EVALUATION & REFLECTION – A Midsummer Night’s Dream

On this page you need to evaluate and reflect on the total production from beginning to end based on YOUR experience and engagement with it. Use your blogs to help you consider each stage of the production process and be constructively critical. Pay particular attention to your own roles, contributions and responsibilities throughout this whole process and how you have worked with others.

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On the whole, looking back over the whole process, I think that we had a very smooth run of the show we developed and carried out some very successful performances. We developed our skills and aspects of the show from beginning to end and I am now going to reflect on the journey all together.

When we first began this season, I was very nervous about tackling something as detailed and well-known as Shakespeare, but also very delighted to have been placed in Theatre In Education. Personally, I was very happy about my placement as I wanted to have the opportunity to expand my knowledge in this area and work on a specific character, majorly contrasting to my previous season of Zombie Prom. When finding out my casting of Puck in A midsummer Night’s dream I was so excited to be playing a character with contrasting characteristics to my previous roles. However, I was also very nervous as this was something outside of my comfort zone, playing the comedic and mischievous character. Nevertheless, working through the project, I gradually grew in confidence with my character and loved having the opportunity to play something so different to my previous experiences.

In addition to this, I was also a company member in “Dancing With DaVinci”, participating in Vitruvian Man and three Intermediate class routines for Jazz, Tap and Ballet. I was not initially worried about balancing both and knew that the time management would be planned and successful. I found that towards the end of the process, some shows clashed with a dance class or two. However, taking it upon ourselves to catch up led to no issues caused when Dancing With DaVinci arrived. As well as this we rehearsed for technique classes in the lesson and Vitruvian Man was called on a Monday afternoon, when all company members were free. I felt that this was arranged very successfully and did not clash in general, meaning that neither production was negatively impacted.

Production stage 1:

Research and Blocking

These elements were some of our first steps when developing and starting our process of AMSND. When it came to our research, personally, I know that I would have benefitted from getting this done sooner but I was very unsure when it came to starting this about which approach would work best for me. However, as we developed the play further I found that my research was easier to complete, now feeling that this was not the best approach to take as we got closer to the finalising the project. I think that completing this towards the start would have benefitted myself and my timing as an individual, due to this being our own responsibility within the project. However, this was something to be developed and refined as we went through the process and as queries occurred for us to find the answers to. Specifically, within research, I took the pathway of finding out about Shakespeare himself and society at the time, which I think personally helped how I grasped the background of any minor details. However, all aspects of my research: The play itself, my character, society, Theatre In Education etc all contribute to the final page I have created and built up my knowledge over time. Additionally, line learning carries a large contribution to research, due to translations and development of the words and text. I personally found it very easy to translate my characters lines as these were very accessible online, allowing my understanding of my text to increase and for my characters adaptation to flow sooner. However, I also do think that this was a noticeable problem as I believe that lines could have been learnt sooner, to give us a beneficial start when refining the play. We had to be encouraged by our director to put scripts down, which may have been down to curiosity of lines or being confident with them. I know that for myself I kept mine in my hand for longer than necessary for reassurance. This was not needed as I was not looking at it and was prepared to set this down sooner, but held onto the fear of going wrong, which may have held me back.

When we began the process of blocking, which was very early on and carried through until the 15th January. This stage was key to our process. Looking back, it successfully set us up for the play we were about to create as we had set the base very early. Setting this up meant that we could move onto refinement and then spend the last amounts of time purely on rehearsals and running the show, to ensure this was all cemented into place. I feel that we were very lucky throughout the blocking process as we had our six blocks (which formed our set) from our first rehearsal of blocking. This meant that with our maneuverable set we could set any scenes accurately into place as well as transitions, these are key in a TIE play like this. At times within blocking, we had to change our arranged plans and scheduled activities as there was a regular occurrence of cast members missing which was unfortunate. This was mostly due to illness and other media requirements, which could not be helped. However, there was always another alternative for us to use eg. we blocked the end of the play before the middle. Another useful technique our director used was to recap our previous blocking before moving on, to remove anything which was possibly forgotten. This also links to the idea of filing every rehearsal so that we could go home and individually go over what we had covered to prevent any reoccurring issues. Looking back at this, it seems that it was remembered very well, so that when it was ran before adding more we were benefitting progressively on a line learning basis. This was a very smooth process and was immediately very developed, meaning that refining did not require many major changes.

Production Stage 2:

 Rehearsing and Refining the show

Once completing the refinement of the show before any final rehearsals we had reached approximately the 17th January. Personally, I feel these two production elements are very similar and intertwined for most of the process endurance. I think this because as we were refining the show, we were running the blocking we had already set and making minor changes to this, so we were rehearsing the play in smaller sections. Our refinement process was very simple and carried a set structure. It was most common for us to refine in stages, as this was a slower process that was heavily based on gaining feedback which we got on the spot and at the end of sessions as a whole group. I personally found this stage the most beneficial, this was as I found we were all getting individual feedback on the spot, mid scene, which helped us in that moment and could be remembered and written down when we were off stage.

