The most distinctive aspect of this production has been our focus on context, and our work with stimuli demonstrated how music, movement and cultural understanding can inspire creation. I also enjoyed the aspect of ensemble work, which fostered innovative physicality and engaging discussions of significance and intention. Our early sessions involved working in small groups to create movement based on stimulus that we watched, including of a dance drama performance where the performers were using slow, controlled soldier like movements, and a video of a traditional Shamanistic ritual I am grateful to have had the chance to work within such an inspired and dynamic ensemble
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This production has been a really amazing experience as it is my first time being in a production. It being Macbeth as well makes it even more special and an even better experience. At the beginning of our blocking I at first found it really tricky and you had to think a lot through the blocking stage. It was something I had never done before and as a first time it was very stressful. But we went through a lot of stimulus and playing with the idea of mongolian shamanism for the witches as it would bring further depth into our performance. For me learning lines wasn’t that tricky because I had a lot of free time on bus rides and so I would listen to myself say other people lines and attempt to slot my lines where they are supposed to be. Although my character isn’t very talkative it slowly got a lot harder to give my character depth as I didn’t have as much context to it. Working with the ensemble has a been a tiring but absolutely eye opening experience but to be and work alongside such great people in an experience such as Macbeth. It really has been eye opening.
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The process of creating the production of Macbeth has allowed me to explore a multitude of stimuli including Shamanism and the connection with spirits to enhance the intricate character I was cast and my role in the raising of the dead and sacrifice of the living. I found this unique process both rewarding and challenging. The incorporation of new ideas and themes throughout such as the setting in 13th century China and shaman in the production proved to be fairly challenging as the process commenced however with a considerable amount of workshopping and experimentation alongside the resources provided, we all became engaged in creating something different than anything we had previously worked on. Overall I think the most rewarding aspect of the process for me was being able to experience every component come together over the course of the creative process to bring alive the message that we are communicating. Throughout the whole process I am most proud of the work we have all put into something that is far from what we have created before. Overall, this unique process has been a great opportunity and has allowed me to be a part of something that really special.
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The production has been a variety of ups and downs for me, not only is it my first real involvement in something so big, but also my first time working with such a variety of people and talents. The beginning was a mix of learning and challenges. I took upon the challenge of blocking scenes for the first time, looking at my own ideas. I was rarely told what to do and the growth through working as a team with the others in the production and in my scene was huge. Not only was I able to comprehend the work put into a production, but I was able to do it. Although I did come across challenges, they were quickly overcome. Although demanding the task was extremely enjoyable. The group energy, and collaboration has been incredible towards working on the scene. Another distinct aspect of the production, has been our work on using stimuli in order to further our thinking and focus the energy on the certain aspect of the performance. Doing an experimental Macbeth we are able to experience something so different to other productions,shakespeare’s theatre molded into our own specific production is something that will be personal for years to come. The whole experience has truly been something special.
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The production of macbeth this year has provided me with an immense variety of key aspects and elements. Coming along from a Middle School prospect, Macbeth has definitely peeled a new sense of innovative ideas. I have traditionally performed in front of a one sided audience and while that may seem challenging enough, transferring all of that hard-work onto a ‘in the round’ type of setup has opened up my original understanding of how much thought and process you need to put in while performing. Portraying a shamanic witch has been much like a roller coaster. Due to the fact I have never heard of shamanism before this production, a lot of research was crucial in order to support my understanding of my character. A great deal of workshopping and convenient exercises were put into our rehearsals where we focused on getting to know our characters more thoroughly. Originating from using my daily voice either on stage or during a conversation, we had to portray shamanic witches that have awoken from the dead. I had to focus on my voice and finding a contrasting choice between all of the witches. I had to prioritise the breathe of my voice and making it sound extremely more high pitched than usual. What I find incredibly remarkable about this experience is how we each get a say in what goes on, all contributions are valid and it really adds that extra umph to make this production that much more distinctive than the rest. It makes it our own.
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Despite being in previous productions, this really has been a completely new experience for me. From the beginning of the creative process, the focus was on our own creation of ideas, and collectively bring them together to create something for our ensemble. This came from a wide variety of Shamanistic stimuli, exemplifying the production’s focus on the context of this adaption of Macbeth. Although challenging in parts, notably the Shakespearean language, and blocking in the round, the emphasis on the workshopping aspect of the creative process has been a valuable one for me. It has truly been a wonderful experience to work in a production with such a great ensemble.
