Initial 'Blood Wedding' exploration

The story of Blood Wedding was based off a local crime story about a wedding which ended tragically. He took a clipping of the story, then found it 5 years later and finished the play within a week.

None of the character's in Blood Wedding have conventional names, apart from Leonardo, but instead have names of roles or elements of nature, such as The Moon or Death. The Moon is a common theme in Lorca's work, for example a famous poem written by him titled 'Ballard of the Moon, Moon'. This also relates to Greek and Roman mythology which states stories of the moon coming down to capture a young man and take him away- this is a key inspiration in the story of Blood Wedding.

In a lot of Lorca's work he uses the Moon to symbolise Death which is interesting as Death is a separate character in Blood Wedding. The Moon also represents a world of intense cold, with the absence of the sun the only way to warm itself is with the sacrifice of blood. Death plots with the Moon to end the men's lives violently so that she can get her death and the Moon can receive it's blood. Death/the Beggar Woman also represents human nature, and as the bad choices of the other character's start to affect their community she uses that to her advantage.

The fact that Leonardo is the only character with a name could suggest either that he is the most important character in the play, and therefore has a name so that the audience can relate to him and understand him more, or perhaps that he is the least important/represents the most criticism. The fact that Leonardo is the only one with a name suggests that unlike the others he is no more than just Leonardo - this could be a statement on the 'modern' Spanish man. Also by having only the Felix family names allows the audience to define them from the Protagonists, and their individuality and exceptions from Lorca's rules could reflect how the Bride and Bridegroom see them in the play.

Another reason why the characters may not have specific names is to make them more vague and to make the audience less emotionally involved with the characters as opposed to the actual story. This way, similar to Brecht's style of theatre, Lorca makes the audience reflect on what the characters are supposed to represent rather than a naturalistic tale of a tragic wedding.In contrast their vagueness could give them a universality allowing the audience to relate to each character on a personal basis. Also as they each have quirky personalities, their broad names gives them more opportunity to be related to by the audience.

Lesson 18/11/15

The focus was on Brecht's idea of gestus.

Gestus is the attitude of the actor as they perform gestures and movements. The purpose in Brecht's style is show meaning or to represent something, to explore this using the mode of a car salesmen, a lawyer and a telemarketer the focus was on communicating the image of those people through minimal voice and movement.

Through exaggerated movement I explored Brecht's theory to convey my occupation through stereotypical words or gestures. An example would be with the theme of a Lawyer. By having a straight posture and speaking in a clear, strong tone I showed authority in my voice suggesting that I was a Lawyer but not giving enough information for the audience to get attached to my character.
To contribute to this with each gesture, such as walking towards my defendant, or pleading with the judge, to add to the stylised piece I said subject specific words such as, object!, client and not guilty.

This follows Brecht's theatre by limiting my speech to key words I can give the same message - that I am a lawyer- but without performing in a naturalistic style and therefore the brief encounter does not allow the audience to emotionally invest in the character.

If I was to do this exploration again I would, as a lawyer, show less emotion through my face,  as I think, for the style of Brecht, it shows too much emotional depth to the character rather than portraying them as a member of authority or perhaps a representation of the upper social class.

breif notes on Brecht

Brecht is a practitioner born in Germany in 1898 who had original ideas about the purpose of performance, and how theatre should be performed.

Brecht did not want his actors to follow the style of naturalistic theatre, he did not believe that actors should become their characters, and should not get emotionally attached but should identify with their characters through specifically chosen gestus. The actors movements were not meant to present messages and meanings in a stylised way.

The idea of Brecht's theatre required whats known as the 'V effect'. This theory is that the audience is aware the whole time that they are in a theatre and that everything is just acting (the house lights were often left on). This is to distance the audience  and make them critical observers, to question what is happening and for them to learn something from the performance instead for just entertainment.

Lesson 04/11/2015

Brecht

'destroying the illusion'

Brecht was born in 1898 Germany and thought that theatre could make people think instead of just entertainment. His productions include minimalist props, costume and settings and tried to not show real life. Brecht believed actors should represent things rather than become them. There is a quote from Brecht that says:

 

"He who only imitates and had nothing to say

  On what he imitates is like

  A poor chimpanzee, who imitates his trainers smoking

  And does not smoke while doing so

  For never will a thoughtless imitation,

  Be a real imitation."

 

what this quote is trying to say is mimicking or imitating something, like a character in a play- will never be more than an imitation. You have to decide whether you are going to mimic a character or become them.


Created Epic Theatre:
-Wants the audience to be critical observers questioning what is happening on stage, realising the characters are actors and that the stage is attempting to be real.

Montage:
-Epic theatre precedes in fits and starts, in a manner comparable to the images of a film strip.

Gestus:
-It carries the sense of a combination of physical gestures and "gist" or attitude.

Verfremdungskeffet - The V Effect
-Means to alienate or distance the audience from the actors and the performance.