1. As the Process of Porto was moving on from the V to the P stage many different themes were produced, this was because the community in the peripheral and centre stage felt that they needed to change their actions. The actions in the community made them want to be more experimental with their own groups.
An active model of community was being forged through ‘action and interaction’.
‘a set of shared social meanings which are constantly created and mutated through the actions and interactions of its members, and through their interaction with wider society’. (Kelly 1984, p.50)
This makes the activity of the community intervention more powerful.
As everyone started finalising their own characters, other characters then had complete interactions with them and were sure of what they were doing. In the Validating stage interactions kept changing because the individual’s character kept changing their emotions and feelings towards another character.
The finalization of each individual then made it a living and breathing community of its own space where although your characters purpose was to be alone you would have no choice but to interact somehow with the people around you just like you would in the outside world.
The questions of freedom, rights, love and other themes were centrally there.
‘Class was not a structure nor a category but something that happens in human relationships’ (Thompson, 1963 preface).
Issues of class and gender were being raised in the community. The way people dressed gave the audience a sense of what type of characters were in Porto but it was only when the characters communicated with audience or with other people in the performance would you then understand who they are.
‘the interactions within a group of people who choose to see themselves as a community continually alter the nature of that community, so that it is always in a state of ‘becoming’ therefore, growing and thus avoids the stasis of a ‘thing’ to be serviced’. (Watt, 1991, p.61)
2. The space in the studio was different from the actual space in the theatre. The theatre had a much larger space so it gave the character much more sense of freedom to move around and explore.
The studio was a much smaller space so the interactions with a majority of the characters where active and constantly changing into some great work whilst being experimental with others. The theatre space had distanced relationships that were created in the studio because of the new found space so there was a lot of self exploration. When the lighting was being fixed on day one in the theatre, there seemed to be plenty of distractions and confused faces, this was because no one felt like they were in Porto because of the new stage.
The three intense rehearsals on day two in the theatre before the performance had changed the way people were interacting with each other; it felt as if though the validation phase had come back in the first rehearsal.
The individual characters that did make the few connections with others had to re-think how their own body would move and use the space in the theatre.
Utilizing the same devising tools in a radically different space changes the context of the characters and also produces a new sense of shared community.
The disadvantage for some characters was the constant habit of using the same space constantly, like they would do in the studio.
This implication is because of the training done with our body memory, it was not that we didn’t know we had enough space to spread out and do the performance it was the fact that it had been trained to be at a particular position at a particular time within the space and with others.
Other problems were the lighting, for some characters it was a chance of making sure the audience all the way at the back could see them. The prayers would make people around the peripheral change all the time and the space would be a struggle for the third prayer where the character had to constantly move in a fast pace. This problem had occurred with the positioning of the chairs and also the ensemble with the suitcase, the character would be pushed too much to the side and was not able to put in that one hundred percent for the fear of bumping in to others and ruining the work or injuring himself.
Although there were a couple of disadvantages the new stage experience had bought the play to life and gave it a new experience, also new themes. The space being used always altered the nature of the community.
3. The RSVP model throughout the three shows was being used consistently. My reason for this is because my character kept changing its interactions and it wanted to explore different areas. It was evident that the characters had started to get more confident in what they were doing and also the ensemble work got stronger with every show.
With every performance the community had got a better understanding and so each performance was getting a better.
When I originally worked on my character, he was supposed to be someone that did not interact with anyone and had made a relationship with just his bag.
Moving my character into the Arena Theatre had given it a new purpose, he wanted to develop a relationship with other people around him.
When I would do my prayers it felt very different from the studio, the blue light that kept going on me made me feel more comfortable because I felt like no one was around me and it kept my character completely drenched in his ritual. As the performances went on my character would notice the annoying people around him as he ends his prayer and really tries to interact with them, this is due to the fact that my character had already accomplished the fact they are there in the same place throughout the three shows and did not want them to enter his personal space.
In the periphery my characters loneliness made him want to go out of his corner and explore other people. After doing my first two prayers my relationship with the man and the bible (David) got stronger, as the bible and my prayer matt were two religious symbols and we both felt that there was some type of isolation between us that the other could not understand. Also my character had the urge to reach out to somebody doing this made me gain a random connection with the man at the platform (Dan) who also felt that his character was complete by saving me from the insanity of my bag and helping me to my feet after my third payer.
Simon Woods of the Zen Zen Zo physical theatre articulated that,
‘In some ways the training j ourney is more interesting then the production. Watching a group of people who go through this incredible process of transformation, physically, spiritually, mentally, intellectually over a period of time together in training room is a truly profound thing. The performance is like opening a door to say ‘This is where we’re at; this is what we’re thinking about’, and the door closes again and we go back into the training room. (Bradley & Woods 2003)
Our rehearsals have changed the way we interact with our items and other people. Also the final performance felt like the end product from the first two. Going back into our own mind and taking a break makes us then come back into the theatre space and re-tell our individual stories but improving them from the last performance.
Bibliography
Heddon, Deirde and Milling, Jane (2006), Devising Performance - A Critical History: Palgrave Macmillan Limited.
Oddey Alison, (1994), Devising Theatre – A practical and theoretical handbook: Routledge, London.
Secondary References
Aston, Elaine (1999), Feminist theatre practice: a handbook: Routledge
Saturday 16 May 2009
Friday 15 May 2009
Natalie McCalla: Final Blog Post!
1. 1. As the creative process turned from the validating to the performance stage of devising, and Porto began to come together as a collective performance, there were a few common themes that were displayed throughout Porto.
The first theme being that we were all in an unfamiliar place. As we entered the space of Porto we were all in the same situation we were all now by our self not knowing what was happening to us , where we was and why.
Another common theme that ran through Porto was the building of relationships. For example my character came into the space alone in search of her birth mother. My character built a relationship with Nicole’s character as she loving and caring and protective over me, these are some of the characteristics that a mother would have for her child. I also built a relationship with sandy’s character. This was because sandy had alto of photos of different people and I kept hoping that she had one of my birth mother and she could help me find her.
Another theme that was displayed in Porto was the idea of us all going on a journey. This was represented by us all having bags, because if we were going on a holiday or just going somewhere over night or even just a day to day journey we are more than likely to carry a bag with us. We all had different stories behind our bags and what was in our bags. Martin Buber expresses to us that
“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveller is unaware.”
This is exactly what has happened in Porto we all started by embarking on a journey not knowing what was going to happen or who we were going to meet, so as we were in Porto we were travellers uncertain about what our outcome would be by the end of the journey.
2. 2.For the whole module we have been working in the same studio, which was different to where the final performances were done. As we spent so much time working in the studio we had become used to working in this space. Although were all more than excited to move in to the theatre as it gave the feeling of a professional performance. Although the overall space in the theatre was bigger there many complications that we were faced with as we began to work in theatre space. First of all there was a lot more equipment in the space such as lighting. There lights were positioned along the periphery so a lot of us were passing them within the performances. Many of the actors kept knocking the lights causing them to move out of focus, which went on to affect areas of the performance that was supposed to be lit
By the light.
Even though moving into a bigger space seemed to be much easier for us to work in it wasn’t. This was because there was a good amount of space in the theatre that we could not use especially when it came to working on the floor because audience members at the back would not have been unable to see what the actors were doing. So it was essential that when working in the space we would position our self in the correct location so that everything was able to be seen.
The whole cast was always in the performance at all times. When ever we were not on the main stage we used interactions with each other along the periphery. This space seemed to be a lot smaller than it was in the studio, but in actual fact it wasn’t it was just that we had to make out movements and interactions with others simpler so that the attention was not taken away from what was happening on stage
3. 3.It was very clear to see that every performance was stronger than the last.
The first performance was ok but it was evident that we as an ensemble had a lot more go give and we had a lot of mistakes that we can learn from to make our other performances greater.
Our second show was much stronger and was at a great level. There was a substantial level of characterization and commitment to the performance, it was not perfect but was definitely a performance to be proud of.
