Day TwoImmersion begins

I'll list classes in chronological order, and adjust the timestamp to reflect the scheduled end of the class day -- today we ran ten minutes over. First up this morning was combat...

CLASSES:
Combat: Learned jabs for both hands, both as aggressor and victim, and two types of falls. The one where one foot is thrust back to lie lightly on the laces crossed well behind the other foot, with the hands thrust forward as a counter-balance is easier for me. The other which also uses hands thrust forward as a counter-balance is harder, as it involves bowing and squatting on one leg while thrusting the other forward for the roll. My weight makes this one a little tougher, and the strength and confidence factor of the leg I broke last (academic) year makes it a lot tougher going from either side. Slow deliberate practice will be the trick here. It was fun when we combined two or three knaps, which are the slap and reaction of the victim, to jabs followed with a fall.

Voice: Went over the anatomy in detail for breathing and sound production. Also discussed different styles of training. We'll be using Fitzmaurice Voicework, though as with all talented and experienced instructors it will be flavored and tempered with other approaches like Linklater and classic styles.

Movement: Today was much of the same exercises I've done in previous classes. It is tiring, and more enjoyable every time. This is the one where I have to make a special effort not to get too competitive with myself and injure myself. Don't want to back away from things just because they're hard either. I'm better at recognizing the difference, and acting appropriately. We didn't get to our homework assignment, a movement piece of your life in 60 seconds. We're to keep it ready. Guess what I'll be doing after work tomorrow in addition to a little script analysis. I want to tighten and add more specificity.

I'm struck more and more with the importance of physical work in theatre, and how well it works for me. I'd always thought myself a total loss in physical pursuits, but theatre has taught me otherwise. It helps me not only discover things about myself and my character, it helps me communicate. The old gym class and basic training nightmare experiences cloud my perception, so I find myself looking forward to and dreading this more than any other single aspect of the training.

Our homework for the next couple weeks is to be self conscious. Learn to notice impulses and mannerisms such as nose scratching, weight shifting, or leg jiggling. The idea is not so much to change how we behave, but to become aware so we can choose what we do. Something, like rubbing your nose at the wrong point on stage can break connections with partners and audience, so learn to choose those type of actions.

For the drill periods, which are used to practice movement, combat, and voice I signed up for the Monday 8-9AM and Thursday 7:30-8:30AM slots. I think this will be great connection time with classmates, and great for tutoring each other and assimilating what we are learning. Often something is very clear to me, and I can help others to understand and vice versa. It seems in art even more often it was very clear, yet it was very clear to someone else in a totally different and equally, or at times, more valuable way.

OBSERVATIONS/CLICKS:
If there is no choice, there is no art. George Lewis, Movement Instructor, Freehold.

This struck me. George expanded on this a bit when talking about choosing actions and our homework. When he said this I experienced a quieting in myself. Not only is art exhibited in how you choose (or don't choose) to sit or stand on stage. I thought about the framework and explosion exploration in my main blog. I talked about how a painter or sketcher creates a framework, a linear type process, then magic happens in the act of creation. I didn't know how to describe that magic, and it has been on my mind. Choices. They may be a desire which makes you choose to add this color to that spot, then the choices of how you hold the brush, trowel, pastel, pencil, etc. It is a big, big concept to me. Everything from how we choose to train ourselves to how we apply that training when you are on stage or at the easel or keyboard.