Evaluation 30/04/2015

Overall evaluation of performance evaluation

List of all the multimedia used in the performance

·         Music

·         Projectors

·         Lights

·         Videos

Multimedia enhanced the overall performance as it enabled us to give the audience to view theatre in a different perspective literally. The idea that a performer was able to communicate with another performer that might not even be speaking from that present moment but from something that was recorded a couple weeks earlier is what makes it so excited and different.

I think that the impact the multimedia had on the audience was that it helped them feel more a part of what was going on. By having all these different uses of multimedia such as visual effects and lighting as well as live performance, it gave them an opportunity to feel as if they were there themselves.  The multimedia also helped to engage the audience to the performance as for a lot of members watching, hadn’t seen theatre performed with multimedia before so it meant that they wanted to know more about  the ways we chose to use multimedia in the performance,  as well as what was going to happen next.

I believe that it’s hard to say whether or not the final performance would’ve still been as effective without multimedia as such a big chunk of our performance did involve it. If multimedia wasn’t involved in the performance, we would’ve had to think of other ways of presenting the play to the audience and as I don’t know how that would’ve been presented I cannot really say. However I do believe that without the use of multimedia, the final performance wouldn’t have had that touch of uniqueness in the way that we chose to use our multimedia. The multimedia unlocked a perspective that gave the audience a different eye to view things with.

I believe that the most effective moment of multimedia, was when the first chorus was performed from outside whilst the audience viewed it from upstairs in the theatre room and music was being played through the speakers. I say this because viewing this chorus from upstairs made it seem as if the performers were at quite a distance (which they were) however having the music played from the room they were viewing it made it seem far but extremely close at the same time. Along with this the music (the speech/verse)  being played at the same time was also our voices prerecord so this so this factor also plays along with us being far and close at the same time. The multimedia used in the chorus was effective because all the voices put together were very strong and powerful and we ourselves represented that with the movement in our physicality.

 

Overall the performance was a success and I believe that as a performer, I was able to develop my understanding in terms of performing my first promenade piece. Along with that, I had never before thought of ways in which I could incorporate multimedia in theatre. This also gave me an opportunity to widen my knowledge in ways that I could understand how to use multimedia to enhance theatre performances. Most importantly I have been able to truly realise how important it is to keep our history in theatrical aspects and use past theatre plays from as early on as Greek theatre to show modern audiences today how they presented emotions and their stories. The way in which I found myself relating to so many of the problems characters had faced surprised me as I never thought about how closely related the problems that we sometimes face can be to each other. All of the historical context behind this clearly and strongly shows that no matter how new or old a piece of theatre is, history always repeats itself.

How did multimedia in each scene, enhace the performance?

