On the drama double period we had on the 20th of March, we were able to make significant progress on the physicalisation of the piece, as well as learn more about Meyerhold's type of physicalisation. We had received some feedback from Mr Raciti to make our piece more physical, as for the majority of our piece before Friday did not have much choreographed/organised physicalisation in it, as every time we tried to organise some choreographed movement, we had some quite divided opinions, more noticeably between some of the 'orphans' (Guzzler, Gazer, Gloom etc) and the Mistress and Wild One, as Mistress and Wild One decided to do their scenes while the rest of us stood there, being directed by Nina and Juliette.
For the first period of the double, we all watched a few short videos showing us two different exaggerated physical training actions, 'The Shake'; a greatly choreographed and exaggerated handshake, and 'The Slap'; an action that shows an exaggerated slap. We practised these, and then we did another training technique involving a 1.5 metre stalk of bamboo, where 2 people pushed on either end of the stalk, and therefore counterbalanced, with a distance of 1.5 metres between us. The activity showed the purpose of every action, that in training of Meyerhold every action had a purpose. Two actors would not be close together for no reason, and therefore would be further apart unless intimacy was suggested.
For the second period, we worked on our assignment. Our group was able to choreograph a bit more physicalisation, from just looks at a specific time, to complex actions from cues given. There were a few disagreements, but it was easier to work it all out than it was the previous lesson, when we were unable to agree on anything. The lesson was productive, and the piece is beginning to really take shape and form into something that could be really awesome!
Saturday, 21 March 2015
Monday, 16 March 2015
On the lesson on Thursday 12th March we finally began physicalising the Cagebirds script. We got up and we began to tweak and modify our movements to suit the characters we are playing. We have decided to use sheets and pillows, to use as props as to fit in with the orphanage setting. We have decided to use the props differently for each character (for example: Gloom hides under a blanket to create darkness, Gazer holds it over her face as a hat/bandana etc). We have also decided to use formation quite a lot. During the part where Wild One has a rant about the cages and bars and the confinement, the rest of the characters stand in a V- like formation around her, deliberately not looking at her. We use this type of formation quite a lot, however we do not stand still in the formation for long as we move alot. For example, in the first entry of the mistress, we are guided at a clap to all gather at the mistress' feet.
In the group, there are some 'ringleaders' who are a bit more directive than others, however as we all get used to this script and these characters, it seems to be evening out a bit more.
In the group, there are some 'ringleaders' who are a bit more directive than others, however as we all get used to this script and these characters, it seems to be evening out a bit more.
Wednesday, 11 March 2015
Stanislavsky & Meyerhold
Stanislavsky
Stanislavsky was a Russian actor, producer and theoretician, who created the method of acting the 'Stanislavsky system'.
In the beginning, he tried to find a style of acting that was more appropriate to the realism of 20th century drama as opposed to the theatrical acting methods of the 19th century. It was never his intention to develop a new style of acting, he actually wanted to organize in teaching and performing regimens the ways in which good actors had always learnt success in their work, regardless of previous styles of acting.
The Stanislavsky system requires that an actor utilize their memory of emotions. The entry of an actor on stage is not seen as the beginning of the actor's life as the character, but a continuing of the preceding situation. Through Stanislavsky method, the actor has trained their concentration and senses so that they are able to respond freely in the entire environment of the stage. Through the empathic observation of people in many situations, the actors aims to develop a wide emotional range so that the performance on stage is as real as possible.
A risk of the Stanislavsky system is that because the actor draws on their own personal experiences, the scene is sometimes taken on unexpected directions. This was opposed to by Stanislavsky himself, as he thought the actor should be fully immersed within the play, and some directors have been opposed to the system, saying that is takes away control of the play from them.
The Stanislavsky system was widely practiced in the Soviet Union and in the US, as experiments in its use began in the 1920s, and continued in many schools and theatres. The director, Lee Strasberg, added many new aspects into the system, to which he called 'Method'; a name that has stuck around until today, and has came to be
associated with the prestigious Actor's Studio.
