Language of the Body

Had our first class in Laban Friday afternoon with Darrell Aldridge. He began the class by talking a bit about his background, and about the background and history of Laban. Darrell is a very passionate teacher, who began with a degree in dance but then moved further into movement theory and personality analysis. After just a few minutes, we got on our feet, and Darrell took us through a devolution to get us from walking human beings all the way to jellyfish. From here, we slowly worked through a physical evoluation from jellyfish to fish, quadropeds, apes, and then humans, focusing on the specific movements of the spine and 6 limbs (arms, legs, head, tail) through these. This was paralleled with the physical development of a baby. Quickly I learned that despite having never specifically studied Laban, I had encountered these concepts through other teachers in dance years ago.

We then learned one of Laban's physical scales. The scales are structured in a similar way to a centre floor adagio, but with the intention to move the body in oppositions, opening and then closing from the navel in all directions. I really enjoyed this connection of movement.

Next we moved into the efforts of movement within the 3 dimensional cube, exploring how to exaggerate movement as light, sustained and indirect (float) or strong, direct and sudden (thrust). Homework is to complete the cube, filling in the remaining combinations of movement quality through space, time and weight.

After this, we attended a performance from some NYU students on exchange to RADA to study the arts of Shakespeare. These young american students had been studying the music, dance, combat and clown of Shakespeare's time, and performed about 1.5 hrs worth of sonnets, scenes and song/dance. What I found interesting to watch was the clarity between those performers who really understood and felt comfortable in the language compared to those who didn't. When the performer really understood the language of the sonnet or scene, the immediately relaxed, had better vocal quality and a more confident physicality. By contrast, when the actor didn't connect with the text they were wooden and awkward, and tended to poor vocal habits (bad diction, poor connection with breath).

Samuel Beckett - Play

I am a huge Beckett fan. Seeing this on the reading list (assigned for Theorizing the Contemporary) made me quite excited, as it was a piece of Beckett I hadn't encountered before.

Stark. Empty, but filled with 3 people, 3 objects, 3 faces, 3 voices. The sense of detachment, and an acidic take on human attempts at connection are what stood out for me. Hope is absent when we rely on other people.

Interestingly it is 2 women and 1 man. Not 100% decided on what to take from this. All 3 are equally bad, though W1 seems to have been wronged....her actions quickly eliminate her potential as protagonist.

There are no heroes.

image; Alan Rickman in a 2001 production of Play

Scene Study (2) and Theorizing the Contemporary

Scene study today was our presentation of the first act scenes of Duchess of Malfi. We went in order of the play. The first group up had some challenges with the language specifically, watching you could see some need for more clarity in purpose. That said, good things did come out of watching the group. Tom's comments were quite forceful about the specifics of what he had seen. The expectation for clear intention and clear speaking of the verse was also made clear. Although this isn't an "acting" exercise it is a good opportunity to make clear the impact an actor has on our ability to understand the text (practically) and the role of the director in teasing this out of the script.

Our group was up next; our scene went reasonably well, there were moments that felt rushed and some of the detailed physicality was lost, but overally we conveyed the scene clearly. Tom commented that he was a little confused at times as a result of how we had to deal with double casting and limited bodies, but this rectified itself quickly. I agreed, that I would like to try staging this scene on the same ideas but with the full "body count" so to speak. One other thing I found interesting was the response a couple students had to the scene after Tom asked them to only listen; they noted that they could hear the sense of status from the characters vocally (yes!!) and also that the sense of using the space was clear, even if they couldn't see the performers. This made me quite happy.

The next group presented the final scene of the act; the image that stood out to me was the way the Duchess turned about during her monologue (they did a long column stage with audience on two sides). She seemed almost to be in a whirlpool, a metaphor for the choices she was making and their eventual impact on her in the spiraling out of the play..

We continued from here to discuss the play and what is going on. One piece of advice that stuck with me was when Tom advised us to always look back to what the playwright is giving you; what do they want you to see? Why have they given us these people at this moment?

