10th May - Props and Costume

10th May
As a group we discussed set, props and costume needed for our piece; we had to decide what was a realistic idea and what wasn't and wouldn't work.

Definite props that we have are:

The dress - To symbolise her tiny figure (focusing on the waist mainly) and to use during the flashback of her anorexic past.

Lectern - For Imogen as the narrator, so it looks like she is really telling the story especially during the flashback.

Clothes Rail - To use as a clothes rail to hang up some clothes including the dress. Also used as a mirror during the flashback scene.

Props we still need to get:

Some form of sweet / chocolaty food - This will be used in the taunting scene to tease Stacey (played by me).

2 Jumpers - Different sizes - 1 Large jumper for Emily (my reflection) to wear and look baggy, another smaller jumper of the same style to look fitted. These jumpers will then be switched during the performance so Emily ends up warning the fitted one and me the baggy one (trying to cover up the characters deteriorating figure).

An underskirt - In Emily's Possession, just need to be brought into school - To try and focus the in on the wait on the dress to make an illusion that it is a lot smaller that it really is (because it is portraying a size 4 dress).

Props we may be using:

Doll and Dress - For Courtney to use at the beginning of the performance to symbolise my character - We may not be doing this scene, therefore we may not need this prop.

The only problem in our group is using the skeleton. We dont want to make it funny and amusing as it is to be informative and serious. We also dont want to make it creepy and make people feel uncomfortable as they are doing us a favour being an sensible audience. Anorexia is a very serious social issue and we want to adress it in a sensitive mature way. We don't want to hit a nerve for one of the members of the audience and need to be responsible and work out what is the best idea with the audience in mind. When using props we need to consider how the actors work with props and interact with them. If they laugh we can then challenge them to this during the workshop. We need to think about the way we enter the room and adapt to the props in a proffesional way.