Day SixMore

CLASSES:
Acting: Our physical scores are due Friday. They aren't blocking per se, they can be much bigger and stylized, while still jiving with the actions of the scene. I need to stop telling myself this is especially challenging. That mindset will be self-fulfilling. Play, Scott, play!

We did scene work, hitting just a few beats in great detail. My scene partner and I were one of the two scenes which were worked. I was hesitant in switching Shamar, but was finally able to switch her hard enough that it worked for the scene. I felt like I was risking, going out there and trying things. My hangup was figuring out things unfamiliar to me the person. It is letting go in a different way, and takes me a deliberate and almost calculated effort to get it out. Once it is there then I can work on it. And example was trying to be 'cool'. 'Twas fun and challenging work.

"The less you have to say on stage, the more you are the engine driving the scene." Another John-ism. It is basically being there and present for your scene partner, and giving them lots to work from. I like this as I've had a number of roles where I was quiet or silent but expected to be very present. I enjoy them nearly as much as where I have a lot to say. It is a great reminder, to be generous for the people carrying the text.

Action does not 'look' or 'feel' or 'sound' some way. It just does. Adjust, adjust, . What I've discussed in my main blog, as it's been said before. In a conversation you're always changing what you're trying to do or convey, and adjusting to the other person. That same dynamic has to be present on stage. You should be continually surprised as in real life. I can't help but think of when you have a anecdote all ready to go in a conversation and the talk moves to the point where it is meaningless. Or you find a way to bring that story into the conversation, and changing the direction suddenly. I'm also reminded of what George said later in the day during movement. Every point of arrival (physical or otherwise) is always a discovery.

Speech: Warmup. Stretch arms over head, grabbing left wrist with right hand and pulling towards the ceiling, but not using the shoulders. Lean/pull to the right and breathing/stretching ribs, then come back up. Slowly lower arms while breathing out. Repeat on the other side. Next right, left, and forward stretches of the neck using the weight of the arms to assist, by reaching the opposite hand to the ear, or clasping the hands behind the head as appropriate. When going from side to side roll your head down through, do not lift it upright (to protect the neck extensors). When bringing the head back up, use the hands to assist. Then imagine a golden cord of energy coming up through the floor, into the tailbone, then lumbar, thoracic, cervical, and skull. Reach up and hold the cord and rock easily back and forth until you find a balanced place, where your skeleton is supporting your weight.

We also do some vocal and articulator warm-up and I'll write these down when I can remember them better. I hope to start journaling all the warm-ups so I can collate them and use in the future when I get stuck in a rut or can't think of anything.

We started exploring obstruants, or consonant sounds in much the same way we used girning to explore phthongs, or vowel sounds. We then told stories in Outlandish, a make up language (gibberish) trying to use the most variety of sounds and phthong and obstruant formations possible. It's hard to say if our faces or the sounds were the most bizarre. Fun stuff.

Voice: Warmup. Lying on our backs with knees bent and feet on the floor, comfortable about hip width -- can be adjusted for comfort, even stretch the legs out. Focusing on the internal spine, exhale with vibration while pressing the lumbar region down. Isolate the lumbar spine, so you're mostly (or entirely) using the deep muscles to press the spine. Then release the breath. Do this for a while, then do the same for the thoracic and finally the cervical areas. This was the first time doing this that the release really worked well, and I didn't have to draw breath in. It is strange not feeling the air rush in, and it's not perfect yet as I found myself yawning once or twice to draw in large breaths. Then we rocked the spine up and down it's length using the knees. Then with the legs flat using the ankle and heel. Of course, releasing vibration on the exhales. Finally we got into the child's pose (butt in the air with feet together, knees apart,face/head on the ground) an breathed into the kidneys. Then stretching the arms out straight, breathing into the side of the rib cage.

We did our first parntered tremor work. I was surprised I got as much tremoring as I did. The partner's hand made a big difference in perceiving the tremor.

Handouts to read.

Movement:
Okay this was brutal for me today. It was very fun too. We worked on Ut Kaas -- I'll get a correct spelling sometime. This is a counter move when starting. For instance, stepping back a little with one foot to initiate a forward movement. We started from stoika, which we started with on the first or second day of class. That is standing with feet parallel (feels pigeon toed to me), weight on the balls of the feet, arms and knees slightly bent, solar plexus engaged, fingers straight along the side of the body. Then Ut Kaas' from more unusual attitudes. One exercise we walked across the room leaped onto a cube half-way across, arriving. Then from the cube the rest of the way across. All the warm up drills had my recovering leg pretty tender and unstable and this made me very uneasy.

We finished tossing and catching sticks from a partner, using an Ut Kaas to signal the toss. Then we used left arms, then new partners and two sticks, tossing from the right and catching with the left simultaneously, and finally two sticks tossing from the left. I really enjoyed this. There was a dance feel and a pleasing connection.

OBSERVATIONS/CLICKS:
John told us (slight paraphrase), "You are past being acting students, you are artists." He was talking about rising, playing an action, essential desire, etc. This really struck me. While there is still a teacher/student relationship, it is closer to a peer sharing feeling. More than I have ever experienced in any school or training in my life. A collaborative feeling. Sure we'll be yelled at and cajoled a lot over the next ten months. It is an acknowledgment I was not expecting, though it was part of a challenge as well. Nearly every instructor has said something along the lines, "It is such a pleasure working you guys." My logical mind tells me it is a necessary tool, to build the ensemble and encourage us after a rough session. My heart also tells me, it is a sincere statement with a lot more meaning than in early classes. There is not a one of us who has not sacrificed greatly to get into and stay in the class. All my classmates are talented, dedicated, open, and hungry. I know from experience these instructors deeply love teaching beginning actors, but a hungry advanced group like us is something which moves them as well. Now I have to get over feeling bizarre when grouping myself in the advanced category. After all this is not simply dabbling, it is proven professional training.

Again George told us that when you mess up, giggling or otherwise showing you messed up is an incredibly selfish act. If you just leave it out there not only will the audience probably not realize the mistake, it becomes a generous act for the other actors. When Robin Williams was on Inside the Actor's Studio, he talked about working with Jeff Bridges on The Fisher King. He explained how much he learned working with Jeff Bridges, who told him that mistakes are gifts from the Gods. Very much the same concept.

Two weeks completed. Wow, it seems longer and like we've just started at the same time. Is that an internal conflict? :)