Costume unit - fashion concept

Costume designing unit - cats/our concept

Cats Singing Audition

Cats Singing Audition


For our singing audition for Cats we were asked to sing a musical theatre ballad song and an up beat song. We were also asked that the songs chosen for the audition would be an Andrew Lloyd Webber song from a musical other than 'Cats' or a song that is similar to the repertoire of 'Cats'.
I decided to choose the song 'I don't know how to love him' as my Ballad to sing from the musical 'Jesus Christ Superstar' which is an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. I also chose 'Over The Moon' from 'Rent'. This song  is a complete contrast to my ballad song and the song is very wordy which is how the songs in Cats are. The songs lyrics are extremely wordy and don't make a lot of sense, this is very much how 'Over the moon' is it is wordy and as a whole song.
The top rule is to not sing a song from the show you are auditioning so choosing the song 'Memory' for example for the ballad choice would not be appropriate to sing.
I feel that my choices for my audition were suitable as 'I don't know how to love him' Is within my vocal range and has a nice journey to the song. It starts off rather mellow and then builds when it comes to the chorus. I felt this song suited my voice and it is a good song which can tell a story.
Now looking back at my auditions I felt that I showed the difference between the two songs and the contrast between them. I felt that in 'I don't know how to love him' I had a more of a thoughtful and meaningful performance portraying the emotion of the song. Further developments if I was to do this song for an audition again would be to even further emphasize my characterization to portray the story of the song.
I felt that in the song 'Over The Moon' I gave a different vibe to the song as it was a completely different style of song. I was using my arms to do gestures and create interest to the story I was telling. The song really is quite strange and is a bit out there with a bit of a crazy story so I felt I was  facially expressing myself when I was speaking in parts of the song. For further development if I was to sing this song again for an audition I would go even further and not be afraid. The song is very out there and crazy and I feel I could have done this even more with my gestures and expression.


As a whole audition I felt that my audition material was appropriate to the 'Cats' audition. I felt vocally I performed well and my choices were suitable however as a further development I would like to try and emphasize my characterization by the use of body language, facial expression and gestures.




I don't know how to love him


Over the moon

Dance for camera checklist

General
* Definitions of Choreographic devices used in dance, definitions of the different structures used in dance, definitions of key dance vocabulary. E.g. Motif, Climax, Stimulus.

BUGSY/INTW group choreography task
* Upload your research
* What was the brief/What musical were you creating this dance for…..any research carried out into this musical.
* Posts explaining how you have developed your choreography using various choreographic devices and how you have structured it. Also discuss movement you have discarded and WHY, and movements you have included and WHY
* Diagrams/notes/Pictures/Video clips of the solo choreography in process 
* Video clips of your rehearsals throughout the choreographic process (these can include the videos of the whole class rehearsing.)
* What costume did you decide and why?
* Video evidence of the final performance/film 
* A thorough Evaluation and self-assessment of your choreography (what went well to make it a good choreography, what would you do to improve next time of you had to create the choreography again- REMEMBER THIS IS ABOUT YOUR CHOREOGRAPHY NOT YOUR PERFORMANCE OF IT.


CATS SOLO’S
* Upload your research
* Posts explaining how you have developed your choreography using various choreographic devices and how you have structured it. 
* Discuss movement you have discarded and WHY, and movements you have included and WHY
* Diagrams/notes/Pictures/Video clips of the solo choreography in process 
* Video clips of your rehearsals throughout the choreographic process (these can include the videos of the whole class rehearsing.)
* Video evidence of the final performance/film 
* A thorough Evaluation and self-assessment of your choreography (what went well to make it a good choreography, what would you do to improve next time of you had to create the choreography again- REMEMBER THIS IS ABOUT YOUR CHOREOGRAPHY NOT YOUR PERFORMANCE OF IT.


REVIEWS:
* Rush review 
* Rosas review
Ensure you are using correct choreographic based vocabulary and you offer your own opinion on the success or otherwise of the piece you are reviewing.




