Today everyone was writing an evaluation about yesterday`s performance with masks. I didn`t have a chance to perform yesterday as I wasn`t ready for it because of my absence in college due to championship and illness(sinusitis). However, today, me, Ria and Matthew discussed what we could do for our performance with masks, as they neither didn`t perform yesterday.
We wrote down a long list what we should include in our performance.
Sound effects
Lifts/weight taking
Very physical
Put on/off mask facing the wall, not the audience!!!
Do not touch the mask
Slow motion
Props (fan, maybe torch, necklace, chairs)
Different levels
The use of projector for images
I came up with an idea of us creating a time machine and travelling through times. So we are all students sitting in the classroom. Ria`s character comes in late and sits down all messy. She`s very bored so she stands up and goes behind us. She starts to create a time machine. Her movements are over exaggerated so the audience can have an idea she creates something really dangerous. At the same time she puts 3 chairs in a row and the huge clock in the middle. We all sit down, put hands on the clock and start shaking. Once we stop there is a note on the wall (going from projector) `Welcome to roaring 1920s`. We decided that we can use the music from that time and do some dancing or partying as 20s was the times of cakes and ale. We go back to time machine and we are in 40s. We got in full swing of second World War. After firefight we go back to time machine and travel to 80s where bright colours and rock`n`roll took over the world. After some fun time in 80s we are on our way to the future where robots controlling the world. We haven`t decided how we going to finish it but thought of going back to nowadays and just freeze.
Ria came up with idea of using a giant clock as the symbol of time machine. She also suggested using props that symbolizes different times. For example, tutu skirts symbolizes 80s, fans were used in roaring 20s.
Matthew suggested that we could use the music as background of each years.
On Thursday it was our final improvisation performance and I think it went very well as everyone was very active and wanted to be a part of games that we were playing. There were 4 groups just to make it easy for everyone to stand up and participate. We started with a game that only two persons can take part in. It was called something like `alphabet game`. Each person had to start a line with new letter, following a, b, c etc.. For example,
A: Actually, I wanted to speak with you..
B: Bro. about what?!
A: Can`t you calm down?
B: Definitely, just say what do you want to talk about
A: Elephants, I want to talk about elephants, I really worry about them... etc..
I really enjoyed playing `Party quirks` as people think of very funny tasks and you have to get under the skin of these tasks in like 5 seconds. My task was `a baby who learns how to walk`. I found it very easily to do as it did not require to speak at all as babies can`t speak. I was just crawling on my fours, trying to stand up, repeatedly saying `mama, mama!`. In my opinion, this game is very easy and funny, the hardest thing was to hold my laugh because other actors made it really funny. But I tried to focus on my objective of `being a baby` and less listen to what other actors say.
The last game we played was the `goal keeper`. Ryan volunteered to be a goal keeper. The idea of this game is just throwing ideas at him and he has to go for it for maximum 30 seconds. I jumped into a scene, shouting `get down! get down! Give me the money!` and Ryan accepted it very quickly and got down. I found that doing it very fast my emotions took over my thoughts so I wasn`t thinking what to say next. Everything went like automatically, and the short story had the beginning, climax and conclusion, however it was very short, about 30-40 seconds long.
In my opinion, improvisation helps to improve self confidence as there are no mistakes, failures or bad ideas. Everyone has to accept the idea, and make the other actor look good, don`t throw cheap jokes, that may bully others and just enjoy and go into endless stories.
I know that we had to write and base our story from World Wars but I couldn`t find enough information for my theme. I was thinking about very important fact, rape during the war, which is not mentioned in many resources. So I decided to look up Bosnian War as it has a lot of information about female rape and the lack of women power. (Similar technique were used during World War 2 against Japanese women, but Bosnian War is worse). The problem of female rape during the war started long time ago. One of the cruelest female rape happened during the Bosnian War, where Serbians wanted to get as much women pregnant as possible, no matter their age, look and marital status. They even didn`t rape those who were already pregnant because they couldn`t have their babies. Basically, they wanted to destroy their lives by raising their own raper child.
