Singing JAMES

SINGING


True of False

Today we had our first singing class.
Our tutor James took some time to get to know the group. He did a great job actually remembering the names of the whole group, which we all appreciated. This highlighted to me how important it is to take time to invest in the students you will be teaching. A good teacher student relationship where there is trust and respect will go along way in the students development.

We had 20 or so minutes where James talked us through the Elastic Recoil Breath, and the True and False vocal cords.I didn't really get exactly how it worked, or how we were to use it but I'm sure over time I will.

The Elastic Recoil Breathe
The diaphram is key to this breathe.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hp-gCvW8PRY

False and True vocal cords in action
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-PZlj0UH0c

COMPLICITE SEMINAR -Physical Theatre - Amy Taylor

Physical Theatre Performance

I will be presenting a seminar analyzing the role and influence that physical theatre company ‘Complicite’ have had on the Theatre and Physical Theatre world as a whole.

“Over the last 20 years I have seen thousands of productions in the theatre, but it is the images from Complicite shows that are branded on my brain.”

 -So wrote Lyn Gardner, theatre critic of the U.K.’s Guardian. Since Complicite’s establishment in 1983 many statements like this have been written about the work of Complicite. 

It is Complicite's use of powerful images, stylized sets, impressive movement, and ability to address topics of history, science, music and mathematics with a sense of wonder, that has given Complicite such a highly renowned name in the Theatre world, and have earned co-founder of the company Simon Mcburney and OBE in 2005 for “Services to Drama”

I’m going to look at what and who have influenced McBurney and Complicite in the creation of their groundbreaking work.

In a recent interview with co-founder Simon McBurney comments that one of the motivations behind Complicite was that they wanted to create theatre that they had not yet seen. Where did this original thinking originate?

McBurney studied english literature graduating in 1980. Then went onto France and trained for the theatre at the Jacques Lecoq Institute in Paris, where he met Annabel Arden and Marcello Magni, the fellow co-founders of Complicite. 

JACQUES LECOQ

CREATIVE FREEDOM

At Jacques Lecoq in Paris school of the legendary physical theatre actor and mime artist, they studied mime, improvisation, melodrama, comedia del arte, and Buffon. (buffoon is a term for someone who provides amusement through inappropriate appearance and/or behavior).

As students stayed with Lecoq's school longer, he accomplished this through teaching in the style of "via negativa," never telling the students how to do what was "right." The goal was to encourage the student to keep trying new avenues of creative expression.

This influence is seen heavily in the works of Complicite. There is an expressive creative freedom that runs through the company. The high level of originality in thier work that they create that could only happen in an environment where the collaborators can work with freedom from limits, where they feel that can do no wrong so are able to expand their limits in creative thought and expression. This ethos starts from the rehearsal room where McBurney says, “Nothing is off limits, except not turning up.”

"To mime is to literally embody and therefore understand better. A person who handles bricks all day long reaches a point where he no longer knows what he is handling. It has become an automatic part of his physical life. If he is asked to mime the object, he rediscovers the meaning of the object, its weight and volume. This has interesting consequences for our teaching method: miming is a way of rediscovering a thing with renewed freshness"

- A quote taken about attending the Jacques Lecoq Theatre School

Studying forms such as mime, improvisation, commedia dell’arte, melodrama, and Buffoon instilled a creative freedom in Lecoq’s students, which McBurney and Complicite continued with and made a pillar of their foundation. 

TOGETHERNESS ‘COMPLICITE’

Three of the principal skills that Lecoq encouraged in his students were,  

1. ‘Le jeu’ (playfulness)
2. ‘Disponsibilité’ (openness)  
3. ‘Complicité’ (togetherness). 

Training at Lecoq almost sounds like being at a children's playgroup where the children learn through playing, have fun and make friends, sharing sweets, and laughing at silly things. With playfulness being very high on the list of abilities. In fact at Lecoq selection for the second year was based mainly on the ability to play. Complicite’s approach to devising work is grounded heavily in this. They play many games within rehearsals, and also make up games. Playing games has many different beneficiary aspects to the creative process with an ensemble, from combating self consciousness to building team spirit and creating a connection throughout the group. And also addresses the competitive nature of the performers in a healthy way that can be used to gel rather than divide the group. Complicite being the end goal, establishing an ensemble that can play, be open and create together. 