DANCE FOR CAMERA
* The different shots and camera angles
* Research, notes on a possible theme/stimulus
* Any rehearsal footage of you creating your dance for camera piece
* How you will structure your dance for camera choreography
* What choreographic devices do you use in your dance for camera piece?
* What dance style?
* What costume are you using and why?
* What music are you using and why?
* Your first 30second draft of your Dance for Camera
* Any peer feedback (not all of you did this but you could ask a friend to make a constructive suggestion)
* Evaluation of first draft- what works well and what changes are you going to make to improve it?
* Final Dance for Camera piece (minimum 1 minute long…can be longer)


CATS:
* Any research you have completed in relation to the scene you are in charge of for CATS
* What are the specific requirements for your scene in CATS, what is the brief for this scene, what are you trying to show and how will you do this?
* Upload rehearsal footage of your CATS scenes (the video of Rachel's
assessment)
* How will you develop the scene further? What works well and needs improvement?
* What choreographic devices, structures, and movements will you use/have you used and why?
* Final video clip of the scene you choreographed

Research for themes seen in my script

Research for themes seen in my script

Eating Disorders
A theme that is apparent in my script is eating disorders. The character Emma is very stressed and feels she needs to stop eating to make herself look thinner for her mum to notice that she isn't well and that her mother is pushing her too far.

I have found this website http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-22985310 
which talks about an interview with a ballet dancer and a struggle she went through with an eating disorder. It also gives statistics of people with eating disorders and also states that eating disorders are more common in dancers. 

Adoption
The character Danielle becomes pregnant by accident and feels she can't and wouldn't be able to look after the child but would not be able to abort the child, so she decides that she will have the baby and put the child up for adoption. I got this inspiration from the film Juno where a young girl becomes pregnant and then puts her baby up for adoption and chooses a couple who aren't able to have children to have the baby.  

Juno Plot Summary   

Cats questions- before the show

Pre-Show Questions - Cats

• How did you initially react to the script? How did your relationship with the material change?

I initially was very excited that we were to be taking on the show 'Cats' as from a very young age I watched the filmed stage version on video and would dance around my front room pretending I was a Cat. I don't feel my relationship with the material changed as I was very knowledgeable of the script as it was, s I have watched it countless amounts of times and was very familiar with the script and its context. The only way my relationship with the script changed was when we were told that we were going to change the concept of 'Cats'.

• What did/do you think of the concept of changing the context to the fashion world?

At first I wasn't sure how to think of the change of concept because could not see it working as it was so different and we were changing it completely to be humans and not an animal I was very uncertain of the idea. I was unsure that the new concept would make much sense to us as performers interpreting a new context to the piece and as a result the audience as the original show doesn't have a very in-depth story line that this new concept would confuse matters even more. I was in some ways disappointed that we weren't going to be dressing up as cats with all of the make-up and costumes as this has been a life long goal to be able to do this show and I was disappointed that it wasn't going to be in it's original concept.

• How has that worked in practice?

In practice and rehearsals I wanted to keep an open mind and tackle this new concept as it would be unproffesional to not be a part of the practice of it. I did find it hard to adjust to the idea of not being a cat but as rehearsals went on I was slowly managing to see how it would come together as we started talking about costume ideas and set designs and all of us thinking about how our characters would then be different in our new narrative.

• What has changed about your understanding of the narrative/characters?

The way that my understanding has changed to the narrative and characters is that although that we are no longer cats the characteristics of the cats in the original are being followed through to our concept. For example my character Munkustrap in the original is the protector cat and is second in command of the Jellicle Cats to Old Deuteronomy. In our version I still adopt the characteristics of being what was the protector cat as I look out for all the models and I am concerned for them all and take pride in making sure they are all okay and not in danger or trouble. I am still second in command to Old Deuteronomy

• Discuss a number of the ideas/possibilities that you have tried out whilst rehearsing

Ideas and possibilities that we tried out in rehearsals was experimenting the Macavity Fight. In the original piece Macavity takes away Old Deuteronomy and then Macavity returns impersonating Old Deuteronomy and then it is revealed that it is Macavity and then Munkustrap and Macavity have a fight (Mime/Dance fight). As that is what is the original we had to consider how we were to do this in our concept of fashion, we agreed the possibility that there is a scandal in the company which Macavity has made and Old Deuteronomy goes after Macavity to confront him. We then did have the idea of having Macavity come back in Old Deuteronomy's coat impersonating her. But then we thought why would this happen in our concept? We then decided on an idea that a person wouldn't be able to just come into a design house and the security you would have to go through would know that Macavity was an impostor. So Rachel (Director) thought of the idea having Macavity be a courier and come into the office with a parcel and then be having a look around trying to find designs to steal. As this is all to music and there is no dialogue it is all interpretive and mime to the music to create the story of this happening, I then wonder who is in the office and ask around and then it is uncovered that it is in fact macavity. This was something that took a bit of work experimenting with ideas as we have a new concept it is making sure it stays true to it and also making sure as it is not spoken this section and it is mime that from an audience point of view it makes sense. 

• Explain a few ideas that worked and ones you needed to reject?  ...and why?