We were divided into larger groups and assigned sections of act 2. Becaused I directed this week I'm acting for the new week, and will be playing the Duchess of Malfi. Rehearsals on Thursday.

After a break for dinner we moved on to our first actual class Theorizing The Contemporary with Dr Aiofe Monks. This class is intended for us to see theatre from the audience's perspective; why do we go to theatre? What impacts the way we experience the theatre? and then how do we talk about this? There was a great discussion about the effervescence of theatre and its immediacy. We also did an exercise in iconography and our experience relating to symbols, imbuing meaning in simple images created by two still objects. We moved from simple description (EG black chair, made of cloth and metal, one foot from a toy doll, etc) to imbuing meaning on this image (what does this make us think? What is the narrative??).

I don't know that I agreed with all of the assertions about us needing to understand certain images to understand theatre. I feel very strongly that a good play or performance will bring something for people with no "social" or intellectual references to compare and also for those who have a background of higher education. I will continue playing out this tension and my thoughts on this as we continue the course.

Practically, we also spent some time discussing our assignments for this class, of which there are two. More on those later.

Acting Space

Today began for me with a trip to the Library to grab The Oresteia. Because I don't have enough reading to do, i also grabbed a copy of Sarah Kane's 4.48 Psychosis, and a thick book on the "century of revolution" from 1604 onward. Well, that last is preliminary reading before my group meet to discuss our presentation on current affairs and influences on The Duchess of Malfi in three weeks' time.

Next on to Scene Study rehearsal, where we staged our section of Act 1 in The Duchess of Malfi. Went quite well; we had the idea that Ferdinand's court is busy, and everyone is drawn in to Ferdinand and then repelled...with many people constantly watching on, but not necessarily part of the immediate action. We have found a neat way to stage it with this in mind, allowing people to move in and away from Ferdinand, illustrating his power, while also giving light to the power alliances showing themselves early in the play. As well, we were able to come up with a solution for some double-casting necessities given the volume of characters in our section. We'll do another bit of rehearsal on Tuesday and then present to the class for discussion. We'll see how it goes!

Finally, on to our actual class; Acting Space with Brian Stirner. As a RADA grad himself, Brian began the class talking about how we were all feeling after our first week, how overwhelming it can all be. He offered some great advice on taking it all in....and then sort of forgetting about the "big deal" of RADA and remembering that anything is only what you make of it yourself and with those around you. It was quite nice for someone actually to talk about it out loud, from a position of authority, but also knowing just what we were feeling in the moment. We quickly dove into exercises; beginning with some walking around the room, changing focus from people's feet upward, all the way to making eye contact. From here, we had a bit of a chat about what acting is, and what our expectations are of performances, which felt like a great starting point to further work. This included sharing a Matisse sketch of a woman (like the one above...not quite the same one). I really liked how he likened acting to the sketch; the text is the firm lines, and the excitement, the life, is everything else bubbling around it. This is what we strive for. After this, he had a couple people up to do the "moment of silence" in front of the group, which I had done back at UofW. This was a more friendly version though....starting and ending with applause for the person. This made it feel warmer in a way, less abrasive than its method-acting counterpart I had endured in undergrad. Building on this, a physical activity was added, and then a second person...and lines. Building on what made things easier.

From here, we all had a single line, and had to walk about the room, sharing this with people we came into eye contact with, taking them in, or trying to assert ourselves against their emotions. This was interesting, as one could see quite clearly what we put on to words vs what the words give us on their own. Then...drumroll...time for script. We worked in groups of two on a section of After Liverpool focusing on the text and just what came out of reading it. For those unfamiliar, this script has "small talk" conversation, but is missing the "details" so to speak...so a line will simply be "my name is." without the noun, but the structure of the ensuing conversation is as though it were there. Clearly this allows for many interpretations. My partner was Holly and we had a fun time interpreting this short scene, into one where my character (A - impelling agent) was quite needy, nearly to the point of creepiness. I felt it imperative to have a quick pace to help us drive this pull between my character's need to befriend, and her character's desire to disengage. When we got up to share with the class this worked quite well, and Brian's comments echoed this instinct.

