"We're Almost Ready To Love You."

Thomas today. We started off in big groups of either men or women, then lipsynced as our characters to the music playing over the stereo. Then afterwards, sang the song ourselves.

"Not pushing, but having fun. That's the thing."

When I had a go we had to sing a love song, so I sang 'Someone To Watch Over Me' in a really soft and slightly german accent. "You're strange." I was light here, but not really loved. Thomas got me to choose a character I'm in love with from the audience - I chose Sophia's mysterious Black-Haired Glasses-wearing American woman. I had to say a poem about her. I was light and sensitive here, but not really having fun yet. But I started to say a poem, and found some rhymes and it was kind of fun. "When you're sensitive like this, we're ready to love you...But you're not quite there yet."

~

We then did an exercise set in an aeroplane. With an air host/hostess taking the role of major, and five passengers, who arrive, and then something happens. People also had a go at doing the intercom voice from the audience.

I came on first as a passenger and tried to play a drunk rock'n'roller. I entered centre stage and screamed "Woooooooh! with my arms in the air. This kind of worked. It was a good entrance. But afterwards, once everyone was on board, the scene died. Oh well.

I also had a go at being the air host. "Wooooh! An Aeroplane!" worked a bit. But not for very long. I struggled as the host really. Not having anything to hang on to, not knowing what to play with (...got to give more of my fantasy to the character). But I tried out a few different things throughout the improvisation - just changing the character completely in the hopes of finding something. I was happy about this changing - and after class a few people commented on how brave that is. So yeah - I'm taking risks in that sense.

A few hilarious lines came out of some of the improvisations, including:

"Due to new security measures can all white people please be seated to the left, and coloured people on the right."

And, in a scene full of strange female characters, just as the scene was dying:

"Is it your first time flying on Lesbian Airlines?"

~

Afterwards, we did quick fire improvisations of 'bad acting' scenes. I did one with Rodrigo - who's playing this crazy halloween monster kind of guy. We ran out together, had a moment of silence, then I said, in a german accent, "Danny, can you see them?" We got a good laugh here. But after we didn't manage to find anything. Although we had fun together, and speaking to Rodrigo after, I think we might do our showing together. He's a performer who steals the show - full of pleasure and play - and he said he likes working with me, so I reckon we should!

So a day of good entraces.

~

I realised today - as I was thinking to myself that I don't know what to do - that I should watch others for guidance. Watch the actors/characters that are working and follow them.

~

I hung around after class milling over whether to talk to Thomas or not. I kind of just wanted to listen to what he was saying to others. Like, I heard him saying to Steph how it can be a fine line and you push too much, change, then don't quite give enough. That's something relevant to me right now. We ended up speaking briefly, and I joked about being been bad for three weeks, and said "the workshop's not over yet", which is true. He also said I'm close, and that "We're almost ready to love you." A similar thing to watch Nicole said to me with Mask. So this is why Philippe isn't helping me right now. He, like the other movement teachers, can see that I'm not far away and are letting my discover it on my own.