Serbians believed that that`s one of the way to "clean" the country. It was called ethnic cleansing, and it was a part of the genocide program. (Genocide is when one nation tries to wipe out another nation, harm it as much as possible.). About 12 000 to 50 000 women were raped during the war. Mostly women nationality were Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim).
It was violence against women, and women did not have any power against men. Female word against men words was just an empty space. It is hard understandable but using rape was actually a war strategy, carefully planned by military. (Not to mention how many women were killed, because of trying to escape.).
My written monologue, based on real facts from Bosnian War (Mar 1, 1992 - Dec 14, 1995)
Dear John,
I`m so glad to hear that you are alright. I just can`t describe how much I miss you. I think about you every second of my life and believe that one day you will be holding my hand again, and we will be walking down by the sea side like we used to.
The other day, as usual, I was working at the factor, where we wash officers and lieutenants blazers, and officer Tom came up to me. I though he is going to shout at me why I`m so slow, like the other day, but he was smiling. His creepy smiled covered all his face up to ears. I felt something bad is going to happen. My heart started beating extremely fast, I started nervous but couldn`t hide anywhere. And then it happened... He started touching me... He tried to rape me! Rape me!! I tried to escape but I couldn`t so I slapped him. And then... He got so angry. He throw me on the florr and started beating me... He hit me everywhere: on my cheeks, arms, legs, belly.. Everywhere... I looked around, and I saw Laura looking at me, with her eyes full of sorrow. She looked at me for a second and then looked away... She didn`t want to get in trouble.
I woke up this morning in the hospital. They say everything is going to be alright but I don`t think so. I`m so scared. My life has changed unrecognizable since you left.
Early Life
He was born in Hackney, London and went to William Fitt and Sir George Monoux School in Walthamstow, London. Young and wild, Bourne was really obsessed about autographs. He was waiting by the stage doors for famous theater performers and other celebrities to leave after the show or London top hotels. When he was a child he used to make up his own versions of seen
performances.
Matthew Bourne
He started his career when he was 20, whereas he quit higher education course and tried to build up his career in theater. Although, he got bachelor`s degree at The Laban Center for Movement and Dance at age 22 and kept progressing as a
theater dance performer more and more. The beginning of his career was not as easy as 2+2. He got work for it very hard. However, when he was a teenager he used to teach dancing amateurs, without having any professional experience as a dancer.
He started from lower positions such as filing clerk at BBC, usher and bookshop assistant at the National Theater and he was selling tickets for Keith Prowse Theater Agents productions. After finishing his studies he went touring for two years with the dance company Transitions. When the time passed he did not perform that much as he used to, and focused on choreographing for theater, television and other dance companies. His name started being recognized for creating his own version of Ballet Swan.
Most popular productions staged by Matthew Bourne are
Swan Lake. In 1995, the swan lake was staged and presented in London for the first time. It is also known as the world`s longest running ballet show which was performed around the planet: UK, Los Angeles,Europe,Australia, Japan etc. The story line is based on the scenario of Russian swan lake composed by talented Russian director Tchaikovsky. Bourne also used captivating music bits which are very catchy and hard forgettable. Not to mention the male dancing female parts of the swans.
The Car Man. It was performed for the first time in 2000 in PLymouth, London and was without transformed at the Old Vic rapidly later on that year.
Sleeping Beauty.
Play Without Words.
Cinderella.
Nutcracker!
Edward Scissorhands
Matthew Bourne`s Swan Lake
Company
After years of dancing on stage, one of the best British directors, Matthew Bourne started his own business. In 1987, collaborating with his colleagues and friends, Emma Gladstone and David Massingham, established new dance company, Adventures in Motion Pictures. Everything was going very well, and later on, in 1991, he became the owner of the AMP company. Tickets were wiped off the counter as people just loved it. The most successful works are: Swan Lake, The Car Man, Highland Fling, Nutcracker and a couple more.
Nutcracker!
After good 15 years of working for AMP company, he enthralled people with the new his own dance company New Adventures,in 2002, and its productions. Play Without Words smashed ticket selling record, premiered at National Theater and took a tour around the world, winning millions of people hearts. Moreover, it got nominated for Olivier Award for Best Entertainment and Choreography. Very impressive, Bourne, very impressive!