“There is no Complicite method—what is essential is collaboration, and a turbulent forward momentum,” says McBurney

All the work that Complicite does in the rehearsal room leads towards the actors working together intuitively and instinctively. The Company are able to improvise their way seamlessly out of most situations without an audience realizing if anything out of the ordinary has happened.

‘Complicite’ being the actual name of the company signifies the influence Lecoq’s ethos of togetherness had onMcBurney and Complicite. 

INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCE

“There I saw theatre from everywhere,” McBurney says.

Jacques Lecoq was an International Theatre school with students coming from all over the world, and where he was introduced up close and person to the world of International theatre. 

McBurney, acknowledges the influence of the Russian director Vsevolod Meyerhold, who  was one of the most passionate advocates of Symbolism in theatre. He focused on developing skills from traditional, non-realistic theatrical styles, paying particular attention to the commedia dell’arte, Russian fairground plays, circus acts, and pantomime. Meyerhold’s acting technique had fundamental principles at odds with the American ‘method acting’ conception. Method acting melded the character with the actor's own personal memories to create the character’s internal motivation. Meyerhold connected psychological and physiological processes. He had actors focus on learning gestures and movements as a way of expressing emotion physically. 

McBurney also recognizes as a influence German dance-theatre director Pina Bausch. In 1972, Bausch started as artistic director of the Wuppertal Opera Ballet, which was later renamed as the Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch.

The name "tanztheater" refers to a performance form that combines dance, speaking, singing and chanting, conventional theater and the use of props, set, and costumes in one amalgam. It is performed by trained dancers. Usually there is no narrative plot; instead, specific situations, fears, and human conflicts are presented. Audiences are stimulated to follow a train of thought or to reflect on what the tanztheater piece express. It has been described as a new twist on an old form: German Expressionism.

Roland Langer, "Compulsion and Restraint, Love and Angst", Dance Magazine 58, no. 6 (1984)

‘Café Müller’ in which dancers stumble around the stage crashing into tables and chairs, and ‘Rite of Spring’, where the stage was totally covered with soil epitomized Bausch’s unique style. A blend of movements, sounds, prominent stage sets, and cooperation with performers lead her to becoming a leading influence since the 1970s in the world of modern dance.

The influences of Meyerhold and Bausch can been seen heavily in the work of complicite today. From the collaboration between performers and the set to the symbolic images that continually amaze audiences. 

PROPS and STAGING

Books flap their pages and fly...

... a chair becomes a man

'What an extraordinary and thrilling production this is. It makes superb use of video, music and a succession of startling coups de théâtre to capture the book’s peculiarly addictive mixture of zaniness, passion and terror. A constantly daring and ambitious staging.' 

- Daily Telegraph

Complicite’s work is characteristically noted for their creative, original and captivating use of props and staging. Many memorable moments from Complicite’s work are those involving the innovative use of props, staging, lighting, and visual audio media. Reminiscent of the Pina Bausch Tanztheatre. “Books flap their pages and fly in The Street of Crocodiles, while in Mnemonic (1999), a chair becomes a man”. Although the company’s pieces always have a strong statement running through them, it’s the visual images they conjure up that define Complicite’s style.

INFLUENCED by Complicite

Physical theatre company ‘Idle Motion’ acknowledge the influence of complicite on their work. Using props as theatrical language is central to their shows. 

“Whenever we saw theatre where a prop was used not as you would expect, in a really surprising way, those were often our favorite bits of that show. So then we thought, let’s make an entire show using that as the basis” 

- See more at: http://www.ayoungertheatre.com/tag/complicite/#sthash.GdsZep4y.dpuf

“The only reason I've taken the job at the RSC is the belief that it's worth having a stab at imbuing the company with the kind of collaborative, sustained inquiry that marks out Complicite's work.”

-Michael Boyd

Artistic director of the RSC

“The most significant contribution they've made is to bring European influences into this country's theatre”

-Sir Richard Eyre

Theatre director and film-maker

“Complicite are Britain's only world-class theatre-making outfit. What they've done is to carve out a whole new area of possibility for theatremakers which wouldn't be an option if they hadn't charted that territory and broken down all sorts of preconceptions - largely about the relationship between movement and text.”

- Tom Morris

Artistic director of the Battersea Arts Centre

Complicite’s influences are taken from the International world of performance, and fittingly their unique style of performance has influenced the theatre world globally.  

