Action plan portfolio

For the play we are doing for Restoration 'The rover'  when reading it through for the first time as a group i realised that the language was a lot more difficult to understand than i thought. The stroy line alone is very complicated and at times rather confusing so when performing this we need to make sure this plot is clear as possible to the audience so they know what's going on throughout the play.

Background Research:
First of all to get the idea of the period in which this play is set in which is  17th century, i will have to study by watching period films, such as 'Stage Beauty' and 'The Libertine'. These films will help me to get a better understanding of the period and the atmosphere. As well as how they spoke and communicated with each other. Also connecting it with how they looked and moved around with their costumes, for example i already know that in the 17th century period that women where only allowed to wear dresses which covered they ankles, no shorter. So ladies would move very differently and elegantly compared to the men who wore frills and laced suits. Also getting a better understanding of the historical context from these films will also help my understanding of the plots, such as this period being very rebellious and men mostly after only one thing in a women which is to try and get them into bed. Which is actually a story line in the rovers so i will take analysis on their attitudes towards women and how they where treated. Such as i know already that even back in that period they weren't allowed to perform on stage, only men, showing the sexism was a strong problem.

Reading the play:
As i have already read The Rover, i still don't fully understand the whole plot and all of the characters. Some characters are easily forgotten about due to the main characters taking over most of the storyline. So i will re-read the script taking note of all the characters trying to get a good understanding of how each character reacts to certain situations. My character isn't needed that much throughout the play, so in high in sight it should be easier for my to get a better understanding of my characters journey. Such as specific scenes as my main scene in Act III Scene I. Where Valaria Tries to convince her cousin Hellena to not fall for Willmores' trap of believing he loves her, because all he wants is a women to sleep with.

Context of the play:
To make sure i fully understand the play, i know that just reading the script isn't detailed nor specific enough to get a great understanding, so to help research and watching other interpretations of 'the rover' online using search engines such as Google and YouTube. However making sure that i don't use their interpretations into my performance, making it a lot less original but also not my own imaginative ideas for my characterisation. Also watching films/ videos based in the restoration period to help get a better view and better education into the historical context of the play. Making it easier for interpreting a female in that period.

Script:
Before starting to block the play scene by scene chronologically, understanding all the speech is a necessity. So when reading through the script and finding words/ phrases which i don't understand and research and write them down in annotations within my script. As well as the language, ideas used such as characterisations, characters journey, creative theatrical ideas and thought tracking ideas i would note them down in the spare pages in the back of my script, making notes on a weekly basis so each week i can improve/ research on something different.

Rehersal process:
During the rehearsal period, the first goal and achievement is to block all the scene chronologically as quick as possible, making sure to write down all annotations and notes of where to stand and actions/ movements in our script with pencil, so if later on when running through acts all together if specific movements don't fit or suit, can easily be change unlike if it was written in pen, also is more professional as well. While blocking taking into consideration of spare time and take that to my advantage to either learn my lines or to build on my character. As my character isn't needed that much it gives me a huge benefit of progressing and improving this rather quickly and confidently.  Learning lines earlier on in the rehearsal process will not only let you get used to your body language or movement because your not carrying a script around with you on stage all the time but also can experiment with your lines, trying out new things and saying them differently.

Rehearsal techniques:
In the rehearsals making sure we are ready for rehearsing and warmed up is a main priority before any blocking or scene running is to be done. Otherwise things such as your vocals or parts of the body (due to there being some stage fighting combat) can be damaged. So warming up is a priority. Things such as vocal warm ups for roughly 20 minuets, warming up the resonators i.e. head, nose, mouth and chest as well as your diaphragm to help with the projection of your voice. Also when rehearsing in spare rehearsal time, collaborating and sharing ideas with the rest of the cast such as adding movements or actions could not only help improve the scene but help with your confidence to think of other improvements to be shared. The same way in which when watching a scene back when not needed, helpful and useful strengths and weakness and criticisms for feedback would be useful for the actors to get a better understanding of how they could improve their scene. Other ways to look and weaknesses within rehearsing is recording the scenes via video camera and watching it back, taking down notes of weaknesses of your own and others.  Then setting those weaknesses as goals and trying to aim for them. For example protecting more with the voice and make the voice more elegant and posh, even slightly sarcastic because that's how women spoke in that period. Discipline is also a main priority within the process. Making sure to respect the other actors on stage who are trying to focus and run there scenes, so instead of chatting to people, write down notes and critically analyze the scene in which they are rehearsing which also could give me some ideas of how to improve my characterisation if i watch other females and how they convey their female restoration characters. Also because i am double cast, watching my double cast conveying they same character as me while on stage i could analyze how she conveys Valaria and while we are not on stage at the same time can ask each other to write down and analyze our acting and how to improve our performance. Also even throughout all of the rehearsal process, i would still do detailed research. To fully understand the context of the play. Such as when coming to the dress rehearsals as i would have already researched about the dresses and props used within the restoration period, would know how to move, bodily actions and vocals. Making sure to take the objectives and what is going to be achieved under consideration for example what i set as a goal for the following week and trying to achieve this.

Tech/dress:
These are at the final stages of rehearsal commonly on the last 1-2 weeks before show week. These are the final chances and opportunities to for improving my character and my weaknesses such as my voice and body language once and for all. However as the tech runs aren't really for improvements of the actors but more of how we will all look on stage with the set and lighting, i should have already by this period of time have my characterisation at a rather strong strength by then. As for the dress runs as already said in the rehearsal process, researching into how they women moved in dresses and how they sat would benefit the dress rehearsal massively, making me feel much more confident about playing a really feminine character. As that is a weakness of mine from which i have to improve for restoration already. But i find this weakness challenging but enjoyable, making me want to achieve this goal even further by the time the dress/ tech run makes comeuppance.

Performance week/ Final performance:
For the performances itself,  evaluating my personal performance, noting all of my strengths and weaknesses within the performance would make me understand of how i could have improved my acting abilities according to the restoration period. This would be done by watching our performances back, watching yourself and critically analyzing things such as our body posture, movements, voice, articulation and reactions and connections to the other characters while being on stage. This would help us in the future to improve our acting abilities even further, also with more analytic weaknesses of yourself you realize, the better understanding you have of how to improve your acting abilities in the future.