I really liked our opening scene; I think singing followed by the Narrator's speech helped to really introduce the Joad family, create an atmosphere as well as set the scene for the time period.
Thursday, 5 December 2013
The Opening Scene
I really liked our opening scene; I think singing followed by the Narrator's speech helped to really introduce the Joad family, create an atmosphere as well as set the scene for the time period.
Scene Analysis: Al leaving
Al leaving, pg103-104
Al is one of the few Joads remaining towards the very end. He now has hopes of leaving the family as there is much use for him any more whereas on his own, he can jump for so many more opportunities, however he wouldn't have to jump alone as he has met and fallen in love with Aggie Wainwright, more seriously than with girls before her, and now has the life experience bringing about more maturity to Al so he too can be serious in the relationship.
Al enters the Family's newest home with:
"Hullo.I thought you'd be sleepin' by now."
At first, I thought Al would say this cautiously however Al actually enters with power and confidence, a 'swagger', much like his first ever entrance. Al has hopes of leaving the Family and so this line shows he would have hoped his Family weren't all wake to create a scene because he still feels they think as strongly of the Family as he did at the beginning (but for them they see the Family's deteriorated aswell). However he is eager to talk to them as he takes clear pride in his decision.
Al then has to explain his decision to the Family:
"Well, me an' Aggie Wainwright, we figgers to get married, an' I'm gunna git a job in a garage, an' we'll have a rent' house for a while, an'--(They stare at him.) Well, we are, an' they ain't nobody can stop us!"
The speech truly reminds me of the Al at the beginning of the play, although Al is rarely sad through out, here he doesn't have a worry in the world and looks to a much brighter future. He has a new found Happiness within Aggie, aswell as new ambitious and confidence, not through power, but through the sure future with Aggie and the likely-hood of settling down.
The Family are proud of their son doing the right thing for himself and letting the Joad name move on but Ma begs that Al stays for awhile longer but he knows what's right for him and what he needs, so he tries to move around her asking.
Al is one of the few Joads remaining towards the very end. He now has hopes of leaving the family as there is much use for him any more whereas on his own, he can jump for so many more opportunities, however he wouldn't have to jump alone as he has met and fallen in love with Aggie Wainwright, more seriously than with girls before her, and now has the life experience bringing about more maturity to Al so he too can be serious in the relationship.
Al enters the Family's newest home with:
"Hullo.I thought you'd be sleepin' by now."
At first, I thought Al would say this cautiously however Al actually enters with power and confidence, a 'swagger', much like his first ever entrance. Al has hopes of leaving the Family and so this line shows he would have hoped his Family weren't all wake to create a scene because he still feels they think as strongly of the Family as he did at the beginning (but for them they see the Family's deteriorated aswell). However he is eager to talk to them as he takes clear pride in his decision.
Al then has to explain his decision to the Family:
"Well, me an' Aggie Wainwright, we figgers to get married, an' I'm gunna git a job in a garage, an' we'll have a rent' house for a while, an'--(They stare at him.) Well, we are, an' they ain't nobody can stop us!"
The speech truly reminds me of the Al at the beginning of the play, although Al is rarely sad through out, here he doesn't have a worry in the world and looks to a much brighter future. He has a new found Happiness within Aggie, aswell as new ambitious and confidence, not through power, but through the sure future with Aggie and the likely-hood of settling down.
The Family are proud of their son doing the right thing for himself and letting the Joad name move on but Ma begs that Al stays for awhile longer but he knows what's right for him and what he needs, so he tries to move around her asking.
Scene Analysis: BookKeeper Scene
BookKeeper Scene, pg 91
The BookKeeper scene takes part during Act two when Al has lost the majority of his power, and by this point his family too, meaning that has little to aim for except from to be optimistic and try and get with girls like he's used to doing, where ever he happens to be in the country.
Tom wants to find out why there are strikers around the store and asks Al if he'll join to which Al's reply is:
"Guess I'd look aroun' in here, first."
Expanding on my earlier point, Al is bored of moving around the country, especially now that the Family have reached their goal of California; at this point Al is thinking about new goals, settling down again and getting a piece of land for the Family like they've briefly talked about through out the play, or even getting land and a Family of his very own. Al would hope for the meantime to spend more time in one place and isn't too sure that the Book shop will be that place so isn't worth him wasting his time doing a great deal of exploring like Tom. However Al may keep an eye out for girls, like usual, hoping to for fill his greater goal of settling.
