Michael Chekhov Applied

Michael Chekhov was a firm believer in the actor using his/her imagination to create their character and make it personal to them. We studied Chekhov in depth during acting technique but Tim did this exercise with us to deepen our character work. This exercise marked the first of many acting and character developments we did in order to strengthen our  choices on stage. After a few vocal and character warm ups, Tim took us through this exercise:

We had to close our eyes and imagine our character standing in front of us. We pictured what they looked like and noted it down. I pictured Wendla as wearing a light pink satin fairy dress with a frayed hem as it had been unpicked so many times with rough light brown shoes and white long stockings which had been rolled down. She had thick long auburn hair which curled at the end, pale skin with a few freckles over her nose, large hazel eyes and a slim figure. Her chest had just started to develop and was made obvious by the ill fitting fairy dress. She was medium height and had a sweet and innocent look to her. She used her eyes a lot and secretly enjoyed being the centre of attention.  
After we had a clear image of what our character looked like, we then had to breathe them in on our in breath and slowly over a count of eight we would be come the character we had pictured in front of us. We then took on our characters physicality and pictured them doing an activity but being distracted b something else (linking this in with Stanislavsky's circle of attention exercise) I pictured Wendla eating breakfast but not being interested in it as her chest was hurting and she couldn't understand why. We then took on this action and started doing it.

After a while of living in the action, Tim got us to shake off the first presentation of our character and close our eyes. We had to see our character again, this time looking completely different.  This time a taller and more developed Wendla was standing in front of me. She has curly black hair which had been plated at the front but allowed to run free down her back. Her eyes were brown with long lashes and she had slightly fuller lips and cheeks. Again she was in a fairy dress but this time it was longer and less ''fancy''. It had a rip near the hem and was a washed out grey with lots of peeling off lace around the collar line and sleeves. Her boots were jet black and neatly laced. She had a brown leather backpack on one shoulder and mud on her knees from climbing the tree. 
Once we had this new character in our minds, we then had to see them doing another action, this time breathing that in over a count of ten. When we had merged into our new character's action, again being distracted by something, Tim added on another factor; seeing how our character would respond to being either hot or cold. My second action was sorting out food and clothes for the poor family I visit but I couldn't stop thinking about my body, my feelings towards Melchior or how reproduction works. I started to get hot, fanning myself with the clothes and putting the cool jars against my face. I noticed afterwards that Wendla likes the sun but hates being hot, so when she got warm, she tried everything to cool herself down. Just after I had cooled myself down, I began to feel cold which I welcomed. I noticed that feeling cool wasn't a problem for Wendla, it just made her work harder as a means of warming herself up. 

Succeeding this exercise we then all feedback about how our two characters looked and what it was like to perform two actions of theirs not stated specifically in the play. I discovered that Wendla didn't like the heat as it slowed her down and she is quite a fast paced character. I also realised that she thought a lot about Melchior as to her he has all the answers to her questions. This exercise was extremely useful for me because up until now I had struggled slightly with picturing Wendla outside of Spring Awakening, so through doing this I have no gained a new knowledge of my character. I spoke to Devan afterwards and one of her actions was sorting out food and clothes for the poor too. We hadn't planned this so it felt really good to see that we had done the same action, as I now feel that we have a good connection and shared understanding when it comes to Wendla.

Mike Alfred Applied

Mike Alfred's was a strong believer in actors and not the set. He believed that an actor should be able to be completely engulfed in their character without the need for set or costume and that the actors preparation on the character should be projected clearly enough onto the audience without the need for visual help. Due to this. Alfred devised many exercises to help the actor get into their role and become their character. One of his exercises which we did was noticing withing the play what your character says about themselves and what others say about them. This is a good start to building your character and seeing the plain facts which the playwright has presented for you. Below are a few quotes concerning how my character exists within the play:

What my character says about herself:

