final blog

Joseph Williams

1. Evaluate the transition of the final stages of the process into performance, paying attention to strengths and weaknesses encountered by the company.

We as a company encountered several problems during the time of putting the process into the performance but also achieved several successes. One of the major areas of focus during the performance week came from the scenographic aspect as the first viewing of the stage and set gave the company a new sense of focus as we could define where our characters journey began. This aspect clearly aided the strength of the piece in helping with the characterisation and the companies drive as the work during undertaken during the workshops leading up to the performance week became very much about ‘cleaning’ the work and at times nature of the work required an almost mechanical process to ensure aspects such as entrances and exits were arranged. Other strengths of the piece came in its overriding sense of achievement that was felt by the company after achieving the high amount of emotional intensity required to convey the various stories. This may sound like a superficial strength but what gives the achievement substance is the fact that everyone had so much input into their work in terms of its initial creation, is editing and its at times hard to take moments of honest reflection where sections had to be scrapped so we therefore gave the characters a real personal touch.
An area of weakness perhaps amongst the company was perhaps the shock level encountered when taking the work into the theatre as the processes flowing nature was halted and was at times required to be almost mechanical to iron out the details and whilst a warning about this was given the frustration I felt people had was bubbling under the surface as their focus was distracted by the arrangement of various cues for example. What could perhaps be perceived as another area of weakness (in the few areas that there are weaknesses in) is the time of reflection offered to others. The reason I say this may be perceived as a weakness is the fact that it wasn’t of vital importance as everyone was given feedback in the form of notes and would the time had permitted such a response I would say that a group discussion about where the work was going during the performance week would have been beneficial.

2. Evaluate the growth of the performance over the three shows, with particular emphasis on your own role within it.

In terms of my own growth throughout the three shows I would have to say that the emotional input was definitely intensified upon entering the ‘Fractal environment’ a feeling that I feel was mutual among the cast and I would say was particularly evident in the relationship between Alex, Ashley and myself. My own journey throughout the production explored an interesting dynamic in its exploration of male bonding, the most uncomfortable being what could be perceived as a homosexual relationship explored physically by the lifts and catches me and Ashley undertook. Looking at the shows chronologically, the first one if I was being honest was predictably the first show as I was very much about finding myself in what was in effect a new environment having left the comfort of the drama studio. Again I would include a discussion about the scenography of the piece as the emotional intensity required from us as performers came from all aspects of the piece, this inevitably included the scenography, particularly the lighting which set a suitable mood for each ‘story’. Where my own journey was complicated was in how much development I had to decide was required in the relationships I had established with Alex and Ashley. What made this interesting to explore was how varied the relationships were in their dynamic as with Ashley (as previously mentioned) it would be fairly accurate to say there was a sexual undercurrent throughout the meetings a venture that was unable to be encountered by the counteracting laddish behaviour me and Ashley undertook. In Alex’s case our relationship was much more strained and our section as a trio was about regaining Alex’s friendship whos interest in me and Ashley was either fading or becoming jealous and separated as me and Ashley were very much a duo throughout.
Emotionally my journey as a character was an attempt to get what I want without having to look like I care too much about it but at the same time the worry was there when the situation changed. This was demonstrated practically in my first meeting with Alex where we shake hands and seem content with each others company I therefore don’t have that much interest in Ashley initially as I feel he is needy and I don’t need to do anything to gain his friendship. This however changes when I realise Alex has other interests and I therefore look to Ashley for support and reassurance, this then forms the basis for any further exploration of our relationship.

3. Comment on the effectiveness of the blog as a reflective means of charting your journey through the entire process which began in September 2007.

The blog has been very beneficial in terms of the opportunity it presented us with to self reflect on the work we had created and the process in general. This was important as it was outside of the workshop arena and was a chance to analyse the work academically which inevitably presented the company to describe the journey or perhaps explain where they anticipated or wanted their journey to go in words should they struggle to convey this physically. What also made the blogs a valuable part of the process was the fact that it offered the company the chance to get an insight into where people felt they were at with the work and with the benefit of this knowledge people could see areas in which people struggled or enjoyed. I would also say this helped develop people’s interactions as characters an awareness of what connection people felt with your character could help us as performers decide if these interactions were worth exploring.