Scenes from Antigone:	Multimedia used and locations	How did the multimedia in each scene enhance the performance?
1. Creon announces that Eteocles will be honoured and Polynices will be shamed and left un-buried.	Video to be shown on screen in reception.	Video kept the audience on their feet as they had to switch their mind between live performance and pre-recorded speech
2. Antigone goes to Ismene to persuade her to assist the burial of their brother. Ismene refuses.	By the tree - video shown of the thoughts of the characters.	Gave an insight of the characters minds to the audience
3. Antigone goes to bury her brother.	Round of wooden stumps.	Game music played to help create comedic atmosphere
4. Creon looks for the support of the chorus of Theban Elders in his decision to leave Polynices unburied.	Creon announces from fire escape door of 415 - chorus round the tree looking up. Audience looking up also.	Helped make speech more intense and create a dramatic atmosphere within the audience
5. A Sentry reports the burial of Polynices. Creon insists that the Sentry finds out who or face death.	Filmed footage of event is shown on screen top of stairs. Sentry talking to Creon.	A mysterious atmosphere created also making the burial of Polynices seem as realistic as possible
6. Chorus sing about honouring gods.	From the yard up to windows of 413   Recorded chorus played.	Not performed -
7. Sentry returns with the Culprit: Antigone. Creon confronts her.	Burst into 413 - audience turn to see. Lighting used.	Lighting helped build the tension between Creon and Antigone
8. Creon confronts Ismene. Ismene tries to confess but Antigone won't allow it. And in the end, the two sisters are imprisoned.	Still in 413 but Creon live speaks to a projected Ismene. Antigone is walked out the room and joins the real Ismene - escorted off. Lighting used	Gives the sense that even though Antigone is with her sister Ismene (projected screen) in reality she is on her own (live).
9. Haemon both pledges allegiance to his father, Creon, and asks that Antigone be spared. After the discussion deteriorate, Haemon storms out vowing never to speak to him again.	Traverse in 413 - iphone lights as the two talk. Throughout confrontation, lights go out, one by one.	Lighting used to build the tension slowly (as the lights turn off) that something big is going to happen.
10. Creon choses to spare Ismene, and to bury Antigone alive. As she is dragged out, the chorus express their Sorrow.	One light left on Creon's face. Sound of s body being dragged...etc.   Projection and video used	Sounds and lighting used to create atmosphere and slightly scare the audience as they cannot see, but only hear what’s happening
11. Tiresias attempts to advise Creon that what he is doing is wrong and that the Gods are angry. The prophecy of a dead son is mentioned.	Tiresias never moves his mouth but what he says coupled with weird underscore is played through speakers of 415. Projected video played	Video used to help audience and Creon understand the seriousness of his actions
12. The chorus, terrified, begs him to take Tiresias' advice. Shaken, Creon agrees to release Antigone and bury Polynices.	As many chorus as possible fill cavities of 415 and urge Creon. Three doors and side grated window thing.	Not performed-
13. Chorus deliver a choral ode to the god Dionysus.		Not Performed-
14. Messenger informs Eurydice of Haemon and Antigone's death.	Filmed footage on repeat of Haemon stabbing himself and Antigone hanging, swinging from a branch.	Enables the audience to see a flashback of what had happened in the near past.
15. Carrying the body of his dead son Haemon, Creon is then met by a 2nd messenger informing him of Eurydice's death.	Audience back outside looking at tree. Creon walking through the courtyard, holding Creon, confronted by messenger at the tree. Chorus look down from 415.	No multimedia used in order to give the audience a live, realistic and present moment, of the tragic ending to the play.

Thursday 28th April – Day of performance

During this lesson we were told that we would be performing our play to the year 11’s at 11:30 so we were given about an hour or so to make sure everything in our scenes was straightened up (this time with the use of all our multimedia). By having the year 11’s watch our play, it meant that we were able to have a rough idea of what our actual audience would be like later on in the day and how we would have to make our movement around them during the performance.

Once it hit 11:30 we were sent to our performance spaces and after the year 11’s arrived, we began our first run through with an audience. Overlooking our first run through, I believe that the movement of the promenade moved very swiftly. In terms of any difficulties within the play, in some scenes e.g. (for the second chorus) some of us found it hard to make our way through the audience as they didn’t understand where they themselves were supposed to stand. At the moment, we weren’t sure on how to indicate that to the audience while still staying in character and not verbally telling them to move.  We eventually managed to guide them to the corners of the room with our hands guiding them back and also by standing in our places so that they knew that was where the chorus was being performed. 

Overall the performance was performed quite smoothly in the run through and these misunderstandings enabled us to keep in mind and improve for the actual live performance later on in the day. I believe it was really valuable to be able to perform to the older year first so that later on, we would know what to improve as well as what to expect.

Monday 25th April

Multimedia log

During this lesson we started by getting straight on with a run through so that we roughly knew how long the performance would be on the night and to tighten any movements that wasn’t as swift. Overall the run through went swiftly but as some groups including mine were not able to access their multimedia, it made it hard for us to see how swiftly the multimedia aspect of the performance would run.

However parts of multimedia that we were able to access as a whole included our second chorus when about 7 of us light up our torches from our mobile phones, to create atmosphere. In the run through, this was very effective as it dragged the audience’s attention at an instant on the line “The mother city of the Bacchantes”

Another way in which we incorporated our phones during the chorus included during the line “Next to the flowing city of the Bacchantes”. During this, another 4/5 of us played the sounds of water flowing which helped to also create atmosphere in terms of sounds and surroundings around the audience.