..work in progress..

Kitchen sink realism (or kitchen sink drama) is a term coined to describe a British cultural movement which developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in theatre, art, novels, film and television plays. It used a style of social realism, and is usually is placed in an ordinary domestic setting and typically tells a relatively mundane family story. The plays are socially and politically motivated, seeking to focus attention on the destruction of moral values caused by consumerism and the break down of community.

A Taste of Honey is the first play by the British dramatist Shelagh Delaney, written when she was 18. It was initially intended as a novel, but she turned it into a play because she hoped to revitalize British theatre and to address social issues that she felt were not being presented.

A Taste of Honey tells the story of Jo, a seventeen-year-old working class girl, and her mother, Helen, who is presented as crude and sexually indiscriminate. Helen leaves Jo alone in their new flat after she begins a relationship with Peter, a rich lover who is younger than her. At the same time Jo begins a romantic relationship with Jimmy, a black sailor. He proposes marriage but then goes to sea, leaving Jo pregnant and alone. She finds lodgings with a homosexual acquaintance, Geoffrey, who assumes the role of surrogate father. Helen returns after leaving her lover and the future of Jo's new home is put into question.

A Taste of Honey comments on, and puts into question, class, race, gender and sexual orientation in mid-twentieth century Britain. It became known as a "kitchen sink" play, part of a genre revolutionizing British theatre at the time.

Although I grew up in close contact with people who suffered of Alzheimer, in order to be able to explain the behaviour of Edward, I had to research a lot, so that I can easily transmit to my actor what exactly I want from him. Still, I realize how this personification is going to be difficult and in somehow risky.

The behaviour	The signs
Wandering	Ÿ  Not able to follow a conversation for too long. Ÿ  Look and walk away while interacting with somebody. Ÿ  Inability to acquire new memories; difficulty in recalling observed evens. Ÿ  Confusion (people with dementia may become anxious about future events such as a visitor arriving, which can lead to repeated questioning).
Restlessness	·           Paces nervously, drums fingers, etc. for long periods of time. ·           Pacing up and down  ·           Some people with dementia may undress in public, having forgotten when and where it is appropriate to remove their clothes.
Repeated actions	Ÿ  Repeats words or actions over and over and over again. Ÿ  Repeatedly asking to go home. Ÿ  Multiple phone calls. Ÿ  The person may continually call out for someone, shout the same word, or scream or wail over and over again.
Suspicion	Ÿ  Thinks others are trying to hurt them.
Aggression	Ÿ  Physical and emotional outbursts (i.e., shouting, hitting). Ÿ  Irritability and aggression. Ÿ  Mood swings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Z9YAsS4iAM

http://watchmojo.com/index.php?id=7980

Let's get it started! (Pitch)

The interest that I lately developed around ordinary domestic setting and mundane family stories first drove me to the direction of writing an original piece about an Irish working class man and his son. The Story of a Man is a play about a sick and desperate father, Edward, who is struggling with the fact of raising his adolescent and hopeless son, Michael. In the action of linking the play with an aspect of theatre theory, tradition or practice as an underpinning and basis for approaching the creation and rehearsal process, I discovered the British cultural movement that raised “Kitchen sink drama”. Being particularly drawn by the play A Taste of Honey by Shelagh Delaney, I decided to adapt some sections of the play regarding the tensions and conflict between a seventeen-years-old working class girl, Jo, and her mother, Helen, who is presented as crude and sexually indiscriminate.

My final product consist on dividing the stage into two, recreating two independent living rooms scenario, and having a parallelism in the narration of A Taste of Honey and A Story of a Man. Even though the setting might appear confusing and surreal, my main aim is to recreate a symbolic and naturalistic environment, mostly decorated by John Bratby’s expressionistic paintings. This new combination is therefore “Here we are.” and will explore social issues and strong themes.

By the end of the play, the audience will be expected to build a connection and empathize with the characters, their ordinary lives and their emotions. 

IP time ..coming soon

11^th June 2011

Today I received an email from Libby saying:

Develop a plan/ script for your Independent Project. If you are doing Option A (devising) you must come back with a script. Please remember how hard it is to write completely original material; I recommend you to take it on only if you have a real love of, experience of or skill at it. You may choose to adapt or work from an existing play, novel, story, poem or news item, or do a piece that is not primarily text based. Do not forget that you must demonstrate some kind of theoretical or research ‘underpinning’ and that you are recommended to show how your IP has grown out of an interest developed in your first year.

