Writing in role 1

When is this year going to end? I seriously can't be fucked anymore. I don't care if I can't name all 53 states or if I don't know who the second president was. Is that really going to help me in my life? I mean I don't even know what I want to do with my life so how can I do well in my classes. I don't know what I'm going to use that knowledge for. It's my brother who is going to become a big shot. He's three years younger than me and already has offers from college. 

I tried to study, I really did. But it didn't work. I sat down in the library and tried to read a book. It was so boring. Word after word after word  nothing went in. I even tried to join a study group but the new Call Of Duty came out so, you know, priorities. All I want to do with my free time is kill noobs on Call of Duty. Maybe I should join the Army. 

Mamma cut me deeper.

For Mamma cut me deeper Amanda is going to take the lead. Her character is going to be an overachiever and constantly studying to try and better herself. For the song she wants to show her transition in life and how she is struggling but because of her reputation no one thinks she needs any help.

For the song Amanda has set the scene in a study room where everyone apart from my character is sat studying. I did not feel that my character would be studying as he can’t be bothered to try and achieve anything in life. As such in this scene I am going to be portraying the teacher supervising the students.

The song starts with Amanda sitting in the centre of the stage surrounded by the rest of the group sitting on chairs. My character walks around interacting with individual characters and supervises the room. Amanda then passes a note which i intercept to before it reaches who it was meant to. This represents that Amanda is panicking under the pressure of exams and can't concentrate enough to study. I believe this is because whenever she tries to achieve something in her subconscious prevents her from it.

The overall movement of the song is suppose to represent what is going on in Amanda’s mind and how she is over thinking everything. In the movement we represent everything that Amanda’s character wants from life and how she hopes she is going to be successful and looked up to. We show this by showing her as a winner and giving her a award.

Amanda’s song is a very depressing one. The original idea I had for it was about a teenager who is a homosexual but his/her mother is a devoted christian and won’t accept who her child is. I took the title of the song ‘Mamma cut me deeper’ to mean that no matter how badly the character is hurt, their mother has hurt them even more by no accepting who their child is. If I were to perform the song I would make the character sit in a blacked out room lit only by candles with myself sitting in the centre of the candles. I would have paper thrown across the floor with demented and disturbing drawings on them about self harm and suicide as the interpretation of the character I got was that they are very depressed and thinking of a way out.

The movement for this song is very metaphorical, for example when we all circle Amanda, this is a metaphor for how she is being overwhelmed by the amount of work she has and how there is no escape from her responsibilities. We also show how she could achieve is she had a bit of help by creating steps using physical theatre and helping her up these steps to get into first place. We wanted this movement to be very physical and representative of how Amanda’s character is being overwhelmed.

War song

For ‘war song’ I had took the lead and had to decide the scene I want to set. I decided that I wanted the scene to be a reward ceremony. When I came up with the scene we were still doing scenes between the songs and it would be clearly shown that we are at a reward ceremony but now because we are only doing the songs, the songs set isn’t going to be as clear to the audience as it was when we had the scene.

The scene I wrote showed my character as an outcast who is being bullied in high school. The scene would start with me walking in and being met by ridicule and harsh words from Liam and Harry’s characters. In this scene I wanted to establish that my character is a victim being bullied and that the reason he has not been able to achieve anything in life is because of the way he has been treated through his school life.

For ‘War song’ I wanted to focus more on what the group would be doing instead of focusing primarily on myself. To do this I separated myself from the group as I stand more centre stage whilst they all sit stage right. Whilst I am singing The group do simple movements that represents what I am singing. For example when I sing about not caring when or where I’m going, Harry and Liam hold up pictures of a globe and a calendar. This is very similar to the works of Brecht.

I took a lot of inspiration for the scene from this link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LR-lYKDvIlk

In this performance of the song, there is only the singer. This being different to mine which has the rest of the class in. I took a lot of inspiration from the movement the singer does. Such as how he moves to the beat and the action he does on certain line such as when he points to his shoes when singing about converse and waving his arm around when he sings about slicing someone up with a knife. I also took inspiration from the clothes that the singer is wearing. It gave me an idea about what i want my character to wear and how I want him to act.

To come up with the sequence of movements I want in the song, first I had to design what I wanted the stage to look like so that I had a rough idea about where everyone is going to sit and how I can have them move together. After i achieved this I could start to picture the song. After I had a rough idea of what the stage was like I proposed my idea to the class and had their help coming up with the movements for the song. We had the finished movement after about an hour and we showed it to Ms Cordell, she gave us some more tips for the movement and we went back to work to create the final movement.