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Being a part of Macbeth this year was a very unique and interesting experience. Having traditionally performed in front of the audience, being watched from one angle, performing in the round was a very different experience. I had to learn how to position myself, move around the stage and behave in a space which is very liberating. Since moving around in the round is essential in order for every audience member to see the actor, I was encouraged to do more movements than I would usually do in a production. This was also my first time performing in a Shakespearean production, which was both exciting and challenging. Not only the vocabulary of the script was difficult to grasp, but the expressions and gestures associated with Shakespearean theatre were hard to get used to. This play required enormous amounts of focus at all times in order to execute it properly, and it was a great learning experience for me.
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This has been my first encounter with a Shakespearean play, it has been an experience like no other, where I have had the chance to grown both as an actor and person. Setting Macbeth in 13th century China was something the directors had envisioned from the very beginning. To me the thought of completely transposing the setting and time period of an already complex Shakespearean play, and embodying an authentic shaman witch seemed eminently distant at first. But, the importance given to the mental and physical exploration of individual characters during the rehearsal process, helped me reach a level where I could clearly distinguish the layers to my character. This clarity helped me breathe life into my character. As an ensemble we went through a similar process of exploring and workshopping ideas for large scale scenes. During this process we referred to stimuli that help plant new ideas and perspectives to the cultural setting. As a cast we had so much to learn from each other. The accepting environment the ensemble created was one where creativity thrived, and therefore led to a combination of simple yet intimate scenes created by the actors. It has been a privilege to have been part of such a dynamic and experienced cast. I have also come to realise that drama is not only about discovering the character you play, but also finding parts of yourself that have been hiding. Portraying a Shaman Witch on stage has made me more aware of my space and breath off stage. I have come to notice the effects, my use of space and breath has on my immediate surroundings, and the control I have over it is much like that of the witches over Macbeth’s mind.
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Apart from trying to “absorb” the context in which this production of Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ is set in - 13th century China-, the most challenging part of being involved in this production was trying to convincingly and successfully portray a Shamanic witch. Being cast a role which is so specific, yet involves an immense amount of exploration and workshopping, was initially very challenging for me. However, the considerably large amount of ensemble work involved in this production helped me to understand the play as a whole, and therefore locate my character’s objective(s),state of mind and journey. Additionally, the great collaborative nature of this production further assisted me with successfully characterising a Shamanic witch - in terms of movement and gesture. With regards to voice, I found this aspect of the characterisation process to be the hardest. Being able to create such a ‘whole’ and ’strong’ voice called for me to concentrate and value vocal warmups and exercises that we did as a cast. Furthermore, the cast dynamic has been so full of positive energy and motivation consistently throughout both the workshopping and rehearsal process. This allowed me to comfortably experiment not only with scenes that I was in, but also ensemble scenes - allowing me to improve on my collaboration skills, as well as gain knowledge and skills from other members of the cast. There is a strong sense of ‘cast involvement’ in this production, we as a cast have been apart of a large amount of decisions and although most times we do not have the final say, our ideas and critiques are still acknowledged by everyone involved - that is what I feel makes this production so unique.
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Being in Macbeth this year has been a very fun and interesting experience. This play had presented me with very new ideas, and ways of looking at a play. One of the key parts of the play that had been foreign to me before was the onus on us to take charge of the play and our characters. As a result of this we as actors had much more freedom with guidance to do what we wanted for our character. Having the play in the round had also pushed our freedom as actors further. This being completely new to me had been quite overwhelming, I found myself lost at times. However as I learnt over time that this freedom given to us, rather than being a weakness had really been a strength. I found myself experimenting more with my character, trying new things that I would have never tried before. Although I still continue to getting used to this style of work, I find myself trying more new things as we go. New to me this year had also been the emphasis on context and culture for our play. Changing the time period and the setting of the play had been something very new and interesting to me. The stimuli given during rehearsals had been especially helpful for the transition from shakespeare to our context. Stimuli given has also been a very good base for the ensemble work we did. I felt that being able to completely build up the play through a new context and through the freedom we were given had really brought us together as a cast. A very difficult learning curve had been getting used to the shakespearean language. I had never gotten a grasp of shakespearean work while studying him in class. This also meant that I had never really appreciated shakspeare and his work as I never really felt I understood the complexity of his work. Being able to embody part of his play and really going into detail in terms of character, I have a newfound respect and appreciation for shakespeare. Although this play has been both tiring and difficult at times, it has shown me the vast possibilities in drama. Overall this has been a very exciting and amazing process, and in the end it was very worth it.
