On Wednesday 17th March, my group performed the play "Adult Child/Dead Child" which was written by Claire Dowie (option 2: an acting piece); the design of the play is physical theatre. "Adult Child/Deceased Child" explores many styles and issues such as: child mistreatment (negligence), isolation and mental illness (schizophrenia). The play is set in contemporary time, over the course of a year or two, as the play uses the life span of the unnamed main figure. The play is defined in Britain; however, even the start location is unspecified, it is later revealed that the family in "Adult Child/Dead Child" move to London, where in fact the remaining play takes place.
In short, "Mature Child/Dead Child" is about a person suffering from schizophrenia; the start of the play portrays the main character (who is nameless, and does not have a particular gender) as a young child, who explains to the audience about their isolation and their lack of love, how they feel overlooked by their parents towards their perfect angelic sister. The kid often recounts in fear how they would be punished by being locked in a cupboard. As the kid matures, an alter ego emerges by the name of Benji, as a result of the main character's schizophrenia. 'Benji' triggers the child to terribly misbehave, 'her' actions little by little becoming more sinister, climaxing with the key character reaching their daddy around the head with a hammer. The kid is now a teenager, and is also hospitalised, only being went to once by their family. Then they move into a hostel, where they socialize, then re-locate into a flat of their own, whilst fighting 'Benji'. The play concludes with a visibly notably happier "child"; however, the child is currently all grown up. The main identity has defeated "Benji's" haunting presence, and buys a dog. The dog is known as Lady (known as after the only adult who ever before exhibited the "child" love), and along the now grown-up child lives in tranquility using their dog. The play was first performed on the 5th June 1987 at Finborough Theatre Club, London; the play was at first performed as stand-up theatre (only one actor works the piece) and was (and still is) non gender specific.
In "Adult Child/Dead Child" I enjoyed several roles: as the "child", as Benji, as the "child's" perfect sister, as the "child's" mother, and as part of an ensemble playing the "child's" turmoil. As the style of the play is physical theater, my group investigated physical theater on the Internet, in order to make sure that we could incorporate physical theatre into our play whenever you can. We also got lots of substantial insight from our drama teachers.
I am comparing "Adult Child/Dead Child" with a play called "Still I Grow" by Maya Angelou, written in 1978. "Still I Surge" can be interpreted in two different ways: one is about the subjugation of dark-colored people, and it speaks about how precisely even though their contest has, but still is repeatedly exposure to terrible serves of racism and prejudice, still their race will stand pleased. The other would be that the poem is talking about women's rights, and how eventually, woman will triumph in their quest for equality. The themes and issues of "Still I Grow" include self-respect, perseverance and defiance; the design of the poem is metaphorical. Maya Angelou was born on the 4th April 1928, and throughout her life has written several poems and autobiographies; most of Angelou's publications have the operating theme of racism.
In "Adult Child/Dead Child" there are several heroes: the "child", the child's family (mother, dad and sister), a professor called Mr. Kent, a hostel employee called Peter, and undoubtedly, the "child's" alter-ego Benji. The folks in "Adult Child/Dead Child" are of varying age ranges, as throughout the play, we start to see the child transition from stressed child to content adult. The other heroes in the play don't have a specified era, nonetheless it is not implied that the character types are elderly. Generally, as the heroes in "Adult Child/Dead Child" have the ability to find the money for moving to London and purchasing an apartment there (as explained in the play by the child, where they exhibit their doubt at moving to a fresh place) it is implied that the people aren't poor; so they could be ranked as middle class. The connections that intertwine these characters are that of being relatives and buddies. The relationship between the child and Benji is strikingly evident - they are the same person. In "Still I Rise", it could be assumed that the group of men and women who the poem is on behalf of are of all age groups. As "Still I Rise" could be about black people and their have difficulty out of slavery and into equality, the people in the poem are likely relatively poor and of a working-class backdrop (as the poem is describing the time where black people were struggling for individual privileges). The connections between the people in "Still I Climb" is made on their epidermis color. If "Still I Climb" had been interpreted as being about women, then again all the ladies would be united by their gender and low position, whilst their age ranges would change.
