AATE 2008 CONFERENCE, ATLANTA, GEORGIA

JULY 23-27, 2008

Transforming Text And Other Sources Into Image-Movement Theatre

Presenter: Glenys McQueen-Fuentes

Soundtrack Performance Group

Tel. 905-682-8593

Hello everyone!

I want to take this opportunity to say what a wonderful time I had at the AATE Conference…and most especially, at the workshop with you. Here, below, is an outline of what we did. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, want more info, etc.

CHAIR WARM-UP

(in circles, in chairs in rows, etc.)

[when is a chair NOT a chair…connecting voice, emotions, and body]

· Polish seat of chair/ then back of chair by wiggling vigourously

· Insert curricular or theatrical content: polish chair…“like lava flowing down the mountain”, or “as if you were the thoughts Hamlet had at seeing his father’s ghost”, etc, etc.

· Temper tantrum: pound floor with feet, pound knees with fists

· Throw things and yell at those across circle from you

· Slow motion & silent scream version (if noise an issue, or for greater challenge)

· HELLO to best friend variations on above: wave frenetically; do slo-mo variations

· Dance variations: a) Ukranian: on edge of chair, kick right leg high up as you fall against back of chair, flinging arms open and wide, yelling “Heh”; bring both legs back together, knees bent & feet on floor as you sit back up on edge of chair and clap with hands; kick left leg up, etc. Repeat. b) Chorus-line: sit on edge of chair; as you extend rt leg out to side, open arms wide & shout “Da-Dah!”; return both legs together, bent with both feet together on floor as you clap; extend left leg, arms wide, etc. Repeat.

· Thinker: leg crossing and variations. Sit on front edge of chair. Cross legs and take "The Thinker" position. Accompanied by a great sigh (or other appropriate vocalization). To "think", lift arms straight up in air and stretch legs straight out at seat level, then switch to having the other leg crossed. Repeat, increasing speed and altering "transition stretch". Think BIG ideas--the "aha" is huge, with legs as high in air as possible. Do same idea, slouching with back against chair back and with arms and legs crossed, then switch.

· Snakes or "What's Under the chair" variations: feet lift off floor, and "run" as fast as possible; or lying on sides balanced on hip and with shoulders and feet streched out sideways. This can also be done lying on stomach or arching over on back (careful here).

· Around The World. Pick up feet and using arms to pull yourself around to do a circle on your seat.[if in desks, have students put white sheet of paper on each desk. Challenge is to “go round the world” without touching the paper!].

· students will think of a million more variations to do.

VERB/ IMAGE CHAINS [Lecoq base]

This exercise is the best way to teach any process, system, plot, series of events, concepts, etc. for general educational purposes…and the most effective way of transforming any source into image-movement theatre for performance purposes. It is also excellent for language teaching, as the active verbs you choose must be dramatic, as well as effective.

“If you extract the verbs or images from any action, idea, event, etc., you will have a dynamic, dramatic movement text.” (Jacques Lecoq, class.1970).

1) Group circle: The Gesture Step

· “brushing teeth” as example

· Extracting major “dramatic” verbs/images [note strength of voice/gesture connection]

· Changing Roles/ ‘Abstracting’: switching point of view from “doer” to “done to.” [do “swish” from toothpaste point of view]

· Universal choreography: realizing we already know the dance [toothpaste tube; gargling] because the world choreographs itself all around us: we only need to observe and recreate it.

2) Small Groups: The ‘Abstract’ Movement Step

· Choosing the source & extracting the main verbs/ images [we used “events from the kitchen”]

· Prepare the full-body choreographic equivalents [use individual, collective or combination].

· Groups movement-discuss verb chain’s dramatic atmosphere[s]/ narrative/drama

· Be sure presentation has: a) structure: strong beginning & ending image; b) clear overall dramatic atmosphere

· This pre-determined dramatic atmosphere becomes basis for requesting accompanying music.

· Groups will present one at a time.

♫ Add appropriate mood music according to dramatic atmosphere requested.

[Soundtrack Performance Group Library of Dramatic Atmospheres used for this]

· Possible Variations: Mix & Match

· ♫ using; a) ‘opposite’ or b) random music selectionsà interaction with music

Extensions: into writing, painting, sculpting, storymaking, storytelling, soundscapes.

