Trust

CLASSES

Combat:
I was late to class. I ran out of gas as I was going up Capitol Hill. Luckily the Vanagon died at 19th and E. Aloha, and by the time I flicked on the emergency blinkers there were two people already there to help me push the vehicle into the Tully's parking lot located on the corner. This was only about four blocks from the recent tragedy where the six people were killed, and the killer shot himself because he didn't have the courage to face the consequences. I'm a big guy with a shaved head, yet a man and a woman out for their morning walks offered me a hand without a second thought.

I had to walk up to 15th, then down a couple blocks to the nearest gas station, where they loaned me a gas can and a gallon of gas without a deposit or even paying for the gas until I came back. It was really nice to see the neighborhood has maintained it's personality.

I was nearly an hour late for class, but still got to work the first part of the unarmed fight with my partner. I'm not getting specific notes on my stance lately, though I know it needs more work.


Voice (Brennan):
I did my Caliban monologue. (Brennan added a couple lines to the end.) It was pretty fun, I'd kept it pretty flat to see what we would add to it. Lots of physicality was added, as I had hoped, and I was truly surprised at what people really responded to. I'm talking about how Stephano can kill Prospero, and people really liked my miming of how I'd do it. I've done that kind of work before in improv classes several years ago. The work since in Meisner and ETI, on action, intention and imagery have made this a better tool for me.

I'll continue that work for the final work on the scenes for this class next week.


Acting/Verse/Text (John/Amy):
My soliloquy needs more work. I've been focusing on really understanding and picturing it, and now I've got pauses in bizarre places. If it's not one thing, it's another. For the whole scene we need to simplify our work. I know this is true for me, as I added too much in at once. The way Mac circles around and closes in on an idea, really personalizing the relationship with Duncan, and a couple other things. The physicality was pretty wild. I had no idea what my partner was doing at times but I went with her and didn't back off, even pursued her. Amy and John really liked that part of it, and as we worked the scene we were bringing down the physical and emotional intensity so there was contrast and different notes. The actions were adjusted too, to vary the note. One thing we need to work on, is I feel Lady M is driving me away all the time. So, I need to work on the relationship to allow a different perception, and Lady M might need to adjust some as well.

I still feel like we are really moving forward, though it may not have seemed like that to an observer. What I need to work on the most right now is the soliloquy. That can really drop me in, unless it gets unfocused or on the wrong track. I really have to set myself up in the conflict. God, it is going to be fun.


OBSERVATIONS/CLICKS
Trust seemed to be a big thing for me today. First I received trust from the people helping me when I ran out of gas. Seeing other people trusting you, strangers at that, is a wonderful gift. Then trusting myself. I didn't think about it at the time, I just did. And Caliban became as fun as I hoped he would be. Imagining myself braining, battering with a log, piercing his gut with a stake, and cutting his windpipe was fun. I felt like a four year old acting out cops and robbers, with the violence and intent we gain with experience and age added on. Then it was there with my scene partner, and also not. When the physicality got real wild I was in my head a bit as I worried about safety and whether I'd have another torn shirt -- yes we tore a hole in another shirt a couple weeks ago. When we were in the scene and I was fully connected and trusting it really worked. I'll have to ask my scene partner for help on this. It's not a matter of trust per se, but I need help in not getting to a point where I check out. It's rehearsal, and the time to find those points.

Trust from others, trust in yourself, and trust in others. They are all needed. Whether you are stranded without gas, or you're in a challenging scene.