What I want most from this piece is to make it entertaining and funny. I want the audience to be humoured by the song even though it has a very dark story about a teenager who has messed up their life so all they can do now is join the army, and because of the way the character describes himself ‘pale and weak’ he probably wont last long in combat.

Notes

musical or concert

In class we have had a discussion about whether or not to have the show as a musical or a concert. As Our stimulus was an album by Joe Iconis, we felt that because each song told a story we could write the scenes in between each song.

As time went on we set every song and created characters for the songs we will use. We started to create individual scenes to give context on our characters and about the song itself. For the shows over all story we wanted to set the it in an american high school and tell the story of seven students and their lives during their final years of school and what happened to them once they left.

Once we started to try and link all of the songs however we discovered how difficult that was going to be. Because the songs were not written to be linked and to tell an over all story we found it very difficult to be able to create one. We all tried to create a scene before each song, at this we were successful, however actually linking each song and creating a liner story would not be possible due to the significant difference in each character and story the songs tell. As such we had to have a discussion about whether or not we wanted to have the show to a whole story or just have a show where we perform songs and create a show of just showing these songs.

I feel that as a show it didn’t really work, it would not be entertaining from an audiences point of view if we are trying to connect songs that have no way of being connected. It would be a lot more entertaining if the audience didn't have to worry about following a whole story instead they would only have to focus on each song and the story that is told with this song, instead of having to follow characters throughout an entire show. I feel that a show of this nature is very similar to Brecht’s idea about how the audience should not be emotionally invested into a show. If we go down the route of telling individual stories with music then the audience will not be invested into the characters throughout the show. Instead they will feel different emotions for each song and after a song is finished they won’t necessarily feel happy or sad about any characters. Instead they will focus more on the story that the song is telling and how we told it.

Originally this is how the album was shown. Instead of trying to create a full show Iconis only wanted to show stories with each song. The show itself wasn’t performed on a huge stage with a giant audience .Instead it was performed in a pub on a small raised stage where the band and actors all performed in front of a small audience. Iconis wrote each song for the actor who was playing the character and that was it. He didn’t try and link the songs. Some songs naturally link well together such a ‘Nerd love’ and ‘Son of a Gun’ (Nerd love being about someone meeting a girl at a comic book convention and Son of a Gun being about someone buying a new comic book)

We have now stopped trying to create links for all of the songs and to instead add a few more song in and focus on having the show more of a concert than a musical.

Bar song

For the Bar song, we wanted to show how every characters life has turned out and whether or not they are happy with the way their lives have turned out. To achieve this we thought that due to the title it would be practical to set the scene in a bar and have the bar man be the one who solves everyones problems- By giving them alcohol.

To start off we had to decide what happened to our characters. Because my character sings about joining the Army,even though he doesn't want to kill anybody, because he is too weak to do any physical exercises, he should be kicked out of the forces. Due to the play being set in America and that America is renown for not looking after their citizens once they have left the Army, my character should be homeless, begging on the street, and looked over by all of the passing people.

Once we all decided what happened to our characters we had to split up the song and give each part of the song to which ever character it fitted best. Because of the short nature of the parts, we had to think about how we can tell each characters story in about 20 seconds. This was a challenge in itself. Because not only did we have to develop a movement piece that can reflect ten years of a persons life, we had to do it in such a short amount of time that we can’t go into any detail.

To tell the stories we decided on doing a short movement piece that shows every characters life and how they have ended up at the bar. However in every character story, the person who originally played the character does not represent them in the movement. Instead the character who is singing the song at that point is going to represented by someone else during the movement.

For the first lines of the song we had to develop a movement piece for Harry. His character actually fulfilled his dream and is a professional baseball player. However he has gotten too old and isn't able to play as well as he used to. His movement is very simple. For this movement Liam is going to represent Harry. Liam is going to be playing baseball with Danny being the pitcher and I am going to be the Catcher. Danny is going to bowl the ball and Liam is going to miss and get his third strike. This is to represent that Harry is no longer physically able to play baseball and has to retire due to his age and him having a chain of being struck out and not being able to hit the ball for a sustained period of time.

I got the lines:

I know we had a plan

this would be an early night

but any sensible man

would know that I’d put up a fight. I

thought that this could really represent my character as he had a plan to join the Army and that would be it. He would go to war and eventually retire or die. But because of his small and weak structure he couldn't handle the Army so he was kicked out.

For my characters story, Danny is going to represent my character.

In the movement that is representing my character. The movement starts off with my character in a war zone, he then gets shot. Danny falls back into the arms of everyone else who lower him down to the floor then help him back up. Then my character starts to recover from his injury, to show this, Danny limps forward and gets stronger with every step. When my character is fully recovered he gets his discharge papers. This is represented by Connor walking over to Danny and giving him a sheet of paper. Danny then lies on the floor and starts to beg for money, to represent that my character can no longer get a career after the Army and it has resulted him in being homeless and a beggar. This is when everyone returns to a nature position and Liam walks over to me and we go to his bar. Where Liam sings about everyone staying there and having a good time. At this point everyone is standing at the bar interacting with each other.

