Voice II and Auditioning

VOICE II

AND

AUDITIONING

Voice acting

HOW IS SOUND CREATED?

Sound is a type of energy that travels through a medium like a liquid or gas. When an object vibrates, it causes the air molecule around it to move, which then causes another air molecule to vibrate as well. Sound waves travel to our ears. The human brain makes sense of sound waves. Humans can hear sound waves between 20 Hz and 20.000 Hz, which are known as the audio frequencies range. Ultrasound are sound waves that are too high for humans to hear, and infra sound waves are too low. Unpleasant or unwanted sounds are called noise, and can be caused by several things, for example, traffic, machinery, construction or humans, like a crying baby. When someone is exposed to continuous noise pollution (loud noise or vibration), it can lead to health issues, such as hearing loss or anxiety.

WHAT IS THE HUMAN VOICE?

The human voice is sound made by humans with the help of the vocal track. Humans can make a range of sounds, including talking, singing, laughing, crying, humming, yelling, whispering, clicking, whistling. The three primary mechanisms for generating the human voice are the the vocal folds (vocal cords) within the larynx, the articulators and the lungs but they are all a part of an even bigger and more complex mechanism.

THE VOCAL FOLDS (THE VIBRATORY SYSTEM)

The vocal folds or vocal cords, as commonly mentioned, are a part of the vibratory system and vibrate using the airflow provided by the air pressure system to create sound waves that produce the voiced sound. The muscles of the larynx adjust the length and tension of the vocal folds to ‘fine-tune’ the pitch and tone of the voice.

THE ARTICULATORS (THE RESONATING SYSTEM)

The articulators e.g. tongue, palate, cheek, lips, articulate and filter the sound that is coming from the larynx and they can strengthen or weaken the sound. With the help of the vocal cords and articulators , humans can produce a wide range and wide complexity of sounds. They can even alter their tone to show their emotions , like anger, surprise, fear, happiness or sadness. From someone's voice we can also find out other details about them, such as their age, gender or ethnicity. Singers often refer to their voice as their instrument and when they sing, they are playing their instrument.

THE LUNGS (THE AIR PRESSURE SYSTEM)

To live, breathe and speak, humans need air. We breathe air in through our nose, which filters the air and reduces the dirt and dust particles to get into the lungs, so the lungs can supply us with clear air. The lungs collect the oxygen and pump the correct amount of airflow and air pressure towards the vocal folds , and by vibrating them, they help us speak. We often talk about how important it is to have a healthy pair of lungs and having a big lung capacity for running or singing but with a respiratory disease talking while walking or even sitting can be challenging. Many things can damage our lungs, for example smoking, some illnesses such as Corona virus or obesity.

THE ABDOMINAL MUSCLES

The abdominal muscles are strong bands of muscles layered on top of each other to create our trunk. They’re can be found at the front of our body, between the ribs and the pelvis. The abdominal muscles play crucial roles in our everyday life, including supporting our posture and helping with movement and holding the organs in place.

There are five main muscles in the abdomen:

Rectus abdominis.
Pyramidalis
External obliques.
Internal obliques.
Transversus abdominis.

In fitness videos, we can often hear trainers talk about " keeping the core engaged", in this case, they are referring to the back and abdominal muscles. These two muscle groups help to protect the spine and keep our body stable and balanced, giving us the correct posture.

THE DIAPHRAGM

The diaphragm is a large, dome-shaped muscle that's essential for breathing. When you inhale, the diaphragm contracts and flattens, which enlarges the chest cavity and creates a vacuum that pulls air into your lungs. When you exhale, the diaphragm relaxes and returns to its dome shape, forcing air out of your lungs. Diaphragmatic breathing help with tone, pitch, and volume, and makes the voice sound stronger and more authoritative, simply put helping us to project our voice. The diaphragm also increases pressure inside the abdomen, which helps with other functions like getting rid of urine and faeces, and preventing acid reflux. The diaphragm is fatigue resistant, but it can atrophy due to ageing, disease, or inactivity and if weakens acid reflux and other health issues can occur. The diaphragm is attached to the sternum, the bottom of the rib cage, and the spine. It moves with the help of the abdominal muscles and makes it easier to empty the lungs. It also separates the thoracic cavity (lungs and heart) from the abdominal cavity (intestines, stomach, liver, etc.).

