Warm Ups

• In one of our first sessions, Sharon made us lie on the floor, we then had to say difficult phrases "she sells sea shells on the sea shore". the advantages of these exercises was to focus on pronouncing our vowels correctly this would further help us when it came to Romeo and Juliet and pronouncing difficult words.
• We was also stretching our tongue and mouth as far as possible. this allowed the muscles to be more relaxed and allows us to project our voices.
• whilst in the theartre it was important for us to speak with volume therefore Rob made us do an exercise where we had one leg forward and starting down an executed with a heavy bucket whilst saying "whooaaaa". this was useful as it taught me the importance of speaking through our diaphragm rather than our throat. 
• We also play a game "yes lets", this focuses on our improvisation and help us become energized for the lesson. It was also useful.
• In Sharon's lessons we performed different exercises. The first was of all of us to stand in the line as an assemble. We then had to move down the class one at a time without moving at the same time. This warm up was beneficial as it allowed us as an assemble to work together without any communication on stage.
• The next exercise we done was 'Institution stop' where we walked around in circle and had to stop telepathically at the same time. This was also a useful exercise as it allows us as an assemble to work together, as there is no leader in an assemble we must learn to stop in a play. 
• Rob gives us an exercise where we hum and chew gum at the same time, we then over exaggerate the chews and move our tongues around. This exercise is useful as it allows us to exercise the jaw and tongue. 
• We then have different words to pronounce e.g. "D and T", "M,P,B" *get voice note*. This exercise helps us pronunciate different words properly and warm us up for when we have our lines.

For our performance of Romeo and Juliet we are determined to change it from our stereotypical version of Romeo and Juliet for the audience.
some of the things we find boring consist of

• The language
• Boring stories
• predictable
• a long play( it runs for 2hours and 50mins)
• uncomfortable seats
• Costumes
• Price (£25-£40)
• Too serious

what we want to see

• Different culture
• Humour and over dramatic
• non-typical story line
• make it shorter
• Modern (blood and krips)
• different music
• more intervals

Technical Skills
The first technical skill we could use during our performance is emotional memory, by this I mean we use a personal emotional memory and use it in the most appropriate scenes to show a certain emotion. This technique can be challenging as you must learn to turn the emotion on and off, to show great delivery to the audience. I use emotional memory in scene 13 when Romeo is banished and scene 21 where I see Romeo dead. I wanted to learn this skill to allow me to have a raw emotion during these scenes and so that it becomes believable to the audience.
You must also have good vocal projection whilst performing on a big stage. One vocal warm up which is useful is sticking our tongue out and reaching for our upper lip and bottom lip to exercise for our mouths. We also use the warm up where our tutor gives us a line and we pretend to throw our lines over a hill, which is effective as it allows us to then fill all the space with our voices. We also bend down to one side and throw our voices out, this helps with projection of our lines. I will need good vocal projection in scene 3 whereby I am behind the curtains and must shout "how now, who calls?" I must be able to project so that the audience can hear me.
Another crucial skill is being able to understand your character, this will help a performance massively, the audience will see you are not only just learning your lines but the delivery will be effected as they will begin to believe you are not your own person but the character i.e. Juliet and will feel every emotion. In my own time I focused on my own character, reading the script and understanding each scene I'm in. I learnt why my character said certain things or who she was talking to which was crucial as in some of the scenes I even changed the way I said things, for example in scene 16, before I used to plead to Lady Capulet "I pray you, tell my lord and father, madam" However after going over it, I changed my tone to angry and I was even shouting at Lady Capulet which expressed how furious I was that my parents were always trying to make decisions for me.
The next is characterization , using Stanislavski method that you can become your character in movement, and the way you speak. This is effective as you are able to engage more with the audience and once again your delivery of your character will be more believable.
You also need good stage presence, by this I mean you can 'cheat with your feet' therefore we can stand towards the audience but move our heads so that the audience are still able to see our portfolio of faces rather than our backs. When I am speaking out to the audience after I have just had an argument with my parents I say "Alack, alack that heavens should practice such stratagems", by having good stage presence I will be able to connect with the audience so that they feel the emotion I myself is going through.
It is also crucial that we have articulation, by this I mean pronouncing your lines clearly to help with this we have vocal warm ups such as 'D and T' which warms up our mouths and jaws, we also use tongue twisters such as 'unique New York, New York unique'. Having good articulation you begin to look more professional with your dialogue and the audience are able to understand what's being said with difficult language such as Shakespeare, I myself struggled to begin with, with my articulation especially with the lines " If that thy bent of love be honourable, Thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow". As I continued to do the vocal warm ups and go over my lines I was finally able to say them.
Lastly, having good communication and engaging with the audience is a good skill to have as you can take the audience on the journey with you and let them feel they are living the moment with you. In scene 5 where I just found out Romeo is a ontague and I speak out to the audience " my only love sprung from my only hate" the audience begin to see the frustration that Romeo had to be from the other house.

Skills Audit

Before

Before starting this course, I believe there was skills that I took into the classroom myself. Some are projection of voice, proxemics, stage presence and good body movement.
To begin with I have always had a loud voice and project my voice when needed, I have never had a problem with being to loud on stage which I think is a crucial skill to have in acting. However, although the projection was coming from the throat rather than diaphragm warm ups have helped me change. Whilst performing Romeo and Juliet, some scenes are crucial to being able to project my voice. For example in scene 7 where Juliet says "O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Rome?" This needs projection as to the scene must be believable and I should be expressing my new love by being exaggerate so the audience engage in a crucial scene. Projection of my voice was used in a different scene (16) where Juliet's parents force her to marry, I am shouting at lady Capulet to express my anger and frustration. I feel the scene would not be interesting or believable if I was just speaking in a quiet voice and the audience not being able to hear what I'm saying, they will disconnect.
Another skill I have is proxemics, proxemics means the amount of space that between themselves and others within a stage. It is crucial to know when to close together and far away, we improvised on the some of the scenes with this skill. For example scene 16 again to begin with everyone one in the scene was close together and everything was mainly center stage. However, We worked on this scene to make greater space between the characters, this worked because when Juliet says "and when I do marry it shall be to Romeo" I then began to walk upstage right leaving Lady Capulet downstage left. Then Capulet walks in, therefore I end up centre backstage  and Capulet is further down and the nurse next to me. This scene just added more space between up representing the division of the family and made the scene much more interesting to look at.
Another skill I had was stage presence, making sure that when I am on stage I am not corsping at any time and I am always reacting to whatever is being said. Where I had monolgue's where I am talking to myself I look out into the audience but still considering my body language and facial expressions. For example in scene 18 when Juliet is about to drink the poison I say "Farewell God knows when we shall meet again", by shaking my head, looking down at the poison and shrugging my shoulders, shows I am bringing the audience in, in almost my inner monologue and taking them through this journey I must be able to deliver the make it believable.



Now
 In addition to the skills I have, I have added a few from my time on this course. Such as articulation, emotional memory, understanding your character etc.
Articulation means having clear and distinct sounds in speech. In the past I had not really thought articulation was important and I didn't use it for myself, I never really thought about how I was pronouncing words as long as I could say them. However, beginning various exercises has helped massively especially for Romeo and Juliet. For example doing tongue twisters such as "she sells sea shells on the sea shore" This tongue twister allows us to slow down our speech focus on the letters and pronouncing them correctly which I then could incorporate in the text. In scene 10 when Juliet says " How art thou out of breath when thou hast the breath to say to me..." To begin with I could never get these words right and would get the lines muddled, but during rehearsals and being more aware of my articulation i was finally able to say my lines clearly then gather the acting behind it.
Emotional memory was an idea made by Stanisvlaski whereby you would use a personal memory that sets off an emotional trigger which is then portrayed in your scene. The first time I was told about emotional memory I had not heard of it before. Although, as I got to understand it more I wanted to try it myself the skill is being able to turn the emotion on and off quickly in certain scenes. I used it in scene 13 where I found out Romeo is banished and scene 21 where Romeo is dead. At first I did not use any memory however I did not feel the scene was believable so i decided to think more about the 'Magic if' and how i would react IF I was in that circumstance and yes It helped improve the acting of the scene but I felt it took away from the idea of an emotional memory. So I then used a personal memory that happened years ago and it did trigger lots of emotion for me, on the night my voice became shakey, I was breathing very heavily, I too long pauses etc. Which made the audience see the heartache I was going through.
Before starting the course I did not know what understanding a character was but going through lessons and getting taught about it was very useful. I did not understand some of Juliet's lines e.g. "If that thy bent of love be honorable" I was a bit lost and did not know how to say it but by going along and finding out why that allows me to then develop my lines and it will eventually become me not just learning the lines but taking it into our own interpretation and acting with them. It about understanding why your character in a certain scene is walking on, for example in scene 13 and the first line is "O come gentle night give me my Romeo" at first I interpreted Juliet as being mellow and sad however, during rehearsals I was shown that it was really that, Juliet was happy and oblivious to the last tragic event of Romeo being banished. This changed my body movement from small to big and my inner monologue whilst walking on the stage was thinking about how excited I am for my trip to Jamaica to show excitement in the scene. Being able to understand your character is crucial because it shows you are not only just learning lines but becoming the character and responding how they would now respond.