Tom later asks Al again to which he replies similarly further showing his boredom, he doesn't try to change or hide his views, his ambitions are very different to the start of the piece and now he is set in his ways. Tom replies:
"Lookin' for girls, huh?"
Which is quite patronising for Al; he is bored and restless yet what's left of his Family, which meant alot to Al at the start of the play (but like most things has deteriorated through out), is insulting him and making him out to be a 'man slut'. It is more patronising coming from Tom as Al sees him to blame for the deterioration of most those things close to him at the start of the play which is why he snaps back with:
"Mindin' my own business."
Then Al "moves off" stage.
Later in the the Book store Tom further slates Al:
"Take my brother Al. He's out lookin' for a girl. He don' care 'bout nothin' else."
I believe this signifies, aswell as other comments in Act two, the brotherly jealousy feeling is now mutual between the two characters.
The BookKeeper scene takes part during Act two when Al has lost the majority of his power, and by this point his family too, meaning that has little to aim for except from to be optimistic and try and get with girls like he's used to doing, where ever he happens to be in the country.
Tom wants to find out why there are strikers around the store and asks Al if he'll join to which Al's reply is:
"Guess I'd look aroun' in here, first."
Expanding on my earlier point, Al is bored of moving around the country, especially now that the Family have reached their goal of California; at this point Al is thinking about new goals, settling down again and getting a piece of land for the Family like they've briefly talked about through out the play, or even getting land and a Family of his very own. Al would hope for the meantime to spend more time in one place and isn't too sure that the Book shop will be that place so isn't worth him wasting his time doing a great deal of exploring like Tom. However Al may keep an eye out for girls, like usual, hoping to for fill his greater goal of settling.
Tom later asks Al again to which he replies similarly further showing his boredom, he doesn't try to change or hide his views, his ambitions are very different to the start of the piece and now he is set in his ways. Tom replies:
"Lookin' for girls, huh?"
Which is quite patronising for Al; he is bored and restless yet what's left of his Family, which meant alot to Al at the start of the play (but like most things has deteriorated through out), is insulting him and making him out to be a 'man slut'. It is more patronising coming from Tom as Al sees him to blame for the deterioration of most those things close to him at the start of the play which is why he snaps back with:
"Mindin' my own business."
Then Al "moves off" stage.
Later in the the Book store Tom further slates Al:
"Take my brother Al. He's out lookin' for a girl. He don' care 'bout nothin' else."
I believe this signifies, aswell as other comments in Act two, the brotherly jealousy feeling is now mutual between the two characters.
Scene Analysis: Ma and Al
Ma and Al, pg35
This scene takes place straight after Grampa's funeral however we can assume it is about two or three weeks after.
The lights go up as "Al cocks his head as he drives"; after rehersing this I putting the stage direction into context, I feel as if it represents Al's restlessness after the loss of his Grampa, it is the first real tragedy for Al and as he is only sixteen, it really takes a knock to him; for this scene he drops the pride and 'swagger' for a while and shows his maturity as he is a young adult and considered responsible, especially for the time period. Although he is restless, he still makes small talk as he wants to move on, being emotional wasn't considered 'Manly' in the 1930s:
"Makes a racket, but I think she's awright."
Al chooses the truck as topic of conversation as it is something he can take pride in and feels comfortable talking about, especially to take his mind away from Grampa. The fact that he is talking to his Mum is also significant as he too can find comfort in her, Ma even realises this and say that the Family "all depen' on" her.
Al then suggests the Family "shouldn't a brang that preacher". This is because Casey is a direct link to Tom whom Al is quickly developing a brotherly jealousy against; Tom's return means Al is being moved down in the Family hierarchy and is loosing his power and position of 'Man of the House' (Not helped as they have been removed from their house), and so Al thinks without Casey, Tom may not be as strong or influential, as the Family is strongly religious. However Ma feels differently and her word means that that topic is no longer conversation.
From the start of the performance we see Al is doubtful about California, and this opinion is really expressed during this scene:
"Ma, you scared a goin' to a new place?"
The trip to California is two and a half thousand miles long and it is really going to be Al to blame if the Family don't 'get across' as he picked the truck and so takes responsibility for it. Even though Ma says otherwise, Al sticks to what he's said and continues showing his strong belief. Al's dialogue in this scene is highly influenced by the loss of Grampa; his doubts are amplified and he realises that maybe California itself won't be so great, the trip has already brought death and tragedy to the Family but due to his deteriorating power and restlessness, Al can't voice his opinions aswell as his may have been able too previously.
