1.
All the characters of Porto entered alone, one by one they came on stage, no character appears comfortable in Porto, and therefore it could be argued that all characters share one objective; to leave. When they leave they leave together, as one, as a community that they have become thorough the journey of Porto.
The opening ensemble piece is quite a telling one, it demonstrates that together these people represent a society and that this is the way they conform, and it is powerful when we see the characters who are not conforming with the rest of the cast slowly begin to loose their individuality and become a member of the community. And then again at the end, but this time it is far more deliberate, sinister and dark maybe to suggest the wear and tear and exhaustion that they have undergone, or perhaps it could represent the community more comfortable the slow movements are almost tranquil. When Nicolas hood is revealed the whole cast leans in collaboratively, this is a nice example of the community sharing experiences with similar goals. And perhaps the strongest event to suggest that this is a community is when the entire cast works together to stop Lenya taking pictures. She is obviously is a nuisance to this society and the community works together to drive her away, this urge to remove Lenya tied the community together and ultimately it lead to the exit of Porto being found, and the ensemble leaving together as a society.
2.
When we moved to a different space it became apparent that some things needed to change some choreography wasn’t going to work and some blocking needed adjusting. But this was a really nice way of refreshing what we had done and revitalising our belief in the show, reworking some of the material reinforced its quality. Now we were in the theatre we could really begin to envisage how the show was going to look. The theatre space also offered new possibilities such as the roster at the back, this was used constantly throughout the show, yet it didn’t feature in the studio space. In the studio the space that was representing the wings was far to cluttered, but with all the space in the arena people on the peripheral really began to experiment and play with their characters engaging far more with all the new opportunities it came with. However this also meant many things wouldn’t work as well, for example people positioning was drastically rearranged on the peripheral compared to the studio and this meant that some planned interactions were no longer possible. Fortunately the freedom that we all had over our character meant that it was our responsibility to behave how we did so changing things and small details didn’t need the ok from the director unless it was a direct link to the storey of Porto. The room is the theatre was far bigger and that showed when we began rehearsals in the space because things were less cramped. However when we had been running through it in the studio a lot of the work was set downstage and because of the layout seating style in the arena much for the space could not be seen from the back of the auditorium. Therefore we had to push a lot of the work right back, so despite having what we initially thought was a lot of space, it had to be moved right back for viewing purposes meaning that more last minute rearrangements had to take place.
3.
Personally I always felt the RSVP model was continuously in motion, as our character was entirely devised by ourselves, I felt we constantly adapted with every run through, on the peripheral of the stage I was constantly finding new depths to my character the more I was in role. I would experiment with things, and then keep them for the next show if I felt they worked or scrap them if they didn’t. Some members of the cast were keen to interact with me as they felt it was true to their character, but we had done very little or perhaps no work on this whatsoever right up until the final rehearsal before the first show. We began to discuss what we had in mind, but then decided that it would be better if we simply improvised it on stage as our characters during the run through, this felt more natural to the Porto development theme. Even during the shows we were constantly creating new interactions with one another and I discovered my character found a whole new side, prior to this work my character was very dominant and aggressive, seeking the attention of a certain character and acting over protective of her, not letting others near etc. however when we began to run through the shows my characters dominance was almost lost and an incredibly venerable side was revealed, an almost child like side to my character was unfolded, and that was a huge personnel growth for my character. Other members of the cast began fighting me for the characters attention I craved, and successfully deterring me from my motives which was a development that had never took place before. The impact on the show when the audience was introduced was epic, the energy and vibe from the crowd gave the added pressure to perform and the atmosphere was completely different, it made everyone concentrate much more and I felt that the show was revitalised from the tedious repetition we had all got into the habit and routine of performing and transformed into a focused faster paced more purposeful piece of theatre. Taking that energy from the audience and transforming it into something positive was a key part of the show progressing with every performance, and I think that’s what we did. I feel that the show got better with every performance
Friday, 15 May 2009
Sean Kennedy-Lockwood Final blog
1)
Throughout the validating stage going into the performance stage of the process one of the common themes which developed and occurred throughout was a longing for love and friendship, people generally looking for companionship within a foreign place. This can be seen with the subgroups, such as, the scene of the characters sharing the load that needed each other within the piece and also with my own character lusting after the female characters. There is also a sense of discovery with Porto in the beginning with people being in new surroundings feeling alone and uncomfortable around other people.
“A character in a play, like each of us, is constantly growing and changing in response to her life experiences – the people, places, things and situations with which she comes in contact.” (Alberts, 1997, p47)
Slowly, as the performance went on, this developed into a community with people forming relationships and a common purpose, much like the two characters wearing superman tops who were childlike with there characters and they formed a bond between each other. As an Ensemble everyone was at a crossroads being in a certain place in there own individual journey, which can be seen in the beginning of the ensemble work with peoples own movements. Eventually people become in sync with one another and there is a sense of shared history and we all have a common purpose.
Tying the group together was that we all were carrying baggage from the past, which was shown literally, through our bags which were significant to us, which we carried on our own journey. There is also a sense of beings trapped within this strange place shown through the first ensemble piece where we all repeated the same movements. Also within the piece bags and baggage where the ensemble watch as there is a fight for suitcase we are all much like a rabble ganging up on these two individual characters.
2)
One of the positives of taking the performance into the Arena space was the concentration of the group increased and peoples focus was the strongest it had been throughout the whole process. Giving a large group, as we are a bigger space gave everyone a chance to have there own space without intruding on other people which gave the ensemble a chance to experiment when working in the periphery to expand there emotional connection to other people. When entering the arena we also had to adapt to the spatial proximity, going from the studio, which was smaller than the arena space.
This was both good and bad as we then had the space to be able to use on the periphery and when it came to the sub groups there was enough space for everyone to be able to perform there part. It was also a bad point, as we had to expand the work to the arena space, this meant spreading the work across the space and using the back in the periphery. This was difficult when coming to the reprise as everyone was close together and there was not enough space for people to move. It was expanded to the back and this gave people room to move around. Moving into the Arena also gave a new level of emotion for the characters myself in particular grew a stronger emotional connection resulting from the new environment, which felt like Porto this made my performance on a whole a lot stronger. The emotional connection made by characters made the movements developed a lot stronger and there was meaning behind each one which could also be seen with the whole ensemble as everyone was producing strong work when entering the Arena space. The Technical rehearsal we ran through was challenging, as it was a tedious day of sitting around until peoples certain scenes came up but group focus was only weak at few moments and the ensemble knew that the lighting would help the performance and enhance the scene.
3)
On a whole over the three shows the performance as an ensemble grew stronger and the emotional connection of each character increased as the performance went on. My character in particular carried on evolving over the three shows from the last rehearsal to the matinee performance on the Thursday my performance was emotionally not as strong however through the two other shows my journey carried on growing so my journey increased emotionally as I developed my characters.
Throughout the piece I did develop new material with changes to my character. The changes I made were to my entrance making it bolder and more confident, which is more to what my character is. There was also material within the community disrupted scene with my character having to remove a coat, this changed just before the show to be more aesthetically pleasing when taking the coat off. The more interesting growth was with the peripheral work of the piece for myself as my character was able to develop more with other people and also increase the bond with the two people I work with the most. This is where my character stood out for me rather than in the photo scene.
I found it hard to work through the RSVP model. This was due to having to make a character before doing any improvisation, this forced me to make connections with other people who I have never work with before and I struggled to find myself in the performance space of Porto. What I believe would have been better for me is if we were free to improvise within the Porto space before having a character and gradually develop one through improvisation. I found that throughout the whole piece there was a stronger connection within the periphery work rather than in the other scenes. As an ensemble the model was still developing, there was still validating up to and including the last show. The majority of the process was emotional journeys were still taking place and changing with my own journey it was becoming more intense, my lusting after other woman and found that looking at other woman in the performance provoked a reaction from the people who I was working with.
“You must be able to work as an ensemble to tell the story moment by moment… Eye contact is a crucial ingredient, so is a heightened sensory awareness of others in the space.” (Callery, 2001, p.88)
Overall the performance never stopped evolving and becoming stronger as an ensemble the bond between everyone was intense and emotionally draining but with everyone pushing themselves further within the three shows it came across and the audience read the semiotics which were put across.
Bibliography
ALBERTS, D. 1997. The Expressive Body. Heinemann.
Callery, D. (2001) Through The Body A Practical Guide To Theatre Nick Hern Books Ltd.
Throughout the validating stage going into the performance stage of the process one of the common themes which developed and occurred throughout was a longing for love and friendship, people generally looking for companionship within a foreign place. This can be seen with the subgroups, such as, the scene of the characters sharing the load that needed each other within the piece and also with my own character lusting after the female characters. There is also a sense of discovery with Porto in the beginning with people being in new surroundings feeling alone and uncomfortable around other people.
“A character in a play, like each of us, is constantly growing and changing in response to her life experiences – the people, places, things and situations with which she comes in contact.” (Alberts, 1997, p47)
Slowly, as the performance went on, this developed into a community with people forming relationships and a common purpose, much like the two characters wearing superman tops who were childlike with there characters and they formed a bond between each other. As an Ensemble everyone was at a crossroads being in a certain place in there own individual journey, which can be seen in the beginning of the ensemble work with peoples own movements. Eventually people become in sync with one another and there is a sense of shared history and we all have a common purpose.
Tying the group together was that we all were carrying baggage from the past, which was shown literally, through our bags which were significant to us, which we carried on our own journey. There is also a sense of beings trapped within this strange place shown through the first ensemble piece where we all repeated the same movements. Also within the piece bags and baggage where the ensemble watch as there is a fight for suitcase we are all much like a rabble ganging up on these two individual characters.
2)
One of the positives of taking the performance into the Arena space was the concentration of the group increased and peoples focus was the strongest it had been throughout the whole process. Giving a large group, as we are a bigger space gave everyone a chance to have there own space without intruding on other people which gave the ensemble a chance to experiment when working in the periphery to expand there emotional connection to other people. When entering the arena we also had to adapt to the spatial proximity, going from the studio, which was smaller than the arena space.
This was both good and bad as we then had the space to be able to use on the periphery and when it came to the sub groups there was enough space for everyone to be able to perform there part. It was also a bad point, as we had to expand the work to the arena space, this meant spreading the work across the space and using the back in the periphery. This was difficult when coming to the reprise as everyone was close together and there was not enough space for people to move. It was expanded to the back and this gave people room to move around. Moving into the Arena also gave a new level of emotion for the characters myself in particular grew a stronger emotional connection resulting from the new environment, which felt like Porto this made my performance on a whole a lot stronger. The emotional connection made by characters made the movements developed a lot stronger and there was meaning behind each one which could also be seen with the whole ensemble as everyone was producing strong work when entering the Arena space. The Technical rehearsal we ran through was challenging, as it was a tedious day of sitting around until peoples certain scenes came up but group focus was only weak at few moments and the ensemble knew that the lighting would help the performance and enhance the scene.
3)
On a whole over the three shows the performance as an ensemble grew stronger and the emotional connection of each character increased as the performance went on. My character in particular carried on evolving over the three shows from the last rehearsal to the matinee performance on the Thursday my performance was emotionally not as strong however through the two other shows my journey carried on growing so my journey increased emotionally as I developed my characters.
