Tuesday 25 March 2014
My School Girl Character
As i have become more familiar withTouchstone as a character i have developed an idea of what my school girl character should be. I want my school girl to be mischievous , the class clown as Touchstone is the jester of the play. I think my school girl should also be rather outspoken and not afraid to say whats on her mind almost bait feisty. Touchstone really shows this side to him as he teases many characters and is not afraid to speak what is on his mind to the people that other people would be afraid to speak the truth to. My school girl should also be clever yet not thought of as the 'clever - nerd' type. Touchstone is the voice of reason behind the play yet he says reason through riddle and he is the fool. Meaning it is important that my school girl is clever yet in a playful , clown feisty way.
Rehearsal 2
Today we carried on where we left off in rehearsal. I had more lines to work on as the section we covered had Touchstone in more.
Since doing more work on Touchstone is has strangely got easier yet also a lot harder at the same time. Speaking the lines out loud and having other characters to react to has certainly made my understanding of touchstone as a character increase. Yet having said that this makes my job harder as playing Touchstone well is a challenge. My particular struggle is putting enough energy and fun into Touchstone whilst still conveying his serious message. Also I am still getting used to touchstones relationships with the different characters in the play. With Roaslind and Cielia I am more comfortable , Touchstone has a cheeky relationship with them. He is also from the court like them therefor they have a connection before the forest which helps me to create comedy as they have inside jokes and Touchstone certainly pokes fun at Roaslind in particular.
However I found my first scene with Audrey more of a struggle. It was the first time that I had been on stage alone without Roaslind and Ciela which made it harder to hold myself as it was Touchstone not Touchstone in relation to the two girls. I also found my lines more of a struggle to say , due to this it was harder to really play with them and get into character. However I feel that once i have really got to grips with the lines the fun will follow.
I am still getting to know Touchstone as a character therefor it is a struggle to fully connect at this stage in rehearsal. Also i think Touchstone is a complex character with a lot of different perspectives. Though today was a struggle it was also really fun to actually see the play really get on its feet and the more i do the more i become comfortable with my character.
Since doing more work on Touchstone is has strangely got easier yet also a lot harder at the same time. Speaking the lines out loud and having other characters to react to has certainly made my understanding of touchstone as a character increase. Yet having said that this makes my job harder as playing Touchstone well is a challenge. My particular struggle is putting enough energy and fun into Touchstone whilst still conveying his serious message. Also I am still getting used to touchstones relationships with the different characters in the play. With Roaslind and Cielia I am more comfortable , Touchstone has a cheeky relationship with them. He is also from the court like them therefor they have a connection before the forest which helps me to create comedy as they have inside jokes and Touchstone certainly pokes fun at Roaslind in particular.
However I found my first scene with Audrey more of a struggle. It was the first time that I had been on stage alone without Roaslind and Ciela which made it harder to hold myself as it was Touchstone not Touchstone in relation to the two girls. I also found my lines more of a struggle to say , due to this it was harder to really play with them and get into character. However I feel that once i have really got to grips with the lines the fun will follow.
I am still getting to know Touchstone as a character therefor it is a struggle to fully connect at this stage in rehearsal. Also i think Touchstone is a complex character with a lot of different perspectives. Though today was a struggle it was also really fun to actually see the play really get on its feet and the more i do the more i become comfortable with my character.
Sunday 23 March 2014
Touchstone - character profile
Touchstone is a licensed fold and therefor can say whatever he pleases. He is Duke Frederick's jester and then joins Rosalind and Cielia on their runaway adventure. Touchstone is extremely insightful about human nature and has quick wit. Touchstone enjoys to twist events and stir up argument he is also very nit picky.
As touchstone jokes around he says much truth beneath the surface of his riddle lines. Touchstone is like a monitor for the rest of the casts honesty and truth. This is told by Shakespeare simply from his name as Touchstone is a stone that is used to judge materials. Touchstone has a way of saying wise things a=in amusing ways without sounding like a drone.
Touchstone is able to laugh at himself and also certainly at others. He is a cheeky character and though a fool he is very wise.
As touchstone jokes around he says much truth beneath the surface of his riddle lines. Touchstone is like a monitor for the rest of the casts honesty and truth. This is told by Shakespeare simply from his name as Touchstone is a stone that is used to judge materials. Touchstone has a way of saying wise things a=in amusing ways without sounding like a drone.
Touchstone is able to laugh at himself and also certainly at others. He is a cheeky character and though a fool he is very wise.
Wednesday 19 March 2014
Rehearsal session one.
Today we began to put the play on its feet. After we saw a model of what are set is to look like it really helped me to understand more fully the concept of the play. In place of the climbing frame we used chairs and began to explore using the space. As our whole set is to be on stage at all times it was interesting to play with focus. At first when i entered the stage i struggled in how to enter as my line came a while after meaning i couldn't pull focus with a line. However when told I could simply stand up i really began to get in to role. I began to understand the simple steps to physicality that could pull focus and really began to visualise playing on the combing frame and what my lines will look like alongside interesting physicality.
Today i realised the importance of really getting to grips with what Touchstone is saying. As touchstone is the fool it is important for me to be fun and playful. Yet as the fool in a shakespeaen play i often must communicate an important message. Shakespeare uses riddle for Touchstones line which for me extend the challenge. TO be able for me to become playful with the lines i must really understand the rhythm and meaning. Otherwise my performance will be flat. Though this is going to be a big challenge i am very excited to really start working on my character and i can see elements of Touchstone that i personally can relate to even though i am a very different person to a shakespearan fool. Beginning to work with Ceila and Rosalind also has made my lines come to life. I am able too feed of their speech and then incorporate mood appropriately. Also with my character i am there to provoke and react and provoke therefor in order to create a performance with life i feel it is really important for me to feed of my fellow actors.
We have only got up to page 18 of the play but i am really excited to carry on working with it and begin to understand Touchstone more fully.
First Read through
Today we began the process of putting on our all girls cast version of 'As you like it'. We began the session by being told our concept. We are an all girls independent school in the 50's , kept from certain poetry , songs and litreture we have a climbing frame in school where we go to escape these regulations. There the play as you like it is found and we begin the play. I thought this was a really interesting concept and really ties are all girl cast into the play. Furthermore I think the climbing frame set will work really well to create a visually pleasing ensemble piece.
I have been cast as Touchstone and the first reading we did in our rehearsal was the first time i properly heard my lines next to others. As Touchstone speaks in riddle yet points out very important points I see i have a big challenge. It will be hard to make sure that I get my head around my lines and can speak them with meaning through the riddle yet simulateonlsy remain playful and fun.
After reading the play as a class i understood the events much more clearly. I feel with Shakespeare due to the difficult language it is really hard to read all parts to yourself like a book. When we all read the words really began to come to life and i was able to understand what the characters meant through there long descriptive paragraphs of speech.
This first rehearsal has got me through roughly excited for the play , i now must study Touchstone as a character and his lines in order to really start connecting to the play.
I have been cast as Touchstone and the first reading we did in our rehearsal was the first time i properly heard my lines next to others. As Touchstone speaks in riddle yet points out very important points I see i have a big challenge. It will be hard to make sure that I get my head around my lines and can speak them with meaning through the riddle yet simulateonlsy remain playful and fun.
After reading the play as a class i understood the events much more clearly. I feel with Shakespeare due to the difficult language it is really hard to read all parts to yourself like a book. When we all read the words really began to come to life and i was able to understand what the characters meant through there long descriptive paragraphs of speech.
This first rehearsal has got me through roughly excited for the play , i now must study Touchstone as a character and his lines in order to really start connecting to the play.
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