"Not Your Life, But Your Dream."

I got up today and took a risk by not telling a story, but by pitching an idea for a show:

It's commonly known that Captain Cook was captured, killed, and eaten in Hawaii. And this is the end of his story. But this is false. A conspiracy theory. He wasn't killed and eaten. He actually escaped...and this is the story of his escape...

I don't feel like I have stories from my life that are particularly interesting to make a play out of. I lack major dramas or tragedy in my life. Which I'm thankful for! (But as Andre kindly says: 'You're time will come.') So I tried to offer a fictional story.

This was a bit against the grain of how the direction of the workshop seems to be going (i.e. tell stories from your life), but I said I don't want to tell stories from my life, to which Philippe replied: "Not your life, but your dream."

He then asked me lots of questions to try and get underneath my idea, and to something with substance. Why is this story/subject important to me?

He asked me why I'm interested by Captain Cook, and I said I've been always found the idea of being an explorer incredibly exciting. For me, space travel and the mapping of the universe, finding new lands and new alien civilisations, is my discovery dream. My dream to be an explorer is one link to Cook.

But this wasn't enough to drive the writing of a play. "We need something else."

He also asked me what my parents do. I said my Dad's a designer, and my Mum was a contemporary dancer and then a dance teacher - to which Philippe took great delight from - and then told me that that explains my horrible dancing!

He asked about how big-a-deal Captain Cook is in New Zealand. I said he's a big part of our history. And he asked how old we are when we first learn about him. I guessed about 5.

He eventually asked what my mother would have told me when I was a kid and asked why we (the English/white people) stole land from Māori. I said I think she would have said it wasn't us - it was people from a different time in a totally different situation - and they did what they did for their own reasons. Something like that. Vanessa said that her mother would have told her the Māori's should get over it "because we have them cars and computers". This kind of argument gets me fuming! But anyway. We got to a point.

We got to the point that I feel a lot of guilt, anger, and shame from what my English ancestors did to the Māori in Aotearoa. That in a way I feel ashamed to be a Pākehā.

"This is a very good subject."

I said this is a subject I don't think has been expressed much in theatre in NZ (although I don't really know this), or at least from a voice from my generation.

"At first we need the subject we need to fight."

I said I want to make a work that questions this feeling, and for it to be done with humour and fantasy. Philippe said to this: "Everybody has their own way" to tell stories.

So some good learning today. I need something to drive an idea. Something I care about. I need to ask: Why do I want to tell this story? Why is it important to me?

I'm still left with the question of what actually happens in my play - and a lot of discussion came up around the purpose for changing history. I have my reasons (such as: a remove from the 'truth' gives me a lot of freedom) but the question What could be a worse way to die than being eaten? is a good point. But Philippe talked about writers like Jules Verne, who created fantastic imaginary worlds, suggesting that as a writer you can have a lot of fun with fiction.

So that was really useful. Now to do something...hmmm...

I love this image - from James Thiérrée's Raoul. It's very much in the aesthetic of what I want my Captain Cook show to be like.

~

Christine also told a story from her life. "Until 18 years old - my life was a lie." Set in Antony. 

It was a great story, very connected to her, but it needs an ending...which is really hard when you're still living your story!

~

Philippe said we'll also be working on already written texts in this workshop. Such as Samuel Beckett's Endgame.

They're in a bin because they fell off their bikes and cut off their knees. It's practical! "They are not in a bin because Beckett thinks humanity is in a bin." This is an academic explanation that is completely wrong. Philippe knew Beckett. And he said he was a nice boy. An alcoholic, but a nice boy. "An alcoholic is always a nice boy."

& Waiting For Godot.

"If you go to Dublin you see Beckett everywhere - the characters of Beckett...And they are drunk...They sing...They are beautiful."

& Marivaux's Le Jeu De L'Amour Et Du Hasard.

~

Tonight I saw Au Revoir Parapluie by James Thiérrée (Charlie Chaplin's grandson) at Théâtre Marigny.

It was superb!

Beautiful images.

Great circus-y stunts.

Genuine play.

Fantastic Chaplin-esque physical gags - like the jacket that just won't fit right (every he thinks it's good, something else wrong pops up, and when he fixes it, the error before that one comes back again).

Really strong ensemble too. I loved them all. Except one - who just didn't seem to be as memorable as the rest.

Something really special. Full of life and fun. I feel so lucky to be seeing shows like this! And for only €15! WOW. Highly highly recommended.

