Actors Workshop

The actors workshop was very useful to us as a group. From this workshop we learnt how to communicate with actors so we could get the performance we had envisaged. I believe this workshop helped us as a group decide that our original idea wasn't our best idea, and it helped us discover that it was too difficult to pursue this idea in the time we had as it wasn't fully developed. When the actors in this session read our script it revealed the flaws in our idea and lead to us to our decision to go with Josh's treatment. Overall even though I believe this experience was positive, I think we could have been given greater direction on how to direct the actors. Also we only heard the actors read through the script, there was no physical acting, which would have been greater help.

We gave our actors our this section of the original script:

Scene two

int sheryl's mums house - now into mid day

Sheryl is at her mums house, hiding the fact that she is drunk and hating the idea of been there. She walks into the room with a tray of tea and biscuits, how ever spills the drinks slightly as she stumbles due to her intoxication. 

SHERYL'S MOTHER

"careful, it's a new carpet"

(concerned for her carpet and not so much Sheryl)

Sheryl looks at her mum in disgust without any care for the new carpet.

SHERYL’S MOTHER

"So as i was saying, you know Lynda from down the road?..Well apparently she's been getting it off with the postman"

(Spoken as though continuing a previous convocation)

SHERYL

"oh right..."

(Sheryl seems uninterested in the gossip as she really doesn't want to be there)

SHERYL'S MOTHER

"Some people just don't have their priorities straight these days"

(said in a patronising tone as she takes a sip of her tea whilst looking at Sheryl)

SHERYL

(Unresponsive and not caring what her mum has to say)

SHERYL'S MOTHER

"So, how're you doing? it's been a while since you last popped around"

(sounding concerned for Sheryl)

SHERYL

"i'm fine"

(very brief and with a slight sigh, again signalling her hatred for been here)

SHERYL'S MOTHER

"did you go to That chippy hiring down the road i told you about?"

(again in a patronising tone)

SHERYL

"they'd had too many applicants"

(lying to her mum)

SHERYL'S MOTHER

"well that's why you needed to go the day i told you"

(annoyed at Sheryl for not trying hard enough)

SHERYL

"hmm"

(giving a verbal response just to shut her mum up)

SHERYL'S MOTHER

"you'll lose that tone, lady, all i ask is that you at least try to do somethin..."

(now getting angry however interupted by Sheryl)

SHERYL

"like what? prance around in a leotard?" 

(Snapping with anger and due to her intoxication at her mum)

SHERYL'S MOTHER

"How dare you...I've given you everything and this is how you repay me? i gave you violin classes, ballet classes..."

(In disbelief at Sheryl's disrespect and interupted by sheryl)

SHERYL

"yes when i asked if i could do judo or play in a rock band"

(interrupting and finally starting to speak her mind to her mum)

SHERYL'S MOTHER

"someday you'll have to get your head out the clouds, otherwise you're going to..."

(stern and trying to be the dominant character)

SHERYL

"Never be good enough?"

(she says this interrupting before her mum has time to say amount to nothing)

Sheryl storms out of the house hurt and disappointed, she's had enough of the arguing. 

SHERYL'S MOTHER

"Sheryl Wait..."

(Her words have no impact on Sheryl as she still storms off)

When we heard the script back, we knew it wasn't right. However the experience of being able to direct two professional actors was positive and will be helpful in future.