Precious Little Talent - Sam

Sam is a sunny-eyed boy that after kne wild night falls for Joey. Joey critisises his optimistic and rewarding outlook on life believing you have to work for everything you get; only to have this view destroyed when she comes fresh out of university, penniless and entering the recession.

Sam and Joey work as opposites and are therefore always pushing each other's boundaries yet complimenting each other's characters due to  oppositions because they bring out the best in each other. Sam is a representative of someone Joey can trust but due to possibly a defense mechanism and pessimistic outlook on te world, it is 'not enough' to 'run away'. I really like his text because it feels like the self-realisation and dramatic turning point of their relationship and therefore Sam is an interesting character to react to and an interesting twisted text to perform.

King Lear - Why I chose this monologue questions

Q1: It related to my playing age because Goneril is a young woman, with authority and possession granted to her. I believe her power demands her character to be tall and therefore of high status, while using an English accent due it's Shakespearian origin.

Q2: This text interested me so much because of the spite and hatethat goneril   demonises and thrusts upon her father. It creates a very contrasting and daring role to play in comparison with my contemporary. The theme of cunningness and slyness in the text also intrigued me and reveals her character as develish and mischievous and I could relate to her hatred due to an iconic figure in my life where we do not 'see eye-to-eye'.

Q3: The emotional journey of the piece began very angry and unforgiving and then developed into a cunningness revealed by the characters future-ideas and plans. Goneril is persistent in her evil ambition and this is obvious in the text.

Q4: Goneril's post sure is very high and straight due to her recognition that she is of power and high status in the world in which she lives. Therefore, I had to think about moving my body in a way of that I though I was above everyone. The undercurrent of raw authority is always evident in her character and the way she speaks and using her voice. I played around with being direct, commanding, and loud as well as playful, sly, and oblivious by changing the inflection and pitch in my voice to see which worked better at what points. Showing clarity of thought was important as you see her evil ideas and vicious plans unfold through her facial expression and eyes. Using gaps and silences entangled with breath control allowed those thought processes to be seen and remained important in certain areas in the text. For example, when Goneril speaks of 'If you should come slack of former services'.. Breath, thought clarity and voice are all used heavily to convey cunningness.

Q5: My research h helped me lots because I had to figure out the slightly more modern translation in order to understand exactly what I was saying and therefore the intention of the words on the audience and the communicative message. I read the before and after scenes to gain context and looked into the overall plot of the play which have me an idea of the thoughts and feelings of Gkneril and why she reacts the way she does to certain things e.g the hate for her foolish and weak father. I read analytical notes of her character to understand the reasons for her thoughts and actions and gain an insight into her power status and therefore movement and posture possibilities. I watched one short clip on Yiutube of her monologue and realised how I didn't want to perform it and therefore made more informed choices. I found all the research incredibly helpful as it helped me intrinsically understand Goneril's character better whilst also learning the meaning behind the Shakespearian language.

Precious Little Talent - Why this Monologue Questions

Q1: It worked to my playing age because Joey is a young woman, with a free spirit, yet pessimistic view point of the world that lulls her into the false impression that some things just aren't 'enough'. Her age isn't too far-fetched from my own and is within reach as I am soon to be applying for University. Joey is fresh out of University and about to account on life as an independent adult, unlimited in the world. My casting to her character was appropriate because of my height and maturity (in a way) I am able to play someone older.

Q2: I related to this piece because I feel I have some of the same pessimistic viewpoints as Joey herself to loss and love and therefore felt I could be more truthful and honest in the portraying of her character. The themes in the text of loss and love and futility of life were interesting and meaningful to explore as the idea of what is 'enough' that we settle for could be debated through Joey's character. The piece interested me because I was able to draw upon my own experiences in life, like the loss of a loved one, and a desire to move to another country and lack of money with bad jobs, therefore it was fun to use those emotions to relate to Joey's character.