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Being in this production has been a unique experience, for me as compared to any other production I’ve been a part of. One of the most interesting things about this production, is that from the start, our scenes have been created by us, and the focus has been on using the stimuli, of 13th Century China, and Mongolian Shamanism, to add a layer of depth to each scene and allow it to fit into the context of the play. Additionally, learning how to work in the round, has been a new experience for me, and working with the cast, and other members of the ensemble has helped me learn more about dramatic energy, and it’s large impact on the representation of the character.
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Although I have been in different productions before, Macbeth has been unique - in allowing the whole cast to be involved in the creative process, and really take ownership of the production. As well as this being in this interpretation of Macbeth presented me with another challenge as well as an opportunity to perform in the round. Having an audience totally surrounding us provided us with an incredible energy, that really spices up the performance. Furthermore, using 13th century China as stimuli, we were able to get an incredible insight into a very rich culture, which not only aided in a creating a special performance, but also helped me grow as an actor and arm with a huge new array of dramatic ideas.
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Taking place in Macbeth this year for me was a big step forward as I have never participated in a production before. I have always enjoyed acting and getting familiar with a role, so being in this production helped me further those passions. Although the language Shakespeare has used may be challenging to interpret and understand. I quite enjoyed stepping over those obstacles and getting more familiar with the storyline as well as my character. Making the play in the context of medieval China helped me understand the scenes a bit more as I am Chinese. It is very rewarding to understand the themes and actions the characters are doing. Overall, I feel like this is an experience I need and I enjoyed working with such a great ensemble.
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Being a part of the Macbeth cast this year is a new step forward into the world of Drama for me, as for the first time, I am not just studying a Shakespearean play, but also acting it out and adapting it into one that fits the context of medieval China. One of the most rewarding aspects of the devising journey for me was using the stimuli we received based off of 13th Century China to create parts of our final performance. It was during this process that I understood that a play doesn’t necessarily have to be bound by its script, but can be remodeled and reshaped into a piece that gives an audience a whole new perspective of a play.
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Macbeth has been unlike any other High School production I have had the privilege of being a part of. It's not in every production that you get to witness twenty students partaking in intense shamanic rituals, flailing their bodies around as if possessed by some invisible spirit. The idea of transferring Shakespeare's classic to 13th century Mongolia has pulled every cast member out of their comfort zone, and has enriched their understanding of a different culture, whilst also enabling them to play with different cultural and social values which they had never had the opportunity of exploring before.
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Being a part of this years high school production Macbeth has been a huge learning curve for me as a drama student and as a person. I was drawn to auditioning for Macbeth from the 13th century Mongolian interpretation as I thought it would be a very interesting take on the classic Shakespearean play Macbeth. Being a part of Macbeth was a way for me to explore and expand on my current theatre skills such as my naturalism and characterisation that have shown a very relevant application to my current IB theatre course. The play for me had been a beautiful mixture of working on the traditional Shakespearean performance aspects such as gesture and language articulation, as well as delving into a creative and abstract movements, based on the Asian inspired take on the production. I have really enjoyed seeing the production evolve and the cast members become a closer group of students, it has been a great experience and huge skill development for me.
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Theatre’s ability to exist without any restrictions and rules is one of its greatest powers. One would struggle to believe this to be the case for such a play as eminent, and as distinct in its language as Shakespeare's 'Macbeth', but our interpretation set in 13th century China serves to prove this. Thus, the process of developing this piece was highly collaborative and also required a high amount of self-initiation. From our exposition to various depictions of the era, through literature or television, we had this world in our minds, and it was our job to transcend this through our performances. While we can understand these characters through their dialogue, we know little of how they look, walk, or stand. It was exhilarating to have this opportunity as an actor, and to be able to take a completely fresh grasp over my character, Lennox. Allowing him character to grow on stage, and to visualise every aspect of them, in an environment where everyone is doing the same, really allows you to grow as a person as much as an actor. This of course has been so much easier and more enjoyable to do alongside a cast and crew as enthusiastic and motivated as ours.