Overall this was a good day for me. Now, time to read. A lot.

First Impressions

Had our induction and first class at RADA yesterday. The first bit was administrative; selecting our play for Scene study groups, learning the building rules, meeting the administrator and our professors, and learning how not to get in trouble with The Academy.

Next up was a tour and workshop on the RADA library, to help us orient ourselves and know where to locate things. Upon completing my assignment (to locate visual images of clothing for the various classes in Measure for Measure) I had some time to look about. There was a small section of the Anthologies dedicated to Canadian plays, so I went to have a look. It contained the obligatory CanDram text Modern Canadian Plays, with Zastrozzi and a couple others. And I was excited to see the collection of essays Contemporary Issues in Canadian Theatre, edited by none other than Per Brask! It was very exciting to see a name from home in this prolific library.

From here, we dove right into classes. The full MA group was divided into two at RADA with half exploring Measure for Measure, and half exploring The Duchess of Malfi. I was assigned to Malfi, with Tom Hunsinger as our instructor. I was very excited for this; we began in a circle going around the room talking a little bit about how we came to RADA and what we were expecting from this course. It was amazing to see the varied experiences of everyone on the course. Following this, Tom allowed us to have a Q&A session, which varied on everything from questions about his course, what kind of work previous students had done, to Tom's writing process and his work as a director.

We then dove right in; divided Act 1 of Duchess into 3 sections, set up groups, and started working. Our assignment is to stage our section, which we'll share with the class next Tuesday, and then discuss the play, meaning, themes, and also our choices in staging. I volunteered as director for my group....so head-first!

The day ended with a brief tour of the RADA buildings, showing us where various rehearsal rooms were and the theatres...and also the bar. As we walked through the halls it was everything I could do not to squeal when I walked by photos or names of people I look up to. I fully intend to wander casually through on my own and take some photos like a little fan-girl.

Tonight is induction at Birkbeck where we'll learn the details of our responsibilities for that half of the course.

Review - Decade - Headlong and National Theatre at Commodity Quay

Associate Director Robert Icke stated in this afternoon's talkback that Headlong wanted to create theatre that made the audience uncomfortable, that made them think. In that, they most certainly succeeded. With their space in Commodity Quay, a former trading floor turned into a purpose built performance space, created to feel like a restaurant "On The Top Of The World" and innovative staging that used the full room, from first entry to the space the audience was unsure what to expect next. The play, a composite of multiple scripts commissioned by Headlong Theatre, had a variety of perspectives and rather coming from a position with a clear indication of how we should feel about 9/11, its only real message was inquiry. The spirit of exploration was most present, as the various characters moved through scenes exploring their various interactions with 9/11 both as the event was occurring, and in the decade since.

Most interesting to me was the merger of music, dance, and theatre to create this piece. Each aspect contributed to the next, balancing a challenging, political monologue or scene with a softer, more intrinsic scene with physical reactions to the subject. Importantly, though, even the intellectual "Break" offered by the dance segments was political, bringing the people together, and pulling from modern dance, classical forms, and folk traditions. The cast moved seamlessly from one to the next, jumping into various characters effortlessly. Notably the cadence and accents of many New Yorkers were presented clearly, bringing the production a feel of authenticity that served an important role.

Also contributing to the overall aesthetic was the impeccable sound and light design, which could transport the audience from a bustling cafe, to a busy train, to a classroom, and many other locales with a flash. The sound design on more than one occasion had me questioning whether the sounds I heard were actually bleeding in from outdoors....a brilliant use of stereo sound in theatre to unnerve the audience.

These technical aspects played well together, allowing the idea of the play to ring through. I can't help but think that without the seamless production, the play's message would not have had the same force. One character stated that the best retaliation to an act of terror is an idea; and you can't bomb an idea or destroy an idea. This production did a brilliant job of helping that idea come to life, resonating within each of us.

