jaromirgontar

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28.05.24

Journal check :)

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Notes 09.04.24

Happening aims to check if people on the street will help (and how many) a stranger who, for instance had a heart attack.

One person pretends to have a heart attack on a street, other participants make sure, so that no one calls for ambulance, as it may be potentially dangerous, and unethical.

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Notes 19.03.24

Continuation of improvisation:

Exercise associated with improvisation "Up!" when selected person says "up!" two random people must stand up, and play an improvised scene, they can talk, however, it is not obligatory. The game continues until last pair plays a scene.

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Poster + Invitation

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Notes 13.02.24

”Impro” - during classes students were split into groups of two, then one each person were told to make other person make something during performing improvised scene, without directly telling them what to do. In addition, at the beginning of the first class we played 3 games: “hi-ha-ho”, “piw-paw”, and the word chain.

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Participation in the press conference during theatre classes 01.02.24

Today during Theatre classes we participated in the press conferences and handing over the letter for Prime minister by “KRR”, “Siostry rzeki”, and other river related environmental organisations, in front of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister. The main purpose is to hand over the control over rivers of Poland from the Ministry of Infrastructure to the Ministry of Environment, and stop ongoing construction of dams and dredging of rivers (specifically “Odra”) to prevent catastrophes, such as the one from summer of 2022 on “Odra” from happening again.

Source:

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Notes from the play "1981. Nowy wspaniały kraj"

“1981. Nowy wspaniały kraj” is a theatrical production helmed by director Wojciech Faruga, developed in collaboration with ASSITEJ Poland, Theater of Ochota, Theater of Poland in Bydgoszcz, and the History Meeting House. Forming part of the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the imposition of Martial Law in Poland, the play endeavours to interpret the tragic events of 1981 and subsequent years through a distinctive and courageous lens. This approach, though at times raising questions, employs the perspective of former ZOMO militants recounting their experiences in the form of an interview years later.

While the specific period remains unmentioned, the audience can infer that the narrative transpires in the 2030s. Moreover, the world depicted in the play is a somewhat grotesque, dystopian reality where the anticipated success of “Solidarność” in altering the political landscape failed, leaving the country under continued communist rule. Consequently, in this alternative reality, it is unsurprising that ZOMO militants are hailed as national heroes. The play incorporates ironic and, at times, sarcastic humour, exemplified by the revelation towards the end that, in 2023, the internet, homosexuality, and radio were banned for posing a perceived threat to society. It asserts that the populace now resides in an ideal communist nation, for which they should express gratitude, as the ruling party purportedly shielded society from the moral degradation of the Western world.

Krystian Łysoń's scenography stands out as a notable strength of the production, employing a unique approach where actors, to intensify the atmosphere, sit directly in front of the audience, maintaining a distance of no more than one meter. Another technique contributing to the desired tension is the direct gaze of the actors into the eyes of the audience members. Additionally, the incorporation of live music played on a piano in the background is deemed a commendable choice."

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Notes from 30.11.23

Due to being absent the notes were copied from another student.

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Notes 23.11.23

Lesson cancelled

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Notes from 07.12.23

Lesson about planning our summative assessment - presentation, in which we include 8 slides regarding original plot, director's concept, setting, and TEAM (Tention Emotion Atmosphere Meaning). The presentation concentrates on our own plan for a play based on an ancient drama, such as: Antigone, King Edip, etc. During the lesson we also discussed Theater HL Matura exam and Theater SL.

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Comparison of Peter Brook's and Jan Klata's "Hamlet"

While adaptations of the classic, which Shakespeare's "Hamlet" undoubtedly is, by Peter Brook and Jan Klata, seem to have many things in common, they differ much when it comes to a more detailed analysis of plays. Peter Brook's version removes political aspects and rearranges the text to focus on Hamlet's philosophical questions, presenting a distilled and enigmatic exploration of existence with clear simplicity. Adrian Lester emphasizes Hamlet's questioning, making the play an inquiry about his identity and the surrounding universe.

