1. A huge communal theme within Porto was that of waiting. Each individual character was ’stuck in limbo’, as such, for their own individual reasons which we see unfold during the entirety of the performance. There is no clear escape for these characters out of Porto therefore they are forced to sit and wait. The first individual movements within the ensemble communicate to the audience a sense of eccentricity and independence within the group, but as the ensembles movements become synchronised the audience begin to see the frustration and the anxiety of which having to wait in Porto brings upon these characters. One of the main reasons for why these characters are left in Porto is one to do with their baggage. Everyone carried some sort of emotional baggage with them through Porto. What this baggage stands for is dependant on each character alone but the fact that they all have it binds together this community. The opening ensemble screams chaos and confusion towards an audience through the sharp repetitive movements layered by music with an unsteady tempo. We see the transition between complete pandemonium and tranquillity as the performance progresses. The reprise of the first ensemble reminds the audience of a sense of similarity as the piece had mainly focused on the individual narratives up until this point. The chairs new positions were chosen purely by the characters in Porto alone therefore the audience can clearly see which relationships had been made or broken, which still gives the community a sense of individuality but the repetitive nature of the movements in this ensemble brings the focus back to that of waiting. Curiosity seems to be apart of everyone’s characteristics within Porto, this becomes apparent during the entrance of Nicola’s character, it is also shown again through the unveiling of Nicola’s character at the end of the piece where the community become curious of what Nicola’s character is, once again.
2. After spending weeks transforming the ‘empty space’ into that of Porto the rehearsal room became Porto’s home. When moving into the Arena it was almost like entering that ’empty space’ once again, which in effect helped in the opening of Porto when each character walks into the ’unknown’ space, as it became more realistic and organic. The space around the periphery seemed somewhat more confined at moments, especially up stage left opposite the stairs. ‘[…] actors might be severely restricted in time and training space’ (Zarrilli, P. 1995: 92) As a whole the periphery was a much larger area than that of the rehearsal room, which worked to both an advantage and a disadvantage to the piece. People had rehearsed their periphery movements in a tight, cramped space for weeks, so when having to expand this it had the potential to confuse a variety of cast members. In the first two runs the periphery became very cramped by the stairs towards the end of the piece due to people not using space efficiently. Not only did the cast now have to concentrate on ‘filling the space’ and listening to their bodies to tell them where they should be, but also to become even more aware of ‘the space’. Objects such as lanterns invaded the performance space so people had to adapt some of their movements to accommodate for these small inconveniences. New objects such as stairs, bars and pillars also became apart of Porto, giving more flexibility to the space. These objects in particular helped the performers to develop their characters further in terms of movement, and experimentation. ‘Commanding the stage demands a control of the space. […] the actor has to read the space. But in order to do this s/he has first to really ‘see’ it, to create parallels of attention so that the whole space becomes their field of vision.’ (Callery, D. 2001: 79) A major weakness within the ensemble was that of ‘visibility awareness’. It seemed difficult for everyone to grasp the concept of not taking their movements beyond a certain point due to not being visible by the audience. This took up a substantial amount of time, and the bad organisation of chairs was due to bad communication within the ensemble, but collectively the technical aspects and the newly refined characters came together to once again transform the ‘empty space’ into Porto’s realm.
3.The RSVP method was most definitely a continuous process through out the whole of Porto’s journey. Entering an entire new space allows this process to continue by allowing one’s character to explore itself further and discover new things about itself that may not have been initially realised. Adding new technical aspects, such as the waiting in neutral at the beginning instead of leaving the stage, and various different stage directions to the score at such a late stage, allows the validation process to be on going. This is necessary for a piece to reach its true potential. For my character this continuous method of RSVP helped her to develop. After the rehearsals and the first show my character became more possessive towards Gavin and interacted with Sarah a lot more in the periphery. I found myself and Gavin using more ‘extra daily movements’ rather than just pedestrian. As me and Gavin completely improvised our movements in the periphery it varied every show, keeping them organic and lead purely by impulse. ‘Sometimes the chemistry of performers and how they play together enables them to work purely from play’ (Callery D. 2001: 169) Having an audience present meant my character was mentally focused as well as physically, this allowed me to listen to by body more rather than getting provoked by the music. ‘by tuning into the body, performers are able to find the exact and authentic response to the situation. Then they follow it onto unfettered action, enabling real dramatic truth to manifest itself’ (Marshall, L. 2002: 33) Over the entirety of the 3 shows the emotional level of the whole ensemble escalated to reach its peak on the very last show. This was partly because having an audience present to decode a performance makes it complete therefore it becomes more intense and focused. The first performance was almost lacking in energy and was a little static around the periphery where as the second performance was much more energetic and involved. After completing the show with an audience it allowed the characters to get more involved with what Porto actually was, and what it actually meant for each individual. After being there once, one gets more emotionally attached to the space. By the third show the frustration of ones character just waiting in Porto was really communicated successfully due to the fact that people had already been in Porto and had experienced that frustration and that emotion so many times before that those emotions and tears were real. For me personally this was definitely the situation. Having those raw emotions and those real characters dealing with real life every day issues in today’s society communicates a sense of realism to an audience, which briefly reflects the works of Jasmin Vardimon, ‘Jasmin’s characters are real people who, although usually somehow on the edges of society, represent aspects of what it is to be a human being right now’. Each character is an extension of oneself therefore it is real and alive, this is what made the last show extremely emotional, intense and controlled.
Bibliography
Callery, D. (2001); Through The Body: A Practical Guide to Physical Theatre.
London: Neil Hern Books Ltd.
Marshall, L. (2002); The Body Speaks: Performance and Expression. Revised Ed.
London: Palgrave Macmillan Ltd.
Zarrilli, P. (1995); Acting (re)considered: Theories and Practices.
London: Routledge.
Other sources
Jasmin Vardimon Website. Accessed: 14/05/09http://www.jasminvardimon.com/testimonials.html
Sunday 17 May 2009
Friday 15 May 2009
Leigh-Anne Gilbert - Assessment Blog 4
1. Being a part of Porto was like being suspended in a place of limbo; stuck between the past and the future, the known and the unknown. Every person who entered the space of Porto had this in common – the state of being ‘in-between’. As the creative process moved from the validation stage to the performance stage however, other themes emerged that linked the whole community together. We all entered Porto as individuals coming into and unknown space, but there was a common element of uncertainty amongst us all, and also curiosity. Whether people were fearful of Blake or Nicola’s characters, or sympathetic to them, we were all curious and intrigued by their presence and explored this in different ways.
On some level everybody wanted or needed something. Some characters wanted someone else’s property, for example Richard’s character wanted Mikey’s juggling balls. Some people wanted the attention of others like Amy James always trying to get the attention of Gavin; while other characters needed somebody e.g. Nicola’s character needed Jay, and Amy Hodgkiss’ character needed to help Blake, which in a way was also needed to help herself.
On some level everybody wanted or needed something. Some characters wanted someone else’s property, for example Richard’s character wanted Mikey’s juggling balls. Some people wanted the attention of others like Amy James always trying to get the attention of Gavin; while other characters needed somebody e.g. Nicola’s character needed Jay, and Amy Hodgkiss’ character needed to help Blake, which in a way was also needed to help herself.
I think a major theme that came through was that of the constant need for reassurance. The fact that we were all entering this place alone and were faced with 37 strangers was daunting. Everybody in their own way had the desire to fit in and this was represented by the ensemble sequences. At the start of the piece, after each person’s individual movements, the majority of the group began doing the same moves – already a sense of unity was being created. The small group of people facing different ways at first resisted being the same, but eventually all conformed to the ways of the community. As the show went on it became clear that even the people who resisted interacting to begin with (myself included), came to realise that to survive in this place you needed the reassurance of someone.
2. As we moved from the drama studio’s to the Arena theatre we were faced with new challenges that we had to overcome. The main issue was with the amount of space. Although there was more floor space in the Arena, we were used to being rather close to one another, particularly in the periphery. With the larger space to work in, it gave us more freedom in our interactions. However, this then posed the problem of the peripheral work becoming too dynamic and detracting focus from the main action. It took some time to adjust to this and to get the balance right. Motionhouse Dance Theatre say that they are “…constantly experimenting with the performance environment” (http://www.motionhouse.co.uk/about.htm) and to an extent this is what we had to do when we got into the Arena Theatre. We were able to explore the space during the technical rehearsals, discovering new ways of moving, using the pillars, the stairs, the bars and even having to avoid the lanterns. The studio was merely a rehearsal room, but when we moved into the theatre, the space became Porto, and this became our world. In an interview, Declan Donnellan speaks of the way performances change when put in different spaces:
“It’s the superficial things that tend to change… the essence stays the same. You see through the banality and you start to discover bit by bit about what is essential.
…you get a clearer idea of what might be ‘true’ […] by seeing it in different spaces.” (Delgado, Maria M., Heritage, P., 1997, p84)
It became apparent once in the theatre that everything could be seen, there was no hiding place and it was obvious what was ‘true’ to each character, and easy to see when focus lapsed. The more we rehearsed in the space, the more we stripped away what wasn’t essential and kept what was, and the intentions of characters became purer and more clear.
“It’s the superficial things that tend to change… the essence stays the same. You see through the banality and you start to discover bit by bit about what is essential.
…you get a clearer idea of what might be ‘true’ […] by seeing it in different spaces.” (Delgado, Maria M., Heritage, P., 1997, p84)
It became apparent once in the theatre that everything could be seen, there was no hiding place and it was obvious what was ‘true’ to each character, and easy to see when focus lapsed. The more we rehearsed in the space, the more we stripped away what wasn’t essential and kept what was, and the intentions of characters became purer and more clear.
While we were getting used to the new space in the technical run-throughs, we encountered difficulties with the placements of the chairs between sections, and the boundaries where we could work up to. I don’t believe there were any weaknesses in the transition from studio to theatre however; it was the right time to do so. The only problem was some people’s lack of focus and finding crucial technical rehearsals tedious. But as we got nearer the performances the lack of focus subsided and I believe we all pulled together to make a fantastic show.
3. Each performance of Porto felt very different to be a part of. I think the presence of an audience made everybody more focused, but it also altered the space, giving it another dimension, and more of a reason to escape. There was also a far stronger sense of community and conforming to the actions of the ensemble as the shows went on.
Over the three shows, the emotional content and people’s individual needs, desires and struggles became far more extreme. Things that were encountered in previous rehearsals seemed to come back in the final performances, and I think even through the shows the ‘R’ and ‘V’ stages continued. “When everything comes from the actors, what happens in performance is determined by what happens in rehearsal, and accidental discoveries are part of that”. (Callery, D., 2001, p164)
For me, there was one rehearsal when Nicola’s character reached out and I touched her hand. I had never done this before, but where I was at this point in my journey, and how I felt towards Piotr, it felt right. We brought this into the three performances, but each time the connection was more intense. In the first show she held my hand and wouldn’t let go, but by the third show she was desperately grabbing at my arm, pulling me towards her, needing my support. I felt a sort of empathy towards Nicola and it felt good to comfort her for that short time. But when she unexpectedly began hanging on to me this way, I was being drawn in against my will and was afraid, and I felt like I’d made a mistake trying to help. I wasn’t strong enough for somebody to depend on me, I needed to depend on someone else and the whole Nicola incident made me realise I needed Piotr’s character more than I initially considered. I wanted him to love and protect me, and this then made it far more hurtful when he betrayed me. In the first performance when Piotr went to open my suitcase I found it very difficult – like he was getting too close. But by the time of the third performance, with everything else that had happened, it was as though his undoing of the suitcase was the undoing of me. It was both emotionally and physically distressing, and felt as though I was unravelling.
Over the three shows, the emotional content and people’s individual needs, desires and struggles became far more extreme. Things that were encountered in previous rehearsals seemed to come back in the final performances, and I think even through the shows the ‘R’ and ‘V’ stages continued. “When everything comes from the actors, what happens in performance is determined by what happens in rehearsal, and accidental discoveries are part of that”. (Callery, D., 2001, p164)
For me, there was one rehearsal when Nicola’s character reached out and I touched her hand. I had never done this before, but where I was at this point in my journey, and how I felt towards Piotr, it felt right. We brought this into the three performances, but each time the connection was more intense. In the first show she held my hand and wouldn’t let go, but by the third show she was desperately grabbing at my arm, pulling me towards her, needing my support. I felt a sort of empathy towards Nicola and it felt good to comfort her for that short time. But when she unexpectedly began hanging on to me this way, I was being drawn in against my will and was afraid, and I felt like I’d made a mistake trying to help. I wasn’t strong enough for somebody to depend on me, I needed to depend on someone else and the whole Nicola incident made me realise I needed Piotr’s character more than I initially considered. I wanted him to love and protect me, and this then made it far more hurtful when he betrayed me. In the first performance when Piotr went to open my suitcase I found it very difficult – like he was getting too close. But by the time of the third performance, with everything else that had happened, it was as though his undoing of the suitcase was the undoing of me. It was both emotionally and physically distressing, and felt as though I was unravelling.
The third and final show was very emotional for many people, whether it was because it was the last performance, or because by now characters were at their most intense. Personally for me it was a combination of both. When we exited the space for the very last time, I was overcome with a mixture of emotions: relief and happiness to finally be free, but also sadness for leaving the familiar space that had been our world for such a long time. Throughout Porto I had fought so hard against letting someone in (particularly when Piotr tried to get into my suitcase) that by the end I felt exhausted. So at the final moment when I accepted Piotr, it was a huge release for me to finally let go of the fight, putting my insecurities and uncertainties behind me. I had pushed through my personal boundaries and given myself completely to him, and the feeling was overwhelming.
Bibliography:
Callery, D., (2001) Through The Body: A Practical Guide to Physical Theatre. London: Nick Hern Books
Donnellan, D. in Delgado, M. M., Heritage, P., (1997) In Contact With The Gods?: Directors Talk Theatre. Manchester: University Press
Motionhouse Dance Theatre (About Motionhouse page) [online]. <>
Callery, D., (2001) Through The Body: A Practical Guide to Physical Theatre. London: Nick Hern Books
Donnellan, D. in Delgado, M. M., Heritage, P., (1997) In Contact With The Gods?: Directors Talk Theatre. Manchester: University Press
Motionhouse Dance Theatre (About Motionhouse page) [online]. <>
Gavin Thatcher Blog Task 4
1/ As the creative process turned from the 'V' stage to the 'P' stage of devising, and Porto started to come together as one cohesive performance, what were the common themes and issues that were beginning to emerge through the basic fabric of the piece? Despite the individual journeys, what shared experiences tied the community together apart from their state of liminality? Discuss with clear and succinct examples. (300 words)
The ensemble all shared the state of liminiality, however there were other themes and issues that developed throughout the piece. In particular all individual characters had a sense of journey. The journeys that existed were all in different phases. Some characters were merely beginning others were coming to an end. The idea of a journey ending was a key element of Nicola’s character who by the end of the piece would end her journey within the confines of Porto. This is antithetical of mine and Sarah’s journey which was a fairly new interaction that had the potential to develop beyond the world of Porto.There was also a sense of history that accompanied all of the characters. This was addressed scenographically through the signifier of the bags that the ensemble carried them. The actions of the characters also suggested that there was a history to the individual as their reactions were affected by that sense.The ensemble, although made up of individual characters did still engage with each other as a whole throughout the piece. The first key moment that this occurred was during Nicola’s entrance. The ensemble had a mutual reaction (although notably reactions were not the same, there was still reaction in some form). This created sub-groups and other interactions. It directly commented on how people interact with each other in certain environments and situations.Another moment where the ensemble were tied together through events that took place within Porto was after the ensemble section reprise where Leyna’s character tried to take a photo of Jay and Nicola. As this action from Leyna’s character had developed throughout the piece, the ensemble collectively objected to this action and became complicit in trying to obstruct Leyna who became more frenetic in her actions as she tried to take more photos, but to little avail.