Throughout the piece I did develop new material with changes to my character. The changes I made were to my entrance making it bolder and more confident, which is more to what my character is. There was also material within the community disrupted scene with my character having to remove a coat, this changed just before the show to be more aesthetically pleasing when taking the coat off. The more interesting growth was with the peripheral work of the piece for myself as my character was able to develop more with other people and also increase the bond with the two people I work with the most. This is where my character stood out for me rather than in the photo scene.
I found it hard to work through the RSVP model. This was due to having to make a character before doing any improvisation, this forced me to make connections with other people who I have never work with before and I struggled to find myself in the performance space of Porto. What I believe would have been better for me is if we were free to improvise within the Porto space before having a character and gradually develop one through improvisation. I found that throughout the whole piece there was a stronger connection within the periphery work rather than in the other scenes. As an ensemble the model was still developing, there was still validating up to and including the last show. The majority of the process was emotional journeys were still taking place and changing with my own journey it was becoming more intense, my lusting after other woman and found that looking at other woman in the performance provoked a reaction from the people who I was working with.
“You must be able to work as an ensemble to tell the story moment by moment… Eye contact is a crucial ingredient, so is a heightened sensory awareness of others in the space.” (Callery, 2001, p.88)
Overall the performance never stopped evolving and becoming stronger as an ensemble the bond between everyone was intense and emotionally draining but with everyone pushing themselves further within the three shows it came across and the audience read the semiotics which were put across.
Bibliography
ALBERTS, D. 1997. The Expressive Body. Heinemann.
Callery, D. (2001) Through The Body A Practical Guide To Theatre Nick Hern Books Ltd.
Final blog - Richards Shields
1.
Once we moved as a company through the validating stage to the performance stage, a lot of themes started to emerge some we had not noticed before and other began to be emphasized more for the audiences benefit. Each character had the own individual issues that we saw clearly during the entrances to Porto, but we began to see common shared themes from the characters of Porto emerging such as loneliness.
Porto opens showing each character and their individual movement into the world of Porto. A common theme arises at this point as all of the characters in Porto for one reason or another all seem to quite perplexed and bewildered at this new situation they have found them self entering.
From the audiences perspective during the first ensemble piece of Porto it was the first time in which they really saw the community come together in unison. The characters all had a number of gestures which were repeated until every member of the community was in unison with each other. The next time the audience saw the characters together as an ensemble was at the very end of Porto when the characters all repeated the gestures from the original ensemble piece but at a much slower pace. The audience saw the transition of themes from total disorder and uncertainty to tranquillity. This was the major scene in which we could see the community tied together. Another point that needs to be highlighted on this scene was the positioning of the characters. The location off the chair enabled the characters to show that they had become part of Porto and settled in after placing themselves in their own subgroups.
The use of bags and items were extremely important when analysing the themes and issue through the Porto journey. Almost every character had a bag and an item inside in which they brought on their journey through Porto. Through the story of Porto the audience began to see the emotional venture of characters and their items. For my character (‘superman 1’) initially I felt a real emotional attachment to my items, they were a link to the past and also represented emotional baggage for me. My character used the playing cards as a way to make friends although once my characters journey really stared to become comfortable the cards became less important and the strain of the emotional baggage I brought with me into the world of Porto started to disappear.
“If you believe in your physical life on stage, you will also experience appropriate emotional feelings and a logical connection between them.” (Fischer-Lichte, E (2002) p.282)
2.
For me the most interesting part of performing Porto was the transition from the studio into the arena theatre where it was to be performed. I found that this was when Porto began to come alive and more realistic. It was a fresh change from the studio we had created Porto in, although it did come with a few problems that we had to overcome in a short space of time.
The first problem we faced was one more based on the technical aspect of Porto which was the sound and light management. With such a big performance space to fill and a constantly progressing piece this problem took quite a while to overcome. Although having certain lighting aspects and sound cues it forced the performers into not straying from the material they had and allowed us to focus and refine on the material we had. So although initially this was seen as a problem it actually became a positive experience for us.
A big dilemma though we found with the arena space was that a lot of the work we had previously rehearsed in the studio was up close to the audience but due to the Arena’s seating layout it meant that this work was not viable to do as it would not be seen from the audience members at the back. Other problems that arose due to the arena space were the entrances and exits of the new space. Although this did not cause any major problems as it just meant some scenes were carefully adjusted to suit the needs of the arena space.
One positive that came from the transition in performances spaces was that in the studio space that we worked from for a long time, the work performed in the periphery looked very cluttered and detracted a lot of attention from the action in centre stage, but once in the arena space that work was pushed into the outskirts with minimal lighting which enhanced the work performed in centre stage whilst also allowing the performers in the periphery to still be seen.
A last dilemma faced whilst performing in the arena theatre was that as we had many hours performing in there, speaking from the characters point of view; we became very emotionally involved with the space of ‘Porto’. It was hard to let go and leaving the space became quite intimidating. Especially on the final show when emotions of some character/performers were running very high.
“The task of emotion management is to rise to the opportunity, and prepare for the loss... We need to feel attached to others, and we dread the loss of attachment in a very pre-modern way.” (Robb,M (2004) p.255)
I originally referred to the emotional attachment as a dilemma but in fact this actually added the originality and believability of the show.
3.
For the duration of the performances Porto grew and was still developing after every show. For my character there was not one show the same, with emotions running differently for each show. The group seemed to thrive in front of an audience constantly pushing towards perfection, gaining more and more emotional attachments along the way.
I believe the RSVP model did still run throughout the performance. The performances were always changing, constantly developing and refining material. The RSVP model ran whether the performers noticed it or not.
For my character the main element of the performance that developed was the interactions with others in the periphery. My character worked with both of the superman/girl characters in the periphery claiming one corner as our property. During each performance the emotion to keep everybody else out of our corner grew stronger and stronger. It was as if we were like children protecting our fortress in a game, each performance someone new tried to get into our space and we had to find different ways of making them leave which constantly grew even during the performances as well as during rehearsals.
My character also grew during the entrances of Porto. My character walks on stage (behind the other superman character) kicking my bag along the way, the first rehearsal we had in the arena space it was pointed out that a lot of characters had become too familiar with the space, a point which I had not realised before. Because we had all performed for so long devising Porto we had actually grew accustom to it, but from the audience’s perspective, this was a new space which characters should have never been too before. This created a new emotion of slight anxiety, an emotion that was shared by the whole group during the performance. I believe without changing this at the last minute Porto would have been analysed totally different for the audience.
Also during the entrances the timing of the comic situation where my character and the other superman character both reveal their superman tops together was always changing, I feel the last performance we did was probably the best in terms of comic effect. It was hard to get the timing right for the audience to realise that we were two total strangers feeling quite embarrassed.
A further moment in the show where my character developed using the RSVP model was during the final performance, I had never noticed that the religious character (Waqar) which the superman/girl characters had previously encountered early on in the show, was sitting just to the left of my corner space. I accidently caught eye contact with and immediately turned my head sharply away as he did. As my character I felt it was appropriate to carry on taunting and copying him which is what I choose to do. For me it added another layer into the individual performance.
I found it great see that on every show different emotions came through from different characters and to see how the effect of different audiences reacting differently to the same situations had an effect on the characters/performers. The RSVP model ran throughout the whole entire length of Porto including the performances, which I feel was great as it kept the performance alive and was more enjoyable for the audience and the performers.
“A play is essentially an audio-visual experience. No two members of the audience see quite the ‘same’ play and no two performers are ever exactly the same.” (Shakespeare,W. Seely,E (2000) p.7)
Bibliography
Fischer-Lichte, E. (2002) History of European drama and theatre. Routledge
Robb,M. (2004) Communication, relationships and care. Routledge
Shakespeare, W. Seely, E (2000) Advanced Shakespeare series – Hamlet Heinemann
Once we moved as a company through the validating stage to the performance stage, a lot of themes started to emerge some we had not noticed before and other began to be emphasized more for the audiences benefit. Each character had the own individual issues that we saw clearly during the entrances to Porto, but we began to see common shared themes from the characters of Porto emerging such as loneliness.
Porto opens showing each character and their individual movement into the world of Porto. A common theme arises at this point as all of the characters in Porto for one reason or another all seem to quite perplexed and bewildered at this new situation they have found them self entering.
From the audiences perspective during the first ensemble piece of Porto it was the first time in which they really saw the community come together in unison. The characters all had a number of gestures which were repeated until every member of the community was in unison with each other. The next time the audience saw the characters together as an ensemble was at the very end of Porto when the characters all repeated the gestures from the original ensemble piece but at a much slower pace. The audience saw the transition of themes from total disorder and uncertainty to tranquillity. This was the major scene in which we could see the community tied together. Another point that needs to be highlighted on this scene was the positioning of the characters. The location off the chair enabled the characters to show that they had become part of Porto and settled in after placing themselves in their own subgroups.
The use of bags and items were extremely important when analysing the themes and issue through the Porto journey. Almost every character had a bag and an item inside in which they brought on their journey through Porto. Through the story of Porto the audience began to see the emotional venture of characters and their items. For my character (‘superman 1’) initially I felt a real emotional attachment to my items, they were a link to the past and also represented emotional baggage for me. My character used the playing cards as a way to make friends although once my characters journey really stared to become comfortable the cards became less important and the strain of the emotional baggage I brought with me into the world of Porto started to disappear.
“If you believe in your physical life on stage, you will also experience appropriate emotional feelings and a logical connection between them.” (Fischer-Lichte, E (2002) p.282)
2.
For me the most interesting part of performing Porto was the transition from the studio into the arena theatre where it was to be performed. I found that this was when Porto began to come alive and more realistic. It was a fresh change from the studio we had created Porto in, although it did come with a few problems that we had to overcome in a short space of time.
The first problem we faced was one more based on the technical aspect of Porto which was the sound and light management. With such a big performance space to fill and a constantly progressing piece this problem took quite a while to overcome. Although having certain lighting aspects and sound cues it forced the performers into not straying from the material they had and allowed us to focus and refine on the material we had. So although initially this was seen as a problem it actually became a positive experience for us.
A big dilemma though we found with the arena space was that a lot of the work we had previously rehearsed in the studio was up close to the audience but due to the Arena’s seating layout it meant that this work was not viable to do as it would not be seen from the audience members at the back. Other problems that arose due to the arena space were the entrances and exits of the new space. Although this did not cause any major problems as it just meant some scenes were carefully adjusted to suit the needs of the arena space.
One positive that came from the transition in performances spaces was that in the studio space that we worked from for a long time, the work performed in the periphery looked very cluttered and detracted a lot of attention from the action in centre stage, but once in the arena space that work was pushed into the outskirts with minimal lighting which enhanced the work performed in centre stage whilst also allowing the performers in the periphery to still be seen.
A last dilemma faced whilst performing in the arena theatre was that as we had many hours performing in there, speaking from the characters point of view; we became very emotionally involved with the space of ‘Porto’. It was hard to let go and leaving the space became quite intimidating. Especially on the final show when emotions of some character/performers were running very high.
“The task of emotion management is to rise to the opportunity, and prepare for the loss... We need to feel attached to others, and we dread the loss of attachment in a very pre-modern way.” (Robb,M (2004) p.255)
I originally referred to the emotional attachment as a dilemma but in fact this actually added the originality and believability of the show.
3.
For the duration of the performances Porto grew and was still developing after every show. For my character there was not one show the same, with emotions running differently for each show. The group seemed to thrive in front of an audience constantly pushing towards perfection, gaining more and more emotional attachments along the way.
