Q and A Crap!!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009, 5:19 PM

What we did to get to what we are now!!!

-Inner mono
-Listening to music
-Watching vids
-learning about stock types, taking their characteristics and main emotions used and connecting them to our modern lives
-hotseating
-putting characters in situations and asking them to react
-walking around in charcater
-posing in character
-tone, pitch, pace, etc.
-Watch practicioners


Our 'creative' process!!!!!:P

- Politics of identity
- focused on stereotypes (Priscilla) Work (Saad) and school (inspired by SDEA) environment
- DIDN’T WORK
- Then Mark’s group came along
- non human
- fairtales (WZ and Rachel)
-debate over what kind to use
- idea 3 princesses (Isaac) who were Chinese
- REJECT!!!
- Miss N told us to use something already there
-chose Cinderella
- tried to change the characters in the story
- Miss N said change form of presentation.
- building on prev idea of using Chinese princesses we took Chinese Opera.
- Add in humour, stereo characters, influence of the west approach (Isaac)
- REJECTED!!! Miss N said Don’t base the DV on the form, base it on the story….
- put in stock type characters, proper movement, humour and westernish stuff removed. Added in the part about bound feet. (Priscilla) DV- Nature vs nurture
- THRASHED!!! By seniors
- change DV to something more specific= self vs society. Made edits to the script to make DV more obv.




stepmum
Monday, August 17, 2009, 8:34 PM

Headdress

In Chinese Opera, the older women, ‘Lao Dan’ wraps cloth around their head. Black was used as it is a more foreboding colour and thus shows the stepmother’s serious and stern side. Jewels adorning the front of the headdress shows her high status and wealth.




LIGHTING CUE SHEET
8:13 PM

LIGHTING CUE SHEET
WereRojak

Scene 1-

-Lighting combination has been saved under SubMasters, page 2, Command 4. Name- “Rojak final”

Lights
Intensity
6-7
7-6
14-8
16-7
18-6
20-8
28-7
30-7
31-8
32-6
35-8
38-7
42-6

-Sudden Blackout at last line- “FAIRY GODFATHER One, two, three”
-Lights fade in to allow set to be moved. Set includes two boards.
-Lights fade out when set has been placed and all stage hands move off performance stage.

Scene 2-

Lights follow the combination seen in Scene 1
Lights fade off after last line- “PRINCE- Wait!”
Lights fade on for props to be moved off.
Lights fade off when props (One Black platform) have been set.

Scene 3-

Lights fade in, same combination as in Scene 1.
Lights fade off after last line- “PRINCE- … to try this shoe.”
Lights fade on for props to be moved off.
Lights fade off when props (Table at the side) have been set.


Scene 4-

Lights fade in, same combination as in Scene 1
Lights fade off after last action- Prince puts the shoe on Cinderella“

THE END




ROLES- what was submitted-Priscilla
7:20 PM

Wen Zhen’s Role: Costume I/C

1) Research on various costume types for different characters)
2) Sketches for all costumes
3) Stitch on Water Sleeves for all costumes
4) Stitch skirts and collars for girls’ costumes
5) Stitch bottoms, hems and collars for guys’ costumes

Saad’s Role: Movement Coach

1) Research on the various stock types in Chinese Opera
2) Write out a systematic guide on each stock type
3) Create exercises to impart the basic movements of Chinese Opera
4) Teach each member how to move as per the requirements of their stock type
5) Annotate movement into script

Isaac’s Role: Scriptwriter, Director and Sound director.

1) Write the script and make changes as the creative process continues and make sure it sticks to the Chinese Opera style.
2) As director, guides the actors positioning, tone of voice, actions and intentions.
3) As sound director picks, edits and inserts songs into each scene so as to bring out the right mood.

Priscilla’s Role: Dramaturge, Lighting Designer and Set designer.

1) Work on the historical and cultural research into the play and its setting. In this case, Chinese Opera, Chinese culture and fairytales.
2) Make all the components work together and form a Directorial Vision for the director to follow.
3) Help develop an original script.
4) Assist the playwright, director and design team in their production.
5) Keep a critical eye on the company's creative activities, working to improve and maintain high quality.
6) As lighting designer, set the lights required for the play.
7) As set designer, sketch drawings of the set and also get the required props ready.

