A community, as explained in the Oxford dictionary is: “a group of people living together in one place, the people of an area or country considered collectively; society. A group of people with a common religion, race, or profession: the scientific community. The holding of certain attitudes and interests in common. A group of interdependent plants or animals growing or living together or occupying a specified habitat.
The transitional process between studio and theatre space seemed to cause a number of physical queries. It also brought to life the world in which we were to coexist as characters and cast members. On the first day of using the Arena Theatre, we could enter the room at the start of the day and use the first fifteen minutes to simply absorb the surroundings; taking note of every minute detail. To explore our physical community space and walk around each environment, walking through the journey of our characters made everything come to life. The woman’s story became easier to visualise as we played through each of the scenes in our minds, silently absorbing the ambience.
The biggest weakness I found was that a number of the cast were confused about where to position themselves; both in the wings and onstage. The space we had become accustomed to was a wider, yet shorter area; this being longer yet narrower. This created confusion in particular when entering the stage and then both of the ensemble pieces. Oddly enough, it seemed that the adjustment to a new performance area appeared to create a lapse in remembering if your character was situated at stage left or stage right. The two ensemble pieces naturally had to be revisited due to the positioning of the cast as a whole. It appeared the cast seemed to work in close proximity and were a little afraid to maximise the potential space. Downstage right became the apparent hub of the community, so we had to walk through the choreography, ensuring that everyone gave each other the safest possible surrounding support but also that the stage in its entirety was explored; in particular, the whole of the upstage area.
Thomas Leabhart, Push Theatre Company philosophies we should be; ‘Actors of presence, actors who did not disappear on such a stage, actors large enough to fill the empty space.’ This can be said of our piece, in the way the cast seemed to want to stay by the audience for, perhaps, fear of not being seen. On the contrary, when I watch a performance I often see through the centralised characters and attempt to seek out other stories and surrounding stories.
Another point I would comment on would be that the moving between one space to another created a few difficulties regarding professionalism. I feel for some people the importance of remaining focused and on target the whole time was not so important. Simple things like disrupting the ambience backstage and in the dressing rooms meant the rest of the cast had to work harder to stay focused. Not to mention, the them of the piece was domestic violence and was essential we delivered it in a way that was true and honest, but very respectful and empathetic to the victims; in particular the 72 women that died as a result of it last year alone and also those suffering daily in silence.
When training as an actor one is taught to always rehearse, revisit and relearn in order to strive for honesty in a performance. Thus, the RSVP model should not only be applicable during the first stages of a production, but continue to be revisited and relearned until the final curtain call.
In 1989, Suzanne Lacy wrote “I never know if a work is “right” until I see it. But along the way to that moment when, well into the middle of a performance or even near the end, I ‘recognise’ the image, there are many decisions in which the shape is created.” So, just as Lacy explained, decisions are constantly needed to be made in order that the piece is representative of the true negotiation between inner and outer reality. The body must be used to mirror emotions and stories. Similarly, the artistic policy for physical theatre company DV8 details;
“...above all, communicating ideas and feelings clearly and unpretentiously...”
When the first dress rehearsal of Four Ways to Speak Out took place on Wednesday the cast were united and excited, the tech run had gone successfully; utilising the time together efficiently, and the set was the empty space in which the story was to unfold. Standing in the wings awaiting my arrival into the space I felt confident and content with the work we had devised this semester. After an extensive character workshop, I felt ready to deliver the woman’s flashbacks. Then something happened.
Onstage I found myself questioning why I wasn’t as engaged as I was during the dress run and why I didn’t feel I was delivering an honest account of the woman’s disappearance. I believe this was a result of a number of factors. Due to the success of the dress run, subconsciously I feel we as a cast; myself included, took for granted the RSVP effect and thought we could aesthetically recreate the previous emotion without returning to the originality of the piece. I allowed myself to engage with fellow cast members in the wings. Although I didn’t hold any conversations, I still became too aware of what the surrounding circumstances were, and found myself in the heart of the disruption, rather than allowing the previous character exercise to find and indeed keep, the woman’s account. Had I have found a quiet corner I could reflect in I think I would have delivered a stronger description for the audience. Stanislavski dedicated his actor training to delivering the truth, and is quoted in An Actor Prepares as saying “It is so much easier to lie when you are on the stage than to speak and act the truth”.
Another factor of my performance was my meticulous attention to detail. Upon reflection, this only led to delivering a “lie”. In the last interactions between Andy and the women, the action created onstage was always unknown and was something the five of us never delivered exactly as the previous performance. This concerned me as I was keen to close the woman’s story with a final reflection of the state at which the relationship had reached. After both of the Wednesday performances Andy and I would take a few minutes out to revisit those interactions; seeking to create something we could ‘nail’ and perfect so it was easier to recreate in the performance. We didn’t do this for the final show however. On Thursday we relaxed, just as the rest of the cast did. We stopped trying to reach a perfect performance and instead concentrated on forgetting. That is, to forget the body and any outside influences , but rather to enjoy the last performance and use it to showcase the work we have become so proud to share with the public. This relaxed atmosphere did not make us complacent (as with the first production) but rather stayed true to the themes and narrative we were to share. By returning to the R stage of the process we could effectively deliver an honest account; something essential to remember when exploring physical theatre.
Bibliography
Anderson, J.(1997) Art Without Boundaries Dance Books Limited
Brook, P.(1968) The Empty Space McGibbon & Kee
Crickmay, C & Tufnall, M (1990) Body Space Image. Dance Books Limited
Keefe, J & S Murray (2007) Physical Theatres: A Critical Introduction London: Routledge
Keefe, J & S Murray (2007) Physical Theatres: A Critical Reader London: Routledge
Stanislavski, K. An Actor Prepares (1980) London:Methuen
Other Sources
www.akramkhancompany.net. Accessed 20/04/10
http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/community?view=uk. Accessed 20/04/10
http://www.dv8.co.uk/about_dv8/artistic_policy. Accessed 08/04/10
http://www.pushtheatre.org/philosophy.htm. Accessed 04/04/10
Monday, 26 April 2010
Blog Assessment 3. Grecia CHARPIN. Student Nº: 0916113
Four ways to speak out it’s a show that came to life in a very singular and creative way. From the very first sessions of the “R” “S” “V” process, when exploring ideas, objects, music and the space, one of the main themes of our performance -Domestic Violence- emerged collectively in its very “first draft” in the form of the very representative locations within a community where the narrative could take place. Yet, at this stage, I would say, domestic abuse wasn’t something we were identified with or fully committed to. Thus further analysis and physical exploration of our characters during the sessions was necessary in order to embody and impregnate ourselves individually and collectively with the narrative.