The final performance again was not perfect but was by far the strongest performance out of the three. As part of the ensemble I could feel very high emotions from the rest of the ensemble, I feel that as it was the last show and we would never have to do Porto again the ensemble put in 100 %. This performance was a great way to end the last of the performances and to end the semester.
I feel that my character developed dramatically throughout the performances, I thought that my character was at the level she needed to be, but the more we did Porto the more my character progressed, and as we preformed Porto I left the stage with a stronger character and I learned a lot more about my character than I initially knew about here.
My characters frustration in not being able to find who she was looking for became much more apparent from performance to performance. The way in which she was constantly on the look out and constantly moving showed her anxiety and thirst for wanting to find what she was looking for. Evidently I am more than pleased with the character that was developed, with more time I believe my character would have been much stronger, as buy the end of the last show I developed a strong passion of wanting to do more and wanting to carry on searching for what I was looking for.
I feel that following the rsvp model has been very rewarding. This has given us the chance to break down every phase that we have been thought to create our performance. There were moments in the rehearsal stage where I was really struggling with my character, and there seemed to be no movement or development with my character. This was when I referred back to the rsvp to help me break down my character this seemed to have helped my character tremendously, and I began to understand what and why I was doing in terms of my character this has been expressed by ( allsands) “ If you know nothing about your character, you can’t possibly expect hundreds of people to believe you are your character”. I agree with this quote as if I didn’t understand or develop my character in the way that I did then there would have been notthing for the audience to engage with, as I would have had no connection with my character.
Bibliography
Websites:
(Brave new traveler)
http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/03/07/50-most-inspiring-travel-quotes-of-all-time/
(Allsands)
http://www.allsands.com/money/career/characterdevelo_sib_gn.htm
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The first theme being that we were all in an unfamiliar place. As we entered the space of Porto we were all in the same situation we were all now by our self not knowing what was happening to us , where we was and why.
Another common theme that ran through Porto was the building of relationships. For example my character came into the space alone in search of her birth mother. My character built a relationship with Nicole’s character as she loving and caring and protective over me, these are some of the characteristics that a mother would have for her child. I also built a relationship with sandy’s character. This was because sandy had alto of photos of different people and I kept hoping that she had one of my birth mother and she could help me find her.
Another theme that was displayed in Porto was the idea of us all going on a journey. This was represented by us all having bags, because if we were going on a holiday or just going somewhere over night or even just a day to day journey we are more than likely to carry a bag with us. We all had different stories behind our bags and what was in our bags. Martin Buber expresses to us that
“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveller is unaware.”
This is exactly what has happened in Porto we all started by embarking on a journey not knowing what was going to happen or who we were going to meet, so as we were in Porto we were travellers uncertain about what our outcome would be by the end of the journey.
2. 2.For the whole module we have been working in the same studio, which was different to where the final performances were done. As we spent so much time working in the studio we had become used to working in this space. Although were all more than excited to move in to the theatre as it gave the feeling of a professional performance. Although the overall space in the theatre was bigger there many complications that we were faced with as we began to work in theatre space. First of all there was a lot more equipment in the space such as lighting. There lights were positioned along the periphery so a lot of us were passing them within the performances. Many of the actors kept knocking the lights causing them to move out of focus, which went on to affect areas of the performance that was supposed to be lit
By the light.
Even though moving into a bigger space seemed to be much easier for us to work in it wasn’t. This was because there was a good amount of space in the theatre that we could not use especially when it came to working on the floor because audience members at the back would not have been unable to see what the actors were doing. So it was essential that when working in the space we would position our self in the correct location so that everything was able to be seen.
The whole cast was always in the performance at all times. When ever we were not on the main stage we used interactions with each other along the periphery. This space seemed to be a lot smaller than it was in the studio, but in actual fact it wasn’t it was just that we had to make out movements and interactions with others simpler so that the attention was not taken away from what was happening on stage
3. 3.It was very clear to see that every performance was stronger than the last.
The first performance was ok but it was evident that we as an ensemble had a lot more go give and we had a lot of mistakes that we can learn from to make our other performances greater.
Our second show was much stronger and was at a great level. There was a substantial level of characterization and commitment to the performance, it was not perfect but was definitely a performance to be proud of.
The final performance again was not perfect but was by far the strongest performance out of the three. As part of the ensemble I could feel very high emotions from the rest of the ensemble, I feel that as it was the last show and we would never have to do Porto again the ensemble put in 100 %. This performance was a great way to end the last of the performances and to end the semester.
I feel that my character developed dramatically throughout the performances, I thought that my character was at the level she needed to be, but the more we did Porto the more my character progressed, and as we preformed Porto I left the stage with a stronger character and I learned a lot more about my character than I initially knew about here.
My characters frustration in not being able to find who she was looking for became much more apparent from performance to performance. The way in which she was constantly on the look out and constantly moving showed her anxiety and thirst for wanting to find what she was looking for. Evidently I am more than pleased with the character that was developed, with more time I believe my character would have been much stronger, as buy the end of the last show I developed a strong passion of wanting to do more and wanting to carry on searching for what I was looking for.
I feel that following the rsvp model has been very rewarding. This has given us the chance to break down every phase that we have been thought to create our performance. There were moments in the rehearsal stage where I was really struggling with my character, and there seemed to be no movement or development with my character. This was when I referred back to the rsvp to help me break down my character this seemed to have helped my character tremendously, and I began to understand what and why I was doing in terms of my character this has been expressed by ( allsands) “ If you know nothing about your character, you can’t possibly expect hundreds of people to believe you are your character”. I agree with this quote as if I didn’t understand or develop my character in the way that I did then there would have been notthing for the audience to engage with, as I would have had no connection with my character.
Bibliography
Websites:
(Brave new traveler)
http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/03/07/50-most-inspiring-travel-quotes-of-all-time/
(Allsands)
http://www.allsands.com/money/career/characterdevelo_sib_gn.htm
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Sandy Pooni - Blog Post 4
1. I think an evident transformation in the development from ‘Validating’ stage to the ‘Performance’ stage, was the Saturday rehearsal before the performance, where through that run through, we managed to cut down the piece from two hours to one hour fifteen, but yet still managing to retain that pace, urgency and necessity where it was needed and the intensity in the more slower, more sinister sections. ‘Tension is energy seeking an outlet,’ (Marshall, L, 1997…Pg 17). I think from that there was also a strong build up in everyone’s character’s emotionally and physically as the intentions of individual character’s were becoming more and more clearer, not only to those who are watching, and within the ensemble but also for that individual themselves too I think. ‘A person’s character may undergo change, but that change is likely to occur slow, almost imperceptibly, as a person acquires knowledge and experience throughout life.’, (Alberts, D, 1997…Pg 25)
And I think that each and everyone’s character reached the absolute climax of intensity for their which I think helped from the Wednesday rehearsals, as there was no escaping from the emotions we were feeling, which had been gradually built up and extended and occasionally changed from the ‘Research’ stage. ‘Profound changes in a person’s character, like those that occur in plays, may seem to occur rapidly…a play consists of selected memories of a person’s life, and these moments are likely to be those in which a person undergoes the most dramatic change.’, (Alberts, D, 1997…Pg 25)
I think a common factor that was showing through during these final rehearsals in the build up to tidying up and refining sections for the performance, were that the techniques and palette we’d worked on for the past year was clear to see, and for the majority not only did it help in our growth as an ensemble but also helped to reach the pinnacle point in each of our journeys, some shared, others as an individual. ‘The audience doesn’t observe the weeks, months or years that have led up to this particular defining moment’, (Alberts, D, 1997…Pg 25).