I believe the RSVP model did still run throughout the performance. The performances were always changing, constantly developing and refining material. The RSVP model ran whether the performers noticed it or not.
For my character the main element of the performance that developed was the interactions with others in the periphery. My character worked with both of the superman/girl characters in the periphery claiming one corner as our property. During each performance the emotion to keep everybody else out of our corner grew stronger and stronger. It was as if we were like children protecting our fortress in a game, each performance someone new tried to get into our space and we had to find different ways of making them leave which constantly grew even during the performances as well as during rehearsals.
My character also grew during the entrances of Porto. My character walks on stage (behind the other superman character) kicking my bag along the way, the first rehearsal we had in the arena space it was pointed out that a lot of characters had become too familiar with the space, a point which I had not realised before. Because we had all performed for so long devising Porto we had actually grew accustom to it, but from the audience’s perspective, this was a new space which characters should have never been too before. This created a new emotion of slight anxiety, an emotion that was shared by the whole group during the performance. I believe without changing this at the last minute Porto would have been analysed totally different for the audience.
Also during the entrances the timing of the comic situation where my character and the other superman character both reveal their superman tops together was always changing, I feel the last performance we did was probably the best in terms of comic effect. It was hard to get the timing right for the audience to realise that we were two total strangers feeling quite embarrassed.
A further moment in the show where my character developed using the RSVP model was during the final performance, I had never noticed that the religious character (Waqar) which the superman/girl characters had previously encountered early on in the show, was sitting just to the left of my corner space. I accidently caught eye contact with and immediately turned my head sharply away as he did. As my character I felt it was appropriate to carry on taunting and copying him which is what I choose to do. For me it added another layer into the individual performance.
I found it great see that on every show different emotions came through from different characters and to see how the effect of different audiences reacting differently to the same situations had an effect on the characters/performers. The RSVP model ran throughout the whole entire length of Porto including the performances, which I feel was great as it kept the performance alive and was more enjoyable for the audience and the performers.
“A play is essentially an audio-visual experience. No two members of the audience see quite the ‘same’ play and no two performers are ever exactly the same.” (Shakespeare,W. Seely,E (2000) p.7)
Bibliography
Fischer-Lichte, E. (2002) History of European drama and theatre. Routledge
Robb,M. (2004) Communication, relationships and care. Routledge
Shakespeare, W. Seely, E (2000) Advanced Shakespeare series – Hamlet Heinemann
Thursday, 14 May 2009
Alex Blower, Porto, Final post
1.
During the move from validation to the performance of Porto there were clear themes that began to emerge for the ensemble as a whole, one of the clearest themes from an audience perspective would be the transition from confusion to almost serenity as the piece progressed. Porto opens with a very chaotic and sensually offensive ensemble movement, as the characters began to feel comfortable with their surroundings however movements around the periphery of the stage became less overt as the characters began to settle. This led to the final ensemble movement which mirrored the actions of the opening sequence, the tempo however was drastically slowed giving the movements an air of familiarity which was lacking previously. Positioning of the chairs was also vital in the final ensemble movement as it allowed the subgroups that had formed in the previous sections to be explored by the community as a whole, with characters sitting next to those who they felt a connection with rather than who they were thrown together with during the first movement.
Secondly the importance of each member of the ensembles baggage became clearer as the performance progressed. As nearly every member of the community had an item in the luggage which held a characteristic personal to them, it was interesting to note how the emotional connection with item changed as the performance progressed. As the piece progressed for my character he became less dependent on the comic book item and its utilisation as a defence mechanism. As soon as a level of comfort was reached in the sub group which the character was a part of, the need to hide behind an item was lost as relationships were formed and solidified.
2.
One of the most interesting parts of the Porto was the transition between rehearsing the performance in the studio space to rehearsing, and finally performing on the stage at the Arena Theatre. One of the main challenges that the ensemble faced during the move were the practical issues of space change and the introduction of stage lighting into the performance. The floor space in the arena was larger than it was in the studio and, as such the performance had to expand accordingly. Whilst the periphery work done in the studio detracted attention from the action going on centre stage, when the performance was moved into the Arena the depth and width of the space, along with the focus of the lights allowed the work done on the outskirts to be seen, but not to the extent that the audience members would lose focus on the movements vital to the narrative of the piece.
Another challenge which emerged from the change of performance space into a conventional theatre involved the actor performing being seen. Whilst it did not matter whilst rehearsing in the drama studio how far forward we went, as soon as an audience was involved it became clear that the actors could not be seen by all audience members in certain areas of the stage. As such it was important for all cast members to become increasingly aware of their stage position at all times so that none of the movements carrying meaning were missed by observers.
Moving away from the purely practical, one of the biggest issues we felt as performers was the realisation that the studio space had become a comfort zone for us as an ensemble and that moving out of that zone was a daunting prospect. As Dymphna Callery states in Through the Body ‘Commanding the stage demands a control of space’ ( 2001,p70) and as the ensemble were not one hundred percent at ease in the space straight away it became a challenge for the space not to take control of the performer rather than the other way round. However, after a couple of day’s rehearsal, the new space gained a familiarity and with a high level of focus I believe the ensemble took control of the new space effectively.
3.
During the time that was spent in the Arena theatre the performances of Porto evolved with every showing, this could be attributed to the change in space, as well as the effect the audience reaction had on the ensemble as a whole. One of the key aspects of the performance that really changed during the showings was intensity of emotion, from my perspective as a performer the first matinee showing seemed rather flat. It could be argued that this was because the members of the cast were nervous and that more attention was being put into the moves they were doing rather than the emotion behind them. However, once the first performance was out of the way the initial fear of ‘mucking up’ was laid to rest and the cast could concentrate on fully giving themselves over to the work.
On an individual level I feel that throughout the performances in the theatre space my character not only strengthened but also changed in some rather large aspects of his personality. During the warm ups before shows I found my character slowly focusing more and more on Waquar and utilising every available opportunity to mimic and intimidate him. This then carried across to the performance as by the final show I was even making time in the periphery work to find Waquar and make him uncomfortable through stares and mimicry. Secondly throughout the performances my relationship with Lizzie changed, during the first show she was in my opinion just a member of mine and Richards’s gang. This evolved throughout the 3 performances so that, on the Friday night the character I was playing felt certain protectiveness for Lizzie, almost like a little sister that sometimes you tease but you will always do your best to look out for. I believe the reason that these changes occurred was largely down to the environment and the emotions resonating from other cast members, as the focus during the Arena shows had rarely been reached before by the cast it was almost as if a new layer of emotional content had been accessible for the first time.
As to the relevance of the RSVP method in this final stage of the Porto journey I believe it to be as relevant, if not more so than at any other stage. The final performances were a coming together of each stage of the process. If you imagine the process as baking a cake, R.S.V and P were the ingredients being added to the bowl whilst the Arena performance was the finished cake. If any one of the ingredients had been missing at any stage then there would have been no way that the finished product could have been achieved to such a high standard.
Bibliography:
Through The Body, Callery Dymphna, Page 70, Nick Hern Books 2001
Wednesday, 1 April 2009
Jay Duggan Process & Performance Blog 3
1.
The research/resource stage of Porto seems far behind us now as we start to enter the score stage of development. But as we look back it is apparent how truly crucial that research stage was, we see constant reminders in our show of how we employ that critical research within Porto during the research resource process at the beginning of our journey we used tactics such as creating a performance circle and letting anyone come in or step out as they see fit. The interactions and relationships created entirely on impulse that were built all that time ago can still be found in parts of Porto in the current score phase of development. And even the way we approach devising for the show stems right back the research resource process. It wouldn’t be unfair to suggest that we haven’t really come out of the research resource element and we are all undergoing research until the day of validation.
2.
At first I couldn’t see how the ensemble was going to collaboratively exist on a performance stage with motives and objectives that would be in anyway similar, or make sense, but the stimulus of Porto really helped give each and every characters seemed very individual, but currently the ensemble seems to of creative somewhat of a community that have one thing in common, there trapped in Porto, I have heard many people describe Porto as limbo or purgatory, but every character seems to have a reason for been on stage. There are many hidden messages throughout Porto giving it ample meaning and narrative, usually based around social issues and boundaries. Such as mundane repetitiveness of the community representing society’s ways of how people should behave, and the characters not conforming to those rules. The tear between western and eastern culture, this performance is littered with metaphors for common problems within people lives.
3.
Since the start of the creating process my character has drastically transformed every element of his physicality and motives, to adapt to the ever changing course of Porto. In the research resource stage of devising I explored what my physical capabilities were and I am now using that knowledge to apply them to the score process. My character has really grown over the past few months, and I have my own personnel challenge of connecting emotionally with my character, and to exploit a more venerable side, this really has been my goal for Porto. In the “R” phase of practice I really found myself in terms of boundaries and limits, as well as discovering other people boundaries and limits, this is what allowed me to set a target for what I wanted my character to achieve throughout the process. Upon reflecting on my personnel transition into the character I am currently exist as, I find myself pleasantly surprised at my achievements, almost without realising it I have learned so much. Now I can feel a real sense of my character starting to break down and I am keen to see how far I can push this.
The research/resource stage of Porto seems far behind us now as we start to enter the score stage of development. But as we look back it is apparent how truly crucial that research stage was, we see constant reminders in our show of how we employ that critical research within Porto during the research resource process at the beginning of our journey we used tactics such as creating a performance circle and letting anyone come in or step out as they see fit. The interactions and relationships created entirely on impulse that were built all that time ago can still be found in parts of Porto in the current score phase of development. And even the way we approach devising for the show stems right back the research resource process. It wouldn’t be unfair to suggest that we haven’t really come out of the research resource element and we are all undergoing research until the day of validation.
2.
At first I couldn’t see how the ensemble was going to collaboratively exist on a performance stage with motives and objectives that would be in anyway similar, or make sense, but the stimulus of Porto really helped give each and every characters seemed very individual, but currently the ensemble seems to of creative somewhat of a community that have one thing in common, there trapped in Porto, I have heard many people describe Porto as limbo or purgatory, but every character seems to have a reason for been on stage. There are many hidden messages throughout Porto giving it ample meaning and narrative, usually based around social issues and boundaries. Such as mundane repetitiveness of the community representing society’s ways of how people should behave, and the characters not conforming to those rules. The tear between western and eastern culture, this performance is littered with metaphors for common problems within people lives.
3.
Since the start of the creating process my character has drastically transformed every element of his physicality and motives, to adapt to the ever changing course of Porto. In the research resource stage of devising I explored what my physical capabilities were and I am now using that knowledge to apply them to the score process. My character has really grown over the past few months, and I have my own personnel challenge of connecting emotionally with my character, and to exploit a more venerable side, this really has been my goal for Porto. In the “R” phase of practice I really found myself in terms of boundaries and limits, as well as discovering other people boundaries and limits, this is what allowed me to set a target for what I wanted my character to achieve throughout the process. Upon reflecting on my personnel transition into the character I am currently exist as, I find myself pleasantly surprised at my achievements, almost without realising it I have learned so much. Now I can feel a real sense of my character starting to break down and I am keen to see how far I can push this.
