Reflecting on the final performance...

This week we performed in the Shakespeare in the Dove performance on Wednesday night. I felt like performing in both Hamlet and Othello taught me a great deal about the art of getting into character and devising a piece of theatre. As Emilia I struggled to find a balance of sorrow and confusion, and rage. I found that once I knew my lines off by heat and I was not focussing directly on what line came next, I was able to let myself go and not second guess myself – checking that I was speaking the write words. I watched my character transform and I was pushed out of my comfort zone – having to play a more emotional, fierce and older character was new to me.  In the past I had only ever played a young and innocent character and it was a good experience to be able to work on the physicality of an older female. Being a player in Hamlet has taught me the importance of listening to the happenings onstage, not just pretending to listen. I found that when I really listened to the words of Hamlet my facial expressions and body movements were able to be clearer and more interesting than those of a character just crouching down with her head tilted towards the speaker.   It also became apparent to me this week, the importance of a focus before performing. I have never really thought that one was necessary – especially for a small group of three responsible actors, but before every performance that we did – whether it be the technical, final dress, Mr Kelly’s performance or the final show, Hannah, Joel and I got into a small circle and did a physical warm-up taught to us by Mrs Mac our Middle School Drama teacher.  Then we ran our lines together with our eyes shut once, before leaving to hold in the wings. I found that it really helped me to zone out of all the events of the day, to get into the mind set of Emilia and because we whispered the lines, we had to listen hard to what the other actors were saying.