IN last week’s Senior Acting Technique Workshop, students in Years 9-13 continued to explore classical and contemporary pieces!
One of the challenges an actor or actress faces is often how to capture the essence and emotional insight of a character that they do not necessarily share commonalities with. Students discussed the use of the Stanislavskian technique, emotional recall, whereby they are asked to think of a time in their own lives, similar to that which the character is facing and apply the same thought and feeling to the monologue.
Alexandra Moxon, Director in Residence at King’s Ely, said: “Using Lubov’s monologue from Chekov’s ‘The Cherry Orchard’, where Lubov expresses her pain at the prospect of her beloved home being auctioned off, we discussed the larger theme of unwanted change. Perhaps now, more than ever, we have all been affected this year in ways we never expected, nor would have necessarily wished. The group were able to harness their own feelings around this time in a safe space and then perform, with emotional accuracy, this moving monologue. Despite Lubov being a nearly 60 year old Russian woman, living in a different era, the students were able to capture the essence of her struggle perfectly.
“The group then performed the brilliant duologue between Kate and Petruchio in ‘The Taming of A Shew’, exploring Shakespeare’s quick witted comedy and fast paced, energised dialogue. The students then shared these pieces at the end of the session, delivering the comedy wonderfully and pace, tone and diction all executed well.”