Rachel’s Role: Makeup I/C and Group Secretary.

1) Conducts research on Chinese Opera Makeup.
2) Sketch makeup for all the characters.
3) Source and buy the required makeup.
4) As secretary, take down notes during group meetings and update the group blog.




The Sword Dance
Sunday, August 16, 2009, 6:20 AM

Hey guys this vid is great for the dance. Please do take a look.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-aqLeK06uw&feature=related

Oh and the dance will be choreod this monday. So please do help me out k.




Stella's monologue
6:19 AM

Can squeeze this in after stepmother's monologue? It's more appropriate I feel.

Crushing and binding my feet
is part and parcel of being a virtuous(or some other word?) lady.
Yet I couldn't care a bit
for all these is to please my majesty.
How I yearn to gain happiness
as easy as how Cinderella did.
To be able to stay optimistic
against Mother's evil deeds.
I will stay strong and nurture myself
to be the perfect wife for the prince!
No matter how hard it'll be,
it is my dream to marry into royalty!
Isn't it every girl's dream too..?




Exercises and Movement Training
5:33 AM

Ok time for movements and exercises.

Jing(Fairy Godfather)
- Placing, throwing and opening up motions with the use of water sleeves.(this has been taught)
- Kick style walking(this has been taught)
- Must practice fluidity
Exercise to be done
-Walk around in character, doing the prescribed stock type movement and say your lines.

Lao Dan(Stepmother)
- Head isolations( You have been taught these on saturday, and expected to be able to do this)
- Graceful and controlled walking which is slow yet very graceful(this has been taught too)
- finger isolations to be practiced so as to be able to carry out gestures requireed of this stock type.

Hua Tan(Cinderella)
- Walking with slight trots to be practised
- Playing with handkerchief
- Bending knees low when posing
- Practice finger isolations for greater control of your gestures. This has to be done due to lack of water sleeves

Xiao Sheng9Prince)
- Practice kick style walking(different than Jing's)
- Practice gestures
- Practice pivoting




Agendas for The Meetings
5:18 AM

PLEASE TAKE NOTE-

Rehearsals-
Monday- Scene 1 and 2 to be finished. All stock type movement for each character must be known. Only touching up of movement is to be done. Scene 1 to be memorised. Showcase also.

Tuesday- All scenes completed. And rehearsed. All scenes to be memorised, as scene 3 is just me.

Wednesday- Perfect everything.




deadlines once again...
1:09 AM

Script-

Scene 1 and 2- 15th August.- DONE
Scene 3 and 4- 16th August-


Sound-
Everything to be done by 18th August


Movement-

Annotation of scene 1- 15th August
Annotation of scene 2- 16th August
Annotation of Scene 4- 17th August


Costume-

Stepsister shoes and collar- Rachel- 17th August
Stepmother headdress and collar- Wen Zhen- 17th August
Stepmother Headdress sketch- Wen Zhen- 17th August
FairyGodfather clouds and stitching- Wen Zhen- 17th August
cinderella Collar and headdresses- Priscilla- 17th August




More about Qingyi (My stocktype)
Saturday, August 15, 2009, 9:19 PM

The young maiden (qingyi) exudes refinement with her delicate movements, mincing steps, and exaggerated falsetto singing.

A Dream in the Girl's Room
Note: This is a Qingyi's costume. So don't say you can't recognise Qingyi anymore.

A Dream in the Girl's Room 2
Note: There's a short part where they danced.

A Dream in the Girl's Room 3
A Dream in the Girl's Room MV
Note: Make-up, headdress, costume :)
I FIGURED OUT THEY ALL HAVE TWO LONG STRANDS OF HAIR AT THEIR SIDES!!!

鎖麟囊: 選奩
Note: The one on e left is a HUADAN, the one on e right is a QINGYI.

鎖麟囊: 一霎時把七情俱以味盡
鎖麟囊

Jade Hairpin 《三蓋衣》



MORE OF OTHER OPERA STUFF! :
A　CLIMAX IN OPERA:
Farewell My Concubine, Climax Part 1
Farewell My Concubine, Climax Part 2
A HUADAN'S DANCE. As in really dance only. NOTE THE WAY SHE CARRIES HERSELF.
春闺梦（古典舞女子独舞）
Note: Her face is always smiling. Her dance moves are fast, flowy and ALWAYS HAPPY. Shows a lot about her character!
Oh and the music is nice!!!!!!




