Given Circumstances

The given circumstances of a play are whatever known facts, often given in the text or by the director, of the play that shape the play, normally the 5 w's; what, when, where, why, who. The given circumstances are essentially the CONTEXT, the details that before you even start to analyse or look deeper into the play are just staring straight at you from the setting of the play/scene or by acknowledging who your character is having a dialogue with and who else is present, all these simple things don't need to be found out by masses of research or soul searching for the inner emotions of your character, they are just the simple and factual aspects of the play. The given circumstances enables you to react appropriately within scenes as you are aware of your characters surroundings and the basic situation that is ongoing at that time. It also informs you massively on your character and the decisions you would make as that character. 

To explore this principal, we carried out an exercise of existing within a scene and its given circumstances. The given circumstances we worked out in fine detail so everyone was clear of the spacing of the scene/set and the other 5 w's. My aim was to just exist in the space of a doctors waiting room next to two other people, without trying to act or play the part of the girl going to the doctors. I actually quite enjoyed this exercise and found it very refreshing to clear the mind of any acting related thoughts and just be in my body. After a small amount of time I really did feel as if I was waiting for the doctors and that the people I was sitting next to where in fact complete strangers, something that gave me a new insight into just how much you are able to convince your own mind that you are in a certain situation even when you know your not. Specific things like the ticking of my leg or the fact that I crossed my leg away from everyone else and folded in wards to distance myself from others happened purely by instinct and my inner, impulsive actions, not because I consciously decided to do that. I know that for sure because I wasn't actually aware that i had crossed my legs away from everyone else and had hunched in until someone mentioned it after the scene and reflected on how i was very closed off and portraying a lot of anxiety, never during the scene did any of these things purposely cross my mind. It was a natural response to how I would normally be in a doctors waiting room. The ticking of the leg was also a natural reaction until I became aware of it half way through the scene and decided to keep it going as it did fit in the given circumstances and gave some depth to my character. 

We also carried out an exercise where we had to turn this very blunt and boring piece of dialouge into something interesting by creating the pieces given circumstances. Daniel and I decided on setting this scene in a councilling office, where Daniel has just entered to come for a session, me being the counciller. We then decided on the pause coming from the fact that Daniels character is undecided on wether he wants to attend, hence the councillor asking if he is coming, for which he replies no. This refusal of the session then creates what we interpertated to be a very akwared goodbye from both people. 

So our 5 W's were:
What am I doing - I am coming to get a patient
Where is it - In the waiting room
When is it - Around 5 pm as he has come straight from school
Who am I - I am a councillor for young people
Why am I here - It is my job

These given circumstances helped us build a picture of what the situation was and therefore allowed us to respond and interact in a more realist way as now we were informed on the context of the scene. This also allowed us to have a better understanding of the characters relationship and therefore how they address one another.