Unit 12 Proposal

Role in the play

Rationale

Overall I want the production to be a success that not only leaves them questioning the deeper meanings of the play, but also enjoying it and having a fun time watching it throughout. In order to make my production a success like I want, there are many things that I will need to make it how I want it to be.

The areas of research I looked into are:

• I watched Andras Ostroms short film of a Zoo Story.
• Read different reviews on other productions that people had created to see what worked well for them and what they could've improved on.
• Looked at an analysis of the play.
• Read different publications of the script to see what was sometimes taken out or replaced.
• Looked into the history of the play and discovered that it was written by Edward Albee in 1958, it was the first play he wrote and did it in 3 weeks.
• Spoke to my classmates and got their opinions on it and some of their ideas that they could see working well for the show.

I want to provide an enjoyable play that is fun to watch and provide a story that is captivating to the audience. I hope to create an atmosphere that is immersive to the audience, making them feel as if they are in a park,the use of birdsong and winds will be useful in supporting this.The other technical aspects I will need are as follows:

The technical side

The list of props we will need for our show is as follows: 

• 1 cigarette/cigar
• 2 benches
• A book
• A knife

Costume:

Peter

• Smart black trousers
• Smart white shirt
• Black woollen jumper
• Black shoes

Jerry

• Brown worn jacket 
• Blue work shirt
• Straight trousers
• Dark shoes

Technical Cues

• Consistent birdsong, chirping and wind noises throughout the whole play to give the sense of being in a park
• Image of park for background to further show setting 

• Red flash upon Jerry being stabbed to show impact and to exaggerate what has just happened, further having a deeper reaction with the audience

Throughout my process I will constantly reflect on the work that I have done so far, the ways in which I will do this will be, peer feedback, watching recordings of rehearsals, sticking to my time line and seeing if i am where I was supposed to be, evaluating the work I have done so far to see if its a sufficient standard etc.

- TIMELINE HERE -

Me - Peter

Play Character Synopsis

Peter is  man in his early forties, neither fat nor gaunt, neither handsome nor homely. He wears tweeds, smokes a pipe, carries horn-rimmed glasses. Although he is moving into middle age, his dress and his manner would suggest a man younger 

In Role Character Synopsis 

My name is Peter, I’m in my 40’s, I wouldn't consider myself unattractive but I’m often found unpleasant to most, I'd say I dress well but I’m sure my wife would disagree, she disagrees with most things, like this “terrible” smoking habit I have. I’m as blind as a bat without my glasses but can always see middle age creeping up on me. I don’t consider myself to be an “older man” and I’m sure if you took the time time to get to know me you would too.

Reasons I chose a Zoo Story 

Have always wanted to do a production just me and someone else and I feel that the story and themes of the play support this and my ideas as well, just some of these being isolation, loneliness, miscommunication, solidarity and dehumanisation in a materialistic world. 

The script stood out to me because the language and themes are completely different to anything we have worked on in college before

In the past our class productions have been heavily reliant of having all cast members present on all days, this creates a nice contrast as i am now able to focus more on myself and not have to worry about the other people showing up or not. Working with someone as dedicated as  i am on our show fives me incentive to work harder to make it what I want it to be.

Needed a setting easy to create in the space that we are able to work in so choosing a play that exists closely to entirely on a park bench supports this well

The play I have chosen requires no budget at all to be successful 

How it will contribute to my future

The video that I receive from the college will be used in my online portfolio which i will then pass on to further employers or further education.

In future auditions I will be able to use this play as a means of demonstrating my skills or my knowledge of plays in general

I can use the skills that i will develop and expand on from this production to help me be a better actor overall in the future

Performing this show allows me to practice and refine my acting skill

Having performed a large number of plays it looks good to potential drama schools and future pursuits in the acting industry

( Some) Pro's and con's of the play I chose

Pro's

• Experience in 2 man plays and technical production.
• Enjoyable to perform .
• Has deep hidden meanings and ugly truths about human nature and societal values.

Con's

• Inexperienced in 2 man plays.
• Heavily reliant on the use of tech to "set the stage".
• Both my partner and I had never heard of the play before deciding to choose it.

How we got to choose our play

After both me and my partner struggled on our own to decide on a play we wished to perform, having the time in class together was good as it allowed us to better communicate and decide of what could be considered options. Then we spoke to classmates to see if they knew any 2 man plays and one of our classmates had suggested a Zoo Story, upon further looking into it and acting out a few parts, my partner and I agreed that it would bet the play we chose to perform.