THE CHEST MUSCLES

Our chest muscles, mainly the pectoralis major and minor, help with breathing and speaking. When taking deep breaths from the chest, it supports our voice and helps avoid straining it.

We use our chest voice when we speak, so it is also called our speaking voice. We also use our chest voice when we sing in the chest register, in the lower to medium-high range. The thyroarytenoid (TA) muscles in the chest are responsible for bringing the vocal folds together to produce sound. Opening our chest is part of the good posture that is required for everyday life to prevent chest muscle tightness and also to be able to speak and be understood by others.

VOCAL PROBLEMS

Many things can damage our vocal cords and affect our voice but to mention a few:

Upper respiratory infections (even something as simple as the flu)
Reflux ( acid reflux or heartburn)
Vocal misuse and overuse (shouting, yelling, singing too much in an uncomfortable range)

Health conditions: Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and thyroid problems

Growths, nodules on the vocal folds

Cancer of larynx, mouth, lungs, which can occur more often in heavy smokers
Neurological diseases like vocal fold paralysis
Psychological trauma (our brain preventing us from using our voice)

Some medicines side effects include drying out the mouth and vocal cords

Age: Being a woman over 50 can increase your risk of voice disorders

Job: Not only singers but anyone whose jobs require a lot of speaking or shouting like teachers or football coaches

How to help our voice:

Staying hydrated:

It is recommended to drink 2-3 l of water each day for an adult but many people do not know that when they drink caffeine or alcohol, they actually withdraw their fluid intake, therefore, they have to drink more to keep the balance.

Vocal naps:

Resting our voice, avoiding singing or speaking for a day.

Humidifier:

In winter, when we open our windows less and keep the rooms heated, we create a hot and dry environment. Humidity should be around 30 percent inside.

Avoid or limit use of medications that may dry out the vocal folds, including some common cold and allergy medications. If you have voice problems, ask your doctor which medications would be safest for you to use.

Stop with spicy foods:

It often causes stomach acid to move into the throat and causes heartburn or GERD. It is especially bad if we already suffer from reflux.

Eat your veg:

Healthy eating, fruit and vegetables help with creating mucus in our body, making sure that our insides are well oiled.

Ask for help:

Voice therapy is available and a speech-language pathologist can help in treating voice problems and teach you how to use your voice in the correct way.

Problems noticed:

Running out of breath

Raspy voice

Not able to hit high notes

Incorrect British accent

green tick to show that a task is done and dont draw anything else.jpg

I reused last year's list and marked the problems with a green tick that I addressed since. It doesn't mean that I completely eliminated them but it means that I am working on them. For example, since we started the new school year, I haven't noticed that I would be running out of breath which could be due to losing 25 kg since last year February and also because I have been taking anxiety medication for over a year now, so I less likely to get anxiety attacks. I get raspy voice less often as well, I am hoping that the vocal warm-ups and the reflux medicine helps that. I completely switched to decaf coffee now and only having 1-2 cups a day instead of 4. My tight neck and back muscles are an ongoing problem but I am doing light exercises and visit a therapist almost every month.

Medical conditions:

Tonsils removed in childhood

Reflux

Anxiety

Scoliosis (spinal deformity)

Goiter on the thyroid

Deviated septum from a fall

MY VOCAL PROBLEMS

FROM LAST YEAR

AND WHAT CHANGED

a sign with a blue line inside, make the sign pure white.jpg

Other potential issues:

Too much coffee

Obesity

Weak abdominal muscles

Tight neck and chest muscles

Born abroad

Singing without vocal warm ups

I marked with the blue sign anything that I am not able to change or take time/drastic steps. For example, to cure my spine deformity or the deviated septum, I would have to go through surgery, which is risky and takes a long time to recover from and even if I decided that I would like to do it, there is no guaranty that it would be granted by the doctors. On another note, the tonsils I had removed, I wont be able to get back but they were causing me troubles as a child so I am healthier without them.

The X marks the tasks I haven't started or where I haven't seen improvements yet. I haven't managed to convince myself yet to have a continuous abdominal strengthening plan, perhaps now , with the new year. I would also like to get back to singing because I have many song ideas sitting in my bedside drawers but that means next to vocal warm-ups, I also have to address my weak abdominal muscles.

