VIDEO LESSON NOTES

Greek Theatre/Culture 

• Greek artists loved to paint theatrical scenes 
• Dionysus happened in March/April 
• Greeks loved competition, competed in every aspect of their life.  Dionysus fest was a big comp. 
• A Jury decided the vote 
• If you won your name was inscribed into the theatre, no money gain 
• Tragedy masks were very beautiful 
• Satyr were very rude common plays 
• Open air and built into the side of a hill 
• Some modern theatres were based around these i.e. the Olivier theatre was based around the Epidaurus.
• Masks were another aspect, they wore masks because it was a religious ritual and it was how it had always been.  It's because it was a form of worship towards the God Dionysus 
• Only three characters performed all the speaking roles.  Only three actors on stage.   
• Chorus usually of 12 people.  Lysistrata had two chorus' 
• Chorus provides a 'community' and the societal beliefs. 

Satyr 

• In Satyr, the chorus men jumped around dressed as Satyr's almost as a light relief from the horrible misery created by tragedies.   
• Satyr's weren't really rated by the historians.  All gotten rid of except The story of the Cyclops in The Odyssey. That was a Satyr.  Very rude jokes about the body and sex. 
• Outrageous costumes, fun, threw nuts and sweets to the audience etc.  reminds me of pantomimes. 
• Audiences weren't allowed to forget they were watching a play - because you had a boy playing a girl who was pretending to be a boy. i.e. merchant of venice/twelth night 

Women in Greek theatre 

• Women were seen and definitely not heard. 
• Weird to see so many strong women performed on stage. 
• Actors were men, audiences were men, written by men, yet somehow many came across as being powerful and with huge personalities. 
• Very patriarchal and misogynistic.  But yet they did recognise how important women were. 
• Recognised as having key roles in the city - ie having babies and running the religious festivals 
• It's in the oppressed voices of people trying to strike back, where the best stories came from.  Aristophones was great for this.  And not even where these thoughts were at the front of people's minds.  But it just left subliminal hints. 
• Without experience, money and a penis, you didn't have a voice in Ancient Athens. 
• "Awesome women"  fantastic characters but also inspire "awe", talking to the society of the time. Fights back against suppression. 
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Lysistrata Historical Research

1.What place did theatre have in Greek society?

The Theatre of Ancient Greece (Ancient Greek Drama) was a theatrical culture which really began to flourish and sustain itself in Ancient Greece between 550BC and 220BC.  Athens, which became a significant cultural, political and military power during this time, was at the centre of Drama’s rise to popularity.  An annual festival called the Dionysian, honouring the god Dionysus, was hosted in Athens and played a big part in Drama’s institutionalisation.  Tragedy (late 6th century BC) was the oldest form of theatre in Anient Greece, followed by comedy (486BC) and satyr plays which emerged in Athens.  Greece exported the festival and toured it around it’s numerous colonies and allies to promote a ‘common cultural identity’.  This was really the start of western theatre and it helped western culture to grow on the whole, becoming a more intelligent and sophisticated society.

2.What impact did the play have on each section of society?

With the play being produced and performed initially at the Dionysian Festival during the Peloponnese War, the effect on society would be limited due to the seriousness of the war and the fact that the play was a comedic and satirical view upon their society.  The main victim to the comedy was women as the main joke of the plot lies with the lunacy and ridiculousness of women running Athens.  Despite this however, the play does appear almost prophet-like in some sense, as it seems to show a glimpse of a future society over 2000 years after the play was produced.  In any way, it definitely suggests that women should be listened to, on occasion.

3.What was Aristophanes’ intended impact on the audience?

Aristophanes’ anti-war motives are very clear in the play.  His intention is to make a play which the audience find amusing, but also to make one which opens their eyes to the foolishness of war, and to try and edge Athens and Sparta closer to making peace in the Peloponnesian War.  He dislikes the violence and suggests, in his play, that even women were able to understand that the war needed to end, hoping it would prompt people towards peace talks.

4.Ext. What are the conventions of the theatre space at the time of the original performance?

All plays would be performed in open air and during the day.  The stage was a circular dance floor, of which the audience would occupy half the space.

5.Ext. What conventions are used during performances of the time?

