UNIT 28: STORYTELLING AS PERFORMANCE DRAFT ONE

Have you ever wondered how it felt to be a King of great fortune?

The king Midas ruled the country of Phrygia in Asia Minor, he had everything a king could ask for.

He had authority, riches and an over flowing bank account adding with population worshipped him to extreme

He lived in a luxurious prestigious modernised castle nearby a river.

However he was never satisfied nor happy.

He shared his abundance life with his beautiful daughter who wore glistening garments, she had rich gold, blonde bouncy hair, she had a capturing deep blue sea eyes which you couldn’t help but gaze through, adding on with her pearl whitened teeth which complimented her smile.

Although he was very rich and money was his obsession, the king thought that his greatest happiness was provided by gold gold gold.

One afternoon, on a warm, blissful-blazing-bright spring sunny day, Silenus walked happily through the kingdom of Midas. The almighty God of wine and revelry got delayed along the way, Dionyssus started getting tired and decided to take a peaceful nap in the famous rose gardens, illustrated with different shapes and colours to each rose, resembling to an rainbow.

The king walked by and recognised him and instantly invited him to spend a few days at his enticing  palace.

After that , Midas himself took him to Dionyssus, the God of celebration. Was very pleased of Midas’s kindness towards him.

He then promised Midas to satisfy any wish of him, Midas went into profound thought *tick tock tick tock*

He said: I HOPE THAT EVERYTHING I TOUCH BECOMES GOLD!    

Although Dionyssus warned the king to think well about his wish, Midas was to distracted and positive about his SINFUL wish.

The next morning Midas woke up was in a rush to discover if his selfish wish came true.

He extended his arm touching a small table that immediately turned into gold, Midas was over the moon and remained touching the chair, the carpet

UNIT 28: STORYTELLING AS PERFORMANCE // MYTHS& LEGENDS Perform Critique - 14 January 2016

KING MIDAS AND HIS TOUCH!

Positive Feedback        

In my performance of my first draft of my storytelling performance I was able to add elements of each scene.

I had a true sense of connection with the audience while performing, which showed a great technique of being able to switch off the narrative to the character at any moment of time.

I put in a good variety of dramatic effect during the climax section where king Midas kneels down and cries to the Lord for his curse from his hand to be removed, I changed the tone of my voice and I had tearful eyes.

Good arch of the story telling.

I used good sound effects such as a 'stamp' 'tick tock tick tock'

Vocal phonation

Repetition of words in different pitches 'gold, gold, gold'

I had a good understanding of taking the audience into a emotional journey.

Negative Feedback

I used too much spacing, which needs to be thought through about as I need to  be able of each performance space I will be having.

For a more high classed character for example for the God I need to put in a speech he would say before he removes the curse from the king.

Introduce the king's daughter as she enters the room with confusion as to why her father was crying, before she actually turns into gold.

                  

UNIT 28: STORYTELLING AS PERFORMANCE Research: StoryTelling around the World

How are stories told around the world?

It’s said there isn’t anyone you couldn’t learn to love, once you’ve heard their story. Dave Isay knows that. The ability to honor every human by listening to what they have to say about themselves is central to StoryCorps, the nonprofit he founded in 2003.

The premise of StoryCorps is simple: One person interviews another and their conversation is recorded for posterity. It’s a strikingly straightforward proposition. But then, storytelling has always been less about glitz or gadgetry and more about connection and communication. No matter the tech, humans have invariably figured out a compelling way to tell each other stories.

That’s not to say we all tell stories the same way. Far from it. As Kay Turner, a folklorist and independent scholar who’s on the board of the New York Folklore Society, notes, “Even if a story is the same, each culture will tell it differently, because each one has its own genres and cultural rules.” That’s led to a host of different traditions and practices beloved around the world. Here are just some of them.

Hula

You might not know it while on an island vacation luau, but traditional hula dancer’s dance not to a beat, but to language, Hawaiian-language chants or songs. Without the words, the dance loses meaning as a story. Hula shares traditional stories as well as mythology and creation tales, including those of the gods and goddesses of the islands.

