12.04.2021 - Auditions for Actors - Mrs Williams

 Today I'm going to go through my poems and figure out which 2 I want to keep for my self-tapes.  I need 2 contrasting monologues, one contemporary and one classic.  

CLASSIC

In my original 5 options, I only had one classical monologue.  This was Ophelia's monologue in Hamlet by William Shakespeare.  After discussing this with my teacher, I discovered that it is better to do monologue that isn't as common.  I've done some more research and found a monologue that is more suitable.

Cordelia's monologue from King Lear by Shakespeare

Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave
My heart into my mouth. I love your Majesty
According to my bond; no more nor less.
Good my lord,
You have begot me, bred me, lov’d me; I
Return those duties back as are right fit,
Obey you, love you, and most honour you.
Why have my sisters husbands, if they say
They love you all? Haply, when I shall wed,
That lord whose hand must take my plight shall carry
Half my love with him, half my care and duty.
Sure I shall never marry like my sisters,
To love my father all.

CONTEMPORARY

My other 4 monologues were contemporary; Amy's monologue from And Turning, Stay by Kellie Powell, Mildred's monologue from The Hairy Ape by Eugene O'Neill, Sylv's monologue from East by Steven Berkoff and Bette's monologue from The Marriage of Bette and Boo by Christopher Durang.  It's quite a tough choice to decide which monologue I want to use.  Here are the reasons I didn't pick specific monologues:

And Turning, Stay by Kellie Powell

This was my second choice for the contemporary monologues.  The play is about a girl named Amy in high school, who has a tryst with her best friend, Mark, only to find out he doesn't want to be in a relationship with her.  This monologue occurs after Mark gets beaten up due to the way he treated Amy.  This character would fit me very well as I am a female in high school.  However, this is also the reason I decided to not chose this monologue.  I feel as if I could challenge myself more than portraying someone who is around my age and in high school.  

The Hairy Ape by Eugene O'Neill

The main theme of this play is wealth and poverty.  In this monologue, Mildred is sitting on a cruise ship, talking about how she has had her wealth passed down through generations and not having to work hard for anything.  The main thing that steered me away from this monologue was my disliking of it.  I will need to enjoy a play and monologue to be able to give it justice when I perform it.  I don't really like this monologue and I think that enjoying it is very important.

East by Steven Berkoff

This was originally going to be my final monologue.  The reason as to why I decided otherwise is because I have already worked on this monologue and play before.  I think that I wouldn't be pushing myself enough if I re-did it.  I also want to explore what else I can do, as there's loads of material out there and I want to test and challenge myself.

Bette's monologue from The Marriage of Bette and Boo by Christopher Durang

This is the monologue I decided to go for.  It ticked every box.  I found it really entertaining and funny, which is a massive factor, and I'm challenging myself. 

05.04.2021 - Auditions for Actors - Mrs Williams

For this unit, we have to pick 2 contrasting monologues and perform them to act as an audition (in the form of a self-tape) to a drama school.  Currently, I am looking at 5 different monologues:

Amy's monologue from And Turning, Stay by Kellie Powell

Don't you dare walk away from me! And don't tell me you're sorry! And don't tell me to forget it, and don't you dare tell me to "let it go." God knows, I'd like to. I wish I could, but I can't! I can't forget that we had something, and you're running away. You're running away! Don't you see, Mark? You're running from what I've searched for all my life! Why, because you're scared? Well, I'm scared too, but you and I - we have something worth fighting for. We could make it work, I'm not saying it would be easy, but I care about you. And I know deep down, under this (Spitting out the word.) bravado, you care about me. And that's what it's all about, Mark, don't you get it? It's the human experience. You can pretend all you want, but you're only lying to yourself. You're denying the simple and wonderful fact that you are emotional, and vulnerable, and alive. Can you honestly stand there and tell me that I mean nothing to you? That everything that happened that night was a lie? That you feel nothing? (AMY is crying or close to it. The following is a painful statement that she makes not to attack or threaten Mark but rather, to allow herself closure with the situation.) I feel sorry for you, Mark. I'll move on. I'll find someone else. I'll be all right, because I will know that I tried. That I did everything I could. But someday you will look back, and you will realize what you threw away. And you will regret it always.

Mildred's monologue from The Hairy Ape by Eugene O'Neill

Please do not mock at my attempts to discover how the other half lives. Give me credit for some sort of groping sincerity in that at least. I would like to help them. I would like to be some use in the world. Is it my fault I don't know how? I would like to be sincere, to touch life somewhere.

(With weary bitterness.)

But I'm afraid I have neither the vitality nor integrity. All that was burnt out in our stock before I was born. Grandfather's blast furnaces, flaming to the sky, melting steel, making millions- then father keeping those home fires burning, making more millions- and little me at the tail-end of it all. I'm a waste product in the Bessemer process- like the millions. Or rather, I inherit the acquired trait of the by-product, wealth, but none of the energy, none of the strength of the steel that made it. I am sired by gold and darned by it, as they say at the race track- damned in more ways than one.

