20th November rehearsal 1

Today we looked at the script we were given last week "the price" and then assigned roles, to start we were grouped into "cashier ladies", "baby boy band", "shoppers" and "managers/assistants". After we then established the sections of the script we would be doing and the positioning of songs and extra written texts.
I was put into the shoppers section where we then paired up boy girl and follow the roles of "man" and "women" the original text was then divided into 5 sections, the section I was given was 2, this section looks at the man and women's outlook on discounts and price and how most of the time you will get "fucked" by the supermarket manager. From reading my section I have decided that for it to be affective I need to look back at pervious exercises such as 13th November when we looked at character and over playing it and guests which is all about making your characters opinions clear without text.

After establishing sections we then had little run throughs in our groups I found during this rehearsal I found I had to recognise myself with the positioning of props and when to interact with them physical or imaginary, also as the performance space is in traverse I have to make sure my position on stage is that so the audience can still see me and my facial expressions.

The next part of the rehearsal was to then do a gradual run through working out where the songs can fit into the performance and how we can do transitions from the man and women sections.
So to start the performance we as a group decided to open with the billing sequence where as the audience enter the room they are billed for breathing, scratching, talking e.c.t , to then lead into the manager and assistant scene that talks about how the cost of some prices can't be changed although its ridiculous, this then leads to the opening of the cashier ladies singing money money money with changed lyrics to relate to the play.
After that we then start with our first section of man and women to then lead to all the women singing a song about how their husbands don't care about price.
Which then swiftly after leads into man and women section 2, as a group during this section we came to the decision to have one of the baby boy band in our trolley so they can do their section next which breaks up the script again and keeps the performance alive meaning in Brecht terms the audience are shocked and listen and look at the information being presented through the alienation technique. Thus also breaking the 4th wall as the baby's address the audience.

I feel I have learnt a lot from this lesson and it has shown me that not all plays have to follow a script exactly and I've also learnt a lot about how Brecht's techniques can alert an audience keeping them interested through alienation.