In as much as there was individuality, loneliness, isolation and longing as relatively common emotions and feeling that related with us all, the want to rid those feelings and emotions bound us together, some of us relied on the strength of others to get them through, which was evident between Amy, Gavin and Sarah, all three of them were feeling a sense of wanting and to be loved but yet it was in a way that wasn’t fitting for all three of them as a whole, for example Amy’s need to physically attach herself to Gavin, which not only drained Gavin’s character physically but also emotionally, because it was clear to see, that Amy was getting all the support from Gavin, yet Gavin was resisting because he was able to get any of that back from Amy, yet with Sarah the roles had reversed and now Gavin had become the dependant one with Sarah resisted. ‘We may not know exactly what the relationship is, but we can get a pretty good idea from the behavior itself and from its context.’ (Alberts, D, 1997…Pg 38)
Similarly with Amy H, Blake and Marie, and Amy’s character physically pushing herself to the extreme in order to get Blake to breakaway from the suitcase as she could see that it wasn’t a healthy load he was carrying and that it was vital for him to be able to let go, and also I think for herself too, as she felt she had to be able to do this for him.
I felt that I was now beginning to develop relationships within the periphery during these final stages in refining the piece for the final performance. And also I’d reached that sense of reaching the extremes emotionally for my character, and was left feeling exhilarated once I’d relieved myself of my character’s baggage, but yet still went back to the frantic state of thinking that I couldn’t go on by myself that I was wrong and maybe the baggage is what made me, and that I shouldn’t have tried to change that.
2. I think the changeover from the studio’s to Arena wasn’t as smooth as perhaps first anticipated, as although the space was visually larger on the surface actually performing in that space. ‘In daily life the body constantly reacts to space…’, (Marshall, L, 2001…Pg 41) I realised there wasn’t as much room as there seemed, and also noted that in that theatre space, it was vital that we kept within the sightlines on stage to ensure that the audience would be able to capture the essence of what was going on on-stage, which I did try to make a mental note myself to not go beyond because also with that if you’re not in the right position you get the bright light shining in your face which makes it difficult to see. Another difficulty I encountered was my positioning with the chairs at the start of the piece within the ensemble; I was faced away and directly opposite the two lights, one at head level and the other at ground, and I had to make a conscious effort not to walk or bump into them, which I think I managed to do without making it noticeable, because my movements at the start meant that I got close to them at certain points, I didn’t see this as a drawback, as it helped me to contain my movements and made me more spatially aware.
In terms of the sightlines, I had to change my entrance from that in the studio’s as before I entered through the back, but in the theatre space, it was impossible to see the floor work, so I had to come in from a more frontal position and going on the slight diagonal to my chair, I felt though that this was necessary as it gave new ways for character’s to come into the space, make by making use of all of it that was available, as we were all coming on through different places and positions on stage. ‘The actor will need to find a way technically to sustain, night after night, in new spaces of differing dimensions, differing shapes, and differing proximity to audience all that he has found through the process of rehearsal and previous performance’, (Keefe, J, 2007…Pg 186)
I also think that, in terms of floor work and in reference to the periphery, the space worked well as other character’s within the space were able to develop work and connections made from working in the studio space, and for others it allowed them to explore more and find new connections, for me I didn’t feel that my relationship which I had established with Waqar was able to be developed further as I feel it went as far as it could, and in the space in the arena, the feeling of isolation drew even more on my character even with offloading the weight I’d been carrying, it just felt right to be on my own. ‘Responding isn’t exactly the same as exploring, playing or improvising. When you are ‘playing’ with a surface, or ‘exploring’ the space, you tend to put yourself in charge…Responding puts the space in charge. It affects you…It moves you to another place or course of action’, (Marshall, L, 2001…Pg 41)
3. With each performance the intensity and energy was raised, and it was almost as if we set a higher bar to reach after each performance, and with that each and every character pushed themselves emotionally and physically which was evident in the final performance.
The RSVP stage helped me develop my character, and helped me find the incentive for my character, why I was moving the way I did, and what it was that meant to so much to me that I felt I had to turn my back on, in order to find myself, to pay them back. Throughout the research stage, it took me a long time to reach this state, to be able to say why, to be able to back up why I was feeling the way I did. Even through the validating fragment of the RSVP structure I was still developing new relationships that, I hadn’t really founded throughout the Research or indeed the Score phase of devising Porto. I found that this was based on the fact that it was a natural progression for my character to interact as much as she wanted, and at times it felt like it was too much of an intrusion on my character but then other times it felt completely right.
‘Alter-adaptive or other-adaptive behavior refers to interpersonal physical activities, things we do to other people and in relation to other people.’, (Alberts, D, 1997…Pg 38) With my character I felt more of an urgency to get rid of this weight I had carrying around me in terms of my baggage, but once I’d found that release, and going from not wanting to interact with anyone initially. I felt like I did want to make an interaction, and did so with Waqar, but then in as much as my character tried to interact with him, she also didn’t know how to interact because she’s been so used to being her own entity and I don’t think she knew how to share that even if she wanted to. ‘These kinds of behavior suggest that ‘permission’, whether explicit or implicit has been given. ’Permission’ further denotes the existence of a relationship between the individuals involved.’, (Alberts, D, 1997…Pg 38). It was almost like on the spur of the moment she had this urge to interact but then once it had happened she realised that it wasn’t for her, namely because she wasn’t used to this. But also with Natalie I’d developed some sort of connection in an almost child-like way, it started off with her passing me the photo’s on the periphery but I was quite resistant to receiving them, but then there was something about her relationship with her bag which I think my character to her, as it seemed we’d shared that same attachment with our bags, and seemingly not wanting to let go but also knowingly needing to as well.
And even in the Performance stage, most of the periphery work had varied from show to show; as I think it was a true reflection of the rollercoaster of emotions my character was feeling. ‘Changes in thought, feeling and reaction always manifest themselves physically’, (Marshall, L, 2001…Pg 33). And also the confusion of not knowing whether releasing that burden and sharing with the rest for all to see was a good point, as others from the ensemble were coming by within the periphery and passing me some of my photo’s but the majority of the time I didn’t acknowledge myself with them anymore so, sort of passed them off. ‘You work to keep you responses open. You have no idea what you will feel or what you might be led to do,’ (Marshall, L, 2001…Pg 41)
I think though that in the final performance, I’d reached a whole new stage in my character as I was overwhelmed with emotions and I think it was the first time I emotionally engaged with the piece and especially with the photo’s more, first I felt quite exhilarated once I’d got rid of the photo’s, but then from the periphery seeing them on the floor, with everyone else walking over them, I still felt that connection hadn’t been completely cut, and that the emotionally integrity of feeling exhilarated was still in tact, but I couldn’t help feeling that maybe I wasn’t ready for the release, as I found that I’d felt empty and like I had nothing I could take in or give.
Bibliography
Alberts, D (1997) The Expressive Body: Physical Characterization for the Actor
Dennis, A, (1995) The Articulate Body: The Physical Training of the Actor
Keefe, J & Murray, S, (2007) Physical Theatres: A Critical Reader
Marshall, L, (2001) The Body Speaks: Performance and Expression
Zarrilli, P (2002) Acting (Re-Considered) – A Theoretical and Practical Guide
And I think that each and everyone’s character reached the absolute climax of intensity for their which I think helped from the Wednesday rehearsals, as there was no escaping from the emotions we were feeling, which had been gradually built up and extended and occasionally changed from the ‘Research’ stage. ‘Profound changes in a person’s character, like those that occur in plays, may seem to occur rapidly…a play consists of selected memories of a person’s life, and these moments are likely to be those in which a person undergoes the most dramatic change.’, (Alberts, D, 1997…Pg 25)
I think a common factor that was showing through during these final rehearsals in the build up to tidying up and refining sections for the performance, were that the techniques and palette we’d worked on for the past year was clear to see, and for the majority not only did it help in our growth as an ensemble but also helped to reach the pinnacle point in each of our journeys, some shared, others as an individual. ‘The audience doesn’t observe the weeks, months or years that have led up to this particular defining moment’, (Alberts, D, 1997…Pg 25).