Q3: The emotional journey of the piece started with thoughtful realisation and then journeyed and built to frustration and sadness. Anger and bewilderment occurred next and then a strong, persuasive  and independent front from Joey in reaction to Sam, finally ending with self-realisation and character development. This showed a complicated and non-direct journey which is why I found it interesting and fun to explore and play.

Q4:Use of stillness was appropriate and developed because it showed a more honest monologue that exposed true feelings. Using voice in a projected manner at times when angry and frustrated revealed the raw feelings of a natural character when you just cant sit still because of annoyance. With breath control, I used pausing and played on breath when upset so the audience could just sit on the emotion with my character and focus on the moment and feelings. Clarity of thought was used and magnified at the beginning in answer to a question from another character and therefore was shown through facial expression and eye line level.

Q5:My research helped by looking at reviews of the play and finding out what characteristics of Joey were attributed and important to other critics. Researching the context and location/setting of the play really helped because I could understand the underlying things Joey was having to deal with and give a more honest and truthful contemporary performance e.g. her Dad's disease and death, love for Sam, the crumbling economy, being broke, coming straight out of Uni and futility of her experience.
Watching a few clips on YoutTube too made me make different creative decisions in terms of knowing what I didn't want to do and then also taking and using some ideas from other candidates because I thought they were valid and made understand  certain sentences.

ACTORS CV

Bryony Myers

Email: bryonymyers13@outlook.com

Contact Number: 07887407072

 

Height: 5'10

Hair Colour: Medium/Dark brown and highlighted blonde tips

Playing Age: 16 - 24

 

Nationality: English/Australian

 

Location: Brighton, West Sussex

 

Training:

 Holy Trinity C of E Secondary School

Haywards Heath central Sussex College

Act Too Stage School Theatre Company

 

Skills:

 Contemporary Drama

Physical Theatre

Improvisational Drama; short; long; forum.

Mask Work

 

Accents/Dialects:

 Queens English

General Australian

General American

Western American

 

Achievements:

Level 1; Sports Leadership Award

Level 2; Sports Leadership Award

Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award

 

Plays and Roles:

• The Mad Hatter; Alice in Wonderland; Written by Becky Watts
• Narrator; Alice in Wonderland; Written by Becky Watts
• Wife; The King And I; Written by Oscar Hammerstein ll
• Cyndi Gibson: Back to The 80s; Written By Neil Gooding
• Helena; A Midsummer's Nights Dream; William Shakespeare
• Marlene; Top Girls; Written by Caryl Churchill

 

Other Projects and Experience:

• Poetic Readings in general Assistance; Help and Company - Day Care and Home Help Management
• Horsham Academy Showcase; 2009; Hawth theatre
• Horsham Academy Showcase; 2011; The Capitol theatre
• Workshop with The Noise Next Door Theatre Company
• Workshop in Lecoq Theatre; Rose Ryan
• Lost Dog It needs horses and Homes for Broken Turns; The Brighton Dome
• Brighton Dome Discovery Tour
• Interview with Elana Di Troya; Working Actress in Performing Arts Industry
• LAMDA workshop; training for Bronze Level

 

Summary: Act 1, scene 3

Lear is spending the first portion of his retirement at Goneril’s castle. Goneril complains to her steward, Oswald, that Lear’s knights are becoming “riotous” and that Lear himself is an obnoxious guest. Seeking to provoke a confrontation, she orders her servants to behave rudely toward Lear and his attendants.

Why I chose Goneril from King Lear

Goneril's character largely contrasts with Joey's in the actions of pure evil and selfishness. Goneril is vicious, aggressive for a female character, and unforgiving in her attemps to access what she wants whether it causes death or injury. She is to be feared and not sympathised with.

I really like her character because she is so careless about any other characters wants or desires or even pain. She attempts no redemption or even acknowledgement that her actions are evil actions. Se is strong, savage, independant, and determined; an interesting and respectably twisted character to play.

Furthermore, her monologue/speech carries out variations of emotion from her including, anger, frustration, too manipulation and slyness, all the while involving an undercurrent of authority over her audience. 

