No pics tonight. I forgot the camera. But anyway, lots of costume was being worn and I don't want to spoil the big night for anyone who may be coming by letting people see how the cast will look. Saying that, we didn't get to practice with the face paints, and I think that we probably should have.
Anyway, the cast will have plenty of time tomorrow so if they balls up the first time they can wash it off and start again. I won't be there because I am compering. Which will be fun, but oooooo such a feeling of losing control. The cast will be getting costumed and painted and I won't be there to help (or interfere?). I will see them as an audience member. Scary. Even though I know they are all great, and can cope very well without me, it's still scary not being able to hang around clucking like a mother hen, painting faces and fixing scarves and arguing with Billie about how best to wear her hat. Interesting thing, fear. What am I really scared of then? is what a psychologist type person might enquire.
Anyway, seeing as how I can't show you any pics, I won't bore you will blow by blow account of rehearsals, but will have a quick mention of something that is starting to interest me ('interesting' being a very loaded middle class word, like 'fine'). I am starting to realise that I need to really spell out what I am doing. For instance, I am a dramatherapist, and if I ever get work doing this, I will be working as a health practitioner. With Konnektiv, I am a drama practitioner. I am an arts practitioner. I live in the boundary blurred world of Arts and Health. But us humans love to categorise. This week I tried to speak with someone who manages the county fund for arts. A £600 grant is available to arts organisations. I called her and said that Konnektiv, a drama group, who have an interest in investigating arts for health, want to do a performance of the Japanese Fairy Tales at the local theatre (The Gatehouse). She thought that this would be too expensive for us, and gave me the name of someone in the Health Trust who, if they got back to me, may arrange for us to do performances in psychiatric hospitals in the area. Now I'm happy to do performances in psychiatric hospitals, and for me there would be excellent networking opportunities, so I have emailed the Trust lady (who hasn't got back to me). However, what made the Funding lady think that the Gatehouse would be too expensive for our group? I know that she has happily funded other groups to perform at the Gatehouse, so what's wrong with us? I can only guess two things:
1) She has assumed that we are not very good, and therefore not worth the money, or certainly not good enough to perform at The Gatehouse.
2) She has assumed that we are in the 'health' cagegory, and not the 'arts' category, and so should only perform in the 'health' environment, to people with 'mental health needs'.
If we were a black performing arts group, experimenting and working with black awareness and education, would she say we should only perform to other black people? I think not.
Now I am the first to admit that I do have a chip on my shoulder about many things. I am quick to pick up when someone is acting on a pre-made assumption.
Luckily I am very determined, and will do everything possible to ensure that we do get the £600, and that we do perform at the Gatehouse.
Second. I have filled in a funding form applying for funds to run a dramatherapy pilot. The funding pot is the Health and Wellbeing Fund. A concerned voluntary sector support worker has called me to say that I need to speak with her because I have inappropriately put in a funding application for a drama project. I am very grateful to this person, and think she is very genuine etc, but dramatherapy is a Health and Wellbeing activity. Yes it uses drama, but it is primarily health.
So, dramatherapy, arts and health, boundary blurring, upsetting the preformed categories that we have to make our lives meaningful and to give us structure through which to draw our mental maps. Yes it is Drama, yes it is health. Sometimes I do drama, sometimes I do dramatherapy. All humans are artists on some level and all humans have some level of mental health need. Arts activities can promote wellbeing, they can be therapeutic, they can be fun, they can be entertaining, they can enrich us and our culture (God knows our culture needs enriching).
I just need to be able to spell out what I am doing, because I can see that this applying for funding business may become a bit disheartening as people turn us down for being 'drama' not 'health', or 'health' not 'drama'.
Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Monday, 21 November 2011
The Big Day Approaches ...
It is actually getting quite difficult to choose which pics to put on the blog, as there are so many great ones (thanks Raven, who took most of the pics today). First of all - the full line up for Thursday, some with some bits of costume on.
The first exchange of ownership, a mysterious market trader, sells the Kettle, to a very holy priest, who loves a bargain, but doesn't quite realise that this particular bargain contains more than he - errr - bargained for!
Despite only just having come to her second rehearsal, the third Novice threw herself into the role and helped complete the set of comical, energetic and non-to-bright stooges, who try haplessly, and fail hazardously, to catch the naughty Badger!
There were some lovely moments in the chase scene, which is finally comprehensible
to actors, and thus will hopefully be to audience. They certainly
raised a few laughs among those of us watching. The novices are instinctively putting in pauses and dashes now, in the right places. 