In as much as there was individuality, loneliness, isolation and longing as relatively common emotions and feeling that related with us all, the want to rid those feelings and emotions bound us together, some of us relied on the strength of others to get them through, which was evident between Amy, Gavin and Sarah, all three of them were feeling a sense of wanting and to be loved but yet it was in a way that wasn’t fitting for all three of them as a whole, for example Amy’s need to physically attach herself to Gavin, which not only drained Gavin’s character physically but also emotionally, because it was clear to see, that Amy was getting all the support from Gavin, yet Gavin was resisting because he was able to get any of that back from Amy, yet with Sarah the roles had reversed and now Gavin had become the dependant one with Sarah resisted. ‘We may not know exactly what the relationship is, but we can get a pretty good idea from the behavior itself and from its context.’ (Alberts, D, 1997…Pg 38)
Similarly with Amy H, Blake and Marie, and Amy’s character physically pushing herself to the extreme in order to get Blake to breakaway from the suitcase as she could see that it wasn’t a healthy load he was carrying and that it was vital for him to be able to let go, and also I think for herself too, as she felt she had to be able to do this for him.
I felt that I was now beginning to develop relationships within the periphery during these final stages in refining the piece for the final performance. And also I’d reached that sense of reaching the extremes emotionally for my character, and was left feeling exhilarated once I’d relieved myself of my character’s baggage, but yet still went back to the frantic state of thinking that I couldn’t go on by myself that I was wrong and maybe the baggage is what made me, and that I shouldn’t have tried to change that.
2. I think the changeover from the studio’s to Arena wasn’t as smooth as perhaps first anticipated, as although the space was visually larger on the surface actually performing in that space. ‘In daily life the body constantly reacts to space…’, (Marshall, L, 2001…Pg 41) I realised there wasn’t as much room as there seemed, and also noted that in that theatre space, it was vital that we kept within the sightlines on stage to ensure that the audience would be able to capture the essence of what was going on on-stage, which I did try to make a mental note myself to not go beyond because also with that if you’re not in the right position you get the bright light shining in your face which makes it difficult to see. Another difficulty I encountered was my positioning with the chairs at the start of the piece within the ensemble; I was faced away and directly opposite the two lights, one at head level and the other at ground, and I had to make a conscious effort not to walk or bump into them, which I think I managed to do without making it noticeable, because my movements at the start meant that I got close to them at certain points, I didn’t see this as a drawback, as it helped me to contain my movements and made me more spatially aware.
In terms of the sightlines, I had to change my entrance from that in the studio’s as before I entered through the back, but in the theatre space, it was impossible to see the floor work, so I had to come in from a more frontal position and going on the slight diagonal to my chair, I felt though that this was necessary as it gave new ways for character’s to come into the space, make by making use of all of it that was available, as we were all coming on through different places and positions on stage. ‘The actor will need to find a way technically to sustain, night after night, in new spaces of differing dimensions, differing shapes, and differing proximity to audience all that he has found through the process of rehearsal and previous performance’, (Keefe, J, 2007…Pg 186)
I also think that, in terms of floor work and in reference to the periphery, the space worked well as other character’s within the space were able to develop work and connections made from working in the studio space, and for others it allowed them to explore more and find new connections, for me I didn’t feel that my relationship which I had established with Waqar was able to be developed further as I feel it went as far as it could, and in the space in the arena, the feeling of isolation drew even more on my character even with offloading the weight I’d been carrying, it just felt right to be on my own. ‘Responding isn’t exactly the same as exploring, playing or improvising. When you are ‘playing’ with a surface, or ‘exploring’ the space, you tend to put yourself in charge…Responding puts the space in charge. It affects you…It moves you to another place or course of action’, (Marshall, L, 2001…Pg 41)
3. With each performance the intensity and energy was raised, and it was almost as if we set a higher bar to reach after each performance, and with that each and every character pushed themselves emotionally and physically which was evident in the final performance.
The RSVP stage helped me develop my character, and helped me find the incentive for my character, why I was moving the way I did, and what it was that meant to so much to me that I felt I had to turn my back on, in order to find myself, to pay them back. Throughout the research stage, it took me a long time to reach this state, to be able to say why, to be able to back up why I was feeling the way I did. Even through the validating fragment of the RSVP structure I was still developing new relationships that, I hadn’t really founded throughout the Research or indeed the Score phase of devising Porto. I found that this was based on the fact that it was a natural progression for my character to interact as much as she wanted, and at times it felt like it was too much of an intrusion on my character but then other times it felt completely right.
‘Alter-adaptive or other-adaptive behavior refers to interpersonal physical activities, things we do to other people and in relation to other people.’, (Alberts, D, 1997…Pg 38) With my character I felt more of an urgency to get rid of this weight I had carrying around me in terms of my baggage, but once I’d found that release, and going from not wanting to interact with anyone initially. I felt like I did want to make an interaction, and did so with Waqar, but then in as much as my character tried to interact with him, she also didn’t know how to interact because she’s been so used to being her own entity and I don’t think she knew how to share that even if she wanted to. ‘These kinds of behavior suggest that ‘permission’, whether explicit or implicit has been given. ’Permission’ further denotes the existence of a relationship between the individuals involved.’, (Alberts, D, 1997…Pg 38). It was almost like on the spur of the moment she had this urge to interact but then once it had happened she realised that it wasn’t for her, namely because she wasn’t used to this. But also with Natalie I’d developed some sort of connection in an almost child-like way, it started off with her passing me the photo’s on the periphery but I was quite resistant to receiving them, but then there was something about her relationship with her bag which I think my character to her, as it seemed we’d shared that same attachment with our bags, and seemingly not wanting to let go but also knowingly needing to as well.
And even in the Performance stage, most of the periphery work had varied from show to show; as I think it was a true reflection of the rollercoaster of emotions my character was feeling. ‘Changes in thought, feeling and reaction always manifest themselves physically’, (Marshall, L, 2001…Pg 33). And also the confusion of not knowing whether releasing that burden and sharing with the rest for all to see was a good point, as others from the ensemble were coming by within the periphery and passing me some of my photo’s but the majority of the time I didn’t acknowledge myself with them anymore so, sort of passed them off. ‘You work to keep you responses open. You have no idea what you will feel or what you might be led to do,’ (Marshall, L, 2001…Pg 41)
I think though that in the final performance, I’d reached a whole new stage in my character as I was overwhelmed with emotions and I think it was the first time I emotionally engaged with the piece and especially with the photo’s more, first I felt quite exhilarated once I’d got rid of the photo’s, but then from the periphery seeing them on the floor, with everyone else walking over them, I still felt that connection hadn’t been completely cut, and that the emotionally integrity of feeling exhilarated was still in tact, but I couldn’t help feeling that maybe I wasn’t ready for the release, as I found that I’d felt empty and like I had nothing I could take in or give.
Bibliography
Alberts, D (1997) The Expressive Body: Physical Characterization for the Actor
Dennis, A, (1995) The Articulate Body: The Physical Training of the Actor
Keefe, J & Murray, S, (2007) Physical Theatres: A Critical Reader
Marshall, L, (2001) The Body Speaks: Performance and Expression
Zarrilli, P (2002) Acting (Re-Considered) – A Theoretical and Practical Guide
david jackson final blog
1-There was a lot of individual work formed various themes were created but common themes that stood out throughout the majority of Porto was the idea relationships weather it was new love, a love triangle or a more complex situation. As the piece began taking shape the information we received through our play sessions from each other further and also throughout the performance there was a question of what is the load we are carrying what is in the bag this was key when we did the entrances a lot of people continued to look in their bag which made the ensemble more interested in what everyone had especially Blake and Nicolas character they seemed as if what they were carrying was physically and mentally holding them down.
A contrast to the first statement which is made “have you ever felt alone in a crowd” we came in as individuals but as the piece goes on we see people coming together and created sub groups then it begins to look as if maybe these people knew each other from before or there may have been past encounters. Simple things like we all have a story and all have baggage we bring into the space is a clear indication of unity.
Also there was an issue of anxiety, waiting for something being desperate wanting to move forward but we can’t get out of Porto.
