"When You Lose The Good Feeling With Your Partner...Theatre = Kaput!"

Started Auto-Course this morning. I'm working with Claudia from the flat German speaking part of Switzerland. 

We're doing the opening scene from The Seagull. Fun looking through the text. It has lots of opportunities to play!

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Today we did basically the same as yesterday - improvising the Uncle Vanya scene between Astrov and Marina - which was slightly disappointing. Philippe started the class by asking if any of us had a dream last night that today we would be beautiful on stage and dare to be big and bold. A strong hint at where we should be aiming for...?

I got up and chose Vicky as my dance partner. We had good complicité and pleasure but Vicky didn't give enough. Philippe said I was "not bad" but that Astrov is not ashamed of being an alcoholic (which I played). He's not ashamed. He loves his drink! He's just not drinking any more... Since when? Since this morning!

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A lot of today was just about two actors having pleasure on stage together. The pleasure to play together, to speak with a theatre voice... It seems to be the most important thing for us to learn right now.

"When you lose the good feeling with your partner...theatre = kaput!"

Thomas did a bit of unnecessary pantomime acting in one improvisation - Instead of the grimace or explanations, change rhythm to guide the audience: "The rhythm gives the meaning of the game" 

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Later I got up again - this time with Katy. Philippe played 'When You're A Jet' from West Side Story and we both got into Musical Theatre mode, clicks and all.

We had great complicité and pleasure. We were together. I went big too. Took the risk. "No! No vodka for me!!" I played. Changed rhythms. Good listening. It was another moment of freedom. "Not bad." Philippe said we weren't far and that soon we could try the scene in a normal staged setting (as opposed to dancing with music) but he wanted to continue with others in the class I think. Anyway - good to try and reach out and find another more exciting way to play the text. 

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People were particularly hesitant to get up today. Philippe will say "Alors who?" and there'll be a long silence in which a lot of time goes by before anyone gets up. A waste of time. Come on class!