Electra Performance Evaluation

Show 1

In our first show I was quite nervous as I had to portray such a distraught and anguished character and I wasn't used to acting so hysterically. I am usually quite a reserved person and I felt like I had been holding back slightly in rehearsal so I wanted to push myself and show everyone, including myself, that I could bring out this completely different side to me. 

One of the other actors skipped a chunk of Act 2 which meant quite a few of my lines were cut, including a big paragraph of mine that I had been working hard on and that helped the audience to understand Electra's feelings and background. Although I was disappointed that I didn't get to perform all of my lines I think the chorus and I managed to pull it back and save it. I did feel like there was a bit too much of a gap between the character's leaving early and us recovering, but unfortunately at the time I was experiencing some hearing problems and I didn't even realize what had happened as I was looking down and sobbing loudly to myself! If I had been aware I probably would have got up and carried on from where we were supposed to carry on, but luckily one of the other chorus members managed to save it.  

The speech where Electra gets furious with her sisters was what I was most worried about. However I feel like I performed it better than I ever did in rehearsals although there was one line that I constantly got wrong and still did in this performance. It does have some tricky wording in it and I over think it to much until I end up messing it up anyway. I think the adrenaline of performing allowed me to get worked up and scream at them. Also my parents were really near and I wanted to show them what I could do, so this encouraged me to go further than I had before, resisting the chorus as much as I could and making my voice sound as loud, angry and crazy as I could. In my lines afterwards I paced up and down as for some reason this allowed me to keep the angry feeling and not lose the mood. I was overall proud of the performance I gave but I knew there was more in me to give. 

Show 2

Our performance went much better on the second show. Although not perfect we managed to do the whole scene without skipping anything. On the speech I missed last time, where I talk about having no hope left and I would rather die, I decided to add something new. I fell to the ground and started sobbing. I felt like it needed this to convey the strong emotions Electra was feeling. She has no hope or strength left, she can barely stand she is so engrossed in sorrow. 

Show 3

I think I performed my best in this show. A different actor played my mother and I felt that we created more of an argument and conflict between us at the beginning of the scene. I also felt that I reached a completely different point of anger when I was raging at my sisters. Something just clicked with in me, I managed to crawl higher up the steps than I ever had before and when I chased them just before the end of the scene I almost caught them and stomped my foot. I have never felt like that before but I felt really proud that I managed to channel those emotions so much, more than I ever thought I could at the start of the rehearsal process.

Show 4

I felt a lot of pressure for this last show as we all did so well the night before and we had to get that energy back one more time. However I thought we managed to give our all once more. Looking back at how I was at the start of the process, and even the first show, I feel like I have progressed so much as an actor. I am much more confident with the rhythm, pace and general language of classical theatre. I have also proved to myself that I can completely turn into someone else and channel feelings I have never really experienced myself before. Now I think I need to work on getting to that point sooner and being more confident with my ideas, not to be embarrassed about going over the top when necessary.