Every year, he got new audiences for his shows, especially on 10th year anniversary Swan Lake when it went on World Tour, including Australia, Russia,USA, Asia and Europe. Bourne kept people
impressed with his new productions The Car Man in 2007 and Nutcracker! in 2008.
Most of his productions are still on, so it is highly recommended going and seeing it as his work is unique.
Interesting facts about Matthew Bourne and his productions
Matthew Bourne`s Swan Lake has collected 25 international awards.
His big break started after the Nutcracker! came out into the light of the day.
He never thought he would perform on Broadway.
He won two Tony awards at the same night.
As a best dancer he nominates Fred Astaire
He was an obsessive autograph collector.
Known as a director of the world`s longest running play.
He stopped eating puddings at age 30, in order to watch his weight.
Style
Matthew Bourne technique is completely different compering to DV8 and Steven Berkoff, however only DV8 company created their own ideas as for Bourne and Berkoff took ideas and stylised them, making them their own pieces. Berkoff style is famous for its exaggeration. His movements are unrealistic, repetition, assemble and choral work (actors say words at the same time).
Bourne style, ballet with dance movements. As seen in the video above they do not wear ballet shoes, rather they dance in bare foot, using ballet movements. Dancers` fingers are always must be pointy, secure and tight.
I use the talents of the performer, whether they are a dancer or not, The work comes through the piece and the story you are trying to tell.
By Matthew Bourne.
An exclusive interview with Matthew Bourne
Awards and nominations
Matthew Bourne (born 13 January 1960, now at age 55) is recognized world wide as an English choreographer, dancer and theater director. He is known as one of the world`s best choreographers and directors. His name is recognized in over 30 international awards around the world. He is also notable as the founder of the world`s longest running ballet show Swan Lake, a five-time Olivier award winner and he`s the only one British director who obtained impressively the Tony award for both Best Choreographer and Best Director. He`s got so many awards and nominations that it is hard to count.
PERFORMANCE
Our performance in groups went very well. I was in the same group with Ryan, Jack, Jerome, Isabella, Matthew and Klaudian. We decided to devise Alice in Wonderland and relate it with Swan Lake. As Matthew Bourne chooses already written play and styles it in his own way, using ballet movements. We did the same thing. We got only 1 hour to devise 5 minutes long piece, which we found really hard as we had plenty of ideas.
There were two girls in our group: me and Isabella so we came up with idea of the girl, having two sides:good and bad. I was playing good side, whilst Isabella was bad. The idea was also taken from the movie Black Swan, staring Natalie Portman. Aggressive and angry, Jack and Jerome were on bad side. Happy and soft, Klaudian and Matthew on good side.
The performance started with me and Isabella going to sleep. As physical theatre skills, we used miming and mirroring. In addition, Ryan was controlling us so it was like puppetry. When the music starts playing Isabella slides off right and crouches down, whilst I started dancing and waking up the other good fairies(Klaudian and Matthew). After the music changed Isabella and her companions starts dancing. Basically, it was a battle between light and dark. We achieved the assessment requirements by adding lifts, different levels, plunge and catching, repetition, spins and exaggerated movements based on Matthew Bourne`s technique.
Finally, all the characters apart me turned into massive chaos. It was like a hurricane of bad souls trying to extinguish the last good one(me). We came up with this idea, me being the last good character as I was wearing a pale blue jumper which associated with goodness and purity, while everyone else was wearing dark clothes.
P.S. I prepared myself for assessment and came to college wearing black t`shirt under but the rest of group members suggested me wearing blue jumper, and so I did.
It`s been already 3 weeks since we started working on impro. As we do it on Thursday session, there we have just couple of hours of playing improvisational games. For the start we did warm up: tongue twisters, dancing, shaking our heads, etc. I would say that we could do it every morning as it is very helpful. I tried to woke up earlier to do warm up but there is always just not enough time. It only takes 10 minutes and doing warm up all together is much more fun than doing it alone.
Secondly, we began with easy game: Rob put his glasses` case on the floor and we need to create a few seconds scene, changing the subject of the glasses` case to everything apart glasses. For instance, Matthew came up with idea of using it as TV remoter, whilst Isabella used it as a shot gun and shouted out EVERYONE GET DOWN! It is a good exercise to begin the day with, because it is funny and energetic.