Danny decided that his character was going to be a gym teacher. In this part of the song I represent Danny. In his story Danny wanted to show how his character has struggled throughout his life. To do this he wanted everyone to create barriers for me to over come. In order I: spin around Connor and Liam, duck under Steve’s arms, then jump over Harry. Then they all make a wall and I try to break through with no result. I then take a dodgeball from Danny and blow a whistle to represent that he has become a teacher.

For Steve’s story, he wanted to have his character be a failed musician who has now become a busker. To show this Liam represents Steve and he tries to get a record deal but is told ‘no’ by Danny and Harry who are the record producers. Steve’s character is then kicked out of his band by Connor and I. Liam then walks to centre stage and pretends to play guitar and the rest of us pretend to put money into his case. T

he only people left are now Connor and Amanda. Connor decided that his character would be a failed author. Harry represented Connor in this story. For the movement of this story we all walk forward drop to our knees and link arms. This represents the general public and how they think that Connor’s character’s book was terrible. We then pass a book along the line in canon and tear a page out of it and fall to the ground following our arms. We then return to our neutral states and move back to the bar.

The final story we have to tell is Amanda’s. Amanda wants her character to be a very successful business woman who doesn't have time for her family. To show this, Connor represents Amanda. Liam and Harry go onto their hands and knees to represent a table and Danny, Steve and I pretend to eat dinner off the table whilst Connor walks over, picks up an imaginary plate and walks off (This represents that Amanda does not have enough time to spend with her family). Connor then walks around and we all give him a pile of paper eventually becoming too much for Connor to handle and he drops to the floor. We all then return to the bar.

We all then walk out of the bar and do a movement to represent us all moving on with our lives. Then in pairs we walk off stage leaving Liam alone wiping down his bar.

Character profile

Name: Matt Heywood

Age: 18

Nationality: American

Occupation: High school student. Army recriut

Talents/Skills: none

Parents: Mother: Not very close with. Often feels like she doesn't love him.

Siblings: Younger brother: Always in the shadow of his brother who is an over achiever

Relationship skills: A social outcast who can't make friends very easily and has never been able to even talk to a girl.

Physical Characteristics: Pale. Weak

Height: 5ft 8

Weight: 9 stone

Race: White American

Eye Color: blue

Hair Color: Brown

Skin color:pale

Distinguishing features: rock hair

Clothes: Skinny jeans. Band top. Black hoodie. Converse trainers

Mannerisms: very lazy. Doesn't try to achieve anything from school.

Habits: Smoker

Health: very unathletic. Smoker

Hobbies: Listening to music

Disabilities: none

Greatest flaw: Social anxiety

Best quality: Generally a nice person but other people have turned him cynical.

Intellectual/Mental/Personality Attributes and Attitudes

Educational Background: Failed high school

Intelligence Level: failed SAT

Any Mental Illnesses: Social anxiety

Learning Experiences: Bullied throughout high school.

Character's short-term goals in life: Join the Army because he has nothing better to do.

Character's long-term goals in life: None

Self confidence: Has no self confidence at all. Just wants to be left alone to do his own thing but he isn't quite sure what that is.

Emotional Characteristics

Strengths/Weaknesses: Does not handle pressure well. Is very lazy. Doesn't have any plans for life.

Dealing with anger: Bottles it all up until his graduation day where he tells every to 'Fuck off'

Life goals: None. Has no plan for life so joins the army because he failed all his exams.

Motivations: None

Nerd love

For this song we have set the plot around the cast not being their own characters (except from Harry.) Instead we all play a stereotypical ‘Nerd’. Amanda is going to be the only girl to have ever been to the Star Trek convention that we have set the song in. The reason we want Harry to be his character is to make him the focus of attention. If everyone else is being nerds then Harry's jock character is going to stand out.

For the scene before the song, Steve and I are going to be excited about something that could be considered ‘Nerdy’ and that could actually happen at a convention. Liam’s character then points out a prop from the original series and we freak out. This is when Connor points out that it is only a replica, Steve, Connor and I then have an argument about it. The reason we added this scene in, is to create some context for the audience and to hopefully create humour. We want the scene to be set so that the audience know exactly what is happening.

After Steve and Connor start to act like they might start a fight, Danny runs in. This is when he calls us all over and explains how there is a girl at the convention. All the nerds freak out and ask him questions such as ‘Does she have three boobs?’ This is a reference to Total recoil a film with a cult following. Throughout the scene we make a few references to films, such as: Star wars, Jurassic park and of course Star Trek.

