Assesment 2

When it comes to the devising process of Porto, individually and as an ensemble we have been allowed to pretty much do what we want. When working alone, it’s down to you personally and as a character to decide what feels right. When it comes to working as a group the dynamics completely change, you need to take into consideration what the other people feel. The methods which have been used within groups are the clap technique where a person claps suggests an idea and the group follow. The play session, where you and your group just improvise and take ideas from what you have created or there’s the discussion technique, you sit and discuss your ideas on the matter in hand. Personally I prefer the play session; it allows you to still take the matter into hand but also lets you improvise how your character is feeling at that particular moment in time. At the beginning I feel as a group the techniques were not really helping us and created more problems, but as the weeks have progressed and people have become to trust each other more the techniques are being used correctly and effectively. “For the individual, it is time dedicated to developing and exploring performance potential. For a company, training is time spent working to a common purpose.” (Callery, D. 2001 p. 17)

“Have you ever felt that the present is no longer where you belong? That you need to make it your past in order to live the future you desire.” (Mitra, R. 2009) At this stage of the process those words represent my character perfectly. At the beginning of Porto my character felt the urge to stop in the rut I had let myself get into, not wanting anyone at my side but as the weeks have progressed I feel that my character has grown in such a way, which allows other characters to befriend me and become a part of my life within Porto. The reasons for such a drastic change in characteristics, are that in the beginning my character was very selfish and was only worried about my own personal needs but as the weeks have gone I’ve taken a look around me and saw other characters in need of help, help that deep down I was willing to give. The mind set of my character as of now (which may well change again in weeks to come) is I’m willing to be there for others and hold out my hand but also I’m in need of help and need a single person to help me on my journey.

As I have said previous my character began as this shy, depressive one so my body language was very negative. My back was nearly always turned to the audience as I felt I didn’t want them intruding in my life and I also felt a pull from gravity, pulling me closer to the floor which in turn made my movements very self centred. As the weeks have gone on, I feel that my characters body language has changed. It has become a lot more open, my gestures and the way I hold my posture is more of welcoming one compared to the beginning of my journey. Bausch once said “Everything has become routine and no one knows any longer why they’re using these movements. All that’s left is just a strange sort of vanity which is becoming more and more removed from actual people.” (1978, 1984) p.227-230) I can honestly say that the physicality of my character is not just a routine; everything I execute is executed for a reason. I feel that because my body language was so introvert at the beginning my body has had to adjust to executing the bigger movements. But by making such a shift in difference of movements has shown the development of my character.

Bibliography

Barba, E. (1979) The Floating Islands: Reflections with Odin Teatret: Performing Arts Journal Publications.

Bausch, P. and Schmidt, J. (1978, 1984) Not How People Move But What Moves Them, Pina Bausch-Wuppertal Dance Theatre or The Art of Training a Goldfish, trans.

Callery, D. (2001) Through the Body: A Practical Guide to Physical Theatre: Routledge.

http://www.jasminvardimon.com/index.html

Porto (2009) [Home page] [online] [March 9, 2009.]
< http://processandperformance200809.blogspot.com/ >

POSTED BY LAUREN WALKER