2/Critically evaluate the transition of Porto as the ensemble moved from the studio into the theatre space. What were the strengths and weaknesses of this phase and process? (400 words)
As the ensemble moved in to the theatre space from the studio there were further developments in the piece. Initially there were logistical problems of the chairs. Due to the differences in spatial dimensions of the theatre space, the chairs had to be slightly reconfigured in order to use the entire space. The chairs also caused logistical problems throughout certain sections of the piece in regards to lighting cues. Repositioning was required so that the action on stage could be lit and subsequently seen by the audience. While at times this logistical element could be considered frustrating, the change in placements allowed new things to be discovered by the performers as a means of problem solving.The greatest difference after moving to the theatre space was the full realisation of the periphery work. Concerns of the periphery work being too distracting when in the studio space dissipated somewhat with access to the larger space. During this shift in space the periphery work did develop in itself. This largely due to the the performers interacting with their new surroundings. In particularly the back stairs, pillars and bars at the back of the performance space.There were certain disadvantages during the transfer to the theatre space. Most of these were technical related. For example, performers had to become more spatially aware of their surroundings due to lanterns being on stage left and stage right at foot and head height. This meant that on occasions the lanterns were knocked by performers and were subsequently out of focus for other moments within the performance.With the dimensions of the performance space being different to that of the studio, sight lines were slightly altered at certain moments of the performance to what the ensemble were used to. This required the performers on stage to be constantly aware of the sight lines and lead to some slight reworking of material. This was particularly crucial to floor work that took place. If it took place too far down stage then certain members of the raked audience would be unable to see the material.
“Physical discoveries made in an initial session cannot possibly hold true given the momentous shifts and discoveries that occur” (Graham, Hoggett - Pg.36)
The advantage of this phase of the process was that all of the work developed further still. With a new space and newly configured moments on the periphery, new interactions were discovered and developed that may not have emerged during the studio research and scoring phase.
3/Critically evaluate the growth of the performance over the three shows, with particular emphasis on your own role within the piece. Did the RSVP model continue to apply even at this final stage of the performance piece? Discuss with concrete examples. (500 words)
“Once the structure and content of the work is set and rehearsed, we go on tour to test it out, gathering feedback along the way. Charlotte spends the first leg of any tour tweaking and re-rehearsing the work, to ensure it is the best it can be” (2009 - Company Information & FAQs)
While the performance was not drastically changed there were new elements that emerged and aspects of the performance that were reworked. The pre-set was a large element that was reworked from a performer and technical point after the initial matinee performance.
“these were those unique minutes between entering the performance space and the start of the performance proper. These minutes are there for the taking...” (Graham, Hoggett - Pg. 21)
As Graham and Hoggett suggest, the pre-set is a theatrical device in itself. It was used in Porto to establish that the audience had entered a liminal space and were intrinsically linked with the performers’ personal journey. However, the problem emerged that the audience had entered and settled quicker than anticipated. This therefore meant that the audience sat watching the entrances as if it was the actual performance. This caused issues with pacing for the audience. Performance wise, the performers were encouraged slightly speed up the entrances. From a technical standing, the house lights, which were initially very dim, were increased in intensity. This being a typical theatrical signifier that the audience can engage with to realise that the actual performance hadn’t begun.Interactions and organic development continued across all three performances. This was particularly notable in the periphery work. In the case of Sarah, Amy and myself; we never had any set choreography for the periphery work. The work was different every performance. This allowed for a more organic interaction development as it was driven by character impulses. With our interactions being different every performance the relationships were never a victim of stagnation. They retained a freshness and truth to them. At certain moments throughout the performances due to the nature of mine and Amy’s interaction I felt physically sick because of the stress that Amy caused my character. This visceral response allowed my character to develop both emotionally and physically. The stress culminated to the point of our main section where it was effectively released.There were also moments relating to the ensemble that were different over the three performances. When Blake is sat on the chair with his suitcase and the ensemble are gradually bout in to join Michaela and Marie’s walk towards him, although the blocking is always the same, the ensemble is never bought into the sequence in the same order. Due to individual interactions throughout the piece certain characters may react differently to the ensemble sequence and get pulled in at different points in different performances.This was also the case during the final moments of the piece. The ensembles reaction to Leyna’s attempt to take a photograph of Jay and Nicola was always the same internally, however, physically the ensemble efforts to stop her doing so were different each time. This was crucial at this moment of the performance as the audience needed to believe and engage with Leyna’s desperation to get out of the space. The organic nature of the genre allows a sense of freshness to exist within the performance which is constantly changing and developing.
Graham, S, Hoggett, S. (2009) The Frantic Assembly Book of Devising Theatre Oxon :
Routledge
Vincent Dance Theatre (2008) [online] [Sheffield] http://www.vincentdt.com/faq.html [accessed 14/05/09]
The ensemble all shared the state of liminiality, however there were other themes and issues that developed throughout the piece. In particular all individual characters had a sense of journey. The journeys that existed were all in different phases. Some characters were merely beginning others were coming to an end. The idea of a journey ending was a key element of Nicola’s character who by the end of the piece would end her journey within the confines of Porto. This is antithetical of mine and Sarah’s journey which was a fairly new interaction that had the potential to develop beyond the world of Porto.There was also a sense of history that accompanied all of the characters. This was addressed scenographically through the signifier of the bags that the ensemble carried them. The actions of the characters also suggested that there was a history to the individual as their reactions were affected by that sense.The ensemble, although made up of individual characters did still engage with each other as a whole throughout the piece. The first key moment that this occurred was during Nicola’s entrance. The ensemble had a mutual reaction (although notably reactions were not the same, there was still reaction in some form). This created sub-groups and other interactions. It directly commented on how people interact with each other in certain environments and situations.Another moment where the ensemble were tied together through events that took place within Porto was after the ensemble section reprise where Leyna’s character tried to take a photo of Jay and Nicola. As this action from Leyna’s character had developed throughout the piece, the ensemble collectively objected to this action and became complicit in trying to obstruct Leyna who became more frenetic in her actions as she tried to take more photos, but to little avail.
2/Critically evaluate the transition of Porto as the ensemble moved from the studio into the theatre space. What were the strengths and weaknesses of this phase and process? (400 words)
As the ensemble moved in to the theatre space from the studio there were further developments in the piece. Initially there were logistical problems of the chairs. Due to the differences in spatial dimensions of the theatre space, the chairs had to be slightly reconfigured in order to use the entire space. The chairs also caused logistical problems throughout certain sections of the piece in regards to lighting cues. Repositioning was required so that the action on stage could be lit and subsequently seen by the audience. While at times this logistical element could be considered frustrating, the change in placements allowed new things to be discovered by the performers as a means of problem solving.The greatest difference after moving to the theatre space was the full realisation of the periphery work. Concerns of the periphery work being too distracting when in the studio space dissipated somewhat with access to the larger space. During this shift in space the periphery work did develop in itself. This largely due to the the performers interacting with their new surroundings. In particularly the back stairs, pillars and bars at the back of the performance space.There were certain disadvantages during the transfer to the theatre space. Most of these were technical related. For example, performers had to become more spatially aware of their surroundings due to lanterns being on stage left and stage right at foot and head height. This meant that on occasions the lanterns were knocked by performers and were subsequently out of focus for other moments within the performance.With the dimensions of the performance space being different to that of the studio, sight lines were slightly altered at certain moments of the performance to what the ensemble were used to. This required the performers on stage to be constantly aware of the sight lines and lead to some slight reworking of material. This was particularly crucial to floor work that took place. If it took place too far down stage then certain members of the raked audience would be unable to see the material.
“Physical discoveries made in an initial session cannot possibly hold true given the momentous shifts and discoveries that occur” (Graham, Hoggett - Pg.36)
The advantage of this phase of the process was that all of the work developed further still. With a new space and newly configured moments on the periphery, new interactions were discovered and developed that may not have emerged during the studio research and scoring phase.
3/Critically evaluate the growth of the performance over the three shows, with particular emphasis on your own role within the piece. Did the RSVP model continue to apply even at this final stage of the performance piece? Discuss with concrete examples. (500 words)
“Once the structure and content of the work is set and rehearsed, we go on tour to test it out, gathering feedback along the way. Charlotte spends the first leg of any tour tweaking and re-rehearsing the work, to ensure it is the best it can be” (2009 - Company Information & FAQs)
While the performance was not drastically changed there were new elements that emerged and aspects of the performance that were reworked. The pre-set was a large element that was reworked from a performer and technical point after the initial matinee performance.
“these were those unique minutes between entering the performance space and the start of the performance proper. These minutes are there for the taking...” (Graham, Hoggett - Pg. 21)
As Graham and Hoggett suggest, the pre-set is a theatrical device in itself. It was used in Porto to establish that the audience had entered a liminal space and were intrinsically linked with the performers’ personal journey. However, the problem emerged that the audience had entered and settled quicker than anticipated. This therefore meant that the audience sat watching the entrances as if it was the actual performance. This caused issues with pacing for the audience. Performance wise, the performers were encouraged slightly speed up the entrances. From a technical standing, the house lights, which were initially very dim, were increased in intensity. This being a typical theatrical signifier that the audience can engage with to realise that the actual performance hadn’t begun.Interactions and organic development continued across all three performances. This was particularly notable in the periphery work. In the case of Sarah, Amy and myself; we never had any set choreography for the periphery work. The work was different every performance. This allowed for a more organic interaction development as it was driven by character impulses. With our interactions being different every performance the relationships were never a victim of stagnation. They retained a freshness and truth to them. At certain moments throughout the performances due to the nature of mine and Amy’s interaction I felt physically sick because of the stress that Amy caused my character. This visceral response allowed my character to develop both emotionally and physically. The stress culminated to the point of our main section where it was effectively released.There were also moments relating to the ensemble that were different over the three performances. When Blake is sat on the chair with his suitcase and the ensemble are gradually bout in to join Michaela and Marie’s walk towards him, although the blocking is always the same, the ensemble is never bought into the sequence in the same order. Due to individual interactions throughout the piece certain characters may react differently to the ensemble sequence and get pulled in at different points in different performances.This was also the case during the final moments of the piece. The ensembles reaction to Leyna’s attempt to take a photograph of Jay and Nicola was always the same internally, however, physically the ensemble efforts to stop her doing so were different each time. This was crucial at this moment of the performance as the audience needed to believe and engage with Leyna’s desperation to get out of the space. The organic nature of the genre allows a sense of freshness to exist within the performance which is constantly changing and developing.
Graham, S, Hoggett, S. (2009) The Frantic Assembly Book of Devising Theatre Oxon :
Routledge
Vincent Dance Theatre (2008) [online] [Sheffield] http://www.vincentdt.com/faq.html [accessed 14/05/09]
Final Blog Assessment - Task 4, Nicola Wilson
1. Every character in Porto had their individual journey but there were certain instances where the community came together. The first moment when the community were unified was in entering the space. All characters wanted to enter the space, claim their territory, no one had the desire to leave straight away. The characters of Porto were by no means passive in this liminal environment. They all wanted something, hence their reason for staying, so they could perhaps figure out what they wanted whilst they were there, whether it was love, help, freedom or something else. General human relationships are a core theme in Porto, which many practitioners in this genre like to explore such as Pina Bausch, Lloyd Newson, and Jasmin Vardimon. Another moment that unified the community was with Blake’s character fighting to let go of his bag. It was a moment that everyone couldn’t ignore, everyone was involved in a ‘…a typical ‘Bausch-Reigen’ in which the whole ensemble moves one after the other across the stage performing identical movements…’ (1999:26) Even the characters that stayed on the periphery were still locked into the moment of what was happening.
Another shared experience the group had was finally witnessing the face of the hooded character. ‘A European approach to dance making - the performers on stage are developed flesh and blood characters rather than neutral bodies that are used in a sculptural abstract way. Jasmin’s characters are real people who, although usually somehow on the edges of society, represent aspects of what it is to be a human being right now.’ (http://www.jasminvardimon.com/testimonials.html) This quote relates to Porto because these characters were all humans, with real human emotions and real human behaviour. These characters reacted just like people would in the real world, if a child at school always hid their face, there would always be someone trying to uncover them or at the very least be very intrigued that day when eventually the hood would come off.
2. ‘Bausch has broken with traditions and conventions wherever she can. Thus she has not used conventional décor. Usually the whole stage is completely empty and the brick walls are visible.’ (1999: 26) Like Bausch’s works, this was the space we had to inhabit; very different from the studio the ensemble was comfortable with. We had worked in that studio for months. That is where our relationships developed, that is where our characters were born and began to evolve. The new space meant that relationships evolved again, characters finding new areas and new people to interact with, especially within the periphery. For example, where I was situated in the arena, there was a wall. My character had never encountered a wall before, and my body started to react instinctively towards it. That was a strength of the whole group, their ability to adapt to a space, knowing what their characters would do in this new environment. Jay for example, using the podium to watch over me, he could have sat n the floor, or on a chair but he was using the new space to what best suited the character. Also, Amy J’s character used the stairs to show the distance between her character and Gavin and Sarah, which was symbolic of the emotional journeys of those characters even though they had never encorporated stairs in any rehearsals previous.
One of our weaknesses as a group perhaps was that sometimes individual perceptions of being in a theatre (that had nothing to with their character of Porto) infiltrated this transitional process and people were not seeing it as a character in a space, like it should have been, they were seeing it as themselves performing at the arena and bringing with them all the attitudes that that carries. ‘…the actor has to read the space. But in order to do this s/he has first to really ‘see’ it,’ (2001: 79) What Dymphna has stated here is a metaphor for what the space really is, there was an obvious line which separated the wings from the stage, and it was important to not let the mind take control and think ‘I have to perform on the stage, not be hidden in the wings.’ This can link in with the ensemble reprise at the end when the stage often became crowded because people were not seeing the space for what it needed to be at that moment.
3. With my head permanently inside a hood, it is not always easy to literally ‘see’ the growth of the performances, it almost became a task of ‘feeling’ it. Much like the exercise of feeling when the ensemble is going to stop walking, and then start again, I had to become aware of everyone’s energy in the space and if movements were full of precision and sharpness or if the whole piece was lethargic and dragging – which it wasn’t by the performance stage, the energy of the ensemble seemed to grow from show to show. In terms of my own character, it was never a case of just ‘going through the moves’ as the topic was very personal to me, but by the last performance something did change, which Lloyd Newson from DV8 comments on: ‘…I chose to examine these themes through physically challenging movement. However when we made ‘Strange Fish’ (1992), the risk was not so much about physical danger, but whether dance can deal with complex emotional narrative, and whether tragi-comic theatre can in fact be created through dance alone. You can take risks without always being physical.’ (http://www.dv8.co.uk/about.dv8/LN_butterworth.html ) What he says here about whether dance alone can deal with complex emotional narrative really does resonate with how my character felt during the final performance. Even though her body was exuding emotional qualities, it wasn’t enough. Throughout all rehearsals, throughout all mock runs she had never made a sound, never cried, never screamed. For the first time in the final performance, using her body just was not enough and although I had never practiced or used an aural element before, it felt right to do so. So, when it came to repeatedly punching the bag for the last time, using all my energy to take out my feelings on this baggage I had been carrying, this sound came out. A sound that reflected what my body was doing and what my mind was feeling. In terms of the RSVP model, it was most likely happening constantly but at an accelerated rate. Because the research period was so extensive and thought out, it meant that the scoring and validation process almost happened instantaneously in my head, confident that I knew the character well enough to trust that it would work in performance state.
