2009: notes for improv in acting2 [first week review] Monologue(s) and master gesture

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topics: audience * text * pre-text * pre-acting * role * character * monologue * breakdown * scene study * style * biomechanics * typecast * students * last note *

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Related pages: IMPROV, Performance

12Night Forum: Physical Comedy & Biomechanics. Read archives and subscribe yourself!

I do not teach movement, but I teach actors to use space-time... I should I say -- CREATE IT! Movement is the changes in this YOUR chronotope, which you build out of the empty space. You establish it (the rules) and then play by the rules you introduced to the public.

What do I mean?

Read about Acting Areas -- the stage zones you, actor, assigned for different emotions of your character. Your motion between them is the DRAMATIC NARRATIVE in movement.

Use the geomentry in your floor plans: line, triangle, circle. The basic movement design for your character, scene, monologue. Make it simple, easy to read -- and stick with it! Everything on stage must be CHOREOGRAPHED! Your movement is DANCE.

If you don't know what you mean by changing your place, don't move at all!

That is why so many scenes and monologues are so static...

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Use The Importance of Being Earnest (Oscar Wilde Online) for class monologues and scenes!

"Method Acting for Directors" or/and Biomechanics ebooks.

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Dionysus -- Biomechanics

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I hope that you read the webpages and your textbook: "Actors on Acting" -- consider "Movement for Actors" course. We will do more physical theatre in THR221 Intermediate Acting (emphasis on Biomechanics).

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Summary

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Questions

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Notes

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Move=ment

Do you know how to walk?
How to enter and exit?

Act Gateway Page with some intro to Biomechanics

...

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If you haven't read the page on Biomechanics, you don't see what I see -- the actor1 and actor2. The Actor-Creator and Actor-Medium.

The photo is from my Russian collection (Interstudio, St. Petersburg, 1992)

I don't like the idea of "classes in movement" -- what is not movement on stage? Perhaps this is the reason why I use the Biomechanics in all levels of acting training. And, yes, I like the "mechanical" aspect of it, especially, when we go through comedy as genre. I like the rule of repetition (e.i. each gesture introduced by actors has to be used at least three times). I impose on them the levels requirement (low - medium - high). like the simplicity of the OUTSIDE approach.

I don't want to start a new page on Improvisation and I will post the basic rules of Improv on this Move Page.

IMPROV

Visualization and Physicalization We use improvisation for different purposes:

Character Development

Why do you need to do it?

To try different physical designs for your character. The WALK, for example. To HAVE a character is a first goal and rule of Improvisation. Go for a two or even one-dimensional stock character. Drunk, blind, pregnant, total idiot and etc. You can learn a lot about comedy, if you stick to one and only feature.

Two. You have to have some situation. The more extreme, the better. Fire, dying, stuck in elevator, bathroom is very popular.

Unless you're trained to think fast and have a good partner, you'll get stuck in the middle. Before you go into improvisation scene, you have to understand that the end has to be an opposite to your beginning and there is a "twist"! The same law of composition: "1 - 2 - 3"! You don't have to know it in advance, you must know that it is there. The contrast is everything in comedy. Tall and short, fat and skinny, fast and slow. Everything that can enhance the open conflict is good, throw it in!

Script Development

To help a playwright to see the potentials of the text. Again, don't improvise for everything at once. Set a goal. Is it a "situation" defining improv? Character? What side of the character you want to explore?

Actor's Mental Development

To help you "loosen up," to think on your feet, to respond, to train yourself on Re-ACTING. This is the skills development exercise. Could be an accent, a speech pattern, a walk and etc. Be specific. If you work on your "master gesture" -- get it, keep it, and only then you can move on other target. It takes a step-by-step development to get your character shaped.

If you feel weak in certain areas, identify them and keep working separately on each.

I use Entrance & Exit exercises to define the roles assigned in class. The door is your tool. How do you open it? How do you step in? Establish the stages of this process.

Every book on acting could give lists of suggested situations. I ask students to bring in class no less than five (5) of their own. Then we pick the best. Now you know the criteria for selection.

First assignment for Monologue 1 is Character "History" development. In class we improvise different situations, when you try to stay "in-character" and find how YOUR CHARACTER would react (outside of a situation of the monologue).

Summary

Improv for character development is different from improvization for scene development or script development. Don't mix those different tasks.

Homework

Bring in class 3-5 situations for improv. 3-5 ideas for the characters.

Bring 3-5 situations to try in our next class on improvization.

"Theatrical Novel" Bulgakov about Stanislavsky -- I.V. Part Three

Part Two... Patrikeev went again, this time crossing both eyes on the beloved, couldnt't turn and disappeared backstage. When they returned him and the bike back on stage, I.V. rejected this ride too, -- and Patrikeev went on for the third time... "Terrible!" I.V. said bitterly. "Your musles are stiff, you do not believe yourself! Relax your musles, relax! The head in unnatural, I can't believe your head." Patrikeev rode this time with the head down, staring at the beloved with pain... "Empty ride, you ride empty, not full with your beloved!" Patrikeev began again. Once he went on with his hands on his belt and seductively looking at the beloved. Controlling the bike with one hand, he made a sharp turn and and ran into the actress, who scremed. Ludmila, the Secretary, screamed too. I.V. asked -- was this seroius or nor, and if any need for a medical assistance, -- and, oh no! then sent Patrikeev again in cirles. Patrikeev drove so many time that finally I.V. inquired, if he was tired. No, no, not at all, lied Patrikeev, but I.V. said that he sees that actor is tired and he let him go.