There were typically ten comedies produced each year for the Dionysian Festival, however during the Peloponnesian War this number was reduced to six.  The magistrate or commissioner of the town would decide which of the comedies would be performed at the festival(s).  Actors wore masks which completely covered and obscured their faces and their facial features meaning that all expression and emotion had to be shown solely through voice and gesture.  There were no female actors allowed and therefore men would play both sexes.  In order to distinguish between the two, male characters would often be accompanied with large artificial genitals on their costumes to heighten their masculinity. 

Out of Joint Theatre Company Lysistrata

OUT OF JOINT THEATRE COMPANY

“With director Max Stafford-Clark and Out of Joint one never knows what to expect, except that it will be inventive, individual and humane” - Whatsonstage

ABOUT:

“Under the direction of Max Stafford-Clark the company has premiered plays from leading writers including April De Angelis, Sebastian Barry, Alistair Beaton, Caryl Churchill, David Hare, Robin Soans and Timberlake Wertenbaker; launched first-wime writers such as Stella Feehily and Mark Ravenhill; and staged bold revivals.”

(Taken from their website)

ETHOS:  

Inquisitive, epic, authentic and original: Out of Joint is a national and international touring theatre company, developing entertaining theatre that broadens horizons and investigates our times.

TARGET AUDIENCE:

Being a company who are based around the idea of innovation and creativity, while I couldn’t find out exactly what the Out of Joint Theatre Company target audience is, I know that the audience they will target will probably be adults veering more on the young side, as I imagine a lot of their work may be quite complex to understand for young viewers.

PRODUCTION STYLE:

The Out of Joint style of production is to take something normal or everyday and re-invent how we may look and perceive it.  Out of Joint like to think outside of the box and mould old ideas into new shapes and sizes, creating a completely transformed version of a play or how we may look at things.

LYSISTRATA:

I believe that if Out of Joint were to make a production of Lysistrata, that they would want to remodel it and turn it into something interesting.  Since the play is set in Ancient Athenian Greece, I get the feeling that they may want to modernise the piece and set it somewhere more relatable nowadays.  This could be anywhere but in doing this, they would encourage their audience to see the piece in a different way than they did prior to seeing it; or if they had seen it done before.

As well as this, I also feel that they could change the costume to fit the new setting.  It would be interesting and inventive as they would hope to capture their audience and make them feel differently.  As well as this the setting and audience would likely be realistic and not completely ‘out there’ as otherwise it could alienate the audience.  One way they could do the play would be by making it futuristic and exciting, maybe foreseeing a dystopian future wartime on Earth.  

“You expect something special from the touring company Out of Joint” - The Times

The Jellybean Video

This video has really made us, as a group, think more about the idea of Life and Death in reality, and spending our days in as worthwhile of a manner as possible.  This video has really helped us to open our ideas to the possibility of introducing some living and dying related scenes into our performance, and has sparked questions within the group such as "what would you do if you had one day to live?".  We may later decide to base our entire piece on that question, but right now we are seeing this video as a real anchor for us to use and work off of, it stems many ideas.

Human Library research task notes

Sue, Wheelchair user, 54

Accident when she young, helping another wheelchair user, when she was 21. Helping him to go the toilet, very heavy chair. Got caught in the chair - 1000/1 chance of that happening.  Lives at home with  full time carer.  Who does everything for her.  Flat she lives in Norwich, makes it very difficult for her.  Been interested in acting and drama, very heavily involved in drama. Always wanted to be a nurse.  Worst thing to lose was being able to go on long walks.  Constant pins and needles feeling on left thigh.

Some ways its become easier, some ways harder.  What happened has opened her up to what she does now, but it is hard and difficult to get around and get to places.

Last day?:  Go to Yarmouth, have a meal in her favourite restaurant.  Would want to take everybody who cares about her. 

Janet, Sue’s Carer, 60

First thing is get the cats fed.  If she wants a lay in then she gets a lay in.  Washes her, does everything for her.  Home care work, retirement home work, all over.  Only cares for Sue over three our four years.  With Sue 24/7.  People seem to stay away from her so she doesn't ask them to do anything.  It can be lonely.  Thinks people are scared to talk incase they say something wrong or inappropriate.  Although she sometimes feels like she has no time for herself, she also volunteers. HUK.  Enjoys photography.  Enjoyed social sciences.

