One of the most useful roles I have taken on throughout the course of rehearsals is that of the outside eye. As I am responsible for overseeing the project on a more administrative basis I am not involved in practical rehearsals on a regular basis and therefore do not follow the development of the piece in detail.
At fixed points throughout the process Laura and I set dates for the cast to show me the piece for feedback. This allows me, as more of an audience member rather than member of the company, to provide feedback to the Director and Cast on movement, script and transitions. The feedback I provide is then used to develop the work further.
It goes without saying that the more people to provide feedback the more the piece will benefit after all “the presence of an audience is central to the definition of theatre” (Freshwater, 2009, 1). In Refract we are very lucky to have three members of the production team who are not performing, two of whom make up the Directorial team, who can provide regular feedback on the piece. We also have a close relationship with another theatre company, Forefront, who we were lucky enough to share our work with whilst it was still in the development process. Again, we found their feedback very useful and took their comments on board in the final stages of rehearsals.
This feedback has helped strengthen our piece and provided it with clarity and detail.
Work Cited
Freshwater, H. (2009) Theatre & Audience. Palgrave Macmillan:Basingstoke.
To adhere to our mission of ‘depicting real stories in an alternative light’ (Refract, 2015) we had to establish a combination of fragmentation and through-lines in our practical development. Fragmentation has occurred in our practical work by focusing on a variety of past and current events to ‘shine light on the spectrum of opportunity’ (Refract, 2015). However a through-line has been an essential development in our process, to define our ethos of ‘storytelling’; a factor which an audience may appreciate and value when experiencing theatre. The through-line acts as a developing story whereas our fragments aim to ‘refract your view’; not having a through-line could make it difficult for an audience to comprehend and draw meaning to our fragmented style. I will continue to discuss this from my perceptive as an Actor and Sound Designer separately.
An Actor’s perceptive:
The introduction of Billy and Dolly’s story as a through-line allowed us as actors to establish more emotional connections to our own characters and scenes we have previously created. The sequences we had created undoubtedly worked individually but it became difficult to envision them all put together for one performance. The representation of Billy and Dolly’s relationship triggered an understanding of other scenes and characters we have previously created, showing that the through-line kick started the shape of our final piece. The developments in our practical work have continually shaped the role of the actor, despite talking about performing emotion; I would say as actors, we are far from traditional. The physical and fragmented style of our piece has developed us from actors into creators.
A Sound Designer’s perspective
Introducing Billy and Dolly’s relationship as a through-line has radically helped me to define specific moments for sound. As we have devised our piece in fragments, it has been difficult as a Sound Designer to envision a thorough sound plan and style which flows in between each sequence. The through-line finally enabled me to visualise the style of sound needed to reinforce the piece. I was set the task to create a melody as a signifier for specific Billy and Dolly moments, where I was advised by Laura to create a tune, similar to the other acoustic sounds featured in the performance in order to establish consistency. I have used my Ukulele and Harmonica with the intention to add Guitar for this task, along with researching songs, styles, noting chords down, mixing and experimenting; all in order to create melodies which could represent Billy and Dolly’s relationship without Tom and Amy even having to be on stage. The addition of the through-line allowed us to envision the first stages of a complete piece. It has allowed us to visualise the performance as a whole concept, where more creative decisions can be made more definitely.
My set up as Sound Designer. Photo: S, Milne
“Refract is opening your eyes to new possibilities… Refract is shining a light and viewing the spectrum of opportunity. Refract is storytelling” (Refract, 2015)
As the final month of rehearsals is upon us, it seems appropriate to reflect upon our marketing strategies thus far and to consider new and interesting ways to identify and engage with our audience. Elizabeth Hill et al tell us, “For most artists the audience is an integral part of an artistic experience. Only when the public experiences what the artist wishes to communicate is the creative process complete” (2012, 36). Throughout my marketing campaigns the audience has been an “integral” part of the process; strategically planning, organising and deploying skills and materials.
In adopting the typical “bums on seats” approach, the campaigns that I have established take inspiration from current creative marketing tools, including regional, national and international schemes. To have a cohesive brand identity has always been of utmost importance; for the audience to recognise our brand and form an association with Refract through our print materials and digital usage.
However, it is essential that there is a face behind the keyboard, and behind the flyer. To this end, and alongside our Producer, Refract took to the city streets. In establishing a physical presence we allowed our community, our audience, to meet us and ask any questions about our forthcoming show. As a new company, these kind of opportunities are essential to achieving a strong audience relationship, as well as encouraging the public to engage with our creative process. The busking day, organised through Lincoln BIG was a success. The success is three-fold:
-The public seemed interested in our show, and by providing music for them to listen and watch, it gave us the opportunity to not seem forceful or overpowering, but inviting and approachable.