What has changed..-Priscilla
Friday, August 14, 2009, 9:54 AM

- DV has been chnaged from nature vs nurture to Self vs society. (Need to elaborate more)

- STEPSISTER- The stepsister is NOT evil. She has been influenced by her mother who has also been infkluenced by society so basically in both their cases SOCIETY WINS! So what does society proclaim that the stepsis follows. Its the fantasy of marrying a Prince and that being the goal in life of the women in society in those days. She does not hate or despise Cinbderella and so does not treat her cruely. But at the same time she does envy her. She is an overall likable character, kind and demure. However, the audience may percieve her as shallow.

- STEPMOTHER- for the step mum, she is driven by societies high opinion of royalty and the rich. She believes that if one wants to be great, or something in life, one has to aim towards being rich, famous and respected. And thus she years to be the to be empress mother.

-CINDERELLA- As for Cinderella, she is still the bubbly, vivacious character, but in a way she knows her place. She requests her stepmum iof she can wear the shoe, not just demand that she wants to and continues to do so. She is someone who unline the stepsis and thus unlike society belivees and longs for true love, whatever form it may come in. In the end, society and her share the prize, as she does get married to her true love, the prince even though its just as a concubine. Society still wins though, as She cannot become the Empress because of her bound feet and queer status.


-PRINCE- In the end, like cinderella, he shares the prize with society. He does find true love and then proceeds to get married to her, but only as a concubine because of societies customs and rules.

-FAIRYGODFATHER- He is not funny or bubbly. An easly irritable man, who is impatient BUT at the same time has a soft spot for people in trouble, the oppressed and the weak. However, even to these vistims, he does not show his kind side.




Stock Type Movement of Lao Dan- Stepmother
Wednesday, August 12, 2009, 12:20 AM

The way they walk-
They are the most grounded stock type of this piece. They're lower body movement is very limited, at most they have slight up and down motions to accentuate sudden flares in emotion. They walk very slowly and tend to move about the same spot when speaking. Though they are grounded, they do not bend their nees very much when posing as they are 'old' and portray their grace through their control.

The way the move their upper body and posture-
Their upper body is very stationary, only moving with their head to accentuate the movement of their head and pose. It is also detrimental as it portrays whther the character around her is of a higher or lower status.

The way they make gestures with their arms-
The movements exhibited by their arms is very slow and controlled, portraying an element of trained grace. The make use of their fingers and arms by making gestures towards people or things. They also use it to make very elegant poses to show an emotion as the trend is to create a character sophisticated enough to show underlying emotions with their short poses.

The way they move their heads-
The Lao Dan's head is the most important part of their body in terms of movement. They use their head to portray almost all of their emotions and gestures. Their head is used by cocking it towards or away from the person they are talking to show whether they like or dislike the person. They also use facial expressions very heavily which is why the head's movement is essential to the way their emotions are portrayed.

In General-
This character requires a good amount of physical control and assertive facial expressions.




Stock Type Movement of Xiao Sheng- Prince
Tuesday, August 11, 2009, 8:34 AM

The way they walk-
The prince always walks upright, stamping te ground with his feet as he is the authority and one who is in an extremely high position. He never bends his knees. When turning, he pivots just like army men or does th 'check T L V thingy'(didn't know how else to put this). He is always marching from one place to another and is very rooted to the ground.

They way they move their upper body and posture-
The upper body hardly moves, unless it follow the movement of the arm, and even this is not done very obviously. It moves with the lower body as if one unit, and or seems to have a 'swagger' when walking. This motion which i call 'swagger' is actually the character's persona which is seen through the way the body sways. This motion is done by moving more of the hips to give off a slightly more feminine composure to portray a more loving male character.

The way the make gestures with their arms-
The gestures, are very locked. The fingers must be closed tight and movements are done with the use of the shoulders while the elbows are locked at different positions to give a more addertive demeanour to the movement.

The way they move their heads-
This character doesn't move his head too much, unless he wishes to assert a point or portray a sudden change in emotion as regardless of his persona, a male has to be stoic and calm.

