Independent Project Planning Document

Questions:
1. Whats your passion?
a. What are you using as a stimulus for a performance? What non-theatre element are you researching? Greek Mythology: I focused my research on Medusa, a monster of Greek Mythology. Originally she was one of the three Gorgon sisters; but the version which appealed to me more was a later version of the myth, related by Roman poet Ovid, in which she was originally a beautiful maiden cursed by Athena when she was caught being raped by Poseidon. I am also looking at the other ways in which the story has been told, since the different perspectives offer different kinds of inspiration. b. What is your project about? My interpretation of the myth is that Medusa was not as all a villain, but a victim. I wanted to tell a version of the story from Medusas perspective, in which we see the journey of an innocent girl who is rst abused by powerful Gods, then shunned by society, and after everything is villainised in her memory. In the telling by Ovid, Perseus the hero who slays Medusa describes Medusas punishment by Athena as just and well-earned. I connected this with various articles that I had read about occurrences of victim-blaming as a result of rape-culture in current society. I strongly believe that a crime as serious as rape cannot be blamed on anyone but the rapist him/herself, and I want to use the myth of medusa as a foundation for a performance that conveys this message.

2. Whats new?
c. What new skill or practice are you researching and testing? (i.e. Directing in the style of., costume design, light design, etc.) Directing: This will be my rst time taking on the role of the director. Last year 24 hour theatre was a collaborative process, and in almost every other project I chose to act. The only show which I directed was my vocal Masque, but directing myself is an entirely different experience to directing a group of actors. I believe that it will be very challenging as it is completely new to me, and I do not even know what my strengths and weaknesses in this area are yet. Physical Theatre: To even further challenge myself I decided to direct my play as a physical theatre performance. I chose this theatre practice because I felt like it would most

powerfully convey my message; storytelling through physicality the main characteristic of physical theatre suited the story which I had already established. It also felt like one of the only theatre practices which, due to its lack of realism and the possibility for abstract/ symbolic choreography, could sensitively yet effectively communicate the scene in which Medusa is raped by Poseidon without offending the audience or shocking them too much. I would not want to do this because the primary focus of my theme is the aftermath of that event, and otherwise the audience would be stuck in the shock-factor of the crime itself. Consequently, I am taking on one of the biggest challenges I have ever faced in this theatre course, as I have never choreographed anything this physical before.

3. Whats the take away?

d. What are your aims and objectives for the performance? In the past, my biggest problems usually stemmed from my idealistic, and consequently unrealistically mindset in the planning process. My personal objective for this performance is to really concentrate on the quality of the performance, and in order to be able realize my vision for the show, I will need to keep it simple. I will make sure it is not too lengthy nor overcomplicated in choreography or design, this way I can really focus on shaping my performance into a really powerful piece that communicates my message effectively.

4. Whats the style?

e. What is the style of your performance? (think theatre practice, genre, etc.) Physical Theatre in the style of Jacques Lecoq: I chose to direct in the style of Lecoq because I very much liked what I read about his teaching style, because it was aimed at nurturing the creativity of the performer, as opposed to giving them a codied set of skills (Callery, 2001). This is also appropriate for me because I lack experience in physical theatre skills, and the three principal skills that Lecoq taught, le jeu (playfulness), complicit (togetherness) and disponibilit (openness)(Murray, 2003), seem perfect for connecting with my actors, whom I do not know very well yet. I also found that Lecoq has a plethora of training activities which could be very useful for me in the process of rehearsing with my actors. f. Who is the performance for? Secondary students and teachers. g. Why? Because my piece handles themes that may be too mature for a young audience. Not only would it inappropriate, but it is also important that I have an audience that can sympathise with my main character and intellectually engage with the themes presented.

5. How did the DP Theatre course as a whole inuence your IP?

As mentioned before, I will try to be more realistic when designing my performance, as past IB performances often failed to live up to my idealistic expectations. In my portfolio I will also try to ensure that all my decisions are underpinned by research, since that was mentioned in

feedback from a lot of previous assessments. Furthermore, I will try to record reections throughout the process instead of just at the end, since that is an adjustment that I had to make going from MYP to DP and still sometimes have difculty with. References Callery, D. (2001). Through the Body: A Practical Guide to Physical Theatre. London: Nick Hern Books. Murray, S. (2003). Jacques Lecoq. New York: Routlegde.