-The use of live music gave a hint of our show, with the idea of acoustic sounds being quite prominent in our piece. Also, it introduced the cast, highlighting the talents and skill sets that they might encounter during the show.
-And finally, the event also doubled up as a fundraising event, with a total calculated at £55. These funds will provide extra opportunities for our company, adding to our existing budget.
Please see the slideshow of busking photos below.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Works Cited
Hill, E., O’Sullivan, T. and O’Sullivan, C. (2003) Creative Arts Marketing. 2nd Edition. London: Routledge.
The performance elements of music and song play a strong part within our piece with the majority of scenes being led by or even narrated through song, music ‘communicates meanings which in some way refer to… actions, emotional states, and character.’ (Meyer, 2008, 1) Some music used within the piece has been chosen by Sam and are purely tracks to accompany a scene. However, as a company, we have been working to adapt covers of songs that we can include in the performance as well as investing time to write our own songs and music. We are fortunate that we have some strong singers within the company and have therefore found that with the addition of music we are able to make scenes funnier or where appropriate, increasingly emotional. Three examples being;
Within the final scene, I sing Robbie Williams’ version of Mister Bojangles which narrates a tap dancing scene in which one of our character’s ‘Billy’ is confronted with the problems that he has experienced through his destructive relationship with alcohol.
Also, the company wrote the lyrics and music for a song about selfies and the surrounding hype they generate. It is through the use of our lyrics and comedy that we highlight and suggest the pointlessness of a selfie.
Following discussion, another point in the performance that we felt would be enhanced through the creation of original music was a scene in which a wedding ceremony takes place. It was decided that the company would create a close harmony acoustic version of Pachelbel’s Canon (below). This specific use of slow, smooth harmonies was chosen in order to evoke further emotion to impact on the audience’s experience as they watched the scene unfold.
Having the responsibility for online marketing, I have found that it was important to share posts about music so that potential audience members were able to see that this was to be a key aspect within our performance. This strategy is intended also to appeal to those members of the community, and therefore potential members of the audience, who are interested in the performance of music and song. To maintain coherence with all our marketing for the show, we planned to busk in the town centre, presenting tasters of the musical aspects of the performance. This event provided us with the opportunity to include music and song within our material marketing strategy. As anticipated, busking this week proved to be a successful marketing approach as it not only assisted us to raise money for the company but also to raise awareness and interest. Members of the public, again our potential audience, were provided with the opportunity to hear us play and sing, read our flyers and ask members of the company any questions about the show.
Photo: S. Whitfield (2015)
Photo: S. Whitfield (2015)
Works Cited
Meyer, L. B. (2008) Emotion and Meaning in Music. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
robbiewilliamsvevo (2011) Robbie Williams – Mr Bojangles. [online video] Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zif1W8fxEJU [Accessed 23 April 2015]
Designing costume for When You See It has, so far, been a challenging process. Deciding what myself and my fellow performers should wear when, for the most part, we are not portraying distinguishable characters but are simply being generic actors, is far from easy. Thankfully, after a workshop with director Laura, my costume ideas have begun to flourish. As preliminary preparation for the Billy and Dolly through-line scenes which Tom and myself will be performing, Laura made us watch Theatre ad Infinitum’s Translunar Paradise. The production was inspiring and not only aided the development of mine and Tom’s scenes, but also influenced my ideas for costume.
Instead of full costume, Translunar Paradise invites you to ‘experience a journey of life, death, and enduring love’ (DESIGN Blast Factory, 2015) through minimal, suggestive clothing. For example, both actors use elderly looking masks to depict their advancing years. The show taught me that full costume is not always necessary and, in some cases, can be a threat, especially when it risks substituting ‘independent values for the signification of the staged action’ (Collins and Nisbet, 2012, 205). It has persuaded me to dress the performers who do not play specific characters in casual attire. A colour scheme could be employed to provide the same visual consistency that full costume would achieve, to prevent the audience from being distracted by multiple colours on stage. The cast members who do play identifiable characters, namely Tom and myself during the Billy and Dolly scenes, will, as inspired by Translunar Paradise, don minimal costume to ‘function as a mobile piece of scenery connected to life’ (Pavis and Shants, 1998, 81). I am particularly interested in using hats as a continuing emblem for Billy. I plan to source a groom’s hat for the couple’s wedding, an army cap for Billy’s departure and a flat cap to depict his age progression. The use of minimalist costume, and when to employ it, will be something I shall continue to explore.
