DISCIPLINE
Be punctual.
Listen to instructions carefully.
Don't try, it's either you do it or you don't.
Be quiet and keep your focus when training.
Don't stop to talk/listen.
Explore your own body.
Be agile and efficient, don't waste time.
Don't "huh", just do it and you'll know if it's wrong or right.
Practice regularly on your own.
Be creative.
Be patient. Don't rush to get the end product. It's the process that matters.
In last week's workshop, we played the "Don't let me catch you" game. We learnt to control our muscles and be aware and observe our surroundings. We had to be very accurate in the timing and had to predict the next move we want to make. It involved our senses and muscle control.
We tried isolation exercises - the drinking water exercise. It trained our observation skills. We had to absorb whatever we saw him doing and immediately do the same. Each movement had to be observed in detail and we had to break down the steps such that each muscle movement can be seen clearly. Very tiring, requires alot of concentration and body control.
Walking exercises improved our observation skills and also move along with the tempo of others. We had to make full use of the space and at the same time watch Julius' tempo. We have to catch his movements and tempo fast and react quickly. It tests our reaction speed and focus level.
The 3 exercises we created ourselves have to involve the whole body. It's not all about stretching and endurance.
Physical Theatre requires you to involve your whole body and creativity. You have to explore and imagine!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Working with NSA
I never knew the word "Areas For Improvement" could ever come to bite me in the ass other than during PW, but strangely enough after doing PW for the year you realise that everything has it's takeaway. And that includes our Promotional pieces we had to do.
For one, there is such a thing as over-rehearsing, and this unfortunately accompanies any movement piece one has to do. The line between expressing yourself with emotion through movement and having sharp definite movements to create emotion are two very different things. That's not to say everyone should stay away from Movement, no. Just be reminded that motivations of movement still apply, as much as motivations for all characters in any dramatic performance. I think my group took too long to choreograph movements and this inevitably led to us getting sick of our own piece, seeing as how we had to rehearse it over and over again to get movements right.
Secondly, never think that theatre traditions are rubbish. They aren't, because without them, you'd be as clueless as to how to even begin defining what your piece is. Choose something that is enduring, something that is applicable even to today's theatre practitioners. In that way, applications can be made easier, and justifications are more sensible based on what traditions you have chosen to follow. Don't try avant-garde crap for promotionals - because that usually entails alot of thinking about what is it you want to say. Choose something stable. That's not to say don't take risks, but don't be too reckless either.
Above all, KEEP THE CONCEPT SIMPLE. I don't think I can stress this enough. I think we all learnt this the hard way when we decided to do something that sounded really promising on paper and different in performance. Simplicity allows for themes, issues, performance intentions to come out easily and effectively. Hiding one simple lesson beneath layers of interpretation and metaphor is not going to help anyone, least of all the examiner. If they cannot understand your piece, then God help you.
I'm sorry if reflections seem as short, but for me these are the lessons that stood out the most strongly towards the end. I am thankful for not having a group that is fraught with conflict (except for the first part), and thankfully enough no one decided to poison anyone else's waterbottle.
The people I worked with have different working styles, and granted the most important thing in keeping a group together is to have structure. It sounds really conformist, but having a sense of order and regularity will allow your members to expect what happens next, so no one runs around like a headless chicken. Clearly define roles, deadlines, announcements, so that no one is left with vague instructions. Above all, realise that your members are not machines. They have lives too, so accomodate meeting times as best as you can to their school days. TSD is not the only H2 subject all of us offer.
For one, there is such a thing as over-rehearsing, and this unfortunately accompanies any movement piece one has to do. The line between expressing yourself with emotion through movement and having sharp definite movements to create emotion are two very different things. That's not to say everyone should stay away from Movement, no. Just be reminded that motivations of movement still apply, as much as motivations for all characters in any dramatic performance. I think my group took too long to choreograph movements and this inevitably led to us getting sick of our own piece, seeing as how we had to rehearse it over and over again to get movements right.
