PORTRAIT

NAME

Michael

AGE

18

My Journal

Friday 18^th March

Today was okay I guess but I still have that feeling every time I see Callum, it’s getting silly now and to be honest, I’m getting worried. Ms Harlot let the drama class get on with the Musical, Callum and I worked on the Grease Lightning scene and wrote down things we could improve on. Every time I looked into his eyes that strange feeling came back. We’ve been friends for so long but now I’m scared I’m seeing him as more than my best friend.

For this story, I took inspiration of Jeff Kenny’s book series Diary of a Whimpey Kid. Not the story but the structure of how its written. The story is looking from the eyes of Michael, an 18-year-old drama student at Sixth Form. Over the past few weeks, he’s been working closely with his classmate and best friend Callum. As the days have passed, his feelings for Callum are becoming somewhat complex and confusing. Michael will come to terms with his sexuality, growing up and entering that adult life he’s been dreading. I want this to be an enjoyable read and really exploit how teenagers can feel and their thought process. The genre is set in present days as it want it to be relatable to teenagers and give them a sense to speak out if necessary.

HORROR STORY

I lay in bed and already I can feel my demons rising to the surface, I ‘ve tried hard, honestly, to lock them away and focus on the positives in life. They have a way of escaping and filling my head with questions like what if? What could I have done differently? And what could my future have been like? This isn’t the first time this has happened you know, its been happening for over a month. I feel like the dark walls close me into my space, leaving no room for me to move or breath. Even with the lights on, I can still see the visions which keep me up at night and terrorise my head. It’s a sickening feeling, it makes me feel worthless, empty and drained. Closing my eyes doesn’t even help erase the pain and fear I’m going through. Its stopping me from living my life as it is now, it’s like my inner demons want me to endure what I could have had instead of what I need to do in order to have now. I cry every night knowing there going to scare me, worry me and betray me. My heart grows faster when I these inner demons remind me of my failed relationship, reminding me of how much I l love them still and what life could have been like with them. Family members who are no longer here and the constant reminder of bills to pay, work and the expectation to be okay! I am a shell of who I once was. The horror of it all has truly changed my life, for the worst. These inner demons never used to be here and now they won’t leave, I can’t be alone, I’m never alone. At times, the dark is better company than the feelings and thoughts I am currently battling the elements.

Like this Andy Warhol Image, I am vibrant and creative. I love to perform and be on stage, working with a range of people who also have that artistic flare. Being creative and performing is something I aspire to be once I’ve completed my Masters. The supernatural and thriller aspect of writing and performing is where I excel and feel most confident. Stephen King and R. L Stine have inspired me in terms of creative writing, expressing my ideas onto paper and even altering my ideas.  Whether that be on stage or on paper. I am caring, kind and committed to anything that is frown at me. I like to see myself as an active member of society and love to be surrounded by my friends and family.

I mentioned previously, I have a long and successful connection with Drama, Theatre and Performance. Devising, Musical Theatre and Shakespeare are the areas I have the most experience in. I like to switch from different themes and genres as it keeps me stimulated and motivated to read, write and perform.

WEEK ONE

My motivation comes from a long and successful connection between Performing Arts and I. I love to perform, create, develop and even alter. Idea of being able to express emotions through my body, is something that has stimulated me as a performer and writer. Having only very recently received an Upper-Class Division in Drama, Theatre and Performance, I am now ready to put my creative streak onto paper. I have performed on stage for most of my life, its where I feel comfortable and grounded. It’s my second home, I’ve studied Drama and Performing Arts within School, College and University. I can’t wait to get back into creating however, not on stage.

This image is an example of how Edie and Myself became organised during the process. It gave us both a clearer image of the ensembles ambitions for their images and the limited resources used as well. Limited resources and everyday house hold items was something I really wanted to incorporate, so to see others listened to this was fantastic.

The ‘Zoom Meetings’ we had really helped us improve our communication and professional skills. We discussed the weeks aims, the challenges and an overall response to the work. If online learning was to continue, I would definitely recommend using this style of working as I believe we wouldn’t have been successful if it wasn’t for our meetings.

Basecamp has really made the process incredibly easy to access all work and files. I didn’t know about this software beforehand however, I will definitely consider using this in future productions and group work.