Chinese Shadow Puppetry

Traditional shadow puppetry tells folk stories, issues moral lessons, and projects specific local customs. Most often seen at celebrations such as weddings or religious festivals, the puppets are silhouettes shaped from leather or paper that are manipulated on long rods by storytellers. The puppeteers either sing, often in falsetto, or are accompanied by singers and musicians. Though it originated in China during the Han dynasty, the tradition has spread to countries throughout Southeast Asia.

Zajal

The classical Arabic version of a poetry slam or rap battle, Zajal originated in Lebanon and is practiced across the Middle East and the United Arab Emirates. Competitions pit one poet or spoken-word artist against another. One poet recites a stanza (often insulting the opponent), then the other responds with a stanza using the same meter and rhyme.

Cunto

This ancient Sicilian storytelling method draws from Greek theatre and relies heavily on improvisation. It alternates between sung verse and spoken prose and is often performed on a small wooden platform. The stories can occasionally include marionettes, though are typically told with a single prop or none at all. The storytellers, known as cuntisti, traditionally tell stories of epic heroes and their struggles, though these days they also include tales of daily Sicilian life.

Rakugo

This Japanese tradition is performed in monologues by a single storyteller, called a hanashika. The storytellers are similar to comedians, and they tell tales of daily life and reinforce historical and moral lessons, though they generally avoid making direct reference to particular events or figures.

Griot

Griots, or Jelis, are the traditional keepers of a society’s history in West African cultures. Griot storytellers often play instruments such as the kora, similar to a lute, and preserve family and cultural histories in the manner of a genealogist. In some West African cultures, griots were at once singers of praise and messengers for nobility.

Bharatanatyam

Indian temple dancers, or devadasis, perform bharatanatyam, a dance that is considered a form of prayer. The dances tell the stories of specific deities, such as Krishna or Shiva, and are unique to different temples and spiritual days. While the bharatanatyam, which originated in Tamil Nadu, in South India, has been in existence for millennia, it has experienced a renaissance in the past century.

Calypso

Calypso developed in the early 20th century in Trinidad, where the lyrics, which described local life and neighborhood dramas, were used as a tool to share news and shine a light on everything from the challenges of a banana farmer to local political corruption. As a political tool, calypso was often subject to censorship by the government. “Song is a popular form of expression in all Caribbean storytelling,” says Maxine Alexander, a Jamaican-American artist and storyteller. “Reggae and calypso deal very heavily in political injustice and social disparity, so storytellers use this musical platform to express things that couldn’t be spoken about. We’re singing about the stories around us in daily life.”


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Term 2: 1st Half @PJ #Schedule

Term 2: 1st Half

Technical Exercises that I need to work on:

I need to work on my sight singing as this is what I struggle with the most from the start of the term. By the end of this term i would be able to sight reading and singing so i will have the ability of being able to sing a piece of music previously unseen and unrehearsed, as it is a skill you should have as a singer in general. This technique will be beneficial for me during a open call audition which the director would expect you to be able to read key notes on a music sheet.

Many vocalist sing by ear and don't find the need to learn to sight which is the mentality i had as i followed other people. However as a singer i've learnt that 'session and 'classical sight readers need to be able to read sheet music on first sight.

  

So therefore...

Every Monday i will dedicate 1 hour at 6pm to practice my sight singing with my 

#SSTHEORY booklet which Ike has given to us in class to help me improve on my sight reading and singing.

The areas of voice that I find challenging and also need to work on:

I will need pay attention of my tone of voice while singing as i tend to sound quite sharp when i am trying to reach for them higher notes. I honestly think that happens due me not using enough air while singing, this mainly happens as i over think before before actually singing during a belted part, which causes me to panic and aswell tension within' my vocal chords.

So therefore..