Following this phase, a wide range of characters emerged taking strong positions in this issue, another resulting theme appeared as well imperative to be revisited, standing for the role of the society in fighting domestic abuse. Other themes such as friendship, recreation, protection, vulnerability, manipulation, violence, desperation, loss of control, moral judgements and liberation, were then contextualised to animate and bring energy to each of the sections in the piece where this missing woman will have had a critical moment.
The accent was put in those representative places around which people build their lives, and establish their connections with the exterior -places where both conflicts and events can potentially originate and be altered- as in the example of the male characters meeting this woman in the street for the first time, or the case of the toilets in the bar, where she was raped by her partner, places where inevitably the issue was not anymore a “private” problem but where the people involved can interact as well –which was one of the main purposes of the community in the play. Thus, portraying the manipulation and consequences of a tyrannous love through all the emotions and interpretations that the four women and we as members of the community could have experienced as a result of our journey started.
To my view what tied the community together was our inner interpretation and commitment as performers to this issue. The first ensemble piece in the play is a genuine proof of strong connections that tied our community together, we could see in a very effective way our transformation from being mere members -yet emotionally involved with the story for this one fact: the disappearance of one woman- towards a united group reacting together, concerned and somehow looking for answers. Then, through the different stages of the narrative, the community is being put to a severe test when acknowledging the facts through the diary entries and then facing the reality and responding to it through the ensembles, this clearly showed not only the chronology of the facts but also the individualities of each of the characters as members of this community and especially the strong connections that can tie together a group of people when it comes to defending one of its members identity, sharing a common sense of unity and belonging.
The transition of Four Ways to Speak Out from the studio into the theatre space appeared an exciting moment for us all that we were looking forward to discover. Surprisingly once we saw the stage and explored its shape and volume we realized very quickly that we were sat at ease in a very comfortable zone-attitude resulting from the time spent in the studio while devising our piece. Callery states: “the actor has to read the space. But in order to do this s/he has first to really ‘see’ it, to create parallels of attention so that the whole space becomes their field of vision.’ (Callery, D. 2001: 79) Once each of the sections was fully validated and we moved to the "V" stage completing and impregnating the movements, energy and intentions that each part demanded, certainly unconsciously, we settled our own boundaries of awareness of the space and the others in the space, to the restricted area of the studio.
During the whole period we were only working and enriching our piece in the studios, the space never represented an issue whatsoever, yet, it demanded in some occasions the necessity of dividing our group to work in two different rooms in order for us to better examine, test and articulate the tasks we were assigned. But then, when working once again as an ensemble putting everything together until obtaining the final product I could say that our performance was aesthetically meaningful with a great sense of achievement.
However, when articulating the whole piece in the new space that represented the stage in the Arena, several issues arose as important and our awareness of the space, and other’s characters demanded to be revisited. Indeed the space in the stage was bigger and deeper than in the studios, therefore we had a tendency to remain close together without taking full advantage of the space, and for certain, a fear of perhaps not being seen by the audience started to crawl into the thoughts of some of the cast members, which was reflected when rehearsing the piece. Also during the sessions in the studios we were used to work with “fake” furniture and props, when arriving to the final set where a new real decoration was installed with real furniture and props, we had to run a full recognition and exploration of the space and embed ourselves of the possible actions that needed to take place as well as the extent of our boundaries of our space as individuals in order to expand our performance and deliver our story properly. Resulting from this discovery, some of the section’s work needed to be slightly modified in terms of fully making use of the whole surface, magnifying and broadening the gestures so as to gain visibility and better suit the performance’s intentions and the harmony and weight of their individual messages. Furthermore, we had to be absolutely aware of the volume and shape of the stage as the ensemble pieces, needed to be as well, restructured and reshaped, not only to be conscious of the cast in the space but also to move freely and securely through the space during the performance in the scenes where the vision would be reduced. As we moved on and the cast finally began to validate the piece we slightly overcame these problems.
The weakness of this transition, I think, lie in the fact that as a result from this comfort zone we had got used to, the piece suffered slightly in its quality and completion. Partly because of the lack of focus and serious commitment of some at that precise moments but also due to the re-adaptation to the space and the décor: for example the scene in the slow motion where one of the four women is taken back to the bar after the unspeakable had happened, was really effective in the studio when devised using just chairs, on the stage it was slightly different due to the height of the seats, a fact that might have deviate the focus of the audience. The strength of this transition are certainly the fact that once in this new environment with all the lights, the setting, the props and costumes needed for the show, not only we entered and experienced our narrative in a more realistic way but our characters really engaged with the commitment and the intention of the piece, with a sense o belonging to this story. I would say even that the very depths and developments of our roles were really put forward once we arrived at the stage.
Once the new boundaries of work at the stage were established and we started to build a new energy for the performance, the show took another material and psychological dimension. At the end of the last show, I felt like if I was really in my community, I had this sense of belonging and identification with my character and the others and I felt sad that it was finished. However, this was not the case from the beginning. I remember that the first day at the arena, really impacted my perception of the piece. So far through the "V" stages of the process, I felt being part of the piece without implicating myself in a more personal way, I was aware that my character was not having the dimension I wanted to give and was somehow struggling with that. So far at the studios my character had rather evolved as a person who was concerned by the issue but was powerless in the face of it. Once I reached the Arena space, I felt that perhaps a more urgent sense of determination would give the right evolution of my character, and this new goal helped me better to embody my character. Dennis stated that « in the physical training of the actor, is the unique responsibility of the actor to convey, through his physical being, the thoughts and feelings of the theatrical évent » (Book overview) At one point I was ready to take arms to protect this woman and found myself facing Andy with firm intentions of not letting him pass through and even ready to force him to leave should I need so. I realised then that the very essence of my character had unconsciously emerged through feelings of anger and distressed condition.
This transition, to the space and the context of the Arena, however, didn’t happen at a fast pace, and perhaps, my very best achievement appeared more visible in the last show. I was conscious that I needed to readjust constantly my interpretation of the themes and shift back my concentration whenever it was deviated in order to gain in emotion to incarnate my role. So I tried to focus more deeply on the very tensions and conflicts that were being portrayed through the sections and in particular on the very dramatic moments of the piece. The warms ups helped me greatly to reach this dimension I was looking for. It was more focused on breathing exercise and controlling our bodies to better position ourselves in the context, time, moment and space our characters were the most representative of, and developing it to it highest expression. Once gone through really exaggerating our breath and the gestures that accompanied, bringing our characters to life, we were ready for the play, just a few minutes before the show. It also helped us to control our stage fright - a common factor for us all during the three shows. To my view the warm ups on the stage were the most effective and conscious ones I have ever experienced.
