FINAL PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

Our final performance was successful and I feel it was definitely one of our best runs of our piece, if not the best. One particular detail I feel we as a group improved on was the projection of our vocals, as many had been struggling in the rehearsals to be heard. This was apparent in our final performance as I was able to hear the A & B’s conversations clearly without having to strain like I had to in the rehearsals, this meant that the piece ran a lot more smoothly than it had done previously.

One of the strongest aspects of my performance I feel was that I used my voice effectively, I especially put in deliberate effort to slow my lines down as I felt I would often speak too quickly in rehearsals. I also attempted to involve and address the audience on all sides of the stage throughout my dialogue as I felt that the other actors may have been leaving them quite bare. I didn't want any of the audience left unaffected by our piece and so this was  my attempt at keeping them all engaged and involved, which I feel I carried out generally quite successfully. I also knew my lines confidently so I was able to completely let go and focus on the character and presenting the political messages across to both the As & Bs and the audience. By being confident in my lines I was able to so this successfully whilst also keeping my energy at a 10 rather than worry about my cues; this was definitely one of the strongest aspects of my performance.

An aspect of Ms Goodall’s group’s performance I really liked was their use of music. By incorporating songs into their piece it kept the audience captured and entertained, whilst delivering a political message effectively. Their characters were well defined and characterised; they stood out against one another and told the story colourfully and almost, light-heartedly.  This contrasted well with Mr Rennison’s piece, which was definitely a lot darker. Oscar’s characterisation choices stood out for throughout the piece and he portrayed an extremely creepy Max Clifford-esque character effectively and carried the whole piece together.  He, along with Hayden as his gimp, managed to portray the darkness and evils behind tabloid news in such a way that kept me, as an audience member, engaged and captivated. This was also aided by the actors playing  Ds who responded to his character in such a way, for example when they all picked up the chairs when he was walking towards them, that instantly told the audience  he was not to be trusted. I also really liked the aspect of ensemble used in this piece; it really addressed the way we, as a society, view the news and the entertainment industry in a creative and truthful way. The flaws of society and the tabloid business really shone brightly through the well directed performances of the A & Bs. Though I knew the text, both pieces were extremely enjoyable and well developed pieces of political theatre; they left me thinking long after they were finished.

Our scene addressing the issues with Guantanamo Bay went really successfully all three times and I was extremely happy with how it turned out, especially as our run through didn’t go as well. I managed to time the beeps of censorship at the exact right times so it worked to display the government blacking out words effectively and without messing up. However, I feel our piece could’ve been improved if the beeps were louder and more prominent, displaying how big of a deal it is for the government to black out details. However, I am certain we made an impact as when people were walking away many would positively comment on what they just saw and the messages we were trying to get across. Another aspect I felt was particularly strong was the ending where Billy and I point towards the door, directing the audience to the stage. We came up with this during the dress rehearsal and I am extremely glad it worked so effectively – it portrayed us almost like robots, suggesting the robotics and manipulation behind the US Government. If we had had more time I would’ve like to develop this small scene a little bit further, providing more evidence and detail for the audience of what we’re trying to put across, helping them gain a better understanding – however, I feel it worked effectively in the state we left it in.

I felt one of the strongest performances was that of Kim playing a media business person. She made different bold character choices that made her A/B character stand out against the others, capturing what it really means to be a stuck up member of the media. She made the definite choice of shushing the D’s and asking if anyone else wanted sushi, this was an extremely important moment of gestus in our show. It completely outlined the relationship between the two sets of people and how the A & Bs perceive the C & Ds – they don’t care about them or the news story, lunch is more important. This was done through the one simple movement of the hand, signalling for us to be quiet and stop whilst she took the orders. Not only was it one of my favourite parts of the piece but I feel it also tied the piece nicely together as it presented explicitly the relationship between the two groups of people. 

