"We Love You When You're Simple."

I tried out a new character today. Andre and I put it together on Sunday when we both met at Guerrisol. 

He says I look a bit like Elton John in his early years.

I better look like something because the multiple layers of clothing plus wig cost a lot of money damnit!

~

It was funny at the beginning of class, because Philippe clearly didn't have anything planned for us to do, and he was playing - making fun of himself - as he came up with something. He put some chairs on stage in a particular formation, and then that gave him the idea for a Dentist's waiting room.

I had a go first up. And tried the role of dentist. Victoria was the receptionist. And there were various patients. I tried to play something - some kind of offer for the character - but it was too strong. Not sensitive enough. "Is he a pain in the arse?" 

"You don't discover the character with us...you want to be funny...you are a fascist...you are just awful."

Later on I had a go as a patient. As I got up on stage Philippe reminded me: "You need to try and be subtle...think you know less than the audience." This time I was more sensitive. I did less. But not fantastic. No feedback from Philippe. I'm discovering.

~

Philippe then turned all of the chairs around, and from the holes in the back of the chairs, got inspired to make the next exercise set in a Laundromat. Find a game with your scene partner.

I got again and tried something first. I came out with no idea, but with a big greek tragedy cloak. I whipped it open and lay it on the floor, folding it up. I then tried to put it in the washing machine/hole in the back of the chair, and of course it didn't fit. Which was kind of funny for a moment. Then I went to fold it a different way. Nobody else came on stage, and Philippe killed me very quickly. It was bad - but I was playful. Oh well. :)

I sat back down, but then got up in a scene which Claire 3 (Claire de France was bad earlier today and was thus degraded from Claire 2 to Claire 3) had started. She was alone in the laundromat, and was surreptitiously taking off her clothes. This was a moment where I calculated how to play with another actor on stage. I waited for the right timing, and then entered as if unaware of what was happening, and then slowly play the game of discovering that, and then trying to see things with a variety of tactics. We did well. The scene lasted for a while, and we played nicely together. Light, and with a fair amount of complicité. I was mostly in minor throughout, which was fine because we really loved her, and me being on stage helped us love her more. It felt good to find a game (I can do it). To be light and playful. I wasn't at my maximum, but a good start. Just playing, and letting the costume do it's job. And at the end Claire 3 was upgraded back to Claire 2!

~

To Steph: "Don't try to be funny. It's not your speciality...not yet."

"If you spirit is ★  ★  ★ [these stars represent wonderful happy sounds] you will discover something."

"We have to calculate how we can have fun with another person." - This is just like in life, where we joke differently with different people.

Mix it up. Keep exploring: "You have to find something else...you have to go another way if you want to give life to this character."

Can't be negative. Nadeer was hit Rodrigo as his character, but it was with negative energy rather than playfully. Philippe talked about how you can be negative (say no, argue, fight, etc), but it has to be in a positive way. "You can say no if you want to carry on the game."

"You have to propose something."

"It's good to propose something opposite."

"If you have pleasure the character will follow you."

"We need to have a game conflict: He has his game - you have your game - and we enter into a game conflict."

"When everyone is okay it's the end of the show."

~

I got up again one last time at the end of the class, in the laundry scene. I tried coming on with a proposal: entering puffing as if I'd been running trying to escape from something. Philippe killed me quickly. Did I listen to the audience and see whether they were with me at all? No. Goodbye. I told him I want to make a proposal, and asked how I can do that - enter with something - and still discover it with the audience. He showed me. He got me to run in, stop and listen, pant x 2, stop and listen, pant x 2, stop and listen. I got the point. Give the audience room to discover you.

I then entered again, trying the panting by myself. I don't think it really worked, because what Philippe got me to do was an exaggerated example. But then I kind of followed the panting, and the scene kind of turned into me being sad to wash my clothes. It was bad - but I was trying! Then Nadeer, bless him, came on stage, looked at me, then did his own version of the panting/crying. Then I did another variation of my own. We were looking into each other's eyes, and trying to figure out how to play with each other.  He made an offer of a lean in forward saying singing "yes" and a lean back saying "no". I joined in, mirroring him. We were together, listening to each other and playing. It was really nice. What we did wasn't fantastic, but our complicité and fun was sensitive and happy.

"Me - I like Guy a bit."

I asked Philippe at the end when exactly the audience started liking me, because I felt like before Nadeer came on I was bad and he said "We love you when you're simple...but when you have your idea - it's too strong. It's difficult to love you."

Good steps in the direction of getting back to basics. :)

~

Feeling freer and more open this week. My spirit is back. Had to go through that little crisis to discover this. To really take on the fact that it's good to be bad. And to rediscover my fun.

I've also started a new morning work out routine. I get up at 7.15 and hop on a Vélib bike and ride for 15minutes to Buttes Chaumont (a really nice park)

It's a bit warmer than this image makes out...

 where I then either run, or go to my special area where I can't be seen looking like a dooshball which I call The Bat Cave...

...and do a cross-fit workout. Then bike home. It's great. The exercise, city streets then beautiful nature, and freezing cold really wakes you up!