3rd February: Rehearsals for both scenes

Rehearsals so far for my two scenes...

SCENE 1

This scene is pretty much completed. We started rehearsing this scene about 3 weeks ago now and we have made very good progress over the time we have spent on this scene, we have still been rehearsing it recently but I am more focused on my second scene now, as I have more lines and much more physical parts as apposed to this 1st scene.

The blocking in this scene is completed and we have used the space very well on the stage. 

This scene shows my character as being the woman all the girls turn to when they need help, although she is not very mature she is one of the oldest, possibly 20 or 21 years of age.

The main points in this scene are my character MRS MARSHALL trying to perform an abortion for MRS FARLEY. This part in the scene is very distressing and we have discussed how we need to portray it in a realistic yet modest way, we do not want the audience to feel uncomfortable during this scene, as it is a sensitive subject, especially for women. So we decided to have MRS FARLEY sitting in a chair with her back to the audience, and MRS MARSHALL kneeling on the floor in between MRS FARLEY'S legs, performing the abortion. In the play it says they use something " long and sharp, a queens broach" so for this scene we need to use a long sharp looking pin, there are quite a few props we need for this scene, a lot more than in my second scene. As a group we put together a list of props we need for this scene..

The props we need for this scene are;

• Pair of gloves
• Long sharp looking pin
• Hand mirrors
• Makeup brushes
• Script for OTWAY
• Petticoat( used from costumes)
• Cloth/teatowel
• Tray with biscuits

I think this scene is very hard hitting and quite brutal at times, I feel it portrays the women to be very strong and dedicated to their passion, acting. And shows just how much they have to do to maintain their positions as actresses and just how hard it is for them. 

SCENE 2

This scene is my favourite out of the two, as I feel my character MRS MARSHALL is portrayed in a better light, and appears to be a much stronger and confident women, than in the 1st scene. 

We have been rehearsing this scene for just over a week now, and have started on our blocking, but just need to sharpen it up in places. We have made good use of the stage, and have set out the tiring room as we all have imagined it to look. We recieved feedback on this scene from our tutors and on the whole it is looking good and we all know our lines pretty well, we just need to clean up the blocking and think more into our characterization, and start to stand and walk like our characters and not just act how they would act. 

I personally feel I am getting more and more into character every time we rehearse this scene as I really like my character and her morals and status. I think in this scene my character does appear to be very hard skinned and tough, I do believe she is a strong, confident and proud women, but part of me feels she is not all that meets the eye, I feel she puts on an act a little bit, she is a sensitive women and wants the love from the Earl of Oxford she knows she deserves, but shes not getting it from him and she experiences a horrendous event, when two men attack her outside the theatre and "rub shit into her hair" as a message from the Earl of Oxford. So she feels very let down and angry that this man has publicly humiliated her in front of the other actresses and maybe even people passing in the street! In this scene I need to portray distress and total disgust, as it is a very disgusting and low thing to do to someone, and I just have to let myself really think that this is real, that there is something disgusting in my hair, as it will appear much more realistic to the audience. It is quite a hard thing to do, but I just need to let my imagination run more wildly! 

I feel my group and I are working very hard in this scene and we are all very dedicated to the roles we are playing, and to each other as fellow actresses.