Blog 14 december
Wednesday morning we started with the Group clapping exercise and thereby immediately filling the room with energy again. I had missed one day and was very happy to be back again!
After that we started clapping on the first and eight count. We walked 8 passes in the rhythm of the claps and then started moving in slow motion and still keeping the count (well, let’s just keep it at, that that was the exercise) Then it was moving fast and keeping the count and the claps on the first and eight. Then the quick chance of 8 counts moving fast, and 8 in slow motion. Hearing TC at the side giving us an example of what the count should be and comparing it to our own showed how much room for improvement there is. Something we always love to know J
Then.. the arrow and bow. An exercise in the elegancy of the language that we’re trying to make our own.
On one we took the arrow from our quiver
On two we look at the arrow (which is a very important step as we need to check whether the arrow point is right so that it will hit target)
On three we attach the arrow to the bow
On four we stretch the arrow backwards
On five we let go with tension in our arms and body. (don’t forget the effect of releasing the arrow!)
The importance is to let our imagination work and really see and get the feeling of the arrow and bow. Like mime.. If you drop it, either you lost your bow/arrow.. or your audience..
We continue with a game of Cowboy’s and Indians (or explorers and native Americans if we want to be politically correct) While most of us die agonizing deaths, as is custom for our class, others are fierce in words and movements. The battle that Shakespeare’s words and characters are constantly in is becoming beautifully visible.
After that we do our lines and let our fantasy live more, since running away from an arrow is much more believable then moving a step to the left or right at the last minute. One of the many wonders of the world that TC is so kind to share with us. J I just love it how I always think, d0h! That’s just so logical.. why then.. didn’t I think of that before.
Jaqueline and Bart get up for the exercise with the arrow and have to receive and/or stop the arrow with magical powers. They show, ‘this is my arrow, I thought about it then I gave it to you. You can have it.
For those who remember the little talk about Shakespearse’s writing and the difference between writing with a quill and the computer now a days (something Saskia pointed out)
Also there was an article, for those who want to read it, from Guilbert O Daine about the difference between books written on the typewriter and on the computer.
The arrows are different in pro’s. Jet and Bart get up to do a scene between Hamlet en Polonius in Pro’s. They should not surrender, remember nobody looses a scene in Shakespeare. Every character always thinks they are going to win. Otherwise you will play an idea of the scene. Don’t judge your character. Ideas about your character are dangerous, you will fall into cliché’s.
For instance, the critics praise the polonius when he’s not played like a clown, it’s a mark on their books, brilliant! They did not fall into that cliché. Little does it matter that Polonius hasn’t been played like that in 40 years and we exchanged that cliché for the ‘machiavelli of the current times’ the Wheeler dealer with two secretary’s next to him.
It’s telling the audience what the scene is about, it saves the critics the boring job of actually having to listen to the scene. Like the critic TC told us about who slept through the entire show in a sort of alcoholic haze. It’s like they want a primary color of what the directors choices are.
Barking Part 2
Taking back the questions:
- When did you think of that?
- Just now
- Is that a good thing?
- Yes (Why)
- Are they the same thing?/Is the second better then the first?
- No/yes
Decide there at the spot. Have an awareness of the room. Make a decision. Sorry if you don’t see, I want you to see. I just thought of something..
We also had a short discussion about the first word usually being an Angelsaxian word and the second one Latin, or the other way around. To catch different layers of the society/audience. It makes it more potent.
In Shakespeare and, never means just and. It involves, no I can do better, or at least that, but also.
In some sense the second one canccled out the first. Always add energy to the word.
Shakespeare has meaning to everything. If it’s a question.. ask it! Your character wants the answer. It’s never just a phrase (is that just one of those phrases?)
- What else could you have called him/her?
What do you do to someone by choosing how to call them. Using personal names, like sweet …, the best actor in the group or just using their name, or their full name. It does something to people. That awareness is very good to have when using someone’s name during a scene. It’s not just ‘my lord’ it is the choice of saying my lord. Which gives meaning to it.
Thou – familiar comes from the French word tu
You – Formal, comes from vous.
The decision to use thou or you is a very specific one. Choose it! It’s the important choice of creating a distance. (tutoieren) (vb. Amber, and why I pray you who might be your mother)
‘Thou is a nomination and thee is acutive.’ (ps.. dear readers, I wrote this down as I heard it said, but it’s latin to me, which I cannot read nor write;))
Change your mind at the last moment. (As, by my faith, I see no more in you. Than without candle may go dark to bed) Going to bed without a candle saves wax.
Be careful of getting on the Devil’s bus. Like the actor in Richard III. He was building up, raging, until at the highlight of it all he slamed the door and when the applause died out TC’s wife said.. “Well, he was joly upset about something” Brilliant quote J
Ann-May did her monologue from MacBeth, anticipating on barking. Barking is there to help you, not to tell you you were wrong. Don’t play a mood. Lady Macbeth is often portrayed as an angry bitch, but she’s asking the spiritis to unsex her. She askes for meanness and bitchyness. Show the beginnings of where it’s gonna go and the play will come of itself.
Barking. The is a crucial principal. The job is difficult, don’t feel attached, be grateful for the barks you get because people are trying to help you. Seize the opportunity to do something with it.
Repeated words. If Shakespeare repeats a word then the stress is never in the same metrical verse. One time it will be stressed, the next time unstressed. He never just uses the same word twice. It is truly a choice of words.
Therefore using the verse also helps to not get on the devils bus. It may fulfill people’s expectations, but if you keep breaking the mood then you’re alive in the scene. And the scene becomes real.
The class about Barking:
- It’s fun to see people struggle with their devil
- It’s fast
- Both the listners and the performer are very engaged
- Very much in the present
- Emotion
- More alive! Not pre-cooked.
You’re not playing tricks, you play simple but detailed. Try this one from now on.. never ask rhetorical questions. The audience will find out that it’s rhetorical. Rhetorical is ironic, don’t prejudge for the audience. Genuenly ask a question. – Do you want an answer to the question?
The verse knows best!
PAUZE
Game, left hand open on your back and if you get taped, you’re out.
Don’t be a twat!
- I’m not!
The excersise continued with silently saying it, and responding to it.
Then to gestures.
Puppet! Keep a poker face, and let your eyes look straight ahead without helping the puppeteer or choosing where to look. Our eyes are trained to see moments.
During the evolution they found out that not moving our eyes is not good for us. They freeze, after a while our eyes do a check to see if we can still detect motion. That’s why many people in france claimed to have seen the virgin mary wink or smile or cry.. they should have just blinked or turned their heads to something more movable in the area.. bloody pilgrims :p
Saskia made a remark about ‘Up yours man/woman’ on youtube. Can’t remember in what discussion it was mentioned, but for those interested and those who can still remember, tadaa.
The other important discussion was about awareness. The actor William Hut took in much more in the room then just the audience. Nothing could happen without him knowing of it. It was like he had 360⁰ awareness.
I saw that! Of course you must have really seen something.
We realize what we show does get seen. Instead of actors just playing in the direction of each other, everything we do get seen, and we see and respond to that what we see the other actor do. Yet again so simple and yet a wonderful piece of truth lain before us. We learn how much information is in a face.
Maureen and Stan in the ‘Where I saw the secret’ exercise. How beautiful the tension between the two of them was. You have to be precise, specific. Left eyebrow, right index finger, white bit of the left eye.
Big amount of intimacy. You could see the struggle of them being aware of what they are doing.
And the beauty of the face of a person who’s really listening. Next time we’ll try after we removed the wooden pole from their body’s.
Thanks for the great day guys!