I think the RSVP model applied in the whole process until de end of the last show. The comfort zone we were all in when first arrived at the arena was literally demolished and we evolved in a more mature process. Through the analysis of each show, a process of readjustment, and validation was always in development, which corresponds to the “S” and “V” stages in the Robert Lepage’s model. In this new environment our characters adopted a new dimension and I think the “P” process was reached successfully. Each show was different, Akran states: “There are no formulas. It never feels the same twice and never approaches you in the same way twice » (http://www.akramkhancompany.net) and the strong connections that started to build at the studio between the characters were reinforced as we performed. I would say that towards the end it was richer and better achieved in terms of focus but also in terms of communication. We took a view at the theme of domestic abuse and all the situations, emotions and feelings that can derivate from it. Lloyd Newson believes that the point of departure and the motivation for a performance of this nature should include « Content, rather than style, issues, rather than 'prettiness' or aesthetics, how individuals relate to one another, emotionally and intellectually, rather than being about movement or design patterns per se exploring the individual's actions, and looking at how these in turn reflect political and social issues » (http://www.dv8.co.uk/about_dv8) We analyzed the issue with no intentions to provoke shock or disgust the audience but rather raise awareness. No punches or violence were shown, a final moment conveyed a rather moment of liberation instead of a dramatic death. We had a message to deliver to the audience and working through the sensitiveness of the subject, and becoming familiar with it made our work not only accessible and understandable but most important believable and impacting.
Bibliography:
1-Callery, D. (2001) Through the Body: A Practical Guide to Physical Theatre. Routledge. New York.
2-Dennis, A. (1995) The Articulate Body. UK. Nick Hearn Books.
3-Dundjerović, A. (2009) Routledge Performance Practitioners: Robert Lepage. Oxon. Routledge.
Other resources:
1-http://www.dv8.co.uk/ (Accessed on 22/04/2010 at 19:04)
2- http://www.akramkhancompany.net (Accessed on 22/04/2010 at 20:03)
Following this phase, a wide range of characters emerged taking strong positions in this issue, another resulting theme appeared as well imperative to be revisited, standing for the role of the society in fighting domestic abuse. Other themes such as friendship, recreation, protection, vulnerability, manipulation, violence, desperation, loss of control, moral judgements and liberation, were then contextualised to animate and bring energy to each of the sections in the piece where this missing woman will have had a critical moment.
The accent was put in those representative places around which people build their lives, and establish their connections with the exterior -places where both conflicts and events can potentially originate and be altered- as in the example of the male characters meeting this woman in the street for the first time, or the case of the toilets in the bar, where she was raped by her partner, places where inevitably the issue was not anymore a “private” problem but where the people involved can interact as well –which was one of the main purposes of the community in the play. Thus, portraying the manipulation and consequences of a tyrannous love through all the emotions and interpretations that the four women and we as members of the community could have experienced as a result of our journey started.
To my view what tied the community together was our inner interpretation and commitment as performers to this issue. The first ensemble piece in the play is a genuine proof of strong connections that tied our community together, we could see in a very effective way our transformation from being mere members -yet emotionally involved with the story for this one fact: the disappearance of one woman- towards a united group reacting together, concerned and somehow looking for answers. Then, through the different stages of the narrative, the community is being put to a severe test when acknowledging the facts through the diary entries and then facing the reality and responding to it through the ensembles, this clearly showed not only the chronology of the facts but also the individualities of each of the characters as members of this community and especially the strong connections that can tie together a group of people when it comes to defending one of its members identity, sharing a common sense of unity and belonging.
The transition of Four Ways to Speak Out from the studio into the theatre space appeared an exciting moment for us all that we were looking forward to discover. Surprisingly once we saw the stage and explored its shape and volume we realized very quickly that we were sat at ease in a very comfortable zone-attitude resulting from the time spent in the studio while devising our piece. Callery states: “the actor has to read the space. But in order to do this s/he has first to really ‘see’ it, to create parallels of attention so that the whole space becomes their field of vision.’ (Callery, D. 2001: 79) Once each of the sections was fully validated and we moved to the "V" stage completing and impregnating the movements, energy and intentions that each part demanded, certainly unconsciously, we settled our own boundaries of awareness of the space and the others in the space, to the restricted area of the studio.
During the whole period we were only working and enriching our piece in the studios, the space never represented an issue whatsoever, yet, it demanded in some occasions the necessity of dividing our group to work in two different rooms in order for us to better examine, test and articulate the tasks we were assigned. But then, when working once again as an ensemble putting everything together until obtaining the final product I could say that our performance was aesthetically meaningful with a great sense of achievement.
However, when articulating the whole piece in the new space that represented the stage in the Arena, several issues arose as important and our awareness of the space, and other’s characters demanded to be revisited. Indeed the space in the stage was bigger and deeper than in the studios, therefore we had a tendency to remain close together without taking full advantage of the space, and for certain, a fear of perhaps not being seen by the audience started to crawl into the thoughts of some of the cast members, which was reflected when rehearsing the piece. Also during the sessions in the studios we were used to work with “fake” furniture and props, when arriving to the final set where a new real decoration was installed with real furniture and props, we had to run a full recognition and exploration of the space and embed ourselves of the possible actions that needed to take place as well as the extent of our boundaries of our space as individuals in order to expand our performance and deliver our story properly. Resulting from this discovery, some of the section’s work needed to be slightly modified in terms of fully making use of the whole surface, magnifying and broadening the gestures so as to gain visibility and better suit the performance’s intentions and the harmony and weight of their individual messages. Furthermore, we had to be absolutely aware of the volume and shape of the stage as the ensemble pieces, needed to be as well, restructured and reshaped, not only to be conscious of the cast in the space but also to move freely and securely through the space during the performance in the scenes where the vision would be reduced. As we moved on and the cast finally began to validate the piece we slightly overcame these problems.
The weakness of this transition, I think, lie in the fact that as a result from this comfort zone we had got used to, the piece suffered slightly in its quality and completion. Partly because of the lack of focus and serious commitment of some at that precise moments but also due to the re-adaptation to the space and the décor: for example the scene in the slow motion where one of the four women is taken back to the bar after the unspeakable had happened, was really effective in the studio when devised using just chairs, on the stage it was slightly different due to the height of the seats, a fact that might have deviate the focus of the audience. The strength of this transition are certainly the fact that once in this new environment with all the lights, the setting, the props and costumes needed for the show, not only we entered and experienced our narrative in a more realistic way but our characters really engaged with the commitment and the intention of the piece, with a sense o belonging to this story. I would say even that the very depths and developments of our roles were really put forward once we arrived at the stage.
