The Evaluation Of The Dress Rehearsal!

I think the whole rehearsal process went really well, even if we did have a lot of last minute panic. People didn't know lines, they didn't know what they were doing, they didn't have costumes, but it all worked out just fine in the end. I went far better then I ever could have hoped, I think what it came down to in the end was that everyone put in 110% on the last week and we all really pushed to put on a good show, and we did just that.
I only had one thing I was scared about and that was the scene with me and Liam (The Tom and Guard scene) and that is only because we had only got though it a few times and both me and Liam didn't really know how it would go but once we went on stage it was fine. We got it right and we did it well, we held our characters and got tit done. I didn't really enjoy the scene very much but it did give me a chance to play a range of characters, so that's good

As a company we all got on very well and worked very hard, we all turned up to almost every rehearsal and we didn't really argue at all. I really liked working with Dani as I was helping her all the way with learning lines and all the work. I liked working with Danny as he was helping me out a lot with character work and written work as well. I liked working with Connor also as I was paired with him for two of my characters so we worked on getting them the way wanted together.

I think after the dress rehearsal we all got a lot closer as a group and that really helped with show night as we all gave each other that needed boost to put on a fantastic show. If I was to do things differently I think I would have liked a bit more dialogue as I spent a lot of time acting on stage but didn't have much opportunity to speak. I think I would have liked to have worked more with the other cast members and maybe that would have given me the extra insight that I needed to change a good set of characters to a great set of characters.
Over all I had a great time working with the group on Grapes Of Wrath and I do strongly believe that it has made us a lot stringer as a team and better and a production company.

The rain scene

Now as much as getting wet inside was really bad I rather liked the rain scene, I no dialogue but really liked being a part of the big rush to try and save the day. the scene is about getting the river bank built so that the box cars don't flood, but then a tree falls and all the work was then pointless.
What I liked most was the mad panic as we all run off away from the flood, it really gave me that energy right at the end of the play which left me feeling great.

As far as blocking goes it was okay, we all just talked about what each of us would do and which way and how we would run off. After that it become very easy to put the scene together well and make the ending of our performance great.

The Contractor scene

The Contractor was a fun character to play as it meant had a very different role then I had with Noah which meant I really got to show my skill set. I like this scene because my character is in complete control of what goes on and that was clear to see from the body langue I used.
What the scene is all about is I am offering out work then the character Floyd starts to cause trouble, so the Deputy Sheriff is called in.

I loved working with Connor on this scene as we spent time working out how to pair up and take control of the scene so it could go well. Blocking the scene I think was harder the the rest of my scenes as I had far more movement, like going to get the Deputy while Floyd still spoke meant we had to work out where everyone would be.

The Tom and Noah scene (Noah leaves)

This scene is Noah's time to shine, it is the one scene that he gets his say in. the only character he interacts with is tom, he is explaining that he is going to leave and that he doesn't feel like anyone cares for him. Tom "tires" to stop him but Noah leaves.
I loved working on this scene as it gave me the chance to show the audience Noah's true feelings and show them what he is really like.
Blocking this scene had it's challenges, trying to work out when the right time to stand up and step forward took some time but once we had worked that out it become one of my favorite scenes I really had fun preforming it.

The dinner scene

I really enjoy this scene as I have no dialogue so it gave me a good chance to develop my Character (Noah), and really look at how he acts and reacts with the other family members. Noah have the most interactions with Grandma and Winfield, as he sits next to them. Noah and Winfield get on really well as he is a child and Noah is treated like one but as we sit down to eat Noah starts to take Winfield's food which they both find very funny. Then Grandma slaps Noah's hand and tells him to eat his own food, which only makes Noah laugh more and more.
When the family pray and Casy speaks Noah won't stop looking up at him as he doesn't like change, so when Casy walks past Noah's chair he tucks in to try and get away from him. Noah is gets very confused by what is being said, Casy is going on and on about how he is like Jesus which Noah doesn't like or understand. After this the relationship between Noah and Grandpa is show as Grandpa starts to go on about grapes and squashing them on his face, which Noah finds really funny.

I don't think the blocking was very hard for the scene as most of the characters are sat down, Noah doesn't really move until the end of the scene and even then all he does it get up and goes to the truck so I don't think it was very hard to work out the blocking.

Relationship Document

This shows Nosh's relationships with the family. 

Character Profile (Noah)

Noah Joad is the oldest child (19) of five children, but he is not treated this way due to accident leaving him with a form of brain damage. Noah feels useless and unwanted as the Joad family get up and move in the truck. The only time anyone really listens to him is down by the river when he tells Tom that he is going. He leaves to find a better happier life were people will want and listen to him.