Later on, Rob divided us into two groups: A and B. So A`s were standing in a circle facing outwards then B`s stood in front A`s. The main task for A`s was to think of a short opening line. It could be anything. As I was A, because A is for Amber, my opening line was `You forgot to bring my cookies?` and in my observation almost everyone suggested me another pack of cookies and apologized. This suggests that it is a general opinion of everyone. I would say it just a certain way of politeness that everyone is used to do. Of course, there were some blocking like `no, you didn`t ask me to bring cookies, you asked Rebecca(name is made up as I don`t remember what my partner exactly said). The purpose of this game is just go for it, no matter what the opening line is. It might even be `You`ve got ice cream on your hair, should we eat it?`. The answer always has to be positive. And it is important to remember that attacking other actor is not acceptable as gives just cheap laughs.
Another exercise we done Thursday morning was to get into pairs and create a short, improvised piece related to touching themes such as
abuse
bullying
FMG
self-harm
My partner was Ryan and we chose to work on bullying theme. Ryan pretend to be a bully and I was the one being bullied. I quickly picked up some people`s weaknesses that is often associated with bullying: stuttering, being obsessed about the bully, giving everything to him, worshipping Ryan, forgetting about myself and my needs. I have seen these things happening in lots of teenage movies.
I tried to think of how would I feel if that happened in real life. Basically, I tried to use Stanislavki`s technique Magic If. When we started throwing out our ideas I knew that Ryan does not mean what he says, it just because of the theme we chose. You picked at me, which helped to get under the skin and understand that being bullied people have serious problems.
First thing we did today was warm up with Brandon. As almost every morning we stood up in a circle and warmed up our face by keeping it very tight and opening very wide(as much as we can). Also not forgetting body warm up when one person shows any movement and everyone else has to repeat it.
"Deleted scenes game". Our task was to devise couple of scenes which has been deleted from a well known movie. I was in a group with Jennifer and Brandon and we chosen Titanic as everyone knows it. It was very hard to think of something as we didn`t have much ideas but remaining few last seconds we decided to do the bit where Rose is holding Jack`s hands not letting him drawn. I was a cameraman. So I shouted "cut!!" for couple of times as I didnt have much to say. We`ve chosen the movie we all know very well so we already had location and timing as set in film. I think we played this game in order to apply and develop our ideas to already given idea which was challenging as there were too many scenes we can choose and we only need one or two. We was thinking of changing the movie to Bad Neighbors because we thought that we need to add some normal scenes but while watching others` we decided to do some Titanic bloopers.
"One person story, played with different genres." Second task was to devise a short piece of how one of our group member woke up and went to college today. As we were in the same groups as before we decided that we can work on Brandon`s morning as mine`s and Jennifer`s wasnt that interesting. So Jennifer was playing Cashe as Brandon called him in the morning to ask if he`s coming in college whilst I pretended to be Romaine which didn`t pick up the phone when Brandon called him. When Brandon was on the phone speaking with Jennifer(Cashe) genre changed from normal to sci fi and from sci fi to Shakespearean. When the story switched to Romaine(me) on the train as stranger (Jennifer) bumped into me and I got into argument trying to say things Romaine would say which made audience laugh. Next scene was Brandon taking train and me and Jennifer staring at him. When genre switched to romantic comedy I stood up on the left side, Jennifer on the right and Brandon was in the middle. Playing different genres made us add more conversational and slightly change it. For me it was more fun than playing just a normal version of it as it added more humor to it.
Scripted scenes. I was in pair with Ryan and we decided to do scene 1 which was quite easy to devise because there weren`t any subject we were talking about. I came up with idea Ryan saying "Nothing I just... just stole 2 millions.." I tried to play use "magic if" which didnt really helped me because I couldnt focus. However, we didnt show our piece as it wasnt enough time left.
Since we came back from Easter Holiday we have been working on improvisational skills. At first I wasn`t that confident going on and developing new ideas on spot but I belive everything is about practising and being open-minded. Sometimes is really hard to accept new ideas so I just keep saying same words. Or the worst thing is then all words vanish out of my head when improvising. But second time I was on I felt more confident as I just went with the flow.