"Your Neighbour Has A Beautiful Story": Day One Of Writing & Directing

Today felt like a new class. We've gained three new faces: Tim and Amy from Melbourne, and Vanessa from New Zealand. But it's much smaller than usual (22 I think) and missing many people we've had all year. Feels a bit like the beginning of the end of the year. We're winding down. It also feels that way because it looks like this workshop is going to be less performative - focussed much more on the roles of writer and director (funny that) than the actor. But still. Four more weeks of discovery! Let's go!

~

Philippe started the class by interviewing the new members of the class. What's your name? Where are you from? How old are you? And then put them in the shit a bit by asking if they have anything else they'd like to share - like a song or a poem. Both Amy and Tim struggled to think of anything to do, and crumpled (understandably) under the pressure/nerves. But when Vanessa got up she had a bit more confidence. She mentioned that she spoke a bit of French, and then Philippe started speaking to her in French. She then talked about how she's living in Paris for a year with her four kids and Mathematician husband. Philippe asked questions and for the next forty-five minutes Vanessa told us about her life. How she moved to NZ from NY when she was 14. How she came to have her first child, and what the love was like with the father. How her parents felt about it. Her relationship with her mother and father. How she met her second husband. Lots! And it was all really interesting! Not your average life-story!

"How she told the story - we were dreaming about many things."

Philippe then asked who wants to write this to eventually be directed as a play. I put up my hand. Life in Oamaru and first kisses in Mission Bay is right down my alley!

~

"Your neighbour has a beautiful story."

"How can we start? It's a big problem."

"You have a rhythm of a show...You have a movement of the show...Movement of the story."

"You ask some questions to someone and you have a beautiful story. And a new story."

"Normally in the first seven minutes of a show we know whether we are going to love it or not."

~

Steph also got up and told the story of how she met her father for the first time (after finding herself in none other than New Zealand!). Again, lots of questions, and honest answers. Little details are good. 

~

So this is the beginning of 'Writing & Directing' - the last workshop of the year.

I'm left questioning whether I have stories of my life that I want to tell? I can't think of any. Or any that I consider worthy of writing a show about anyhow. I've had a pretty happy life without any major dramas: not so great for theatre! But I can always lie...

Dancing Barefoot In The Sun & Other Adventures

This weekend I caught up with a friend from my Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School class...Sophie Lindsay! Was a quick hello...but really cool to see her! She taught me French before I moved to Paris so it was nice to show off my improved vocab...

~

I went and supported Franck in a showing of Les Dents Du Serpent at Théâtre de l'Est. 

~

Finished another application (this is my third year - gotta be in to win!) for an AMP Scholarship. Much less writing to do this year! Limit of 250 characters instead of 250 words!

My thing is Clown School in Paris

...Mum! Dad!...I'm going to Clown school!... I want to make people smile and laugh all over the world by becoming a professional 'idiot'.

The nature of my goal

To complete the second year of actor training at International theatre school: École Philippe Gaulier, Paris.

~

I went to Villette Sonique at Parc de la Villette. A free music festival in the sun.

A highlight was a Canadian band called Caribou.

Really great to have a boogie barefoot on grass in the sun!

~

Also watched the UEFA Champions League final...FC Barcelona VS Manchester United.

Barcelona wins!!! A great game!!! Go Messi!!!

~

And had a dinner party at my place, which included two rounds (the first was fun, the second was shit) of Anna's famous The Irish Hat Game.

Everybody gets two pieces of paper and has to write a name of a famous person or fictional character on each piece of paper. Then all the names get folded, and go in the hat.

Teams are decided on, and silly names too!

ROUND ONE: One team goes first. One member of a team picks a piece of paper from the hat and tries to get his/her group to guess the name on the piece of paper by saying anything but the name. Plus, you can't rhyme, or spell it out. Once a name is guessed he/she grabs another piece of paper and does the same until their one minute of time is up. Then the next team has a go, and so on and so forth until all the names in the hat have been guessed.

ROUND TWO: This time a member does the same, but can only say one word. e.g. If the name is Leonardo DiCaprio, you might say 'TITANIC'.

ROUND THREE: Same again, but this time there are no words, only mime and gestures.

~ The winners are the team with the most names guessed. ~

Tip: It's wise to listen to all the names guessed. Because although you might not get it this round, you could in the next! 

"We Have To Understand Visually" (Last Day Of Shakespeare & Chekhov)

Last day of Shakespeare & Chekhov today. Showing day!

~

Andre and I presented a scene between Cassio and Iago in Othello.

Reputation, reputation, reputation! 

Oh, I have lost my reputation. 

I have lost the immortal part of 

myself, and what remains is bestial. 

My reputation, Iago, my reputation!