Romeo and Juliet Opening Scene


We began focusing on the chorus and finding a diverse way to do this. We decided that by making the chorus apart of the characters instead of narrating. This set the scene and portrayed the hate of the two houses.
They created different fighting freeze frames reflecting what the chorus was speaking. This was effective as it emphasizes a visual rather than vocal representation of the hatred between both houses. Speaking in a modern voice rather than stereo-typical Shakespeare voice will engage the audience more so, so that they are not bored.
However there are particular things that could have been changed. The proxemics is an issue as everyone was too close. The actors need to be more diagonal so that the audience can see.




Characterisation
We focused on Romeo's monologue and the punctuality throughout the monologue. I began thinking about facial expressions whilst reading the monologue. I portrayed I was in ore with Juliet. Using gestures such as reaching out in front,  and facial expressions e.g. my eyes focused in one position and a slight smile. Emphasizing my love for Juliet.
Whilst I was whispering I feel that I projected my voice in a specific way, which came from my diaphragm and not my throat. However I will focus more on articulating each word, I could use tongue twisters such as 'red lorry, yellow lorry' to help me concentrate on my words and focusing deeper on the punctuality.This will result in me having more time to express my emotion and also engage with an audience more.

We created freeze frames in our group of which we thought were the most important scenes in Romeo and Juliet. These two images show Romeo dead when Juliet just wakes up. We also used the wedding scene. We thought about proxemics and making sure the scene was more interesting to look at rather than in on space, we also added levels so that our freeze frames were more diverse.





Language
We focused on Language for Romeo and Juliet by beginning to learn to articulate our vowels by whispering. This was effective as it allowed me to pronounce every single word clearly, which in the future will let the audience hear my lines clearly without seeming bored and I myself will understand the language. We then stood at the back of the stage on the theartre, first whispering to the candle, then the chair, and then the back line of the audience. This was a creative way to help me over pronounciate each vowel and work on vocal projection. However next time I perform it I will think about the emotion behind it rather than just projecting my lines. Another person I enjoyed watching was Kamal, throughout each stage in the theartre he was able to be heard by the audience and projected his voice clearly even though he whispered. One thing he could work on for the future is focusing more so on the emotion, because as he got louder his emotion become more angrier, this was shown in his facial expressions such as frowning. However he should try to keep the same emotion throughout.
We then played a game with a partner when one person says "yes it is" and "no it isn't", these simple lines allowed us to explore a variety of ways we can say this, we could be angry whilst saying this, frustrated or even happy. It allowed us to think about gestures, facial expressions and voice.



The fight scene
Sharon made us create one of the fight scene for Romeo and Juliet. we began in parallel lines but improved this by standing in a slight V shape line, this was effective as it allows the audience to see every aspect/character in the fight. In the lines me and Abe are fighting in slow motion. I punch Abe he then punches me, I duck and then upper cut him. We then had to go in partners to create our own individual fights. Me and Nikaya decided that I would knee her, she then slaps me, I slapped her, then I break her neck, she drops and as I go to stomp on her she grabs my foot. we do this once in slow motion and once fast. This shows a contrast and adds in the drama mediums of pace, it is a dynamic way to keep the audience engaged and adds climax to the scene. To expand our piece we then started each individual fight in a canon this is effective as it had layers to the fight. We also started moving in slow motion it also allows us to use the explorative strategy of  marking the moment. It brought the scene to life and it becomes more interesting for the audience to watch.

25/09/17

In today's lesson we focused on the party scene, Balcony scene and wedding. Working on the party scene, we went into different groups and our group took shots. At first it wasn't clear that me and romeo had just met, we just made a quick glimpse. However we improved this by marking the moment, we were in the center stage we paused, looked each other in the eyes. The people in the back became quiet. This was effective as this allows the audience to see the significance of Romeo and Juliet meeting. We show that we are interested in each other by our facial expressions. Romeo glared into my eyes and his body movement was still. I glared and had a slight grin, which was effective as it shows our audience that we adore each other.
For the balcony scene, we improvised with using a bench for our balcony to add levels making the scene more interesting. Romeo used spacial awareness and was able to project his voice throughout the whole theartre, this was effective as it allows Jeremy to project his emotion and allows the audience to engage more, and the scene becomes more real that Jeremy is in love with me. However Jeremy, sometimes slipped into the 'Shakespeare voice'. He can improve this by focusing on the context on why he's entering the scene rather than his voice and how he would naturally speak in this circumstance. I can also improve on the context of why I'm entering the balcony. e.g to catch fresh air, therefore I'm walking on with an objective rather than just walking on out of character. Also improving the balcony of using physical theartre of vines.

Later on in the day we focused on freeze frame, these were the three frames we thought were most important in the play, we then added another three. Unlike the first time we decided to add more levels throughout our freeze frames. for example in the fight scene I was lower down reaching for Tybalt and the fighting was at a higher height in the middle. This was effective as it draws the attention to the middle fight but also makes it more interesting to observe. Sharon then asked us to improve our freeze frames with our lines. To practice this we each took it in turns to stand on stage whilst someone sat at the back, to see if we could hear them. This exercise allowed us to channel not only our voice but emotion throughout the theartre. We also made sure each person in our group was over exaggerating their lines, we needed to see facial expressions and body movement. One person in particular who improved was Molly. To begin with, she wasn't projecting her voice and was standing still, but by the end of it I could see the anger in her face when projecting her lines, frowning her face and widening her mouth, she also began to move her hands more to show she was furious. This lesson was useful as it allowed us to focus on our spacial awareness on such a big stage, it also let me emphasise my emotion when delivering my lines.

On Wednesday, we focused mainly on improvisation. We had to make a semi-circle which was our proscenium arch 'stage'. Our scene was a park and only three actors were allowed on at one time, we had to make up a scenario and just continued to improvise anything. I enjoyed watching Elonca, she came on as a drug dealer. However, she over exaggerated her character which made it interesting, she bopped onto the scene and changed her voice so that it was deep. Elonca was going around to everyone to asking them if they wanted drugs her character was interesting to watch as it was the complete opposite of her which made it funny. The other two actors went along with it and were disgusted by her. When I came on I was a nine year old girl called Jessica, I portrayed myself as a kid by skipping into the scene my voice was very high and I was pronouncing words wrong. I was also miming playing in the park, I told a story that my mum had left me but we turned it comical my lip was trembling over dramatically. When I came off the stage my character was continued and we finished the improvisation with me running from the police. That improvisation exercise was really fun and useful as it teaches us to think as actors/actresses on the spot without coming out of role which is crucial, if we were to mess up in front of an audience we would stay calm and controlled. It also lets us work as an assemble to come up with story lines on the spot.