At first I was really excited about receiving email, but after a while I realize that it was actually time for me to start working on something.

Fortunately enough I had my new theatre journal. I wrote on it, I wrote a lot without even realizing. My favourite moment to write is while travelling, either just taking a bus to downtown or better, while travelling around Europe.

-       I wrote about a man, who I will always meet in the same line n°51. He would be always dressed up, as if he was going to work, and I always thought that he worked or live next to the physic centre in Trieste. On day, it was late afternoon when I feel asleep in the bus and a did a entire round trip journey in that bus. So, I noticed that the man was still in the bus, so I thought that might be his home. For the following days, although that bus takes longer to drive me home, I would take, to see, observe and write about him. I called him Simon, but I was sure that was not his name. it was a really situation, also because when he was not in the ride, I would go to the bus driver and ask him more and more about that man, because I wanted to dream and write about why and what led him to this lifestyle. I didn’t end up discovering a lot about him, but for me he was the dreamer. He was the one who wouldn’t accept simplistic and incomplete answer that was given about the mysteries of existence and the universe in which we live, he simply wanted to discover and know what’s over our capacity. But he went too beyond, and now he is anymore able to communicate and build a contact with those of us who chose or couldn0t go beyond.

-       I wrote about a woman I saw the 11^th of June 2011, the day I left for my trip in Europe with Derek. I know nothing about her, but I observed her because she was too fascinating to me. People would say that she was crazy, but I wanted to give an explanation to her craziness. Here what I came up with. Jane; 1,50cm tall, Caucasian women in her fifties, blond and short hair, and a surly person.

“My name is Jane and please don’t sit next to me. I don’t like people because they constantly judge me, they say I am crazy. One I was beautiful, men couldn’t stay away from me, and I loved it, but they ruined me. I have been since a week, or maybe more; this is life. I think I have been doing this since the past 10 years. I have always been a perfectionist who was afraid of failure, and once I failed. Since I wasn’t able to accept it, I decided to give up and let life drive me; and so here I am. The best of moment memory I ever had is the journey I did with the only man I ever loved in my life; it was the hot summer of 1982 and we went to Oslo with our motorcycles. I remember every single moment, day, of that journey; I loved those years. I was brilliant and happy; I knew what I wanted, until I feel from the motorcycle. There is nothing else I can remember, the beauty and perfection of my life was gone, and so my soul. And today is just me, the crazy blond woman.”

-       I wrote about Roxanne, the lady of the day. She was from Barcelona and she had to learn how to survive. She like many of us, she was one of us.

-       I wrote humans and their instinct, while travelling with a train from Rome to Venice.

-    I wrote about beauty; about the harmonic fusion of azure, bright gold and coral pink that illuminates Venice at 7 in the morning. I wrote rare and delightful experience; I wrote about love and poetry.

Writing made me happy and made me wanting to write more, about me and my story. I wanted to share what I’ve got to share, through theatre.

So I wrote about being abandoned by my mother when I was two years old, I wrote about my mother traveling around Europe as an immigrant of the ‘90s. I wrote about my disappeared sister in Turkey, the death of those I loved, the birth of those that are not part of me, my family and my future. I wrote about growing up by myself while my mother was gone for eight years, without me knowing where she was. I wrote about the only father I was able to love, who was arrested, and who I never saw again. I wrote about being the first black kid in my school and I wrote about my first and only love.

I was ready to share and open myself, but I realized I couldn’t do it. It was too much, for me and for my audience. It wasn’t necessary, not now, not yet.

21^st September 2011

I took this decision a few days before arriving at Pearson, so I had to think of something else. I had to write about something else, because I wanted to write. So I decided to tell the story of someone I love. The story I was ready to share was about someone close to my heart who had to grow up and live alone, taking care of his dad suffering of Alzheimer. I immediately realized how challenging this was, but still I wanted to write about it. English is not my first language and not all of us are gifted enough to be able to write for an audience. This was my challenge and I was ready for it.

