Brighton Performance

Today was our last time performing 'As You Like It'. We were very fortunate to be able to have our last performance in the Pavilion Gardens in Brighton as part of the Fringe Festival that takes place every year. I was very excited to perform in the Fringe, as I remember seeing the previous year twelves Shakespeare production there and I loved it. 

We all knew that this show would be very different to our show last week in the New Theatre for many reasons. Firstly, there were quite a few changes to the set/tech due to location and the space we had to perform in; we couldn't have the large tree because it wouldn't travel down, so we have to use the trees provided. The main issue that we had to consider was the natural noise. Due to it being an outside performance and the weather fortunately being very warm, it was extremely busy and there was a lot of background noise. This meant that our projection had to double so we could be heard over the background noise of the park. Our teachers told us that if we didn't project to our loudest than only the people in the front row would be able to hear. Due to this we all did an extra long vocal warm up to make sure we were at our loudest. Another issue with performing in an outside space is that there is no back stage and therefore the audience will be able to see us. In the New Theatre there was a black certain covering the gaps in the set, but outside there is nothing, so the audience could see us walking to get to either stage right or left. This issue wasn't solvable, but every time I had to walk past, I remained in character and acted like I was walking through the Forest. I think this was a good instinct to make because then I won't break character and hopefully the audience wouldn't be brought out of the world the other characters on stage were creating. 

We did a voice test on stage to see if we were loud enough and ran over some new blocking, Jack reminding us that 'if when in doubt, face out' meaning to face the audience more so our voices were heard. We had to make some cuts to the first scene Rosalind and I are in due to timing issues, so we ran over those quickly before changing into our costumes and doing a vocal and physical warm up. We were performing to an audience of around thirty, as well as any passer by that fancied watching us for a while, at 1 pm. Our overall main objectives were to convey the story to a new, fresh audience who didn't know the plot line or the characters and to make sure everyone was focused and could hear what was happening on stage. It was also very important that we were loud enough for the other cast and crew members to hear their cues for scene changes/exists/entrances and any music or set changes. Above everything I really wanted to enjoy this performance and have fun playing this character for the last time. It was also a new experience for me as I  have never performed a play outside before in a public space. 

I personally felt as if the show went well, I think everyone was audible and the show ran on time. We knew from our first entrances that this was going to be a difficult show and require a lot of energy and vocal projection  which I think we all had. The show ran quickly and smoothly in my eyes and I think we conveyed the story to the audience which was one of our major goals. As far as projection and physicality, I think a few people did struggle to get themselves heard all the way to back as they were battering with buskers, other performers and general chatter from the public. I think Poppy is a fantastic job vocally and physically, even though I was standing next to her, I could feel her voice reaching the back and beyond and she was constantly living in the moment which enabled her to cover up a few line drops which I hardly noticed. I personally felt that I was loud enough and that my projection was the best it has ever been which I was very glad about. I think my physicality was bold and I made new character choices. I was ecstatic when after the performance we had the audience come up to us and compliment us on how well we had all done learning lines and acting well. I think this is a reflection of all the hard work we have all put in and I am very happy with our production.

Overall I think today's performance in Brighton was a great new experience for everyone; cast, crew and the audience. We all felt that even though we got more laughs and felt more exciting and new when we performed it in the theatre, I feel as if I learned more from performing in the Fringe about what an actor has to do, changing for each performance. I have learned so much this term about how a professional rehearsal runs, putting together a Shakespeare play, performing a comedy, performing to a large audience in a theatre and outside and having to adapt to each new performance. Most importantly I think I have discovered a new passion for Shakespeare, I have loved playing Celia and learning more about this iconic playwright who write 'As You Like It' nearly 400 years ago. 

The London set for our Brighton Performance at the Pavilion. 

Our set for London in The New Theatre.

Performance Evaluation

Our production of 'As You Like It' was on Wednesday 7th at 7pm and we had a lot to get through. We had a scheduled dress rehearsal in the afternoon, a quick run through in the morning and then the performance in the evening. 