In place of Patrikeev came a really big group. I went out to have a smoke, and I when I came back... [Part Four]

How does actor establish the SITUATION?

Examples.

NB

Movement is a trace of action in space and time! The idea of Line v. Shape.

The rest should be develop on Performance Page.

Next: Biomechanics Intro

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WARMUPS

etctheatre@poetic.com Gary Mcleod The Ensemble Theatre Company (etctheatre)

ISOLATION EXERCISES
PERFECT POSTURE
Using your body as a tool for building a character is about the essence and mechanics of movement.
DRAW A LINE FROM THE BASE OF THE NECK (TOP OF THE SPINE) TO THE SMALL OF YOUR BACK.
CROSS THAT LINE AT RIGHT ANGLES JUST DOWN FROM THE TOP.
THE INSIDE EDGES OF YOUR SHOULDER BLADES DETERMINES THE LENGTH OF THIS DISSECTING LINE.
THIS HAS TO BE ALIGNED ON THE SAME PLANE AT ALL TIMES.
THE HITCHIKER'S GUIDE TO PAINLESS MOVEMENT
To start notice where your weight is.
Try changing it around.
Give yourself lots of room to move around in.
You will also need to lie down at one point.
Please refer to the posture explanation above.
Don't push the extension aspect of the exercises...the extension will come as you get stronger.
Once the flow of the exercises is realized music can be introduced.
Concentration and focus are are as important here as anywhere.
They should be done everyday.
Drop your head to the front and return it.
Drop your head to the right and return it.
Drop your head to the back and return it.
Drop your head to the left and return it.
(8 beats total)
Repeat a total of 8 times.
Roll the heada in a circle one way 4 times.
Roll the head in a circle the other way 4 times.
Scrunch your face up and release 4 times (8 beats)
Lift your shoulders to touch your ears and release.
Push your shoulders down to the ground and release.
Push your shoulders forward and release.
Push your shoulders backward and release.
(8 beats total)
Repeat a total of 8 times.
Roll the shoulders in a circle forward 4 times.
Roll the shoulders in a circle backward 4 times.
Wiggle your fingers for 8 beats.
Wiggle your wrists in circles back and forth for 8 beats.
Throw your arms in the air above you 8 times.
Throw them out in front of you 8 times.
Throw them down to the earth 8 times.
Throw them out to the sides 8 times.
Throw them back behind you 8 times.
Move your arms in a circle to the front 8 times.
Move your arms in a circle to the back 8 times.
Bend over and reach to the front keeping your back straight.
Reach further 8 times.
Reach and bend over to your right keeping your back straight.
Reach further 8 times.
Reach and bend over to your back right keeping your back straight.
Reach further 8 times.
Reach and bend over to your left keeping your back straight.
Reach further 8 times.
Reach and bend to your back left keeping your back straight.
Reach further 8 times.
Push pelvis forward. (1 beat)
Push pelvis to the left. (1 beat)
Push pelvis to the back. (1 beat)
Push pelvis to the right. (1 beat)
Repeat four times total.
Roll the hips one way for 4 beats and the other for 4 beats.
Balancing on your left foot roll your right ankle in circles, back and forth for 8 beats.
Throw your right leg out in front of you 8 times.
Throw your right leg to the side 8 times.
Throw our right leg to the back 8 times.
Let it fly away on its own for 8 beats.
Repeat the above with the left leg balancing on your right.
Sit straight down on the floor without bending your back...concentrate!
Put your legs out if front of you.
Keeping your back straight point your toes and reach for them 8 times.
Keeping your back straight push your toes towards you and reach for them 8 times.
Open your legs. (start out as far open as you can...this too will improve as well as the aches in your calves for the first week of doing these...sorry, honesty is the best policy)
Keeping your back straight reach for the left toe 8 times with your toe pointed.
Keeping your back straight reach to the right toe 8 times with your toes pointed.
Keeping your back straight reach to the middle 8 times with toes pointed.
Repeat for each leg and the middle with the toes reaching toward the body 8 times each.
Lie on your back.
Breathe in deeply.
Allow the exhale to pull you up into a sitting position keeping your legs on the floor and your back straight for 8 beats.
Breathe in again.
Allow the exhale to set ou back down in a lying position for 8 beats.
Do each comple sit up 8 times.
Do as many situps keeping your body compleely straight as your arms can handle. (This too will increase in numbr and decrease in pain as you progress).
Shake yourself out.
You will never need any other physical warm up.
Once practiced this can be done in about 1/2 hour.
The exercises are fairly simple in their scope and not fussed up with any false sense of precision.
If you have an interest in the mechanics of dance or choreography doing them to music can have its developmental advantages.
Feel free to fill in the beats with style.
The result is quite a satisfying little dance.
DOING THESE IN CHARACTER IS THE TRICK!
[ must do it before rehearsals! ]

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