Day FifteenLoosening

CLASSES:
Movement: We moved more into the Meyerhold form, "the stone game" as George calls it. There are a couple parts that cause me some fear and frustration, mostly from the broken leg. It was eight months ago, which seems a long time. I don't know which is more frustrating. The things I can't do with that leg yet, or things I can't do because it was my strong leg and I relied on it. George continues to stress it is the journey, the effort, the audience wants to see. Success is only secondary, if that. It makes me feel better, reducing some of the frustration.

Speech: We did our Omnish orations to the Omnian parliament. What a blast that was. It is interesting how this type of gibberish works so much easier for me when I think of using the articulators. I've noticed the awareness has helped with even the minimal North Country (British) accent I've worked on for Pinter's The Dumb Waiter in Acting. At least with the Omnish (gibberish using all IPA sounds) it seems this approach has helped others too. In improv classes where gibberish is used I've struggled and seen others do so a lot more than we are for less effect.

Voice: Brennan tried out a new exercise with us, for using imagery. We thought of a person, and used an evocative image for a short meditation or prep. Then we went in front of the class, very briefly explained our relationship to the person and the image. Then we said the person's name several times. Twice was the initial instruction, but Brennan came up and helped us focus on the transverse muscles while saying the name. I said something along the lines, "The person is Allene, my mother. The image is an amalgam, her rooted to the couch she rarely moved from in the trailer I bought for her. A large bowl of dried, upchucked pills, which were many times a lethal dose which I found in the trailer when she attempted suicide lying nearby."

We weren't told the second part of the exercise, otherwise I might have been tempted to pick something less intense to share. It turned out for the best. In the commenting and feedback after this and another exercise in which we said a phrase from our Shakespeare monologues, I said that I didn't feel there was anything in particular in my voice, though I felt something inside. The response was something like, "We absolutely heard and experienced the intensity of what you felt."

Acting: We continued the work from Friday in Walt, finishing up the rest of the class, then starting working the rest of the scenes for those who volunteered. My scene partner didn't want to go, and I was okay with that. I'd have worked, but I was pretty fagged, as the Brits would say.

OBSERVATIONS/CLICKS:
The exercise in voice was an important experience for me. It did two things. It made me aware of a subtle forcing. That is, using your voice inflections deliberately to express something. Even when fully connected to your character and partners it can happen. It can be appropriate -- after all we do it in real life to emphasize a point or feeling -- but only when called for. I'm sure I'll need to remind myself of this. This training and work to strengthen and free up the voice serves to allow expression of what is going on inside without any additional effort in the moment.

Freedom. Trust in your homework and training, and the intentions and your soul will be there out on the boards for all to see. God, look at that last sentence. It sounds terrifying, eh? It excites me.