Through this scene, there is little movement which conveys the character's emotions perfectly however when Al does move, it's to comfort Ma showing his sympathy and love as her child which is nice for the audience to be able to see and also shows their relationship.
This scene takes place straight after Grampa's funeral however we can assume it is about two or three weeks after.
The lights go up as "Al cocks his head as he drives"; after rehersing this I putting the stage direction into context, I feel as if it represents Al's restlessness after the loss of his Grampa, it is the first real tragedy for Al and as he is only sixteen, it really takes a knock to him; for this scene he drops the pride and 'swagger' for a while and shows his maturity as he is a young adult and considered responsible, especially for the time period. Although he is restless, he still makes small talk as he wants to move on, being emotional wasn't considered 'Manly' in the 1930s:
"Makes a racket, but I think she's awright."
Al chooses the truck as topic of conversation as it is something he can take pride in and feels comfortable talking about, especially to take his mind away from Grampa. The fact that he is talking to his Mum is also significant as he too can find comfort in her, Ma even realises this and say that the Family "all depen' on" her.
Al then suggests the Family "shouldn't a brang that preacher". This is because Casey is a direct link to Tom whom Al is quickly developing a brotherly jealousy against; Tom's return means Al is being moved down in the Family hierarchy and is loosing his power and position of 'Man of the House' (Not helped as they have been removed from their house), and so Al thinks without Casey, Tom may not be as strong or influential, as the Family is strongly religious. However Ma feels differently and her word means that that topic is no longer conversation.
From the start of the performance we see Al is doubtful about California, and this opinion is really expressed during this scene:
"Ma, you scared a goin' to a new place?"
The trip to California is two and a half thousand miles long and it is really going to be Al to blame if the Family don't 'get across' as he picked the truck and so takes responsibility for it. Even though Ma says otherwise, Al sticks to what he's said and continues showing his strong belief. Al's dialogue in this scene is highly influenced by the loss of Grampa; his doubts are amplified and he realises that maybe California itself won't be so great, the trip has already brought death and tragedy to the Family but due to his deteriorating power and restlessness, Al can't voice his opinions aswell as his may have been able too previously.
Through this scene, there is little movement which conveys the character's emotions perfectly however when Al does move, it's to comfort Ma showing his sympathy and love as her child which is nice for the audience to be able to see and also shows their relationship.
Scene Analysis: The Family scene
The Family scene, pg20-21
This scene establishes many of the character's relationships, especially with the family.
The Family scene is Al's first appearance in the production; he is previously talked about in the scene as "a young smart aleck" so before he even enters, the audience are given a good impression of him. He is also said to have been "a-billy goatin' aroun'" implying he has a way with women which, in the way Pa phrases it, can be protray as either good or bad by the audience. When Al enters, he walks "with a swagger" which shows his pride; pride in himself and in his status as 'Man of the House' amongst the family (although this is to change as Tom as returned from Jail). He may also be taking pride in his "billy goatin'". When Al first replies to his brother, he seems blunt and uses monosyllabic words, at first I thought this was because he doesn't want his position in the family hierarchy to change due to Tom's return however after developing the character since then I've realised Al wouldn't realise that so soon, especially not after being away from the Family for two weeks, and so believe it's out of shock and happiness that his brother's home; these emotions would come from the fact that Al believes Tom has busted out of Jail, which is admired by all of the Joad Family. This is why Al is "disappointed" when he finds out otherwise and so moves away from his brother showing that he isn't too interested in Tom besides the prison reputation, possibly hinting towards the distant relationship to come. At this point Al moves towards the truck for a quick look over as I thought it'd be a good way to show his character, being a mechanic and taking pride over the truck and alittle bit possessive.
Al interacts with Winfield instantly and takes his chair showing the higher level of authority and power, yet is not more central at the table as there are guests and as he was late to dinner, he feels no need to make a fuss (little knowing that his power will soon deteriorate). Al then ruffles Winfield's hair showing their caring brotherly relationship. When Noah, who suffers a mental disability, laughs alittle too loud, Al calms him and makes sure he's alright which shows him as a caring brother but also subliminally suppresses Noah's personality meaning Al can take more power for himself.