Secondly, never think that theatre traditions are rubbish. They aren't, because without them, you'd be as clueless as to how to even begin defining what your piece is. Choose something that is enduring, something that is applicable even to today's theatre practitioners. In that way, applications can be made easier, and justifications are more sensible based on what traditions you have chosen to follow. Don't try avant-garde crap for promotionals - because that usually entails alot of thinking about what is it you want to say. Choose something stable. That's not to say don't take risks, but don't be too reckless either.
Above all, KEEP THE CONCEPT SIMPLE. I don't think I can stress this enough. I think we all learnt this the hard way when we decided to do something that sounded really promising on paper and different in performance. Simplicity allows for themes, issues, performance intentions to come out easily and effectively. Hiding one simple lesson beneath layers of interpretation and metaphor is not going to help anyone, least of all the examiner. If they cannot understand your piece, then God help you.
I'm sorry if reflections seem as short, but for me these are the lessons that stood out the most strongly towards the end. I am thankful for not having a group that is fraught with conflict (except for the first part), and thankfully enough no one decided to poison anyone else's waterbottle.
The people I worked with have different working styles, and granted the most important thing in keeping a group together is to have structure. It sounds really conformist, but having a sense of order and regularity will allow your members to expect what happens next, so no one runs around like a headless chicken. Clearly define roles, deadlines, announcements, so that no one is left with vague instructions. Above all, realise that your members are not machines. They have lives too, so accomodate meeting times as best as you can to their school days. TSD is not the only H2 subject all of us offer.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Working with M&Ms
These points are either some of my lessons learnt, or i have a very strong opinion/view towards it, and i think my members and other people should learn too.
1. I learnt that we should always believe in what we do, and not compare ourselves with others. We must understand that no human beings are perfect. We cant judege ourselves as 'lousy' just because we saw other groups are good. This is definitely WRONG! And just because you see someone/other groups is doing better than you, does that mean that you have to give up on what you do?! That was the case for my group, as we changed the skills many times, after learning that other groups were doing much more better than us in terms of movements! We shall not compare ourselves with others!!!
2. I learnt that we must always put aside friendship and professionalism when it comes to TSD. Within a group, once there is a rehearsal or meeting, the attitude we have for each other SHOULD NOT be the attitude we have as friends. It will be hard for a person to scold/reprimand his/her(i shall not mention names) friend, because professionalism is not there, as there is always this barrier of friednship which sometimes is hard to make someone scold his/her friend for mistakes done. ( you guys get what i mean?)
3. I learnt that in order for a member to be respected by other members, he/she must first learn to respect his/her members. In TSD, there is often quarrels and disagreements. However, quarrels and feuds should not go to the extent of humiliating someone, or having a certain biasness towards other members. This will cause members within the group to not respect you. Personally, i was often shouted at for the slightest 'mistake'(which i dont think is a mistake at all) by someone in my group(i shall not mention name). Although i dont show it on the outside that i really dislike the manner in which i was treated, it affected my perceptions towards that person.
So people, learn to say right thing to your members and do not act harshly. Your reputation will be cahnged FOREVER! Learn to respect your friend's dignity too! I believe in KARMA!
4. I learnt that as a member of the group, we as an individual must have our own stand on certain stuff/decisions. We must not always follow what your friends say, because your friends may not be right/true. This means that you are undecisive and always foloowing what others say, although you may not know whether the person is right or wrong.
5. I learnt that group DS is a task that should be kept KIS (keep it simple). Looking at other groups DS, i realize that DS should not so complicated and sophisticated. I am really happy that my group did mime, OMG, if not we would have died. ( Chinese Opera?!! NO! lol haha)
6. I learnt that for skills that require movements, we must not talk so much, but rather do the movements, so that we are able to explore different moves and gestures that you would not have thought of. Its really a wonder to know how maginificent your body can be.
7. I learnt that keeping to dealines and submissions are important. Basically, punctuality. It is not just about punctuality in work, but also in attendance, for rehearsals and meetings. It is really NOT FAIR to come late for almost all the rehearsals when others are early. This will cause a waste of time and dragging other back.