Sean Kennedy-Lockwood Process and performance blog assesment 3
1)
Within physical theatre there are four separate stages of the devising process, "RSVP" the R stands for the research phase, this is the stage where the ensemble were given a presentation to look at and interpret certain part of different pictures which is where the idea of Porto came about. We then took this and created our own character this was taken into the workshop to use in the play sessions. The play sessions is where the ensemble could create a personality create bonds with other characters and develop a deeper understanding of who they are in Porto. Now the Ensemble are at the S phase of the RSVP model which is the score part of the work where we have to refine and developed further through the aid of the directors working within the sub groups. We are now creating scenes within Porto also introducing music into the piece giving the scenes a new dynamic. The score phase is where we are establishing the various scenes giving them a narrative for the audience to follow.
2)
A narrative of the performance is beginning to show within the ensemble however it is for the audience to interpret and decode the piece for themselves through the semiotics installed within Porto.
‘ The audience has to become imaginatively engaged in order to decode and interpret what is happening’ (Martin Lewis, John Rainer 2005)
One theme which, is running subconsciously throughout the work that is giving the performance a structure is the initial stimuli we received, which was Porto, the definition of the word and how it applies to liminal journeys. Through certain scenes there is a stronger narrative which is more apparent than others at a particular time, for example with the photo scene, where it is obvious to the audience that we all have something in common and are similar with the item we take on our separate journeys. Within Porto there is also the presence of Blake and Nicola who are noticeably different to the ensemble and their presence in Porto is throughout, with the action of everyone surrounding these two figures. Through moments of ensemble work the audience can decode a narrative seeing that we all share a common purpose and we are on a journey.
3)
With my character it has been a frustrating process, I feel that it hasn’t developed a great deal with the majority of scenes that I am present in, being choreographed structured movement my character was held back and was unable to progress. This was difficult as I was trying to find characters that I had attachments to but unable to do so. Through play sessions in the workshop however I have been able to develop bonds with other people and physically and emotionally grow new dynamics of my character, which have helped in performance. ‘Brook not only uses play as a starting point, as a basis for personal growth and self development in his actors.’ (Callery, D 2001)
Now that we have been given more freedom for improvised work within the scenes I am creating more interesting work, finding a transition of my character who is more confident with other people and is less restricted. My character has developed further with there being a new dynamic with there being two people I am working with now rather than one, making the work more creative and giving more ideas to the overall creation of Porto.
Bibliography
Martin Lewis, John Rainer (2005) Teaching classroom drama and theatre: practical projects for secondary schools, Routledge PG 43
Dymphna Callery, (2001) Through the Body a Practical Guide to Physical Theatre, Nick Hern Books
Within physical theatre there are four separate stages of the devising process, "RSVP" the R stands for the research phase, this is the stage where the ensemble were given a presentation to look at and interpret certain part of different pictures which is where the idea of Porto came about. We then took this and created our own character this was taken into the workshop to use in the play sessions. The play sessions is where the ensemble could create a personality create bonds with other characters and develop a deeper understanding of who they are in Porto. Now the Ensemble are at the S phase of the RSVP model which is the score part of the work where we have to refine and developed further through the aid of the directors working within the sub groups. We are now creating scenes within Porto also introducing music into the piece giving the scenes a new dynamic. The score phase is where we are establishing the various scenes giving them a narrative for the audience to follow.
2)
A narrative of the performance is beginning to show within the ensemble however it is for the audience to interpret and decode the piece for themselves through the semiotics installed within Porto.
‘ The audience has to become imaginatively engaged in order to decode and interpret what is happening’ (Martin Lewis, John Rainer 2005)
One theme which, is running subconsciously throughout the work that is giving the performance a structure is the initial stimuli we received, which was Porto, the definition of the word and how it applies to liminal journeys. Through certain scenes there is a stronger narrative which is more apparent than others at a particular time, for example with the photo scene, where it is obvious to the audience that we all have something in common and are similar with the item we take on our separate journeys. Within Porto there is also the presence of Blake and Nicola who are noticeably different to the ensemble and their presence in Porto is throughout, with the action of everyone surrounding these two figures. Through moments of ensemble work the audience can decode a narrative seeing that we all share a common purpose and we are on a journey.
3)
With my character it has been a frustrating process, I feel that it hasn’t developed a great deal with the majority of scenes that I am present in, being choreographed structured movement my character was held back and was unable to progress. This was difficult as I was trying to find characters that I had attachments to but unable to do so. Through play sessions in the workshop however I have been able to develop bonds with other people and physically and emotionally grow new dynamics of my character, which have helped in performance. ‘Brook not only uses play as a starting point, as a basis for personal growth and self development in his actors.’ (Callery, D 2001)
Now that we have been given more freedom for improvised work within the scenes I am creating more interesting work, finding a transition of my character who is more confident with other people and is less restricted. My character has developed further with there being a new dynamic with there being two people I am working with now rather than one, making the work more creative and giving more ideas to the overall creation of Porto.
Bibliography
Martin Lewis, John Rainer (2005) Teaching classroom drama and theatre: practical projects for secondary schools, Routledge PG 43
Dymphna Callery, (2001) Through the Body a Practical Guide to Physical Theatre, Nick Hern Books
Alex Blower blog post 3
1.
During the Process of devised work it is imperitive to organise work into sections so as to work cohesivley in the construction of a piece. Firstly as a company we had to enter the research phase of the process, this consisted of gathering knowledge through academic rescources as well as the more physically based workshops and ‘play’ sessions. The importance of this phase in the creation of a performance is outlined in Jane Millings book Devising Performance, A Critical History ‘At the core of all devising or collaborative creation is a process of generating performance’ (Milling,2006, Page 3) giving emphasis to the importance of this phase in relation to the final perofrmance as a whole.
Secondly as we enter the scoring phase, involving blocking out the devised material so the different scenes come together smoothly and effectivley. It is interesting to note that, although it is true the pieces are more refined than they were in the research phase, changes are still happening and new ways of working still being discovered. As a performer and colaborative deviser it would be be a valid comment to make that that the research phase of creating a performance is never truly left behind but rather used as a tool in the scoring phase to help smooth out links between scenes and morph the process into a complete performance.
2.
With regards to the structure of Porto, as the scoring phase is being more heavily implimented there is a clear beginning and end becoming apparent, it is interesting to note that both of these sections are ensemble work with key characters either implimenting or resolving issues. At the beginning of the piece it is abundantly clear to the audience that Blake and Nicola are outsiders in Porto as the ensembles work is fluid and clean until either Blake or Nicola move and attention is focused on them. However at the end of the piece a feeling of resolution is achieved with Nicola as Jay finally manages to reveal the true character by the lifting of the hood. As this is happening the ensemble moving in syncronisation around them supports the changes that Nicola has experienced throughout her time in Porto.
In the productions middle section however things are not quite so clear, whilst it is true each section has come a long way since the research phase there are no clear links between scenes. It will be interesting to see at this point how the benefits of keeping the research phase open as we got on with scoring will prove to be an advantage.
3.
It would be fairly accurate to say that at the end of the research phase of Porto I was feeling wholly uncomfortable with my character and the intentions behind it. I had the idea in my head that my character was young however there was an element of seriousness there that went against my characters youthful and exuberent side. As a result I found myself in a state of limbo, not quite engaging with other characters as the mix of emotions were very different from the other characters in the community’s idea of the norm. However as we moved into the scoring phase there was a link between scenes in which I found a character that was very similar to mine in the Porto community. As I have a comic book as my item and they had child’s Pokemon cards it was suddenly very easy to concentrate on my characters immature, playful nature, in turn allowing a bridge to be built and further work to develop from it.
It is also interesting to note here that although I have an established character and personality now, at the start of the scoring phase I did not, perfectly illustrating the fact that the research phase is never one which is left behind, but is instead carried through to support the development of the later devising phases.
Bibliography
Milling Jane, Devising Performance, a critical history, Palgrave Macmillan, 2006
During the Process of devised work it is imperitive to organise work into sections so as to work cohesivley in the construction of a piece. Firstly as a company we had to enter the research phase of the process, this consisted of gathering knowledge through academic rescources as well as the more physically based workshops and ‘play’ sessions. The importance of this phase in the creation of a performance is outlined in Jane Millings book Devising Performance, A Critical History ‘At the core of all devising or collaborative creation is a process of generating performance’ (Milling,2006, Page 3) giving emphasis to the importance of this phase in relation to the final perofrmance as a whole.
Secondly as we enter the scoring phase, involving blocking out the devised material so the different scenes come together smoothly and effectivley. It is interesting to note that, although it is true the pieces are more refined than they were in the research phase, changes are still happening and new ways of working still being discovered. As a performer and colaborative deviser it would be be a valid comment to make that that the research phase of creating a performance is never truly left behind but rather used as a tool in the scoring phase to help smooth out links between scenes and morph the process into a complete performance.
2.
With regards to the structure of Porto, as the scoring phase is being more heavily implimented there is a clear beginning and end becoming apparent, it is interesting to note that both of these sections are ensemble work with key characters either implimenting or resolving issues. At the beginning of the piece it is abundantly clear to the audience that Blake and Nicola are outsiders in Porto as the ensembles work is fluid and clean until either Blake or Nicola move and attention is focused on them. However at the end of the piece a feeling of resolution is achieved with Nicola as Jay finally manages to reveal the true character by the lifting of the hood. As this is happening the ensemble moving in syncronisation around them supports the changes that Nicola has experienced throughout her time in Porto.
In the productions middle section however things are not quite so clear, whilst it is true each section has come a long way since the research phase there are no clear links between scenes. It will be interesting to see at this point how the benefits of keeping the research phase open as we got on with scoring will prove to be an advantage.
3.
It would be fairly accurate to say that at the end of the research phase of Porto I was feeling wholly uncomfortable with my character and the intentions behind it. I had the idea in my head that my character was young however there was an element of seriousness there that went against my characters youthful and exuberent side. As a result I found myself in a state of limbo, not quite engaging with other characters as the mix of emotions were very different from the other characters in the community’s idea of the norm. However as we moved into the scoring phase there was a link between scenes in which I found a character that was very similar to mine in the Porto community. As I have a comic book as my item and they had child’s Pokemon cards it was suddenly very easy to concentrate on my characters immature, playful nature, in turn allowing a bridge to be built and further work to develop from it.
It is also interesting to note here that although I have an established character and personality now, at the start of the scoring phase I did not, perfectly illustrating the fact that the research phase is never one which is left behind, but is instead carried through to support the development of the later devising phases.
Bibliography
Milling Jane, Devising Performance, a critical history, Palgrave Macmillan, 2006
Tuesday, 31 March 2009
richard shields - blog asssesment 3
1)
Within the creation of Porto we are using the devising method RSVP. During the first few months of Porto we were working on the R phase of the process. This stands for research/resource. This was where we learnt essential skills of physical theatre which allowed us to enter the next phase of the work more comfortably. During this research phase the concept of Porto was given to the performers, material was created through experimenting and playing which also allowed the initial development of our own characters. Aleksandar Dundjerovic states in his book ‘the theatricality of Robert Lepage’ that resources “are the emotional and physical stimuli that performers create from.” (Dundjerovic, A. (2007) p.30)
After the research phase of the process came to an end, the S phase or ‘scoring phase came into play. This phase taken originally from its musical heritage, “the score is the material that arises from the research, discussion and improvisations – settings, characters, images and events.” (Allain, P. (2006) p.51) This is where all of the material gained through the research stage takes shape. Play is used in scoring a piece to create new material. “Companies such as theatre de complicite... play together in their training and rehearsals” and are known for the “their ensemble skills as well as the quality of their acting.” (Callery, D (2001) p.94)
Overall I feel that transition between the research and scoring phase was very clean and ran very smoothly.
