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.