A final summary.

The Engaging Shakespeare event on Friday was a great success. I enjoyed seeing the other groups presenting and talking about their final projects. I was surprised how keen I was to know more about their motives behind certain choices they made and ideas they came up with. During the question and answer sessions, it seemed like the rest of the class shared a similar interest as it was us that asked a lot of the questions.

For me, my improved knowledge and interest in Shakespeare became apparent on Friday night as I could distinctly see my own investment in the conversation compared to some of the others in the audience who were otherwise not as informed on the subjects.

I was also really impressed with our work and felt that the most obviously when we were watching our documentary. I only say that cause I didn't expect people to laugh so much. I guess after seeing it so many times while editing, you forget that there were a lot of funny moments. It seemed like the audience was impressed and appreciated it.

Learning outcomes:

1. Gain Shakespeare Literacy
2. Analyze Shakespeare Critically
3. Engage Shakespeare Creatively
4. Share Shakespeare Meaningfully

In creating the documentary, we realized that a lot of practical skills were going into our final project. So while we might have been filming others engage and learn about Shakespeare, our project did not require us to be so involved in Shakespeare's text. Because of this, we tried to think of ways that we could be critically engaged in Shakespeare. One way we thought of doing this was looking at the story arc of Shakespeare plays. Though it may seem like an obvious creative choice, we did consciously decide to make the documentary like how a play would play out in chronological order. The beginning saw footage of them just talking about their final and reading through lines in the classroom. We then shifted gears into the rehearsal space which was slowly introduced to the point where they were semi in costume and really using the performance space rather than just sitting and lounging around in it. TO make a full complete 'performance' of the documentary with the end being wrapped up by the final performance -and not wanting to spoil the performance for the actors and the audience on Friday night, we finished on an image of the lights being projected on stage. This lent the documentary to be like a pre-cursor to seeing the performance and did not spoil anything for the live audience.

I also looked at incorporating text clips into the doc so that we could see how Shakespeare related even to the act of storytelling in a documentary form. We chose not to include Shakespeare text in the final version we posted on the internet but played around with it. I think it didn't work simply because it was becoming very wordy as we were hearing Shakespearean text from the actors on screen and then adding more of it to read just seemed a little over-bearing. We wanted the screening to be enjoyable and easy-going and very accessible for those who were only being introduced to Shakespeare.

Creatively, we were constantly thinking of ways to tell the story. On set, I was always trying to frame things well and capture the whole scene as well as individuals and their up-close emotions. I think the end-product shows this -a story aided by close ups of telling-images and emotions from the actors. This blog post was part of discovering the different shots we wanted to get and what we could accomplish with those different shot. Editing wise, we tried out a lot of different little segments to put it that completely changed the feel of the story and how everything was depicted. Having full creative freedom in the editing room, allowed all of us to have our own input and decide together the best possible way to shape the story.
In pre-production we had to think of appropriate things to ask our subjects that would be best when editing and what would really bring out the most emotion from the actors. These are what we primarily came up which was added to along the way as we realized there were other important things we needed sound bites of while on set. 

Along the way, we shared Shakespeare meaningfully by posting a couple preview videos (this one and this one) to the public. together, those two videos have over 100 views now I believe. It allowed others to see what we were doing in class and see the passion/anxiety etc felt by those performing it.

Loves Labours: A Documentary

Here is the final documentary Christa, Lauren and I created!

We picked our songs from the vimeo.com music library - one which was paid for and the other was free. As stated on the presentation night, we wanted to incorporate more than just the footage we captured of the group rehearsing and talking. Sooo that is why we incorporated the other footage we grabbed from youtube of other Shakespeare performances. Similarly with the screen captures of Avrill's blog posts.

One problem I think we ran into while editing, was finding good footage of a continuous scene that was a really poignant or telling moment in this process of rehearsing and putting on a short play. The music helps us smoothly transition from one cut to another as we see the different moments during rehearsal, however I would really have liked some crucial moment to have been depicted that was our inciting incident or climax. But this group hardly argued! Everything went so smoothly.

Overall, I am very please with the documentary and the mood it evokes. I think while we were shooting, we definitely felt the jovial nature of the group and how much fun it was for them to perform and form the relationships you see in the documentary.

OT: Our Town

This is part of some research I did for the documentary by watching a similar doc that follows a group of high school students performing for the first time. The other girls in our Shakespeare doc group also watched a commented on this film. It helps us visualize a little of how we wanted our piece to look like and the possibilities that were available for editing, visualization, character development etc.

OT: Our Town

First thing I noticed about OT: Our Town, was the style of the filming. Given that it was shot in 2001-2002, the quality is still somewhat poor and almost all of it hand held. The high school kids claim their town as ‘the ghetto’ and so the grainy and low quality look creates a grittier feel that compliments the on screen action.

