Woah! That's a big rant and a big sentence. Don't get me wrong - I do like Pablo as a person, but I got super worked up in class today. Sat there brewing for ages. Got up and was bad, tried a few times but couldn't really get it, then sat down. No discussion. I don't want to talk about it! I want to do it and to see it. And I want it to be fun! It feels like Pablo isn't teaching in the spirit of the school, and that's a problem for me...but it's not for others. And that's okay! I accept that other people like his approach, and feel relieved to get more stage time, more help and a chance to ask questions. It's good for them. But it drove me nuts today!
Neutral Mask Exercise: Escape from Jail
You've been in jail for the past 15 years, and planning your escape for the last 5 years. You exit your cell, walk down a corridor, pass a sleeping guard then reach a door. You go through it entering into a field full of guards, watchtowers with guns and spotlights, and dogs. You pass through it (run, jump, hide, whatever...) then reach a wall. You climb it and jump down the other side. You are free. It is the beginning of a new life.
- Share the game - bring the body/face to the audience (not down or to the side)
- Every conflict (a door, a sleeping guard etc) has to change you in some way
- Be simple - one thing at a time
- It's better not to touch props/furniture because it reminds us of reality
When I got up I kept being told I was 'observing' rather than experiencing. I was looking at different imaginary things and trying to move around/past/through them - letting them effect me - whilst making them clear to the audience. So when I walked past the guard I slowed right down and tip-toed in a tense kind of way. I thought this was letting the obstacle effect me, and I thought that is what you would do if you were trying to move quietly past a sleeping guard, but it came across as observing, and boring. Pablo said to a few people "we don't care about reality - none of it's real" which would apply to me too! I tried it a few times, but didn't really improve. I was looking too much and not enough doing. Finally, he got Andre and David to hold my hips as I crawled towards the audience. This was a) to get me to move from the hips with a strong body, and b) to get me tired with physical exertion. He said all of us should be panting throughout the scene. I don't get this. Surely some of it is not huff-puff material. But perhaps he's just exaggerating the point that we need to engage our bodies.
Anyway - I found it hard to decipher what exactly Pablo was wanting me to do when he gave me feedback. It wasn't clear to me, and it seemed contradictory to other things he'd said throughout the class.
I'm obviously not a fan of his today! Ha!
But I accept that I'm the learner here. I've got to try and make was offered today useful to me. And it's a waste of energy to just bitch about it (although I've just used this whole blog post to do that...sorry...).
Pablo did say one thing today that sparked me (it came from a frustrated place in him I think, but still...). He said, slapping his hips to emphasise the message, that we have to bring something. "Come on! Sell yourselves!" I would be happy to do that, but I was focussed too much on trying to achieve the task technically. Next time, just focus on impulse. Stuff the sleeping guard. If he wakes up I'll just karate chop him and keep on running...
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