8. Lastly, as a leader(i was 'forced' to), i learnt that giving the specific roles in the group is essential for the development of the play. Specialisation allows others to focus on specific tasks and thus allows effienciency in the work. This is my first time being a leader in a TSD group. I would say i was a bit pressurized at first, because soemtimes i dont really know how to initiate things. However, slowly i roughly know how to handle it as i go with the flow. However, i think that other members of the group should help the leader in all ways, and not discourage him/her a leader to achieve better results in the future. To me, being a leader has shaped me into a stronger person, both emotionally and socially. Emotionally because the process required me to really contain my emotions although i badly want to let it go so much sometimes. It made me realize that there will definitely be more challenges ahead, and you may even find a more difficult person to work with in the future. Socially because it expands my understanding and knowings about the members in my group. Before i was a member with them, i know them in a certain way, but after this experience, i know them even deeper. When you work closely with someone, all the stuff you do not know about the person slowly reveals itself,be it the personality character etc....
My lessons learnt shall end here. The message here are not meant to cause hurt or anger in anyone. These are just some of my strong opinions and views. THX for reading!
1. I learnt that we should always believe in what we do, and not compare ourselves with others. We must understand that no human beings are perfect. We cant judege ourselves as 'lousy' just because we saw other groups are good. This is definitely WRONG! And just because you see someone/other groups is doing better than you, does that mean that you have to give up on what you do?! That was the case for my group, as we changed the skills many times, after learning that other groups were doing much more better than us in terms of movements! We shall not compare ourselves with others!!!
2. I learnt that we must always put aside friendship and professionalism when it comes to TSD. Within a group, once there is a rehearsal or meeting, the attitude we have for each other SHOULD NOT be the attitude we have as friends. It will be hard for a person to scold/reprimand his/her(i shall not mention names) friend, because professionalism is not there, as there is always this barrier of friednship which sometimes is hard to make someone scold his/her friend for mistakes done. ( you guys get what i mean?)
3. I learnt that in order for a member to be respected by other members, he/she must first learn to respect his/her members. In TSD, there is often quarrels and disagreements. However, quarrels and feuds should not go to the extent of humiliating someone, or having a certain biasness towards other members. This will cause members within the group to not respect you. Personally, i was often shouted at for the slightest 'mistake'(which i dont think is a mistake at all) by someone in my group(i shall not mention name). Although i dont show it on the outside that i really dislike the manner in which i was treated, it affected my perceptions towards that person.
So people, learn to say right thing to your members and do not act harshly. Your reputation will be cahnged FOREVER! Learn to respect your friend's dignity too! I believe in KARMA!
4. I learnt that as a member of the group, we as an individual must have our own stand on certain stuff/decisions. We must not always follow what your friends say, because your friends may not be right/true. This means that you are undecisive and always foloowing what others say, although you may not know whether the person is right or wrong.
5. I learnt that group DS is a task that should be kept KIS (keep it simple). Looking at other groups DS, i realize that DS should not so complicated and sophisticated. I am really happy that my group did mime, OMG, if not we would have died. ( Chinese Opera?!! NO! lol haha)
6. I learnt that for skills that require movements, we must not talk so much, but rather do the movements, so that we are able to explore different moves and gestures that you would not have thought of. Its really a wonder to know how maginificent your body can be.
7. I learnt that keeping to dealines and submissions are important. Basically, punctuality. It is not just about punctuality in work, but also in attendance, for rehearsals and meetings. It is really NOT FAIR to come late for almost all the rehearsals when others are early. This will cause a waste of time and dragging other back.
