Normalised and DNA Journey

 Task 1- Documenting your Journey

When I first got the role I was really surprised to be given a role so important and I was nervous but slightly exited to perform as Phil, the first thing I did was go off and read through the script to see the stage directions, what he does and what he says. At first when auditions were running I didn't audition for the role of Phil as I originally went for the role as Danny as I didn't understand DNA at first and then when I filled in for Phil in 2 auditions it was noticed how I was very observant of the things happening around me and how I was listening to the people talk around me but not reacting as much or responding. We also were given a sheet of questions to ask our self's about the character we were given. I also went home and did a lot research behind the character and found he he loves true crime so I watched a lot of true crime shows to give off the smart and scheming vibe. Also during rehearsals I played around with what I could do whilst I was not speaking and Interactions with others. I was also experimenting in rehearsals with how I could interoperate this character and how I could perform him on stage since he is a complex character as we don't really have much a like, for example he likes to command the space around him and the people and has a sense of leadership where as I am a more outgoing person and listen to others more so it was quite exiting to see how this could play out. When rehearsals started it was pretty great since the cast cracked on and we al read through lines and helped each other and gave notes and supported each other, after that we moved onto blocking quickly and got a few notes of what we should do in and improve our volume. I personally enjoyed the power of silence I bring to the stage and how I can get to eat and drink on stage. The lesson I learned from DNA was an eye opener into how important being prepared is and being concentrated constantly.

Normalized: when we came back from the Christmas holidays we did a read through of the play Normalized and I was intrigued by the character Jay since he is a main character and had many powerful scenes in the play that I liked and drew me in. When auditions started I of course went for Jay and when we we given audition materiel I went through it making sure I knew it, I was a bit nervous since we were doing it in front of everyone but I did it anyway and It didn't go as perfectly as I thought but I managed to perform it. When cast list came out I was part of the ensemble which was okay since Jay wouldn't of been a big challenge for me and when rehearsals started we worked on how we should come in and the timings for it and worked on the blocking and how we should interact with the set and other casts. 

Task 2- Its about the production

For production roles for DNA cast three me and my partner for production roles asked the cast to do a meet the cast (video decided to not load so I can send it to you):

It was really fun interviewing the cast three of DNA and getting to know how they felt about the play and seeing how they view and how they are going to interpret it in their performance and seeing how they are feeling about their own performance they will do on stage. We also got to see what their thoughts were about their characters and gave us a few about their favorite moments with them

Task 3- The National Theater

The National Theater connections is about bringing together a community together and showcasing young peoples performance across the UK.
History: Connections is the National Theater’s annual, nationwide youth theater festival. The programme has been established for 30 years with a celebrated history of championing the talent of young people from across the UK. The festival consists of two performances per evening with an interval.
What National Theater actually is- It provides opportunities for young actors to perform on stage and to help and support stage craft. It also helps with creativity and access to theater and give young actors a chance of a bright future. 

A great reason why the National theater connections is so important i because it gives young people a platform to dive deep in their theater skills, collaborate with professional writers and directors and experience the magic of live performance in a professional setting. It also serves a crucial stepping stone in a young theater child's future for a acting career.

It also serves as a strive to entertain and to inspire others around the world to use that creativity the National Theater presents and performs and expertise unique reach it also helps and brings together a youthful community together and helps build teamwork.

Another important reason why National Theater is important is because it inspires young people in the importance of theater. It helps them nurture creativity, supports them with personal health and helps the with skill development and communication.

Task 4- Your performance

Task 5 - Evaluation of your work

Looking at it all together it as such an experience playing in DNA and playing as the character Phil it was very tough since the role was brought to me as a challenge and just getting into that mindset of a leader who controls his group to cover up their murder of their friend. When I first got the role I was shocked since i did not expect to get Phil since he is very out of my comfort zone. When it was show week I was very nervous since I was not confident at all but I felt it drift from my body when I went on stage and I was just in the moment and right then I was only Phil and I felt like him as well. The research I did like watching true crime shows and seeing how master manipulating works was worth it in the end. I also watched movies which related to his character that embody that unsettling silence and corrosive effects of the groups dynamics and that happens in a community of young people. Before the final performance of DNA we did many rehearsals and read through lines to make sure we were prepared and gathered our props and put them into place. I also watched many things that involved and related to DNA ad that's how it helped me interpret Phil and to command the space and bounce of my cast mates when speaking my monologues and bringing out that leadership behavior but I also had to consider that behind his leadership and superiority he it also mixes in with fear and a desperate need for validation and reassurance that he has done nothing wrong and not accepting the consequence for his actions. For preparation of my role as Phil we also did many games that involved keeping a straight expression and took part in leading many games with first years to have a sense of leadership. We also choose for costume, school uniforms and choose the UK messy style and had a messy set with rubbish to give the audience an idea of what we chose to interpolate. When I did my final performance I made sure I pet some details of what I have learned but not to much to overwhelm my self and portrayed Phil to the best I could and overall an amazing script, story line and characters and it has taught me to be more confident with the choices I make and to be very prepared before every performance and to not overwhelm my self.

 

When rehearsals for Normalize started I was pretty happy with what I was doing and how I was on stage and performing but there were also a few things I could of done with being confident with interacting with other characters and my volume. We also did many games together to help with being an ensemble and more vocal warm ups to help with projection on stage. For costume I choose to were bright colors and my friend who was an ensemble with me decided too contrast with me as well since we are best friends in Normalized and to stand out as an ensemble to show that they are important to a show to. As for set we interacted with the shrine a lot to observe it and to show our understanding of what's happened, we also interacted with props like posters for he vigil. When interacting with the other characters I spoke to Jay about the memorial and what happening and how did it go and interacted with the chavs since they give us glares and speak to us on stage. Overall when the show was done I was so proud of myself with how it all went and everyone else that took part in the show.