‘Before starting rehearsal she has a concept, but she changes it all the time (even after the dress rehearsal or the first night).’ (1999:26) This is one of Pina Bausch’s philosophies, and is something Porto also adhered to. Even a couple of days before the first show, things were being added all the time such as Jay’s character, throwing the chairs everywhere, Amy H’s character saying ‘Shhh’ to calm herself down, and Amy J and Gavin’s piece changing from Amy slowly rolling off to Gavin throwing her off, which conjured up a lighting concept in which Amy was lit separately to Gavin and Sarah, never thought of before. Finally, Pina Bausch’s quote ‘It is not how people move, but what moves them’ (2002: 57) can relate to all characters in Porto. No performance was the same because different things moved people at different times each night. It really was a liminal space where the journey was different every time.
Bibliography
Bremser, M., 1999., Fifty Contemporary Choreographers, London: Routledge
Callery, D., 2001, Through The Body, London: Nick Hern Books Limited
Huxley, M., 2002, The Twentieth Century Performance Reader, s.l., Routledge
Spalding, A., Testimonials For Jasmin Vardimon Company (Internet) Available at: http://www.jasminvardimon.com/testimonials.html [accessed 14/5/09]
Newson, L., 2004, Conversation with Jo Butterworth (Internet) Available at: http://www.dv8.co.uk/about.dv8/LN_butterworth.html [accessed 14/5/09]
Another shared experience the group had was finally witnessing the face of the hooded character. ‘A European approach to dance making - the performers on stage are developed flesh and blood characters rather than neutral bodies that are used in a sculptural abstract way. Jasmin’s characters are real people who, although usually somehow on the edges of society, represent aspects of what it is to be a human being right now.’ (http://www.jasminvardimon.com/testimonials.html) This quote relates to Porto because these characters were all humans, with real human emotions and real human behaviour. These characters reacted just like people would in the real world, if a child at school always hid their face, there would always be someone trying to uncover them or at the very least be very intrigued that day when eventually the hood would come off.
2. ‘Bausch has broken with traditions and conventions wherever she can. Thus she has not used conventional décor. Usually the whole stage is completely empty and the brick walls are visible.’ (1999: 26) Like Bausch’s works, this was the space we had to inhabit; very different from the studio the ensemble was comfortable with. We had worked in that studio for months. That is where our relationships developed, that is where our characters were born and began to evolve. The new space meant that relationships evolved again, characters finding new areas and new people to interact with, especially within the periphery. For example, where I was situated in the arena, there was a wall. My character had never encountered a wall before, and my body started to react instinctively towards it. That was a strength of the whole group, their ability to adapt to a space, knowing what their characters would do in this new environment. Jay for example, using the podium to watch over me, he could have sat n the floor, or on a chair but he was using the new space to what best suited the character. Also, Amy J’s character used the stairs to show the distance between her character and Gavin and Sarah, which was symbolic of the emotional journeys of those characters even though they had never encorporated stairs in any rehearsals previous.
One of our weaknesses as a group perhaps was that sometimes individual perceptions of being in a theatre (that had nothing to with their character of Porto) infiltrated this transitional process and people were not seeing it as a character in a space, like it should have been, they were seeing it as themselves performing at the arena and bringing with them all the attitudes that that carries. ‘…the actor has to read the space. But in order to do this s/he has first to really ‘see’ it,’ (2001: 79) What Dymphna has stated here is a metaphor for what the space really is, there was an obvious line which separated the wings from the stage, and it was important to not let the mind take control and think ‘I have to perform on the stage, not be hidden in the wings.’ This can link in with the ensemble reprise at the end when the stage often became crowded because people were not seeing the space for what it needed to be at that moment.
3. With my head permanently inside a hood, it is not always easy to literally ‘see’ the growth of the performances, it almost became a task of ‘feeling’ it. Much like the exercise of feeling when the ensemble is going to stop walking, and then start again, I had to become aware of everyone’s energy in the space and if movements were full of precision and sharpness or if the whole piece was lethargic and dragging – which it wasn’t by the performance stage, the energy of the ensemble seemed to grow from show to show. In terms of my own character, it was never a case of just ‘going through the moves’ as the topic was very personal to me, but by the last performance something did change, which Lloyd Newson from DV8 comments on: ‘…I chose to examine these themes through physically challenging movement. However when we made ‘Strange Fish’ (1992), the risk was not so much about physical danger, but whether dance can deal with complex emotional narrative, and whether tragi-comic theatre can in fact be created through dance alone. You can take risks without always being physical.’ (http://www.dv8.co.uk/about.dv8/LN_butterworth.html ) What he says here about whether dance alone can deal with complex emotional narrative really does resonate with how my character felt during the final performance. Even though her body was exuding emotional qualities, it wasn’t enough. Throughout all rehearsals, throughout all mock runs she had never made a sound, never cried, never screamed. For the first time in the final performance, using her body just was not enough and although I had never practiced or used an aural element before, it felt right to do so. So, when it came to repeatedly punching the bag for the last time, using all my energy to take out my feelings on this baggage I had been carrying, this sound came out. A sound that reflected what my body was doing and what my mind was feeling. In terms of the RSVP model, it was most likely happening constantly but at an accelerated rate. Because the research period was so extensive and thought out, it meant that the scoring and validation process almost happened instantaneously in my head, confident that I knew the character well enough to trust that it would work in performance state.
‘Before starting rehearsal she has a concept, but she changes it all the time (even after the dress rehearsal or the first night).’ (1999:26) This is one of Pina Bausch’s philosophies, and is something Porto also adhered to. Even a couple of days before the first show, things were being added all the time such as Jay’s character, throwing the chairs everywhere, Amy H’s character saying ‘Shhh’ to calm herself down, and Amy J and Gavin’s piece changing from Amy slowly rolling off to Gavin throwing her off, which conjured up a lighting concept in which Amy was lit separately to Gavin and Sarah, never thought of before. Finally, Pina Bausch’s quote ‘It is not how people move, but what moves them’ (2002: 57) can relate to all characters in Porto. No performance was the same because different things moved people at different times each night. It really was a liminal space where the journey was different every time.
Bibliography
Bremser, M., 1999., Fifty Contemporary Choreographers, London: Routledge
Callery, D., 2001, Through The Body, London: Nick Hern Books Limited
Huxley, M., 2002, The Twentieth Century Performance Reader, s.l., Routledge
Spalding, A., Testimonials For Jasmin Vardimon Company (Internet) Available at: http://www.jasminvardimon.com/testimonials.html [accessed 14/5/09]
Newson, L., 2004, Conversation with Jo Butterworth (Internet) Available at: http://www.dv8.co.uk/about.dv8/LN_butterworth.html [accessed 14/5/09]
Thursday 14 May 2009
Ellen Marshall FINAL blog task.
1)
As went came to the final performing stage of RSVP as a member of the company I had last seen each individual sections when we were still scoring, therefore they could all have changed however the community as a whole stayed consistent with themes and issues. Entering the space at the beginning of the performance to find Blake’s character already there started a theme of entrapment. After the black out every one tried to express their own individual characters but then suddenly became sucked into the same routine making them also a slave to Porto. Those characters with the chairs facing in the other direction managed to resist joining in but instead of escaping it they got drawn into a routine just for being different until they gave in to be accepted with the rest. The community through out had signs of trying to belong in a hostile place and finding conclusions before they could move forward. Of what I know of the subgroups a lot was based on male female relationships:
‘[To Pina Bausch] Do you have themes? Specific themes? Or does this change? [Pina Bausch reply] Well, I’d say they sort of move in a circle. It’s always the same thing or similar things. Actually the themes are always to do with man-woman relationships, the way we behave or our longing or our inability, only sometimes the colour changes.’ (Michael, H and Witts, N. 1996. P.54.)
Every character wanted to leave the space but couldn’t which relates to what Pina Bausch said on ‘longing’ and ‘inability.’ It would also appear that there was at least one villain, one victim, one hero or all three in each part. Nicola seemed to be all three as some people in the community were scared by her, some wanted to help her and some would be helped by her. We all entered the space alone but all left together and as Nicola was left behind it gave the impression that the same thing had happened to Blake and Porto would always be occupied but the residents would always change.
2)
Porto is about a community in a space between places although a lot of it is metaphorical I personally believe that the space of Porto soon got associated with the drama studios we had been working in. Because of this when we had to move into a new performing space it felt like we had left Porto to come into an unfamiliar place. Although the initial confusion may have set us a few steps back as a group, emotionally it woke up the performance. When we were still in the drama studios we had become so aware of everything our body memories took over so much so that even when Nicola had a hood over her face and no vision she still knew her way around.
‘Body memory is a term, originating in dance, that describes the body’s ability to “remember” movement as an embedded resonance. A totally non-thinking process, it is intimately related, as we shall see, to the entire aspect of physical awareness.’ (Zinder, D. 2002. P.134)
As a result of such a high recall of body memory a purpose behind each movement began to disappear and emotions in the movements started to lack. By being in the new space the company could now have a true sense of being in the unknown. It was impossible to say if a chair would not be put in the right place or if there were too many so we all had to adapt to that and solve it in character. The space had also changed in size and shape we had more areas to work with people who we were working with in the peripheries in the studio could now be on the other side of the space. At first is was a weakness of ours as we were so set in our ways that we didn’t use the new free spaces available to us but the company soon started to explore even more. By having more space it gave more freedom to develop the characters even in this late stage of RSVP.
3)
Over the 3 final shows there was still scope for change although it would have been unrealistic to create a whole new performance it was still possible to make slight changes.
‘ Training should remain free-form for as long as possible, devoid of anything “concrete”.’ (Zinder, D. 2002. P.8)
The quote above relates to the way in which we approached things through all the RSVP stages. For example in the first show I decided to open the letter I had as my item on stage. I’d never before done this as it was something my character was quite protective over so, by doing this was just a huge progression from the start of the process. I realised in the 3 shows I became less and less attached to my bag and more protective of my character I think this was due to the change in emotion I felt towards Mikeys character. He was no longer my protector and more of a representation of being hurt and controlled. When I changed these feelings it impacted Mikey to the point where his character was getting upset. This was not a reaction I was expecting and caused implications as it made my character feel bad and nasty – something that my character was not. It almost became impossible for my character to source the emotions I needed for our section. Performing for the last time seemed to make something click which enabled us to get the right balance of actions to reactions that heightened my characters perpous.
The last time my character walked off stage I felt a relief -my characters journey had been consistent all year then it really intensified in the last few shows. My character had gained real emotion, real fear, real satisfaction and real exhaustion and it only seemed to appear for the first time in the actual shows. This seemed to be the case for the rest of the company, which allowed us to all feed off each other. Given the change in location and addition of an audience the atmosphere altered greatly this in turn made everyone more focused. In rehearsals the company had an element of working separately and increasing with each one of the shows the company became a whole. As a performer the ensemble pieces all felt like we were thinking in time, the tempo and pace fell into place quickly there were no hesitations.
‘The process cannot be reduced to a series of predictable episodes of a fixed scenario. An effectively structured dramatic process will achieve development, articulation and significance while avoiding the repetition of a carefully prearranged sequence, the transformation of process into superficial product, and the destruction of the spontaneity that is at the heart of the work.’ (O’Neill, C. 1995. P.xviii)
None of the three shows were the same, which makes this genre so unique if each performance was exact for each movement and each emotion, and then chances of it being superficial are high. Although the above quote relates mainly to the beginning process that process does not stop until the final performance is over as we are constantly developing.
Bibliography
Michael, H and Witts, N. (1996) The Twentieth- Century Performance Reader. London: Routledge.
O’Neill, C. (1995) Drama Worlds a Framework for Process Drama. Portsmouth: Heinemann.
Zinder, D. (2002) Body Voice Imagination a Training for The Actor. New York: Routledge.
As went came to the final performing stage of RSVP as a member of the company I had last seen each individual sections when we were still scoring, therefore they could all have changed however the community as a whole stayed consistent with themes and issues. Entering the space at the beginning of the performance to find Blake’s character already there started a theme of entrapment. After the black out every one tried to express their own individual characters but then suddenly became sucked into the same routine making them also a slave to Porto. Those characters with the chairs facing in the other direction managed to resist joining in but instead of escaping it they got drawn into a routine just for being different until they gave in to be accepted with the rest. The community through out had signs of trying to belong in a hostile place and finding conclusions before they could move forward. Of what I know of the subgroups a lot was based on male female relationships:
‘[To Pina Bausch] Do you have themes? Specific themes? Or does this change? [Pina Bausch reply] Well, I’d say they sort of move in a circle. It’s always the same thing or similar things. Actually the themes are always to do with man-woman relationships, the way we behave or our longing or our inability, only sometimes the colour changes.’ (Michael, H and Witts, N. 1996. P.54.)
Every character wanted to leave the space but couldn’t which relates to what Pina Bausch said on ‘longing’ and ‘inability.’ It would also appear that there was at least one villain, one victim, one hero or all three in each part. Nicola seemed to be all three as some people in the community were scared by her, some wanted to help her and some would be helped by her. We all entered the space alone but all left together and as Nicola was left behind it gave the impression that the same thing had happened to Blake and Porto would always be occupied but the residents would always change.
2)
Porto is about a community in a space between places although a lot of it is metaphorical I personally believe that the space of Porto soon got associated with the drama studios we had been working in. Because of this when we had to move into a new performing space it felt like we had left Porto to come into an unfamiliar place. Although the initial confusion may have set us a few steps back as a group, emotionally it woke up the performance. When we were still in the drama studios we had become so aware of everything our body memories took over so much so that even when Nicola had a hood over her face and no vision she still knew her way around.
‘Body memory is a term, originating in dance, that describes the body’s ability to “remember” movement as an embedded resonance. A totally non-thinking process, it is intimately related, as we shall see, to the entire aspect of physical awareness.’ (Zinder, D. 2002. P.134)
As a result of such a high recall of body memory a purpose behind each movement began to disappear and emotions in the movements started to lack. By being in the new space the company could now have a true sense of being in the unknown. It was impossible to say if a chair would not be put in the right place or if there were too many so we all had to adapt to that and solve it in character. The space had also changed in size and shape we had more areas to work with people who we were working with in the peripheries in the studio could now be on the other side of the space. At first is was a weakness of ours as we were so set in our ways that we didn’t use the new free spaces available to us but the company soon started to explore even more. By having more space it gave more freedom to develop the characters even in this late stage of RSVP.
3)
Over the 3 final shows there was still scope for change although it would have been unrealistic to create a whole new performance it was still possible to make slight changes.
