​Ruhi Kumar

Journal Entries/Reflections

 

 

DP Theatre Journal Entry Task

Journal 1-Week 1 August 18

 

Respond to the ideas presented in the Goethe quote:

The quote highlights the importance of making the most of every opportunity you’ve been given, and to do everything to the best of your ability in order to gain the most from the experience or activity. In “A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance...” in this line the author is explaining how each choice we make throughout our lives determines the outcome we will receive. In terms of theatre I think this quote is relevant as if you do not consistently try to step out of your box and be open to learning and developing as an actor and a learner you will never feel like your accomplishments are sufficient. 

 

In terms of theatre I am hesitant about the research tasks, and not understanding key concepts or techniques created by a specific practitioner. Even though I am nervous about this aspect of theatre I am also looking forward to learning new techniques and being able to expand and develop as a student. 

 

 

This year I hope to learn more about how using physical theatre and different forms of movement can help communicate creative ideas and concepts. I am also very excited to get the opportunity to play different characters from different time periods, as well as be able to use theatre as a medium to promote a cause and create change. My favourite aspect of theatre is just being on stage and being able to collaborate and learn from other actors. I feel being on stage and playing a character gives you the opportunity to really commit to being another person and explore their individual characteristics, and how they would act towards different circumstances. 

 

Overall I am very excited to be doing theatre this year and would really like to try different roles in theatre such as directing, helping backstage, set design and of course acting!

 

Journal Task-2 

Reflection on Brechtian Techniques

 

Naturalistic Theatre: The Caucasien Chalk Circle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Acid Test! What stuck with you? What are you going to remember about this theatre style? 

Brecht uses a very distinct style of acting as it is mostly didactic and is used to convey a social message/issue to the audience without having them get attached and feel empathy for the characters they are watching. I think this techniques allows the message to be much stronger and meaningful to the audience as they make their own decision of how the issue will impact not only their lives but the lives of those around them. Brecht performances commonly use placards, which I find very unique and interesting as it allows for minimalistic set and costume but still conveys the atmosphere the director requires to effectively explain the issue. 

 

2. List THREE activities we did in class. How did the connect to this theatre style? One of the activities we did was create a piece of naturalistic theatre using The Caucasian Chalk Circle as a stimulus. We then transformed this piece into an epic theatre piece. We found that even though the message stayed the same we changed the way we staged it and the way we delivered the dialogue. For example in the first piece we performed which was done in a naturalistic style, we addressed each character in first person as if we were having a normal conversation, however in our second piece (brechtian style) my character addressed the other characters by their occupation to convey how instead of being defined by a name which gives them a sense of identity,  the characters of lower status were defined by their jobs for example “Baker, how is the shop doing?”.  We also limited the use of props in our Brechtian styled piece, as in the first piece Kelsey’s character uses a muffin tray for the bread her character was bringing, however in the second piece we discarded the muffin tray as Brechtian performances commonly have minimalistic costume, set and props. In our Brechtian styled piece we also incorporated placards in the form of sticky notes to help create the setting and atmosphere in order to transport the audience into the situation and setting the characters are in. 

 

One of the first activities we did was the status tableaux's where we were given different scenarios e.g rich vs poor and peace vs war and had to convey these using gestus. It was a helpful exercise as it got me to consider my characters attitude, while having to continuously consider proxemics, levels and posture in order to play my character physically rather than emotionally.

 

Finally another activity we did was the gestic tableaux's where the peasants were revolting against the governess. This piece was much more physical as we used our physicality to convey the feeling of the character as well as their status. This activity really challenged my ability to use my physicality to portray my characters individual status and their reaction towards the conflict that was being portrayed in the piece. 

 

 

3. Describe the difference between naturalistic theatre and Epic theatre?

Some of the main differences between naturalistic and epic theatre are epic theatre is usually more episodic, while naturalistic pieces aim to tell a story and have the audience feel empathy or sympathy for the characters, therefore this is usually done by scenes having a logical order and the audience feeling a connection to the characters. Another difference is in naturalistic theatre the audience is more of a distant observer as they are transformed into a theatre atmosphere with lights, music and costuming and set, however in epic theatre the aim is to break the fourth wall and directly address the audience. Epic theatre also uses the technique of didacticism as each piece aims to teach a moral lesson. In my opinion I feel our performance was very didactic, as our final performance conveyed the message about not objectifying women as well as encouraging the audience not to take part in the consumption of media that portrays a negative image of women. 

 

 

Your final performance was a merge of physical theatre and Epic theatre techniques (which I LOVED by the way!). Discuss in your groups how you could have created more of a traditional Epic theatre piece. Perhaps researching Brecht's productions may make this discussion easier. Make notes from your discussion.