The shared experiences that tied the community together was again being brought into something and not being aware of it for example when we do the reprisal at the end we get brought into it unwillingly and even though we did it before at the start this time the ensemble doing it slowly was symbolic of the lack of control we each had over our state of mind at that time which is where I feel no matter how we all got into Porto the individual encounter that we had during the piece that at this time by the end we were all in one place mentally either looking for an answer or a way out.
2-The change in space encouraged a change in performance level. Strengths were that we had a bigger space so in the preriffery we were able to use it to our advantage having more space to make our group work more visible. In addition to this throughout the process of Porto we are use to working with change and constantly developing so having stairs and pillars on the side did not hinder the piece but added dynamics to the piece which Antoinette and I used to our advantage which did not change our story but developed it more which I feel was common thing within the ensemble. The theatre space created a new sense of adventure.
Behaviour and attitude was improved this was again I feel a consequence of being able to be seen all the time so we got to terms with constantly performing. Weakness that came from this was possibly the fact that we came on from the sides as many times when we done the warm up which lead to the character building and interacting with others we did this great but as soon as we had to walk to the side out of view many people lost the focus and intensity of their character as they thought they were no longer performing so then when they came on the entrances were not as good as they should be whereas the lack of space in the classroom in a way forced the ensemble to stay in character as they was always visible.
Like any other theatre piece the change in space made us have to establish ourselves within that space thing like eye levels, marking of the spot lights had to be done this came apparent when we began to realise that certain things in order to be seen we needed to move back so even though we technically had a bigger space there was less room to work with due the lighting and as a weakness there was a lot of issues of positioning of the chairs within the train section as people did slightly get complacent in where to put them or how close or far they were from the audience this was something that was kept commented on but not improved throughout.
I feel it was fair to say that on a performance level the group got better but when it came to the technical side it was a bit of a struggle.
3-Even half way through the final performance I felt as if my character was growing and developing, so for me each show I did I felt that I could give more and try knew things but not going to far as if I had no control over what I am doing and did not make sense for my character however I had the same energy and intensity from the first show even though there was a lot of problems I did not let that hinder my performance.
My role grew stronger within the piece as I felt like I played a significant role especially when it came to the religious element as I was the opposite to Porto so I could relate to it more as I did feel alone in the crowd but my character felt that it was his task to help people weather it was helping out Waqar, trying to save Gina from Edward or being there to help Nikki. For me my character did not feel forced at times I backed down as I wanted significant things I did or interactions stand out.
My main growth which I would say for me would be outside the character me as a person there was a lot of barriers I had to over come and sense of leaving me as a person outside of the theatre and when I entered to do the warm up even back stage there was interactions with people in character which felt so good and natural to me but helped our bond on stage a lot more because Antoinette and I shared a mutual understanding and we was in a good place performance wise together.
When I got in the theatre space for me that was a big confidence boost the RSVP model is a great process to have because the building of my character would not be possible without it the research I did allowed me have something to go back to when I felt as if I was not improving or developing within myself. Just before we did the final performance we were told to interact with others look to our left and to our right and how do we respond to them this for me was like being back in the classroom doing the playing thing again which kind of felt like we were going back to the S stage but unusual at the same time because I now felt more established and it was good to go back and address that as it reminded me that physical theatre is not about a story or play it’s about a character and this character can interact with anyone and not be thought about in detail but just natural and in a way this is going back to research stage finding out who we are then its Scoring again as it may feel right to change something slightly to interact with someone I have never worked with before. Even if I was to do this again I would probably still discover something knew about me.
A contrast to the first statement which is made “have you ever felt alone in a crowd” we came in as individuals but as the piece goes on we see people coming together and created sub groups then it begins to look as if maybe these people knew each other from before or there may have been past encounters. Simple things like we all have a story and all have baggage we bring into the space is a clear indication of unity.
Also there was an issue of anxiety, waiting for something being desperate wanting to move forward but we can’t get out of Porto.
The shared experiences that tied the community together was again being brought into something and not being aware of it for example when we do the reprisal at the end we get brought into it unwillingly and even though we did it before at the start this time the ensemble doing it slowly was symbolic of the lack of control we each had over our state of mind at that time which is where I feel no matter how we all got into Porto the individual encounter that we had during the piece that at this time by the end we were all in one place mentally either looking for an answer or a way out.
2-The change in space encouraged a change in performance level. Strengths were that we had a bigger space so in the preriffery we were able to use it to our advantage having more space to make our group work more visible. In addition to this throughout the process of Porto we are use to working with change and constantly developing so having stairs and pillars on the side did not hinder the piece but added dynamics to the piece which Antoinette and I used to our advantage which did not change our story but developed it more which I feel was common thing within the ensemble. The theatre space created a new sense of adventure.
Behaviour and attitude was improved this was again I feel a consequence of being able to be seen all the time so we got to terms with constantly performing. Weakness that came from this was possibly the fact that we came on from the sides as many times when we done the warm up which lead to the character building and interacting with others we did this great but as soon as we had to walk to the side out of view many people lost the focus and intensity of their character as they thought they were no longer performing so then when they came on the entrances were not as good as they should be whereas the lack of space in the classroom in a way forced the ensemble to stay in character as they was always visible.
Like any other theatre piece the change in space made us have to establish ourselves within that space thing like eye levels, marking of the spot lights had to be done this came apparent when we began to realise that certain things in order to be seen we needed to move back so even though we technically had a bigger space there was less room to work with due the lighting and as a weakness there was a lot of issues of positioning of the chairs within the train section as people did slightly get complacent in where to put them or how close or far they were from the audience this was something that was kept commented on but not improved throughout.
I feel it was fair to say that on a performance level the group got better but when it came to the technical side it was a bit of a struggle.
3-Even half way through the final performance I felt as if my character was growing and developing, so for me each show I did I felt that I could give more and try knew things but not going to far as if I had no control over what I am doing and did not make sense for my character however I had the same energy and intensity from the first show even though there was a lot of problems I did not let that hinder my performance.
My role grew stronger within the piece as I felt like I played a significant role especially when it came to the religious element as I was the opposite to Porto so I could relate to it more as I did feel alone in the crowd but my character felt that it was his task to help people weather it was helping out Waqar, trying to save Gina from Edward or being there to help Nikki. For me my character did not feel forced at times I backed down as I wanted significant things I did or interactions stand out.
My main growth which I would say for me would be outside the character me as a person there was a lot of barriers I had to over come and sense of leaving me as a person outside of the theatre and when I entered to do the warm up even back stage there was interactions with people in character which felt so good and natural to me but helped our bond on stage a lot more because Antoinette and I shared a mutual understanding and we was in a good place performance wise together.
When I got in the theatre space for me that was a big confidence boost the RSVP model is a great process to have because the building of my character would not be possible without it the research I did allowed me have something to go back to when I felt as if I was not improving or developing within myself. Just before we did the final performance we were told to interact with others look to our left and to our right and how do we respond to them this for me was like being back in the classroom doing the playing thing again which kind of felt like we were going back to the S stage but unusual at the same time because I now felt more established and it was good to go back and address that as it reminded me that physical theatre is not about a story or play it’s about a character and this character can interact with anyone and not be thought about in detail but just natural and in a way this is going back to research stage finding out who we are then its Scoring again as it may feel right to change something slightly to interact with someone I have never worked with before. Even if I was to do this again I would probably still discover something knew about me.