The first run through was extremely useful because it enabled us to run through any un certain scenes and gave us a chance to become more confident in the performance space as we had only done one run through for the technical. During this run through we focused on our entrances and exits, the songs and the scenes with Phoebe and Silvius, as Hana wasn't able to make this performance Keyah from Tim's cast had to step in. We also focused on moving around in the space, working on our vocal projection and playing to all sides of the audience. My target for this run was to work on my projection because I have always struggled with my vocals and to make sure my reactions and movements were bold enough to be seen. I felt like I did this successfully because when we got given notes I wasn't told that I was too quiet which I was extremely pleased about. I think I also found a lot more of the comedy once I was in the space. The run was successful and Keyah and Phil, I thought, did a fantastic job as it was the first time they had acted together. It also showed me how far we have come from our previous rehearsals and from the tech run. 

The Dress rehearsal was vital and a big deal for everyone because it was the first time our play had been run all the way through without stops, notes or scene skips. It gave us a chance to see how tonight may go and how we could improve. Because of this there was a lot of pressure on everyone but I personally think we all did well under this pressure because the dress went really well. We thankfully had an audience which was good because there were laughs which is helpful when you are performing a comedy. I think I can speak for everyone when I say the main target was to get the show flowing smoothly and have a good, steady pace. I also personally had to make sure my entrances and exits were bold and snappy so as not to jar the play or drop the energy levels. I was very pleased that we got all the way through the play and that the general energy was high. I think the songs were the best they've been but could have even more energy to them. I think Ashley's added character high note has helped the song become more human in a way. I think for the performance tonight I need to bring even more energy and make sure I am a good backing for Poppy to play off. During this run I muffled a few of my lines and I put that down to nerves. I'm glad we had this rehearsal because I feel less nervous for tonight because we have already done one performance which went well so I feel ready for tonight. Other mishaps and areas for improvement is the speed of the piece. I think it has a good pace but as it is a comedy it needs to be even more snappy and we all need to be on our cues so much faster, so one scene merges into the next. We all need to keep the energy levels up high and just enjoy ourselves because after all it is a funny play and how can we be funny when we are all struck with nerves and constantly thinking about our next scene. Jack also gave us some notes to work on for tonight. Mine were:

• Beat Touchstone and Corin with the sign even more
• Let the audience in on the joke when Rosalind and I take the micky out of Touchstone
• When I faint to put my hand on my forehead to make it more melodramatic 
• When I say 'I faith coz' remember it's i not eye
• Make the last song quicker
• Push and Pull between the scenes
• Play the comedy
• Bring Joden further down stage right when I plead with him
• Stay up stage right when Corin and I fall out of the caravan 
• After fake marriage sit on bench and give my reactions to the audience on the right

Our evening show was in front of an audience of about 100 which was really exciting because it's the biggest audience we have performed to all year and our first show in the new theatre. The general target for this show was to make it energetic, smooth, pleasurable for the audience and funny. My personal target was to be loud enough and bring on all the energy needed for Celia. We did a vocal and physical warm up as your body and voice are connected. This helped me get energised for the opening scene and help my vocals. Unfortunately I wasn't very well on the day of the performance so I had to work extra hard in the vocal warm up to make sure I wasn't going to damage my voice even further. 

