Character Research

I thought it would be wise to do some research into my character before we started rehearsing too deeply. Luckily there is a lot on Wendla, due to the musical being a West End hit, and her being such an interesting and ambiguous character. By many she is viewed as being innocent, curious and vulnerable, being ignorant of the truth, but by others she comes across as a strong willed, flirtatious and intelligent young teen who gets caught up with the longing to know and experience unknown situations. This is something Devan and I have to explore together as the rehearsal process continues, as we need to agree on certain main characteristic choices for our portrayal of Wendla.

I looked to two sources of media for information about my character: the internet and films/ the musical. Google describes Wendla as being 'sweet and very innocent, but she has a streak of defiance and some dark undertones to her personality, underneath all that sweetness. She's fascinated with death, specifically her own, and her desire to experience real, intense emotions and sensations sometimes drive her to take drastic measures [like the beating scene]. She's very intelligent and compassionate, she's extremely curious about the world around her, but most of all, she's just a teenager discovering herself' This very detailed description, in my opinion, summarises up Wendla pretty well, she wants to discover new things but is unsure how to approach them in the society she is living in. After reading a fact sheet about my character I think I have a better understanding of how to build the grounds of this character, and I have discovered that after a few rehearsals I have been able interpret Wendla in my own way. The internet also says that Wendla is 'young and giggly' I think this is a common perception of Wendla and I would like to play this innocence and possible naivety as the affect of her growing up under such an oppressed society. I would like to experiment with the comedic potential I think this character holds too. I also noticed that the character descriptions of Wendla differentiated between the musical and the play. The Wendla in the musical seems to be in love with Melchoir and wants a future with him. She is more romantic and fragile in a sense. The Wendla in the play is described as being more intellectual and ignorant in some ways. I found this very interesting and thought I would incorporate the two different perceptions while adding my own take on Wendla. 

I then watched some different interpretations by actresses who have played Wendla in the musical over the years (I couldn't find any footage of the play being performed) as I thought this would give me a better understanding of the character in new levels. I watched a few acitng scenes when Lea Michele played Wendla and then when Charlotte Wakefield portrayed her. I noticed that Michele really played up to Wendla's youth whereas Wakefield focused more on her curiosity and determination. I enjoyed both portrays but found Michele's choices were stronger and I preferred how she acted around Melchoir; keeping up with his wittiness and not letting him always take the lead. I researched the cast for the Headlong production of Wedekind's 'Spring Awakening' and found out that Aoife Duffin would be playing Wendla. I couldn't find any reviews or clips of her portrayal of Wendla, but I remember Tim telling us that he went to see the production, which he enjoyed but didn't like the modernisation of the play. I agree with this as the play is so classic I think it requires the old fashioned costumes. 

This research has helped me to gain a basic understanding of how I could play this character and has made me excited to work with Devan to create a new Wendla which we can put our own personal touches on as rehearsals develop. 

Similarities and Differences

When working on a character it's important to note the differences between yourself and them, but also the similarities so as to differentiate similar traits or contrasting actions. Having similarities help you to relate to your character, and in the case of Wendla and I, it will help both Devan and me to find certain characteristics we can both echo to keep informing the audience that we are the same character.

List of Differences:

1. She is 3 years younger than me
2. She has dark hair and brown eyes
3. Thinner than me
4. Unsure about how reproduction work
5. Only has one sister
6. Her father died when she was young
7. Immature but wants to be mature, but approaches it in a younger way (whereas I am mature but in an immature way)
8. Wants to know everything she can about people and life
9. Her favorite subject is Latin
10. She doesn't like to dance
11. We approach problems differently 

List of Similarities:

1. Same height 
2. Uncertain about the future
3. Trying to grow up (although we approach this differently)
4. Curious about the world we each live in 
5. Naive
6. Both have a close relationship with our Mothers and sister(s)
7. Both enjoy school
8.  Both enjoy music 
9. Mischievous
10. Both relish life
11. Enjoy the company of other people  

I noticed the similarities between Wendla and I are mainly hobby related or a personality trait. I think this will make it easier when trying out new decisions with my character as I will be able to slightly relate to them. 

Wendla's Playlist

Tim wants music to be a prominent theme in our performance, so he asked us to create a playlist specifically to our character. The music could be what they listened to, what inspired them or what reminded us of our character. Here is my playlist for Wendla:

1. Wander, Wondering (Slow Club) bonus track

I chose this song because the lyrics really suit the hay loft scene and summarize how Wendla feels throughout her encounters with Melchior. The last line of this song is 'so tired all this longing for his touch, all I need is his love.' which links in with the knowledge Wendla has of how reproduction works (her mother telling her you have to love one another) but also her desire to fulfill these feelings she has towards Melchior. I think this song has potential to be played during our performance perhaps, because it's slow but the lyrics are meaningful and relative. 