During this moment of the process is where I began to really connect with Puck, I could grab any minor details being picked up from Erica and the cast as well as being more familiar with the script, so I wasn’t conscious of my lines. Also, I felt that by this moment the company had become a lot closer and grown to understand and know a lot more about each other, benefiting our connection on stage as a unit. It was very clear when we also moved onto polishing the show and grasping any small details as we moved into swiftly running the show time and time again, without any stops and using people to fill in if necessary.

Feedback was one of the key features of this stage, receiving this regularly in detail helped me in many ways as I could go home and reflect on my work and prepare myself for any upcoming rehearsal objectives.

Production Stage 3:

Polishing the show (including production elements – costume, props, set, lighting, sound & visuals etc.)

Looking back at the final production stages of AMSND I feel that these were sorted in great time and with simplicity. Specifically focusing on polishing the show, we took the approach of running AMSND repeatedly and getting detailed notes and constructive criticism from this at the end. This took place in our last two weeks of rehearsals and we all took the best and most successful feedback from this, constantly taking notes and trying to introduce these in our work. I viewed all cast members consistently taking notes and taking it upon themselves to do what’s best for the show, making constant development for the play in itself.

Focusing on all the listed production elements, I believe that these were decided in good time. personally, I think that costumes and props were brought in and created in a cast  and crew combined effort, having a session in which we had written down what we thought was ideal for costume and looking through the script at which props would be required. All being given representative colours meant that we could choose an item of clothing which matched our character description and use any others from college if they were additional and relevant to a particular scene or structure. In one case, some company members made a costume, the wall was cut and painted by Anna and Dan meaning that this was in great use for the character and relating largely to the play within a play. We all knew what was required and what our individual responsibilities were, but due to some inconveniences, we only got a full run with prop ans costume in the day before. However, as we all knew what the placements and roles were for these, this ran smoothly and nothing dramatically occurred as an error.

We were a very lucky cast as we were rehearsing with our set from day one of blocking, meaning that we could develop a high understanding of the 6 blocks, their movements, mobility and stability throughout the show. This was also a very convenient piece of set as when our performances came around they were very maneuverable and easy to work with in new performance environments. Lighing, sound and visuals were not a massive element in out production. Due to the aim and purpose of Theatre In Education, lighting was not a nessecity or needed in a schooling environment. However, when it came to our evening performance in Conservatoire East Theatre, simple and effective stage lighting was used to show the piece to a new audience from the general public. This was more formal than our approach to performing in schools due to the purpose of the performance. Our play featured elements of sound effects, with a small snippet of “Goodnight Sweetheart Goodnight” to add to the meaning behind the text and bring the visuals to life within the text. However, most elements were very simple to link to the purpose of the performance and to keep the focus as educating and teaching the younger children.

As the cast of A Midsummer Night’s Dream we carried out six performances, including 4 to primary schools, one to a secondary school and a final performance in the Conservatoire East theatre to peers and parents. Looking back at these performances, I can see where the main similarities and differences lie between them all.

Performance 1: Rattlesden Primary School

This performance was successful on the whole, we had a very smooth run and adjusted to our performance space in a very positive way. We had an average audience size of approximately 40-50 students, who were engaged throughout the performance and acted as a very appreciative audience. However, looking from an actors perspective, they seemed very restricted as if they were holding themselves back which meant that they were not very responsive during the performance, eg. laughing at the funny moments. However, when it came to the workshop they were extremely active, intrigued and gradually let loose, relaxing into the activities we ran with them at the end of the play. The activities ran very well and I believe that we had the chance to discover what worked well with the children and which ideas did not, specifically being splitting them into two groups. However, the more we took the personal approach to the children, individually questioning them and working with them, the more they gained confidence in their own ideas and answers as we worked through all activities. To conclude the session, we asked if they had any questions and introduced ourselves individually to break down a barrier between us all. We then received their opinions and know what to to change, if necessary, for next time.

Performance 2: Evening at Conservatoire EAST

This performance was in the evening of the 12th February, carried out the same day as our morning at Rattlesden. Our performance was the last of the evening as we followed Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet. Our performance this evening was very fluid and we ran very well, like previously with the primary school. We knew our space well, due to a previous run after lunch and performed just as we had rehearsed in dress and tech. We had a very responsive audience and they were very engaged throughout it all. We had great laughs and new responses and I think this was majorly due to their age and atmosphere, feeling open to ideas and knowing some of the cast previously. This was just a performance to the general public, showing our performance and progression. I began to fall unwell on this day. However, I was determined to not let this effect my given performance. This was one of our best audiences and we had a great response, filling us with confidence as we were ready to complete our 5 remaining performances.

