Assessment Blog 2

1) Improvisation played a big role in the creativity of Porto, where play would also
take form. The class would move instinctively and impulsively, which would distinguish the action after and where the process would take us there on. “Internal and external influences will cause (motivate) the physical response” A. Dennis, (pg. 24, 2002) If I found my movement or gesture to be successful, it would be kept maybe adapted or developed further. Nevertheless during the process there have been times where the movement didn’t work or feel right so it was scrapped, which unfortunately plays a part in devising. As an actor you have to be prepared for your hard work and input to be taken out. In a recent lesson, we started on a new sequence which was developed through play. From this I discovered and learnt new ideas about my character, I found I had a fascination with two characters in particular. One which seem to pull out and show side to my personality of childish gestures, excited and memorized by this one character. The other made me feel hopeless, I wanted to help but there was something stopping me, which impede me not to do so.

2) My character is very hard and challenging. Where nearly everyone is surrounding you with sad and depressing vibes it throws you off. As Chekhov believed two contrasting atmospheres do not work. A majority of the characters who have the same mood overthrew my character the minority, who showed a contrast to the rest of the group. This I found difficult and hard to comprehend. Because of the feeling and impulse my character gave and the influences of other characters I had to adapt my character to fit the space. There are certain characters my character will not stand to be around, yet there are a couple of whom I was drawn towards and wanted to know more about. All these points assisted, moulded and grown my character to what it is today. In the play Porto my character starts of happy and at ease, however the journey goes on and I start to see and revisit memories that reminded me of my childhood- in my characters case not a happy one. This then by the end of the journey changes my mood and body language from being happy and high spirited- a character who loves life and music to someone who is lonely and depressed, joined to be like the rest of community- unhappy.

2) “There is no space for vagueness” A. Dennis (pg, 23, 2002) To be an effective and successful actor there needs to be a clear intention, motive and physicality known for your character. By doing this you will be able to respond and create dramatic situations without hesitation and delay. My characters physicality is at first very open, my movements and gestures are big, suggesting confidence and at ease with the space. The contact with my feet and the ground is not firm, the weight is light creating the lead of my walk to be from my tip toes rather than my heel, suggesting the bounciness and motion of my character. The stance is straight with a weight shift in the hip, implying the relaxed nature of my character. As the devising process went on I found my character to become less open and more with drawn. My physicality became smaller, my spine from being relatively straight, found itself starting to curve towards myself, creating the space between the tip of my head and chest to decrease.

“The body never lies” S. Murray and J. Keefe (pg, 21, 2007)
Physicality is very important when creating a character. The shape, movements and gestures made with your body will communicate a message to the audience, whether it was supposed to be read or not. “Everything the actor does is seen and interpreted” A. Dennis, (pg 17. 2002)

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Callery, D (2002) Through the body London: Routledge

Chekhov, M (2002) To the actor London: Routledge

Dennis, A. (2002) The Articulate Body: The Physical Training of the Actor London

Murray, S and Keefe, J (2007) Physical Theatres: A critical Introduction Oxon: Routlegde

Oddey, A (1994) Devising Theatre: A practical and theoretical handbook London: Routledge