Well, I can't believe I haven't updated my blog since February the 25th! There have been a lot going on in this period! .. thanks God that I keep notes of whatever I do that really interest me!
I already blogged about our work with puppetry! We continue to discover this new world, in future classes by doing brief presentation each, about:
¨ Malian puppetry: Hadi
¨ Punch and Judy: Sara and Mauricio
¨ Marionettes: Gugu
¨ Bunraku: Belen and Lucio
¨ Abhinav: Shadow Puppetry
¨ Ventriloquism: Mauricio
Again, the shadow puppetry workshop we did with Sutrisno about Java Traditional Shadow Puppetry was amazing! It showed to me a new dimension that I never focus on before.
After talking about Research Investigations, we actually started doing a simulation of RI presenting to our classmates during class time, for an average of 20 to 30 minutes.
¨ Abhinav introduced Kathakali. What is gained? How important is the preparation for the actors and how accurate is the selection of costumes and the makeup, connected to the facial expression, which tells a lot about the characters and the message they are sending. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathakali)
Brecht was interested in Traditional Oriental Theater, because it is about story that the audiences already know about and heard and saw performed so many time. But still, the storyteller, the story itself and all the different elements that create the performance have to be able to surprise the audience and bring out a new aspect every time!
¨ Mauricio introduced Butho to us. A completely different style of theater that combine many elements. Starting from the message they are sending, since it originated in Japan after the WW2; interesting is also how the actors have to be gifted also by being able to dance, do acrobatic movement, be coordinated, act, and send a message (facial expression), all at the same time. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butoh)
Workshop: disconnect our body form our brain, and be possessed by a superior force, who give us commands. See how we all go back to the birth position when we come back to reality, after we have been possessed, and fall down by realizing our body from this possession.
¨ Strongly connected to German expressionism, might be my RI!
¨ CIRCUS: Lucio
Cirque du soleil. When the acrobats are performing, they are still acting, telling a story (facial and body expression).
Connection with: vaudeville/burlesque, commedia dell’arte, clowning, mime, circus, butoh, sometimes shadow puppetry, … the directors see theatre style all over the world and take the influence from all the different theatre genre and make something beautiful and unique (do it also for my IP).
¨ MIME: Hadi
Workshop: how you really have to use your imagination in order to do a good mime!
¨ Kabuki: Gugu and Belen
I enjoyed my presentation so much!!
First of all, me and Belen, where the only people who worked together as a group. The last time I worked with Laura for the second year production, even if we end up doing a good job, it was really challenging. I couldn’t figure out whether or not it was partly my fault, so I challenged myself again, in order to see if working on theater as a couple with somebody else and WE END UP DOING A GREAT JOB! We worked harmoniously and I guess our presentation was good as well, but even if it wasn’t, I enjoyed working on Kabuki. Generally, people who are not familiar to this form of theater, has the impression that Kabuki is rather esoteric and difficult to comprehend. Nevertheless, if you go to a Kabuki theater several times and freely sink yourself into the atmosphere of Kabuki without any preconceptions that Kabuki represents a classical, traditional theatrical art of Japan, you will be surprise to find yourself fascinated and in love with this unique stage presentation. THIS IS WHAT I LEARNED BY STUDYING THIS BEAUTIFUL FORM OF THEATER AND THIS IS WHAT I TRIED TO SEND TO MY CLASS MATES.
We talked about:
- Kabuki in general, colors in Kabuki, Mie, Onnagata, Aragato, Kumadori, Hanamichi, Odugu, Kodogu, Kurogo, Nureba and Yakuzukuri.
¨ Melodrama: Sara (I was sick :C) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melodrama)
The 18th of April, after One World 2011 dress rehearsal, me, some of my theater classmates, second year theater students and Libby, went at the Metro Studio to see The Last 15 Seconds. The Last 15 Seconds is a play about terrorism. It raises the question of why would anyone strap a bomb to their body and kill themselves along with others. It is a play about responsibility. Who is responsible? Do the victims hold no responsibility? What is our responsibility as we witness such stories?It touched me both emotionally and intellectually; it’s very moving; I felt to learn more about the underlying politics of the Middle East.