VOCAL WARM UPS

When I selected my vocal warm ups, I made sure to choose the ones I really like because for me to be able to keep doing something, I have to enjoy it, so I am still sticking to the same ones. I noticed a significant improvement in my stage presence and voice control compared to last year. In this Christmas show, I felt so much more confident and successful than I did last year as The Dragon. Last year, I was performing with my spoken poetry background, now a year later, I want to believe that I am closer to performing as an actor. Here are some more videos of me practising and the comparacante videos.

2024 December as The Dragon

2025 December as Mrs Cratchit

ARTICULATION AND PROJECTION WORKSHOP

During our rehearsals, someone approached me to express concern about how some of the actors delivered their lines. The feedback concerned speaking too fast and not articulating clearly. My idea was to hold an articulation and projection workshop rather than singling anyone out, since we all needed a refresher. I was surprised to see how positive and passionate everyone was about the workshop. We read about the importance of the diaphragm, the distinction between projecting and shouting, the correct and incorrect ways to deliver lines, the importance of staying healthy, chest voice vs. head voice, and more. We also conducted a few exercises together.

1. I provided a few light stretching exercises and warm-ups. At this point, everyone has their favourite ones, but I thought I would suggest a few that help open up our lungs and ribcage, which helps with volume.

We also did tongue stretches, which I really struggle with because it makes me feel uncomfortable, as I have sensory issues regarding noticing the existence of body parts.

We practised diaphragmatic breathing, and I demonstrated an exercise from Tara Simon, a well-known American voice coach. The exercise focused on fully filling our lungs by taking a deep breath, then another. This demonstrates the amount of space remaining in the lungs and the disadvantages of shallow breathing.

2. Then Mike showed us an exercise that helped him with projection: standing close to a curtain, whispering the words, and increasing the volume every time we stepped back. This exercise didn't really work for me because I didn't know what volume level was expected of me, and it confused me that everyone used a different one.

3. Next, a tongue twister story where I asked everyone to slow the monologue down and articulate each word, trying to sell the story for us, even if it did not always make sense. The story was about a parade of penguins. It was hilarious, and I really enjoyed doing this, and I believe everyone understood the task and did really well. This exercise helped us with delivering a monologue that has a calm energy and less emotion.

4. With the next exercise, we practised how to keep articulating while telling a fast-paced story.

This was my favourite exercise because, many times, I start telling a story and get lost in it until I realise, from observing others' faces, that they can't follow me. This was also very funny and a great team-building experience.

Then, in the second half of our session, we performed movement exercises. Starting with the seven levels of tensions by Jacques Lecoq. I think if I had the opportunity, I would reduce it to 5 levels of tension because I seem to struggle with the subtle changes between the levels.

The second one was finding our stock characters from Commedia dell'arte. This exercise focused on exaggerated movements. I couldn't find my stock character, but we agreed that Scrooge could definitely be based on Pantalone. I ultimately performed exaggerated movements of Mrs Cratchit to convey her caring yet firm side. I did this by showing that I was upset when others damaged the bedding and that I rushed to fix it. Similarly, I became upset when I had to push the chairs back to the table. When I saw the others fight over a pillow, I took it from them. I believe these are all things Mrs Cratchit would do.

AUDITION

An audition is the job interview of the performers e.g. actors, singers, dancers. It is an opportunity for them to showcase their talent. It can be either by showing a rehearsed or an improvised monologue, or series of movements. Next to performers showcasing their talent, directors also test how well they can take directions and work in a team.

OPEN CASTING

An open casting means that almost anyone can apply. These are usually held in large conference rooms where they can host lots of people. This usually happens when the show requires many background characters. This type of audition can be chaotic and might not be intimate at all Be prepared to join the line and wait for your turn to perform a monologue and do a cold reading. They are less likely to select the lead role at these occasions but it is a great way to get experience in both auditioning and being on set.

PRIVATE

Private auditions are a type of closed auditions where only certain actors will be invited to take a chance. They usually come from agencies or recommended by other industry workers and tailored for the specific need of the director. These auditions tends to be very organised where the actor is given a time to attend, clothes to wear and certain lines or certain types of monologues to learn. Some people can find these type of auditions more relaxing while others can think it is more intimidating as these types of auditions tend to choose more important characters for the show or the lead role so the pressure can be big on the performer.