Once the new boundaries of work at the stage were established and we started to build a new energy for the performance, the show took another material and psychological dimension. At the end of the last show, I felt like if I was really in my community, I had this sense of belonging and identification with my character and the others and I felt sad that it was finished. However, this was not the case from the beginning. I remember that the first day at the arena, really impacted my perception of the piece. So far through the "V" stages of the process, I felt being part of the piece without implicating myself in a more personal way, I was aware that my character was not having the dimension I wanted to give and was somehow struggling with that. So far at the studios my character had rather evolved as a person who was concerned by the issue but was powerless in the face of it. Once I reached the Arena space, I felt that perhaps a more urgent sense of determination would give the right evolution of my character, and this new goal helped me better to embody my character. Dennis stated that « in the physical training of the actor, is the unique responsibility of the actor to convey, through his physical being, the thoughts and feelings of the theatrical évent » (Book overview) At one point I was ready to take arms to protect this woman and found myself facing Andy with firm intentions of not letting him pass through and even ready to force him to leave should I need so. I realised then that the very essence of my character had unconsciously emerged through feelings of anger and distressed condition.
This transition, to the space and the context of the Arena, however, didn’t happen at a fast pace, and perhaps, my very best achievement appeared more visible in the last show. I was conscious that I needed to readjust constantly my interpretation of the themes and shift back my concentration whenever it was deviated in order to gain in emotion to incarnate my role. So I tried to focus more deeply on the very tensions and conflicts that were being portrayed through the sections and in particular on the very dramatic moments of the piece. The warms ups helped me greatly to reach this dimension I was looking for. It was more focused on breathing exercise and controlling our bodies to better position ourselves in the context, time, moment and space our characters were the most representative of, and developing it to it highest expression. Once gone through really exaggerating our breath and the gestures that accompanied, bringing our characters to life, we were ready for the play, just a few minutes before the show. It also helped us to control our stage fright - a common factor for us all during the three shows. To my view the warm ups on the stage were the most effective and conscious ones I have ever experienced.
I think the RSVP model applied in the whole process until de end of the last show. The comfort zone we were all in when first arrived at the arena was literally demolished and we evolved in a more mature process. Through the analysis of each show, a process of readjustment, and validation was always in development, which corresponds to the “S” and “V” stages in the Robert Lepage’s model. In this new environment our characters adopted a new dimension and I think the “P” process was reached successfully. Each show was different, Akran states: “There are no formulas. It never feels the same twice and never approaches you in the same way twice » (http://www.akramkhancompany.net) and the strong connections that started to build at the studio between the characters were reinforced as we performed. I would say that towards the end it was richer and better achieved in terms of focus but also in terms of communication. We took a view at the theme of domestic abuse and all the situations, emotions and feelings that can derivate from it. Lloyd Newson believes that the point of departure and the motivation for a performance of this nature should include « Content, rather than style, issues, rather than 'prettiness' or aesthetics, how individuals relate to one another, emotionally and intellectually, rather than being about movement or design patterns per se exploring the individual's actions, and looking at how these in turn reflect political and social issues » (http://www.dv8.co.uk/about_dv8) We analyzed the issue with no intentions to provoke shock or disgust the audience but rather raise awareness. No punches or violence were shown, a final moment conveyed a rather moment of liberation instead of a dramatic death. We had a message to deliver to the audience and working through the sensitiveness of the subject, and becoming familiar with it made our work not only accessible and understandable but most important believable and impacting.
Bibliography:
1-Callery, D. (2001) Through the Body: A Practical Guide to Physical Theatre. Routledge. New York.
2-Dennis, A. (1995) The Articulate Body. UK. Nick Hearn Books.
3-Dundjerović, A. (2009) Routledge Performance Practitioners: Robert Lepage. Oxon. Routledge.
Other resources:
1-http://www.dv8.co.uk/ (Accessed on 22/04/2010 at 19:04)
2- http://www.akramkhancompany.net (Accessed on 22/04/2010 at 20:03)
final blog. charmaine chambers 0920286
As the creative process turned from the validate stage to the performance stage, there were common themes and issues that arisen; not only in the piece but also in relation to the ensemble, their personal journeys and the process of the performance. Four ways to speak out, explored domestic violence and oppressive love, this difficult subject; often a subject that is not mentioned, was finally being explored through the forms of physical theatre. Through the subject matter (domestic violence) common themes arisen, one of these common themes was the way in which the company communicated the devised performance. Through the use of voice over’s and diary entries, the structure of the piece became contextualised, aiding the understanding for the audience, it is through the diary entries and voice over’s that flash backs into the life of the missing women were shown. The theme of oppression was evident in every encounter “the women” was present; this presentation enabled the women to be a character that was constantly spoken for. As an ensemble we demonstrated how oppression and emotional torture is often not constituted as domestic violence.
“Domestic abuse may also be defined by identifying its function that being the domination, punishment or control of one's partner. Abusers use physical and sexual violence, threats, money, emotional and psychological abuse to control their partners and get their way.” (Hidden hurt: 2010)
The ensemble also presented domestic violence in a non- stereotypical way, we wanted to show how a complex subject, like domestic violence differs and how the missing women had a strong persona that enabled her to leave the relationship.