• 'I don't want to be fourteen'
• 'Perhaps I won't be here at all'
• 'I'm going to dress like a fairy queen underneath' 
• 'I would have run away long ago'
• 'I would have asked her'
• 'Melchi Gabor told me'
• 'I seem to be lost'
• 'I lay on the grass for ages dreaming'
• 'I dreamed I was a poor beggar child'
• 'I go hot and cold all over whenever she talks about it'
• 'I've never been beaten in my life'
• 'I've sometimes tried beating myself to find out'
• 'So now I've become an Aunite for the third time, with one niece and two nephews' 
• 'I really don't have much sense'
• 'I still have no idea how it all happens'
• 'I won't get better, I've got dropsy and I'm going to die. Mother I'm going to die.'

What the other characters say about my character:

• 'Other girls are so gangly and awkward at your age. You're the opposite.' Mrs Bergmann
• 'You're talking nonsense Wendla, utter nonsense!' Thea
• 'I'd be proud if I were you' Martha 
• 'Just look at the way she walks, her level gaze, the way she holds herself, if that isn't pride!' Thea
• 'I would say you were a wood nymph that's fallen out of the branches' Melchior
• 'I've heard that you often visit the poor' Melchior 
• 'So you visit the poor because it gives you pleasure' Melchior 
• 'You, Wendla Bergmann, toss your hair and laugh' Melchior 
• 'I know where you get this from, Wendla, from stupid children stories!' Melchior
• 'Stop it Wendla, I'm not going to beat you' Melchior 
• 'When will you ever grow up' Mrs Bergmann
• 'I love you as little as you love me' Melchior
• 'His transgression may yet bring about her happiness' Mrs Gabor
• 'I told her to stop her daughter from climbing into haylofts' Mr Gabor
• 'I'm sure she hates me because I took away her freedom' Melchior
• 'You're going to have a baby Wendla. You're expecting a baby' Mrs Bergmann
• 'I killed her. I murdered her' Melchior 

I've highlighted the key quotes which I think sum up Wendla and her characteristics. This exercise helped me see plainly what Wedekind had written about my character and was a good foundation to start building my own interpretation of Wendla. I found it interesting that Melchior is the one who says the most about Wendla, and I believe this is because when they are around each other they seem to be on the same level and therefore feel a strong trust between each other. During the woodland scene Wendla opens up to Melchior, revealing her hidden desire to get beaten and then asking him to fulfill that. Wendla is different to the others girls in that she wants to explore the unknown and will seek it until she finds it. I think the way she acts around her friends is interesting because she seems to be the ''leader'' but wants what Martha has. These points back up Wendla's innocence due to the suppressed society she lives in and through doing this exercise I have gained a wider understanding of Wendla and the world in which Wedekind created her in.

Script Analysis

As part of clearing up what my character wants in each scene, Devan and I gave each moment a title and a sub-heading, thus enabling us to see openly what our character got out of each scene:

Act One, Scene One
Wendla complaining about the length of her dress: not wanting to lose her childhood dress and therefore not wanting to grow up but has a need for knowledge and a want for maturity. 

Act One, Scene Three
Wendla and her friends meet in the forest and catch up:opening up about their feelings and finding out about Martha's beating and how it is done, sparking Wendla's interest.  

Act One, Scene Five
Wendla meeting Melchior in the Forest, starting a convocation and discovering new experiences: Wendla discovering her desires and testing Melchior, seeing his confusion and the effect Wendla has on him. 

Act Two, Scene Two
Wendla finding out how babies are made due to her becoming an auntie for the third time: finally feeling informed and knowledgeable. 

Act Two, Scene Four
Wendla testing her new found knowledge: feeling confused by her inner emotions and by what she thinks is right. 

Act Two, Scene Six
Wendla sorting out how she feels now: noticing that she has changed and realizing she has done something wrong. 

Act Three, Scene Five
Wendla expressing her feelings and concerns to her mother: trying to find out the truth from her mother and excepting her fate. 

