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)