SELF-TAPE

A self-tape audition is self-explaining. Recording yourself (it is important to have a tripod at home) or asking a friend to record you performing lines from the script then send it to advertiser along with details about yourself. This is often the first step of an audition process and it allows the director so see many actors in a time when its convenient for them, also being able to do it from the comfort of their home or while sitting on a plane ahead of a long journey. This type of audition is the modern version of when actors used to send the VHS tapes to agencies by post. With the help of the internet, the delivery of the footages are instant.

You can record yourself at home, with no one watching you and not being worried about missing your train to London at 6 in the morning.

Another advance is that you can record yourself as many times as you'd like to and send the best version over.

ONLINE

Online auditions been around since the existence of the internet , web cameras and video calls. Many actors who live in Europe or in England and apply for a job in America would have an online session. These became more popular within the countries as well since the COVID-19 pandemic. The actors usually get an exact time and a code to join a Zoom or Skype meeting along with some other instructions on how to prepare.

While these are very coinvent as they can be done from the comfort of the home, it is important to remain professional, dress appropriately and chooser a quiet and well lit room.

Types of auditions

CLOSED AUDITION

A closed audition takes places when a director wants to work with a specific agency or drama school. Unlike with the open castings, there will be no public notice given and only the group who is invited will be informed about the job.

These auditions are more relaxed and positive as the director likely to already have a good relationship /work experience with the group they have selected. This can be very useful for them if they need a big chorus or actors for a film where there are many children needs to appear e.g. school scenes.

GENERAL

This is a type of audition that doesn't happen often in real life anymore; however, you might get a video call. Here they want to meet you and learn more about you, but not your favourite food: your style, your motivation and the work you've done recently.

PROCESS

PREPREAD

This is a type of audition in which the company asks you to provide a snippet of the script with yourself performing it. This helps them narrow down the list of people who best fit the character. This is also essential when the actor lacks a reference or has minimal or no prior work to show.

SCREEN TEST

Screen test are semi-professional recordings of the actor where they are usually given a scene to perform from. They basically want to test your skills in film making and how well you do in front cameras and whether you can take directions and quick changes. They might even pair you up with other actors to test the chemistry between you. These can be just between two actors for playing lovers or siblings, or a group of people playing friends. This can also indicate of how good of a team player you are.

CALLBACK

This is the second-round audition, which occurs after you've provided the preread. Here, they narrowed the list and want to hear from the lucky few again. You usually perform in front of the director and producers, who film you so they can watch your performance back and help decide about you. If they previously provided you with feedback, you must apply it to your performance and do so off-script.

HOW TO PREPARE

- Have realistic expectations

- Treat the audition with positivity no matter what the outcome is and think about it as a learning experience

- Learn your lines

- Do a detailed research on the company/show/acting style required etc.

- Practice loud, in front of friends and family. It is not the same as practicing sitting in a chair quietly, on your own

- Ask feedback from others and film yourself to reflect on your mistakes

- Don't forget the correct breathing techniques: with shallow breathing, not even oxygen gets delivered to your brain or your lungs. How can you succeed like this?

-Ask questions from the company, agency or other actors. Perhaps join acting groups on social media.

- Make a plan , days ahead: outfit, transport, drink, food breaks

- Always check that the company is legit and never walk in somewhere where you don't feel safe.

- Bring your headshots and resume. Email the company your website, attach videos of your personal work with references.

SKILLS NEEDED FOR A SUCCESFUL AUDITION

-Acting ability, of course. This also means to be keeping up to date with the industry, the current leading companies, styles and keep studying/ attending workshops.

-Prep work and memory. Doing the research, taking notes, learning your lines.

-Confidence, big energy. "Fake it til you make it!)

- Flexibility : last minute (reasonable) location changes, time changes, reading in for an extra role, keeping the show secret.

- Persistence. Keep showing up. Remember the 1 out of 15-25 rule.

- Being motivated rather than competitive. Ignore the competition. Don't think they are better or worse than you. Focus on yourself. If you take an example from someone's work, take the good bits. Learn from them, be inspired by them. They are not your enemy.

BOOKING RATIO

Booking ratio measures how successful an actor at getting the jobs they applied for. It is calculated by dividing the number of jobs they applied for by the number of jobs they have been offered. A higher booking ratio is pleasing for directors and it indicates that the individual has the talent and skills to impress.

When being employed by an agency, they usually expect you to get 1 job out of every 15-25 auditions. That's a lot of auditions so it is important to stay resilient and keep showing up.