2.Kiss (Prince)

Again this song highlights Wendla's desires and I imagine her playing this song on a Friday night alone in her room and when walking through the forest. The upbeat quality to this song links in with her outgoing and youthful personality and I think she enjoys the 'frisky' nature of this song as it makes her feel free from her everyday life. Wendla is questioning what her mother has told her and I imagine her mother would've asked Wendla not to listen to this song, so naturally this is the top played song on Wendla's playlist. 

3. Inspector Thompson (James Shearman and Orchestra) Gosford Park Soundtrack

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNRFt5wMfpw)

I recently watched this film because I thought it related slightly to our play, being that the servants are restricted to certain things but they do them secretly anyway. This song is popular of that time period (1930's) and I imagine Wendla's mother allowing her to listen to classical music. There is a very sensual and jazzy quality to this song which I think would be on her playlist. I see Wendla playing this song in the evening. The saxophone and piano solo somehow reminded me of Wendla's personality, a bit playful and hazy but always alert. 

4. Superstition (Stevie Wonder)

I chose this song because I think it summarizes up Wendla's personality well. Throughout the play her objective is to find out the truth and to experience the truth once she knows it. Before the play as well I imagine Wendla slowly realizing that what her mother and teachers are telling her probably isn't true. My character has a very inquisitive mind which doesn't stimulate well under restraint, so naturally she questions everything. The up beat tempo of this piece, I believe, symbolizes Wendla's desperate need to find out how babies are made and to grow up faster than perhaps her mother and herself is ready to. 

5.My Body Is A Cage (Arcade Fire)
The title of this song in itself represents how my character feels, especially in the forest scene with Melchior, when she doesn't understand how her body works. I see Wendla listening to this when she feels confused or frustrated, or at school feeling trapped. I can see this piece of music being in our performance as well, the tempo's up beat and the lyrics fit with the play's message. I learned through this song that my character often expresses how she feels in ways which others see as being bold but she sees as being ordinary. 

6. Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now (The Smiths)
I feel as if Wendla is a Smith's fan because their lyrics relatable to her and she enjoys the male voice. I see Wendla playing this after her mother has told her how babies are made, but she still feels as if something is missing. I think when she listens to this song she doesn't focus on the overall message but enjoys the song as a tune she can turn on when feeling down and feel as if someone else is going through the same misery as her. From this I've discovered that Wendla has a tendency to be quite selfish and only think about how situations would effect her, An example of this is when Martha tell Thea and Wendla that she gets beaten from her parents, and instead of comforting Martha she feels left out and only offers to take Martha's place so she can experience being beaten, something which is new to her. 

7. The Paris Match (The Style Council ft. Tracey Thorn)
This is another jazzy, old time feeling song which Wendla enjoys relaxing too.  Again this song is about relationships, with another person and oneself. This song contrasts to some of the other tracks on Wendla's playlist but she enjoys listening to it. I felt the rhythm and lyrics fitted with her personalty and when listening to it imagined her self in Paris, fantasizing about a romance, similar to one she has read in a book.     

8.Imaginary Love (Rufus Wainwright) 
The title of this song reminded me of the hay loft scene and how desperate Wendla is to allow Melchior to touch her but was fearful because they didn't love one another. I think this song represents a part of Wendla which is really prominent: her imagination. She often fantasizes about being in other people's positions or being some place else and I think this is a result of her suppressed knowledge and perhaps her creativeness. This song highlights her mind trying to imagine things which aren't there. Even after her mother tells her how reproduction works, I believe there is a part of her which knows it isn't the full truth, but she desperately wants to believe and imagine it is. 

9. Sideways (Santana ft. Citizen Cope)
Again this song represents how Wendla feels. A reoccurring lyric in this song is 'these feelings won't go away' which I think links to Wendla's feelings towards Melchior and growing up. This song also corresponds with other characters feelings and relationships. For example Morietz, Hans and Earnest possibly don't want the 'stirrings of manhood' but they have them because they are natural, similarly to Wendla, I get the feeling that she hates this bugging question which always looms over her, she she can't shake it because the feeling is always there. I chose this song because I felt the lyrics were the most relatable to each character and therefore everyone would have a link and a connection. 

