Training Dogs Must Be Easier

This week we started focused training and exploration in preparation for the show next month. We have access to space for at least this week, and although it isn't ideal for making a great deal of noise, we do have room to move without whacking each other inadvertently. Though I must admit, on occasion, I like to whack the boyz advertently.*mischievous grin*

As part of our work, we began with a reorientation to our own bodies and movements, but concerting attention on moving with intention. Using intention and impulse to inform the movement or be informed by it. The first exercise of our first day was to explore movements and placements of the feet, with instruction to only move with an associated reason and to be very aware of the movement and feeling/emotion as opposed to losing oneself in the exercise. I had a very visceral reaction during this exploration, thinking about the surface of the floor and the feel of my foot flat against it and suddenly that heightened awareness of pressure and sensitivity led me to a mine field. Walking in a mine field where each step down could trigger something or the release of pressure from a footstep could detonate a mine. It was a horrible sensation, to be rooted to the floor, with fear and uncertainty. I actually cried. Not from my own real fear, but from a sympathetic reaction to the daily reality in which many of our co-humans exist.

We're going through a sort of rotation of physical exploration, some vocal work to get the performance voice there not as "I AM SPEAKING IN MY THEATRE VOICE NOW" but more "I am inflecting and expressing clearly and loudly without sounding contrived."
Trying to find the deep core sound through and transferring that into verbal expression; an interesting contrast between my sound and the deeper, seemingly more resonant sounds of my male castmates. I try to get deeper but choke and amass tension in my neck and the front of my larnyx. As Garry points out, it's not our vocal habit to do such a thing and therefore will take practise and training to get the desired sound. Dang, and it took me so long to find my THEATRE VOICE!

We have been initiated into the "sextangle," something from Garry's Mount A days where six people would stand on a side of a hexagon and improvise with singing. This was a terrifying thing for Eric, Stev and I... ok at least Eric and I admitted we were terrified at some point. There we were so close as to gaze in each other's eyes, but very consciously not really looking in each other's eyes, and then the deadly silence when someone had to make the offer. And we all knew we had to answer. Garry, of course, starts and away we go eventually. Today's sextangle was a little more relaxed, exploratory and fun. Tomorrow's? Look out!

We've played a bit with the archetypes from commedia del'arte (or as they called it on Studio 60 this week "comedia del art"). The idea is that the physical archetype can drive an improv/sketch scene with the inherent associated archetypal behaviour patterns. We can possbily use these characters in opposites, such as the bowed over ingratiated servant type with the flouncing, pelvis led greedy type, as a way in for the morning introductions at the FEZ.

There has been no shortage of our usual lively discussion on themes such as globalization and the apocalypse. It's all so big. I feel small. And now, a glass of wine.