If we had had a longer amount of time to work on the piece I feel we could have developed a few more little sections like the Ugandan lesbian sequence, it was a really powerful moment that attempted to portray the horrors that the woman had gone through. I feel it was one of the strongest aspects of the pieces as it truly presented the mindset of the A’s & Bs; they did not care about the woman getting raped or the centre not being shut down, but just the aspect of sex. Even though the piece worked effectively as it was, I feel we could have added a few more sequences or moments to colour the piece to really present the desperation the Ds were feeling towards the As & Bs and their attempt to try and gain their attention. If I personally had longer, I would've liked to work a little bit more on the physicality of my character and how they would have held themselves as I felt it was a little bit of an afterthought and less touched on - however, I feel this was justified due to the importance in political theatre of presenting the political messages rather than having a developed character.

One of the weaker aspects of the performance on a whole was that I felt the Ds were still coming too far forward on the stage rather than spreading out and filling out the stage. This would have hindered the effect we had on those sitting around the sides as their view would have often been obstructed and lines would not have been as directed to them. I personally made an attempt to keep the stage filled out rather than staying at the front and keeping those at the side engaged, however, there were still moments where I got caught up in the action at the front and left those at the sides behind. This was one of the weaker aspects of my performance. However, one of the strongest moments I feel was the gradual leaving of the A’s & B’s at the end; the D’s were begging for their attention but they were merely dismissed and ignored. This again was a really important moment of gestus during the show, it outlined how much the A’s & B’s generally did not care. It was also highly surprising for the audience as it was a quite sudden movement, it juxtaposed well with the bored stance the As & Bs had adopted throughout the piece previously.  

By using Brecht’s different techniques over the term, they helped me develop a deeper understanding of what it really means to present a piece of political theatre to an audience.  Brecht believed a piece of political theatre should leave the audience asking questions about themselves, what they just saw and society itself – I feel we definitely managed to achieve this successfully and effectively and that we not only left an impact on those viewing the performance, but on us, the actors, as well. I have thoroughly enjoyed this political term and studying both “The Most Horrific” and Brecht’s techniques. I have learnt many different skills over this term which I have never had the chance to develop before and I have gained new knowledge and experience that I will definitely use in further pieces and their development.

Last week's rehearsal had many different moments that could be classed as different Brechtian aspects and techniques of theatre. One example would be the use of gestus, this was displayed in many ways by the A's and the B's as they would interrupt D's as they were talking. One of the ways this was done was, when I was saying my line, Ellie stood up and put her hand out for me to stop, she proceeded to then ask if anyone would like sugar in their tea. Her hand movement was not only a symbol of our character's relationship and their social statuses against one another, but it also displayed to the audience the relationship between C's and D's and A's and B's on a whole. The A's and B's don't really care about what the D's have to say, they'd rather have a quick and easy story to publish and get it over and done with. I think this was portrayed very well through Ellie's physical choice and that it was a bold, and clever, decision to make.

It's never specifically stated in the play who these characters are, they're given no names. So not only does this apply the v-effect and avoid emotional attachment from the audience, it also allows the idea that these characters and the ideas they're presenting are universal and can be applied to anyone. I also think this was also aided by the fact that everyone playing C's and D's acted similarly and everyone playing A's and B's acted similarly - The lack of characterisation and individual personality adds distance to the audience as it reminds them that these are actors playing characters, they're there to present different ideas to leave the audience thinking - rather than being fully fledged and layered characters.

I feel the divide we created between the A's and B's and the C's and D's stood out really well, not only was it presented through the physical divide we created in the room but also through the body language of the two sets of people. The A/B's were more relaxed and nonchalant about the situation, often checking their phones and turning away from the C/D's. Whilst the C/D's were a lot more attentive and submissive towards the A's and B's, constantly looking for their approval. I feel the contrast in the two practicalities portray an almost consistent example of gestus as the C/D's are constantly being dismissed by the A's and B's throughout the piece in different ways which ultimately displays the social dived between the two.