Later in conversation Pa nods "at Al" showing his inclusion in the big family decisions and rank in the family. Then Winfield goes to take Al's plate when cleaning up, but Al shoves him off as he was late to dinner and wants to eat, especially as he is "wore out" from "billy goatin' aroun'" but soon Uncle John asks for Al's help, further including Al in the family affairs but still wants to eat. Despite this, Al looks up to Uncle John and so feels obliged to give a hand. Al then makes Noah tag along too knowing he has a similar influence over Noah.
This scene establishes many of the character's relationships, especially with the family.
The Family scene is Al's first appearance in the production; he is previously talked about in the scene as "a young smart aleck" so before he even enters, the audience are given a good impression of him. He is also said to have been "a-billy goatin' aroun'" implying he has a way with women which, in the way Pa phrases it, can be protray as either good or bad by the audience. When Al enters, he walks "with a swagger" which shows his pride; pride in himself and in his status as 'Man of the House' amongst the family (although this is to change as Tom as returned from Jail). He may also be taking pride in his "billy goatin'". When Al first replies to his brother, he seems blunt and uses monosyllabic words, at first I thought this was because he doesn't want his position in the family hierarchy to change due to Tom's return however after developing the character since then I've realised Al wouldn't realise that so soon, especially not after being away from the Family for two weeks, and so believe it's out of shock and happiness that his brother's home; these emotions would come from the fact that Al believes Tom has busted out of Jail, which is admired by all of the Joad Family. This is why Al is "disappointed" when he finds out otherwise and so moves away from his brother showing that he isn't too interested in Tom besides the prison reputation, possibly hinting towards the distant relationship to come. At this point Al moves towards the truck for a quick look over as I thought it'd be a good way to show his character, being a mechanic and taking pride over the truck and alittle bit possessive.
Al interacts with Winfield instantly and takes his chair showing the higher level of authority and power, yet is not more central at the table as there are guests and as he was late to dinner, he feels no need to make a fuss (little knowing that his power will soon deteriorate). Al then ruffles Winfield's hair showing their caring brotherly relationship. When Noah, who suffers a mental disability, laughs alittle too loud, Al calms him and makes sure he's alright which shows him as a caring brother but also subliminally suppresses Noah's personality meaning Al can take more power for himself.
Later in conversation Pa nods "at Al" showing his inclusion in the big family decisions and rank in the family. Then Winfield goes to take Al's plate when cleaning up, but Al shoves him off as he was late to dinner and wants to eat, especially as he is "wore out" from "billy goatin' aroun'" but soon Uncle John asks for Al's help, further including Al in the family affairs but still wants to eat. Despite this, Al looks up to Uncle John and so feels obliged to give a hand. Al then makes Noah tag along too knowing he has a similar influence over Noah.
Evaluation of Dress Rehersal
For our Performance of John Steinbeck's 'Grapes of Wrath' we had our Dress rehearsal on the 26th November, the same day as our first performance. This was also our tech rehearsal and so alot of pressure was on; this wasn't helped by some of the members of cast not knowing lines, where and what to do, and some missing costume. Despite this there wasn't too many mistakes, the main thing that worried me was that a full run through was taking nearly four hours and so it would be ridiculous to put a production on for that long.
However the two shows went really well, I think all the doubt and worry made us on form and so we all performed well; everybody knew what to do, say and wear, and we also managed to perform within two and a half hours with a fifteen minute interval. During rehearsals, we joked that my character was always on stage but had little to say, although I found this useful for developing Al's character as it meant I had alot more time to think about movement and truely become the character. There was one scene that was nearly skipped however we improvised and from the feedback I've heard from the audience, no body had noticed. Furthermore, I really enjoyed both the performances, and rehearsal process, mostly because it was our first performance as a theatre company and I feel we were all brought closer by it.
If we were to improve, or have done something differently, I think it would have been better if the cast was better organised. I also would have liked to properly rehearsed the final rain scene as the first time we actually used water was on the night and so it was hard to judge how much to use and how much time I had to do so. Personally, if I could change my costume, I would have liked to have more boot-like shoes, because I think the pair I used may not have looked as I had thought they would; a heel on your shoes also affect your posture and so this may have helped with Al's character work, although I believe my posture still worked well.
However the two shows went really well, I think all the doubt and worry made us on form and so we all performed well; everybody knew what to do, say and wear, and we also managed to perform within two and a half hours with a fifteen minute interval. During rehearsals, we joked that my character was always on stage but had little to say, although I found this useful for developing Al's character as it meant I had alot more time to think about movement and truely become the character. There was one scene that was nearly skipped however we improvised and from the feedback I've heard from the audience, no body had noticed. Furthermore, I really enjoyed both the performances, and rehearsal process, mostly because it was our first performance as a theatre company and I feel we were all brought closer by it.