Historical Theatre ELLIE DARVILLE -Forum Theatre

FORUM THEATRE
Evolution, Development, and Relevance of

Performance is Powerful. I can still remember the goose bumps I got when I watched a performance at the Birmingham Rep Theatre in the early 2000’s. The name of the production I don’t remember or many other details, but I remember that scene. Where the main characters older brother shoots his brothers son, his own nephew with a second thought. It was payback for his brothers part on a drug deal gone wrong. What’s amazing is the impact that scene had and has continued to have on me. Theatre is impactive. It can inspire, entertain, challenge, change perspectives, enlighten, celebrate, and influence change. These are all reasons what I not only enjoy performance but have a great admiration for the art. It can change peoples lives. I am convinced if I had not been introduced to performance at the time of my life I did discover it,  my life would have had a lot more challenges and painful experiences.  

What it is about performance that has the ability to change peoples lives, is that the audience get to see themselves in situations that the characters go through. They see the characters journey, the emotions they experience, and witness the outcome of their actions, being either good, bad, or indifferent. They have the opportunity to learn from the characters life and actions without having to go through the situation itself. You can learn a lot about the consequences of rushing into risky financial deals by watching the scene from ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ where Walter Younger uses the family life savings on a risky deal that goes wrong.  Seeing and experiencing the pain that he and his family go through is likely to influence any hasty decisions a person might make in their financial dealings . 

Theatre through realistic characters, and scenarios can impact an audience for a lifetime. Needless to say I’ve never been tempted to sell drugs.   

Forum Theatre is a style of theatre that is designed specifically to create change in the lives of the audience. Either in attitude or actions.

Forum Theatre is theatre that includes the audience in determining the outcome of the actual performance. During the performance the audience are given the opportunities to change the outcome of a certain character, characters or the world of the characters. Representing that if it is possible for them to create a change in this real life scenario, then maybe it is also possible for change to be made in actual life. 

The origins of Forum Theatre are found in Brazil 1970s, Theatre of the Oppressed (TO) founded by Augusto Boal.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGGnHyH5iVM

Boal, born 1931 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was and is still is known as an influential theatre director, writer and politician and the founder Theatre of the Oppressed.  Boal used theatre as a tool in fighting the social injustices faced in 1960‘s Brazil, particularly on political and economical issues. He staged performances where they would depict a certain type of oppression that he was accustomed to seeing at that time such as poverty, or class and racial discrimination. He’d then ask the audience for suggestions on how the outcome of the piece could be changed, ‘how to overcome the oppression.’  Initially this involved asking audience members for alternative endings or suggestions on how the character could deal with the oppression. The actors would then replay the scenes incorporating the ideas and suggestions. “Then, after an angry woman was so dissatisfied with how his actors interpreted her suggestions that she came on stage and showed them what she meant.” 1
This was the birth of the Spec-Actor. A major development in theatre where we the audience no longer just observed the action but actually participated in the performance.  

Boal created Theatre where for the first time the audience had an influence on the piece. Those whom previously only seemed to be able to look on and watch, were now the main influencers of the outcome. 

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see a dance piece where the dancers danced in the first act and in the second showed the audience how to dance? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see a musical where in the first act the actors sang and in the second we all sang together?...This is...how artists should be—we should be creators and also teach the public how to be creators, how to make art, so that we may all use that art together.
--Augusto Boal, Games for Actors and Non-Actors 2

Theatre of the Oppressed was about giving the people a voice, specifically the audience. Boal empowered his audience to imagine change and to generate social action. 
“Millions of people around the world have found Theatre of the Oppressed to be useful, inspiring, and sometimes, life-changing.” 3
Is what a Theatre Company in India say about the power TO has had in their communities addressing issues such as sexism, domestic violence and class discrimination. 

Due to Boal’s influence among the people he drew attention as a cultural activist, which military in Brazil during the 1960′s looked upon as a threat. Resulting in which Boal was tortured and exiled to Argentina. He continued his work there and in other parts of South American, then some time later into Europe. 

“Forum Theatre developed as a political protest theatre in reaction to the societal injustices in Brazil. Using these ‘Theatre of the Oppressed’ techniques when he moved to Europe, Boal demonstrated that the ‘old oppressors’ associated with the dictatorships could equally be applied to Western society, through discourses of social isolation and power, subconsciously impacting on individual freedom across all classes." 4
This was how Forum Theatre developed within Europe. 

“Boal created Forum theatre as a forum for teaching people how to change their world.” 5

Theatre of the Oppressed showed that not only can theatre portray life, but it can also help give answers in how to change life. Forum Theatre is theatre that provides the audience with possible answers for challenging situations that they might find themselves in during their lifetime.