This is the kind of theatre I feel strongly that we need to make more of. Inquiry into our interactions with current political events, including horrific and shocking events such as terrorist attacks, is what I consider to be one of the most important functions of the artist in society. We cannot sit quietly while things occur around us; it is the responsibility of the artist to delve into this difficult subject matter, and make it ok for people to talk about it. Only through discussion can we come to those ideas which will stand the test of time. And that theatre will, too.

Review: Macbeth - Barons Court Theatre, Hiraeth Artistic Productions

Upon entering the dark, low-ceilinged theatre at Barons Court, I was immeidately struck by how appropriate a venue this was for the bewitched Scottish play. The opening of the play did not disappoint; a spooky tableau was created to the sounds of the witches' chants and howling winds, in near dark, setting the tone for what was to come.

Unfortunately from there, I found the pace of the production up and down. At moments, notably those involving the witches, the mysterious nature of the play was fully realized, however at many others it felt lacking. Despite strong design and decent use of the small space, the cohesiveness of the lust within the play was missing. Rather than boiling slowly to the lust for power in the murder of Duncan, then spilling over the sides into disarray, this production seemed to have the fire too hot, then not hot enough over and over again. This was true for the whole of the production, as well as for individual performers.

Some individual choices struck me specifically; MacDuff seemed to be suspicious of Macbeth from the very first time we see them; Macbeth didn't require too much convincing, rather it felt he convinced Lady Macbeth to the deed.

Overall some good things came out of the production, but as a whole it lacked the drive and unyielding desire for power that ultimately leads to Macbeth's demise.

Swans, spiders, and Pelicans?

England are famous for their swans, and in a brief wander of St James' Park last week, we saw some swans, as should be expected. I am by no means an admirer of birds, but must admit that these are magnificent animal. Slightly further up the path, we turn around a bend and what should we see but some Pelicans. Not happily behind the comforting barrier (really just a chain...but it makes me feel better) but right in the path! These birds are enormous. So John and Sarah go right up to them, and I, being a brave soul, make a bee-line to the furthest possible point from the birds. Even from 25 feet away, i was fully amazed at these birds! They easily weigh more than Sarah, and just stood there with a subtle calm as people and other birds flurried around them in excitement.

The other thing England should be noted for is the number of spiders! While out jogging I have seen a notable number of excellent spider webs (i have always been fascinated with the patterns in a spider web). In addition, the spiders guarding these webs were no tiny beings...they were quite large! As well, there are seemingly millions of tiny spiders; while sitting in the field during Sarah's footie training, and again later during John's match, numerous tiny black ant-sized spiders would find their way up my leg or arm. Hard not to feel crawly after that.

In non-animal related news, tomorrow I go to orientation at Birkbeck (The college in University of London that takes care of us MA students). I also have a formal registration this week, and a meet-up with my classmates, where we'll take in a production of Macbeth that was at the Camden Fringe (including a performance from one of my classmates). Looking forward to getting down to the theatre business here in Londontown.

Review - So You Think You Can Be A Music Theatre Idol, Venue #9

Those who know me know that i am very much anti-reality TV for the most part...indulging only for the sheer athleticism displayed on So You Think You Can Dance. So the opportunity to see a campy send up of all that i dislike was very appealing. White Rabbit Productions did a great job of putting together this parody, which balanced silly mockery with some great performances. Overall the tone of the piece was great, and I loved the audience participation. There was a sense however that some actors understood the campy style required a bit better than others; standouts for me were Vespa, Roi, Penelope, Claw, and Ripp Tripper. Some others I felt were in and out.....not always carrying the self-awareness needed for a performer to carry off this sort of a piece with seriousness to truly bring the audience in to the crazy world with them. I enjoyed the multimedia aspects and some clever staging, though I did feel the audio clips could have been mastered better to understand the actors more clearly, and some lighting cues were a bit off. Overall though this was really fun and I'd recommend it if you are looking for a good, silly, night of fun.

