The Eiffel Tower.
Me underneith the Eiffel Tower.
A view from above.
Thomas Edison hanging out with Gustave Eiffel at the top of the tower. Exclusive!
New Zealand is that way. I couldn't see it out the window.
The Seine.
The criss-crossing!
In class today Philippe started us off with an improvisation in which one character is to arrive home, and another character who is infatuated by and has been following the character in front, is to appear. And then whatever happens in the scene happens! The first character had the option to call their partner/family if they felt the need, and that character could then enter into the scene as well. I got up early on at the same time as Anna and Amy. So Amy became my new wife and Anna my admirer. I made a conscious effort to make an entrance with a bit of theatricality, because Philippe had been getting others before me to enter several times because each time they had entered it was boring. Philippe said that for this improvisation we are working with Vaudeville and actors need to speak loudly. So anyway, my entrance was okay. But the scene quickly flopped as soon as Anna arrived on stage. Our complicite was terrible and we got a bit stuck. Then Amy came on to try and save us but it was already too late! So we got killed. We got the feedback that nothing was subtle, and that my voice had changed to a Disneyland voice. i.e. too high. I didn't make the choice to do this, I did it without noticing. I was playing slightly scared/surprised in the scene which probably did it. I don't think scared works for my character. Or not in the way I did it today anyway. I think he is much more interesting when he is confident and relaxed. Playing scared also closes my body down - I definitely did not have my sternum open. The comment about my voice reminded me that like the smile, the medium to low range of my voice is where this character must always be.
After the mid-class break Philippe set the new improvisation in which seven couples were to go on stage and dance to music. When Philippe picked one of them (you wouldn't get picked if A) The music wasn't good for you - the answer we were advised to hang on to... B) You are boring or C) There is no complicite between you and your partner) the couples were to go into a scene that explains what the music had reminded them of - usually their first date. Mark and I didn't get picked for a while because at first we were too big - "you want it too much" - and then in response we were too small and probably boring. When we finally got the mix right it was our turn. Mark began with his weird German army character saying sweetly to me "I love you" and that happened for a bit until I moved us on to the memory of our first date. I asked Mark the question "do you remember it?" in which he replied "no" which was jarring. I dealt with it well and told him he's "a fucking asshole" and we played with this for a bit, which the audience enjoyed, but then the scene moved to me (because I was the only one who remembered it) telling this story about how we met at a curry shop (an idea that flopped). "Fauv, would you be happy if they left the stage?" ..."Yes." Philippe said it was "a bit boring" which I would agree with. I felt that Mark shouldn't have blocked me the way he did, but I actually could have dealt with it a lot better. What I should have done is followed on the line of him being an asshole, and then the scene could have led to us getting into a big indian argument and breaking up. Which I imagine would have been much less boring! I think if I was lighter in myself then this option may have been more clear to me and we could have gone their together. Staying light leads to a state much more open to opportunities.
- Something I noticed today whilst Gaulier was working with Remko is that sometimes he will get an actor to do one thing (for Remko it was to speak really fast in his own language) and then he will add other things for the actor to do when Gaulier beats his drum. E.g. Make a trumpet sound when you hear tapping. And do a gymnastics move when you hear a drum beat. I imagine he does this to distract the actor, to get them out of an intellectual state, as well as to play a little game with them hopefully resulting in pleasure.
- "Did she [Angela] exist in your mind Jacinta?"..."No"
- "It's not clear Alex. You have to make him clear this character."
- Oli and Ingaborg were amazing today as a couple! They both play very young childish characters - Oli as a weird boy/girl/child in a pink dress, and Ingaborg as a Disney-like Princess. Their scene was fantastic. Subtle but full of energy and very playful. It was funny at times but not always, and in the times when they were quiet it was fascinating just to watch them. Very innocent and joyful.
- Trygvi's hesitation at the beginning of the scene in which he tested his partner, trying to figure out how they were going to play the game, is good. Trygvi shouldn't have sat down when Adriano requested it though. This broke any conflict. "The show could have been called 'Why You Don't Sit?'" but instead it became boring. Saying Yes (accepting) vs. Saying No (blocking...but) in order to help a scene.
After class Mark and I headed to the Gare du Nord so that I could talk to an information person - I am hoping to buy a cheap Eurostar ticket off a classmate but need to check whether I am allowed to use somebody else's ticket. It seems that I can! Then we went to La Chappelle in the hopes of seeing a show at Theatre des Bouffes du Nord, Peter Brook's theatre, but it was closed and there isn't a show on till March 2nd. Bummer! Then went home where I ate a curry (character research) and watched episode 4 of Flight of the Conchords Season 2. Very good!
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