If we were to improve, or have done something differently, I think it would have been better if the cast was better organised. I also would have liked to properly rehearsed the final rain scene as the first time we actually used water was on the night and so it was hard to judge how much to use and how much time I had to do so. Personally, if I could change my costume, I would have liked to have more boot-like shoes, because I think the pair I used may not have looked as I had thought they would; a heel on your shoes also affect your posture and so this may have helped with Al's character work, although I believe my posture still worked well.
Wednesday, 4 December 2013
Character Relationships
Relationships
Al really looks up to Grampa but isn’t greatly sure why; possibly because they’re both ‘hellers’. Grampa has looked after all the kids since they were young and Al has lots of happy memories with him which is why when Grampa dies, Al is upset.
Al→Granma
Al views Granma and Grampa quite similarly although after the death of Grampa, he’s stronger when it comes to her death. They have little relationship to show because they don’t talk to each other throughout the play.
Al→Pa
Al has a good relationship with his Dad, when Tom went away they would have bonded as Al became the man of the house, and more so bonded over dealing with the truck. Although when Tom comes home, Al gets moved down in the Family hierarchy and so the relationship isn’t quite as strong.
Al→Ma
Like Pa, Al would have had a good relationship with his Mum before the return of Tom. However, when Tom returns, Ma doesn’t try to hide that she prefers Tom; even at the end of the play when Al isn’t going with the family, their last conversation is about the return of Tom, and so I think Ma and Al have quite a neutral relationship, Al still tries to do more for his Mum but there isn’t much there, she doesn’t feel the same way.
Al→Uncle John
Uncle John and Al get on really well throughout the play; they both take an interest in the truck, in women and overall Al quite likes Uncle John because their relationship doesn’t change when Tom comes home. Al looks up to him.
Al→Noah
Even though Noah is older than Al, Al was able to become the man of the house because Noah has a disability, and so Al takes more responsibility and more of a manly role than Noah. Although, they are still brothers and so Al looks out for Noah, mostly because of his disability. When Noah leaves, Al isn’t too bothered, it’s just one less responsibility, and after the death of Grampa, Al sees the family deteriorating anyway.
Al→Tom
Al is annoyed by Tom’s return. Al was always the man of house since the age of 12 and so when Tom returns, Al is really shocked he’s so easily knocked down in the Family hierarchy so quickly, especially because he’s paroled and didn’t “bust loose” like the Joads expect him too. If they wasn’t brothers, I think there would actually be a point were they’d be willing to fight each other but it’s because they’re brothers, they stick together when they need too and Al is willing to help out when Tom knocks down the Deputy.
Al→Casy
Al and Casy don’t have much of a relationship, to Al, Casy is just a friend of his brother, Tom (and he’s not even that fond of his brother anyway); Al even thinks it’s best Casy doesn’t go to California with the Joads and tries to tell his Mum this. However Al finds respect for Casy when he kicks the Deputy, but this is short lived as Casy shouts him down for hanging around, to which Al thinks he’s a “fool”.
Al→Rose of Sharon
Rose is Al’s sister, he tries to look out for her, especially with Connie, and when Grampa dies but they live very separate lives; Rose of Sharon would spend a lot of time at the River’s house whilst Al would spend a lot of time out with girls. This is why they so easily fall out when Al over hears she wants him to work for Connie in the future however when Connie leaves, Al wants to comfort his sister and feels he must for fill his brotherly role again.
Al→Connie
Al’s quite edgy around Connie, he wants the best for his sister and wont let Connie mess her around, however in act 2, after all the Family’s been through, Al doesn’t really care about Connie’s exit; he has messed Rose of Sharon about enough and Al thinks it’d be best if he was gone, and Al’s thinking of leaving the Family any way if he can find a girl.
*(Al and Connie’s relationship may now change as Jake wants to play Connie differently)
*(The new way Connie’s played is below)
Prior to the play, Al is the man of the House and so defiantly feels more power over Connie, this feeling doesn’t change even on Tom’s return. Al’s quite edgy around Connie but only to keep him in his place, this is why when he leaves, Al feels he needs to comfort Rose of Sharon; Al thinks that maybe it was partly his fault for Connie leaving the Family, that maybe Al had given him too hard a time. However Al doesn’t over think this too much because of all the Family’s been through by this point, he has bigger things to worry about and so the best he can do is be there for his sister once more.