In General-
This character is quite uptight in his movements, yet he presents himslef with grace and poise as expected of one from regal bearing.




Stock type Movement of Hua Dan- Cinderella
8:13 AM

The way the walk-
They are not as grounded as most characters, and tend to hop before posing or making a gesture. They walk with small trots which makes them look energetic and youthful.

The way the move their upper body and posture-
They tend to be lithe and fluid in the movement of their upper body, showing a good command in terms of flexibility and coordinated body isolation.

The way the make gestures with their arms-
They actually have one of the most complicated set of gestures and movements for this area. As they do not possess water sleeves they need to refine and perfect the use of their fingers and wrist so as to further exaggerate their movements. This in turn equates in a greater control of the movement of their arms as the audience can actually see what they do.

The way the move their heads-
They are very animated, moving it along with their arms and body, giving rise to a very playful looking character.

In General-
This character is very lively and bustling with energy. It needs to be played with a lot of energy as the movements required of it has to be 'blown up' on stage.




Update on Deadlines
7:59 AM

DEADLINES MISSED

Saad- missed Characterization submission date and Monologue (No, that was not done well)
- Missed submission of movement for three characters (Next time pls show me the crappy work taht you do. I want to see SOMETHING. But something that has effort in it)

Isaac- Missed Characterization date and Monologue submission as well.

Wen Zhen- Missed Monologue date (you wrote it at the clinic right?)

NEW SET DEALINES

Script- To be done COMPLETELY by 12th Midnight.

Costume Boards- By 15th. (I cant do anything withoout the new sketches ppl..pls work wid me on this..)

Headdresses.....??? I have no idea... by 16th should be ok. Yup.. 16th IT IS.

THINGS TO DO

-Cut off all strings from the water sleeves
-Paint clouds on deity back
-Paint handkerchief, apron and cloth
-Girls the collars of all your gowns
-Paint the shoes- Cinderella's and the stepsisters.
-Attach elastic to the headgear things.

Note: PLEASE CHECK THE BLOG REGULARLY. YOU ARE EXPECTED TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON THIS WAY.




Stepsister Stella
Saturday, August 8, 2009, 9:16 PM

FACTS
A Qing Yi actress portrays a lady of good and sympathetic character. Usually of a quiet, gentle disposition and graceful in her movements, she is the Chinese ideal of a beautiful woman. As a wife she is faithful, as a young girl a model of propriety. Her good breeding is shown by the graceful, flowing movements of her 'water sleeves'. The Qing Yi's costume is elegant, simple and of good quality, but not as vivid in color as that of the Hua Dan. Her singing is of a pure, high-pitched quality.

Name: Stella
Age: 23
Family: Stays with Mother and Stepsister
Father is a general. He died during a war. Mother refuses to reveal much about the past to me. All I was taught of is that I'm lucky to be born in a noble family so I would need to train hard to be a graceful and demure lady to get into a noble family too.
Social position: High-class

Lifetime objective:
"I need to get married into a noble family."

Personality traits:

On the outside:
Faithful, proper, shy, graceful.
Demure, dignified, understanding.
Calm, controlled, careful.

Deep inside:
A Huadan!
Lively, talkative, carefree, excitable.

Things she does:
Practice Chinese calligraphy, Chinese painting, Chinese paper art, Chinese handicraft.
Learn Chinese poetry.
Do Chinese Embroidery.
Play the Guzheng.
All these are trainings to be a refined lady with abilities to please my husband in future.

Features:
Binded feet
Small lips
Big eyes

Inner monologue:
How I yearn to be like Cinderella!
Her carefree lifestyle is so much more enjoyable!
She doesn't need to have her feet binded.
Nor does she need to sew till her fingers bleed.
All she does is to sweep and clean,
to cook and make tea for us.
How I wish I can steal her happiness.
Look at the glee in her eyes!
I've never heard her complain.
Her optimism is what I hate the most.
Even with all my nice clothings and accessories,
I still can't get rid of that joy in her!
Why can't I live a simple yet happy life?
I don't need to be rich to be happy.. Right?

Inner objectives:
I want freedom!
I don't want my feet to be binded!
I want to marry a guy I love, not someone who's just rich!
I want to have happiness!!!



Related actions:
Smooth and flowy.
Bends the knees a lot.
Keeps the head low.
Swift exits and entrances.