‘ Training should remain free-form for as long as possible, devoid of anything “concrete”.’ (Zinder, D. 2002. P.8)
The quote above relates to the way in which we approached things through all the RSVP stages. For example in the first show I decided to open the letter I had as my item on stage. I’d never before done this as it was something my character was quite protective over so, by doing this was just a huge progression from the start of the process. I realised in the 3 shows I became less and less attached to my bag and more protective of my character I think this was due to the change in emotion I felt towards Mikeys character. He was no longer my protector and more of a representation of being hurt and controlled. When I changed these feelings it impacted Mikey to the point where his character was getting upset. This was not a reaction I was expecting and caused implications as it made my character feel bad and nasty – something that my character was not. It almost became impossible for my character to source the emotions I needed for our section. Performing for the last time seemed to make something click which enabled us to get the right balance of actions to reactions that heightened my characters perpous.
The last time my character walked off stage I felt a relief -my characters journey had been consistent all year then it really intensified in the last few shows. My character had gained real emotion, real fear, real satisfaction and real exhaustion and it only seemed to appear for the first time in the actual shows. This seemed to be the case for the rest of the company, which allowed us to all feed off each other. Given the change in location and addition of an audience the atmosphere altered greatly this in turn made everyone more focused. In rehearsals the company had an element of working separately and increasing with each one of the shows the company became a whole. As a performer the ensemble pieces all felt like we were thinking in time, the tempo and pace fell into place quickly there were no hesitations.
‘The process cannot be reduced to a series of predictable episodes of a fixed scenario. An effectively structured dramatic process will achieve development, articulation and significance while avoiding the repetition of a carefully prearranged sequence, the transformation of process into superficial product, and the destruction of the spontaneity that is at the heart of the work.’ (O’Neill, C. 1995. P.xviii)
None of the three shows were the same, which makes this genre so unique if each performance was exact for each movement and each emotion, and then chances of it being superficial are high. Although the above quote relates mainly to the beginning process that process does not stop until the final performance is over as we are constantly developing.
Bibliography
Michael, H and Witts, N. (1996) The Twentieth- Century Performance Reader. London: Routledge.
O’Neill, C. (1995) Drama Worlds a Framework for Process Drama. Portsmouth: Heinemann.
Zinder, D. (2002) Body Voice Imagination a Training for The Actor. New York: Routledge.
Elizabeth Payne Final Blog Post
1. From the Validation stage to Performance the whole community started to group and come together as an ensemble. Common themes began to emerge such as longing for love, Sarah Evens’ character and Gavin as well as Amy in the love triangle and the wanting they all had for the same thing, for love of Gavin and his attention. Wanting what someone else has was also a common theme that occurred in smaller groups and dominantly in the shape of Lauren going around different characters looking in their bags or taking their clothing and using it as her own such as David’s’ tie and bible. The space of Porto was alien to us all when we began our journeys and so these longings became a part of all our characters, to form relationships so we where no longer alone and for protection from the curious characters of Nicola and Blake. This theme we all shared in the format of the ensemble work and the community that became around this fear and longing for protection from them. The ensemble united in movements at the beginning even when a smaller group where not part of the larger group they slowly became incorporated with the larger group so that they where the same. Shared Experience use the ensemble to express the common themes in their performances,
‘building a common language and close-knit ensemble where they could be open and daring, able to take risks and play in the moment’ (Callery: 12)
The united community happened again but slower when Nicola and Jay had a larger interaction towards the end of the performance, this common theme of belonging and being scared of the unknown gave a bed rock for the performance and so gave us the chance to all interact together with our created language around this theme.
2. Working within the studio for so long gave us a comfort zone and a home for Porto. We worked for 6 months in the same space, knowing our outer limits in relation to size but also to the distance of an audience. Moving into the theatre changed all of these variables. In the Arena the depth was now greater by a considerable amount meaning the chairs for the opening sequence and the peripheral work needed to be pushed much further back then what we where used to working with. The distance of the audience also was a issue, when working in the studio whenever there was a audience watching they where very close and could see the simplest and smallest of movements, however the new space gave us a much larger space and consequently the movements had to be pushed onto a new level so that all the audience could witness the movements right down to the facial expressions that where to small to begin with.
It became difficult for some to get used to the technical elements of working within the theatre. Having lanterns so close to the performance at head and foot level was difficult as on occasions Jay would swing Nicola and come close to hitting one and on another moment when the ensemble are moving together, as a performer concentrating on the movements, knocking into the floor level lantern happened. All of this occurred in initial rehearsals though by the performance a second sense of the technical elements that surrounded the stage was acquired by the ensemble. Physically the characters began to develop, interacting more successfully and fluidly instead of forcing the movements; the fresh new space gave the characters the opportunity to explore new depths and came at the right time for my character and others. A lot of company’s such as Motionhouse Dance theatre, Vincent Dance theatre, Forced Entertainment all have a base and then tour; these companies also come across developing performers when they reach new spaces in an interview with Kevin Finnan artistic director of Motionhouse states:
‘Another thing that is guaranteed to happen every time, is that as soon as I get a show on the road, as soon as its made, I start seeing all of the things that I wish I had done with it.’(Finnan)
Unlike Motionhouse we where able to change and develop our characters to feel this new desire and emotion that was being created by the new space that was given to us in the Arena theatre.
3. ‘Every movement within the choreography has to have a reason to be, rather than the choreography simply being the reason itself” (Finnan)
This was a policy of producing Porto from the very start and until the very end. Over final three shows my character developed greatly, she became deeper and the connections I made became stronger. When working with Luke our connections developed through the last 2 play sessions more then they had through the other rehearsals in the studio. We developed movements of touching our toes to bring me off the chair and being embarrassed by being so close became more emphasised by the delicate touches we now developed together. We where adding to the score that we had already created in the performance, and so Validated and Performed them. This just showed how the RSVP model was still present in force especially for my character even at such a later stage in the whole performance.
In another way my character also developed through the final performances in relation to the main partnerships I had with the two ‘Super men’ Richard and Alex. The three of us grew together in our reactions to people coming into our space over on stage right and also our energy throughout the overall sections of our peripheral work and during the train scene where much higher. Having this heightened energy we where able to express our childishness and united front against others much more effectively. Emotionally and physically my character began to change. I was much more attached to Alex and Richard I wanted to be physically near them so we lay across each other or just hugged, emotionally I would be thinking about them even when I was distracted by something else because I would want them to see what I could see which would excite my character.
This depth I only found once the first show was being prepared for in the warm up and slight play that was conducted. Like these changes at the last minute is similar to Charlotte Vincent from Vincent Dance theatre
‘spends the first leg of any tour tweaking and re-rehearsing the work, to ensure it is the best it can be, and that it is somehow ‘saying’ what it is she wanted to say’
Saying what I want to say with my own character was very important and so these revelations of emotion and physicality where very important even at the end of the shows. As a whole the company went from strength to strength as every character within the ensemble grew and became more comfortable with expressing their characters personal journey to the live audience. Every character had their own personal journey from the writing of the letter to the last three shows, at every point the RSVP model was being used with the build up of our body’s’ physical knowledge from the research stage that benefitted the changes that happened over the final shows, each stage was needed to be reflected on right until the end.
Bibliography
Callery D, (2001) Through the body: a practical guide to physical theatre Nick Hern Books:London
Finnan K, Motionhouse Dance Theatre (2009) [online] [Warwickshire] http://www.motionhouse.co.uk/documents/studentpack_003.pdf [accessed 14/05/09]
Finnan K, Motionhouse Dance Theatre (2009) [online] [Warwickshire] http://www.motionhouse.co.uk/documents/SyndicatedinterviewwithKevinFinnan_002.pdf [accessed 14/05/09]
Vincent Dance Theatre (2008) [online] [Sheffield] http://www.vincentdt.com/faq.html [accessed 14/05/09]
‘building a common language and close-knit ensemble where they could be open and daring, able to take risks and play in the moment’ (Callery: 12)
The united community happened again but slower when Nicola and Jay had a larger interaction towards the end of the performance, this common theme of belonging and being scared of the unknown gave a bed rock for the performance and so gave us the chance to all interact together with our created language around this theme.
2. Working within the studio for so long gave us a comfort zone and a home for Porto. We worked for 6 months in the same space, knowing our outer limits in relation to size but also to the distance of an audience. Moving into the theatre changed all of these variables. In the Arena the depth was now greater by a considerable amount meaning the chairs for the opening sequence and the peripheral work needed to be pushed much further back then what we where used to working with. The distance of the audience also was a issue, when working in the studio whenever there was a audience watching they where very close and could see the simplest and smallest of movements, however the new space gave us a much larger space and consequently the movements had to be pushed onto a new level so that all the audience could witness the movements right down to the facial expressions that where to small to begin with.
It became difficult for some to get used to the technical elements of working within the theatre. Having lanterns so close to the performance at head and foot level was difficult as on occasions Jay would swing Nicola and come close to hitting one and on another moment when the ensemble are moving together, as a performer concentrating on the movements, knocking into the floor level lantern happened. All of this occurred in initial rehearsals though by the performance a second sense of the technical elements that surrounded the stage was acquired by the ensemble. Physically the characters began to develop, interacting more successfully and fluidly instead of forcing the movements; the fresh new space gave the characters the opportunity to explore new depths and came at the right time for my character and others. A lot of company’s such as Motionhouse Dance theatre, Vincent Dance theatre, Forced Entertainment all have a base and then tour; these companies also come across developing performers when they reach new spaces in an interview with Kevin Finnan artistic director of Motionhouse states:
‘Another thing that is guaranteed to happen every time, is that as soon as I get a show on the road, as soon as its made, I start seeing all of the things that I wish I had done with it.’(Finnan)
Unlike Motionhouse we where able to change and develop our characters to feel this new desire and emotion that was being created by the new space that was given to us in the Arena theatre.
3. ‘Every movement within the choreography has to have a reason to be, rather than the choreography simply being the reason itself” (Finnan)
This was a policy of producing Porto from the very start and until the very end. Over final three shows my character developed greatly, she became deeper and the connections I made became stronger. When working with Luke our connections developed through the last 2 play sessions more then they had through the other rehearsals in the studio. We developed movements of touching our toes to bring me off the chair and being embarrassed by being so close became more emphasised by the delicate touches we now developed together. We where adding to the score that we had already created in the performance, and so Validated and Performed them. This just showed how the RSVP model was still present in force especially for my character even at such a later stage in the whole performance.
In another way my character also developed through the final performances in relation to the main partnerships I had with the two ‘Super men’ Richard and Alex. The three of us grew together in our reactions to people coming into our space over on stage right and also our energy throughout the overall sections of our peripheral work and during the train scene where much higher. Having this heightened energy we where able to express our childishness and united front against others much more effectively. Emotionally and physically my character began to change. I was much more attached to Alex and Richard I wanted to be physically near them so we lay across each other or just hugged, emotionally I would be thinking about them even when I was distracted by something else because I would want them to see what I could see which would excite my character.
This depth I only found once the first show was being prepared for in the warm up and slight play that was conducted. Like these changes at the last minute is similar to Charlotte Vincent from Vincent Dance theatre
‘spends the first leg of any tour tweaking and re-rehearsing the work, to ensure it is the best it can be, and that it is somehow ‘saying’ what it is she wanted to say’
Saying what I want to say with my own character was very important and so these revelations of emotion and physicality where very important even at the end of the shows. As a whole the company went from strength to strength as every character within the ensemble grew and became more comfortable with expressing their characters personal journey to the live audience. Every character had their own personal journey from the writing of the letter to the last three shows, at every point the RSVP model was being used with the build up of our body’s’ physical knowledge from the research stage that benefitted the changes that happened over the final shows, each stage was needed to be reflected on right until the end.
Bibliography
Callery D, (2001) Through the body: a practical guide to physical theatre Nick Hern Books:London
Finnan K, Motionhouse Dance Theatre (2009) [online] [Warwickshire] http://www.motionhouse.co.uk/documents/studentpack_003.pdf [accessed 14/05/09]
Finnan K, Motionhouse Dance Theatre (2009) [online] [Warwickshire] http://www.motionhouse.co.uk/documents/SyndicatedinterviewwithKevinFinnan_002.pdf [accessed 14/05/09]
Vincent Dance Theatre (2008) [online] [Sheffield] http://www.vincentdt.com/faq.html [accessed 14/05/09]
Wednesday 1 April 2009
Anna Efthymiou Blog 3
1.Our main devising method we are using for Porto is RSVP. We began the devising process of Porto at the ‘R’ phase - this stands for research/resource. During this time we learnt the necessities and key techniques that we would need to apply whilst creating a piece of physical theatre. These are varied greatly from skills such as safety and stamina to achieving neutrality, finding our centre and using body memory. We were then introduced to the idea of Porto. I feel this was a good time to introduce the idea to us as if we knew at an earlier stage it may have effected our development as a company and ability to work equally as an ensemble, as characters would have been created to look aesthetically pleasing rather then having a reason behind movements and choices. The research for Porto was highly dependent on open ‘play’ sessions; these enabled us to discover our characters in different ways. The gave us the chance to experiment and find connections with other characters, however there are some characters who do not feel it would be right for them to interact with other characters. The developments throughout the ‘R’ phase were drastic in individual characters, small groups and the ensemble; this became increasingly apparent during the ‘S’ phase. The ‘S’ stands for scoring, this is where all of the ‘research’ created during the first stage begins to take shape and the ‘play’ scenes become more structured. I feel the ‘S’ phase was introduced at an appropriate time for the company and the change in devising methods added another level for us to develop from which was what we needed at that stage.
2.
3. At the beginning of the ‘R’ phase in the devising process I felt that my character would not feel comfortable approaching or confronting another character we spent many hours in ‘play’ developing our characters and discovering any connections. After one of the sessions I realised the reason that I had been struggling, I was thinking what I thought was my characters needs and would want rather then what my character wants, the only way I could discover that would be to allow my character to develop freely without controlling her. Once I had identified that problem I became more willing to let my characters path change slightly, however, it was not until the scoring phase that I began to develop my emotions on a new level and for them to actually start effecting me rather then just my character. I began to want to protect people who seemed timid or scared, it was my characters way of hiding her own upsets, this is what drew me to Laurens character. Once the trio connection between myself Lauren and Edward was discovered I was excited to enter the ‘S’ phase where we would be able to structure the work we had devised so we could begin to work on the emotional intensity with our characters. We have now reached the stage where we have finished structuring it and each time we perform it the emotions change slightly, which I like as it keeps it fresh and will stop us getting into a routine and losing our connections with each other and our own characters.
2.
3. At the beginning of the ‘R’ phase in the devising process I felt that my character would not feel comfortable approaching or confronting another character we spent many hours in ‘play’ developing our characters and discovering any connections. After one of the sessions I realised the reason that I had been struggling, I was thinking what I thought was my characters needs and would want rather then what my character wants, the only way I could discover that would be to allow my character to develop freely without controlling her. Once I had identified that problem I became more willing to let my characters path change slightly, however, it was not until the scoring phase that I began to develop my emotions on a new level and for them to actually start effecting me rather then just my character. I began to want to protect people who seemed timid or scared, it was my characters way of hiding her own upsets, this is what drew me to Laurens character. Once the trio connection between myself Lauren and Edward was discovered I was excited to enter the ‘S’ phase where we would be able to structure the work we had devised so we could begin to work on the emotional intensity with our characters. We have now reached the stage where we have finished structuring it and each time we perform it the emotions change slightly, which I like as it keeps it fresh and will stop us getting into a routine and losing our connections with each other and our own characters.
