What progress has been made? I believe I have progressed in confidence and line accuracy. I am notoriously horrific at delivering lines without a crutch of some kind, even if the lines are minimal. This is also tied into my level of confidence too, as I tend to second guess the lines without factual reassurance even if I am 100% sure of what I am supposed to say, or before going on stage the pressure makes my mind completely blank even if I have completely memorized the script. However, I have found that just going for it is a good way of approaching this. You will most likely get the line right or relevant enough to still work with the dialogue, and if not it is able to be worked around; half of the problem is just in your head due to nerves and is a roadblock that can be dealt with. Another thing I find that helps is just quickly glancing at your lines and cues before going on by saving a picture of them on your phone. It’s more of a last resort if you’re really pulling blanks from putting yourself on the spot, but it’s a good way to rejog your memory.
What have you learnt from the project? I have learnt that putting together a show without external/professional help from seasoned veterans of the field is like asking a toddler to enter a professional gambling ring based on their knowledge from using the Chuck E. Cheese arcade games. It’s incredibly difficult and feels impossible, however, it’s manageable with teamwork and planning. I had no idea all that was put into making a production like this, despite assuming it was going to be arduous already. But we managed to pull it amazingly quite well, especially given our resources, and I am incredibly proud of our team. <3
What skills have you developed? I think I have developed a stronger improvisation ability. I am not good on the spot however I found that compared to my first attempt at improv during one of our first few lessons, I had improved (pun not intended) quite a bit since some scenes involved (slight) improv due to missing lines and long pauses waiting for actors to come on stage.
Were the desired project objectives achieved? My own targets for the project were to perform to the best of my abilities and support fellow peers with much more intense and various tasks involved in the production. I believe I did my best in the performance and that I found my own simple ways of assisting such as involving myself in sudden improvised scenes to buy more time for an actor who missed a cue.
Is every team member satisfied with the result? To my knowledge, yes, everyone on our team seemed rather satisfied with the end result of our FMP.
What could have been done better? I feel like something that could have been improved for me personally is my physicality in regards to my performing; I thought I had gotten better at it, which I definitely have, just not as much as I had thought. I added mannerisms into my performance however I sort of threw them in when I remembered and stood stationary for the other portion of the time. In regards to my production role I feel that I should have been involved more. Through no fault of the team, I had very little to do with the marketing team, so much so that I didn’t even know the programmes had already been made. This is through pure coincidence I believe as I had been repeatedly ill back-to-back for a few weeks for various reasons and missed a good chunk of meetings and discussions.
What progress have you made throughout the year? Throughout the year, I have progressed in confidence; I was unwilling to approach anyone in class myself unless they spoke to me first, and even then I was particularly standoff-ish. Throughout the course I have become much more comfortable with my peers and made many friends, learning that it is okay to let my guard down around people.