Al→Winfield
Winfield is the youngest of the Joads. Like the rest of the siblings, Al looks out for him but Al spends little time with him as he is normally out with girls and Winfield’s alittle too young to relate. Throughout the play the two bond, over Grampa’s death, and just in general. Winfield is also another character that doesn’t view Al differently after Tom’s return (this is because he would have been too young to remember Tom before he went to jail).
Al→Al’s girl
Al and Al’s girl are in a relationship (for alittle while). He goes on about how much he loves her but really he’s more in love with her body; to him, she’s just another girl, among plenty. They talk about marriage but it’s really a false promise and this wouldn’t have been the first time Al’s promised a girl marriage and so isn’t too eager to talk about it.
Performance Pictures
This picture was taken at the beginning of the scene of Grampa's Funeral which is quite early in the play and this is the first death amongst the Joads. I previously wrote about this in a writing in role; Al becomes quite upset and emotional throughout the funeral scene as it's the first real tragedy of the play for him and it happens to be someone quite close to him. I used my facial expressions to convey this throughout, progressively becoming closer to tears.
This picture was taken during the Proprietor scene, Al has pulled Tom away from the Proprietor and possibly away from a fight. I think this really shows Al and Tom's relationship; Al isn't too fond of Tom but believes strongly in Family and so helps Tom out when it's needed.
Here shows a side to Al that isn't really shown in the play, other than at Grampa's funeral, as Man going back is explaining the deaths of his children. Al is only 16 and so can be quite emotional but he hides this because he had gained the reputation of 'Man of the house' before Tom's return and so, in the 1930s, he can't be seen as anything other than what's considered 'Manly'.
I believe this picture truly shows Al's Character: his position in the Family hierarchy, his stance and body language as a character, and his happiness, a smile showing his young, optimistic attitude towards life better explained in my Character Profile.
This photo was taken at the very end of the performance. In it, the family are moving on one final time. By this stage, we were soaked to show that we are in the midst of a major storm which is flooding their home. Where are most of the times the Joads have been moved on in the story, they haven't really been emotionally attached to the place, this time Ma says the box cars have been the nicest home she's had, which gives this scene even greater meaning. I think the fact that we were really drenched by the final moments of the play helped me to really become my character and brought us together as a cast. The emotion on our faces really shows the focus we had right to the end of the performance. I think we should have held this final moment a little bit longer to really allow the audience time to reflect on the Joad's situation and what they might move onto next, however, I liked the fact that we walked out through the audience which hopefully created a stronger exit for the final time in the play rather than just leaving the stage area as we had done for every other the scene.
Saturday, 30 November 2013
Character Profile
Al Joad
Al is a "smart-aleck sixteen-year-older" who has a way with women "Tom-cattin' himself" around the country, Tom even recognises this and says Al's "out lookin' for a girl. He don' care 'bout nothin else", Al is also a good hand with the Family Hudson. Through out the play he seems to stay pretty happy, probably because of his young optimistic attitude to depressed America and his aim for girls, compared to the rest of the characters, however he is still affected by the events and stories the Joads hear along their journey across America, sometimes more so because of his age, for example at Grampa's funeral Al was close to tears. Al holds his Family very close to him at the start of the play however this deteriorates as the play goes on; firstly Tom's return means Al isn't as well respected as he had been before in the family hierarchy, and secondly Al begins to loose his Family through death and moving away so by the end, Al doesn't feel quite so strongly about the prospect of 'Family' and so does what he sees as best for him and makes his place in the world with Aggie Wainwright (although knowing his history with girls we can't be sure how long it will last however this seems to be the first girl Al has promised marriage too and seems to be willing to actually go through with it). Al's relationships with the characters is explored on a different sheet.
Al's look was inspired by these pictures:
Al would wear a Tank top and sandy Chinos; the Tank top shows his work of engineering and fixing up the truck, it also shows off his arms to girls he's trying to impress. Chinos were also a popular leg wear in 1930s America.