With this sort of feel for the entirety of the film, I felt like the relationship between filmmaker and the subjects, was very personal and non-intrusive. When the filmmaker was filming the students in a round table –classroom setting, it felt like we were part of the discussion and everyone could- and was being natural in front of the camera. The camera was just a part of what was going on. It was acknowledged by the high school kids and put into the environment like another character.

I cared for these subjects because the story was told through the kids and not as much through any authoritarian figure. While the teachers were also interviewed, it was the kids that drove the plot forward. With the interviews Kennedy did, I was impressed with how much the kids revealed on camera. The relationships I think, were key between filmmaker and subject. It made for a more meaningful film because it was like the filmmaker was a friend to everyone rather than stranger watching.

A really good editing choice in my opinion, was the idea to have ‘Our Town’ the film version of the play, being interjected between shots of the kids rehearsing their own version. Juxtapositioning these two different performances added meaning to the changes that kids were making themselves to their play. It showed a stark difference in the passion that these kids were putting into their play and what is means to them to be residents of Compton, California.

I do wish that most of the story-telling could have been more observational rather than based on the narration of interviews of the kids and the teacher. After doing some research on the film, it looks like the filmmaker is/was actually involved romantically with the teacher. This explains why perhaps the kids felt comfortable with Kennedy the filmmaker because I imagine he would have spent quite a lot of time with his subjects.I think a lot of the success of the film can be attributed to this: the relationship between subject and filmmaker. I could tell that he cared about these kids and if they succeeded or not. While I don't think that Kennedy was probably living or grew up in Compton or 'the getto', he definitely had something to say about accepting and loving the good and bad about our own town's.

Working tirelessly away with Christa!

Preview for Friday!

King Lear act 5, death death death.

Why should a dog, a horse, a rat, have life,
And thou no breath at all?
-Lear (seeing Cordelia's dead body)

Why do the 'good' and virtuous characters also die? While I don't mind at all the Goneril and Regan die, it makes an interesting image to see Cordelia lying alongside them with another seemingly more pure character like Gloucester. I strangely don't feel thematically satisfied as I imagine all of them lying on the stage together. It's like in war, while we may see a side as 'the goodies' or 'the baddies', it's always more complicated than that. There is always onslaught and bloodshed on both sides and that is the nature of it. It get's messy and that is why we don't like war. The innocent die.

Documentary preview!

Documentary sneak peak from Shakespeare on Vimeo.

Shot List

Tomorrow we're filming the acting group rehearse. These are some of the shots I want to make sure we get. If not tomorrow, then of course by the end of our production/filming period.

-Avril directing each group individually - wide, close ups
-Actors getting frustrated - close ups,
-Actors understanding, feeling like they are 'getting it' - medium
-Everyone rehearsing together- all actors in one shot - wide
-Interview with Avril
-Feet, hands, scripts, - all close ups
-Entering/exiting the rehearsal space - wide

** A VARIETY of close ups, mediums, wides, long, point of views?, establishing shots

Goneril and Regan in Cinderella?

It hit me in class yesterday how alike Goneril and Regan
are in comparison with the two ugly step sisters in Cinderella. 

We have a Cinderella, pure and most loved sister (and I would say is usually depicted on stage as the prettiest of the sisters) compared against two other sisters that are seen as greedy, power hungry and conniving.

However connecting their likenesses, is maybe a little too superficial. I wonder if our Cinderella figure - Cordelia, is not as saint-like as she initially seems in juxtaposition with her sisters. Cordelia seems to be just as stubborn as her father. In a family relationship, or in any close relationship for that matter, we usually tend to get to know the things that will really annoy, hurt or please the other. Obviously, the King needed some form of affection from his daughters in his old age and Cordelia would not give it to him. In a similar act of self-justification and power, the King overrules her by abandoning her. Like stubborn father, like stubborn daughter.

Documentary Final

Who do we want to interview?

-director

-actors

-Prof. Gideon? 

Preliminary interview Questions

–Filming Thursday 10^th Nov, Tues 15^th Nov in class

-Name, role/character, major, interests –how those can relate Shakespeare?

-Past experience/knowledge of Shakespeare

-What are you nervous about?

-What are you excited about in this production?

Avril

-Name, position,

-What is she actually doing? –refer to three separate relationships

-What does she want to achieve from this?

-Why does this mean anything to you to share these stories?

-What do you want to audience to get out of this?

King Lear, a cruel father.

No matter how angry my dad would ever get at me, I wonder whether he would ever even consider cursing me to not be able to have children. Is that not an extremely impactful and hurtful thing to say to anyone, let alone your own daughter? I can hardly think of any worse curse. 