Performance 3: Soham Village College

This performance was carried out on Wednesday 13th February and was to a group of year 7, 8 and 9 students. There was approximately 100 students and we had a lovely performance environment and auditorium to perform in. We had a great amount of space, and tailored ourselves to this very well as it was similar in size to our rehearsal space. The children were also seen to be quite held back, possibly due to their age but we also learnt that in the workshop with the small amount of children we had, 10 maximum, that they had taken all the information in well. We had a very limited amount of time for the workshop and very few children to work with, in comparison to our audience size. Once we had settled them into the idea of working with us as a team, they began to open up, but I feel they were a very closed group. But, they did understand the activities well in the end and had a high understanding of the show. Unfortunately, we had been cut very short for time and had only 10 minutes for the workshop, putting us in a very difficult position when deciding how to balance the time. But, we received some positive feedback and are now ready to complete some more performances.

Performance 4: Charsfield Primary School

This primary school, which we travelled to on February 26th, held a very small audience of approximately 10-15 students in year 5/6. They were yet again a quieter audience. However, they had taken everything in well and understood what we had performed, laughing at the right times, but as they were such a small audience, possibly being the main factor relating to the small response. During the workshop, we could see that they were more shy than children that we had run activities with previously meaning that we all had to push ourselves to engage and relate to them even more and on a higher scale. Additionally, our space in this room was more restrictive than previously as they had lower ceilings, meaning that we had to be very careful when looking at lifts and working with the blocks. We had benches to sit on at the sides, meaning that spacing when sitting was not a problem. On this day, we faced a major problem of one of our mechanicals not being able to perform. So, we gave this part to Sophie as her character did not interact with these at any given time, understanding the first 3/4 perfectly and incorporating a script into the play within a play. This was a one-off occasion and we ran this beforehand, making sure any changes were set In place. This did not affect the whole performance and to a new audience they would not have been aware of any changes. However, as a company we had a very successful performance, dealing with changes impeccably and looking forward to our final two we have to come.

Performance 5: Westley Middle School

This performance was definitely one of the companies favourites, carried out on the final day of February. They were a very responsive audience and gave us the feedback throughout and at the end that any company could wish for. They were intrigued throughout and were a very large audience, adding to their enthusiasm and reaction on the whole as they were encouraged by one another. The performance ran very smoothly, but I think that we all noticed how tightly we were pushed for space meaning that we had to be very cautious throughout of where we had set the blocks and ourselves for the upcoming scenes. But, on the whole we had an amazing run and kept a great pace throughout. Unfortunately, we did not have time to run a workshop with this audience, which was very disappointing for us actors as they were such a brilliant audience, giving us the impression that they would have thoroughly enjoyed and taken a lot from the workshop. But, we know thar they enjoyed it throughly as they gave us amazing feedback and were reenacting small amounts of play as we were bringing our time at Westley to a close.

Performance 6: Sebert Primary School

As our final performances of AMSND on Friday 1st March we finished with another fantastic audience, giving us a wonderful engaged response throughout the whole run. We used the floor as seats, making it easier to frame our stage and we had an immense amount of space, this was definitely my personal favourite stage space. Our setting today was very accurate as well as spacing and props, due to how adventurous we could be with our larger amount of space. The children were laughing throughout and even the teachers were fully engaged. They had a break before we ran our workshop with them and they were fully energised, walking in talking about their favourite moments in the play. Their response to the workshop was exceptional and they were joining in and wanting to learn without any needed encouragement. This was an amazing way to end our Theatre In Education experience and we loved being able to teach, engage and perform to such an amazing bunch of students. Also, looking at some feedback and noticing that we had such a positive impact, encouraging children to act and grow in confidence left us with such a positive feeling to end.

Contrasting the following performances with each other, I think that they majorly varied. We had the best runs, all factors in consideration, with performances 2, 5 and 6. I think that all workshops carried out were a success, however, it majorly depended on the students we were working with and how willing they were to learn. I felt that 1, 3 and 4 were the less successful runs as a whole because we had tougher audiences, making it harder as actors to relax into the performance. But, we never had a bad run where anything went majorly wrong, we carried ourselves brilliantly and always adapted ourselves to any set and circumstance. Our stand out schools were definitely Sebert Primary School and Westley Middle School as their engagement and response was impeccable. If there was any school we would have wished for a better response from I think that it would have been Charsfield, due to their small audience numbers this limited them throughout both the performance and workshop.

UAL definition: the application of intellectual curiosity and rigor in making judgements and establishing meaning and values, and the level of contemplation and deliberation necessary to progress and achieve identified goals

Fail: Insufficient evidence of ongoing evaluation, lack of or only basic analysis and little or no justification for ideas.

Pass: Clearly communicated evidence of valid evaluation and realistic analysis independently used to inform and develop ideas.

Merit: Effective communication of analysis and interpretation, independent synthesis of information and application of reasoned decision making to inform development of ideas.

Distinction: Accomplished and professional communication of perceptive analysis and interpretation, demonstrating clarity and sophistication in thinking and maturity in decision making to progress ideas.

The above statements are guides to how evidence for the final unit (8) will be assessed. Tutors will let you know in their feedback how your evidence for these units compares to these achievement standards so that you are aware of the level you are currently working at.