We'd rehearsed it on and off over the past week or so - and started to get the scene to sizzle - but we had no director, and that was our problem. A minute or so into our scene Philippe killed us. "When did you want to be beautiful? I said the beauty was in our pleasure - but he said there wasn't any pleasure. He said we need to see the game in Iago's eyes - his tactics - which we didn't. And he said there was no conflict spatially = we were performing on the same plane. "We have to understand visually...as an actor you are not bad, but the image is important."

He then got me to sit on a stool at the back of the stage, and Andre to stand further upstage to the right. He got Andre to say his text screaming in anger. Full bore. Then when it was my turn to speak he got me to take my turn, smile like my Pedophile character, and speak slowly and calmly. A really different rhythm and colour from Andre. He said if we did this to start the scene, then afterwards I could physically go over to him. But what we showed was "two bodies moving badly in space...no fixed point...bad director."

A bit disappointing to not get further with the scene, but a good lesson nonetheless.

~

Sophia and I also showed a reworked version of our Kate and Petruccio scene from The Taming of the Shrew. Unfortunately it had been a rushed rehearsal process again, and there was talk of us not doing it again - a stressful night before - but we did it and it was totally worth it.

What we showed was full of life again. The fears that the audience wouldn't laugh again because they'd seen it already flew out the window - because they loved it again. "Not bad." And we'd tightened it up, and added new bits, and learned the whole scene, so it was a new work = not an issue.

Philippe said he never thought about ending our scene once, which is an indicator that it was never boring! But he said Sophia still has a negative energy about her. Like she's not quite happy to be playing. "We love him more than you because he has more pleasure."

I'm really glad we did this scene again. Casting-wise we are great in this scene together. And I had a lot of fun. Real pleasure.

~

Rodrigo also performed a monologue of Caliban's from The Tempest, which I directed.

All the infections that the sun sucks up

From bogs, fens, flats, on Prosper fall and make him

By inch-meal a disease! His spirits hear me

And yet I needs must curse.

I really wanted to see him play Caliban as his monster character from the Characters workshop:

What Rodrigo showed was basically what we'd rehearsed, but he was a lot more heavy than we had rehearsed together. I guess this is what happens with actors sometimes, and a director has to take this into account. But the shape was good. His changes were really great. 

Philippe said "he needs a different voice...heavy on his feet...too stiff...horrible body" and worked with Rodrigo to find some lightness, which was very funny. He totally won us over with his playful charm. "Not so bad."

What I realised was that the image of Rodrigo with this costume and makeup, and the text of Caliban, were already doing the job of being heavy. Of being raspy and ugly. So to move and speak in that way too was too much. We needed something light in the performance to balance the heavy image and text.

I was so happy to work with Rodrigo. He is a wonderful actor. I totally get what Philippe means when he says it's good to work with an actor that gives a lot. I'd say one or two things to Rodrigo and then he would offer so many things. It was like being given a whole lot of extra colours to paint with - extra toys to play with. It makes me think - next time I'm being directed - don't try and get it right - what the director 'wants' - but instead play and discover a thousand different possibilities. And then choose!

~

Things I learned in Shakespeare & Chekhov

• Speak with the pleasure of saying fantastic text.
• Opposing rhythms are SO important!
• Follow where the actor has fun and is free. Stuff conventional!
• Strong images, and staging with conflict, are essential.
• Games & Pleasure: to be boring, to be evil, to be/pretend to be mad.

And lots more. I think the most special thing I experienced during this workshop was seeing every individual's different way with these classic texts. There is no one way. Everyone is different. And when you find that difference, the individual's humanity, it's absolutely beautiful.

~

Today was also the last day of school with many good friends from class. Rodrigo, Daniele, Ed...

...and Anna! 

"Look at my bach's big deck..."

"Every Traitor Has The Face Of An Angel - Otherwise It Doesn't Work."

Second to last day of the workshop. Last day before showings tomorrow. So it was high demand to work onstage!

~

Mike worked Prospero's final speech at the end of The Tempest.

Now my charms are all o'erthrown,

And what strength I have's mine own,

Which is most faint: now, 'tis true,

I must be here confined by you,

Or sent to Naples. Let me not,

Since I have my dukedom got

And pardon'd the deceiver, dwell

In this bare island by your spell;

But release me from my bands

With the help of your good hands

Mike sang the text like a lullaby (to be beautiful), but Philippe told him that is an exercise to open the actor, but not for performance. The text he did is "at the end of the show normally to get the audience to applaud" but they he did it "puts us to sleep."

"The actor at the end has to be charming. But charming doesn't mean Julio Iglesias necessarily."

~

Charles worked on Iago again. 

Thus do I ever make my fool my purse;

For I mine own gained knowledge should profane,

If I would time expend with such a snipe

But for my sport and profit. I hate the Moor,

And it is thought abroad that 'twixt my sheets

H'as done my office.