Zara Dawn Bailey
1) Reflecting back on Porto it was evident that all the characters created, at some point shared their own individual story and experiences. From the validation phase to the performance itself, it was clear that there were similar themes and issues that began to emerge. Characters seemed to have an erg to belong and to be included in a group or click, although still stuck in their individual routine and world. Characters found it difficult to comply and conform to the majority, yet it is still what they desire. An example of this is made known in the opening scene; the ensemble performed a sequence in unison. This was a shocking, very tense and a powerful scene. The entire cast did the same movements which demonstrated the world we live in, the constant routines caught up in the fixed ways of society. However, with some of the characters striving to escape; the frustration and sense of individuality was established through the characters bodies and positioning, implying their state of mind. Because of the notion of belonging and acceptance the characters are constantly pushed back to the everyday custom. Porto is like a reflection of the world we live in, a copy of real life. We are persistently reminded that there are rules, laws and obligations that restrict us. “The body is the direct point of connection between our inner self and the outer world” (L. Marshall, 2001: pg. xii preface)
2) The transition of Porto from the drama studio into the Arena Theatre had its strengths and weaknesses. The fact, the cast had a chance for a complete week to practise in the professional space was an advantage. The company had the chance to adapt to the space, new surroundings and the working environment in which the performance was to be held. The theatre was not a familiar space, therefore meant the rehearsals and practises enabled the theatre to become a positive aspect to the performance. This helped us to feel comfortable and confident. During the transition we had to take into consideration and be sensitive to the lighting and technical crew, where in the studio it was not a necessity.
As well as our first time undertaking a run- through in the Theatre space, it was to the technical crews. This meant the run- through may not have been as smooth as it should, seeing that there where stops and repeats. As a company we had to be professional and deal with the fact that we were all a team and on the same journey. We had to show the qualities of a true professional company and endured the long, demanding, repetitive days of rehearsals. From this process it demonstrated how much of a close group we actually are and how fine we bonded collectively.
Reflecting back on the transition, the feel of the periphery in the theatre seemed to be very spaced out. This however turned into a positive, initially the space of the periphery in the studio became a complication as it was apparent that the periphery was not being sensitive and therefore took the main focus centre stage. “The key to good responding is remaining in a place of constant alertness and sensitivity to the movement.” (L. Marshall, 2001: pg. 157) Nevertheless when the action moved to the theatre space, the characters became more aware and the space was larger to work with, opening the action in the middle. This created less attention to the periphery, with also the main lighting not on them, focusing the audience’s attention on the main performance, which therefore in turn produced the periphery to work well.
3) The growth of my character was major. Even until the last stage of the RSVP model my character was growing, improving and learning new information.
The ‘R’ stage is a very important period to the development and growth of any character. In my case, was highly significant. This phase helped me to firstly appreciate and understand the field of Physical theatre, the historical context and the genre aims and intentions. Secondary the ‘R’ stage assisted my understanding of my character and helped me become aware of the skills and techniques needed for the world of Physical Theatre. For a character to be convincing and true, it is important that research takes place and the actors understanding of their individual character and genre is clear. This means the audience’s signals will be comprehensible and their understanding and emotional connection to the play will be on a next level. “Out of what we offer them, they ‘create’ meaning and interpretation” (L. Marshall, 2001: pg. 138) Many theatre companies believe that research is important and assists the development and growth of a character. “I am not interested in making work that does not focus clearly on content. Content, rather than style drives DV8’s work.” (DV8 Physical Theatre, 2008) In order for there to be a strong content there needs to be some sort of research. A task that facilitated my research was the letter; we were required to send a letter to the lecturer from our character. This was useful because it required me to use my mind and think about my character, not only physically but intellectually and mentally. To write the letter there had to be some independent research on the type of character I wanted to portray. Even though all that was found and discovered was not written in the letter, I still had points wrote down for my own purpose to refer to during the process. Points which made me think about the characters movements; how she would walk and move, the characters thoughts, how she might think, what would create an impulse for her to move. “I seek movement with intention and purpose” (DV8 Physical Theatre, 2008) the characters style of dress “You should think carefully about how your character would dress” (L. Marshall, 2001: pg. 172) All these points had to be taken into consideration when creating my character. Reflecting on the final three shows, individually I felt that my acting was consistent. I can truly say my all was given in the three shows and considering the role I played, nothing more could have been given.
“Time doesn’t stand still. You change, Theatre changes [...] what works for you today may not work in five years. So keep exploring” (L. Marshall, 2001: pg. 218)
My character had its ups and downs, there were days my character felt no emotional connection and days when it was never better. If a character is meant to be real, then a character should never really safe, as life isn’t. As human beings we are always taking in new information and never are at the same emotional level. Therefore let our work be natural and not falsified to create an artificial character, but allow growth and development to take place.
Bibliography
Marshall, L. (2001). The Body Speaks- Performance and Expression. London: Methuen Publishing Limited
Other Sources
DV8 Physical Theatre, 2008, Lloyd Newson in Converstaion with Jo Butterworth. Available at: http://www.dv8.co.uk/about.dv8/LNbutterworth.html [Accessed 11th May]
2) The transition of Porto from the drama studio into the Arena Theatre had its strengths and weaknesses. The fact, the cast had a chance for a complete week to practise in the professional space was an advantage. The company had the chance to adapt to the space, new surroundings and the working environment in which the performance was to be held. The theatre was not a familiar space, therefore meant the rehearsals and practises enabled the theatre to become a positive aspect to the performance. This helped us to feel comfortable and confident. During the transition we had to take into consideration and be sensitive to the lighting and technical crew, where in the studio it was not a necessity.
As well as our first time undertaking a run- through in the Theatre space, it was to the technical crews. This meant the run- through may not have been as smooth as it should, seeing that there where stops and repeats. As a company we had to be professional and deal with the fact that we were all a team and on the same journey. We had to show the qualities of a true professional company and endured the long, demanding, repetitive days of rehearsals. From this process it demonstrated how much of a close group we actually are and how fine we bonded collectively.
Reflecting back on the transition, the feel of the periphery in the theatre seemed to be very spaced out. This however turned into a positive, initially the space of the periphery in the studio became a complication as it was apparent that the periphery was not being sensitive and therefore took the main focus centre stage. “The key to good responding is remaining in a place of constant alertness and sensitivity to the movement.” (L. Marshall, 2001: pg. 157) Nevertheless when the action moved to the theatre space, the characters became more aware and the space was larger to work with, opening the action in the middle. This created less attention to the periphery, with also the main lighting not on them, focusing the audience’s attention on the main performance, which therefore in turn produced the periphery to work well.
3) The growth of my character was major. Even until the last stage of the RSVP model my character was growing, improving and learning new information.
The ‘R’ stage is a very important period to the development and growth of any character. In my case, was highly significant. This phase helped me to firstly appreciate and understand the field of Physical theatre, the historical context and the genre aims and intentions. Secondary the ‘R’ stage assisted my understanding of my character and helped me become aware of the skills and techniques needed for the world of Physical Theatre. For a character to be convincing and true, it is important that research takes place and the actors understanding of their individual character and genre is clear. This means the audience’s signals will be comprehensible and their understanding and emotional connection to the play will be on a next level. “Out of what we offer them, they ‘create’ meaning and interpretation” (L. Marshall, 2001: pg. 138) Many theatre companies believe that research is important and assists the development and growth of a character. “I am not interested in making work that does not focus clearly on content. Content, rather than style drives DV8’s work.” (DV8 Physical Theatre, 2008) In order for there to be a strong content there needs to be some sort of research. A task that facilitated my research was the letter; we were required to send a letter to the lecturer from our character. This was useful because it required me to use my mind and think about my character, not only physically but intellectually and mentally. To write the letter there had to be some independent research on the type of character I wanted to portray. Even though all that was found and discovered was not written in the letter, I still had points wrote down for my own purpose to refer to during the process. Points which made me think about the characters movements; how she would walk and move, the characters thoughts, how she might think, what would create an impulse for her to move. “I seek movement with intention and purpose” (DV8 Physical Theatre, 2008) the characters style of dress “You should think carefully about how your character would dress” (L. Marshall, 2001: pg. 172) All these points had to be taken into consideration when creating my character. Reflecting on the final three shows, individually I felt that my acting was consistent. I can truly say my all was given in the three shows and considering the role I played, nothing more could have been given.
“Time doesn’t stand still. You change, Theatre changes [...] what works for you today may not work in five years. So keep exploring” (L. Marshall, 2001: pg. 218)
My character had its ups and downs, there were days my character felt no emotional connection and days when it was never better. If a character is meant to be real, then a character should never really safe, as life isn’t. As human beings we are always taking in new information and never are at the same emotional level. Therefore let our work be natural and not falsified to create an artificial character, but allow growth and development to take place.