Amy L James Blog task 3
1.
The phase of ‘research and resource’ was the first part of the journey into creating Porto. The research enabling the performers to involve themselves in the production, by firstly being shown a series of images of a variety of different spaces in which the key word of travel was incorporated enabled the performers to grasp the concept of the piece. After doing a character was able to start developing. In order to entirely connect with this character one must research the depth of the character. ‘One must never be lazy about detail. In the end, it will define the essence of the character’ (Dennis, A., 1995: 31) The research stage is a continuous process through-out the creation of Porto as a character is constantly adapting and developing, giving new rich subtle meanings to the piece.
We have gradually progressed into the ‘scoring’ stage of devising, meaning to structure the piece, much like the term used in music for instance. The technique of improvisational play, a key feature of the genre helped to develop character relationship within the piece, relationships that are still developing as we speak, nothing is ever set in concrete. It is important to note that both these phases will be a continuous process through out the whole of Porto’s journey.
2.
The piece itself will not have an over all narrative as the art of physical theatre rarely has an overall narrative as piece’s within this genre mostly rely on ‘themes’. Our theme concentrates on ‘the liminal space’ and the idea of journeys, baggage and being stuck in limbo as such. The narrative is often left open to the audience’s perspective, to give them the opportunity to use their imagination on how they would perceive the narrative to be. D. Callery explains that the actors are their to engage the audience with the piece by allowing them to use their imagination, ‘ the actor is like the driver of the car that transports the audience somewhere else, somewhere extraordinary’ (Callery, D., 2001: 103) However through out the creation of Porto we do actually see that it does in actual fact convey individual narratives within the piece rather than a whole. Each character has there own story and this is conveyed through their newly developed relationships with others. We now see Porto deal with many situations people are often faced with in every day life, such as rejection, love, and betrayal. The performer’s physicality and use of extra daily movements enabled the piece to portray these more clearly.
3.
My character has grown a substantial amount through the transition of research and resource and the scoring phase as my character is now, although not completely, more defined than when first developed. When developing my character it was all abit vague in terms of what my character strives for and wants. By researching it I came up with the basic skeleton for my character and I thought I knew where I was going with it, but when starting the scoring phase this changed. I learnt new characteristics and physicality’s through the technique of improvisational play. Yoshi Oida and Lorna Marshall explain how you think your character is being open to the audience when in actual fact you find yourself seated with your legs crossed and you arms folded, actually making your character very introverted. It was small physicality’s such as this, that made me aware of my characters feelings and emotions. Through interacting with other characters I started to develop a relationship with one particular character, much like myself. Thos relationship is about rejection and longing to be wanted as such. I really feel the emotion and distress this character is going through, I feel my character is forever progressing and becoming more obvious to an audience.
Bibliography
Callery, D.(2001) Through the body: A Practical Guide to Physical Theatre London: Nick Hern Books Ltd.
Marshall, L. (2001) The Body Speaks: Performance and Expression London: Methuen Publishing Ltd.
Oida, Y. and Marshall, L. (1997) The Invisible Actor London: Methuen Publishing Ltd.
The phase of ‘research and resource’ was the first part of the journey into creating Porto. The research enabling the performers to involve themselves in the production, by firstly being shown a series of images of a variety of different spaces in which the key word of travel was incorporated enabled the performers to grasp the concept of the piece. After doing a character was able to start developing. In order to entirely connect with this character one must research the depth of the character. ‘One must never be lazy about detail. In the end, it will define the essence of the character’ (Dennis, A., 1995: 31) The research stage is a continuous process through-out the creation of Porto as a character is constantly adapting and developing, giving new rich subtle meanings to the piece.
We have gradually progressed into the ‘scoring’ stage of devising, meaning to structure the piece, much like the term used in music for instance. The technique of improvisational play, a key feature of the genre helped to develop character relationship within the piece, relationships that are still developing as we speak, nothing is ever set in concrete. It is important to note that both these phases will be a continuous process through out the whole of Porto’s journey.
2.
The piece itself will not have an over all narrative as the art of physical theatre rarely has an overall narrative as piece’s within this genre mostly rely on ‘themes’. Our theme concentrates on ‘the liminal space’ and the idea of journeys, baggage and being stuck in limbo as such. The narrative is often left open to the audience’s perspective, to give them the opportunity to use their imagination on how they would perceive the narrative to be. D. Callery explains that the actors are their to engage the audience with the piece by allowing them to use their imagination, ‘ the actor is like the driver of the car that transports the audience somewhere else, somewhere extraordinary’ (Callery, D., 2001: 103) However through out the creation of Porto we do actually see that it does in actual fact convey individual narratives within the piece rather than a whole. Each character has there own story and this is conveyed through their newly developed relationships with others. We now see Porto deal with many situations people are often faced with in every day life, such as rejection, love, and betrayal. The performer’s physicality and use of extra daily movements enabled the piece to portray these more clearly.
3.
My character has grown a substantial amount through the transition of research and resource and the scoring phase as my character is now, although not completely, more defined than when first developed. When developing my character it was all abit vague in terms of what my character strives for and wants. By researching it I came up with the basic skeleton for my character and I thought I knew where I was going with it, but when starting the scoring phase this changed. I learnt new characteristics and physicality’s through the technique of improvisational play. Yoshi Oida and Lorna Marshall explain how you think your character is being open to the audience when in actual fact you find yourself seated with your legs crossed and you arms folded, actually making your character very introverted. It was small physicality’s such as this, that made me aware of my characters feelings and emotions. Through interacting with other characters I started to develop a relationship with one particular character, much like myself. Thos relationship is about rejection and longing to be wanted as such. I really feel the emotion and distress this character is going through, I feel my character is forever progressing and becoming more obvious to an audience.
Bibliography
Callery, D.(2001) Through the body: A Practical Guide to Physical Theatre London: Nick Hern Books Ltd.
Marshall, L. (2001) The Body Speaks: Performance and Expression London: Methuen Publishing Ltd.
Oida, Y. and Marshall, L. (1997) The Invisible Actor London: Methuen Publishing Ltd.
Leigh-Anne Gilbert - Assessment Blog 3
1. The ‘R’ phase of devising Porto focused on building characters, drawing upon the physical skills learnt in semester one. We began the ‘R’ phase with the visualisation exercise, which gave us the impulse to travel. From this, each person wrote a letter as his or her character explaining their personal reasons and intentions for leaving, and what they were taking with them. The content of these letters formed the foundations of our characters upon which physicality’s and emotions could be built.
Through the weeks we have sourced material from not only our own pallet of skills, but from the inspiration of outside influences such as the Jasmin Vardimon Company. Like the Jasmin Vardimon Company and how they use the “exposure of human experience” with “social relevance” (http://www.jasminvardimon.com/about.html) we draw upon our own life experiences to shape our characters as ‘extensions of ourselves’.
The creation of Porto has now moved onto the ‘S’ phase and as music is added, each character and interaction appears to have more emotional depth. Music has the ability to change how a person feels, or bring out overwhelming emotions that one would not normally show. The Richard Alston Dance Company state that “Music plays a vital part in the Company’s identity” (http://www.theplace.org.uk/461/welcome/richard-alston-dance-company.html) This can be said of individual characters in Porto, as when a music touches someone and a connection is made, they are far more able to express individuality.
2. Now that Porto is starting to be scored there is a clear narrative emerging. Each section has been progressing separately but now they are beginning to be put together to add structure to the overall piece. Music often creates images in peoples imaginations, and being put alongside physical gesture, it is easy to see that individual stories will be made in the eye of the spectator. In the end it is up to the audience to decode each element of performance and place upon it their own narrative: “…the audience constantly creates interpretations about what it is seeing… Everything the actor does is observed, and a meaning is constructed for the action.” (Marshall, L., 2002. p185) This can only be done if they are able to connect and relate to what is happening on stage.
The fact that Porto is a liminal space of completely separate characters, the audience can choose whom to follow. They can watch them interact and change, seeing their whole journey. As far as an overall narrative is concerned, I think that the music and the movement together will emphasise even more that everyone is individual and react different to different situations. This is mimicking real life, and should make the audience be able to relate easier when they recognise something of themselves.
3. As we have moved through the ‘R’ phase to the ‘S’ phase of the process, a new dimension has emerged within my character and her emotional intensity has been building. Since the addition of the music to our work I have found that, although my movements are not necessarily being influenced by the music, there is a deeper level of emotion that comes through. In the ‘R’ phase of the process we mainly worked on the physicality of the piece. The ‘S’ phase adds a new layer and gives way to internal feelings being communicated, perhaps involuntarily.
“The art of creating believable characters lies in never quite knowing who they are… You can only remain responsive to the possibilities of what they might be.” (Callery, D., 2001, p211)
Through the process of creating Porto I have never known how my character will react to others and the actions going on around her, and I believe this is what has made my character more tangible, particularly emotionally. At the beginning of the ‘R’ phase my character did not have the willingness to interact, but since the ‘S’ phase has begun and I have seen relationships develop through my characters eyes, there is now a desire to attach myself to someone just for the feeling of being wanted.
Bibliography:
Callery, D., (2001) Through the Body: A Practical Guide to Physical Theatre. London: Routledge
Marshall, L., Oida, Y., (2002) The Body Speaks. USA: Palgrave Macmillan
Jasmin Vardimon Company (About Us) [online]. [cited 31st March 2009] Available from:
The Place (Richard Alston Dance Company) [online]. [cited 30th March 2009] Available from:
Through the weeks we have sourced material from not only our own pallet of skills, but from the inspiration of outside influences such as the Jasmin Vardimon Company. Like the Jasmin Vardimon Company and how they use the “exposure of human experience” with “social relevance” (http://www.jasminvardimon.com/about.html) we draw upon our own life experiences to shape our characters as ‘extensions of ourselves’.
The creation of Porto has now moved onto the ‘S’ phase and as music is added, each character and interaction appears to have more emotional depth. Music has the ability to change how a person feels, or bring out overwhelming emotions that one would not normally show. The Richard Alston Dance Company state that “Music plays a vital part in the Company’s identity” (http://www.theplace.org.uk/461/welcome/richard-alston-dance-company.html) This can be said of individual characters in Porto, as when a music touches someone and a connection is made, they are far more able to express individuality.
2. Now that Porto is starting to be scored there is a clear narrative emerging. Each section has been progressing separately but now they are beginning to be put together to add structure to the overall piece. Music often creates images in peoples imaginations, and being put alongside physical gesture, it is easy to see that individual stories will be made in the eye of the spectator. In the end it is up to the audience to decode each element of performance and place upon it their own narrative: “…the audience constantly creates interpretations about what it is seeing… Everything the actor does is observed, and a meaning is constructed for the action.” (Marshall, L., 2002. p185) This can only be done if they are able to connect and relate to what is happening on stage.
The fact that Porto is a liminal space of completely separate characters, the audience can choose whom to follow. They can watch them interact and change, seeing their whole journey. As far as an overall narrative is concerned, I think that the music and the movement together will emphasise even more that everyone is individual and react different to different situations. This is mimicking real life, and should make the audience be able to relate easier when they recognise something of themselves.
3. As we have moved through the ‘R’ phase to the ‘S’ phase of the process, a new dimension has emerged within my character and her emotional intensity has been building. Since the addition of the music to our work I have found that, although my movements are not necessarily being influenced by the music, there is a deeper level of emotion that comes through. In the ‘R’ phase of the process we mainly worked on the physicality of the piece. The ‘S’ phase adds a new layer and gives way to internal feelings being communicated, perhaps involuntarily.
“The art of creating believable characters lies in never quite knowing who they are… You can only remain responsive to the possibilities of what they might be.” (Callery, D., 2001, p211)
Through the process of creating Porto I have never known how my character will react to others and the actions going on around her, and I believe this is what has made my character more tangible, particularly emotionally. At the beginning of the ‘R’ phase my character did not have the willingness to interact, but since the ‘S’ phase has begun and I have seen relationships develop through my characters eyes, there is now a desire to attach myself to someone just for the feeling of being wanted.
Bibliography:
Callery, D., (2001) Through the Body: A Practical Guide to Physical Theatre. London: Routledge
Marshall, L., Oida, Y., (2002) The Body Speaks. USA: Palgrave Macmillan
Jasmin Vardimon Company (About Us) [online]. [cited 31st March 2009] Available from:
The Place (Richard Alston Dance Company) [online]. [cited 30th March 2009] Available from:
Elizabeth Payne - Blog Task 3
1. Rules are needed to create any form of theatre be it scripted or devised. They help structure and create not necessarily restrict what is developing. For Porto the scheme of RSVP has been used which is Research, Score, Validate and Performance
’ Central to the devising process is the creation of performance personas who will inhabit the stage world and give rise to its action’ (Oddey: 1996: 92)
This is in essence the research stage of the creation of Porto. Each performer as now created their character using their bodies and arsenal of techniques that where learnt, and now occupies the world of the stage and Porto in their own way. Each character has developed relationships with other characters as well as each performer discovering more depth about their character. As rehearsals have continues Porto is entering and developing the score stage of the process. This scoring can now only happen as all of the performers have found a comfortable existence and relationships with others in the world. Scoring is the editing and ordering of the sections that have been created. To do this less play will happen amongst the characters, even though there is always room for development and change, but more structuring of the performance.
2. Now the scoring process has begun and all of the material has been created for Porto, even though some may still change, it is evident that some individual stories that have developed are now being arranged into a narrative.
‘Story is the raw material of the events, narration is the way those events are organised’ (Callery: 2001: 185)
Though they are not necessarily lineal and do not relate to each other the obvious narratives of Nicola and Jay and Blake and Amy do express the underlying idea behind Porto of it being the place between the beginning and end of journey an that we are all stuck. To concentrate on one, Nicola and Jay’s relationship; Nicola struggles with herself and Jay attempts to protect her from anyone else such as Gavin who gets pushed away when he rests his head on her. Later we see Jay attempting to free Nicola from her hood by pulling it down only for her to be stared at by the other performers, to this Jay’s impulse is to protect her again. This then leads to the ending of the performance and the escape from Porto. There are many other narratives being conducted in Porto, each of which can be decoded by the audience as they please and with scoring these smaller narratives will become greater in the environment of Porto.
3. My own character has changed and developed considerably, most of which has happened towards the end of the research phase of the work. My character still relates to the item in her bag but is no longer alone. For the majority of the development of Porto she was alone until other happy characters emerged from the group. She felt like she could not relate or create a relationship with the sad characters as she didn’t have the impulse to help or care just to watch from a distance and stay away from situations even though she is very curious. From the outset my character was curios as to what was out there but did not fear it. This comes from the initial letter writing task. Physically my character has become more dependant on my two friends, as they are seen, Alex and Richard. We lean on each other and are dedicated to being within the three and when this is threatened of being split, with my character going away with Luke, she gets dragged back into the group. Only with scoring Porto has a narrative for my character developed, she now has and feels a close relationship that she didn’t have through most of the process.
