This week we started off by going through the mark schemes for our upcoming research presentations. This was really useful because I was able to see places where my presentation needed to be improved, this included adding more emphasis on reflection and the context of the tradition itself.
Below are the 4 mark schemes we looked at:

• She said she likes to start with a visual image to help her creative process. 
• She tries to arrange things on stage that she thinks look pleasing to her

Tuesday:

On Tuesday we spent some time going through the mark scheme for our presentations and we realised that we hadn't put in lots of things that we should have. I'm really glad that we took the time to go through the markscheme as it helped me to understand what things I needed to add to my presentation in order to get a better mark. It will also help me in the future when I come to do my real assessed presentation.

In the lesson we were also told to create a pie chart to show how much time we thought we had spent on each part of the presentation. I thought I had spent the most time on the research part and the least time on the actual practical part. Although I had researched a lot on the practical I hadn't actually spent that much time practising doing it. Mostly because I didn't really know how to as my convention was pretty normal.

For my presentation I chose to do English pantomime however now I wish I had chosen a different theatre practice because I feel that the convention I chose is not easy to analyse as there isn't much to it. It's too late now to change it but at least I know for the future to always do some research before settling on my final decision. The convention I chose was the lead male character who is usually a female actress. It was almost impossible to find examples as now a days this convention doesn't really happen as much.

Thursday:

On Thursday we spent the lesson starting to think about directors notebooks and thinking back on what Helen had taught us about being a director. We watched two youtube videos one by Elizabeth Le Compte the director of the Wooster group and one by Peter Brook. While watching these videos we had to answer the questions How do people approach the role of director? & What processes do directors go through?
Elizabeth Le Compte: 

• Arranges space and listens to the way in which people speak within these different spaces
• Starts with a visual image (this can be one in her head or on paper) to help her create
• She is always thinking about her other productions. Her previous productions influence and inspire her current productions. 

Peter Brook: 

• Is inspired by his travels and by different cultures and people. 
• He believes that props are not needed, just the skill of the actor 
• Usually has his actors playing instruments and singing, they can do many things. 
• He takes real life stories 
• He believes that he is always first a traveller and second a director 
• opposite of commercial theatre
• He was largely influenced by Shakespeare, by using simplicity and just the skill of the actor.    

Friday:

On Friday we continued to look at Directors notebooks. We were given a sheet of paper which had the 9 most important ways to become a director on it. We were asked to chose the one we thought was most important and why. I chose to 'work as an assistant', I think this would be most important to me as I learn the most from doing. Also I would learn a lot from being totally immersed in the job. I might also be inspired by the director I would be working with. We were also asked to come up with our own most important director ways, my one was to write down all ideas, no matter how stupid or bad they may seem.

 

My new drama blog w/ presentation http://myibdramaexperience.blogspot.fr/2014/12/research-presentation.html

Trust me to go straight for the most colourful and dance like theatre! I was immediately drawn to Khon as I've seen it hundreds of times in 'The King and I' one of my favourite musicals of all time! I've found it so beautiful but never known what it is. So I have decided to use this as my research presentation.

For the past couple of days I've been looking at the history of this dance drama and watching videos on YouTube.

History:

Conventions:

A short history: 


Pantomime was first performed in England as short acts between Opera pieces. These were later turned into full performances as they were so successful, they were considered as a form of opera. It is believed that The Lincoln's Inn Field Theatre and the Drury Lane Theatre were the first to stage something like real pantomimes. The first ever real pantomime was performed in the Drury Lane Theatre and was called 'Harlequin Doctor Faustus'

What is pantomime? 

Pantomime is a musical comedy production performed on stage. It was desiged for family entertainment. Modern pantomime includes songs, slapstick comedy and dancing, employs gender-crossing actors, and combines topical humour with a story loosely based on a well-known fairy tale. Pantomime includes a lot of audience involvement, including shouting out 'boo', 'hiss' and 'he's behind you!' Sing alongs are also frequent. It took inspiration from the theatre convention Comedia dell arte.

Conventions: 

The principal boy The male juvenile lead - for example Aladdin or Cinderella's Prince Charming. He's always played by a young woman (lately, usually a television celebrity) in a tight costume.