Chinese Opera Movements
6:35 AM

“The choreographic nature of acting on the Chinese stage,” A.C. Scott wrote in the International Encyclopedia of Dance, “is apparent in the formalized treatment of movement and gesture, integrated with passages of song and music, in which words are treated as time-movement units. Hand gestures symbolizing emotional reactions create a continuous visible element with the tonal movement of the actors’ singing and declamation. Graceful passages of pointing with the fingers of one or both hands move through spatial sequences attended by the following glances of the performer, whose foot movements timed to the music carry forward the motifs of the dance.”


Delta wrote: “Always present...is the manner of moving used to define the specific individual being portrayed. Roles fall into genres—human beings, animals and birds, and supernatural beings...Ghost are conceived of as being stiff, devils as curvaceous; they dance grotesquely and humorously...The intrinsic quality of each animal or bird is fancifully and fully exploited—the powerful tiger, the brazen leopard, the sly fox, or the wily eagle.”
“Because classical opera uses no scenery, the actor-dancer sets the stage by incorporating the idea of physical environment onto gesture and movement...Action expands the stage when, from atop three stacked tables, the dancer does a double somersault to indicate he is running down a mountain. Many actor-dancers turn the stage into a sea with spread-eagle leaps, diving falls and spiraling turns...A general on a symbolic horse uses slipping, sliding and collapsing movements to portray efforts to advance on icy ground.”
“The choreographic nature of acting on the Chinese stage,” A.C. Scott wrote in the International Encyclopedia of Dance, “is apparent in the formalized treatment of movement and gesture, integrated with passages of song and music, in which words are treated as time-movement units. Hand gestures symbolizing emotional reactions create a continuous visible element with the tonal movement of the actors’ singing and declamation. Graceful passages of pointing with the fingers of one or both hands move through spatial sequences attended by the following glances of the performer, whose foot movements timed to the music carry forward the motifs of the dance.”


Delta wrote: “Always present...is the manner of moving used to define the specific individual being portrayed. Roles fall into genres—human beings, animals and birds, and supernatural beings...Ghost are conceived of as being stiff, devils as curvaceous; they dance grotesquely and humorously...The intrinsic quality of each animal or bird is fancifully and fully exploited—the powerful tiger, the brazen leopard, the sly fox, or the wily eagle.”
“Because classical opera uses no scenery, the actor-dancer sets the stage by incorporating the idea of physical environment onto gesture and movement...Action expands the stage when, from atop three stacked tables, the dancer does a double somersault to indicate he is running down a mountain. Many actor-dancers turn the stage into a sea with spread-eagle leaps, diving falls and spiraling turns...A general on a symbolic horse uses slipping, sliding and collapsing movements to portray efforts to advance on icy ground.”




Deadlines as of 8 August- Priscilla
5:52 AM

SCRIPT AND MOVEMENT-

Script half of scene 1- By 8th Night

All monologues (stepsister-2, step mother-1, Prince-1, Cinderella-1)- Sunday Night

All characterization- Sunday Night

Script- Till Scene 3- 10th Monday. Night

Script- Scene 4- 11th Tuesday. Night

Choreograph and learn movement scene 1 +2- 11th Tuesday

Choreograph till scene 4- 15th Saturday


COSTUME-

Priscilla- All costume boards to be completed- 5th Wednesday

Wen Zhen, Rachel and Priscilla respectively- Step mother, step sister and Cinderella ball costume (water sleeve refinement, collar stitched)- 5th Wednesday

Priscilla- Cinderella maid costume (hankerchief, apron with painting, shoes painted)- 6th Thursday

Wen Zhen- Diety and Prince (water sleeve refinement and painted bottom)- 5th Wednesday


Failure to meet deadlines will have its consequences.




