Within this speech Shona delivers an exaggerated story about her current job, that involves her driving a company Porsche and staying in a variety of hotels on an expense account. This job description is clearly something she has fabricated and so I wanted to deliver it in a kind of flourish. For example when I say "I have a car. I have a Porsche" I would put more emphasis on the "Porsche" as she is attempting to show off her supposed "success". As the speech is an interview I want to do the speech in a chatty, colloquial manner, this is also suggested by the structure of the sentences and how they are all short and there is more often than not repetition in things she says. Perhaps Shona trying to think of how to make her job sound all the more incredible. I want to create an almost snobbish air about Shona as she paints this picture of her glamorous job. As it's an interview I am going to be sat down and I'll sit with a straight black with legs tucked neatly by the chair leg as Shona tries to portray the grace of a twenty-nine year old high-flying women, when in fact she is 21 and inexperienced. Sitting is more difficult when delivering speeches as it limits what you can do with your body and means you have one less element in conveying story and emotions, but I feel it would make less sense to have her standing while being interviewed. To help make up for the lack of space I'll be using during the speech I will use lots of hand movements to help show Shona's larger-than-life character. When describing the types of fridges she sells "Big ones with big freezers. Big freezers" I will use my hands to indicate the "large grandeur" of these fridges as Shona creates more white lies but also to show how everything with her has to be that much larger than what is of he norm. Similar to her restaurant preferences, and I want t portray that as almost condescending at suggesting she would never have anything less than filet steak or smoked salmon. Vocally I am going to work on ensuring that I speak with clear articulation to represent the image of a successful woman. Movement wise I am going to hold a tall posture, keeping my head up and using my hands in an elegant manner to reflect the glamour she has conjured up. I chose this piece to contrast my contemporary as I felt that Shona is a much more lively character, who is very chatty and friendly. Unlike She she talks about more materialistic things, whereas She is obsessed with how society has shaped her and those around her. Not only do the speeches contrast in terms of material but the voice of the two characters contrast completely, Shona speaks as if speaking to an old friend and pays close attention to articulation whereas She's voice changes dynamics depending on how agitated she gets, ending in a louder and frustrated tone. Movement wise they are also dissimilar, when playing She I have her moving forwards and backwards and pacing slightly as she gets more wound up, whereas Shona is sat on a chair and so her excitement will be portrayed solely through arm movements. The main reason the two are contrasting is that "Death and Dancing" is more of a serious speech, compared to the lightness of "Top Girls". As described through my choices in body and voice exploration of the two characters.
http://youtu.be/BOBHNiy3xw4 This video is of an early run of my speech where I am experimenting with delivery of lines.
Below are annotations I have made during my development of the character and speech:
Synopsis of "Top Girls": Act One begins with Marlene hosting a dinner party in a restaurant to celebrate her promotion to managing director of "Top Girls" employment agency. Her guests are five historical women from the past and they spend the evening talking over one another as they tell stories of their pasts. Act Two and Act Three centre around the women at the Employment Agency. Marlene feels that a woman has more employer prospects when viewed as single as she's less likely to have children. Win and Nell are seen at the agency discussing Marlene's promotion and how Howard Kidd is upset because a woman was considered for the job he considered to be his, due to his gender. Win interviews Louise, who describes the attitudes that are changing around women at work. Howard Kidd's wife enters and describes the morose state of her husband after being overlooked for a promotion, and his wife sides with him saying what happened is wrong as he has a family to support and so needs a job. Nell then interviews Shona, who describes her present job which turns out to be all false. We then learn of the poor life and illegitimate child Marlene left with her sister Joyce to be able to pave herself a successful career. This play examines the role of women in society and what it really means to be a successful woman.
No comments:
Post a Comment