Throughout the week we continued on building the foundation for Romeo and Juliet. We were able to get through the whole play. We used an explorative strategy of Forum theatre when rehearsing suggesting different ways to make the scene more engaging. Rob also done this whilst working on the Mercutio and Tybalt fight we were able to add in choreography, Kamal and Abe worked together to perform a slick fight. I enjoyed watching this because I loved the way they portrayed their characters and the hate towards one another, this was shown through projecting a stern voice, facial expression and body movement. They used another explorative strategy of marking the moment when they moved in slow motion this was effective as the different dynamics kept me engaged throughout and adding climax.
Another actor that stood out to me was Gabriel who is playing Capulet. Whilst demanding that I (Juliet) must marry Paris, his delivery of the monologue was fantastic. He looked me straight in the eyes, showing the audience how intimidating he is, Gabriel also projected his lines through his diaphragm so his voice was stern and furious. Because he believed in what he was saying I myself on stage believed it as well. He also used a drama medium of gestures, he was pointing his finger, this emphasised how demanding and in control he was. However to improve this scene, he could add body movement and begin to walk towards me to almost threaten me to build more tension.
In the last bit of the play with the death of Romeo and Juliet, whilst Jeremy(Romeo) he is over me performing his monologue. However for the future rehearsals I believe he needs to have more emotion and more movement. For example, holding my body whilst delivering his lines, he could also begin to cry, to emphasise his dying love for me .I could also improve my monologue when i see Romeo dead by potentially screaming "Romeo!" to project the pain I am experiencing. Throughout the rehearsals I will begin crying with my dialogue to show the audience I have truly lost the love of my life.



week 2/10/17
Character Development
 Konstantin Stanislavski
He takes the approach that the actors should inhabit the role that they are playing. The actor shouldn’t just know what lines they need to say and the motivation for those lines. However they also know every detail of that character’s life offstage as well as onstage. This idea is very effective so that the character becomes reality. The way we speak and move should be reflected on how well we know our character. I am learning how to develop my character now in my own time I will look over the words and understand why Juliet is saying what she says, for example in the balcony scene to begin with I thought I could already see Romeo however as I was going through rehearsals I realised I could not see Romeo until the middle of the scene meaning this changed the whole way I began this scene. It emphasises to the audience the secrecy and risks Romeo is willing to take for me.


 movement and body language
Because I am Juliet and only 13 years old, my characters body movement should not be the same as how my parents would walk. My movement will be more immature than others around me, I will not have a complete upright posture. When the nurse calls me and I walk on stage, stomping my feet and I roll my eyes. I would say I have a teenage mentality  throughout the play, through the different facial expressions and mannerism.
We focused on improvisation throughout the lesson to grow a background information on our characters. We started with the first fight scene Nikaya and Shamsaul, had great characterisation. They portrayed the hatred between one another strongly, this was done by projecting their voices, their eyes were locked to one another and they used strong facial expressions e.g. frowning. They also used a good spacial awareness, getting in each others faces to show the hatred but then moving back to add dynamics and making sure other characters can be seen. We then also added in a short fight scene between Tybalt and Benvolio. They also all used their voices very well, they spoke at a steady pace and often fast to add a contrast between the characters, they also had a stern tone to express they're anger for one another. This is effective as it goes straight to the action and keeps the audience engaged.


3/10/17 Characterization and Improvisation
In today's session we focused on our individual characters, we were given the questions of who we were, where we lived and who our friends were. 

We then made an improvisation piece with Capulet, Tybalt, Romeo, Benvolio and Paris. Me (Juliet) and Malcom(Paris). We decided we would show a scene of how we first met. Paris was very forward with me, reaching for my hand and trying to make conversation and I was reserved as I didn't know I was going to marry, when the news gets broken to me I immediately leave whilst Paris is still positive. This exercise was useful as it helps me portray how I feel about Paris behind the scenes and throughout the play. Now that we have done this exercise, how I speak and feel about Paris can be related to our piece and will develop us as performers. This relates to Stanivalski idea of naturalism and builds a 3 dimensional character, instead of just acting/speaking our lines we now build a background story so that we can portray our characters more effectively.


4/10/17 Character Development
In today's lesson, we focused on improvisation skills to develop our characters. Me (Juliet) and Friar Lawrence showed a background story of how we met and our relationship. The first time I met her I was a little girl confessing my "sins". I had a high pitched voice and moved around a lot. The second time I came, I was a little bit older, asking the Friar why my mother said that I cant speak to the Montague's. I can use this for the play as I can show that I can express I don't have a problem with the Montague's at all. Finally, the last time I asked, I told the Friar I had fallen in love with a Montague. I can show in the performance I trust and care for the Friar as I say "Give me some present counsel I long to die", showing that I am quite dependent on the Friar's help.This exercise helped me as I can portray in the play the love and respect I have for the Friar through my gestures and the tone of my voice whilst speaking to her.

5/10/17
In today's lesson, we looked deeper into character development. We were given a piece of paper and we had to describe ourselves. Where I live (Mayfair), what I would wear (shirt, skirt,socks), what I dislike(the Capulet feud), who my friends are(Nurse and Friar Lawrence). We then took it in turns to be introduced, this was effective because, by using the Stanivalski idea we begin to get to know our characters ins and outs. We use the information we have created and we can then develop our character on how they would behave, speak to other characters and their own mannerism. We then focused on our 'objectives' as characters, my objective was to be happy and loved by Romeo. However, my supreme- objective is to be happy in general. A line in the play which supports this is "I have bought a mansion of love but not yet possessed it", emphasizing that I have so much love to give and I'm so loving, but yet unable to be with Romeo and have his love freely. Objectives are useful as they turn into actions which develops our characters behaviour, how we walk on and off stage and how we speak to other characters. We began to look at different theories that could help us whilst we are in role and developing our character. One idea is an emotional memory, whereby we would use a personal memory that triggers a certain emotion to perform our scene. I believe this is very effective as it allows the character to project real emotion in the play, they are able to connect with the audience more and it again links to Stanivalski's idea of bring the character to reality. Another idea was the magic 'if', this idea is to make us as actors think, what if this was to happen in real life how would we react to it. For example how would I react if my parents were forcing me to marry someone I wasn't in love with and channel that emotion to the scene. This is useful as we can emphasize each scene and make it a reality, therefore the play will begin to look like not only have we rehearsed our lines and added techniques, but begin to add in natural reactions which will make the play much more believable of every emotion. Finally, we have to think about our objectives coming on and off stage. This will ensure that we are not just walking on the stage neutral, but are already in role. For example, in the past when the nurse told me that Romeo wanted to marry me. After she finished her lines, I would just walk off. However, after thinking about my objectives I have improved this scene. When I walk off I have a massive smile on my face, a little skip and I talk to myself out of excitement. This improves the scene as now it doesn't just look like we've done our scene and then leave the stage but that I'm ecstatic about the news and I'm smiling with joy as I'm going to be a wife.


'FEC' lesson
9/10/17
In today's lesson rob gave us an objective 'FEC' which stands for focus, energy and concentration which we should be using throughout every rehearsal. We began by doing tongue twisters which are important to help articulate our words/vowels. Today we focused on building on the beginning to the party scene, we began adding in more detail throughout. Whilst the chorus is speaking we improved our still images to portray the hate between both houses from the beginning. Two people our holding Romeo and I apart, others are biting their thumbs whilst others are ready to fight. This is effective as the different freeze frames add interest from the very beginning and shows the story in just an image, resembling the feud. Actors are also showing naturalism through the scene and showing great character development e.g. Tybalt to begin with in the fight scene he would have anger in his face but I didnt believe this was his enemy, however as we have been going through I now see the anger in his facial expressions frowning constantly at Romeo, looking him dead in his eyes and his body language has improved using gestures such as pointing straight in Romeo's face, pushing him also, this is effective as the audience can now see the amount of anger Tybalt has. They change the tone of their voices sometimes quite to build the tension and other times raising their voice, highlighting the feud between both houses. Tybalt and Benvolio also improved their fight scene by having it at different paces, they begin in slow motion marking the moment, then speed up. These dynamics are entertaining as an audience to watch as it is building climax. Furthermore, for the party scene, once Romeo and I start talking everyone else freezes, this emphasises and important moment for the both of us and that the audiences attention should be to us only. We then practiced in the theatre with the lights at the beginning to begin making progress on the lighting.






Visit to the Conway Hall

We went to the Conway Hall to do a group workshop with members from the Shakespeare's school festival. We first started with two warm ups. The first was to over exaggerate saying different foods. For example Cucumber, Pineapple, Banana and Orange. We added an action with these and this exercise was helping us to articulate our words and allow us to pronounce them properly, also allowing us to warm up the body. We then played a game where William would call out an order and we would follow. These actions consisted of go, stop, clap and jump, these then got harder as we had to do the opposite of each. This exercise was to switch our brains on and have a higher attention spam and also stay focused.
The members then gave us 5 top tips on performing:

• The first was 'Land the line' therefore we must be able to project our voices whether someone is sitting in the front or sitting at the back but not forgetting to articulate our words. For example in our play when I say "O Romeo, Romeo wherefore art thou Romeo?" I need to be able to project my voice to the back row  landing my line in this scene will express my emotion and seeing a variation of emotions which is more interesting for the audience.
• Secondly 'stay in character', this means when we are walking onto the stage we should already be in character and even when we are leaving the stage. In scene 7 I would walk on stage in neutral and then begin my lines, however I needed an objective to be going towards the balcony so I changed it to me going out to get some fresh air and I am also yawning, this now looks more professional as I am not only acting when I have lines but also an inner monologue throughout.
• Then there is 'Embrace the audience', letting the audience be our magnet, that way we are not at the back of the stage performing but rather closer to the audience so they can engage more. In scene 5 when Romeo and I first meet in the party scene, we should be centre downstage to show the significance of our meeting and we can pull the audience into our scene.
• Fourth is ' Avoid the kiss and kill position' whereby the characters are standing opposite each other very close; but they are not going to kiss or kill anyone. It is useful to avoid this as by moving further way from one another it makes the dialogue more exciting and the audience are able to see their facial expressions. In scene 10 when I am waiting for the nurses news, when she eventually comes we are standing right next to each other which didn't look interesting to watch. However, we changed it by me pacing up and down the stage it shows the audience how impatient I am to hear the news, rather than us both standing still.
• Finally, 'Cheat with your feet', therefore your feet face the audience and you just move your head which allows you to say your dialogue towards the audience, this also allows the audience to see your facial expressions at all times. In scene 17, at times I had my back towards the audience, but we changed it so that although I was speaking out towards the audience my face would sometimes turn so that you could still see my reaction and the fact I cant stand Paris.