HOW TO DEAL WITH REJECTION

- Be realistic. If 20 girls apply for the same role as you, you know that only one will get the job.

-If you can, ask for feedback.

- Keep learning, keep practicing, keep showing up.

-Stay motivated. Stay healthy, in mind and body.

- Keep working. Keep filming, even if its just with your friends. Keep appearing in plays. Keep producing work.

- Surround yourself with other performers and creative people. This is great for your mental health and for networking too.

-Celebrate small wins: I went to the casting. I made it to the next round. I got a feedback that I did well...etc.

Monologues for voice practice and audition materials

The material auditions require depends on whether the project is for theatre, film, or musical theatre. However, the most common tasks include performing monologues, reading "sides" (script excerpts), singing, dancing, and slating (introducing yourself).

Slating: Slating is the introduction. The basic details about you. This is how you start most auditions, whether you're on camera or in person. They might ask you to state your name, age, location, height but usually the most important information is your name, the role you are performing and the name of the book/ film and scene.

Improvising: Improvisation used to test your creativity, quick problem solving skills and acting style. This often happens in pairs or groups where you are given a topic or a short description and it is up to you and your partners to create a scene and perform it.

Cold read: Cold read means that the directing board asks you to perform a specific scene from the script with very little preparation. This can text how quickly you understand scripts, take on new tasks. Here, there is no time to research the meaning of the text so you can only rely on your senses and previous experiences.

Monologue: This is the type of audition that allows you the most prep time. Before your audition, you might be asked to bring a monologue from a certain style (drama, comedy) or an era (classical, contemporary). As a successful actor, you should always have at least one of each under your belt so you are prepared at all times.

Classical time usually counts anything before 1900 but make sure to check with board as it can change from producer to producer.

Song: When auditioning for a musical play, you will most likely be asked to perform a song. They usually only need to last a minute and suit the style of the performance. Here, the auditioning board tests whether you have the voice range required for the production. A capalle singing might be requested but often your are allowed to have a pianist or a backing track.

Dance/ Movement: If you are applying for a job as a dancer, you are expected to have your own dance routine and bring along different styles of dance. However, even as an actor applying for a musical or a dance film, you might be taught a short dance so they can test your rhythm and your ability to learn movements quickly.

Original

"Think not I love him, though I ask for him;

'Tis but a peevish boy; yet he talks well.

But what care I for words?

Yet words do well When he that speaks them pleases those that hear.

It is a pretty youth- not very pretty;

But, sure, he's proud; and yet his pride becomes him. He'll make a proper man. The best thing in him

Is his complexion; and faster than his tongue

Did make offence, his eye did heal it up.

He is not very tall; yet for his years he's tall;

His leg is but so-so; and yet 'tis well.

There was a pretty redness in his lip,

A little riper and more lusty red

Than that mix'd in his cheek; 'twas just the difference Betwixt the constant red and mingled damask.

There be some women, Silvius, had they mark'd him In parcels as I did, would have gone near

To fall in love with him; but, for my part,

I love him not, nor hate him not; and yet I have more cause to hate him than to love him;

For what had he to do to chide at me?

He said mine eyes were black, and my hair black, And, now I am rememb'red, scorn'd at me.

I marvel why I answer'd not again;

But that's all one: omittance is no quittance.

I'll write to him a very taunting letter,

And thou shalt bear it; wilt thou, Silvius?"

Modern Translation

“Don’t think I’m in love with him just because I’m asking about him.
He’s just an annoying boy—though he does speak nicely.
But why should I care about words? Still, words sound good
When the person saying them is pleasant to listen to.

He’s a cute young man—not that cute—
But he’s definitely proud; though honestly, his pride suits him.
He’ll grow into a fine man. The best thing about him
Is his complexion; and whenever his mouth offends,
His eyes fix it right away.

He’s not very tall; but for his age, he’s tall enough.
His legs are just okay—but still, they’re fine.
His lips had a nice redness to them,
A deeper, fuller red
Than the color in his cheeks—just like the difference
Between a steady red and a mixed rosy pattern.

Some women, Silvius, if they had looked at him
Piece by piece the way I did, might have very nearly
Fallen in love with him. But as for me,
I don’t love him, and I don’t hate him. And yet,
I have more reason to hate him than love him.
What right did he have to scold me?
He said my eyes were dark, and my hair was dark,
And now that I think about it, he even mocked me.