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This adaptation of Macbeth completely defies the traditional presentation of a Scottish tale of regicide by setting it in 13th century China. This production has allowed me to explore a new side of theatre that I was previously unaware of; last year I was a part of a lively, bright comedy, so you can see how a play as dark and tragic as Macbeth would result in a completely different learning experience. The biggest challenge for me evidently came from my character Hecate, whose overbearing nature is an epitome for the evil in the play. The challenge came through the stimuli for the witches - Mongolian Shamanism - a term I had no prior knowledge of. This lead to a lot of in depth research on my part, so that I could figure out so that everything that followed in my portrayal of Hecate could capture the core of what Mongolian Shamanism was and give a new outlook on the traditional portrayal of the witches in Macbeth. It’s one thing to bring out the emotions of your character through voice, but to use an unconventional culture as a stimuli for the movement that went along with it allowed me to access a deeper level of Hecate’s intentions. The movement itself, which consists of either fast exaggerated gestures or simple rituals, pushed me to my limits and made me more confident doing things out of the ordinary, this is what I am most proud of - this newfound willingness to go beyond the limits of naturalism.
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Taking part in Macbeth this year has been a challenging, but fascinating experience. As well as giving me the chance to work alongside far more experienced actors than myself and absorb vast amounts of knowledge about theatre in general, it has also given me the chance to further my knowledge of History's most renowned playwright and of his work. Additionally, as a student of history, it has been extremely intriguing to look into 13th century China and the many customs that people of that time had, particularly shamanism and warfare. Overall, I feel that I have come a long way as both a person and an actor since timidly signing up for an audition several months ago.
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Being in Macbeth this year has been an amazing experience for me. I have had the chance to work with students that are much older and more experienced than me, which has allowed me to explore my own skills and develop them further. Doing a Shakespearian play has also been a great experience for me, especially with it being set in 13th century China. This is a very interesting take on Macbeth and has taken the whole cast further out of their comfort zone, which has then allowed us to not only explore the characterisation of our characters, but has allowed us to look at what the character would look like when in 13th century China.
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Being a part of such a big and hard working cast is nothing new to me as our school is known to have very passionate students and directors, and I think that the help and support we gave each other is what made the challenging experience so much easier. In all my years of participating in UWC East’s Drama Productions, I have never had to impersonate such a strong female character that is so highly anticipated, therefore I had to really learn as much as possible about my character and embrace the complexity of the Shakespearean language. One of the biggest challenges I’ve had to face is speaking confidently and not doubting my capacity to act, that has always been my biggest setback, I think most actors feel the need to be constantly reassured because when you act, you completely open yourself up to the public and sometimes they can see a very vulnerable side of you, having the support and reassurance of others is always very helpful in situations like such. As an ensemble member, reacting to one another and feeling each other's energy I feel is the most important factor in theatre, especially when performing such an intense piece - this boosted my energy and confidence as I was not only playing for myself but for the other actors around me.
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I have greatly cherished this year’s opportunity to participate in such an innovative and creative piece with a fantastic cast composed of numerous different age groups. Upon auditioning for the play, I would have thought it almost unimaginable to present a play so distinct in its language and heritage as Macbeth, in 13th Century China. Yet here we are. The idea of acting ‘in the round’ was also an unfamiliar one to me; always having to be aware of all sides of the stage and constantly having to check that every audience member would be able to see us. It has been challenging, but nonetheless rewarding. The fact that we worked as an ensemble, as a team, meant that everyone would give their part to contribute to a much bigger outcome. This signified that every member would have to give their fullest to produce an outstanding play, one that would remain in the minds of the audience long after it ended. Being the second time I had ever acted in a play meant that this relatively new yet essential idea was a great reassurance for me when I tried to familiarise myself with my character and give off the best possible. Trying to adapt to Shakespearean language was also a challenge, as reading it is one thing, but being able to act it out and express it in a way that is convincing for the audience is another. But overall, this fantastic experience of working with new people and exploring new ideas has been rewarding and unforgettable.
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Shakespeare’s plays demand a level of respect and appreciation for the theatrical form due to its history and classic significance that I have never encountered before in a production. Therefore, playing a role in this year’s production of Macbeth has been as powerful as it has been pivotal in my understanding of theatre as a genre and a method of communication. I tend to struggle with higher status characters, so playing Malcolm has been a rewarding challenge. I had to re-engineer every aspect of my movements, my voice and my energy in order to portray the character with the rigour that he deserves, and I could not have asked for a more supportive and enthusiastic cast to do it with. I have been repeatedly impressed with each actor’s devotion, their ability to collaborate and each person’s enthusiasm in making the play their own. Thanks to the directors pushing us to make the production our own, the cast feels ownership over the play in that it could never be reproduced by a different group of people. Indeed, the play feels personal.