At first he did it prancing around the stage, looking a bit strange - especially as he had makeup and clothes that made him look like a drag queen without a wig. Philippe said it was unclear why he was performing it in this way (even though he'd got Charles to do something similar last time he worked this monologue). Charles said for energy. "You can have energy without dancing."

Philippe then got Charles to recite a recipe in a plain, clear, business-like and emotionless way.

Polish Cocaine

You need:

1 x Bottle of ice cold Polish vodka 

1 x Small dish of coffee grains

1 x Small dish of sugar

Lemon slices cut in half

Pour the vodka in a shot glass. Dip one side of the lemon in the coffee grains, and the other side in the sugar. Drink the vodka. Then suck the lemon.

So Charles recited this recipe, then Philippe got him to say his text in the same way. This time it was much more simple, and although Charles slipped in and out of the way he'd told us the recipe, at times we saw beauty.

Afterwards Charles asked a question about rhythms - how to know which ones to play and when. Philippe spoke about how you have to find the best rhythm for each actor. "Nobody has the same rhythm." And the best combination of rhythms when there are two or more actors. This is linked to casting. e.g. These two actor's rhythms work well together. These two don't. (Opposite rhythms are often the best.)

"Buster Keaton - he has three rhythms. He does the whole universe with three."

~

"You have to discover you in relation to the love of your spectators."

"When we love you, we are not embarrassed."

"If you have a great acting pleasure every character follows you."


~


Franck worked on some text from Richard II.

Philippe got Franck to sit in a big relaxing chair with a turban wrapped around his head, and then to speak the text mocking English people trying to speak French. "Juh sweees Onglayz" This made him a bit weird, and so we started to dream a bit.

~

BREAKING NEWS!!! RODRIGO CAN DO A CARTWHEEL! He got up as a 'performance', Philippe beat his drum, and then Rodrigo did a cartwheel. That was it. After 8 months of trying, he can finally do it! Woohoo!

~

Maria did her Juliet in the style of the sword fight again. This time it wasn't the same. "I don't see you so much...I see more the fight than you."

He got her to dress in this beautiful black dress, to hold a white lace umbrella, and to walk as if she was a very important person strolling through El Retiro Park in Spain.

He also played Vivaldi's Spring Allegro whilst she walked.

The result was something slow and clear, but she could have had more fun. "Beautiful image. Beautiful music. Not too bad, but you could be better."


~

Akron did the "Alas poor Yorick!" speech with skull in hand speech from Hamlet.

"You don't have fun, so it's boring."

Philippe asked Akron whether he thinks Philippe's jokes are funny. Akron said they make him smile, but "haha - no". So Philippe got Akron to say this in a private conversation with the skull. 

"We have to always see Hamlet / the actor having fun with someone."

~

Steph worked on a scene in which she spoke to Anna whilst dancing with Andre. At first she spoke to fast - "voice like a washing machine." He got her to slow down and to perform with music behind her.

He also got her to do these ridiculously long silences. Long gaps between text. Really long. = A risk.

"If you take a risk a spectator is happy."


~

Tom (Australia) worked on some text of Cassius in Julius Caesar:

Well, honour is the subject of my story.
I cannot tell what you and other men
Think of this life; but, for my single self,
I had as life not be as live to be
In awe of such a thing as I myself.

Philippe asked "do you trust this guy?" H said we have to think Tom is a nice boy but what in the way he just did the text, he had the face of a traitor, and "every traitor has the face of an angel - otherwise it doesn't work."


~

At the end of class Philippe spoke about the beauty of never quite knowing who somebody is.

‎"To be honest, I don't know who is Hamlet. I hope never I will know who is Hamlet, and I hope never I will know who I am...I prefer to stay with my ghost."

"The Only Rule Is We Don't Stop."

Amazing movement class today! 

We did this exercise Nicole is famous for in which you dance for the whole class, and the only rule is "we don't stop."

So for nearly an hour and half, we danced. Warming into it by concentrating on the feet, then the ankles, then the knees, the hips, the bum, the chest, shoulders, elbows, neck, and finally the head. Just playing around, but working physically really hard. The aim is to push through all the walls (tiredness, pain etc) and just keep dancing. Then we did dancing with rounded movement (which is associated with the emotion of 'joy), then staccato movement (associated with 'anger'), crazy all out dancing (associated with 'sadness'), light-as-a-feather dancing (associated with 'compassion'), and finally moving to stillness (associated with 'freedom'). We also had a moment where we made a big circle and pairs came in the middle and danced like crazy - throwing their bodies around, and we also danced in lines in a hip thrusting 'muscle & bone' type thing.

