"You Have To Enter And Install Your Rhythm For Two Minutes"

Today we played the Le Jeu 'Snatch-your-opponent's-scarf-from-behind-their-back-and-tease-when-you've-got-it' game with Commedia masks on. Remember fun and pleasure whilst also keeping the mask alive (fixed point, show the mask etc). I went up and played with Thomas from Austria and it was great. We have really good complicité with each other. I was happy to be on stage with him. In terms of playing with a voice - silly is good for me. When I feel silly, I have pleasure.

Use a funny voice - "Find a way a bit funny to speak"

"Not enough fun. We don't see they are happy together...They want to be a star...They want to have fun..."

Déconner: The pleasure to be crazy; 'to talk crap'; 'to muck around'

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Then more home-made mask work. We went up in groups of 5 and were interviewed by Philippe.

My mask painted. Looks (unintentionally) like a Mexican Wrestler...

I need to give it some shading to make the nose more defined in profile. And get rid of the line up the centre of the forehead. It's a bit distracting and unnecessary.

I was working on being lighter, and playing more timid and nervous. I ended up having this slightly quiet husky/geeky/deep american voice with a lisp. Naturally, I introduced myself as Chrithtopher Thteventhon (Christopher Stevenson) and found a bit a fun lazy almost bitchy character and rhythm. Good to feel lighter - in this state I feel like I am more free, and text and responses come more naturally. It's as if I have more time.

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Afterwards we did improvisations with our home-made masks. The scene is set in an apartment. One character is already on stage waiting for another character to come to their place to tell them something that couldn't be said over the phone. None of the improvisations really went far, but lots of good little lessons about the mechanics of theatre popped up.

When we see two characters on stage together, it's better when their rhythms are different: "You have to enter and install your rhythm for two minutes"

"If he says sit down and you sit down there is no conflict."

"When you feel the flop coming, stop! Fixed point! Look at your partner! 'GO! SAVE THE SHOW'...'OKAY! I'M COMING'."

Don't be natural: "With make-up you can stay with yourself. Not with the mask."

"An actor has to have excellent timing. They enjoy the spirit in the silence."

"You do something, I do the opposite...It's a good way to play together."

"An actor is never ugly. You can play whatever you want but always be beautiful."

"It's not me, it's the mask...an obstacle...and with this obstacle you can discover many good things for the theatre."

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At the end of class I asked Philippe about ideas: Should we have an idea, or no idea? He said he has no recipe. Some actors need an idea before they go on and and others enjoy "peddling in the sauerkraut". But you always have to discover an idea with the audience. But if you bring your idea and we hate it you must drop it immediately. If you keep pushing it we'll hate you more. But he also said "there is no good idea". I guess this means whatever it is you do, it's about how you do it, not what you do.

He talked about how in rehearsals you discover what is good and what is bad for the mask: "The job of the director is to discover the best rhythm for the actor."

And he also talked about how the theatre is full of fantasy. That nothing is real. It's all suggestions and magic. I love it when he talks like this - I feel really inspired and quite moved, because I don't hear people talk about my craft in this way very often. I often hear that acting should be as real, that actors should bear their souls, do lots of intellectual study and be willing to hurt for the work. Not that it's a vessel to ignite the imagination and help people dream. That, I love. I absolutely love it.

Philippe said that even when playing naturalistic, it's not real. In the movies, it's often naturalistic but none of it's real. For actors playing naturalistic: it's the pleasure to pretend it's all true...

It's all pretend...

As I walked home to the RER with Andre we were talking about how at this school we're not just learning about acting; we're learning about writing, directing, design, costume, performing, different theatrical forms, teaching...we're learning about Theatre in a holistic sense. How fantastic!