Monday 19th November
Season rehearsals
Today in season rehearsals we worked in the dance studio with Rob and Han. Firstly, we looked at costumes with Han, as people checked anything that they had brought in on this day, taking us to 3:20pm. After we completed a very intense dance warm up, focusing on the core and legs specifically. This took us approximately 25 minutes. This was led by Rob today and we all followed and took direction from him well. After this, we started the main task for the session (to run any dance numbers throughout the show). We ran most numbers in the show, excluding “That’s the beat for me” due to a minimal amount of chairs. Han and Rob took notes based on our performance and we cleaned anything that needed to be done. We had finished the finale by 4:50 and had worked through everything that we had aimed to do.
Initial thoughts:
- I think that this rehearsal was beneficial as we worked through every dance number that we had the resources to do.
- I was happy as I believe that this was a good refresher for the company as we could remind ourselves of the choreography and anything that we may have forgotten.
- We concentrated well and took direction from Han and Rob to fix anything which immediately stood out.
- The secretary’s organised a lunchtime rehearsal tomorrow to fix and clean any choreography.
- Looking at costumes further, allowed anyone to check anything with Han and confirm this.
Breaking this down:
Good
I believe that it was good to see that we all worked hard throughout and focused well. This meant that we were on top of what we were doing at all times and understood the orders and our placements on stage. This was a chance for us to get used to new spacings and what side of the stage we may need to enter and exit from. Additionally, it also helped us to understand where we may need to fit in any costume changes and gather our props within the time available. Next, we are continuing to take responsibility for our own numbers. An example of this is the 5 secretary’s arranging a lunchtime rehearsal to clean the movements and timings of the number. Now, we should all be 100% confident with the choreography and ready to focus on how the show fits together as a whole. I have also gathered most of my costume and I am ready to bring this in tomorrow.
Bad
Personally, I don’t think that there were any negative aspects to this rehearsal. We were all taking direction and notes well, as well as taking responsibility for ourselves and placements throughout all of the dance numbers. Similarly, we completed the general task for the rehearsal and are ready to take on notes and apply these at all times. If we continue to work in a positive working environment with the right mindset we will continue to progress at all times.
Evaluative Analysis:
We are now in our final full week of available and scheduled season rehearsals. We have exactly 12 hours of season time left before Wednesday (our opening night). Also, I think that we all entered the rehearsal with the right attitude and mindset, allowing a positive engird in the room as we all work to the best of our ability. I think that everyone is personally aware of what they need to work on and develop so that they are in the best possible place. I think that there are moments when watching others where you can see that they may have misunderstood a step or movement. However, when working as hard as we all are, I have every faith that this will be cleaned and close to perfect when performing this to an audience. When looking at how much time we spent on the warmup, I think that this would have been helpful for cleaning as we could have had an extra 30 minutes on things that required more time. As show week is close to one week away, most of our rehearsals are led by Rob and Han, meaning that it is fully controlled throughout and no tension is withheld in the room. Due to the position we are in, we need to ensure that we are going home and recapping anything that we are aware of being wrong. This will save the time that we spend on the small things in rehearsal. I am confident that we will be doing a full run of the show very soon. Finally, costumes are a large aspect of a show like this. Therefore, we are all gradually bringing in any costumes we may have and trying these on throughout this week to ensure that we have everything that our character required. Its important that we spend time on this, but are also taking responsibility for our own clothes so that we save rehearsal time.
Action Plan:
- To go over my placement of a kneel movement in “Enrico Fermi High”, as I was late on going down here.
- To recap the small added steps in “That’s the beat for me”, so that I can avoid mistakes tomorrow and be on top of cleaning the movements alongside time.
- I would like to recap my harmony lines for “Its Alive” as I believe I switched to the alto line.
Tuesday 20th November
Season rehearsals
Today in season rehearsals we did a full run of act 1 for the second time in this process. Han led this rehearsal and Claire accompanied us in E.0.44. We ran from “Enrico Fermi High” to the end of “Case closed”. This was approximately 50 minutes. The main aim of this run was so that we could see if we had made positive improvements in many aspects since our last run. After this, we took feedback from Han and all ensured that we were writing this down so that we could act upon this very soon. This rehearsal finished at 4:30 due to working hard, focusing on task and getting the aim of the rehearsal completed.
