Iran

The Pressure Cooker. I think that Will's point that the play is like a pressure cooker. building and building through every scene is a really good metapohor for what we are trying to create. In my opinion  at the epicentre of this metaphor is the building tensions surrounding the Iranian Production of Uranium and the potential production of a Nuclear weapon. Iran hid its Nuclear Enrichment programme for 18 years therefore in regard to the context of the play can Iran be trusted? they have the potential and ability to produce Uranium at 90% which is weapon grade. These tensions are potentially going to be eased due to a new leader President Rouhani agreeing to negotiations with the west.

BBC NEW: Iran Nuclear programme crisis

This article is just a recent update of whats been going on. Its updated my knowledge of the situation which applies to our rehearsal process because what is at steak is ever increasing it would seem. The steaks get higher. 

The Image below shows the nuclear sites where uranium is being produced. This is really interesting in regard to invasion as they are all placed by huge cities. Qom is an incredibly holy muslim city. Therefore If invasion was to occur the west would be attacking hugely populated areas and igniting the conflict between all muslim nation due to the destruction of holy land. This gives an idea of the risks that are at steak when Ruth makes her decision. 

What are the consiquences of Iran Having nuclear weapons?

Israel has attacked Palestine. A muslim nation. Iran is a palestinian ally therefore, they would potentially attack Israel. The US has strong ties to Israel due to it having a large Jewish population. Therefore if Iran did produce Nuclear weapons The US along witht he EU and Israel would be 'Forced' to attack. This is the reason why Ruth is forced into making the decision she does along with other factors such as the Iranian regime abusing human rights.  Furthermore there is a further risk that nuclear weapons could potentially fall into terrorist hands as Irans ties to Pakistan indicate relations with organisations such as Al'qaeda. 

'A Thermo Nuclear Theocracy.' 

This is one of my lines from the play. In context this is a regime with nuclear weapons  based on a religion. In this case Shari'ah Law. This is What Steph says is at steak. This is a potential situation in real life. 

Shari'ah Law

This is my research. I feel like since doing this I have a greater understanding of the opinion Steph has. 

'We don't make our women hide themselves. We don't stone adulterers….' 

Steph is pro war and makes a speech about why it is necessary. I feel like since doing this research I have been able to play the steaks more. She is so passionate about what she is saying because I believe as a female she has great empathy and furthermore as an atheist disagrees with the Iranian Theocracy. 

Above is the documentary I watched on shari'ah law. It taught me a lot about iranian culture. I also watched a  people's century video which takes you right to the 1979 falling of the shah and the beginning of the theocracy. It put the story and recent events into context and made me realise how the regime developed. 

Reminding myself...

Below is an article I came across on the guardian Website. To me it showed how the rights of females within Shari'ah law are practicly non existant and leave most women in vulnerable positions. I feel like I had to  remind myself of this because I have grown so familiar with the conventions of Iranian culture that it didn't really faze me. Men who have raised adopted children will now be able to marry daughters aged 13 and above. This completely takes any kind of freedom away from the child and could even be seen as a breach of human rights. This article reminded me of the steaks and Steph's 'Wants'.  

Iranian Lawmakers pass bill to allow fathers to marry adopted daughters

Who is Stephanie Crossley?

Here is a simple breakdown of the journey Steph makes through the play and the relationships that are formed between the two characters that Steph interacts with. Ofcourse Steph briefly meets Sharon and Holly in the park and is rushed off by Martha to the hospital but the biggest relationships I have to develop are between Ruth, John and I (Steph). 

This mind map is just a quick reminder that I can keep in my notebook. its really useful because I can refer to it before scenes or if im feeling a lack of dynamics within the scenes I Perform in. 

Laban Efforts:

Above I have also included Two laban efforts….Why? From studying the Laban efforts in acting technique I decided to look further into the method. I honestly think this is one of the top three most helpful things I have learnt in terms of creating character and making discoveries. 

EXTERNAL = Glide

INTERNAL =  Flick 

My internal effort has changed because I feel like Steph is slightly impatient. That impatients stems from a frustration she feels towards other people lack of understanding in regard to simply theories and arguments. This fliskyness is not sustained or direct, its erratic and slightly out of control. The Glide is Steph's urge to disguise this lack of control in terms of temper and opinion. Being a high status female intellectual I think that Steph is a character who is respected by many people, this has lead to a certain style of public speaking. Where pauses are take in to ensure that people are hanging on every word that is spoken. 