GREEK CHORUS DEMONSTRATION

This is a short demonstration to illustrate the power that results from having a group of people (whether in close proximity, or even separated) move exactly the same way, at the same time. It is also an excellent introduction to “Flocking” (see below).

· Ask for a group of about 5 volunteers to stand, “clumped,” (i.e. not in a straight line or in neat rows) close but not touching. Explain that the person who is in a position to be visible to the majority of the group will be the “leader” until the movement directions cause someone else to be in that role of “most visible”—at which time, the “leader” automatically changes.

· DIRECTIONSà ask demonstration group to… “follow ‘X’ as you slowly turn your head from looking straight forward to looking sideways to the left (head will move in a quarter circle).”

· Once all are looking sideways, following the “leader” (which may now have changed), and bending from the ankles (without bending waists, or sticking seats out), have them lean slightly to the left (same direction as they are facing)…

· Keeping their gazes to the left, have them return their bodies from the left-leaning position to “centre normal” and continue leaning through to the right…

· Give other directions…lift an arm and point to something…look up…look down…kneel…lean gently forward…lean backward, etc., etc., then change demonstration group members so the rest of the group can see the effect.

♫ NOTE: you can add slow mood-based MUSIC to these demonstrations, to help jump-start

ideas for using these effects in performance occasions.

FLOCKING

This is based on Lecoq’s use of Nature as a source for theatre and training, as well as Greek chorus work. Lecoq’s nature sources included: schools of fish, flocks of birds, clouds of insects, fields of wheat in the wind, waves in the water, etc.

· WHAT IT IS: This is a group movement exercise that can involve any number of participants, divided up into small-to-medium-sized groups.

· FLOCKING FOR PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS: this exercise is ideal for group performance situations, as well as for classroom learning.

· WHAT TO DO: The basic rule for flockingà whomever is positioned so that (s)he can be seen by the entire group (or large majority of them), accepts the leadership role until the group position or direction alters, which causes an alternate leader to emerge, etc. As with the sources mentioned above (fish, birds, wheat in wind, water), the leadership role is fluid and evolves naturally.

TEACHING BREAKDOWNà

· SIMPLE DEMONSTRATION: invite 5 participants to help demonstrate. Have them clump close together, but not touching. Have audience determine which person would be the initial leader due to his/her position in the group. Without moving forward, have demonstration group simply turn a few inches to the left or right, to see how the leader changes because a new person within the group is now in a position of maximum visibility for the others. Have them turn a few more degrees, and see how the leadership position again alters.

♫ NOTE: once movement is added to the groups, add slow mood-based MUSIC as guide and helper for all future flocking variations. The music helps participants by suggesting specific moods to work with or against, as well as supporting unified, cooperative group movement.

· ADDING MOVEMENTS TO FLOCKING: Once the shifting leadership role is clear, have demonstration group move around, with each new leader adding an arm, torso, or head, movement, or specific step or dip that is their contribution to the flocking. CAUTION: as will soon be evident, the emerging leader’s movement contribution must be simple enough to be seen or heard, or otherwise quickly understood by his/her flock, or the formation and flow will be lost.

· ALL GROUPS AT ONCE: Once the demonstration has finished (and try and keep it very short), have all participants form into groups of 5-7 people. Let them move all at once, with the proviso that one of their jobs is to “watch out for other groups”. Remind them that remaining “on the spot” may be a requisite choice at times, to avoid bumping into each other.

♫ NOTE: one of the most effective ways of helping groups alter the tone, mood, attitude, context of their flocking work is to change the music they are working to: different selections will have very different moodsà and the groups will respond accordingly.

· CONTEXTUALIZING: stampeding animals, armies, mobs, etc. The role of leadership as evolving, emerging “naturally” or “just happening”, not being planned (c.f. heroic acts or deedsà are they “planned”, or do they just “happen” according to the need of the moment??) Also, mob or large group energy/activitiesà revolutions, swarmings, lynchings, lemmings, etc. The role/importance of flocking in human history; gd chance to work on peer pressure, going “against the flow or grain”

· Also, think of rain, or aurora borealis, or forest fires, or tornadoes, or lava, or tsunamis in terms of “flocking,” or if you say “Think of…: clouds in a thunderstorm”, or “digestion”, or “breaking out of a cocoon”, or “Hamlet’s indecision”, or “a character’s emotional journey”, or “X’s working up to his/her moment of decision”, these suggestions will create automatic changes in how/why/what groups do.