A couple of weeks ago, we had a workshop and lecture from Richard Schechner (which is still awaiting blogging!) At the end of our workshop seminar he showed us some footage from Lian Amaris' Swimming to Spalding, which he directed. Amaris wrote and performed in the piece which is a one woman show. (Here are some clips of You Tube to demonstrate http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRikUxI9PlA) This piece has become incredibly inspirational for the way that I and the directors are approaching the character I am playing in Pornography; unnamed Seven.
One of the key aspects of this production is the detail in Lian's gesture; Schechner commented that they paid attention to each gesture she makes. We have decided to do the same for my character. Whereas Lian's gestures are heightened versions of her own gesticulation, as the piece was autobiographical to an extent and utilised concepts such as performing self. With regards to Seven, the gestures and movements that I am working on are heightened versions of the persona I am creating and are at times more conceptual physical movements than heightened gesture.
Hannah ran a workshop with the entire cast working with Laban's efforts, exploring them as ourselves and picking two we think most suit our everyday movement and then moving onto the characters and picking two which most suit them. Many of my movements are based in the Laban efforts that I have realised for Seven; wringing and gliding. Although I do not sit and wring and see what comes out, the efforts most certainly inform the movement. I often know when I have found the right gesture or movement because it accidentally works with the Laban efforts. It is also good to have as a point of reference if I become stuck on a certain segment of text.
Other movements and gestures are created from the text and what I have found out about the character during exercises by Hannah and George such as imagination exercises and the dramaturgical exercise with Ursula. At first I was very unsure of what the imagination exercise with Hannah would accomplish for my performance. It is very much an acting technique, something I have been trying to avoid. However, it is incredibly surprising how much the imagination exercise has actually informed my movement. Although Seven is not real, and should not be treated as such, exploring how she could move was incredibly interesting. One of the benefits of using this exercise, even if we are not utilising 'acting' in this particular scene, is that it prevents the performer intellectualising the character and over thinking. The movement becomes more organic and natural. The dramaturgical questions Ursula asks, and will ask during the process, ensures that each gesture has conviction and integrity for the scene and for the play as a whole.
This is not an easy process and we are very keen to create the movements organically rather than mimetically from the text. This is a problem that we have come across in rehearsals for the bomber scene, although less so. Explring potential movements takes a lot of timebut we will get there in the end! I am working by myself at times to create starting points for movement which Hannah and George will help me shape. Hopefully, in the next few rehearsals we will be exploring more movement away from the text and bringing it back in as we have with the bombers, but time is of the essence!
Keep you posted!
Videos to follow on Saturday!
Ellie
One of the key aspects of this production is the detail in Lian's gesture; Schechner commented that they paid attention to each gesture she makes. We have decided to do the same for my character. Whereas Lian's gestures are heightened versions of her own gesticulation, as the piece was autobiographical to an extent and utilised concepts such as performing self. With regards to Seven, the gestures and movements that I am working on are heightened versions of the persona I am creating and are at times more conceptual physical movements than heightened gesture.
Hannah ran a workshop with the entire cast working with Laban's efforts, exploring them as ourselves and picking two we think most suit our everyday movement and then moving onto the characters and picking two which most suit them. Many of my movements are based in the Laban efforts that I have realised for Seven; wringing and gliding. Although I do not sit and wring and see what comes out, the efforts most certainly inform the movement. I often know when I have found the right gesture or movement because it accidentally works with the Laban efforts. It is also good to have as a point of reference if I become stuck on a certain segment of text.
Other movements and gestures are created from the text and what I have found out about the character during exercises by Hannah and George such as imagination exercises and the dramaturgical exercise with Ursula. At first I was very unsure of what the imagination exercise with Hannah would accomplish for my performance. It is very much an acting technique, something I have been trying to avoid. However, it is incredibly surprising how much the imagination exercise has actually informed my movement. Although Seven is not real, and should not be treated as such, exploring how she could move was incredibly interesting. One of the benefits of using this exercise, even if we are not utilising 'acting' in this particular scene, is that it prevents the performer intellectualising the character and over thinking. The movement becomes more organic and natural. The dramaturgical questions Ursula asks, and will ask during the process, ensures that each gesture has conviction and integrity for the scene and for the play as a whole.
This is not an easy process and we are very keen to create the movements organically rather than mimetically from the text. This is a problem that we have come across in rehearsals for the bomber scene, although less so. Explring potential movements takes a lot of timebut we will get there in the end! I am working by myself at times to create starting points for movement which Hannah and George will help me shape. Hopefully, in the next few rehearsals we will be exploring more movement away from the text and bringing it back in as we have with the bombers, but time is of the essence!
Keep you posted!
Videos to follow on Saturday!
Ellie
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