"We Have To See The Actor Happy To Play A Stupid Game."

A nice light end-of-the-week Movement class today. We did 'oiling the bicycle' (15 minutes of getting your various limbs and joints moved around and twisted), and then this awesome little wake-up exercise (that instantly made me burst into joyous laughter!!) which involved you standing in the middle of about 8 people who all have both hands on your head, and then on three they all whip their hands down your body to your toes. A ticklish rush!

Gaulier was also going to supposedly be nicer to us today: "If it were Monday you would get zero. But today...Seven!"

The first exercised involved us dancing with a partner to music. Those with good complicité will get selected to then do a scene of any sort. "If you dance like you are in a party you are not going to be selected." I danced with a few different people, and then danced with Ciara and we were the first pair to get selected. We were much simpler when we danced. It was a slow dance to slow music, which helped, but we also just kept good eye contact, listened to each other, and followed the music. So then we had to do a scene. I took Gaulier's suggestion of doing a scene about having to leave the dance floor, as well as the suggestion to take my time. In a soft toned slow-dance voice I told Ciara what a wonderful night I'd had but that I was sorry because I had to go now...back to New Zealand. It was pretty boring. I didn't have a lot of pleasure (although not so much fair) and I didn't bring any life to it. Gaulier called it 'sentimental'. "Good complicité...but boring...like spaghetti seven hours overcooked."

I was happy with myself though, because I'd achieved my goal of getting the simple things right first - i.e. complicité (not just thinking it's all about me when I'm on stage). I'm also happy with my courage in just getting up and giving it ago. I'm realising now, however, that it takes a certain level of courage to get up and give something a go - but then there's another level of courage required once you're actually up. i.e. The courage to commit and take a risk. This is the next step for me. Like what Anna said to me a few nights back - I need to trust myself a whole lot more. Start owning who I am and what I can do/be. Really take the major. Look at me everybody!

We played another game of group Grandma's Footsteps. I think Gaulier is preparing us for the chorus work we'll be doing for Greek Tragedy coming up in two weeks (exciting!). Noticed the game is great for teaching actors about complicité, pleasure, fixed point, and body control. In groups, it also teaches actors about being a leader. Taking major. He would say "if you think you are the 'corifeur' then you can speak text - but with a good theatre voice, and you must speak for everyone in the group, even those in the back. Speak not just for you, but everybody around the world. For the mountains, for the oceans. Because I'm tall I tend to go to the back of the group, but I came to the front one time to try and be the corifeur, but I didn't really take the major as much as I should have, and wasn't given the opportunity to speak for the group. I knew why. Step up Guy!

To Daniele: "You don't speak for everybody...you speak for your shoes."

We then did this fun exercise, which none of us really got close to the full potential of it, but in theory it sounds brilliant. THE TRAIN GAME. There are six seats (three facing another three, open to the audience) set up to be like a train compartment. Six actors. Basically, the first person has to come in and settle in their seat, and then do something small and slightly odd - like a little twitch, or a screech, or a 'miaow'. Then a second person has to come into the compartment and settle in their seat and start chatting with the 1st actor. They are both heading to Vladivostok - the last destination on this long trip to Russia.

The Vladivostok train station.

And subtly throughout the conversation the first actor has to do their odd twitch, which is jolting and a bit shocking for the second actor. The idea is that the second actor finds the twitch odd, but tries really hard not to comment on it, or mock it, and tries not to laugh, but the pressure builds up until that second actor pop's out their own weird little twitch in reaction to the first actors', only slightly longer.

"If your friend goes this way, and you go the same way...the audience does not like you."

"If we think it's an idea [the twitch] we don't like it."

"You have to give the game, receive the game, then pass it on."

"If you don't have good timing nobody loves you."

Then this pattern continues until their are six actors all with strange ticks going insane in this long train trip! Potentially hilarious. Apparently when Gaulier did the exercise with Théâtre de Complicité they were in hysterics for three hours.

"We have to see the actor happy to play a stupid game."

"If one of the actors laughs - he has to buy a beer for his partner. This sort of game."

"Ciara...You have been very bad...I have to tell you...It is my job! ...These women...Are they full of life? Or boring vegetarian? Salad. Salad. Salad. Carrot! Salad. Carrot! Salad."