“When I am asked why a man/woman doesn’t leave abuser I say: They stay because the fear of leaving is greater than the fear of staying. They will leave when the fear of staying is greater than the fear of leaving.” (Burns: http://thelaststraw.wordpress.com/2007/08/15/quotes-about-domestic-violence/)
As an ensemble we shared a vast amount of experiences throughout the creative process this was because we collectively devised the work and allowed our emotions and intentions to become the substance in the performance, as a company we grew as an ensemble by the use of characterisation tasks, this not only allowed our individual journey to be formed but also the journey of the company, we began to react to one another and also protect each other through these acts which in turn created a closer bond and shared group experience, this close bond, transferred on stage, which defined our first ensemble piece
The transition of four ways to speak out created a vast amount of strengths but also exposed many weaknesses as an ensemble. Aspects like doubting the quality of our work, a loss of intention in the piece and space awareness became some of the themes experienced as a result of the transition from the studio into the theatre space. Other issues were; allowing adjustments to be made to the piece, applying criticism to the work and adapting to the performance space; these particularly affected the whole ensemble at some point. In regards to four ways to speak out and its creative process, the whole piece as a performance began to be questioned by the ensemble; it is evident that in the validate stage the ensemble became aware that audience members would be viewing our work at the performance stage. Personally I was aware that as university students, not only were we tackling a complex issue, but we were also embarking on a highly complex genre. Although as an ensemble we were portraying our performance style as physical theatre, we also stepped away from a complete physical exploration. What I mean by physical exploration is that we were not afraid to step away from physical theatre styles such as Jasmin Vardimon Company; instead we incorporated the use of voice over, text and pedestrian movement which in turn created a new dimension to the piece. I believe in hindsight it can be stated that creating a performance that became true to its subject; like domestic violence is more imperative than creating a performance that merely looks good; this differs from dance. “can dance deal with complex emotional narrative:” ( newson.1992:11-13)
Many of the group doubted the work of the ensemble because they compared the work of four ways to speak out to other performances they had seen such as Jasmin Vardimon. I believe it is important that we portray confidence for our work as it was our ideas that drove the creative process in that particular direction. Although our style differed to those of dv8 physical theatre company, I believe our intention is somewhat the same. Dv8 states on their website that,
“DV8 Physical Theatre's work is about taking risks, aesthetically and physically, about breaking down the barriers between dance and theatre and, above all, communicating ideas and feelings clearly and unpretentiously. It is determined to be radical yet accessible and to take its work to as wide an audience as possible” (dv8:2010)
This statement coincides with the views of four ways to speak out because we have learned to break down the barriers of dance and drama to create the highbred character of physical theatre. Our chosen subject seems to be present in most people’s lives which allow our theme to be “accessible” so our audience connects with our work. A result of doubting the creative successfulness of the company meant that our work began to lose intention, it can be said that we started to focus on the technicalities of the piece and not the intention behind that movement. “ the body knows things about which the mind is ignorant” (callery.2000:4) this quotation embodies the thoughts of the ensemble, we are so unused to using our bodies to speak that when we do use them we are fearful that we will not look socially correct or perfect, it is physical theatre that allows our bodies to speak the truth.
Through the “R, S and V” devising process, four ways to speak out was developed in the drama studios, this space although bare with no scenographic elements in place, did not hinder our creative developments, instead I believe it enhanced our creative process. The main factors for this enhanced creativeness could be the discipline we established throughout the year with the use of respiratory exercise and physical warm-ups without the use of speech. “ the Alexander technique will provide you with a means of releasing excessive tension, enabling you to perform much closer to maximum ability”. ( Brennan. 1996:17) Moving into the theatre space contributed to the loss of focus and intention; the ensemble allowed the change of space to interrupt the work previously created, which slowed the pace of the work and stunted the creative process, the reasons for this was not knowing the dynamics of the theatres proximity. Practising our performance in one area and adjusting to that space allowed a comfort zone to be formed, moving from this space meant that adjustments had to be made and we had to consider the set, work around it and interact with. ‘[…] actors might be severely restricted in time and training space’ (Zarrilli, P. 1995: 92)
“Every show was a unique devising experience, resulting in an original product which changed with every performance.” (Oddey.1994:7) Over the three shows the performance changed each time, many factors contributed to this change but it is through an individual perspective that the growth of the performance became evident, it was the individual growth that enhanced the growth of the ensemble and in turn the performance. In comparison to the studio space my individual role in the piece grew but did not always feel emotionally connected, this differed when entering the performance space as my character’s emotions became heightened and even before the show the RSVP model continued to transform. The first performance, although in the “P” stages felt like it was still being refined and validated and I assume for the audience the piece in some places felt mechanical or synthetic as opposed to the truth we wanted to portray.
Over the three performances the ensemble was able to validate continuously until the end performance, Dundjerovic states that, “ Valuaction is not about evaluation, which is a psychological process, but about selecting the best from a number of improvised scores so it can be developed into a performance.” (Dundjerovic.2009:37). Understanding what to improve or change became accessible through feedback obtained by our module leader, from this I began to understand my character’s journey, the characterisation exercises enabled me to discover the advanced dimensions of my character’s emotions so that I was able to respond truthfully to the situations I was in. “ only if an actor is clear himself, will he be able to respond physically to the dramatic situation being created.” ( Dennis.2002:22) Through the characterisation tasks a past to my character’s life was able to form and I realised qualities that affected the way I walked, the way my weight transferred and the interaction I shared with other member’s of the ensemble. These qualities became the most apparent on the final performance of Four Ways To Speak Out, the second ensemble made me feel a sense of anger, my interaction with other members of the ensemble at that point became quite forceful and my weight was carried predominately on the top half of my body, mainly across my shoulders, this resulted in the physical exploration I shared with others for example being forceful and showing traits of oppression to the women in the bedroom scene. My emotions were not only shown in physical scenes, my body and my emotions continued to be explored through scenes where I was on the periphery of the stage. The act of using my emotions at a time where I am not physically part-taking on stage was the most emotionally challenging part of the performance which is why I believe it took me until the final performance to fully submerge myself into the performance. “ actors need extra- daily awareness, having a kind of third eye which monitors what is happening within the self.” (callery.2001:22)
Through the creating of the four ways to speak out and the performing of it, the ensemble and my individual character has grown and transformed to show a true sense of feelings on stage. Even in the ensemble sections in the piece, the companies individual characters emotions were evident although it seemed as if we were all doing the same in the ensemble piece what changed the synchronised movement is the intention behind it. “one performer improvised a sound and movement which is adopted by another performer who changes it and passes it on to another.” (Shank.1982:14)
Bibliography
Brennan,R. ( 1996) The Alexander technique: take control of your posture and life.little brown and company (uk). London
Callery, D. (2001) Through the Body: A Practical Guide to Physical Theatre. Routledge. New York.
Dennis, A. (2002) The Articulate Body: The Physical Training of the Actor. Nick Hern. London.
Dunderovic, A. (2009) Robert Lepage. Routledge. New York.
Oddey, A (1994) Devising Theatre: a practical and theoretical handbook, London: Routledge.
Shank, T: (1982) Primary explorations. in Shank, T. American alternative theatre. London: Macmillan, pp.8-49.
Zarrilli, P. (1995); Acting (re)considered: Theories and Practices.
London: Routledge.
Other sources:
DV8. (1993) Interviews [Accessed at 24th April 2010]. Available at:
http://www.dv8.co.uk/about_dv8/interview_dance_now_lloyd_newson_on_dance
Hidden hurt. (2002-2008) Hidden hurt [Accessed 24th April 2010]. Available at: http://www.hiddenhurt.co.uk/Types/faces.htm
“Domestic abuse may also be defined by identifying its function that being the domination, punishment or control of one's partner. Abusers use physical and sexual violence, threats, money, emotional and psychological abuse to control their partners and get their way.” (Hidden hurt: 2010)
The ensemble also presented domestic violence in a non- stereotypical way, we wanted to show how a complex subject, like domestic violence differs and how the missing women had a strong persona that enabled her to leave the relationship.