10. Life On Mars? (David Bowie)  
I think this song by Bowie summarizes nicely Wendla's curiosity of wanting to know the impossible. Even though I am still in the first stages of finding my character completely, this was one of the first songs I chose to be on her playlist because I immediately saw how curious and bright Wendla is and her need to find out the truth and allow that to help her mature. This song still has a youthful and playful quality to it which she enjoys listening to but also helps inform me of her personality

I really love the idea of incorporating music into our piece, as it provokes emotions and links in with the setting we are placing this version of 'Spring Awakening' in. These young characters are being suppressed from modern day luxuries, and having a personal playlist not only helps me with my character development, but enables the scenes to flow and symbolize these young teens rebelling. I found the playlist useful because it breaks down my characters personality and her feelings: she has a curious and desperate side with a flirtatious and youthful quality. I can associate each song with a certain scene which helps me to get into the mind frame of the situation and also possibly have the song being played in my earphones. I've learned through the songs that my character seems to be bolder and more playful than I expected at first. 

Tim's Vision and Contextual Research

'Spring Awakening' is a German play, considered a Children's Tragedy, by the German dramatist Frank Wedekind. It was his first major play and was viewed as being his first work in the modern history of theatre. It was written between 1890 and 1891, but was first performed on 20th November 1906 in Berlin at the Deutsches Theatre. Wedekind's controversial play criticises the sexually oppressed  society of the 1800's and offers the dramatic outcomes to what could happen. The play included very taboo topics, such as; puberty, sexuality, child rape, abuse and suicide and abortion. It is because of this that the play has been censored or banned over the years. 

1917 saw the first staged 'Spring Awakening' in English performed in New York. It was threatened with closure because the local council complained with was pornographic, however a New York Trial Court issued an injunction which allowed the performances to continue. A musical adaptation of the play opened in 2006 off Broadway and then moved there gaining eight Tony Awards. The play has also been adapted into a television film in 2008 and has recently been translated by Anya Reiss with Headlong to go on tour around Britain in the spring of 2014.

The play's rocky past is symbolic and reflective of the play's initial premise. After researching the play I discovered that today's society is in general more open to controversial plays, and I think 'Spring Awakening' was a catalyst for future playwrights to express subjects in the theatre which happen day to day, but are covered up due to human nature. 

Tim's Vision 
Originally, this play was meant to be set in the period it was written in, the late 1800's but the scriptwriter intended 'Spring Awakening' to be timeless, therefore we are bringing it up to date. Tim's vision is to have this set in a dystopia  future where bold topics like reproduction and sexuality are not discussed and the general populace are watched over by a higher government, in our case the teachers. Tim wants to keep the old fashioned atmosphere alive, so we are incorporating it into the costumes and set. The costumes will be inspired from the late 19th Century and from the film The Double. The set is going to be very basic and structured, while having a futuristic feel to it. We recently agreed that all the children are going to be bare foot as this symbolizes innocence and will make the set and costume flow better.

Today we got to see the set design for the first time. TTA came in and did a presentation on how it would look. Here are a few images. The black raised platform will mean our performance space will be confined which echo's the atmosphere of our play. The two hanging heads are referenced in the teacher scenes and the harsh, classroom like over lighting highlights the uncomfortable feel to this play:

I really like the idea of setting our interpretation of 'Spring Awakening' in a conflicted future, as it shows how our society could potentially end up and I think highlights the importance of the play. The costume and set work with the text and feel we got form reading this play. 

Initial Response To Wendla

The first time I read 'Spring Awakening' all the way through, I knew who my character was and could therefore get a feel of her story. Tim informed us that Wendla would be played by me and Devan, as the character undergoes a massive characteristic change, and we are therefore taking that even further and personifying the dramatic change by switching from me to Devan. At first I was slightly apprehensive as to how we would be able to do the switch smoothly and whether it would work, but after Tim explained how it would be done and we read the play I realised it was a brillient dramatic devise to use. There will hopefully be a two way mirror in which Devan and I can see each other and our own reflections. This will help the audience realise we are the same character and enable the fluidity of the change later on. We started to explore possible overlaps in physicality and speech, for example in act one scene one, Devan mirrors me and mouths the words I say. Another example is in act two scene six, where Devan and I share a monologue, thus highlighting the internal contrast within our character, Wendla. 

When I first read this play, I noticed that Wendla is very energetic and curious, she seems to questions everything and won't stop until she finds out. Her relationship with her mother seems genuine and warm but she feels restricted by the lack of knowledge her mother is giving her. I observed that Wendla is very manipulative and often says or does things which lead to dangerous situations. Even though I haven't explored Wendla too much yet, I can already see that the first scene which opens the play summarizes this character up well: she wants to be mature but in an immature way. At first I didn't warm to Wendla too much, in fact I found her slightly annoying but after a few read troughs and basic blocking I realised her annoyance is what makes her a very powerful female character who takes situations into her own hands, I started to respect her and think of ways I could potentially play my portrayal of Wendla.