I don’t know why I didn’t talk back.
But no matter—saying nothing isn’t the same as forgiving.
I’m going to write him a very mocking letter,
And you will deliver it. Will you, Silvius?”

In the lead up of Phoebe`s monologue we can see her meeting Rosalinda and realise just how ridiculous the situation is. Meeting someone for the first time and immediately developing feelings for them might be justified by "love at first sight". However, Rosalinda is very harsh with her and only shares the negatives.

—But, mistress, know yourself.

Down on your knees

And thank heaven, fasting, for a good man’s love,

For I must tell you friendly in your ear,

Sell when you can; you are not for all markets.

In this extract we can clearly see how Rosalinda says that she should be grateful that a man like Silvius laid eyes on Phoebe and she should go with the man who desire her because most people wouldn't. Perhaps Phoebe takes it as a challenge to win his(her) heart over. She chooses adventure over Silvius`s daunting love.

This monologue is by Phebe (Phoebe), a shepherdess in As You Like It after she has just been sharply criticised by Ganymede (who is actually a woman, Rosalind in disuse) for being cruel to her admirer, Sylvius. Phebe is stunned and charmed at the same time because she is not used to people offending her or standing up to her. She favours Ganymede's wit and confidence over Silvius`s desperate devotion. And of course she is charmed by his (her) beauty, which she perceives to come from the youth but probably more from the femininity.

From the monologue, we can get the feeling that Phebe is easy to get offended if someone ignores or challenges her. She has heightened emotions and it is easy to fall for someone yet easy to judge and hate someone too. She is not an honest person, she tries to lie to herself about her feelings. She pretends to write a "taunting letter" which is just an excuse to make contact. We get the feeling of a silly, low class, uneducated, naive woman.

The monologue is funny because she tries to deny the obvious that everyone sees; she likes the man she just met very much. And the plot-twist at the end where we find out that Phebe`s new lover is a woman so she must accept Silvius instead.

Why I chose this monologue

I was looking for a monologue to perform and watched examples on YouTube. This was the one that I find easy to understand even without reaching what it meant, I understood the general vibe. However, I know thats not enough, so I asked chat gpt to translate the speech to modern language. I also found a channel on YouTube by Shakespeare by Sarah, that breaks down the speech. With two 2, now I understand the message Phebe wants to communicate.

This play is an excellent proof that people often fall in love with the idea of someone, not who they really are. I can relate to Phebe because I consider myself someone who has heightened emotions and I am easy to fall for someone by seeing something unique on them but it can easily turn to hate when my expectations not met. I also think, that women in general, not just me, find unwanted attention and admiration tiring and we tend to look for men who are "a challenge" because they are exciting and we think we can change them. Women being attracted to "bed boys" have been around for a long time on television as well. The first one that comes to mind is Sandy and Danny's love from the 1978 musical comedy, Grease.

Finally, I perceive the play as having a hint of LGBTQ energy with the potential homo-erotica and gender-fluidity coming from Ganymede. Those who read and know poetry know that sapphic love has been portrayed by many famous writers. Starting with Sappho from the island of Lesbos (c 630!) . and poets yet, people often say that being homosexual is the disease of the 21.century.

Song

When I was young, really young, 7-10 years old, it was obvious to me that if one day I will become an actor, I will work in a theatre. I particullarly liked musical theatre becasue I liked singing. However as time went on and since I started this course, I realised that I am not a "theatre kid". I have known for a while that I don't like fiction and made-up worlds and that I lean towards realism, sitcom and documentaries but it has just become clear to me that I want to work in the film industry and/or on television. I much prefer to talk about the current problems we face rather than recreate to what's happened in the 70s. I find it scary to admit to it because it makes me think that I lost my inner child, who believed in cartoons. And how can someone be not interested in the past? Perhaps, if I had grandparents, I would be more interested in what happened during the war and I would have gained passive knowledge of the Beatles. All I can do is to keep an open-mind maybe its not a negative that I know that I would like to act in sitcoms, or romcoms or work a presenter/host on X factor. Because I love music, I still do, just not classical. I mainly listen to pop or rap. I find rap being very similar to poetry and I enjoy that. Its something I have been practicing as a child and teenager too.

