Student In The
Spotlight highlights the work of up and coming talent in the creative industries. Here we spoke to Hannah Freier, a final year drama student about her work as a Director, the value of her degree and where she finds inspiration
What are you studying, can you tell me a bit about what your course involves? I am a final year combined honours undergraduate studying Drama and English Literature. Being a combined course the Drama side is pretty much 50 / 50 theory and practice; as I only take two drama units per year. The core unit in first and second year is‘ Texts, Contexts and Histories’ which is what it says on the tin really- looking into the big movements in theatre such as naturalism, realism, surrealism, Dadaism, futurism etc. Whereas this year we have looked into social and political themes which run through art and theatre such as: feminism, identity in theatre- sexuality / gender / race. As I have a strong interest in dramaturgy I thoroughly enjoy this unit, delving further into texts and the time they were written always adds further understanding and inspiration. In my first year I took the Acting unit whereas this year I have chosen to take Directing as I wanted to try my hand at getting the text off the page and onto stage. I have discovered that I love it! I have found that the two courses really do complement each other; English Lit has honed my critical skills and encourages my curiosity, which in turn has improved my observation skills in directing. Whereas Drama has made me bolder with speaking out in English seminars and has improved my presentation skills no end.
What are you currently working on? At the moment in Directing we have our second practical assessment and I am directing a scenario from Martin Crimp’ s‘ Attempts on Her Life’. Attempts is a series of scenarios all presenting a different incarnation / representation of a woman called Anne. This scene has really challenged me as a Director as Crimp gives the Director nothing other than text; there are no set characters, locations or stage directions. So as a Director, every decision you make is obvious, whether you chose to go minimalist with no set and concentrate on the language Crimp gives. Or decide to interpret the text into naturalistic characters with a full set and given circumstances. I have chosen to take the lack of author given direction as a cue to concentrate on the words given. The scenario I have chosen is Number 11‘ Untitled, 100 words’, it is a scene in which the absent character / representation of Anne is an Artist whose‘ art’ consists of recorded suicide attempts, notes and paraphernalia. With the scenario seemingly from the view of two opposing people, critics or audience members. The scenario is a discussion of the‘ art’ with one side disgusted and the other enthralled. In my interpretation of the scenario I am working with proxemics trying to create a symmetrical scene in places taking inspiration from performance art. I am continuing to work specifically with the actors as a representation of‘ art’ using the voice, body and space as a medium; taking inspiration from such artists as Marina Ambramovic.
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