 Devan and I agreed that she was slightly cheeky with a youthful quality to her. As I play Wendla in the first half where she is still slightly naive and young, I thought of two potential ways of starting to play her: one where she is youthful and curious and the other where she is flirtatious and inquisitive. I'm going to see how the other actors and Tim respond to these two slightly different characteristics and see how the relationships work with the other characters. 

Even though Wendla has a fair amount of lines, she is also in many scenes where she is observing or lying low. This therefore gives the perfect opportunity to react to the other events on stage and let Wendla breathe in the scene, showing the audience how she lives without lines. I believe reacting is just as and to some extent even more important than acting itself, because it means you are allowing your character to live and have fully immersed yourself into their persona. Wendla is the perfect character to do some really good reacting and subtle bold changes, as during some scenes she's quiet for a moment then says something very ambiguous. for example in act one scene three, she pauses for a moment after Martha has told her she gets beaten. Wendla's response is 'what do they beat you with Martha?' and from some perspectives this could be sincere, but from my interpretation and Tim's vision, we agreed that she is so fascinated with the whole being beaten event, that she desperately wants to try it out. This pause would be a good opportunity to show her mind working and the change she explores into wanting to help her friend just so she can experience something which she sees as thrilling and new. 

As all the characters are, Wendla is vital to the plot line of 'Spring Awakening' and is the catalyst for Melchoir's downfall, while framing the message of if we restrict our children to being children forever, will it ultimately only make them rebel more. Wendla changes a lot and her journey throughout this play is immense, and one which I am extremely looking forward to exploring with Devan and the rest of our cast. I am thoroughly looking forward to finding Wendla and putting my own stamp on this very diverse character, 

Initial Response To Play

When I found out the three Common Ground plays were 'Spring Awakening', 'Summerfolk' and 'Six Characters in search of an Author' I only recognized one which was 'Spring Awakening' due to the famous west end musical. I went home and researched all three and noticed how serious and relevant the context and themes of these plays are. I think the context for 'Spring Awakening' and 'Six Characters in Search of and Author' are slightly more taboo than that of 'Sumemrfolk', as they include topics such as child rape and suicide. I think all three plays are brilliant selections for this years Common Ground as they are all quite different and explore different issues and time periods. In addition to researching each play I read some of the character descriptions and noticed the character in 'Spring Awakening' named Wendla was fairly similar to the character in 'Bunny' which is the play I had picked for my audition speech. This helped give me some insight into the type of play perhaps 'Spring Awakening' is. 

After finding out I was in the cast of 'Spring Awakening' I researched it again to refresh my memory and looked at some songs from the musical to gather up a feel for the play before our first read through. I liked the plot line and the story the characters undertake. I think it's a really interesting play because it seems so far ahead of its time, meaning I think it would work in any time setting. Upon reading 'Spring Awakening' for the first time, I found the language quite dated but I felt as if it worked with the theme of restriction. The first read through of the play was the cast read through and we all had our parts. This helped give me an idea of how the story would be coming alive over the next few months. It definitely worked reading the play all together and out loud because plays are meant to be performed and read out loud, not like a novel. Even though this is a children's tragedy, I found small pockets of comedic potential and started to get excited about the rehearsal process. Although there are a few stage directions, they aren't too restricting which I really find thrilling as it enables me the freedom if playing with my character and doing whatever feels natural. I read the play once without paying much attention to my lines and then again later on, but this time focusing on Wendla's story and words. This helped me to get into the mind set of Wendla and see her importance to the plot while seeing how the play would be different if she wasn't in it. 

Having said this, at some points I did think the dated language did distract the natural flow of a few scenes and could potentially make the physicality stilted. I think this is a challenge we all need to tackle, as the text isn't quite old English but it isn't quite modern. This didn't distract me much from the hidden comedy, sadness and enjoyment I got from reading this play. The dialogue has been translated from German and I think this may affect a few lines on occasions. However, after a couple more read troughs I found the language easier to say and I began to get excited about making the language easy for me and relatable to the audience.  

I really enjoyed the story of 'Spring Awakening' and the different journeys these characters go on. I already feel really attached to all the characters and love the touching dialogue, especially in the last scene. I feel this play is touching, in places disturbing but also a very human piece which I'm sure will affect our audience. I'm looking forward to tackling the weight of this play but also finding the small comedic possibilities within the scenes. 

I think setting this play in the future but still keeping some elements of the 1800's alive with the use of costume and restrictive topics. Wedekind wrote this play to be timeless and apply to every new generation, so I think changing the time period will help make this play more relatable and bring the world of 'Spring Awakening' alive.