1.
Physical theatre is essentially story telling through the body. In order to convey a story, characters and emotions through just the body one must utilise the most effective key strategies.
During the devising of Four Ways To Speak Out, it was decided that abstract and pedestrian movements were to be used. In order to for the group to communicate their views the ‘Clap Method’ was used. We would stand together in our ensemble and when a performer had an idea they would clap, perform the movement and the group would follow and so on. This is a particularly efficient strategy as the group remains focused and quite, there are no disruptions or struggling to ones ideas heard. The ‘Clap Method’ also gives the actor the option to be pedestrian or abstract. As I have found out it is just as effective for the ensemble to convey more pedestrian gestures to communicate a strong meaning, than as with abstract movement
Improvisation was also used in the devising process, as a way of becoming a naturalistic community as we ''all improvise everyday when we talk to our friends and family" (http://artswork.asu.edu/arts/students/tb/05_00_acting.htm). It also enables us to build ensemble rapport and develop each individual’s character.For example, when reflecting on the ensemble when we started to our current stage, the improvised moments are natural, the performers know who they are with, why and where in the space wich results in a more natural performance. Improvisation also meant that as a group we did not talk and analyse the action as much and to see what we naturally got out of it.
During the devising process we consciouslly reffered back to Rober Lepage’s ‘RSVP’ theory, (Research, Score, Validate and Performance). I believe research is an important part of devising. Without it the story would not be at all believable or truthful. So to avoid this we researched the domestic violence charity ‘Four Ways To Speak Out’, read real life stories, and listened to interviews with the victims familys. This helped to provoke the emotion that the performance needs to be believable and convey some sort of reaction out of the audience.
2.
At the beginning of the devising process, it took me a while to fully understand the character I would portray. At first I thought of myself as the woman’s friend, however during the improvistation I found myself becoming frustrated and uninterested. So I began to feel that maybe my character was friends with the woman but often got let down by her, maybe because of the relationship that the woman was in. I came to this conclusion by drawing upon my own experiences.
However, as I am now one of the four representations of the ‘Woman’, I have felt my other character change slightly. It is portrayed more passive, as if I did not know the woman well, but has heard rumours. I still have a slight disinterested stance at the beginning, although when acknowledging the diary entries, my ensemble character does not quite understand, (maybe does not even want to understand) and cannot imagine how someone could let themselves be bullied like the woman is. This originates from my own views on domestic violencen and from playing a part of the woman. From the ‘Attemping to Leave’ section I have begun to emotionally feel how it would be like to be in that situation because the movement is so intense. For example, I am thrown around like a rag doll. It almost too awfull to think about or comprehend and so has influenced my ensemble character to be reluctant in wanting to hear what the woman has endured.
At the current stage of devising I must refine my two characters so they are clearly differentiated.
3.
It is vital, that through nutrality, I lose my own personal mannerisms and characteristic in order to make my characters believable.
With conveying two very different characters it is essential that they are differentiated through their movements in the space. The ensemble character occupys a guarded whereas the woman representation holds a more helpless stance.
When walking through the space as the ensemble character my arms cross infront of me, my head down and my spine curved , as if the body is closing into a tight fist ready to defend itself if anyone comes near. I do not speak thoughout the performance, as I do not feel it neccessary to do so. The ensemble character is defensive and so I distance myself from the other performers and do not verbally interact. I believe this will be just as effective as long as I maintain strong body language as " there is an authenticity and truthfulness about these forms because they retain the potential of being untainted and unmediated by the sophistry and deciet of language." (Keefe and Murray (2007) pg. 21). When observing the diary entries and flashbacks I am rarely sitting, it feels more alert for the character to stand.
Whereas, when portrayin the ‘woman’, my body is almost lifeless, helpless and so is often falling to the floor. This communicates the lack of will and ennergy the woman has in escaping or atleast doing anything about her situation.
When performing ‘Attempting to Leave’ I feel as though I am at odds with my body, I want to stand up straight as if to stand up for myself but am constantly battling setbacks that (quite literally) knock me down.
Bibliography.
Murray, S and Keefe, J. (2007) Physical Theatre: a critical introduction. London: Routledge.
Other Sources.
http://artswork.asu.edu/arts/students/tb/05_00_acting.htm [Accessed 24th March 2010]
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