One of the issues with last weeks rehearsals was that I feel that everyone lacked in energy as the piece developed further. Some of the A/B's lost focus nearer the end of the piece, coming out of character and getting distracted. This lulled the energy of the piece down and caused some of the cues and lines to be delivered incorrectly or with a lack of punch behind them. This was also apparent with the C/D's as well, few would miss their cues due to other distractions and would then drag down the piece as a whole. In order to succeed, everyone needs to be at a constant level 10 at all times to make sure the piece doesn't fall on it's face. With the right energy and drive behind it, I feel that our version of 'The Most Horrific' could be a very powerful piece of political theatre that leaves the audience thinking once it's finished.

Guantanamo Bay Force Feeding

Due to individual and widespread hunger strikes throughout Guantanamo Bay, militants and officials had to resort to force feeding inmates. In 2005, the detainees organized several widespread hunger strikes to protest their innocence and the conditions that they were confined to - they then began again in 2013. In September 2005, The New York Times reported that as many as 200 prisoners had taken to hunger striking. During the new wave of hunger strikes in 2013, it was reported that 106 out of the 166 detainees were on a hunger strike with 45 of them being force fed.

Many argue that force feeding the prisoners is abusive, the UN Human Rights Commission said they regard the force feeding as a form of torture. If prisoners did not comply to counselling and being fed, officials would have to use force, strap them down into a chair and deliver their food through a pipe in their nostrils.

We created our piece to resemble a hearing taking place debating the force feeding of detainees, with Billy and I standing on chairs as those with authority and Kim, Ivory, Ethan and Kevaughn as prisoners and those against the force feeding. We placed a set of head phones between two, one ear piece going in one's collar and the other going in the other's - this was meant to represent not only the method of force feeding but also the filtering out of information by the US Government. The prisoners would then say a line of text taken from the article we used as stimulus whilst Billy and I pressed a buzzer sound to black out certain words they were saying. I really liked the approach we took as it wasn't too direct and simple but it still got straight to the point and portrayed the correct information and emotions that we felt was necessary for the article. By carrying out this exercise and developing this piece we were not only able to learn more about the subject but that we also made a piece that allows the audience to understand and discover a little more about the situation in an interesting and artistic way.

HANDS UP, DON'T SHOOT.

One of the most current news stories around the world today is that of the events in Ferguson, Missouri. I feel that it's not exactly getting the coverage it deserves over here in the UK and I would personally barely know anything about what's going on if I wasn't so prominent on social media. This issue is also extremely relevant for this week's protest work as the fatal shooting of Michael Brown has sparked protests and movements across not only the USA but across the world. Many believed the shooting was due racial discrimination and so thousands of protesters took to the streets of Ferguson back in August protesting the lack of action taken over a white police officer, Darren Wilson, shooting and killing an unarmed black teenager, Michael Brown. The first wave of protests lasted from the 9th of August, the day of the shooting, up until the 25th. The protests initially began peaceful, however, after the destruction of a makeshift memorial for Brown - some became unruly and begin to act destructively, causing the police began to use excessive force and aggression against the protesters (even against those peacefully and legally protesting). Last week, Wilson was incited by a grand jury as not guilty for any crimes related to the whole situation. This sparked the second wave of protests that are currently on going - however, these branched out from Ferguson and across the world.

The protesters use the typical aspect of chanting; "HANDS UP, DON'T SHOOT!" was and is chanted throughout both waves of protests, referencing to Brown being shot with his hands up and unarmed. Many have also taken to carrying out the typical use of placards and signs, in this situation they often display different statements about racial division - predominantly; BLACK LIVES MATTER.

The impact of the original protests and the story itself had been astonishing, thousands of people around the globe having been protesting in solidarity with the people of Ferguson, a protest in London took place last Wednesday night. This is just a prime example of how important protests can be when used effectively - although the issue may have been overshadowed by the violence, the people of Ferguson's voices were heard by those continents away. Now thousands are demanding that Michael Brown gets the justice he deserves as well as the racial issues in the American justice system to be addressed.