Bibliography
Marshall, L. (2001). The Body Speaks- Performance and Expression. London: Methuen Publishing Limited
Other Sources
DV8 Physical Theatre, 2008, Lloyd Newson in Converstaion with Jo Butterworth. Available at: http://www.dv8.co.uk/about.dv8/LNbutterworth.html [Accessed 11th May]
Thursday 14 May 2009
Tonia Shepherd: Final Blog Post!
Question 1:
My role within the process of Porto was to document the process making specific reference to the RSVP model, looking in on Porto as an outside eye. Initially the cast found it hard to spontaneously interact with other characters within Porto, as they had not yet familiarised themselves with their own character. It was evident that in order for the characters to create a genuine bond with another character, the actor had to first understand their purpose within Porto. Looking in on Porto made it easier to identify the different relationships established within and although there where numerous relationships throughout, characters still seemed to conform to the routine of the Porto community. Each and every character although at times seemed distant from one another, had a strong bond based upon the fact that the community was built through a shared experience that gelled the characters together. In Carri Harpers report titled 'What Is Community?' she say's:
'The various aspects of our daily lives that are intrinsically linked with the people around us. It is our shared identity, our culture, heritage and language that bind people together to form strong communities.' (Carri Harper)
To depict the characters unity as an ensemble, the characters shared similar characteristics that portrayed an emotion that every character embodied. A example of this is during the scene where Blake's character (disturbed by his obsession with his suitcase) is sat stage right totally uninterested with the community around him, performing a sequence that all but a handful of characters are drawn into.
Question 2:
Up until the V and P process of the performance all the steps towards devising and creating the performance where based in the drama studios. Although at times the cast would split up into smaller groups to work upon their sub sections and their relationships with specific characters, the studios became Porto. On leaving the Ma209 room (used mainly to store the casts outerwear) when the characters stepped into Ma208 it was as though the characters had stepped into Porto. Once the piece moved into the Arena and the characters ran through their performance it seemed as though the character became lost within their new space. it was almost as though Porto no longer existed. the characters no longer seemed to be the characters they had developed since January and in turn they lost many characteristics. however this didn't last as the characters soon regained their sense of being and adapted to the Arena space.
The drama studios are smaller in size, compared to the amount of space the Arena has to offer. so filling the space with the already devised movement was initially a problem, but once the characters had time to adjust the placing of items and where and when they need to be for a particular section the Arena became Porto.
Apart from the weaknesses detailed above there were also some strengths that arose after moving the ensemble into the theatre space. One in particular was the fact that the characters had allot more space in the periphery to interact within the community, although not creating a distraction of the main scene.
Question 3:
As I didn't have a character and saw only 2/3 shows I am unable to answer this question.
Bibliography:
Other Sources:
http://www.infed.org/community/community.htm
My role within the process of Porto was to document the process making specific reference to the RSVP model, looking in on Porto as an outside eye. Initially the cast found it hard to spontaneously interact with other characters within Porto, as they had not yet familiarised themselves with their own character. It was evident that in order for the characters to create a genuine bond with another character, the actor had to first understand their purpose within Porto. Looking in on Porto made it easier to identify the different relationships established within and although there where numerous relationships throughout, characters still seemed to conform to the routine of the Porto community. Each and every character although at times seemed distant from one another, had a strong bond based upon the fact that the community was built through a shared experience that gelled the characters together. In Carri Harpers report titled 'What Is Community?' she say's:
'The various aspects of our daily lives that are intrinsically linked with the people around us. It is our shared identity, our culture, heritage and language that bind people together to form strong communities.' (Carri Harper)
To depict the characters unity as an ensemble, the characters shared similar characteristics that portrayed an emotion that every character embodied. A example of this is during the scene where Blake's character (disturbed by his obsession with his suitcase) is sat stage right totally uninterested with the community around him, performing a sequence that all but a handful of characters are drawn into.
Question 2:
Up until the V and P process of the performance all the steps towards devising and creating the performance where based in the drama studios. Although at times the cast would split up into smaller groups to work upon their sub sections and their relationships with specific characters, the studios became Porto. On leaving the Ma209 room (used mainly to store the casts outerwear) when the characters stepped into Ma208 it was as though the characters had stepped into Porto. Once the piece moved into the Arena and the characters ran through their performance it seemed as though the character became lost within their new space. it was almost as though Porto no longer existed. the characters no longer seemed to be the characters they had developed since January and in turn they lost many characteristics. however this didn't last as the characters soon regained their sense of being and adapted to the Arena space.
The drama studios are smaller in size, compared to the amount of space the Arena has to offer. so filling the space with the already devised movement was initially a problem, but once the characters had time to adjust the placing of items and where and when they need to be for a particular section the Arena became Porto.
Apart from the weaknesses detailed above there were also some strengths that arose after moving the ensemble into the theatre space. One in particular was the fact that the characters had allot more space in the periphery to interact within the community, although not creating a distraction of the main scene.
Question 3:
As I didn't have a character and saw only 2/3 shows I am unable to answer this question.
Bibliography:
Other Sources:
http://www.infed.org/community/community.htm
Leyna Bansal Final Blog
1. During the transition stage from ‘validating’ to ‘performing’ Porto, it became visible that each individual character had a specific issue or problem they had to deal with throughout their journey through the liminal space. Each character had luggage, personal items as well as emotional baggage, with the common theme being whether or not characters wished to share them with others. Other themes such as loneliness, jealousy and wanting to belong became more apparent with particular reference to Sarah, Gavin and Amy’s characters, as they seemed to have been continuously struggling to fight for each other’s attention throughout the performance.
The opening ensemble section in which we all repeated a series of gestures were all based on ‘waiting’ and how we all had something in common with each other, being stuck in this unknown place.
A theme I noticed during the process was the curiosity of many of the characters. My character was adamant to find out what the contents of Nicole and Sarah Pierpoint’s bags were, as well as the community as a whole constantly wondering who Nicola’s character was and why she behaved in the way she did.
A minority of the group dealt with memories and life before Porto with great imagery of Sandy’s character tearing apart her photo album. This was followed by each character in the photo group walking over those photos and also reminiscing on the past with their individual photo’s and memories.
The idea of loneliness and not being able to fit in occured with some characters such as Waqar, Natalie and Sandy. These characters seemed to go on their own individual journeys but didn't seem to be able to mould in and interact with others.
The main common ground which all the characters related to was the importance of their items and as Porto progressed each individual's connections to their belongings changed. Personally I became more erractic and possessive over my camera nearer to the end of the performance.
2. Moving from the drama studio’s into the Arena Theatre was fairly challenging, mainly due to the fact that we were all used to the routine of performing within a smaller space. Being able to have 2 days in which we were able to perform and rehearse before performing to the public enabled us to explore and block the space in relation to where each character was placed onstage during moments in the periphery. We also made sure we knew how far downstage we were able to go in relation to the audience’s perspectives. It was evident that the Arena space was much more suited to Porto as with so many cast members it meant that sections such as the 2nd ensemble piece were much more precise. The depth to the Arena space meant each character had more space to move their bodies around freely without worrying about injuring anybody else.
From a scenographical view, the performance only required our chairs and lighting so we had more time to rehearse and get used to having more space to explore. A weakness of the transition was staging the chairs in the correct places for each particular section that was taking place centre-stage. Transitions from one section to another were difficult because at times chairs were not in the specific places they should have been, making it look untidy when characters had to move chairs quickly so that the following section could be performed. Even during the final peformance characters were having to travel across the whole of the stage to get chairs for the ensemble reprise.
When exploring the technical side of Porto and sorting out all the cue’s, it meant that some characters had to leave from centre-stage into different areas of the periphery implicating that they may have had to sacrifice smaller interactions.
