Rehearsal Notes: 2/24/2010

SPACE PROJECT REHEARSAL

Wednesday February 24, 2010
Milepost 5 Chapel
Liz, Jonathan, Maesie, Julie, Faith

Warm Ups: 35 minutes

ETUDES: 1 hr 25 min

1. Liz: blindfold: Julie is blindfolded, she moves around the room searching for three persons who have objects 'planted' on their bodies. She finds these and then, still blind, tries to describe what those objects were.

NOTES:

• interesting was the section when Julie was trying to describe WHAT the objects were in her hands, while we could see clearly what they are

• put things on stage that audience knows is one thing, but actors react to it either in ignorance of what it is, or…

• Can there be a way to disorient the actors and show to the audience how clearly the actor has been 'blinded to that world'

• Watching someone/actor move thru disorienting world (even if there is great clear choreography) could be intriguing

• What senses do we have to manipulate for audience.

2. Liz: creature: People on ground, Liz leads thru a kind of guided meditation that made actors become 'creatures' and then eat, fear and play with each other

NOTES:

• Possibility of le coq 'elements' excercises as a way to develop character

• How to create an image in the mind of the audience via visualization questions... something so childlike about the excercise that would be much different for five year old. Interesting tension between adult feeling and child feeling. Wanted to find true inhibition, and try to break past it.

3. Jonathan: Maesie goes on Journey: Maesie stands and says she is going on a journey, three times repeats turning around, once with costume, once with strobe.

NOTES:

• Trippy, crazy journey that is unexpected

• Like listening to very difficult music, enjoyable because of the attention required.

• Repetition of the same text lets the audience begin to fill in their own ideas because of the slow nature of the 'we know what's going to happen now, we've already seen it' aspect.

• Liked the distance, being very far away from the stage, felt like looking down on the world, not inhabiting the same world.

• Sense of tension by the slowness that made me pay attention to it... but also almost exasperated.

4. Jonathan: Maesie/Liz recurring dream: Liz sleeping and wakes up, each time Maesie 'comforts' her with repeating words.

NOTES:

• Play with repetition, enjoyed the tension of each time it happens there is a deeper 'feeling' that arises.

BREAK: 15 Min

DUOS

1. FIRST ROUND

Assignment:

• THEME New Worlds (somehow this shows anxiety and loneliness)

• TEXT : Mixture of Faith's, Julie's etude-to-be (randomly chosen)

• RULES: One entrance, one exit

• GESTURE: Use of two, to be decided by group, gestures.

7 Minutes to work: First showings

Julie/Maesie

• Rotation in the chair, fast to slow, Maesie first, Julie also, starts fast then goes into slow motion

• Alternating cleaness of light goes on, someone enters

• Gestures together, Julie standing, Maesie sitting

Liz/Faith

• Faith, scooting on the ground

• Liz entering & Faith's already there, and then both open mouth wide, it stays open for a long time

• Staying with open mouth... go longer, tension in the body

4 minutes to take the 'good' notes from first round, also take the gesture from one another

2. SECOND ROUND

Liz/Faith

• Sound in the dark, walking in the dark

• Caught in the light, mid-gesture, Faith when the light first flicks on

• Crawling away, Faith had her hand on her ear...

Maesie/Julie

• Alternating light, on and off.

• Like them both rotating with their mouths open (looked normal from back, when they turn towards us we see mouths)

• Use of feet as the thing/power that pulls the person

7 minutes to work: New showings

NEW DUOS

1. FIRST ROUND

Assignment:

• THEME: New Worlds CREATE Anxiety and lonliness

• TEXT : Mixture of Faith's, Julie's etude-to-be (randomly chosen)

• RULES: One entrance only

• CONTENT: Use ONE good moment from notes above (4 minute redo's) from EACH group

• GESTURE: Use of two, to be decided by group, gestures more choreographic.

Liz/Maesie

• very different entrances (maesie running) (liz crouching)

• sounds in the dark longer and more extreme... maesie's long run.

• moment of coming together, and both circling each other turning and mouths open

Faith/Julie

• whispering, sound like animals

• caught in the light moment(s)

2. DISCUSSION: HOW TO MAKE THIS EXERCISE MORE USEFUL

• When a note is given about 'what I like', there is an assignment attached to each thing that worked, work on it more

• More clear 'what to do BETTER'

• Is it a matter of shaping/deepening or exploding the ideas?

FUTURE IDEAS TO RECORD IDEAS AND LANGUAGE:

• Video these:

• Log them clearly and notate them.

• Add to warmup regimen

• Include “review of list” in Sunday big discussions

HOW TO DECIDE THE LIMITS:

• Venue

• Level of interactivity with audience

• Sound - original music or ?

• Scope of design of May showing

• Source material - how to decide, how many

• Physical style, physical training

• Outside collaborators

• Technology we want to use in rehearsals and adequate training and support

HOMEWORK:

THURSDAY: come ready to discuss:

• Potential sources (images, word, film, music),

• Ideas for physical training

SUNDAY: be prepared to:

• SHARE actual source material (sections of text, film clips, photos, etc.)

• MAKE DECISIONS about physical training

BLOG: post source material, physical training ideas, etc.