READING COMPLETED: For this week I decided to research some on Sarah Kanes work. Many YouTube videos and a Drama online bibliography later I found her work quite interesting. She committed suicide at 28 and I assume used her mental health as a stimulus for many of her pieces. When reading this I cannot help but think that she wrote as a way to escape her head, to get it on paper and to perhaps and hopefully experience a cathartic experience through this. Reading about her is devastating as the talent she had for writing was not only thought provoking but saddening at the same time. When reading about her I couldn’t help but make the connotation to Mrs. Alving and how she has so many books which Pastor Manders disapproves of. I made the connotation that perhaps Ibsen wrote her as having these books to maybe experience also, a cathartic experience and to be able to harness her education for herself. Although it is never specified what these books are it is interesting to have that choice as a reader to decide what they are. From this is had an idea for a potential set. My idea was that we could perhaps have a wall of books as the background on stage. However, these books would be books which were considered outrageous for the time – for example Origin of species by Charles Darwin and 1984 by George Orwell. This could be interesting as it shows Mrs. Alving harnessing her own education and being a vivid reader of books that were considered inappropriate. This would also highlight the shift in her character – of now concentrating on her son as her husband is now dead. I think visually this would look quite powerful and visually stimulating.
Sarah Kane bio found at: https://www.dramaonlinelibrary.com/search?q=sarah+kane&s2_type=&dc_creator=&dc_subject_genre=&dc_subject_period=&dc_subject_themes=&dc_subject_place=
MONDAY: I had the idea that we split into partners and created movement sequences. After creating them we showed each other and gave feedback. Everyone then decided to concentrate on one person’s movement sequence, this was Shannon’s. As a whole group we tried to devise a short piece using Shannon’s movement sequence. This was quite difficult as there were many people’s ideas going into one piece and it became difficult for everyone to be involved. Despite this we created a piece with Toby and Mimi on top of stage blocks with rope between them this was a really interesting piece and was interesting to work on and it looked visually appealing. We also discussed what lighting would perhaps work well for this. I think coloured lighting would have worked well for this piece as, perhaps in a blue as throughout Ghosts there is light imagery throughout which is portrayed as desired (especially Oswald in the end scene) and the cold blue light would highlight the “gloomy fjord landscape” Ibsen describes it as and the reality of the setting and situation.
WEDNESDAY: Today we continued to devise. Nothing was still set in stone and everyone was happy to still explore and develop ideas. Many ideas were touched upon and left behind as is what happens when devising, however this process was still useful. I think this process has reinforced how important it is to just try everyone’s ideas when devising as this is the most important thing to do as it allows exploration of the text, expression of everyone’s ideas and time to work and create as a group. Although nothing which was created in this session stuck it was still interesting to have a bit of free time to explore.