Sylv's monologue from East by Steven Berkoff

I for once would like to be a fella, unwholesome both in deed and word and lounge around one leg cocked up and car keys tinkling on my pinky. Give a kick * at talent strolling and impale them with an impertinent and fixed stare … hand in Levi-Strauss and teeth grinding, and that super unworrisome flesh that toys between your thighs, that we must genuflect and kneel to, that we are beaten across the skull with. Wish I could cruise around and pull those tarts and slags whose hearts would break as he swiftly chews us up and spits us out again … the almighty boot! Nay, not fair that those pricks get all the fun – with their big raucous voices and one dozen weekly fucks … cave mouths, shout, burp and Guinness soaked … If I dare do that … ‘What an old scrubber-slag-head’ utter their fast and vicious lips … so I’d like to be a fella. Strolling down the front with the lads and making minute and limited wars with knife-worn splatter and invective splurge. And not have the emblem of his scummy lust to Persil out with hectic scrub … just my johnny tool to keep from harm and out of mischief … my snarling beasty to water and feed from time to time to rotten time … to dip my wick into any old dark and hot with no conscience or love groan … doth he possess the plague in gangrened bliss to donate to me and not give a shit. I am snarled beneath his bristly glass-edged jaw, beneath a moving sack of leer and hard and be a waste-bin for his excessives and embellishments.

Ophelia's monologue from Hamlet by William Shakespeare

O, what a noble mind is here o’erthrown!
The courtier’s, soldier’s, scholar’s, eye, tongue, sword,
Th’ expectancy and rose of the fair state,
The glass of fashion and the mould of form,
Th’ observ’d of all observers, quite, quite down!
And I, of ladies most deject and wretched,
That suck’d the honey of his music vows,
Now see that noble and most sovereign reason
Like sweet bells jangled out of tune and harsh,
That unmatch’d form and feature of blown youth
Blasted with ecstasy. O, woe is me
T’ have seen what I have seen, see what I see.

Bette's monologue from The Marriage of Bette and Boo by Christopher Durang

Hurry up, Boo. I want to use the shower. (Speaks to the audience, who seems to be her great friend:) First I was a tomboy. I used to climb trees and beat up my brother Tom. Then I used to try to break my sister Joanie’s voice box because she liked to sing. She always scratched me though, so instead I tried to play Emily’s cello. Except I don’t have a lot of musical talent, but I’m very popular. And I know more about the cello than people who don’t know anything. I don’t like the cello, it’s too much work and besides, keeping my legs open that way made me feel funny. I asked Emily if it made her feel funny and she didn’t know what I meant:; and then when I told her she cried for two whole hours and then went to confession twice, just in case the priest didn’t understand her the first time. Dopey Emily. She means well. (Calls offstage:) Booey! I’m pregnant! (To audience:) Actually I couldn’t be because I’m a virgin. A married man tried to have an affair with me, but he was married and so it would have been pointless. I didn’t know he was married until two months ago. Then I met Booey, sort of on the rebound. He seems fine though. (Calls out:) Booey! (To audience:) I went to confession about the cello practicing, but I don’t think the priest heard me. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t even give me a penance. I wonder if nobody was in there. But as long as your conscience is all right, then so is your soul. (Calls, giddy, happy:) Booey, come on!

26.03.2021 - Film and TV acting - Mrs Williams

 VOTING

Today was the last day of filming.  We had to film the voting scene and the scene directly after where Ken and Rachel have a conversation as they will be wearing the same outfit and the mise-en-scene and set will be the same.  Louis, James, Hugo, Amelie and I were in this scene so Tristan did the filming and directing.  It went smoothly as the scene was quite short.  

KEN AND RACHEL CONVERSATION

James, Hugo and I were acting in this scene and Tristan was filming and directing.  We had some struggles as in the original scene Cuckoo walks to the back of the sofa to hug Ken and Rachel, but we didn't have the space for that.  Instead, Hugo hid behind the sofa and popped up when he was needed.

24.03.2021 - Film and TV acting - Mrs Williams

 KITCHEN - FINDING CAMERA

Today we filmed the scene set in the kitchen in the morning.  Louis, James, Amelie and I were acting in this scene so Tristan filmed and directed.  Tristan got a large range of different shot types and angles to work with.  This scene went pretty smoothly to film.  We brought props for the mise-en-scene, like jam and bread and a notepad and pen.  

22.03.2021 - Film and TV acting - Mrs Williams

 BEDROOM

I was ill in the morning, but managed to get in before we started filming.  In the original show, Cuckoo is sitting on the kitchen countertop naked, but we decided to film it in the bedroom.  This is for efficiency and also to make sure Hugo is comfortable.  Hugo, Amelie and James are in this scene, so Louis, Tristan and I directed and filmed it.  We also added in the scene which was originally filmed on the sofa.  This is also due to efficiency and we thought that it wouldn't affect anything.  

18.03.2021 - Film and TV acting - Mrs Williams

 FAMILY MEETING

Today we filmed the family meeting scene.  We set up the flats and the shot and got into costumes.  Louis, James, Hugo, Amelie and I were acting in this scene so Tristan directed and filmed.  This scene was a little bit tough to figure out as the table is round and it breaks the 180 degree rule.  Tristan watched the scene multiple times to see which shot types he could use.  

POTATO WASHING

Cuckoo and Rachel are wearing the same thing in this short scene as the family meeting so we decided to film it on the same day.  In the original show, this scene is set by Cuckoo's potato tuk-tuk that he was painting.  As we didn't have access to this kind of prop, we decided to film it in the kitchen with potatoes in the sink.  We also had to change some of the script and lines because Cuckoo mentions the tuk-tuk.  This wasn't too difficult and it turned out well.

17.03.2021 - Film and TV acting - Mrs Williams

GARAGE LAST SCENE

We only had one hour to film the last scene which is set in the garage.  We were able to access the garage so it was very useful.  It's only a short scene but we had some complications along the way.  In the original scene Ken and Cuckoo hug, but we wanted to alter it due to coronavirus.  People kept coming in and out of the garage, which delayed the filming for a bit.  Hugo and James were in the scene and Tristan and Louis directed and filmed.