Fingertip Theatre certainly did what it was intended to do, and not only are the actors getting into the right places, but they are getting into role really well. Some of the timings still need to be worked on, and in fairness, we won't really get the opportunity to go through it all,
so some improvisation will be required. As time goes on, each performance that we do will bring up the standard, and eventually it will be fully polished. For now, it is what we in the theatre world call "work in progress".
Whilst some of the timing may be a bit unrehearsed, and some of the movements may be a little lost in some bits that could seem a little chaotic, the thing that is most impressive to me about this group, most of whom are not seasoned actors, is the spirit, the good nature. There is a generosity about the style of performance that on the night, will help to carry the actors through any sticky moments where cues are forgotten or people end up mistakenly on the wrong side of the stage.
This is a wonderful little story. I would never have considered working with fairy tales before doing the dramatherapy studies. Bringing the story to life through movement and narration gives it a substance and a meaning that is lost when read off the page. Adding some quirky music and some comical sound effects makes it more entertaining and helps the spectator become more involved in the action.
We have one last rehearsal on Wednesday, where we will be missing the narrator and one of the novices. Those who are able to get there will be able to spend some time experimenting with makeup and some time perfecting the details of some of the movements. Also I'd like us to spend some time for the new members to work on holding a sculpt, and to work on the character of the Tea Kettle (of course Kettles have character!)
It is actually getting quite difficult to choose which pics to put on the blog, as there are so many great ones (thanks Raven, who took most of the pics today). First of all - the full line up for Thursday, some with some bits of costume on.
And here is one of Chris, who has done us some fab music for the characters, and some special sound effects too, which add humour and realism to the chase scene, which otherwise, would be completely silent.
The first exchange of ownership, a mysterious market trader, sells the Kettle, to a very holy priest, who loves a bargain, but doesn't quite realise that this particular bargain contains more than he - errr - bargained for!
Zany, without hat, has based her character on one of the stock characters from the Commedia De'll Arte. There are a few clues as to these roots in her costume, for instance Harlequinn's diamonds. Like the Commedia character, our Zany is very lively and mischeivous.
Despite only just having come to her second rehearsal, the third Novice threw herself into the role and helped complete the set of comical, energetic and non-to-bright stooges, who try haplessly, and fail hazardously, to catch the naughty Badger!
There were some lovely moments in the chase scene, which is finally comprehensible
to actors, and thus will hopefully be to audience. They certainly
raised a few laughs among those of us watching. The novices are instinctively putting in pauses and dashes now, in the right places. 
Fingertip Theatre certainly did what it was intended to do, and not only are the actors getting into the right places, but they are getting into role really well. Some of the timings still need to be worked on, and in fairness, we won't really get the opportunity to go through it all, 
so some improvisation will be required. As time goes on, each performance that we do will bring up the standard, and eventually it will be fully polished. For now, it is what we in the theatre world call "work in progress".
Whilst some of the timing may be a bit unrehearsed, and some of the movements may be a little lost in some bits that could seem a little chaotic, the thing that is most impressive to me about this group, most of whom are not seasoned actors, is the spirit, the good nature. There is a generosity about the style of performance that on the night, will help to carry the actors through any sticky moments where cues are forgotten or people end up mistakenly on the wrong side of the stage.
This is a wonderful little story. I would never have considered working with fairy tales before doing the dramatherapy studies. Bringing the story to life through movement and narration gives it a substance and a meaning that is lost when read off the page. Adding some quirky music and some comical sound effects makes it more entertaining and helps the spectator become more involved in the action.
Wednesday, 16 November 2011
Badger and Tinker
Tonight we focussed on the second half of the story, the story of the relationship that blossoms between Badger and Tinker. Unlike the priest and his novices, who were afraid of the devilry that they saw in the magical tea kettle, the tinker, with his accepting, open and welcoming approach to new experiences, is able to befriend Badger, and finds out wonderful things, and embraces the opportunities that the badger kettle is able to offer.
The narrator weaves in and out of the story, sometimes partaking, sometimes describing, and sometimes, with the audience, observing the action unfold.
As the relationship between Tinker and Badger develops, using the language of the body, instead of words, they show the true feeling of comeraderie and trust that comes about when people are willing to trust instead of fear, listen instead of dictate, and enquire, instead of assume.
