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