2)
As ‘Porto’ has reached the scoring stage of the RSVP process, I still do not feel that there is a real structure to the piece. As we have only created material in Porto we are still unsure of the structure, at this moment in time although of course we have a beginning where we meet all of the characters, we are in essence working with a non linear story line. Although Porto does not have stereotypical story line, I feel currently this is right for the piece, because it is allowing us to create new work as we have not got to work to any given circumstances or boundaries.
To me what is really interesting is the narrative that is emerging throughout the scoring process. I feel that the narration of Porto through the eyes of an audience member will be the journey they follow through different characters. I believe that the narrative between individual’s characters should be where we aim to put the focus. How each character reacts with another and their personal journey through Porto is my interpretation of present structure. “Characters are the life force of any novel or movie. They drive the plot. They generate the conflict. They are the story” (Viders, S. (2006) p.1)
3)
For me my character has developed dramatically since the scoring stage of Porto has begun. Whilst working within the research phase, although I know I was creating material and developing on the concept of Porto I do not feel like I had a character. To me all of the work I created seemed to lack depth, as if there was an empty shell present, the character I was using had no motifs, no reasoning and no purpose. I felt like a blank canvas waiting to adopt a true character within Porto. Bella Merlin states that “Somehow we have to prepare a blank canvas within ourselves so that we can start creating a character.” (Merlin, B. (2007) p.31)
It was during the scoring phase that my character began to emerge, within the play sessions held during rehearsals motifs for my character started to form, a character I can only describe for the purpose of this blog as a ‘mischief’. My character adopted a childlike attitude, which allowed me to interact with others more comfortably rather than interact because I feel I have to. This development in my character has continued to grow and grow throughout every rehearsal session within Porto, I now feel that I have emotional motifs and feel comfortable enough to tackle any task put before me.
Bibliography
Dundjerovic, A. (2007) The theatricality of Robert Lepage. McGill-Queen's Press 2007
Allain, P. (2006) The Routledge companion to theatre and performance.Taylor & Francis
Callery,D. (2001) Through the Body. Nick Hern Books
Viders, S. (2006) 10 steps to creating memorable characters. Lone Eagle
Merlin, B. (2007) The complete Stanislavsky toolkit. Nick Hern Books
Within the creation of Porto we are using the devising method RSVP. During the first few months of Porto we were working on the R phase of the process. This stands for research/resource. This was where we learnt essential skills of physical theatre which allowed us to enter the next phase of the work more comfortably. During this research phase the concept of Porto was given to the performers, material was created through experimenting and playing which also allowed the initial development of our own characters. Aleksandar Dundjerovic states in his book ‘the theatricality of Robert Lepage’ that resources “are the emotional and physical stimuli that performers create from.” (Dundjerovic, A. (2007) p.30)
After the research phase of the process came to an end, the S phase or ‘scoring phase came into play. This phase taken originally from its musical heritage, “the score is the material that arises from the research, discussion and improvisations – settings, characters, images and events.” (Allain, P. (2006) p.51) This is where all of the material gained through the research stage takes shape. Play is used in scoring a piece to create new material. “Companies such as theatre de complicite... play together in their training and rehearsals” and are known for the “their ensemble skills as well as the quality of their acting.” (Callery, D (2001) p.94)
Overall I feel that transition between the research and scoring phase was very clean and ran very smoothly.
2)
As ‘Porto’ has reached the scoring stage of the RSVP process, I still do not feel that there is a real structure to the piece. As we have only created material in Porto we are still unsure of the structure, at this moment in time although of course we have a beginning where we meet all of the characters, we are in essence working with a non linear story line. Although Porto does not have stereotypical story line, I feel currently this is right for the piece, because it is allowing us to create new work as we have not got to work to any given circumstances or boundaries.
To me what is really interesting is the narrative that is emerging throughout the scoring process. I feel that the narration of Porto through the eyes of an audience member will be the journey they follow through different characters. I believe that the narrative between individual’s characters should be where we aim to put the focus. How each character reacts with another and their personal journey through Porto is my interpretation of present structure. “Characters are the life force of any novel or movie. They drive the plot. They generate the conflict. They are the story” (Viders, S. (2006) p.1)
3)
For me my character has developed dramatically since the scoring stage of Porto has begun. Whilst working within the research phase, although I know I was creating material and developing on the concept of Porto I do not feel like I had a character. To me all of the work I created seemed to lack depth, as if there was an empty shell present, the character I was using had no motifs, no reasoning and no purpose. I felt like a blank canvas waiting to adopt a true character within Porto. Bella Merlin states that “Somehow we have to prepare a blank canvas within ourselves so that we can start creating a character.” (Merlin, B. (2007) p.31)
It was during the scoring phase that my character began to emerge, within the play sessions held during rehearsals motifs for my character started to form, a character I can only describe for the purpose of this blog as a ‘mischief’. My character adopted a childlike attitude, which allowed me to interact with others more comfortably rather than interact because I feel I have to. This development in my character has continued to grow and grow throughout every rehearsal session within Porto, I now feel that I have emotional motifs and feel comfortable enough to tackle any task put before me.
Bibliography
Dundjerovic, A. (2007) The theatricality of Robert Lepage. McGill-Queen's Press 2007
Allain, P. (2006) The Routledge companion to theatre and performance.Taylor & Francis
Callery,D. (2001) Through the Body. Nick Hern Books
Viders, S. (2006) 10 steps to creating memorable characters. Lone Eagle
Merlin, B. (2007) The complete Stanislavsky toolkit. Nick Hern Books
Wednesday, 11 March 2009
Jay Duggan Process & performance Blog 2
1.
The main strategy I believe the ensemble have been working from over the last five weeks would be working on impulse. As an ensemble we have worked on creating a section of performance without communicating verbally what so ever, but instead using clapping and demonstrating improvised ideas on impulse to create the opening scene of Porto. I feel it has been an extremely effective way of working and a real learning curve. Everyone contributed and democratized a final agreed scene that really was the work of the ensemble. Individually I felt the best strategy we have employed when creating our characters is going from a neutral stance and slowly into our character, and then moving around the room in this character interacting with others paying close consideration onto the smallest thing down to weight distribution within the feet or the way we breath. Personally this tactic has really helped me explore and define my character.
2.
As Portos progress began I had predetermined my character when we had to create a departure and destination, after work began on Porto I felt what I had written had become redundant. I no longer felt that my character was relevant in this environment. I began with a small hiker’s rucksack, and my character was on a personnel mission of a physical and mental challenge. My character was at first within and didn’t want to open or interact, and demonstrated physical exhaustion with his characteristics. As time went on this didn’t feel right as I put it into practice, and almost without realising it my character drastically transformed. At first I changed my bag, and with this came a transformation of my entire character, with every lesson that goes by I feel my character constantly changing. My character has now got an entirely different persona and motives are completely different, from facial expressions to gestures it has really changed and adapted to the theme of Porto . At this present point I feel the need to change my bag again; I no longer feel it’s relevant with my new changed character. I seem to learn more about what my character wants and needs with every minute I exist as him.
3.
Currently my character has quite a distinct style, shoulders back, chest out and head held high his posture implies he’s a proud perhaps pretentious person. He often has his arms folded or behind his back and doesn’t have much time to converse with others. He gestures sometimes although he has something to prove, with a classic muscle tense, but it’s as if he has no one to prove it too. He is quite static and only moves when he must, his movements are therefore purposeful and direct making his actions profound and giving him a focussed persona, he appears untouchable. He rarely accepts others for interaction, and often ignores people around, carrying quite a sense of arrogance about him to the point of pushing people in his way. Sometimes he acts as if he is alone, despite there been so many people around him. As we see certain events unfold, his untouchable persona of hard exterior can be seen to slowly deteriorate to reveal perhaps a much more venerable side.
The main strategy I believe the ensemble have been working from over the last five weeks would be working on impulse. As an ensemble we have worked on creating a section of performance without communicating verbally what so ever, but instead using clapping and demonstrating improvised ideas on impulse to create the opening scene of Porto. I feel it has been an extremely effective way of working and a real learning curve. Everyone contributed and democratized a final agreed scene that really was the work of the ensemble. Individually I felt the best strategy we have employed when creating our characters is going from a neutral stance and slowly into our character, and then moving around the room in this character interacting with others paying close consideration onto the smallest thing down to weight distribution within the feet or the way we breath. Personally this tactic has really helped me explore and define my character.
2.
As Portos progress began I had predetermined my character when we had to create a departure and destination, after work began on Porto I felt what I had written had become redundant. I no longer felt that my character was relevant in this environment. I began with a small hiker’s rucksack, and my character was on a personnel mission of a physical and mental challenge. My character was at first within and didn’t want to open or interact, and demonstrated physical exhaustion with his characteristics. As time went on this didn’t feel right as I put it into practice, and almost without realising it my character drastically transformed. At first I changed my bag, and with this came a transformation of my entire character, with every lesson that goes by I feel my character constantly changing. My character has now got an entirely different persona and motives are completely different, from facial expressions to gestures it has really changed and adapted to the theme of Porto . At this present point I feel the need to change my bag again; I no longer feel it’s relevant with my new changed character. I seem to learn more about what my character wants and needs with every minute I exist as him.
3.
Currently my character has quite a distinct style, shoulders back, chest out and head held high his posture implies he’s a proud perhaps pretentious person. He often has his arms folded or behind his back and doesn’t have much time to converse with others. He gestures sometimes although he has something to prove, with a classic muscle tense, but it’s as if he has no one to prove it too. He is quite static and only moves when he must, his movements are therefore purposeful and direct making his actions profound and giving him a focussed persona, he appears untouchable. He rarely accepts others for interaction, and often ignores people around, carrying quite a sense of arrogance about him to the point of pushing people in his way. Sometimes he acts as if he is alone, despite there been so many people around him. As we see certain events unfold, his untouchable persona of hard exterior can be seen to slowly deteriorate to reveal perhaps a much more venerable side.
Tuesday, 10 March 2009
Richard Shields, Blog assesment 2
Whilst devising in Porto over the last five weeks our characters have been able to change and grow because of the devising strategies that were put into place. At the beginning of each session after warming up we place ourselves into our character, and from then on whilst devising any decision we make is because it feels right. There are no real boundaries, as long as we feel our character would for example walk from stage left to right then it is ok. “Give a character so compulsive a desire to make a given change that he can't let it be.” (Swain, D. 2008, p.33.)
Another strategy we have become familiar with is “the clap”. This technique allows any character to suggest a specific move and is great for devising group ensemble work. This technique allows the group to develop as a whole but also allowed to us explore our character further such as what moves our character would make. Primarily all we were asked to do was to walk on to the stage and sit in our chair, this has since evolved and allowed the group to communicate effectively ideas and develop the ensemble work together.
Another key strategies we have used during Porto are “play sessions”. Play sessions allow the actor to “not only improve themselves as performers but also make their own work.” (Callery, D. 2001, p.63)
At the beginning of Porto I was very confused as to what my character was going to be. We were asked to bring in a bag with a special item to us. “Have you ever felt like you don’t quite fit into your skin anymore?” (Mitra, R, 2009) This quote was exactly how I felt about my character. Firstly I decided to bring in a plain black bag with a bottle opener to symbolise my job and to show that the character was out to make friends, but this seemed too false. “Have you ever felt that the present is no longer where you belong?” (Mitra, R, 2009) After the first week of devising I came to the conclusion that I wasn’t connected enough to my character, therefore I decided to change my bag and item to something more familiar. I looked back through my past and remembered my old school bag and the Pokémon cards I always carried with me. My new character was a reformed version of my younger self. The play sessions during devising really allowed my character to develop and explore ways or communicating and interacting. I found that this new character was quite attention seeking but also quite mischievous. My character has not fully developed yet but I am now feeling more comfortable playing the character and am enabling it to grow further.