Nicole said the exercise comes from both African and American Indian traditions (she mentioned cultures dancing for three days and three nights non-stop, at events like a funeral). It's a releasing thing to do. You can have a variety of reactions to it. She said don't be surprised if you can't stop laughing, or crying, for 4 days. Or if you can't sleep tonight.

I found it invigorating! I kept pushing myself to go harder, but I could have pushed myself even more. 

I'd love to make this a staple of my theatre company's weekly schedule. Like, a three hour dance every friday afternoon to shake off the week. I bet people would have epiphanies about the work at the end of the dancing!

~

David and Claudia worked a scene from Much Ado About Nothing (Benedick & Beatrice).

He worked with Claudia to see whether she was better playing classic romantic, or not-classic. "I think you are not 'charming classic'...I think you are not classic classic."

He got her to play a farmer from Switzerland, and to complain about gays and Kosovo Muslims. Then he got her stand and watch as a prince (me) trotted by on a horse past her. She said her text whilst I did this - in a classic romantic way. 

And when I got off the horse I said "Claudia...I love you" and he got her first to respond in a classic way, and then as her Swiss farmer.

"You are good as a strong woman but not as romantic."

Then he worked with David. He got him to play a slightly gay Spanish snob with a little smile. "You have to smile...Every arsehole smiles." It took him a while to get the character so Philippe set up a game where various gay businessmen surrounded him and one by one came and started a conversation with him congratulating him on winning a prestigious award. The result was David finding immense pleasure and fantastic freedom. He was great with all of the guys - adjusting to their different qualities - but keeping some things (like his high pitched scream/laugh) that we loved. Ben was the final gay guy to talk to David, and they were fantastic together. By this time David was totally control of major, and together, they took on this incredible metatheatrical rollercoaster ride - with David directing the inner workings of the scene out loud: "And now we make space between us...and now we come to the centre again..." It was very very funny. And it lasted for a long time. A real show!

"It doesn't mean anything...It's just a fantastic game...And you were perfect...And it doesn't mean anything." (As in it wasn't particularly tailored to the Shakespeare scene, but it was still great.)

"It doesn't work every night...You always have to look for it." (The complicité)

Philippe talked about how long it takes to be good, and how many flops and crisises you have to go through until you can become good. The conclusion was: it's a mystery, but incredible.

~

Vicky got up and showed after a long time having shown nothing (those that haven't worked much with Philippe are now getting priority to work before the end of the workshop) but Philippe killed her, saying "it's academic...you don't know the text...goodbye." I'm sure she did know the text - she was just super nervous. She tried to tell me she wouldn't go today (I'm the guy with the list of who goes when this week) but I told her she has to and not to quit. Clearly she's in a bit of a crisis at the moment, and Philippe has knowingly just pushed her deeper into it...

~

Rodrigo played Iago in the scene in Othello where Iago tells Othello about a silly dream Cassio had - when really he's planting doubts and jealousy in Othello's mind. What he showed at first was big and theatrical, but heavy and not very logical (he acted a way around Othello - the general - that you just wouldn't). 

Philippe asked: "Did we see him?" Did we see Rodrigo? No. We saw ideas.

"We have to see this guy happy to have a beautiful tactic to point the mind of the king."

Philippe then asked Rodrigo whether he liked what Vicky showed on stage, and whether he thought it was bad. Horrible? This got Rodrigo into a state in which he was telling the truth, but with pain. "It's hard to say bad things about her...but..." Rodrigo then did the text in this way. Telling the dream as if it's not as bad as it sounds. "It was just a stupid dream" kind of way. This worked. Iago you bastard! Stop it!

"You have to stop having ideas and we have to see you."

~

I asked Philippe whether in Shakespeare, when there's an 'aside', we should play direct to the audience or not. And he said no. Play as if speaking to yourself, to a fourth wall. Pretend the audience aren't there. "Shakespeare - he never said you talk to the audience."

~

Ric worked on his "All the world's a stage" monologue. Philippe got him to do it as a Chinese magician.

And randomly, he got him to dress as a baby in white, sitting in a wheelchair, which Vicky pushed. It brought different things out of Ric - different rhythms and qualities - but nothing was quite right today. 

~

Started rehearsing Rodrigo as Caliban in The Tempest this evening, which I'm really excited about. Ever since seeing his monster-character in Characters, I thought he'd be great for the role. He loves to be horrible. And we worked well together tonight. And I'm enjoying working as a director. Thinking quite musically about the scene in a way. What rhythm where. I know the text well too because I played Caliban at drama school. Yay! I'm really excited about this scene.

"Everybody Has A Way To Play"

Sam worked a monologue of Helena from A Midsummer Night's Dream.