The Panto Dame Almost always played by a man in drag, the panto dame is a comic, and camp, female character. She's usually an older woman but in Cinderella, not only the step mother but also the Ugly Sisters are panto dames. In Aladdin (at more than 200 years old, one of Britain's oldest panto stories) it's Aladdin's mother, a poor laundress known as The Widow Twankey. Popular comedians and occasional famous leading actors with a sense of fun often do a winter turn as a panto dame.

A side kick or "chorus" figure: There is always a secondary character on stage who speaks to the audience, encouraging them to shout and clap or comically commenting on the action. In Cinderella that character is Buttons, her father's (Baron Hardup) servant and her friend. In Aladdin it is Wishee Washee, the hero's brother.

A comedy animal: Most pantos feature a comic animal played by two actors in one costume. In Jack and the Beanstalk, Jack's cow is a Panto cow. If the plot of a story doesn't have a place for an animal, you can be sure that the panto writers will shoehorn one in.

Lots of audience participation: When you go to a panto in Britain, you can't help but be drawn in to the traditional shouting and carrying on. Villains are hissed, misfortunes are bemoaned and several key lines - "Oh yes it is!" - "Oh no it isn't!" and "He's behind you!" are shouted out by one and all at the appropriate moments.

Contemporary references and bawdy jokes: Pantos are family shows but there is usually enough innuendo of the nudge-nudge wink-wink variety to keep the grownups happy.

A transformation scene: Most pantos have a moment when the set designers bring out their most magical special effects - twinkly lights, disappearing characters, clouds of smoke. Every story has its traditional transformation scene - Cinderella's emergence in her ball gown with her coach and footmen, Aladdin's discovery of the genii in the cave of jewels.

During this activity we had to take the IB learner profile words and rank them in a diamond. The most used and important in drama at the top and the least important and least used at the bottom. The one I decided to put at the top was Communicators because I feel that drama is about working with others, sharing and contributing ideas. At the very bottom I put Balanced, I do believe that that being balanced is important however I don't think that It's too important in drama. However Being balanced with time is important in drama. Making sure that you have enough time to finish a project.

The Final week: 

In the final week we spent most of the time finalising our piece and putting up black paper to black out the hall. We also spent time organising costume, makeup, sound and lighting. We spent a lot of time working on how we were going to do lighting. We got all the lights set up in the hall, dry ice machines and the strobe lighting. In the end we decided not to use the dry ice machine as it didn't really fit in with our piece.

In our last lesson we talked about the holiday homework, which was to research one type of unfamiliar theatrical tradition and present it to the class. This is in preparation for next year when we will be examined on another presentation.

Imitate - to make a copy of, or to reproduce closely.
Influence - Something that produces effects on actions, behaviour and opinions. From something/someone on something/someone else.
Inspire -  To produce a thought or feeling about something.

In class we talked about how each of these words would be used in drama. We spent a long time talking about what the differences are between influence and inspire in the end we came up with the idea that if  the two were on a scale Influence would be near the end whereas inspire would be near the middle.

Reflecting on the whole term: 

I can't believe that a whole year has gone by and that I'm already half way through my first year of IB. So far I have really enjoyed IB drama although some parts have been a challenge I feel like I have really come far from when I first started at the beginning of this term. I feel like I have definitely stepped out of my comfort zone more this term and become more confident in my acting.

Going to London to do TAPS was challenging at first because I knew I would be expected to act in front of people I had never met before, however the whole experience was amazing and definitely made me more confident acting and speaking in front of people. If I had the chance I would definitely do it all again.  

The piece that we have currently been working on has given me a better understanding of many things such as soundscapes, total theatre and different theatre conventions. Our piece has been influenced by punch drunk and Frantic Assembly we also took inspiration from the practitioner Antonin Artaud.

Over the past term I think I have made the most progress with confidence. I have also learnt a lot more about different theatre practices and practitioners that I previously didn't know about. This term has also taught me about the many different aspects of theatre and how it isn't all just about acting, it has especially taught me about taking on the role of director (mainly from the director Helen Leblique who came in to talk to us about directors notebooks).