‘Act On Info’, is a theatre company that uses Forum Theatre in to help school aged children with the challenges they face as they are growing up. 

“A scene is shown, usually containing some kind of oppression, for example Act On Info would show a scene during an anti-bullying drama or smoking prevention workshop showing someone being bullied or pressured by their peers. We would show this scene twice. During the replay, with younger pupils, we ask them to put up their hands when they see behaviour that they do not like, or if they see something they would not like to happen to them and the facilitator would shout stop. With older pupils they can shout stop themselves. The actors freeze at this point, we describe it like pressing pause on a DVD. We use these freezes to take a deeper look at what is going on in the scene, the facial expressions, body language and emotions of the characters in the scene. The facilitator would then ask for suggestions as to how the pupils would change the characters behaviour, and invite the pupils to take the role of the characters to see how effective their suggestions are. Different suggestions can be tried out by different pupils showing how they could change the situation to create a different outcome.  This way of working breaks down barriers between the pupils and the situation – it puts them in the action. It is a great tool to enable pupils to try out different courses of actions in a safe environment that they can then apply to their own lives.” 6

This is Forum Theatre in it’s simplest form. The performance address’ a problematic scenario, which for school aged children ‘Bullying’ is very high on the list. Then the audience (which are children who are likely to relate to this situation) together come up with ideas and suggestions on how to overcome this challenge. This gives the audience a chance to see how their suggestions might play out. The audience are made part of the solution. The children themselves come up with a solution to the problem. It’s evident to see why Boal’s audiences felt so empowered and moved to action by these performances. They were literally watching themselves take action.  

Forum theatre is used with all types of audiences and various challenges. From children and bullying, teens with sexual health and drug abuse issues, couples and relationship challenges, not to mention social, political, financial, racial issues, the list goes on.  
As long as there is a problem a solution can be found for it, and Forum Theatre is now recognised as one of the most effective tools in doing so. 

Relevance of Forum Theatre today

In life we spend probably 1/3 rd of our time working, so it’s expected that the workplace would be a probable area of challenge. Many companies have recognised how the relativity, and interactiveness of Forum Theatre can assist with addressing potential problems between work colleges.

“UKWON (UK Work Organisation Network) has developed several techniques to assess and enhance the ‘communicative competence’ of organisations. Forum theatre, in which ‘fictional’ dilemmas are used to explore situations in participants’ own workplaces, is a particularly powerful tool for stimulating reflection and action.” 7

Forum Theatre has a practicality to it. It’s not just a bit of fun or escapism, but here it demonstrates that Theatre has the ability to make a difference to the lives of everyday workers, everyday people.

UKWON highly regards the use of Forum Theatre as it highlights areas and people that have gone unnoticed, and gives employees that all important voice.
“From their engagement in this fictional setting it can be a short step to productive reflection about working practices in their own organisation and to the identification of concrete opportunities for improvement.” 8    

In India the CCDC (Centre for Community Dialogue and Change) have been using Forum Theatre to for-fill their central mission of 
“community building, enhancing sensitivity and understanding in human interactions, encouraging and developing critical thinking and applying the insights gained to the exploration of multiple strategies for solving problems of the community.” 9 CCDC recognise that through the medium of forum theatre they are able to accomplish these aims which will change the lives and interaction of those within their community presently and for the future. 

The picture shows a CCDC Forum Theatre performance taking place in the open air. The set is nothing but a cloth on the ground, but the sheer size of the crowd indicates the impact of the piece. 
  

Through Forum Theatre CCDC have been addressing difficult issues such as Domestic abuse. In a country such as India where the ‘cast system’ of grading people, and sexism are still very much part of the culture. CCDC have used theatre as a means to highlight this hidden, and overlooked issue, and offer solutions of how it can be changed. Potentially bettering the lives of those in the community suffering with abuse. Giving a voice to those who would previously suffer in silence.  

“Theatre can go to places, and voice things, never before explored or spoken. But are often very much in need of being seen and said.” 10

This is where Forum Theatre shows it’s relevance. Whether you are a school child being bullied, an overworked employee, or a wife suffering from domestic abuse. Through the use of Forum Theatre you are not only being recognised but you are being offered a voice and shown the image of how to change your future. 

Forum Theatre can be entertaining, but for myself the main purpose which I really admire about Forum Theatre is it ability to Inspire Change.