Fairy Godfather
2:20 AM

Iron-crutch Li (李铁拐/李鐵拐, PY: Lǐ Tiěguǎi, WG: Li T'ieh-kuai, Japanese: Tekkai) is sometimes said to be the most ancient and popular of the Eight Immortals of the Taoist pantheon. He is sometimes described irascible and ill-tempered, but also benevolent to the poor, sick and the needy, whose suffering he alleviates with special medicine from his gourd (calabash ). He is often portrayed as an ugly old man with dirty face, scraggy beard, and messy hair held by a golden band. He walks with the aid of an iron crutch (t'ieh kuai) and often has a gourd slung over his shoulder or held in his hand (Encyclopædia Britannica). He often is depicted as a clown figure who descends to earth in the form of a beggar who uses his power to fight for the oppressed and needy (Ho and O'Brien, pg. 1)

Lantern Festival - used to serve as a day for love and matchmaking, on which an unmarried girl was traditionally permitted to appear in public unescorted and thus be seen by eligible bachelors. It was one of the few nights in ancient times without a strict curfew. It is sometimes regarded as another Chinese Valentine's Day. Young people were chaperoned in the streets in hopes of finding love. Matchmakers acted busily in hopes of pairing couples.
One legend tells us that it was a time to worship Taiyi, the God of Heaven in ancient times. The belief was that the God of Heaven controlled the destiny of the human world. He had sixteen dragons at his beck and call and he decided when to inflict drought, storms, famine or pestilence upon human beings. Beginning with Qinshihuang, the first emperor to unite the country, all the emperors ordered splendid ceremonies each year. The emperor would ask Taiyi to bring favorable weather and good health to him and his people. Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty directed special attention to this event. In 104 BC, he proclaimed it as one of the most important celebrations and the ceremony would last throughout the night.
Taiyi Zhenren (Chinese: 太乙真人; Pinyin: Tàiyǐ Zhēnrén) is a famous character in Chinese folklore. Taiyi (lit. "great 2nd Celestial stem) means "primordial unity of yin and yang" and Zhenren (lit. "true person") is a Daoist term for "Perfected Person".

So mainly, the Fairy Godfather in our show is going to be a God of Matchmaking. He uses his power to fight for the oppressed and needy especially ladies. That explains the "feminine side" in him. He controls the destiny love life of the human world. He's anxious about pairing people up. (Rest of characterization to be done by Isaac!!! ^^)




Character Stock Types!!!
Friday, August 7, 2009, 10:56 PM

Ok... After spending TWO WHOLE HOURS of my free periods, i've finally found a link to the stock types of chinese opera which is comprehensive enough for our groups use.
The link is:http://74.125.153.132/search?q=cache:3hC6CTvXrLgJ:literaria.net/Shakespeare/L6/Characters.ppt+hua+tan+chinese+opera&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=sg




Movement
8:55 PM

Maiden dancing
Maiden dancing 2

Prince
Boy emperor, note how he moves
Prince, see the lyrics! THE ENGLISH VERSION!
PRINCE FUSU!




Qingyi VS Huadan
8:17 PM

A Qing Yi actress portrays a lady of good and sympathetic character Usually of a quiet, gentle disposition and graceful in her movements, she is the Chinese ideal of a beautiful woman. As a wife she is faithful, as a young girl a model of propriety. Her good breeding is shown by the graceful, flowing movements of her 'water sleeves'. The Qing Yi's costume is elegant, simple and of good quality, but not as vivid in color as that of the Hua Dan. Her singing is of a pure, high-pitched quality.

For a Hua Dan actress the gay, flirtatious personality of a young girl is required. Usually not of such a high social standing as the Qing Yi, the Hua Dan actress with her coy, coquettish and generally quicker movements arrests the attention of the audience. This is a difficult part to play successfully. The Hua Dan's facial expression is continually changing and her mischievous eye movements are particularly attractive. Because of her lower social status more hand movements are required, as in olden times it was not considered polite for a well-bred Chinese lady to show her hands. Costume, usually vivid in design and color, consists of a jacket and trousers, and a red or coloews handkerchief is carried to flutter in the actress's hand. Her character, needless to say, is not as virtuous as that of the Qing Yi and therefore her singing voice has a gayer and slightly stronger quality. She also has to do more speaking than singing.

A Gui Men Dan is the young, unmarried girl, who in later life will develop into a Qing Yi or a Hua Dan; her immaturity is clearly shown in her reactions, for though naughty and slightly mischievous, she has not the confidence of the Hua Dan, although her schemes and plans are often just as successful.