Once we got back, I associated my play, with the genre domestic drama and I started researching more on this genre, until I discovered the genre Kitchen sink drama (or kitchen sink realism), coined to describe a British movement which developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in theatre, art, novels, film and television plays, that used a style of social realism, which often depicted the domestic situation of the working-class in the United Kingdom. While researching, Libby suggested me the lecture of “A taste of honey” by Shelagh Delaney and after reading it I felt a connection with the book. The story as a whole was not directly related to my story and the story I initially wanted to share, but the environment was exactly the same. The relationship between the two main characters of the play, Helen and her daughter Jo was what would have been the introduction to my personal story.

So, Here we are, a parallelism between the story of Michael and his dad Edward, who suffers from Alzheimer disease, and Jo and her mother Helen. 

Take a break!

7^th June 2011

It’s summertime. Although school is over and even if the last thing I want to think of is school, the first thing I bought as I got home was a notebook. I bought a notebook because as soon as I got home I wanted to write the most I could, all the ideas I would have had relating to theatre. I wanted to write and be inspired.

It’s almost funny because I have so many diary and notebook that one might say I am obsessed by them, which is also true, but I never thought I could have one as well just for theatre and actually go around with it.

When I first fell in love with theatre, it was just for the stage. I loved being there and being watched and observed. I loved being a medium and that what it was.

Then, I did my first musical “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” and I discovered that there is more behind the acting that make a good production. And this is when I first fell in love. It was the stage. It was the beauty of it. It is about power. The power and ability to recreate an environment or/and atmosphere. Since I was little, since I couldn’t have most of what I wanted, especially space for me, what I have always done is  to create an imaginary space where I could dream, believe and act as if that was actually what I have created.

Thanks to my experience at Pearson I have been able to focus and develop this aspect, although what is important for me it is not only being able to set and stage a play, but constantly have the focus on the aesthetic of the presentation of a production.  

Today I can also say that I have been able to direct several plays. I just think it is amazing. It is such a great possibility that I could have never thought of. I don’t realize so, although I should. In the case I will want to go back home and help on a production, although I am so young, I will feel confident enough to direct at this young age. It is true that I am not gifted in writing, although sometimes I like to put together some ideas, but my capacity to ameliorate a give personality and splendor to a play has increased way more than significantly.

I am glad and happy I can write this and I hope I will be able to write more and more on this notebook. I hope I will be able to share what I’ve got to share through theatre.

Mini IP reflection

16th March:

today I had my first quick 15 minute rehearsal with my actors. We didn't really have a rehearsal, but I expressed my thoughts and my idea for the project to them. Antòn was not present (but I didn't relly need him), so Ameilia who was not anymore able to take part of the play (now I have to find somebody to replace her). 

I'm really excited!

18th March:

I would say that today was our first official rehearsal, with all my ladies =)

We had an hour rehearsal and work more on the piece itself (learning and reding the parts) than on the staging and acting. To be honest I did not really like the atmosphere because I felt like not everybody was there to coolaborate! It is true that I had different theatre students and not who would have done things differently, but instead of comunicating it to me, they were just weirdg and with low energy!

19th March:

Today I talked with Libby about the progress of my work and expressed my feelings about specific actors. She gave me useful advices and even asked me whether I wanted her to do something about it or not (I appreciate that).  

I planned my next rehearsal since I realized that the time is going, fast fast..and my IP is on friday!

26th March:

In this rehearsal my main goal is to send the message I have in my brain, to my actors. 

Until my idea was to realize the play in the common room, but rehearsing in the common room is really challenging and people are easily distracted. In my specific case, I feel that my actors are more concentrated and productive (acting) when they are on the stage. So we moved to the Max Bell. 

I now have the set ready! Light, music, props,...is all figured out!

27th March:

Quick and god rehearsal. Everybody were productive (no Emily, but I trust her. She knows what and how to do, so this does not worries me)

28th March:

Last rehearsal! Everybody + Antòn! Mostly, people do not know their lines! OMG! It will be ok..ok =)

29th March:

I ha a really good and useful class section that gave me the opportunity to express my self and be listened. I am know ready for the night! 

The stage is amazing, the actors as weel! We started 15 minutes later because of internal problem!

