Character Development and line practicing:

Today I went to practice lines at my local park for fresh air. I found that the playful surrounding of swings and the climbing frames helped me to say my lines with more commitment and excitement when needed and portray the lightness of my character more effectively. This is particularly helpful as I have been directed to play Celia in a more playful manner at times, particularly when I am encouraging Rosalind to be more “merry”.

As we have not yet had the opportunity to access the climbing frame set for “As You Like It” I feel this environment was very beneficial to the development of my character as I feel the surrounding brought a greater sense of youth and playful mischief which I was missing before. Swinging on the swing and climbing on the climbing frame freed me from reciting the lines and allowed me to inhabit the character of Celia. One element of my role that I had previously been struggling with is becoming too quite or loosing commitment at the very end of my lines as I found I would sometimes run out of breathe. The surrounding of the playfround helped me to find the “drive” of my lines and help me to carry the essence of their meaning from start to finish without weakening at the end.