Performance Evaluations

Opening Night-22nd January 
Today was our first show of the season and already there was a buzzing atmosphere due to the fact that the two other shows in the season, Summerfolk and Six Characters In Search Of An Author had had incredible opening nights, so we new the standard was very high for our performance. There was a great atmosphere back stage and everyone couldn't wait to show our audience what we had been working on over the past few months. 

During the day we did two dress rehearsals to smooth over any rough edges and get a feel for the proper performance which would be taking place tonight. These run throughs were important to get us into the rhythm of the play and prepare us both psychically, mentally and vocally for nights performance. The aim for our first run through was to get through the whole show without any pauses and to feel comfortable in the space and not overcome by nerves or the technical elements. During this run I personally focused on my projection and making sure my movements were bold enough to be seen by each member of the audience. both run throughs went well and it showed me how far we have come from our previous rehearsal and from the tech run. I do think, however, that I could stretch my voice even more and give more in certain scenes. Devan and I need to go over the 'trying on the sackcloth' movement to get it in sync with each other as during both run throughs we were slightly out of time. The main cause of focus for me is making sure the clarity in my voice comes through and controlling my nerves which I know I will have tonight. I think for tonight's performance I need to bring even more energy and make sure I am stable enough for my fellow cast members to play off. During the run I did muffle a few of my lines due to nerves and my natural clumsiness of falling over the tree. I'm glad we did these rehearsals because I felt less nervous for tonight. The speed of our piece is excellent but I think we could be on our cues a lot more. We all need to keep the energy alive and keep the spontaneity of this piece fresh for tonight. 

About an hour before beginners call we did a full cast warm up, going through copious vocal warm ups to prepare our throats and lungs. We did tongue twisters, plosive repetition, breath control, massaging and scaling. Devan and I then got into preset position and I think I can speak for the whole cast when I say we were ready to show everyone what we had worked on.  

Tonight's show was very successful and we were all pleased with it, both cast and crew. I think the main reason for this was that the energy never dropped and the pace wasn't rushed or sloppy. Like every performance, the audience contributed to the piece, us feeding of their responses and being spurred on by their reactions and enjoyment of the play. It's lovely having vocal responses from an audience who haven't seen the play before as it makes you feel like you have succeeded in bringing to life this world and really immersed them into our character's lives. I could feel that everyone felt more comfortable in the space which lifted our performance up. Unfortunately I don't think my vocals were very strong in this performance and again I put this down to my nerves affecting my vocal projection. Next time I will do my own vocal warm up before I got on so as to ensure I don't slip up. I did feel that my reactions were alive and honest and that I was committed in each scene. Both forests scenes went extremely well and the reaction we got from the beating was what we wanted. Afterwards some of our friends said that they couldn't watch it as it was so horrid and uncomfortable. Josh really surprised me in this performance as he heightened and refined everything he was doing in rehearsals and really gave all he had, especially in the end scene. It was a joy to react of and I think we are on track for an excellent couple of shows. 

Second Night-28th January 
We knew as soon as we arrived in the theatre that we had a lot to do for tonight's performance in order to match and expand on the last. People always say that the matinee is never good and we were very conscience of this. We knew we would have to work extra hard to maintain the focus and energy required for this play. We did a fast line run to smooth over any uncertain cues and then went straight into a vocal and physical warm up. Some people said that they didn't like the speed run as it un-nerved them or made them get out of their character, but for me it was beneficial because I could go over the lines which I had struggled with the previous night. Devan and I did a mirroring exercise to connect the two Wendla's and I did my own vocal warm up so I could prevent muffling my lines again. 

Overall I think our second performance was very strong. There were a few prop mistakes, me breaking the switch by accident and the umbrella breaking during the funeral scene, but everyone carried on and it didn't disrupt the flow of the piece at all. Concerning the switch I think I delt with it very well as it didn't affect my performance and Josh and I still managed to do the beating. I noticed during this show that Nairac's reactions as Scoot were fantastic and he fed off the audience so well, not playing it for laughs but playing it for the truth which is where the comedy lay. My vocals this show were so much better than the last and I knew this was because I had done an extra vocal warm up to calm my nerves and relax my throat. For our final performance I will continue to do the same and just make sure I don't hit the switch hard. 

Final Night-4th February 
We did the same warm up as we had done last week, with a quick line run which helped us immerse ourselves in the world of Spring Awakening. We had a slightly longer vocal warm up this time, with some new relaxation exercises added to make us feel more confident in the space and help us connect to the audience. This was definitely helpful as it reconnected me to the play and reminded me of the boldness I need in my vocals and reactions. Again I did my own privet vocal warm  up and listened to Wendla's playlist to get me into my character. Devan and I did the same mirroring exercise and we all got ready for our last performance. 

I know I speak for everyone when I say this was a brilliant closing night. Everyone had the intensity needed and I don't think anyone really outshone anyone else as we all matched each other in vocals and reactions. I felt the scene with Maya where Wendla finds out about reproduction was at it's best in this show because we both just went for it and that translated over into the audience. We were all focused and committed in each scene . My vocals were at their strongest in this performance too and I really felt the emotion and desperation of Wendla throughout the entire piece. As the performance cam to an end and we went on for curtain call, I could see the audiences faces and I knew we had done this play justice, ending the season on a very high standard and happy performance.