Bibliography
Oddey, A, 1996 Devising Theatre: A Practical and Theoretical Handbook Routledge; London
Callery D 2001 Through The Body Nick Hern Books: London
’ Central to the devising process is the creation of performance personas who will inhabit the stage world and give rise to its action’ (Oddey: 1996: 92)
This is in essence the research stage of the creation of Porto. Each performer as now created their character using their bodies and arsenal of techniques that where learnt, and now occupies the world of the stage and Porto in their own way. Each character has developed relationships with other characters as well as each performer discovering more depth about their character. As rehearsals have continues Porto is entering and developing the score stage of the process. This scoring can now only happen as all of the performers have found a comfortable existence and relationships with others in the world. Scoring is the editing and ordering of the sections that have been created. To do this less play will happen amongst the characters, even though there is always room for development and change, but more structuring of the performance.
2. Now the scoring process has begun and all of the material has been created for Porto, even though some may still change, it is evident that some individual stories that have developed are now being arranged into a narrative.
‘Story is the raw material of the events, narration is the way those events are organised’ (Callery: 2001: 185)
Though they are not necessarily lineal and do not relate to each other the obvious narratives of Nicola and Jay and Blake and Amy do express the underlying idea behind Porto of it being the place between the beginning and end of journey an that we are all stuck. To concentrate on one, Nicola and Jay’s relationship; Nicola struggles with herself and Jay attempts to protect her from anyone else such as Gavin who gets pushed away when he rests his head on her. Later we see Jay attempting to free Nicola from her hood by pulling it down only for her to be stared at by the other performers, to this Jay’s impulse is to protect her again. This then leads to the ending of the performance and the escape from Porto. There are many other narratives being conducted in Porto, each of which can be decoded by the audience as they please and with scoring these smaller narratives will become greater in the environment of Porto.
3. My own character has changed and developed considerably, most of which has happened towards the end of the research phase of the work. My character still relates to the item in her bag but is no longer alone. For the majority of the development of Porto she was alone until other happy characters emerged from the group. She felt like she could not relate or create a relationship with the sad characters as she didn’t have the impulse to help or care just to watch from a distance and stay away from situations even though she is very curious. From the outset my character was curios as to what was out there but did not fear it. This comes from the initial letter writing task. Physically my character has become more dependant on my two friends, as they are seen, Alex and Richard. We lean on each other and are dedicated to being within the three and when this is threatened of being split, with my character going away with Luke, she gets dragged back into the group. Only with scoring Porto has a narrative for my character developed, she now has and feels a close relationship that she didn’t have through most of the process.
Bibliography
Oddey, A, 1996 Devising Theatre: A Practical and Theoretical Handbook Routledge; London
Callery D 2001 Through The Body Nick Hern Books: London
Gavin Thatcher - Blog Task 3
1.
The research/resource phase of the devising process is the component that allows performers to explore interactions with each other. It is a reductive process which begins with open play. The open play is a time where connections are made within the ensemble and the foundations of relationships are formed. Those interactions are then developed during more focused play sessions and choices are made. As is the nature of the work, all interactions are developed out of emotional impulse.
The scoring phase is similar to a musical score in the sense that it is a structuring of material. Interactions and moments are layered and sectioned to construct the shape of the piece in it’s entirety. The scoring is mostly lead by the outside eyes who collate the material. It is important to note that at this phase of the process the structure is subject to change.
The research phase of Porto has now developed into the score stage. The play sessions have become more structured as the interactions are pinned down. The rehearsal sessions have also changed in their structure. The ensemble are now beginning to rehearse collectively and working the through the skeletal ensemble journey, with the smaller sections slowly being introduced.
2.
“Then the audience takes over. Out of what we offer them, they create meaning and interpretation.” (Marshall, L. - Pg 209)
Porto is a liminal space which individuals are forced to share with each other. The work having been developed from organic play means that it was not constructed with a set narrative as in text based theatre. However, the nature of the concept invited this new community to interact (or not as the case may be) in some way. As Marshall suggests, as performers and performance-makers we create performance offerings for an audience to engage with. The narratives that are interpreted by the audience are subject to their contextual background. With the ensemble inhabiting the stage for the full length of the performance this allows the audience to select which characters to follow. This could mean that besides contextual elements, the way the audience engage with the different characters will irrevocably mean that different audience members will take away different narratives.
There is, however, a clearly defined and linear structure. It could be argued that Porto is in itself a durational performance as the audience are also in a liminal space (in this case The Arena) where they will encounter things that will effect them and possibly change them in some way before they leave, paralleling the way that the performers exist in and are effected in the space.
3.
“You can make a choice with a story, a scenario, a scene, a situation, or even a single action.” (Wright, J. - Pg 163)
Although John Wright is not necessarily from the same area of physical theatre as Porto the method he uses to generate material is through play and impulses which are then refined and structured.
My character has undergone various changes throughout the devising process, specifically between the shift from the ‘R’ into the ‘S’ phase. The research element of the process allowed me to explore a range of physical impulses for the character. Now that choices are being made I have been able to develop character motifs and make the character’s physicality more identifiable to the audience.
The development in physicality has not only been restricted to the character as an isolated entity. Instead it has effected the physical interplay between the two other characters that I engage with. There is now a clear physical difference between the two relationships.
Aside from these conscious decisions, the ankle injury that I sustained proved to have some positive impact on the character. It allowed me to experience the frustration of not being able to engage with the work for a week. I was able to transpose these feelings and physical manifestations to the relationship that had developed between Amy and myself. This development in relationship with Amy has had almost a symbiotic effect on the relationship with Sarah. The liberation I experience when I encounter Sarah’s character and she frees me from my unwanted ties with Amy’s character.
Marshall, L. (2008) The Body Speaks London : Methuen Drama
Wright, J. (2006) Why Is That So Funny London : Nick Hern Books Limited
The research/resource phase of the devising process is the component that allows performers to explore interactions with each other. It is a reductive process which begins with open play. The open play is a time where connections are made within the ensemble and the foundations of relationships are formed. Those interactions are then developed during more focused play sessions and choices are made. As is the nature of the work, all interactions are developed out of emotional impulse.
The scoring phase is similar to a musical score in the sense that it is a structuring of material. Interactions and moments are layered and sectioned to construct the shape of the piece in it’s entirety. The scoring is mostly lead by the outside eyes who collate the material. It is important to note that at this phase of the process the structure is subject to change.
The research phase of Porto has now developed into the score stage. The play sessions have become more structured as the interactions are pinned down. The rehearsal sessions have also changed in their structure. The ensemble are now beginning to rehearse collectively and working the through the skeletal ensemble journey, with the smaller sections slowly being introduced.
2.
“Then the audience takes over. Out of what we offer them, they create meaning and interpretation.” (Marshall, L. - Pg 209)
Porto is a liminal space which individuals are forced to share with each other. The work having been developed from organic play means that it was not constructed with a set narrative as in text based theatre. However, the nature of the concept invited this new community to interact (or not as the case may be) in some way. As Marshall suggests, as performers and performance-makers we create performance offerings for an audience to engage with. The narratives that are interpreted by the audience are subject to their contextual background. With the ensemble inhabiting the stage for the full length of the performance this allows the audience to select which characters to follow. This could mean that besides contextual elements, the way the audience engage with the different characters will irrevocably mean that different audience members will take away different narratives.
There is, however, a clearly defined and linear structure. It could be argued that Porto is in itself a durational performance as the audience are also in a liminal space (in this case The Arena) where they will encounter things that will effect them and possibly change them in some way before they leave, paralleling the way that the performers exist in and are effected in the space.
3.
“You can make a choice with a story, a scenario, a scene, a situation, or even a single action.” (Wright, J. - Pg 163)
Although John Wright is not necessarily from the same area of physical theatre as Porto the method he uses to generate material is through play and impulses which are then refined and structured.
My character has undergone various changes throughout the devising process, specifically between the shift from the ‘R’ into the ‘S’ phase. The research element of the process allowed me to explore a range of physical impulses for the character. Now that choices are being made I have been able to develop character motifs and make the character’s physicality more identifiable to the audience.
The development in physicality has not only been restricted to the character as an isolated entity. Instead it has effected the physical interplay between the two other characters that I engage with. There is now a clear physical difference between the two relationships.
Aside from these conscious decisions, the ankle injury that I sustained proved to have some positive impact on the character. It allowed me to experience the frustration of not being able to engage with the work for a week. I was able to transpose these feelings and physical manifestations to the relationship that had developed between Amy and myself. This development in relationship with Amy has had almost a symbiotic effect on the relationship with Sarah. The liberation I experience when I encounter Sarah’s character and she frees me from my unwanted ties with Amy’s character.
Marshall, L. (2008) The Body Speaks London : Methuen Drama
Wright, J. (2006) Why Is That So Funny London : Nick Hern Books Limited
Nicola Wilson - Online Task 3
1. In the beginning we were a group of what Etienne Decroux calls ‘living immobilities’. We were neutral bodies, ready to act and play, ready to make the theatre space come alive, about to start ‘a creative partnership in authoring the emergent theatre piece in question.’ (2007: 17) During the research and resource phase the emphasis was on creating material, experimenting with the given concept and developing your character. Dymphna Callery states ‘the process begins with generating visual material: characters, action, images, all from physical improvisation.’ (2001: 172) However, it soon became apparent that these physical improvisations needed documenting. It became an important to distinguish between useful somatic impulses that could be used as a potential narrative to those that although organic, could not relate to the desired plot. Physical Theatres: A Critical Introduction further comments ‘It follows that as soon as a good moment is found or inspired, and then repeated or used again, it is no longer improvised – it has taken on a degree of being ‘fixed’.’(2007: 180) Rehearsals for Porto slowly moved away from play and experimentation into being ‘fixed’ (scored) and although it is possible for something still to change, as the story is ‘fixed’ so are the physical movements that created it.
2. With forty very different characters occupying the space, there becomes a vast amount of intricate narratives happening simultaneously, but one binding narrative is that all these individualities are in the same liminal space at the same time. Our narrative is very similar to Pina Bausch’s Café Müller. Emphasis in this piece lies on ‘…how they enter and take or do not take the space and each other in this ubiquitous deserted café. Though populated by these characters, it appears deserted because it seems like these shadowy figures are figments of the imagination. They seem to populate an after hours space, to meet and unravel their own plots amongst themselves.’ (2002: 123) This statement carries veracity to the ensemble in Porto, although our space is far more equivocal than that of the café in Bausch’s piece. The plots that have begun to unravel vary from silent arguments over possessions to deep, emotional connections that lie within a photograph. Aside from this unit of people seem to be two people who are secernate, one who feels they have to leave the space and one that feels they have to stay. These two characters disrupt the ensemble, usually in a disturbing manner to which each character gives their appropriate response.
3. Yoshi Oida talks about finding the ‘details’ for your character, those extra elements that really embody the emotions you want to portray. He says you have to be ‘very exact and honest about what you feel. It is no good finding the body position that feels ‘sort of’ correct. You must find the precise physical detail that is clearly and strongly linked to the emotion of the moment. Once you have found all the essential shapes, you can link them to form a kind of ‘map’ of the emotional journey. But you need to take the time to find the right details, in order to create the right ‘map’.’ (1997: 70) By using this paradigm for transition, it is the tiny added details such as well how are my hands distressed? How is my spine coping with this pressure, how is my torso, my head? This provided the tangibility for my character, heightening the physical and emotional content of her journey. The research phase took her through being reticent, scared, exhausted, angry and now that her narrative is being scored, there is sense of embodying all of these to finalise her personality for Porto.
Bibliography
Callery, D., 2001. Through The Body: A Practical Guide To Physical Theatre, London: Nick Hern Books Limited
Keefe, J & S Murray., 2007. Physical Theatres: A Critical Introduction, London: Routledge
Keefe, J & S Murray., 2007, Physical Theatres: A Critical Reader, London: Routledge
Mulrooney, D., 2002. Orientalism, Orientation, and the Nomadic Work of Pina Bausch, Berlin: Peter Lang
Oida, Y & Marshall, L., 1997. The Invisible Actor, London: Methuen
2. With forty very different characters occupying the space, there becomes a vast amount of intricate narratives happening simultaneously, but one binding narrative is that all these individualities are in the same liminal space at the same time. Our narrative is very similar to Pina Bausch’s Café Müller. Emphasis in this piece lies on ‘…how they enter and take or do not take the space and each other in this ubiquitous deserted café. Though populated by these characters, it appears deserted because it seems like these shadowy figures are figments of the imagination. They seem to populate an after hours space, to meet and unravel their own plots amongst themselves.’ (2002: 123) This statement carries veracity to the ensemble in Porto, although our space is far more equivocal than that of the café in Bausch’s piece. The plots that have begun to unravel vary from silent arguments over possessions to deep, emotional connections that lie within a photograph. Aside from this unit of people seem to be two people who are secernate, one who feels they have to leave the space and one that feels they have to stay. These two characters disrupt the ensemble, usually in a disturbing manner to which each character gives their appropriate response.
3. Yoshi Oida talks about finding the ‘details’ for your character, those extra elements that really embody the emotions you want to portray. He says you have to be ‘very exact and honest about what you feel. It is no good finding the body position that feels ‘sort of’ correct. You must find the precise physical detail that is clearly and strongly linked to the emotion of the moment. Once you have found all the essential shapes, you can link them to form a kind of ‘map’ of the emotional journey. But you need to take the time to find the right details, in order to create the right ‘map’.’ (1997: 70) By using this paradigm for transition, it is the tiny added details such as well how are my hands distressed? How is my spine coping with this pressure, how is my torso, my head? This provided the tangibility for my character, heightening the physical and emotional content of her journey. The research phase took her through being reticent, scared, exhausted, angry and now that her narrative is being scored, there is sense of embodying all of these to finalise her personality for Porto.
Bibliography
Callery, D., 2001. Through The Body: A Practical Guide To Physical Theatre, London: Nick Hern Books Limited
Keefe, J & S Murray., 2007. Physical Theatres: A Critical Introduction, London: Routledge
Keefe, J & S Murray., 2007, Physical Theatres: A Critical Reader, London: Routledge
Mulrooney, D., 2002. Orientalism, Orientation, and the Nomadic Work of Pina Bausch, Berlin: Peter Lang
Oida, Y & Marshall, L., 1997. The Invisible Actor, London: Methuen
Tuesday 31 March 2009
Ellen Marshall Blog Task 3
1.
When devising any form of theatre a structure is needed, in the case of Porto we have worked on the RSVP system. The first two letters stand for Research and Scoring, the research part can be the exploration of ones bodies in the physical genre. As research is partly the creation of the given circumstances it is something that will continue throughout the process as our characters are forever changing and everyday experiences may become a stimulus for new ideas.
‘By given circumstances we mean time, place, characters, situation, décor, music, costumes and props etc.’… ‘If one changes only one of the given circumstances, the entire story is changed.’ (Newlove, 1993. p118/9)
How ever it is clear when in rehearsals that the scoring has become the prime phase. The piece is forming into a more linear structure but this does not mean that the sections will not change, like Newlove states any one thing could change the entire piece and its meaning. If you take the research as the back bone of the performance e.g. the idea Blake can’t leave then the score would be the relationships in which his character devolves and the journey he goes on making the body to the back bone.
2.
As the scoring has progressed there is less need for research in the form of play as each character has more of an objective. Not only is this so for each character but it is also the case for the whole ensemble. Each character is trapped between two points and the narrative is the journeys and friendships created from one point to the next. The depth of these relationships and journeys are so encoded that although the performer and as an ensemble have their own meanings behind each movement the audience could decode it in a more metophical way.