Already, we can easily see similarities between "Mature Child/Deceased Child" and "Still I Rise". Both bits purposefully exclude any explicit information about age and social position (excluding the situation of the child in the play, as their age ranges are recorded). This is so as to unite the character types into one "body"; in "Adult Child/Dead Child", by excluding much information about the backdrop characters, they are portrayed as being one power, one unit, thus appealing to less attention towards themselves plus more attention towards the kid. In "Still I Rise", there can be an opposite impact: rather than appealing to less attention (as regarding the play), in the poem, more attention is paid to the explained people and their plight. Also, all the individuals in both bits are united alongside one another by strong bonds of blood, companionship, gender and skin colour. However, there is also a difference between your two: whereas in "Adult Child/Deceased Child" the heroes are of middle-class status, in "Still I Rise", the folks are working-class. This succeeds in highlighting the down sides faced by dark-colored people several years ago, and how they were extremely disadvantaged by their epidermis colour and financial position in a time of severe prejudice and discrimination.
Although no explicit reference point is made about religion in "Adult Child/Deceased Child", we can probably assume that the personas are Religious. The nationality of the people can again probably be English as there exists nothing in the play suggesting otherwise. These characteristics did not specifically influence our portrayal of the play, as the culture of the people is not especially stated in the play. In "Still I Rise" however, culture performs a much larger role. As the people described are dark-colored, their nationality is most likely African-American, whilst their religion would be Christian. Even if the poem was about women, their nationality and faith would be the same. Obviously, nationality is a simple factor in the poem; without the issue of the ethnicity of folks detailed in the poem, there would have been no reason to create it. Therefore, people in the poem are significantly influenced by their nationality, as it automatically changes people's perceptions about them, and makes them want to be negative towards them "You might shoot me along with you words, you might slice me with your eyes, you may get rid of me with your hatefulness" this extract shows the type of behaviour dark people/black women were required to endure from other people. Despite the fact that all the character types in both bits share their Religious faith, they change greatly. In "Adult Child/Deceased Child" the character types are white and British, and face no prejudice; in "Still I Rise" people are black and African-American, and are constantly discriminated against.
"Adult Child/Deceased Child" is presumably occur contemporary amount of time in England (specifically London later on in the play). In 1908, a scientist known as Eugen Bleuler coined the term "schizophrenia" to describe the separation of function between personality, considering, memory and notion. This "discovery" of the mental illness significantly comes with an impact on the theme of isolation in the play. If schizophrenia had not been officiated back in 1908, then maybe the child would not thought as if these folks were being forced to move out of their home and become hospitalised and designed to visit a psychiatrist. However, as the condition was indeed discovered and it is revealed that the child has it, an additional wedge is manufactured between them and their family "I sat in my own bedsit, sat in my own bedsit, and slowly but surely, went mad in my bedsit". This extract describes how together the kid was, and how this isolation slowly began to drive the kid crazy. "Still I Surge" was written and publicized in 1978 and was set in the United States of America (where the poet was born and lived her life). Historically, the USA was most likely the most detrimental country in conditions of racism; dark individuals were persecuted, treated horribly because of their colour, and frequently lost out to white people in conditions of right and benefits. This tough treatment of dark people in america most definitely possessed a huge effect on Maya Angelou, and influenced her to create the poem. "Up from a recent that's rooted in pain, I climb, I'm a dark-colored sea, leaping and vast, welling and bloating I keep in the tide, abandoning nights of terror and fear". This extract shows that despite the difficulties confronted by dark people because of their colour, they are still driven to "rise again" and struggle for their individuals rights. Be aware the expression "Back up from a past that's rooted in pain"; this is discussing the past of the united states, and how it is marred by its well publicised racism/discrimination towards dark people. Angelou is saying that despite her and her country's history to be "rooted in pain" she'll still rise above it and gain equality.