KING LEAR
It may be so, my lord.
Hear, nature, hear; dear goddess, hear!
Suspend thy purpose, if thou didst intend
To make this creature fruitful!
Into her womb convey sterility!
Dry up in her the organs of increase;
And from her derogate body never spring
A babe to honour her! If she must teem,
Create her child of spleen; that it may live,
And be a thwart disnatured torment to her!
Let it stamp wrinkles in her brow of youth;
With cadent tears fret channels in her cheeks;
Turn all her mother's pains and benefits
To laughter and contempt; that she may feel
How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is
To have a thankless child! Away, away!

This passage uses such harsh words and descriptions from a father to his daughter - about the very thing that most women might say is their greatness happiness and pleasure, the birth of their child. Lear does not even refer to his daughter as a human being but a 'creature'!

In this time and place, religion would have been much more closely connected to them as the church played a big role in their daily lives. The fact that Lear is directing this plea to the heavens, makes this speech a little more terrifying. They are not just idle words, the King wants the God's to punish his daughter and literally make her barren.

Elexi Walker on her role as Katherine.

Elexi was kind enough to respond via facebook to some questions I sent her regarding Southwark playhouse's production of The Taming of the Shrew. Elexi played Katherine set in a bustly part of South London where she says "there is a mix of people from different countries, but particularly a large portion of the demographic are from, or descendants of the Carribean. Katherine, Bianca and Baptista's family were from Jamaica. Setting the play in a place like this served to bring the story into the modern age."

"We decided that Katherine was not the screaming banshee as she is often played in period set pieces, and note was taken of how little she speaks, and when she speaks, what she said. I think that this informed how intelligent people saw her... she would say what she thought, and never mind what anyone else thinks, and this was also demonstrated in how she dressed, and how it changed as time passed.

"I would say that the play does highlight how much of a man's world it is and that women are still seen as inferior, and how women are expected to do what men want... Katherine does all she can to fight against this, and in our production, the "starving" and "arguing" that she is subjected to by Petruchio is not a malicious thing, but because he actually likes Katherine on first sight, and falls in love with her by that part of the play, it is an attempt to end his feeling awkward as a result of her silent treatment, after being publicly humiliated after the wedding (the "she is my goods, my chattels..." speech.) He brings her a bacon sandwich just before the tailor brings the dress out. Sweet isn't he?

On the whole though, it was important to show that Katherine and Petruchio were equal, despite their difference in their respective "new money/old money" backgrounds. They are as clever as each other and we can see that in the banter that they have in the wooing scene... Katherine is stubborn and doesn't stand for s***, but is essentially bowled over by this arrogant, witty, handsome man, who is not afraid of her, and the growth of their relationship allows them to play and tease each other.... and dupe her dad out of loads of money... leaving the audience with the feeling that the final scene is the beginning of their story."

Final project proposal, A DOCUMENTARY.

If you hadn't caught on, I am a film major specializing in documentary and cinematography. My idea for a final project is to document the other group that is planning on presenting a Shakespeare play.

This mini-documentary would consist of the filming of rehearsals, interviewing and just capturing all aspects of the how the production is put together -learning lines, analyzing the text, staging and putting on the performance.

We would need someone filming with a DSLR, capturing sound, interviewing and then editing the piece together.

I think it could be really interesting because there are bound to be many great moments of frustration, excitement, surprise and hopefully some great performances (!).

I am reminded of a documentary which can be viewed on netflix called OT: Our Town where a group of high school kids who had never before done any drama, set out to modernize and present an old play entitled Our Town. It's really great if you want to have a look and get a feel for perhaps how it might look visually. The documentary will be very observational and will feel like the camera is merely an onlooker to the action.

Please! Build on this! suggestions? comments? Want to do it?

Southwark Playhouse and TTOTS.

Have been trying to get in contact with the girl who played Katherine in a modern-day revival of The Taming of The Shrew in London.

Not successful yet, but the adaptation looks really interesting. I've been playing a lot with the idea the Katherine holds a lot of qualities that are more accepted in today's average female. The play see's her bold nature, outspoken mouth and fiery temper as outrageous and unwantable qualities in a wife. However, I am guessing that in this modern adaptation and from the picture of it below, I think we are seeing more and more that Katherine may be more like a lot of women in today's busy, demanding and independent-seeking world.

Shakespeare and children with Andrew Walner

I have actually been talking to one of my old drama teachers in Australia. He helped me a lot with a Shakespeare monologue I was using for an audition to get into a performing arts school. And his help worked! I got in and spent a year at the Victorian College of the Arts before coming to BYU.

While on the phone, Andrew and I spoke mostly about the teaching of Shakespeare in primary schools (I think Americans call it primary school too? grade 1-6 is primary school), as that is what he does during the week. He also teaches at a community theatre program for children on Saturdays. My little sister used to go to it a few years ago too.