“When I am asked why a man/woman doesn’t leave abuser I say: They stay because the fear of leaving is greater than the fear of staying. They will leave when the fear of staying is greater than the fear of leaving.” (Burns: http://thelaststraw.wordpress.com/2007/08/15/quotes-about-domestic-violence/)
As an ensemble we shared a vast amount of experiences throughout the creative process this was because we collectively devised the work and allowed our emotions and intentions to become the substance in the performance, as a company we grew as an ensemble by the use of characterisation tasks, this not only allowed our individual journey to be formed but also the journey of the company, we began to react to one another and also protect each other through these acts which in turn created a closer bond and shared group experience, this close bond, transferred on stage, which defined our first ensemble piece
The transition of four ways to speak out created a vast amount of strengths but also exposed many weaknesses as an ensemble. Aspects like doubting the quality of our work, a loss of intention in the piece and space awareness became some of the themes experienced as a result of the transition from the studio into the theatre space. Other issues were; allowing adjustments to be made to the piece, applying criticism to the work and adapting to the performance space; these particularly affected the whole ensemble at some point. In regards to four ways to speak out and its creative process, the whole piece as a performance began to be questioned by the ensemble; it is evident that in the validate stage the ensemble became aware that audience members would be viewing our work at the performance stage. Personally I was aware that as university students, not only were we tackling a complex issue, but we were also embarking on a highly complex genre. Although as an ensemble we were portraying our performance style as physical theatre, we also stepped away from a complete physical exploration. What I mean by physical exploration is that we were not afraid to step away from physical theatre styles such as Jasmin Vardimon Company; instead we incorporated the use of voice over, text and pedestrian movement which in turn created a new dimension to the piece. I believe in hindsight it can be stated that creating a performance that became true to its subject; like domestic violence is more imperative than creating a performance that merely looks good; this differs from dance. “can dance deal with complex emotional narrative:” ( newson.1992:11-13)
Many of the group doubted the work of the ensemble because they compared the work of four ways to speak out to other performances they had seen such as Jasmin Vardimon. I believe it is important that we portray confidence for our work as it was our ideas that drove the creative process in that particular direction. Although our style differed to those of dv8 physical theatre company, I believe our intention is somewhat the same. Dv8 states on their website that,
“DV8 Physical Theatre's work is about taking risks, aesthetically and physically, about breaking down the barriers between dance and theatre and, above all, communicating ideas and feelings clearly and unpretentiously. It is determined to be radical yet accessible and to take its work to as wide an audience as possible” (dv8:2010)
This statement coincides with the views of four ways to speak out because we have learned to break down the barriers of dance and drama to create the highbred character of physical theatre. Our chosen subject seems to be present in most people’s lives which allow our theme to be “accessible” so our audience connects with our work. A result of doubting the creative successfulness of the company meant that our work began to lose intention, it can be said that we started to focus on the technicalities of the piece and not the intention behind that movement. “ the body knows things about which the mind is ignorant” (callery.2000:4) this quotation embodies the thoughts of the ensemble, we are so unused to using our bodies to speak that when we do use them we are fearful that we will not look socially correct or perfect, it is physical theatre that allows our bodies to speak the truth.
Through the “R, S and V” devising process, four ways to speak out was developed in the drama studios, this space although bare with no scenographic elements in place, did not hinder our creative developments, instead I believe it enhanced our creative process. The main factors for this enhanced creativeness could be the discipline we established throughout the year with the use of respiratory exercise and physical warm-ups without the use of speech. “ the Alexander technique will provide you with a means of releasing excessive tension, enabling you to perform much closer to maximum ability”. ( Brennan. 1996:17) Moving into the theatre space contributed to the loss of focus and intention; the ensemble allowed the change of space to interrupt the work previously created, which slowed the pace of the work and stunted the creative process, the reasons for this was not knowing the dynamics of the theatres proximity. Practising our performance in one area and adjusting to that space allowed a comfort zone to be formed, moving from this space meant that adjustments had to be made and we had to consider the set, work around it and interact with. ‘[…] actors might be severely restricted in time and training space’ (Zarrilli, P. 1995: 92)
“Every show was a unique devising experience, resulting in an original product which changed with every performance.” (Oddey.1994:7) Over the three shows the performance changed each time, many factors contributed to this change but it is through an individual perspective that the growth of the performance became evident, it was the individual growth that enhanced the growth of the ensemble and in turn the performance. In comparison to the studio space my individual role in the piece grew but did not always feel emotionally connected, this differed when entering the performance space as my character’s emotions became heightened and even before the show the RSVP model continued to transform. The first performance, although in the “P” stages felt like it was still being refined and validated and I assume for the audience the piece in some places felt mechanical or synthetic as opposed to the truth we wanted to portray.
Over the three performances the ensemble was able to validate continuously until the end performance, Dundjerovic states that, “ Valuaction is not about evaluation, which is a psychological process, but about selecting the best from a number of improvised scores so it can be developed into a performance.” (Dundjerovic.2009:37). Understanding what to improve or change became accessible through feedback obtained by our module leader, from this I began to understand my character’s journey, the characterisation exercises enabled me to discover the advanced dimensions of my character’s emotions so that I was able to respond truthfully to the situations I was in. “ only if an actor is clear himself, will he be able to respond physically to the dramatic situation being created.” ( Dennis.2002:22) Through the characterisation tasks a past to my character’s life was able to form and I realised qualities that affected the way I walked, the way my weight transferred and the interaction I shared with other member’s of the ensemble. These qualities became the most apparent on the final performance of Four Ways To Speak Out, the second ensemble made me feel a sense of anger, my interaction with other members of the ensemble at that point became quite forceful and my weight was carried predominately on the top half of my body, mainly across my shoulders, this resulted in the physical exploration I shared with others for example being forceful and showing traits of oppression to the women in the bedroom scene. My emotions were not only shown in physical scenes, my body and my emotions continued to be explored through scenes where I was on the periphery of the stage. The act of using my emotions at a time where I am not physically part-taking on stage was the most emotionally challenging part of the performance which is why I believe it took me until the final performance to fully submerge myself into the performance. “ actors need extra- daily awareness, having a kind of third eye which monitors what is happening within the self.” (callery.2001:22)
Through the creating of the four ways to speak out and the performing of it, the ensemble and my individual character has grown and transformed to show a true sense of feelings on stage. Even in the ensemble sections in the piece, the companies individual characters emotions were evident although it seemed as if we were all doing the same in the ensemble piece what changed the synchronised movement is the intention behind it. “one performer improvised a sound and movement which is adopted by another performer who changes it and passes it on to another.” (Shank.1982:14)
Bibliography
Brennan,R. ( 1996) The Alexander technique: take control of your posture and life.little brown and company (uk). London
Callery, D. (2001) Through the Body: A Practical Guide to Physical Theatre. Routledge. New York.