REFERENCES

1 (Aleks Sierz - The Guardian)
2 Augusto Boal, Games for Actors and Non-Actors pg...
3 http://www.ccdc.in accessed 2/01/13

4 http://www.ukwon.net/forum_theatre.php accessed 2/01/13

5 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forum_theatre

6 http://theatre-education.co.uk/2011/04/what-is-forum-theatre/

7 http://www.ukwon.net/index.php

8 http://www.ukwon.net/forum_theatre.php

9 http://www.ccdc.in/theatre-oppressed-our-mission

10 Leon Mills http://leonmillsquotes.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/quote-on-theatre.html accessed 09/01/13

Fundamentals of Acting PAUL GARNAULT

FUNDAMENTALS OF ACTING

In this first year we will be studying the Stanislavski System as our Acting Technique method as we look at the Anton Chekov production of 3 sisters. 

Constantin Stanislavski was a Russian theatre actor and director who devised a system of acting referred to as the Stanislavski System. 

What is the system? 

At this point if I was asked to summarize what this system is about, my answer is; it is about achieving the characters objective, and the drama comes from that pursuit and overcoming the obstacles that come along the way. Not acting, but Being.

Don't act, be 

Paul our acting tutor gave us an example of a simple exercise that contained an objective and obstacle. 

A cup was placed across the room, and the objective was to get the cup. So the scene was to walk over and get the cup. Paul asked us not to 'act', but to simply get the cup. 

The first volunteer stood up and immediately started to act. Reason being, as they stood up instead of walking straight over to the cup, they walked to the opposite end of the stage, and then began to walk over to the cup. The objective was to get the cup, not to walk over to the other side of the stage and then get the cup. 

The next volunteer did better as they walked straight over to the cup and picked it up, without a theatrical detour.  

As the third next volunteer made their way to the cup, Paul quickly went and grabbed the cup before them. This was the 'Obstacle' they faced. Then the drama ensued as the one person tried to get the cup as the other prevented them from doing so. At this point there was no character history in mind, weather conditions, or physical attributes, just the simple objective and obstacle of getting the cup. 

Acting or Being

Through this exercise we were introduced to the concept of ‘Being’ instead of ‘acting’. Not ‘acting’ walking over to get the cup, but actually just going to get the cup.

Another example we were given was the example of a character that is wearing a corset. If the character is wearing a corset they don't have to ‘act’ like they are wearing a corset, they ‘Are’ wearing a corset.

Adapting our thoughts from ‘Acting’ out the scene, to playing the Objectives in the scene, and the Given circumstances.  

The Stanislavski system is not about teaching people How to Act, but a system of training that helps the actor to let go of ‘acting’ and embrace the ‘being’ within performance. 

“It’s not by pushing, it’s by Letting go’.

4W"S 

Stanislavski's system contains 4 fundamental questions the actor must ask about their character

WHO am I?

WHERE am I?

WHAT am I?

WHY am I?

These questions hold vital answers to how the actor will go about obtaining their characters objectives.

Objective and Obstacles

What is an Objective? It is what the character wants throughout the performance. This could vary from emotion wants to physical wants such as, 'I want to be loved' or ' I want to sit down'. 

The Obstacle is whatever stands in the way of the character obtaining their want. This obstacle could be another character, the characters thoughts, or physical circumstances. The obstacle is what produces 'Character'. 

OBJECTIVES AND OBSTACLES 

The purpose of OBJECTIVES is to get the actor from playing him or herself. The audience didn’t come to see the actor being themself or the actors’ ego; they came to see a story being told and the characters involved. Playing the characters Objectives allows the ‘actor’ to take a back seat.

Supreme Objective, Super Objective and Sub Objective

Supreme Objective

What does the character want overall?

What is the characters SUPREME objective in life? What is their major want in life?

Using ‘Macbeth’ as an example, I have decided that his Supreme Objective is

‘To be loved by Lady Macbeth’

So everything he does throughout the course of the play he does all with the end goal of getting Lady Macbeth to love him. 

Super Objective

The Super objective is the characters objective at that point in time of that scene. Macbeth’s super objective could be to,

‘Kill Duncan’

So whatever he does in that scene will have to ultimately lead him to the point where he has deciding to kill Duncan. Even if throughout the scene he is playing the young children.

Supreme Objectives and Super objectives can Conflict. They can conflict morally, emotionally, mentally, and physically.

