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.

-Status: Low status: containing, protecting, introvert
High status: ignorant, arrogant, extrovert
-Gordon whom has low status insists that he does not drink as it tends “to make me sick”
-Stephen peer pressures Gordon into drinking
-He ends up thanking Stephen for getting him a drink which he initially doesnt want.
-His low status is clearly evident and reflects a whole lot on what kind of person he is: self conscious, easily influenced

-We began blocking from page 1-14
-I began to think about the things Gordon does as a character and relate them to myself:
-Character development-Gordon, self conscious about being alone waiting at a table, speaking and being ignored.
-What is Gordon’s relationship to Stephen?
Gordon does not know Stephen, but gets stuck with him for the duration of a night, after dinner (and before) as their mutual friend Brendon has not turned up.
-Similarities to Gordon (Personalities):
think about what it is like to be alone, sitting/waiting, what do you do to occupy yourself/pass the time, how would you look
- watch other people in the restaurant, look for the waiter, be self conscious, think about how others percieve someone alone, find things to occupy yourself: the print on the wall, the menu, salt and pepper.

1. How has the work you are doing been refined and developed over time?
My work related to dramaturgy has developed over time as I am collecting more and more information. Therefore as my work progresses so does my understanding of the play, era and characters. The process a cast goes through in order to put on a play is a process which gives the actors/directors a greater understanding of the script and individual characters. We had a cold read of the text and now are blocking the play from beginning to end. Every lesson adds to my understanding thus my work’s development.

2. How have you clearly shown your ability to work collaboratively?
As a dramaturge I think the task compliments working collaboratively in a group as the dramaturge works for the group, to give them information and an insight into the play, its history and previous productions of the play. I created a ‘dramaturgical compost’ in order for our company to use collaboratively and document the process collaboratively. I also created a play synopsis for the benefit of the group’s understanding of the play.

3. In what way’s have your ideas and concepts influenced the work of others?
I believe the synopsis i wrote about the play gave insight to the actors about the characters they play. in addition it gave an overall background to the play which contibutes to ones understanding of the play.

4. How has your work demonstrated the ways different stagecraft can be used to help to shape a peice of theatre?
My stagecraft area’s are dramaturge and acting. I dont think acting has had a significant role in the production planning. But dramaturgy is a role that help’s and assists the other areas to create and execute the vision planned. I have created a ‘Dramaturgical compost’ which has helped to define the vision of the play. And written a synopsis which allows all of the company to understand the play.

5. In what ways have you been able to demonsrate your application of stagecraft?
The application of dramaturgy in the production of the play is to make sure it progresses according to the vision. I have given out a synopsis of the play to make sure that the actors and company have a detailed understanding of the play.

As the dramarurge i took initiative to write a synopsis of the play, so that the actors had a deeper understanding of the events and characters in the play:
Act One:
The scene is a suburban pub bistro on a Friday night. Gordon, a self conscious bank worker in his mid thirties tries to get the attention of the waiter who seems to have no interest in him or any other character. In comes Dympie, an impatient and insensitive office worker in her mid thirties wearing plain attire and reserves a table for her ‘girl’s night out’. Following her arrives Paula, who could be considered the ‘stupid one’ but a loyal friend wearing a bright, colourful dress with a hood attached which she is wearing over her head. They quiver about where they should sit despite the table they already have, Paula wants to sit closer to the band but Dympie insists that they stay were they will be served dinner and where they can see the band, and says that she doesn’t want to be suffocated by cigarette smoke and overwhelmed by drunken men. After brushing off Paula’s argument she confronts her about the make up she wears. That she is trying to look half her age and that it is unnecessary. Paula insists that Dympie should wear more. And just when you thought Dympie had had enough criticizing she becomes angry at Paula for not getting the right pear of stockings and then refuses to take them then and there in the restaurant. Paula in reply to her reaction tells her that she should try a new colour and size as they bunch around her ankles and are old fashioned. Dympie brushes her off by agreeing to take them, which she had previously not wanted to do. Monika, a office worker in her mid thirties dealing with post death depression as her husband recently died, finally decides to arrive and justifies why she is late saying that she didn’t know what to wear, it took her a while to get ready, she couldn’t find the car keys, the street directories missing pages so she got lost, every excuse one could possibly think of reflecting her mind state. Once she has sat down she realizes that it has been a while since she has been out, that she was always driven by Martin, her deceased husband, realizing that she is alone. They have another little, unimportant woman fight about who will go to the bathroom first, the issue being that they can’t go together, it resolves when they realize that no one actually needs to go. Paula admits that she and Dympie have something to say, Dympie at this present moment doesn’t know what she is talking about and she confronts Monika that she is single and that the solution to this realization is their girls night out-every Friday night. Monika says she is dealing with it and she is going to poetry classes in order to help her express her feelings and thoughts. They then decide that they would like a bottle of wine and attempt to get the waiter’s attention who simply ignores them. Stephen, a typical sleaze (portrayed at the beginning of the play), mid thirties, joins Gordon who is till waiting at his table trying to get the waiters attention and introduces himself as they both have been invited by Brendon who is a mutual friend. We later gather that he doesn’t turn up. Gordon awkwardly makes conversation about watches and work and Stephen insists that they drink, maybe to break the ice, but Gordon admits that he is not a drinker. It is rather ironic but Stephen manages to peer pressure Gordon into drinking, this is a reflection on both Gordon and Stephen’s personalities. The women go on to decide what they will be eating, questioning most on the menu but canceling a lot of the suggestions out from past experiences and end up going with the norm. Monika makes a scene and becomes emotional whilst thinking about what to order imagining Martin looking in the fridge for dinner, but could not express her words rather her reaction was to hysterically cry. She continues talking about how Martin died, and says she must go to the toilet and exits. Gordon, sincerely worried about Monika asks the other women if she is alright. Dympie in an inhospitable manner says that everything is under control and Paula thanks him. Dympie then leaves Paula and Gordon whom have an awkward conversation. Then Paula leaves Dympie and Gordon to have a very much one sided conversation and Dympie has no interest in what Gordon has to say. Stephen returns with the drinks and decides to introduce himself to the women, he admits that that’s why he and Brendon invited Gordon, to set him up with a woman as Gordon has recently had a divorce. Gordon goes on to explain that after the divorce he isolated himself, he hasn’t been out for a while and finds it hard to like himself as his ex-wife gave him the impression that he was not worth anything. But Gordon’s sensitivity has made Stephen and the women in the table next to theirs believe that he is a homosexual. They then resolve the issue and Gordon goes to buy the second round of drinks whilst in the process he bumps into Monika who has only now , quite a while later, returned from the “toilets” she is carrying a glass of wine and wears no shoes, her make up is smudged and her hair is in disarray. She asks him to buy the women drinks. When Monika returns to the table the women ask her where she has been, she replies that she saw a rainbow which led her to a rock pool with fish and men around her, she admits that she has taken valium tablets. Something drops from her crumpled dress, it is a pool ball, but Monika claims a fish. We realize (as an audience) that Monika has been raped. She goes on to talk about her and her deceased husbands sexual relations.

