Currently the cast of Back Bog Beast Bait is on a three week rehearsal hiatus due to conflicts with other shows and spring break. We’re definitely going to have to make up for lost time but this recess has really been a blessing in disguise for me. Now that we have the bare bones of our blocking set up there are so many other layers that we need to add to give this show the depth it deserves. I’ve been using this time to implement my Cajun accent, practice minor chords on my ukulele, choreograph rituals, and collect things for my gris-gris bag. Having the personal time to prepare these vital additions without the pressure of trying to learn them during rehearsal has been fantastic. I’ve been given the chance to prepare enough so these things can become second nature and I can focus on my objectives, tactics, and fellow players during scene work.
March 2010
7 posts
Hit up this link to a video of the Class of 2013 engaging in a rowdy viewpointing session. This was our warm up right before the Thursday, March 11 showing of the Myth Projects.
Viewpointing is a technique of improvisation that provides a vocabulary defining dramatic space and time. Originally developed in the 1970s by choreographer Mary Overlie, the theory was adapted for stage acting by director Anne Bogart of the City Company. Bogart further developed the system into 9 categories when her former teacher, Overlie had only invented 5 (space, time, emotion, story, architecture).
Viewpoints of Time:
tempo - rate of speed
duration - length of time over which an action takes place
kinesthetic response - following impulse (any shift in the room creates a change in me)
Viewpoints of Space:
spatial relationship - energy and distance between two individuals or groups
shape - contour of your body in space
gesture - any movement with a clear beginning, middle and end
(behavioral gesture) - belongs to the real world (public & private)
(expressive gesture) - embodies pure emotion or psychological state of a character
topography - floor pattern
architecture - having a dynamic relationship with the space your working in (structure, objects, color, texture, shadow and light)
repetition - repetition of any viewpoint on stage
In a viewpointing session all of the viewpoints are in use. The point of the exercise is to learn how to play and to not be afraid of where your body takes you. Come into the session with an open mind and let the room change you. Follow your impulses and let your emotions, whatever they may be, manifest in your movement.
Follow this link to a video of the opening of the Myth Projects. Set to “Good Times Gonna Come” by Aqua Lung.
We conclude the song with the theatre department staple, the group clap. We use this unison gesture in class to acknowledge a performance or great work completed by the acting community.
