Last night was so damn amazing. The way we 'recovered' from wednesday night just blew me away. We all worked so hard for what we were able to do last night and it obviously paid off.

Thankyou to all the positive comments, blog and otherwise. Im sorry if i've been a little lacking in commenting on your blogs but yeah.

I won't go into individuals but you all know how well each and everyone of you have done. When god was handing out talent, you all got a massive serving.

Thank you so much ms mace for being there this whole time and stressing out for our benefit. I'm sure we all could have listened to you a bit more throughout but we would have gotten nowhere without your large amount of dramatical knowledge, your smiles and entusiasm, and just your overall fun-ness. We just wouldn't have been anywhere near as good without you so thank you.

I hope i've told you all how amazing each of you are at some stage the last two nights which will hopefully make this blog a repetition. If not, YOU ALL ROCK SO MUCH!

I'm pretty sure there's more to say which i haven't here so i probably will tonight. Finallyshow guys, lets make it a ripper!!!

We've just had our first full run through. WOO HOO!!! *jumps for joy*

Everybody you were all fantastic. Just watching and being in the run through made me feel so amazing. This is the excitement that should be felt when acting. Techies, ie josh and bec, don't worry about today if you think it was that bad because it's the first time we've done it so seriously, don't beat yourselves up.

Everyone did so well but I'd like to single out a few. My "family". Holly, Daniel, Jenna and Madeline, your monolgues and etc in the second the act was, I hate to use the expression, but it was omg and so good. I sat there with my heart in my throat. But thats a credit to everyone too. If thats the passion we can create that kind of feeling in somone who has been a part of this production throughout, whats going to happen to our audience?

And now for stuff on my character development. I know I'm not there and never will be, which is why characters are always finding new ways and evolving, but when I did my monolgue today I honestly almost cried. It seriously feels that I'm talking about Jenna as if she was my own sister, which shows how much I feel like we are a real family which I hope on the night can bring out real anger and real tears. I came off shaking and I loved it.

You guys we are noww even closer. Think how good we are going to be wednesday thursday and friday. This is our production, our baby. We rock. Lets do it.

Hidelly-Ho-Neighbourinoes!!!

Its getting down to that crucial week of panic, screaming, crying, hating everyone and everything, Ms mace cracking the you know whats, and everything else bad that you can think of.

And yet, there really isn't much of this going on. I'm so confident about where we are at. No we haven't had an all the way through run through but we are getting close, all the costumes are almost ready, you've done an awesome job ally and helpers, our music is ready, great stuff josh dude, and we're pretty set on what happens in each scene. Guys, we're almost there now we just got to pass across that finish line. Keep it up.

I haven't mentioned this before but i have to say, the younger scenes with Jenna and I have where we have a stupid little fight are working out heaps well. I don't actually know what they look like to you guys but i think they must be ok because we've got to the stage where we are almost hurting each other hahaha.

Oh well i don't think I have much to say so i'll see you all this arvo. Keep on keeping on!!!

I have to say, my first impressions on performing a monologue were that you learn your lines, walk into the middle of the stage and say what you can remember with a hint of passion. Of course this isn't true but i definitely didn't think my monlogue would take as much effort and thought as it has and is. These things include:

• Where and how it fits in the play


• Why is it being said?


• Where do I move? Does one emotion pull me one way and another pull me a different way?


• What does each sentence mean?

It's just so difficult because I can have an idea of how one part should be but then I find another way or get a different idea. All these different ideas and interpretations running through my head are fantastic for building my monlogue but are confusing the hell out of me. I am so excited about performing this. I am going to be SOOOOOOO nervous.

howdy sports fans!! I mean...... Drama fans!!

I've had 3 extremely lazy weeks (school wise) and thought hell with school back tomorrow, i should make an effort and do something.

We had two rehearsals in the last week of the holidays. Well i wouldn't call them rehearsals, more workshops. And thank you Kane for passing on your fantastic knowledge during these. In the first day, we went through the 8 forms of movement. I won't go through them now seeing as though I'm too lazy to get off my bum and find the sheet. In learning these, we were put through different and weird looking movements that i think some people didn't feel comfortable doing without laughing or complaining. To be honest, this really disappointed me. I think a few people needed to just accept we were doing something silly and just do it properly because I definitely feel I could have got a little more out of the exercises if my focus wasn't interrupted by people laughing or pointing out we looked stupid.

The weird thing was that it wasn't until the second day that these movement things came into play for me. After first doing it, I thought of how I could place these on my character and all i got was that I would punch and that was it. (Punch meaning strong, direct and something else that currently escapes my mind.) But on the second day, I spoke to Kane about how I would move and how it would change etc. and it was then that I understood what I could do. Kane and I were talking about my monologue in which I am talking about how my sisters anorexia is affecting me which led to the conclusion I could wring throughout the monologue (Wring being light, sustained and flexible i think). Realising this little factor wasn't the big deal. The big deal was that I understood really how i need to think of my movement through the emotions and thoughts of my character. It sounds really small but until then I was really struggling with this movement stuff in relation to my character eg. when we were coming up with five different stances for different emotions for our characters, I could only find two and I till felt too much like myself.

Lastly was the hot ring. Each of us got into the centre of a circle as our characters and were asked questions in like a arena theatre forum sort of thing. In doing mine, I actually felt real emotion coming out of me. Just thinking of my characters sister and how i as the brother feel about her and how I'm dealing with it and everything just made me feel almost real. As I stepped out of circle I felt an almost overwhelming emotions. Sounds lame but it felt extremely powerful. I feel a lot more confident with my character.

Wow that was long. GO ME! Enjoy sports fans!!

It's been a little while since I last blogged so i'm going to make this a two parter.