As well as noting the titles of my scenes, I annotated and broke down each moment my character was in. Below are some pictures of some parts of the text which I found hard to find the truth of, so I focused more on them:

 This is my very first scene, and to begin with I was struggling with finding the truth of the language. I started to break down each line into different actions and worked on the scene with Maya, freeing ourselves up physically as both as agreed with Tim it was looking too stiff. Once I had worked out my characters underline objectives of what she was saying, her overall objective for the scene (wanting to mature but hold onto her childhood dress, firstly because it suits her better and secondly because there's a small part of her which doesn't want to throw away a childhood memory) became clearer. 'The dress is too long mother. Why did you make it so long?' is my characters first line and here her objective is to state/to complain/to question. Personally I think this summarizes up Wendla well, she is always questioning things she does not understand and somehow manages to convince people so she gets her way. 

 This is the end of the first scene and again I struggled with the language being presented. Even after I added in the objectives or targets, I was still finding the text tough. After reading through the scene a few times I realised I wasn't pausing at all and was just rushing through the lines, I wasn't allowing the lines to breathe within the scene, So, I broke up the text into pauses and moments and suddenly it sounded better. Tim told me to not let the lines restrict my physicality, so once I moved around and did what my body wanted to do, the lines flowed more naturally. 'Oh no.' is another line I was finding hard as it was so short, but after I found the objective, to protest, it became easy and I found myself saying it automatically. Maya and I developed a stronger mother-daughter relationship as rehearsals went on and I felt this scene getting stronger.


                                                                                                                                                              

This is the first scene I have with characters the same age as mine. All of us were finding it hard to find the truth of this and just 'freeing it up'. I think part of this block we had was because this scene takes place in the forest and as we were in rehearsal rooms we only had chairs to represents the tree and parts of the set. Although this shouldn't have affected our performance, it was difficult to feel free and allow the lines to flow. I particularly found the opening lines tricky 'How the wind sings around your ears'  and 'Let's go to the bridge. They say whole trees and bushes have been swept away by the flood. The boys have built a raft. I heard Melchi Gabor almost drowned last night'. as again I found them un-natural and  stiff. Tim said that the first line is more of a correction in respond the Martha's statement, so my objective became to correct. As for the next few lines, Lizzie, Humera and I all agreed that Wendla was trying to convince Thea and Martha to go to the bridge, as she knows that's where Melchior is going to be and she wants to ask him questions. Throughout this scene I also noted down which part of Wendla's lines were 'silly' and what were 'serious', as she often says a lot of things which are mature or not and this helped me to free up my physicality. 

This last page of this scene is the most crucial, as it is where the beating takes place. My objectives for this scene have always been clear; wanting to discover new experiences, such as being beaten, and knowing that I could get that from Melchior. At first, Josh and I were making the scene too preempting, and making it far too weighted for what it was,  After Tim spoke to us about the lightness and innocence of the scene, we immediately changed the way we said the lines and became our characters. Wendla and Melchior are attracted to each other and unknowingly flirt for the first half of the scene, this changed the dynamic completely and made the sudden change in Melchior at the end even more prominent. The problem with the end page was that Josh and I were pausing between the lines and again making them too heavy which resulted in the scene sounding melodramatic. After we noted our objectives and got the scene more pacey, it became more realistic and the lines didn't sound fake anymore.

I have found the language in this play quite tricky to get a hold of, and I think it maybe due to the fact that the language is classically written but sounds modern, and for a while I found that hard to get my head around. However, after focusing on my objectives and once my I'd learned my lines I found it easier to make the lines sound like I was saying them for the first time. I noticed that Ashleigh and Jackie's vocals throughout the rehearsals and the performance were brilliant and that they made the accent and complicated words sound easy and natural. Even though we didn't study Stanislavsky in depth this year, I still used his methods when getting into my character and relaxing before going on stage.

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.