Zany, the narrator, tells the story, and yet is still naive, being fascinated to watch the story unfold, taking joy from the observations of a scene that she has observed many times.
Altogether, a much more flowing and enjoyable rehearsal that the one we had on Monday, and a fresh reassurance that we will have a great performance on the 24th for the people who come to the quiz and will be entertained by our group.
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
Rehearsing without a Room
Who says you can't rehearse without a room?
or
Necessity is the mother of invention.
After the panic from last nights chaotic chase scene rehearsal, I came back home and spent 2 hours writing up the chase scene choreography in great detail, complete with correct use of stage area terminology (hastily looked up on Ask.com) such as upstage centre and centre stage left and so forth. Which for a person who struggles with left and right, was quite a feat.
Today, with two of the characters in the chase scene, I printed a sheet of paper with a row of upside down faces, representing the audience, and some different shaped and coloured counters representing the characters and the prop (a large black box, kindly made by Nemo's dad)
The 'stage' and the 'characters' were all laminated, so that they could be moved around lots without being damaged, and then placed into their starting positions.
The counters could then be moved around, in such a way as to show how the characters would move during the performance, giving the actors, and the director (me), a 2d moving image, that we could translate into an image of the actual chase scene. Thus, in a space as small as a coffee table, we managed to rehearse a very complicated chase scene, with 5 characters in it, in about half an hour.
Monday, 14 November 2011
The Chase
We are very happy to have Chris our musician and Gabi, the all important 3rd Novice, back with us. Here they are at the start of the rehearsal, looking very relaxed. Unaware of the work that we were going to have to go through!
I played the 3rd novice first, to show Gabi what she needed to do. It was a bit chaotic, but we got through it ok.
The three novices preparing recovering from the first tumble, and about to embark on the crazy chase routine.
Each position is vitally important, as everyone has to know where they need to be at all times on the stage, so that the skips, trips, bumps, falls, scares, fights, escapes and scurries can be co-ordinated with each other.
The narrator is also on stage, separate from the action, but needing to co-ordinate her moves through it.
Focus is all important. The novices must communicate what they are looking at, actions must be direct and clear.
Always in character, always emotive.
This is not us at the end of the rehearsal, but we probably felt like it!
So many things going on at the same time.
Me trying to direct and participate at the same time. Fail. Quick get in the proper novice!
The tea kettle started to suffer from an achy arm after spending quite a long time in position while we re-jigged the action.
Novices wait patiently (ish) whilst the stage is set for their entrance.
The priest also has the task of sitting still while we try to co-ordinate all of the other chaotic action that is going on.
The badger waiting to find out her next move. Does anyone know what it is?
Zany looks worried.
No it isn't a stick up. It's an actor entertaining himself whilst waiting for their moment to enter the action.
Maybe next time!
The novices peer excitedly at their new housemate.
Another actor entertaining herself.
Hmmmm.
Friday, 4 November 2011
Ok, we've had yet another change of cast. and with less than 3 weeks to go before the performance, let's hope this is the last one.
I think this is the best one now. The thing with performance, someone doesn't just have to be able to perform a role, sometimes, they have to be able to perform that role when they really don't "feel it" and when they have no energy, when confidence has dissapeared and when the fun has drained away into a sludge like feeling of dread.
In contrast to my previous thoughts on the matter, I am toying with the idea that it is sometimes kinder to allow someone to give up on something. Giving up is ok. In moderation. And when you are working with groups, you have to consider the good of the group, as well as that of each individual. And as director, I have to consider the good of me.
Now no more changes of cast ok?
I think this is the best one now. The thing with performance, someone doesn't just have to be able to perform a role, sometimes, they have to be able to perform that role when they really don't "feel it" and when they have no energy, when confidence has dissapeared and when the fun has drained away into a sludge like feeling of dread.
In contrast to my previous thoughts on the matter, I am toying with the idea that it is sometimes kinder to allow someone to give up on something. Giving up is ok. In moderation. And when you are working with groups, you have to consider the good of the group, as well as that of each individual. And as director, I have to consider the good of me.
Now no more changes of cast ok?
Thursday, 3 November 2011
Well, I'm actually blogging about today's rehearsal, but not quite up to date as have missed a couple out. Still they are coming thick and fast, and I have decided to forgive myself for not writing up every one in detail. No pics today unfortunately as I left my camera at home.