Last Day?:  Take Sue out somewhere nice. Make sure cats are well and fed.  Yarmouth is good for wheelchairs.

Jackie, Young Transgender, 23 awaiting surgery.

It’s not particularly a choice to be trans.  Used to wear make up and mascara until he was about 11.  Studied hairdressing and make up artistry.  Worked at a bar, was very gender fluid and went on a journey of self discovery.  Knew something was going on but was unsure.  Spanish people used female pronouns and that sort of made sense to her.   Came back from Ibiza and sort of got on.  Knew she was a female and wasn’t right.  Doctor referred her to surgery.  Go through a lot of tests to make sure you're off a sound mental state.  The process took three years but she has a friend who's just come out as trans and its only taken three months which means its getting better.  Been on hormones for about a year and a half now.  Sexual reassignment surgery can cost about £11k. Before the surgery, the worst thing about it is beating yourself up about how you look and pursuing change when there is nothing you can change at all.  Dating is cool.  Dates straight men.  It was problematic because it was seen as a fetish at one point instead of being seen seriously, presented as a heterosexual female.  Doesn’t miss anything about being male.  There are people who go through the operation and the suicide rate is very high with people who regret having the surgery. Suicide contemplation or attempt rate is 60-70% in transexual people.  Dad really really hated it.  Because all her life, he had always been trying to get her to go fishing and shooting and stuff.  Mum was always been accepting though.  She probably would have committed suicide if she hadn’t been able to change.  Kaitlin Jenner is a bad representation of trans women.  Like she had only been out for two months and already took full reconstructive surgery.  Internet is a huge part of things now.  Tumblr and stuff.  Her friend’s dad just completely cut her off. 

Last Day?:  Feels really good to say your story.  So many people who have helped me.  If she had one day, rather than just getting out and getting wrecked, she would like to tell everybody who has helped her how thankful she is for everything, it would be closure.  

"Nightmare" Verbatim Theatre

In our piece's scene "Nightmare", we use Verbatim Theatre to portray people's dreams to the audience.  There are three different nightmares included in the scene but we have made the scene appear conversational, as we believe it adds more to the strangeness of the dreams.  The dreams we used in our piece came from a classmate, my mother and my little sister, and the fact that the dreams are real really adds something to our performance of them.  Verbatim theatre means that you aren't just acting as somebody, you are becoming them, which is a freeing experience.

Notes on Merchant of Venice by Propeller

Characterisation and Understanding of role and performance 

-          Constantly refer back to the text

-          Ensure full understanding of text

-          look for specific characteristics of each character:

Your characters reaction

Your character’s way of acting

-          Constantly think about what you can see/what each character is to you.

E.g. someone who needs to be wooed.

-          Background research of your piece, relate, react to what would have been going on around you

Symbolism and messages

-          Prison representing the imprisonment of the mind

Ideas of money/love/possession

-          Understand the message of the play

Play about racism not a racist play

-          Explores anti-Semitism (hostility toward or discrimination against Jews as a religious, ethnic, or racial group.) Doesn’t project anti-Semitism  

-          Aims to make the audience uncomfortable

-          Explores aspects also of modern culture worse to be openly racist or secretly racist and carry on as normal?

Important to not shy away from content/wash away more comic side

Relation to main play

-          Cut out 65% of the full length play

-          Main play – more comedy in the plot, another act, kept trial scene as heart of the play, take everything that leads up to the trail and leave everything else out.

-          “Court room drama”

Ensure you understand what you are saying and the message you are trying to get across.

-          Clues:

Important word at the end of a line

Iambic Pentameter

Constant challenge to make sure the audience understands – overcome by constant process of simplification

Looking at audience whilst aware they are watching them

-          Aim to have a presence in the auditorium

-          Breaking down fourth wall

-          Chairs to the side

-          Set idea earlier to speed up audience understanding

-          Take the show everywhere – easy set easy to adapt to new places

Objective in bringing shortened Shakespeare

-          Why pockets?

-          For younger audiences

-          Began in Kent south east England

-          Getting Shakespeare into schools

-          Every word comes out of Shakespeare’s original, no “dumbing down” not patronising , same pace, same intentions

-          Easier for schools, young children

Company having a break, may do something new e.g. not Shakespeare, mixed gender cast

-          All men

-          “Serendipity of an artistic choice”