I struggle to say and I am worried for the show as when I am nervous this may effect the way I say it. The part I think I did quite well is when Gemma and I stick up for Becky when Katie kills her as Becky is our brother.  I love the tension there between us and we can all really the atmosphere building through this.  However this is this scene I struggle to say' here in virtues nest that died in honour and Lavinia cause ' . I struggle to say the word 'Lavinia ' and I end up saying Vavinia. It is really annoying and frustrating when my head is saying one word but my mouth is something else. However it is something I that just need to improve as actor.   As well as this, I think I am improving my stammer as at the beginning I was quite weak at ensemble elements such as the tree and the giving birth section however now I am fully going for it and sustaining myself through out.  Overall , I think did quite well in the run though however I just need improve my technique in my voice and when it comes to performing outside the audience might not be able to hear me. 

At end Ben gave us notes and I found them really helpful and there were some things that I never noticed in my performance but now I do when Ben said them.

The Haka feet - The haka feet are meant to kick backwards however I am forgot and started kicking like my legs were in some sort of V shape. Small things like this make a big difference to piece and I am glad Ben pointed this out as I have never noticed it before.

Smiling - Basically in monologue I have this line that is "Alas , a crimson river of warm blood " and when we first did a run through blocking the scene Sybil pulled this face where coughing up blood as a joke and now every time I say the line I just picture Sybil doing the face which made me laugh so much. This is some thing I need to control and stop as its wretches my monologue and the scene.

Another really important note is my acting is internal and I'm not connecting to Sybil. I think this is because whenever I practiced my monologue I would do by myself and not with Sybil which I think has made me not realise Sybil's existence in the space. To overcome , I think I need to start practising with Sybil in my own time and making I am opening to the audience and to Sybil as I am quite closed off.

These were the only notes that I was given and I am was quite surprised of his as I though there would of been more to improve on.