Dymphna Callery states 'When everything comes from the actors, what happens in performance is determined by what happens in rehearsal, and accidental discoveries are part of that’ (D, Callery, 2001, p168)
For me although I lost some minor interactions, I was also able to discover completely new interactions with Zara and Emilia’s characters during the initial rehearsals within the Arena space. This gave me the oppoutunity to explore my character in much more depth and experiment with my characters persistent picture taking within the periphery with these characters who actually wanted to be photographed.
3. It was evident to me that over the 3 shows the ensemble had grown dramatically and performers had become more confident in their characters. There was a stronger sense of ensemble during the final performance because we had all gained a better understanding of the community and the rountines we were performing.
Personally I was still learning new things about my character during the final show for example why my character was so interested in photographing intimate moments? I came to the conclusion that my character had no real concept of reality and was living her life through these photo’s which also lead me to believe she was a very lonely individual with her only real comfort being her camera.
Characteristics and nervous idiosyncrasies that I had employed on my character, such as scratching and playing with my glasses began to get more erratic and I really began to embrace and explore different physical behaviours of my character. My character was never a highly physical character, I don’t think it was ever in my characters nature to be particularly close to anyone and I felt like my character was somewhat more expressive with her eyes and facial expressions. Through the journey my character has evolved from someone who was quite hard to understand into someone who's intentions became more clearer and her dependancy on her camera being the focal part of her existence. My character was obsessed with prying into the relationships of others and whilst in the periphery kept a firm watch over the sections happening centre stage that she would later on photograph. As I was taking pictures throughout the performance on my digital camera within the periphery, I was still forming new relationships with people based on whether they were happy or not with me taking their photos and it was interesting and exciting for me as a performer to be constantly challenged by other characters reactions.
At times I felt a high ammount of pressure on my shoulders as a performer because the flash of my camera was a cue and a catalyst for some transitions from one scene to another. During each peformance there were some camera flash malfunctions which were worrying and off-putting at times but these were put aside and I carried on with the performance trying not to let these problems affect me too much.
Overall I believe Porto was a wonderful physical theatre production and the process was one of the most rewarding journey’s I’ve ever been on. The Vincent Dance Theatre Company state that 'Using their imaginations, bodies, voices and their developed sense of ‘play’ they aim to create work that will draw you in, move you, engage you, entertain you, make you feel something and make you want to know more about who we are, where we are and why we are here, taking up your time’ (http://www.vincentdt.com/faq.html#twentyone) I felt like we were able to fulfil the aims of Vincent Dance Theatre company as the feedback from audience members and their individual interpretation and opinions of Porto made me realise that the themes we portrayed were well received and as an ensemble we gave the spectators plenty to contemplate.
Bibliography
Callery, D (2001). Through The Body - A Practical Guide To Physical Theatre. Great Britain: Nick Hern Books Limited.
Other Sources
Anon. (2008). Vincent Dance Theatre Company. Available: http://www.vincentdt.com/faq.html#twentyone. Last accessed 14 May 2009.
The opening ensemble section in which we all repeated a series of gestures were all based on ‘waiting’ and how we all had something in common with each other, being stuck in this unknown place.
A theme I noticed during the process was the curiosity of many of the characters. My character was adamant to find out what the contents of Nicole and Sarah Pierpoint’s bags were, as well as the community as a whole constantly wondering who Nicola’s character was and why she behaved in the way she did.
A minority of the group dealt with memories and life before Porto with great imagery of Sandy’s character tearing apart her photo album. This was followed by each character in the photo group walking over those photos and also reminiscing on the past with their individual photo’s and memories.
The idea of loneliness and not being able to fit in occured with some characters such as Waqar, Natalie and Sandy. These characters seemed to go on their own individual journeys but didn't seem to be able to mould in and interact with others.
The main common ground which all the characters related to was the importance of their items and as Porto progressed each individual's connections to their belongings changed. Personally I became more erractic and possessive over my camera nearer to the end of the performance.
2. Moving from the drama studio’s into the Arena Theatre was fairly challenging, mainly due to the fact that we were all used to the routine of performing within a smaller space. Being able to have 2 days in which we were able to perform and rehearse before performing to the public enabled us to explore and block the space in relation to where each character was placed onstage during moments in the periphery. We also made sure we knew how far downstage we were able to go in relation to the audience’s perspectives. It was evident that the Arena space was much more suited to Porto as with so many cast members it meant that sections such as the 2nd ensemble piece were much more precise. The depth to the Arena space meant each character had more space to move their bodies around freely without worrying about injuring anybody else.
From a scenographical view, the performance only required our chairs and lighting so we had more time to rehearse and get used to having more space to explore. A weakness of the transition was staging the chairs in the correct places for each particular section that was taking place centre-stage. Transitions from one section to another were difficult because at times chairs were not in the specific places they should have been, making it look untidy when characters had to move chairs quickly so that the following section could be performed. Even during the final peformance characters were having to travel across the whole of the stage to get chairs for the ensemble reprise.
When exploring the technical side of Porto and sorting out all the cue’s, it meant that some characters had to leave from centre-stage into different areas of the periphery implicating that they may have had to sacrifice smaller interactions.
Dymphna Callery states 'When everything comes from the actors, what happens in performance is determined by what happens in rehearsal, and accidental discoveries are part of that’ (D, Callery, 2001, p168)
For me although I lost some minor interactions, I was also able to discover completely new interactions with Zara and Emilia’s characters during the initial rehearsals within the Arena space. This gave me the oppoutunity to explore my character in much more depth and experiment with my characters persistent picture taking within the periphery with these characters who actually wanted to be photographed.
3. It was evident to me that over the 3 shows the ensemble had grown dramatically and performers had become more confident in their characters. There was a stronger sense of ensemble during the final performance because we had all gained a better understanding of the community and the rountines we were performing.
Personally I was still learning new things about my character during the final show for example why my character was so interested in photographing intimate moments? I came to the conclusion that my character had no real concept of reality and was living her life through these photo’s which also lead me to believe she was a very lonely individual with her only real comfort being her camera.
Characteristics and nervous idiosyncrasies that I had employed on my character, such as scratching and playing with my glasses began to get more erratic and I really began to embrace and explore different physical behaviours of my character. My character was never a highly physical character, I don’t think it was ever in my characters nature to be particularly close to anyone and I felt like my character was somewhat more expressive with her eyes and facial expressions. Through the journey my character has evolved from someone who was quite hard to understand into someone who's intentions became more clearer and her dependancy on her camera being the focal part of her existence. My character was obsessed with prying into the relationships of others and whilst in the periphery kept a firm watch over the sections happening centre stage that she would later on photograph. As I was taking pictures throughout the performance on my digital camera within the periphery, I was still forming new relationships with people based on whether they were happy or not with me taking their photos and it was interesting and exciting for me as a performer to be constantly challenged by other characters reactions.
At times I felt a high ammount of pressure on my shoulders as a performer because the flash of my camera was a cue and a catalyst for some transitions from one scene to another. During each peformance there were some camera flash malfunctions which were worrying and off-putting at times but these were put aside and I carried on with the performance trying not to let these problems affect me too much.
Overall I believe Porto was a wonderful physical theatre production and the process was one of the most rewarding journey’s I’ve ever been on. The Vincent Dance Theatre Company state that 'Using their imaginations, bodies, voices and their developed sense of ‘play’ they aim to create work that will draw you in, move you, engage you, entertain you, make you feel something and make you want to know more about who we are, where we are and why we are here, taking up your time’ (http://www.vincentdt.com/faq.html#twentyone) I felt like we were able to fulfil the aims of Vincent Dance Theatre company as the feedback from audience members and their individual interpretation and opinions of Porto made me realise that the themes we portrayed were well received and as an ensemble we gave the spectators plenty to contemplate.
Bibliography
Callery, D (2001). Through The Body - A Practical Guide To Physical Theatre. Great Britain: Nick Hern Books Limited.
Other Sources
Anon. (2008). Vincent Dance Theatre Company. Available: http://www.vincentdt.com/faq.html#twentyone. Last accessed 14 May 2009.
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