Initial thoughts:
- I think that this rehearsal allowed us to track our progress and reflect on what we need to improve on and make better.
- I am happy that we are all aware of the order and understand our placements of where we need to be at all times.
- Receiving feedback from Han, allows us to have an understanding of what we need to work on in depth and detail from an audience point of view.
Breaking this down:
Good
It was a positive rehearsal which carried a positive and energised atmosphere throughout. It specifically allowed us to make the improvements which we given to act upon in our previous run. Additionally, this was a chance to familiarise ourselves further with the order and our placements on stage and in the wings throughout. Also, getting feedback from this run, as well as the others, allows us to make progress due to developing new moments each time. Next, we are helping our memorisation as we continue to run this over and over, setting ourselves up for more successful whole run of the show and act two individually.
Bad
I think that there are still many individual moments that need to become more fluid and need to be cleaner. However, this run has taught us what these new specific moments are. But, it is also natural for mistakes to be made and for things to be suddenly and unexpectedly forgotten. This may not necessarily be a bad thing as these mistakes will not be made again. But, we also now know what we may need to watch back and recap for a better outcome next time.
Evaluative Analysis:
With exactly one week until our full run in costume we are making excellent progress. I think that we are covering the right things at the perfect time to be as prepared as possible for opening night on Wednesday. The run was successful on the whole as we are very aware of the orders and what needs to happen next. However, there are parts which dramatically need to be remembered better on behalf of most of us. But, this will come with time as we run the performance more. Hopefully, it should soon fully sink in so that we are avoiding any silly and unnecessary mistakes. To prevent this happening, it is crucial that we go home and recap anything that was noticeably wrong to ourselves. We can do this by going home and listening to precious recordings and watching back our rehearsal footage to see what we should be doing. This rehearsal was very well structed by our director Han and we had a great level of focus throughout and all wanted the best for every company member. We are proving in these rehearsals that we are determined to produce the best show and cannot wait to perform our hard work. If we continue to work hard and put in as much effort we can, the show will benefit from this and this will be present in our work, which we all hope for. Running the shows over and over helps our memorisation of everyone’s positions and how we can prepare ourselves to know when changes and mic swaps will happen. If we prepare for things like this early on, we have the best chances of acing these on the night.
Action Plan:
- To check with our dance captains which way we turn on the lines “Enrico Fermi High” at the end of the girls first chorus.
- To get a plain notebook for the opening scene, relating to the 50’s.
- I would like to recap the different harmony lines in “There ain’t no going back”, as everyone seems to be singing the same line.
Wednesday 21st November
Season rehearsals
Today in season rehearsals, I was mainly based in T.0.07. Whilst most of the cast began at 3 by running “Blast from the past”, the secretary’s went into the shed to work on their harmony’s and movements after this. Next, Han continued to work in E.044, but needed to run and correct parts in a scene with the principal characters. Therefore, the dance captains led the rest of the company in a dance rehearsal. This allowed us to ask any questions that we had and run and clean any numbers that we felt may have not been up to the standard as some of the others. We focused on company numbers and some that required smaller groups. We worked till the end of the session and ensured that we were acting upon our feedback from the dance captains.
Initial thoughts:
- I think that it was helpful to have the session to work on any requests that we my have and anything we want to clean and fix.
- I was happy that this was a productive rehearsal and we could clarify anything that we were unsure of.
- This was good time with our dance captains, they could watch back all numbers and give feedback from the point of view of a company member and a member of the audience.
Breaking this down:
Good
This was a useful rehearsal as it could be used personally to go through any queries anyone had regarding any musical number and elements within this. As usual, we worked well with determination and managed to sort any issues we may have. This was good as we could clear any differences and make sure that we had a clear order and everything was organised. Due to Han having specific things to work with and on, many members of the ensemble took it upon themselves to fix and clarify their movements with the dance captains so that for the remaining rehearsals we are ensured to be in the best possible position regarding the dance numbers. Hopefully, the standard will have dramatically gone up.