In Porto my character is quite physically defined. My posture carries a child like attitude being quite layed back but playful and mischievous. My character originally was very withdrawn and his body language represented this. My arms would be crossed and head usually faced down to avoid eye contact, but through the devising process my character has gained more confidence and has become very open. "Teaching children self-confidence goes a long way to better posture." (Fortuna, K,) My characters posture frequently relies on gravity being placed on one of my shoulders, as my character stand with a slant. On the opposite side to the slanted shoulder my foot will be raised from the heel putting pressure on the ball of my foot. This shift in weight pushes my pelvis to the side pushing my spine out of line. “The spine is very important to the overall look of the body. The spinal cord is where all the sensory data is transmitted to the brain.” (Maestri, G, 2002, p.127) My characters hands are usually in his pockets pushes my trousers up unless he is doing something ill-behaved then my arms would fold and my head would drop allowing the audience to interpret that the character is aware of his actions.
Callery, D. (2001) Through the Body, A Practical Guide to Physical Theatre. London, Routledge
Maestri, G. (2002) Digital Character Animation 2: Advanced techniques, New riders.
Mitra, R. (2009) http://processandperformance200809.blogspot.com
Swain, D. (2008) Creating characters, University of Oklahoma Press
http://www.childrentoday.com/articles/development/posture-perfect-362/ (Fortuna, K)
Another strategy we have become familiar with is “the clap”. This technique allows any character to suggest a specific move and is great for devising group ensemble work. This technique allows the group to develop as a whole but also allowed to us explore our character further such as what moves our character would make. Primarily all we were asked to do was to walk on to the stage and sit in our chair, this has since evolved and allowed the group to communicate effectively ideas and develop the ensemble work together.
Another key strategies we have used during Porto are “play sessions”. Play sessions allow the actor to “not only improve themselves as performers but also make their own work.” (Callery, D. 2001, p.63)
At the beginning of Porto I was very confused as to what my character was going to be. We were asked to bring in a bag with a special item to us. “Have you ever felt like you don’t quite fit into your skin anymore?” (Mitra, R, 2009) This quote was exactly how I felt about my character. Firstly I decided to bring in a plain black bag with a bottle opener to symbolise my job and to show that the character was out to make friends, but this seemed too false. “Have you ever felt that the present is no longer where you belong?” (Mitra, R, 2009) After the first week of devising I came to the conclusion that I wasn’t connected enough to my character, therefore I decided to change my bag and item to something more familiar. I looked back through my past and remembered my old school bag and the Pokémon cards I always carried with me. My new character was a reformed version of my younger self. The play sessions during devising really allowed my character to develop and explore ways or communicating and interacting. I found that this new character was quite attention seeking but also quite mischievous. My character has not fully developed yet but I am now feeling more comfortable playing the character and am enabling it to grow further.
In Porto my character is quite physically defined. My posture carries a child like attitude being quite layed back but playful and mischievous. My character originally was very withdrawn and his body language represented this. My arms would be crossed and head usually faced down to avoid eye contact, but through the devising process my character has gained more confidence and has become very open. "Teaching children self-confidence goes a long way to better posture." (Fortuna, K,) My characters posture frequently relies on gravity being placed on one of my shoulders, as my character stand with a slant. On the opposite side to the slanted shoulder my foot will be raised from the heel putting pressure on the ball of my foot. This shift in weight pushes my pelvis to the side pushing my spine out of line. “The spine is very important to the overall look of the body. The spinal cord is where all the sensory data is transmitted to the brain.” (Maestri, G, 2002, p.127) My characters hands are usually in his pockets pushes my trousers up unless he is doing something ill-behaved then my arms would fold and my head would drop allowing the audience to interpret that the character is aware of his actions.
Callery, D. (2001) Through the Body, A Practical Guide to Physical Theatre. London, Routledge
Maestri, G. (2002) Digital Character Animation 2: Advanced techniques, New riders.
Mitra, R. (2009) http://processandperformance200809.blogspot.com
Swain, D. (2008) Creating characters, University of Oklahoma Press
http://www.childrentoday.com/articles/development/posture-perfect-362/ (Fortuna, K)
Sean Kennedy-Lockwood Process and performance blog assesment 2
1)
Within the earlier stages of the process the group were given only a small amount of information which was the key concept this was the starting point to which we would develop our own characters for the piece and bring the character into the performance space. The group was then able to develop though the series of ‘play’ sessions. This gave the group a chance to develop their characters further within the piece and find new and interesting character traits. Within the development process, as a company, we have been able to explore many different angles of our characters. In separate groups, within the piece, we were able to develop scenes by using the clap technique.
The strategies that we have used have helped the development greatly as our characters are now taking shape within Porto. the play sessions are continuing to help as it gives us the freedom to create and develop with a group and individually, giving our characters distinction this helps the ensemble come together and refine what we could keep for the piece.
2)
From the beginning of the process to where I am now in Porto my character has developed greatly. Originally my character lacked confidence with certain people and throughout the process and interaction with others this has changed gradually. The initial tasks with the chairs left me uncertain about my character and where it was leading as I struggled to develop a sense of who the character was, however I am now becoming bolder and confident within the piece. Within the play session I was able to develop a greater understanding of the character which had emerge from within myself and it provided me with freedom to try new ideas.
Now my character has a purpose and has embarked upon a journey, where as before I did not see my characters objectives clearly. " Whenever we work physically we find things that we never could find if we did nothing but think"(Julien Becks: Pina Bausch-Wuppertal Dance Theatre or The Art of Training a Goldfish 1978,1984 ) It was through the self exploration and emotional breaking down of the social wall which allowed me to open up and develop my character, without which would most probably been left undiscovered within myself.
3)
My characters physicality is began as quite shy and low with my spine slightly curved and head down to show the lack of confidence at certain times in Porto, however as my characters grown it has become much stronger, upright in posture and bold in appearance. My characters body language is intimidating in presence with my shoulders back and my broad appearance. However this changes within the performance as my character generally shift my body weight from one side to the other with a casual stance to show the relaxed attitude of the character and a confidence throughout. The confidence of my character is also shown when lifting others, which is quite brash and boastful with what he does.
‘After working together many hours a day for many years, it is not my words but perhaps only my presence that can say something’ (Barba, E, 1979) making my presence noticed through physicality I was able to shape the character. Through body memory this has now created a physical quality to my character in Porto.
Bibliography
Bausch, P. and Schmidt, J. (1978, 1984) ‘Not How People Move But What Moves Them’, Pina Bausch-Wuppertal Dance Theatre or The Art of Training a Goldfish, trans. P. Stadie, ed. N. Servos Koln: Ballet-Buhnen Verlag: 227-230.
Barba, E (1979) ‘Words or presence’, The Floating Islands: Reflections with Odin Teatret, Trans.J. Barba, F. Pardeilhan, J.C. Rodesch, S.Shapiro and J.Varley, Denmark: Thomsens Bogtrykheri 73-79.
First published (1972) in the drama review 53
Within the earlier stages of the process the group were given only a small amount of information which was the key concept this was the starting point to which we would develop our own characters for the piece and bring the character into the performance space. The group was then able to develop though the series of ‘play’ sessions. This gave the group a chance to develop their characters further within the piece and find new and interesting character traits. Within the development process, as a company, we have been able to explore many different angles of our characters. In separate groups, within the piece, we were able to develop scenes by using the clap technique.
The strategies that we have used have helped the development greatly as our characters are now taking shape within Porto. the play sessions are continuing to help as it gives us the freedom to create and develop with a group and individually, giving our characters distinction this helps the ensemble come together and refine what we could keep for the piece.
2)
From the beginning of the process to where I am now in Porto my character has developed greatly. Originally my character lacked confidence with certain people and throughout the process and interaction with others this has changed gradually. The initial tasks with the chairs left me uncertain about my character and where it was leading as I struggled to develop a sense of who the character was, however I am now becoming bolder and confident within the piece. Within the play session I was able to develop a greater understanding of the character which had emerge from within myself and it provided me with freedom to try new ideas.
Now my character has a purpose and has embarked upon a journey, where as before I did not see my characters objectives clearly. " Whenever we work physically we find things that we never could find if we did nothing but think"(Julien Becks: Pina Bausch-Wuppertal Dance Theatre or The Art of Training a Goldfish 1978,1984 ) It was through the self exploration and emotional breaking down of the social wall which allowed me to open up and develop my character, without which would most probably been left undiscovered within myself.
3)
My characters physicality is began as quite shy and low with my spine slightly curved and head down to show the lack of confidence at certain times in Porto, however as my characters grown it has become much stronger, upright in posture and bold in appearance. My characters body language is intimidating in presence with my shoulders back and my broad appearance. However this changes within the performance as my character generally shift my body weight from one side to the other with a casual stance to show the relaxed attitude of the character and a confidence throughout. The confidence of my character is also shown when lifting others, which is quite brash and boastful with what he does.
‘After working together many hours a day for many years, it is not my words but perhaps only my presence that can say something’ (Barba, E, 1979) making my presence noticed through physicality I was able to shape the character. Through body memory this has now created a physical quality to my character in Porto.
Bibliography
Bausch, P. and Schmidt, J. (1978, 1984) ‘Not How People Move But What Moves Them’, Pina Bausch-Wuppertal Dance Theatre or The Art of Training a Goldfish, trans. P. Stadie, ed. N. Servos Koln: Ballet-Buhnen Verlag: 227-230.
Barba, E (1979) ‘Words or presence’, The Floating Islands: Reflections with Odin Teatret, Trans.J. Barba, F. Pardeilhan, J.C. Rodesch, S.Shapiro and J.Varley, Denmark: Thomsens Bogtrykheri 73-79.
First published (1972) in the drama review 53
Alex Blower Process blog post 2
What are the key strategies of devising that have been used through the first 5 weeks of creating Porto? Reflect briefly on how these strategies have enabled the growth and development of both individual characters and the ensemble’s idiosyncrasies. (200 words)
In our recent development for the work in Porto it could be argued that there have been two main in which devising strategies have been implemented. Firstly with the walk into the space as a your chosen character there were elements of body and emotional memory for me as it links in very closely with training in the Russian director Michael Chekhov’s strategies for turning yourself into a blank canvas just before entering the space. Secondly we have worked as a mass ensemble in the scene where we utilise the chairs, this dynamic in devising strategy is very different to the first as we learn our moves in a more choreographed style, similar to the work we did in the workshop with the Jasmin Vardamon Company. Although we are all doing the same thing in the larger ensemble piece it is interesting to note that individual characteristics of characters can be told through subtle facial expressions and the differing emotional intent behind the movements. At this stage if asked the most effective devising method for my character I would say it has been the individual work because as my character is developing over the weeks it appears that he is not very good in group situations, appearing to be only express himself fully when he thinks there is no one watching him.
