Final Reflection

The first word I can think of to describe the play “buckets” is experimental. Much like our
previous script work with “Love and Information” by Caryl Churchill, the whole objective of
the project is to let the creatives who pick up their work # experiment and come up with
interesting scenarios to fit with the already established narratives.
Through the work of Adam Bernard and Caryl Churchill, I came to the conclusion that my
first director instinct when approaching a piece of work is to go for the peculiar and
extravagant, as well as the surreal and unattainable. I found that my peers also followed on
this suit, and I also found that almost none of our initial ideas were incorporated into the
final work. Even though this was the case, I still find that the initial brainstorming session
that we had after doing a full read through of the script helped get our spirits up and excited
to work on a project like this.
I found the contextual research on the work of Adam Bernard helpful to an extent, as getting
oneself educated around the background which was used to create a play is always helpful
to getting acquainted with its context and premise. Researching about the historical events
that anticipated “buckets” took me back to the early 2010s, when I was just a little child,
watching all this egregious events unfold. It was a time of tension and tragedy, as well as
innovation and hope. The politics side of things was too aligned with the themes of
catastrophes, as wars and conflicts were at an all time high, no doubt amplified by the
technological advancements of the 2000s. With the social poster research, I found a similar
correlation. A lot of celebrities considered international treasures, either by their huge
influence over film/media or their pioneering in technology or astronomy, ended up passing
away.
Our initial rehearsal process was very enlightening. We experimented with costume,
different concepts, props, etc. As an individual who hadn’t been exposed to the physical
aspects of the theatre making process yet, this was one of the moments where I really felt
like it was all becoming real and tangible.
The rehearsal phase was very exciting. Some of the techniques we first started using were
more related to our ensemble bonding and connecting with each other. We experimented
with walking around the room and having to avoid each other as a way to get familiarized
with each other’s presence. We started connecting after that by the form of eye contact. We
played with different speeds, etc. My favourite resignation of this sexercise was one day
when we our director used different speeds to create a wavy motion, and at the end the
group resembled a morphing ocean. Aside from the fact it looked extremely visually
appealing, the ensemble connection shown was otherworldly.
Our director focused on movement a lot in the beginning of the process, and we learned
valuable skills such as being able to life someone up in the air in a safe way, which we
unfortunately didn’t get to use in the actual performance, but it will for sure aid us in the
future. It also amplified the ensemble trust we had been working on building.
A challenging moment (jumping quite ahead to the previous point in time mentioned), was
when we were informed that my favourite scene “Terms and Conditions” was cut from the
play due to the fact it was too long. This was disappointing to hear because I wasn’t present
in very many scenes, and I was very fascinated with the potential for physical theatre the
scene proposed. I felt like there were so many interesting ideas to be developed through
“Terms and Conditions”, I felt like it encompassed the themes of the play brilliantly. The
other people involved in the scene were also very disappointed at the choice made, as we all
had memorized our lines already, and this sort of conclusion could have been made much
earlier on in the process if the script had been properly analysed.
Although it was jarring and left me quite saddened at first, I had to force myself into the
conclusion that this is an unfortunate reality of the industry. Many instances like this will
happen in the future if I decide to continue pursuing this path, so it was a learning
experience more than a disappointment.
I found memorizing the script fairly challenging, as a text in a script such as a duologue is
hard to rehearse without the other person next to you saying their lines. Eventually, I
learned to memorize the other characters cues so I could interact with them in a believable
way.
Talking about script work, another thing I struggled with was adding a tone and intention to
what I was trying to convey. It was hard to find the footing at first, as the success of the
performance not only depended on me, but the tones of the other people playing their
characters beside me. It was challenging to find a synchronizing harmony between my scene
mates, but eventually with enough practice it was naturally found.
I believe I came out of this experience much more versed in the process of giving a text life,
as again, it was my first experience doing anything of the kind. I have experience on how to
successfully memorize my lines and work with other actors in the space. It has given me
confidence towards my career.
I feel like when we started getting closer into the late rehearsal stage, the feeling that I was
in right place really intensified. When we started rehearsing in the egg there was a very big
shift in the feeling of community that I felt initially, obviously for the better. I felt much more
connected with the people around me, whether they were my classmates or my teachers. I
remember vividly that a friend at the time told me that acting is such a vulnerable thing to
do in front of other people, and that is why exactly why we need to be close to each other in
this course. That ultimately really rang true for me and I realised that we had to work
together. There were instances throughout the year in which I didn’t feel welcomed or
supported by the people around me in this course. Hell, sometimes I also feel that way now.
But I can say without a shadow of a doubt that in that moment, when we were doing our
first full run through in the egg, that the feeling withered away. It got smaller and smaller
until all that was left was community and care for each other
During the Technical rehearsals, I believe I started to truly improve in the way that I
interacted with my peers, my own journey through theatre making and my work ethic. Like I
have mentioned before, this was my first experience doing anything of the sort and I felt
very proud that I was able to navigate such a hectic environment. We pulled through for
each other behind those curtains. We pulled through when someone was struggling with
their lines, or their costume, or they needed to find a prop. We adapted swiftly to the new
circumstances.
the first dress rehearsal was filled with joy and efficiency with a slight hint of stress.
everything ran absurdly smoothly and our hopes went up. the second one followed in the
same footsteps, and it felt very exciting to finally perform it in front of an audience. The
energy that the other groups who were watching gave our performance was very uplifting
and supportive. Our humour was exactly theirs. They got our vision, and they thoroughly
enjoyed it. There is a reason why we were able to he so successful in our performances, and
a big part of it was the support and love we received from our peers. It also felt a lot more
comfortable to transition into the performing mode with them there.
There was a slight issue with props and costume, as my necessities were not properly
communicated to the team. It left me feeling anxious and nervous about the performance,
but I eventually manage to adapt and get the things that I needed for my character and
performance, and in the end it was all okay.
The transition from the dress rehearsal into our first performance was overall an extremely
positive experience. We started a lot later than we had been for the last 2 weeks. The extra
sleep did wonders for our confidence and overall capability.
The first performance was also really positive and uplifting. I really meant it when I
mentioned that behind the scenes, the positive and cooperative energy we had been
working on sharing with each other was very present. I remember helping a lot of my peers
when they needed a hand or if I had nothing else to do. I felt myself connecting with other
people in the moments of boredom in between scenes. I felt at home.
Thanks to our attentiveness to the notes about transitions and placements, everyone knew
what to do. Everyone knew how to help someone in need. We were respectful and
successful and we managed to perform to an amazing standard.
The second performance however, was not as successful. I feel like the overconfidence from
everything that positively happened previously made me and others too comfortable at
times, and things behind the scenes started to go wrong. The added pressure from having a
more mature audience and people that knew us deeply (and that we wanted to impress) did
not help. We ended up succeeding and still delivering our performance to a very good
standard, but the second time around went slightly downhill.
Maybe it was the overconfidence from our last successful runs, maybe we got too
comfortable or maybe the stress and lack of rest got too more people. I don’t know the
exact reason, but I remember that slight details started going wrong.
People missed their lines, forgot a prop, etc. They were very minor and its not like the
audience could’ve possibly noticed the insignificant mishaps, but to an aspiring theatre
maker, those mistakes are crucial to witness so you know how to do things better next time.