Part 1

We've started doing a walkthrough of Mirror Mirror by swapping people around between roles. I started off with a rather large reading as the ringmaster and really enjoyed just trying to make it as big as i could with a script in my hands. I think i'd really enjoy the part of the ringmaster just because it's a role where you can be big and massive and really a bit of a tosser (thankyou ms mace). Also, i think the part of the voice could be pretty interesting also. The voice manipulates the girl throughout the play and i think just being able to keep that focus and presence for the entire performance would be really challenging.

My thoughts on Mirror Mirror as a play? It seems like a play that done well could really hit the hearts of the people watching. I just think some parts to it feel that they really don't need to be there. I don't know what it is just some times it feels stupid. My one problem is the fact that our class doesn't have a wide variety of Ballet dancers, belly dancers, contortionists and other circus people. I know we will find a way to do this, even if it means learning it all ourselves, but it seems pretty out there.

Part 2

I'm starting to think that i should have done a bad job of a large solo part of the brother because i now know that i'm basically stuck in that part. I'm not disappointed that the brother isn't one of the MAIN parts, i'm just a bit disappointed that i didn't get what most people got, which was oppurtunities for two different roles. Being handed the one role straight away unlike other people in the class who are given chances to really impress on two different roles just made me feel a little, i don't know, less fortunate if you know wha

t i mean. I think i can do a really good job as the brother but i just would have liked a little more opportunity for the other roles and not be just cemented into a single role.

Brilliant

We're starting to dive into the world of expressionism (mirror mirror is all to do with expressionism). I'm sort of understanding what it's all about except I can't really explain it lol. However, in class we have used movement and expressionism in small groups to explore issues like depression, paranoia, fear and in my groups case, drug addiction. It was really amazing to see all the members of the class moving so freely and not holding anything back with each other and in front of the class. It's setting a great mood and feeling within all of us as we get closer to starting production on mirror mirror.

"Brilliant" i think is the word ms mace used to describe our work and willingness to be open and able to work with expressionism. I don't know about anyone else, but this gave me a lot of confidence for the weeks ahead. I know i can put my head down this time and we can all get together and create a "brilliant" performance. Lets go team! It's our time now!

Thanks heaps for the encouraging comments. I don't know what it is still. I had a really good talk to miss mace last lesson. We talked about the sexual insinuations people see and hear from me during class. The fact is that whether I'm trying or not, people still view a lot of what i do as sexual. I don't know if it's from how i move or just from people's perceptions of me or what but i know instead of me taking it to heart or see it as harsh criticism or whatever, it's going to be a great challenge for me to make my character not be viewed like this. I'm going to focus on how my character moves, speaks, how the character reacts around other people. I'm going to take away that sexual element that somehow emanates from me.

It's funny, never did I expect for something like this become and issue for me in year 12 drama. I mean I knew whatever we did it would be a challenge but i didn't see myself having to face the personal demon of being too sexual. Even when not trying to be lol.

We've spent the last couple of lessons talking about the play we are going to do for our production. Out of the first two suggested plays cloud street and rhinoceros i have to say the thought of an absurdest play which contains mundane tasks interrupted by rhinoceros's running across the stage and the fact it may be easier to write a group production about draws me more than cloud street. I don't see why so many people in the class are worried about the audience walking off saying 'what the?' because they didn't understand the play. Why do people want to do a play that pleases the audience? I want the audience to enjoy the play but if i had a choice between a play that is easier to analyse and i enjoy and a play slightly harder to analyse that the audience are confused by, I'm going for the first option.

Now, after saying all of that, it's more likely that we are doing neither of the plays but instead do a play about people with eating disorders in a circus called mirror mirror. i was sceptical at the idea at first but after thinking about the play which involves dancing, acrobatics and whatever it has, Mirror Mirror sounds like a good challenge.

Casting has me worried however as its going to be done without auditions. I'm not sure what part i could be chosen for because after today's lesson, everyone thinks that i have to turn every situation into something sexual. Hell, I'm not hurt by that but i know i have a lot more ideas in my head other than sex. I often act and am an idiot but i know there is so much more i can do as well which i think ms mace does realise after my part as Dad in last years production of No Worries.

Playing park bench today was probably one of the best games we have a group ever played including last year. just some of the ideas that we all came up with were so funny and really quite good. For example, i started the game by putting wet paint on the bench. this turned out great because everybody accepted that there was wet paint on the bench. it was acceptance like this that made the game really successful.

Looking forward to some more great teamwork throughout the rest of our journey together.

Oh yeah

I just realised i should probably comment on the first week of drama.

The week seemed like almost a catch up. Almost the entire class had drama together last year and so we all knowm each other fairly well and are able to get along quite well. We all know each others style and understand each other. Not necessarily personally but as a group.

Focus is a big issue for this group. However i think that we are all pretty determined not to fail year 12 drama and we will all hopefully put our heads down (especially me) and produce the best performance this school has ever seen.

Greetings

Greetings drama fans. this is my blog set up to explore my deep dark thoughts and feelings about me and my classes journey through creating our group performance.

My name is Kyle Smith and i am currently in year 12 at trinity college north campus, gawler, south australia. I love music, tv, hanging out with mates and i have enjoyed being in drama since i think year 7 when i first did it.

The reason i am writing this blog is so i can precisely detail every aspect of what i do, experience, uncover, feel, think and anything else that happens throughout the process of my drama classes group production. This is so at the end of this long perilous journey i will be able to look back on my blog and be able to see all the highs and lows and everythin else that happened along the way. So when i go to write my report on the production i will not miss anything out.

So i shall try and be slightly creative and hopefully you will enjoy reading what i have to say.