I've taken on the challenge to search of for musical theatre songs which would challenge my vocals to a higher extent. This is very important for me as i believe i already have such a powerful voice but i lack major confidence the moment after a climax within' a song. Listening to singers like Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston has enabled me more or less copy the way they taken on certain belting parts as it arrives. After work every Sunday I take on a song i've chosen at the start of the week and decide to sing the song in front of my family, and later on getting critical feedback from them. During this whole process i record myself singing too. As i can take the feedback and listen back to spot the sections i went wrong. The only way to improve as a singer is to being able to notice yourself where you are going wrong, no matter how much times you get approached about your mistakes if you, yourself you are not able to identify them, you'd never improve and get better.

The areas of the voice that i can handle but need to refine:

I have a handle on my projection and being able to sing alone. This always gets explained by others that it shows my commitment towards the song, as i naturally sing like this it results to me straining my voice quite often. Twice now during this school year, i kept being ill before a show, so tend to put myself on voice rest couple often days before a performance. 

Targets that I would like to achieve:

1. I would like to confidently know how to read music sheets and notes without hesitation.

2. I could explore different genre of music as I tend to just stick to modern ballads.

3. I will need to learn how to gather information of the character in the song and learn to interpret it through acting through song accurately.

The deadlines of my work, in how to reach my targets are due on the 20th January 2016.

UNIT 28: STORYTELLING AS PERFORMANCE Research Presentation: Story Order

1.       The wish was a king of great fortune who ruled the Phrygia in Asia Minor, he had everything a king could ask for.

2.       He shared his life of abundance with his beautiful daughter, even though he was very rich, Midas thought that his greatest happiness was provided by gold.

Money was his obsession.

3.       Dionyssus, the God of celebration was very grateful of Midas for his kindness, he promised Midas to satisfy any wish of him

4.       Midas’s hope/wish was “I hope everything I touch becomes gold”

5.       The next day Midas was very eager to see if his wish came true, he touched a small table and it turned to gold, following up with a chair, carpet, the door and his bathtub.

6.       He sat on the table to have his breakfast and took a rose to absorb the fragrance, when he touched it, it turned into gold.

7.       I suppose he thought in disappointment.

8.       He suddenly started to sense fear, tears filled in his eyes.

9.       Midas hugged his daughter, she turned into a golden statue!

10.   Despaired and fearful, he raised his arms and prayed to Dionyssus to take this curse from him.

11.   The God heard and felt sorry for him and told Midas to go to the river and wash his hands, and he saw gold flowing from his hands.

12.   Midas turned home and everything he touched had become normal again.

13.   Midas hugged his daughter in full happiness and decided to share his great fortune with his people.

14.   From now on, Midas became a better person, generous and grateful for all the goods of his life.

15.   His people led a prosperous life and when he died, they all mourned for their beloved king. /                                                                                                                                                                                                               

UNIT 28: STORYTELLING AS PERFORMANCE The story...Research Presentation: King Midas and his touch ! 6/01/16

The story of King Midas is a myth about the tragedy of avarice and narrates what happens when true happiness is not recognized. Midas was a man who wished that everything he touched would turn into gold. However, he had not thought that this wish was not actually a blessing, but a curse. His greed invites us to think and realize the consequences that may lead us to become slaves of our own desires. The phrase the Midas touch comes from this myth and is used to say that somebody has a good fortune.

Want to discover more myths? View all Myths | Next myth: The myth of Europa Discover the myth of King Midas and his golden touch The wish Midas was a king of great fortune who ruled the country of Phrygia, in Asia Minor. He had everything a king could wish for. He lived in luxury in a great castle. He shared his life of abundance with his beautiful daughter. Even though he was very rich, Midas thought that his greatest happiness was provided by gold. His avarice was such that he used to spend his days counting his golden coins! Occasionally he used to cover his body with gold objects, as if he wanted to bath in them. Money was his obsession. One day, Dionyssus, the god of wine and revelry, passed through the kingdom of Midas. One of his companions, a satyr named Silenus, got delayed along the way. Silenus got tired and decided to take a nap in the famous rose gardens surrounding the palace of king Midas. There, he was found by the king, who recognized him instantly and invited him to spend a few days at his palace. After that, Midas took him to Dionyssus. The god of celebration, very grateful to Midas for his kindness, promised Midas to satisfy any wish of him. Midas though for a while and then he said: I hope that everything I touch becomes gold. Dionyssus warned the king to think well about his wish, but Midas was positive. Dionyssus could do nothing else and promised the king that from that following day everything he touched would turn into gold.

