As the protest has to take place over 15minutes we have decided to repeat our 5minute scenes/scenario slightly differently three times.
Equipment and where:
- In the foyer at school.
- One table (Abie arranges) covered in toys of stuffed animals (I bring in)
- One chair is behind the table (Abie arranges)
- Make-up (we all bring in)
- Wet wipes (Angelica brings in)
- Beautician costumes (we all bring in)
- Two sided sign with a burned tested on rabbit on one side and the "Leaping bunny" cruelty Free logo on the other (I bring in)
- Three pairs of bunny ears (we all make one individually)
Intro: (this is said to the passing audience to gain some attention as well as to each other. We are all dressed as feminine beauticians and have overstated makeup on with huge smiling acting in a very fake manner with slight humour in our physicality to engage people. At the same time we want them to feel slightly off-edge by our eagerness and smiling. We rotate roughly around this script taking it in turns to say a line with big physicality to draw people in.)
"Gather around!"
"Christmas is coming..."
Parties!"
"New lipsticks!"
"Oooh I am looking forward to that!"
"Come and get your free makeup!" (A volunteer comes up. We may have to strongly encourage/welcome people if they are shy. If no one volunteers we will perform makeover on Angelica in our group. We bring the person over to our table)
We positively do a makeover on who ever volunteers, complimenting them, making them feel put off by our extreme excitement of doing a makeover. As the makeover progresses we positively, happily say facts about the amount of animals killed each year and the conditions and procedures of the tests they are forced into - (these are written in the previous blog). As we say these facts we will play with one of the stuffed animal toys amongst the table of makeup and toss it carelessly over our head without looking and go back to what we are doing. We say facts to the audience, each other and the volunteer happily breaking off into contrasting complimentary phrases to glorify makeup such as "Oh but that does look nice on you!" "But those animals aren't worth it though!" "Their pain is necessary for your beauty!". It is important to constantly engage the audience and at the same time swarm the volunteer with speech and attention too. As the makeover procedes we apply way too much makeup so that they look ridiculous - just as we do. Finally as we near the end "We say ooh you're not quite finished yet...". I use an eyeliner pencil to write "MURDERER" on their forehead and we put one of the three bunny ears we have made on the person. "Right" we say "Now you're a picture of true beauty!"
We turn to the audience and come out of role to tell them in a meaningful and projected voice in unison: "This doesn't happen in the UK. Because you fought for the right cause and made change happen! But this still continues worldwide. Join Cruelty Free International and protest for the right of all animals! We are their voice!"
This five minute role play/scenario with facts is repeated three times. At the end of the second one we turn to the audience and say "You wouldn't blind a stranger. But you're willing to wear the guilt on your face!". At the end of the third one we hold up the rabbit sign (in equipment list above) and say "Do you want to see this?" hold up the side with the burned rabbit on "Or this?" switch the sign over to reveal the "leaping bunny" Cruelty Free logo. "It's your choice!"
The effectiveness/ our desired outcome:
I feel that the gradual build of sincerity in our protest will be effective as people may think at first we are simply going to do a normal makeover and will have their mind switched off onto less pressing thoughts. As the message of our protest becomes more prominent with time but remains oddly jolly through out, they will realise the seriousness and the irony of what we are doing as we are dressed in makeup and happily applying it. Hopefully this will make them feel off-edge by what they are seeing in front of them and what is happening around the world and connect the two together in their mind by what we are saying. I feel that the role play is effective as it creates a satire of beauticians and the beauty industry and will make the audience question what really is "beauty" as we are emphasising the ridiculous, vain and thoughtless nature involved in the beauty industry. We are planning to show the ugly side!. I feel our protest shall be made stronger by the fact that we have stuffed toy animals amongst the makeup on the table as they show the manipulation humans are having over animals as we toss them away and they are motionless and voiceless - just like the live ones in cages. I think this will help emphasise our message as we make contact with them and say the facts about live animals but don't truly connect the two together. This will make the audience work harder as Brecht wanted as we are visually challenging them and provoking debate, making them use their imagination and realise that the toys are representing what really happens to live animals.
No comments:
Post a Comment