I personally felt as if our performance as a huge success. I felt as if we all had amazing energy and all played to the comedy of the writing. I believed everyone's performance and was extremely impressed by Josh, Seamus, Phil and Jackie as I felt their performances were very energetic and they all became their characters as they were able to ab-live in the scenes and respond to the live audience. I think at some points the energy dropped, for example in the rap battle but Adam picked it back up. I was extremely happy with my performance because I got really into my character and I feel as if I was a great support for Poppy and gave her a lot to play with. I feel as if I was always alive and living in the scene which enabled me to react truthfully and with comedy. I think my volume was good but I rushed a few lines at the beginning so next week when we perform in Brighton I will make sure to slow down slightly. It was fantastic to perform in front of a live audience because their responses to the comedy gave us a lot to play off and helped us spur on with the piece. I think this is a reflection of how well we all told the story. However there were some moments we didn't expect the audience to laugh and because of this a few lines were lost. For example Seamus did a fantastic bit with the caravan door which received a lot of laughs and Poppy and I didn't realise this so we started the scene when the audience were still laughing. Next time I will be more aware of the audience. Having said this I think we all did a fantastic job, cast and crew as the piece was fast paced and energetic and we all managed to make the story known and relatable, which for a Shakespearean piece I think is hard to do. 

Technical Rehearsal

Today we had our first technical rehearsal in the new theatre. This was the first time we had run the play in the new theatre with full costume, lighting, sound, props and set and I think it went pretty well. Before the run through we all thought about what we wanted to achieve from the run. I personally wanted to focus on my exists and entrances and also on the set barbecue it was the first time we had ever been able to play around with it. We all agreed that our vocals and energy needed to be the main focus today and getting a feel of the shape of the piece. 

As this rehearsal was for the production team we all needed to be on our ques and our lines which thankfully we all were. This rehearsal really helped me to see our piece as a performance that people have paid to come and see and also as a whole play. I had to change certain movements due to the set and the three sided seating. For example after Celia fake marries Orlando and Rosalind, I used to go lean against the tree, but as we didn't have it in rehearsals I wasn't aware that The tree was on wheels and would therefore move. Jack then changed this to me sitting on the large log stage right and facing out to the right sided audience so that they got my reactions. In the first scene I say 'Let us sit' and then Poppy and I sat, but there aren't any chairs for us to sit on, so Jack changed the line to 'Let us stand' instead. 

This rehearsal's utility was enormous and it helped us all realise the energy we need and how vocally loud we have to be. Although it was very exciting to be on the stage using the set and props, I felt as if some of our entrances and exits were very sloppy and brought down the energy of the piece. I think we all need to wok on this and organising our props to suit us so that we don't miss an entrance. A positive that came from today was how well the piece looks and flows when we are on our ques and lines. If we all give the maximum amount of energy then I think our performance this week will be a joy to watch. 

Rehearsal Notes

These are a few pictures from our last rehearsal before the tech run this afternoon. We ran through some of the scenes which lacked energy and just did a quick line run. Poppy, Hayden and I practiced the scene where Orlando and Rosalind meet for the first time in the forest because this scene in particular was the weakest of our scenes and it is the most crucial. Jack blocked certain movements with certain lines so Poppy and Hayden had something to play with. We decided that Celia would be eating an apple so we asked Ellie, our stage manager, to get one by this afternoon so I could rehearse with it.

                                                                       

I noticed during these rehearsals that Poppy and Oisin had fantastic energy and enthusiasm which enabled them to take on board Jack's notes and make them their characters own. I was really impressed by Josh's performance throughout all of the rehearsals because I think he has made bold character choices and brought them to every rehearsal never once dropping his character energy and physicality. I think our tech run will go very well if we all just remember our exits and entrances and keep them snappy. We need to double our vocal and physical energy as the new theatre is a massive space and we are used to rehearsing in the small room 411. I think this could possibly be one let down to our rehearsals as we haven't had a set room we haven't had markings as to where our set will be, so I think the tech may be slightly chaotic in the sense that we will still be getting used to where the set is and getting used to the space so we do't get lost in  it.