Meyerhold
Meyerhold was a Russian theatrical director, producer and actor whose experiments in nonrealistic theatre leave him as a strong influence on theatre today. Meyerhold undertook intensive actor training at Moscow Arts Theatre. He saw realism as a type of hypnotism that removes the control of what happens on stage from the actor to the character. He believed that theatre should not mirror reality and instead theatre should be larger than the everyday; through exaggeration and distortion through theatrical techniques.
In 1906, Meyerhold became the chief producer at the theatre of Vera Komissarzhevskaya, a well know actress at the time, and staged a number of non-realistic, symbolist plays that showcased his radical ideas of exaggerated theatre. For his presentation of Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabbler, he rebelled against the stylized naturalism that was popular from Stanislavsky; and instead, he got his actors to behave in robotic, puppet-like movements. This became the beginning of an innovative theatre known as biomechanics in Russia.
Meyerhold's unusual approaches to the theatre led him to break with Komissarzhevskaya in 1908. After that, drawing upon the conventions of Commedia dell'Arte and Asian theatre, he went onto productions in St Petersburg. During 1920-35 Meyerhold achieved his greatest artistic success in his career as a director, beginning with 'The Magnificent Cuckold'; followed by his controversial production in 1935 of 'The Queen of Spades'.
Even though he embraced the Russian revolution of 1917, his individualistic views that were seen as rejecting of Russian Socialist Realism. He refused to conform and he advocated for the artists' right to experiment. He was arrested and imprisoned in 1939. Nothing was heard of him in the West until 1958, when they confirmed his date of death for 1942, and later 1940.
Sources
http://www.hsc.csu.edu.au/drama/hsc/studies/topics/3265/Meyerhold/overview.htm
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/379502/Vsevolod-Yemilyevich-Meyerhold
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/563178/Stanislavsky-system
http://plays.about.com/od/actingessentials/a/The-Stanislavsky-Method.htm
Stanislavsky was a Russian actor, producer and theoretician, who created the method of acting the 'Stanislavsky system'.In the beginning, he tried to find a style of acting that was more appropriate to the realism of 20th century drama as opposed to the theatrical acting methods of the 19th century. It was never his intention to develop a new style of acting, he actually wanted to organize in teaching and performing regimens the ways in which good actors had always learnt success in their work, regardless of previous styles of acting.
The Stanislavsky system requires that an actor utilize their memory of emotions. The entry of an actor on stage is not seen as the beginning of the actor's life as the character, but a continuing of the preceding situation. Through Stanislavsky method, the actor has trained their concentration and senses so that they are able to respond freely in the entire environment of the stage. Through the empathic observation of people in many situations, the actors aims to develop a wide emotional range so that the performance on stage is as real as possible.
A risk of the Stanislavsky system is that because the actor draws on their own personal experiences, the scene is sometimes taken on unexpected directions. This was opposed to by Stanislavsky himself, as he thought the actor should be fully immersed within the play, and some directors have been opposed to the system, saying that is takes away control of the play from them.
The Stanislavsky system was widely practiced in the Soviet Union and in the US, as experiments in its use began in the 1920s, and continued in many schools and theatres. The director, Lee Strasberg, added many new aspects into the system, to which he called 'Method'; a name that has stuck around until today, and has came to be
associated with the prestigious Actor's Studio.
Meyerhold
Meyerhold was a Russian theatrical director, producer and actor whose experiments in nonrealistic theatre leave him as a strong influence on theatre today. Meyerhold undertook intensive actor training at Moscow Arts Theatre. He saw realism as a type of hypnotism that removes the control of what happens on stage from the actor to the character. He believed that theatre should not mirror reality and instead theatre should be larger than the everyday; through exaggeration and distortion through theatrical techniques.
In 1906, Meyerhold became the chief producer at the theatre of Vera Komissarzhevskaya, a well know actress at the time, and staged a number of non-realistic, symbolist plays that showcased his radical ideas of exaggerated theatre. For his presentation of Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabbler, he rebelled against the stylized naturalism that was popular from Stanislavsky; and instead, he got his actors to behave in robotic, puppet-like movements. This became the beginning of an innovative theatre known as biomechanics in Russia.