How happy some o'er other some can be!

Through Athens I am thought as fair as she.

But what of that? Demetrius thinks not so;

He will not know what all but he do know:

And as he errs, doting on Hermia's eyes,

So I, admiring of his qualities:

Philippe worked with her a lot on taking her time. "Move slowly...Listen to the music...Don't talk so much." At one point he got her to lie on the floor like a Mermaid looking at herself in a mirror. 

He got her to do the text like a Chanel No. 5 advert. And he got her to pretend she was sitting in her dressing room taking off her makeup after a show, and then a man (me) came in and said "Bravo Sam. You were fantastic" and then she was to say the text in the way of her response. Light and beautiful. Sam did really well - it's a lot to cope with when you're young and new. It kind of illustrates all the things we've learnt this year, and how hard they are, when watching her learn them now.

"If you are ugly you are not an actor - you are ugly."

"A director has to know how this actor could be jealous in a beautiful way."

"Everybody has a way to play - and it's with your beauty."

~

Sara worked on Ophelia again. Philippe got her to wet her hair, whiten her face with makeup, and hold an umbrella. He got her to sing a song school girls sing in Brazil (similar to Ring-a-ring-rosie type thing). To say the text in this way. To laugh in this way. To cry in this way.

"She has to stay in our head in a beautiful way, otherwise Ophelia doesn't exist."

"This is the problem with theatre: We have to leave the show with fantastic ghosts in our head."

~

Maria-Luisa worked on a monologue as Nina from The Seagull, but she didn't show anything beautiful. Philippe said he'd worked a lot with her earlier to help her discover her beauty, but she didn't remember we she'd done, so "goodbye". He's being a bit harder on some of us now. But it's for our own good - we can't just rely on him to make us great.

~

Sophia got up at the end of class. She hasn't got up to work on anything except in Auto-Course so far - so it was good to see her up on stage! She did a monologue from A Midsummer Night's Dream. To get her to come alive Philippe got her to speak like a British snob - commenting on Vicky (a.k.a. Madame Gaulier - because she 'raped' Philippe's son Samuel...) - who was sitting right in the middle of the audience. "She's intelligent...in her own way..." 

Sophia made some good steps but was holding back. Hiding.

"You don't feed the text with a fun."

"In the street we cheat a lot. But on the stage we don't cheat."

Photo from here.

~

We are showing works of our choice this Friday. Philippe was saying it's good to have a director as it's hard as actors to know if what we are doing is good or not.

"As an actor you need a director...to tell you if you bring something special."

Iago the Pedophile

Ben worked a scene from Hamlet:

"This goodly frame, the earth, seems to me a sterile promontory, this most excellent canopy, the air, look you, this brave o'erhanging firmament, this majestical roof fretted with golden fire, why, it appears no other thing to me than a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours. What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason! How infinite in faculty! In form and moving how express and admirable! In action how like an angel! In apprehension how like a god! The beauty of the world! The paragon of animals! And yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust?"

He dressed in a big Greek tragedy cloak with a hood and dark makeup around the eyes. He stood amongst three big rubbish bags, had Thomas drum from the side of the stage, and spoke in a high almost operatic voice. None of his choices made much sense. He said he saw a man in public speaking from inside a rubbish bin and wanted to try it out theatrically. Fair enough. But not the right play for it. 

"We don't see Hamlet have fun with himself."

"Your ideas are bad...But it's good to start with something."

"When we work we have to see just the human being and not the idea."

Philippe got Ben to do something much simpler and it was far better. Ben was confused because it doesn't feel like work for him - to do very little - and yet in that way he was very watchable - and that is big learning for all of us. 

~

Anna worked Katharine from Taming of the Shrew.

A woman moved is like a fountain troubled,

Muddy, ill-seeming, thick, bereft of beauty,

And while it is so, none so dry or thirsty

Will deign to sip or touch one drop of it.

Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper,

Thy head, thy sovereign; one that cares for thee

And for thy maintenance; commits his body

To painful labor both by sea and land,

To watch the night in storms, the day in cold,

Whilst thou li'st warm at home, secure and safe;

And craves no other tribute at thy hands

But love, fair looks, and true obedience--

Too little payment for so great a debt.

"We have to see her really in love."

Anna is an amazing performer - very technically capable - but sometimes her technique comes before pleasure. That is, she's really good, but we want to see her having fun too! So Philippe got her play run behind the wings and kiss Ed (her boyfriend, who Philippe only found about today!) and then immediately come on stage with the pleasure of the kiss, and continue her monologue. This was joyous! He also got her to play the game where you try and escape your seat without being touched by the guard behind you. So when she escaped she would arrive out on the stage with the pleasure of the escape, and then continue her monologue.