The curse

The next day, Midas, woke up eager to see if his wish would become true. He extended his arm touching a small table that immediately turned into gold. Midas jumped with happiness! He then touched a chair, the carpet, the door, his bathtub, a table and so he kept on running in his madness all over his palace until he got exhausted and happy at the same time! He sat at the table to have breakfast and took a rose between his hands to smell its fragrance. When he touched it, the rose became gold. I will have to absorb the fragrance without touching the roses, I suppose, he thought in disappointment. Without even thinking, he ate a grape but it also turned into gold! The same happened with a slice of bread and a glass of water. Suddenly, he started to sense fear. Tears filled his eyes and that moment, his beloved daughter entered the room. When Midas hugged her, she turned into a golden statue! Despaired and fearful, he raised his arms and prayed to Dionyssus to take this curse from him.

The atonement

The god heard Midas and felt sorry for him. He told Midas to go to river Pactolus and wash his hands. Midas did so: he ran to the river and was astonished to see gold flowing from his hands. The ancient Greeks said they had found gold on the banks of the river Pactolus. When he turned home, everything Midas had touched had become normal again. Midas hugged his daughter in full happiness and decided to share his great fortune with his people. From now on, Midas became a better person, generous and grateful for all goods of his life. His people led a prosperous life and when he died, they all mourned for their beloved king. 

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UNIT 28: STORYTELLING AS PERFORMANCE Task 2: (MIDAS)

Midas  (MYE-das)

Mythological possessor of the "Midas touch", the power to transmute whatever he touched into gold. Midas was a king of Phrygia, a region nowadays part of Turkey. One day some of his farmhands brought him a satyr they had caught napping in the vineyard. This creature, part man, part goat, still groggy and much the worse for wear, had been thoroughly trussed up to keep him from escaping. Midas immediately recognized Silenus, right-hand satyr to the god Dionysus, and ordered him set free. Silenus explained that he and his master had just returned from the East where they had been engaged in spreading the cultivation of the grape. Dionysus had brought back a tiger or two, an ever-expanding flock of followers and one very drunken satyr. Silenus had conked out in Midas's vineyard to sleep it off. Now he was grateful to the king for treating him with dignity, and so was Dionysus. The god was so pleased, in fact, that he offered to grant whatever Midas should wish for. Now, you didn't get to rule a kingdom in those days without a pretty active grasp of what makes for a successful economy. Midas didn't have to think twice. As the simplest plan for the constant replenishment of the royal treasury, he asked that everything he touch be turned to gold. Arching a godly eyebrow, Dionysus went so far as to ask if Midas were sure. To which the king instantly replied, "Sure I'm sure." So Dionysus waved his pinebranch sceptre and conferred the boon. And Midas rushed back home to try it out. Tentatively at first, he laid a trembling fingertip upon a bowl of fruit and then a stool and then a wooly lambkin. And when each of these had been transmuted in a trice into purest gold, the king began to caper about like the lambkin before its transformation. "Just look at this!" he crowed, turning his chariot into a glittering mass of priceless-though-worthless transportation. "Look what daddy can do!" he cried, taking his young daughter by the hand to lead her into the garden for a lesson in making dewy nature gleam with a monotonous but more valuable sheen. Encountering unexpected resistance, he swung about to see why his daughter was being such a slug. Whereupon his eyes encountered, where late his child had been, a life-size golden statue that might have been entitled "Innocence Surprised". "Uh oh," said Midas, and from that point on the uh-oh's multiplied. He couldn't touch any useful object without it losing in utility what it gained in monetary value, nor any food without it shedding all nutritional potency on its leaden way down his gullet. In short, Midas came to understand why Dionysus had looked askance when asked to grant the favor. Fortunately, the god was a good sport about it. He allowed Midas to wash away his magic touch in the river Pactolus, which ever after enjoyed renown for its shimmering deposits of gold.