 We have had many rehearsals for our production of 'As You Like It' and every week I have seen the progression of the play and how it all links together. I have really enjoyed these rehearsals because I've had a glimpse into what a professional one looks like, with the production team sitting in and having a read through. I've learned and gained so much from these rehearsal that will help me next year in Common Ground but also for my future as a hopeful professional actor. I have noticed that some people are good at rehearsing, meaning they listen and are on their ques, knowing their lines and when not on stage going through them, working on their character or watching quietly. I think some people find concentrating hard and therefore disrupted a few of the rehearsals. Even though it was annoying at some points, it was  a good learning curve for me, because no matter what's going on off stage you have to stay focused in the scene and listen to the director. Jack's direction has really helped me feel more comfortable performing Shakespeare and rehearsing. I've learned that you need to constantly bring energy to every rehearsal and to get your lines learned quickly because you can then play in the scene and give the director and your fellow actors more to play with. 

Personally I think I have been very focused and awake in our rehearsals. Even though I wasn't always on my ques and sometimes held back to start of with, I quickly changed that and I hope I was good to direct and that I brought lots of energy and sustenance for the rehearsals. As I said before, I really enjoyed the rehearsal process because there was always a good vibe in the room and I enjoyed the independence of going of with Devan and going through certain scenes, this also helped me a lot with my charaterisation to get a fellow actors view on my take of Celia.

Titus Andronicus

Today I went to the Globe on South Bank to see Titus Andronicus at the Globe. This was the second play I've seen at the Globe and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was very useful to see a live performance of a Shakespearean play because it showed me how much energy is required and with that energy his plays can be extremely entertaining and relatable. I loved how the actors used the audience to ab-live occasionally and this is defiantly something we would like to include in our performance, as it is a comedy every night should be different according to who your audience is. 

Just before we went in, I found a timeline of all of Shakespeare's plays and when he wrote them on one of the walls outside the theatre. 'As You Like It' was written in 1599 the same year it was performed. This was a very busy period for Shakespeare as he was vastly popular and his plays were in demand, so he wrote a lot of his well known ones around this period. 

Costume Analysis

Today we had our costume presentation by TTA, who had drawn and annotated our rough costume designs. I have two costumes, one for when I'm Celia in Parliament and the second when I'm disguised as Aliena in the Forest. We later agreed that for the last scene of the play where Celia reveals her true identity, I would have a mash up of the two costumes, showing how I'm still part of my old self but that I've really grown accustomed to the Forest lifestyle. This was really exciting because it have me a feeling of unity between the two strands but also of our characters and their clothes. It made me feel as if the whole production was coming together.

For me, costumes are vital for helping me really become my character. I know that you shouldn't need a costume to be your character completely, but I think it helps with the realism for the audience and also for the actor, because you can move properly and as your character would because you are in their attire. I like my costumes because there is a continuity between the three, always being quite modest and formal but still each one changes according to Celia's state. The grey suit at the beginning is long and well fitted, very typically Celia who doesn't like to draw attention to her feminine features. When she is in the Forest dressed as Aliena, she still holds the trait of Celia's modesty, but she goes a little wild in her eyes. The denim skirt and casual stripy jumper are rebellious in her eyes and the fact that she wears the round, John Lennon style glasses is her way of dressing like a hippie. 

Overall I love my costumes and I noticed the energy in my performance really lifted once I had the costumes on. 

This is my costume for the riot scene which opens our play. We all had to wear either a hoodie or a mask. I chose to wear a hoodie because I think that it'll help get me into the riot-mode. 

This is my costume for when I am Aliena. The denim skirt comes down to my knees and I have black tights and flowery wellies on. As I said before this is Celia's idea of what a hippie dresses like. To her this is very rebellious. I decided to put my hair in mousey ears because again I think this is how Celia perceives indie folk to wear their hair. It is also quite a dramatic change from her tight and neat pony tail when she is at home in London. I think this is a perfect outfit for Celia's disguise and it still holds some of her old personality, the modesty and lack of flesh showing, but it also symbolises the change within this character.  Jack and I decided to have her wearing the round glasses because we thought she probably googled the 1960's hippies and found them everywhere. I decided that she had stolen them from her fathers wardrobe, from when he was a hippy. 