We have blocked the whole story now, and can start to work on detail. We've started to think about costumes - a lot of sheeting and artistic licence is in order I think. The second half of the story focusses on the friendship that develops between the badger kettle and the tinker. In contrast to the 'holy priest' (sanctimonious some may say), the tinker takes life as it comes, is easy going and cheerful. Doesn't count the pennies too much, and has less fear of the unknown. Being an optimist and an opportunist, means that the tinker is able to allow the badger to speak and make himself known, and the advantages of being the special friend of this unusual creature become apparent.
The staged portrayal of the plot in this particular story is more dreamlike I think than the others. We leave the literal behind quite a lot, and the transitions between the pictures are really quite surreal. Whereas the first half of the story is slapstick, fast paced and funny, the second half is very different: intimacy, warmth, a celebration of true friendship.
We are having problems with the music. I'm really not sure what we are doing. We finally decided to leave out the repetitive drum beat in this story, as it is makes some of the movements quite clumsy. The movements are faster, due to their comedic nature, not as serious and deep, so the drum makes them very unnatural in places. I listened to some silent movie music on You Tube today, and none of it quite seemed to fit. I think Chris is going to have to work some magic when he comes back to us, in quite a short period of time.
As far as the therapeutic aspects of the drama experience goes, I don't think that the sessions are anything like resembling any kind of obviously therapeutic or healing processes at the moment. Some questions are arising - what to do if people find themselves too far out of their comfort zone, and wondering if the pressure is too much. Also, I am getting very bored of the sound of my own bossy voice, but there is so much to do and so little time, that I feel I need to keep the pace of the group up. With so many rehearsals, some find it difficult to maintain the energy levels required. At times, the saying 'dragging a steam roller up a pebbly slope' feels appropriate. When the group become more involved, it is difficult for me to allow as much freedom to contribute to the development of the themes as I normally do, the need for a fast workable solution feeling paramount, so I have become very directorial. I have taken on the role of director, facilitator no more.
It is great having such a mixed group, in terms of gender, age and ability. However, I can see why people tend to separate into categories, as it is quite a juggling act to try to create an environment that gives what people wants and does not demand more than they can give. We are pushing boundaries, our own and each others. We dont' have the comfort that a group of more similar people would have. There are difficulties and advantages in this. In terms of group dynamic, our diversity definately gives us an edge, and the group certainly has cohesion.
My main concern is that the younger members of the group do not bite off more than they can chew, and that the older members are able to support them if they start to have difficulties, or become very tired. On the other hand, too much coddling and nursing may not help, as people may doubt their own abilities if they are not allowed to challenge their percieved limitations. Also, older members of the group may become frustrated as we allow the less experienced members room to manouvre, preventing more experienced members from fully expressing themselves.
I can see a need arising for two separate groups. One to focus on the group drama experience, to practice games and rituals that may be healing, that people can learn from, and that is a social and creative experience in it's own right. The other group to be more challenging - to work towards performances, to be faster paced and allow a greater variety of levels of expression. Some people don't want to perform, some love the experience of doing drama without the pressure of a performance at the end. Others feel a need to perform, and to develop expressivity with an audience, to have a task completed and shown.
For myself, and reflecting on my own experience of drama through my life, I realise this need after a 15 year gap of doing no drama, which at first was a relief, then became a hunger to return to this art form. I need the challenge of doing a performance, it gives a structure to some unnamed drive within me, a drive to express and to create. The performance is the end product. It comes after weeks of hard work, getting to know people, getting to know people differently, negotiating, pushing, searching, experimenting, hoping, and dreading. After the performance comes a flood of relief, and I allow myself to rest for a while, basking in the feeling of having gone through some sort of baptism of fire, and having survived.
Looking at that, I'm not sure where the fun part is. But I know that I will look back on these days of challenge and opportunity with pride and joy, as I now do about other similar times in my life. I know others in the group will too, though they don't always know it, if they haven't done drama before. They don't know that the memories that they are creating now will give dreams, stories, confidence and ambition for other adventures, that haven't even been dreamed up yet.
But it isn't therapeutic. Is it?
We have blocked the whole story now, and can start to work on detail. We've started to think about costumes - a lot of sheeting and artistic licence is in order I think. The second half of the story focusses on the friendship that develops between the badger kettle and the tinker. In contrast to the 'holy priest' (sanctimonious some may say), the tinker takes life as it comes, is easy going and cheerful. Doesn't count the pennies too much, and has less fear of the unknown. Being an optimist and an opportunist, means that the tinker is able to allow the badger to speak and make himself known, and the advantages of being the special friend of this unusual creature become apparent.
