TIE - Part 2

We focused again on TIE but this time through the means of a game of charades. Although most probably not something that would occur in a real TIE piece, it showed how easy it would be to convey a setting much quicker than what we had been doing before. This ability is important in TIE because of the time constraints that are placed upon the piece.

We were then split into groups - myself with Bella, Joel, and Lauren and told to make an image that conveyed loneliness to an audience with the use of a very simple set of 4 chairs - when performing a TIE piece it must be noted that the set will be limited but I will talk more about this in my next TIE blog. We made a rather abstract image of myself sat in the middle of the stage and the other three around me sat on chairs facing the opposite way. We were then tasked with making the image more suited to a target audience - either to children aged 9, teens aged 17, and adults over 65. We were given the children aged 9. In order to make the piece more suitable to this TA we would have to make the piece - now no longer a still image - more obvious with stereotypes that children would recognise. We decided that we would have a child not fitting in with their previous friendship group. We needed to make movements and facial expressions overexaggerated and shown to the audience much more because even if children don't understand the words they would understand the emotion.

Then we were given a new theme of intimidation with the same TA. We decided to keep the same setting of a playground because it is what most children would recognise - the 'plot' of ours was that a kid was trying to make friends with the popular children but is rejected and bullied by the others. It was suggested that we use a Facilitator (narrator) to introduce the characters and situation easily and under the time constraints. Again, we used stereotypes because it allows the kids to understand the situation better - we also don't have to be subtle with our stereotypes. We would, however, have to be careful with language - such as with the word 'liar' - which is basically blasphemy to children of that age.

Our final theme was the topic of Stranger-Danger. Again, we used the role of the Facilitator to introduce the piece/setting and to explain what different parts of the scene meant. We also were instructed to use 'Marking the Moment' (a dramatic technique used to highlight a key moment in a scene or improvisation; this can be done in a number of different ways: for example through slow-motion, a freeze frame, thought tracking, or music) and we had small pauses in the piece between the stranger and the child. We could have used the role of the Facilitator better by pausing the scene and having them explain to the audience or by having the audience give advice on what to do in the situation. We used repetition by having the same type of scene play out 2 times before the child took the advice and acted of her own accord - repetition is needed for children of that age because they will probably follow the instructions after seeing it played out many times.