Meyerhold's unusual approaches to the theatre led him to break with Komissarzhevskaya in 1908. After that, drawing upon the conventions of Commedia dell'Arte and Asian theatre, he went onto productions in St Petersburg. During 1920-35 Meyerhold achieved his greatest artistic success in his career as a director, beginning with 'The Magnificent Cuckold'; followed by his controversial production in 1935 of 'The Queen of Spades'.
Even though he embraced the Russian revolution of 1917, his individualistic views that were seen as rejecting of Russian Socialist Realism. He refused to conform and he advocated for the artists' right to experiment. He was arrested and imprisoned in 1939. Nothing was heard of him in the West until 1958, when they confirmed his date of death for 1942, and later 1940.
Sources
http://www.hsc.csu.edu.au/drama/hsc/studies/topics/3265/Meyerhold/overview.htm
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/379502/Vsevolod-Yemilyevich-Meyerhold
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/563178/Stanislavsky-system
http://plays.about.com/od/actingessentials/a/The-Stanislavsky-Method.htm
Cagebirds script and assessment progress
On Thursday the 5th of March, we had already received our script. On that lesson however, we made a lot of progress. We finalised everyone's characters, and we began to write the parts of the script we needed to write. We did the majority of the script writing in that lesson and in the lunchtime following adding characterisation and timing into our words.
As we wrote the script, we devised a major plot line. The play is set in an orphanage. The characters are orphans and are having a tough life under the 'leadership' of the Mistress. Some of the characters are in the position of being loyal to Mistress, as she manipulates them all in different ways (Eg Guzzler with a macaroon, Gazer with the mirror). Wild One is introduced by mistress and is well, wild. The characters are intrigued by her as she tells them to go against Mistress and escape, however Wild One's plan is foiled when the Mistress learns of their plans. Through manipulation of each character, Mistress slowly turns them against Wild One, and they all eventually kill her.
The drama lesson following that (Friday 6th March) we worked on the characterisation and timing of our characters and the lines in general. In the next lesson we all agreed to begin to work on the physicalisation of the piece, as the assessment is on 'Physical Theatre'.
Saturday, 14 February 2015
Friday 13 of Feb
This lesson we began to seriously work on Meyerhold, a way of acting that involves using physical theatre and using actors bodies' to convey a message, in a way that is not just verbal. to begin the lesson however, we played 'Whoosh' again. It was faster and began the lesson as a warmup to physicalising.
We then worked on counterbalancing against each other, in pairs, with the dynamic of portraying a boyfriend and a girlfriend as we did it. This added facial expression and purpose to the balancing- telling a story through what we thought was just a technique. We were then told to do it in a story like way, using 3 different counterbalancing positions - it looked like a tableau of sorts, since we had to freeze after each one - to tell a story. Rachel and I did one that began with the girlfriend hanging onto the irritated boyfriend, for him to stay. Then the boyfriend goes up against the girlfriend and becomes aggressive toward her, as she cowers away, and then the boyfriend longingly looks at the girlfriend who is turning away (rightfully so, might I add).
After that we had a look at the script we will be studying; Cagebirds. Another girl and I read through some of the lines as Guzzler and Gazer, two of the original characters in the play. It illustrated to us how boring the play sounds just being read, as the script needs physicalisation to bring it to life.
Sunday, 1 February 2015
30/1/15
In our second lesson we continued our intro to physical theatre. The first thing we did was watch a clip about a dance company that incorporates elements of physical theatre into their shows. They are called DV8. The clip showed shorts from their shows, and an interview with the founder of DV8. The show deals with themes of freedom of speech and prejudice.
Mr Raciti then chose 8 people from our class to get up and begin using their bodies for physical theatre. The 8 of them all sat in chairs in a row, and when someone got up they all had to move, but with one person left out, because there were only 7 chairs. Then after awhile, Mr Raciti told them to take on the persona of a 40 year old business woman, which changed the way they conducted themselves entirely, with movements becoming more precise, and looking more professional and neutral in general.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)