• REFLECTION ABOUT MY IP! 

In term of my theatrical experience, this is absolutely the experience in which I learnt the most. Being a director is not easy. I had my project in my mind and I really want to challenge my self also by realizing everything by myself. Even if I am really glad of what I did, I wish I could have cooperate with somebody else, whose opinion might have help in developing the project and achieving a better job. Of course, I am happy about my result, but I know realize how important was it to work on the piece (the play itself and the words). Thinking again about it, I remeber that by the end of the preparation of the project, I did not like the script and the dramitic structure (so the plot) was not clear and immediate (there was, but more precise direction would have bring it out, which is what I lacked in somehow). The actors of course did what I told them to do, so this tell how I was not esigent at all. Always be specific about what you want. A big feeling that followed me all along the project was the fact that these guys were doing a favour to me, so I shouldn't have been too harsh with them. What I later learnt is: start harsh and get less harsh! 

I am proud of my project but I am trying to see all the weak point and "errors", in order to avoid them a next time and obtain better results. Technically, the light design was really good but people could not see the actors face (which is important to see their facial expression) and so the position of the actors (since some of the audience could not see all the actors). I absolutely should have pay more attention to the Tech and the RHYTHM and TIMING and emphasize the key moments! since it is fundamental for so many aspects, such as the creation of the atmosphere!

The aspect in which I had more fun in realizing in this project was the set! This is what I love! I dedicated so much time (but I loved it) on representing the exact atmospher I wanted (earthly paradise - absurd theatre/setting). I obtained exactly what I wanted and this was a great achievment. I wanted to dedicate the same attention to the make-up, but on the night of the show we had a problem (someone tought that a make up crew of 3 people for 8 people was not necessary and decided to do this part by his/her own - fail - started late). But still, we were able to do a descrete job. This also told a lot how difficult it is to have the controll of everything even if you think you have the control of everything. 

In term of the night, I would say I was a little but dissapointed by the low voice of the actors, which made the audience to lose a lot of key points (therefore this was not the only reason). THE AUDIENCE! The audience if fundamental. It is true, as Libby always said and I never really gave importance. The A world. I set on a play and it was directed to the audience, so as a director, it is my job to make sure they understand the message I want to send. In order to do is, I have to think as if I am one of them, sit on the audience and have a good overall sightlines; make sure there is communication between the audience and the actors (they can hear, see and understand). Use space more carefully. Simple, detailed, specific and entertraining: key words for a good show. 

I was happy with the schedule of my rehearsal time. What I lacked is to have a specific aim at every rehearsal! In the first rehearsl Antòn could not come (or I told him not to) because he had a really smal role on the play, but I should have thought of it differently and make him come (since there was a lack of timing in the final - since he did not have a lot of practices). 

Even if my dress rehearsal was really good, I learned from this Mini IP that it is really important. It is also important to have an audience for it, so the perfomance is taken more seroiusly and you can have the sensation of how it is going to be for the final (with an audience). and you can have feedbacks!! I did not rehears on the transition and the day of the final there was lack of communication, so the transition between a show and another was really long. COMMUNICATION! 

Overall I really love and enjoy this experience and I am glad I was able to learn so much from it! =) Still, most anoying thing = no photos (especially of the setting)


Additionally, I had the opportunity to act in Mauricio’s Mini IP, Seven Deadly Sins, where I was representing sloth. It was a really interesting experience not only to see his different approach as a director, but also his approach to the stimulus, which was also my stimulus. What I noticed of him, differently from my attempt to be precise in terms of interpretation and context of the seven deadly sins, he made a lot of research in finding a way of representing it which combined partly Commedia dell’arte and other genre such as Noh theatre (just for makeup). I really appreciate Mauricio’s attempt to always experiment and combine different form of art and genre together.


Overall this was as well an experience to see other people approach and method. What helped a lot in developing ideas for our IP and learning from this experience, were the class discussions we had after every mini IP. Other than Mauricio, I learnt a lot from Derek’s approach as a director. He loves what he does and he tries his best to reach perfectionism, always. Initially, to be honest, I criticize his use of a huge production team and over rehearsing, but today, that I acknowledge the importance of these elements in making the difference in a production, I respect him a lot. Several of my classmates have already had theatre experiences and this is a great opportunity to share and learn from them. 

