Up Stage Junior School Performing Arts Project Up Stage - The Concept Up Stage - JS Production Elements, was launched Some of the most enjoyable and interesting in June 2020 as a dramatic arts program inclusive creative techniques and tricks students learnt to all budding performing arts students from Years during the workshops have been included in each 3 to 6. category introduction. Students were invited to submit either a All applications were carefully assessed by our monologue, a stage, costume or make-up design, a acclaimed team of theatre professional judges. poster or the first page of a dramatic opening scene JS Production has always attracted much interest for a play. Students were invited to enter as many from students, and Up Stage was a wonderful way categories as they liked, and each category was to learn about all facets of the performing arts. This judged by a performing arts industry professional. exciting project expanded students’ understanding of the industry and igniting passion through a fun To help students understand the process of these and enjoyable process. essential elements of drama, we offered after- school workshops for students to learn about Abbotsleigh Junior School is delighted to publish backstage creative design and ideas, which are all entries as an e-book for students and families crucial to making actors shine on stage. Several to enjoy. opportunities were on offer, all exploring the different aspects of the performing arts through either writing, marketing or design. The Categories 1 Minute Monologue Opening Scene Poster Design A monologue is a speech presented by a of a Script Posters need to advertise a professionally single character. Most often the character produced play, show or musical. Include the The opening scene or moment in a play expresses their thoughts, feelings, ideas, play’s title and details of the event (students needs to hook the audience from the get-go wants, needs, or story out loud or to address can choose any theatre in Australia to stage by generating curiosity and/or teaser that another character or the audience. The their chosen performance). leaves the audience wanting more. monologue should be limited to one page and can be any character type on any theme. Remember, a monologue is in first person narrative. Make-up Design Costume Design Stage Design Theatrical make-up is used to assist in Design a costume for a production or The backdrop or set of a show helps the creating the appearance of a character musical. Think of the time period, style, audience know the location or setting that the actor portrays during a theatre colours, and character type. You can either of the scene. Think about the forest in A production. Students may choose any dress in the costume and photograph, draw Midsummer Night’s Dream, or the emerald musical or show and design a character’s or use digital software. city in Wicked. Create a brilliant set design makeup. This can either be applied and for any production or musical of your choice. photographed, drawn or painted (make-up templets are acceptable), or using digital software. Monologues were of great interest in the workshops. Below are some of the monologue features girls were taught. A monologue is a form of theatrical entertainment performed by a single actor. A monologue is dialogue presented by a single character. Often a monologue will express the characters inner thoughts and feelings aloud, to themselves, to another character or directly to the audience, providing insight into the character. Active Monologues vs. Narrative Monologues MAKE1 MINUTE UP There are generally two kinds of monologues that writers and playwrights can utilise. MONOLOGUEDESIGN An active monologue is one that has the character using it as a way to take action or achieve a goal — whether it’s to change someone’s mind, convince them of something/to do something, or to communicate a specific point of view that the character has. A narrative monologue usually entails a character telling a story, often in past tense. These monologues often use such a story as an analogy to the actual conflict and situation within the script’s events, or as a way to explain how a character came to be the way they are or will be. Monologues are like stories within the story you’re trying to tell. They should have a general beginning, middle, and end. Monologues need to be peppered with small twists, turns, and revelations or have each and every line portray the ultimate impact of what the character is trying to accomplish. When writing a monologue, think about who am I? Where am I? What do I want? How will I get it? Why do I have to have this conversation now? How will my story Meet our judge for effect or change the listener? 1 Minute Monologue • Knowing your goal or motivation helps keep a monologue on track. • Obstacles helps keep tension in a monologue. Mr John Larkin • Character arch or change is useful too, don’t play the whole emotion from beginning to end, change emotions, take the listener on a journey. Who better to have judge • Know who you are talking too. our monologues, than one of Abbotsleighs favourite authors, Monologues can be in any character voice; a pirate, princess, cowgirl, sports Mr John Larkin. John writes and star, movie star, robot, old lady, robber, police officer, detective, clown, musician, teaches writing full-time. He has a teacher, student, animals’ perspective, knight, doctor, race car driver, etc. BA in English Literature and a MA Girls were asked to think … who are you talking too? A stowaway, prince, a raging in Creative Writing from Macquarie bull, a town sheriff, a director, a space alien, old man, another robber, a police University. John has conducted Sargent, an animal, the audience? creative writing workshops at Abbotsleigh as part of our Abbschool What do you want? Steal the treasure, rob the bank, solve a crime, train an animal, program and Gifted and Talented fly to the moon, make a friend, borrow something, say goodbye, have a party? program. He is a welcome face and regular at the Abbotsleigh Most important, its not a narrative in third person, it’s a character talking. Write a Literary Festivals. monologue the way the character would speak. John’s The Shadow Girl won the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards Prize for Writing for Young Adults 2012, and The Pause won the Queensland Literary Awards Griffith University Young Adult Book Award 2015. He is also the author of Spaghetti Legs and Ghost Byte.Byte. Abbotsleigh Junior School Performing Arts Project 1 MINUTE MONOLOGUE WINNER 1 MINUTE MONOLOGUE Neomi Verma 5D Feathery Fluster Judge’s comment “I enjoyed all the monologues but Feathery Neomi Verma 5D Fluster stuck out because it was funny yet also Feathery Fluster a little sad. I found the chicken’s naivety as to what her fate would be if she started laying (Pacing) Those evil giants, why do they ruin everything! I am sick and tired of pushing rotting eggs rather touching. out eggs day after day, after day! (snaps her head around to see the other chicken eating chicken feed out of a bowl) Honestly Lucy, can’t you stop worrying about your abnormally Congratulations to all. large stomach and stop pecking for a second. We are forced to lay eggs! It’s like you don’t even care! (pause) Write on!” What? You think that we were designed to make eggs for humans? That’s insane, what about vegans?! We’re biologically born to lay eggs. Well yes, I know that, but who says we must? It hurts you know! Maybe I don’t want to lay around the barn all day, Lucy, producing and producing so that humans can have their eggs poached, fried, scrambled or boiled. I have dreams, you know. What dreams? Well, I’ve never told anyone before but.... I want to be a tightrope walker. There, I’ve said it. Mum and dad never believed in me, but I’ve been practising secretly behind the barn. I pecked a hole into the wall and stuck a long bamboo stick into it. I balanced it on an old box, and I’ve been practising ever since. You want to see? Well, I mean, I’ve never showed anyone before but ok.... (does an extravagant balancing act on stick before doing a little bow to finish) I could join a circus with that act! I would be the first chicken tightrope walker in the southern hemisphere! Hey, I know what we need to do, we need to take vengeance. (looks back behind her) Okay, let’s see what we’ve got. How to lay eggs properly. Oh, bother I don’t want to do that. Never produce rotten eggs, urgh what good would that.... gasps( ) I could produce rotten eggs on purpose, they’d never want me after that! (pause then sighs) Lucy, nothing you or anyone else says is going to stop me. I’ll escape once they don’t want me anymore, and then when that circus comes to town, I’ll be the first one on the list. pause( ) What do you mean? of course they won’t punish me for more eggs, they would probably just let me go. Yes, Lucy, I’m convinced that it’s the perfect plan! Circus Here I Come. Abbotsleigh Junior School Performing Arts Project 1 MINUTE MONOLOGUE Entries Bonnie McInerney 6D Inara Ahmed 4G Imaginary friends aren’t cool Cinderella Monologue Key: to be acted by one person switching from left to right between Jacob and Imaginary friend Yes, Madame, I will get it done by sunset.