This is when Amanda walks in and asks where she is going to sit. This is when my character says 'Everyone be very still, if you don't move, she can't see you' This is a reference to Jurassic park and how the characters all freeze so they are not attacked by the viscous creature that is standing besides them. This is how we want to show Amanda. We want all of the nerds to be terrified of her and not know what to do (For many of them this is the first time a girl has ever spoken to them)

All of the nerds disperse and Harry walks in to start the song.

i was born this morning

For this song we decided to have it set in a high school room. In this scene we will all be sat a desk and in cannon tap our desks to the rhythm of the music in a way to begin to show the personality of our characters. My character is an outcast who has no idea what to do with his life and who is bored with everything he does. I portray this by being half asleep in the first part of the song and tap my hand on my desk in a way to show that I just want to go home. The lines that I sing in this song had a huge impact on the way that I want to portray my character. The line goes ‘And then I learnt to crawl and I learnt to fly then I spouted wings a flew away’ To me this means that my character has done everything in his life that he feels was necessary and after that has nothing better to do then leave.

During the first chorus we all get up in groups of three and when we are all stood up we move to a different desk and sit down like it is another lesson. Then when the song gets to the part where the words ‘I got lots of things to do’ is repeated 6 times we all stand up one by one and do something that represents our characters.

For my character I jump up and head bang to display that my character is a huge fan of heavy rock music. After that we all move to another desk. Here we again sit like it is another lesson (displaying that we are moving throughout the school day) Here I sing the lines ‘And come tomorrow’ ‘because I desecrated’ ‘a million mother fuckers just like me’ Combining these lines with the lines in between it clearly describes my character. The lines go as follow

‘And come tomorrow

When I’m dead and buried

This place will feel the wrath of my legacy

Because I desecrated I procreated

A million mother fuckers just like me’

These lines again show my character as being an outcast who hasn’t got many (if any friends). The line ‘A million mother fuckers just like me’ intrigues me. This makes me picture my character being angry at everyone who has been mean to him as he knows that there are millions of people who are like him and that he isn’t really an outcast. We finish the song by moving the desks and putting the chairs in a line to represent a bench at a gym lesson (as the next song is ‘Dodge ball’). We all then walk forward and look at the audience then on the final line we all walk back and turn away from the audience to quickly face them again on the final beat. I use this to show my characters awkward personality as I walk forward with my hands in my pockets looking down.

I was born this morning movement

The Assignment

Things to ruin

Our next assignment is to create a performance based on the album Things to Ruin by Joe Iconis. I am really looking forward to this creating this performance as I have listened to the album before we were given this task and I already have a good idea of characters and settings for a selection of the songs. For this assignment we are going to come up with ideas and scenes. The whole point of this assignment is to see what works and what doesn’t.

In my vision of this performance the songs all tell an over running story. The album tells the story of the hardship of growing up in modern day society. The album is in a particular order but if you rearrange the songs it tells a story starting at a young child and ending with an adult. The song ‘Albuquerque Anyway’ tells the story of a young child’s best friend moving away. This could be the start of the performance. Then the songs go on telling about stories when the singer was in school gym or when he is trying to figure out what to do with his life.

My favourite song from the album is ‘The War Song’. This song is about a senior in high school who has been an outcast for his entire school life. The character has failed his exams and doesn’t know what to do with his life so he starts to sing about joining the army because he has nothing better to do with his life. I have this idea where the character is giving a speech at his graduation and is talking to all the other teenagers who had bullied him for so long. I see the performance being performed on the ground raised above the auditions using stage blocks. I think the auditions should be sat around desk tables with school chairs. This means that they are actually in the performance in some aspects if the show is based in a high school.

There are going to be a number of issues with creating a performance using only an album. The main problem is that there might not be an overarching story with the songs we decide to use. Also It means that we are going to have to assign a song to everybody and this person has the responsibility of taking charge of his/her own song. This could create conflict as the lead of a song might have an idea they are really set on doing but the rest of the cast might not think this is a good idea and it might not fit in with anyone else’s idea for their song.

However the possibilities for this performance are nearly endless. Because the only stimulus we have is this album we can do whatever we want with it. It also means that everyone has a song and is in charge of something. As I stated earlier this could create conflict but if everyone works as a team and makes sure everyone is involved then we are going to be able to create an amazing performance. The songs also tell the stories of completely different characters. One song tells the story of a boyfriend and girlfriend as how the girl has fallen asleep on the boys arm whilst they were watching a movie and another song tells the story of a teenager waiting to be picked for a dodge ball game in school gym class.