24.10.14

   Today was the day before half-term, and so everyone performed their pieces to each others. I thought this was very good, since we all needed notes and especially my group wanted to see what people thought about our newly devised part to our piece and what can we do to make it better. For now, we still used a recording for our poem, since we are not completely memorized yet. These are the notes we received:

• Used poem well to the movement
• Opening needs work, all of the audience might not see what is happening
• Draw the focus, Chloe!
• Timing a bit off!
• Usage of the whole room good
• Facial expressions too neutral
• dynamic of the movement too strong, try being more light footed
• when on the chairs, look like you are about to fall!
• Movement and voice don't have to be at the same time

We also got notes on that people actually liked the recording, and perhaps by using the recording we would have more room to work on our expressions and so bring more emotions to be piece over all. We discussed this later with my group and we are still going memorize the poem and most likely perform it ourselves. For me personally, saying the lines myself and performing brings more power to be as a performer and so gives me that extra fire to deliver. Still, we need to work on our facial expressions more and make sure that we are all in character throughout the piece.

For the timing, it'll be probably fixed once we are actually memorized, and have more control over the pace we say our lines. Also, once we are memorized we will be able to change up the rhythm of voice and movement, so that the delivery is a bit more interesting than just saying the lines at the same time as the movement.

Later on in class, Siou also gave us all a question to think about when we are devising the rest of our pieces: What is your connection to the audience? Can you see them? I feel that, in our grouop, the audience is sort of a image of the speaker of the poem, the audience is in our heads, in our thoughts, observing. We have moments in our piece where the audience simply observes us, but we also address them directly and move around them. It is a complex relationship, but I feel it also connects to some of our themes; depression. In my personal experience, depression was being somehow unconnected from the world, not caring what is happening around you. But then, there were days when you are suddenly re-connected. Those were usually the bad days, but somehow it was a relief to feel something for a minute or two, and this is how act with the audience. Most of the time, we are performing as they weren't there, but there are moments where we create eye-contact and bring them back to the room that these are real people that they are looking at, and these are real things we are talking about.