With all this said, there is a musical I seen when I was around 14 years old. A war play but different... it focuses on the children that are left behind and stray while the adults are fighting at the front during World War II.

VALAHOL EUROPABAN (SOMEWHERE IN EUROPE AKA. ITT HAPPENED IN EUROPE) was originally a drama film about the 1940s directed by Geza Radvanyi in 1947 . In 1995 it was made into a stage performance by Peter Horvath and it is still one of Hungary's most successful plays. It is about two groups of abandoned and orphaned children work together to survive without their parents. What length they go to to find food and shelter (robbing, fighting, cheating). They meet a pianist whose job has been put on hold due to the war who teaches them about socialist ideas and classical music. With his help, the children learn about the power of music and regain some of their dignity.

The most famous songs from the musical are:

A zene az kell (We need music)

Buksi dala (Buksis death song)

Eva dala (Evas song)

Evas character:

Eva is the leader of the first orphaned group. In order to protect herself from abuse and rape, she pretends to be a young men but when it gets obvious that she is a female and lets her mask fall, she falls in love with the leader of the other group. Via her character, we can peak into the struggles of women faced during the war. Her song is bitter sweet as she sings about maybe getting her beauty back, giving birth to a child who can grow up safe. She also sings about if someone would see her cry, she would deny it, showing her resilient character. She then becomes the caring mother figure to all the boys and when one of them, Buksi, gets killed by the solders, she morns like he was her own child.

Talán

Egy téli reggel váratlan álltak elém
És összedőlt egy megszokott világ
Már álmok nélkül a padlón ott fekszem én
Csak rám dobnak egy széttépett ruhát

Talán, lesz még egy életem
Talán, még újra kezdhetem
Talán, még egyszer szép leszek
S, hogy minden éjjel sírok arról nem tehetek

Én azt képzeltem, hogy nem vagyok sebezhető
Gondosan nevelt egy jó család
Egy emberélet oly könnyen megtörhető
Ha bármikor fegyvert szegeznek rád

Talán, lesz még egy életem
Talán, még újra kezdhetem
Talán, még egyszer szép leszek
S, hogy minden éjjel sírok arról nem tehetek

Talán, majd elfelejthetem
Talán, felnő a gyermekem
Talán, majd róla álmodom
S, hogy éjjel mégis sírok,
Azt majd letagadom

Talán, talán majd elfelejthetem
Talán, felnő a gyermekem
Talán, lesz még egy életem
Talán, még újra kezdhetem
Talán, még egyszer szép leszek
S, hogy minden éjjel sírok arról nem tehetek

És, hogy minden éjjel sírok arról nem tehetek

Maybe

Suddenly, they stood in front of me on a winter evening

And a familiar world collapsed

Now, I lay on the floor without dreams,

They merely toss a ripped dress at me

Maybe I will get a different life

Maybe I can start again

Maybe I will feel beautiful once again

And that I cry every night, It is not my fault.

I had the idea that I'm not vulnerable

I was raised by a good, caring family

A human life is so easy to break

When they can point a weapon at you anytime

Maybe I will get a different life

Maybe I can start again

Maybe I will feel beautiful once again

And that I cry every night, It is not my fault.

Maybe one day I can forget

Maybe my child will grow up

Maybe I will dream about them

And that I cry every night,

I will deny it.

Maybe one day I can forget

Maybe my child will grow up

Maybe I will get a second chance

Maybe I can start over

Maybe I will be beautiful one again

And that I cry every night, really isn't my fault.

It really isn't my fault that I cry every night.

Contemperary piece

SNAKEBIT BY DAVID MARSHALL GRANT

David Marshall Grant is an american actor, writer and television producer from Connecticut. His active acting career took place between 1985-2000, playing in Dallas, Forever young, Air America, Angels is America and Bent. Snakebit marked his playwright debut.

About the play:

Snakebit premiered in 1998 in the Grove Street Playhouse, off-Broadway. It had a run of sold outs and was nominated to a Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award and it was on the Time Magazines top 10 plays of 1999. The play is still relevant and has become one of the favourites at drama classes and workshops.

Snake is a comedy-drama about 3 people in their thirties. When Jonathan, an actor getting ready for his breakthrough takes his wife Jennifer, an ex-actor to their longest friend, Michael, a former dancer, now a social worker. We can see that while they used to be all connected by art, their lives started shifting into different directions. Jennifer arrives frustrated at their friends house because she regrets leaving their daughter home, who meanwhile becomes ill. Secrets come to light, life choices being questioned and change is set in motion.