I enjoyed this workshop as I have now learnt 5 simple tips that makes a big difference on a performance, I will definitely focus on these and use them as much as possible. I found these 5 tips extremely useful as it will develop me as a character, this also taught me how to engage with the audience more whilst performing my monologue.

We then both showed our pieces to one another. I enjoyed watching the other schools performance of Macbeth, there use of physical theatre was used well whilst creating a tornado for the witches. They also used slow motion well during the fight scene it added a more intense feeling and I was waiting to see what happened next. They also started with Lady Macbeth lying dead first, which was a diverse way of starting the play as we are all intrigued to know who is on the floor. However, one thing they could work on is emphasising their facial expressions during the fight scene to emphasise their hate for one another.
We then went on to developing the first few scenes of our scene. So instead of walking on from the back of the stage into our freeze frames, We were already in character walking the streets of Verona and then once the chorus started talking we move into our images. This improvement was also effective as it sets the scene clearly and lets the audience know our characters a little before the play starts. We then focused on our freeze frames, particularly our facial expressions and body movement exaggerating our facial expressions to emphasise the hate between each house. I improved mine by placing my hand on my heart, staring into Romeo's eyes, this if effective as you can see the love I have for Romeo in just one image. Once the Prince starts her monologue all the citizens rather then just the characters in that scene go onto the stage, we then either agree with what the prince is saying or we disagree, through quite sound and facial expressions. This was also useful as it shows the audience a bit about the character, whether they want to keep the piece or just want to cause chaos.

Overall, I found this workshop very useful as it helped me develop more understanding to use the stage, space and voice. It also taught me different warm up exercises that I am able to use before a performance and I will definitely develop my character deeper through this, I am excited to see the tips we have gained from this workshop used in rehearsals.

Back from half term we continued to build on the play after the party scene. For the balcony scene we added in physical theartre where Abe and Dillon are kneeling with their hands in front to create a balcony. This has added more reality to the scene and I am no longer just standing but have something to lean over. I've also added in stage whisper on the balcony, this scene has now become more realistic as I'm trying to hide from everyone.
In today's lesson we ran through the whole play to recall everything, we were then given feedback to n focus on. First was the assemble, to have care on and off of stage and being able to focus on rehearsal without talking. Furthermore, being able to use our eyes more by this I mean looking at who we are speaking to and also looking out towards the audience. this is effective as if we were not acting we would be looking at the people we were speaking to therefore it should be the same in the play. The next is pace, when we are performing our dialogue to not speak to quickly because the energy can be lost. It is better to take our time so that the energy and meaning is behind the lines. Moreover, we need to be thinking by this I mean playing the moment and being able to react off what each other are doing. We also need to work on our articulation, as well as pronouncing our words right we must be able to maintain not falling back into Shakespearean voices. We also need to take responsibility by playing around with our roles and adding in our interpretation rather than just the directors notes. Finally, we need to cheat with our feet, spacing and not standing directly towards the character and also look forward. In the second half of the day we received more feedback after running from the top. We all need to become more confident with our roles and become are character even more. In the next lesson we are going to run it 'over the top' because that's how we can bring more life and energy. In one of my scenes when I say 'my only love sprung from my only hate' and 'O ancient damination...'  I need to direct that to the audience so that I am engaging with the audience.


As I've been,  rehearsing and observing everyone there is a few scenes that have enjoyed watching. Tybalt's fighting scene has developed from when they first started, they have added in slow motion in some of their moves. This is effective as it marks the significant moment of when Mercutio dies. Tybalt and Mercutio also use good facial expressions when they are fighting, gritting their teeth looking into each others eyes, they also move around in a circle slowly before getting into the action, therefore the audience is waiting for the climax to come and it adds tension. The other scene I also like is Mercutio's dancing before the party scene, I believe its adds to  his character as he is confident and self-centred and believes he is the best. He  is also good in his last fight scene,  he looks Tybalt dead in his eyes to be intimidating and he begins to frown which shows the anger in his face.


I also like working with Jeremy in the balcony scene as he gazes into my eyes at all times, emphasizing that he is in ore by me. When the nurse calls me I begin to then stage whisper at Romeo so that the scene becomes more realistic that we don't want to get caught.  I have also improved on my articulation and take my time when saying my monologue so  that the audience can feel every emotion that I am feeling.  I also enjoy Friar Lawrence's' first scene, Kenya has shown great  character development. When Romeo explains his love for Juliet she looks out to all the audience mouth wide open with her hands on her face, this is very effective as it shows she is engaging with an audience and breaking the fourth wall. At all times Friar Lawrence's facial expressions are reacting to what Romeo says at all times, which shows she is thinking about her character at all time and the body movements that they have. I have began to develop my scene when I find Romeo dead, at first I would just say my lines with emotion in my voice, which I myself didn't believe that I had just lost my one and only love. Therefore develop this scene, I have begun to cry out Romeo's name I also lay on his chest and weep to make it a more believable the audience and I want them to also feel  the heartache I am experiencing.




The visit to the shaw Theatre 

Today, we were given the privilege of performing in the Shaw Theatre. We ran through the whole play and I saw a big improvement. By this I mean I myself was beginning to project my voice throughout the theatre. Taking Rob's feedback I learnt not to just wonder with my eyes but rather look out into the audience whilst delivering my monologues to make a connection with the audience. Friar Lawrence, also projected her voice thoroughly throughout the audience, she also shows she is breaking the fourth wall by making eye contact with the audience, which is effective as she allows the audience to see her every emotion. I also improved scene 15 where my parents were forcing me to marry Paris. Instead of just standing there I now respond to every bit of aggression Capulet gives me. I also go towards my parents for comfort and they walk away from me, this has improved the scene as we now see the reality of a child who has no relationship with her parents. We also worked on spacial awareness in the theatre, we were avoiding the kiss or kill position at all times, by this I mean standing closely next to a character when they are not about to kiss or kill. Because we are acting we feel we need to stand close to one another but whilst performing the further away we stand we are focusing on spacial awareness and fills up the stage.




Plan for the last rehearsal
We have now arranged a plan for the next week coming up to our rehearsal *get picture* this is helping us as an assemble to become more professional an organized. We also worked on the last scene to make it more believable that the city has just witnessed a tragedy. Friar Lawrence, Capulet and Lady Capulet are on their knees next to me in freeze frames before they speak. The levels are effective as in real life parents would not just be standing there in a line speaking but rather in emotionally agony. It is also more interesting for an audience to watch. The freeze frames are effective as it captures the emotional agony that the parents are experiencing and the shock that Friar Lawrence is going through. We also thought  about spacial awareness in this scene we needed to make sure that nobody was being blocked. Making sure everyone's power in the scene is equal as if you are standing down stage you usually have more power (more concentrated on)and if you are upstage you have less power in the scene. Therefore, because all the main characters are equally spaced in the middle, representing the unity of the two houses.