Getting to Grips with public Speaking and 'The God Delusion.'

This video is of Richard Dawkins and evolutionary biologist and atheist. Dawkins was a professor at New College Oxford. This is a lecture on the 'God Delusion' based on his 2006 book here dawkins discusees religion and science. It is wideley interpreted that Mike Bartlett based Stephen on Richard Dawkins. I felt like it was vital that I understand atheist theories and explanations despite being brought up and atheist I have never even questioned my thoughts on 'god' its just always been that there isn't one.  Scientific explanation is all I have known and I think that this part of my character research wasn't incredibly tricky because I don't have to fight against my own belief system. However some aspects of Dawkins argument are quite complex so I had to watch it more than once. (Im still uncertain on parts)

Not only was I listening to the content I was also looking at the way Dawkins delivers his argument. I must say that I didn't find him a particularly captivating orator. His voice has a lovely quality but he is not exceptionally charismatic. 

Layering Steph 

What Im really enjoying at the moment is the fact that I can play Steph in loads of different situations. From working on Act one Scene seventeen i've noticed that there needs to be a gear change. Steph and Ruth love one another and have been friends for years. They relax and become themselves. They allow themselves towards to the end to even have a little fun…..

                    

                      No children 

No partner

                                                                         Career orientated 

                         Heavy Drinker

These things about steph reminded me very much of 'Patsy' from Absolutely Fabulous. I love looking at how Joanna Lumley plays such a real yet ridiculous character. Her voice is fantastic and I feel like my way into a character is through the voice and the physicality. Using 'Patsy has helped me find a ridiculous side to Steph which I think I will use through the piece. 

This clip show's Joanna Lumley moving around as Pasty in a loose gliding and flicking manor. She is an interesting older woman. Her voice and movement in this is what helped me to shape Steph's physicality as she is an older woman that uses her body in a free and expressive way.

A strange combination…..

You may think that Richard Dawkins and Patsy from Ab Fab are a strange combination. However Ive taken Dawkins intelligent, gliding authority and mixed it with a reckless and incredibly charismatic matriarch. 

Lung Cancer

Its November. Im starting to realise that playing an older woman with lung cancer is testing. Carry the illness through each scene is tricky especially seeing as it has to progress and become more prominent and intense. 

My Block? 

I dont know how to play my given circumstance. 

To get through this block I have decided to look closely at the reality of what lung cancer actually does to the body. How terminal illness effects people and phycological state. 

I began by looking at the NHS and got a basic idea of what the symptoms are.  

There are usually no signs or symptoms in the early stages of lung cancer. However, symptoms develop as the condition progresses.

The main symptoms of lung cancer are listed below. If you have any of these, you should see your GP:

• a cough that doesn’t go away after two or three weeks
• a long-standing cough that gets worse
• persistent chest infections
• coughing up blood
• an ache or pain when breathing or coughing
• persistent breathlessness
• persistent tiredness or lack of energy
• loss of appetite or unexplained weight loss

It seems that the area which is most effected is the chest. I remember an exercise by 'Complicite' where you are in partners and imagine there is a bamboo stick between one another. You must sustain the space between both people as you move around the space. I made this work through imagining the pain of the bamboo sticking into my chest. This is something Im going to apply when playing Steph. I need to imagine the chest pain while Im in the scenes. A sharp tensing pain in the chest would definitely effect the posture. 

A Woman's experience of lung cancer and the prospect of death….

Ive been reading this woman's blog. Its sometimes quite graphic but I think that its important to address the reality of the illness. I found her first post Particularly help as she breaks down the process of diagnosis which is actually rather unusual seeing as she wasn't a smoker and only in her 30's. This was relevant to my research because she breaks it down over a few months. The symptoms of not only caughing but coughing until you throw up. In other posts such as 'The Frog List' I saw her approach to death. Acceptance. Steph finds this but it was interesting to here in real words. 

Blog: Jessica Rice Lung Cancer Patient

My last line in the play is 'Im certain death isn't the worst thing.' A peacful carm felt by some or a state of shock to others. These emotions are often felt by the terminally ill. I hope to find this in Steph's Journey.