Example is that Macbeth wants ‘LOVE’, but in order to obtain that love he desires he is willing to ‘KILL’ for it. His objective is not to kill Duncan, but Duncan represents his obstacle of obtaining his Supreme objective. And because he is so compelled by his Supreme Objective of obtaining love, his super objective of killing is justifiable and necessary to him.

Compelling Objective

The character has to have a Compelling Objective. This will give the actor to the desire to want to achieve the characters objectives, and also make interesting drama for the watching audience. If the characters reasons for doing what they are doing are not strong, then neither will be the performance.

Decision

As an actor a lot of our performance will be determined by the decisions we make in regard to choosing objectives. You have to give your character an objective that is strong enough and compelling enough for you to want to achieve, so you can get over the obstacles that will come throughout the performance.

For instance if a characters Supreme objective was to lose weight just for the sake of losing weight, then the character would probably fall at the first obstacle of walking past McDonalds. Plus it’s not very interesting for the audience.

But if their Supreme objective was to lose weight to fit into a particularly sexy dress, to attend a party where their ex partner was going to be and they wanted to seduce them, to get them to cheat on their current partner in order to exact revenge. That gives a whole new weight and importance behind them wanting to lose weight, and also gets the audience more involved with the process.  

The individual Decisions the actor makes about their characters objectives are what make each character portrayal different and unique.

Sub Objective

Is determined by the characters physical circumstances at that point in time. Such as battling weather conditions, getting changed into pyjamas, or making a cup of tea. 

When the super objective is overshadowed by the sub objective this is know as “Pathetic Fallacy”.

OBSTACLES

Obstacles are the challenges the characters come up against in the pursuit of obtaining their objectives. And the conflict with the obstacles is what creates drama.

Macbeth’s Obstacle to becoming king was that there was already a king.

Obstacles can also change and sculpt characters behaviour. For example if the character you’re playing is an honest person, and their main objective is to take care of their family. But they have just lost their job, and their only option is crime. They would have to compromise their honesty in order to obtain the Supreme objective of taking care of their family. That is how obstacles can define and develop character.

If the character doesn’t want the Supreme Objective enough, they won’t or shouldn’t overcome the Obstacles that they face. 


GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCES

This is the characters circumstance in that moment. As well as the characters physical circumstance (sub objective) what is their emotional and mental circumstance?

Questions to help identify characters given circumstances are:

1.     What is their emotional state?

Are they in an emotional state of Anger, Joy or Regret?

2.     Why is it like that?

Is it due to something that has happened, or the fear of something that could happen?

How does this make the character move, stand, sit etc? Does it affect the way they dress, how tidy they are? Does it affect the way they feel towards certain characters or people in general?




The 3 Sisters

A play by Anton Chekov, that looks at the life of 3 sisters at the start of the 19^th century. 

As I read through this play what stood out to me is the feeling of being ‘Trapped’.
It seemed to me that every character was trapped in some way, and through the subtext I could hear every character silently screaming out for help. 

“In creating the environment for a character you have to get into the characters world that is given in the text.” – Is what my tutor Paul Garnault explained to us, which made perfect sense to me.

THE SCRIPT

The text in the script gives definite descriptions of the world of the character. For instance information about the characters age, occupation, living circumstance, health, family situation, etc. The script can also contain information regarding circumstances that may indirectly affect the character. Like in Tennessee Williams ‘Baby Doll’, the characters and text reference the hot Southern American weather, which could affect certain characters temperament.  The script may also contain information about the world of the character such as the year, the financial and economic climate, the social and community environment, any religious or political influence. To complete the task of creating the world of the character you need to fill in the gaps that the text does not fill in. This can be done through Imagination. 

IMAGINATION

I was taken through an exercise that was designed to help us create the world our characters live in through our Imagination.   

There is no such thing as actuality on the stage. Art is a product of the imagination, as the work of a dramatist should be. The aim of the actor should be to use his technique to turn the play into a theatrical reality. In this process imagination plays by far the greatest part. (AAP 54)

It’s our imagination that turns a plain dimly lit stage in Birmingham, into a cold cobbled Victorian Street in London, or into a dusty barn on a hot July evening in Southern America. Through our Imagination we have to create the world that our characters live in, so we can focus on being the character. 

I went through an exercise where I lying in the Alexander position with eyes closed, while Paul talked us through an imaginative exercise. 