Bad
At points, it was very easy for there to be a talkative atmosphere and for many people in the company to get distracted. It’s important this stops as our dance captains are giving constant feedback and we need to be prepared to take this. It is very important that the energy stays up so that we know what the performance will be like and how it should look throughout.
Evaluative Analysis:
W are making excellent progress and making cleaning and running our priority. We officially open the show in a weeks time. Therefore, it is crucial that we are running the show as much as possible and fixing any reoccurring issues. Today was brilliant for contributing into a factor of personal progress and tracking what we personally need to work on and fix. We began the rehearsal by working on our dance movements and harmonies in the number “That’s the beat for me”, we did this in the spare space in T.0.07. Following on from this, the majority of our cast regarding Toffee and Jonny joined us and we decided to take suggestions and clean anything with our dance captains leading this specific section of the session. The numbers that we worked on after this were: “As Good As It Gets”, “Then Came Jonny” and “Where do we go from here?”. We focused on running the numbers and taking feedback and constrictive criticism from our dance captains so that we were aware of the small elements in the routine which may have been out of time and need to be fixed. They particularly picked out directional points. This implies that we may have been using the wrong arm or leg and possibly turning different ways at points in the song. Personally, I think that this rehearsal was very needed and was overall extremely beneficial. Also, I think that it was a rehearsal that we had needed for a while. From this rehearsal, myself and many members of the company walked away with a higher level of confidence in their choices and were aware of parts that they may be making mistakes on. But, when I was watching a coupler parts, it was clear that many members need to bring emotion to their faces. This enhances the meaning behind the performance and will make everything so much more exciting. I’m glad that we all know what needs to be done and am positive that the progress that we made today was excellent.
Action Plan:
- To recap the beginning of “Then Came Jonny” as this was changed today and I need to ensure that I am applying the new corrections and movements when I perform this next.
- I would also like to go over the final verse of “That’s the beat for me”, as many of the secretary’s seem to be bopping at different times. If we all watch ourselves back from when this was staged we can see what is meant to happen and how we can act upon this and fix it.
- I aim to go over the tenor line in “Then Came Jonny”.
Thursday 22nd November
Season rehearsals
Today in season rehearsals we worked on looking at new costumes and bringing in everything that our characters require. We looked at all of everyone’s individual costumes and focused on how we can put these together. Also, this was the session where Han could look at our costumes and decide if anything needed changing or if anything still needed to be brought in. We were based in E.0.44. However, we finished today’s rehearsal at 4:15 when we had finished with costumes as Claire was ill so we could not run anything and work the whole way through any parts.
Initial thoughts:
- I am happy that I was able to clarify my costumes with Han and can now fix anything which may have been incorrect.
- I am aware of the small parts of my costume which I still need to purchase and am going to be ordering these very soon.
- I think that we should have remained in rehearsals instead of leaving early as this time could have been productively used for cleaning dances with our dance captains. However, if this wasn’t an option we could have worked on scenes which the whole company are involved in.
Breaking this down:
Good
I think that this rehearsal was mostly positive and carried many positive elements to it. We were allowed time to work on costumes and had the time to see how they worked personally and with the company as a whole. We were also able to view the contrast between our day outfit and our prom outfit. Additionally, I have two extra costumes for the secretary number and “Come Join Us” as well as “How Can I Say Goodbye?”. Putting these together in our small groups allows us to see how they fit together. It was beneficial as we no longer had to worry about them. We all fitted together very well as a group and know what small elements are left to purchase to top the costumes off.
Bad
I think that the costume element of the rehearsal was beneficial and helpful. However, when we left early we wasted time and this could have been used productively. Personally, I would have used this for a cleaning session of any of the routines which may need the extra help. This would have given us the opportunity to focus on something else instead of cleaning anymore in future. It is very important that we are running the show in detail and getting to know the order further.
