LESSON 7

In this lesson we had 5 minutes to prepare and to go over our scenes we did last week and then we performed in front of the class.  After this we wrote notes to keep up to date with our log books and because it was a double we had a 5 minutes break.  We were then told that all our logbook entries were due on Monday.  After this we were given our assessment for this term, we have to choose one play and choose from costume design/poster/scene set.  As I do textiles I am probably going to do costume design.  After we completed this we made notes on one of the plays we could choose from for our assessment – Away.  Miss Jansen read notes out so we could copy them down.  For homework we had to read the script.

The focus of the lesson was to keep up to date with our work and make sure we weren’t along way behind.

I thought in our performance of our unequal education was good for the time we had to practice.

I thought that maybe we should have had longer to practice our scenes as it was quite hard to remember them but I found this lesson quite helpful as it helped to keep my up to date with my logbook.  In our sketch we could of improved by making the scenes slightly longer but apart from this I thought it went quite well.

When we performed Rachel’s group was not very well prepared so for them I would have spent more time trying to create a theme for their sketches.

Summary of our last few lessons

We had an intro to Australian theatre, its development and contemporary Australian theatre.  We have looked at a timeline of Australian theatre and we discovered that this was influenced by its current cultural context ie when Australia was being colanized (they had colonies theatre).

Australia has its own style as it grows and changed through different cultures.  For example, traditionally British then with the Asian population increasing – Asian theatre increased.  Now we have a multi-cultural theatre.

Now we have explored a typical Australian stereotypes, what makes Australian adverts Australian etc.  (Satire comedy, Chris Lily). Then explored/brainstormed contemporary current issues then constructed a planned improvisation attempting to use an eposidic structure.

Three definitions

Three different forms of play structure

-      Chronilogical, your performance moves from and unbroken timeframe ie like a Disney film, Pinnochio.

-      Non linear, a performance can move from point A but can have broken time structure and can include flashbacks or flashforwards ie Titanic.

-      Eposodic structure – a series of scenes that can stand alone yet share the same theme/subject ie interviews of Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd and David Camerson.  They are separate performances but share the same theme ie Carbon tax.

Away by Michael Gow

Set in 1967 – three familes are pushed towards their fears and aspirations.

It opens with Midsummer Nights Dream.

This mirrors the hardships, the characters encounter throughout the play.

The families show their holiday together, confronting fears all because of a storm.

Discussion: character and conflict.

1.    What impression did you form of the characters?

2.    What appeared to be the conflict between the characters?

3.    Do you think such conflicts are common in Australian familes? And Why?

4.    How could a performance (a natural end/or non naturalist) show these conflicts?






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