Scene Break Down

 This is another classic Celia observing scene, where Rosalind is using her slightly in her love game. Poppy, Jack and I decided to make Celia be playing along with Rosalind, until the scene gets a bit too heated for her and she goes back to sitting in the background. I noted the physicality on this page just to remind myself when to turn away because Poppy and I need to do it at the same time to gain the comedic potential. 

This line is double loaded with meanings. On one hand she physically can't say the words because she isn't a vicar and it wouldn't be right and secondly she doesn't want to be part of this slightly weird love game they are playing. The first way fits Celia's personality because she is very conservative and tends to stay by the rules and the second way fits how she plays and lives within this play, so I make sure to emphasis the word 'cannot' to add definition and weight to this line. 

Scene Break Down

 Certain lines from this scene had to be cut due to our setting. As it is set in the present day we are doing a rap battle instead of wrestling match and some of the language just doesn't make sense, so we cut a few lines. 

 This is the first scene where Rosalind and I meet Orlando and it is vital because it is when these two characters fall in love and the audience need to see this. I decided to make Celia slightly flirtatious and eyeing up every guy she sees but being too timid to follow anything through. I added a beat after 'alas, he is too young!' because I decided my character would look at him and say he was successful in his looks. 

 On this page I have broken down some of the language as I was finding that paragraph a challenge and I realised it was because I didn't realise what it was saying. So I went on sparknotes and looked up the language and realised that Celia was simply saying she would go along with Rosalind because her and me are one as we are so close. This is an important piece of dialogue because it is when they decide to go into the Forest together and thus the plot drives on.

 This is another vital moment in 'As You Like It' because it is when Rosalind and Celia decide on their disguises and plan their escape. I added in a few comma's to remind myself when to breathe and pause to show my thoughts, as this needs to be fresh every performance. Celia is thinking on the spot, trying to keep Rosalind interested (which is her main goal in this scene) and also trying to comfort herself in the idea that running away will be good for them. The last monologue also shows Celia's bold and sensual side, as she says she will 'woo' Touchstone, suggesting that he may have a soft spot for her. It also shows how playful these two characters are and their true friendship. I think it also reminds the audience they are quite vulnerable being women that they have to change their appearance.

Celia's choice to call herself 'Aliena' is very significant. Firstly if you remove the 'a', the word is alien which shows Celia's current state. I connected my physicality with the words and said Celia in a stiff, posh voice and Aliena in a creepy, slightly hippy voice symbolising the new side of my character. There are many different opinions on how to pronounce this name, but we have decided to play on the alien side and pronounce the name like; Aye-lee-arn-a to really emphases the alien nature of this character.  

Scene Break Down

This is my first scene which I have roughly annotated with stage directions and thought changes. As it is my first scene I want it to have amazing energy and purpose so the audience know who I am and who my character is. My first mini monologue is expressing my love for Rosalind and I think it is a perfect one to open this character with because the relationship between these two is so strong. I decided to be play the speech in a teasing tone, half being serious and half joking with her. My main goal for this is to cheer her up and make her realise her life isn't too bad because I love her deeply and we have each other. 




You know my father hath no child but I, nor none is             to inform
like to have: and, truly, when he dies, thou shalt
be his heir, for what he hath taken away from thy               to comfort 
father perforce, I will render thee again in
affection; by mine honour, I will; and when I break               to tease 
that oath, let me turn monster: therefore, my                       to comfort/ serious tone
sweet Rose, my dear Rose, be merry.

These are my objectives for my second mini monologue which I also use to cheer Rosalind up. 