 

-We could have also incorporated less emotion as at times the audience may have felt empathy towards the characters especially during the repetition of “I am skinny, I am unhappy” 

 

-The use of music added flow to the piece and helped it be more physical, however in Brecht music is used to disrupt the flow and to prevent the audience from getting attached to tThe characters. 

 

-The character transition at the end of the piece could have been made clearer to the audience as changing character is an element used in brechtian performances. 

 

-To create more of a traditional Epic theatre piece we should have included more obvious and exaggerated placards as the sticky notes we used in our performance may not have been communicated clearly enough towards the audience. 

 

-The actors did not speak in third person as the pronoun "I" was repeated by the characters throughout the piece. This is very important to include in future performances as it is an element of the V-Effect which are the demands on an actor. 

 

 

Journal Task-3

Reflection on Jerzy Grotowski and Poor Theatre

 

 

1. What stuck with you? What are you going to remember about this theatre style? 

 

Grotowski's believed that theatre should not have to compete with film as it is a completely different art form. He believed that theatre should emphasise the relationship between the actor and the audience. Grotowski unlike Brecht who conveys a social or political message in his pieces, allows the audience to interpret and make a decision on who they feel is right or wrong. Similarly to Brecht whom we explored earlier, Grotowski also used minimalistic props, set and costuming as these were all elements of poor theatre. Also during my research I found that similarly to Brecht, Grotowski also emphasised the use of emotion memory to help the actors be able to recreate that memory and emotion and convey that true and honest feeling to the audience. One thing I found to be very interesting about Grotowski and the concept of 'Poor theatre' was the fact that he believed that putting on a good show wasn't about money, it was about the talent or the actors and how they approached the performance. 

 

 

2. List THREE activities we did in class. How did they connect to this theatre style?

 

One of the activities that challenged me the most was when we had to move across the room given different stimulus. For example one moment we were in quicksand trying to stay afloat and the next we were running on a hot surface. This was very challenging for me at first as it forced me to explore my body and my physicality. This excersise related to Grotowskis work as it was very similar to some of the excursus he made his actors do in order for them to be physically skilled and be able to execute these skill during their performances. This exercise relates to Grotowski's theatre style as they developed a technique of movement which allowed them to control every move they made, even the smallest movement in every detail as the actors were constantly made to think who their character was and how they would react to the situation. Grotowski believed that It is our bodies that express everything about us so if an actor is able to master his body, he is able to master the art of theatre. In my opinion everything we think and feel is expressed through our bodies whether it be through body language or intensionally done in theatre, therefore by being given the certain situations that Ms Moran gave us, it allowed us to focus on different parts of our body and explore how they can be used to convey the setting around us or the mood of the character without using lights, costuming or set. Another excersise we did for Grotowski was when we had to devise a scene using a quote as a stimulus. This excersise is related to Grotowski's work as we had to avoid using props and set and portray our interpretation of the quote solely through our physicality, facial expressions and movements. Finally another excersise we did was when we ran around the room this is relevant to Grotowski's style of theatre as he trained his actors using physically demanding excerise as they had to meet the demands of poor theatre  This excersise was related to Grotowski and his method as the excersise addressed every part of the body from the feet to the head. Grotowski also placed heavy importance on breathing and sound. While we were running around at different speeds we got a bit tired, however as the activity went on we had to learn how to balance our breathing with our movements so we would not loose focus. During these activities were very useful as he believed that actors must be responsive, expressive, both physically and mentally. 

 

 

3. What connections can you make between this theatre style and previous styles you have studied and what are the main differences?

Grotowski similarly to Brecht did not use many props, set or costuming as he believed that theatre should be minimalistic and not have to compete with film and television as it was a completely different art form. However one of the differences between Brecht and Grotowski is that he used ritualistic songs and music to find a connection with the audience and to increase communication between the actor and the spectator, however Brecht used music and song to disrupt the flow of the entire piece and stop the audience from feeling empathy for the characters or the plot. Grotowski also wanted the audience to gain an emotional connection from the actors as well as receive the message that was being presented however Brecht just wanted to focus on the message itself. 

 

Journal Task-4

Reflection on Artaud-Theatre of Cruelty

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1) What stuck with you? What are you going to remember about this theatre style?

Theatre of Cruelty is very different to Brecht and Epic theatre, as its aim was not to instruct the audience to view the piece in a certain way but aimed to provoke and confront the audience so they could see the harsh, purposelessness in human attitudes and behaviour. Artaud's theatre style unlike both Brecht and Grotowski, emphasises the use of light and sound effects to enhance the performance. He also aimed to appeal to the audiences senses using sensory appeal as he wanted the audience to be completely immersed in the piece. Artaud also believed that the audience should be able to "experience their true selves and recognise and confront their deepest fears". 