Dennis, A. (2002) The Articulate Body: The Physical Training of the Actor. Nick Hern. London.
Dunderovic, A. (2009) Robert Lepage. Routledge. New York.
Oddey, A (1994) Devising Theatre: a practical and theoretical handbook, London: Routledge.
Shank, T: (1982) Primary explorations. in Shank, T. American alternative theatre. London: Macmillan, pp.8-49.
Zarrilli, P. (1995); Acting (re)considered: Theories and Practices.
London: Routledge.
Other sources:
DV8. (1993) Interviews [Accessed at 24th April 2010]. Available at:
http://www.dv8.co.uk/about_dv8/interview_dance_now_lloyd_newson_on_dance
Hidden hurt. (2002-2008) Hidden hurt [Accessed 24th April 2010]. Available at: http://www.hiddenhurt.co.uk/Types/faces.htm
Sunday, 25 April 2010
Task 3 by Toni Alonzo 0800786
Four Ways To Speak Out was performance that explored the almost taboo area of relationships; that of oppressive, manipulative love and domestic violence. I call this a taboo subject because although the public has become aware of the actions of couples behind doors, it still seems that society do not wish to speak openly about the subject. However, it is something that happens more often than most people believe. And even though the performance itself focused on a woman's struggle through this, it can just as easily happen to the male involved in the relationship. To tackle this taboo nature, we knew it would be a struggle because if done wrong, these pieces can easily upset an audience and not prove to be valuable. This is why we showed other aspects of a troubled relationship. We showed a woman who was not just beaten, but manipulated and tormented emotionally and mentally.
As we moved through the RSVP model, we created this missing woman and as a community all had an input and created our own connections to her. It was inevitable that some of these connections would be similar and some would be extremely different, but working together with how we perceived her, we were able to create her as a person. To me, I hardly knew her, but knew that she seemed really happy all the time. As the piece was developed further, my connection to her ultimately changed and although it was not what I expected, it developed my characters hugely. Knowing what had happened and what she had experienced that my character had now knowledge of originally made my character feel extremely guilty and ultimately angry at the man who had caused all this.
However, what I did not expect, but really worked for this piece was giving this woman we had created a strong enough presence to decide she wanted to leave and ultimately did. Not only did this provide an overall ending to the piece and the narrative, it also gave a strong and positive message to our audience and this is what we ultimately intended.
Even though we as a community each experienced an individual emotional journey, we also experienced one as a community. When we worked as a ensemble to create ensemble moments, there was a real community experience working as we all put in our ideas to create gestures that represented our narrative point in the structure. Not only that, we also had communities within the community. For example, all the flashbacks scenes created a smaller community in which the characters all had a role in what the women was experiencing, sometimes even adding to the control and manipulation she was already receiving.
“The actor's working space is the space around them” (Callery, 2001, p79) As said here by Callery, as an actor, your working space includes everything around you. The transition between the studio space and entering the theatre space with the set completely built and ready was a challenge, as could have been expected. We as a community had become so used to working in the space for the past year that brining it into a new space was almost daunting, but also very exciting. The first thing to notice is the difference in the floor and walls and the size of the space. Working in the studios, we were limited with a full space to use and in the theatre space, the performance area was much larger and had more depth. Not only this, but in this space were objects that we as performers had to realise whether they were available to work with or if they were an obstacle we had to work against. It When we were in the space for the first time, there was an excitement in the air as now, our story what we were trying to tell was really beginning to come to life and reveal new elements that not on person had experienced yet.
As soon as the piece itself was placed in a set that the community had been imagining was there and had locations, my character really began to make all the connections to this women and the role that I had played and the whole community played in her reason for disappearing. Being in these locations added the level of reality that is not often used in this genre, but was needed to create this story fully.
The transition also featured a new thing we had never dealt with before, an audience. Up until this point, we have be experiencing this journey and the women's story with just as a community and now there was a third eye joining, watching your moves and hearing her story. Experiencing the audience almost felt as though you were questioning why they were here to see her story. The easy explanation is that they were there for entertainment purposes, but yourself as a character in this story and emotional mindset wondered if they were allowed to see both the women's story and how your character reacted to the motions of the piece as the narrative developed throughout the piece.
“Even if you go back to see the play again, no two performances are exactly identical.” (Oida and Marshall, 1997, p 33) Any play you watch is never the same performance twice. There are many things that can happen because it is a live stage. Sometimes, there are problems, lines forgot and technical glitches. Physical theatre is no different, but can experience a vast majority of differences in each shows. In this performance, we are so in touch with our characters and their emotions that emotion changes can be experienced. I myself experiencing this a lot throughout the three shows, as my emotional intentions were slightly different in each on.
Throughout each show, my emotions were very strong and during the first show, I felt really strong as a character and felt that this woman had deserved better than what she had got. I almost began to feel more and more protective of each member of the community. I had failed this woman who needed help, so I protected them instead. Although I felt anger at myself as a character, my main source of anger was towards Andy because of how he had treated this woman.
These emotions stayed pretty much the same in the second show, however, I became weaker and this time around, felt the need for people to protect me. After the scene with Hayley, Ellen and Jodie, my character had degraded into tears and myself as a character felt like an emotional train wreck. I experienced a whole new level of emotions by only a slight change in the way my character behaved and felt emotionally. However, it was the third show that my character experienced the biggest emotional change and that was towards Andy.
Andy played the man who had treated our missing women the way that made her leave and for the first two shows, I felt extremely angry towards him all the time. Whenever I saw him, I wanted to protect others from him. However, in the last show we did, my feelings had completely become the opposite. I instead felt really sorry for this man who didn't know how to show his love in any other way. I felt sorry that the community were treating him so badly and I just wanted to protect him from the backlash he was receiving. As I felt this towards Andy, the rest of my connections to the community also changed. I began to hate them because they were treating him in such a vile way, that it was almost as though history were repeating itself. They community themselves had become this oppressive aggression towards this man, who was alone and felt almost hopeless against this body of people.