On Thursday we began going from the party scene on wards and developing and detailing every scene. We added in a dance to the party scene, boys on one side and girls on another we then cross over each other and I begin to dance around Romeo. This development is effective as it now sets the scene, it also brings it to life and a better reason for me to see Romeo. I believe within the scene the transitions are much better, for example when I dance past Romeo the nurse is already in position to be asked the question, which not only makes it cleaner but allows us to cut down time overall and that can be used in other longer scenes. We also added in a bit more detail for the balcony scene, although Romeo is in complete ore over Juliet, this wasn't being shown, therefore Romeo began to be over dramatic in his movement and body language. When i began to speak he feel to the floor, rolled over and placed his head in his hands. This was effective because not only did it add a comical side to the scene but is now believable for the audience to see how much he adores Juliet already. To finish the characters began working on the fight scene, thinking about their spacial awareness on stage and making sure each character was not blocking. We will carry on that scene in our next lesson.
Later on, Sharon wanted us to run through the whole play with everything we had added in. She said that the play was very good overall and that it was coming together very nicely. Sharon also mentioned that the energy in each scene was rising and great character developing. However, what I need to work on especially is the delivery of the lines and looking closely at the punctuation. This mean that a comma or a full stop etc. was when i was meant to pause or that is the end of the sentence, not the end of the line on my paragraph. Therefore, over the weekend I will read through my script and begin to start training myself on when to stop and pause rather than just speaking the lines.

In Monday's lessons we continued to work from the fighting scene to the end, focusing on each scene in detail. The first scene we worked on was scene.. where Juliet is told Tybalt is dead and Romeo is banished. To show a contrast of emotion through this scene, when i first start my dialogue "O come gentle night", my facial expressions is full with smiles and big body movements. However when the news gets broken, I loose every happy expression in my face and now my face is in shock. I done this by opening my mouth slightly, my body is still, I am staring and then slowly move my head to face forward. This scene is effective as up to that point, I have been happily in love then at this point we begin to see another side in my character begin to come out. This scene is also effective, as it is now more believable to watch, the pauses are now adding more realism to the scene. I am also beginning to use the 'O's' more effectively to express the pain and heartache I'm experiencing. The Nurse also shows much more expression and emotion, for example she is shocked by my words and pulls me to one side "will you speak well of him that is your husband", adding a pause I am able to build up emotion to then say my next lines and the audience are able to see the heartache. In scene... When Romeo and I have spent the night together, we have now expressed that in this scene by me starting off on the floor doing my hair and fixing myself as Romeo creeps up behind me. This little scene before the dialogue gives the audience some understanding of what is going on and it also brings the scene to life.We've also added in levels where Romeo is on the floor and we are messing around, highlighting are fun love we are experiencing. the levels also make it more interesting to watch for  the audience. In scene.. where Capulet and Lady Capulet force me to marry Paris, I am beginning to show my immature features and characteristics in my monologue. I shout "He shall not make me a joyful bride", my body language is very strong, throwing my arms back, stomping my feet and moving my head more. This is effective as the audience can see my anger but also realize by my immature actions I am too young to marry anyone. We then added tension, as I begin to storm out my room Capulet comes in and everybody goes silent, I stand dead still as if I'm frozen by his authority. He begins his Monologue and as I go to speak he always cuts me, this emphasizes he does not care about my opinion on my life, but rather just listens to himself. we also thought about the spacial awareness in this scene having each character at different places on the stage, which is useful as it lets the audience in to this scene and becomes more tension filled.

In Tuesday's lesson, we ran through the play until scene 13 where I find out Romeo is banished. We were working on coming on stage swiftly, we were also working in the theatre with the lighting to allow us to become more comfortable with the queues and light changes. We were also working in costume to allow us to also get comfortable in moving in our costume.
On Wednesday we worked on individual scenes that we as a class thought needed working on. We first focused on scene 12 where Tybalt and Mercutio dies. We felt the scene wasn't realistic enough and that the characters were not reacting well enough to what was happening. Firstly, when Mercutio says "O calm, dishonourable.." He pushes Dillon did not react to this therefore, we told him to go and run into Mercutio then Benvolio pushes him back which then gives them a reason to have tension by looking at each other in the eyes and moving around slowly, which is effective as it is growing climax and the audience will be waiting for something to happen. We then worked on both death's first by mercutio and Tybalt running into each other and Romeo leaps in front, It gave the scene more energy and became more interesting as before the death looked a bit awkward. We then worked on scene 21 the final death scene. We focused on making Jeremy become emotional  instead of just speaking his lines. He improved massively in the rehearsals, he now picks me up, touches my face and he holds me. This is effective as it shows the audience how much he is hurting and how much he cares for me, it now looks believable that he has lost his wife.




On Thursday we were just going over the play and making sure our entrances and exits were slick. We were also performing in costume and using props so that we were getting use to the queues and working with them. For example in scene 7 which is the balcony scene, where I use flowers and before I would just say my line "what's in a name that which we call a rose" I can now emphasize this by picking up the rose and smelling it. Also at the end I throw the rose to Romeo, this is effective as it adds a more realistic feel to the scene and the rose is symbolic of my love for Romeo which he uses for the wedding scene. However, the people backstage needed to work on being quite because they were able to be heard and some were missing their queues which was slowing down our rehearsal. Although I think as we get closer peoples focus will much better.




Performance Day
We had to meet at the Shaw Theatre for 8:45am for our tech rehearsals. I enjoyed the tech run it was fun to get to finally run through with all the lighting and it gives me feel of what I could be potentially doing in the future. We then done a dress rehearsal and ran it from the top, I felt we all done very well as everyone was projecting their voices and using the space well. The feedback we got was that some actors needed to be louder, to have more intent whilst coming on and off stage. For example, when I come on stage with "O come gentle night" instead of just walking in neutral onto the stage, I must already be in character as I must show my intentions at all times, we were the last to perform and I was so happy with the performance.


Things that went well:
Everyone projected their voices clearly one person who projected their voice was Abe who played Tybalt in scene 12 he shouts "Thou, wretched boy, shalt with him hence." Tybalt is shouting in Romeo's face which expresses his anger and hate towards Romeo and I truly believe his hate for them. Gabriel also projected his voice in scene 16 Capulet says "Speak not, reply not, do not answer me." As we are halfway through the play some of the audience may be beginning to switch off, however this scene had a lot of tension, Gabriel's excellent projection of voice draws the audience in and we see how cruel and not understanding Capulet really is.

Everyone used the space well and was closer to the front of the stage but before we used to be more to the back of the stage. In scene 17 Friar Lawrence, Paris and Juliet where we are in Lawrence's cell. To begin with we struggles as we always ended up in the kiss or kill position although, we cheated it by as I walked on the stage I'm trying to get away from Paris so I stood downstage left. Friar Lawrence was more center stage with Paris just in front. This made the scene more interesting as we were all spaced out and it expressed that I didn't want to be near Paris.


We were all swiftly on and off stage never leaving a dead stage. For example in scene 11 when Romeo and Juliet just marry we exit upstage left and then the beginning of scene 12 Benvolio and Mercutio entered downstage left therefore there is never a dead stage so that the audience is always engaged and never waiting for another scene.


One of the workers for the Shakespeare school festival Louis also gave us feedback, he said the emotions throughout the performance being able to switch from comedy to heart ache was very good. This could be shown in scene 13 where I have just found out Tybalt is dead and I showed a lot of heartache and pain whereas it was quickly changed in scene 16 when me and Romeo have just spent the night together, he also said we projected our voices very well.


What we could have improved:
The way people came on and off stage, making sure that as a character is going off another character is not coming on the same was as them so that they never cross. We could also use more props such as in the fight we could of had knifes to bring the scene more to life.



From this experience I have learnt a lot as an actress. I was taught different techniques such as stanisvlaski's ideas of emotional memory's to help me in scenes. It has given me the confidence to go forward and hopefully perform in other theatre's. I came into this course with only a few skills but have been able to gain more knowledge and built on my skills. I have proven to myself that I am able to work within a given time frame with things such as lines, costumes etc. I will use everything and take it on board such as the 5 tips from the workshop, I'm excited to see what we do in the future.





Practioners  

Antonin Artaud
Artaud, is considered one of the most influential figures in the evolution of modern drama theory. He is associated with surrealist writers, artists and experimental theatre groups in Paris 1920s. When political differences resulted in his break from surrealists he founded the theatre Alfred Jarry with Roger Vitrac and Robert Aron. He created the Theory of cruelty- this is an intense theatrical experience combined elaborate props, magic tricks, special lighting, primitive gestures and articulation.
He used various themes with his work such as: Rape, torture and murder to shock the audience into confronting the base elements of life. One of his plays were called 'Les Cenci', where a man rapes his daughter then, the father was murdered.
This practioner links to our production of Romeo and Juliet as it captures the harsh reality of life. Tybalt and Mercutio are murdered, Artaud showed the reality of what was happening in everyday life of murder. A purpose of a play is to have some sort of meaning, Artaud liked to capture harsh reality that some audience members were not able to handle. His theory has stayed relevant throughout generations as although Romeo and Juliet were set up in the Elizabethan era, murder and rape was happening during those times, and even in modern theatre stories of murder are still being shown.