Friday, 11 October 2013
Writing in Role - After Grampa's Death
Grampa, Grampa's gone. We buried him in the groun' today and I, I jus' felt like cryin', and the cryin' feelin' wouldn't go away, and I just felt like cryin' and cryin' but I couldn't cry because, no matter if Tommy's here or in McAllister, I'm still one of the men in this god damn fambly, I gotta be strong for the fambly; I mean Winfield looks up to me and well, I've been lookin' out for Rosasharn since Tommy went away, makin' sure Connie doesn't step outta line. I gotta be strong for the Fambly. Grampa was always there to make decisions and look after us but now he's gone, I guess we all just gotta step up alittle bit and make sure the family stick together. He looked after Ma when she was just a kid, and then looked after me too, he looked after all of us. Now he's gone.
I really like the accent in this video, but I think I need to show more emotion in my face and body language.
Wednesday, 9 October 2013
09/10/13
Since my last blog entry, I've spoken to Miss and have talked about how Al wouldn't like Tom's return because Al enjoys being the man of the house so this explains why he might be blunt to Tom in the first appearance, pg 20.
This lesson we've worked on movement which I felt really helped because it just made me think alittle bit more about character and I think I did well to present how Al is quite mature. I performed with Connor (Noah), which was good because even though Noah's the eldest brother, it showed that Al was the man of the House.
We also rehearsed Grampa's funeral for the first time, it reminded me of how I felt at my own Nan's funeral and so I could really relate with Al and perform as him better. I think the scene would have been better with Amanda was in lesson for her lines.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IJnLaBcfuQ
This lesson we've worked on movement which I felt really helped because it just made me think alittle bit more about character and I think I did well to present how Al is quite mature. I performed with Connor (Noah), which was good because even though Noah's the eldest brother, it showed that Al was the man of the House.
We also rehearsed Grampa's funeral for the first time, it reminded me of how I felt at my own Nan's funeral and so I could really relate with Al and perform as him better. I think the scene would have been better with Amanda was in lesson for her lines.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IJnLaBcfuQ
Writing in Role
We shouldn’t of had to leave our lan’, it’s been horrid; the dust storm and crops dying. but I guess the Fambly means a lot to me and I couldn’t split it up just yet, although, I’m getting old an’ I can’t stay with Ma an’ Pa forever; California’s gunna have a bunch of opportunities for me, some I dunno if I can afford to miss.
Havin’ Tom back, it’s a funny feelin’. He’s my brother and he’s don’ some great things but, well I dunno, he can’t just walk back into the fambly and expect it to be in the same state it was 4 years ago. I’m not 12 anymore. An’ that Rev Casey, it’s one more spot on the truck, I’m not sure if she’ll be able to handle it al’ the way. Not to mention Grama or Grampa, Grampa seemed illby the time we were leavin’. I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see.
Havin’ Tom back, it’s a funny feelin’. He’s my brother and he’s don’ some great things but, well I dunno, he can’t just walk back into the fambly and expect it to be in the same state it was 4 years ago. I’m not 12 anymore. An’ that Rev Casey, it’s one more spot on the truck, I’m not sure if she’ll be able to handle it al’ the way. Not to mention Grama or Grampa, Grampa seemed illby the time we were leavin’. I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see.
Thursday, 3 October 2013
02/10/13
Today I performed a scene with Amanda, who plays Ma, which was a one on one chat between the characters. I found that even though I was still playing Al, he was completely different to in the scene that we performed yesterday, the stage directions made him seem older. Think this is because Al has had to be more protective and mature for his family because of the conditions and that his eldest brother has a disability, and Tom has been in prison, so in the scene with just Al and Ma, Al might feel like he has to take on some more of that maturity but when Tom's around, the maturity can be dropped and Al can be more like a 16 year old if he wants.
01/10/13 & Al
Today with found out our roles for the Group performance of John Steinbeck's 'Grapes of Wrath' and I got Al, one of the younger Joad brothers. For the rest of the lesson we ran from page 7 through to page 23 working on characters.
Al Joad
From reading from the script so far I've learnt that Al is 16 and quite smart with the truck. When he first enters on page 20, he walks with a "swagger", but this would be more western, like in Mightnight cowboy:
I also think Al had to be more mature than a modern 16 year old because he had to care for his family due to the horrible conditions of the Great depression and the dust bowl, but also because he feels he has to take on the role of an older brother in the family; the oldest son, Noah, has mental problems and Tom, the second born, has been in prison since Al was 12. However because Tom returns at the start of the play, Al is shifted down in the family ranks.