The Stanislavsky Nine Questions

Each week I got to know my character more, I answered the nine questions for every scene I am in in order to help me develop my character and find the truth in her. Here are my answers:

Character Development

On the first day of rehearsals, Jack left us some notes on how he wants us to play our characters, sort of rough guidelines for us to develop on. I was thrilled when I got told he wanted our Celia to be:

• Smart/Bookish
• Conservative in how I dress
• Funny/Witty
• Clever
• Adventurous
• Not keen on my father (above him)
• Rich and slightly spoilt (used to the high life)
• Inside really a rebel
• If I was a drink I would be: a Starbucks grande skinny latte

This is how I wanted to play Celia so I am really happy and excited to start developing her even further and playing with these strong characteristics. The first day of rehearsals we did a read through of the play but not reading our own parts. This is a technique used by the RSC to help the actor playing that role see how other people read their lines but also so everyone gets a feel of the play. This was very helpful because I noticed when we did a read through, Seamus stumbled on Le Beau's name and I instantly remembered Stuart telling us that Shakespeare often too fun of the French because they weren't liked at the time. I began to think that maybe Celia would take the micky out of his name, so consequently I gained a key characteristic in my character's personality by Seamus stumbling on his name. We then got the first scene on it's feet and I found the energy and connection with Poppy and Khai was instant which I was extremely pleased with. We played around with the staging and decided in the first scene Celia is controlling Rosalind slightly by teasing her and helping her to be happy. The scene with Le Beau (Oisin) worked well and I tried out saying his name in a disgusted way and thankfully it worked. After today I can see my character forming nicely with Poppy's and within the play too. This is a modern day Celia who likes teasing people but also has a kind heart and a true love for her cousin.

This is the third week into rehearsals and my character has certainly developed. I started answering the nine questions about my character and thinking more about her background. As her mother isn't mentioned I decided that she died when Celia was young and consequently her and her Father haven't had the best of relationships because of this. She doesn't agree with her father's politics but doesn't feel the need to do anything about it because she doesn't see how they effect her. He hobbies include watching old horror films and going to the gym. She is interested in becoming a doctor one day and volunteering with the Red Cross to help those in poorer countries. As we have done a few rehearsals now, I feel secure in my character and feel as if I'm putting a new spin on Celia. However, I don't feel as if I have her physicality right just yet as I feel slightly awkward at some points when I don't have much to say I feel myself slipping back into Esme, so I need to focus on this and make sure I'm sticking to my objectives and staying in the scene and the moment.

We're about mid-way into rehearsals now and I defiantly feel like my character has developed. I've added more layers onto her and found her large and small objectives for each scene. I decided to change her physicality from when she is in London as Celia to when she is Aliena in The Forest of Arden. When she is at home her posture is impeccable and she is quite contained, whereas in the forest she relaxes a bit and lives in the natural air and space. I've made sure to stay strong and present in the scenes between Rosalind and Orlando and decided to be eating during the famous scene in act three scene one. I've learned how to play objectives even when you don't have lines to play with. I feel as if I've found the comedy in this character. It has defiantly helped having Jack's direction during the scene where Rosalind is trying to get out of Celia who is writing the poems. As we have a rap battle instead of wrestling, Jack wants me to rap the 'Oh, wonderful wounderful' lines as if I am imitating Orlando. At first I found this a challenge to do because I felt shy and not committed, but after I let go of Esme's insecurities and tapped into Celia's daring and energetic sense of humor, the rapping came easily and hopefully looks comedic and truthful.  

                                                              ALIENA:

• Her name reflects her state, she is an outsider or Alien to her previous life and name 
• It is a cover up, the part of Celia which she would like to be more like, adventurous and sloppy
• She is still Celia and often her old self creeps back in but her physicality changes, she isn't afraid of getting dirty anymore and she relaxes her posture slightly 
• She loves to perform which is evident in the scene when she acts out what Orlando looks like 

As we are nearing our performance and have done a few complete run through, Jack gave us some notes. Mine were to bring some more energy on in the first scene as it is the first time we meet Rosalind and Celia and we have to set the pace of our relationship and characters. I need to work on tripping up Touchstone, don't think about it too much, I'm doing it to take fun of him so it needs to look effortless. We will practice the trip by making it seem fresh each time. Overall I think I have made a bold character choice and brought Celia to life. I think my adaptation fits well into our theme of modern day politics as she is clever and daring but also slightly hypocritical. She can be very jealous which is obvious when they enter the forest. Celia is fed up with not having anything exciting happen to her so this really effects her relationship with Rosalind. She becomes a third wheel observing instead of contributing. This is excellent to play though as it is deep character work but needs to look subtle which has been very enjoyable to express and develop. 