He then got her to do the text in a variety of different ways: In the style of a young woman reading 'Little Red Riding Hood' to a group of elderly people whilst knitting. This got a sincere quality.

As an Australian feminist giving a speech about machoism ("but with spirit!...not just militant!"). This got an ironic quality.

As Helen Mirren - a bit posh, with a slight smile, and constantly surprised the words that come out of her mouth.

And finally as her "horrible Scottish lady" from Characters.

"I love all - I can't say this one or that one...It depends on the other actor."

Philippe said it's a pleasure working with Anna because she gives so much as a performer. She plays, explores, and offers a lot more than the 'brief' asks for. And this gives a director so much more to work with. I want to be like this too!

~

When actors have done 'asides' for Shakespeare monologues Philippe has said not to do direct address to the audience. "You do it alone...pretend there are no spectators." Which is interesting! I'll have to ask him about it tomorrow.

~

Daniele and Mia worked on Hamlet with the "To be or not to be" speech and then the following scene with Ophelia. They showed the whole scene, and Philippe didn't stop them. Then finally he said "We never saw one second when someone is beautiful...so you don't do your job." He worked with them afterwards - getting them to be still, more sensitive, more surprising - but the atmosphere got a bit heavier in the room.

~

I went up after and did a monologue from Othello of Iago:

...I'll pour this pestilence into his ear,

That she repeals him for her body's lust;

And by how much she strives to do him good,

She shall undo her credit with the Moor.

So will I turn her virtue into pitch,

And out of her own goodness make the net

That shall enmesh them all.

I felt a bit pressured to show something beautiful after Philippe working with Daniele and Mia and so was nervous going up and not in the best head space. I started, not having any real idea, or really playing anything, and the lines went out of my head (I was also quite tired from the weekend by this point in the day).

Ed ended up prompting me and I started again, this time with more energy - trying to play pissed off and cool. Then Philippe got me to dress in the same Greek tragedy cloak Ben wore and to put two seats on the stage, next to each other (with a bit of space in between), facing the audience.

He said he had a politically incorrect idea that just might work: I was to play a pedophile, and to slowly convince a young victim to come and sit on the seat next to me. 

Rodrigo was the victim.

-- What's your name?

- Rodrigo.

-- And how old are you Rodrigo?

- Six.

-- Wow. I remember when I was six. I had lots of fun when I was six...Do you like having fun Rodrigo?

- Yes.

-- Why don't you come over here then? We could have fun together...

Then I did the text in the same style as the pedophile conversation, still trying to charm Rodrigo into coming over to me. I had a deep husky voice, a big smile, and a slightly evil (yet warm) laugh. I was slow, gentle and seductive. I had to be quite sensitive to Rodrigo - he was great in that he made it hard for me. Sometimes my laugh would scare him and so he would take a step back. But finally he did sit next to me, and then take my hand, and then I turned and looked at the audience with a creepy grin on my face.

Philippe seemed happy that his idea worked. He said "it's good for Iago and it's good for you".

Not my best work today though. Wasn't in the right head space and so didn't explore or play any other tactics. I kept it simple. But that's okay. I've known before that I'm good at playing sleazy creepy bent roles, and this was a good little confirmation of that. 

A Kiwi In Montrichard

This weekend a bunch of us went to a little town call Montrichard (about 2.5 hours south of Paris) and stayed in fabulous old cottage owned by Christine's family.

There were castles...

And hot air balloons...

And swimming in the river (at times, skinny dipping as well)...

It was a really great get away. Nice to hang with friends in a big house and cook together and what not!

Learn Your Lines! And Learn Them Well!

I learned a valuable lesson today... Learn your lines! And learn them well!

For Auto-Course this week we did the Petruchio/Katharine fight/love scene from The Taming of the Shrew.

PETRUCHIO
Good morrow, Kate; for that's your name, I hear.


KATHARINE
Well have you heard, but something hard of hearing:
They call me Katharine that do talk of me.


PETRUCHIO
You lie, in faith; for you are call'd plain Kate,
And bonny Kate and sometimes Kate the curst;
But Kate, the prettiest Kate in Christendom
Kate of Kate Hall, my super-dainty Kate,
For dainties are all Kates, and therefore, Kate,
Take this of me, Kate of my consolation;
Hearing thy mildness praised in every town,
Thy virtues spoke of, and thy beauty sounded,
Yet not so deeply as to thee belongs,
Myself am moved to woo thee for my wife.


KATHARINE
Moved! in good time: let him that moved you hither
Remove you hence: I knew you at the first
You were a moveable.


PETRUCHIO
Why, what's a moveable?


KATHARINE
A join'd-stool.