Review - Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Venue #13

What fun. Hedwig (played with beautiful specificity by Seth Drabinsky) and her fabulous backup band, The Angry Inch, take us through a rock and roll rollercoaster, re-telling the her rise to stardom. Well, close to stardom. The show beautifully moves from raucous fun rock numbers, to angry punk songs, to sorrowful ballads, each telling us a little bit more about Hedwig's transformation from little German boy in East Berlin, to captivating Queen rocking stages in North America. Never once did I question what was happening or the over-the-top relationships of the characters. Kudos must also be given to the silver-voiced actress who plays Itzak, Hedwig's husband. I can only dream of singing like her.

Review - The Apiarist, Venue #5

Mylee Nordin is delightful in this touching story of a young girl's encounter with the death of her neighbout, an old bachelor who keeps bees. The story moves gently from the feel of a lecture, to recount of the experiences, to lovely re-enacted memories of her youth. One standout scene included the re-telling of going to school at 14 with an eye swollen shut from a bee sting, brought to perfect comic life by Nordin. The character's growth through the play as she learns from the bees she finds herself caring for is quite enjoyable to watch.

Co-creator and director Heidi Malazdrewicz does a great job staging to bring the simple set to life. The production's use of photo and video projection added beautifully to the story as well. I did find that some shifts could have been more clear, perhaps through a more distinct shift in the light or physicality.

This was a highly enjoyable show, and a very informative one; I now feel quite informed about bees!

Review - Master Orloff and Madame Clodile's Freakshow Beautifique, Venue #15

I was excited heading into this show, as I have come to expect a high level of creativity and a certain aesthetic value from Theatre Incarnate's work. This production did not disappoint. Beginning with some excellent live music provided by the talented Claire Friesen, the show then spun out into a wordless exploration of the Master's obsession with the "freak" Clodille. The initial scenes felt a little slower as the relationship was built up, however soon the audience falls under the spell of master in the same way Clodille has. The imagery created by The two principals (Brenda McLean and Christopher Sobczak) was at once beautiful and horrific.
The production also featured young "Lizard Girl" in interludes, and she was a gem to watch.

Overall a strong production; I recommend it to those hoping to see something truly unique and outside the mainstream.

Review - To My Amazement, venue #9

This show was not on my initial list, however i make a rule for myself to see at least one show from a non-manitoban company, and at least one i know nothing about. this show met both criteia, with a company travelling from LA and Costa Rica. it began well, with a calm yogi, and moved into some interesting chorus work, including masks and some creative movement. This for me was intriguing; unfortunately i felt the show lost momentum from there. It moved into a series of scenes playing out the real-life scenarios in which each piece of yoga practice can be applied to help make one happier. The majority of these scenes felt contrived, and rarely did these actors feel connected to the material.

In addition, there were interludes from a young actor, the premise being that as a child we understand better how to interact with the world, and slowly most of us un-learn this. These grew unfortunately repetetive s the play continued to loop through these three types of scenes. The idea of the show was strong, but got muddied through the devices of the corus, scene, yogi and child all repeating over one another.

For me, the strongest point in the show was when the young character had one of her "to my amazement" speeches, and then herself moved into and out of a scene on the subject. This show could hve benefitted from more of these for a clarity of message.

Finally for a show preaching being "present" in life, the actors unfortunately rushed through most lines and scenes. At times they were difficult to understand, and rarely connected to the mterial in the scenes, seemingly reciting for a vocal tone of effect rather than to experience the text in the present.

Winnipeg Fringe Picks!

Here are my quick-picks for the Winnipeg Fringe this year. I'll be posting reviews of things I see, so check back :)

African Folktales with Erik de Waal - Kids Venue
- This is a kids show, but by no means is it kids-only. Erik deWaal is from South Africa, and travels to the fest each year. He is one of the most amazing physical storytellers i have EVER seen in my life. Sarah loves him so much she has his cd and listens to it at home regularly.