Noah’s movements are very held back, it comes across that he is scared of movement, as he can’t deal with change when Jim Casey joins the family Noah finds it very hard to go near him or move at all. Even after Noah leaves no one really cares very much,  Tom make little effect to stop Noah from leaving and the when he tells the rest of the family Ma asks what Noah had said and Pa says “That boy is all my fault”. After that Noah is not really spoken of.

When with the family, Noah doesn't really do much at all he doesn't get in the way but he doesn't really help much, Ma keeps correcting him when he does things wrong. Like when he grabs the wrong pan, I t is clear that Noah feels he would be helping the family if he just left and got out the way. 

Grapes Of Wrath Music Link

Music

Noah Writing In Role

Writing in role Noah

Improvised Scene Al & Noah

Al and Noah

The Dust Bowl Images Used In Our Performance

The opening

Opening

The performance pictures

This image was taken at the end of the play where we were all covered in water and were trying to rebuild the river bank, I really like this image as think it shows a key point of the play and shows a key theme of the play, the family. I love the picture with me on the right and Phill on the left, in this part of the play I get close to Phill to show that I am in control. Which works really well as the body langue suggest that I am far more relaxed then he is. The image of me and Liam is my favorite as it is taken when Noah leaves which is one of the most emotional parts of the play, I am explaining to him that I can't go with the family and I say how I really feel for once.

The Truck. Front, Back and Side.

Our drama room

This is where we have been rehearsing since the start of the year.  We have just moved to the hall where we have more space to work with. 

Costume

Working on my costume. Had a laugh. 

The hall

Now we are in the hall I am really starting to get a good idea of how the play will come together.  Now we are starting to get props and costumes, people are starting to learn lines and we are all feeling ready to put on a good performance. 

The truck

The truck is one of the key props for our production.  We use it all the time. 

Learning lines

Trying to learn my lines this week has been really hard.  I can learn the lines okay but then I have trouble getting them in the right place, I know all my lines in Act 1 but I need to work on getting them in the right place.

Noah writing in role

I don’t want to go! You can’t make me leave, th-thi-this is my home as well… Can’t I stay? Can’t I live alone? Wh-wha-what good am I to you anyway, all you people do is push me away. “Oh Noah don’t do that”, “Oh bless Noah”, “Don’t be mean to Noah, we need to look after him”. I’m not a child god damn it! Why can’t you see that I’m Fin-fine? Yeah I mi-migh-might be a bit slow, but I-I-I’m an adult. (Walks around a bit, sits down, stands, sit again) and… well… I should… I should be treated like one. You don’t understand me. You don’t care how I feel. You don’t even know why I’m this way… (He stops to think) Maybe… Maybe I-I-I sh-should te-tell you. Ye see, it was a-an accident. I was told, b-bu-but well… that horse… I-it got spooked… well, T-Tom was the one who spooked it. I-I-t should be him who should be this way. Him! (kicks over a chair) Him! Not me.. Not me. (Falls to the ground in tears)

TheGrapesofWrath.: The Truck.

TheGrapesofWrath.: The Truck.: I think this is an amazing way to make the truck. Its original and out of the blue, its a very eye catching and simple idea and to be quit...

Today's Lesson

Today we got given our characters, which was good as Iv'e been waiting for it for weeks. the main character I will be playing is Noah, which was not what I was expecting. But I'm really pleased with my parts as I think it will really let me show my skills. As well as Noah I will be playing The Contractor and The Guard.

Noah is the oldest of Ma and Pa's children, even if he isn't treated as such. Because he had an accident when he was young, he now has learning difficulties which means his status within the family has changed. As well as this his role role within the family changes completely when he says he doesn't want to go with the family to California.

I'm really looking forward to learning more about my characters and creating them in my own way.

Connor Clark put this up, seems to work well. 

The Dust Bowl info

 

The Dust Bowl was a period of severe dust storms causing major damage to American lands in the 1930s. The storms caused by severe drought combined with a failure to apply dry land farming methods to prevent wind erosion. Many families were forced to leave their farms and travel to other areas seeking work because of the drought.

"I was born in 1933, so I have no memory of the dust storms. However, I do remember my parents talking about them. They said they would wet rags to stuff around the windows and yet in the morning they had to sweep the house out. My mother said she would wet tea towels and drape them over my crib when she put me to bed at night. In the morning you could see the outline of my body on the crib sheets.

Down to the river

Grapes Of Wrath music

Starting music
http://www.tim-baker.com/grapes-of-wrath/audio.html

Clips from Grapes Of Wrath

Grapes Of Wrath New York Video!