Blog Assessment 2

Blog Assessment 2
Emilia Breadon

1) The devising strategies that we have been using through the first 5 weeks of creating Porto has taught us that there are lots of ways to devise a piece and that it can be done without needing discussion and without depending on a script. An example of this is we created sections of the piece when working in ensemble with a clapping method where one person would clap show their physical movement (their own idea) and the rest of the class would copy, this allowed us to see other characters emotions and take them on board in our own way.
“For the individual, it is time dedicated to developing and exploring performance potential. For a company, training is time spent working to a common purpose.” (Callery, D. 2001 p. 17)
The growth and development of the piece has come on a long way from our very first class, the atmosphere when working in ensemble can be so intense that at the start of the piece when we are all just sitting on our seats in neutral you do feel as if we are all one big family, a community. When working individually, you can concentrate on yourself and develop your characters feelings further reflecting this through movement. It also allows you to take time and practise the techniques in your own character.


2) ‘Have you ever felt alone in a crowd?’ (Mitra, R, 2009)
Looking back to when we had our first lecture creating Porto, I struggled with my character as I did not really feel that my bag or item I choose was right to reflect how I wanted my character to be and so this held me back a little until I found the correct things to suit my character’s personality. To me the play sessions we did really allowed me to discover different things because at the start of the process I thought my character would be alone and like it that way keeping myself to myself and that if anyone were to try and interact with me I would simply react as if I saw nothing there. However after the play sessions I realised that even though I feel like I am alone there is something inside of me that wants to go and interact and perhaps end up making a friend but its the initial taking that step that I need develop. I feel now at this stage that I am happy with how my character is and that in future lectures when my item comes into the piece I will have the option to open my character up a lot more.


3) My character’s physicality in Porto is quite negative and hidden to reflect my emotions an example of this is when we do four repetitive movements on a chair, my four movements are very closed and reserved I move remaining on the chair scrunching my whole body into a ball as small as I can with my head down not being able to see as if I am trying to block out the world my whole centre of gravity is pushed down onto this chair so much so that if someone were to push me I would not move. When I do come off the chair I am either stood straight but with a physicality showing I want to be left alone for example I stretch my right arm out but with my palm facing out wards like this is a barrier I do not want people over stepping, my left leg is knelt on the chair with my weight relying on the chair to be there.
My body language has changed since the start of creating Porto, at first I would never look up always held my head down and clutching onto my bag like there was something in it no one could see, but after discovering my character more, I stand more up right I shift my weight onto my right hip and my left leg crosses the right, my arms are folded still holding onto my bag however I have my right arm up towards my face with a repetition of a gesture being my fingers taping my bottom lip.



Bibliography:


ARTAUD, A. (1993) Theatre and its double London: Caldar.

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

GROTOWSKI, J. (1975) Towards a poor theatre London : Methuen.

http://www.jasminvardimon.com/index.html

Porto (2009) [Home page] [online] [March 10, 2009.]
(http://processandperformance200809.blogspot.com/ )