It was interesting to work on the sudden love between her and Oliver. Celia changes so much in such a short space of time and at first I found this quite challenging. Now I feel comfortable and I think Michael and I have good chemistry to watch. I made my vocal quality slightly more breathy to show her sudden attraction and used my eye contact to show I'm only looking at Oliver (Michael). She challenges Oliver to see if he still is a brutal man and I think that is what so great about this character, she has forgiveness.  

It is performance week this week and I feel ready to reveal my adaptation of Celia. These past months of rehearsals have helped to develop my character and how I play her. She is constantly reacting to situations and people and I can't wait to get into the theatre and live and play off the audience but also off my fellow actors. For me costume is vital and has been a major help in the development of my character as I feel like her now. I love how her clothes stay similar and her idea of a hippy is odd glasses and a long skirt. The costume and set has helped me to bring Celia to life in the space we have to play in. 

Character Research

I thought it would be wise to do some research into my character before we started rehearsals. Luckily there is a lot on Celia as she is an interesting character. By some she is viewed as possibly having a deeper, slightly homosexual feelings towards Rosalind and by others she is perceived as just being really close to her. I think this is something Poppy and I need to explore together when rehearsals start, as Celia and Rosalind's relationship is so well known and important to this play. 

I looked to two sources of media for information about my character: the internet and films/plays. Google describes Celia as being 'beautiful, but with a beauty less sparkling than that of Rosalind. Orlando describes both of them as 'fair and excellent ladies'. Celia is shorter than her cousin and less majestic in appearance. She has a gentle expression combined with a habitual serious appearance. Hence Rosalind addresses her at one time as 'my pretty little coz', and at another as, 'sad brow and true maid'.  I think there this summarizes up Celia pretty well, she is almost like her cousin but just misses it. Poppy is a lot taller than me so we can play with that too. After reading a fact sheet about my character I think I have a better understanding of how to build the grounds of this character and after a few rehearsals I can add to that and make Celia my own interpretation. The internet also says that Celia is 'silent and reserved' As I had already decided for myself, 'her silence is in contrast to Rosalind's talkative nature. However, Celia, by her prudence, exercises command over herself as well as over others. When the two cousins are alone, Celia is full of life and humour, but in the presence of others she is content to play the part of a spectator. She first listens and judges what to speak, exactly opposite to Rosalind.'  I think this is the common perception of Celia and I would like to play her silence as more of an insightful nature which holds comedic potential as this play is a comedy. 

I then watched some different interpretations by actresses who have played Celia over the years. As I mentioned before, I watched Laura Rogers Celia on Sky Arts and loved her performance, she really found the comedy within this character. It helped me to build an image of how I want to play this character, which is quite bold and funny. I also watched the 1978 TV version of 'As You Like It' with Helen Mirren as Rosalind and Angharad Rees as Celia. I enjoyed her Celia, but found her interpretation a little stale and I didn't enjoy the character as much as I had when Rogers had played her. I've made a decision to play Celia as being strong willed, witty, slightly innocent and reserved but also out going and energetic. 

This research has helped me to gain a basic understanding of how I could play this character and it has made me excited to put my own touches onto Celia as rehearsals develop. 

A painting of my character, Celia in her disguise as Aliena.

My Initial Reaction to Celia

When I first read 'As You Like It' without knowing who I would be playing, I didn't pay much attention to Celia. Initially I thought she was a bit of a wet sock to be honest, who trailed around her cousin and didn't have much to say for herself if Rosalind wasn't involved. But after watching Laura Rogers interpretation of Celia in 'As You Like It' at the Globe in 2009 (http://www.theguardian.com/stage/theatreblog/2009/jun/25/lyn-gardner-theatre-tips) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0qzMQgCyjU) I realised that this is a really fun character to have. I read the play again focusing mainly on Celia and her role in the play and discovered a hole lot of potential comedy from this character. I realised she is witty, sarcastic and fun with room to react to Rosalind's and Orlando's weird love game.