Jennifer`s monologue

I don’t want to be an actress. I hate acting. I’ve always hated acting. It fills me with nothing but self-loathing. There, I said it. And, you know, you do your affirmations, you know, your prayers, that you’ll be like, you know, so filled with self-love that all that won’t matter. What am I saying? The whole thing’s a joke.

You know why I don’t want to act? And don’t tell Jonathon this. I’ve never told anybody this. I started to stutter. On stage. Can you believe that? Honestly. I would get to a word in the script, and when I came to it, I wouldn’t be able to say it. I would freeze. Every time I would get to it. I couldn’t get it out. I get fixated on a word. Last time, I was playing the blind Mexican flower vendor in Streetcar Named Desire. Don’t ask me why. And all I had to do was say, “Flores para los muertos.” There, I said it now. “Flores para los muertos.” I had nothing else to say, just that. I sat around waiting all night. “Flores para los muertos. Flores para los muertos.” I couldn’t say it. Now I can say it. It’s pathetic. Muertos. I couldn’t say muertos. It wouldn’t come out. I ended up saying, “Flores para los dead people.” Blanche DuBois accused me of sabotaging her performance. All she wanted me to do was to say the line right. That’s what I was not getting paid to do. And Jonathon made me feel so… You know, why don’t I just leave him? I really should just leave him.

END OF YEAR PROJECT/ WHAT IM AUDITIONING FOR

The information about the end of year project has been revealed to us. We know that we are doing a comedic piece which will probably be refreshing for us and for the audience as well, given that our last two shows were drama.

As an introduction, we watched a few translated versions of Anton Chekhov's comedy sketches. My first reaction was that the actors were amazing, their problems felt real and there were some good jokes in there. However, it felt long-winded and over explained and I am certain that with today's attention spam, it will be difficult to capture the audience's attention with this style of play.

ANTON PAVLOVICH
CHEKHOV
1860-1904
RUSSIA

Anton_Chekhov_and_Olga_Knipper,_1901.jpg

Anton and Olga on their honeymoon

"Medicine is my lawful wife and literature is my mistress". Chekhov

Anton Chekhov practised as a medical doctor while he became one of the world's greatest playwrights and authors. Even though he lived a very short life, dying at the age of 44, he produced much work and his 4 plays ; Seagull, Uncle Vanya, Three Sisters and Cherry Orchard were the birth of the early modernism in theatre.

Anton had a troubled childhood, with an abusive and unreliable father, a broken spirited mother and 5 siblings. When his family went bankrupt and moved to Moscow, he stayed behind and worked for many years to support their living. He lived almost all his life alone as a bachelor and even when he married Olga Knipper in 1901, they never lived together. Olga stayed in Moscow, working as an actress, while Anton lived in Yalta. Anton very much enjoyed being single and he only agreed to the marriage if his freedom was provided.

"...give me a wife who, like the moon, won't appear in my sky every day."

They only spent 3 years as married before Anton died from an ongoing tuberculosis.

The plays we will be concentrating on are his comedy sketches e.g. The Bear, On The Harmfulness of Tobacco, The Proposal and hero.

Common in all four of them is that they all satirise ordinary people by exaggerating their flaws, weaknesses, obsessions and vanity. Concentrating on people's small, sometimes ridiculous problems is what makes these stories so real and relatable. While I was watching the Hero I wasn't sure whether I should laugh or cry because his life as a man was portrayed so realistically and it made me reflect on how much my husband do for us.

Understanding the character

The character is a neurotic, overwhelmed man and husband who is going through a mental breakdown. The tone is between tragic and comedic.

Key traits:

Dramatic

Self-pitying

Frustrated

Exaggerated

Emotionally unstable

Intelligent

Feels trapped

Unhappy in his marriage

His way of talking is theatrical, he is looking for sympathy and could be a bit drunk too. Even though the whole monologue is a long meltdown, it has a good variety of beats. There are questions and statements where he tries to manipulate the other person to give him a gun, there are points of the monologue where he questions the point of his life, where he is breathless from being so overwhelmed and where he loses it all. Yet, I think it is important not to overact and make is sound like a suicide note. If it becomes too sad or , the comedy won't come through during my performance.