From http://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/beijing-opera/roles.htm#dan

DAN- Female roles of several categories.

i. QING YI ( Ch'ing I)- Lady of good character. Quiet gentle disposition. Graceful flowing movements in "water sleeves" costume. Elegant but not vivid. Singing voice is high pitched.

ii. HUA DAN ( Hua Tan)- Flirtatious young girl role. Usually not as high a social standing as Qing Yi. Coy and quick movements. A very difficult part to play. Attractive eye movements and continually changing facial expression. Vivid costume featuring handkerchief to flutter in her hand. Strong voice but more speaking than singing.

iii. GUI MEN DAN (Kuei Men Tan) - Young unmarried girl. This role may turn into Qing Yi or Hua Dan. Mischievous but not as much as Hua Dan. Immature reactions and movements. iv. DAO MA DAN (Tao Ma Tan) - Female Warrior role. Trained for acting and singing but performs highly skillful martial movements often with feathered headdress. Still a very feminine role. The now famous role of Disney's "MULAN" was based on Hua Mulan who disguised herself as a man to prevent her father from being conscripted into the military. She served for 12 years during the SouthNorth Dynasty and was decorated as a national hero.

From http://www.chinatownconnection.com/beijing-opera.htm

5)Dan
The Dan (旦) refers to any female role in Beijing opera. Dan roles were originally divided into five subtypes. Old
women were played by laodan, martial women were wudan, young female warriors were daomadan, virtuous and
elite women were qingyi, and vivacious and unmarried women were huadan. One of Mei Lanfang’s most
important contributions to Beijing opera was in pioneering a sixth type of role, the huashan. This role type
combines the status of the qingyi with the sensuality of the huadan.

This website shows Traditional Meets Experimental--Modernizing Peking Opera on the Mainland :
http://www.sinorama.com.tw/en/show_issue.php?id=199678507050E.TXT&table=2&h1=Art+and+Culture&h2=Traditional+Opera

One of Mei Lanfang's most important contributions to Beijing opera was in pioneering a sixth type of role, the “huashan.” This role type combines the nobility and grace of the “qingyi” with the flirtatious, extrovert characteristics of the “huadan.”




Women in chinese society - Priscilla
5:30 AM

http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/core9/phalsall/studpages/vento.html

This is the website whe i got info about the state and treatment of women in China.
Basically a summary of the article and what idea i thought could be used...(possibility)

-No one knows were the tradition of binding feet originated but ppl say that it might have been during the Tang dynasty.
-It started with royalty. Its origins may be perceived as a means of enforcing the imperial male's exclusive sexual access to his female consorts, ensuring their chastity and fidelity.Since the emperor's life was thought to have moral and political significance, information was protected and the physical freedom of the imperial and palace women was restricted. The court's custom of keeping women hidden was echoed in urban society at large, setting standards of behavior that reduced women to a state of near-total domestic seclusion. In those urban centers, such standards were widely observed by women who aspired to elite status.
- This trend set buy the royal family was followed by people from the upper classes as they strived to be considered 'high class'. It is like what a fashion trend is today.

IMPORTANT FOR THE PLAY
- Within the areas and classes in which footbinding was widely accepted, a girl of marriageable age with natural feet had only limited prospects for making a "good" marriage, one which reflected well on her family's ability to raise her properly.[18] Having a daughter with bound feet conferred many potential benefits both on the girl and her family, transforming the biological disadvantage of being born female into a distinct social advantage by increasing her opportunities for making a lucrative marriage. Mothers impressed upon their daughters that the mark of a woman's attraction resided more in her character as revealed in the bind of her feet than in the face or body which nature had given her. Her selection in marriage was the responsibility of her prospective mother-in-law, whose criterion for a good daughter-in-law was the discipline that the bound foot represented, thus a daughter learned that she carried the reputations of both her natal family and the family into which she married in the bind of her feet.[19]

The stepmother could want to emphasize this poinyt in her speech, that she had raised her dautghter allher life, bounded her feet and taught her what must be done and what is needed to marry well. In comparison, perhaps Cinderella's feet were bound before her father died, but after his passing, when she workjed as a maid, her feet were left to grow. Thus, this might be one of the factors that forced the prince to not be able to marry her and the reason the stepsisters feet could not fit the shoe. It was too SMALL.

Reason Cinderella was forced to not bind her feet- Even without the promise of hope for upward mobility which a good marriage provided, women bound their feet to signify their claim on the dignity accorded those who embodied refinement and a "sense of class".