Analyse the growth of your own character from the beginning of Porto to where you are at in the process now. State the reasons for its development/change/refinement. (200 words)
From the start of the Process of devising Porto my character has changed quite significantly. When I first sent the email to Paul and Royona explaining the characters key features I described him as one who was brimming with confidence from the start of his journey but as things happen he slowly becomes more and more introverted. I first noticed that this wasn’t necessarily how my character was going to pan out almost straight away as my entrance was full of childlike qualities and had a sense of arrogant that I didn’t feel comfortable with. When, in the third week of the process we got the opportunity to change our characters entrance to the stage I decided to refine it. I did this by firstly, keeping the childlike quality as my character devised a new way of carrying his backpack over to his seat, however I change the method of which the bag reached the seat. Rather than kicking it along the floor as I did before, I decided that my character should keep his bag close to him almost as though it was contained a sense of security in a world that he didn’t feel ready to deal with.
Identify your character’s physicality through detailed analysis of its body language. (For example describe your character’s use of spine and its relationship to gravity, its shift of weight in the pelvis and even the repetition of a key gesture) (200 words)
One of the key features to my characters physicality is his legs, as a character he hardly ever walks fast and when walking keeps the height of his feet from the floor at any one time to a minimum. Also when in a stationary position my character keeps his arms crossed tight to his body with his right arm straight at the other gripping the right arm just above the elbow. When standing this is one of the most important aspects of my characters physicality as it shows his unwillingness to share himself with new people. Also when in standing my character dips his hips to the left and puts some slight curvature in his spine towards the top, creating a slight hunching effect, I feel that this combination of movement in the spine and the hips is implemented to show my characters childlike characteristics as from very early on in my life memories of my Mother telling me to stop leaning on things, or as she called it ‘slouching around’ are very prominent and in their own way very important physically into the person that I am today.
In our recent development for the work in Porto it could be argued that there have been two main in which devising strategies have been implemented. Firstly with the walk into the space as a your chosen character there were elements of body and emotional memory for me as it links in very closely with training in the Russian director Michael Chekhov’s strategies for turning yourself into a blank canvas just before entering the space. Secondly we have worked as a mass ensemble in the scene where we utilise the chairs, this dynamic in devising strategy is very different to the first as we learn our moves in a more choreographed style, similar to the work we did in the workshop with the Jasmin Vardamon Company. Although we are all doing the same thing in the larger ensemble piece it is interesting to note that individual characteristics of characters can be told through subtle facial expressions and the differing emotional intent behind the movements. At this stage if asked the most effective devising method for my character I would say it has been the individual work because as my character is developing over the weeks it appears that he is not very good in group situations, appearing to be only express himself fully when he thinks there is no one watching him.
Analyse the growth of your own character from the beginning of Porto to where you are at in the process now. State the reasons for its development/change/refinement. (200 words)
From the start of the Process of devising Porto my character has changed quite significantly. When I first sent the email to Paul and Royona explaining the characters key features I described him as one who was brimming with confidence from the start of his journey but as things happen he slowly becomes more and more introverted. I first noticed that this wasn’t necessarily how my character was going to pan out almost straight away as my entrance was full of childlike qualities and had a sense of arrogant that I didn’t feel comfortable with. When, in the third week of the process we got the opportunity to change our characters entrance to the stage I decided to refine it. I did this by firstly, keeping the childlike quality as my character devised a new way of carrying his backpack over to his seat, however I change the method of which the bag reached the seat. Rather than kicking it along the floor as I did before, I decided that my character should keep his bag close to him almost as though it was contained a sense of security in a world that he didn’t feel ready to deal with.
Identify your character’s physicality through detailed analysis of its body language. (For example describe your character’s use of spine and its relationship to gravity, its shift of weight in the pelvis and even the repetition of a key gesture) (200 words)
One of the key features to my characters physicality is his legs, as a character he hardly ever walks fast and when walking keeps the height of his feet from the floor at any one time to a minimum. Also when in a stationary position my character keeps his arms crossed tight to his body with his right arm straight at the other gripping the right arm just above the elbow. When standing this is one of the most important aspects of my characters physicality as it shows his unwillingness to share himself with new people. Also when in standing my character dips his hips to the left and puts some slight curvature in his spine towards the top, creating a slight hunching effect, I feel that this combination of movement in the spine and the hips is implemented to show my characters childlike characteristics as from very early on in my life memories of my Mother telling me to stop leaning on things, or as she called it ‘slouching around’ are very prominent and in their own way very important physically into the person that I am today.
Wednesday, 25 February 2009
Jay Duggan Procces & Performance Blog 1
1)
Devising is a key part of physical theatre performances you cannot script how another’s body moves this is because everyone is of different sizes and shapes moving in different ways, it must come down to an individuals devising to create movement. It would be extremely difficult to script the way a company of people move, that’s why physical theatre depends so highly on the trial and error technique. That’s why it relies heavily on the performer’s impulses and improvisation. As mentioned on 4DR’s website “The company works collaboratively, meaning that they devise and choreograph the majority of work with full company input and dedication.” – (4DR physical theatre company website) Physical Theatre uses the body to communicate usually verbal narrative is removed from the equation entirely; it depends solely upon gestures both pedestrian, abstract and often on occasions to the point of grotesqueness.
2)
When Ana Sanchez-Colberg refers to physical theatre using the term hybrid, she implies that physical theatre is the perfect blend of dance and performance. It implies that by taking the very best parts of performance and the very best part of dance it creates an ultimate combination resulting in physical theatre. Weather it is the very best of both genres is down to an individuals perceptions but it cannot be argued that it is an amalgamation of both genres. Community dance UK speaking about DV8“They enjoy both drama and dance aspects of the Physical Theatre and aim to blend those forms of performing arts together in their own form of the genre” – (communitydance.org.uk) Just because movement is abstract or synchronized does not mean it must be labeled as dance, and just because performers are on stage does not give them the need to be labeled an actor. It could be said for example the genre of musical theatre is a hybrid of singing and theatre. Just like physical theatre, musical theatre take characteristics from different performance styles to create a new genre which is what is meant by a hybrid performance.
3)
Jasmin Vardimon company is becoming renowned for it contributions to physical theatre, Vardimon believes that it important to push your physical boundaries in order to achieve the best results and her work proves this affective. Vardimon believes in body memory, the theory that the body controls itself more than we give it credit for, and that once learned the body will retain the information independently of the mind. A key feature of Jasmine Vardimon Company making them a physical theatre company is the lack of narrative and the communication through the body. When been interviewed Jasmin Vardimon says “I'm interested more in communicating ideas. I think dance theatre is my language.” – (Jasmin Vardimon) this is a very typical mind set of a physical theatre company.
Bibliography
http://communitydance.org.uk/metadot/index.pl?id=23938&isa=DBRow&op=show&dbview - 23/02/09
www.4dr.co.uk - 23/02/09
http://www.article19.co.uk/06/interview/jasmin_vardimon_1.php - 23/02/09
Devising is a key part of physical theatre performances you cannot script how another’s body moves this is because everyone is of different sizes and shapes moving in different ways, it must come down to an individuals devising to create movement. It would be extremely difficult to script the way a company of people move, that’s why physical theatre depends so highly on the trial and error technique. That’s why it relies heavily on the performer’s impulses and improvisation. As mentioned on 4DR’s website “The company works collaboratively, meaning that they devise and choreograph the majority of work with full company input and dedication.” – (4DR physical theatre company website) Physical Theatre uses the body to communicate usually verbal narrative is removed from the equation entirely; it depends solely upon gestures both pedestrian, abstract and often on occasions to the point of grotesqueness.
2)
When Ana Sanchez-Colberg refers to physical theatre using the term hybrid, she implies that physical theatre is the perfect blend of dance and performance. It implies that by taking the very best parts of performance and the very best part of dance it creates an ultimate combination resulting in physical theatre. Weather it is the very best of both genres is down to an individuals perceptions but it cannot be argued that it is an amalgamation of both genres. Community dance UK speaking about DV8“They enjoy both drama and dance aspects of the Physical Theatre and aim to blend those forms of performing arts together in their own form of the genre” – (communitydance.org.uk) Just because movement is abstract or synchronized does not mean it must be labeled as dance, and just because performers are on stage does not give them the need to be labeled an actor. It could be said for example the genre of musical theatre is a hybrid of singing and theatre. Just like physical theatre, musical theatre take characteristics from different performance styles to create a new genre which is what is meant by a hybrid performance.
3)
Jasmin Vardimon company is becoming renowned for it contributions to physical theatre, Vardimon believes that it important to push your physical boundaries in order to achieve the best results and her work proves this affective. Vardimon believes in body memory, the theory that the body controls itself more than we give it credit for, and that once learned the body will retain the information independently of the mind. A key feature of Jasmine Vardimon Company making them a physical theatre company is the lack of narrative and the communication through the body. When been interviewed Jasmin Vardimon says “I'm interested more in communicating ideas. I think dance theatre is my language.” – (Jasmin Vardimon) this is a very typical mind set of a physical theatre company.
Bibliography
http://communitydance.org.uk/metadot/index.pl?id=23938&isa=DBRow&op=show&dbview - 23/02/09
www.4dr.co.uk - 23/02/09
http://www.article19.co.uk/06/interview/jasmin_vardimon_1.php - 23/02/09
Sean Kennedy-Lockwood Process and performance blog assesment 1
1)
Throughout Process and Performance we have learnt how to create Physical Theatre using our bodies as a catalyst. Within the process we have explored movement-based theatre, combining dance and theatre to create a performance which holds a theme and/or meaning behind the movement, rather than moving for the sake of moving.
‘There must be a reason for it, not just "Look at what we're able to do: look how high I can kick my leg".’ (Lloyd Newson. 1995)
Physical Theatre performers also quite often feel very in touch with their character and goes through a journey, as we have within Process and Performance, which becomes very personal to them.
By using techniques like body memory and play we have learnt various movement and techniques to use together and consequentially we have been able to adapt this into a piece for people to interpret how they see fit. As a genre, physical theatre is a mix of both dance and avant-garde theatre and creates an interactive performance. There is no clear explanation of what Physical Theatre is, however, it has been shown to allow a greater degree of questioning concerning more difficult subjects and for them to be performed tastefully yet in an interesting aesthetic.
2)
The term ‘Hybrid character’ refers to two different genres joining together creating a new type of theatre that is innovative and creative. Physical theatre is a hybrid performance genre as it has taken two different performances dance and avant-garde theatre and merged them both to invent a new type of theatre. This type of theatre has not really got a clear genre of its own and theorists have argued which it should fall under dance or theatre ‘I don’t think of my company creating either dance theatre or physical theatre’ (Jasmine Vardimon, yesterday, 09th October 2009)
Physical theatre also includes movements based around pedestrian action; they extend these to create abstract images and performances. This is not usually seen within dance art forms, such as ballet, which generally uses more stylised movements.
3)
DV8 falls into the art form of Physical Dance Theatre. They use a combination of contemporary dance and avant-garde theatre, with a mix of pedestrian movement to create a piece of theatre the audience can decode and draw their own interpretations from, which is a key factor of the physical theatre genre. Another aspect of physical theatre, which DV8 shares, is their belief that what is commonly identified as beautiful movement is limited and does not reflect the real world. They also question what is seen as beautiful movement ‘Can't something that comes across the stage twisted and contorted be beautiful?’ (Lloyd Newson & DV8, 22nd July 2003)
The Royal Ballet deals with similar issues of homosexuality as DV8 often do, however, their approach is what separates these two art forms, as the Royal Ballet take
a more conservative approach where as DV8 opts for a more radical style.