8. Lastly, as a leader(i was 'forced' to), i learnt that giving the specific roles in the group is essential for the development of the play. Specialisation allows others to focus on specific tasks and thus allows effienciency in the work. This is my first time being a leader in a TSD group. I would say i was a bit pressurized at first, because soemtimes i dont really know how to initiate things. However, slowly i roughly know how to handle it as i go with the flow. However, i think that other members of the group should help the leader in all ways, and not discourage him/her a leader to achieve better results in the future. To me, being a leader has shaped me into a stronger person, both emotionally and socially. Emotionally because the process required me to really contain my emotions although i badly want to let it go so much sometimes. It made me realize that there will definitely be more challenges ahead, and you may even find a more difficult person to work with in the future. Socially because it expands my understanding and knowings about the members in my group. Before i was a member with them, i know them in a certain way, but after this experience, i know them even deeper. When you work closely with someone, all the stuff you do not know about the person slowly reveals itself,be it the personality character etc....
My lessons learnt shall end here. The message here are not meant to cause hurt or anger in anyone. These are just some of my strong opinions and views. THX for reading!
Reflection- Experience with WereRojak...
TONS of learning points-
1) WORK WITH STRENGTHS- There is a need to work with the members strenghts. Its vital for the group. Roles have to be divide in a way such that members are comfortable with what they have been assigned.
2) NEED TO KEEP PPL IN CHECK- Yet, these members have to be kept in check, as their passion may lead them off the path that had been previously set.
3) START STRONG EARLY- The future of the piece is unclear, one can never predict what it will turn into. BUT, there is a need to start with a concept early, a strong one that wil last through.
4) THE STORY IS THE KEY- One must on begin with the structure, as theatre is all about the message. Starting with the structure is not wrong, but there are dangers that the message and intention will not be brought out.
5) WORKING HABITS- There is a need to work with other peoples working habits and what they prefer. This may not be to the groupos advantage, but people wil have to take note of it and then work around it. Division of roles should be done according to this.
6) COMMUNICATION- is VITAL to the piece, and conflits are deadly. Being proffesional is a key thing i learnt to do and also learnt the impact and results when this was not practised.
7) WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, KEEP AWAY!- Bonding time is necessary, even though we work around a tight schedule. BUT, when people cant stand each other, keep them away from each other. Bonding does not help.
8) ROLE REQUIREMENT- When in a group, roles have to be clearly defined. If not fulfilled, others should come in immediately to help out, but the person in charge will have to voice out for help, the group leader also has to be alert for any SOS's being sent out.
9) AN ANGEL FOR EVERYONE- There always has to be someone to keep another person in check. Each member should have someone assigned to them (with respect to the fields they are incharge of) so they can 'take care' or give a 3rd persons perspective rather.
10) DRAMATURGE- I learnt what being a Dramaturge was like.. It wasnt fun.. but it was enjoyable and a tremendously enriching experience.
1) WORK WITH STRENGTHS- There is a need to work with the members strenghts. Its vital for the group. Roles have to be divide in a way such that members are comfortable with what they have been assigned.
2) NEED TO KEEP PPL IN CHECK- Yet, these members have to be kept in check, as their passion may lead them off the path that had been previously set.
3) START STRONG EARLY- The future of the piece is unclear, one can never predict what it will turn into. BUT, there is a need to start with a concept early, a strong one that wil last through.
4) THE STORY IS THE KEY- One must on begin with the structure, as theatre is all about the message. Starting with the structure is not wrong, but there are dangers that the message and intention will not be brought out.
5) WORKING HABITS- There is a need to work with other peoples working habits and what they prefer. This may not be to the groupos advantage, but people wil have to take note of it and then work around it. Division of roles should be done according to this.
6) COMMUNICATION- is VITAL to the piece, and conflits are deadly. Being proffesional is a key thing i learnt to do and also learnt the impact and results when this was not practised.
7) WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, KEEP AWAY!- Bonding time is necessary, even though we work around a tight schedule. BUT, when people cant stand each other, keep them away from each other. Bonding does not help.
8) ROLE REQUIREMENT- When in a group, roles have to be clearly defined. If not fulfilled, others should come in immediately to help out, but the person in charge will have to voice out for help, the group leader also has to be alert for any SOS's being sent out.
