Playhouse Creatures 8

We went through our second scene for the first time, I am once again with Sophia making our total time in the performance together about half an hour, all continuous from the beginning of our second scene to the end of the abortion section of our first scene. Sav and Heta play Nell, with a switch over halfway through, same as Mitch and Jade who play Doll. Mrs Betterton is played by Sophie. We went through the scene, reading through it and focusing on the key points of drama. Unlike mine and Sophia's first scene, there is no huge point of drama. Nell is introduced to the company however freezes onstage. She turns it around dances a jig, winning over the audience. we started blocking, focusing on building and enjoying the atmosphere of friends backstage as Sophia and I have been unable to do in our first scene due to focusing more on the drama.

UPDATE:

Notes

Having performed our second scene for the first time in front of Andy, we received these notes on what we have done so far.

• Check your blocking
• whilst we have worked a fair bit on blocking, in that we know where we'll be standing at each point in the scene, it is still a bit awkward. Andy told us to make sure we're not standing in front of anyone or with our back to the audience. Also, we need to use the space more effecting and avoid clumping. This is true. In the Muses bit Jade, Sophie and I all tend to clump in a huddle, stand in front of each other and leave large parts of the stage empty. I think we need to add more structure to it and bear that advice in mind with the rest of the scene.
• Make more of a sense of "backstage"
• be busy, we'd be preparing for our next scene, applying makeup, anything. I think there definitely needs to be a sense of busyness to give life to the scene. This is more of a home to us than our actual home, we spend all of our time there. We would be relaxed and comfortable there, we'd be chattering and getting ready. I think that's something to work on, the atmosphere of the piece.
• More detail in characterisation
• Andy pointed out that the conversation between Mrs. Farley and Mrs Marshall is very significant. Mrs Marshall has been to a salon, Mrs Farley has been in the bed of a king. An actress to a king is entertainment, barely better than the poor woman who was forced to sing in front of him. She thinks herself something because she's been to the palace, however Mrs Marshall knows through experience what rich men are like towards actresses, and how easily the girls are cast aside by them. Marshall, on the other hand, has been to a salon and been asked questions. A salon was seen as being somewhere where the intelligent and forward thinking go to ask questions and find things out. They don't see an actress as a puppet for their entertainment, they see her as something interesting, to be studied. This would cause some friction between the two, with Mrs Marshall considering Mrs Farley silly and naive. 
• Also, the conversation between Nell and Mrs Farley has to be more private. As it is, all the other actresses would be able to hear what they are saying which doesn't make sense. For this reason, getting the busyness and bustle onstage at this point is key.
• Finally, the shit in Mrs Marshall's hair needs more imagination and conviction. As it is the reactions just aren't believable.