Working together, we sketched some diagrams of what we wanted the stage to look like, created a more modernised script and began to rehearse and stage the piece. As the piece is promenade, it was difficult to always rehearse in our designated performance space. Therefore, we had to make do with the other rooms and areas to create our short piece of theatre.
Our aim for the staging was to have the audience situated at the back of the theatre room, 413. We would have two drapes of fabric hanging from the poles attached to the top of the room. These would be able to move from either side of the room so that they didn't get in the way or distract away from the other groups scenes. The drapes could be used to tie up Antigone and Ismene, but also used to project our video onto, so that it was on different levels. Our aim was to use the drapes to decorate the room a little bit and make it seem more royal, as if we were in Creons Castle. We decided to have a projector situated at the back of the room so that it could project our video onto the whole of the wall and the drapes. Having the projection so large meant that the audience could really feel like they were a part of the piece and almost feel as if they were watching live theatre rather than a video clip.
We tested out the staging of the piece using the projections and drapes and most of it went to plan. However, the projection started to be very slow and began to 'lag' after a while. This was a problem, but could be solved by changing the settings on the projector and laptop. Many of our peers complimented us on the piece as they thought the use of multimedia was good.
Sometimes we struggled to rehearse the acting of the piece as Sarah was away for a week on a school trip. This meant that one of the key characters in the piece wasn't there to rehearse. However, the rehearsals still went well and we had to just imagine that she was with us and in the scene. We did our best to sort out the scene without her, but stayed in touch whilst she was away to let her know what was going on and what she needed to do.
We have all developed our characters in different ways, and it is interesting to watch the other groups to see what they did with the characters. As Poppy and I both portray guards and the chorus in our scene, our characters are meant to be strong and powerful and not show a lot of emotion. We also have to be very close to Creon and obey his orders. As he is so powerful, we look up to him and try to make him happy whilst befriending him. I show my character through strong body movements and a well held posture. My tone of voice is quite bold, powerful and projected but is also meant to be slightly monotone. Other characters such as Antigone are meant to be weak and scared. Ismene is confused and angry, whilst Creon is very strong willed and does not show much emotion towards any of the other characters.
We have all developed our characters in different ways, and it is interesting to watch the other groups to see what they did with the characters. As Poppy and I both portray guards and the chorus in our scene, our characters are meant to be strong and powerful and not show a lot of emotion. We also have to be very close to Creon and obey his orders. As he is so powerful, we look up to him and try to make him happy whilst befriending him. I show my character through strong body movements and a well held posture. My tone of voice is quite bold, powerful and projected but is also meant to be slightly monotone. Other characters such as Antigone are meant to be weak and scared. Ismene is confused and angry, whilst Creon is very strong willed and does not show much emotion towards any of the other characters.
To film our video, we chose to go outside, behind the school canteen, where there is a lot of greenery. We also had to decide on costumes as we needed to wear the same outfit that we will wear for the piece of live theatre in the performance. Poppy and I (Guards & Chorus) wore black clothing, Connor (Creon) wore a white shirt and a black tie, Frankie (Antigone) wore red clothing and Sarah (Ismene) wore white clothing). However, the colours didn't matter too much as the video would later be edited into black and white. Our group did not get time to rehearse this scene before we filmed it, so a lot of it was planned improvisation. We filmed clips of Antigone being dragged and pushed around by the guards on her way to the cave. When editing the video, I chose to make a lot of it faster to create a sense of panic and horror. The music also helps to build suspense and shock. Later on, we filmed in one of the dark theatre rooms. This was to get close ups of the main characters for the video. They each have a short section in the video where they represent their characters through facial expressions and body movement. For example, there is a moment where Creon is standing strong and looking down on everyone, and another moment where Antigone feels lost and is looking for help. The video was edited in black and white. We decided that we wanted to incorporate the thriller side of Greek theatre, but also have a 'horror' take on things. The video shows the moment where the events suddenly get a lot more darker and take a turn for the worst. The black and white colours represent the good (Antigone) and evil (Creon), fighting against each other.
