Improvisation: Today was a better day in improvisation with Pablo. Partly swayed because I did better today, but also because he was less harsh in his criticism and lighter at the same time. There was a bit less talk and I got more of the feeling that he really wanted to help us. Whereas before it's felt like he's just fed up with us.
Neutral Mask Exercise: 'Stealing A Diamond From The Louvre ©'
(copyright because Pablo came up with it today)
The events: you jump through a window and arrive in a cleaning room, you open the door and find yourself in the corridors of The Louvre. You pass through a few rooms then go up a flight of stairs. You then see a guard walking up and down a hall way. You cross it at the right time, and then come to the room with the diamond. You approach carefully, take the diamond...AND THE SIRENS GO OFF! AND YOU RUN BACK THE SAME WAY YOU CAME! BACK DOWN THE STAIRS! THEN YOU TRIP UP AND DROP THE DIAMOND! YOU SCRAMBLE TO FIND IT THEN CONTINUE RUNNING TO THE CLEANING ROOM, JUMP OUT THE WINDOW. YOU'RE SAFE. YOU LOOK AT THE DIAMOND AND THEN TAKE ONE STEP TOWARDS YOUR NEW LIFE.
When I got up I was trying to work on being engaged in the body, moving like there were high stakes, and creating the space by looking around and responding to what I see with my body (e.g. when I enter into a large room, my chest opens). Pablo stopped me a few times. The looking around doesn't work. So I tried playing with rhythms. Nope. "Just let each moment effect you." So I tried to change my body in different scenarios. Nope. Pablo then said "look at me, then look at the clock on the wall." I did, and the class laughed because I had clearly changed. I was confused, as I hadn't done anything other than turn my head and look somewhere else. But energetically yes things had changed. And that has to happen every time I move through the space with a mask on. So how?
I did it again. And Pablo helped me out. He guided me through it. Ironically, because I've been bitching about him helping people, I found it really useful. But it was good because it wasn't help through a conversation. Anyway, basically I learnt that you have to have an impulse, let it grow, and move with it. For me, it's like you turn with an impulse, your turn should lead you into some kind of body shape, you feel that shape, think - what is my game? what do I want? where am I heading?, then you move with that shape. So if I've turned with a low tense body, then I might go to crawl on the floor. You can also grow, or minimise the shape, say, if you wanted to then run.
I learnt that you can't compartmentalise the work though. You can't work on one thing and it will work (which is what I was trying to do). You have to have them all at the same time.
- Imagination
- Rhythm
- Pace
- Eyes - see the space
- Body
- Tensions
When I looked at the close all of these things changed ever so slightly.
- We need to see the actors decisions.
- The scene should be one big impulse, with lots of little ones along the way. "It happens from the start. Not after you've got the diamond."
Pablo spoke today about how the Neutral Mask teaches us how to be neutral, and in doing this teaches us about what makes us fundamentally different from everybody else. What is unique and special about ourselves. It also teaches us things that get in the way of that uniquely special stuff. Things that can be cut away. For me, I need to cut out the tension in my feet and hands.
I still found Pablo unclear today, but better. Usually I just translate for myself when a teacher doesn't use language that works for me, but with what he says it's often mysterious and intangible (eg "let the impulses go in" or "let us see the space"). However after I had experienced it today, and spoken to Pablo a bit about it at break time, I can see it much more clearly. Whereas before I couldn't. And when that's the case it's like walking in the dark. I would try to make active changes, like, 'this time I'll play with rhythm' but I learnt today that you can't really compartmentalise. It's rhythm and pace and body and eyes and tension and imagination and impulse, all at the same time. If I imagine the Louvre but do nothing else, the mask isn't alive. If I engage my body but don't look at the space, the mask isn't alive. It really is all or nothing. So it's difficult.
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