The Apiarist - Venue #5, Son of Warehouse
- I am invested in this one personally, as it is written, directed and performed by two dear friends of mine who are immensely talented. AND it is about beekeeping.

The Brain From Planet X - Venue #16, PTE Mainstage
- I helped out with this zany show as the choreographer for the tap dances, and a couple other numbers. It is HILARIOUS and i don't put that label mildly. Imagine a 50s leave it to beaver perfect american family who meet up with two aliens and their leader, a giant brain, who want to take over america. Very "fringe"

Etoile - Kids Venue
- this is my pick for best kids show this year. If you have little ones, you should go!! It follows the life of a little girl who seeks fame, and learns its price.

Hedwig and the Angry Itch - Venue #13, Pyramid
- I have been trying to see this crazy rock show for a few years now and have failed. I vow to see it.

It's YES: A one-man mockery of all things human - Venue #4, Manitoba Museum
- Spoken word, criticism of humanity....what more does one need? If you were around MEME festival and saw the dude with the fish puppet...this is him!!

Master Orloff & Madame Clodille's Penny Arcade Freakshow Beautifique or The Illusionary Box - Venue #15, Studio Incarnate
- I was part of Theatre Incarnate's last project, and have always been a fan of their work. You will see something unique, challenging, and intellectual...and probably just outside your comfort zone. And you'll LOVE it.

On Funding, Cuts, and making a living....

OK. This is coming a bit belatedly, however I really wanted to clarify my thoughts before jumping into the debate about the arts funding decision made related to the SummerWorks Festival in Toronto.

Initially, I am outraged; the idea that Heritage Canada would coincidentally stop funding the festival, one it has generously supported for five years running, the year following a production which reportedly outraged Prime Minister Harper as a play "glorifying" terrorism is a bit of a pill to swallow. Given the need for control that Mr Harper has demonstrated in so many other areas of his leadership, I find it impossible to believe that he played no role in the decision not to fund the festival.

Secondly, I am fuming at the suggestion from Finance Minister Jim Flaherty that artists should not "rely on" funding from government. Sure! At the very core I agree; I wish nothing more than the ability for artists to create new and challenging works, and pay for them with ticket prices. To avoid reliance on donation, sponsorship, and grants would be a whole new realm of artistic freedom. The reality of the matter is that this is next to impossible. Even with funding, it is tough for theatre companies to make ends meet when you add up the costs of space (if you are lucky enough to own your own...or goodness knows, renting!), paying the performers for rehearsal and show times, designers, directors, set and costume construction, stagehands...the list goes on. If a company were to try to actually turn a profit solely from ticket sales, prices would skyrocket! And this is just considering non-equity performers and non-union houses. Once you factor in using an IATSE house or a cast of CAEA performers the cost of production further increases.

But this isn't anything new, nothing we didn't know before. . .

Alas, here is the challenge I pose to the government; pay fair price to the performers who you trot out on display as soon as there are foreign dignitaries, a party of some kind (Canada Day anyone?) or a reason to celebrate. Think of the extravaganza recently put together in Ottawa for Wills & Kate's visit to Canada; normally Canada Day on the Hill is quite a Fete, but this year really outshone previous efforts. Ask yourself....did the Government of Canada really pay a fair contracted price to each and every performer who stepped on that stage? I mean sure, each had an honourarium, and the "priviledge" of performing for Royalty. Great! But what was their contract? Did they get a fair, equity approved wage for the rehearsal time and performance call time? I am making an educated assumption that they did not; my sister travelled as a teen to perform in Ottawa for Canada Day. My parents paid for her travel and accomodations, and the choir she was with got an honourarium that worked out to mere dollars per performer. I doubt much has changed.

So Dear Mr Flaherty and Mr Harper; if you want to start telling artists that they shouldn't depend on grants, put your money where your mouth is and pay them fair wage for the work they do for you.