 

 

2) What connections can you make between this theatre style and previous styles you have studied?

Brecht and Artaud's theatre styles were very different however they both aimed to involve the audience and prioritised the participation and involvement of the spectator using different techniques. Brecht believed that a man is conditioned by the social, cultural and political experiences they have had, but are still able to be changed if the society as a whole changed. Artaud on the other hand believed that change begins with the individual so he placed the audience in uncomfortable situations an example being the use of sensory appeal to convey what he believed was the 'truth' of human behaviour. Another difference between Brecht/Grotowski and Artaud is in their approach to theatre. Brecht focuses on distancing the audience through alienation, while Artaud wants to place the audience in the centre of the action in a uncomfortable and harsh atmosphere. To maintain the alienation effect Brecht uses elements of the V-effect such as songs, episodic scenes and simplistic costuming, props, lighting and set in order to reduce the amount of empathy the audience felt for the actors individually. The use of staging in Brechtian performances were fairly different to Theatre of Cruelty as Brecht wanted the audience to be aware that they were watching a performance, whereas Artaud demolishes the stage completely and tries to involve the audience in the actual piece as he wanted the actor and the audience to face each other in direct communication. Actors in 'Poor Theatre' and 'Theatre of Cruelty' were both trained using physically demanding excersise's in order for them to execute real emotion on the stage, however unlike Epic theatre Theatre of Cruelty encouraged the actors openly express their emotions. 

 

 

3) List three activities we did in class and how it relates to this theatre style? One of the first activities we did for Artaud was the sensory activity. This was related to Artaud and Theatre of Cruelty as the excursus focused on assaulting the senses. Artaud constantly wanted Theatre of cruelty to hypnotise the audience, putting them into a trance like state, in which they could be shocked into confronting themselves, their way of life, and the meaning of not only their own existence, but human existence as a whole. This activity definitely did 'assault our senses' as there was harsh red lighting, loud, distorted music and unfamiliar unappetising food that we were forced to eat. Another activity we did was when we got into pairs and had to create sound effects using our bodies and voices. These sound effects had to represent a certain mood or atmosphere that was provided to us. I found this excerise quite challenging as I don't really have any vocal talent and couldn't get my voice and body to sound the way I wanted it to. This activity was very important in order to understand the way Theatre of Cruelty was performed for example Artaud called this sound-scape and used it in his performances as he wanted to constantly shock the audience and one of the ways he did this was by stimulating the senses of the audience members. Finally our final performance we had to devise a scene, we decided to portray a mental asylum where the patients would interact with the audience and give them a sense of feeling trapped, lost and alone. To achieve this we destroyed the audience area and immersed the audience directly into the stage this allowed the actors and audience to have direct communication which enhanced our message. We used sensory appeal by having the audience drink vinegar, play creepy music in the background as well as create sound effects using the actors bodies and simple props. This is probably one of my favourite performances we have done so far as I found the characters really interesting and three dimensional as they all had a unique story and persona. 

 

 

 

 

Stanivlaski Reflection

1) What excersises have you engaged in, inspired by Stanislavski's system, to explore an actor's use of their imagination? Stanislavski believed in relaxing the actors before devising a scene so they were able to relieve themselves of their issues and problems they were dealing with as individuals and really focus on their character. Even though I personally think the relaxation excersise was a very clever idea to stimulate thought and have the actors explore their bodies and really focus on themselves and their breathing, it did't seem to work for me. I found that it was too much time as I felt like I was just thinking about other matters and not focusing on developing a character. Another excersise we did was use the 10 commandments to create a realistic 3D character. I found this excersise to be very challenging as over the past few practitioners that we have studied, majority of these have not been realistic therefore I feel I need more time to get comfortable with using realism as my definition of what realistic drama is has been changed. I personally did not find these excersises to be useful as I learn better by geting practical and exploring my character. I also found it to be super challenging that our characters could be from different time periods as my partner Sabrina's character was from the 1800s whereas my character was from the present, therefore when planning out how our characters would meet we focused too much time, when we should have used that time to developing our characters and establising their background and history, and how we would communicate that to the audience. 

 

2) What was effective about your performance? (Did you achieve a realistic scene with realistic characters) No my performance sucked it was absoutely terrible. I wish I choose a character that I could connect with on a personal level rather than a 70 year old, divorced, pinappel bun baker. I feel like since both the characters in my piece were from different time periods and were of contrasting socio-economic class it was very difficult for them to bond and connect on a realisitc level. I personally think this activities were not helpful as I didn't really see the point. I found that the performance fell down because our characters were not very realistic and we also found it hard to engage with our characters and develop them further. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bibliography

http://www.iasj.net/iasj?func=fulltext&aid=58269