Machinal – Sophie Treadwell
Directed by: Sean Linnen
Initial Response to the Play
Prior to casting, I read the play twice over with a non-biased opinion of every character. This allowed me to be more open to the events and themes within Machinal.
Treadwell’s writing style is specific and intentional, almost rhythmical, with the use of ping-pong dialogue, outlining the inability Helen has keeping up with the pace of society. I found every episode needing to be different to enhance the development of Helen’s life, all building to her tragic death due to her murdering her husband, as the only way she could break free from the cycle of expectation and conformity. A big focus in this play is the effect on post industrial capitalism, causing this disconnect between human connection. Although written in 1928, I found myself making connections to life in 2024 with this need to fit into a society that is ever-changing.
Casting:
Due to the time constraint, we were cast before going into rehearsals. Not being given the opportunity to audition for a role made it feel slightly unprofessional, as I wanted to prove to myself that I worked for a character I wanted.
I had mixed emotions when being cast as Helen from episode 5-6. I was excited as it’s a turning point in the play, due to my character experiencing new ways of life, having an affair and feeling a sense of freedom (which she has always longed for). Contrastingly, I felt the challenge, due to the vulnerability in these scenes. I don’t usually find this style of acting within my comfort zone and before the project I struggled to let go of control and act on impulse. Finding the confidence in myself and trusting my acting process to become Helen is something I developed in those two and a half weeks.
Research & Analysis
Understanding the Text:
In the first week of rehearsals, we spent time going through the play in detail. Although it was time constraining and tedious at times, it created a strong foundation. I noted interesting and new discoveries about Helen in all scenes, viewing her as a multifaceted character and not just focusing on how she is described in the scenes I was cast in (see 1a).
Research:
Researching the social, historical and political context of 1920’s New York allowed me to not look at the play through a 2024 lens and understand the setting of ‘Machinal’. Our class divided the most essential points of research and presented them to each other at the end of our first week (see 1b). It was fundamental for me to grasp the expectations of women at the time, so I understood the feelings of entrapment Helen felt. Alongside research on the case of Ruth Snyder (see 1c), which Treadwell based her play upon.
In addition to my own research into the types of clothing women of 1920s New York would wear. It was the era of the ‘flapper girl’, where women would wear shorter skirts and become more rebellious. Although, I pictured Helen to dress modestly I wanted elements of this fashion, whilst aligning with her costume in the script (see 1d).
Accent:
Accent:
Although I find accents to be one of my strengths I wanted to begin learning a New York Accent before going into the rehearsal room, as I knew it would take time to master. I found watching films such as ‘Bugsy Malone’ and ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ to be helpful (see 2a), in order for me to initially mimic the accent, before having a session with Jess to understand mouth placement, vowel and consonant sounds (see 2b)
After finding confidence in the accent, I was able to make subtle choices for my character. I chose to do an Italian American New York accent, with less nasality and harsh tone, with a soft general American tinge. I enjoyed using the accent in my vocal-warm ups and outside the rehearsal room, and felt by the performance it was truthful and fluid.
2b:
2a
[An embedded YouTube clip of Wolf of Wall Street – has since been taken down]
Character Development:
Character Process:
I began my character exploration by understanding what the playwright and other characters say about me (see 3a), so I keep in line with the play’s intentions. From here, I was able to add detail to her life beyond the play (see 3b)
I adopted Stanislavsky’s technique of ‘Given Circumstances’ (see 3c), understanding my characters reaction to the environments she is in, and creating her objectives and tactics used to achieve this. When working with Sean, he really wanted me to get into the psyche of Helen and enforced me to consider a more powerful objective, to ‘feel alive’ in episode 5. This completely shifted the scene and allowed my interactions with others to be more meaningful.
Creating an ‘unbroken line of action’ (see 3d), was something which I used before going on stage, I would play through in my head where Helen was just before the scene, so my entrance was more believable.
I found visually mapping out the emotional journey of both scenes (see 3e), helped me not ‘end game’ either scene and give it potential to grow. When working on it, I was told to enhance the emotion, as the pace and energy in ep.5 was lacking. Something which allowed this, was noticing the stakes of the scene and heightening them. This made the busy atmosphere come to life and the energy felt as though it was bubbling.
In order for my process to connect to me as an individual I created an ‘Acting Parallel’, to safely make relationships between my own life and Helen’s. This helped me find the similarities and ways I would have felt if I was in her position (see 3f).
Reflection of Process
Having watched the previous scenes being directed, I developed a deeper understanding of my character through the lense of my peers. I struggled to create my own version of Helen, as I wanted to do her justice from what I’ve seen whilst also giving her the potential to grow beyond what was given. An access point I utilised was relying on character questions to discover facts about Helen that went beyond the script (see 3b). These nuances taught me more about her and therefore gave me more to play with when I leaned into my preparation. Although aspects of my process such as ‘given circumstances’, were not revised, they acted as an initial base for further growth in the process.