The staged portrayal of the plot in this particular story is more dreamlike I think than the others. We leave the literal behind quite a lot, and the transitions between the pictures are really quite surreal. Whereas the first half of the story is slapstick, fast paced and funny, the second half is very different: intimacy, warmth, a celebration of true friendship.
We are having problems with the music. I'm really not sure what we are doing. We finally decided to leave out the repetitive drum beat in this story, as it is makes some of the movements quite clumsy. The movements are faster, due to their comedic nature, not as serious and deep, so the drum makes them very unnatural in places. I listened to some silent movie music on You Tube today, and none of it quite seemed to fit. I think Chris is going to have to work some magic when he comes back to us, in quite a short period of time.
As far as the therapeutic aspects of the drama experience goes, I don't think that the sessions are anything like resembling any kind of obviously therapeutic or healing processes at the moment. Some questions are arising - what to do if people find themselves too far out of their comfort zone, and wondering if the pressure is too much. Also, I am getting very bored of the sound of my own bossy voice, but there is so much to do and so little time, that I feel I need to keep the pace of the group up. With so many rehearsals, some find it difficult to maintain the energy levels required. At times, the saying 'dragging a steam roller up a pebbly slope' feels appropriate. When the group become more involved, it is difficult for me to allow as much freedom to contribute to the development of the themes as I normally do, the need for a fast workable solution feeling paramount, so I have become very directorial. I have taken on the role of director, facilitator no more.
It is great having such a mixed group, in terms of gender, age and ability. However, I can see why people tend to separate into categories, as it is quite a juggling act to try to create an environment that gives what people wants and does not demand more than they can give. We are pushing boundaries, our own and each others. We dont' have the comfort that a group of more similar people would have. There are difficulties and advantages in this. In terms of group dynamic, our diversity definately gives us an edge, and the group certainly has cohesion.
My main concern is that the younger members of the group do not bite off more than they can chew, and that the older members are able to support them if they start to have difficulties, or become very tired. On the other hand, too much coddling and nursing may not help, as people may doubt their own abilities if they are not allowed to challenge their percieved limitations. Also, older members of the group may become frustrated as we allow the less experienced members room to manouvre, preventing more experienced members from fully expressing themselves.
I can see a need arising for two separate groups. One to focus on the group drama experience, to practice games and rituals that may be healing, that people can learn from, and that is a social and creative experience in it's own right. The other group to be more challenging - to work towards performances, to be faster paced and allow a greater variety of levels of expression. Some people don't want to perform, some love the experience of doing drama without the pressure of a performance at the end. Others feel a need to perform, and to develop expressivity with an audience, to have a task completed and shown.
For myself, and reflecting on my own experience of drama through my life, I realise this need after a 15 year gap of doing no drama, which at first was a relief, then became a hunger to return to this art form. I need the challenge of doing a performance, it gives a structure to some unnamed drive within me, a drive to express and to create. The performance is the end product. It comes after weeks of hard work, getting to know people, getting to know people differently, negotiating, pushing, searching, experimenting, hoping, and dreading. After the performance comes a flood of relief, and I allow myself to rest for a while, basking in the feeling of having gone through some sort of baptism of fire, and having survived.
Looking at that, I'm not sure where the fun part is. But I know that I will look back on these days of challenge and opportunity with pride and joy, as I now do about other similar times in my life. I know others in the group will too, though they don't always know it, if they haven't done drama before. They don't know that the memories that they are creating now will give dreams, stories, confidence and ambition for other adventures, that haven't even been dreamed up yet.
But it isn't therapeutic. Is it?
Blog catch up 24th October writeup
26th October
We actually got into the rehearsal. The need to focus on the performance is paramount. The nature of the sessions, from the early days of taking our time, meditative relaxation sessions, awareness raising games and excersises, has gone, and with noses to the grindstone, we get up to the business of getting a show on the road (again!).
As I am always looking for ways to link in what we do in the session to a discussion of an imaginary therapeutic session, I wonder, slightly aghast, in what way this part of the proceedings could be likened to, or described as, therapeutic - hard work and stress inducing more like it!
However, I reason further with myself. Much of the sessions we do are synonymous with the psychodynamic, attachment, developmental or social schools of therapeutic thought. We shun the cognitive behavioural therapy a bit, because it is physical, literal, and doesn't get to the core of people's "issues".
