“’That’s a wrap’ 3 years of my university degree has come to an end. And I couldn’t of thought of a better way to close the greatest 3 years of my life, dancing to Beyoncé and rocking a bright pink feather boa. Thank you to the entire cast in Fragment Theatre, I am extremely grateful to finish my final show with you guys #fragmentforever” (Rowan, 2017).
(Drag Show Grace Kelly from Odonnell, 2017)
(So I tried a little Freddie from Odonnell, 2017)
(Drag Show Love for Brodie from Odonnell, 2017)
(Hanging out the Washing from Odonnell, 2017)
(Private Detective Johanna Andrews from Odonnell, 2017)
(I am the Solar System from Odonnell, 2017)
(The Perfect Boy from Odonnell, 2017)
(Smile from Odonnell, 2017)
The Creation of Stage Ben
The idea that our show was post dramatic gave the development of my character a unique twist. Reasons for this, was the fact my character was named Ben, in-fact, it was not even a character, more an overdramatised version of myself. I began the development of stage Ben by researching a technique I learnt in Acting for Media, being Stanislavski’s method ‘the magic if’. The Magic If allows “an actor [to] asks themselves a what if question about their character” (Mroczka, 2013). Once I received the script, and became aware on what I was written to do. I began to ask myself the questions as if I was actually stage Ben. Stage Ben wanted to present a better self by using lyrics as ‘they present what we all want to say’. During the Mika section, the song Grace Kelly mentions two personalities, Grace Kelly and Freddie. Due to the fact two personalities and escaping too deep into the lyrics, Ben became confused between the two personalities and ended up having a complete breakdown. Stanislavski’s method allowed me to access how my personal self would react if confronted with a number of different personalities, and the result of this was seen on the 19th May during the final section of Exit This Way.
Reflection
During the build up to the opening night of Exit This Way was extremely intense with the daily eight hour rehearsals, and the thought that I would be dancing in a pink feather boa and red lipstick to Grace Kelly by Mika (Mika, 2006). Despite the continues sleepless nights and endless meltdowns, it was possibly the most entertaining and sassy thing I have ever done in a performance. The trick to pull it off was to give no cares and to fully go for it, and the response to it was outstanding, making it all worthwhile. To be a part of a post dramatic performance was also a different experience, compared to other productions I have done. The fact I was not playing a character, but an overdramatised version of myself made it more personal to me, as it felt like I was telling the audience my story, rather than someone else’s. Shout out to the writers (Brodie Atkinson & Rob Anthony) for giving me the opportunity to tell a story I can relate to. Overall, performing in Exit This Way, and being a part of Fragment Theatre Company, and working alongside nine other incredibly talented and special people, has certainly been a life-changing experience and something I will treasure always.
Xoxo Technical Designer
Works Cited:
Mika. (2006) Grace Kelly. [CD Track] 3 mins. 5 secs. The Boy Who Knew Too Much. United States: Island.
Mroczka, P. (2013) Stanislavski Method: Magic If and Illusion of the First Time. [online] Available from http://broadwayeducators.com/stanislavski-method-magic-if-and-illusion-of-the-first-time/ [Accessed 18 April 2017].
Odonnell. (2017) Drag Show Grace Kelly.
Odonnell. (2017) Drag Show Love for Brodie.
Odonnell. (2017) So I tried a little Freddie.
Odonnell. (2017) Hanging out the Washing.
Odonnell. (2017) Private Detective Johanna Andrews.
Odonnell. (2017) I am the Solar System.
Odonnell. (2017) The Perfect Boy.
Odonnell. (2017) Smile.
Rowan, B. (2017) End of Show Status. [Facebook] 20 May. Available from https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1378309211 [Accessed 25 May 2017].
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