Devising 8

Film 1-2 minutes of devised work in class

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Go9xktsebY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Explain what is happening in the except and how it fits in with your full scene

The scene involves both verbal and physical drama between Craig and rick, which leads to Xanthe almost toppling overboard. The group discuss Paige's home life and it is revealed that Paige and Xanthe both have drinking problems. We are hoping to not add too much drama to the rest of the scene, perhaps a little emotional drama in the dialogue, but we like the idea of both elaborating and expanding the devising we have already done and exploring the personal and emotional situations of all of the characters.

Describe the process of making the decisions shown in the excerpt

We  started off with the idea of the argument between Craig and Rick building through small jibes and stressful questions from Craig, eventually ending with them having full scale conflict, however we felt that this didn't show their actual friendship very well. Rick does like Craig, he's just worried about his family and work back at home, and we didn't want it to appear like he "had it out" for Craig. We also thought of starting with everyone in full scale conflict and arguing at the beginning of the excerpt, however we didn't think it was in the girl's nature to argue, especially since both Vera and Xanthe just want everyone to get along.

One of my ideas was that perhaps Xanthe could actually join in the argument, but the group decided that since she is in the middle of clinical depression she would neither have the energy or the emotional "charge" to be bothered with conflict but she is also there trying to feel something or find some sort of happiness, so she would just want everyone to get along.

We liked the idea that we should all begin to talk however, using subtle stage directions such as the poker game to give the group something to do and show their boredom, and the alcohol to highlight the personal troubles that both Paige and Xanthe are going through.

Notes

It is shown that in the piece Xanthe has an alcohol dependency and I began to reflect on how she feels about it. Would she show it? I think that Xanthe isn't hoping anyone will notice, when Craig asks what she's drinking I am playing her looking like a fox caught in headlights. She doesn't want to trouble anyone so she brushes it off laughing and offers him a drink. She and Jade are both drinking buddies, however Xanthe uses this as more of a front, and excuse to drink without it being questioned. 

Another question that I asked myself was whether she was a peacemaker. It's not in Xanthe's nature to try to get everyone to get along, she has no interest in it and since she's usually and outsider and a troublemaker herself it's a bit self contradictory. However, there is a line where she refers to the group as some of the people she loves most in the world. She might consider this as a last ditch attempt at finding happiness or meaning in her life, and the trip most definitely means more to her than to some of the others.

We began to question the dynamics of the group, it started out as a holiday that the best friends all go on yearly, however we decided as a group that perhaps actually they haven't even seen each other in a long time, maybe even a year. Are things still the same? Are they as close as they once were? Definitely for Rick, with his family and new job, he is beginning to move on with his life. Paige moves between friends a lot, she's definitely the least bothered about being there. Craig is delighted at the opportunity to sail, he is very attached to his friends however he, like Rick, is beginning to move on with his life and go his own way. Craig and Xanthe organised the trip, being the ones who have enough wealth and opportunity to be able to get hold of a yacht, however for Craig it's more for fun than to see his friends again, however he loves the idea of a yearly tradition where they all get to see each other again. Vera can sense that they aren't as close as they used to be, I think she is seeing this as a sort of test to see if they are as close as they once were. Xanthe feels the most strongly about them all, I think she considers them to be her foundation and she's in denial about the fact that they aren't as close as they once were, possibly why she comes over to join the argument between Craig and Rick, distraught at the appearance of cracks in the group. This will be incredibly difficult for her to come to terms with and could lead to some really interesting drama. 

I think that Heta and Jade need more dialogue, there is so much character between them that could be really fun to explore, I'd like to take time in the next session to elaborate on their characters and dialogue. I'd also like to look at why all of the group are on the trip and what they'd like to get out of it.