Stanislavski and "Gotcha"

Stanislavaski's methods are effective to use in "Gotcha" as the play is written with realistic characters and its plot is built around a actual educational/political issue in 1976. So by using techniques like emotion memory or creating subtext, actors can build a believable and an easy to relate to character.

To learn each idea we did a range of different activities. Firstly, we studied 'subtext'. To do this three members of the class performed a scene from Gotcha in the round an after each line we took it in turns to add our own 'subtext' of what we thought the characters were thinking at the time. This added to our actors performance as they took on board this extra information, if we decided to make them resent the other characters they would replicate this in their body language or facial expression by turning away or sneering. This have us a good understanding of how crucial subtext can supply us with key information when we are deciding on how to play a character.

Next we learnt about 'Circle of Attention' by simply acting out parts of the play and using lights to iluminate different characters circle of attention.

Emotion memory was tricky as some people could not find a memory to directl relate but instead they found a moment in time where they felt very strong emotions. We all sat facing in different directions and relived our memory in our heads. Then as a chorus started to read one on the kid's monologues from Gotcha, using our situation and memories to affect the way in which we delivered the monologue. I chose to deliver the monolouge in a hurt, slow, methodic way. This convered a feeling of resigned depression.

Visual/Spatial/Aural choices for the staging of 'Gotcha'

I chose to stage 'Gotcha' in the round. The whole play is set in a store room so I wanted the space to feel cramped, so by seating the audience the entire way around it gives the illusion of a small space because the actors and set are blocked in. Another advantage of staging 'Gotcha' in the round is being able to control the way the audience see's the 'action', by having the door frame and window in front of the audience, it offers an outsiders perspective (they are looking in on the actors). Also each side of the audience will interact and connect with a different character. Lastly, as the audience controls the space the actors can move in, it allows them to be more involved in the action; the audience are theatrically part of the set.

My idea for lighting was to keep it realistic, relative to time of day/season/weather/place. I would preferably use a diffuser to spread the light angled from the window to give the impression sunlight is pouring through the window, as the majority of the play is set in daylight and it is the end of the Spring Term. As the play went on and time passed I would begin to use a coloured gel to simulate sunset and finally dim faded light for the evening.

For the costumes in the play I researched the fashion in the mid 70's. Mainly bold, bright colours are used in flared trousers and shirts with huge collars. Along with calf length flared skirts and blouses. So I would dress Lynne is a half calf length colourful skirt and a long sleeved blouse with a large collar, also colourful to indicate she is young and naive. Then Ton would be dressed in sporting attire; flared zip up tracksuit bottoms, classical white trainers and a very conventional polo designed t-shirt.The headmaster and the kid on the other hand would have a slightly different style. I would dress the headmaster in a normal grey suit, perhaps a bit tight around his stomach to give the illusion of a stuffy ageing man. Finally the kid would not have enough money to keep in style or to have a neat school uniform, I would use black flared trousers which are too big for him (hand-me-downs) and a scruffy white shirt with the top button undone and a lower one missing. Also have a fat tie loosely around his neck.

Context of 'Gotcha' by Barrie Keeffe

The context of 'Gotcha' was to give the working class a voice they never had on stage before. Set in 1976, during a huge political change over; labour was coming into power. The play is written to highlight the flaws of the new comprehensive education.

'Gotcha' was not written to be a timeless message, the idea of children 'lost in the system' was hoped to be long gone thirty years later. The Kid in 'Gotcha' is an example of an anonymous child who was over looked through out his entire education, in a podcast which interviews Barrie Keeffe himself, he describes his education as: 'if you weren't academically elite or a sporting achiever you were invisible'. Furthermore after he see's a recent production of his own 'Gotcha' he reveals that he finds it 'deeply saddening that this play still has relevance in today's culture'. One thing which seems to continually frustrate the Kid is that not one of three teachers can even tell him his name yet they are quick to write him off e.g. 'You don't even know me do you, I've been here for five years, sat in front of you every single day and you never even noticed. Tell me now how you can write what you did about me when you can't even say my name.' This portrays the 'lost souls' in the comprehensive system that Barrie Keeffe was desperate to unearth. Other people taking part in the interview can relate to this statement by remembering a similar child that was forever being ignored even though the were 'quite smart' and caused 'no real trouble', they were treated like a non-entity.

I think Barrie Keeffe has chosen to express the ideas of the play in this context to provoke a reaction within the minds of the audience. The play is designed to be realistic and emotive, so by using the very accurate description of the political changes occurring in the country, the audience's attention was drawn to the faults and discrimination in the comprehensive education system.