"A Good Madness For Vaudeville"

I had a better day today. After writing my blog yesterday I was able to get my thoughts and fears out of my head and I approached class with a much more productive attitude.

Also had a fun start to class with ‘Samuel Says’ in which I mocked Philippe in my response to being asked for a kiss (just before me, Philippe had semi-choked on his water as he answered, so I did this too) and I was ‘punished’ because of it. 

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The first exercise we did today was an improvisation of the scene between Camille & Lucienne in A Flea In Her Ear. I played Camille, who can’t speak properly as he is missing the roof of his mouth, and Mia played Lucienne, in this scene discovers this odd speaking man that she doesn’t understand. 

“You have to be happy. You want to say something but nothing happens.”

We tried a few times, but it wasn’t working. Well, it wasn’t funny, and it was boring. I was trying to look for a game with Mia (something he had reminded me of before starting) but didn’t find one! For our last try Philippe got us to do it in the style of Japanese Noh Theatre, I guess for us to be a bit silly and to have some fun, but it didn’t work either. I feel like I’m hiding a bit from the audience - not fully committing - which I need to change. I feel that feeling a lot at this school.

Ben and Barbara also tried this scene and it wasn’t working, but Ben saved the show many times by having this mad crisis every time he saw Philippe’s drum stick rise. “A good madness for Vaudeville...you were not mad alone...[You were] mad in the timing of the game.” But not the exercise at all. Ha!

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“At this time [of Vaudeville] the women were more idiot than the men. But today, no!”

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We also did a scene between Lucienne and Raymonde. “Two women gossiping with the pleasure of gossiping.” There were a few attempts but nothing that really worked. It seems so easy, but with fear and other factors, it’s not.

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Philippe spoke about the importance of keeping our costumes clean and crisp again today. “When you are not proud in your costume it’s the beginning of the end.”

“Your costume does exist and it is a big part of the show.”