On the other hand, Jan Klata's adaptation takes a more contemporary and provocative approach. Set in a Gdańsk shipyard, it comments on post-Solidarity Poland, incorporating modern elements like techno music and celebrity culture. Klata uses symbolic elements like books and dance, and the Mousetrap scene becomes a commentary on modern theatre. Dmitrij Schaad's Hamlet is a modern celebrity with a rebellious edge, and the final scenes introduce Fortinbras as a pragmatic politician. Klata's play explores memory and forgetfulness, using a mix of Polish and English to convey a message of "Performance Rules."

In essence, while Brook's production delves into the metaphysical drama of Hamlet, Klata's version is a contemporary, visually dynamic commentary on both the play and modern society.

[jaromirgontar]

Don Kichot by Igor Gorzkowski, short review

Igor Gorzkowski's rendition of 'Don Kichot' invites the audience into a charming realm, breathing fresh vitality into Cervantes' timeless character. The play is an unusual adaptation of Don Kichot's character, which could be described as relatively minimalistic. In my view, the actors in this production tended to hyperbolise their emotions to an excessive degree, which detracted from the subtlety required for a character like Don Kichot. My disappointment was particularly pronounced in portraying the main character, Don Kichot, where an overly dramatic approach often overshadowed the balance between noble idealism and comic delusion. On a positive note, I found the overall quality of the costumes, with a standout being the portrayal of the comic character of the priest by Maciej Cymorek, to be exceptional. The attention to detail in the costume design was commendable. Cymorek's costume not only added authenticity to his character but also elicited laughter from the audience, enhancing the play's comedic elements, and generally improving the perception of the play. In Igor Gorzkowski's rendition of 'Don Kichot,' the emotional impact left me disappointed, particularly in the provided level of humour. The humour often veered toward the vulgar, with sexual subtexts that I found mostly unfunny and out of place in this classic tale. However, the inclusion of inviting a person from the audience at some point in the play was a good and refreshing idea, offering a unique and enjoyable moment amidst the overall disappointment. In short, Gorzkowski's 'Don Kichot' had a fresh approach, but the exaggerated emotions and questionable humour disappointed me. Yet, the standout costumes and audience participation added some fun moments.

[jaromirgontar]

Notes from 27.10.23

Firstly, all players draw one big picture without communicating verbally. Then every one draws their own small picture, then hands it to the person on his right side, the person adds something to the picture, the time is strictly limited. After that all the players are being divided into two groups. The first group starts the game, they need to choose one of the images perviously made (including the big one) and try to imitate the image, while second group need to guess, which picture the first group is imitating. If the second group guess the picture right, they have 1 point. Then the sides switch, and the game continues to the moment when there is no images left.

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Theater and Literature

Theater -> Literature

Theater as a result of the yearly Dionysia processions. Competitions for the best comedy and tragedy, after the Dionysia. Literature as a product of theater.

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The Maker review

introduction:

From the very beginning, 'The Maker' sweeps the audience into a world where the shortness of life, mixes into a grotesque picture with the beauty of the new beggining, leaving spectators spellbound and eager for the unfolding drama. The Maker is a short animated film by Christopher Kezelos and the team of Zealous Creative produced in 2011. Imagine a place where imagination becomes real and where making things is like magic, and where life is among those things. We are going to take a closer look at this special animated movie, exploring how it is made and what makes it so unique. Even though it's not very long, 'The Maker' is a story that makes you think about life, art, and how extremely short our lives actually are.

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notes about the lesson from last week

At first all the players are given a sweet of three papers: title, person and random, after filling them, the players put all the papers into a box. In the first round players divide into two teams, each team choose one person.In the first round person chosen by the team, tries to imitate the thing written on the card, as for the teammates they are supposed to guess the thing person imitates, the time is limited. In the second round the chosen person tries to explain the object using only one word, so the teammates could guess it, the game countinues up to the moment when there is no cards (papers) left in the box.In the third round the person chosen tries to imitate the sound of the object, so the teammates could guess it without looking. The game continues up to the moment when there is no cards left in the box.The team, which gained most points wins.

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Concentration and focus improvement games

First one, associations related to the subject (kitchen and school), invite next person and repeating in the same order. Mixed with passing the stick at the same time.

Second one, two people give their associations related to the word given, next two other people give their associations to the previous two words (something in common).