We filmed a separate video for when Antigone is thrown into the cave and is feeling very scared and lonely. Again, the video is black and white to show the contrast of the characters and the moral of Good Vs. Evil. Having the white on the video stands out very well when projected onto a black wall. Therefore it was better to edit the video in black and white, rather than using the many different colours that the video was originally recorded in. In this video, Connor (Creon) is situated directly in front of the camera. Poppy and I are on either side of him projecting our lines and gradually (in fours) the rest of the chorus walk onto the stage, joining in with the lines. At the end, we all shout Escape and push our hands towards the camera as if we are trying to reach out and get hold of Antigone. Connor then shouts 'Antigone' and the clip ends. Our aim for this video was to show that Antigone was alone and everyone was betraying her and taunting her because of what she had done. This was only happening because of Creon and his law. Therefore, we wanted everyone crowded around Creon as if they were his slaves. The tension and music (Song - Requiem For A Dream) builds up and gets louder until the climax at the end where we all shout the word 'Escape'. This gives the effect of Antigone going crazy as the tension is building up inside her. The sound effect of rain and thunder was also added into the background to try and show that Antigone was inside a cave and could hear the outside world, but not see any of it. The use of the rain and thunder sound effect also creates a very negative vibe and atmosphere.
The problem we had with filming the chorus scene was that it was difficult to get a direction or line across to the actors as there were so many people to direct and we didn't have much time to record. In some ways, the video could have been better if some people put more effort in and we had more time to record so that the actors could have developed their characters more. However, when edited, you do not seem to notice the minor mistakes in the piece.
We filmed a separate video for when Antigone is thrown into the cave and is feeling very scared and lonely. Again, the video is black and white to show the contrast of the characters and the moral of Good Vs. Evil. Having the white on the video stands out very well when projected onto a black wall. Therefore it was better to edit the video in black and white, rather than using the many different colours that the video was originally recorded in. In this video, Connor (Creon) is situated directly in front of the camera. Poppy and I are on either side of him projecting our lines and gradually (in fours) the rest of the chorus walk onto the stage, joining in with the lines. At the end, we all shout Escape and push our hands towards the camera as if we are trying to reach out and get hold of Antigone. Connor then shouts 'Antigone' and the clip ends. Our aim for this video was to show that Antigone was alone and everyone was betraying her and taunting her because of what she had done. This was only happening because of Creon and his law. Therefore, we wanted everyone crowded around Creon as if they were his slaves. The tension and music (Song - Requiem For A Dream) builds up and gets louder until the climax at the end where we all shout the word 'Escape'. This gives the effect of Antigone going crazy as the tension is building up inside her. The sound effect of rain and thunder was also added into the background to try and show that Antigone was inside a cave and could hear the outside world, but not see any of it. The use of the rain and thunder sound effect also creates a very negative vibe and atmosphere.
The problem we had with filming the chorus scene was that it was difficult to get a direction or line across to the actors as there were so many people to direct and we didn't have much time to record. In some ways, the video could have been better if some people put more effort in and we had more time to record so that the actors could have developed their characters more. However, when edited, you do not seem to notice the minor mistakes in the piece.
These videos develop the performance as we have the ability to modernise the play using multimedia. The music helps to create a tense atmosphere where a lot of panic begins to build up. The videos let us film pieces of theatre that we would not necessarily be able to perform live on stage. For example, it is easier to film parts of Antigone being dragged to her cave as we can show her being traumatised more by using different video effects and sounds. For part of the video, we made the speed a lot faster. This helps to show the frustration and panic that many of the characters are feeling. These videos help to tell the story in a more scary and horrific way in which we might not have been able to do live on stage. It also changes up the play to make it more interesting as they can watch a pre-recorded piece of theatre that has been edited to make the scene more exciting. I believe that the audience would remember a scene with lots of multimedia in, instead of a short piece of theatre that doesn't have that many different elements in. However, a lot of the time, live theatre without scenic and multimedia elements gives the actor a better chance to develop their character. So in many senses, they are both good ways for an actor to develop their set of skills.
The play 'Antigone' and the scenes that we are performing are definitely still relevant to contemporary audiences. Many of the morals still apply in our modern day society. For example, many people nowadays still believe in karma and the consequences of attempting to defy the law. Also, the principal of good defeating evil is still around today (they can be seen in movies, books and other life influences). Therefore, 'Antigone' is still relevant as many audience members can still relate to the themes and morals of the play.
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