Why I chose Precious Little Talent

This monologue highly appealed to me and stood out from the rest specifically because of how relateable it is to myself. Joey is a cynical, pessimistic, girl, trying to escape England and panicking over her crumbling father, much like me at what point in my life, so it was interesting to explore the repeated ideas and thoughts that I once had, yet through a different character and therefore mind set and intentions.

Secondly, I like that the monologue itself has a journey. The false hope and sarcastic nature of it twists and fools the listener in a way or character it is spoken to (Sam in this case), all the while cruelly acknowledging to the listener that it is a pessimistic speech and therefore cannot have too happy an ending. It keeps the audience on edge slightly and really draws them in to the thoughts, feelings and dramatic, yet upsetting experiences of Joey's character.

Monologue

Precious little talent - Synopsis

'Precious Little Talentis about a father desperate not to forget his daughter and two young people determined not to be forgotten by the world.' - Ebay

Joey has had a privileged upbringing, with the best schools and is a recent English law graduate. But after recently losing her job, she goes to New York on Christmas Eve to visit her father, George, without giving him notice. He has lived alone since the end of his marriage and even his relationship with Joey has slipped.

While on a rooftop in Manhattan, circumstances lead Joey to meet Sam, a lively nineteen year old American. They have a whirlwind of a romance for one night and end up falling for each other. What she doesn't realize though is that Sam works for her father as a carer while her father slowly starts losing the capacity to care for himself.

Modern translation

Monologue

King Lear and Goneril' relationship

Lear - Childlike, passionate, cruel, kind, unlikable, and sympathetic – Lear is one of Shakespeare's most complex characters 

Goneril despises her father with a hatred that is animalistic and unnatural and personified (like her character) as the archetype of evil  - along with her sister Regan - in the play. 

Goneril's relationship with Regan

Lear’s older daughters are largely indistinguishable in their villainy and spite. Goneril and Regan are clever—or at least clever enough to flatter their father in the play’s opening scene—and, early in the play, their bad behavior toward Lear seems matched by his own pride and temper. But any sympathy that the audience can muster for them evaporates quickly, (e.g. Act 2 - when they turn their father into the storm; Act 3: when they viciously put out Gloucester’s eyes). Goneril and Regan are personifications of evil—they have no conscience, only appetite. It is this greedy ambition that enables them to crush all opposition and make themselves mistresses of Britain. Ultimately, however, this same appetite brings about their undoing. Their desire for power is satisfied, but both harbor sexual desire for Edmund, which destroys their alliance and eventually leads them to destroy each other. Evil, the play suggests, inevitably turns in on itself.

Character List

Lear, King of Britain (Gonerils Father) Goneril(sometimes written Gonerill or Gonoril), eldest daughter of Lear Regan, second daughter of Lear Cordelia, youngest daughter of Lear[3] Duke of Albany, husband to Goneril[4] Duke of Cornwall, husband to Regan Earl of Gloucester(sometimes written as Gloster) Earl of Kent, often appearing under the disguise of Caius Edgar, son of Gloucester

Edmund (sometimes written Edmond), illegitimate son of Gloucester Oswald, steward to Goneril Fool, Lear's fool or court jester King of France, suitor and later husband to Cordelia Duke of Burgundy, suitor to Cordelia Curan, a courtier Old man, tenant of Gloucester A Doctor, an Officer employed by Edmund, a Gentleman attending on Cordelia, a Herald, Servants to Cornwall, Knights of Lear's Train, Officers, Messengers, Soldiers, and Attendants

Plot Overview

Lear, the aging king of Britain, decides to step down from the throne and divide his kingdom evenly among his three daughters. First, however, he puts his daughters through a test, asking each to tell him how much she loves him. Goneril and Regan, Lear’s older daughters, give their father flattering answers. But Cordelia, Lear’s youngest and favorite daughter, remains silent, saying that she has no words to describe how much she loves her father. Lear flies into a rage and disowns Cordelia. The king of France, who has courted Cordelia, says that he still wants to marry her even without her land, and she accompanies him to France without her father’s blessing.