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This year’s production of Macbeth has been a unique experience. Transferring one of Shakespeare’s best-known plays to an entirely new context has been a challenging but overall rewarding process. It has required a lot of thought and initiative on the part of everyone involved, but one of the most interesting aspects of this production has been the opportunity to breathe life into it by tackling the minutiae to establish an overarching ambience. In this respect, the process of characterisation stands out as especially unorthodox. For example, we have delved into the historical context of 13th century China using cultural reference points such as Mongolian throat-singing and Shaolin-esque movement. By tying all these strands together, we are able to construct believable and wholly authentic characters that are simultaneously loyal to Shakespeare's original creations and refreshing in their outward incongruence.
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This is the final chapter of my theatre experience in this college, it began with my performance as ‘Courtier 4’ six years ago, and concludes as my appearance as Macbeth in William Shakespeare’s brilliance of a play. I was forced to dismantle my emotions, understand the fears which people hold so dear and truly experience his feelings; all to bring respect to such a famed and beloved character within literature. This has made me comprehend the nuances within the realm of acting, and the extent to which actors have to provoke inner reflection to stop mimicking emotion which they believe that character is feeling, but experience it for themselves. Inevitably for this to be achieved the actor has to exhibit a certain level of control, which was the predominant obstacle I faced whilst preparing for this character.
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Throughout the process of Macbeth, I have learned and gained skills in a variety of ways. Usually, I am used to doing very energetic characters since I have been in a number of musicals, however, Lady Macduff calls for a very different approach. Going back to when I first did The Crucible I really had to focus on character and acting in a way where I would have to know what my intentions were. This can be applied to Macbeth since I have to analyse Lady Macduff in detail. At first, I found it hard to make sense of what type of person she is, but by watching videos of the play and listening to lectures which analyse the characters I have gained a greater understanding of my character. Although I do admit I am not quite there yet and need to do some more research I feel as though I have the basics down and from now on I just need to build more layers. Overall I have enjoyed the process of creating Macbeth since we implemented some actions and techniques taught to us by the Red Leap Theatre company. I like how we brainstorm around a subject and played with it physically so that we can create something that is quite detailed because of our exploration of it. At times though I find this method quite difficult, especially in my scenes because I just want to be told what to do, but I do still see the benefit in exploring and trying things out in order to get something top quality. By using this method I have been able to input some of my own ideas into parts of the play such as the opening scene, where I suggested that we all look towards the audience on every side to create a surreal effect. If I had not explored and brainstormed I would not have come up with that idea so I appreciate greatly that there is a process connected to Macbeth that needs to be taken seriously and can have wonderful impacts on the play.
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Macbeth has been a very different experience compared to the performances I was in last year and through my IB course in theatre. This production in particular has taken a very different path, by have Chinese and Mongolian influences. I have never witnessed anything like this since I never thought it would work together, however, after doing ensemble scenes and researching more into the background of Macbeth, I think this is a perfect interpretation. I have learnt how to let myself go and learnt the power of reaction when working with others from my group. After having the chance to be Abigail in The Crucible, I can see the contrasting role from Abigail to a gentlewoman, and I found that hard to explore. However, having relationships with different characters especially Lady Macbeth has helped me have a better understanding of my character. I have loved every bit of this experience so far and hope to continue theatre even after I leave UWC.
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From the superstitious Mongolian shamanism to its contrasting Chinese neo-confucianism, this interpretation of Macbeth has been an interesting blend of cultures, a perfect representation of the tumultuous period in China during the Yuan Dynasty. With traditionalist Mongol Chieftains battling to overturn Kublai Khan’s expansionism, I could see the similarities between 13th century China and arguably one of Shakespeare's most famous plays, Macbeth, which both highlight the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition. In terms of the rehearsal process, I cherished every moment because it was very similar to Nation’s, enabling the actors, while guided by the directors, to explore the chosen context within an ensemble environment, meaning that our creations on stage were truly are own. What’s more, bringing Macduff, a foil to Macbeth, to live on stage was a challenging yet rewarding experience. I found it difficult to separate the inner affliction that Macduff experiences when he becomes aware that Macbeth has butchered his family, and that experienced by John Proctor in The Crucible, which was performed last year. Through my experience in this year’s production, I have realised that one of the hardest element of acting, is learning how to leave one character that you have spent so long becoming, for another, repeating the same process again. Overall, this year’s High School production of Macbeth was wonderful conclusion to my theatrical endeavors at UWCSEA, and I can say confidently that because of this experience, as well as others in the past, I can graduate completely at peace with myself knowing that the theatre programme at UWCSEA has not only made be a better actor, but a better person as well.
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