Whilst rehearsing we have tried out and experimented the use of spacing. As we have a cat walk in the middle of our staging this is a factor which we have to consider when choreographing as when we are supposed to be doing some leaps across the stage fr example we then have to take into consideration the staging. Ways that we have come about this specifically is when we have done 'The Jellicle Ball' I choreographed the piece and didn't really take into account the cat walk as when I first choreographed this song we weren't in the studio or theatre where we could have built the cat walk we were in a different part of the college rehearsing. After we set the dance we then were able to use the cat walk to see how spacing would work, we managed to sort out the dance to split people and split lines to have people evenly spread on each side of the cat walk, however there were times where there was dancing that would need to go straight over it so we had to reject that idea and rearange the spacing so that we were either side of the cat walk and not having to trample over it. The reason why that had to be changed was because it made the choreography messy and un even so it was easier for people to start each side of the cat walk.  There was a moment where 3 lines of dancers come in from the sides of the stage and need to slide and step turn over the cat walk and as this is at a fast pace and everyone does it, it doesn't look too messy compared to when the odd person here and there needs to cross it during choreography. 

• Explain the thought processes behind your character choices in a thorough manner? (consider vocal & movement choices) 

The thought process I went through behind my character was that I really wanted to portray my status through the clothes that I wear and even by the way I walk and hold my posture. I have a high status in the company of Deutoronomy's Designs and I felt that just by the way I have a poise and carry myself across the stage would show the status I hold. Vocal choices are that I needed clear diction as there a lot times where I make announcements in the show and need a clear diction and pronunciation when it comes to making these speeches. The song that I sing ' Pekes and Pollicles' I needed again a clear diction as the song is very wordy and it needs to have clear pronunciation of the words and its very fast and as an audience member they would not be able to understand what is being said. 

Final Script Evaluation

Final Script Evaluation

Now that I have finished my script I feel that my final script was a success. I took on board what Deborah - The lady from the National Theatre - said about the further developments that I could make to to my second draft. After our discussion I then wrong a scene about the character Emma having a private dance lesson and she is exhausted and isn't able to perform properly and keep up with the physical stress of dancing. Emma's mother is then pushing her to keep going and stop being silly and insisting that Emma is fine. There is a conversation between Megan who is taking the private lesson and Sharon - Emma's mum - about Emma's condition that she is getting thinner and that she isn't well and Sharon is being defensive and denying all knowledge that she knows of her daughter's health. 

Megan: I am concerned about Emma Sharon

Sharon: Why?

Megan: Did you not just see how she was then? The poor girl is exhausted, and no wonders because she hasn’t eaten all day.

Sharon: Well that’s not my fault?

I have also added another scene where I have given Emma a monologue looking in the mirror looking at how thin she is becoming and talking about the stress that her mother is causing her.  

"I thought well, maybe if I started getting thinner my mum would see, and see that this entire dance thing is killing me and making me ill. I can’t do it anymore I really can’t."

I feel that those 2 scenes are working really well in my script and fills the gaps and gives the script a better flow. It also makes it longer to reach the length the play should be and a final important note is that it gives the script more detail and goes more in depth for the characters Emma, Sharon and Megan. Which I feel has really enhanced Megan's character with an extra scene that she is involved with and also it has gone into more depth of Emma's struggle. 
Another element that has worked with my script is that I have looked over all of the dialogue and proof read it all and made sure that it all makes complete sense and that the language used isn't superficial. I really wanted the language to be natural and not forced and written in a way that people wouldn't speak. 
Lastly I feel that all of the main characters (Alice, Danielle, Megan, Phil, Emma & Sharon) have a good character built and all have good story line. I feel that they all have a purpose within the story and all have the one thing that links them - The dance school. 

Things that I would have liked to develop in the script further would be to state music and sound effect choices in the stage directions as I only stated one specific song in the dancing scene. I would also like to have included lighting choices as well and give specific washes and colours as the only lighting choices I have made is discussed where on the stage some people will be placed and if its a split scene with 3 people in the same location then i stated I would like the stage split in either 2 or 3 parts. I would also like to have included more stage directions for the actors and the way they would portray lines and where on the stage they should enter and exit. I included the location of where some of the scenes were based however I feel there could have been more detail given about the scene changes, lighting choices, stage directions and sound choices. 

I feel that I have achieved what I set out to do. I am proud that I have managed to write a whole play and that the content is relatable to my personal experience of what I witnessed being at a dance school. All of the dilemmas in the play are all dealt with and I don't feel that there are any loose ends to the play as all scenes are complete and all dialogue is finalized and finished and it isn't rough. I have enjoyed this challenge of writing a play as it is a skill that I can take with me and say that I have done and has been a challenge and a task to take on.