Bertolt Brecht
Epic theatre departed from the conventions of theatrical illusion. Brecht developed drama as a social and ideological forum for leftist causes. He was influenced by Chinese theatre and Karl Marx, he brought out dynamic theatrical styles to express his views he made and shaped theatre in a way, revolutionary. When naturalistic theatre was at its height he wanted to make his audience think and famously said that theatre audiences "hang up their brains with their hats in the cloakroom".  He was against Cathartic theatre. By this I mean... If the audience become emotionally involved they loose ability to think and judge. Brecht wanted the audience objective distant from emotions, they will be able to see social comments or issues, however the presentation of real life but not the real life itself. Brecht aimed to make the audience distance themselves from emotional involvement. In our production of Romeo and Juliet, I aim to do the opposite of Brecht's ideas I want the audience to come on this journey of emotions with me. When me and Romeo begin to fall in love and get married, I hope the audience will feel happy for us. Then as the play goes along I want their emotion to eventually turn to sad, this is because I want my character to be as natural as possible and believable, therefore if my character is believable the audience should feel some sort of emotion.

Augusto Boal
Brazilian director, writer and politician Augusto Boal created the theory of Theatre of the oppressed which provided tools for people to explore collective struggles. Theatre of oppressed is a range of theatre techniques and games that seeks to motivate people, restore true dialogue and create space for participants to rehearse taking action. Boal use of visual techniques help bond the audience with performer. He uses complex issues around oppression social and political change and isolation. The aim of Augusto's theatre was to energise participants so they become more than just spectators but rather exploring and transforming the reality in which they are living. I agree with Boal's idea and I will begin to research some of his techniques which I can  then use myself to bond with the audience. In the production I sometimes have to talk out to the audience therefore not  only will I act but now begin to think about the skills I will use behind it.

                                                        Critical And Contextual Awareness


Shakespeare's Timeline

1564- Shakespeare was born in born in Stratford upon Avon to local tanner John and Mary Shakespeare. His birthday is celebrated today on April the 23rd, three days before his baptism was recorded in the Parish register of the Holy Trinity Church on April the 26th.

1571- Shakespeare starts Grammar school at 7.

1582- Shakespeare falls in love. he gets married at just 18 years old. To Anne Hathaway who was much older (26 years old)

1583- Shakespeare and Anne had their first child who lives 66 years old. Just five months after they were married.

1585- Shakespeare's twins Judith and Hannet are born on February 2nd. Hannet only lived to 7 whereas Judith lived to 77.

1585-1592- Shakespeare left his family in stratford to join an acting company. starting his career in the theatre.

1589-1590- Shakespeare wrote his very first play Henry VI, part two and Henrey VII and part III

1590- Shakespeare begins to be noticed in the London threatre.

1593- Shakespeare begins to write his 514 sonnet.

1595- He composed RichardII and performed midsummers Nights Dream.

1597- Shakespeare buys a new place, one of stratfords most preeminent homes.

1600-1601- Composed one of his greatest plays Hamlet.

1610- Othello is performed at Oxford College by the Kings men during a summer tour.

1613- The globe theartre burns down and 'The Two Noble Kinsmen' is penned. 1634 entry that both Shakespeare and Fletcher composed.

1616- Shakespeare dies on April 23rd, his burial in the stratford Holy Church.

1623- Shakespeare's wife dies.





What Romeo and Juliet is based on
Romeo and Juliet was written in 1595, the same era as Elizabethan England. The story is based on a line of tragedy's with Ephesiaca by Xenophon. Tragic endings and family rivalry were introduced by Masaccio Salernitano in Ginquante Novelle,1476. England was experiencing tragedy (the bubonic plague that swept across England and also Italy in 1348). This is connected as England had political/ religious struggles that resembled Italy 250 years ago. This is important as it links to the Story of Romeo and Juliet it shows that not only in Shakespearean plays there was conflict but throughout history. Both societies were scarred by tragedy, so they went to philosophy, made by imprisoned Roman statesman and philosopher Boethius (c.480-524). He believed that fortune was good and bad that is a part of life ( God, controls human Destiny). He also believes fortune is random and that adverse fortune is a greater teacher than good fortune. This links to R and J as some could argue it was their fate in life and the consequence for falling in love and others could argue it was simply a coincidence of their actions.

Verona, Italy is known for a violent history, since the occupation of Italy in the 10th century. There was territorial battles between the romans, Etruscans, Gauls etc. However the Roman empire maintained control of Italy (400AD) when it split into two halves, this reflects the Capulet's and Montague's and the rivalry between each house. Rome was ruled by the pope, this is also a representation on Friar Lawrence in the play as the pope is still liked and respected by both families. The two competed for resources and political leaders clashed with religious over 'control and influence' supporters of the pope were ' Guelfs' and supporters of the empire were ' Ghibellines'.
To continue, there is also Astrology behind Romeo and Juliet, they believed the stars influenced human events, even horoscopes were drawn for their children at birth. A line from the play 'some consequence yet hanging in the stars' emphasizing the stars decided their fate and not their own actions.


https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2016/may/26/romeo-and-juliet-review-branagh-lily-james-richard-madden-garrick-theatre
Rob asked us the question of '
How does reading the review assist with your approach as an actor in our interpretation?'


In this production of Romeo and Juliet.

It is set in 1950s Italian times, with the men dressed in their suits. However for our interpretation we are going to try to dress in up to date modern clothes as it will become more realistic for us, especially as we are young adults so we would not be wearing suits and dresses. Lily James who plays Juliet is described to play her role ' positively orgasmic ecstasy'. As I am also playing Juliet this is helping me to over exaggerate my role to make the audience believe how much adore Romeo.

The play is done 'with a speed and vigour', this ensures that the audience will never get bored. As actors/actresses this helps us focus more on our slick transitions on the stage. e.g. as actors begin to walk off stage actors should already be walking on starting their dialogue. which will ensure we keep the audience engaged. |The play also contains slight sexism as Michael Rouses' Capulet 'who abuses all the women in his power'. We certainly don't want our audience to have the idea that we are setting the play where woman are treated un-equal, we will try our best to emphasis equality. this could be portrayed as our Friar Lawrence is a girl. Showing that traditional roles have evolved and we are showing modern times. To continue in the picture below we can see that all the actors/actresses are of a white ethnicity. Although the play was set in 1950 Italy and probably wasn't many ethnic groups at the time. This helps with our interpretation of the play to bring it to the modern countries where there will be a number of ethnic groups throughout. This emphasizes the modern reality and is more believable to an audience as you wouldn't just see one ethnicity in a country. However one thing that is definitely linked to modern society is the two houses at rivalry with one another. Inner London there are many territorial gangs and youth that fight for different areas. Emphasizing that there is always some time of feud throughout history. We will focus on portraying the hatred between the two families, over exaggerating our facial expressions and gestures, as in today's society the hate between different areas is growing.
We were able to see all the schools perform at the Shakespeare school's festival, one school I enjoyed watching was Midsummer Night's as they completely modernised their play. They used popular hastags to involve the audience such as 'lol' and 'haha', this was effective as it took it away from the typical Shakespeare and all age groups were able to understand. Linking to our performance, we had modernised it also by wearing our own clothes and not speaking in what most people would say a 'stereotypical Shakespeare voice'. They also used physical theatre to create trees which was an unique way to set the scene and the stage became more interesting. We also used physical theatre in our play with the balcony scene to make our scene more interesting also.

Elizabethan Era
The Elizabethan Era was ruled by Queen Elizabeth I from 1558-1603, which is considered an Golden age in English History. England was ran by the wealthy nobles (elite men and women with social titles) they had great power and lived colourful and extravagant lives but there was only 3%. Members of the lower class, were generally uneducated, so they couldn't keep journals describing their own lives.
Working class had a difficult life under the feudal system, peasants were farmers who worked in the fields and owned by wealthy lords. About 95% of the population lived in rural districts. the peasant farmers performed all the labour. Farmed the land about one-third for the lords, a potion to support the church and the rest to themselves, the worked from sun-up to sun-down. England farm changed because of the plagues and disease during 1348 killing more than a third of the European population by 1400. People left without land, lords, parents and no farmers. Therefore, enterprising peasants were finally able to take over the land and become landowners themselves.
During the 16th century, England developed a huge and highly profitable cloth-making industry. 2.8million people in England the population grew to 4.1million during her reign. the town population also grew from 5% to 15%. There then became three significant social classes, the wealthy nobles, prospering middle class and a large lower class. Life expectancy was only forty-two years old. Which explains why in Romeo and Juliet, Juliet was forced to get married at only 13 years old because they were already half way through their life.
The educational system developed during Elizabeth's reign, the ability to read and write rose. Only about one-fifth could sign their own names, by the end one-third of the population was literate. In the past only the Nobles Children could afford education, as the rise of middle class families arose, they were able to go to public schools. Children attended grammar schools aged 7-14, they were taught to read and write in Latin, notable classic Latin playwrights and historians were used.

