The key strategies that were used in the devising process allowed the group to develop a community, individual characters, partner work, techniques and gestures.
The main strategy that had been used throughout semester one and two was Play. “Improvisation uses play to achieve an unforeseen result.” (Callery, 2001, p. 95) The use of play enabled everyone to think with their bodies instead of their minds, nobody spoke during the play sessions and so this allowed everyone to explore their characters physically. When using play as a big group it helped build the foundations for the community and when play was used in pairs, it allowed group members to develop individual characters; emotions were used to build characters instead of building them through speech and written work.
The Clap method was also a key strategy that was used when creating Four Ways to Speak Out. The Clap method enabled the group to devise a piece quickly and efficiently, without talking. By using the Clap method, members of the ensemble were able to contribute as and when they felt like it, without feeling the pressure of having to do something. The Clap method was used to create the ensemble work at the beginning and at the end of Four Ways to Speak Out. As we were all able to contribute freely, it gave the ensemble a sense of community and creating something collectively brought us all together.
My character was created through a letter that I wrote informing people outside the community about the disappearance of the missing woman. When I initially created my character for Four Ways to Speak Out, it felt as if I knew my character really well and I had assumed that my character would progress and develop, but I had no idea that my character and my relationship to the woman would change so dramatically.
My initial character went to college with the missing girl; my character knew the girl quite well and last saw her on New Years Eve.
Throughout the first few weeks my character progressed and I gained greater knowledge about her, however this soon changed.
After working on the bar scene my character had changed week by week along with the content of the bar scene, my character had changed in order to suit the material created. It was only when the narrative was created for Four Ways to Speak Out that I had to completely change my character, as I learnt that she was being abused by her boyfriend and my initial character never knew she had one. Now that I am aware of the narrative and the bar scene is complete, I feel that I have successfully created a new character. My new character knows of the woman, has seen her around but is not close with her and sees her as just ‘another woman’ within the community. I feel that my character does need further development, but this will emerge through the rehearsals. My character also needs to develop a relationship to the community, as I feel that it is not strong enough. I should imagine that this would develop through the ensemble pieces.
At first I found it hard to distinguish my characters physicality from my own, this was due to a lack of focus. Once I began to focus, I found that I was able to let my characters emotions influence the physical gestures. Before I could physically build on my character, I had to gain neutrality. By being in a neutral stance and focusing, I was able to strip away my personal thoughts and behaviours. It was almost as if I became nobody when in neutral and had to start to build up my character.
In the bar scene, my character is drunk and so the movements are very heavy and off balance. My character often slumps and the spine curves which suggests laziness when in fact I am trying to portray having no control over the body.
During the first ensemble section, my character is not afraid of Andy and so the physicality of her does not portray weakness. My character is disgusted with Andy and is not intimidated by him, I show this through my characters stance; straight spine, relaxed shoulders and shifting the body weight from side to side. My character’s gestures and walk are very relaxed and so I have to release all of the tension from my body and relax the muscles. Throughout the performance I try to focus on the use facial expressions as they communicate the emotion of my character.
Bibliography
Callery, D. (2001) Through the body, a practical guide to physical theatre. London: Nick Hern Books.
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