Act two
Later that night, after dinner. Dympie, Monika and Gordon all wipe their mouths trying to get Paula’s attention to let her know she has cream from dessert on her face. Stephen goes to converse with the women Gordon sits at his table alone, again. Stephen says that the band they have been awaiting all night will start soon and Monika replies “in 3 hours”, he says he will see them on the dance floor. Gordon and Stephen have a man chat about sex and relationships and Stephen admits that all he has never not had a one night stand, and admits that he is ready for something that will last longer, maybe even forever. Gordon says that he always seemed to disappoint his wife in all aspects of life. When the bill comes, both the men and the women question and fight about it and its price, resolving it in instants, the women taking a little longer. Stephen offered to pay with his ATM card and Gordon says he would have gone well with his ex-wife as she always had flashy credit cards. The women quiver again as they can’t see and Paula blames Dympie about her table choice. And they have a little fight which consists of Paula claiming that Dympie always copies her and calls her a ‘copy cat’. The two tables join as the mens table is in a better position to see the band. Monika and Stephen dance, Paula talks about Gordon being a homosexual while he thinks she is talking about him having two left feet and dympie is alone at the table. She says things like “it must have been terrible for your wife” but they soon realize the mix up. They end up dancing, Paula asks Gordon to ask Dympie to dance so he does, but looks over her shoulder at Paula who is dancing wearing her hood. The events of the night conclude as the lights fade out.

The master class which was conducted in the Besen Performing Arts Centre was an insight into a real opperating theatre and concentrated on aspects such as: Light and sound, theatrical information, the BPAC itself and information regariding our play.

The Besen Performing Arts centre:
-the BPAC is run by a theatre company- theatre managment services
-it is a commercially opperating theatre
-the crew consists of a general manager, technical manager and two full-time technicians

General Theatrical Information:
-every production has a profit
-the company, namely the producer, must sell the product in order to gain income
-fast slide- cast a crew get together to watch the DVD on ‘fast slide’
-honorarium- production teams payment (professionals)- a minor sallary

Lighting and Sound:
-generally a musical performance will light both the actor and the set
-a solo performance will light only the actor
-a standard ran- colour wash: red, aqua, yellow and green. 1000 watts- BPAC, 64 watts-space
-franelle, PC’s- will light an entire area, has a soft edge control focuua. Gobo’s will break the picture up
-profile- will light a certain spot
-intelligent light- a combination of both lights. there are 12 in the BPAC. A chip that is attached to an actor will indicate the light to follow.
-Lx numbers -lighting
-Sx- sound
-colour chase- flash, colour wash
-Sound PA - in the space- $10,000-$20,000

Information regarding our play:
- we will need to rent power, labour, equipment and the space. but we have an advantage as we are part of MSMC.
-scrpits, costume and the rights for the play are things we must keep in mind whilst deciding ticket cost.
-the first thing we must decide is how many seats will there be? and how much will we charge to break even?
-the order of production and setting up- lighting, set, sound.