Elizabethan Theatre
In Shakespeare's time Elizabethan theatre's had an bad reputation. London authorities refused to allow plays within the city, so theatre's opened across the Thames in Southwark, outside the authority of the city administration. were along the south side of London. This was for several reasons. To avoid strict regulations in the city, it was known as a breeding ground for the plague, a place where prostitutes and their customers went and the plays were normally performed through the day so it took people out of work which was frowned upon. There was also no toilets inside the theatre so people went outside causing significant sewage problems. Before the renaissance, the theatre was mostly dominated by the Church. People involved with the church, believed the theatre was causing the plague to spread. They believed that the plague was a consequence of theatre growing so rapidly. They believed that the stage was the reason for the plague visiting them and the playhouses are the reason that the plague spread so rapidly. It was an ungodly act to participate with plays and players.
 

In Tudor times there was also only male actors, Juliet was played by a young boy( because they hadn't hit puberty so the voice was still high and small bodies, that is why there is not much kissing on stage). They had to wear make-up made by led which gave them led poisoning. It wasn't until 1660 that women were allowed to perform. The lay out of the theatre is much different to what we have today. They were open-air which means they were much like modern day sport stadiums. The plays could not take place in the dark or bad weather and used the daylight for stage lighting. You were able to get into the Globe theatre for just a penny which is a massive contrast to today's pricing. As theatre developed, they created Playhouses, which provided indoor venues. The playhouses were smaller which excluded citizens from being able to attend. This you could argue, may be one of the reasons why you don't see such a social mix in the audience unlike the Tudor period. As the theartre became more advanced so did the costs. The lower class may not be able to afford tickets compared to the upper class and also as technology developed TV's and the internet make it more easier to access shows and films from home.

In 1572, a law was passed in Parliament making it compulsory for all actors to have an acting licence and a Lord as their supporter. From this law, several acting groups/ companies were set up. James Burbage started a a company called The Chamberlain’s Men which was supported by Lord Chamberlain. They had other groups such as the Lord Admiral’s Men, the Queen’s Men supported by Elizabeth I, Lord Strange’s Men Acting Troupe and the Earl of Leicester’s Men. When there was flag on top of a theatre was flying, it meant that there was going to be a performance on that day. A trumpet blast let people know that the show was about to start.

The first proper theatre was built at Shoreditch in 1576. Before plays were performed in the courtyard of inns or sometimes, in the houses of noblemen. A noble had to be careful about which play he allowed to be performed within his home. This is because anything that was political/controversial would most likely get him into trouble with the crown. The Globe was built in 1599 but was only in use until 1613, when a canon fired during a performance of Henry VIII caught the roof on fire and the building burned to pieces. Julius Caesar was one of the first of Shakespeare's plays to be performed at The Globe. The building was octagonal, the apron stage came out into an open area, which was the cheapest way to see the show. The walls also included galleries, which were more expensive. Behind the stage there was another gallery, referred to as the musicians' gallery, which would have been employed as an acting area. Costumes were lavish by the standards of the time.
 
Theatre manager Alleyn, spent more than £20 on a black velvet cloak, which was equivalent to buying a house at that time instead of three cloaks.  The tradition was the servant who was bequeathed( to give by will, used especially of personal property but sometimes of real property) a suit of clothes in his master's will would sell those clothes to actors because a servant could not be seen in clothes that did not reflect their standard of living, those clothes could be very valuable. The men's costume at the Elizabethan theatre was a shirt, stockings and sometimes corsets. However, fewer men wore corsets in the Elizabethan era. The outer garments were britches, doublet which was a fitted coat, sleeves separate, same stiff high collar and an overcoat. 
Stage make-up, like costumes, helped the audience to understand a character. Actors playing Moors wore make-up that made them seem dark-skinned. Pale-skinned, fair women were said to be the most beautiful at the time. A young boy with a white face, had red cheeks and put on a blonde wig transformed into a young woman.  They used crushed pearls or silver in make-up to produce a shimmering effect, this was especially effective in make-up for actors performing indoors as the candlelight or for fairies as in a mid summer's night's dream.


There was very little scenery used in this theatre. The short list of props we have in the papers of the contemporary theatre manager, Philip Henslowe, confirms this. In the open air and without modern technology, there was also a limit to what could be done with sound and lighting. The actors relied on the words and costumes to have an effect. The limitations that the Elizabethan theatre had, could relates to our performance of Romeo and Juliet as we have certain limitations on lighting and we will not be using many props. I think is is an effective way to explore different ways of performing, we will also not be changing costumes either which will push us as a group to define our character. 

Romeo and Juliet sources 
I was first shocked when I found out the Shakespeare had actually stole ideas off other playwrights'/authors. He borrowed ideas and characters from a poem wrote in 1562 by Arthur Brooke called 'The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet'. It also relates to us now, as we are also using work from other productions and ideas, I myself watched the scene where Juliet finds Romeo dead and wanted to channel the same emotion she had into my scene.

Stylisation  
At the beginning of the course we created a picture of a man called Bob, listing what Bob would find boring and what he would want to see.
What he found boring:
long monologue, boring stories, predictable, costume, price, too serious.
What he wanted:
Different culture, humour and over dramatic, make it shorter, modern, music.
In our performance we were able to achieve most of what Bod wanted, our play was only 30mins long so it was snappy and never a dead stage, therefore it was hard for the audience to become bored.
We had many different cultures on stage which would not have been seen in a 'old-fashioned' version of Romeo and Juliet as in Verona they were white however, we kept it current with today's society. Friar Lawrence was mainly bringing the humour on stage, the Friar made this work as she was over dramatic with her facial expressions and reactions especially modifying "benedictie" from her sleeping to saying " what the f.. Benedictie" which brought the scene alive more so. Our costumes, were also modern and not what a ' stereotypical costume for Shakespeare would look like, with the big dresses and everyone in suits. Rather our own interpretation of what our characters would wear. We also used music for the party scene to make the scene come alive and bring the party atmosphere. We also had a male nurse which you would not have seen in Shakespearean times and just shows how far society has come from then.



Themes
Love- Romeo and Juliet is one of the most famous love stories in the English history. Love, is the most important theme throughout the play. The intimate love and growing of love between Romeo and Juliet is shown throughout the play, form the moment they met at the party, from when they were married and even when he killed her cousin. In Romeo and Juliet, love is portrayed as a violent, joyful, overpowering force that removes all other priorities, values, loyalties, and emotions. In the course of the play, the young lovers are driven to defy their social world, this is evident in the balcony that Juliet is so in love she says “Deny thy father and refuse thy name,” showing she is willing to loose it all for Romeo. Love in the play is often described in the terms of religion, as in the fourteen lines when Romeo and Juliet first meet when Romeo says "dear saint, let lips do what hands do! They pray" portraying the intimacy of their love and Romeo says "this holy shrine, the gentle sin is this" highlighting he should not be with Juliet but refuses to let her go . Others it is described as a sort of magic “Alike bewitched by the charm of looks” which presents unique types of love, sensual, physical love portrayed by the Nurse, raising Juliet from when she was a baby. The proper/forced love represented by Paris "On Thursday early will I rouse ye", but Juliet is completely against this  and finally the passionate, romantic love of Romeo and Juliet. I believe Romeo and I portrayed the theme of love very well, we learnt to become intimate with each other and worked together. When I drank the poison and he thought I was dead he held me and his voice became shaky we also showed contrast to how happy we are, as at the balcony scene when I start talking Romeo dramatically rolls over and is smiling portraying to an audience the love we have for one another.

Hate- We have an argument in Romeo and Juliet of Love vs. Hate. There is clearly a lot of hatred within the play, the most evident is the feud between the Capulet's and Montague's, but the context behind this is the feud in Verona long before the play was made. However, we also see a hate from Tybalt to Romeo rather than visa versa. In scene 12 where Romeo says "a villain I am none", Tybalt refuses to look past this feud and replies with "This shall not excuse the injuries thou hast done me" portraying that instead of moving forward, Tybalt continues his hatred. The hate of the two houses results in Tybalt and Mercutio dying and the suicide of Juliet and Romeo. In our production of Romeo and Juliet I feel we get the hatred across strongly as Louie(who was hosting the night) said we showed great range of emotions and were able to quickly change. This was done with facial expressions, body language and our vocal projection which was interesting and intimate for the audience to watch.