What I tried to offer to the conversation was my interpretation of how Shakespeare has effected me this semester alone. While the text is often difficult, there are so many resources that help to understand and interpret the meaning of such language. Andrew is a strong believer that even children at the age of 8 can read Shakespeare and it can be just as compelling and understandable as Harry Potter.

I shared with Andrew my experience of reading the Tempest and how it was difficult for me to enjoy reading The Tempest when a lot my classmates enjoyed it more-so over The Winter's Tale. However, after seeing it on stage over the weekend, my mind opened up to the magical elements and the relationship of characters. Seeing it on stage, everything became much clearer and less wordy for me. I mean Shakespeare was meant to be seen and not read right?
Andrew also told me how he once taught The Tempest to a group of 14 year olds in high school. Instead of keeping the names of Miranda, Caliban etc, they changed them all to names from Harry Potter so that they could more easily identify with the characters and 'act' out a couple scenes with Hermione in mind for Miranda and Albus Dumbledore as Prospero.

shakespearebot.com

I tried to have a conversation with this thing..

Ariel the puppet, Prospero the puppeteer.

My favourite costume in the production was saw of The Tempest by the Pioneer Theatre Company, was definitely Ariel's.

Like I mentioned earlier, I really enjoyed the steampunk elements of the costume that added some quirky mystery and fantasy to her character. But what I liked most was how it functioned in relation to her being like a puppet in the hands of Prospero.

At the natural joints of her body, elbow and knees, there were gold wrappings that were sort of like a hinge. I imagined her the whole time being like Pinocchio where the puppet can only move strings that are attached to knees and elbows and probably the head.

Julia Motyka who played Ariel, showed distinct movements like a puppet on strings but always moving first at those hinges. Almost like those barbies too that have arms the move at the elbows.

What a fantastic representation of how she is used by Prospero, her puppet master. He controls her in a fashion that will get him what he wants. The picture below is particularly poignant of that where we see him using magic to bind and tangle her up. So brilliant!

I also noticed where the set had rope riggings on the sides of the stage as part of the boat, Ariel would often be amongst them when performing magic to the characters in centre stage. It was so clear to me that she was being controlled by some greater force to perform such magical acts.

steampunk steampunk steampunk!

Did you guys love it? The whole art set for The Tempest was definitely inspired by steampunk art.
Steampunk in relation to art, incorporates a lot of brass, iron, leather and wood. It often has a Victorian-gothic sort of feel and incorporates elements of fantasy, science fiction and contraptions that produce steam.

In the production we saw of The Tempest, I saw a lot of steampunk: the floating lanterns, the bike attached by strings, ariel's costuming and also Prospero's cape. These small little elements gave a cool feeling of being some sort of fantastical place. Notice all of the things I mentioned are of the magical world rather than things associated with Gonzalo, Alonso and the other shipwrecked men.

 

I mean come on, look at all that brass, leather and gadget goodness. 

a Machiavellian Prince.

Professor Gideon mentioned 'The Prince' by Machiavelli in class last week. I actually just read this in my history of theatre class.

What Machiavelli considers the perfect prince are qualities that are pretty morally questionable for us who do not have such responsibilities as someone in the royal court.

Here are some of the qualities of a successful Prince according to Machiavelli:
-He uses power, strength of character and knowledge to get what he wants.
-He makes the most of a situation -turning it into his favour.
-He rules by fear, not love.

I feel that Prospero fits the Machiavellian ideals of a prince. He has a lot of control of what happens to the plot and really uses his powers to better his own situation. I looked this topic up online and there seems to be some debate to this argument; that Prospero resembles the Machiavellian prince. For how much of a part Prospero plays in the events of the play, his control far outways anything else that might go against this argument. Prospero is a cunning man and who knows what he wants and how to get it. He uses Ariel to get this and of course his own magic.

Wedding photography.

Below are a couple photos I have taken of couples. That's what I like to do in my spare time. Photography.

After initially sitting with the couple and figuring out how they interact together, with me, in front a lens and what they generally want from their photographs, I get a good feel for how and who they are.

When photographing weddings, everybody knows how beautiful the whole day can be and also how stressful it can get. Regardless though, the couple is madly in love and whole day is pretty magical.

Looking at Katherine's marriage to Petruchio, I wonder how a modern photographer might photograph them. At this point, Kate has been silenced by even the prospect of being married and not turning out to be an old maid, however she is not completely 'tamed'. Petruchio not only arrives late to his wedding but he is also wearing fool's clothes. Here are a couple dramatic representations on stage and in art of "the happy couple"

 

From a photographers point of view, I would shoot them probably in nature to soften the mood a little bit. With only buildings and sharp edges in the background, it might only illuminate the rigidity between them. I would also try and mask any awkward positions or lack of creativity from them (because they are not exactly swept up in love at this point), by using soft lighting and also tactfully positioning the camera so that we don't see any space between them or awkward poses.