Lear quickly learns that he made a bad decision. Goneril and Regan swiftly begin to undermine the little authority that Lear still holds. Unable to believe that his beloved daughters are betraying him, Lear slowly goes insane. He flees his daughters’ houses to wander on a heath during a great thunderstorm, accompanied by his Fool and by Kent, a loyal nobleman in disguise.

Meanwhile, an elderly nobleman named Gloucester also experiences family problems. His illegitimate son, Edmund, tricks him into believing that his legitimate son, Edgar, is trying to kill him. Fleeing the manhunt that his father has set for him, Edgar disguises himself as a crazy beggar and calls himself “Poor Tom.” Like Lear, he heads out onto the heath.

When the loyal Gloucester realizes that Lear’s daughters have turned against their father, he decides to help Lear in spite of the danger. Regan and her husband, Cornwall, discover him helping Lear, accuse him of treason, blind him, and turn him out to wander the countryside. He ends up being led by his disguised son, Edgar, toward the city of Dover, where Lear has also been brought.

In Dover, a French army lands as part of an invasion led by Cordelia in an effort to save her father. Edmund apparently becomes romantically entangled with both Regan and Goneril, whose husband, Albany, is increasingly sympathetic to Lear’s cause. Goneril and Edmund conspire to kill Albany.

The despairing Gloucester tries to commit suicide, but Edgar saves him by pulling the strange trick of leading him off an imaginary cliff. Meanwhile, the English troops reach Dover, and the English, led by Edmund, defeat the Cordelia-led French. Lear and Cordelia are captured. In the climactic scene, Edgar duels with and kills Edmund; we learn of the death of Gloucester; Goneril poisons Regan out of jealousy over Edmund and then kills herself when her treachery is revealed to Albany; Edmund’s betrayal of Cordelia leads to her needless execution in prison; and Lear finally dies out of grief at Cordelia’s passing. Albany, Edgar, and the elderly Kent are left to take care of the country under a cloud of sorrow and regret.

SUMMARISED:

Themes of the play cover greed, betrayal, lust for power, and cruelty. The story of King Lear, an aging monarch who is headstrong old man who is blind to his weaknesses, decides to divide his kingdom amongst his three daughters, according to which one recites the best declaration of love. Goneril and Regan who are the selfish daughters of Lear who pretend to love him but later treat him cruelly. Cordelia who is the loyal and unselfish daughter. King Lear disowns Cordelia after confusing her honesty with insolence. The end of the play ends in death by various methods including poison and suicide. Cordelia dies and King Lear, now a broken man, also dies.

Goneril - character description

Goneril -  Lear’s ruthless oldest daughter and the wife of the duke of Albany. Goneril is jealous, treacherous, and amoral. Shakespeare’s audience would have been particularly shocked at Goneril’s aggressiveness, a quality that it would not have expected in a female character. She challenges Lear’s authority, boldly initiates an affair with Edmund, and wrests military power away from her husband.

I really like playing Goneril because of her determination of cruelty and selfishness. She is a really cognitive, twisted and interesting character to play that is viciously aggressive and elusive by no means to get what she wants in the end.

Precious little Talent - More Info

Taking Joey as example we hear her bemoan the lack of jobs after graduating with a First class degree, whilst her mother falls for a Muslim man and begins to wear a head scarf. She’s not spoken to her father for years, and desperately wants to find who she is whilst denouncing the American ‘I have a dream’ way of life. Hickson doesn’t explore the recline in graduate-jobs, nor differing cultural relationships. She hints at the bigger story, but this doesn’t bring depth to the characters, it only makes them more roughly defined. -  Review: A younger Theatre
http://www.ayoungertheatre.com/review-precious-little-talent-ella-hickson-trafalgar-studios/