Theorists to think about -Ways to prepare- Movement

1. Theorists to think about-Ways to prepare-Movement Ms Leah Stewart Unit 3A/B Drama Year 12

2. Jerzy Grotowski Born 1933 Poland. Died 1999 Italy

3. Jerzy Grotowski • One of the leading members of the Expressionist theatre movement. • Expressionism - As opposed to having the primary aim of creating theatre to educate (like Brecht), to entertain (like Commedia dell'arte), or to be realistic (like Stanislavski); expressionistic theatre's main aim is to express emotion. • Expressionistic theatre is different from realism - actors will behave how most people wouldn't in real life, their physical and vocal qualities exaggerating their emotions; sets designs will be exaggerated to emphasise the tone of the setting • His work influenced those wishing to change theatre. • Developer of Poor theatre

4. Jerzy Grotowski –Laboratory theatre • Not an actual theatre, although it became the title of a theatre in 1971 (Thirteen Row Theatre in Opole) • Institute that focused on the actor and the movement. • In the 60’s and 70’s the ensemble toured the world showing the new ideas of theatre interpretation – breaking down the barrier between audience and actor. • Purpose was to question the nature of theatre.

5. The actor's first duty is to grasp the fact that nobody here wants to give him anything; instead they plan to take a lot from him, to take away that to which he is usually very attached: his resistance, reticence, his inclination to hide behind masks, his half-heartedness, the obstacles his body places in the way of his creative act, his habits and even his usual "good manners". Jerzy Grotowski’s 9th principle.

6. Poor Theatre • Probably where Jerzy Grotowski is best known. • Poor theatre is not a theatre form or style, it is a method and methodology of actor preparation – like Stanislavski’s system (style Realism) • Wanted there to be a shift from theatre as a competitor and return it to simple roots – actor + audience.

7. Poor Theatre • Actors trained very rigorously and were put through very physical activities to gain total control. • Grotowski stripped away anything that was not necessary in the preparation of a performance – rehearsal blacks were worn, sets were taken away so the focus was on the actor not the ‘image’. • Poor theatre is about elimination – learn by eliminating the barriers to learning, produce art by eliminating unnecessary things, engage audience by eliminating social taboo.

8. Poor Theatre • Grotowski believed that a highly trained actor was sacred. • One of the key figures in developing political theatre in the 20th century – political and social themes in productions. • There are 10 principles for actors to follow in Grotowski’s actor preparation. • Grotowski eventually ended up being propositioned by some of the most prominent companies. He refused.

9. Poor Theatre Grotowski’s aims. • Eliminate, not teach something (Via Negativa). • Enhance that which already exists. • Create all that is needed for the play in the actor's body, with little use of props. • Promote rigorous physical and vocal training of actors • Avoid the beautiful if it does not foster truth

10. Change focus.

11. Movement Theory Meyerhold and Laban (remember him???)

12. Vsevolod Meyerhold • Developer of Biomechanics – for dance and theatre training during the 20’s and 30’s. • Forced underground after Meyerholds execution, emerging semi-secretly in the 70’s. • Biomechanics links "purely" physical training and the application of that physical work to concerns specific to acting.

13. Meyerhold’s Biomechanics • Begins with physical training designed to hone the actors physical instrument. • Each activity requires the actor in training to have a relationship to the space they are in, the actors in their troupe and their own ‘inner’. • Exercises are designed to expand and deepen the actors awareness of what the body is capable of. Assists with creating role. • If the tip of the nose works, the whole body works."V. E. Meyerhold

14. Meyerhold’s Biomechanics • VOCABULARY OF MOVEMENT begins with Excitability. • ExcitabilityExcitability is the ability to realize in feeling, movements and words a task which is prescribed externally. • The coordinated manifistations of excitability together constitute the actor's performance. Each separate manifistation comprises an acting cycle. Each acting cycle comprises three invariable stages: • 1. INTENTION 2. REALIZATION 3. REACTION

15. Rudolph Laban • Laban Movement analysis is a way of classifying and talking about movement. • Very useful in character development and creation – helps to create justification for movement. • Widely used by dancers, athletes, actors, physical therapists and, believe it or not, animation and robotics specialists.

16. Effort Eight combinations of space, weight and time are – Float, Punch, Glide, Slash, Dab, Wring, Flick and Press. All movement can fall into these categories or Efforts.

17. Shape • Modes of shape change are – Shape Flow (relationship of body to itself), Directional (body is directed to an environment – spoke like and arc like), Carving (relationship where body is 3dimensionally interacting with an environment – miming an imaginary object, wringing a towel, kneading bread dough) • Shape quality describes the way the body changes toward a point in environment - Opening (growing larger with more extension) or Closing (growing smaller with more flexion). • Shape flow support – how the torso changes to support the movements.

18. Space • Connection with the environment • Kinesphere: the area that the body is moving within and how the mover is paying attention to it. • Spatial Intention: the directions or points in space that the mover is identifying or using. • Geometrical observations of where the movement is being done, in terms of emphasis of directions, places in space, planar movement, etc.

19. …to think about. • Keep thinking about different approaches to theatre and how they are useful to you. • We are considering different ways of moving and how these are relevant to you • Use these approaches to give direction to your performance movement but also consider their approaches when writing exam responses i.e. the justification of movement. • These theorists can inspire you in your solo creation but can also be used as prep in your practical exam (great for answering questions!)

20. References • http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A7614902 • http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/jerzy-grotowski/the-notion-of-a-%27poor%27-theatre.html • http://owendaly.com/jeff/grotows2.htm • http://web.syr.edu/~kjbaum/meyerholdsbiomechanics.html • http://www.unet.com.mk/mian/english.htm • http://www.vtheatre.net/thr/act.html • is.muni.cz/el/1421/jaro2008/DVT058/Mejerchold.doc?fakulta=1421;obdobi=3704;kod=DVT058 • http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~trott/courses/dra3015s/meyerhol.html • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laban_Movement_Analysis • http://www.statemaster.com/encyclopedia/Laban-Movement-Analysis

21. Ms Leah Stewart leah.stewart@det.wa.edu.au leah.stewart@mindarie.wa.edu.au Tel - 9304 5866 This resource will be on Moodle soon. (Once I can add you all.)