Workshop 2

Workshop 2:

This workshop continued to explore exercises that bring out different parts of an actor to develop us as a person and understand experimental theatre further.

Body Over Mind:

This was a solely improvised body exercise. I began to free myself and move in my own pace and reality. I was lost in the moment and felt new shapes coming out of myself. From this I felt loose and ready to start the workshop.

Tickling Each Other and then Recreating:

This exercise consisted of myself tickling a partner and then my partner tickling me. From this we then had to recreate the feeling of being tickled on command. This was a hard task as the reaction to tickling is an instinct not staged. When I was tickled I moved unexpectedly as although I was laughing I felt highly uncomfortable. What I picked up is I tend to push my neck and body into itself and then sway with my shoulders in a rigid movement. It took quite a few attempts to show this without actually being tickled. I tried emotional recall the bring this feeling on but in the end the best method was to let go and just feel my body for who I am. I know myself and so when told to act as though I was being tickled I just did the first thing that came to mind. This was a lot more organic and real. I let go of these emotions and instead felt it in my body. I feel this task helped me to understand that not all emotions come from the mind but the body is massively substantial in provoking emotions spontaneously.

The Impossible Task:

I was set ‘the impossible task’ of climbing up the wall with my bare hands. My initial reaction was that obviously this would not be possible, however this made my actions weak and pointless, as I did not believe in myself, which is the key to all failure. I decided to take a break with myself and change my thoughts. Once I thought this actually could be possible I began to try a push my hand as hard as possible to the wall and push up. In reality there was no progress but at the time I felt like there was a possibility I could actually travel up. This for me showed the power of the imagination and by believing in what you are performing your actions however wrong or impossible they are, you can perceive them as true.

Random Music:

Throughout the lesson music was played which we had to respond to. At the start I was listening out for the music, this meant while it wasn’t on I was not in the moment but instead anticipating it making my movements rigid and unnatural. As time went on I started to forget and so when played my movements where fresh and real. This exercise for me again emphasised the importance of organic responses in experimental theatre and how by being free your role can be so much more believable.