The style of "Adult Child/Dead Child" was physical theater. Many moments in our play conveyed this style across to the audience; a particular example would maintain the scene where in fact the child first mentions the dreaded cupboard. As punishment, the child would often be locked in a cupboard of some sort by their parents; the child hated this cupboard, probably since it was dark and small. The cupboard will serve as a metaphor for the child's isolation, and exactly how they are take off from the others of their family product by this cupboard. "And the cupboard, the cupboard under the stairsthere was the cupboard, the cupboard under the stairs, dark, silent, claustrophobic". As the child was saying these lines, all of those other group would actually serve to use out systems to help make the cupboard: two people would be kneeling down (aspect to the audience) and each would be holding out horizontally in front of them an extended white pole. Next, there would be two different people (also side on to the audience) reverse to the two kneeling people. Each one would contain the other end of the pole; this would result in their being two sloping white poles, hence representing the "triangle" shape of a cupboard within the stairs. The child would be sitting down underneath this cupboard (facing the audience), whilst the rest of the two stars would be located (also facing the audience) behind the child, and next to the people at the back of the cupboard (one kneeling, one status). This is a perfect exemplory case of us adding physical theatre into our part to bring inanimate items to life, thus magnifying the child's terror.
The style of "Still I Go up" is a metaphorical poem "THAT WE party like I've acquired diamonds at the getting together with of my thighs?" Using the jewel analogy, Angelou is referring to herself as a female, a human woman who is no different than other woman just because of her pores and skin colour. "You may trod me in the dirt, but still, like dirt, I'll climb" this draw out again, is utilizing a metaphor. Dust is nearly always on the ground, for this has been trodden on, completely disregarded, and is undoubtedly filth, always being cleared up. Angelou is wanting to say that she won't be cared for in the same disrespectful way as dirt, and that she'll "climb" and redeem herself. Both bits have similarities, as they both contains metaphors. In "Adult Child/Deceased Child", the cupboard is a metaphor for the child's imprisonment by their schizophrenia, and their isolation using their company family and peers, whilst in "Still I Go up" metaphors are being used to spell it out how black people intent to equalise themselves with white people. However, there are variations; in "Adult Child/Dead Child" the cupboard metaphor has negative connotations to it, as the cupboard is reflective of the child's loneliness and fear. "Still I Surge" is completely different, as the metaphors in the poem are positive, because they are about change, and how black people are receiving braver, more courageous, plus more determined to combat racism.
To conclude, I've learnt a lot of things throughout my time organizing and performing "Adult Child/Dead Child". Firstly, I have learnt how amazing physical theatre is, and how to use it more regularly; I assume that by performing a bit in the style of physical theatre, it has greatly helped extend the way I think in terms of creativity, and hopefully has urged me to believe more actually and "from the box", helping me think of new ideas somewhat than keeping the same old safer alternatives. Also, I have once again found that employed in a team is the most efficient and progressive way to get things done; insurance agencies a variety of ideas, and incorporating different kinds of considering into one idea will usually produce amazing results. As an actress, I think that my line-learning skills have greatly improved upon - there really is nothing much better than just exercising reading the lines again and again; as a group, we all tried learning our lines in early stages in the rehearsal process, and found that this greatly relieved pressure, as well as leaving us with a much longer amount of time to master our play and do any fine tuning. Also, by reading the script of the play, Personally i think that I know more about schizophrenia; it is not merely the illness in which people hear voices in their head and go crazy, but it is a lifelong condition where people feel isolated, neglected, saddened, and feel guilty when they unwillingly cause pain to prospects around them.
Comparing this play with "Still I Go up" has helped me analyse our play into a lot more depth and aspect, and has helped me realize how much in keeping the two pieces have together, like the vagueness of fine detail (which succeed in unifying the personas as a single body, drawing attention to the styles and issues explored in both pieces), and the torment confronted by the people. I have also learned about the variances, such as whilst the child is schizophrenic which is fighting their own interior demons, the dark people of the united states in 1978 where fighting with each other a more violent struggle; one for the right of being acknowledged as a individual. Hopefully, in comparing and contrasting these two bits, I am that little more wiser, and have learnt a lot more about the racism endured by the dark-colored people in America; this new found knowledge will greatly gain me in years to come, and I am glad that through contrasting "Adult Child/Deceased Child" and "Still I Grow" I am a more experienced actress and a more enlightened person.
