Questions arising from the site

To get a clear understanding of the deep struggle of living in a shantytown I researched some of the disadvantages of living there.  One of these disadvantages was how over populated the place was and fires can spread quickly. This shows how unorganised the place is and gives me a little insight into how most of the general society may feel, which is a bit vulnerable and not safe. This is why I suggested that our characters should have and their own kind of background story and life of their own so that doesn't seem like a play, and so that we show the audience that the for lack of support has in fact on the general society. If we were to do this it show that our site is a microcosm of that society. However  I know it can't fully be a representation of that society, as we need to still have the idea of a shooting gallery. But these are still just ideas not concrete plans.

Questions arising from the site.

Does the history of nature of the site suggest a particular subject matter, theme or form?

The site is in a quite isolated part of the school due to the fact that it’s inaccessible without site staff members. This is because the site consists of the school boiler room, which can be dangerous if messed around with by students. The site has always remained a boiler room ever since the building was first created, and that’s it’s function; to control the temperature of the school. 

What text/images/music does the site suggest?

The site can be considered a creepy, desolated area due to the fact that nobody is ever there and in order to access it you need a security key card. The actual site itself is also urban because of all the empty space, the striking design, the fact that it’s hidden so whatever happens inside cannot be seen nor heard, and the eerie aspects of it like the destroyed landscape. Because of this, the site creates an eerie atmosphere and suggests texts and images that relate to death, destruction, unwantedness, corruption, and danger. The music that is suggests could be deep, heavy, creepy music. 

Does the site allow the employment of unusual configurations of spectators?

The site has an abstract design to it, and it’s not like a traditional theatre or traditional site. Because of this, it would be easy to have an unusual configuration of spectators.

Where are the spectators?

The staging is a promenade set, and so the spectators would be involved and immersed into the performance. This means that the spectators can follow the actors around throughout the set and feel as part of the performance.

Where will the action be in relation to the spectators?

The action will evolve around the spectators. The action will be taking place throughout the whole duration of the performance all throughout the space, and the spectators will be thrown into the performance to feel as if they are actually there and actually part of the performance. 

Is the relationship between the spectators and performers fixed or changing? 

The performance cannot be predicted. He actors will have a duty to perform and to interact with the audience members, but we do not know how the audience members are going to respond, and so though there will be fixed aspects of the performance, it may also change in relation to how the audience members react. 

Do the dimensions, sufaces, textures and material conditions – the shape, proportion, height, length and disposition of the architectural elements of the site – suggest theatrical styles, devices and dramatic forms to be used? 

The site contains a lot of destruction and damaged textures and surfaces. The site dimension is also closed off which creates a feeling of being trapped. The materials in the site mainly consists of damaged objects, such as broken bricks, broken stones, holes in the floor, and other elements that connote destruction. The site is also large in width, length and height, which means that a lot can take place at the same time throughout the site, which is what we want. All these aspects connote to corruption, and a damaged society. This is useful because it links into our idea of having a ‘Shooting Gallery’ or a ‘Drug Pit’, full of drug addicts who have destroyed their lives through the use of drugs. 

How is the climate of the site apparent as a subject matter? 

Although the site is very enclosed, it doesn’t actually contain a roof. This means that we cannot control any harsh weather conditions, such as rain. So if it rains it may be a problem because both the audience and actors will become wet and cold, which can be uncomfortable. However, this can actually be used to our advantage. If it starts raining, it will add more depth to the performance and add to the atmosphere of depression.