Being able to be part of a functioning group, that works together to produce a piece of entertaining artwork, completing tasks, overcoming tiredness (sometimes exhaustion), confidence issues, working with the body, being observed. These are all elements of training the self in being a functioning, successful, group member, that must on some level, be therapeutic. The balance for me is to guage when to give the occasional encouraging push to a reluctant participant, or when to allow tiredness and reluctance to express themselves. We have a show to get on the road. Sometimes in role as a comedic Cruella de Ville, and sometimes as nurturing Nanny, I tease, push, pull, encourage, coerce, annoy and entertain the group into continuing, and then, sometimes, I say "ok, have some time off, you have done enough".
As I respond to the constantly changing dynamics of the group, I am aware of my own inner dynamics. This is very important. I have to have my own observer, letting me know when my parameters are being approached, and reminding me of past lessons learned.
Now, I know I said that we would do no more games, but this one was very relevant, and in direct response to a training need of the group. I would venture to say, and feel free to disagree, that the most important social tool that we have, is our eyes. Eyes can do a lot of work for us, especially in terms of our communications and interactions with other people.
In drama, the rule still applies. Eyes convey a lot. They convey life, emotion, spiritual fire, all of the things that we want an audience to experience when we try to entertain them. This particular play, a comedy, is full of conflict, frustration, anger, accidents, accusation, and everyone has their own agenda. We practiced the interplay of conflict, anger and fear, by having "stare outs". Members, in pairs, stared at each other, and the winner of the stare out (judged by other members) got to stay on and try to stare out the next person. At first both conveyed angry stares, then, in a non-competitive format, one member conveyed the angry stare and one the frightened stare. Bodies were also incorporated, so that a whole sculpt, built around the stare, was produced.
Anyway, enough of the staring pics. Here are some pictures of us rehearsing The Badger Kettle, to get you wondering about just what we are going to come up with for the performance.
We actually got into the rehearsal. The need to focus on the performance is paramount. The nature of the sessions, from the early days of taking our time, meditative relaxation sessions, awareness raising games and excersises, has gone, and with noses to the grindstone, we get up to the business of getting a show on the road (again!).
As I am always looking for ways to link in what we do in the session to a discussion of an imaginary therapeutic session, I wonder, slightly aghast, in what way this part of the proceedings could be likened to, or described as, therapeutic - hard work and stress inducing more like it!
However, I reason further with myself. Much of the sessions we do are synonymous with the psychodynamic, attachment, developmental or social schools of therapeutic thought. We shun the cognitive behavioural therapy a bit, because it is physical, literal, and doesn't get to the core of people's "issues".
Being able to be part of a functioning group, that works together to produce a piece of entertaining artwork, completing tasks, overcoming tiredness (sometimes exhaustion), confidence issues, working with the body, being observed. These are all elements of training the self in being a functioning, successful, group member, that must on some level, be therapeutic. The balance for me is to guage when to give the occasional encouraging push to a reluctant participant, or when to allow tiredness and reluctance to express themselves. We have a show to get on the road. Sometimes in role as a comedic Cruella de Ville, and sometimes as nurturing Nanny, I tease, push, pull, encourage, coerce, annoy and entertain the group into continuing, and then, sometimes, I say "ok, have some time off, you have done enough".
As I respond to the constantly changing dynamics of the group, I am aware of my own inner dynamics. This is very important. I have to have my own observer, letting me know when my parameters are being approached, and reminding me of past lessons learned.
Now, I know I said that we would do no more games, but this one was very relevant, and in direct response to a training need of the group. I would venture to say, and feel free to disagree, that the most important social tool that we have, is our eyes. Eyes can do a lot of work for us, especially in terms of our communications and interactions with other people.
In drama, the rule still applies. Eyes convey a lot. They convey life, emotion, spiritual fire, all of the things that we want an audience to experience when we try to entertain them. This particular play, a comedy, is full of conflict, frustration, anger, accidents, accusation, and everyone has their own agenda. We practiced the interplay of conflict, anger and fear, by having "stare outs". Members, in pairs, stared at each other, and the winner of the stare out (judged by other members) got to stay on and try to stare out the next person. At first both conveyed angry stares, then, in a non-competitive format, one member conveyed the angry stare and one the frightened stare. Bodies were also incorporated, so that a whole sculpt, built around the stare, was produced.
Anyway, enough of the staring pics. Here are some pictures of us rehearsing The Badger Kettle, to get you wondering about just what we are going to come up with for the performance.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)