‘It is impossible for any theatre piece not to convey meaning – intended or otherwise – thought the bodies of the actors. As spectators we construct meaning through all the senses even in a conventional play.’ … ‘The conventions of realism and naturalism… all make a highly significant contribution to the audiences understanding of both the particularities of characters and the overall narrative of the piece.’ (Murray and Keefe, 2007. p92)
Scoring the performance with so many different characters involved mean that there will be lots of narratives and perhaps some running at the same time as others, so at this stage it would be hard to give a straight forward answer to a narrative and the structure is always at risk of changing.
3.
When starting the research I had a clear idea of whom my character would be and the journey she would try to achieve. This mainly came from the first session of Porto when we were told to envision a bag and an item I knew then that I wanted my character to be attached to the item in her bag. The first week devising Porto I had an empty envelope in my bag, my character had no urgency to keep this bag on her person so the next week I put something in the envelope that personally I wouldn’t want anyone to see. By taking this risk I gained a greater understanding of how my character would be and it gave each action more of a purpose. Like I mentioned before this to me is the back bone of my character, the relationship my character has developed with Mikeys character is the body of my piece it is through scoring this relationship that my character has become more apparent.
‘…Practices involve an initial period of the creative development of ideas first in the studio, improvisation of some for is that part of the devising process.’ (Heddon and Milling. 2006. p9)
The Heddon and Milling quote underlines the initial stages of process, the fact that my character is now so much more developed suggests that I am passed stage ‘R’ and now scoring.
Bibliography
Heddon, D and Milling, J. (2006) Devising Performances A Critical History. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillian.
Murray, S and Keefe, J. (2007) Physical Theatres: A Critical Introduction. Oxon: Routledge.
Newlove, J. (1993) Laban for Actors and Dancers. London: Nick Hern Books.
When devising any form of theatre a structure is needed, in the case of Porto we have worked on the RSVP system. The first two letters stand for Research and Scoring, the research part can be the exploration of ones bodies in the physical genre. As research is partly the creation of the given circumstances it is something that will continue throughout the process as our characters are forever changing and everyday experiences may become a stimulus for new ideas.
‘By given circumstances we mean time, place, characters, situation, décor, music, costumes and props etc.’… ‘If one changes only one of the given circumstances, the entire story is changed.’ (Newlove, 1993. p118/9)
How ever it is clear when in rehearsals that the scoring has become the prime phase. The piece is forming into a more linear structure but this does not mean that the sections will not change, like Newlove states any one thing could change the entire piece and its meaning. If you take the research as the back bone of the performance e.g. the idea Blake can’t leave then the score would be the relationships in which his character devolves and the journey he goes on making the body to the back bone.
2.
As the scoring has progressed there is less need for research in the form of play as each character has more of an objective. Not only is this so for each character but it is also the case for the whole ensemble. Each character is trapped between two points and the narrative is the journeys and friendships created from one point to the next. The depth of these relationships and journeys are so encoded that although the performer and as an ensemble have their own meanings behind each movement the audience could decode it in a more metophical way.
‘It is impossible for any theatre piece not to convey meaning – intended or otherwise – thought the bodies of the actors. As spectators we construct meaning through all the senses even in a conventional play.’ … ‘The conventions of realism and naturalism… all make a highly significant contribution to the audiences understanding of both the particularities of characters and the overall narrative of the piece.’ (Murray and Keefe, 2007. p92)
Scoring the performance with so many different characters involved mean that there will be lots of narratives and perhaps some running at the same time as others, so at this stage it would be hard to give a straight forward answer to a narrative and the structure is always at risk of changing.
3.
When starting the research I had a clear idea of whom my character would be and the journey she would try to achieve. This mainly came from the first session of Porto when we were told to envision a bag and an item I knew then that I wanted my character to be attached to the item in her bag. The first week devising Porto I had an empty envelope in my bag, my character had no urgency to keep this bag on her person so the next week I put something in the envelope that personally I wouldn’t want anyone to see. By taking this risk I gained a greater understanding of how my character would be and it gave each action more of a purpose. Like I mentioned before this to me is the back bone of my character, the relationship my character has developed with Mikeys character is the body of my piece it is through scoring this relationship that my character has become more apparent.
‘…Practices involve an initial period of the creative development of ideas first in the studio, improvisation of some for is that part of the devising process.’ (Heddon and Milling. 2006. p9)
The Heddon and Milling quote underlines the initial stages of process, the fact that my character is now so much more developed suggests that I am passed stage ‘R’ and now scoring.
Bibliography
Heddon, D and Milling, J. (2006) Devising Performances A Critical History. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillian.
Murray, S and Keefe, J. (2007) Physical Theatres: A Critical Introduction. Oxon: Routledge.
Newlove, J. (1993) Laban for Actors and Dancers. London: Nick Hern Books.
Wednesday 11 March 2009
Blog 2.
1.The main technique used when creating Porto is the one of impulse and response. Each characters movements and gestures are all created through impulses, ‘all of us are in a constant state of impulse and response’ (Marshall, L., 2001, pg32) . The creation of Porto has helped the performers in ‘discovering their somatic impulses, and developing a physical articulation of the imagination’ (Callery, D., 2001, pg163). One key strategy used in terms of development of a character is the neutral roll. First, stood in a neutral stance, one rolls their body down to the floor and then slowly rolls it back up each vertebrate at a time, gradually exposing their characters physicality. Now the performers are completely absorbed by their characters, physically and mentally, they are given the chance to interact and respond on impulse with the other characters in the space. This technique being ‘contact improvisation’, used by theatre companies such as DV8. Contact improvisation is effective due to it allowing the performers to give the piece narrative through creating a language controlled by movements and physicality, as appose to verbally. This technique has been a vital part in Porto’s development in terms of creating relationships within the ensemble, giving the piece structure and inspiration.
2.My personal character has grown a considerable amount since the beginning of the devising process. My character is based on feelings rather than an actual person so it was difficult to show mental feelings through the body. My character is not yet completely refined as it is constantly changing after every session. Anne Dennis explains ‘comprehension of a character must begin from an understanding of his everyday life. Its development will depend on where the character, in the piece, is heading.’ (Dennis A., 2002, pg47). Beginning to understand the everyday life of my character helped me to create its physicality and retain it. As the weeks pass I find myself exaggerating my movements a lot more and making them larger. When first starting Porto my character felt very enclosed and isolated, which was shown through my gesture and facial expression at a naturalistic level. After every session I have found my character still showing that emotion but on a different scale, I have now taken that naturalism and enlarged it, allowing it to be more clear and obvious towards an audience. My character has also developed a kind of relationship with a quite dismissive character leaving her to sometimes feel a little alone, which is truly fitting to my characters feelings at this time.
3.‘ If your body does not truly reflect the world of the performance and the complexity of the people and ideas in that world, the audience cannot experience it.’ (Marshall, L. 2001, pg9) My characters body language is introverted. I show this by my arms always being close to my body and often gripping each other. My posture is slouched slightly, shoulders forward and raised up towards my neck. My head often facing down, as if gravity is taking over the whole of my upper body. This gives the impression of insecurity and loneliness to an audience. My character has a tendency to avoid eye contact with other characters in case of confrontation. My weight constantly shifting from one foot to another, showing the instability of my character. My right hand repeatedly feels the back of my neck giving a slight impression of frustration and embarrassment. The pace in which I move varies, if I can avoid moving I will. This is because my character simply doesn’t know where to go, she doesn’t fit in with anyone, she has no confidence to speak to anyone and she’s afraid of rejection, so the most safest thing to do for her is to stay in one place.
Bibliography
Callery D. (2001) Through the body: A Practical Guide to Physical Theatre. London: Nick Hern Books Ltd.
Dennis A. (2002) The Articulate Body: The Physical Training of the Actor. London: Nick Hern Books Ltd.
Marshall L. (2001) The Body Speaks. London: Methuen Publishing Ltd.
2.My personal character has grown a considerable amount since the beginning of the devising process. My character is based on feelings rather than an actual person so it was difficult to show mental feelings through the body. My character is not yet completely refined as it is constantly changing after every session. Anne Dennis explains ‘comprehension of a character must begin from an understanding of his everyday life. Its development will depend on where the character, in the piece, is heading.’ (Dennis A., 2002, pg47). Beginning to understand the everyday life of my character helped me to create its physicality and retain it. As the weeks pass I find myself exaggerating my movements a lot more and making them larger. When first starting Porto my character felt very enclosed and isolated, which was shown through my gesture and facial expression at a naturalistic level. After every session I have found my character still showing that emotion but on a different scale, I have now taken that naturalism and enlarged it, allowing it to be more clear and obvious towards an audience. My character has also developed a kind of relationship with a quite dismissive character leaving her to sometimes feel a little alone, which is truly fitting to my characters feelings at this time.
3.‘ If your body does not truly reflect the world of the performance and the complexity of the people and ideas in that world, the audience cannot experience it.’ (Marshall, L. 2001, pg9) My characters body language is introverted. I show this by my arms always being close to my body and often gripping each other. My posture is slouched slightly, shoulders forward and raised up towards my neck. My head often facing down, as if gravity is taking over the whole of my upper body. This gives the impression of insecurity and loneliness to an audience. My character has a tendency to avoid eye contact with other characters in case of confrontation. My weight constantly shifting from one foot to another, showing the instability of my character. My right hand repeatedly feels the back of my neck giving a slight impression of frustration and embarrassment. The pace in which I move varies, if I can avoid moving I will. This is because my character simply doesn’t know where to go, she doesn’t fit in with anyone, she has no confidence to speak to anyone and she’s afraid of rejection, so the most safest thing to do for her is to stay in one place.
Bibliography
Callery D. (2001) Through the body: A Practical Guide to Physical Theatre. London: Nick Hern Books Ltd.
Dennis A. (2002) The Articulate Body: The Physical Training of the Actor. London: Nick Hern Books Ltd.
Marshall L. (2001) The Body Speaks. London: Methuen Publishing Ltd.
Nicols Wilson Blog Asessment 2
1. With our mouths closed, the voice redundant, many would have been incredulous in thinking that any work could be devised at all. However, one of the key elements to our creative process is what Dymphna Callery states as ‘discovering their somatic impulses and developing a physical articulation of the imagination.’ (2001, pg 163) We create work through play, listening and responding to what the body is organically wanting to communicate. Although, as mentioned in the book ‘The Invisible Actor’, ‘listening to the body requires training since it isn’t the same as ‘doing whatever you want’. As an ensemble we have antecedent ‘training’ which has built up a shared physical vocabulary within the whole group meaning that in the last five weeks we have been producing work very quickly. This collective training has in no way stifled our individuality though and for Porto, even though each action may be the same during the ensemble piece, the emotional context and story behind the gesticulation inevitably varies from character to character. The training just gave the fundamentals, it is up to the individual to give it that emotional layer and allow their character to grow through the physical improvisation sessions.
2. ‘The character I want to contribute to Porto is someone who is in a massive state of distress in the current place she’s in and just wants to leave straight away.’ This is how it started, with these exact words. Through developing this character, I think it was important to note and not shy away from the real extent of how distressed she was feeling. This quote, ‘the basis of the actor’s craft is to reflect through his physicality all that is happening inside: to make the invisible visible’ (2002, pg 19) relates to my character, that her painful emotions on the inside had to become real through raw physical movement on the outside. During this process, I really began to feel what Yoshi Oida talks about when he says ‘you begin noticing how even tiny physical changes can affect your inner states.’ The fact that my face is covered means that it is only my body that I have to convey what I feel. Everything felt like a struggle for my character anyway, so by taking away her sight and even small things like covering up her hands, affects her inner state even more so. She’s still working through that inner state now and is likely to d so throughout the entirety of Porto.
3. ‘A character’s physicality is not merely a question of a walk or how the arms are dangled. It is not enough to give the character a limp or other physical change. The actor must recreate the physical feeling of his character’s specific [limp], which is the result of a specific body under specific social and emotional circumstances.’ This is a quote from Anne Dennis, The Articulate Body and is very relevant my character. To find my physicality I had look at what emotional and social circumstances were in place. By doing this, the emotional burden I was carrying became a physical one. I made it difficult for this character to walk, having the spine completely bent over so it became a struggle to lift my legs. Due to the character’s distressed circumstance, the body is in a constant state of motion, swaying, grabbing at clothes, clenched fists hitting the bag or hitting one’s self until she becomes exhausted of her emotional state. This filters through the entire body, leaving her weak, her physicality is now more like a dead weight, lifeless. As Lorna Marshall states ‘It is not enough to mentally comprehend a character or situation, we must embody it.’ (2001, pg 163)
Bibliography
Callery, D., 2001. Through The Body: A Practical Guide To Physical Theatre, London: Nick Hern Books Limited
Dennis, A., 2002. The Articulate Body: The Physical Training of the Actor. London: Nick Hern Books Limited
Marshall, L., 2001. The Body Speaks: Performance and Expression, London: Methuen
Oida, Y & Marshall, L., 1997. The Invisible Actor, London: Methuen
2. ‘The character I want to contribute to Porto is someone who is in a massive state of distress in the current place she’s in and just wants to leave straight away.’ This is how it started, with these exact words. Through developing this character, I think it was important to note and not shy away from the real extent of how distressed she was feeling. This quote, ‘the basis of the actor’s craft is to reflect through his physicality all that is happening inside: to make the invisible visible’ (2002, pg 19) relates to my character, that her painful emotions on the inside had to become real through raw physical movement on the outside. During this process, I really began to feel what Yoshi Oida talks about when he says ‘you begin noticing how even tiny physical changes can affect your inner states.’ The fact that my face is covered means that it is only my body that I have to convey what I feel. Everything felt like a struggle for my character anyway, so by taking away her sight and even small things like covering up her hands, affects her inner state even more so. She’s still working through that inner state now and is likely to d so throughout the entirety of Porto.
3. ‘A character’s physicality is not merely a question of a walk or how the arms are dangled. It is not enough to give the character a limp or other physical change. The actor must recreate the physical feeling of his character’s specific [limp], which is the result of a specific body under specific social and emotional circumstances.’ This is a quote from Anne Dennis, The Articulate Body and is very relevant my character. To find my physicality I had look at what emotional and social circumstances were in place. By doing this, the emotional burden I was carrying became a physical one. I made it difficult for this character to walk, having the spine completely bent over so it became a struggle to lift my legs. Due to the character’s distressed circumstance, the body is in a constant state of motion, swaying, grabbing at clothes, clenched fists hitting the bag or hitting one’s self until she becomes exhausted of her emotional state. This filters through the entire body, leaving her weak, her physicality is now more like a dead weight, lifeless. As Lorna Marshall states ‘It is not enough to mentally comprehend a character or situation, we must embody it.’ (2001, pg 163)
Bibliography
Callery, D., 2001. Through The Body: A Practical Guide To Physical Theatre, London: Nick Hern Books Limited
Dennis, A., 2002. The Articulate Body: The Physical Training of the Actor. London: Nick Hern Books Limited
Marshall, L., 2001. The Body Speaks: Performance and Expression, London: Methuen
Oida, Y & Marshall, L., 1997. The Invisible Actor, London: Methuen
Gavin Thatcher - Blog Task 2
1.
The devising strategies used in creation of Porto so far are all collaborative in
nature. The ensemble take responsibility for the material that is created.
