Acting: Lesson Eight

Tuesday 25^th November

This week we started looking at Dr Korczak’s Example. This is story about Dr Janusz Korczak, a polish educator and children’s author. Dr Korczak was an owner of an orphanage which was move to ghetto during the Second World War. Dr Korczak is trying to pursuit the idea of children having natural rights while holding count between children. The story is base around fictional characters called Adzio and Stephanie, two orphans who try to resist the Germans violently.

We started to read though Dr Korczak’s Example. Point out Brecht techniques. Here are the different techniques we find in the play. At the start a storyline is played out twice in 2 different ways to show different outcomes –“This is how it probably happens but then we wouldn't have a story so we’ll change it”. This helps distances the audience from the story.  The actors tell the audience that their version of the story is a lie because they tell the audience that they are changing the scene because one of the main character get shot at the beginning. The actors talk about their character because they not want the audience getting attracted to the characters and this helps separate the characters form the actors. The actors tells the audience it is a real story with a made up character who Represents any kid you might know (an Archetypes are characters that could represent any kid you know in your life) which is show by using dolls, that are there to represent characters this also detaches the audience from their feeling using David Grieg uses dolls to enact scenes that are spoken about. E.g actor of Adzio examines the Doll Adzio’s scars Adzio is very blasé about this scar, this helps to removes feeling from the audience. The doll is used as a border between characters and their emotions.  In the scene between Adzio and Steff, the dolls slap each other first, then there’s a real slap between the characters/actors this distance the audience as they know that slap is coming. Jews are never referred to with names and neither are the flies, the killing of flies’ ends up helping another character which happens when Steff needs the loo. This is a metaphor for the sacrifices in war. The audience have less sympathetic to a doll than to a human so we are listening more to the political message rather than having emotional sympathy.  

The political message of the fly that people in power kill the flies. Adzio compares himself to a fly because he doesn't have the power to kill it but later when he start understanding that everyone has the power to kill just some people not use that power but he does use that power so he kills the fly. Later he compares the flies to Germans and kills them. There’s a sense of community in the Ghetto though out the whole play with the children running the count if there is someone the same age as them. The children get to said who stay and who goes because they are the one living with the other children. There’s a lot of description about characters explaining what is going on. The soldier Korczak speaks to is a tool for Korczak to say what is on his mind outside of the scene. When Adzio tempts Steff with the apple it is a metaphor for the Garden of Eden with Adam and eve. Then the priest kicks them out of the garden like Adam and eve were kicked out.  Actors looking at each other, not characters, show it is a significant moment. Adzio leaves. His doll behind to show he is leaving his old self behind. 

I feel my strength from this listen was that I understand the play and what was happening but my weakness was that I was worried about reading the play so I didn't really look and the techniques which I should of done so next week I'm going to find more techniques that Brecht using in the play.