PETRUCHIO
Thou hast hit it: come, sit on me.


KATHARINE
Asses are made to bear, and so are you.


PETRUCHIO
Women are made to bear, and so are you.

~

It's a fight, in which they fall in love, but they don't know it. We have to see the pleasure to fight. It can't be nasty. The characters might be unhappy but the actors are happy!

~

Sophia and I worked together. We were a really good match - we have quite opposite energies. And what we showed was actually pretty good. But I let us down but not learning my lines well enough. I put it off until Wednesday (shouldn't have gone to Poker night on Tuesday), and then I was sick on Wednesday (lines just would go in my head and then straight out again), and although I felt I had them by Thursday - actually doing the scene with Sophia proved I didn't. And then Friday is too late. Stressful and scary. It's no fun not being able to trust your brain. And I felt really bad for letting down Sophia. Because she was ready, but because I kept searching for lines, neither of us could really commit fully to the scene. Which was a shame because we really could rock this scene.

We were considering not presenting today, and as we were running late and nearly didn't make it to school on time (we ended up hitchhiking from Bourg La Reine), but we did perform.

I liked what we put together (in the rush that was this morning). We set up an 'apartment' set with a couch and table. The scene started with me lying sleazily and seductively on the couch with two glasses in my hand with the music 

'Harlem Noctourne' by Earl Bostic

 playing. This helped set a fun mood for our piece, and then when Sophia entered so against the rhythm of the music it was very funny - the audience liked us immediately.

Then I went over to Sophia and handed her a glass, which she splashed in my face. Now the audience were in our hands in a way. After teasing her about her name, I clicked my fingers to change the music to 

'Lover' by Frank Sinatra

which I sang to for a bit, and it set a good jovial mood to play with.

We both had good feisty energy - playing with each other and giving a lot. This was an issue with most groups today - not enough energy and not giving enough. But our instincts from the get-go were to make this scene really alive and exciting. It needs to have the passion of love and life in it!

Then, after lots of bickering and fighting, I clicked my fingers again and changed the music to 

'Tea For Two Cha Cha' by Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. 

This gave a great, slightly silly, rhythm to play with in my speech about how gentle and sweet Katherine is (even though he's totally lying). I actually totally screwed my lines up here (partly because I got hit in the face a little too hard by Sophia a few times!...but mostly due to my lack of knowing the lines...but it didn't matter. I just made them up and it turned out okay.

Philippe's feedback was okay in terms of our scene as a whole. We got a really great audience reaction - cheers and all. But Philippe criticised me for horrible movement (like an American construction worker) with really bad fixed point. This was totally true - I was all over the place - but I frankly I wasn't thinking about much other than my lines and being alive with Sophia. But he also said that for me I have good pleasure and game, and that they are always on - not 'on and off' like some actors have. So I was happy about that. I feel like the movement/fixed point issue can be easily fixed, and hopefully I'll get a chance to if we perform again, which I'd like to do.

After we performed, 'Steve Terrorist' (a nice Irish guy from 2nd year who I went to Hamlet with in London) said what we did was close to Vaudeville because of it's fast pace and gaggy-quality (e.g. water in face).

~

After the showings (which went surprisingly quickly - Philippe was harsher today - but he killed us by playing uplifting classical music - so it didn't feel as bad) Ben worked on Julius Caesar again. He got him to speak like an Orator, and like someone speaking at a funeral. These are the keys to the speech. He also got him (as his character) to speak to us - the audience - and then (as himself) to his Dad and say "look at me!" I understand what this little exercise does now. a) It injects the actor with pleasure - because it's a bit of a silly and fun thing to do & b) it removes the actor from the character and makes what he is playing clearer. By switching from yourself and back to a character quickly the choices you make to play are clearer. "Watch me as I do this low and sombre voice..."

"In tragedy you can't touch your body...it makes you smaller."

~

Franck also got up to work on text (Finally! He hasn't done anything all workshop I think!). Philippe worked with him to be really simple. He was doing too much and losing all his power because of it.

"You fight to do to do to do. You do so many things. You do too much."

"You have to be simple and have good timing. Many times it's enough."

"Fixed point and our imagination does a lot."

~

This evening I went to a mime show with Erin and Eli (and others) called La Chambre de Camille by a company called 'Hippocampe' which featured a friend of Maria's (who was in the sexy park bench scene with her in their mime show).

It was dancey and physical - inspired by love and Rodin's sculptures. I liked seeing human bodies portraying sculptures onstage. Really beautiful shapes. And it's a really satisfying sensation when a mimed movement 'clicks' into place. Not totally my cup of tea. But good to go and sit in a dark room and watch a show with friends at the end of a big week!