However, its having you own individual journey and emotions that make this a real performance. The audience want to see what each character is feeling. As said on a DV8 interview by Lloyd Newson, “I want to see characters on stage, I want to see people experience things. Well, hopefully our process facilitates and draws out individual qualities and characteristics, both in terms of the way they move as dancers and how they think on stage” (Newson, 2003) The audience doesn't want to see you acting a character, the audience wants to see you being a character, whether it is in a text based performance of physical theatre one. There is the need for a character to make this as a story believable and as a performance, entertaining. Not only does it give the audience, it gives you a performer something to. To experience the emotions and feeling on stage gives you as a performer a greater sense of achievement.
Bibliography
Callery, D. (2001) Through the Body: A Practical Guide to Physical Theatre. Routledge. New York.
Oida, Y. and Marshall, L. (1997) The Invisible Actor. London: Methuen.
Lloyd Newson, DV8. (1993) Interviews [Accessed at 24th April 2010]. Available at:
http://www.dv8.co.uk/about_dv8/interview_article_19_lloyd_newson_and_dv8
By Toni Alonzo, 0800786
As we moved through the RSVP model, we created this missing woman and as a community all had an input and created our own connections to her. It was inevitable that some of these connections would be similar and some would be extremely different, but working together with how we perceived her, we were able to create her as a person. To me, I hardly knew her, but knew that she seemed really happy all the time. As the piece was developed further, my connection to her ultimately changed and although it was not what I expected, it developed my characters hugely. Knowing what had happened and what she had experienced that my character had now knowledge of originally made my character feel extremely guilty and ultimately angry at the man who had caused all this.
However, what I did not expect, but really worked for this piece was giving this woman we had created a strong enough presence to decide she wanted to leave and ultimately did. Not only did this provide an overall ending to the piece and the narrative, it also gave a strong and positive message to our audience and this is what we ultimately intended.
Even though we as a community each experienced an individual emotional journey, we also experienced one as a community. When we worked as a ensemble to create ensemble moments, there was a real community experience working as we all put in our ideas to create gestures that represented our narrative point in the structure. Not only that, we also had communities within the community. For example, all the flashbacks scenes created a smaller community in which the characters all had a role in what the women was experiencing, sometimes even adding to the control and manipulation she was already receiving.
“The actor's working space is the space around them” (Callery, 2001, p79) As said here by Callery, as an actor, your working space includes everything around you. The transition between the studio space and entering the theatre space with the set completely built and ready was a challenge, as could have been expected. We as a community had become so used to working in the space for the past year that brining it into a new space was almost daunting, but also very exciting. The first thing to notice is the difference in the floor and walls and the size of the space. Working in the studios, we were limited with a full space to use and in the theatre space, the performance area was much larger and had more depth. Not only this, but in this space were objects that we as performers had to realise whether they were available to work with or if they were an obstacle we had to work against. It When we were in the space for the first time, there was an excitement in the air as now, our story what we were trying to tell was really beginning to come to life and reveal new elements that not on person had experienced yet.
As soon as the piece itself was placed in a set that the community had been imagining was there and had locations, my character really began to make all the connections to this women and the role that I had played and the whole community played in her reason for disappearing. Being in these locations added the level of reality that is not often used in this genre, but was needed to create this story fully.
The transition also featured a new thing we had never dealt with before, an audience. Up until this point, we have be experiencing this journey and the women's story with just as a community and now there was a third eye joining, watching your moves and hearing her story. Experiencing the audience almost felt as though you were questioning why they were here to see her story. The easy explanation is that they were there for entertainment purposes, but yourself as a character in this story and emotional mindset wondered if they were allowed to see both the women's story and how your character reacted to the motions of the piece as the narrative developed throughout the piece.
“Even if you go back to see the play again, no two performances are exactly identical.” (Oida and Marshall, 1997, p 33) Any play you watch is never the same performance twice. There are many things that can happen because it is a live stage. Sometimes, there are problems, lines forgot and technical glitches. Physical theatre is no different, but can experience a vast majority of differences in each shows. In this performance, we are so in touch with our characters and their emotions that emotion changes can be experienced. I myself experiencing this a lot throughout the three shows, as my emotional intentions were slightly different in each on.
Throughout each show, my emotions were very strong and during the first show, I felt really strong as a character and felt that this woman had deserved better than what she had got. I almost began to feel more and more protective of each member of the community. I had failed this woman who needed help, so I protected them instead. Although I felt anger at myself as a character, my main source of anger was towards Andy because of how he had treated this woman.
These emotions stayed pretty much the same in the second show, however, I became weaker and this time around, felt the need for people to protect me. After the scene with Hayley, Ellen and Jodie, my character had degraded into tears and myself as a character felt like an emotional train wreck. I experienced a whole new level of emotions by only a slight change in the way my character behaved and felt emotionally. However, it was the third show that my character experienced the biggest emotional change and that was towards Andy.
Andy played the man who had treated our missing women the way that made her leave and for the first two shows, I felt extremely angry towards him all the time. Whenever I saw him, I wanted to protect others from him. However, in the last show we did, my feelings had completely become the opposite. I instead felt really sorry for this man who didn't know how to show his love in any other way. I felt sorry that the community were treating him so badly and I just wanted to protect him from the backlash he was receiving. As I felt this towards Andy, the rest of my connections to the community also changed. I began to hate them because they were treating him in such a vile way, that it was almost as though history were repeating itself. They community themselves had become this oppressive aggression towards this man, who was alone and felt almost hopeless against this body of people.
However, its having you own individual journey and emotions that make this a real performance. The audience want to see what each character is feeling. As said on a DV8 interview by Lloyd Newson, “I want to see characters on stage, I want to see people experience things. Well, hopefully our process facilitates and draws out individual qualities and characteristics, both in terms of the way they move as dancers and how they think on stage” (Newson, 2003) The audience doesn't want to see you acting a character, the audience wants to see you being a character, whether it is in a text based performance of physical theatre one. There is the need for a character to make this as a story believable and as a performance, entertaining. Not only does it give the audience, it gives you a performer something to. To experience the emotions and feeling on stage gives you as a performer a greater sense of achievement.
Bibliography
Callery, D. (2001) Through the Body: A Practical Guide to Physical Theatre. Routledge. New York.
Oida, Y. and Marshall, L. (1997) The Invisible Actor. London: Methuen.
Lloyd Newson, DV8. (1993) Interviews [Accessed at 24th April 2010]. Available at:
http://www.dv8.co.uk/about_dv8/interview_article_19_lloyd_newson_and_dv8
By Toni Alonzo, 0800786
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