Bibliography
Lloyd Newson. Dance About Something, original interview David Tushingham, Enter Achilles programme DV8 Physical Theatre 1995 adapted from an interview that first appeared in 'Live' (Methuen)
Jasmine Vardimon, yesterday, danceXchange, Birmingham Hippodrome, post performance discussion.09th October 2009
Lloyd Newson & DV8, adapted from an interview by Zoë Boden, Article 19 22nd July 2003 www.article19.co.uk
Throughout Process and Performance we have learnt how to create Physical Theatre using our bodies as a catalyst. Within the process we have explored movement-based theatre, combining dance and theatre to create a performance which holds a theme and/or meaning behind the movement, rather than moving for the sake of moving.
‘There must be a reason for it, not just "Look at what we're able to do: look how high I can kick my leg".’ (Lloyd Newson. 1995)
Physical Theatre performers also quite often feel very in touch with their character and goes through a journey, as we have within Process and Performance, which becomes very personal to them.
By using techniques like body memory and play we have learnt various movement and techniques to use together and consequentially we have been able to adapt this into a piece for people to interpret how they see fit. As a genre, physical theatre is a mix of both dance and avant-garde theatre and creates an interactive performance. There is no clear explanation of what Physical Theatre is, however, it has been shown to allow a greater degree of questioning concerning more difficult subjects and for them to be performed tastefully yet in an interesting aesthetic.
2)
The term ‘Hybrid character’ refers to two different genres joining together creating a new type of theatre that is innovative and creative. Physical theatre is a hybrid performance genre as it has taken two different performances dance and avant-garde theatre and merged them both to invent a new type of theatre. This type of theatre has not really got a clear genre of its own and theorists have argued which it should fall under dance or theatre ‘I don’t think of my company creating either dance theatre or physical theatre’ (Jasmine Vardimon, yesterday, 09th October 2009)
Physical theatre also includes movements based around pedestrian action; they extend these to create abstract images and performances. This is not usually seen within dance art forms, such as ballet, which generally uses more stylised movements.
3)
DV8 falls into the art form of Physical Dance Theatre. They use a combination of contemporary dance and avant-garde theatre, with a mix of pedestrian movement to create a piece of theatre the audience can decode and draw their own interpretations from, which is a key factor of the physical theatre genre. Another aspect of physical theatre, which DV8 shares, is their belief that what is commonly identified as beautiful movement is limited and does not reflect the real world. They also question what is seen as beautiful movement ‘Can't something that comes across the stage twisted and contorted be beautiful?’ (Lloyd Newson & DV8, 22nd July 2003)
The Royal Ballet deals with similar issues of homosexuality as DV8 often do, however, their approach is what separates these two art forms, as the Royal Ballet take
a more conservative approach where as DV8 opts for a more radical style.
Bibliography
Lloyd Newson. Dance About Something, original interview David Tushingham, Enter Achilles programme DV8 Physical Theatre 1995 adapted from an interview that first appeared in 'Live' (Methuen)
Jasmine Vardimon, yesterday, danceXchange, Birmingham Hippodrome, post performance discussion.09th October 2009
Lloyd Newson & DV8, adapted from an interview by Zoë Boden, Article 19 22nd July 2003 www.article19.co.uk
Tuesday, 24 February 2009
richard shields blog assesment 1
Blog assessment 1 Richard Shields
1)
The phrase physical theatre strikes controversy from a lot of theorist. Some theorist claim that physical theatre would fall into the dance theatre area, where as others would claim that it is acting with aesthetic movements. Furthermore some theorist claim that it is a fusion of them both, a new area not fully explored. “The characteristics of physical theatre are many and varied. Indeed the term is virtually impossible to define.” (Callery, D (2001) p.3)
Though my training of physical theatre, my view on the aforementioned argument has changed dramatically. Initially I believed physical theatre to be just dance, a set of choreographed movements only there because someone believed them to be aesthetically pleasing. But I now believe that although physical theatre may have derived from dance, the movements all have significance and meaning to the performance.
Pedestrian movements are one main reason that theorist separate physical theatre from dance or acting.
The “performance style physical theatre indicated a departure from the accepted contemporary dance style, in that it did not rely on traditional dance vocabulary.... Newsons work is rooted in contact improvisation ... and is mixed with pedestrian movements and body language.” (Bremser, M. Jowitt, D (1999) p.228).
It is pedestrian movements that cause the audience to analyse rather than sit back and watch because it looks pleasant.
2)
“At a surface level, the term (physical theatre) has been collectively used to identify an eclectic production. The term itself ... Denotes a hybrid character and is testimony to its double legacy in both avant-garde theatre and dance.” (A.Sanchez-Colberg p.21) Ana Sanchez-Colberg states that physical theatre has hybrid characters, a fusion of different genres. Characteristics taken from dance and straight acting produce “hybrid characters”.
Physical theatre has still to be fully explored and still cannot be placed under a present genre. I believe that Physical theatre is a hybrid performance. Considered what we have established; we cannot place physical theatre strictly under dance as with a lot of dance performances, movements are choreographed to be aesthetically pleasing not analysed. But we cannot place it under conventional acting because it takes such influences from dance. But it does use characteristics of acting such as pedestrian movements and the meaning put behind movements. By fusing these we place physical theatre into a hybrid performance genre.
3)
“In 1986, Llyod Newson formed dv8 physical theatre, a company plotting their own exit from dance and, by 1994, their style of work was rapidly becoming what most of the general public, and many academics, thought of as physical theatre.” (Keefe, J (2007) p.119)
Dv8’s work is heavily reliant on physical movements inspired through different motivations. Dv8 describe their own work as “breaking down the barriers between dance, theatre and personal politics” (http://www.dv8.co.uk/about.dv8/artistic.policy.html)
The company are constantly pushing boundaries, personally and socially, with a lot of their work causing controversy. Dv8 do not believe movements need to be aesthetic; the movements produced in dv8’s productions are there because the characters give them meaning. Dv8 recreate traditional dance movements and add meaning to it, which pushes audience member to analyse it trying to interpret it. Dv8 create their work beyond theatre as we know it, and transform traditional dance into a new style placing them under the new genre of physical theatre.
Bibliography
Callery,D. (2001) Through the Body. Nick Hern Books
Bremser,M. Jowitt, D. (1999) Fifty Contemporary Choreographers. Routledge
Keefe,J. Murray,S,D. (2007) Physical Theatres: A Critical Reader. Routledge
http://www.dv8.co.uk/about.dv8/artistic.policy.html
Alex's first post on physical theatre as a hybrid.
In the genre of physical theatre I believe there to be 3 main features. Firstly Physical theatre uses very little language; this is shown by companies such as DV8 and motion house who use predominantly physical gesture to emphasize emotion. Another key feature of physical theatre practice and one that we have been using quite regularly in rehearsals is the technique of body memory, Jasmin Vardimon states with relation to the importance of body in the devising process that it is important ‘try to go further and create the antagonism then go back and see how things happen after you create’ in this she means that it is important to create initial performance actions but they can always be left behind if new physical developments occur and revisited after these ideas have been explored to enrich the initial piece. The final feature that I would like to comment on in the physical theatre genre is that of meaning, by this I mean that every single action in physical theatre has a meaning behind it. This in turn enables the audience to glean a richness and diversity of meaning from a performance that may not necessarily be achievable in traditional scripted theatre.
I believe that when Ana Sanchez-Colberg talks about the ‘hybrid character’ of physical theatre it is her intention to imply that the theatrical form cannot be sourced from one place, for example it can be argued that physical theatre is a mix of drama and dance. Even though there are many cohesive arguments to support this theory, there are equal amounts that are critical. In my opinion Murray explains why physical theatre is a hybrid, and why a hybrid is needed in modern day theatre.
At the same time the heterogeneous diversity of forms unhinges all those
Methodological certainties that have previously made it possible to assert large-scale
Causal developments in the arts. It is essential to accept the co-existence of divergent
theatre forms and concepts in which no paradigm is dominant. (Simon Murray, 2007, 13)
So in answer to the question, is physical theatre a hybrid performance genre? I believe it is, in its experimental nature and willingness to break away from traditional theatre convention. Which particular performance practises physical theatre is a hybrid of, however, is still very much up for debate.
The Dance theatre company DV8 fall under the remit of physical theatre, it has often been said that this company were somewhat of a flag ship for the genre of physical theatre. On their website www.dv8.co.uk one of the frequently asked questions that the company receive is what is physical theatre? They respond with the statement that ‘they are focusing on making the work, not standing outside analysing it.’ However as I am not involved in making the work that they are producing I will try and give an explanation as to why Dv8 are a physical theatre company. Dv8 are a company that fuse dance and traditional theatre, often using their bodies to send messages and give meanings that would be extremely difficult to portray through purely text based theatre. So when Ana Sanchez-Colberg implies the ‘hybrid character’ of physical theatre I believe the work of DV8 and physical theatre companies like them to be a shining example of how physical theatre is experimenting with well established conventions and taking their work in new directions in the genre of theatre as a whole.
Bibliography:
Simon Murray And John Keefe.; Physical theatres; GB;Routledge Ltd; 2007; page 13
http://www.dv8.co.uk/about.dv8/LN_TBSWY_Q+A.html
23.02.09
http://www.dv8.co.uk/about.dv8/artistic.policy.html
23.02.09
I believe that when Ana Sanchez-Colberg talks about the ‘hybrid character’ of physical theatre it is her intention to imply that the theatrical form cannot be sourced from one place, for example it can be argued that physical theatre is a mix of drama and dance. Even though there are many cohesive arguments to support this theory, there are equal amounts that are critical. In my opinion Murray explains why physical theatre is a hybrid, and why a hybrid is needed in modern day theatre.
At the same time the heterogeneous diversity of forms unhinges all those
Methodological certainties that have previously made it possible to assert large-scale
Causal developments in the arts. It is essential to accept the co-existence of divergent
theatre forms and concepts in which no paradigm is dominant. (Simon Murray, 2007, 13)
So in answer to the question, is physical theatre a hybrid performance genre? I believe it is, in its experimental nature and willingness to break away from traditional theatre convention. Which particular performance practises physical theatre is a hybrid of, however, is still very much up for debate.
The Dance theatre company DV8 fall under the remit of physical theatre, it has often been said that this company were somewhat of a flag ship for the genre of physical theatre. On their website www.dv8.co.uk one of the frequently asked questions that the company receive is what is physical theatre? They respond with the statement that ‘they are focusing on making the work, not standing outside analysing it.’ However as I am not involved in making the work that they are producing I will try and give an explanation as to why Dv8 are a physical theatre company. Dv8 are a company that fuse dance and traditional theatre, often using their bodies to send messages and give meanings that would be extremely difficult to portray through purely text based theatre. So when Ana Sanchez-Colberg implies the ‘hybrid character’ of physical theatre I believe the work of DV8 and physical theatre companies like them to be a shining example of how physical theatre is experimenting with well established conventions and taking their work in new directions in the genre of theatre as a whole.
Bibliography:
Simon Murray And John Keefe.; Physical theatres; GB;Routledge Ltd; 2007; page 13
http://www.dv8.co.uk/about.dv8/LN_TBSWY_Q+A.html
23.02.09
http://www.dv8.co.uk/about.dv8/artistic.policy.html
23.02.09
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