9) AN ANGEL FOR EVERYONE- There always has to be someone to keep another person in check. Each member should have someone assigned to them (with respect to the fields they are incharge of) so they can 'take care' or give a 3rd persons perspective rather.
10) DRAMATURGE- I learnt what being a Dramaturge was like.. It wasnt fun.. but it was enjoyable and a tremendously enriching experience.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
OhHowDoWeCountMuscleAches?
Physical Theatre Workshop Part ONE.
It was really a blast; an eye-opener; a seemingly unreasonable one too!
To start off the session, we were asked to “do a forward row and a cartwheel without stopping”. Okay. The first thought that came to mind for almost everyone was, “Oh no I can’t do it” or for me? “Oh no! I’ve not been doing this for the past godknowshowlong and I’m scared that I can’t do it!”
And so everyone did. Incredible yeah? Some better than the others; but we all completed the task. Well, he used that to illustrate his point to “just do it”. Never wait and ponder about how do we do the given task but just get straight to hands-on work and focus on perfecting it.
We went on to having an ice-breaker. Well, not really so. Just an exercise to help the instructor get to know us better. Through that, we also knew more about each other; why did we ended up in the same class together! Okay I shall skip this part.
He posed us some questions about theatre and physical theatre especially. Questions like:
• What’s the “Readiness of Mind”?
• What’s the difference between film acting and theatre acting?
That was to get us started in our journey onto Physical theatre. Well, no answers need to be given. Just think about it. =)
We came out with 5 initial rules to begin with:
• Silence;
• Punctuality;
• Respect;
• Listen;
• Honesty.
We went onto the task of feeling each others’ rhythm. That’s to start and stop with the leader without being late yet doing the same thing as he / she (in this case, the instructor) is doing. This one I must admit that I can’t follow… yet. Frankly speaking, I think everyone’s basing it on sight. Noticing the leaders’ actions then reacting to it. Right? So he gave us more tasks and that’s to make sure our footsteps doesn’t make a sound, and at the same time, ensure that the space is evenly distributed with people. Now that’s the tough one; multi-tasking and 100% alertness. xP
Tedious as it may be, we tried to catch each others’ tempo and work with spaces. The question that was ringing in my mind was “dang how long will this last.” I know I’ve drifted elsewhere. =x But basing on the previous lesson learnt about “just do it”, we all did.
Exercises!! The fun part!! Okay, I take back my words; the a little boring one.
We were each tasked to come out with 3 different static exercises that’d help us in different ways as an actor. And so we did. Most of us emphasized on stretching. The most common form of exercises picked was pumping and ma3bu4 (马步). I was expecting him to actually ask us individually about how our chosen “exercises” can help us in the little different ways as an actor. Oh my, that’s a little tough. But to my surprise, he didn’t. He merely took a look at it and see if it’s feasible (to hold in that position for as long as time can tell). According to him, movements and exercising is the same. There must be life in everything that we do and we must be able to sustain it no matter how long. We must encompass different movements into the exercises (or stretches) that we’ve chosen and present it so that others’ will see life. To him, self-belief is very important in this field. We believe in all that we can do; and we do it. So we were asked to present the 3 exercises individually. I believe he was accessing our skills so as to evaluate whether we’ve chosen the right exercises to do and all (whether we are able to sustain in that position for a long time). Or so I assume.
And then comes the confusing part. He’ve tasked us to come out with 3 static exercises when in the end, he’d asked for dynamic actions that’s filled with life. The first thing that came to my mind was, “Huh? How can static be dynamic and lively?” Then it all boils down to the idea of just doing it. And so I did. Guess what came after? Muscle cramps. xP
Still images were a must. We were split into two groups; A and B. We each give themes to work with for each other. They’re mostly impromptu. We were given an initial theme of having a “centre piece in a museum”.
The trick to this was to be the first; “The first person to take the first step gets the easiest job.” The main objective of this game was, I believe, to relate the poses that we gave to a certain theme. Most probably and to also test our skills on choosing a suitable pose to hold for a long period of time – say 10 mins?