It was simply amazing! The stage was bare with just a background of hanging clothes (inspiration for an eventual stage set); the acting was so good, truthful, but of course amateur. (Sometimes, the actors immobilized themselves in the stage or did “matrix” movement, inspiration) Nothing to say about the writing! Genius.
Another experience I feel like I have to journal is the workshop we had Monday the 28th of March 2011 with Tim Goesley.
Tim Gosley is a Canadian puppeteer who is primarily known for his work on numerous Muppet productions. He began his career portraying several minor characters on the television program Fraggle Rock from 1983-1987. He then began portraying Basil the polar bear on Sesame Park, the Canadian version of Sesame Street, a role he performed regularly for nine seasons.
In 1985 Gosley was the puppeteer for Honker in the film Sesame Street Presents: Follow that Bird. His other television and film credits include The Argon Quest, Blizzard Island, Iris the Happy Professor, Basil Hears a Noise, and Caillou. He has also worked as a writer for the animated television series Fix and Foxi.In 2003, Gosley won a Gemini Award for best preschool puppet performance. He has also presented several shadow puppet performances and has toured with his one-man puppet show version of The Ugly Duckling.
Tim Goesley presented to us his job and, honestly, I expected we would have spent most of our time talking about puppetry and the Muppet (that I didn’t really follow during my childhood). But..totally different! As soon as I get into the LLT, there were so many interesting object, puppets, light and fascinating staff. He introduced to us his puppets but then, we focus a lot in the use of lights in shadow puppetry. Halogen and LED lights are used to create a tridimensional effect, and some other types of lights, such as flash lights, helps a lot for hand puppetry. Use of light ball and different kind of psychedelic lights. We then move to traditional shadow theater and Contemporary Shadow Theater! Nothing else to say..an INSPIRATION! Use body shadow theater to express emotions, dreams, action such as rape, music+dance+acting+action. IDEAS FOR IP!
I HAVE IDEAS FOR MY MINI IP AND IP! STARTING TO WRITE!
I'm really starting to appreciate every single theater class that I get to attend, and of course I'm proud, and always I have been, to say I'm a theater student. Now, is another period! Theater assignment due that would give us our predicted. I don’t really care about my predicted (to a certain extent); I just feel like I’m learning so much in this class that this is already enough for me if I don’t score an high mark. It is also true through that I’m doing pretty well in the class and putting effort on what I’m doing, that I would be expecting to receive a good predicted.
Ø Essay title; yr 37, April 2011
The function of theatre can be described as:
- To capture a perception of reality or ‘hold the mirror up to nature’;
- To teach or uplift the mind;
- To express emotion;
- To bind a community;
- To praise a spiritual power.
Apply your reflections and analysis to a selection of these ingredients of theatre, referring to at least three of the experiences you have had when engaged in performances or productions, watching an outside production, research, presentations, workshops or other work in class.
1200-1500 words.
Due Tue April 26
Ø Theatre Year 37 Creative Assignment – The story of a man
Using a stimulus selected from the IB prescribed stimuli (attached) OR of your own choice, each student, working alone or in a group of 2 or 3 will create an original piece of theatre to be performed in the week of May 2.
The piece will be not longer than 10 minutes and is to be envisaged as part of an idea to be developed into a longer piece.
The piece will use some aspect of theatre theory, tradition or practice as an underpinning and basis for approaching the creation and rehearsal process.
Each group to produce a 250 word “pitch “for the piece to be delivered by April 11
Your exam will be a recorded oral exam (10 mins per person) on the afternoon of May 18 in which you will be asked to:
· Reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of your creation;
· Address how you would develop your ideas into a larger production;
· Answer questions on the research/ theoretical underpinning of your pieces.
The story of a man: This is the story of a man, the story of anyone; a homeless girl, a layer in career, an immigrant, a rich lady, a man, any man. Man accidentally shots himself in face, man flees store with 460$ in sex toys, man on trial in quadruple homicide falls asleep during interview, man has 82 tattoo of Julia Roberts, man dies trying to revive death wife, … the story of a man.
Even if today it’s raining, I’m happy! :D
Lgugu
Nessun commento:
Posta un commento