Before the play:
Publicity- the poster is of Joe and Kate Keller with an explosion in the background. indicating that something explodes during the play. This can be seen as relationships between the characters exploding or a literal explosion.
Venue- the venue is a little different from what i expected though it does suit the play and the venue which the play was written for. This influences the style of the production as the set and venue are quite proffesional and slightly commercial.
Set- The house of stage left and the tree stage right. A shadow casts on the house- as though Larry was an integral part of the house. Poplars closing in/protecting the secrets of the Keller’s. raked stage.
Lighting- natural lighting- shadow on house
Costume- America int he 1940’s. New Yorken characters wear New york fashion
A forum took place before the play to give VCE students an insight into the play and its history.

During the play:
-The production closely coincides with the context of the original playscript as in honours the original social, cultural and historical contexts
-The production relates to the original naturalistic/ realistic theatrical style of the playscript.
-The application of stage crafts coincide with the original payscript but there are a number of changes which have been changed according to the directors interpretation but do not alter the play; Music has been added at the beggining and end of each act that has a dark feel to it that indicate the darkness of the characters and events of the play, Bird chirps are heard during the more simple scenes where no real conflict occur, which highlights the emptiness during the climatic scenes. The set is slightly different which was obviously altered as a result of their interpreation. The lighting both the the playscript and this play indicate the passing of time, though in the intermission between act one and two sunset occurs which was not in the original playscript.

After the play:
An analysis was written as practise for Outcome 3 Unit 3.

The play one studies in Outcome 3 Unit 3 is important to be read before one sees the play as the expectation thus the original playscript may be altered in the directors interpretation:
-The action of the play is set in August 1947 in the mid west of the U.S.A
-Arthur Miller wrote the play in 1946
-The setting of the plot takes place in the back yard of the Keller’s home in the outskirts of an American town. Upstage is filled with the back of the house and its open, unroofed porch. At the right, beside the house, the driveway can be seen, in the left corner downstage stands the four-foot high stump of a slender apple tree. Garden chairs and table are scattered about.
-The theatrical style is naturalistic/ realistic both in the playscrpit and in the production
-The historical events of World War Two influence in plot of the play as the play comments of the struggle of Joe Keller to forget his past and create the American dream.

You know when you sing and your voice gets really sore, well the same stands for acting. You must be using your neck muscle’s instead of your ‘Diaphragm!’- a large muscle beginning at the bottom of your ribs which goes to your abdomen, a muscle which you can use alternatively in order to have more breathe whilst singing and acting especially during soliloquis. We lay down on the floor in order to relax all muscles and really felt that we were breathing from some other place…the ‘Diaphragm!’. We did an activity where we let all the breathe out of our bodies and relaxed the abdominal muscles them let breathe in. As opposed to breathing from our stomach/abs we used our diaphragm which allowed all the air back into our bodies filling the diaphragm. The point of the workshop was to help us to use our voice on stage so that it will help us utilize how much breathe must be used and at which point.

I realised that this is probably the smartest way to get answers from you all, and see who really reads other blogs and who doesnt! So please do this asap! after all i would do it for you! Simply answer the question in a comment to me…how easy!

1.Has my work as a dramaturge influenced the work of your stagecraft? And how? ie: ‘Dramaturgical Compost’ pin board, Synopsis of the play, History of the 80’s.

Thanks for your help, Yaniv.

From looking at all your other blogs i realised that mine is a little to formal. But it makes me feel wierd spilling my emotions out to a computer screen. Anyway, i realised that ‘Yes’ this is a way of communication to you guys, to tell you my concerns and to include you in my process.
So my main concern at the moment is that i have not started learning lines and am getting nervous to start. This script is one of the hardest ive seen! so many little lines, little conversations and even two different conversations that occur at the same time.
So this is an opportunity for you to think about how you are going to learn lines and at the same time give me advise on where to start…or end?

Chanov!

A really important and beneficial part of putting on a play is the character development. Scotty ran a workshop based on the parts of your body, how you move them in order to create a character:
Everyone was told to close their eyes, to imagine a a dark tunnel with a light coming towards you. You see someone coming towards you, you dont quite know who it is but they are slowly coming closer. They come right up to you (in this case it was Paula and Stephen). Let yourself go, leave yourself behind and enter the body of this character. You are no longer yourself, that means your physical appearance is now the characters, the way you walk look and feel. Open your eyes and begin walking (develope the characters walk). Think of the characters emotions; their happy emotions which therefore changes their walk and demeanor, and their sad. Walk back to were you left your body and re enter your body, slowly watch the character walk away, therefore your physicality returning.
-such a workshop really gives you an insight into who your character is; the walk, the emotions, how their emotions alter their walk etc. It puts you in sitations where you (as your character) must react which therefore shapes your perception of the character.

Additional things to think about:
-Tension; where are Gordons tensions?
-Movement: Leading with you Head (aware of the world) , Pelvis (oblivious to surroundings/ confidence?), Chest (confident/ego?)
-Gesture and voice: comes from the movement
-Gordon would lead from his head.

Direction- Scott told us to go ahead and learn lines to make blocking easier. So it was advised that we go back so that we become familiar with the script and go ahead so that when we block that scene the lines are familiar.
Acting- Research elements of character in general: similar people in the 1980’s, dorks in the 1980’s, being alone in the 1980’s.
Set- we are aiming to perform in front of 180 people in total (60 each performance) there will be 6 chairs around a square table.
Publicity- Media release was finalised by Kim, Nai and I and hopefully will attract many people from many places.
Props- the tables will have a bread basket which will consist of bread and butter.

Gordon is on stage for the majority of the play. These questions must be answered in order to develope Gordon as a character:

1. How is he feeling/ reacting to/ influenced by the scenes he observes?
-He learns about all the characters as he sits and listens- trying not to be conspicuous
-There is little reaction by Gordon to the conversations as he tries not to show obviously that he is listening (though it should be noticable that he is listening).

2. He does he develope a relationship with each lead character and why?
-Stephen: Gordon’s intentions are that he is at a ‘boy’s dinner’ which gives him the opportunity to open up about his depressing past. He opens up to Stephen about his ex wife- this influences their relationship.
-Paula: introduces herself whilst not in the pressence of Dympie. She seems quite fond of him.
-Dympie: When Paula leaves, Dympie makes conversation with Gordon. Gordon feels intimidated, inferior to her as he already knows what kind of person she is from observing.
-He feels quite uncomfterble as she questions his conversation with Paula.

3.What is his journey and how has he been changed by the end of the play?
-He is divorced
-Seems to be quite closed and reserved in his thoughts but opens up about his feelings

-Dympie introduces herself.
-Gordon is intimidated and feels inferior to her as he already knows what kind of person she is from observing.
-He feels quite uncomfterble as she questions his conversation with Paula.

-Gordon, for the majority of the play is sitting, overhearing conversations but trying not to be conspicuous.
-He sits as though he is protecting himself: withhis legs together, bound up, maybe trying to open up, stressed.
-Realisation of character- is the realisation that the character is a real person, who has a background, backstory, who continues to live after the play. To realise a character is to realise all these things
-A relationship between paula and Gordon begins when Paula is not in the pressence of Dympie who overpowers her. She introduces herself and comes across quite eager to meet him.