~ Preperaton for Higher Education ~

In our first lesson back we looked at the units for this year:

• Unit 9 = our production, 'A Christmas Carol'
• Unit 10 = UCAS form and monologues 
• Unit 11 = Essay
• Unit 12 = Final Performance

We discussed these units, what we have to do, and by when. I found out our essay for Unit 11 has to be 1,500 words, and can be on anything in the industry that interests us. We also talked about UCAS and how we can choose which courses and institutions we want to go to. We also talked about monologues, and that usually the modern monologue has to be from a play published after 1980.

Monologues

For the monologues, I have chosen to keep my Shakespeare monologue from last year of Helena from 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', Act One Scene One. I chose to keep this because it is easier for auditions for drama schools as I already know about the play and the intentions of the speech. We also have to choose a modern monologue to perform alongside our Shakespeare pieces in the audition room. I chose to do a monologue from Mary Stuart, by Robert Icke, which was written in 2016 and performed in December of the same year at the Almeida Theatre. I chose this play because I find the adaptation of historical events interesting, as these characters are based on real people, and the plot is an interpretation of real events. I also saw the play in its run at the Almeida Theatre and had bought the script so I was able to get a thorough understanding of the play. We had to perform these monologues to camera, something I found more difficult than I anticipated. I found the fact that I had to speak directly into the camera distracting, and lost my place in the lines and thought process. However, I did get a full recording of my monologue and was told that my thought processes were clear, but that my articulation could have been better. Which would be improved by me slowing down and taking a little more time with the speech.

After rehearsing in my own time over a few weeks, we all travelled to Young Actors Theatre in Islington (YATI) to perform our monologues in front of each other and a professional actor named Nick. We were originally told to perform one, but I was able to perform both and receive feedback. For my Shakespearean monologue, I was told to embody the character through movement more. As I had been told to be still in a drama school audition, I found finding the balance of these to be difficult. I was also told to try and feel how deeply in love she is so that I can express her emotions more clearly. In order to do this, I should focus on how she is feeling, what has just happened and her reaction to the news, and how this impacts her character moving forward through the play.
For my modern monologue, Nick said that my intentions were clear and strong, and as she is speaking to one person and defending herself to him, it made sense for me to be rooted. He also said that I had good clarity and variety in my voice, not just playing one emotion. He said that he felt the character was strong-willed and could see that I had worked hard on this piece. However, I need to make the contrast in the speeches clearer.

From the experience of rehearsing and performing these two monologues, I have found that I better understand the importance of a vocal warm-up, and started to notice how much it improves my delivery. I have also gotten better at my thought processes as although I did have them before, I failed to show them and now I feel I can more convincingly play realistic characters.


My UCAS application:
https://2019.undergrad.apply.ucas.com/ucasapply/PersonalDetailsServlet?id=4bf3985e43265656e89d026b890a&ran=1pfjo6da0o0d7

I have not applied through UCAS, but I have applied to the London School of Dramatic Arts' foundation because of the good training in singing and dancing.

Pros and Cons of Higher Education

In my opinion, higher education is a great opportunity to harness your skills and, if possible, should be attended. I also believe, however, that higher education isn’t for everyone, so if higher education may hinder an individual then they shouldn’t attend. For example, if the cost proves to be too much for the student to afford.

On the one hand, there are many arguments for attending higher education for the acting industry, including that it obviously gives you training in acting technique for a range of styles. Depending on the course, you could receive training in stage, tv, film, radio, and voiceover. Having the ability to perform all of these styles to at least a decent level is impressive and makes you more employable as an actor, as they all require different techniques and skills. As well as lessons on different areas of the industry, there are classes dedicated to improving vocal range and variety in physicality. This helps with employability due to the increase in your range as an actor. This means that you can play a variety of characters from different genres and styles. This obviously gives you an advantage as you graduate a better actor than you were before.

Additionally, most courses offer additional training in preparation for life as an actor, such as advice form teachers, (who are usually involved in the industry) and guest speakers. In the final year for the performances industry professionals are invited into the audience, which gives the opportunity to meet agents and casting directors. With all the training and opportunities throughout the years at drama school, you should graduate in a better place than if you started on your own. Potentially with an agent or a job.

On the other hand, as previously mentioned, higher education isn’t for everyone. Although drama school is an amazing opportunity, it can cost a lot of money. Drama schools typically cost the same as a university, but the student funding isn’t as easily accessible. This financial aspect puts many people off going, especially when there are other cheaper options. Most drama schools, (and even some theatres like the National Theatre) offer summer or half-term courses in training. There are also many weekend or evening classes. These all cover the same or similar subjects to those covered in drama school. Although, arguably, not to the same degree. They also offer foundation degree courses which introduce the core fundamentals of acting. Essentially, it isn’t necessary to attend drama school to enter the industry.

Another factor of higher education that some find an issue, is the amount of time it takes. A degree at drama school typically takes three years, which is a long time for anyone hoping to enter the industry and start work quickly. Furthermore, there are other methods of receiving training outside of higher education. As previously mentioned, there are many short courses available which, depending on the subject and where it is studied, takes anywhere between a week and a year part-time. Studying multiple short courses at once would be a cheaper way to get some extra training. A much cheaper alternative is simply to learn on the job, although you’d have to be very fortunate and dedicated to being able to get into the industry on your own. However, it is possible that when you graduate, after spending all that money and putting in all those hours of training (typically 40-50+ a week) and you could essentially be in the same place you started.

In conclusion, I believe that drama school is a great place to train and increase your knowledge in both acting techniques and navigating the industry. The lessons taught are valuable and most would consider it worth the money. Personally, I would prefer to do a short course, or foundation degree, to get a higher level of training but in a way that doesn’t take years to complete.