Practical Work:
Physical Work:
Before rehearsals, I did a full physical and vocal warm-up every morning, alongside one person leading a warm-up for the company. This allowed me to feel ready for the day of work and enhanced focus within the group. I also found it beneficial to jot down a personal check-in, with my goals and mentality for the day (see 4a).
The most transformative part of my process was the physicality I adopted to become Helen. In episode 5, she is seen entering a speakeasy and interacting with new people. Sean developed my initial ‘timid’ style of physicality, by asking a series of questions aligning with Uta Hagen’s 5 senses: how I feel the moment I enter the space, what do I see, smell, hear and what is my response to that? One of my break-through moments was when I asked myself how I would sit if I was entering a place I felt uncomfortable in and meeting new people for the first time. Tapping into my own emotions allowed this sensation to be channelled into the scene, transforming the way I felt about the space. Tuning into one of my senses such as the smell of cigarette smoke, was a way for me to create a more truthful experience of her unease in episode 5.
I found using Laban to be particularly useful to fight for my objectives in the scenes. For episode 5 I chose ‘wring’, to show discomfort and ‘flick’ with ‘glide’, to present a more excitable and flirtatious nature as the scene progressed. I positioned my centre of gravity in my chest to lean in and out of conversation, showing interest. In episode 6, we see Helen amorously excited so my efforts for this scene were ‘float’ and ‘glide’, creating a relaxed sense of self expressed further by leading with my hips, showing confidence. I wanted to create a child-like wildness and curiosity, which was a challenge for me. By dancing and not being afraid of taking up room, I let myself enjoy the scene, allowing it to become natural and embodied.
Laban was a strength for me and upon reflection, I will adopt it sooner in my process as I found it to be a quick way for me to access my characterisation.
Inspiration
One source I drew from for inspiration was ‘Mrs Kennedy’ from ‘The Crown’(see 4b). Although status wise it was different, I was inspired by the way she held her back straight and used her shoulders to laugh and communicate, with a soft tone of accent. I noticed from watching clips that she aligns with Helen’s desire to be accepted and liked in episode 5. I also took inspiration from her by holding my hands together whilst walking. These intricacies allowed me to separate my own tendencies from my character and allow for a more realistic performance.
Director Notes:
I did struggle with the balance of time spent on each scene to be unfair, with Sean spending less time on episode 5. Consequently, my scene partners and I would cover the scenes during breaks. When our director came to working on our scenes, the blocking was mainly up to us as actors. This felt intimidating initially, but with practice found it beneficial, as it added flexibility and nuance every time. A big note was the volume and energy to be maintained throughout the scene. In episode 6, due to the intimacy, both my scene partner and I would go quieter, meaning on stage we lost the energy. It was a challenge maintaining that affection whilst playing it out to the audience; something that helped this was letting go of the ‘awkwardness’ having more fun, with my sole focus on my partner. Every time we rehearsed the scene I would switch up my intonation and delivery of my lines, which allowed me to not feel restricted or refrained from getting stuck in a rhythm of speech.
Intimacy Work:
Intimacy Training:
Initially I was slightly apprehensive about doing the intimacy, due to me not having the best experience with it in the past. I was put at ease by having a conversation with our intimacy director about what I was comfortable with and where my boundaries lie. I learnt that the moments just before and after the kiss are the most important for an audience member, as it demonstrates the way in which our characters feel about the other. The stage directions were so precise when it came to the final kiss. We wanted to make it seem like a ‘Hollywood Goodbye’, in which my character stretches out her body and swoops her arms around Mr.Roe, heightening the dramatic ending of her happiness, before going back to reality. The choreography was elaborate and picturesque (see 5a and 5b).
The new challenge was to ensure that emotion and feeling in the scene were still embodied, as the scene felt a little more stilted and uncomfortable, knowing we had to kiss. With practice we got to a place where we felt the freedom blossom and our connection on stage flourished.
Overall, I was really proud of both my scene partner and myself as we created a professional and open space. Daily ‘check-ins’ with each other were essential, to address how we were feeling. This allowed us to be on the same page and create a playful, yet respectable environment.
5a:
[An embedded Panopto video of the candidate’s intimacy rehearsal]
5b:
[An embedded Panopto video of the candidate’s intimacy rehearsal]
Overview:
Overview:
In conclusion, I wish that we had more time to complete this project, as I still felt by the end of it there was a deeper level of connection I could have reached, with my characters motivations and expression. Moving forward I want to ensure I put the physical work into practice earlier in my process as I spent a lot of time with the Director going through the more academic side of the play. Although this built strong comprehension, I felt I would have benefitted from going as in depth with how I moved and responded in a scene physically. This project was enhancing, as I explored a much more vulnerable and susceptible side to my acting, which I will now be able to access quicker. I give thanks to the overall environment of working as we built an honest space, allowing me to feel safe to explore and push myself.