Cab by Morris Panych - drama activity

Drama activity – Cab by Morris Panych

After deciding that the drama activity needed to perform a piece in order to emphasize its role in the community and feel the breeze of a theatrical production, we finally decided to put together a piece.

None of the participant of the activity was involved in the selection of the play. It was all made by the activity leaders, and to be honest I personally didn’t appreciate the choice. Perhaps, any of us participants, especially the theatre students could have gave good suggestion and help for a better choice of the play. They chosen play is Cab by Morris Panych, a Canadian play writer who is also famous as an actor. Interesting choice was not to choose any particularly known play, but a really specific North American amateur play.

I was asked to direct the play and honestly I was really pleased. I knew I wouldn’t have completely enjoyed acting in the play, but being able to develop my theatrical skills also outside the theatre department was really nice.

• 6^th April: today we had our first rehearsal and just an overview of the situation. What emerged mostly is that:

-         I will have to work on staging with everybody.

-         I will have to meet individually with Silvia for pronunciation

-         I will have to help both Ujamaa and Farabee with line memorization

-         Me and Abhinav have to work on our roles. He should be the “tech man” although for now is more like a co-director when obviously not necessary. I do appreciate his suggestions the most of the time, but it is also true that two contradictory opinions don’t always work well together.

• 8^th of April. Ujamaa and Laura didn’t show up. It didn’t really make me happy, also because this is my free time and as I show up, as we all show up, everybody should show up. We went through the lines and made some exercises for personification, but it is really hard to work in general with people without any theatrical experience in term of method of rehearsing and concentration. I’m starting to look for costumes.
• 13^th April. Today Sylvia didn’t come, but we were still able to have a good rehearsal.
• 15^th April. Today we had our first and so desired rehearsal with Libby. I love her; she is just so good (of course). She helped us a lot giving us a lot of specific and precious notes. Of course the show is tomorrow so this is what we got. We weren’t able to rehears a lot and people didn’t always show up. So, Nuit Blanche is tomorrow and this is what we’ve got.
• 15^th April: Just a beautiful result. Beautiful because it was simply the best we could have get. Everybody took it in a really funny way and we all had a lot of fun. Our audience had fun and a good time; therefore we were able to satisfy our audience and also in somehow our selves. What also made it also really nice, unexpectedly was improvisation.

Today I realize how important it is in a show to have a production crew; fundamental. This might sound as a really banal and useless note, but I would have never thought that it is not just the actors that make the accomplishment and beauty of the production. Actors without a good director and a good production crew are nothing. And of course, this limited a lot our production. It was amateur and for the amount of people that were involved, I can definitely say that we were successful and we achieved more than we expected. I also got to do the light for half of the show, which was really nice. A pit was the non achievement of my initial concept of all dress in white except Cab in yellow, but we just end up using basically our normal costumes.

But overall, it was a really good theatrical experience and I enjoyed it, more than also having fun. 

Set and design (Mini IP)

Set: Earthly Paradise (common room, swing, hammock, sofa (style picture – to find/built), food – grapes, berry, juices, “wine” in wine cup (to find) -, antique table ..)
*origami butterflies all over the floor = beautiful

 

Lights: gugu + somebody? - hulwa

art students for lamps, Quentin (coloured paper), Levi's light?, lights!!

COMMON ROOM! (also because Max Bell is overbooked!)

Sound: gugu

Beginning: Lunatico, Gotan Project (first 45 sec, after 45 sec low down until no music at 0.49 sec). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cIAn3hv7Ww

End: Gloria, Gotan Project (until 1.20 sec, not more!)

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjvPhbctLB8

Costumes (+ make-up; gugu's and ashley's): gugu

colourful pearls (for all sins), 

Deadly Sin	Image	What do we have?
Superbia (pride) Purple - Emily
Invidia (envy) Green - Amelia
Ira (wrath) Red - Terese
Acedia (sloth) Turquoise/blue Belén
Avaritia (greed) Yellow/orange Aneri
Gula (gluttony) Light pink - Ellen
Luxuria (lust) Pink - Alzbeta