All in all, I’ve enjoyed the first practical session with him!! =D
and If I’m not wrong, his (instructor) name is Julius. xP
It was really a blast; an eye-opener; a seemingly unreasonable one too!
To start off the session, we were asked to “do a forward row and a cartwheel without stopping”. Okay. The first thought that came to mind for almost everyone was, “Oh no I can’t do it” or for me? “Oh no! I’ve not been doing this for the past godknowshowlong and I’m scared that I can’t do it!”
And so everyone did. Incredible yeah? Some better than the others; but we all completed the task. Well, he used that to illustrate his point to “just do it”. Never wait and ponder about how do we do the given task but just get straight to hands-on work and focus on perfecting it.
We went on to having an ice-breaker. Well, not really so. Just an exercise to help the instructor get to know us better. Through that, we also knew more about each other; why did we ended up in the same class together! Okay I shall skip this part.
He posed us some questions about theatre and physical theatre especially. Questions like:
• What’s the “Readiness of Mind”?
• What’s the difference between film acting and theatre acting?
That was to get us started in our journey onto Physical theatre. Well, no answers need to be given. Just think about it. =)
We came out with 5 initial rules to begin with:
• Silence;
• Punctuality;
• Respect;
• Listen;
• Honesty.
We went onto the task of feeling each others’ rhythm. That’s to start and stop with the leader without being late yet doing the same thing as he / she (in this case, the instructor) is doing. This one I must admit that I can’t follow… yet. Frankly speaking, I think everyone’s basing it on sight. Noticing the leaders’ actions then reacting to it. Right? So he gave us more tasks and that’s to make sure our footsteps doesn’t make a sound, and at the same time, ensure that the space is evenly distributed with people. Now that’s the tough one; multi-tasking and 100% alertness. xP
Tedious as it may be, we tried to catch each others’ tempo and work with spaces. The question that was ringing in my mind was “dang how long will this last.” I know I’ve drifted elsewhere. =x But basing on the previous lesson learnt about “just do it”, we all did.
Exercises!! The fun part!! Okay, I take back my words; the a little boring one.
We were each tasked to come out with 3 different static exercises that’d help us in different ways as an actor. And so we did. Most of us emphasized on stretching. The most common form of exercises picked was pumping and ma3bu4 (马步). I was expecting him to actually ask us individually about how our chosen “exercises” can help us in the little different ways as an actor. Oh my, that’s a little tough. But to my surprise, he didn’t. He merely took a look at it and see if it’s feasible (to hold in that position for as long as time can tell). According to him, movements and exercising is the same. There must be life in everything that we do and we must be able to sustain it no matter how long. We must encompass different movements into the exercises (or stretches) that we’ve chosen and present it so that others’ will see life. To him, self-belief is very important in this field. We believe in all that we can do; and we do it. So we were asked to present the 3 exercises individually. I believe he was accessing our skills so as to evaluate whether we’ve chosen the right exercises to do and all (whether we are able to sustain in that position for a long time). Or so I assume.
And then comes the confusing part. He’ve tasked us to come out with 3 static exercises when in the end, he’d asked for dynamic actions that’s filled with life. The first thing that came to my mind was, “Huh? How can static be dynamic and lively?” Then it all boils down to the idea of just doing it. And so I did. Guess what came after? Muscle cramps. xP
Still images were a must. We were split into two groups; A and B. We each give themes to work with for each other. They’re mostly impromptu. We were given an initial theme of having a “centre piece in a museum”.
The trick to this was to be the first; “The first person to take the first step gets the easiest job.” The main objective of this game was, I believe, to relate the poses that we gave to a certain theme. Most probably and to also test our skills on choosing a suitable pose to hold for a long period of time – say 10 mins?
All in all, I’ve enjoyed the first practical session with him!! =D
and If I’m not wrong, his (instructor) name is Julius. xP
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)