During Act three Scene One, there is a section where Rosalind and Orlando have their first meeting in the Forest and Celia watches from the background. I immediately noted all the comedic and tragic energy I could bring to this scene and started getting really excited to explore and develop Celia. I think there are two ways you can play Celia;  the first being quite shy and timid, following Rosalind around and being happy by her joy, or the second, where she is fun and flirtatious, witty but still sensible. I'm going to see how Poppy (who is playing Rosalind) and I work together to be able to know which stream I want to follow for Celia. 

I believe reacting is even more important than acting because it means you are alive in the scene and have immersed yourself in the character. Celia is the perfect character to do some really good reacting and I'm looking forward to exploring this skill and being able to have some freedom when deciding how to play her within the play. 

As all the characters are, Celia is vital to the plot line or 'As You Like It' and frames the love story between Rosalind and Orlando. She too finds love which i noticed changes her characteristics completely. She doesn't speak near the end after she meets Orlando and I think this is because she has secretly waited so long for love that when she finds it she delves so deeply into it she doesn't see the need to talk too much. Either way I am thoroughly looking forward to finding Celia and putting my own stamp on this very diverse character. 

My Initial Reaction to the Play

When I found out we were going to be performing 'As You Like It', I was really excited because even though I had seen this play a few years ago, I couldn't remember much of the plot, so I was really eager to read the play. I'm happy the teachers chose this play because it isn't one of his well known ones and because it is a comedy which I've always wanted to do. I think comedies are a challenge because you constantly have to change your performance according to the audience.

Upon reading 'As You Like It' for the first time, I found it quite challenging as the language is so different to how we speak now. I quickly realised my mistake; I was reading it in my head. Plays, like poetry (which is similar to how Shakespeare writes) is meant to be performed or spoken out loud. As soon as I started reading the play out loud, it started to make more sense. I did have to stop at certain times and look back over the cast list and review the plot line, but other than that I thought that this play had a lot of comedic potential and I started to get really excited about rehearsals. Shakespeare gave no stage directions, which is why I think some people find him so challenging (besides the language). I however, am really thrilled by this prospect, as it gives me the freedom to do whatever I want with my characters physicality. I read the play once without looking at my lines and then again focusing on Celia's story and words. This helped me get into the mind set of Celia and see her importance to the plot. 

However, I felt at some points the dialogue was a bit unnecessary and didn't contribute to the story. Shakespeare wrote his plays incredibly quickly which caused some troubles in his story lines and I think this play is an example of that. For example he named two characters the same (Jaques) and he seems to leave Duke Frederick alone. Whether this was done intentionally we will never know, but after doing some research into how Shakespeare wrote, I think that he did make some mistakes. This didn't distract me from the comedy or the enjoyment I got from reading this play. As for the dialogue I think it works well with Shakespeare's lyrical style and I'm sure when this play was performed in the 1600's it was well received. Although I wasn't sure about the text at some points, after a third reading I began to appreciate how detailed and descriptive Shakespeare's language is and this made me really excited to start tackling the lines of Celia. 

I really enjoyed the story of 'As You Like It' and the journey these characters go on. Unlike most of Shakespeare's well known plays, I feel this play is a light-hearted, funny, slightly ridiculous comedy and that it is a good play to ease us into the world of Shakespeare. I'm looking forward to finding the comedy but also the weight of this piece when we start rehearsals. 

I love the fact that we are setting our play in the modern day as Shakespeare wrote his plays to be performed in modern day, so I think it is an ingenious idea to set ours today as it will help bring the world to life and make the play more relatable.