Fate- From the beginning, we know that the story of Romeo and Juliet will end in tragedy. We also know that their tragic ends will not result from their own actions but fate. In its first address to the audience, the Chorus states that Romeo and Juliet are “star-crossed lovers".  Lord Capulet's servant is searching for someone who can read the guest list to him, the servant wonders into Romeo and Benvolio, wondering if they know how to read. This accidental meeting emphasizes the importance of fate in the play. Romeo claims it is his "fortune" to read , "fortune" or chance has led Capulet's servant to him and this scene prepares us for the tragic inevitability of the play. At the balcony Juliet tells Romeo, " and all the fortunes at thy foot I'll lay", expressing she is giving herself to the love and allowing fate to take care of their love. When Romeo believes that Juliet is dead, he cries out, “Then I defy you, stars,” conveying the idea that the love between Romeo and Juliet is destined for tragedy and regardless their actions to avoid the pain and sorrow it is destined in the stars. The devastating timing of Romeo’s suicide and Juliet’s awakening, these events are not mere coincidences, but rather highlights the inevitability of fate.

Coincidence- Coincidence is the opposed argument against fate, and that maybe these events happened based on the pure fact of coincidence. Maybe Romeo and Benvoilio were just out on the street whilst the Capulet servant walked past because it could of been anyone else. In scene 12 where Romeo refers to himself as "fortunes fool", it really could have been an angry response to just seeing his friend being murdered. Some people may argue, it was fate that the messenger could not send the letter to Romeo regarding the plan with Juliet, simply because there was an altercation. It may not have been fate controlling these events but merely the coincidence of life and what happens just happens.

Meaning of gender- The play offers a variety of versions of masculinity. e.g. Mercutio, the showy male, who enjoys arguing, fencing and joking. Mercutio has stereotypical ideas about what masculinity should look like. He criticizes Tybalt for being too interested in his clothes and for speaking with a fake accent. However in our version of the play Tybalt is seen as very aggressive and masculine, which is a contrast to the Shakespeare's Tybalt. Mercutio is more the original Tybalt as Kamal, playing Mercutio said he wanted Mercutio to be very caring of his appearance and likes his fashion. Romeo's in our play was very affectionate and calming he was not aggressive until we see a change when Mercutio dies. While his more sociable self is properly masculine. Therefore, his happiest when Romeo rejoins his witty, crazy group of male friends: "Now art thou sociable, now art thou Romeo; now art thou art, by art as well as by nature"

Symbols and Motif's 
Symbols and motifs are key to understanding Romeo and Juliet as a play and identifying Shakespeare's social and political commentary.

Light and Darkness
One of the most, repeated image patterns in the play, includes the continuous change of light and dark, the language reflects the motif overall. Romeo continues to compares Juliet to light throughout the play as when he first sees her at the party, by this I mean Romeo exclaims that she teaches "the torches to burn bright". Romeo is also compared with a light that shines above the darkness, if Juliet dies, she wants Romeo cut "in little stars and he will make the face of heaven so fine". This quote reminds us that their light shines through all that hate and rivalry. Still managing to glow in the dark, associated mainly with stars and torches this relates when Romeo stays with Juliet the night after finding out he is banished.

Like their love, darkness is associated with imagination, mystery and emotion, however the day works against them. At the end of their honeymoon night, Juliet says, "O now be gone more light and light it grows" they must part before the light arrived so that Romeo is not caught and killed. The contrast of scenes with light and dark makes an interesting motif in Romeo and Juliet. Although the night is important, the evening has all of the significant parts to the play for Romeo and Juliet. By this we mean they meet, express their love; they run away to marry and finally they commit suicide. One of the play’s most consistent visual motifs is the contrast between light and dark, (day and night). This contrast does not have a metaphoric meaning by this I mean the light is not always good, and dark is not always evil. Moreover, light and dark are generally used to provide clear contrast and show different alternatives. One of the more important instances of this motif is Romeo’s repetition on the sun and the moon during the balcony scene, in which Juliet, metaphorically described as the sun, is seen as banishing the “envious moon” and transforming the night into day. Romeo continuous to exclaim his love for Juliet "Lady by yonder blessed moon I vow", which may have a deeper meaning as the moon shines bright in the darkness, however in day time we are able to see but the sun gives us extra light. I feel Romeo vows by the moon as that's when Romeo and Juliet are mainly together and other citizens can not see their love but the moon can.
Nighttime represents a time when a person can be free and let go of their inhibitions. Romeo and Juliet have a boldness at night that does not match how they act during the day, which is especially true for Romeo as he shows great bravery. He visits Juliet at her house twice risking his life for his love. The night provides privacy and place away from the public eye, where Romeo and Juliet's love can blossom.

Poison, both sleep inducing and deadly, is the reason for Romeo and Juliet's deaths. Although Juliet stabbed herself she drunk the sleeping poison. While poison has a physical purpose in the play, it's also a metaphoric symbol. The poison symbolizes the Capulet and Montague's feud. Not only is the feud deadly in itself, which results in Mercutio's and Tybalt's death it's also the reaction for Romeo and Juliet's double suicide. The remedy metaphorically could be the death of their children. This is because the event led the two households creating uniting "O brother Montague, give me thy hand" expressing that the poison was cured.

Is Shakespeare still relevant ?
I believe Shakespeare is still relevant, he added over 2000 words into the English dictionary as well as many phrases. e.g. Eyeball, dwindle, swagger. He also added 'heart of gold' and 'wild goose chase' He is considered to be the greatest ever dramatist, prose writer and poet by many due to his rich language, complex characters and essential themes. The themes of treachery, honour, bravery, love and political intrigue are still themes in the modern era. Shakespeare has universal themes therefore a lot of English Literature can be traced back to him. We ourselves study Shakespeare and use his own language throughout our lives. Shakespeare's ability to express human emotions in eloquent and diverse verses. Some say if you are unable to find words to express your love and emotions you can look at the language of Shakespeare to help you. Shakespeare was an fantastic storyteller,  Shakespeare's stories reflected time and culture and can still be linked to modern society today. For example, Romeo and Juliet could relate to couples who are from different cultures and their families could disagree with them being together.  Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet has inspired many producers in this day and age. The musical the 'West Side Story' showing the feud between two different gangs which also reflects the Montague's and Capulet's. Gnomeo and Juliet. Shakespeare's Macbeth also reflects an evil tyrant and betrayal. This modern society you could argue that Jon-un Kim is a potential tyrant in the word and definitely reflects Macbeth. Shakespeare's, Hamlet also have similarities to the well-known Lion King, reflecting sibling rivalry.

However Shakespeare could be seen as not relevant in today's society, this is because his language is no longer used in our society and is often hard to interpret and understand therefore we should not use it. Some people may find Shakespeare boring and feel that because his work was from the 16th Century it does not reflect the age group that mostly learn about Shakespeare which is secondary school (13-16) therefore may loose interest. We have just done our production of Romeo and Juliet and our aim was to modernise the play so it was relevant to the audience, and at times the language in rehearsal was hard to grasp because we have films/plays that have the same plot, some could argue that we could now just use those plays instead of Shakespeare's and the difficult language no one uses now. Since the Elizabethan era a lot more controversial, political and society changes have occurred e.g genders, new diseases, wars etc. That our day and age authors can capture that Shakespeare may not have written about therefore our current authors can be more considered more relevant as they are keeping up to date with these topics.

Overall, I would say Shakespeare is still as important over 400 years ago then he is today, people still base films over his books and the main themes he uses e.g Love vs hate, fate vs coincidence are still very important till this day. He also influenced the English dictionary massively, and some of the words we may have used in our scripts or even in our blogs would not be here without Shakespeare.  Therefore I believe, Shakespeare is still the greatest writer in British history and is still relevant and I think my favorite play is Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet of course.


References 
 https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/r/romeo-and-juliet/critical-essays/major-symbols-and-motifs
http://www2.cedarcrest.edu/academic/eng/lfletcher/henry4/papers/acloud.htm
http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/romeojuliet/themes.html
 Theatre Culture Of Early Modern England
http://absoluteshakespeare.com/trivia/timeline/timeline.htm