Research
Al Joad is described to "billygoat" and "tomcat" his way around the country, showing he isn't too bad with women. He drove a truck for a company the year before, and so he becomes the family mechanic, able to drive cars and fix them, too. He looks up to his older brother, Tom: "Al knew that even he had inspired some admiration among boys of his own age because his brother had killed a man" (8.135). However, living in his big brother's shadow can be a lot of pressure.
Al likes girls a lot, but he has no intention of getting married anytime soon (he is only sixteen). He promises to marry one girl in Weedpatch, and then eventually gets engaged to another girl who lives in the same abandoned boxcar as he does. As the winter rains flood the land, Al decides to split apart from his family, remaining with his fiancée and her family.
Adapted from http://www.shmoop.com/grapes-of-wrath/al-joad.html
Al Joad
From reading from the script so far I've learnt that Al is 16 and quite smart with the truck. When he first enters on page 20, he walks with a "swagger", but this would be more western, like in Mightnight cowboy:
I also think Al had to be more mature than a modern 16 year old because he had to care for his family due to the horrible conditions of the Great depression and the dust bowl, but also because he feels he has to take on the role of an older brother in the family; the oldest son, Noah, has mental problems and Tom, the second born, has been in prison since Al was 12. However because Tom returns at the start of the play, Al is shifted down in the family ranks.
Research
Al Joad is described to "billygoat" and "tomcat" his way around the country, showing he isn't too bad with women. He drove a truck for a company the year before, and so he becomes the family mechanic, able to drive cars and fix them, too. He looks up to his older brother, Tom: "Al knew that even he had inspired some admiration among boys of his own age because his brother had killed a man" (8.135). However, living in his big brother's shadow can be a lot of pressure.
Al likes girls a lot, but he has no intention of getting married anytime soon (he is only sixteen). He promises to marry one girl in Weedpatch, and then eventually gets engaged to another girl who lives in the same abandoned boxcar as he does. As the winter rains flood the land, Al decides to split apart from his family, remaining with his fiancée and her family.
Adapted from http://www.shmoop.com/grapes-of-wrath/al-joad.html
The Dustbowl
The play is set just after the event known as the "Dust Bowl" in America. For almost 10 years, the Southern states of the US were covered in major dust storms which wiped out the crops and destroyed homes. History says "The simplest acts of life - breathing, eating a meal, taking a walk - were no longer simple. Children wore dust masks to and from schools, women hung wet sheets over the windows in a futile attempt to stop the dirt, farmers watched helplessly as their crops blew away." Steinbeck wrote his novel The Grapes of Wrath in 1939 towards the end of the natural disaster.
From History GCSE I know that on Black Thursday 1929 the Wall street Stock Market Crashed, so the Joan Family would have been very lucky to keep their homes anyway, putting the country in depression, then to further worsen conditions, a dust bowl swept across the southern agricultural states of America meaning that all crops were ruined and covered in sand, Houses and cars were ruined by the sand and land was dried up.
First hand accounts
“If you would like to have your heart broken, just come out here”
Ernie Pyle, Kansas
June 1936
“In the dust-covered desolation of our No Man’s Land here, wearing our shade hats, with handkerchiefs tied over our faces and Vaseline in our nostrils, we have been trying to rescue our home from the wind-blown dust which penetrates wherever air can go. It is almost a hopeless task, for there is rarely a day when at some time the dust clouds do not roll over. 'Visibility’ approaches zero and everything is covered again with a silt-like deposit which may vary in depth from a film to actual ripples on the kitchen floor.”
Reader's Digest magazine, Oklahoma
June 1935
From History GCSE I know that on Black Thursday 1929 the Wall street Stock Market Crashed, so the Joan Family would have been very lucky to keep their homes anyway, putting the country in depression, then to further worsen conditions, a dust bowl swept across the southern agricultural states of America meaning that all crops were ruined and covered in sand, Houses and cars were ruined by the sand and land was dried up.
First hand accounts
“If you would like to have your heart broken, just come out here”
Ernie Pyle, Kansas
June 1936
“In the dust-covered desolation of our No Man’s Land here, wearing our shade hats, with handkerchiefs tied over our faces and Vaseline in our nostrils, we have been trying to rescue our home from the wind-blown dust which penetrates wherever air can go. It is almost a hopeless task, for there is rarely a day when at some time the dust clouds do not roll over. 'Visibility’ approaches zero and everything is covered again with a silt-like deposit which may vary in depth from a film to actual ripples on the kitchen floor.”
Reader's Digest magazine, Oklahoma
June 1935
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