The Alexander Position

This is a position used in the Alexander technique that is designed to  

• Decrease muscle tension and strain
• Decrease stress and anxiety
• Decrease pain and discomfort
• Improve sensory awareness and levels of energy
• An overall quality of calm and presence
• Improve breathing coordination
• Gentle lengthening of the entire spinal column

This position is known as Constructive or Active Rest

Relaxation is very important when participating in an exercise that is designed to access the imagination, and engage emotions. The body should feel free of built up tension, allowing the body to feel uninhibited and the mind also.  

‘Muscular tautness interferes with inner emotional experience’ (AAP 96).  Stanislavski comments on the importance of relaxation. 

Once relaxed and with closed eyes, a story was narrated allowing our minds to create an Imaginary world. The narration included directions such as, ‘You’re lying on a beach’, and ‘you’re hovering over a City’, ‘you’re following a person along the street’, ‘You’re entering a house’, an item is given to you’. 

I found going through this exercise was effective in creating a whole world through my imagination. I could see the beach, the house, the texture of the pavement, and feel the weight of the item that was given to me. Through my imagination I could see, hear and feel a whole world that didn’t exist. And I understood that this is what the job of an actor is also, to create a world for the audience to see, hear, and feel. Imagination is key for the actor in creating those parts of their characters life that are not given in the script. Before an audience can believe it, the actor has to believe it for him or herself.  

HOT SEATING is a drama exercise that is aimed to assist the actor in creating the personal world of their character where they have to draw from their imagination to answer questions about the character that might not be indicated in the script. 

"Making a decision is vital in order to clarify the environment" - Unknown 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1iwwwJzkn8

Realism instead of Naturalism 

For this module I am exploring how the Stanislavski technique can produce Realism in the actors performance. And will be applying what I discover in the building of my character ‘Vershinin’ the play ‘3 Sisters’.

Realism is when the acting is focused on the emotions that the characters are feeling, and pushing through those emotions. My preferred style of acting is Naturalism, where the focus is less on the emotions of the characters and more on acting naturally or “being yourself” in the given scenario and playing the objectives. 

The issue I have previously had in “playing the emotion” in a  performance is that I feel often many actors are displaying the emotion in the way they assume the audience to recognize that particular emotion. And at times comes across quite false. Not everyone clinches their fist when angry, or moves frantically when excited. Playing the emotion itself can often be separate to the character that is supposed to be experiencing the emotion. I know a particular person who is by nature extremely timid, and so when experiencing an emotions which you would assume would be accompanied by a lot of expression. Due to their timidity that would just not happen. But would that make for interesting theatre? On screen you can get away with a little glance, smirk, smile or grimace because the camera will be able to pick that up, not so on stage. So would it be more suited for the stage that emotions the characters are going through be more visible so the audience member on row Q seat 17b will be able to connect with the character and the story? Maybe.
Realist acting physicalizes the emotions. For example a Naturalistic actor could deliver the line, “I’m just so sad” displaying very little emotion, relying on the words, scenario, and circumstance to effectively communicate the characters plight. A Realistic actor would ‘physicalize the line’ using facial expressions, vocal inflections, and body language. Realism is significantly more expressive physically than Naturalism. 

INSERT VID OF “IM JUST SO SAD” 

My objection to realistic acting is that it can look “over the top”, and even “unrealistic”. Paul stated, “it’s only over the top if you don’t believe it”. After brief examination of this statement I came to agree with it. If I say a line and believe in what I am saying, I can push the emotion of the line, and feel authentic. But how do I believe something that I know is not true. How do I playing ‘Vershinin’, believe that I have a wife and 2 children, knowing that I ‘Leon’, do not have a wife and 2 children? 
To be continued...

“Push that emotion” 

In this video Paul is directing Eve who is playing Olga in the opening scene of “The 3 Sisters”. Paul encourages Eve to focus on the emotion that she is feeling at the start of the piece and to push through the rest of her dialogue with that emotion still high. This produced different emotions, as the dialogue differed, and painted a clear picture of how Olga felt, which the audience was able to connect with. 
Paul comments,“the difference between naturalism and realism is that you really do feel the emotion, keep pursuing the objective until it comes through”. If the characters are feeling and experiencing emotion, so will the audience. Catharsis, drawing an emotional response is part of the purpose of theatre. 

INSERT VID EVE LAUREN JADE

DEVELOPING VERSHININ

Tonight Matthew I'm going to be 'Vershinin'

What do you want?
I believe motivation is everything, everything a person does and how they do it is driven by their motivation. In acting terms I call this the characters Objective. 


What does VERSHININ want? What is his Supreme Objective?

