Monday, 2 May 2016

Re-thinking Don Jon

When Mr Hughes watched our run through of the play he gave us all individual notes of what we need to work on. He told me to take my hands away from my back, to lighten the performance, to slow it down and to listen more to the other characters. We also saw our costumes on Friday, and this has given me a more vivid visual image of my character. 

I have decided to change the characterisation up a bit by making Don Jon less solemn and more exited by the evil he is going to try and cause. I also want to have a stronger relationship with Borachio and Conrade, therefore I am going to act similarly to the way a school boy would act when egging his friends on to get up to mischief. The reason behind this is so that the performance doesn’t feel to dark and is more enjoyable to watch for the audience.

I want to act as if I find more of what I say funny and that I am making a mockery of people. For example, when delivering the line ‘I had rather be a canker in a hedge than a rose in his grace’ I will say this as if I am making fun of how little I respect my brother, rather than saying this with pure anger and hatred. Therefore I will try and have more fun with my evilness rather than taking my character too seriously.


I am also going to change the way I act with the others. I am now going to attempt to talk with more of a sleazy charm, which will make other character suspicious of me and make them feel uneasy.

Finally, by changing my posture I will open up my performance to the audience. I will take my hands away from my back and use them more to communicate what I am trying to say with the audience and the other characters. This should draw the audience in more to what I am trying to say. 

Don Jon's Diary

Dear Diary, 

I am angry at the world because life is not fair for me. It's not fair for me as just because of who my father chose to have sex with, I am deemed as different.

I hate Claudio with a passion. This is because my brother has taken him under his wing. I hate my brother as throughout my whole life, although I am the first born child, he has acted as if he is better than me and encouraged everybody else to act in that same way. If they are all going to treat me like a villain, why shouldn't I act like one. 

I hate the world, the world is cruel, nobody ever treats me nicely, although I have riches and have power that is not enough. I do not have respect,  since I'm a bastard people see me as 'different', well I will show them how different I really am. If people want to treat me badly I will treat them badly. If Claudio wants to act as if he is somehow better than me just because my brother is fond of him, then I will make it my duty to cause him pain.
 

This is what the set is going to look like;


This is what my costume is going to look like.