Agenda for group meeting 3rd August
Sunday, August 2, 2009, 8:27 AM

Expectations

-Script memorized by all actors. At least Two scenes that you are present in.
- A printed anotatable script. Not too small so that you cant see the words from far off (hint hint)
- Anotations of your movements on your indiv script. NO white spots beside your lines.
- Charcaterization done and a back story formed.

Agenda
- Wen Zhen and Priscilla will begin rehearsal of 2nd scen at 6 outside BB.
- Whole group Start with warmups outside the BB at 6 30 (after star finishes).
- Quick recap of the 1st and 3rd scene.
- Choreo for the 2nd scene. 1/4th.
- Enter the BB and run through scenes 1, 2 and 3 complete with sound and lights.
- Practise scene 4. Finish half of scene 4 with lights and sound.




DEALINES MISSED AND TO BE KEPT
6:35 AM

DEADLINES MISSED-
Isaac- Script (reasons understood, but still considered overdue)

Wen Zhen- Missed 4 deadlines for costume sketches.
- Missed 2 dealines for costume stitching (Because of this your work has been spilt and given to other members. Please note this will have a direct effect on your marks)

Rachel- Missed one deadline for sketching. (I understand that you want to do them well but please try to keep to deadlines. Thankz.)

ALL members- missed 1st deadline for characterization Including me.

Saad and Isaac missed 2nd deadline for characterisation.

NEW DEADLINES-

Isaac- Sound- all music to be cut and placed in order of use. MONDAY 3rd August.

Saad- Movement- Complete choreo by 8th August Saturday

Priscilla- Costume boards- Monday 3rd Aug
Priscilla- Prince and diety costume velcro and collar stitching-Monday 3rd Aug

Wen Zhen- Step mum, daughter and cinderella

(Rachel)skirts- Monday 3rd Aug

Wen Zhen,Rachel and Priscilla- Headdresses for all characters- Wednsday 5th Aug

All actors- Script memorization- Saturday 8th August
-Characterization- Friday 31st July




Step mum characterization
6:33 AM

Name- Mrs Chan

Age- 48

Family- One daughter who is not worthy to be called my own.
- A step daughter who serves as a worthy maid
- A deceased husband who left this world 8 years ago.

Social position- When my husband was alive, we enjoyed a good position in society and were very wealthy. But ever since he passed away, there has been no source of income and thus this has forced us to be classified as the upper middle class.

Main Objective- To be rich and be a part of the royal family.

Personality- Calm, Thoughtful, controlled, rigid, reserved.

Power-Agreed- Over Cinderella and step sister since i am older than them and i control their lives and ration.

Abuse- Cinderella. Not like she is goign to rebel anytime soon.

Reward- Cinderela and Step sister.

I do not hate Cinderella, nor do i think that she is useless. But i dont trat her as my own daughter because she really isnt. I was never good to her, i could not bring myslef to be. I blame my husbands death on that little girl, and it was becuase of her that i never spent enough time with him. My daughter is no better, she has no grace or the style that i have. If she wasnt my flesh and blood i would not care a hoot for her. All i want of life now is to live it well, comfortably and to be looked up to and be known by all. What better way than becoming royalty?I am a cool and reserved woman, some say too cool, but i could not care less about other people and their hardships ij life. Even when i was married, my husband was the one who organized all the oarties at the mansion, i never bothered much about them since i didnt think that was my job.Tit for tat is wht i play all the time. Since Cinderella stole my husband from me, she will now be my servant. And since my husband doted on her so much i turned a cold shoulder to him for most of our married life.I had a difficult time growing up, we were poor, but i worked my way up and now im rich. But i want more than that. I dont want to runa household. I want to be pampered and be taken care of. I want to spend whtever time i have left living life to the fullest.

Rojak

Director: All
Playwrights: Isaac
Secretary: Rachel
Costume: Wenzhen
Set: Priscilla
Lights/Sound: Priscilla
Movement coach: Saad




SDEA
TSDian
Pris's Rojak I.blog
Rach's Rojak I.blog
Isaac's Rojak I.blog
Other TSD bloggers,
Melvyn
Isaac
Afiqah
Chenxing
Mark
Rachel


June 2009 July 2009 August 2009