Evaluative Analysis:
By thus time next week, we will be in full swing for show week and will be performing our second show in the evening. As we have sorted costumes today, we can now apply these in any following runs for the future. We are all on top of what needs to be brought in and how we can do this. Also, receiving feedback from Han on these adds certainty as we can now be sure of what is acceptable and what may need to be changed. This took up one hour and 15 minutes of our time as we did these costume checks in E.0.44. But, I am very glad that these have now been discussed and we are fully confident for what is needed for every show. However, the only negative point to this rehearsal is that we left 45 minutes early due to Claire’s absence. But, we could have used this time rehearsing and cleaning the dance routines with our dance captains. I am aware that we didn’t have Claire so it was very difficult for us to accurately do anything. But, I would have loved to of run some of our routines which people may be less confident with. If we would have completed this, we could have prevented needing to do this in future rehearsals. From now on, I hope that our focus is purely running the show and fixing any technical problems or issues which occur in our sage space next week. But, now that another element of our show has been fully sorted I am excited to enter the stage space and see where our performance can go.
Action Plan:
- To go home and have a look at petticoats which will work well under my 1950’s prom dress. I would like to do this so that I can have a clear difference between the structure of my two main costumes.
- I would also like to look at home for an elasticated belt. This is not needed, but I think that it would add to my costume and add interest to it.
- Finally, I would like to trial my hair and makeup so that on Monday morning I can be prepared to do these things straight away and avoid wasting time.
Friday 23rd November
Season rehearsals
Today in season rehearsals we were based in E.0.44 and the rehearsal was led by Rob. We focused on running the show as a whole, whilst mainly working on the dance numbers and grasping the order better. For this rehearsal we were joined by many year 11’s watching as they were on a taster day. We performed this to them whilst they recorded us for our WordPress sites or took notes.
Initial thoughts:
- I think that the energy level was a lot lower than normal, this brought down the atmosphere in the room and effected the performance slightly.
- I think that we were not fully focused. This meant that our performance of what had been done was not at the same level as it was previously.
- I am glad that we managed to work through everything that we aimed to get done in the time that us provided for our season time.
Breaking this down:
Good
I was happy that most members of the company had a good idea of the order of our show. Everybody also worked well and helped one another out if anyone was ever stuck. On the whole, I think that this session needed a higher level of focus and determination to make it best it can be. There were many aspects where unnecessary mistakes were made due to the lower concentration levels which were very noticeable in the room. On the whole, I am glad that we worked through the whole show without any dramatic or long pauses. Overall, I think that the fluidity of the performance will improve as we run it more and are moved into our performance space.
Bad
Due to lower focus and energy levels, the performance was not at the level which it had previously been. However, I am aware that it was the end of the week and many members of the company were tired. But, we helped one another out and have a very high understanding of how the show will run. I hope that when we are in the theatre and performing with tech and dress in action that the energy and confidence levels will boost and we will all ease into the performance better (helping how it flows and fits together alongside entrances and exits).
Evaluative Analysis:
Today was our final rehearsal before in E.0.44 before making our way into the theatre for show week which begins on Monday. I think that if we continue to keep up the good work and perform with energy then I am sure we will improve on the atmosphere we had in today’s session. I believe that the only thing that dragged todays rehearsal down may have been the lower standards of energy and focus. This is unusual for us, we are usually very full of energy and always stay very focused. However, it was the last session of the week and I think that many members of the company may have been feeling very tired. If we want to stay on top of everything, it is important that we go home and work on anything that may have been wrong or we may have doubts about. This will help us to remain on top of everything throughout so that this is avoided next week when it is important for us to remain focused and produce the show that we have worked hard on. This rehearsal was purely us running the show. At points, there were pauses due to the music and how this was being played. I do think that this was unavoidable. Therefore, we worked well and paused in our current position well so that we could immediately move on and run through the section which follows on after. I think that we are working well as a team no matter what, helping every member out if they are ever stuck and building confidence at all times. We are showing that we are a very supportive cast and only want the best for each other, developing our progress at all times. If we all go over anything at the weekend we are in the position to move on and hopefully have a smooth tech and dress run next week where we can adapt everything to the space. We also have Saturday morning to do a rough run in the theatre and help us grasp everything, including entrances, exits, placements and lighting etc.
Action Plan:
- To go over the section of “Marching bands and clarinets” at the beginning of “Enrico Fermi High” as I was unsure of when to move at points.
- To recap the different sections of “Jonny Don’t go” so that I can understand when to do three repeats of a movement and when to do only two.
- To look at when we come on with the valentines decorations in “Ain’t No Going Back”.
Emily Gordon Year 1 