AS Theatre Studies Yerma

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AS Theatre Studies

Yerma – Homework

How would you perform the role of Juan in Acts 1 and 2 in order to convey your interpretation of his character to your audience?

Plan

Introduction

Para 1: Audience response

            What you want to demonstrate to the audience

Para 2: Physical qualities for role, age, build, posture, gait

            Facial features, vocal qualities, costume

Paras 3-5: Delivery of lines, pace, pitch, pause, accent

                 Interaction with other characters and audience      

                 Eye contact, spatial relationships, body language    

Conclusion

Answer

As a performer, I aim to perform Juan in various ways in order to convey my interpretation of him to my audience. I think he would be tall because this would symbolise his high status as a man in a Spanish village in the 1930s and his authority as a husband. I feel that he would be athletic in build for similar reasons. I believe he would be in his late thirties because the play gives the sense that he has been married for years “It’s been years”. He would have short, straight, dark brown hair and deep set dark eyes because this will give him an aura of power. In Act 1 Scene 1, Juan has an exchange with his wife. As an actor, I would march onto the stage with a brisk and confident air because this would suit the crisp tone with which I will deliver the line “Have the oxen gone by?”

As a performer, I would turn away abruptly as well as dismissively as this would give the impression that Juan finds his wife’s childlike behaviour unsettling. I want to give Juan the mannerism of running his fingers through his hair because this would show his frustration in an unconscious way to the audience. I believe that Juan would hunch his shoulders because this would portray his subconscious tension. I will deliver lines like “I manage” and “rubbish” in an irritated tone. As a performer I can grin reluctantly and smile broadly because I believe that Juan both sympathises with and fears his wife’s mental instability. I would reach out my hand and take Yerma’s gently before hugging her around the waist calmly; “Come here, see you tonight”, delivering the line “The olives are doing well/the fields look good/money’s coming in” in a light tone to disguise deepening tension.

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As an actor, I interpret Juan as a character divided between conflicting feelings of love, irritation, frustration and fear. I would deliver the line “That’s enough/they’ll hear us” with calmness though glancing around to depict Juan’s anxiety. As a performer, I want to look helplessly at Yerma when delivering lines such as “Sssh”

and “Yerma” and withdrawing quickly because this would suggest inability to cope

with the situation. I think a typical male trait is to avoid situations that involve conflict. I would like to glance at Yerma in a resentful way because I think ...

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