Ellen Ryan 0807061 Blog Post 2

1. What are the key strategies of devising that have been used through the creative process of Four Ways to Speak Out?

The ‘R’ element of the RSVP model has been used during the devising process in Four Ways to Speak Out. The research and resource part of the devising process has been used in ‘play improvisational sessions’, where we worked instinctively using our bodies creatively. Through these play sessions I began to really build a sense of my character’s intentions. Although at this point in the process we did not know where the content was heading, it was these play sessions that allowed for experimentation and total immersion into our character, and also build relationships with other members of the group through self-discovery. Callery states, “The function of training and improvisation is to set in motion the creativity of actors so they not only improve themselves as performers but also make their own work.” ( Callery, 2001, Page 163) Retrospectively, this is something that has been helpful during the ensemble work, as it was this self-discovery that built up our character’s relationships with others in the community. Thus, later on in the process helped us find our place in the community. The use of the ‘Clap’ method really helped in terms of characterisation, because it allowed for collaboration of ideas and also exploration into the character intentions. When using the ‘Clap’ method the movement or gesture is initiated through the individual character’s emotion, rather than one’s brain. This was something that had real power for me, as it meant I was starting to allow creativity through my body, rather than being blocked by what I think a gesture should represent.

2. Analyse the growth of your own character from the beginning of Four Ways to Speak Out to where you are at in the process now.

At the beginning of the process I was unclear as to my character’s place in the community; I did not feel an attachment to the missing woman. This dissimilarity in the group made me feel segregated from the community, as if I was turning my back on society’s expectation to be concerned when someone goes missing. My character had a passive nature, and was a ‘loner’ in the community; I simply did not feel anything towards the missing woman. It was not until we started to devise our individual group work that I started to really develop my character’s intentions. This was because my character started to realise the emotional weight the woman was carrying when attempting to leave. I feel that this intensity really allowed for me to develop my character’s intention, based on the idea that the woman is trapped. This intensity that my character felt from that point has been sustained through the ensemble work. Dennis notes that “An actor’s body must be open and responsive to all the influences, outside and inside, that cause him to react physically. The mechanics of an action, such a trip or fall, must be automatic.” (Dennis, 1995, page 67) This responsive state is a quality that is vital in the ensemble work, as we are reacting to the flashbacks of the woman on stage. This emotional and physical requirement is something that I found challenging at first, but now I have developed my character’s depth of vulnerability. Through this exploration my character has grown from being passive towards the woman, to concerned about the missing woman’s welfare, thus drawing me closer to the community.

3.Identify your character’s physicality through detailed analysis of its body language.

From a neutral stance, my spine is curved slightly and my pelvis bends slightly towards the floor. This idea of my spine being curved shows the metaphorical carrying of emotional weight that the community sustains concerning the woman’s disappearance. Marshall notes “It is not enough to mentally comprehend a character or situation, we must embody it.” (Marshall, 2001, page 163) The use of body memory allowed for the characterisation to come from the body without questioning why. It was the trust in my body memory that enabled further creation physically, as I allowed my body ‘to do’ rather than putting a barrier up. My character’s curved spine developed through body memory, which then altered the stature of other parts of my body. My head tilted to the side, this was not initiated, and it was simply my body expressing a movement. My walk is of medium pace and generally as a character I am perceptive to the events in the community, therefore I fasten my pace at key moments. For example, when Huma brings the suitcase to the street, I react instantly and move over to the suitcase. This physicality has transgressed through the creative process, at first my character retained a neutral stance throughout. This transgression has developed subconsciously through experimentation and me as a character rethinking my intentions. My eye contact remains either at the floor or towards the woman and the suitcase; through the physical training I am able to use my peripheral vision more freely. My hands touch repeatedly and I am very tactile towards other characters in the ensemble, this tactile nature developed from my vulnerability as a character that has evolved from the woman’s attempt to leave.

Bibliography

Callery, D. (2001) Through the Body: A Practical Guide to Physical Theatre. London, Routledge

Dennis, A. (2002) The Articulate Body: The Physical Training of the Actor. London: Nick Hern Books Limited

Marshall, L. ( 2001) The Body Speaks: Performance and Expression, London: Methuen