To figure that out I need to find out what the script says about Vershinin



I start by reading the script to get any information about Vershinin


From the script I can see that he is 43, a Baron, on his second marriage with 2 children, unhappily married, at one time know as a romantic,confident with speaking and articulate and educated to some degree. This is what I've got from the 18 pages of text. Either from what he himself says or what is said about him in the text. 
A key line that jumps out to me is 

"if I were to start life afresh, then I would not marry...Definitely not!


Not just the line itself but the manor that the line is said. Vershinin shares this information with a room full of people who he doesn’t know well or at all. This very bold statement, tells me that he is very aware of what he would like to change in his life. His relationship. Later in the play Vershinin has an intimate encounter with middle sister ‘Masha’, who herself is also married. 
All this information that is found in the script gives me a very good idea of what matters to Vershinin, and what his focus is. Unhappily married middle aged man, looking for fulfillment in another married woman. 

At this point I would say that Vershinin’s,

Supreme Objective is: To be happy with a woman

Super Objective is: To get close intimately to Masha

Sub objective is: To entertain the ladies, and guest within the house

Having chosen my objectives for Vershinin, (remembering that there are no right and wrong choices, just better choices. What matters is that I have made a choice and can move forward with that choice, which I can always change in future if I find that those choices don’t work for me)  
I can look at his lines having the chosen objectives in mind. This will determine how the lines are delivered, depending on what Vershinin is trying to do with the line.

For example, Vershinin’s line.

“when they called me the love sick major I was still a young man, and in love. Not so now.”

This line changes as I add the objectives. The ‘Not so now’ line can be played that Vershinin is saying that he is no longer a young man. Having chosen the objective ‘to get intimate with Masha’, in rehearsal as I delivered this line I directed it toward Masha. I calmly made my way close to her, and with the line I emphasized that ‘I’m no longer in love’, hoping to solicit a response from her.  An Obstacle that developed naturally was the unwanted attention from the other 2 sisters. As they did their best to keep Vershinin’s attention on themselves, and away from Vershinin’s first choice Masha.  

This is how the objectives will direct not only the delivery of the lines but also the focus and movement of the characters.  

Imagination

During Vershinin’s introduction to the piece he often refers to having seen the 3 sisters before when they were younger. And then later recalls there names. So I can commit to the delivery of this line I am going to imagine the scenario where Vershinin meet the 3 sisters in the past. In the piece ‘Irene’ says that they left Moscow 11 years ago, which is the last possible time that Vershinin could of seen the sisters. Vershinin would of been about 32 years of age, Olga 17, Masha 14, and Irena 9. Previously I had in mind maybe Vershinin and Masha could of had something “between them” in the past. But as Masha would of only been 14 at the time and Vershinin 32 I decided to negate that notion. Another of Vershinin’s lines also says that he remembers ‘3 little girls’. So now I have an idea of the age the sisters were when Vershinin last saw them. I can imagine them meeting very briefly on annual celebrations, and establish some memory of them. Now as I deliver the lines I can draw upon some visuals of the 3 sister when Vershinin last saw them,  as he attempts to jog his memory, trying to place their names with their faces. 

Another section of dialogue where I have used imagination is the when Vershinin describes where he used to live in Moscow, and the journey he would walk. I have imagined what the area looked like, the cobbled streets and the gloomy bridge. 

Character physicality 

For this exercise I was asked to select 1 item that I believed identified with my character. The item I chose was a watch as it looked stylish, valuable, clean. And also I could see in the text that ‘Vershinin’ could have an issue regarding how he has spent his time, or even how he has spent his life. 

What is physically different from the character and naturalistic me?  

Using the watch and the words, and ideas derived from the watch I created a walk for ‘Vershinin’. As I did this I tried to embody the words stylish, valuable and clean in the walk . I noticed a significant difference in pace, and tension, that was not like my natural walk.   

I wore the watch during rehearsal as an anchor to remind me of Vershinin’s physicality. ‘Swarve’ was the particular word that I had in mind as I walked around the space. Instantly Vershinin felt comfortable in the sitting room as he knew he was wanted there by the sisters. I stood tall, proud, free of tension, relaxed and enjoying every moment of the attention. 

Although being a military officer, this was not needed to be seen in Vershinin’s physicality.

At this point my my character development process I have,

• Chosen Vershinin’s  Objectives

• Created background history that has a direct impact on Vershinin's character 

• Distinguished how Vershinin’s physicality is different from my own.