Improvisation is
like a game and as we all know game`s got rules.
Being open-minded. I would say, the rule number one is always accept the idea other actor is given to you. For example, it can be different place, different mood or things. Always ALWAYS say yes and just go for it. That`s the point of the game. Discover new places that you have never been in and most important enjoy whilst improvising.
Listening and reacting is essential as without it you leave other actor misunderstood or confused. But not forgetting that you`ve got to act like in real life. Acting is behaving truly in imaginary circumstances.(Rob always says that)
Not blocking. The worst thing is then other actor doesn`t agree with what is said and tries to imply its own ideas not going with the ones which are already given. For example A: Look, there is a flying elephant behind you! B: No, there is no flying elephant.
There is no fail. We all do mistakes and its acceptable especially while improvising. There is no bad story or bad idea. Everything is acceptable.
This week we played many improvisational games and did some work in pairs on accept and build. Rules are very simply. A asked any of questions (why,what.who?) and B had to answer using hers/his imagination. I was working with Isabella and I found really confusing but when Jerome and I was on stage it was much more better than before. I felt more confident about what I am doing.
Another game was called one word at a time. It means that person can say only one word. It was really funny when Ria, Isabella and Brandon improvised. I didn`t expect Isabella coming as a toys` robber. Everything was happening in the tree house, by the way.
Freeze frame improv is when two or more actors are on stage and some can say stop or freeze, swope with any of the actors and begin a completely new story line which is not related with the one who had been developed before.
Ria and I playing objectives game
"Objectives" game was both confusing and useful. All of us wrote a place and a phrase on a piece of paper and mixed it. When I was working with Cashe our location was haunted house and my phrase was "Don't touch that meerkat!!!" and Cashe`s phrase was "you said you love me". So it`s two completely different phrases which we had to fit in in our conversation. It`s hard because you`ve got to think how to fit the phrase in smoothly, without others noticing and don`t forget about the location.
When second time we played objectives I was working with Ria and our location was driving lesson. She was an instructor while I was her student. In my opinion, it was easy for Ria as her phrase was "It`s too big!" so she was shouting all the time that everything I do is too big! My phrase was "How can I show up without an invite?". So to save myself I started randomly talking about the party and how can I show up without an invite. It was that noticeable as I thought it would be but at least I said my objective.
Goalkeeper (Ospina) game is when 1 actor stands in the middle and others have to create a short scene about 5-10 seconds long and goalkeeper has to accept all of them. I haven`t been goalkeeper but Shadey mentioned that it was hard. I think it`s really important being open minded and going for different ideas. For example when Carlos was goalkeeper my idea was playing basketball which Carlos has changed to football. after me was Romaine`s turn and his idea was fighting with swords.
The language game is very easy to play. Two actors are on stage and two actors are translators. So I was the actor on stage who says "bla bla" and Sam was the translator. Our location was the elevator. That happened that elevator stopped working so I went "blasnlkaslasdo" and Sam translated "Oh no! The elevator broke." It was easy to improvise because all you ahve to do is to thing about your body language and listen to translators.
Ria and I playing the language game
Another game we played was "emotions game". I was in pair with Nurray, I was a dentist and she was my patient. Meanwhile we improvising emotions Queen Mara or Rob gave us different emotions and we had to improvise the scene using those emotions. For example, it was hard for me thinking of how to play neglected emotion and when immediately change it to happy, not forgetting that I`m a dentist.
Party quirks is one of my favorite games so far. We watched a video of actors playing that game on TV show which is hilarious. So it`s very similar to objectives game. There is a host and 3 guests with different objectives. My objective was singing Christmas songs and I found it very enjoyable, though I sang only two songs.
"Boris" game is about an imaginary guy called Borris that comes if the actor playing criminal excuses is not believable enought and he "beats" him/her up. But Borris doesn`t actually exsist so the actor has to improvise how he/she get punched in the face etc. For example, when Brandom was playing criminal he improvised that "Borris" was strangling him and kicked him off the chair.
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