“The function of training and improvisation is to set in motion the creativity of actors so they not only improve themselves as performers but also make their own work.” (2001, Pg. 163)
Callery comments on the idea of training and improvisation being a symbiotic
relationship that forms an essential aspect of physical theatre. This is a concept
that is explored in Porto. The ensemble were trained through a series of technique
sessions and then introduced to improvisation and play. It is in these play sessions
that organic impulses are explored and interactions are allowed to take place and
develop.
After these sessions, through body memory, the interactions are revisited and
certain moments are pinned down and developed. This act of pinning down and
developing is done by the ensemble themselves but also by the ‘outside eyes’.
Another strategy that has been used throughout the creation process is the ‘clap’
method. The ‘clap’ method is used primarily for ensemble movement sequences.
This allows the ensemble to develop impulses from the prior given movement. This
keeps the work dynamic and interesting.
2.
The characters were first introduced during the visualisation session. Initially the
character that I was playing was an extension of myself. This was due largely to the
fact that the ensemble were lead into the visualisation blind, as it were. That is to
say, it was ourselves that were put into situations.
As the process has continued a character has developed. This has been achieved
through using the visualisation as an emotional starting point and building physical
layers on top.
“The actor’s body exists within the unique space of the theatre, and it needs to ‘expand’ in order to fill it. As well as being aware of your skin and bones...” (2000, Pg. 19)
Through the body, as an ensemble we have experimented with the physical embodiment of a character. The process taken during this experimentation has been to go from a neutral stand into a spinal role and come up with a different physicality. This has vague similarities with the neutral work of Lecoq, in the sense that there are conscious physical choices and differences made to create a character. Once the physical character has been created alongside with the emotional character, the interactions become more dynamic and interesting as relationships are made and broken. These relationships also help the ‘finding’ of a character.
3.
“The study of human anatomy enabled me to develop an analytical method of physical preparation, directed towards expressivity and bringing into play each part of the body...” (1997, Pg. 69)
As Lecoq states the study of the performer’s anatomical features can prove helpful in the development of physical characterisation. My character’s spine is slightly curved to allow the shoulders to hunch as the neck and head almost become isolated from the rest of the body. The character’s body does not take up vast space, instead arms and legs are close to the trunk while the head is free to move on top, although often tucks in behind the hunched shoulders. The way the character’s body moves around the space is awkward yet balanced, he is able to change his movement or location quickly if he feels that there is a situation arising that he wants no part of.
My character has a repetitive gesture of tapping. The tapping signifies the uncomfortable nature of the character and also links in with his item (a music book). That is to say he always has a rhythm or beat in his head, this he uses as a retreat when things in the external world of Porto are making him feel awkward.
Callery, D. (2001) Through the Body: A Practical Guide to Physical Theatre London : Nick Hern Books Ltd
Marshall, L., Oida, Y. (2002) The Body Speaks USA : Palgrave Macmillan
Lecoq, J. (2000) The Moving Body London : Methuen Publishing Ltd
The devising strategies used in creation of Porto so far are all collaborative in
nature. The ensemble take responsibility for the material that is created.
“The function of training and improvisation is to set in motion the creativity of actors so they not only improve themselves as performers but also make their own work.” (2001, Pg. 163)
Callery comments on the idea of training and improvisation being a symbiotic
relationship that forms an essential aspect of physical theatre. This is a concept
that is explored in Porto. The ensemble were trained through a series of technique
sessions and then introduced to improvisation and play. It is in these play sessions
that organic impulses are explored and interactions are allowed to take place and
develop.
After these sessions, through body memory, the interactions are revisited and
certain moments are pinned down and developed. This act of pinning down and
developing is done by the ensemble themselves but also by the ‘outside eyes’.
Another strategy that has been used throughout the creation process is the ‘clap’
method. The ‘clap’ method is used primarily for ensemble movement sequences.
This allows the ensemble to develop impulses from the prior given movement. This
keeps the work dynamic and interesting.
2.
The characters were first introduced during the visualisation session. Initially the
character that I was playing was an extension of myself. This was due largely to the
fact that the ensemble were lead into the visualisation blind, as it were. That is to
say, it was ourselves that were put into situations.
As the process has continued a character has developed. This has been achieved
through using the visualisation as an emotional starting point and building physical
layers on top.
“The actor’s body exists within the unique space of the theatre, and it needs to ‘expand’ in order to fill it. As well as being aware of your skin and bones...” (2000, Pg. 19)
Through the body, as an ensemble we have experimented with the physical embodiment of a character. The process taken during this experimentation has been to go from a neutral stand into a spinal role and come up with a different physicality. This has vague similarities with the neutral work of Lecoq, in the sense that there are conscious physical choices and differences made to create a character. Once the physical character has been created alongside with the emotional character, the interactions become more dynamic and interesting as relationships are made and broken. These relationships also help the ‘finding’ of a character.
3.
“The study of human anatomy enabled me to develop an analytical method of physical preparation, directed towards expressivity and bringing into play each part of the body...” (1997, Pg. 69)
As Lecoq states the study of the performer’s anatomical features can prove helpful in the development of physical characterisation. My character’s spine is slightly curved to allow the shoulders to hunch as the neck and head almost become isolated from the rest of the body. The character’s body does not take up vast space, instead arms and legs are close to the trunk while the head is free to move on top, although often tucks in behind the hunched shoulders. The way the character’s body moves around the space is awkward yet balanced, he is able to change his movement or location quickly if he feels that there is a situation arising that he wants no part of.
My character has a repetitive gesture of tapping. The tapping signifies the uncomfortable nature of the character and also links in with his item (a music book). That is to say he always has a rhythm or beat in his head, this he uses as a retreat when things in the external world of Porto are making him feel awkward.
Callery, D. (2001) Through the Body: A Practical Guide to Physical Theatre London : Nick Hern Books Ltd
Marshall, L., Oida, Y. (2002) The Body Speaks USA : Palgrave Macmillan
Lecoq, J. (2000) The Moving Body London : Methuen Publishing Ltd
Anna Efthymiou Blog 2
1: There have been many different strategies used throughout our time working on Porto. The ‘clap’ technique is one I would strongly advise for anyone working in an ensemble to use; although it may be just a simple clap, to gain the ensembles attention; it is a quick and efficient way of sharing an idea without wasting valuable time in discussion. When working alone there is no limit as to how far you can experiment, whereas in an ensemble there is a tendency to hold back slightly. The use of ‘play’ is a strategy that challenges this, and I feel is extremely beneficial, to the individual characters and the ensemble, as we get a chance to discover other people characters and can build on connections on different levels to which we have done previously. The progression in the ensemble is noticeably higher compared to at our starting point in the devising process for Porto five weeks ago. As an inside eye there are points in which I cannot see, but just from using my peripheral vision and from feeling the intensity and energy the ensemble have been reached as the weeks go by it gives me a great sense of personal satisfaction and pride in Porto even at this unfinished stage.
2: When I first created my character in my letter I did not have a particularly clear idea of what I wanted her to be, because of this my character has grown greatly and is still to this day changing throughout the process of devising Porto. However, I do not regret my uncertainty at the start, as I believe it has assisted me to develop my character in a different way in which I would have originally, both physically and emotionally. This has kept me interested in her and I now look forward to discovering new elements to her and connections with other characters. “Wright suggests devising depends on relationships and chemistry between people” Oddey, A. (1996) P.66. Over the past five weeks my character has gone from wishing that she could fit in but does not know how to change to do so, to working out that she did not really want to change which is why she could not work out how to. “Have you ever felt like you don’t quite fit into your skin anymore?” (Mitra, R, 2009), that was exactly how my character was feeling until she developed the desire to help people who she thinks are sad, in hope that they would not judge her, the way others do. A certain level of confidence is developing within my character that she is hiding behind by protecting the people she ‘helps’ against the type of person she used to want to be.
3: My character is very introvert so I tend to have quite closed of body language. She tends to have her arms and legs crossed as often as possible, this shows that she is not comfortable with where she is, who she is with or even with herself. She relies very strongly on pedestrian movements and even when still she tries to blend and not be noticed. She very rarely stands up straight so often has a hunched spine, her head is often down, with arm crossed over her stomach and the other arm crossed over clutching the straps of her bag. She tends to distribute her weight to the left side of her body, She will stand with her right leg crossed in front of her left but not taking any weight. Her stance has not, at this point in the process, been in neutral, as she has not yet felt comfortable enough within herself to do so. As her confidence grows at certain points her weight shifts from the left side to slightly closer to central but her weight shifts to the inside of her feet and the back of her pelvis s she is still slightly cowering away as her confidence is just a front.
Bibliography
Mitra, R. (2009) Blog Spot
http://processandperformance200809.blogspot.com/
Oddey, A., (1996) Devising Theatre: A Practical and Theoretical Handbook, New York: Routledge
Leigh-Anne Gilbert - Assessment Blog 2
1. From the concept of Porto as a starting point we began to use somatic improvisation, adopting the ‘play’ technique to produce material. We have worked collaboratively sharing ideas, movements and research – a method favoured by many devising theatre companies and practitioners such as DV8, Theatre Workshop and Etienne Decroux who believed it should be the actors that “take control of the creative process.” (Callery, D., 2001, p159) Since there is no outright director, we as performers create our own work, and have the freedom to draw upon personal experiences and emotions.
Individually through the weeks, we have each attached a physicality to our characters. We have done this by beginning in the neutral stand, going into the spinal roll then when coming back up, adjusting our position muscle by muscle. This has not only helped shape our characters, but also enhanced the use of body memory as the muscles remember how they felt each week.
When creating ensemble routines we have used the ‘clap’ method, which gives the opportunity for any one person to demonstrate an action for the group to follow. This has proved very successful in intensifying everyone’s focus, and strengthening the company.
Devising a piece of theatre is very process orientated. The focus remains in the present as Oddey suggests that from the beginning it is an open-ended process of which the end product is not known until the very end.
2. Throughout the first 5 weeks of creating Porto my character has gone through a number of changes. I began my journey as a very introvert character who didn’t want to interact with anyone. There was something holding me back, I felt self-conscious, isolated and had an innate fear of rejection.
The week where we were put into smaller groups and began to ‘play’, there were two people who tried to get me to come out of my shell. The first character intimidated me and confirmed my feeling small, but the second (Piotr’s character) got my attention initially by mirroring my movements. As we improvised, my character began to trust him and I allowed myself to interact and even depend on him (using him as a table). However as the session continued, his character became intrigued by my suitcase and he tried to open it. As he got closer to the object inside it was as though he was getting too close to me so I instinctively backed off and reverted back to how I started.
Since Nicola’s character has been introduced, there seems to be a new emotion in my character – the longing for the closeness that she has (welcome or not) with other characters. Although my character feels her trust has been broken once already, there is a more determined feeling to let go of insecurities and try again, however hard it might be.
3. My character is very introverted and self-conscious and when standing still my weight is shifted onto one leg, and my spine bent so that my posture is slightly slouched with my shoulders forward and my head down. I fold one arm across my body with the other resting on it by the elbow – this hand is usually up by my mouth, or covering part of my face, I don’t want people looking at me. I rarely have open palms, my hands are closed in a loose fist, never entirely relaxed, and if I’m not gripping my suitcase a repetitive gesture I make is pulling my sleeves down over my hands.
My character was drawn to a chair facing upstage, which means my back is to the audience. For a lot of the time I don’t actually look at the audience, much like I try to avoid eye contact with other characters. Gravity plays a big part in how my character moves. Most of the time I keep low to the ground, if I stand on a chair for example, the openness of that position is quickly suppressed by the feeling of vulnerability and I return to the floor, or a far more closed position.
Body language says so much more than words could ever say, and my interaction (or avoidance of interaction) with other characters shows my fear and uncertainty whether I can truly trust anyone enough to let them into my world.
Bibliography:
Callery, D., (2001) Through the Body: A Practical Guide to Physical Theatre. London: Nick Hern Books Ltd
Marshall, L., Oida, Y., (2002) The Body Speaks. USA: Palgrave Macmillan
Oddey, A., (1996) Devising Theatre: A Practical and Theoretical Handbook. New York: Routledge
DV8 Physical Theatre (Artistic Policy page) [online]. http://www.dv8.co.uk/about.dv8/artistic.policy.html
Theatre Workshop (Values page) [online]. http://www.theatre-workshop.com/aboutus.asp?page_id=3
Leigh-Anne Gilbert
Individually through the weeks, we have each attached a physicality to our characters. We have done this by beginning in the neutral stand, going into the spinal roll then when coming back up, adjusting our position muscle by muscle. This has not only helped shape our characters, but also enhanced the use of body memory as the muscles remember how they felt each week.
When creating ensemble routines we have used the ‘clap’ method, which gives the opportunity for any one person to demonstrate an action for the group to follow. This has proved very successful in intensifying everyone’s focus, and strengthening the company.
Devising a piece of theatre is very process orientated. The focus remains in the present as Oddey suggests that from the beginning it is an open-ended process of which the end product is not known until the very end.
2. Throughout the first 5 weeks of creating Porto my character has gone through a number of changes. I began my journey as a very introvert character who didn’t want to interact with anyone. There was something holding me back, I felt self-conscious, isolated and had an innate fear of rejection.
The week where we were put into smaller groups and began to ‘play’, there were two people who tried to get me to come out of my shell. The first character intimidated me and confirmed my feeling small, but the second (Piotr’s character) got my attention initially by mirroring my movements. As we improvised, my character began to trust him and I allowed myself to interact and even depend on him (using him as a table). However as the session continued, his character became intrigued by my suitcase and he tried to open it. As he got closer to the object inside it was as though he was getting too close to me so I instinctively backed off and reverted back to how I started.
Since Nicola’s character has been introduced, there seems to be a new emotion in my character – the longing for the closeness that she has (welcome or not) with other characters. Although my character feels her trust has been broken once already, there is a more determined feeling to let go of insecurities and try again, however hard it might be.
3. My character is very introverted and self-conscious and when standing still my weight is shifted onto one leg, and my spine bent so that my posture is slightly slouched with my shoulders forward and my head down. I fold one arm across my body with the other resting on it by the elbow – this hand is usually up by my mouth, or covering part of my face, I don’t want people looking at me. I rarely have open palms, my hands are closed in a loose fist, never entirely relaxed, and if I’m not gripping my suitcase a repetitive gesture I make is pulling my sleeves down over my hands.
My character was drawn to a chair facing upstage, which means my back is to the audience. For a lot of the time I don’t actually look at the audience, much like I try to avoid eye contact with other characters. Gravity plays a big part in how my character moves. Most of the time I keep low to the ground, if I stand on a chair for example, the openness of that position is quickly suppressed by the feeling of vulnerability and I return to the floor, or a far more closed position.
Body language says so much more than words could ever say, and my interaction (or avoidance of interaction) with other characters shows my fear and uncertainty whether I can truly trust anyone enough to let them into my world.
Bibliography:
Callery, D., (2001) Through the Body: A Practical Guide to Physical Theatre. London: Nick Hern Books Ltd
Marshall, L., Oida, Y., (2002) The Body Speaks. USA: Palgrave Macmillan
Oddey, A., (1996) Devising Theatre: A Practical and Theoretical Handbook. New York: Routledge
DV8 Physical Theatre (Artistic Policy page) [online]. http://www.dv8.co.uk/about.dv8/artistic.policy.html
Theatre Workshop (Values page) [online]. http://www.theatre-workshop.com/aboutus.asp?page_id=3
Leigh-Anne Gilbert
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